the marriage contract-第7部分

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dear　boy。　Men　who　have　a　name　and　an　estate　to　transmit；　a　family　to

continue；　must；　sooner　or　later；　end　in　marriage。　I　wish　I　could　see

my　dear　Auguste　taking　that　course。　You　can　now　carry　on　the　marriage

without　me；　I　have　nothing　to　give　you　but　my　blessing；　and　women　as

old　as　I　are　out　of　place　at　a　wedding。　I　leave　for　Paris　to…morrow。

When　you　present　your　wife　in　society　I　shall　be　able　to　see　her　and

assist　her　far　more　to　the　purpose　than　now。　If　you　had　had　no　house

in　Paris　I　would　gladly　have　arranged　the　second　floor　of　mine　for

you。〃



〃Dear　aunt；〃　said　Paul；　〃I　thank　you　heartily。　But　what　do　you　mean

when　you　say　that　the　mother　gives　nothing　of　her　own；　and　that　the

daughter's　dowry　is　her　patrimony？〃



〃The　mother；　my　dear　boy；　is　a　sly　cat；　who　takes　advantage　of　her

daughter's　beauty　to　impose　conditions　and　allow　you　only　that　which

she　cannot　prevent　you　from　having；　namely；　the　daughter's　fortune

from　her　father。　We　old　people　know　the　importance　of　inquiring

closely；　What　has　he？　What　has　she？　I　advise　you　therefore　to　give

particular　instructions　to　your　notary。　The　marriage　contract；　my　dear

child；　is　the　most　sacred　of　all　duties。　If　your　father　and　your

mother　had　not　made　their　bed　properly　you　might　now　be　sleeping

without　sheets。　You　will　have　children；　they　are　the　commonest　result

of　marriage；　and　you　must　think　of　them。　Consult　Maitre　Mathias　our

old　notary。〃



Madame　de　Maulincour　departed；　having　plunged　Paul　into　a　state　of

extreme　perplexity。　His　mother…in…law　a　sly　cat！　Must　he　struggle　for

his　interests　in　the　marriage　contract？　Was　it　necessary　to　defend

them？　Who　was　likely　to　attack　them？



He　followed　the　advice　of　his　aunt　and　confided　the　drawing…up　of　the

marriage　contract　to　Maitre　Mathias。　But　these　threatened　discussions

oppressed　him；　and　he　went　to　see　Madame　Evangelista　and　announce　his

intentions　in　a　state　of　rather　lively　agitation。　Like　all　timid　men；

he　shrank　from　allowing　the　distrust　his　aunt　had　put　into　his　mind　to

be　seen；　in　fact；　he　considered　it　insulting。　To　avoid　even　a　slight

jar　with　a　person　so　imposing　to　his　mind　as　his　future　mother…in…law；

he　proceeded　to　state　his　intentions　with　the　circumlocution　natural

to　persons　who　dare　not　face　a　difficulty。



〃Madame；〃　he　said；　choosing　a　moment　when　Natalie　was　absent　from　the

room；　〃you　know；　of　course；　what　a　family　notary　is。　Mine　is　a　worthy

old　man；　to　whom　it　would　be　a　sincere　grief　if　he　were　not　entrusted

with　the　drawing　of　my　marriage　contract。〃



〃Why；　of　course！〃　said　Madame　Evangelista；　interrupting　him；　〃but　are

not　marriage　contracts　always　made　by　agreement　of　the　notaries　of

both　families？〃



The　time　that　Paul　took　to　reply　to　this　question　was　occupied　by

Madame　Evangelista　in　asking　herself；　〃What　is　he　thinking　of？〃　for

women　possess　in　an　eminent　degree　the　art　of　reading　thoughts　from

the　play　of　countenance。　She　divined　the　instigations　of　the　great…

aunt　in　the　embarrassed　glance　and　the　agitated　tone　of　voice　which

betrayed　an　inward　struggle　in　Paul's　mind。



〃At　last；〃　she　thought　to　herself；　〃the　fatal　day　has　come；　the　crisis

beginshow　will　it　end？　My　notary　is　Monsieur　Solonet；〃　she　said；

