Bel Ami (A Ladies' Man)

by Guy de Maupassant

  XIV

  The church was draped with black, and over the main entrance a hugescutcheon, surmounted by a coronet, announced to the passers-by that agentleman was being buried. The ceremony was just over, and thosepresent at it were slowly dispersing, defiling past the coffin and thenephew of the Count de Vaudrec, who was shaking extended hands andreturning bows. When George Du Roy and his wife came out of the churchthey began to walk homeward side by side, silent and preoccupied. Atlength George said, as though speaking to himself: "Really, it is verystrange."

  "What, dear?" asked Madeleine.

  "That Vaudrec should not have left us anything."

  She blushed suddenly, as though a rosy veil had been cast over her whiteskin, and said: "Why should he have left us anything? There was noreason for it." Then, after a few moments' silence, she went on: "Thereis perhaps a will in the hands of some notary. We know nothing as yet."

  He reflected for a short time, and then murmured: "Yes, it is probable,for, after all, he was the most intimate friend of us both. He dinedwith us twice a week, called at all hours, and was at home at our place,quite at home in every respect. He loved you like a father, and had nochildren, no brothers and sisters, nothing but a nephew, and a nephew henever used to see. Yes, there must be a will. I do not care for much,only a remembrance to show that he thought of us, that he loved us, thathe recognized the affection we felt for him. He certainly owed us somesuch mark of friendship."

  She said in a pensive and indifferent manner: "It is possible, indeed,that there may be a will."

  As they entered their rooms, the man-servant handed a letter toMadeleine. She opened it, and then held it out to her husband. It ran asfollows:

  "Office of Maitre Lamaneur, Notary, "17 Rue des Vosges.

  "MADAME: I have the honor to beg you to favor me with a call here on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday between the hours of two and four, on business concerning you.--I am, etc.--LAMANEUR."

  George had reddened in turn. "That is what it must be," said he. "It isstrange, though, that it is you who are summoned, and not myself, who amlegally the head of the family."

  She did not answer at once, but after a brief period of reflection,said: "Shall we go round there by and by?"

  "Yes, certainly."

  They set out as soon as they had lunched. When they entered MaitreLamaneur's office, the head clerk rose with marked attention and usheredthem in to his master. The notary was a round, little man, round allover. His head looked like a ball nailed onto another ball, which hadlegs so short that they almost resembled balls too. He bowed, pointed totwo chairs, and turning towards Madeleine, said: "Madame, I have sentfor you in order to acquaint you with the will of the Count de Vaudrec,in which you are interested."

  George could not help muttering: "I thought so."

  The notary went on: "I will read to you the document, which is verybrief."

  He took a paper from a box in front of him, and read as follows:

  "I, the undersigned, Paul Emile Cyprien Gontran, Count de Vaudrec, beingsound in body and mind, hereby express my last wishes. As death mayovertake us at any moment, I wish, in provision of his attacks, to takethe precaution of making my will, which will be placed in the hands ofMaitre Lamaneur. Having no direct heirs, I leave the whole of myfortune, consisting of stock to the amount of six hundred thousandfrancs, and landed property worth about five hundred thousand francs, toMadame Claire Madeleine Du Roy without any charge or condition. I begher to accept this gift of a departed friend as a proof of a deep,devoted, and respectful affection."

  The notary added: "That is all. This document is dated last August, andreplaces one of the same nature, written two years back, with the nameof Madame Claire Madeleine Forestier. I have this first will, too, whichwould prove, in the case of opposition on the part of the family, thatthe wishes of Count de Vaudrec did not vary."

  Madeleine, very pale, looked at her feet. George nervously twisted theend of his moustache between his fingers. The notary continued after amoment of silence: "It is, of course, understood, sir, that your wifecannot accept the legacy without your consent."

  Du Roy rose and said, dryly: "I must ask time to reflect."

  The notary, who was smiling, bowed, and said in an amiable tone: "Iunderstand the scruples that cause you to hesitate, sir. I should saythat the nephew of Monsieur de Vaudrec, who became acquainted this verymorning with his uncle's last wishes, stated that he was prepared torespect them, provided the sum of a hundred thousand francs was allowedhim. In my opinion the will is unattackable, but a law-suit would causea stir, which it may perhaps suit you to avoid. The world often judgesthings ill-naturedly. In any case, can you give me your answer on allthese points before Saturday?"

  George bowed, saying: "Yes, sir."

  Then he bowed again ceremoniously, ushered out his wife, who hadremained silent, and went out himself with so stiff an air that thenotary no longer smiled.

  As soon as they got home, Du Roy abruptly closed the door, and throwinghis hat onto the bed, said: "You were Vaudrec's mistress."

  Madeleine, who was taking off her veil, turned round with a start,exclaiming: "I? Oh!"

  "Yes, you. A man does not leave the whole of his fortune to a woman,unless--"

  She was trembling, and was unable to remove the pins fastening thetransparent tissue. After a moment's reflection she stammered, in anagitated tone: "Come, come--you are mad--you are--you are. Did not you,yourself, just now have hopes that he would leave us something?"

