the lesser bourgeoisie-第26章

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seem　to　fear；　has　no　more　value　for　us　than　a　stanza　of　Victor　Hugo。
Therefore；　let　them　talk！　Carry　your　head　high！〃

〃But　we　shall　still　need　them　for　Thuillier's　election　to　the
Chamber；〃　said　Theodose。　〃Follow　my　advice；　you　have　found　it　good　so
far；　haven't　you？　When　the　house　is　actually　yours；　you　will　have　got
it　for　almost　nothing；　for　you　can　now　buy　into　the　Three…per…cents　at
sixty　in　Madame　Thuillier's　name；　and　thus　replace　nearly　the　whole　of
her　fortune。　Wait　only　for　the　expiration　of　the　time　allowed　to　the
nominal　creditor　to　buy　it　in；　and　have　the　fifteen　thousand　francs
ready　for　our　scoundrels。〃

Brigitte　did　not　wait；　she　took　her　whole　capital　with　the　exception
of　a　sum　of　one　hundred　and　twenty　thousand　francs；　and　bought　into
the　Three…per…cents　in　Madame　Thuillier's　name　to　the　amount　of　twelve
thousand　francs　a　year；　and　in　her　own　for　ten　thousand　a　year；
resolving　in　her　own　mind　to　choose　no　other　kind　of　investment　in
future。　She　saw　her　brother　secure　of　forty　thousand　francs　a　year
besides　his　pension；　twelve　thousand　a　year　for　Madame　Thuillier　and
eighteen　thousand　a　year　for　herself；　besides　the　house　they　lived　in；
the　rental　of　which　she　valued　at　eight　thousand。

〃We　are　worth　quite　as　much　as　the　Minards；〃　she　remarked。

〃Don't　chant　victory　before　you　win　it；〃　said　Theodose。　〃The　right　of
redemption　doesn't　expire　for　another　week。　I　have　attended　to　your
affairs；　but　mine　have　gone　terribly　to　pieces。〃

〃My　dear　child；　you　have　friends；〃　cried　Brigitte；　〃if　you　should
happen　to　want　five　hundred　francs　or　so；　you　will　always　find　them
here。〃

Theodose　exchanged　a　smile　with　Thuillier；　who　hastened　to　carry　him
off；　saying：

〃Excuse　my　poor　sister；　she　sees　the　world　through　a　small　hole。　But
if　you　should　want　twenty…five　thousand　francs　I'll　lend　them　to　you
out　of　my　first　rents；〃　he　added。

〃Thuillier；〃　exclaimed　Theodose；　〃the　rope　is　round　my　neck。　Ever
since　I　have　been　a　barrister　I　have　had　notes　of　hand　running。　But
say　nothing　about　it；〃　added　Theodose；　frightened　himself　at　having
let　out　the　secret　of　his　situation。　〃I'm　in　the　claws　of　scoundrels；
but　I　hope　to　crush　them　yet。〃

In　telling　this　secret　Theodose；　though　alarmed　as　he　did　so；　had　a
two…fold　purpose：　first；　to　test　Thuillier；　and　next；　to　avert　the
consequences　of　a　fatal　blow　which　might　be　dealt　to　him　any　day　in　a
secret　and　sinister　struggle　he　had　long　foreseen。　Two　words　will
explain　his　horrible　position。



CHAPTER　XII

DEVILS　AGAINST　DEVILS

During　the　extreme　poverty　of　la　Peyrade's　first　years　in　Paris；　none
but　Cerizet　had　ever　gone　to　see　him　in　the　wretched　garret　where；　in
severely　cold　weather；　he　stayed　in　bed　for　want　of　clothes。　Only　one
shirt　remained　to　him。　For　three　days　he　lived　on　one　loaf　of　bread；
cutting　it　into　measured　morsels；　and　asking　himself；　〃What　am　I　to
do？〃　At　this　moment　it　was　that　his　former　partner　came　to　him；　having
just　left　prison；　pardoned。　The　projects　which　the　two　men　then　formed
before　a　fire　of　laths；　one　wrapped　in　his　landlady's　counterpane；　the
other　in　his　infamy；　it　is　useless　to　relate。　The　next　day　Cerizet；
who　had　talked　with　Dutocq　in　the　course　of　the　morning；　returned；
bringing　trousers；　waistcoat；　coat；　hat；　and　boots；　bought　in　the
Temple；　and　he　carried　off　Theodose　to　dine　with　himself　and　Dutocq。
The　hungry　Provencal　ate　at　Pinson's；　rue　de　l'Ancienne　Comedie；　half
of　a　dinner　costing　forty…seven　francs。　At　dessert；　after　Theodose　had
drunk　freely；　Cerizet　said　to　him：

〃Will　you　sign　me　bills　of　exchange　for　fifty　thousand　francs　in　your
capacity　as　a　barrister？〃

