the lesser bourgeoisie-第106章

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〃The　marriage　does　not　please　me。〃

〃Ha！　and　since　when？〃

〃It　is　not　necessary　that　monsieur　should　listen　to　our　discussion；〃
said　Madame　Thuillier；　〃it　will　not　appear　in　the　contract。〃

〃No　wonder　you　are　ashamed　of　it；〃　said　Brigitte；　〃the　appearance　you
are　making　is　not　very　flattering　to　youMonsieur；〃　she　continued；
addressing　the　clerk；　〃it　is　easier；　is　it　not；　to　mark　out　passages
in　a　contract　than　to　add　them？〃

The　clerk　made　an　affirmative　sign。

〃Then　put　in　what　you　were　told　to　write；　later；　if　madame　persists；
the　clause　can　be　stricken　out。〃

The　clerk　bowed　and　left　the　room。

When　the　two　sisters…in…law　were　alone　together；　Brigitte　began。

〃Ah　ca！〃　she　cried；　〃have　you　lost　your　head？　What　is　this　crotchet
you've　taken　into　it？〃

〃It　is　not　a　crotchet；　it　is　a　fixed　idea。〃

〃Which　you　got　from　the　Abbe　Gondrin；　you　dare　not　deny　that　you　went
to　see　him　with　Celeste。〃

〃It　is　true　that　Celeste　and　I　saw　our　director　this　morning；　but　I
did　not　open　my　lips　to　him　about　what　I　intended　to　do。〃

〃So；　then；　it　is　in　your　own　empty　head　that　this　notion　sprouted？〃

〃Yes。　As　I　told　you　yesterday；　I　think　Celeste　can　be　more　suitably
married；　and　my　intention　is　not　to　rob　myself　for　a　marriage　of　which
I　disapprove。〃

〃YOU　disapprove！　Upon　my　word！　are　we　all　to　take　madame's　advice？〃

〃I　know　well；〃　replied　Madame　Thuillier；　〃that　I　count　for　nothing　in
this　house。　So　far　as　I　am　concerned；　I　have　long　accepted　my
position；　but；　when　the　matter　concerns　the　happiness　of　a　child　I
regard　as　my　own〃

〃Parbleu！〃　cried　Brigitte；　〃you　never　knew　how　to　have　one；　for；
certainly；　Thuillier〃

〃Sister；〃　said　Madame　Thuillier；　with　dignity；　〃I　took　the　sacrament
this　morning；　and　there　are　some　things　I　cannot　listen　to。〃

〃There's　a　canting　hypocrite　for　you！〃　cried　Brigitte；　〃playing　the
saint；　and　bringing　trouble　into　families！　And　you　think　to　succeed；
do　you？　Wait　till　Thuillier　comes　home；　and　he'll　shake　this　out　of
you。〃

By　calling　in　the　marital　authority　in　support　of　her　own；　Brigitte
showed　weakness　before　the　unexpected　resistance　thus　made　to　her
inveterate　tyranny。　Madame　Thuillier's　calm　words；　which　became　every
moment　more　resolute；　baffled　her　completely；　and　she　found　no
resource　but　insolence。

〃A　drone！〃　she　cried；　〃a　helpless　good…for…nothing！　who　can't　even
pick　up　her　own　handkerchief！　that　thing　wants　to　be　mistress　of　this
house！〃

〃I　wish　so　little　to　be　its　mistress；〃　said　Madame　Thuillier；　〃that
last　night　I　allowed　you　to　silence　me　after　the　first　words　I　said　in
behalf　of　Celeste。　But　I　am　mistress　of　my　own　property；　and　as　I
believe　that　Celeste　will　be　wretched　in　this　marriage；　I　keep　it　to
use　as　may　seem　best　to　me。〃

〃Your　property；　indeed！〃　said　Brigitte；　with　a　sneer。

〃Yes；　that　which　I　received　from　my　father　and　my　mother；　and　which　I
brought　as　my　'dot'　to　Monsieur　Thuillier。〃

〃And　pray　who　invested　it；　this　property；　and　made　it　give　you　twelve
thousand　francs　a　year？〃

〃I　have　never　asked　you　for　any　account　of　it；〃　said　Madame　Thuillier；
gently。　〃If　it　had　been　lost　in　the　uses　you　made　of　it；　you　would
never　have　heard　a　single　word　from　me；　but　it　has　prospered；　and　it
is　just　that　I　should　have　the　benefit。　It　is　not　for　myself　that　I
reserve　it。〃

〃Perhaps　not；　if　this　is　the　course　you　take；　it　is　not　at　all　sure
that　you　and　I　will　go　out　of　the　same　door　long。〃

〃Do　you　mean　that　Monsieur　Thuillier　will　send　me　away？　He　must　have
reasons　for　doing　that；　and；　thank　God！　I　have　been　a　wife　above
reproach。〃

〃Viper！　hypocrite！　heartless　creature！〃　cried　Brigitte；　coming　to　an
end　of　her　arguments。

〃Sister；〃　said　Madame　Thuillier；　〃you　are　in　my　apartment〃

〃Am　I；　you　imbecile？〃　cried　the　old　maid；　in　a　paroxysm　of　anger。　〃If
I　didn't　restrain　myself〃

And　she　made　a　gesture　both　insulting　and　threatening。

Madame　Thuillier　rose　to　leave　the　room。

〃No！　you　shall　not　go　out；〃　cried　Brigitte；　pushing　her　down　into　her
chair；　〃and　till　Thuillier　comes　home　and　decides　what　he　will　do　with
you　you'll　stay　locked　up　here。〃

