of the most exquisitepoliteness, the effect of the discussion of

these contending interests had, nevertheless, cast between son and



mother-in-law a seed of distrust and enmity which was liable to sprout

under the first heat of anger, or the warmth of a feeling too harshly



bruised. In most families the settlement of "dots" and the deeds of

gift required by a marriage contract give rise to primitiveemotions



of hostility, caused by self-love, by the lesion of certain

sentiments, by regret for the sacrifices made, and by the desire to



diminish them. When difficulties arise there is always a victorious

side and a vanquished one. The parents of the future pair try to



conclude the matter, which is purelycommercial in their eyes, to

their own advantage; and this leads to the trickery, shrewdness, and



deception of such negotiations. Generally the husband alone is

initiated into the secret of these discussions, and the wife is kept,



like Natalie, in ignorance of the stipulations which make her rich or

poor.



As he left the house, Paul reflected that, thanks to the cleverness of

his notary, his fortune was almost entirely secured from injury. If



Madame Evangelista did not live apart from her daughter their united

household would have an income of more than a hundred thousand francs



to spend. All his expectations of a happy and comfortable life would

be realized.



"My mother-in-law seems to me an excellent woman," he thought, still

under the influence of the cajoling manner by which she had endeavored



to disperse the clouds raised by the discussion. "Mathias is mistaken.

These notaries are strange fellows; they envenom everything. The harm



started from that little cock-sparrow Solonet, who wanted to play a

clever game."



While Paul went to bed recapitulating the advantages he had won during

the evening, Madame Evangelista was congratulating herself equally on



her victory.

"Well, darling mother, are you satisfied?" said Natalie, following



Madame Evangelista into her bedroom.

"Yes, love," replied the mother, "everything went well, according to



my wishes; I feel a weight lifted from my shoulders which was crushing

me. Paul is a most easy-going man. Dear fellow! yes, certainly, we



must make his life prosperous. You will make him happy, and I will be

responsible for his political success. The Spanish ambassador used to



be a friend of mine, and I'll renew the relation--as I will with the

rest of my old acquaintance. Oh! you'll see! we shall soon be in the



very heart of Parisian life; all will be enjoyment for us. You shall

have the pleasures, my dearest, and I the last occupation of



existence,--the game of ambition! Don't be alarmed when you see me

selling this house. Do you suppose we shall ever come back to live in



Bordeaux? no. Lanstrac? yes. But we shall spend all our winters in

Paris, where our real interests lie. Well, Natalie, tell me, was it



very difficult to do what I asked of you?"

"My little mamma! every now and then I felt ashamed."



"Solonet advises me to put the proceeds of this house into an

annuity," said Madame Evangelista, "but I shall do otherwise; I won't



take a penny of my fortune from you."

"I saw you were all very angry," said Natalie. "How did the tempest



calm down?"

"By an offer of my diamonds," replied Madame Evangelista. "Solonet was



right. How ably he conducted the whole affair. Get out my jewel-case,

Natalie. I have never seriously considered what my diamonds are worth.



When I said a hundred thousand francs I talked nonsense. Madame de

Gyas always declared that the necklace and ear-rings your father gave



me on our marriage day were worth at least that sum. My poor husband

was so lavish! Then my family diamond, the one Philip the Second gave



to the Duke of Alba, and which my aunt bequeathed to me, the

'Discreto,' was, I think, appraised in former times at four thousand



quadruples,--one of our Spanish gold coins."

Natalie laid out upon her mother's toilet-table the pearl necklace,



the sets of jewels, the gold bracelets and precious stones of all

description, with that inexpressible sensation enjoyed by certain



women at the sight of such treasures, by which--so commentators on the

Talmud say--the fallen angels seduce the daughters of men, having



sought these flowers of celestial fire in the bowels of the earth.

"Certainly," said Madame Evangelista, "though I know nothing about



jewels except how to accept and wear them, I think there must be a

great deal of money in these. Then, if we make but one household, I



can sell my plate, the weight of which, as mere silver, would bring

thirty thousand francs. I remember when we brought it from Lima, the



custom-house officers weighed and appraised it. Solonet is right, I'll

send to-morrow to Elie Magus. The Jew shall estimate the value of

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


• hatred [´heitrid] n.憎恨，敌意 (初中英语单词)


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


• monsieur [mə´sjə:] n.先生 (初中英语单词)


• payment [´peimənt] n.支付；报酬；报偿 (初中英语单词)


• welfare [´welfeə] n.福利(事业) (初中英语单词)


• destruction [di´strʌkʃən] n.破坏，毁灭 (初中英语单词)


