the lesser bourgeoisie-第10章

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hitherto　kept　himself。　Besides；　it　was　necessary　to　get　rid　of　the
young　substitute；　just　as　the　Minards　had　previously　ruined　the　hopes
of　Monsieur　Godeschal。　Like　all　superior　men　（for　he　certainly　had
some　superiority）；　Vinet　had　never　lowered　himself　to　the　point　where
the　threads　of　these　bourgeois　spider…webs　became　visible　to　him；　and
he　had　therefore　plunged；　like　a　fly；　headforemost；　into　the　almost
invisible　trap　to　which　Theodose　inveigled　him。

To　complete　this　portrait　of　the　poor　man's　lawyer　we　must　here　relate
the　circumstances　of　his　first　arrival　at　the　Thuilliers'。

Theodose　came　to　lodge　in　Mademoiselle　Thuillier's　house　toward　the
close　of　the　year　1837。　He　had　taken　his　degree　about　five　years
earlier；　and　had　kept　the　proper　number　of　terms　to　become　a
barrister。　Circumstances；　however；　about　which　he　said　nothing；　had
interfered　to　prevent　his　being　called　to　the　bar；　he　was；　therefore；
still　a　licentiate。　But　soon　after　he　was　installed　in　the　little
apartment　on　the　third　floor；　with　the　furniture　rigorously　required
by　all　members　of　his　noble　profession；for　the　guild　of　barristers
admits　no　brother　unless　he　has　a　suitable　study；　a　legal　library；　and
can　thus；　as　it　were；　verify　his　claims；Theodose　de　la　Peyrade　began
to　practise　as　a　barrister　before　the　Royal　Court　of　Paris。

The　whole　of　the　year　1838　was　employed　in　making　this　change　in　his
condition；　and　he　led　a　most　regular　life。　He　studied　at　home　in　the
mornings　till　dinner…time；　going　sometimes　to　the　Palais　for　important
cases。　Having　become　very　intimate　with　Dutocq　（so　Dutocq　said）；　he
did　certain　services　to　the　poor　of　the　faubourg　Saint…Jacques　who
were　brought　to　his　notice　by　that　official。　He　pleaded　their　cases
before　the　court；　after　bringing　them　to　the　notice　of　the　attorneys；
who；　according　to　the　statutes　of　their　order；　are　obliged　to　take
turns　in　doing　business　for　the　poor。　As　Theodose　was　careful　to　plead
only　safe　cases；　he　won　them　all。　Those　persons　whom　he　thus　obliged
expressed　their　gratitude　and　their　admiration；　in　spite　of　the　young
lawyer's　admonitions；　among　their　own　class；　and　to　the　porters　of
private　houses；　through　whom　many　anecdotes　rose　to　the　ears　of　the
proprietors。　Delighted　to　have　in　their　house　a　tenant　so　worthy　and
so　charitable；　the　Thuilliers　wished　to　attract　him　to　their　salon；
and　they　questioned　Dutocq　about　him。　The　mayor's　clerk　replied　as　the
envious　reply；　while　doing　justice　to　the　young　man　he　dwelt　on　his
remarkable　avarice；　which　might；　however；　be　the　effect　of　poverty。

