the marriage contract-第21章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



and　a　half　of　debt？〃



〃Nothing　is　more　certain；　Mathias。　Did　I　not　give　those　diamonds　to　my

wife？　Did　I　not　spend　the　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　I　received　from

the　sale　of　Madame　Evangelista's　house；　in　the　arrangement　of　my　house

in　Paris？　Was　I　not　forced　to　use　other　money　for　the　first　payments

on　that　property　demanded　by　the　marriage　contract？　I　was　even　forced

to　sell　out　Natalie's　forty　thousand　a　year　in　the　Funds　to　complete

the　purchase　of　Auzac　and　Saint…Froult。　We　sold　at　eighty…seven；

therefore　I　became　in　debt　for　over　two　hundred　thousand　francs　within

a　month　after　my　marriage。　That　left　us　only　sixty…seven　thousand

francs　a　year；　but　we　spent　fully　three　times　as　much　every　year。　Add

all　that　up；　together　with　rates　of　interest　to　usurers；　and　you　will

soon　find　a　million。〃



〃Br…r…r！〃　exclaimed　the　old　notary。　〃Go　on。　What　next？〃



〃Well；　I　wanted；　in　the　first　place；　to　complete　for　my　wife　that　set

of　jewels　of　which　she　had　the　pearl　necklace　clasped　by　the　family

diamond；　the　'Discreto；'　and　her　mother's　ear…rings。　I　paid　a　hundred

thousand　francs　for　a　coronet　of　diamond　wheat…ears。　There's　eleven

hundred　thousand。　And　now　I　find　I　owe　the　fortune　of　my　wife；　which

amounts　to　three　hundred　and　sixty…six　thousand　francs　of　her　'dot。'〃



〃But；〃　said　Mathias；　〃if　Madame　la　comtesse　had　given　up　her　diamonds

and　you　had　pledged　your　income　you　could　have　pacified　your　creditors

and　have　paid　them　off　in　time。〃



〃When　a　man　is　down；　Mathias；　when　his　property　is　covered　with

mortgages；　when　his　wife's　claims　take　precedence　of　his　creditors'；

and　when　that　man　has　notes　out　for　a　hundred　thousand　francs　which　he

must　pay　（and　I　hope　I　can　do　so　out　of　the　increased　value　of　my

property　here）；　what　you　propose　is　not　possible。〃



〃This　is　dreadful！〃　cried　Mathias；　〃would　you　sell　Belle…Rose　with　the

vintage　of　1825　still　in　the　cellars？〃



〃I　cannot　help　myself。〃



〃Belle…Rose　is　worth　six　hundred　thousand　francs。〃



〃Natalie　will　buy　it　in；　I　have　advised　her　to　do　so。〃



〃I　might　push　the　price　to　seven　hundred　thousand；　and　the　farms　are

worth　a　hundred　thousand　each。〃



〃Then　if　the　house　in　Bordeaux　can　be　sold　for　two　hundred　thousand〃



〃Solonet　will　give　more　than　that；　he　wants　it。　He　is　retiring　with　a

handsome　property　made　by　gambling　on　the　Funds。　He　has　sold　his

practice　for　three　hundred　thousand　francs；　and　marries　a　mulatto

woman。　God　knows　how　she　got　her　money；　but　they　say　it　amounts　to

millions。　A　notary　gambling　in　stocks！　a　notary　marrying　a　black

woman！　What　an　age！　It　is　said　that　he　speculates　for　your　mother…in…

law　with　her　funds。〃



〃She　has　greatly　improved　Lanstrac　and　taken　great　pains　with　its

cultivation。　She　has　amply　repaid　me　for　the　use　of　it。〃



〃I　shouldn't　have　thought　her　capable　of　that。〃



〃She　is　so　kind　and　so　devoted；　she　has　always　paid　Natalie's　debts

during　the　three　months　she　spent　with　us　every　year　in　Paris。〃



〃She　could　well　afford　to　do　so；　for　she　gets　her　living　out　of

Lanstrac；〃　said　Mathias。　〃She！　grown　economical！　what　a　miracle！　I　am

told　she　has　just　bought　the　domain　of　Grainrouge　between　Lanstrac　and

Grassol；　so　that　if　the　Lanstrac　avenue　were　extended　to　the　high…

road；　you　would　drive　four　and　a　half　miles　through　your　own　property

to　reach　the　house。　She　paid　one　hundred　thousand　francs　down　for

Grainrouge。〃



〃She　is　as　handsome　as　ever；〃　said　Paul；　〃country　life　preserves　her

freshness；　I　don't　mean　to　go　to　Lanstrac　and　bid　her　good…bye；　her

