set against a match； my dear； decency requires that the wedding shall
be a quiet one； especially when the lady is a widow。〃
〃On the contrary； I intend to make a display of magnificence /a la/
Louis XIV。；〃 said Crevel； who of late had held the eighteenth century
rather cheap。 〃I have ordered new carriages； there is one for monsieur
and one for madame； two neat coupes； and a chaise； a handsome
traveling carriage with a splendid hammercloth； on springs that
tremble like Madame Hulot。〃
〃Oh； ho！ /You intend？/Then you have ceased to be my lamb？No； no；
my friend； you will do what /I/ intend。 We will sign the contract
quietlyjust ourselvesthis afternoon。 Then； on Wednesday； we will
be regularly married； really married； in mufti； as my poor mother
would have said。 We will walk to church； plainly dressed； and have
only a low mass。 Our witnesses are Stidmann； Steinbock； Vignon； and
Massol； all wide…awake men； who will be at the mairie by chance； and
who will so far sacrifice themselves as to attend mass。
〃Your colleague will perform the civil marriage； for once in a way； as
early as half…past nine。 Mass is at ten； we shall be at home to
breakfast by half…past eleven。
〃I have promised our guests that we will sit at table till the
evening。 There will be Bixiou； your old official chum du Tillet；
Lousteau； Vernisset； Leon de Lora； Vernou； all the wittiest men in
Paris； who will not know that we are married。 We will play them a
little trick； we will get just a little tipsy； and Lisbeth must join
us。 I want her to study matrimony； Bixiou shall make love to her； and
and enlighten her darkness。〃
For two hours Madame Marneffe went on talking nonsense； and Crevel
made this judicious reflection：
〃How can so light…hearted a creature be utterly depraved？ Feather…
brained； yes！ but wicked？ Nonsense！〃
〃Well； and what did the young people say about me？〃 said Valerie to
Crevel at a moment when he sat down by her on the sofa。 〃All sorts of
horrors？〃
〃They will have it that you have a criminal passion for Wenceslas
you； who are virtue itself。〃
〃I love him！I should think so； my little Wenceslas！〃 cried Valerie；
calling the artist to her； taking his face in her hands； and kissing
his forehead。 〃A poor boy with no fortune； and no one to depend on！
Cast off by a carrotty giraffe！ What do you expect； Crevel？ Wenceslas
is my poet； and I love him as if he were my own child； and make no
secret of it。 Bah！ your virtuous women see evil everywhere and in
everything。 Bless me； could they not sit by a man without doing wrong？
I am a spoilt child who has had all it ever wanted； and bonbons no
longer excite me。Poor things！ I am sorry for them！
〃And who slandered me so？〃
〃Victorin；〃 said Crevel。
〃Then why did you not stop his mouth； the odious legal macaw！ with the
story of the two hundred thousand francs and his mamma？〃
〃Oh； the Baroness had fled；〃 said Lisbeth。
〃They had better take care； Lisbeth；〃 said Madame Marneffe； with a
frown。 〃Either they will receive me and do it handsomely； and come to
their stepmother's houseall the party！or I will see them in lower
depths than the Baron has reached； and you may tell them I said so！
At last I shall turn nasty。 On my honor； I believe that evil is the
scythe with which to cut down the good。〃
At three o'clock Monsieur Berthier； Cardot's successor； read the
marriage…contract； after a short conference with Crevel； for some of
the articles were made conditional on the action taken by Monsieur and
Madame Victorin Hulot。
Crevel settled on his wife a fortune consisting； in the first place；
of forty thousand francs in dividends on specified securities；
secondly； of the house and all its contents； and thirdly； of three
million francs not invested。 He also assigned to his wife every
benefit allowed by law； he left all the property free of duty； and in
the event of their dying without issue； each devised to the survivor
the whole of their property and real estate。
By this arrangement the fortune left to Celestine and her husband was
reduced to two millions of francs in capital。 If Crevel and his second
wife should have children； Celestine's share was limited to five
hundred thousand francs； as the life…interest in the rest was to
accrue to Valerie。 This would be about the ninth part of his whole
real and personal estate。
Lisbeth returned to dine in the Rue Louis…le…Grand； despair written on
her face。 She explained and bewailed the terms of the marriage…
contract； but found Celestine and her husband insensible to the
disastrous news。
