the lesser bourgeoisie-第1章

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The　Lesser　Bourgeoisie

by　Honore　de　Balzac

Translated　by　Katharine　Prescott　Wormeley





DEDICATION

　　To　Constance…Victoire。

　　Here；　madame；　is　one　of　those　books　which　come　into　the　mind；
　　whence　no　one　knows；　giving　pleasure　to　the　author　before　he　can
　　foresee　what　reception　the　public；　our　great　present　judge；　will
　　accord　to　it。　Feeling　almost　certain　of　your　sympathy　in　my
　　pleasure；　I　dedicate　the　book　to　you。　Ought　it　not　to　belong　to
　　you　as　the　tithe　formerly　belonged　to　the　Church　in　memory　of　God；
　　who　makes　all　things　bud　and　fruit　in　the　fields　and　in　the
　　intellect？

　　A　few　lumps　of　clay；　left　by　Moliere　at　the　feet　of　his　colossal
　　statue　of　Tartuffe；　have　here　been　kneaded　by　a　hand　more　daring
　　than　able；　but；　at　whatever　distance　I　may　be　from　the　greatest　of
　　comic　writers；　I　shall　still　be　glad　to　have　used　these　crumbs　in
　　showing　the　modern　Hypocrite　in　action。　The　chief　encouragement
　　that　I　have　had　in　this　difficult　undertaking　was　in　finding　it
　　apart　from　all　religious　questions；questions　which　ought　to　be
　　kept　out　of　it　for　the　sake　of　one　so　pious　as　yourself；　and　also
　　because　of　what　a　great　writer　has　lately　called　our　present
　　〃indifference　in　matters　of　religion。〃

　　May　the　double　signification　of　your　names　be　for　my　book　a
　　prophecy！　Deign　to　find　here　the　respectful　gratitude　of　him　who
　　ventures　to　call　himself　the　most　devoted　of　your　servants。


De　Balzac。




THE　LESSER　BOURGEOISIE
（The　Middle　Classes）




PART　I

THE　LESSER　BOURGEOIS　OF　PARIS



CHAPTER　I

DEPARTING　PARIS

The　tourniquet　Saint…Jean；　the　narrow　passage　entered　through　a
turnstile；　a　description　of　which　was　said　to　be　so　wearisome　in　the
study　entitled　〃A　Double　Life〃　（Scenes　from　Private　Life）；　that　naive
relic　of　old　Paris；　has　at　the　present　moment　no　existence　except　in
our　said　typography。　The　building　of　the　Hotel…de…Ville；　such　as　we
now　see　it；　swept　away　a　whole　section　of　the　city。

In　1830；　passers　along　the　street　could　still　see　the　turnstile
painted　on　the　sign　of　a　wine…merchant；　but　even　that　house；　its　last
asylum；　has　been　demolished。　Alas！　old　Paris　is　disappearing　with
frightful　rapidity。　Here　and　there；　in　the　course　of　this　history　of
Parisian　life；　will　be　found　preserved；　sometimes　the　type　of　the
dwellings　of　the　middle　ages；　like　that　described　in　〃Fame　and　Sorrow〃
（Scenes　from　Private　Life）；　one　or　two　specimens　of　which　exist　to　the
present　day；　sometimes　a　house　like　that　of　Judge　Popinot；　rue　du
Fouarre；　a　specimen　of　the　former　bourgeoisie；　here；　the　remains　of
Fulbert's　house；　there；　the　old　dock　of　the　Seine　as　it　was　under
Charles　IX。　Why　should　not　the　historian　of　French　society；　a　new　Old
Mortality；　endeavor　to　save　these　curious　expressions　of　the　past；　as
Walter　Scott's　old　man　rubbed　up　the　tombstones？　Certainly；　for　the
last　ten　years　the　outcries　of　literature　in　this　direction　have　not
been　superfluous；　art　is　beginning　to　disguise　beneath　its　floriated
ornaments　those　ignoble　facades　of　what　are　called　in　Paris　〃houses　of
product；〃　which　one　of　our　poets　has　jocosely　compared　to　chests　of
drawers。

