Volume VI Part 43 (1/2)
George bowed, saying: ”Yes, sir”
Then he bowed again ceremoniously, ushered out his wife, who had remained silent, and went out hier sot ho his hat onto the bed, said: ”You were Vaudrec'soff her veil, turned round with a start, exclai: ”I? Oh!”
”Yes, you A man does not leave the whole of his fortune to a wo, and was unable to re the transparent tissue After a itated tone: ”Come, come--you are mad--you are--you are Did not you, yourself, just now have hopes that he would leave us so all her e on the part of an accused He said, laying stress on every word: ”Yes, heto me, your husband--to me, his friend--you understand, but not to you--my wife The distinction is capital, essential from the point of propriety and of public opinion”
Madeleine in turn looked at hiular fashi+on, as though seeking to read so to discover that unknown part of a hu which we never fatholimpses in those moments of carelessness or inattention, which are like doors left open, giving onto the mysterious depths of the acy of this ie left to you”
He asked abruptly: ”Why so?”
She said: ”Because--” hesitated, and then continued: ”Because you are my husband, and have only known him for a short ti while--and because his first will,Forestier's lifetian to stride up and down He said: ”You cannot accept”
She replied in a tone of indifference: ”Precisely so; then it is not worth while waiting till Saturday, we can let Maitre Lamaneur know at once”
He stopped short in front of her, and they again stood for so to fathom the impenetrable secret of their hearts, to cut down to the quick of their thoughts They tried to see one another's conscience unveiled in an ardent andside by side, were always ignorant of one another, suspecting, sniffing round, watching, but never understanding one another to the muddy depths of their souls And suddenly he murmured to her face, in a low voice: ”Come, aded her shoulders, saying: ”You are ridiculous Vaudrec was very fond ofmore--never”
He stamped his foot ”You lie It is not possible”
She replied, quietly: ”It is so, though”
He began to walk up and down again, and then, halting once more, said: ”Explain, then, how he came to leave the whole of his fortune to you”
She did so in a careless and disinterested tone, saying: ”It is quite simple As you said just now, he had only ourselves for friends, or rather myself, for he has known me from a child My mother was a companion at the house of so here, and as he had no natural heirs he thought of me That there was a little love for me in the matter is possible But where is the woman who has not been loved thus? Why should not such secret, hidden affection have placedhis last wishes? He brought me flowers every Monday You were not at all astonished at that, and yet he did not bring you any, did he? Now he has given me his fortune for the same reason, and because he had no one to offer it to It would have been, on the contrary, very surprising for him to have left it to you Why should he have done so? What were you to hie hesitated He said, however: ”All the same, we cannot accept this inheritance under such conditions The effect would be deplorable All the world would believe it; all the world would gossip about it, and laugh at me My fellow journalists are already only too disposed to feel jealous of me and to attack me I should have, before anyone, a care for my honor and my reputation It is iacy of this kind froned to her as a lover Forestier ht perhaps have tolerated it, but not me”
She murmured, mildly: ”Well, dear, do not let us accept it It will be a million the less in our pockets, that is all”
He was still walking up and down, and began to think aloud, speaking for his wife's benefit without addressing himself directly to her: ”Yes, ahis will, what a fault in tact, what a breach of propriety he was co He did not see in what a false, a ridiculous position he would placeis a matter of detail in this life He should have left ”
He sat down, crossed his legs, and began to twist the end of his moustache, as he did in moments of boredom, uneasiness, and difficult reflection Madeleine took up some embroidery at which she worked fro her wools: ”I have only to holdtily: ”The world will never understand that Vaudrec made you his sole heiress, and that I allowed it To receive his fortune in that ould be an acknowledguilty connection, and on mine of a shameful complaisance Do you understand no our acceptance of it would be interpreted? It would be necessary to find a side issue, soo abroad, for instance, that he had divided thehalf to the husband and half to the wife”
She observed: ”I do not see how that can be done, since the will is plain”
”Oh, it is very siift We have no children, so it is feasible In that way the mouth of public malevolence would be closed”
She replied, somewhat impatiently: ”I do not see any the more how the mouth of public ned by Vaudrec?”
He said, angrily: ”Have we any need to show it and to paste it up on all the walls? You are really stupid We will say that the Count de Vaudrec left his fortune between us That is all But you cannot accept this legacy without ive it on condition of a division, which will hinder ain with a penetrating glance, and said: ”As you like I aan to walk up and down again He see anew, and now avoided his wife's penetrating glance He was saying: ”No, certainly not Perhaps it would be better to give it up altogether That is more worthy,could be i
The s as they were” He paused in front of Madeleine ”Well, then, if you like, darling, I will go back alone to Maitre Lamaneur to explain matters to him and consult him I will tell him of my scruples, and add that we have arrived at the notion of a division to prevent gossip From the moment that I accept half this inheritance, it is plain that no one has the right to s aloud: 'My wife accepts because I accept--I, her husband, the best judge of what sheherself