the lesser bourgeoisie-第42章

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the　charitable　use　she　intends　to　make　of　the　proceeds　of　her　little
fortune　entitle　her　to　my　good…will。〃

〃If　monsieur　thinks　that　the　matter　cannot　be　otherwise　arranged〃

〃This　appears　to　me　the　only　possible　way；〃　said　la　Peyrade。　〃I　shall
hope　to　get　you　six　per　cent　interest；　and　you　may　rely　that　it　will
be　paid　with　the　utmost　regularity。　But　remember；　six　months；　or　even
a　year；　may　elapse　before　the　notary　will　be　in　a　position　to　repay
this　money；　because　notaries　invest　such　trust　funds　chiefly　in
mortgages　which　require　a　certain　time　to　mature。　Now；　when　you　have
obtained　the　prize　for　virtue；　which；　according　to　all　appearance；　I
can　readily　do　for　you；　there　will　be　no　reason　to　hide　your　little
property　any　longer；a　reason　which　I　fully　understand；　but　you　will
not　be　able　to　withdraw　it　from　the　notary's　hands　immediately；　and　in
case　of　any　difficulty　arising；　I　should　be　forced　to　explain　the
situation；　the　manner　in　which　you　have　concealed　your　prosperity　from
your　master；　to　whom　you　have　been　supposed　to　be　wholly　devoted。
This；　as　you　will　see；　would　put　you　in　the　position　of　falsely
professing　virtue；　and　would　do　great　harm　to　your　reputation　for
piety。〃

〃Oh！　monsieur；〃　said　the　saintly　woman；　〃can　it　be　that　any　one　would
think　me　a　person　who　did　not　speak　the　truth？〃

〃Bless　you！　my　good　creature；　in　business　it　is　necessary　to　foresee
everything。　Money　embroils　the　best　friends；　and　leads　to　actions　they
never　foresaw。　Therefore　reflect；　you　can　come　and　see　me　again　in　a
few　days。　It　is　possible　that　between　now　and　then　you　will　find　some
better　investment；　and　I　myself；　who　am　doing　at　this　moment　a　thing　I
don't　altogether　like；　may　have　found　other　difficulties　which　I　do
not　now　expect。〃

This　threat；　adroitly　thrown　out　as　an　afterthought；　was　intended　to
immediately　clinch　the　matter。

〃I　have　reflected　carefully；〃　said　the　pious　woman；　〃and　I　feel　sure
that　in　the　hands　of　so　religious　a　man　as　monsieur　I　run　no　risks。〃

Taking　from　her　bosom　a　little　pocket…book；　she　pulled　out　twenty…five
bank　notes。　The　rapid　manner　in　which　she　counted　them　was　a
revelation　to　la　Peyrade。　The　woman　was　evidently　accustomed　to　handle
money；　and　a　singular　idea　darted　through　his　mind。

〃Can　it　be　that　she　is　making　me　a　receiver　of　stolen　property？　No；〃
he　said　aloud；　〃in　order　to　draw　up　the　memorial　for　the　Academy；　I
must；　as　I　told　you；　make　a　few　inquiries；　and　that　will　give　me
occasion　to　call　upon　you。　At　what　hour　can　I　see　you　alone？〃

〃At　four　o'clock；　when　monsieur　goes　to　take　his　walk　in　the
Luxembourg。〃

〃And　where　do　you　live？〃

〃Rue　du　Val…de…Grace；　No。　9。〃

〃Very　good；　at　four　o'clock；　and　if；　as　I　doubt　not；　the　result　of　my
inquiry　is　favorable；　I　will　take　your　money　then。　Otherwise；　if　there
are　not　good　grounds　for　your　application　for　the　prize　of　virtue
there　will　be　no　reason　why　you　should　make　a　mystery　of　your　legacy。
You　could　then　invest　it　in　some　more　normal　manner　than　that　I　have
suggested　to　you。〃

〃Oh！　how　cautious　monsieur　is！〃　she　said；　with　evident　disappointment；
having　thought　the　affair　settled。　〃This　money；　God　be　thanked！　I　have
not　stolen；　and　monsieur　can　make　what　inquiries　he　likes　about　me　in
the　quarter。〃

〃It　is　quite　indispensable　that　I　should　do　so；〃　said　la　Peyrade；
dryly；　for　he　did　not　at　all　like；　under　this　mask　of　simplicity；　the
quick　intelligence　that　penetrated　his　thoughts。　〃Without　being　a
thief；　a　woman　may　very　well　not　be　a　Sister　of　Charity；　there's　a
wide　margin　between　the　two　extremes。〃

