short this harangue。
〃Celestine would not be my wife if she made the slightest
remonstrance；〃 the lawyer went on。 〃But I； at least； may try to stop
you before you step over the precipice； especially after giving you
ample proof of my disinterestedness。 It is not your fortune； it is you
that I care about。 Nay； to make it quite plain to you； I may add； if
it were only to set your mind at ease with regard to your marriage
contract； that I am now in a position which leaves me with nothing to
wish for〃
〃Thanks to me！〃 exclaimed Crevel； whose face was purple。
〃Thanks to Celestine's fortune；〃 replied Victorin。 〃And if you regret
having given to your daughter as a present from yourself； a sum which
is not half what her mother left her； I can only say that we are
prepared to give it back。〃
〃And do you not know； my respected son…in…law；〃 said Crevel； striking
an attitude； 〃that under the shelter of my name Madame Marneffe is not
called upon to answer for her conduct excepting as my wifeas Madame
Crevel？〃
〃That is； no doubt； quite the correct thing；〃 said the lawyer； 〃very
generous so far as the affections are concerned and the vagaries of
passion； but I know of no name； nor law； nor title that can shelter
the theft of three hundred thousand francs so meanly wrung from my
father！I tell you plainly； my dear father…in…law； your future wife
is unworthy of you； she is false to you； and is madly in love with my
brother…in…law； Steinbock； whose debts she had paid。〃
〃It is I who paid them！〃
〃Very good；〃 said Hulot； 〃I am glad for Count Steinbock's sake； he may
some day repay the money。 But he is loved； much loved； and often〃
〃Loved！〃 cried Crevel； whose face showed his utter bewilderment。 〃It
is cowardly； and dirty； and mean； and cheap； to calumniate a woman！
When a man says such things； monsieur； he must bring proof。〃
〃I will bring proof。〃
〃I shall expect it。〃
〃By the day after to…morrow； my dear Monsieur Crevel； I shall be able
to tell you the day； the hour； the very minute when I can expose the
horrible depravity of your future wife。〃
〃Very well； I shall be delighted；〃 said Crevel； who had recovered
himself。
〃Good…bye； my children； for the present； good…bye； Lisbeth。〃
〃See him out； Lisbeth；〃 said Celestine in an undertone。
〃And is this the way you take yourself off？〃 cried Lisbeth to Crevel。
〃Ah； ha！〃 said Crevel； 〃my son…in…law is too clever by half； he is
getting on。 The Courts and the Chamber； judicial trickery and
political dodges； are making a man of him with a vengeance！So he
knows I am to be married on Wednesday； and on a Sunday my gentleman
proposes to fix the hour； within three days； when he can prove that my
wife is unworthy of me。 That is a good story！Well； I am going back
to sign the contract。 Come with me； Lisbethyes； come。 They will
never know。 I meant to have left Celestine forty thousand francs a
year； but Hulot has just behaved in a way to alienate my affection for
ever。〃
〃Give me ten minutes； Pere Crevel； wait for me in your carriage at the
gate。 I will make some excuse for going out。〃
〃Very wellall right。〃
〃My dears；〃 said Lisbeth； who found all the family reassembled in the
drawing…room； 〃I am going with Crevel： the marriage contract is to be
signed this afternoon； and I shall hear what he has settled。 It will
probably be my last visit to that woman。 Your father is furious； he
will disinherit you〃
〃His vanity will prevent that；〃 said the son…in…law。 〃He was bent on
owning the estate of Presles； and he will keep it； I know him。 Even if
he were to have children； Celestine would still have half of what he
might leave； the law forbids his giving away all his fortune。Still；
these questions are nothing to me； I am only thinking of our honor。
Go then； cousin；〃 and he pressed Lisbeth's hand； 〃and listen carefully
to the contract。〃
Twenty minutes after； Lisbeth and Crevel reached the house in the Rue
Barbet； where Madame Marneffe was awaiting； in mild impatience； the
result of a step taken by her commands。 Valerie had in the end fallen
a prey to the absorbing love which； once in her life； masters a
woman's heart。 Wenceslas was its object； and； a failure as an artist；
he became in Madame Marneffe's hands a lover so perfect that he was to
her what she had been to Baron Hulot。
Valerie was holding a slipper in one hand； and Steinbock clasped the
other； while her head rested on his shoulder。 The rambling
conversation in which they had been engaged ever since Crevel went out
may be ticketed； like certain lengthy literary efforts of our day；