  George remained standing beside her, following all her emotions like amagistrate seeking to note the least faltering on the part of anaccused. He said, laying stress on every word: "Yes, he might have leftsomething to me, your husband--to me, his friend--you understand, butnot to you--my wife. The distinction is capital, essential from thepoint of propriety and of public opinion."

  Madeleine in turn looked at him fixedly in the eyes, in profound andsingular fashion, as though seeking to read something there, as thoughtrying to discover that unknown part of a human being which we neverfathom, and of which we can scarcely even catch rapid glimpses in thosemoments of carelessness or inattention, which are like doors left open,giving onto the mysterious depths of the mind. She said slowly: "Itseems to me, however, that a legacy of this importance would have beenlooked on as at least equally strange left to you."

  He asked abruptly: "Why so?"

  She said: "Because--" hesitated, and then continued: "Because you are myhusband, and have only known him for a short time, after all--because Ihave been his friend for a very long while--and because his first will,made during Forestier's lifetime, was already in my favor."

  George began to stride up and down. He said: "You cannot accept."

  She replied in a tone of indifference: "Precisely so; then it is notworth while waiting till Saturday, we can let Maitre Lamaneur know atonce."

  He stopped short in front of her, and they again stood for some momentswith their eyes riveted on one another, striving to fathom theimpenetrable secret of their hearts, to cut down to the quick of theirthoughts. They tried to see one another's conscience unveiled in anardent and mute interrogation; the struggle of two beings who, livingside by side, were always ignorant of one another, suspecting, sniffinground, watching, but never understanding one another to the muddydepths of their souls. And suddenly he murmured to her face, in a lowvoice: "Come, admit that you were De Vaudrec's mistress."

  She shrugged her shoulders, saying: "You are ridiculous. Vaudrec wasvery fond of me, very--but there was nothing more--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 quitesimple. As you said just now, he had only ourselves for friends, orrather myself, for he has known me
from a child. My mother was acompanion at the house of some relatives of his. He was always cominghere, and as he had no natural heirs he thought of me. That there was alittle love for me in the matter is possible. But where is the woman whohas not been loved thus? Why should not such secret, hidden affectionhave placed my name at the tip of his pen when he thought of expressinghis last wishes? He brought me flowers every Monday. You were not at allastonished at that, and yet he did not bring you any, did he? Now he hasgiven me his fortune for the same reason, and because he had no one tooffer it to. It would have been, on the contrary, very surprising forhim to have left it to you. Why should he have done so? What were you tohim?"

  She spoke so naturally and quietly that George hesitated. He said,however: "All the same, we cannot accept this inheritance under suchconditions. The effect would be deplorable. All the world would believeit; all the world would gossip about it, and laugh at me. My fellowjournalists are already only too disposed to feel jealous of me and toattack me. I should have, before anyone, a care for my honor and myreputation. It is impossible for me to allow my wife to accept a legacyof this kind from a man whom public report has already assigned to heras a lover. Forestier might perhaps have tolerated it, but not me."

  She murmured, mildly: "Well, dear, do not let us accept it. It will be amillion the less in our pockets, that is all."

  He was still walking up and down, and began to think aloud, speaking forhis wife's benefit without addressing himself directly to her: "Yes, amillion, so much the worse. He did not understand, in making his will,what a fault in tact, what a breach of propriety he was committing. Hedid not see in what a false, a ridiculous position he would place me.Everything is a matter of detail in this life. He should have left mehalf; that would have settled everything."

  He sat down, crossed his legs, and began to twist the end of hismoustache, as he did in moments of boredom, uneasiness, and difficultreflection. Madeleine took up some embroidery at which she worked fromtime to time, and said, while selecting her wools: "I have only to holdmy tongue. It is for you to reflect."

  He was a long time without replying, and then said, hesitatingly: "Theworld will never understand that Vaudrec made you his sole heiress, andthat I allowed it. To receive his fortune in that way would be anacknowledgment on your part of a guilty connection, and on mine of ashameful complaisance. Do you understand now how our acceptance of itwould be interpreted? It would be necessary to find a side issue, someclever way of palliating matters. To let it go abroad, for instance,that he had divided the money between us, leaving half to the husbandand half to the wife."

  She observed: "I do not see how that can be done, since the will isplain."

  "Oh, it is very simple. You could leave me half the inheritance by adeed of gift. We have no children, so it is feasible. In that way themouth of public malevolence would be closed."

  She replied, somewhat impatiently: "I do not see any the more how themouth of public malevolence is to be closed, since the will is there,signed by Vaudrec?"

  He said, angrily: "Have we any need to show it and to paste it up on allthe walls? You are really stupid. We will say that the Count de Vaudrecleft his fortune between us. That is all. But you cannot accept thislegacy without my authorization. I will only give it on condition of adivision, which will hinder me from becoming a laughing stock."

  She looked at him again with a penetrating glance, and said: "As youlike. I am agreeable."