Let　us　remark　here；　that　the　creation　of　the　municipal　commission　〃del
ornamento〃　which　superintends　at　Milan　the　architecture　of　street
facades；　and　to　which　every　house　owner　is　compelled　to　subject　his
plan；　dates　from　the　seventeenth　century。　Consequently；　we　see　in　that
charming　capital　the　effects　of　this　public　spirit　on　the　part　of
nobles　and　burghers；　while　we　admire　their　buildings　so　full　of
character　and　originality。　Hideous；　unrestrained　speculation　which；
year　after　year；　changes　the　uniform　level　of　storeys；　compresses　a
whole　apartment　into　the　space　of　what　used　to　be　a　salon；　and　wages
war　upon　gardens；　will　infallibly　react　on　Parisian　manners　and
morals。　We　shall　soon　be　forced　to　live　more　without　than　within。　Our
sacred　private　life；　the　freedom　and　liberty　of　home；　where　will　they
be？reserved　for　those　who　can　muster　fifty　thousand　francs　a　year！
In　fact；　few　millionaires　now　allow　themselves　the　luxury　of　a　house
to　themselves；　guarded　by　a　courtyard　on　a　street　and　protected　from
public　curiosity　by　a　shady　garden　at　the　back。

By　levelling　fortunes；　that　section　of　the　Code　which　regulates
testamentary　bequests；　has　produced　these　huge　stone　phalansteries；　in
which　thirty　families　are　often　lodged；　returning　a　rental　of　a
hundred　thousand　francs　a　year。　Fifty　years　hence　we　shall　be　able　to
count　on　our　fingers　the　few　remaining　houses　which　resemble　that
occupied；　at　the　moment　our　narrative　begins；　by　the　Thuillier　family；
a　really　curious　house　which　deserves　the　honor　of　an　exact
description；　if　only　to　compare　the　life　of　the　bourgeoisie　of　former
times　with　that　of　to…day。

The　situation　and　the　aspect　of　this　house；　the　frame　of　our　present
Scene　of　manners　and　morals；　has；　moreover；　a　flavor；　a　perfume　of　the
lesser　bourgeoisie；　which　may　attract　or　repel　attention　according　to
the　taste　of　each　reader。

In　the　first　place；　the　Thuillier　house　did　not　belong　to　either
Monsieur　or　Madame　Thuillier；　but　to　Mademoiselle　Thuillier；　the
sister　of　Monsieur　Thuillier。

This　house；　bought　during　the　first　six　months　which　followed　the
revolution　of　July　by　Mademoiselle　Marie…Jeanne…Brigitte　Thuillier；　a
spinster　of　full　age；　stands　about　the　middle　of　the　rue　Saint…
Dominique　d'Enfer；　to　the　right　as　you　enter　by　the　rue　d'Enfer；　so
that　the　main　building　occupied　by　Monsieur　Thuillier　faces　south。

The　progressive　movement　which　is　carrying　the　Parisian　population　to
the　heights　along　the　right　bank　of　the　Seine　had　long　injured　the
sale　of　property　in　what　is　called　the　〃Latin　quarter；〃　when　reasons；
which　will　be　given　when　we　come　to　treat　of　the　character　and　habits
of　Monsieur　Thuillier；　determined　his　sister　to　the　purchase　of　real
estate。　She　obtained　this　property　for　the　small　sum　of　forty…six
thousand　francs；　certain　extras　amounted　to　six　thousand　more；　in　all；
the　price　paid　was　fifty…two　thousand　francs。　A　description　of　the
property　given　in　the　style　of　an　advertisement；　and　the　results
obtained　by　Monsieur　Thuillier's　exertions；　will　explain　by　what　means
so　many　fortunes　increased　enormously　after　July；　1830；　while　so　many
others　sank。

Toward　the　street　the　house　presents　a　facade　of　rough　stone　covered
with　plaster；　cracked　by　weather　and　lined　by　the　mason's　instrument
into　a　semblance　of　blocks　of　cut　stone。　This　frontage　is　so　common　in
Paris　and　so　ugly　that　the　city　ought　to　offer　premiums　to　house…
owners　who　would　build　their　facades　of　cut…stone　blocks。　Seven
windows　lighted　the　gray　front　of　this　house　which　was　raised　three
storeys；　ending　in　a　mansard　roof　covered　with　slate。　The　porte…
cochere；　heavy　and　solid；　showed　by　its　workmanship　and　style　that　the
front　building　on　the　street　had　been　erected　in　the　days　of　the
Empire；　to　utilize　a　part　of　the　courtyard　of　the　vast　old　mansion；
built　at　an　epoch　when　the　quarter　d'Enfer　enjoyed　a　certain　vogue。

