the marriage contract-第15章

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about　to　leave　the　city；　and　could　safely　scan　her　friends　and

enemies；　caricature　them　and　lash　them　as　she　pleased；　with　nothing　to

fear　in　return。　Accordingly；　she　now　gave　vent　to　her　secret

observations　and　her　latent　dislikes　as　she　sought　for　the　reason　why

this　or　that　person　denied　the　shining　of　the　sun　at　mid…day。



〃But；　my　dear；〃　said　the　Marquise　de　Gyas；　〃this　stay　of　the　count　at

Lanstrac；　these　parties　given　to　young　men　under　such　circumstances〃



〃Ah！　my　dear；〃　said　the　great　lady；　interrupting　the　marquise；　〃do　you

suppose　that　we　adopt　the　pettiness　of　bourgeois　customs？　Is　Count

Paul　held　in　bonds　like　a　man　who　might　seek　to　get　away？　Think　you　we

ought　to　watch　him　with　a　squad　of　gendarmes　lest　some　provincial

conspiracy　should　get　him　away　from　us？〃



〃Be　assured；　my　dearest　friend；　that　it　gives　me　the　greatest　pleasure

to〃



Here　her　words　were　interrupted　by　a　footman　who　entered　the　room　to

announce　Paul。　Like　many　lovers；　Paul　thought　it　charming　to　ride

twelve　miles　to　spend　an　hour　with　Natalie。　He　had　left　his　friends

while　hunting；　and　came　in　booted　and　spurred；　and　whip　in　hand。



〃Dear　Paul；〃　said　Natalie；　〃you　don't　know　what　an　answer　you　are

giving　to　madame。〃



When　Paul　heard　of　the　gossip　that　was　current　in　Bordeaux；　he　laughed

instead　of　being　angry。



〃These　worthy　people　have　found　out；　perhaps；　that　there　will　be　no

wedding　festivities；　according　to　provincial　usages；　no　marriage　at

mid…day　in　the　church；　and　they　are　furious。　Well；　my　dear　mother；〃　he

added；　kissing　her　hand；　〃let　us　pacify　them　with　a　ball　on　the　day

when　we　sign　the　contract；　just　as　the　government　flings　a　fete　to　the

people　in　the　great　square　of　the　Champs…Elysees；　and　we　will　give　our

dear　friends　the　dolorous　pleasure　of　signing　a　marriage…contract　such

as　they　have　seldom　heard　of　in　the　provinces。〃



This　little　incident　proved　of　great　importance。　Madame　Evangelista

invited　all　Bordeaux　to　witness　the　signature　of　the　contract；　and

showed　her　intention　of　displaying　in　this　last　fete　a　luxury　which

should　refute　the　foolish　lies　of　the　community。



The　preparations　for　this　event　required　over　a　month；　and　it　was

called　the　fete　of　the　camellias。　Immense　quantities　of　that　beautiful

flower　were　massed　on　the　staircase；　and　in　the　antechamber　and

supper…room。　During　this　month　the　formalities　for　constituting　the

entail　were　concluded　in　Paris；　the　estates　adjoining　Lanstrac　were

purchased；　the　banns　were　published；　and　all　doubts　finally

dissipated。　Friends　and　enemies　thought　only　of　preparing　their

toilets　for　the　coming　fete。



The　time　occupied　by　these　events　obscured　the　difficulties　raised　by

the　first　discussion；　and　swept　into　oblivion　the　words　and　arguments

of　that　stormy　conference。　Neither　Paul　nor　his　mother…in…law

continued　to　think　of　them。　Were　they　not；　after　all；　as　Madame

Evangelista　had　said；　the　affair　of　the　two　notaries？



Butto　whom　has　it　never　happened；　when　life　is　in　its　fullest　flow；

to　be　suddenly　changed　by　the　voice　of　memory；　raised；　perhaps；　too

late；　reminding　us　of　some　important　new　fact；　some　threatened　danger？

On　the　morning　of　the　day　when　the　contract　was　to　be　signed　and　the

fete　given；　one　of　these　flashes　of　the　soul　illuminated　the　mind　of

Madame　Evangelista　during　the　semi…somnolence　of　her　waking　hour。　The

words　that　she　herself　had　uttered　at　the　moment　when　Mathias　acceded

to　Solonet's　conditions；　〃Questa　coda　non　e　di　questo　gatto；〃　were

cried　aloud　in　her　mind　by　that　voice　of　memory。　In　spite　of　her