  Then he rose, and began to walk up and down again. He seemed to behesitating anew, and now avoided his wife's penetrating glance. He wassaying: "No, certainly not. Perhaps it would be better to give it upaltogether. That is more worthy, more correct, more honorable. And yetby this plan nothing could be imagined against us--absolutely nothing.The most unscrupulous people could only admit things as they were." Hepaused in front of Madeleine. "Well, then, if you like, darling, I willgo back alone to Maitre Lamaneur to explain matters to him and consulthim. I will tell him of my scruples, and add that we have arrived at thenotion of a division to prevent gossip. From the moment that I accepthalf this inheritance, it is plain that no one has the right to smile.It is equal to saying aloud: 'My wife accepts because I accept--I, herhusband, the best judge of what she may do without compromising herself.Otherwise a scandal would have arisen.'"

  Madeleine merely murmured: "Just as you like."

  He went on with a flow of words: "Yes, it is all as clear as daylightwith this arrangement of a division in two. We inherit from a friend whodid not want to make any difference between us, any distinction; who didnot wish to appear to say: 'I prefer one or the other after death, as Idid during life.' He liked the wife best, be it understood, but inleaving the fortune equally to both, he wished plainly to express thathis preference was purely platonic. And you may be sure that, if he hadthought of it, that is what he would have done. He did not reflect. Hedid not foresee the consequences. As you said very appropriately justnow, it was you to whom he offered flowers every week, it is to you hewished to leave his last remembrance, without taking into considerationthat--"

  She checked him, with a shade of irritation: "All right; I understand.You have no need to make so many explanations. Go to the notary's atonce."

  He stammered, reddening: "You are right. I am off."

  He took his hat, and then, at the moment of going out, said: "I willtry to settle the difficulty with the nephew for fifty thousand francs,eh?"

  She replied, with dignity: "No. Give him the hundred thousand francs heasks. Take them from my share, if you like."

  He muttered, shamefacedly: "Oh, no; we will share that. Giving up fiftythousand francs apiece, there still remains to us a clear million." Headded: "Good-bye, then, for the present, Made." And he went off toexplain to the notary the plan which he asserted had been imagined byhis wife.

  They signed the next day a deed of gift of five hundred thousand francs,which Madeleine Du Roy abandoned to her husband. On leaving the notary'soffice, as the day was fine, George suggested that they should walk asfar as the boulevards. He showed himself pleasant and full of attentionand affection. He laughed, pleased at everything, while she remainedthoughtful and somewhat severe.

  It was a somewhat cool autumn day. The people in the streets seemed in ahurry, and walked rapidly. Du Roy led his wife to the front of the shopin which he had so often gazed at the longed-for chronometer. "Shall Istand you some jewelry?" said he.

  She replied, indifferently: "Just as you like."

  They went in, and he asked: "What would you prefer--a necklace, abracelet, or a pair of earrings?"

  The sight of the trinkets in gold, and precious stones overcame herstudied coolness, and she scanned with kindling and inquisitive eyes theglass cases filled with jewelry. And, suddenly moved by desire, said:"That is a very pretty bracelet."

  It was a chain of quaint pattern, every link of which had a differentstone set in it.

  George inquired: "How much is this bracelet?"

  "Three thousand francs, sir," replied the jeweler.

  "If you will let me have it for two thousand five hundred, it is abargain."

  The man hesitated, and then replied: "No, sir; that is impossible."

  Du Roy went on: "Come, you can throw in that chronometer for fifteenhundred; that will make four thousand, which I will pay at once. Is itagreed? If not, I will go somewhere else."

  The jeweler, in a state of perplexity, ended by agreeing, saying: "Verygood, sir."

  And the journalist, after giving his address, added: "You will have themonogram, G. R. C., engraved on the chronometer under a baron'scoronet."

  Madeleine, surprised, began to smile, and when they went out, took hisarm with a certain affection. She found him really clever and capable.Now that he had an income, he needed a title. It was quite right.

  The jeweler bowed them out, saying: "You can depend upon me; it will beready on Thursday, Baron."

  They paused before the Vaudeville, at which a new piece was beingplayed.

  "If y
ou like," said he, "we will go to the theater this evening. Let ussee if we can have a box."

  They took a box, and he continued: "Suppose we dine at a restaurant."

  "Oh, yes; I should like that!"

  He was as happy as a king, and sought what else they could do. "Supposewe go and ask Madame de Marelle to spend the evening with us. Herhusband is at home, I hear, and I shall be delighted to see him."

  They went there. George, who slightly dreaded the first meeting with hismistress, was not ill-pleased that his wife was present to preventanything like an explanation. But Clotilde did not seem to rememberanything against him, and even obliged her husband to accept theinvitation.

  The dinner was lovely, and the evening pleasant. George and Madeleinegot home late. The gas was out, and to light them upstairs, thejournalist struck a wax match from time to time. On reaching thefirst-floor landing the flame, suddenly starting forth as he struck,caused their two lit-up faces to show in the glass standing out againstthe darkness of the staircase. They resembled phantoms, appearing andready to vanish into the night.

  Du Roy raised his hand to light up their reflections, and said, with a

  laugh of triumph: "Behold the millionaires!"