the lesser bourgeoisie-第102章

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〃Felix！〃　said　Phellion；　beginning　to　show　some　emotion；　〃these　immense
labors　to　which　you　have　devoted　so　much　time　of　late；　these　continual
visits　to　the　Observatory〃

〃But；　father；〃　interrupted　Felix；　〃Monsieur　Minard　has　been
misinformed。〃

〃Misinformed！〃　cried　Minard；　〃when　I　know　the　whole　affair　from
Monsieur　Picot　himself！〃

At　this　argument；　stated　in　a　way　to　leave　no　possible　doubt；　the
truth　began　to　dawn　upon　Phellion。

〃Felix；　my　son！〃　he　said；　rising　to　embrace　him。

But　he　was　obliged　to　sit　down　again；　his　legs　refused　to　bear　his
weight；　he　turned　pale；　and　that　nature；　ordinarily　so　impassible；
seemed　about　to　give　way　under　the　shock　of　this　happiness。

〃My　God！〃　said　Felix；　terrified；　〃he　is　ill；　ring　the　bell；　I　entreat
you；　Monsieur　Minard。〃

And　he　ran　to　the　old　man；　loosened　his　cravat　and　unfastened　the
collar　of　his　shirt；　striking　him　in　the　palms　of　his　hands。　But　the
sudden　faintness　was　but　momentary；　almost　immediately　himself　again；
Phellion　gathered　his　son　to　his　heart；　and　holding　him　long　in　his
embrace；　he　said；　in　a　voice　broken　by　the　tears　that　came　to　put　an
end　to　this　shock　of　joy：

〃Felix；　my　noble　son！　so　great　in　heart；　so　great　in　mind！〃

The　bell　had　been　rung　by　Minard　with　magisterial　force；　and　with　such
an　accent　that　the　whole　household　was　alarmed；　and　came　running　in。

〃It　is　nothing；　it　is　nothing；〃　said　Phellion　to　the　servants；　sending
them　away。　But　almost　at　the　same　moment；　seeing　his　wife；　who　now
entered　the　room；　he　resumed　his　habitual　solemnity。

〃Madame　Phellion；〃　he　said；　pointing　to　Felix；　〃how　many　years　is　it
since　you　brought　that　young　man　into　the　world？〃

Madame　Phellion；　bewildered　by　the　question；　hesitated　a　moment；　and
then　said：

〃Twenty…five　years　next　January。〃

〃Have　you　not　thought；　until　now；　that　God　had　amply　granted　your
maternal　desires　by　making　this　child　of　your　womb　an　honest　man；　a
pious　son；　and　by　gifting　him　for　mathematics；　that　Science　of
sciences；　with　an　aptitude　sufficiently　remarkable？〃

〃I　have；〃　said　Madame　Phellion；　understanding　less　and　less　what　her
husband　was　coming　to。

〃Well；〃　continued　Phellion；　〃you　owe　to　God　an　additional
thanksgiving；　for　He　has　granted　that　you　be　the　mother　of　a　man　of
genius；　his　toil；　which　lately　we　rebuked；　and　which　made　us　fear　for
the　reason　of　our　child；　was　the　waythe　rough　and　jagged　wayby
which　men　come　to　fame。〃

〃Ah　ca！〃　cried　Madame　Phellion；　〃can't　you　stop　coming　yourself　to　an
explanation　of　what　you　mean；　and　get　there？〃

〃Your　son；〃　said　Minard；　cautious　this　time　in　measuring　the　joy　he
was　about　to　bestow；　fearing　another　fainting…fit　of　happiness；　〃has
just　made　a　very　important　scientific　discovery。〃

〃Is　it　true？〃　said　Madame　Phellion；　going　up　to　Felix；　and　taking　him
by　both　hands　as　she　looked　at　him　lovingly。

〃When　I　say　important；〃　continued　Minard；　〃I　am　only　sparing　your
maternal　emotions；　it　is；　in　truth；　a　sublime；　a　dazzling　discovery。
He　is　only　twenty…five　years　old；　but　his　name；　from　henceforth；　is
immortal。〃

〃And　this　is　the　man；〃　said　Madame　Phellion；　half　beside　herself；　and
kissing　Felix　with　effusion；　〃to　whom　that　la　Peyrade　is　preferred！〃

〃No；　not　preferred；　madame；〃　said　Minard；　〃for　the　Thuilliers　are　not
the　dupes　of　that　adventurer。　But　he　has　made　himself　necessary　to
them。　Thuillier　fancies　that　without　la　Peyrade　he　could　not　be
elected；　the　election　is　still　doubtful；　and　they　are　sacrificing
everything　to　it。〃

〃But　isn't　it　odious；〃　cried　Madame　Phellion；　〃to　consider　such
interests　before　the　happiness　of　their　child！〃

〃Ah！〃　said　Minard；　〃but　Celeste　is　not　their　child；　only　their　adopted
daughter。〃

〃Brigitte's；　if　you　like；〃　said　Madame　Phellion；　〃but　as　for
Thuillier〃

〃My　good　wife；〃　said　Phellion；　〃no　censoriousness。　The　good　God　has
just　sent　us　a　great　consolation；　and；　indeed；　though　certainly　far
advanced；　this　marriage；　about　which　I　regret　to　say　Felix　does　not
behave　with　all　the　philosophy　I　could　desire；　may　still　not　take
place。〃