〃As　monsieur　chooses；〃　she　replied；　〃he　is　doing　me　so　great　a　service
that　I　ought　to　let　him　take　all　precautions。〃

Then；　with　a　piously　humble　bow；　she　went　away；　taking　her　money　with
her。

〃The　devil！〃　thought　la　Peyrade；　〃that　woman　is　stronger　than　I；　she
swallows　insults　with　gratitude　and　without　the　sign　of　a　grimace！　I
have　never　yet　been　able　to　master　myself　like　that。〃

He　began　now　to　fear　that　he　had　been　too　timid；　and　to　think　that　his
would…be　creditor　might　change　her　mind　before　he　could　pay　her　the
visit　he　had　promised。　But　the　harm　was　done；　and；　although　consumed
with　anxiety　lest　he　had　lost　a　rare　chance；　he　would　have　cut　off　a
leg　sooner　than　yield　to　his　impulse　to　go　to　her　one　minute　before
the　hour　he　had　fixed。　The　information　he　obtained　about　her　in　the
quarter　was　rather　contradictory。　Some　said　his　client　was　a　saint；
otherwise　declared　her　to　be　a　sly　creature；　but；　on　the　whole；
nothing　was　said　against　her　morality　that　deterred　la　Peyrade　from
taking　the　piece　of　luck　she　had　offered　him。

When　he　met　her　at　four　o'clock　he　found　her　in　the　same　mind。

With　the　money　in　his　pocket　he　went　to　dine　with　Cerizet　and　Dutocq
at　the　Rocher　de　Cancale；　and　it　is　to　the　various　emotions　he　had
passed　through　during　the　day　that　we　must　attribute　the　sharp　and
ill…considered　manner　in　which　he　conducted　his　rupture　with　his　two
associates。　This　behavior　was　neither　that　of　his　natural　disposition
nor　of　his　acquired　temperament；　but　the　money　that　was　burning　in　his
pockets　had　slightly　intoxicated　him；　its　very　touch　had　conveyed　to
him　an　excitement　and　an　impatience　for　emancipation　of　which　he　was
not　wholly　master。　He　flung　Cerizet　over　in　the　matter　of　the　lease
without　so　much　as　consulting　Brigitte；　and　yet；　he　had　not　had　the
full　courage　of　his　duplicity；　for　he　had　laid　to　the　charge　of　the
old　woman　a　refusal　which　was　merely　the　act　of　his　own　will；　prompted
by　bitter　recollections　of　his　fruitless　struggles　with　the　man　who
had　so　long　oppressed　him。

In　short；　during　the　whole　day；　la　Peyrade　had　not　shown　himself　the
able　and　infallible　man　that　we　have　hitherto　seen　him。　Once　before；
when　he　carried　the　fifteen　thousand　francs　entrusted　to　him　by
Thuillier；　he　had　been　led　by　Cerizet　into　an　insurrectionary
proceeding　which　necessitated　the　affair　of　Sauvaignou。　Perhaps；　on
the　whole；　it　is　more　difficult　to　be　strong　under　good　than　under
evil　fortune。　The　Farnese　Hercules；　calm　and　in　still　repose；
expresses　more　energetically　the　plenitude　of　muscular　power　than　a
violent　and　agitated　Hercules　represented　in　the　over…excited　energy
of　his　labors。




PART　II

THE　PARVENUS



CHAPTER　I

PHELLION；　UNDER　A　NEW　ASPECT

Between　the　first　and　second　parts　of　this　history　an　immense　event
had　taken　place　in　the　life　of　Phellion。

There　is　no　one　who　has　not　heard　of　the　misfortunes　of　the　Odeon；
that　fatal　theatre　which；　for　years；　ruined　all　its　directors。　Right
or　wrong；　the　quarter　in　which　this　dramatic　impossibility　stands　is
convinced　that　its　prosperity　depends　upon　it；　so　that　more　than　once
the　mayor　and　other　authorities　of　the　arrondissement　have；　with　a
courage　that　honors　them；　taken　part　in　the　most　desperate　efforts　to
galvanize　the　corpse。

Now　to　meddle　with　theatrical　matters　is　one　of　the　eternally
perennial　ambitions　of　the　lesser　bourgeoisie。　Always；　therefore；　the
successive　saviours　of　the　Odeon　feel　themselves　magnificently
rewarded　if　they　are　given　ever　so　small　a　share　in　the　administration
of　that　enterprise。　It　was　at　some　crisis　in　its　affairs　that　Minard；
in　his　capacity　as　mayor　of　the　11th　arrondissement；　had　been　called
to　the　chairmanship　of　the　committee　for　reading　plays；　with　the　power
to　join　unto　himself　as　assistants　a　certain　number　of　the　notables　of
the　Latin　quarter；the　selection　being　left　to　him。

