Scenes from a Courtesan's Life Part 20

"And that is not everything," Europe went on. "If you should not take madame's fancy--and that is on the cards--she would be angry, and I am done for!--and my place is worth a thousand francs a year."

"De capital to make ein tousant franc is twenty tousand franc; and if I shall gif you dat, you shall not lose noting."

"Well, to be sure, if that is the tone you take about it, my worthy old fellow," said Europe, "that is quite another story.--Where is the money?"

"Here," replied the Baron, holding up the banknotes, one at a time.

He noted the flash struck by each in turn from Europe's eyes, betraying the greed he had counted on.

"That pays for my place, but how about my principles, my conscience?"

said Europe, c.o.c.king her crafty little nose and giving the Baron a serio-comic leer.

"Your conscience shall not be pait for so much as your place; but I shall say fife tousand franc more," said he adding five thousand-franc notes.

"No, no. Twenty thousand for my conscience, and five thousand for my place if I lose it----"

"Yust vat you please," said he, adding the five notes. "But to earn dem you shall hite me in your lady's room by night ven she shall be 'lone."

"If you swear never to tell who let you in, I agree. But I warn you of one thing.--Madame is as strong as a Turk, she is madly in love with Monsieur de Rubempre, and if you paid a million francs in banknotes she would never be unfaithful to him. It is very silly, but that is her way when she is in love; she is worse than an honest woman, I tell you! When she goes out for a drive in the woods at night, monsieur very seldom stays at home. She is gone out this evening, so I can hide you in my room. If madame comes in alone, I will fetch you; you can wait in the drawing-room. I will not lock the door into her room, and then--well, the rest is your concern--so be ready."

"I shall pay you the twenty-fife tousand francs in dat drawing-room.--You gife--I gife!"

"Indeed!" said Europe, "you are so confiding as all that? On my word!"

"Oh, you will hafe your chance to fleece me yet. We shall be friends."

"Well, then, be in the Rue Taitbout at midnight; but bring thirty thousand francs about you. A waiting-woman's honesty, like a hackney cab, is much dearer after midnight."

"It shall be more prudent if I gif you a cheque on my bank----"

"No, no" said Europe. "Notes, or the bargain is off."

So at one in the morning the Baron de Nucingen, hidden in the garret where Europe slept, was suffering all the anxieties of a man who hopes to triumph. His blood seemed to him to be tingling in his toe-nails, and his head ready to burst like an overheated steam engine.

"I had more dan one hundert tousand crowns' vort of enjoyment--in my mind," he said to du Tillet when telling him the story.

He listened to every little noise in the street, and at two in the morning he heard his mistress' carriage far away on the boulevard. His heart beat vehemently under his silk waistcoat as the gate turned on its hinges. He was about to behold the heavenly, the glowing face of his Esther!--the clatter of the carriage-step and the slam of the door struck upon his heart. He was more agitated in expectation of this supreme moment than he would have been if his fortune had been at stake.

"Ah, ha!" cried he, "dis is vat I call to lif--it is too much to lif; I shall be incapable of everything."

"Madame is alone; come down," said Europe, looking in. "Above all, make no noise, great elephant."

"Great Elephant!" he repeated, laughing, and walking as if he trod on red-hot iron.

Europe led the way, carrying a candle.

"Here--count dem!" said the Baron when he reached the drawing-room, holding out the notes to Europe.

Europe took the thirty notes very gravely and left the room, locking the banker in.

Nucingen went straight to the bedroom, where he found the handsome Englishwoman.

"Is that you, Lucien?" said she.

"Nein, my peauty," said Nucingen, but he said no more.

He stood speechless on seeing a woman the very antipodes to Esther; fair hair where he had seen black, slenderness where he had admired a powerful frame! A soft English evening where he had looked for the bright sun of Arabia.

"Heyday! were have you come from?--who are you?--what do you want?"

cried the Englishwoman, pulling the bell, which made no sound.

"The bells dey are in cotton-vool, but hafe not any fear--I shall go 'vay," said he. "Dat is dirty tousant franc I hafe tron in de vater. Are you dat mistress of Mensieur Lucien de Rubempre?"

"Rather, my son," said the lady, who spoke French well, "But vat vas you?" she went on, mimicking Nucingen's accent.

"Ein man vat is ver' much took in," replied he lamentably.

"Is a man took in ven he finds a pretty voman?" asked she, with a laugh.

"Permit me to sent you to-morrow some chewels as a soufenir of de Baron von Nucingen."

"Don't know him!" said she, laughing like a crazy creature. "But the chewels will be welcome, my fat burglar friend."

"You shall know him. Goot night, motame. You are a tidbit for ein king; but I am only a poor banker more dan sixty year olt, and you hafe made me feel vat power the voman I lofe hafe ofer me since your difine beauty hafe not make me forget her."

"Vell, dat is ver' pretty vat you say," replied the Englishwoman.

"It is not so pretty vat she is dat I say it to."

"You spoke of thirty thousand francs--to whom did you give them?"

"To dat hussy, your maid----"

The Englishwoman called Europe, who was not far off.

"Oh!" shrieked Europe, "a man in madame's room, and he is not monsieur--how shocking!"

"Did he give you thirty thousand francs to let him in?"

"No, madame, for we are not worth it, the pair of us."

And Europe set to screaming "Thief" so determinedly, that the banker made for the door in a fright, and Europe, tripping him up, rolled him down the stairs.

"Old wretch!" cried she, "you would tell tales to my mistress! Thief!

thief! stop thief!"

The enamored Baron, in despair, succeeded in getting unhurt to his carriage, which he had left on the boulevard; but he was now at his wits' end as to whom to apply to.

"And pray, madame, did you think to get my earnings out of me?" said Europe, coming back like a fury to the lady's room.