On my honor, I believe that evil is the
scythe with which to cut down the good."
At three o'clock Monsieur Berthier, Cardot's successor, read the
marriage-contract, after a short conference with Crevel, for some of
the articles were made conditional on the action taken by Monsieur and
Madame Victorin Hulot.
Crevel settled on his wife a fortune consisting, in the first place,
of forty thousand francs in dividends on specified securities;
secondly, of the house and all its contents; and thirdly, of three
million francs not invested. He also assigned to his wife every
benefit allowed by law; he left all the property free of duty; and in
the event of their dying without issue, each devised to the survivor
the whole of their property and real estate.
By this arrangement the fortune left to Celestine and her husband was
reduced to two millions of francs in capital. If Crevel and his second
wife should have children, Celestine's share was limited to five
hundred thousand francs, as the life-interest in the rest was to
accrue to Valerie. This would be about the ninth part of his whole
real and personal estate.
Lisbeth returned to dine in the Rue Louis-le-Grand, despair written
on her face. She explained and bewailed the terms of the
marriage-contract, but found Celestine and her husband insensible to
the disastrous news.
"You have provoked your father, my children. Madame Marneffe swears
that you shall receive Monsieur Crevel's wife and go to her house,"
said she.
Pages:
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497
498
499
500
501
502
503
504
505
506
507
508
509
510
511
512
513
514