• professional [prə´feʃənəl] a.职业的 n.自由职业 (初中英语单词)


• harness [´hɑ:nis] vt.上马具 n.马具 (初中英语单词)


• warmth [wɔ:mθ] n.温暖；热情；激动 (初中英语单词)


• nervous [´nə:vəs] a.神经的；神经过敏的 (初中英语单词)


• reflection [ri´flekʃən] n.反射；映象；想法 (初中英语单词)


• suspicion [sə´spiʃən] n.怀(猜)疑；嫌疑 (初中英语单词)


• conference [´kɔnfərəns] n.讨论(会)；会谈 (初中英语单词)


• standing [´stændiŋ] n.持续 a.直立的 (初中英语单词)


• marble [´mɑ:bəl] n.大理石 a.大理石的 (初中英语单词)


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


• vanish [´væniʃ] vi.消失；消散；消灭 (初中英语单词)


• ambition [æm´biʃən] n.雄心，野心；企图 (初中英语单词)


• countenance [´kauntinəns] n.面部表情；脸色；面容 (初中英语单词)


• emotion [i´məuʃən] n.感情；情绪；激动 (初中英语单词)


• generous [´dʒenərəs] a.慷慨的；丰盛的 (初中英语单词)


• ignorance [´ignərəns] n.无知，愚昧 (初中英语单词)


• otherwise [´ʌðəwaiz] ad.另外 conj.否则 (初中英语单词)


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


• agreeable [ə´gri:əbəl] a.适合的；符合的 (初中英语单词)


• institution [,insti´tju:ʃən] n.建立；制定；制度 (初中英语单词)


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


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


• nevertheless [,nevəðə´les] conj.&ad.然而；不过 (初中英语单词)


• primitive [´primitiv] a.原始的 n.原始人 (初中英语单词)


• purely [´pjuəli] ad.仅仅；简单地 (初中英语单词)


• commercial [kə´mə:ʃəl] a.商业的 n.广告节目 (初中英语单词)


• advantage [əd´vɑ:ntidʒ] n.优势；利益 (初中英语单词)


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


• income [´inkʌm] n.收入，所得 (初中英语单词)


• equally [´i:kwəli] ad.相等地；平等地 (初中英语单词)


• darling [´dɑ:liŋ] n.爱人 a.亲爱的 (初中英语单词)


• prosperous [´prɔspərəs] a.繁荣的；顺利的 (初中英语单词)


• ambassador [æm´bæsədə] n.大使 (初中英语单词)


• acquaintance [ə´kweintəns] n.相识；熟人，相识的人 (初中英语单词)


• occupation [,ɔkju´peiʃən] a.职业的；军事占领的 (初中英语单词)


• seriously [´siəriəsli] ad.严肃；严重，重大 (初中英语单词)


• sensation [sen´seiʃən] n.感觉；轰动；轰动一时 (初中英语单词)


• estimate [´estimət, ´estimeit] n.估计；评价 vt.估价 (初中英语单词)


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


• seller [´selə] n.销售者；行销货 (高中英语单词)


• homeward [´həumwəd] ad.&a.回家(的) (高中英语单词)


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


• impatient [im´peiʃənt] a.不耐烦的，急躁的 (高中英语单词)


• eldest [´eldist] a.最年长的 (高中英语单词)


• summit [´sʌmit] n.顶(点)；绝顶 (高中英语单词)


• exquisite [ik´skwizit] a.精巧的；敏锐的 (高中英语单词)


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


• liable [´laiəbəl] a.易于…的；有责任的 (高中英语单词)


• hostility [hɔ´stiliti] n.敌意 战斗(争) (高中英语单词)


• disperse [di´spə:s] v.解散；驱散；传播 (高中英语单词)


• enjoyment [in´dʒɔimənt] n.享受；愉快；乐趣 (高中英语单词)


• nonsense [´nɔnsəns] n.胡说 int.胡说!废话 (高中英语单词)


• celestial [si´lestiəl] a.天空的，天的 (高中英语单词)


• odious [´əudiəs] a.可憎的；丑恶的 (英语四级单词)


• resolved [ri´zɔlvd] a.决心的；坚定的 (英语四级单词)


• commonplace [´kɔmənpleis] a.平凡的；常见的 (英语四级单词)


• parisian [pə´riziən] n.&a.巴黎人(的) (英语四级单词)


• necklace [´neklis] n.项链 (英语四级单词)


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


• peacefully [´pisfuli] ad.平静地；安宁地 (英语六级单词)


• politeness [pə´laitnis] n.礼貌；文雅；温和 (英语六级单词)


• enmity [´enmiti] n.敌意；憎恨；不和 (英语六级单词)