the lesser bourgeoisie-第4章

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succeed　in　marrying　Jerome　into　a　sphere　above　their　own；　where
parents　might　inquire　into　their　domestic　life　and　feel　uneasy　at
finding　a　mistress　already　reigning　in　the　home。　She　therefore　sought
in　a　lower　grade　for　persons　to　dazzle；　and　found；　almost　beside　her；
a　suitable　match。

The　oldest　usher　at　the　Bank；　a　man　named　Lemprun；　had　an　only
daughter；　called　Celeste。　Mademoiselle　Celeste　Lemprun　would　inherit
the　fortune　of　her　mother；　the　only　daughter　of　a　rich　farmer。　This
fortune　consisted　of　some　acres　of　land　in　the　environs　of　Paris；
which　the　old　father　still　worked；　besides　this；　she　would　have　the
property　of　Lemprun　himself；　a　man　who　had　left　the　firms　of　Thelusson
and　of　Keller　to　enter　the　service　of　the　Bank　of　France。　Lemprun；　now
the　head　of　that　service；　enjoyed　the　respect　and　consideration　of　the
governors　and　auditors。

The　Bank　council；　on　hearing　of　the　probable　marriage　of　Celeste　to　an
honorable　employee　at　the　ministry　of　finance；　promised　a　wedding
present　of　six　thousand　francs。　This　gift；　added　to　twelve　thousand
given　by　Pere　Lemprun；　and　twelve　thousand　more　from　the　maternal
grandfather；　Sieur　Galard；　market…gardener　at　Auteuil；　brought　up　the
dowry　to　thirty　thousand　francs。　Old　Galard　and　Monsieur　and　Madame
Lemprun　were　delighted　with　the　marriage。　Lemprun　himself　knew
Mademoiselle　Thuillier；　and　considered　her　one　of　the　worthiest　and
most　conscientious　women　in　Paris。　Brigitte　then；　for　the　first　time；
allowed　her　investments　on　the　Grand…Livre　to　shine　forth；　assuring
Lemprun　that　she　should　never　marry；　consequently；　neither　he　nor　his
wife；　persons　devoted　to　the　main　chance；　would　ever　allow　themselves
to　find　fault　with　Brigitte。　Above　all；　they　were　greatly　struck　by
the　splendid　prospects　of　the　handsome　Thuillier；　and　the　marriage
took　place；　as　the　conventional　saying　is；　to　the　general
satisfaction。

The　governor　of　the　Bank　and　the　secretary　were　the　bride's　witnesses；
Monsieur　de　la　Billardiere；　director　of　Thuillier's　department；　and
Monsieur　Rabourdin；　head　of　the　office；　being　those　of　the　groom。　Six
days　after　the　marriage　old　Lemprun　was　the　victim　of　a　daring　robbery
which　made　a　great　noise　in　the　newspapers　of　the　day；　though　it　was
quickly　forgotten　during　the　events　of　1815。　The　guilty　parties　having
escaped　detection；　Lemprun　wished　to　make　up　the　loss；　but　the　Bank
agreed　to　carry　the　deficit　to　its　profit　and　loss　account；
nevertheless；　the　poor　old　man　actually　died　of　the　grief　this　affair
had　caused　him。　He　regarded　it　as　an　attack　upon　his　aged　honor。

Madame　Lemprun　then　resigned　all　her　property　to　her　daughter；　Madame
Thuillier；　and　went　to　live　with　her　father　at　Auteuil　until　he　died
from　an　accident　in　1817。　Alarmed　at　the　prospect　of　having　to　manage
or　lease　the　market…garden　and　the　farm　of　her　father；　Madame　Lemprun
entreated　Brigitte；　whose　honesty　and　capacity　astonished　her；　to　wind
up　old　Galard's　affairs；　and　to　settle　the　property　in　such　a　way　that
her　daughter　should　take　possession　of　everything；　securing　to　her
mother　fifteen　hundred　francs　a　year　and　the　house　at　Auteuil。　The
landed　property　of　the　old　farmer　was　sold　in　lots；　and　brought　in
thirty　thousand　francs。　Lemprun's　estate　had　given　as　much　more；　so
that　Madame　Thuillier's　fortune；　including　her　〃dot；〃　amounted　in　1818
to　ninety　thousand　francs。　Joining　the　revenue　of　this　property　to
that　of　the　brother　and　sister；　the　Thuillier　household　had　an　income；
in　1818；　amounting　to　eleven　thousand　francs；　managed　by　Brigitte
alone　on　her　sole　responsibility。　It　is　necessary　to　begin　by　stating
this　financial　position；　not　only　to　prevent　objections　but　to　rid　the
drama　of　difficulties。

