beatrix-第57部分

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boxes　by　that　ignoble　phrase；　〃/tirer　une　carotte！/〃

The　saying　has　become　so　popular　that　it　must　be　allowed　to　soil　this
page。　Besides；　if　we　penetrate　within　the　13th　arrondissement；　we　are
forced　to　accept　its　picturesque　patois。　/Tirer　une　carotte/　has　a
dozen　allied　meanings；　but　it　suffices　to　give　it　here　as：　/To　dupe/。
Monsieur　de　Rochefide；　like　all　little　minds；　was　terribly　afraid　of
being　/carotte/。　The　noun　has　become　a　verb。　From　the　very　start　of
his　passion　for　Madame　Schontz；　Arthur　was　on　his　guard；　and　he　was；
therefore；　very　/rat/；　to　use　another　word　of　the　same　vocabulary。　The
word　/rat/；　when　applied　to　a　young　girl；　means　the　guest　or　the　one
entertained；　but　applied　to　a　man　it　signifies　the　giver　of　the　feast
who　is　niggardly。

Madame　Schontz　had　too　much　sense　and　she　knew　men　too　well　not　to
conceive　great　hopes　from　such　a　beginning。　Monsieur　de　Rochefide
allowed　her　five　hundred　francs　a　month；　furnished　for　her；　rather
shabbily；　an　apartment　costing　twelve　hundred　francs　a　year　on　a
second　floor　in　the　rue　Coquenard；　and　set　himself　to　study　Aurelie's
character；　while　she；　perceiving　his　object；　gave　him　a　character　to
study。　Consequently；　Rochefide　became　happy　in　meeting　with　a　woman　of
noble　nature。　But　he　saw　nothing　surprising　in　that；　her　mother　was　a
Barnheim　of　Baden；　a　well…bred　woman。　Besides；　Aurelie　was　so　well
brought　up　herself！　Speaking　English；　German；　and　Italian；　she
possessed　a　thorough　knowledge　of　foreign　literatures。　She　could　hold
her　own　against　all　second…class　pianists。　And；　remark　this！　she
behaved　about　her　talents　like　a　well…bred　woman；　she　never　mentioned
them。　She　picked　up　a　brush　in　a　painter's　studio；　used　it　half
jestingly；　and　produced　a　head　which　caused　general　astonishment。　For
mere　amusement　during　the　time　she　pined　as　under…mistress　at　Saint…
Denis；　she　had　made　some　advance　in　the　domain　of　the　sciences；　but
her　subsequent　life　had　covered　these　good　seeds　with　a　coating　of
salt；　and　she　now　gave　Arthur　the　credit　of　the　sprouting　of　the
precious　germs；　re…cultivated　for　him。

Thus　Aurelie　began　by　showing　a　disinterestedness　equal　to　her　other
charms；　which　allowed　this　weak　corvette　to　attach　its　grapnels
securely　to　the　larger　vessel。　Nevertheless；　about　the　end　of　the
first　year；　she　made　ignoble　noises　in　the　antechamber　with　her　clogs；
coming　in　about　the　time　when　the　marquis　was　awaiting　her；　and
hiding；　as　best　she　could；　the　draggled　tail　of　an　outrageously　muddy
gown。　In　short；　she　had　by　this　time　so　perfectly　persuaded　her　/gros
papa/　that　all　her　ambition；　after　so　many　ups　and　downs；　was　to
obtain　honorably　a　comfortable　little　bourgeois　existence；　that；　about
ten　months　after　their　first　meeting；　the　second　phase　of　happiness
declared　itself。

Madame　Schontz　then　obtained　a　fine　apartment　in　the　rue　Neuve…Saint…
Georges。　Arthur；　who　could　no　longer　conceal　the　amount　of　his
fortune；　gave　her　splendid　furniture；　a　complete　service　of　plate；
twelve　hundred　francs　a　month；　a　low　carriage　with　one　horse；this；
however；　was　hired；　but　he　granted　a　tiger　very　graciously。　Madame
Schontz　was　not　the　least　grateful　for　this　munificence；　she　knew　the
motive　of　her　Arthur's　conduct；　and　recognized　the　calculations　of　the
male　/rat/。　Sick　of　living　at　a　restaurant；　where　the　fare　is　usually
execrable；　and　where　the　least　little　/gourmet/　dinner　costs　sixty
francs　for　one；　and　two　hundred　francs　if　you　invite　three　friends；
Rochefide　offered　Madame　Schontz　forty　francs　a　day　for　his　dinner　and
that　of　a　friend；　everything　included。　Aurelie　accepted。

