cousin betty-第57章

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madame　asks　a　favor　of　you！〃

〃What　is　it？〃　asked　Claude　Vignon。

〃A　small　bronze　group；〃　replied　Steinbock；　〃Delilah　cutting　off
Samson's　hair。〃

〃It　is　difficult；〃　remarked　Vignon。　〃A　bed〃

〃On　the　contrary；　it　is　exceedingly　easy；〃　replied　Valerie；　smiling。

〃Ah　ha！　teach　us　sculpture！〃　said　Stidmann。

〃You　should　take　madame　for　your　subject；〃　replied　Vignon；　with　a　keen
glance　at　Valerie。

〃Well；〃　she　went　on；　〃this　is　my　notion　of　the　composition。　Samson　on
waking　finds　he　has　no　hair；　like　many　a　dandy　with　a　false　top…knot。
The　hero　is　sitting　on　the　bed；　so　you　need　only　show　the　foot　of　it；
covered　with　hangings　and　drapery。　There　he　is；　like　Marius　among　the
ruins　of　Carthage；　his　arms　folded；　his　head　shavenNapoleon　at
Saint…Helenawhat　you　will！　Delilah　is　on　her　knees；　a　good　deal　like
Canova's　Magdalen。　When　a　hussy　has　ruined　her　man；　she　adores　him。　As
I　see　it；　the　Jewess　was　afraid　of　Samson　in　his　strength　and　terrors；
but　she　must　have　loved　him　when　she　saw　him　a　child　again。　So　Delilah
is　bewailing　her　sin；　she　would　like　to　give　her　lover　his　hair　again。
She　hardly　dares　to　look　at　him；　but　she　does　look；　with　a　smile；　for
she　reads　forgiveness　in　Samson's　weakness。　Such　a　group　as　this；　and
one　of　the　ferocious　Judith；　would　epitomize　woman。　Virtue　cuts　off
your　head；　vice　only　cuts　off　your　hair。　Take　care　of　your　wigs；
gentlemen！〃

And　she　left　the　artists　quite　overpowered；　to　sing　her　praises　in
concert　with　the　critic。

〃It　is　impossible　to　be　more　bewitching！〃　cried　Stidmann。

〃Oh！　she　is　the　most　intelligent　and　desirable　woman　I　have　ever　met；〃
said　Claude　Vignon。　〃Such　a　combination　of　beauty　and　cleverness　is　so
rare。〃

〃And　if　you　who　had　the　honor　of　being　intimate　with　Camille　Maupin
can　pronounce　such　a　verdict；〃　replied　Stidmann；　〃what　are　we　to
think？〃

〃If　you　will　make　your　Delilah　a　portrait　of　Valerie；　my　dear　Count；〃
said　Crevel；　who　had　risen　for　a　moment　from　the　card…table；　and　who
had　heard　what　had　been　said；　〃I　will　give　you　a　thousand　crowns　for
an　exampleyes；　by　the　Powers！　I　will　shell　out　to　the　tune　of　a
thousand　crowns！〃

〃Shell　out！　What　does　that　mean？〃　asked　Beauvisage　of　Claude　Vignon。

〃Madame　must　do　me　the　honor　to　sit　for　it　then；〃　said　Steinbock　to
Crevel。　〃Ask　her〃

At　this　moment　Valerie　herself　brought　Steinbock　a　cup　of　tea。　This
was　more　than　a　compliment；　it　was　a　favor。　There　is　a　complete
language　in　the　manner　in　which　a　woman　does　this　little　civility；　but
women　are　fully　aware　of　the　fact；　and　it　is　a　curious　thing　to　study
their　movements；　their　manner；　their　look；　tone；　and　accent　when　they
perform　this　apparently　simple　act　of　politeness。From　the　question；
〃Do　you　take　tea？〃〃Will　you　have　some　tea？〃〃A　cup　of　tea？〃　coldly
asked；　and　followed　by　instructions　to　the　nymph　of　the　urn　to　bring
it；　to　the　eloquent　poem　of　the　odalisque　coming　from　the　tea…table；
cup　in　hand；　towards　the　pasha　of　her　heart；　presenting　it
submissively；　offering　it　in　an　insinuating　voice；　with　a　look　full　of
intoxicating　promises；　a　physiologist　could　deduce　the　whole　scale　of
feminine　emotion；　from　aversion　or　indifference　to　Phaedra's
declaration　to　Hippolytus。　Women　can　make　it；　at　will；　contemptuous　to
the　verge　of　insult；　or　humble　to　the　expression　of　Oriental
servility。

And　Valerie　was　more　than　woman；　she　was　the　serpent　made　woman；　she
crowned　her　diabolical　work　by　going　up　to　Steinbock；　a　cup　of　tea　in
her　hand。

〃I　will　drink　as　many　cups　of　tea　as　you　will　give　me；〃　said　the
artist；　murmuring　in　her　ear　as　he　rose；　and　touching　her　fingers　with
his；　〃to　have　them　given　to　me　thus！〃

〃What　were　you　saying　about　sitting？〃　said　she；　without　betraying　that
this　declaration；　so　frantically　desired；　had　gone　straight　to　her
heart。

〃Old　Crevel　promises　me　a　thousand　crowns　for　a　copy　of　your　group。〃

〃He！　a　thousand　crowns　for　a　bronze　group？〃

〃Yesif　you　will　sit　for　Delilah；〃　said　Steinbock。

〃He　will　not　be　there　to　see；　I　hope！〃　replied　she。　〃The　group　would
be　worth　more　than　all　his　fortune；　for　Delilah's　costume　is　rather
un…dressy。〃