Brigitte　began；　from　the　first；　by　allowing　her　brother　five　hundred
francs　a　month；　and　by　sailing　the　household　boat　at　the　rate　of　five
thousand　francs　a　year。　She　granted　to　her　sister…in…law　fifty　francs
a　month；　explaining　to　her　carefully　that　she　herself　was　satisfied
with　forty。　To　strengthen　her　despotism　by　the　power　of　money；
Brigitte　laid　by　the　surplus　of　her　own　funds。　She　made；　so　it　was
said　in　business　offices；　usurious　loans　by　means　of　her　brother；　who
appeared　as　a　money…lender。　If；　between　the　years　1813　and　1830；
Brigitte　had　capitalized　sixty　thousand　francs；　that　sum　can　be
explained　by　the　rise　in　the　Funds；　and　there　is　no　need　to　have
recourse　to　accusations　more　or　less　well　founded；　which　have　nothing
to　do　with　our　present　history。

From　the　first　days　of　the　marriage；　Brigitte　subdued　the　unfortunate
Madame　Thuillier　with　a　touch　of　the　spur　and　a　jerk　of　the　bit；　both
of　which　she　made　her　feel　severely。　A　further　display　of　tyranny　was
useless；　the　victim　resigned　herself　at　once。　Celeste；　thoroughly
understood　by　Brigitte；　a　girl　without　mind　or　education；　accustomed
to　a　sedentary　life　and　a　tranquil　atmosphere；　was　extremely　gentle　by
nature；　she　was　pious　in　the　fullest　acceptation　of　the　word；　she
would　willingly　have　expiated　by　the　hardest　punishments　the
involuntary　wrong　of　giving　pain　to　her　neighbor。　She　was　utterly
ignorant　of　life；　accustomed　to　be　waited　on　by　her　mother；　who　did
the　whole　service　of　the　house；　for　Celeste　was　unable　to　make　much
exertion；　owing　to　a　lymphatic　constitution　which　the　least　toil
wearied。　She　was　truly　a　daughter　of　the　people　of　Paris；　where
children；　seldom　handsome；　and　of　no　vigor；　the　product　of　poverty　and
toil；　of　homes　without　fresh　air；　without　freedom　of　action；　without
any　of　the　conveniences　of　life；　meet　us　at　every　turn。

At　the　time　of　the　marriage；　Celeste　was　seen　to　be　a　little　woman；
fair　and　faded　almost　to　sickliness；　fat；　slow；　and　silly　in　the
countenance。　Her　forehead；　much　too　large　and　too　prominent；　suggested
water　on　the　brain；　and　beneath　that　waxen　cupola　her　face；　noticeably
too　small　and　ending　in　a　point　like　the　nose　of　a　mouse；　made　some
people　fear　she　would　become；　sooner　or　later；　imbecile。　Her　eyes；
which　were　light　blue；　and　her　lips；　always　fixed　in　a　smile；　did　not
contradict　that　idea。　On　the　solemn　occasion　of　her　marriage　she　had
the　manner；　air；　and　attitude　of　a　person　condemned　to　death；　whose
only　desire　is　that　it　might　all　be　over　speedily。

〃She　is　rather　round；〃　said　Colleville　to　Thuillier。

Brigitte　was　just　the　knife　to　cut　into　such　a　nature；　to　which　her
own　formed　the　strongest　contrast。　Mademoiselle　Thuillier　was
remarkable　for　her　regular　and　correct　beauty；　but　a　beauty　injured　by
toil　which；　from　her　very　childhood；　had　bent　her　down　to　painful；
thankless　tasks；　and　by　the　secret　privations　she　imposed　upon　herself
in　order　to　amass　her　little　property。　Her　complexion；　early
discolored；　had　something　the　tint　of　steel。　Her　brown　eyes　were
framed　in　brown；　on　the　upper　lip　was　a　brown　floss　like　a　sort　of
smoke。　Her　lips　were　thin；　and　her　imperious　forehead　was　surmounted
by　hair　once　black；　now　turning　to　chinchilla。　She　held　herself　as
straight　as　the　fairest　beauty；　but　all　things　else　about　her　showed
the　hardiness　of　her　life；　the　deadening　of　her　natural　fire；　the　cost
of　what　she　was！