〃You　couldn't　get　five　thousand　on　them。〃

〃That's　not　your　affair；　but　ours；　I　mean　monsieur's　here；　who　is
giving　us　this　dinner；　and　mine；　in　a　matter　where　you　risk　nothing；
but　in　which　you'll　get　your　title　as　barrister；　a　fine　practice；　and
the　hand　in　marriage　of　a　girl　about　the　age　of　an　old　dog；　and　rich
by　twenty　or　thirty　thousand　francs　a　year。　Neither　Dutocq　nor　I　can
marry　her；　but　we'll　equip　you；　give　you　the　look　of　a　decent　man；
feed　and　lodge　you；　and　set　you　up　generally。　Consequently；　we　want
security。　I　don't　say　that　on　my　own　account；　for　I　know　you；　but　for
monsieur　here；　whose　proxy　I　am。　We'll　equip　you　as　a　pirate；　hey！　to
do　the　white…slave　trade！　If　we　can't　capture　that　'dot；'　we'll　try
other　plans。　Between　ourselves；　none　of　us　need　be　particular　what　we
touchthat's　plain　enough。　We'll　give　you　careful　instructions；　for
the　matter　is　certain　to　take　time；　and　there'll　probably　be　some
bother　about　it。　Here；　see；　I　have　brought　stamped　paper。〃

〃Waiter；　pens　and　ink！〃　cried　Theodose。

〃Ha！　I　like　fellows　of　that　kind！〃　exclaimed　Dutocq。

〃Sign：　'Theodose　de　la　Peyrade；'　and　after　your　name　put　'Barrister；
rue　Saint…Dominique　d'Enfer；'　under　the　words　'Accepted　for　ten
thousand。'　We'll　date　the　notes　and　sue　you；all　secretly；　of　course；
but　in　order　to　have　a　hold　upon　you；　the　owners　of　a　privateer　ought
to　have　security　when　the　brig　and　the　captain　are　at　sea。〃

The　day　after　this　interview　the　bailiff　of　the　justice…of…peace　did
Cerizet　the　service　of　suing　la　Peyrade　secretly。　He　went　to　see　the
barrister　that　evening；　and　the　whole　affair　was　done　without　any
publicity。　The　Court　of　commerce　has　a　hundred　such　cases　in　the
course　of　one　term。　The　strict　regulations　of　the　council　of
barristers　of　the　bar　of　Paris　are　well　known。　This　body；　and　also　the
council　of　attorneys；　exercise　severe　discipline　over　their　members。　A
barrister　liable　to　go　to　Clichy　would　be　disbarred。　Consequently；
Cerizet；　under　Dutocq's　advice；　had　taken　against　their　puppet
measures　which　were　certain　to　secure　to　each　of　them　twenty…five
thousand　francs　out　of　Celeste's　〃dot。〃　In　signing　the　notes；　Theodose
saw　but　one　thing；his　means　of　living　secured；　but　as　time　had　gone
on；　and　the　horizon　grew　clearer；　and　he　mounted；　step　by　step；　to　a
better　position　on　the　social　ladder；　he　began　to　dream　of　getting　rid
of　his　associates。　And　now；　on　obtaining　twenty…five　thousand　francs
from　Thuillier；　he　hoped　to　treat　on　the　basis　of　fifty　per　cent　for
the　return　of　his　fatal　notes　by　Cerizet。

Unfortunately；　this　sort　of　infamous　speculation　is　not　an　exceptional
fact；　it　takes　place　in　Paris　under　various　forms　too　little　disguised
for　the　historian　of　manners　and　morals　to　pass　them　over　unnoticed　in
a　complete　and　accurate　picture　of　society　in　the　nineteenth　century。
Dutocq；　an　arrant　scoundrel；　still　owed　fifteen　thousand　francs　on　his
practice；　and　lived　in　hopes　of　something　turning　up　to　keep　his　head；
as　the　saying　is；　above　water　until　the　close　of　1840。　Up　to　the
present　time　none　of　the　three　confederates　had　flinched　or　groaned。
Each　felt　his　strength　and　knew　his　danger。　Equals　they　were　in
distrust；　in　watchfulness；　equals；　too；　in　apparent　confidence；　and
equally　stolid　in　silence　and　look　when　mutual　suspicions　rose　to　the
surface　of　face　or　speech。　For　the　last　two　months　the　position　of
Theodose　was　acquiring　the　strength　of　a　detached　fort。　But　Cerizet
and　Dutocq　held　it　undermined　by　a　mass　of　powder；　with　the　match　ever
lighted；　but　the　wind　might　extinguish　the　match　or　the　devil　might
flood　the　mine。

The　moment　when　wild　beasts　seize　their　food　is　always　the　most
critical；　and　that　moment　had　now　arrived　for　these　three　hungry
tigers。　Cerizet　would　sometimes　say　to　Theodose；　with　that
revolutionary　glance　which　twice　in　this　century　sovereigns　have　had
to　meet：

