me nothing of my own affairs."

The younger notary had seized, in the main, the future effect of the



new proposal, based, as it was, on the self-love of both parties, into

which his client had fallen headlong. Now, while Mathias was more than



a mere notary, Solonet was still a young man, and brought into his

business the vanity of youth. It often happens that personal conceit



makes a man forgetful of the interests of his client. In this case,

Maitre Solonet, who would not suffer the widow to think that Nestor



had vanquished Achilles, advised her to conclude the marriage on the

terms proposed. Little he cared for the future working of the marriage



contract; to him, the conditions of victory were: Madame Evangelista

released from her obligations as guardian, her future secured, and



Natalie married.

"Bordeaux shall know that you have ceded eleven hundred thousand



francs to your daughter, and that you still have twenty-five thousand

francs a year left," whispered Solonet to his client. "For my part, I



did not expect to obtain such a fine result."

"But," she said, "explain to me why the creation of this entail should



have calmed the storm at once."

"It relieves their distrust of you and your daughter. An entail is



unchangeable; neither husband nor wife can touch that capital."

"Then this arrangement is positively" target="_blank" title="ad.确实；断然；绝对">positively insulting!"



"No; we call it simply precaution. The old fellow has caught you in a

net. If you refuse to consent to the entail, he can reply: 'Then your



object is to squander the fortune of my client, who, by the creation

of this entail, is protected from all such injury as securely as if



the marriage took place under the "regime dotal."'"

Solonet quieted his own scruples by reflecting: "After all, these



stipulations will take effect only in the future, by which time Madame

Evangelista will be dead and buried."



Madame Evangelista contented herself, for the present, with these

explanations, having full confidence in Solonet. She was wholly



ignorant of law; considering her daughter as good as married, she

thought she had gained her end, and was filled with the joy of



success. Thus, as Mathias had shrewdly calculated, neither Solonet nor

Madame Evangelista understood as yet, to its full extent, this scheme



which he had based on reasons that were undeniable.

"Well, Monsieur Mathias," said the widow, "all is for the best, is it



not?"

"Madame, if you and Monsieur le comte consent to this arrangement you



ought to exchange pledges. It is fully understood, I suppose," he

continued, looking from one to the other, "that the marriage will only



take place on condition of creating an entail upon the estate of

Lanstrac and the house in the rue de la Pepiniere, together with eight



hundred thousand francs in money brought by the future wife, the said

sum to be invested in landed property? Pardon me the repetition,



madame; but a positive and solemnengagement becomes absolutely

necessary. The creation of an entail requires formalities, application



to the chancellor, a royal ordinance, and we ought at once to conclude

the purchase of the new estate in order that the property be included



in the royal ordinance by virtue of which it becomes inalienable. In

many families this would be reduced to writing, but on this occasion I



think a simple consent would suffice. Do you consent?"

"Yes," replied Madame Evangelista.



"Yes," said Paul.

"And I?" asked Natalie, laughing.



"You are a minor, mademoiselle," replied Solonet; "don't complain of

that."



It was then agreed that Maitre Mathias should draw up the contract,

Maitre Solonet the guardianship account and release, and that both



documents should be signed, as the law requires some days before the

celebration of the marriage. After a few polite salutations the



notaries withdrew.

"It rains, Mathias; shall I take you home?" said Solonet. "My



cabriolet is here."

"My carriage is here too," said Paul, manifesting an intention to



accompany the old man.

"I won't rob you of a moment's pleasure," said Mathias. "I accept my



friend Solonet's offer."

• distress [di´stres] n.痛苦 vt.使苦恼 (初中英语单词)


• distinctly [di´stiŋktli] ad.清楚地，明晰地 (初中英语单词)


• discussion [di´skʌʃən] n.讨论；辩论 (初中英语单词)


• gesture [´dʒestʃə] n.手势 v.打手势 (初中英语单词)


• endure [in´djuə] vt.忍耐，忍受；坚持 (初中英语单词)


• hastily [´heistili] ad.急速地；草率地 (初中英语单词)


• capable [´keipəbəl] a.有能力；能干的 (初中英语单词)


• resolution [,rezə´lu:ʃən] n.决心；坚决；果断 (初中英语单词)


• conflict [´kɔnflikt, kən´flikt] n.&vi.战斗；抵触 (初中英语单词)


• extremely [ik´stri:mli] ad.极端地；非常地 (初中英语单词)


• relief [ri´li:f] n.救济；援救；减轻 (初中英语单词)


• monsieur [mə´sjə:] n.先生 (初中英语单词)


• anxiety [æŋ´zaiəti] n.挂念；渴望；焦虑的事 (初中英语单词)


• ceremony [´seriməni] n.典礼；礼仪；客气 (初中英语单词)


• profession [prə´feʃən] n.职业；声明；表白 (初中英语单词)


• therefore [´ðeəfɔ:] ad.&conj.因此；所以 (初中英语单词)


• formerly [´fɔ:məli] ad.从前，以前 (初中英语单词)


• shaken [´ʃeikən] shake的过去分词 (初中英语单词)


• system [´sistəm] n.系统，体系，制度 (初中英语单词)


• talent [´tælənt] n.天才；才干；天资 (初中英语单词)


• promote [prə´məut] vt.促进；发扬；助长 (初中英语单词)


• estate [i´steit] n.财产；庄园；等级 (初中英语单词)


• undoubtedly [ʌn´dautidli] ad.无疑地，确实地 (初中英语单词)


• whenever [wen´evə] conj.&ad.无论何时 (初中英语单词)