Thus　having　made　him　take　up　all　her　moral　letters　of　credit；　drawn
one　by　one　on　Monsieur　de　Rochefide's　comfort；　she　was　listened　to
with　favor　when　she　asked　for　five　hundred　francs　more　a　month　for　her
dress；　in　order　not　to　shame　her　/gros　papa/；　whose　friends　all
belonged　to　the　Jockey　Club。

〃It　would　be　a　pretty　thing；〃　she　said；　〃if　Rastignac；　Maxime　de
Trailles；　d'Esgrignon；　La　Roche…Hugon；　Ronqueroles；　Laginski；
Lenoncourt；　found　you　with　a　sort　of　Madame　Everard。　Besides；　have
confidence　in　me；　papa；　and　you'll　be　the　gainer。〃

In　fact；　Aurelie　contrived　to　display　new　virtues　in　this　second
phase。　She　laid　out　for　herself　a　house…keeping　role　for　which　she
claimed　much　credit。　She　made；　so　she　said；　both　ends　meet　at　the
close　of　the　month　on　two　thousand　five　hundred　francs　without　a　debt；
a　thing　unheard　of　in　the　faubourg　Saint…Germain　of　the　13th
arrondissement；and　she　served　dinners　infinitely　superior　to　those
of　Nucingen；　at　which　exquisite　wines　were　drunk　at　twelve　francs　a
bottle。　Rochefide；　amazed；　and　delighted　to　be　able　to　invite　his
friends　to　the　house　with　economy；　declared；　as　he　caught　her　round
the　waist；

〃She's　a　treasure！〃

Soon　after　he　hired　one…third　of　a　box　at　the　Opera　for　her；　next　he
took　her　to　first　representations。　Then　he　began　to　consult　his
Aurelie；　and　recognized　the　excellence　of　her　advice。　She　let　him　take
the　clever　sayings　she　said　about　most　things　for　his　own；　and；　these
being　unknown　to　others；　raised　his　reputation　as　an　amusing　man。　He
now　acquired　the　certainty　of　being　loved　truly；　and　for　himself
alone。　Aurelie　refused　to　make　the　happiness　of　a　Russian　prince　who
offered　her　five　thousand　francs　a　month。

〃You　are　a　lucky　man；　my　dear　marquis；〃　cried　old　Prince　Galathionne
as　he　finished　his　game　of　whist　at　the　club。　〃Yesterday；　after　you
left　us　alone；　I　tried　to　get　Madame　Schontz　away　from　you；　but　she
said：　'Prince；　you　are　not　handsomer；　but　you　are　a　great　deal　older
than　Rochefide；　you　would　beat　me；　but　he　is　like　a　father　to　me；　can
you　give　me　one…tenth　of　a　reason　why　I　should　change？　I've　never　had
the　grand　passion　for　Arthur　that　I　once　had　for　little　fools　in
varnished　boots　and　whose　debts　I　paid；　but　I　love　him　as　a　wife　loves
her　husband　when　she　is　an　honest　woman。'　And　thereupon　she　showed　me
the　door。〃

This　speech；　which　did　not　seem　exaggerated；　had　the　effect　of　greatly
increasing　the　state　of　neglect　and　degradation　which　reigned　in　the
hotel　de　Rochefide。　Arthur　now　transported　his　whole　existence　and　his
pleasures　to　Madame　Schontz；　and　found　himself　well　off；　for　at　the
end　of　three　years　he　had　four　hundred　thousand　francs　to　invest。

The　third　phase　now　began。　Madame　Schontz　became　the　tenderest　of
mothers　to　Arthur's　son；　she　fetched　him　from　school　and　took　him　back
herself；　she　overwhelmed　with　presents　and　dainties　and　pocket…money
the　child　who　called　her　his　〃little　mamma；〃　and　who　adored　her。　She
took　part　in　the　management　of　Arthur's　property；　she　made　him　buy
into　the　Funds　when　low；　just　before　the　famous　treaty　of　London　which
overturned　the　ministry　of　March　1st。　Arthur　gained　two　hundred
thousand　francs　by　that　transaction　and　Aurelie　did　not　ask　for　a
penny　of　it。　Like　the　gentleman　that　he　was；　Rochefide　invested　his
six　hundred　thousand　francs　in　stock　of　the　Bank　of　France　and　put
half　of　that　sum　in　the　name　of　Josephine　Schiltz。　A　little　house　was
now　hired　in　the　rue　de　La　Bruyere　and　given　to　Grindot；　that　great
decorative　architect；　with　orders　to　make　it　a　perfect　bonbon…box。

