work； and was informed by the cook that madame never left monsieur's
side。 Wenceslas was a slave to the autocracy of love。 So now Valerie；
on her own account； took part with Lisbeth in her hatred of Hortense。
Women cling to a lover that another woman is fighting for； just as
much as men do to women round whom many coxcombs are buzzing。 Thus any
reflections /a propos/ to Madame Marneffe are equally applicable to
any lady…killing rake； he is； in fact； a sort of male courtesan。
Valerie's last fancy was a madness； above all； she was bent on getting
her group； she was even thinking of going one morning to the studio to
see Wenceslas； when a serious incident arose of the kind which； to a
woman of that class； may be called the spoil of war。
This is how Valerie announced this wholly personal event。
She was breakfasting with Lisbeth and her husband。
〃I say； Marneffe； what would you say to being a second time a father？〃
〃You don't mean ita baby？Oh； let me kiss you！〃
He rose and went round the table； his wife held up her head so that he
could just kiss her hair。
〃If that is so；〃 he went on； 〃I am head…clerk and officer of the
Legion of Honor at once。 But you must understand； my dear； Stanislas
is not to be the sufferer； poor little man。〃
〃Poor little man？〃 Lisbeth put in。 〃You have not set your eyes on him
these seven months。 I am supposed to be his mother at the school； I am
the only person in the house who takes any trouble about him。〃
〃A brat that costs us a hundred crowns a quarter！〃 said Valerie。 〃And
he； at any rate； is your own child； Marneffe。 You ought to pay for his
schooling out of your salary。The newcomer； far from reminding us of
butcher's bills； will rescue us from want。〃
〃Valerie；〃 replied Marneffe； assuming an attitude like Crevel； 〃I hope
that Monsieur le Baron Hulot will take proper charge of his son； and
not lay the burden on a poor clerk。 I intend to keep him well up to
the mark。 So take the necessary steps； madame！ Get him to write you
letters in which he alludes to his satisfaction； for he is rather
backward in coming forward in regard to my appointment。〃
And Marneffe went away to the office； where his chief's precious
leniency allowed him to come in at about eleven o'clock。 And； indeed；
he did little enough； for his incapacity was notorious； and he
detested work。
No sooner were they alone than Lisbeth and Valerie looked at each
other for a moment like Augurs； and both together burst into a loud
fit of laughter。
〃I say； Valerieis it the fact？〃 said Lisbeth； 〃or merely a farce？〃
〃It is a physical fact！〃 replied Valerie。 〃Now； I am sick and tired of
Hortense； and it occurred to me in the night that I might fire this
infant； like a bomb； into the Steinbock household。〃
Valerie went back to her room； followed by Lisbeth； to whom she showed
the following letter：
〃WENCESLAS MY DEAR；I still believe in your love； though it is
nearly three weeks since I saw you。 Is this scorn？ Delilah can
scarcely believe that。 Does it not rather result from the tyranny
of a woman whom； as you told me； you can no longer love？
Wenceslas； you are too great an artist to submit to such dominion。
Home is the grave of glory。Consider now； are you the Wenceslas
of the Rue du Doyenne？ You missed fire with my father's statue；
but in you the lover is greater than the artist； and you have had
better luck with his daughter。 You are a father； my beloved
Wenceslas。
〃If you do not come to me in the state I am in； your friends would
think very badly of you。 But I love you so madly； that I feel I
should never have the strength to curse you。 May I sign myself as
ever；
〃YOUR VALERIE。〃
〃What do you say to my scheme for sending this note to the studio at a
time when our dear Hortense is there by herself？〃 asked Valerie。 〃Last
evening I heard from Stidmann that Wenceslas is to pick him up at
eleven this morning to go on business to Chanor's； so that gawk
Hortense will be there alone。〃
〃But after such a trick as that；〃 replied Lisbeth； 〃I cannot continue
to be your friend in the eyes of the world； I shall have to break with
you； to be supposed never to visit you； or even to speak to you。〃
〃Evidently；〃 said Valerie； 〃but〃
〃Oh！ be quite easy；〃 interrupted Lisbeth； 〃we shall often meet when I
am Madame la Marechale。 They are all set upon it now。 Only the Baron
is in ignorance of the plan； but you can talk him over。〃
〃Well；〃 said Valerie； 〃but it is quite likely that the Baron and I may
be on distant terms before long。〃
〃Madame Olivier is the only person who can make Hortense demand to see