〃I　have　had　other　information　about　him。　He　belongs　to　the　Peyrades；
an　old　family　of　the　'comtat'　of　Avignon；　he　came　here　toward　the　end
of　1829；　to　inquire　about　an　uncle　whose　fortune　was　said　to　be
considerable；　he　discovered　the　address　of　the　old　man　only　three　days
before　his　death；　and　the　furniture　of　the　deceased　merely　sufficed　to
bury　him　and　pay　his　debts。　A　friend　of　this　useless　uncle　gave　a
couple　of　hundred　louis　to　the　poor　fortune…hunter；　advising　him　to
finish　his　legal　studies　and　enter　the　judiciary　career。　Those　two
hundred　louis　supported　him　for　three　years　in　Paris；　where　he　lived
like　an　anchorite。　But　being　unable　to　discover　his　unknown　friend　and
benefactor；　the　poor　student　was　in　abject　distress　in　1833。　He　worked
then；　like　so　many　other　licentiates；　in　politics　and　literature；　by
which　he　kept　himself　for　a　time　above　wantfor　he　had　nothing　to
expect　from　his　family。　His　father；　the　youngest　brother　of　the　dead
uncle；　has　eleven　other　children；　who　live　on　a　small　estate　called
Les　Canquoelles。　He　finally　obtained　a　place　on　a　ministerial
newspaper；　the　manager　of　which　was　the　famous　Cerizet；　so　celebrated
for　the　persecutions　he　met　with；　under　the　Restoration；　on　account　of
his　attachment　to　the　liberals；a　man　whom　the　new　Left　will　never
forgive　for　having　made　his　paper　ministerial。　As　the　government　of
these　days　does　very　little　to　protect　even　its　most　devoted　servants
（witness　the　Gisquet　affair）；　the　republicans　have　ended　by　ruining
Cerizet。　I　tell　you　this　to　explain　how　it　is　that　Cerizet　is　now　a
copying　clerk　in　my　office。　Well；　in　the　days　when　he　flourished　as
managing　editor　of　a　paper　directed　by　the　Perier　ministry　against　the
incendiary　journals；　the　'Tribune'　and　others；　Cerizet；　who　is　a
worthy　fellow　after　all；　though　he　is　too　fond　of　women；　pleasure；　and
good　living；　was　very　useful　to　Theodose；　who　edited　the　political
department　of　the　paper；　and　if　it　hadn't　been　for　the　death　of
Casimir　Perier　that　young　man　would　certainly　have　received　an
appointment　as　substitute　judge　in　Paris。　As　it　was；　he　dropped　back
in　1834…35；　in　spite　of　his　talent；　for　his　connection　with　a
ministerial　journal　of　course　did　him　harm。　'If　it　had　not　been　for　my
religious　principles；'　he　said　to　me；　'I　should　have　thrown　myself
into　the　Seine。'　However；　it　seems　that　the　friend　of　his　uncle　must
have　heard　of　his　distress；　for　again　he　sent　him　a　sum　of　money；
enough　to　complete　his　terms　for　the　bar；　but；　strange　to　say；　he　has
never　known　the　name　or　the　address　of　this　mysterious　benefactor。
After　all；　perhaps；　under　such　circumstances；　his　economy　is
excusable；　and　he　must　have　great　strength　of　mind　to　refuse　what　the
poor　devils　whose　cases　he　wins　by　his　devotion　offer　him。　He　is
indignant　at　the　way　other　lawyers　speculate　on　the　possibility　or
impossibility　of　poor　creatures；　unjustly　sued；　paying　for　the　costs
of　their　defence。　Oh！　he'll　succeed　in　the　end。　I　shouldn't　be
surprised　to　see　that　fellow　in　some　very　brilliant　position；　he　has
tenacity；　honesty；　and　courage。　He　studies；　he　delves。〃

Notwithstanding　the　favor　with　which　he　was　greeted；　la　Peyrade　went
discreetly　to　the　Thuilliers'。　When　reproached　for　this　reserve　he
went　oftener；　and　ended　by　appearing　every　Sunday；　he　was　invited　to
all　dinner…parties；　and　became　at　last　so　familiar　in　the　house　that
whenever　he　came　to　see　Thuillier　about　four　o'clock　he　was　always
requested　to　take　〃pot…luck〃　without　ceremony。　Mademoiselle　Thuillier
used　to　say：

〃Then　we　know　that　he　will　get　a　good　dinner；　poor　fellow！〃

A　social　phenomenon　which　has　certainly　been　observed；　but　never；　as
yet；　formulated；　or；　if　you　like　it　better；　published；　though　it　fully
deserves　to　be　recorded；　is　the　return　of　habits；　mind；　and　manners　to
primitive　conditions　in　certain　persons　who；　between　youth　and　old
age；　have　raised　themselves　above　their　first　estate。　Thus　Thuillier
had　become；　once　more；　morally　speaking；　the　son　of　a　concierge。　He
now　made　use　of　many　of　his　father's　jokes；　and　a　little　of　the　slime
of　early　days　was　beginning　to　appear　on　the　surface　of　his　declining
life。　About　five　or　six　times　a　month；　when　the　soup　was　rich　and　good
he　would　deposit　his　spoon　in　his　empty　plate　and　say；　as　if　the
proposition　were　entirely　novel：

〃That's　better　than　a　kick　on　the　shin…bone！〃

On　hearing　that　witticism　for　the　first　time　Theodose；　to　whom　it　was
really　new；　laughed　so　heartily　that　the　handsome　Thuillier　was
tickled　in　his　vanity　as　he　had　never　been　before。　After　that；
Theodose　greeted　the　same　speech　with　a　knowing　little　smile。　This
slight　detail　will　explain　how　it　was　that　on　the　morning　of　the　day
when　Theodose　had　his　passage　at　arms　with　Vinet　he　had　said　to
Thuillier；　as　they　were　walking　in　the　garden　to　see　the　effect　of　a
frost：

〃You　have　much　more　wit　than　you　give　yourself　credit　for。〃

To　which　he　received　this　answer：

〃In　any　other　career；　my　dear　Theodose；　I　should　have　made　my　way
nobly；　but　the　fall　of　the　Emperor　broke　my　neck。〃

