the lesser bourgeoisie-第2章

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mansion　in　the　rue　de　Thorigny。

So　Art　and　the　legal　robe　have　passed　this　way　in　turn。　How　many
instigations　of　needs　and　pleasures　have　led　to　the　interior
arrangement　of　the　dwelling！　To　right；　as　we　enter　a　square　hall
forming　a　closed　vestibule；　rises　a　stone　staircase　with　two　windows
looking　on　the　garden。　Beneath　the　staircase　opens　a　door　to　the
cellar。　From　this　vestibule　we　enter　the　dining…room；　lighted　from　the
courtyard；　and　the　dining…room　communicates　at　its　side　with　the
kitchen；　which　forms　a　continuation　of　the　wing　in　which　are　the
warerooms　of　Metivier　and　Barbet。　Behind　the　staircase　extends；　on　the
garden　side；　a　fine　study　or　office　with　two　large　windows。　The　first
and　second　floor　form　two　complete　apartments；　and　the　servants'
quarters　are　shown　by　the　oval　windows　in　the　four…sided　roof。

A　large　porcelain　stove　heats　the　square　vestibule；　the　two　glass
doors　of　which；　placed　opposite　to　each　other；　light　it。　This　room；
paved　in　black　and　white　marble；　is　especially　noticeable　for　a
ceiling　of　beams　formerly　painted　and　gilt；　but　which　had　since
received；　probably　under　the　Empire；　a　coat　of　plain　white　paint。　The
three　doors　of　the　study；　salon　and　dining…room；　surmounted　by　oval
panels；　are　awaiting　a　restoration　that　is　more　than　needed。　The　wood…
work　is　heavy；　but　the　ornamentation　is　not　without　merit。　The　salon；
panelled　throughout；　recalls　the　great　century　by　its　tall　mantelpiece
of　Languedoc　marble；　its　ceiling　decorated　at　the　corners；　and　by　the
style　of　its　windows；　which　still　retain　their　little　panes。　The
dining…room；　communicating　with　the　salon　by　a　double　door；　is　floored
with　stone；　the　wood…work　is　oak；　unpainted；　and　an　atrocious　modern
wall…paper　has　been　substituted　for　the　tapestries　of　the　olden　time。
The　ceiling　is　of　chestnut；　and　the　study；　modernized　by　Thuillier；
adds　its　quota　to　these　discordances。

The　white　and　gold　mouldings　of　the　salon　are　so　effaced　that　nothing
remains　of　the　gilding　but　reddish　lines；　while　the　white　enamelling
is　yellow；　cracked；　and　peeling　off。　Never　did　the　Latin　saying　〃Otium
cum　dignitate〃　have　a　greater　commentary　to　the　mind　of　a　poet　than　in
this　noble　building。　The　iron…work　of　the　staircase　baluster　is　worthy
of　the　artist　and　the　magistrate；　but　to　find　other　traces　of　their
taste　to…day　in　this　majestic　relic；　the　eyes　of　an　artistic　observer
are　needed。

The　Thuilliers　and　their　predecessors　have　frequently　degraded　this
jewel　of　the　upper　bourgeoisie　by　the　habits　and　inventions　of　the
lesser　bourgeoisie。　Look　at　those　walnut　chairs　covered　with　horse…
hair；　that　mahogany　table　with　its　oilcloth　cover；　that　sideboard；
also　of　mahogany；　that　carpet；　bought　at　a　bargain；　beneath　the　table；
those　metal　lamps；　that　wretched　paper　with　its　red　border；　those
execrable　engravings；　and　the　calico　curtains　with　red　fringes；　in　a
dining…room；　where　the　friends　of　Petitot　once　feasted！　Do　you　notice
the　effect　produced　in　the　salon　by　those　portraits　of　Monsieur　and
Madame　and　Mademoiselle　Thuillier　by　Pierre　Grassou；　the　artist　par
excellence　of　the　modern　bourgeoisie。　Have　you　remarked　the　card…
tables　and　the　consoles　of　the　Empire；　the　tea…table　supported　by　a
lyre；　and　that　species　of　sofa；　of　gnarled　mahogany；　covered　in
painted　velvet　of　a　chocolate　tone？　On　the　chimney…piece；　with　the
clock　（representing　the　Bellona　of　the　Empire）；　are　candelabra　with
fluted　columns。　Curtains　of　woollen　damask；　with　under…curtains　of
embroidered　muslin　held　back　by　stamped　brass　holders；　drape　the
windows。　On　the　floor　a　cheap　carpet。　The　handsome　vestibule　has
wooden　benches；　covered　with　velvet；　and　the　panelled　walls　with　their
fine　carvings　are　mostly　hidden　by　wardrobes；　brought　there　from　time
to　time　from　the　bedrooms　occupied　by　the　Thuilliers。　Fear；　that
hideous　divinity；　has　caused　the　family　to　add　sheet…iron　doors　on　the
garden　side　and　on　the　courtyard　side；　which　are　folded　back　against
the　walls　in　the　daytime；　and　are　closed　at　night。

