the lesser bourgeoisie-第47章

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during　the　fifteen　days　granted　to　the　poor　girl　to　deliberate　（as
says　the　Code　in　the　matter　of　beneficiary　bequests）；　although　he　was
expected　day　by　day；　and　from　minute　to　minute　by　Celeste；　who　gave　no
more　thought　to　la　Peyrade　than　if　he　had　nothing　to　do　with　the
question；　the　deplorably　stupid　youth　did　not　have　the　most　distant
idea　of　breaking　his　ban。

Luckily　for　this　hopeless　lover；　a　beneficent　fairy　was　watching　over
him；　and　the　evening　before　the　day　on　which　the　young　girl　was　to
make　her　decision　the　following　affair　took　place。

It　was　Sunday；　the　day　on　which　the　Thuilliers　still　kept　up　their
weekly　receptions。

Madame　Phellion；　convinced　that　the　housekeeping　leakage；　vulgarly
called　〃the　basket　dance；〃　was　the　ruin　of　the　best…regulated
households；　was　in　the　habit　of　going　in　person　to　her　tradespeople。
From　time　immemorial　in　the　Phellion　establishment；　Sunday　was　the　day
of　the　〃pot…au…feu；〃　and　the　wife　of　the　great　citizen；　in　that
intentionally　dowdy　costume　in　which　good　housekeepers　bundle
themselves　when　they　go　to　market；　was　prosaically　returning　from　a
visit　to　the　butcher；　followed　by　her　cook　and　the　basket；　in　which
lay　a　magnificent　cut　of　the　loin　of　beef。　Twice　had　she　rung　her　own
doorbell；　and　terrible　was　the　storm　gathering　on　the　head　of　the
foot…boy；　who　by　his　slowness　in　opening　the　door　was　putting　his
mistress　in　a　situation　less　tolerable　than　that　of　Louis　XIV。；　who
had　only　ALMOST　waited。　In　her　feverish　impatience　Madame　Phellion　had
just　given　the　bell　a　third　and　ferocious　reverberation；　when；　judge
of　her　confusion；　a　little　coupe　drew　up　with　much　clatter　at　the　door
of　her　house；　and　a　lady　descended；　whom　she　recognized；　at　this
untimely　hour；　as　the　elegant　Comtesse　Torna　de　Godollo！

Turning　a　purplish　scarlet；　the　unfortunate　bourgeoise　lost　her　head；
and；　floundering　in　excuses；　she　was　about　to　complicate　the　position
by　some　signal　piece　of　awkwardness；　when；　happily　for　her；　Phellion；
attracted　by　the　noise　of　the　bell；　and　attired　in　a　dressing…gown　and
Greek　cap；　came　out　of　his　study　to　inquire　what　was　the　matter。　After
a　speech；　the　pompous　charm　of　which　did　much　to　compensate　for　his
dishabille；　the　great　citizen；　with　the　serenity　that　never　abandoned
him；　offered　his　hand　very　gallantly　to　the　lady；　and　having　installed
her　in　the　salon；　said：

〃May　I；　without　indiscretion；　ask　Madame　la　comtesse　what　has　procured
for　us　the　unhoped…for　advantage　of　this　visit？〃

〃I　have　come；〃　said　the　lady；　〃to　talk　with　Madame　Phellion　on　a
matter　which　must　deeply　interest　her。　I　have　no　other　way　of　meeting
her　without　witnesses；　and　therefore；　though　I　am　hardly　known　to
Madame　Phellion；　I　have　taken　the　liberty　to　call　upon　her　here。〃

〃Madame；　your　visit　is　a　great　honor　to　this　poor　dwelling。　But　where
is　Madame　Phellion？〃　added　the　worthy　man；　impatiently；　going　towards
the　door。

〃No；　I　beg　of　you；　don't　disturb　her；〃　said　the　countess；　〃I　have
heedlessly　come　at　a　moment　when　she　is　busy　with　household　cares。
Brigitte　has　been　my　educator　in　such　matters；　and　I　know　the　respect
we　ought　to　pay　to　good　housekeepers。　Besides；　I　have　the　pleasure　of
your　presence；　which　I　scarcely　expected。〃

Before　Phellion　could　reply　to　these　obliging　words；　Madame　Phellion
appeared。　A　cap　with　ribbons　had　taken　the　place　of　the　market　bonnet；
and　a　large　shawl　covered　the　other　insufficiencies　of　the　morning
toilet。　When　his　wife　arrived；　the　great　citizen　made　as　though　he
would　discreetly　retire。

〃Monsieur　Phellion；〃　said　the　countess；　〃you　are　not　one　too　many　in
the　conference　I　desire　with　madame；　on　the　contrary；　your　excellent
judgment　will　be　most　useful　in　throwing　light　upon　a　matter　as
interesting　to　you　as　to　your　wife。　I　allude　to　the　marriage　of　your
son。〃