We　shall　soon　know　exactly　how　near　was　the　realization　of　la
Peyrade's　projects　for　the　possession　of　Celeste's　〃dot〃；　let　us
merely　say　now　that　these　projects　in　approaching　maturity　had
inevitably　become　noised　abroad；　and　as　this　condition　of　things
pointed；　of　course；　to　the　exclusion　of　Minard　junior　and　also　of
Felix　the　professor；　the　prejudice　hitherto　manifested　by　Minard　pere
against　old　Phellion　was　transformed　into　an　unequivocal　disposition
towards　friendly　cordiality；　there　is　nothing　that　binds　and　soothes
like　the　feeling　of　a　checkmate　shared　in　common。　Judged　without　the
evil　eye　of　paternal　rivalry；　Phellion　became　to　Minard　a　Roman　of
incorruptible　integrity　and　a　man　whose　little　treatises　had　been
adopted　by　the　University；in　other　words；　a　man　of　sound　and　tested
intellect。

So　that　when　it　became　the　duty　of　the　mayor　to　select　the　members　of
the　dramatic　custom…house；　of　which　he　was　now　the　head；　he
immediately　thought　of　Phellion。　As　for　the　great　citizen；　he　felt；　on
the　day　when　a　post　was　offered　to　him　in　that　august　tribunal；　that　a
crown　of　gold　had　been　placed　upon　his　brow。

It　will　be　well　understood　that　it　was　not　lightly；　nor　without　having
deeply　meditated；　that　a　man　of　Phellion's　solemnity　had　accepted　the
high　and　sacred　mission　which　was　offered　to　him。　He　said　within
himself　that　he　was　called　upon　to　exercise　the　functions　of　a
magistracy；　a　priestly　office。

〃To　judge　of　men；〃　he　replied　to　Minard；　who　was　much　surprised　at　his
hesitation；　〃is　an　alarming　task；　but　to　judge　of　minds！who　can
believe　himself　equal　to　such　a　mission？〃

Once　more　the　familythat　rock　on　which　the　firmest　resolutions　split
had　threatened　to　infringe　on　the　domain　of　his　conscience。　The
thought　of　boxes　and　tickets　of　which　the　future　member　of　the
committee　could　dispose　in　favor　of　his　own　kin　had　excited　in　the
household　so　eager　a　ferment　that　his　freedom　of　decision　seemed　for　a
moment　in　danger。　But；　happily；　Brutus　was　able　to　decide　himself　in
the　same　direction　along　which　a　positive　uprising　of　the　whole
Phellionian　tribe　intended　to　push　him。　From　the　observations　of
Barniol；　his　son…in…law；　and　also　by　his　own　personal　inspiration；　he
became　persuaded　that　by　his　vote；　always　given　to　works　of
irreproachable　morality；　and　by　his　firm　determination　to　bar　the　way
to　all　plays　that　mothers　of　families　could　not　take　their　daughters
to　witness；　he　was　called　upon　to　render　the　most　signal　services　to
morals　and　public　order。　Phellion；　to　use　his　own　expression；　had
therefore　become　a　member　of　the　areopagus　presided　over　by　Minard；
andstill　speaking　as　he　spokehe　was　issuing　from　the　exercise　of
his　functions；　which　were　both　delicate　and　interesting；　when　the
conversation　we　are　about　to　report　took　place。　A　knowledge　of　this
conversation　is　necessary　to　an　understanding　of　the　ulterior　events
of　this　history；　and　it　will　also　serve　to　put　into　relief　the　envious
insight　which　is　one　of　the　most　marked　traits　of　the　bourgeois
character。

The　session　of　the　committee　had　been　extremely　stormy。　On　the　subject
of　a　tragedy　entitled；　〃The　Death　of　Hercules；〃　the　classic　party　and
the　romantic　party；　whom　the　mayor　had　carefully　balanced　in　the
composition　of　his　committee；　had　nearly　approached　the　point　of
tearing　each　other's　hair　out。　Twice　Phellion　had　risen　to　speak；　and
his　hearers　were　astonished　at　the　quantity　of　metaphors　the　speech　of
a　major　of　the　National　Guard　could　contain　when　his　literary
convictions　were　imperilled。　As　the　result　of　a　vote；　victory　remained
with　the　opinions　of　which　Phellion　was　the　eloquent　organ。　It　was
while　descending　the　stairway　of　the　theatre　with　Minard　that　he
remarked：

〃We　have　done