〃There　is　still　time；〃　said　the　young　lawyer。　〃In　the　first　place；
what　did　that　mountebank；　Colleville；　ever　do　to　get　the　cross？〃

There　la　Peyrade　laid　his　finger　on　a　sore　wound　which　Thuillier　hid
from　every　eye　so　carefully　that　even　his　sister　did　not　know　of　it；
but　the　young　man；　interested　in　studying　these　bourgeois；　had　divined
the　secret　envy　that　gnawed　at　the　heart　of　the　ex…official。

〃If　you；　experienced　as　you　are；　will　do　the　honor　to　follow　my
advice；〃　added　the　philanthropist；　〃and；　above　all；　not　mention　our
compact　to　any　one；　I　will　undertake　to　have　you　decorated　with　the
Legion　of　honor；　to　the　applause　of　the　whole　quarter。〃

〃Oh！　if　we　succeed　in　that；〃　cried　Thuillier；　〃you　don't　know　what　I
would　do　for　you。〃

This　explains　why　Thuillier　carried　his　head　high　when　Theodose　had
the　audacity　that　evening　to　put　opinions　into　his　mouth。

In　artand　perhaps　Moliere　had　placed　hypocrisy　in　the　rank　of　art　by
classing　Tartuffe　forever　among　comediansthere　exists　a　point　of
perfection　to　which　genius　alone　attains；　mere　talent　falls　below　it。
There　is　so　little　difference　between　a　work　of　genius　and　a　work　of
talent；　that　only　men　of　genius　can　appreciate　the　distance　that
separates　Raffaelle　from　Correggio；　Titian　from　Rubens。　More　than
that；　common　minds　are　easily　deceived　on　this　point。　The　sign　of
genius　is　a　certain　appearance　of　facility。　In　fact；　its　work　must
appear；　at　first　sight；　ordinary；　so　natural　is　it；　even　on　the
highest　subjects。　Many　peasant…women　hold　their　children　as　the　famous
Madonna　in　the　Dresden　gallery　holds　hers。　Well；　the　height　of　art　in
a　man　of　la　Peyrade's　force　was　to　oblige　others　to　say　of　him　later：
〃Everybody　would　have　been　taken　in　by　him。〃

Now；　in　the　salon　Thuillier；　he　noted　a　dawning　opposition；　he
perceived　in　Colleville　the　somewhat　clear…sighted　and　criticising
nature　of　an　artist　who　has　missed　his　vocation。　The　barrister　felt
himself　displeasing　to　Colleville；　who　（as　the　result　of　circumstances
not　necessary　to　here　report）　considered　himself　justified　in
believing　in　the　science　of　anagrams。　None　of　this　anagrams　had　ever
failed。　The　clerks　in　the　government　office　had　laughed　at　him　when；
demanding　an　anagram　on　the　name　of　the　poor　helpless　Auguste…Jean…
Francois　Minard；　he　had　produced；　〃J'amassai　une　si　grande　fortune〃；
and　the　event　had　justified　him　after　the　lapse　of　ten　years！
Theodose；　on　several　occasions；　had　made　advances　to　the　jovial
secretary　of　the　mayor's　office；　and　had　felt　himself　rebuffed　by　a
coldness　which　was　not　natural　in　so　sociable　a　man。　When　the　game　of
bouillotte　came　to　an　end；　Colleville　seized　the　moment　to　draw
Thuillier　into　the　recess　of　a　window　and　say　to　him：

〃You　are　letting　that　lawyer　get　too　much　foothold　in　your　house；　he
kept　the　ball　in　his　own　hands　all　the　evening。〃

〃Thank　you；　my　friend；　forewarned　is　forearmed；〃　replied　Thuillier；
inwardly　scoffing　at　Colleville。

Theodose；　who　was　talking　at　the　moment　to　Madame　Colleville；　had　his
eye　on　the　two　men；　and；　with　the　same　prescience　by　which　women　know
when　and　how　they　are　spoken　of；　he　perceived　that　Colleville　was
trying　to　injure　him　in　the　mind　of　the　weak　and　silly　Thuillier。
〃Madame；〃　he　said　in　Flavie's　ear；　〃if　any　one　here　is　capable　of
appreciating　you　it　is　certainly　I。　You　seem　to　me　a　pearl　dropped
into　the　mire。　You　say　you　are　forty…two；　but　a　woman　is　no　older　than
she　looks；　and　many　women　of　thirty　would　be　thankful　to　have　your
figure　and　that　noble　countenance；　where　love　has　passed　without　ever