after　a　pause。　〃Yours；　I　think　you　said；　is　Monsieur　Mathias；　I　will

invite　them　to　dinner　to…morrow；　and　they　can　come　to　an　understanding

then。　It　is　their　business　to　conciliate　our　interests　without　our

interference；　just　as　good　cooks　are　expected　to　furnish　good　food

without　instructions。〃



〃Yes；　you　are　right；〃　said　Paul；　letting　a　faint　sigh　of　relief　escape

from　him。



By　a　singular　transposition　of　parts；　Paul；　innocent　of　all　wrong…

doing；　trembled；　while　Madame　Evangelista；　though　a　prey　to　the　utmost

anxiety；　was　outwardly　calm。



The　widow　owed　her　daughter　one…third　of　the　fortune　left　by　Monsieur

Evangelista；namely；　nearly　twelve　hundred　thousand　francs；and　she

knew　herself　unable　to　pay　it；　even　by　taking　the　whole　of　her

property　to　do　so。　She　would　therefore　be　placed　at　the　mercy　of　a

son…in…law。　Though　she　might　be　able　to　control　Paul　if　left　to

himself；　would　he；　when　enlightened　by　his　notary；　agree　to　release

her　from　rendering　her　account　as　guardian　of　her　daughter's

patrimony？　If　Paul　withdrew　his　proposals　all　Bordeaux　would　know　the

reason　and　Natalie's　future　marriage　would　be　made　impossible。　This

mother；　who　desired　the　happiness　of　her　daughter；　this　woman；　who

from　infancy　had　lived　honorably；　was　aware　that　on　the　morrow　she

must　become　dishonest。　Like　those　great　warriors　who　fain　would　blot

from　their　lives　the　moment　when　they　had　felt　a　secret　cowardice；　she

ardently　desired　to　cut　this　inevitable　day　from　the　record　of　hers。

Most　assuredly　some　hairs　on　her　head　must　have　whitened　during　the

night；　when；　face　to　face　with　facts；　she　bitterly　regretted　her

extravagance　as　she　felt　the　hard　necessities　of　the　situation。



Among　these　necessities　was　that　of　confiding　the　truth　to　her　notary；

for　whom　she　sent　in　the　morning　as　soon　as　she　rose。　She　was　forced

to　reveal　to　him　a　secret　defaulting　she　had　never　been　willing　to

admit　to　herself；　for　she　had　steadily　advanced　to　the　abyss；　relying

on　some　chance　accident；　which　never　happened；　to　relieve　her。　There

rose　in　her　soul　a　feeling　against　Paul；　that　was　neither　dislike；　nor

aversion；　nor　anything；　as　yet；　unkind；　but　HE　was　the　cause　of　this

crisis；　the　opposing　party　in　this　secret　suit；　he　became；　without

knowing　it；　an　innocent　enemy　she　was　forced　to　conquer。　What　human

being　did　ever　yet　love　his　or　her　dupe？　Compelled　to　deceive　and

trick　him　if　she　could；　the　Spanish　woman　resolved；　like　other　women；

to　put　her　whole　force　of　character　into　the　struggle；　the　dishonor　of

which　could　be　absolved　by　victory　only。



In　the　stillness　of　the　night　she　excused　her　conduct　to　her　own　mind

by　a　tissue　of　arguments　in　which　her　pride　predominated。　Natalie　had

shared　the　benefit　of　her　extravagance。　There　was　not　a　single　base　or

ignoble　motive　in　what　she　had　done。　She　was　no　accountant；　but　was

that　a　crime；　a　delinquency？　A　man　was　only　too　lucky　to　obtain　a　wife

like　Natalie　without　a　penny。　Such　a　treasure　bestowed　upon　him　might

surely　release　her　from　a　guardianship　account。　How　many　men　had

bought　the　women　they　loved　by　greater　sacrifices？　Why　should　a　man　do

less　for　a　wife　than　for　a　mistress？　Besides；　Paul　was　a　nullity；　a

man　of　no　force；　incapable；　she　would　spend　the　best　resources　of　her

mind　upon　him　and　open　to　him　a　fine　career；　he　should　owe　his　future