〃The　marriage　of　my　son！〃　cried　Madame　Phellion；　with　a　look　of
astonishment；　〃but　I　am　not　aware　that　anything　of　the　kind　is　at
present　in　prospect。〃

〃The　marriage　of　Monsieur　Felix　with　Mademoiselle　Celeste　is；　I　think；
one　of　your　strongest　desires〃

〃But　we　have　never；〃　said　Phellion；　〃taken　any　overt　steps　for　that
object。〃

〃I　know　that　only　too　well；〃　replied　the　countess；　〃on　the　contrary；
every　one　in　your　family　seems　to　study　how　to　defeat　my　efforts　in
that　direction。　However；　one　thing　is　clear　in　spite　of　the　reserve；
and；　you　must　allow　me　to　say　so；　the　clumsiness　in　which　the　affair
has　been　managed；　and　that　is　that　the　young　people　love　each　other；
and　they　will　both　be　unhappy　if　they　do　not　marry。　Now；　to　prevent
this　catastrophe　is　the　object　with　which　I　have　come　here　this
morning。〃

〃We　cannot；　madame；　be　otherwise　than　deeply　sensible　of　the　interest
you　are　so　good　as　to　show　in　the　happiness　of　our　son；〃　said
Phellion；　〃but；　in　truth；　this　interest〃

〃Is　something　so　inexplicable；〃　interrupted　the　countess；　〃that　you
feel　a　distrust　of　it？〃

〃Oh！　madame！〃　said　Phellion；　bowing　with　an　air　of　respectful　dissent。

〃But；〃　continued　the　lady；　〃the　explanation　of　my　proceeding　is　very
simple。　I　have　studied　Celeste；　and　in　that　dear　and　artless　child　I
find　a　moral　weight　and　value　which　would　make　me　grieve　to　see　her
sacrificed。〃

〃You　are　right；　madame；〃　said　Madame　Phellion。　〃Celeste　is；　indeed；　an
angel　of　sweetness。〃

〃As　for　monsieur　Felix；　I　venture　to　interest　myself　because；　in　the
first　place；　he　is　the　son　of　so　virtuous　a　father〃

〃Oh；　madame！　I　entreat〃　said　Phellion；　bowing　again。

〃and　he　also　attracts　me　by　the　awkwardness　of　true　love；　which
appears　in　all　his　actions　and　all　his　words。　We　mature　women　find　an
inexpressible　charm　in　seeing　the　tender　passion　under　a　form　which
threatens　us　with　no　deceptions　and　no　misunderstandings。〃

〃My　son　is　certainly　not　brilliant；〃　said　Madame　Phellion；　with　a
faint　tone　of　sharpness；　〃he　is　not　a　fashionable　young　man。〃

〃But　he　has　the　qualities　that　are　most　essential；〃　replied　the
countess；　〃and　a　merit　which　ignores　itself；a　thing　of　the　utmost
consequence　in　all　intellectual　superiority〃

〃Really；　madame；〃　said　Phellion；　〃you　force　us　to　hear　things　that〃

〃That　are　not　beyond　the　truth；〃　interrupted　the　countess。　〃Another
reason　which　leads　me　to　take　a　deep　interest　in　the　happiness　of
these　young　people　is　that　I　am　not　so　desirous　for　that　of　Monsieur
Theodose　de　la　Peyrade；　who　is　false　and　grasping。　On　the　ruin　of
their　hopes　that　man　is　counting　to　carry　out　his　swindling　purposes。〃

〃It　is　quite　certain；〃　said　Phellion；　〃that　there　are　dark　depths　in
Monsieur　de　la　Peyrade　where　light　does　not　penetrate。〃

〃And　as　I　myself　had　the　misfortune　to　marry　a　man　of　his　description；
the　thought　of　the　wretchedness　to　which　Celeste　would　be　condemned　by
so　fatal　a　connection；　impels　me；　in　the　hope　of　saving　her；　to　the
charitable　effort　which　now；　I　trust；　has　ceased　to　surprise　you。〃

〃Madame；〃　said　Phellion；　〃we　do　not　need　the　conclusive　explanations
by　which　you　illumine　your　conduct；　but　as　to　the　faults　on　our　part；
which　have　thwarted　your　generous　efforts；　I　must　declare　that　in
order　to　avoid　committing　them　in　future；　it　seems　to　me　not　a　little
desirable　that　you　should　plainly　indicate　them。〃

〃How　long　is　it；〃　asked　the　countess；　〃since　any　of　your　family　have
paid　a　visit　to　the　Thuilliers'？〃

〃If　my　memory　serves　me；〃　said　Phellion；　〃I　think　we　were　all　there
the　Sunday　after　the　dinner　for　the　house…warming。〃

