he alone could〃
〃Listen； Hector it will be better for your wife to perish than to
leave our uncle to perishand your brotherthe honor of the family！〃
cried the Baroness； struck by a flash of light。 〃Yes； I can save you
all。Good God！ what a degrading thought！ How could it have occurred
to me？〃
She clasped her hands； dropped on her knees； and put up a prayer。 On
rising； she saw such a crazy expression of joy on her husband's face；
that the diabolical suggestion returned； and then Adeline sank into a
sort of idiotic melancholy。
〃Go； my dear； at once to the War Office；〃 said she； rousing herself
from this torpor； 〃try to send out a commission； it must be done。 Get
round the Marshal。 And on your return； at five o'clock； you will find
perhapsyes！ you shall find two hundred thousand francs。 Your
family； your honor as a man； as a State official； a Councillor of
State； your honestyyour sonall shall be saved；but your Adeline
will be lost； and you will see her no more。 Hector； my dear；〃 said
she； kneeling before him； clasping and kissing his hand； 〃give me your
blessing！ Say farewell。〃
It was so heart…rending that Hulot put his arms round his wife； raised
her and kissed her； saying：
〃I do not understand。〃
〃If you did；〃 said she； 〃I should die of shame； or I should not have
the strength to carry out this last sacrifice。〃
〃Breakfast is served；〃 said Mariette。
Hortense came in to wish her parents good…morning。 They had to go to
breakfast and assume a false face。
〃Begin without me； I will join you；〃 said the Baroness。
She sat down to her desk and wrote as follows：
〃MY DEAR MONSIEUR CREVEL；I have to ask a service of you； I shall
expect you this morning； and I count on your gallantry； which is
well known to me； to save me from having too long to wait for you。
Your faithful servant；
〃ADELINE HULOT。〃
〃Louise；〃 said she to her daughter's maid； who waited on her； 〃take
this note down to the porter and desire him to carry it at once to
this address and wait for an answer。〃
The Baron； who was reading the news； held out a Republican paper to
his wife； pointing to an article； and saying：
〃Is there time？〃
This was the paragraph； one of the terrible 〃notes〃 with which the
papers spice their political bread and butter：
〃A correspondent in Algiers writes that such abuses have been
discovered in the commissariate transactions of the province of
Oran； that the Law is making inquiries。 The peculation is self…
evident； and the guilty persons are known。 If severe measures are
not taken； we shall continue to lose more men through the
extortion that limits their rations than by Arab steel or the
fierce heat of the climate。 We await further information before
enlarging on this deplorable business。 We need no longer wonder at
the terror caused by the establishment of the Press in Africa； as
was contemplated by the Charter of 1830。〃
〃I will dress and go to the Minister；〃 said the Baron； as they rose
from table。 〃Time is precious； a man's life hangs on every minute。〃
〃Oh； mamma； there is no hope for me！〃 cried Hortense。 And unable to
check her tears； she handed to her mother a number of the /Revue des
Beaux Arts/。
Madame Hulot's eye fell on a print of the group of 〃Delilah〃 by Count
Steinbock； under which were the words； 〃The property of Madame
Marneffe。〃
The very first lines of the article； signed V。； showed the talent and
friendliness of Claude Vignon。
〃Poor child！〃 said the Baroness。
Alarmed by her mother's tone of indifference； Hortense looked up； saw
the expression of a sorrow before which her own paled； and rose to
kiss her mother； saying：
〃What is the matter； mamma？ What is happening？ Can we be more wretched
than we are already？〃
〃My child； it seems to me that in what I am going through to…day my
past dreadful sorrows are as nothing。 When shall I have ceased to
suffer？〃
〃In heaven； mother；〃 said Hortense solemnly。
〃Come； my angel； help me to dress。No； no； I will not have you help
me in this！ Send me Louise。〃
Adeline； in her room； went to study herself in the glass。 She looked
at herself closely and sadly； wondering to herself：
〃Am I still handsome？ Can I still be desirable？ Am I not wrinkled？〃
She lifted up her fine golden hair； uncovering her temples； they were
as fresh as a girl's。 She went further； she uncovered her shoulders；
and was satisfied； nay； she had a little feeling of pride。 The beauty
of really handsome shoulders is one of the last charms a woman loses；
especially if she has lived chastely。
Adeline chose her dress carefully； but the pious and blameless woman