heart　would　bleed　for　me　too　much。〃



〃You　would　go　in　vain；　she　is　now　in　Paris。　She　probably　arrived　there

as　you　left。〃



〃No　doubt　she　had　heard　of　the　sale　of　my　property　and　came　to　help

me。　I　have　no　complaint　to　make　of　life；　Mathias。　I　am　truly　loved；

as　much　as　any　man　ever　could　be　here　below；　beloved　by　two　women　who

outdo　each　other　in　devotion；　they　are　even　jealous　of　each　other；　the

daughter　blames　the　mother　for　loving　me　too　much；　and　the　mother

reproaches　the　daughter　for　what　she　calls　her　dissipations。　I　may　say

that　this　great　affection　has　been　my　ruin。　How　could　I　fail　to

satisfy　even　the　slightest　caprice　of　a　loving　wife？　Impossible　to

restrain　myself！　Neither　could　I　accept　any　sacrifice　on　her　part。　We

might　certainly；　as　you　say；　live　at　Lanstrac；　save　my　income；　and

part　with　her　diamonds；　but　I　would　rather　go　to　India　and　work　for　a

fortune　than　tear　my　Natalie　from　the　life　she　enjoys。　So　it　was　I　who

proposed　the　separation　as　to　property。　Women　are　angels　who　ought　not

to　be　mixed　up　in　the　sordid　interests　of　life。〃



Old　Mathias　listened　in　doubt　and　amazement。



〃You　have　no　children；　I　think；〃　he　said。



〃Fortunately；　none；〃　replied　Paul。



〃That　is　not　my　idea　of　marriage；〃　remarked　the　old　notary；　naively。

〃A　wife　ought；　in　my　opinion；　to　share　the　good　and　evil　fortunes　of

her　husband。　I　have　heard　that　young　married　people　who　love　like

lovers；　do　not　want　children？　Is　pleasure　the　only　object　of　marriage？

I　say　that　object　should　be　the　joys　of　family。　Moreover；　in　this　case

I　am　afraid　you　will　think　me　too　much　of　notaryyour　marriage

contract　made　it　incumbent　upon　you　to　have　a　son。　Yes；　monsieur　le

comte；　you　ought　to　have　had　at　once　a　male　heir　to　consolidate　that

entail。　Why　not？　Madame　Evangelista　was　strong　and　healthy；　she　had

nothing　to　fear　in　maternity。　You　will　tell　me；　perhaps；　that　these

are　the　old…fashioned　notions　of　our　ancestors。　But　in　those　noble

families；　Monsieur　le　comte；　the　legitimate　wife　thought　it　her　duty

to　bear　children　and　bring　them　up　nobly；　as　the　Duchesse　de　Sully；

the　wife　of　the　great　Sully；　said；　a　wife　is　not　an　instrument　of

pleasure；　but　the　honor　and　virtue　of　her　household。〃



〃You　don't　know　women；　my　good　Mathias；〃　said　Paul。　〃In　order　to　be

happy　we　must　love　them　as　they　want　to　be　loved。　Isn't　there

something　brutal　in　at　once　depriving　a　wife　of　her　charms；　and

spoiling　her　beauty　before　she　has　begun　to　enjoy　it？〃



〃If　you　had　had　children　your　wife　would　not　have　dissipated　your

fortune；　she　would　have　stayed　at　home　and　looked　after　them。〃



〃If　you　were　right；　dear　friend；〃　said　Paul；　frowning；　〃I　should　be

still　more　unhappy　than　I　am。　Do　not　aggravate　my　sufferings　by

preaching　to　me　after　my　fall。　Let　me　go；　without　the　pang　of　looking

backward　to　my　mistakes。〃



The　next　day　Mathias　received　a　bill　of　exchange　for　one　hundred　and

fifty　thousand　francs　from　de　Marsay。



〃You　see；〃　said　Paul；　〃he　does　not　write　a　word　to　me。　He　begins　by

obliging　me。　Henri's　nature　is　the　most　imperfectly　perfect；　the　most

illegally　beautiful　that　I　know。　If　you　knew　with　what　superiority

that　man；　still　young；　can　rise　above　sentiments；　above　self…

interests；　and　judge　them；　you　would　be　astonished；　as　I　am；　to　find

how　much　heart　he　has。〃



Mathias　tried　to　battle　with　Paul's　determination；　but　he　found　it

irrevocable；　and　it　was　justified　by　so　many　cogent　reasons　that　the

old　man　finally　ceased　his　endeavors　to　retain　his　client。



It　is　seldom　that　vessels　sail　promptly　at　the　time　appointed；　but　on

this　occasion；　by　a　fateful　circumstance　for　Paul；　the　wind　was　fair