incapacity　for　business；　Madame　Evangelista's　shrewdness　told　her：



〃If　so　clever　a　notary　as　Mathias　was　pacified；　it　must　have　been　that

he　saw　compensation　at　the　cost　of　SOME　ONE。〃



That　some　one　could　not　be　Paul；　as　she　had　blindly　hoped。　Could　it　be

that　her　daughter's　fortune　was　to　pay　the　costs　of　war？　She　resolved

to　demand　explanations　on　the　tenor　of　the　contract；　not　reflecting　on

the　course　she　would　have　to　take　in　case　she　found　her　interests

seriously　compromised。　This　day　had　so　powerful　an　influence　on　Paul

de　Manerville's　conjugal　life　that　it　is　necessary　to　explain　certain

of　the　external　circumstances　which　accompanied　it。



Madame　Evangelista　had　shrunk　from　no　expense　for　this　dazzling　fete。

The　court…yard　was　gravelled　and　converted　into　a　tent；　and　filled

with　shrubs；　although　it　was　winter。　The　camellias；　of　which　so　much

had　been　said　from　Angouleme　to　Dax；　were　banked　on　the　staircase　and

in　the　vestibules。　Wall　partitions　had　disappeared　to　enlarge　the

supper…room　and　the　ball…room　where　the　dancing　was　to　be。　Bordeaux；　a

city　famous　for　the　luxury　of　colonial　fortunes；　was　on　a　tiptoe　of

expectation　for　this　scene　of　fairyland。　About　eight　o'clock；　as　the

last　discussion　of　the　contract　was　taking　place　within　the　house；　the

inquisitive　populace；　anxious　to　see　the　ladies　in　full　dress　getting

out　of　their　carriages；　formed　in　two　hedges　on　either　side　of　the

porte…cochere。　Thus　the　sumptuous　atmosphere　of　a　fete　acted　upon　all

minds　at　the　moment　when　the　contract　was　being　signed；　illuminating

colored　lamps　lighted　up　the　shrubs；　and　the　wheels　of　the　arriving

guests　echoed　from　the　court…yard。　The　two　notaries　had　dined　with　the

bridal　pair　and　their　mother。　Mathias's　head…clerk；　whose　business　it

was　to　receive　the　signatures　of　the　guests　during　the　evening　（taking

due　care　that　the　contract　was　not　surreptitiously　read　by　the

signers）；　was　also　present　at　the　dinner。



No　bridal　toilet　was　ever　comparable　with　that　of　Natalie；　whose

beauty；　decked　with　laces　and　satin；　her　hair　coquettishly　falling　in

a　myriad　of　curls　about　her　throat；　resembled　that　of　a　flower　encased

in　its　foliage。　Madame　Evangelista；　robed　in　a　gown　of　cherry　velvet；

a　color　judiciously　chosen　to　heighten　the　brilliancy　of　her　skin　and

her　black　hair　and　eyes；　glowed　with　the　beauty　of　a　woman　at　forty；

and　wore　her　pearl　necklace；　clasped　with　the　〃Discreto；〃　a　visible

contradiction　to　the　late　calumnies。



To　fully　explain　this　scene；　it　is　necessary　to　say　that　Paul　and

Natalie　sat　together　on　a　sofa　beside　the　fireplace　and　paid　no

attention　to　the　reading　of　the　documents。　Equally　childish　and

equally　happy；　regarding　life　as　a　cloudless　sky；　rich；　young；　and

loving；　they　chattered　to　each　other　in　a　low　voice；　sinking　into

whispers。　Arming　his　love　with　the　presence　of　legality；　Paul　took

delight　in　kissing　the　tips　of　Natalie's　fingers；　in　lightly　touching

her　snowy　shoulders　and　the　waving　curls　of　her　hair；　hiding　from　the

eyes　of　others　these　joys　of　illegal　emancipation。　Natalie　played　with

a　screen　of　peacock's　feathers　given　to　her　by　Paul；a　gift　which　is

to　love；　according　to　superstitious　belief　in　certain　countries；　as

dangerous　an　omen　as　the　gift　of　scissors　or　other　cutting

instruments；　which　recall；　no　doubt；　the　Parces　of　antiquity。



Seated　beside　the　two　notaries；　Madame　Evangelista　gave　her　closest

attention　to　the　reading　of　the　documents。　After　listening　to　the

guardianship　account；　most　ably　written　out　by　Solonet；　in　which

Natalie's　share　of　the　three　million　and　more　francs　left　by　Monsieur