〃/All rights reserved/；〃 for it cannot be reproduced。 This masterpiece
of personal poetry naturally brought a regret to the artist's lips；
and he said； not without some bitterness：
〃What a pity it is that I married； for if I had but waited； as Lisbeth
told me； I might now have married you。〃
〃Who but a Pole would wish to make a wife of a devoted mistress？〃
cried Valerie。 〃To change love into duty； and pleasure into a bore。〃
〃I know you to be so fickle；〃 replied Steinbock。 〃Did I not hear you
talking to Lisbeth of that Brazilian； Baron Montes？〃
〃Do you want to rid me of him？〃
〃It would be the only way to hinder his seeing you；〃 said the ex…
sculptor。
〃Let me tell you； my darlingfor I tell you everything；〃 said Valerie
〃I was saving him up for a husband。The promises I have made to
that man！Oh； long before I knew you；〃 said she； in reply to a
movement from Wenceslas。 〃And those promises； of which he avails
himself to plague me； oblige me to get married almost secretly； for if
he should hear that I am marrying Crevel； he is the sort of man that
that would kill me。〃
〃Oh； as to that！〃 said Steinbock； with a scornful expression； which
conveyed that such a danger was small indeed for a woman beloved by a
Pole。
And in the matter of valor there is no brag or bravado in a Pole； so
thoroughly and seriously brave are they all。
〃And that idiot Crevel；〃 she went on； 〃who wants to make a great
display and indulge his taste for inexpensive magnificence in honor of
the wedding； places me in difficulties from which I see no escape。〃
Could Valerie confess to this man； whom she adored； that since the
discomfiture of Baron Hulot； this Baron Henri Montes had inherited the
privilege of calling on her at all hours of the day or night； and
that； notwithstanding her cleverness； she was still puzzled to find a
cause of quarrel in which the Brazilian might seem to be solely in the
wrong？ She knew the Baron's almost savage tempernot unlike Lisbeth's
too well not to quake as she thought of this Othello of Rio de
Janeiro。
As the carriage drove up； Steinbock released Valerie； for his arm was
round her waist； and took up a newspaper； in which he was found
absorbed。 Valerie was stitching with elaborate care at the slippers
she was working for Crevel。
〃How they slander her！〃 whispered Lisbeth to Crevel； pointing to this
picture as they opened the door。 〃Look at her hairnot in the least
tumbled。 To hear Victorin； you might have expected to find two turtle…
doves in a nest。〃
〃My dear Lisbeth；〃 cried Crevel； in his favorite position； 〃you see
that to turn Lucretia into Aspasia； you have only to inspire a
passion！〃
〃And have I not always told you；〃 said Lisbeth； 〃that women like a
burly profligate like you？〃
〃And she would be most ungrateful； too；〃 said Crevel； 〃for as to the
money I have spent here； Grindot and I alone can tell！〃
And he waved a hand at the staircase。
In decorating this house； which Crevel regarded as his own； Grindot
had tried to compete with Cleretti； in whose hands the Duc
d'Herouville had placed Josepha's villa。 But Crevel； incapable of
understanding art； had； like all sordid souls； wanted to spend a
certain sum fixed beforehand。 Grindot； fettered by a contract； had
found it impossible to embody his architectural dream。
The difference between Josepha's house and that in the Rue Barbet was
just that between the individual stamp on things and commonness。 The
objects you admired at Crevel's were to be bought in any shop。 These
two types of luxury are divided by the river Million。 A mirror； if
unique； is worth six thousand francs； a mirror designed by a
manufacturer who turns them out by the dozen costs five hundred。 A
genuine lustre by Boulle will sell at a public auction for three
thousand francs； the same thing reproduced by casting may be made for
a thousand or twelve hundred； one is archaeologically what a picture
by Raphael is in painting； the other is a copy。 At what would you
value a copy of a Raphael？ Thus Crevel's mansion was a splendid
example of the luxury of idiots； while Josepha's was a perfect model
of an artist's home。
〃War is declared；〃 said Crevel； going up to Madame Marneffe。
She rang the bell。
〃Go and find Monsieur Berthier；〃 said she to the man…servant； 〃and do
not return without him。 If you had succeeded；〃 said she； embracing
Crevel； 〃we would have postponed our happiness； my dear Daddy； and
have given a really splendid entertainment； but when a whole family is
set against a match； my dear； decency requires that the wedding shall
be a quiet one； especially when the lady is a