• contribute [kən´tribju:t] v.贡献出；投稿；捐献 (初中英语单词)


• italian [i´tæliən] a.意大利 n.意大利人 (初中英语单词)


• account [ə´kaunt] vi.说明 vt.认为 n.帐目 (初中英语单词)


• scheme [ski:m] n.计划；阴谋，诡计 (初中英语单词)


• anxious [´æŋkʃəs] a.担忧的；渴望的 (初中英语单词)


• screen [skri:n] n.银幕 vt.遮蔽 (初中英语单词)


• vanity [´væniti] n.虚荣；自负；空虚 (初中英语单词)


• working [´wə:kiŋ] a.工人的；劳动的 (初中英语单词)


• victory [´viktəri] n.胜利，战胜 (初中英语单词)


• obtain [əb´tein] v.获得；买到；得到承认 (初中英语单词)


• creation [kri´eiʃən] n.创作；作品；创造 (初中英语单词)


• arrangement [ə´reindʒmənt] n.整理；排列；筹备 (初中英语单词)


• injury [´indʒəri] n.伤害；毁坏；侮辱 (初中英语单词)


• extent [ik´stent] n.长度；程度；范围 (初中英语单词)


• pardon [´pɑ:dən] n.&vt.原谅；饶恕；赦免 (初中英语单词)


• solemn [´sɔləm] a.严肃的；隆重的 (初中英语单词)


• engagement [in´geidʒmənt] n.婚约；雇用；受聘 (初中英语单词)


• virtue [´və:tʃu:] n.美德；贞操；长处 (初中英语单词)


• writing [´raitiŋ] n.书写；写作；书法 (初中英语单词)


• complain [kəm´plein] vi.抱怨，叫屈；控诉 (初中英语单词)


• release [ri´li:s] vt&n.释放；放松；赦免 (初中英语单词)


• polite [pə´lait] a.有礼貌的；温和的 (初中英语单词)


• carriage [´kæridʒ] n.马车；客车；货运 (初中英语单词)


• intention [in´tenʃən] n.意图；打算；意义 (初中英语单词)


• deprive [di´praiv] vt.剥夺，使丧失 (高中英语单词)


• saying [´seiŋ, ´sei-iŋ] n.言语；言论；格言 (高中英语单词)


• fireplace [´faiəpleis] n.壁炉，炉灶 (高中英语单词)


• overthrow [´əuvəθrəu] n.推翻；打倒 (高中英语单词)


• mutual [´mju:tʃuəl] a.相互的；共同的 (高中英语单词)


• remedy [´remidi] n.药品 vt.医治；减轻 (高中英语单词)


• chamber [´tʃeimbə] n.房间；议院；会议室 (高中英语单词)


• destiny [´destini] n.命运 (高中英语单词)


• expectation [,ekspek´teiʃən] n.期待(望)；预期 (高中英语单词)


• anticipate [æn´tisipeit] vt.预期；指望；期待 (高中英语单词)


• nomination [,nɔmi´neiʃən] n.提名(权)；任命(权) (高中英语单词)


• client [´klaiənt] n.委托人；顾客 (高中英语单词)


• surplus [´sə:pləs] n.&a.剩余(的) (高中英语单词)


• suffice [sə´fais] vt.使满足 vi.足够 (高中英语单词)


• repeated [ri´pi:tid] a.反复的；重复的 (高中英语单词)


• circus [´sə:kəs] n.马戏(团)；圆形广场 (高中英语单词)


• confident [´kɔnfidənt] a.有信心的，自信的 (高中英语单词)


• uneasy [ʌn´i:zi] a.不安的；不自在的 (高中英语单词)


• headlong [´hedlɔŋ] ad.&a.轻率地(的) (高中英语单词)


• guardian [´gɑ:diən] n.监护人；保护人 (高中英语单词)


• distrust [dis´trʌst] n.&vt.不信任，怀疑 (高中英语单词)


• positively [´pɔzətivli] ad.确实；断然；绝对 (高中英语单词)


• precaution [pri´kɔ:ʃən] n.预防 vt.预先警告 (高中英语单词)


• contented [kən´tentid] a.满足的；心满意足的 (高中英语单词)


• positive [´pɔzətiv] a.确定的 (高中英语单词)


• chancellor [´tʃɑ:nsələ] n.首相；大臣 (高中英语单词)


• exclamation [,eksklə´meiʃən] n.喊(惊)叫；感叹词 (英语四级单词)


• venerable [´venərəbəl] a.可尊敬的；森严的 (英语四级单词)


• proverb [´prɔvə:b] n.谚语；格言 (英语四级单词)


• debtor [´detə] n.债务人；借方 (英语四级单词)


• considering [kən´sidəriŋ] prep.就…而论 (英语四级单词)


• ordinance [´ɔ:dinəns] n.法令；条令；条例 (英语四级单词)


• taking [´teikiŋ] a.迷人的 n.捕获物 (英语六级单词)


• unspeakable [ʌn´spi:kəbl] a.不能以言语表达的 (英语六级单词)


• intimately [´intimitli] ad.密切地；熟悉地 (英语六级单词)


• entail [in´teil] vt.限定(继承人)；需要 (英语六级单词)


• mademoiselle [,mædəmə´zel] n.小姐；法国女教师 (英语六级单词)


• deficiency [di´fiʃənsi] n.缺乏，不足，亏空 (英语六级单词)


• discreet [di´skri:t] a.谨慎的，考虑周到的 (英语六级单词)


• securely [si´kjuəli] ad.安全地；无疑地 (英语六级单词)