Evangelista　was　shown　to　be　the　much…debated　eleven　hundred　and　fifty…

six　thousand；　Madame　Evangelista　said　to　the　heedless　young　couple：



〃Come；　listen；　listen；　my　children；　this　is　your　marriage　contract。〃



The　clerk　drank　a　glass　of　iced…water；　Solonet　and　Mathias　blew　their

noses；　Paul　and　Natalie　looked　at　the　four　personages　before　them；

listened　to　the　preamble；　and　returned　to　their　chatter。　The　statement

of　the　property　brought　by　each　party；　the　general　deed　of　gift　in　the

event　of　death　without　issue；　the　deed　of　gift　of　one…fourth　in　life…

interest　and　one…fourth　in　capital　without　interest；　allowed　by　the

Code；　whatever　be　the　number　of　the　children；　the　constitution　of　a

common　fund　for　husband　and　wife；　the　settlement　of　the　diamonds　on

the　wife；　the　library　and　horses　on　the　husband；　were　duly　read　and

passed　without　observations。　Then　followed　the　constitution　of　the

entail。　When　all　was　read　and　nothing　remained　but　to　sign　the

contract；　Madame　Evangelista　demanded　to　know　what　would　be　the

ultimate　effect　of　the　entail。



〃An　entail；　madam；〃　replied　Solonet；　〃means　an　inalienable　right　to

the　inheritance　of　certain　property　belonging　to　both　husband　and

wife；　which　is　settled　from　generation　to　generation　on　the　eldest　son

of　the　house；　without；　however；　depriving　him　of　his　right　to　share　in

the　division　of　the　rest　of　the　property。〃



〃What　will　be　the　effect　of　this　on　my　daughter's　rights？〃



Maitre　Mathias；　incapable　of　disguising　the　truth；　replied：



〃Madame；　an　entail　being　an　appanage；　or　portion　of　property　set　aside

for　this　purpose　from　the　fortunes　of　husband　and　wife；　it　follows

that　if　the　wife　dies　first；　leaving　several　children；　one　of　them　a

son；　Monsieur　de　Manerville　will　owe　those　children　three　hundred　and

sixty　thousand　francs　only；　from　which　he　will　deduct　his　fourth　in

life…interest　and　his　fourth　in　capital。　Thus　his　debt　to　those

children　will　be　reduced　to　one　hundred　and　sixty　thousand　francs；　or

thereabouts；　exclusive　of　his　savings　and　profits　from　the　common　fund

constituted　for　husband　and　wife。　If；　on　the　contrary；　he　dies　first；

leaving　a　male　heir；　Madame　de　Manerville　has　a　right　to　three　hundred

and　sixty　thousand　francs　only；　and　to　her　deeds　of　gift　of　such　of

her　husband's　property　as　is　not　included　in　the　entail；　to　the

diamonds　now　settled　upon　her；　and　to　her　profits　and　savings　from　the

common　fund。〃



The　effect　of　Maitre　Mathias's　astute　and　far…sighted　policy　were　now

plainly　seen。



〃My　daughter　is　ruined；〃　said　Madame　Evangelista　in　a　low　voice。



The　old　and　the　young　notary　both　overheard　the　words。



〃Is　it　ruin；〃　replied　Mathias；　speaking　gently；　〃to　constitute　for　her

family　an　indestructible　fortune？〃



The　younger　notary；　seeing　the　expression　of　his　client's　face；

thought　it　judicious　in　him　to　state　the　disaster　in　plain　terms。



〃We　tried　to　trick　them　out　of　three　hundred　thousand　francs；〃　he

whispered　to　the　angry　woman。　〃They　have　actually　laid　hold　of　eight

hundred　thousand；　it　is　a　loss　of　four　hundred　thousand　from　our

interests　for　the　benefit　of　the　children。　You　must　now　either　break

the　marriage　off　at　once；　or　carry　it　through；〃　concluded　Solonet。



It　is　impossible　to　describe　the　moment　of　silence　that　followed。

Maitre　Mathias　waited　in　triumph　the　signature　of　the　two　persons　who

had　expected　to　rob　his　client。　Natalie；　not　competent　to　understand

that　she　had　lost　half　her　fortune；　and　Paul；　ignorant　that　the　house

of　Manerville　had　gained　it；　were　laughing　and　chattering　still。

Solonet　and　Madame　Evangelista　gazed　at　each　other；　the　one

endeavoring　to　conceal　his　indifference；　the　other　repressing