Just　as　Crevel　loved　to　strike　an　attitude；　every　woman　has　a
victorious　gesture；　a　studied　movement；　which　she　knows　must　win
admiration。　You　may　see　in　a　drawing…room　how　one　spends　all　her　time
looking　down　at　her　tucker　or　pulling　up　the　shoulder…piece　of　her
gown；　how　another　makes　play　with　the　brightness　of　her　eyes　by
glancing　up　at　the　cornice。　Madame　Marneffe's　triumph；　however；　was
not　face　to　face　like　that　of　other　women。　She　turned　sharply　round　to
return　to　Lisbeth　at　the　tea…table。　This　ballet…dancer's　pirouette；
whisking　her　skirts；　by　which　she　had　overthrown　Hulot；　now　fascinated
Steinbock。

〃Your　vengeance　is　secure；〃　said　Valerie　to　Lisbeth　in　a　whisper。
〃Hortense　will　cry　out　all　her　tears；　and　curse　the　day　when　she
robbed　you　of　Wenceslas。〃

〃Till　I　am　Madame　la　Marechale　I　shall　not　think　myself　successful；〃
replied　the　cousin；　〃but　they　are　all　beginning　to　wish　for　it。This
morning　I　went　to　Victorin'sI　forgot　to　tell　you。The　young　Hulots
have　bought　up　their　father's　notes　of　hand　given　to　Vauvinet；　and
to…morrow　they　will　endorse　a　bill　for　seventy…two　thousand　francs　at
five　per　cent；　payable　in　three　years；　and　secured　by　a　mortgage　on
their　house。　So　the　young　people　are　in　straits　for　three　years；　they
can　raise　no　more　money　on　that　property。　Victorin　is　dreadfully
distressed；　he　understands　his　father。　And　Crevel　is　capable　of
refusing　to　see　them；　he　will　be　so　angry　at　this　piece　of　self…
sacrifice。〃

〃The　Baron　cannot　have　a　sou　now；〃　said　Valerie；　and　she　smiled　at
Hulot。

〃I　don't　see　where　he　can　get　it。　But　he　will　draw　his　salary　again　in
September。〃

〃And　he　has　his　policy　of　insurance；　he　has　renewed　it。　Come；　it　is
high　time　he　should　get　Marneffe　promoted。　I　will　drive　it　home　this
evening。〃

〃My　dear　cousin；〃　said　Lisbeth　to　Wenceslas；　〃go　home；　I　beg。　You　are
quite　ridiculous。　Your　eyes　are　fixed　on　Valerie　in　a　way　that　is
enough　to　compromise　her；　and　her　husband　is　insanely　jealous。　Do　not
tread　in　your　father…in…law's　footsteps。　Go　home；　I　am　sure　Hortense
is　sitting　up　for　you。〃

〃Madame　Marneffe　told　me　to　stay　till　the　last　to　settle　my　little
business　with　you　and　her；〃　replied　Wenceslas。

〃No；　no；〃　said　Lisbeth；　〃I　will　bring　you　the　ten　thousand　francs；　for
her　husband　has　his　eye　on　you。　It　would　be　rash　to　remain。　To…morrow
at　eleven　o'clock　bring　your　note　of　hand；　at　that　hour　that　mandarin
Marneffe　is　at　his　office；　Valerie　is　free。Have　you　really　asked　her
to　sit　for　your　group？Come　up　to　my　rooms　first。Ah！　I　was　sure　of
it；〃　she　added；　as　she　caught　the　look　which　Steinbock　flashed　at
Valerie；　〃I　knew　you　were　a　profligate　in　the　bud！　Well；　Valerie　is
lovelybut　try　not　to　bring　trouble　on　Hortense。〃



Nothing　annoys　a　married　man　so　much　as　finding　his　wife　perpetually
interposing　between　himself　and　his　wishes；　however　transient。

Wenceslas　got　home　at　about　one　in　the　morning；　Hortense　had　expected
him　ever　since　half…past　nine。　From　half…past　nine　till　ten　she　had
listened　to　the　passing　carriages；　telling　herself　that　never　before
had　her　husband　come　in　so　late　from　dining　with　Florent　and　Chanor。
She　sat　sewing　by　the　child's　cot；　for　she　had　begun　to　save　a
needlewoman's　pay　for　the　day　by　doing　the　mending　herself。From　ten
till　half…past；　a　suspicion　crossed　her　mind；　she　sat　wondering：

〃Is　he　really　gone　to　dinner；　as　he　told　me；　with　Chanor　and　Florent？
He　put　on　his　best　cravat　and　his　handsomest　pin　when　he　dressed。　He
took　as　long　over　his　toilet　as　a　woman　when　she　wants　to　make　the
best　of　herself。I　am　crazy！　He　loves　me！And　here　he　is！〃

But　instead　of　stopping；　the　cab　she　heard　went　past。

From　eleven　till　midnight　Hortense　was　a　victim　to　terrible　alarms；
the　quarter　where　they　lived　was　now　deserted。

〃If　he　has　set　out　on　foot；　some　accident　may　have　happened；〃　thought
she。　〃A　man　may　be　killed　by　tumbling　over　a　curbstone　or　failing　to
see　a　gap。　Artists　are　so　heedless！　Or　if　he　should　have　been　stopped
by　robbers！It　is　the　first　time　he　has　ever　left　me　alone　here　for
six