is decent to the end； in spite of her little coquettish graces。 Of
what use were brand…new gray silk stockings and high heeled satin
shoes when she was absolutely ignorant of the art of displaying a
pretty foot at a critical moment； by obtruding it an inch or two
beyond a half…lifted skirt； opening horizons to desire？ She put on；
indeed； her prettiest flowered muslin dress； with a low body and short
sleeves； but horrified at so much bareness； she covered her fine arms
with clear gauze sleeves and hid her shoulders under an embroidered
cape。 Her curls； /a l'Anglaise/； struck her as too fly…away； she
subdued their airy lightness by putting on a very pretty cap； but；
with or without the cap； would she have known how to twist the golden
ringlets so as to show off her taper fingers to admiration？
As to rougethe consciousness of guilt； the preparations for a
deliberate fall； threw this saintly woman into a state of high fever；
which； for the time； revived the brilliant coloring of youth。 Her eyes
were bright； her cheeks glowed。 Instead of assuming a seductive air；
she saw in herself a look of barefaced audacity which shocked her。
Lisbeth； at Adeline's request； had told her all the circumstances of
Wenceslas' infidelity； and the Baroness had learned to her utter
amazement； that in one evening in one moment； Madame Marneffe had made
herself the mistress of the bewitched artist。
〃How do these women do it？〃 the Baroness had asked Lisbeth。
There is no curiosity so great as that of virtuous women on such
subjects； they would like to know the arts of vice and remain
immaculate。
〃Why； they are seductive； it is their business；〃 said Cousin Betty。
〃Valerie that evening； my dear； was； I declare； enough to bring an
angel to perdition。〃
〃But tell me how she set to work。〃
〃There is no principle； only practice in that walk of life；〃 said
Lisbeth ironically。
The Baroness； recalling this conversation； would have liked to consult
Cousin Betty； but there was no time for that。 Poor Adeline； incapable
of imagining a patch； of pinning a rosebud in the very middle of her
bosom； of devising the tricks of the toilet intended to resuscitate
the ardors of exhausted nature； was merely well dressed。 A woman is
not a courtesan for the wishing！
〃Woman is soup for man；〃 as Moliere says by the mouth of the judicious
Gros…Rene。 This comparison suggests a sort of culinary art in love。
Then the virtuous wife would be a Homeric meal； flesh laid on hot
cinders。 The courtesan； on the contrary； is a dish by Careme； with its
condiments； spices； and elegant arrangement。 The Baroness could not
did not know how to serve up her fair bosom in a lordly dish of lace；
after the manner of Madame Marneffe。 She knew nothing of the secrets
of certain attitudes。 This high…souled woman might have turned round
and round a hundred times； and she would have betrayed nothing to the
keen glance of a profligate。
To be a good woman and a prude to all the world； and a courtesan to
her husband； is the gift of a woman of genius； and they are few。 This
is the secret of long fidelity； inexplicable to the women who are not
blessed with the double and splendid faculty。 Imagine Madame Marneffe
virtuous； and you have the Marchesa di Pescara。 But such lofty and
illustrious women； beautiful as Diane de Poitiers； but virtuous； may
be easily counted。
So the scene with which this serious and terrible drama of Paris
manners opened was about to be repeated； with this singular difference
that the calamities prophesied then by the captain of the municipal
Militia had reversed the parts。 Madame Hulot was awaiting Crevel with
the same intentions as had brought him to her； smiling down at the
Paris crowd from his /milord/； three years ago。 And； strangest thing
of all； the Baroness was true to herself and to her love； while
preparing to yield to the grossest infidelity； such as the storm of
passion even does not justify in the eyes of some judges。
〃What can I do to become a Madame Marneffe？〃 she asked herself as she
heard the door…bell。
She restrained her tears； fever gave brilliancy to her face； and she
meant to be quite the courtesan； poor； noble soul。
〃What the devil can that worthy Baronne Hulot want of me？〃 Crevel
wondered as he mounted the stairs。 〃She is going to discuss my quarrel
with Celestine and Victorin； no doubt； but I will not give way！〃
As he went into the drawing…room； shown in by Louise； he said to
himself as he noted the bareness of the place （Crevel's word）：
〃Poor woman！ She lives here like som