〃You have provoked your father； my children。 Madame Marneffe swears
that you shall receive Monsieur Crevel's wife and go to her house；〃
said she。
〃Never！〃 said Victorin。
〃Never！〃 said Celestine。
〃Never！〃 said Hortense。
Lisbeth was possessed by the wish to crush the haughty attitude
assumed by all the Hulots。
〃She seems to have arms that she can turn against you；〃 she replied。
〃I do not know all about it； but I shall find out。 She spoke vaguely
of some history of two hundred thousand francs in which Adeline is
implicated。〃
The Baroness fell gently backward on the sofa she was sitting on in a
fit of hysterical sobbing。
〃Go there； go； my children！〃 she cried。 〃Receive the woman！ Monsieur
Crevel is an infamous wretch。 He deserves the worst punishment
imaginable。Do as the woman desires you！ She is a monstershe knows
all！〃
After gasping out these words with tears and sobs； Madame Hulot
collected her strength to go to her room； leaning on her daughter and
Celestine。
〃What is the meaning of all this？〃 cried Lisbeth； left alone with
Victorin。
The lawyer stood rigid； in very natural dismay； and did not hear her。
〃What is the matter； my dear Victorin？〃
〃I am horrified！〃 said he； and his face scowled darkly。 〃Woe to
anybody who hurts my mother！ I have no scruples then。 I would crush
that woman like a viper if I could！What； does she attack my mother's
life； my mother's honor？〃
〃She said； but do not repeat it； my dear Victorinshe said you should
all fall lower even than your father。 And she scolded Crevel roundly
for not having shut your mouths with this secret that seems to be such
a terror to Adeline。〃
A doctor was sent for； for the Baroness was evidently worse。 He gave
her a draught containing a large dose of opium； and Adeline； having
swallowed it； fell into a deep sleep； but the whole family were
greatly alarmed。
Early next morning Victorin went out； and on his way to the Courts
called at the Prefecture of the Police； where he begged Vautrin； the
head of the detective department； to send him Madame de Saint…Esteve。
〃We are forbidden； monsieur； to meddle in your affairs； but Madame de
Saint…Esteve is in business； and will attend to your orders；〃 replied
this famous police officer。
On his return home； the unhappy lawyer was told that his mother's
reason was in danger。 Doctor Bianchon； Doctor Larabit； and Professor
Angard had met in consultation； and were prepared to apply heroic
remedies to hinder the rush of blood to the head。 At the moment when
Victorin was listening to Doctor Bianchon； who was giving him； at some
length； his reasons for hoping that the crisis might be got over； the
man…servant announced that a client； Madame de Saint…Esteve； was
waiting to see him。 Victorin left Bianchon in the middle of a sentence
and flew downstairs like a madman。
〃Is there any hereditary lunacy in the family？〃 said Bianchon；
addressing Larabit。
The doctors departed； leaving a hospital attendant； instructed by
them； to watch Madame Hulot。
〃A whole life of virtue！〃 was the only sentence the sufferer had
spoken since the attack。
Lisbeth never left Adeline's bedside； she sat up all night； and was
much admired by the two younger women。
〃Well； my dear Madame de Saint…Esteve；〃 said Victorin； showing the
dreadful old woman into his study and carefully shutting the doors；
〃how are we getting on？〃
〃Ah； ha！ my dear friend；〃 said she； looking at Victorin with cold
irony。 〃So you have thought things over？〃
〃Have you done anything？〃
〃Will you pay fifty thousand francs？〃
〃Yes；〃 replied Victorin； 〃for we must get on。 Do you know that by one
single phrase that woman has endangered my mother's life and reason？
So； I say； get on。〃
〃We have got on！〃 replied the old woman。
〃Well？〃 cried Victorin； with a gulp。
〃Well； you do not cry off the expenses？〃
〃On the contrary。〃
〃They run up to twenty…three thousand francs already。〃
Victorin looked helplessly at the woman。
〃Well； could we hoodwink you； you； one of the shining lights of the
law？〃 said she。 〃For that sum we have secured a maid's conscience and
a picture by Raphael。It is not dear。〃
Hulot； still bewildered； sat with wide open eyes。
〃Well； then；〃 his visitor went on； 〃we have purchased the honesty of
Mademoiselle Reine Tousard； a damsel from whom Madame Marneffe has no
secrets〃
〃I understand！〃
〃But if you shy； say so。〃
〃I will play blindfold；〃 he replied。 〃My mother has told me that that
couple deserve the worst torments〃
〃The rack is out of date；〃 said the old woman。
〃You answer for the result？〃
〃Leave it all to me；〃 said the wo