〃Fifteen　whole　days　of　absence！〃　exclaimed　the　countess；　〃and　you
think　that　nothing　of　importance　could　happen　in　fifteen　days？〃

〃No；　indeed！　did　not　three　glorious　days　in　July；　1830；　cast　down　a
perjured　dynasty　and　found　the　noble　order　of　things　under　which　we
now　live？〃

〃You　see　it　yourself！〃　said　the　countess。　〃Now；　tell　me；　during　that
evening；　fifteen　days　ago；　did　nothing　serious　take　place　between　your
son　and　Celeste？〃

〃Something　did　occur；〃　replied　Phellion；〃a　very　disagreeable
conversation　on　the　subject　of　my　son's　religious　opinions；　it　must　be
owned　that　our　good　Celeste；　who　in　all　other　respects　has　a　charming
nature；　is　a　trifle　fanatic　in　the　matter　of　piety。〃

〃I　agree　to　that；〃　said　the　countess；　〃but　she　was　brought　up　by　the
mother　whom　you　know；　she　was　never　shown　the　face　of　true　piety；　she
saw　only　the　mimicry　of　it。　Repentant　Magdalens　of　the　Madame
Colleville　species　always　assume　an　air　of　wishing　to　retire　to　a
desert　with　their　death's…head　and　crossed　bones。　They　think　they
can't　get　salvation　at　a　cheaper　rate。　But　after　all；　what　did　Celeste
ask　of　Monsieur　Felix？　Merely　that　he　would　read　'The　Imitation　of
Christ。'〃

〃He　has　read　it；　madame；〃　said　Phellion；　〃and　he　thinks　it　a　book
extremely　well　written；　but　his　convictionsand　that　is　a　misfortune
have　not　been　affected　by　the　perusal。〃

〃And　do　you　think　he　shows　much　cleverness　in　not　assuring　his
mistress　of　some　little　change　in　his　inflexible　convictions？〃

〃My　son；　madame；　has　never　received　from　me　the　slightest　lesson　in
cleverness；　loyalty；　uprightness；　those　are　the　principles　I　have
endeavored　to　inculcate　in　him。〃

〃It　seems　to　me；　monsieur；　that　there　is　no　want　of　loyalty　when；　in
dealing　with　a　troubled　mind；　we　endeavor　to　avoid　wounding　it。　But
let　us　agree　that　Monsieur　Felix　owed　it　to　himself　to　be　that　iron
door　against　which　poor　Celeste's　applications　beat　in　vain；　was　that
a　reason　for　keeping　away　from　her　and　sulking　in　his　tent　for　fifteen
whole　days？　Above　all；　ought　he　to　have　capped　these　sulks　by　a
proceeding　which　I　can't　forgive；　and　whichonly　just　made　known　to
ushas　struck　the　girl's　heart　with　despair；　and　also　with　a　feeling
of　extreme　irritation？〃

〃My　son　capable　of　any　such　act！　it　is　quite　impossible；　madame！〃
cried　Phellion。　〃I　know　nothing　of　this　proceeding；　but　I　do　not
hesitate　to　affirm　that　you　have　been　ill…informed。〃

〃And　yet；　nothing　is　more　certain。　Young　Colleville；　who　came　home
to…day　for　his　half…holiday；　has　just　told　us　that　Monsieur　Felix；　who
had　previously　gone　with　the　utmost　punctuality　to　hear　him　recite　has
ceased　entirely　to　have　anything　to　do　with　him。　Unless　your　son　is
ill；　I　do　not　hesitate　to　say　that　this　neglect　is　the　greatest　of
blunders；　in　the　situation　in　which　he　now　stands　with　the　sister　he
ought　not　to　have　chosen　this　moment　to　put　an　end　to　these　lessons。〃

The　Phellions　looked　at　each　other　as　if　consulting　how　to　reply。

〃My　son；〃　said　Madame　Phellion；　〃is　not　exactly　ill；　but　since　you
mention　a　fact　which　is；　I　acknowledge；　very　strange　and　quite　out　of
keeping　with　his　nature　and　habits；　I　think　it　right　to　tell　you　that
from　the　day　when　Celeste　seemed　to　signify　that　all　was　at　an　end
between　them；　a　very　extraordinary　change　has　come　over　Felix；　which
is　causing　Monsieur　Phellion　and　myself　the　deepest　anxiety。〃

〃Yes；　madame；〃　said　Phellion；　〃the　young　man　is　certainly　not　in　his
normal　condition。〃

〃But　what　is　the　matter　with　him？〃　asked　the　countess；　anxiously。

〃The　night　of　that　scene　with　Celeste；〃　replied　Phellion；　〃after　his
return　home；　he　wept　a　flood　of　hot　tears　on　his　mother's　bosom；　and
gave　us　to　understand　that　the　happiness　of　his　whole　life　was　at　an
end。〃

〃And　yet；〃　said　Madame　de