It　is　easy　to　explain　the　deplorable　profanation　practised　on　this
monument　of　the　private　life　of　the　bourgeoisie　of　the　seventeenth
century；　by　the　private　life　of　the　bourgeoisie　of　the　nineteenth。　At
the　beginning　of　the　Consulate；　let　us　say；　some　master…mason　having
bought　the　ancient　building；　took　the　idea　of　turning　to　account　the
ground　which　lay　between　it　and　the　street。　He　probably　pulled　down
the　fine　porte…cochere　or　entrance　gate；　flanked　by　little　lodges
which　guarded　the　charming　〃sejour〃　（to　use　a　word　of　the　olden　time）；
and　proceeded；　with　the　industry　of　a　Parisian　proprietor；　to　impress
his　withering　mark　on　the　elegance　of　the　old　building。　What　a　curious
study　might　be　made　of　the　successive　title…deeds　of　property　in
Paris！　A　private　lunatic　asylum　performs　its　functions　in　the　rue　des
Batailles　in　the　former　dwelling　of　the　Chevalier　Pierre　Bayard　du
Terrail；　once　without　fear　and　without　reproach；　a　street　has　now　been
built　by　the　present　bourgeois　administration　through　the　site　of　the
hotel　Necker。　Old　Paris　is　departing；　following　its　kings　who
abandoned　it。　For　one　masterpiece　of　architecture　saved　from
destruction　by　a　Polish　princess　（the　hotel　Lambert；　Ile　Saint…Louis；
bought　and　occupied　by　the　Princess　Czartoriska）　how　many　little
palaces　have　fallen；　like　this　dwelling　of　Petitot；　into　the　hands　of
such　as　Thuillier。

Here　follows　the　causes　which　made　Mademoiselle　Thuillier　the　owner　of
the　house。



CHAPTER　II

THE　HISTORY　OF　A　TYRANNY

At　the　fall　of　the　Villele　ministry；　Monsieur　Louis…Jerome　Thuillier；
who　had　then　seen　twenty…six　years'　service　as　a　clerk　in　the　ministry
of　finance；　became　sub…director　of　a　department　thereof；　but　scarcely
had　he　enjoyed　the　subaltern　authority　of　a　position　formerly　his
lowest　hope；　when　the　events　of　July；　1830；　forced　him　to　resign　it。
He　calculated；　shrewdly　enough；　that　his　pension　would　be　honorably
and　readily　given　by　the　new…comers；　glad　to　have　another　office　at
their　disposal。　He　was　right；　for　a　pension　of　seventeen　hundred
francs　was　paid　to　him　immediately。

When　the　prudent　sub…director　first　talked　of　resigning；　his　sister；
who　was　far　more　the　companion　of　his　life　than　his　wife；　trembled　for
his　future。

〃What　will　become　of　Thuillier？〃　was　a　question　which　Madame　and
Mademoiselle　Thuillier　put　to　each　other　with　mutual　terror　in　their
little　lodging　on　a　third　floor　of　the　rue　d'Argenteuil。

〃Securing　his　pension　will　occupy　him　for　a　time；〃　Mademoiselle
Thuillier　said　one　day；　〃but　I　am　thinking　of　investing　my　savings　in
a　way　that　will　cut　out　work　for　him。　Yes；　it　will　be　something　like
administrating　the　finances　to　manage　a　piece　of　property。〃

〃Oh；　sister！　you　will　save　his　life；〃　cried　Madame　Thuillier。

〃I　have　always　looked　for　a　crisis　of　this　kind　in　Jerome's　life；〃
replied　the　old　maid；　with　a　protecting　air。

Mademoiselle　Thuillier　had　too　often　heard　her　brother　remark：　〃Such　a
one　is　dead；　he　only　survived　his　retirement　two　years〃；　she　had　too
often　heard　Colleville；　her　brother's　intimate　friend；　a　government
employee　like　himself；　say；　jesting　on　this　climacteric　of
bureaucrats；　〃We　shall　all　come　to　it；　ourselves；〃　not　to　appreciate
the　danger　her　brother　was　running。　The　change　from　activity　to
leisure　is；　in　truth；　the　critical　period　for　government　employees　of
all　kinds。