the letter；〃 said Lisbeth。 〃And you must send her to the Rue Saint…
Dominique before she goes on to the studio。〃
〃Our beauty will be at home； no doubt；〃 said Valerie； ringing for
Reine to call up Madame Olivier。
Ten minutes after the despatch of this fateful letter； Baron Hulot
arrived。 Madame Marneffe threw her arms round the old man's neck with
kittenish impetuosity。
〃Hector； you are a father！〃 she said in his ear。 〃That is what comes
of quarreling and making friends again〃
Perceiving a look of surprise； which the Baron did not at once
conceal； Valerie assumed a reserve which brought the old man to
despair。 She made him wring the proofs from her one by one。 When
conviction； led on by vanity； had at last entered his mind； she
enlarged on Monsieur Marneffe's wrath。
〃My dear old veteran；〃 said she； 〃you can hardly avoid getting your
responsible editor； our representative partner if you like； appointed
head…clerk and officer of the Legion of Honor； for you really have
done for the poor man； he adores his Stanislas； the little monstrosity
who is so like him； that to me he is insufferable。 Unless you prefer
to settle twelve hundred francs a year on Stanislasthe capital to be
his； and the life…interest payable to me； of course〃
〃But if I am to settle securities； I would rather it should be on my
own son； and not on the monstrosity；〃 said the Baron。
This rash speech； in which the words 〃my own son〃 came out as full as
a river in flood； was； by the end of the hour； ratified as a formal
promise to settle twelve hundred francs a year on the future boy。 And
this promise became； on Valerie's tongue and in her countenance； what
a drum is in the hands of a child； for three weeks she played on it
incessantly。
At the moment when Baron Hulot was leaving the Rue Vanneau； as happy
as a man who after a year of married life still desires an heir；
Madame Olivier had yielded to Hortense； and given up the note she was
instructed to give only into the Count's own hands。 The young wife
paid twenty francs for that letter。 The wretch who commits suicide
must pay for the opium； the pistol； the charcoal。
Hortense read and re…read the note； she saw nothing but this sheet of
white paper streaked with black lines； the universe held for her
nothing but that paper； everything was dark around her。 The glare of
the conflagration that was consuming the edifice of her happiness
lighted up the page； for blackest night enfolded her。 The shouts of
her little Wenceslas at play fell on her ear； as if he had been in the
depths of a valley and she on a high mountain。 Thus insulted at four…
and…twenty； in all the splendor of her beauty； enhanced by pure and
devoted loveit was not a stab； it was death。 The first shock had
been merely on the nerves； the physical frame had struggled in the
grip of jealousy； but now certainty had seized her soul； her body was
unconscious。
For about ten minutes Hortense sat under the incubus of this
oppression。 Then a vision of her mother appeared before her； and
revulsion ensued； she was calm and cool； and mistress of her reason。
She rang。
〃Get Louise to help you； child；〃 said she to the cook。 〃As quickly as
you can； pack up everything that belongs to me and everything wanted
for the little boy。 I give you an hour。 When all is ready； fetch a
hackney coach from the stand； and call me。
〃Make no remarks！ I am leaving the house； and shall take Louise with
me。 You must stay here with monsieur； take good care of him〃
She went into her room； and wrote the following letter：
〃MONSIEUR LE COMTE；
〃The letter I enclose will sufficiently account for the
determination I have come to。
〃When you read this； I shall have left your house and have found
refuge with my mother； taking our child with me。
〃Do not imagine that I shall retrace my steps。 Do not imagine that
I am acting with the rash haste of youth； without reflection； with
the anger of offended affection； you will be greatly mistaken。
〃I have been thinking very deeply during the last fortnight of
life； of love； of our marriage； of our duties to each other。 I
have known the perfect devotion of my mother； she has told me all
her sorrows！ She has been heroicalevery day for twenty…three
years。 But I have not the strength to imitate her； not because I
love you less than she loves my father； but for reasons of spirit
and nature。 Our home would be a hell； I might lose my head so far
as to disgrace youdisgrace myself and our child。
〃I refuse to be a Madame Marneffe； once launched on