Henceforth；　Rochefide　no　longer　managed　his　affairs。　Madame　Schontz
received　the　revenues　and　paid　the　bills。　Become；　as　it　were；
practically　his　wife；　his　woman　of　business；　she　justified　the
position　by　making　her　/gros　papa/　more　comfortable　than　ever；　she　had
learned　all　his　fancies；　and　gratified　them　as　Madame　de　Pompadour
gratified　those　of　Louis　XV。　In　short；　Madame　Schontz　reigned　an
absolute　mistress。　She　then　began　to　patronize　a　few　young　men；
artists；　men　of　letters；　new…fledged　to　fame；　who　rejected　both
ancients　and　moderns；　and　strove　to　make　themselves　a　great　reputation
by　accomplishing　little　or　nothing。

The　conduct　of　Madame　Schontz；　a　triumph　of　tactics；　ought　to　reveal
to　you　her　superiority。　In　the　first　place；　these　ten　or　a　dozen　young
fellows　amused　Arthur；　they　supplied　him　with　witty　sayings　and　clever
opinions　on　all　sorts　of　topics；　and　did　not　put　in　doubt　the　fidelity
of　the　mistress；　moreover；　they　proclaimed　her　a　woman　who　was
eminently　intelligent。　These　living　advertisements；　these
perambulating　articles；　soon　set　up　Madame　Schontz　as　the　most
agreeable　woman　to　be　found　in　the　borderland　which　separates　the
thirteenth　arrondissement　from　the　twelve　others。　Her　rivalsSuzanne
Gaillard；　who；　in　1838；　had　won　the　advantage　over　her　of　becoming　a
wife　married　in　legitimate　marriage；　Fanny　Beaupre；　Mariette；　Antonia
spread　calumnies　that　were　more　than　droll　about　the　beauty　of　those
young　men　and　the　complacent　good…nature　with　which　Monsieur　de
Rochefide　welcomed　them。　Madame　Schontz；　who　could　distance；　as　she
said；　by　three　/blagues/　the　wit　of　those　ladies；　said　to　them　one
night　at　a　supper　given　by　Nathan　to　Florine；　after　recounting　her
fortune　and　her　success；　〃Do　as　much　yourselves！〃a　speech　which
remained　in　their　memory。

It　was　during　this　period　that　Madame　Schontz　made　Arthur　sell　his
race…horses；　through　a　series　of　considerations　which　she　no　doubt
derived　from　the　critical　mind　of　Claude　Vignon；　one　of　her
/habitues/。

〃I　can　conceive；〃　she　said　one　night；　after　lashing　the　horses　for
some　time　with　her　lively　wit；　〃that　princes　and　rich　men　should　set
their　hearts　on　horse…flesh；　but　only　for　the　good　of　the　country；　not
for　the　paltry　satisfactions　of　a　betting　man。　If　you　had　a　stud　farm
on　your　property　and　could　raise　a　thousand　or　twelve　hundred　horses；
and　if　all　the　horses　of　France　and　of　Navarre　could　enter　into　one
great　solemn　competition；　it　would　be　fine；　but　you　buy　animals　as　the
managers　of　theatres　trade　in　artists；　you　degrade　an　institution　to　a
gambling　game；　you　make　a　Bourse　of　legs；　as　you　make　a　Bourse　of
stocks。　It　is　unworthy。　Don't　you　spend　sixty　thousand　francs
sometimes　merely　to　read　in　the　newspapers：　'Lelia；　belonging　to
Monsieur　de　Rochefide　beat　by　a　length　Fleur…de…Genet　the　property　of
Monsieur　le　Duc　de　Rhetore'？　You　had　much　better　give　that　money　to
poets；　who　would　carry　you　in　prose　and　verse　to　immortality；　like　the
late　Montyon。〃

By　dint　of　being　prodded；　the　ma