Those　of　them　who　know　not　how　to　substitute；　or　perhaps　cannot
substitute　other　occupations　for　the　work　to　which　they　have　been
accustomed；　change　in　a　singular　manner；　some　die　outright；　others
take　to　fishing；　the　vacancy　of　that　amusement　resembling　that　of
their　late　employment　under　government；　others；　who　are　smarter　men；
dabble　in　stocks；　lose　their　savings；　and　are　thankful　to　obtain　a
place　in　some　enterprise　that　is　likely　to　succeed；　after　a　first
disaster　and　liquidation；　in　the　hands　of　an　abler　management。　The
late　clerk　then　rubs　his　hands；　now　empty；　and　says　to　himself；　〃I
always　did　foresee　the　success　of　the　business。〃　But　nearly　all　these
retired　bureaucrats　have　to　fight　against　their　former　habits。

〃Some；〃　Colleville　used　to　say；　〃are　victims　to　a　sort　of　'spleen'
peculiar　to　the　government　clerk；　they　die　of　a　checked　circulation；　a
red…tapeworm　is　in　their　vitals。　That　little　Poiret　couldn't　see　the
well…known　white　carton　without　changing　color　at　the　beloved　sight；
he　used　to　turn　from　green　to　yellow。〃

Mademoiselle　Thuillier　was　considered　the　moving　spirit　of　her
brother's　household；　she　was　not　without　decision　and　force　of
character；　as　the　following　history　will　show。　This　superiority　over
those　who　immediately　surrounded　her　enabled　her　to　judge　her　brother；
although　she　adored　him。　After　witnessing　the　failure　of　the　hopes　she
had　set　upon　her　idol；　she　had　too　much　real　maternity　in　her　feeling
for　him　to　let　herself　be　mistaken　as　to　his　social　value。

Thuillier　and　his　sister　were　children　of　the　head　porter　at　the
ministry　of　finance。　Jerome　had　escaped；　thanks　to　his　near…
sightedness；　all　drafts　and　conscriptions。　The　father's　ambition　was
to　make　his　son　a　government　clerk。　At　the　beginning　of　this　century
the　army　presented　too　many　posts　not　to　leave　various　vacancies　in
the　government　offices。　A　deficiency　of　minor　officials　enabled　old
Pere　Thuillier　to　hoist　his　son　upon　the　lowest　step　of　the
bureaucratic　hierarchy。　The　old　man　died　in　1814；　leaving　Jerome　on
the　point　of　becoming　sub…director；　but　with　no　other　fortune　than
that　prospect。　The　worthy　Thuillier　and　his　wife　（who　died　in　1810）
had　retired　from　active　service　in　1806；　with　a　pension　as　their　only
means　of　support；　having　spent　what　property　they　had　in　giving　Jerome
the　education　required　in　these　days；　and　in　supporting　both　him　and
his　sister。

The　influence　of　the　Restoration　on　the　bureaucracy　is　well　known。
From　the　forty　and　one　suppressed　departments　a　crowd　of　honorable
employees　returned　to　Paris　with　nothing　to　do；　and　clamorous　for
places　inferior　to　those　they　had　lately　occupied。　To　these　acquired
rights　were　added　those　of　exiled　families　ruined　by　the　Revolution。
Pressed　between　the　two　floods；　Jerome　thought　himself　lucky　not　to
have　been　dismissed　under　some　frivolous　pretext。　He　trembled　until
the　day　when；　becoming　by　mere　chance　sub…director；　he　saw　himself
secure　of　a　retiring　pension。　This　cursory　view　of　matters　will　serve
to　explain　Monsieur　Thuillier's　very　limited　scope　and　knowledge。　He
had　learned　the　Latin；　mathematics；　history；　and　geography　that　are
taught　in　schools；　but　he　never　got　beyond　what　is　called　the　second
class；　his　father　having　preferred　to　take　advantage　of　a　sudden
opportunity　to　place　him　at　the　ministry。　So；　while　the　young
Thuillier　was　making　his　first　records　on　the　Grand…Livre；　he　ought　to
have　been　studying　his　rhetoric　and　philosophy。

While　grinding　the　ministerial　machine；　he　had　no　leisure　to　cultivate
letters；　still　less　the　arts；　but　he　acquired　a　routine　knowledge　of
his　business；　and　when　he　had　an　opportunity　to　rise；　under　the
Empire；　to　the　sphere　of　superior　employees；　he　assumed　a　superficial
air　of　competence　which　concealed　the　son　of　a　porter；　though　none　of