Just　as　Brigitte；　her　face　on　fire；　returned　to　the　room　where　she　had
left　Madame　Colleville；　her　brother　came　in。　He　was　radiant。

〃My　dear；〃　he　said　to　the　Megaera；　not　observing　her　fury；　〃everything
is　going　on　finely；　the　conspiracy　of　silence　is　broken；　two　papers；
the　'National'　and　a　Carlist　journal；　have　copied　articles　from　us；
and　there's　a　little　attack　in　a　ministerial　paper。〃

〃Well；　all　is　not　going　on　finely　here；〃　said　Brigitte；　〃and　if　it
continues；　I　shall　leave　the　barrack。〃

〃Whom　are　you　angry　with　now？〃　asked　Thuillier。

〃With　your　insolent　wife；　who　has　made　me　a　scene；　I　am　trembling　all
over。〃

〃Celeste　make　you　a　scene！〃　said　Thuillier；　〃then　it　is　the　very　first
time　in　her　life。〃

〃There's　a　beginning　to　everything；　and　if　you　don't　bring　her　to
order〃

〃But　what　was　it　aboutthis　scene？〃

〃About　madame's　not　choosing　that　la　Peyrade　should　marry　her
goddaughter；　and　out　of　spite；　to　prevent　the　marriage；　she　refused　to
give　anything　in　the　contract。〃

〃Come；　be　calm；〃　said　Thuillier；　not　disturbed　himself；　the　admission
of　the　〃Echo〃　into　the　polemic　making　another　Pangloss　of　him。　〃I'll
settle　all　that。〃

〃You；　Flavie；〃　said　Brigitte；　when　Thuillier　had　departed　to　his　wife；
〃you　will　do　me　the　pleasure　to　go　down　to　your　own　apartment；　and
tell　Mademoiselle　Celeste　that　I　don't　choose　to　see　her　now；　because
if　she　made　me　any　irritating　answer　I　might　box　her　ears。　You'll　tell
her　that　I　don't　like　conspiracies；　that　she　was　left　at　liberty　to
choose　Monsieur　Phellion　junior　if　she　wanted　him；　and　she　did　not
want　him；　that　the　matter　is　now　all　arranged；　and　that　if　she　does
not　wish　to　see　her　'dot'　reduced　to　what　you　are　able　to　give　her；
which　isn't　as　much　as　a　bank…messenger　could　carry　in　his　waistcoat
pocket〃

〃But；　my　dear　Brigitte；〃　interrupted　Flavie；　turning　upon　her　at　this
impertinence；　〃you　may　dispense　with　reminding　us　in　this　harsh　way　of
our　poverty；　for；　after　all；　we　have　never　asked　you　for　anything；　and
we　pay　our　rent　punctually；　and　as　for　the　'dot；'　Monsieur　Felix
Phellion　is　quite　ready　to　take　Celeste　with　no　more　than　a　bank…
messenger　could　carry　in　his　BAG。〃

And　she　emphasized　the　last　word　by　her　way　of　pronouncing　it。

〃Ha！　so　you　too　are　going　to　meddle　in　this；　are　you？〃　cried　Brigitte。
〃Very　good；　go　and　fetch　him；　your　Felix。　I　know；　my　little　woman；
that　this　marriage　has　never　suited　you；　it　IS　disagreeable　to　be
nothing　more　than　a　mother　to　your　son…in…law。〃

Flavie　had　recovered　the　coolness　she　had　lost　for　an　instant；　and
without　replying　to　this　speech　she　merely　shrugged　her　shoulders。

At　this　moment　Thuillier　returned；　his　air　of　beatitude　had　deserted
him。

〃My　dear　Brigitte；〃　he　said　to　his　sister；　〃you　have　a　most　excellent
heart；　but　at　times　you　are　so　violent〃

〃Ho！〃　said　the　old　maid；　〃am　I　to　be　arraigned　on　this　side　too？〃

〃I　certainly　do　not　blame　you　for　the　cause　of　the　trouble；　and　I　have
just　rebuked　Celeste　for　her　assumption；　but　there　are　proper　forms
that　must　be　kept。〃

〃Forms！　what　are　you　talking　about？　What　forms　have　I　neglected？〃

〃But；　my　dear　friend；　to　raise　your　hand　against　your　sister！〃

〃I；　raise　my　hand　against　that　imbecile？　What　nonsense　you　talk！〃

〃And　besides；〃　continued　Thuillier；　〃a　woman　of　Celeste's　age　can't　be
kept　in　prison。〃

〃Your　wife！have　I　put　her　in　prison？〃

〃You　can't　deny　it；　for　I　found　the　door　of　her　room　double…locked。〃

〃Parbleu！　all　this　because　in　my　anger　at　the　infamous　things　she　was
spitting　at　me　I　may　have　turned　the　key　of　the　door　without　intending
it。〃

〃Come；　come；〃　said　Thuillier；　〃these　are　not　proper　actions　for　people
of　our　class。〃

〃Oh！　so　it　is　I　who　am　to　blame；　is　it？　Well；　my　lad；　some　day　you'll
remember　this；　and　we　shall　see　how　your　household　will　get　along　when
I　have　stopped　taking　care　of　it。〃

〃You'll　always　take　care　of　it；〃　said　Thuillier。　〃Housekeeping　is　your
very　life；　you　will　be　the　first　to　get　over　this　affair。〃

〃We'll　see　about　that；〃　said　Brigitte；　〃after　twenty　years