To　Brigitte；　Celeste　was　simply　a　fortune　to　lay　hold　of；　a　future
mother　to　rule；　one　more　subject　in　her　empire。　She　soon　reproached
her　for　being　WEAK；　a　constant　word　in　her　vocabulary；　and　the　jealous
old　maid；　who　would　strongly　have　resented　any　signs　of　activity　in
her　sister…in…law；　now　took　a　savage　pleasure　in　prodding　the　languid
inertness　of　the　feeble　creature。　Celeste；　ashamed　to　see　her　sister…
in…law　displaying　such　energy　in　household　work；　endeavored　to　help
her；　and　fell　ill　in　consequence。　Instantly；　Brigitte　was　devoted　to
her；　nursed　her　like　a　beloved　sister；　and　would　say；　in　presence　of
Thuillier：　〃You　haven't　any　strength；　my　child；　you　must　never　do
anything　again。〃　She　showed　up　Celeste's　incapacity　by　that　display　of
sympathy　with　which　strength；　seeming　to　pity　weakness；　finds　means　to
boast　of　its　own　powers。

But；　as　all　despotic　natures　liking　to　exercise　their　strength　are
full　of　tenderness　for　physical　sufferings；　Brigitte　took　such　real
care　of　her　sister…in…law　as　to　satisfy　Celeste's　mother　when　she　came
to　see　her　daughter。　After　Madame　Thuillier　recovered；　however；　she
called　her；　in　Celeste's　hearing；　〃a　helpless　creature；　good　for
nothing！〃　which　sent　the　poor　thing　crying　to　her　room。　When　Thuillier
found　her　there；　drying　her　eyes；　he　excused　her　sister；　saying：

〃She　is　an　excellent　woman；　but　rather　hasty；　she　loves　you　in　her　own
way；　she　behaves　just　so　with　me。〃

Celeste；　remembering　the　maternal　care　of　her　sister…in…law　during　her
illness；　forgave　the　wound。　Brigitte　always　treated　her　brother　as　the
king　of　the　family；　she　exalted　him　to　Celeste；　and　made　him　out　an
autocrat；　a　Ladislas；　an　infallible　pope。　Madame　Thuillier　having　lost
her　father　and　grandfather；　and　being　well…nigh　deserted　by　her
mother；　who　came　to　see　her　on　Thursdays　only　（she　herself　spending
Sundays　at　Auteuil　in　summer）；　had　no　one　left　to　love　except　her
husband；　and　she　did　love　him；in　the　first　place；　because　he　was　her
husband；　and　secondly；　because　he　still　remained　to　her　〃that　handsome
Thuillier。〃　Besides；　he　sometimes　treated　her　like　a　wife；　and　all
these　reasons　together　made　her　adore　him。　He　seemed　to　her　all　the
more　perfect　because　he　often　took　up　her　defence　and　scolded　his
sister；　not　from　any　real　interest　in　his　wife；　but　for　pure
selfishness；　and　in　order　to　have　peace　in　the　household　during　the
very　few　moments　that　he　stayed　there。

In　fact；　that　handsome　Thuillier　was　never　at　home　except　at　dinner；
after　which　meal　he　went　out；　returning　very　late　at　night。　He　went　to
balls　and　other　social　festivities　by　himself；　precisely　as　if　he　were
still　a　bachelor。　Thus　the　two　women　were　always　alone　together。
Celeste　insensibly　fell　into　a　passive　attitude；　and　became　what
Brigitte　wanted　her；a　helot。　The　Queen　Elizabeth　of　the　household
then　passed　from　despotism　to　a　sort　of　pity　for　the　poor　victim　who
was　always　sacrificed。　She　ended　by　softening　her　haughty　ways；　her
cutting　speech；　her　contemptuous　tones；　as　soon　as　she　was　certain
that　her　sister…in…law　was　completely　under　the　yoke。　When　she　saw　the
wounds　it　made　on　the　neck　of　her　victim；　she　took　care　of　her　as　a
thing　of　her　own；　and　Celeste　entered　upon　happier　days。　Comparing　the
end　with　the　beginning；　she　even　felt　a　sort　of　love　for　her　torturer。
To　gain　some　power　of　self…defence；　to　become　something　less　a　cipher
in　the　household；　supported；　unknown　to　herself；　by　her　own　means；　the
poor　helot　had　but　a　single　chance；　and　that　chance　never　came　to　her。

Celeste　had　no　child。　This　barrenness；　which；　from　month　to　month；
brought　floods　of　tears　from　her　eyes；　was　long　the　cause　of
Brigitte's　scorn；　she　reproached　the　poor　woman　bitterly　for　being　fit
for　nothing；　not　even　to　bear　children。　The　old　maid；　who　had　longed
to　love　her　brother's　child　as　if　it　were　her　own；　was　unable；　for
years；　to　reconcile　herself　to　this　irremediable　sterility。

At　the　time　when　our　history　begins；　namely；　in　1840；　Celeste；　then
forty…six　years　old；　had　ceased　to　weep；　she　now　had　the　certainty　of
never　being　a　moth