power　and　position　to　her　influence；　in　that　way　she　could　pay　her

debt。　He　would　indeed　be　a　fool　to　refuse　such　a　future；　and　for　what？

a　few　paltry　thousands；　more　or　less。　He　would　be　infamous　if　he

withdrew　for　such　a　reason。



〃But；〃　she　added；　to　herself；　〃if　the　negotiation　does　not　succeed　at

once；　I　shall　leave　Bordeaux。　I　can　still　find　a　good　marriage　for

Natalie　by　investing　the　proceeds　of　what　is　left；　house　and　diamonds

and　furniture；keeping　only　a　small　income　for　myself。〃



When　a　strong　soul　constructs　a　way　of　ultimate　escape；as　Richelieu

did　at　Brouage；and　holds　in　reserve　a　vigorous　end；　the　resolution

becomes　a　lever　which　strengthens　its　immediate　way。　The　thought　of

this　finale　in　case　of　failure　comforted　Madame　Evangelista；　who　fell

asleep　with　all　the　more　confidence　as　she　remembered　her　assistance

in　the　coming　duel。



This　was　a　young　man　named　Solonet；　considered　the　ablest　notary　in

Bordeaux；　now　twenty…seven　years　of　age　and　decorated　with　the　Legion

of　honor　for　having　actively　contributed　to　the　second　return　of　the

Bourbons。　Proud　and　happy　to　be　received　in　the　home　of　Madame

Evangelista；　less　as　a　notary　than　as　belonging　to　the　royalist

society　of　Bordeaux；　Solonet　had　conceived　for　that　fine　setting　sun

one　of　those　passions　which　women　like　Madame　Evangelista　repulse；

although　flattered　and　graciously　allowing　them　to　exist　upon　the

surface。　Solonet　remained　therefore　in　a　self…satisfied　condition　of

hope　and　becoming　respect。　Being　sent　for；　he　arrived　the　next　morning

with　the　promptitude　of　a　slave　and　was　received　by　the　coquettish

widow　in　her　bedroom；　where　she　allowed　him　to　find　her　in　a　very

becoming　dishabille。



〃Can　I；〃　she　said；　〃count　upon　your　discretion　and　your　entire

devotion　in　a　discussion　which　will　take　place　in　my　house　this

evening？　You　will　readily　understand　that　it　relates　to　the　marriage

of　my　daughter。〃



The　young　man　expended　himself　in　gallant　protestations。



〃Now　to　the　point；〃　she　said。



〃I　am　listening；〃　he　replied；　checking　his　ardor。



Madame　Evangelista　then　stated　her　position　baldly。



〃My　dear　lady；　that　is　nothing　to　be　troubled　about；〃　said　Maitre

Solonet；　assuming　a　confident　air　as　soon　as　his　client　had　given　him

the　exact　figures。　〃The　question　is　how　have　you　conducted　yourself

toward　Monsieur　de　Manerville？　In　this　matter　questions　of　manner　and

deportment　are　of　greater　importance　than　those　of　law　and　finance。〃



Madame　Evangelista　wrapped　herself　in　dignity。　The　notary　learned　to

his　satisfaction　that　until　the　present　moment　his　client's　relations

to　Paul　had　been　distant　and　reserved；　and　that　partly　from　native

pride　and　partly　from　involuntary　shrewdness　she　had　treated　the　Comte

de　Manerville　as　in　some　sense　her　inferior　and　as　though　it　were　an

honor　for　him　to　be　allowed　to　marry　Mademoiselle　Evangelista。　She

assured　Solonet　that　neither　she　nor　her　daughter　could　be　suspected

of　any　mercenary　interests　in　the　marriage；　that　they　had　the　right；

should　Paul　make　any　financial　difficulties；　to　retreat　from　the

affair　to　an　illimitable　distance；　and　finally；　that　she　had　already

acquired　over　her　future　son…in…law　a　very　remarkable　ascendancy。



〃If　that　is　so；〃　said　Solonet；　〃tell　me　what　are　the　utmost

concessions　you　are　willing　to　make。〃