and　the　〃Belle…Amelie〃　sailed　on　the　morrow；　as　expected。　The　quay　was

lined　with　relations；　and　friends；　and　idle　persons。　Among　them　were

several　who　had　formerly　known　Manerville。　His　disaster；　posted　on　the

walls　of　the　town；　made　him　as　celebrated　as　he　was　in　the　days　of　his

wealth　and　fashion。　Curiosity　was　aroused；　every　one　had　their　word　to

say　about　him。　Old　Mathias　accompanied　his　client　to　the　quay；　and　his

sufferings　were　sore　as　he　caught　a　few　words　of　those　remarks：



〃Who　could　recognize　in　that　man　you　see　over　there；　near　old　Mathias；

the　dandy　who　was　called　the　Pink　of　Fashion　five　years　ago；　and　made；

as　they　say；　'fair　weather　and　foul'　in　Bordeaux。〃



〃What！　that　stout；　short　man　in　the　alpaca　overcoat；　who　looks　like　a

groom；is　that　Comte　Paul　de　Manerville？〃



〃Yes；　my　dear；　the　same　who　married　Mademoiselle　Evangelista。　Here　he

is；　ruined；　without　a　penny　to　his　name；　going　out　to　India　to　look

for　luck。〃



〃But　how　did　he　ruin　himself？　he　was　very　rich。〃



〃Oh！　Paris；　women；　play；　luxury；　gambling　at　the　Bourse〃



〃Besides；〃　said　another；　〃Manerville　always　was　a　poor　creature；　no

mind；　soft　as　papier…mache；　he'd　let　anybody　shear　the　wool　from　his

back；　incapable　of　anything；　no　matter　what。　He　was　born　to　be

ruined。〃



Paul　wrung　the　hand　of　the　old　man　and　went　on　board。　Mathias　stood

upon　the　pier；　looking　at　his　client；　who　leaned　against　the　shrouds；

defying　the　crowed　before　him　with　a　glance　of　contempt。　At　the　moment

when　the　sailors　began　to　weigh　anchor；　Paul　noticed　that　Mathias　was

making　signals　to　him　with　his　handkerchief。　The　old　housekeeper　had

hurried　to　her　master；　who　seemed　to　be　excited　by　some　sudden　event。

Paul　asked　the　captain　to　wait　a　moment；　and　send　a　boat　to　the　pier；

which　was　done。　Too　feeble　himself　to　go　aboard；　Mathias　gave　two

letters　to　a　sailor　in　the　boat。



〃My　friend；〃　he　said；　〃this　packet〃　（showing　one　of　the　two　letters）

〃is　important；　it　has　just　arrived　by　a　courier　from　Paris　in　thirty…

five　hours。　State　this　to　Monsieur　le　comte；　don't　neglect　to　do　so；

it　may　change　his　plans。〃



〃Would　he　come　ashore？〃



〃Possibly；　my　friend；〃　said　the　notary；　imprudently。



The　sailor　is；　in　all　lands；　a　being　of　a　race　apart；　holding　all

land…folk　in　contempt。　This　one　happened　to　be　a　bas…Breton；　who　saw

but　one　thing　in　Maitre　Mathias's　request。



〃Come　ashore；　indeed！〃　he　thought；　as　he　rowed。　〃Make　the　captain　lose

a　passenger！　If　one　listened　to　those　walruses　we'd　have　nothing　to　do

but　embark　and　disembark　'em。　He's　afraid　that　son　of　his　will　catch

cold。〃



The　sailor　gave　Paul　the　letter　and　said　not　a　word　of　the　message。

Recognizing　the　handwriting　of　his　wife　and　de　Marsay；　Paul　supposed

that　he　knew　what　they　both　would　urge　upon　him。　Anxious　not　to　be

influenced　by　offers　which　he　believed　their　devotion　to　his　welfare

would　inspire；　he　put　the　letters　in　his　pocket　unread；　with　apparent

indifference。



Absorbed　in　the　sad　thoughts　which　assail　the　strongest　man　under　such

circumstances；　Paul　gave　way　to　his　grief　as　he　waved　his　hand　to　his

old　friend；　and　bade　farewell　to　France；　watching　the　steeples　of

Bordeaux　as　they　fled　out　of　sight。　He　seated　himself　on　a　coil　of

rope。　Night　overtook　him　still　lost　in　thought。　With　the　semi…darkness

of　the　dying　day　came　doubts；　he　cast　an　anxious　eye　into　the　future。

Sounding　it；　and　finding　there　uncertainty　and　danger；　he　asked　his

soul　if　courage　would　fail　him。　A　vague　dread　seized　his　mind　as　he

thought　of　Natalie　left　wholly　to　herself；　he　repented　the　step　he　had

taken；　he　regretted　Paris　and　his　life　there。　Suddenly　sea…sickness

over