〃I　have　made　you　king；　and　here　am　I　still　nothing！　for　it　is　nothing
not　to　be　all。〃

A　reaction　of　envy　was　rushing　its　avalanche　through　Cerizet。　Dutocq
was　at　the　mercy　of　his　copying　clerk。　Theodose　would　gladly　have
burned　his　copartners　could　he　have　burned　their　papers　in　the　same
conflagration。　All　three　studied　each　other　too　carefully；　in　order　to
conceal　their　own　thoughts；　not　to　be　in　turn　divined。　Theodose　lived
a　life　of　three　hells　as　he　thought　of　what　lay　below　the　cards；　then
of　his　own　game；　and　then　of　his　future。　His　speech　to　Thuillier　was　a
cry　of　despair；　he　threw　his　lead　into　the　waters　of　the　old　bourgeois
and　found　there　nothing　more　than　twenty…five　thousand　francs。

〃And；〃　he　said　to　himself　as　he　went　to　his　own　room；　〃possibly
nothing　at　all　a　month　hence。〃

He　new　felt　the　deepest　hatred　to　the　Thuilliers。　But　Thuillier
himself　he　held　by　a　harpoon　stuck　into　the　depths　of　the　man's
vanity；　namely；　by　the　projected　work；　entitled　〃Taxation　and　the
Sinking　Fund；〃　for　which　he　intended　to　rearrange　the　ideas　of　the
Saint…Simonian　〃Globe；〃　giving　them　a　systematic　form；　and　coloring
them　with　his　fervid　Southern　diction。　Thuillier's　bureaucratic
knowledge　of　the　subject　would　be　of　use　to　him　here。　Theodose
therefore　clung　to　this　rope；　resolving　to　do　battle；　on　so　poor　a
base　of　operations；　with　the　vanity　of　a　fool；　which；　according　to
individual　character；　is　either　granite　or　sand。　On　reflection；
Theodose　was　inclined　to　be　content　with　the　prospect。

On　the　evening　before　the　right　of　redemption　expired；　Claparon　and
Cerizet　proceeded　to　manipulate　the　notary　in　the　following　manner。
Cerizet；　to　whom　Claparon　had　revealed　the　password　and　the　notary's
retreat；　went　out　to　this　hiding…place　to　say　to　the　latter：

〃One　of　my　friends；　Claparon；　whom　you　know；　has　asked　me　to　come　and
see　you；　he　will　expect　you　to…morrow；　in　the　evening；　you　know　where。
He　has　the　paper　you　expect　from　him；　which　he　will　exchange　with　you
for　the　ten　thousand　agreed　upon；　but　I　must　be　present；　for　five
thousand　of　that　sum　belong　to　me；　and　I　warn　you；　my　dear　monsieur；
that　the　name　in　the　counter…deed　is　in　blank。〃

〃I　shall　be　there；〃　replied　the　ex…notary。

The　poor　devil　waited　the　whole　night　in　agonies　of　mind　that　can　well
be　imagined；　for　safety　or　inevitable　ruin　were　in　the　balance。　At
sunrise　he　saw　approaching　him；　instead　of　Claparon；　a　bailiff　of　the
Court　of　commerce；　who　produced　a　judgment　against　him　in　regular
form；　and　informed　him　that　he　must　go　with　him　to　Clichy。

Cerizet　had　made　an　arrangement　with　one　of　the　creditors　of　the
luckless　notary；　pledging　himself　to　deliver　up　the　debtor　on　payment
to　himself　of　half　the　debt。　Out　of　the　ten　thousand　francs　promised
to　Claparon；　the　victim　of　this　trap　was　obliged；　in　order　to　obtain
his　liberty；　to　pay　six　thousand　down；　the　amount　of　his　debt。

On　receiving　his　share　of　this　extortion　Cerizet　said　to　himself：
〃There's　three　thousand　to　make　Cerizet　clear　out。〃

Cerizet　then　returned　to　the　notary　and　said：　〃Claparon　is　a
scoundrel；　monsieur；　he　has　received　fifteen　thousand　francs　from　the
proposed　purchaser　of　your　house；　who　will　now；　of　course；　become　the
owner。　Threaten　to　reveal　his　hiding…place　to　his　creditors；　and　to
have　him　sued　for　fraudulent　bankruptcy；　and　he'll　give　you　half。〃

In　his　wrath　the　notary　wrote　a　fulminating　letter　to　Claparon。
Claparon；　alarmed；　feared　an　arrest；　and　Cerizet　offered　to　get　him　a
passport。

〃You　have　played　me　many　a　trick；　Claparon；〃　he　said；　〃but　listen　to
me　now；　and　you　can　judge　of　my　kindness。　I　possess；　as　my　whole
means；　three　thousand　francs；　I'll　give