On　one　side　was　the　porter's　lodge；　on　the　other　the　staircase　of　the
front　building。　Two　wings；　built　against　the　adjoining　houses；　had
formerly　served　as　stables；　coach…house；　kitchen　and　offices　to　the
rear　dwelling；　but　since　1830；　they　had　been　converted　into　warerooms。
The　one　on　the　right　was　let　to　a　certain　M。　Metivier；　jr。；　wholesale
dealer　in　paper；　that　on　the　left　to　a　bookseller　named　Barbet。　The
offices　of　each　were　above　the　warerooms；　the　bookseller　occupying　the
first　storey；　and　the　paper…dealer　the　second　storey　of　the　house　on
the　street。　Metivier；　jr。；　who　was　more　of　a　commission　merchant　in
paper　than　a　regular　dealer；　and　Barbet；　much　more　of　a　money　lender
and　discounter　than　a　bookseller；　kept　these　vast　warerooms　for　the
purpose　of　storing；one；　his　stacks　of　paper；　bought　of　needy
manufacturers；　the　other；　editions　of　books　given　as　security　for
loans。

The　shark　of　bookselling　and　the　pike　of　paper…dealing　lived　on　the
best　of　terms；　and　their　mutual　operations；　exempt　from　the　turmoil　of
retail　business；　brought　so　few　carriages　into　that　tranquil　courtyard
that　the　concierge　was　obliged　to　pull　up　the　grass　between　the　paving
stones。　Messrs。　Barbet　and　Metivier　paid　a　few　rare　visits　to　their
landlords；　and　the　punctuality　with　which　they　paid　their　rent　classed
them　as　good　tenants；　in　fact；　they　were　looked　upon　as　very　honest
men　by　the　Thuillier　circle。

As　for　the　third　floor　on　the　street；　it　was　made　into　two　apartments；
one　of　which　was　occupied　by　M。　Dutocq；　clerk　of　the　justice　of　peace；
a　retired　government　employee；　and　a　frequenter　of　the　Thuillier
salon；　the　other　by　the　hero　of　this　Scene；　about　whom　we　must　content
ourselves　at　the　present　moment　by　fixing　the　amount　of　his　rent；
namely；　seven　hundred　francs　a　year；and　the　location　he　had　chosen
in　the　heart　of　this　well…filled　building；　exactly　three　years　before
the　curtain　rises　on　the　present　domestic　drama。

The　clerk；　a　bachelor　of　fifty；　occupied　the　larger　of　the　two
apartments　on　the　third　floor。　He　kept　a　cook；　and　the　rent　of　the
rooms　was　a　thousand　francs　a　year。　Within　two　years　of　the　time　of
her　purchase；　Mademoiselle　Thuillier　was　receiving　seven　thousand　two
hundred　francs　in　rentals；　for　a　house　which　the　late　proprietor　had
supplied　with　outside　blinds；　renovated　within；　and　adorned　with
mirrors；　without　being　able　to　sell　or　let　it。　Moreover；　the
Thuilliers　themselves；　nobly　lodged；　as　we　shall　see；　enjoyed　also　a
fine　garden；one　of　the　finest　in　that　quarter；the　trees　of　which
shaded　the　lonely　little　street　named　the　rue　Neuve…Saint…Catherine。

Standing　between　the　courtyard　and　the　garden；　the　main　building；
which　they　inhabited；　seems　to　have　been　the　caprice　of　some　enriched
bourgeois　in　the　reign　of　Louis　XIV。；　the　dwelling；　perhaps；　of　a
president　of　the　parliament；　or　that　of　a　tranquil　savant。　Its　noble
free…stone　blocks；　damaged　by　time；　have　a　certain　air　of　Louis…the…
Fourteenth　grandeur；　the　courses　of　the　facade　define　the　storeys；
panels　of　red　brick　recall　the　appearance　of　the　stables　at
Versailles；　the　windows　have　masks　carved　as　ornaments　in　the　centre
of　their　arches　and　below　their　sills。　The　door；　of　small　panels　in
the　upper　half　and　plain　below；　through　which；　when　open；　the　garden
can　be　seen；　is　of　that　honest；　unassuming　style　which　was　often
employed　in　former　days　for　the　porter's　lodges　of　the　royal　chateaux。

This　building；　with　five　windows　to　each　course；　rises　two　storeys
above　the　ground…floor；　and　is　particularly　noticeable　for　a　roof　of
four　sides　ending　in　a　weather…vane；　and　broken　here　and　there　by
tall；　handsome　chimneys；　and　oval　windows。　Perhaps　this　structure　is
the　remains　of　some　great　mansion；　but　after　examining　all　the
existing　old　maps　of　Paris；　we　find　nothing　which　bears　out　this
conjecture。　Moreover；　the　title…deeds　of　property　under　Louis　XIV。　was
Petitot；　the　celebrated　painter　in　miniature；　who　obtained　it
originally　from　President　Lecamus。　We　may　therefore　believe　that
Lecamus　lived　in　this　building　while　he　was　erecting　his　more　famous
mansion　in　the　rue　de　Thorigny。

So