Seeing　that　Felix　shook　his　head　with　a　look　of　incredulity；　Minard
hastened　to　say：

〃Yes；　yes；　the　commander　is　quite　right。　Last　night　there　was　a　hitch
about　signing　the　contract；　and　it　was　not　signed。　You　were　not　there；
by　the　bye；　and　your　absence　was　much　remarked　upon。〃

〃We　were　invited；〃　said　Phellion；　〃and　up　to　the　last　moment　we
hesitated　whether　to　go　or　not。　But；　as　you　will　readily　see；　our
position　was　a　false　one；　besides；　Felixand　I　see　now　it　must　have
been　in　consequence　of　his　lecture　at　the　Academywas　completely　worn
out　with　fatigue　and　emotion。　To　present　ourselves　without　him　would
have　seemed　very　singular；　therefore　we　decided　that　it　would　be
wisest　and　best　to　absent　ourselves。〃

The　presence　of　the　man　whom　he　had　just　declared　immortal　did　not
deter　Minard；　when　the　occasion　was　thus　made　for　him；　from　plunging
eagerly　into　one　of　the　most　precious　joys　of　bourgeois　existence；
namely；　the　retailing　of　gossip。

〃Just　imagine！〃　he　began；　〃last　night　at　the　Thuilliers'　the　most
extraordinary　things　took　place；　one　after　another。〃

First　he　related　the　curious　episode　of　pere　Picot。　Then　he　told　of
the　hearty　approbation　given　to　Felix's　conduct　by　the　Abbe　Gondrin；
and　the　desire　the　young　preacher　had　expressed　to　meet　him。

〃I'll　go　and　see　him；〃　said　Felix；　〃do　you　know　where　he　lives？〃

〃Rue　de　la　Madeleine；　No。　8；〃　replied　Minard。　〃But　the　great　event　of
the　evening　was　the　spectacle　of　that　fine　company　assembled　to　listen
to　the　marriage…contract；　and　waiting　in　expectation　a　whole　hour　for
the　notary；　whonever　came！〃

〃Then　the　contract　is　not　signed？〃　said　Felix；　eagerly。

〃Not　even　read；　my　friend。　Suddenly　some　one　came　in　and　told　Brigitte
that　the　notary　had　started　for　Brussels。〃

〃Ah！　no　doubt；〃　said　Phellion；　naively；　〃some　very　important
business。〃

〃Most　important；〃　replied　Minard；　〃a　little　bankruptcy　of　five　hundred
thousand　francs　which　the　gentleman　leaves　behind　him。〃

〃But　who　is　this　public　officer；〃　demanded　Phellion；　〃so　recreant；　in
this　scandalous　manner；　to　the　sacred　duties　of　his　calling？〃

〃Parbleu！　your　neighbor　in　the　rue　Saint…Jacques；　the　notary　Dupuis。〃

〃What！〃　said　Madame　Phellion；　〃that　pious　man？　Why；　he　is　churchwarden
of　the　parish！〃

〃Eh！　madame；　those　are　the　very　ones；〃　said　Minard；　〃to　run　offthere
are　many　precedents　for　that。〃

〃But；〃　said　Phellion；　〃such　news　cast　suddenly　among　the　company　must
have　fallen　like　a　thunderbolt。〃

〃Especially；〃　said　Minard；　〃as　it　was　brought　in　the　most　unexpected
and　singular　manner。〃

〃Tell　us　all　about　it；〃　said　Madame　Phellion；　with　animation。

〃Well；　it　seems；〃　continued　Minard；　〃that　this　canting　swindler　had
charge　of　the　savings　of　a　number　of　servants；　and　that　Monsieur　de　la
Peyradebecause；　you　see；　they　are　all　of　a　clique；　these　pious
peoplewas　in　the　habit　of　recruiting　clients　for　him　in　that　walk　of
life〃

〃I　always　said　so！〃　interrupted　Madame　Phellion。　〃I　knew　that
Provencal　was　no　good　at　all。〃

〃It　seems；〃　continued　the　mayor；　〃that　he　had　placed　in　Dupuis's　hands
all　the　savings　of　an　old　housekeeper；　pious　herself；　amounting　to　a
pretty　little　sum。　Faith！　I　think　myself　it　was　worth　some　trouble。
How　much　do　you　suppose　it　was？　Twenty…five　thousand　francs；　if　you
please！　This　housekeeper；　whose　name　is　Madame　Lambert〃

〃Madame　Lambert！〃　cried　Felix；　〃why；　that's　Monsieur　Picot's
housekeeper；　close　cap；　pale；　thin　face；　speaks　always　with　her　eyes
lowered；　shows　no　hair？〃

〃That's　she；〃　said　Minard；〃a　regular　hypocrite！〃

〃Twenty…five　thousand　francs　of　savings！〃　said　Felix。　〃I　don't　wonder
that　poor　pere　Picot　is　always　out　of　money。〃

〃And　that　someone　had　to　meddle　with　the　sale　of　his　book；〃　said
Minard；　slyly。　〃However　that　may　be；　you　can　imagine　that　the　woman
was　in　a　fine　state　of　mind　on　hearing　of　the　flight　of　the　notary。
Off　she　went　to　la　Peyrade's　lodgings；　there　she　was　told　he　was
dining　at　the　Thuilliers'；　to　the　Thuilliers'　she　came；　after　running
about　the　streetsfor　they　didn't　give　her　quite　the　right　address
till　ten　o'clock；　but　she　got　there　while　th