the lesser bourgeoisie-第112章

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familywho　have　never　sincerely　liked　or　desired　youis　now
completely　battered　down　and　dismantled。〃

〃But　to　have　done　all　that　which　you　claim　with　such　pretension；　who
are　you？〃　demanded　la　Peyrade。

〃I　shall　not　say　that　you　are　very　inquisitive；　for　I　intend　to　answer
your　question　later；　but　for　the　present　let　us　continue；　if　you
please；　the　autopsy　of　your　existence；　dead　to…day；　but　which　I
propose　to　resuscitate　gloriously。　You　are　twenty…eight　years　old；　and
you　have　begun　a　career　in　which　I　shall　not　allow　you　to　make　another
step。　A　few　days　hence　the　Council　of　the　order　of　barristers　will
assemble　and　will　censure；　more　or　less　severely；　your　conduct　in　the
matter　of　the　property　you　placed　with　such　candor　in　Thuillier's
hands。　Do　not　deceive　yourself；　censure　from　that　quarter　（and　I
mention　only　your　least　danger）　is　as　fatal　to　a　barrister　as　being
actually　disbarred。〃

〃And　it　is　to　your　kind　offices；　no　doubt；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃that　I
shall　owe　that　precious　result？〃

〃Yes；　I　may　boast　of　it；〃　replied　du　Portail；　〃for；　in　order　to　tow
you　into　port　it　has　been　necessary　to　strip　you　of　your　rigging；
unless　that　were　done；　you　would　always　have　tried　to　navigate　under
your　own　sails　the　bourgeois　shoals　that　you　are　now　among。〃

Seeing　that　he；　undoubtedly；　had　to　do　with　a　strong　hand；　la　Peyrade
thought　best　to　modify　his　tone；　and　so；　with　a　more　circumspect　air；
he　said：

〃You　will　allow　me；　monsieur；　to　reserve　my　acknowledgments　until　I
receive　some　fuller　explanation。〃

〃Here　you　are；　then；〃　continued　du　Portail；　〃at　twenty…eight　years　of
age；　without　a　penny；　virtually　without　a　profession；　with　antecedents
that　are　verymiddling；　with　associates　like　Monsieur　Dutocq　and　the
courageous　Cerizet；　owing　to　Mademoiselle　Thuillier　ten　thousand
francs；　and　to　Madame　Lambert　twenty…five　thousand；　which　you　are　no
doubt　extremely　desirous　to　return　to　her；　and　finally；　this　marriage；
your　last　hope；　your　sheet…anchor；　has　just　become　an　utter
impossibility。　Between　ourselves；　if　I　have　something　reasonable　to
propose　to　you；　do　you　not　think　that　you　had　much　better　place
yourself　at　my　disposal？〃

〃I　have　time　enough　to　prove　that　your　opinion　is　mistaken；〃　returned
la　Peyrade；　〃and　I　shall　not　form　any　resolutions　so　long　as　the
designs　you　choose　to　have　upon　me　are　not　more　fully　explained。〃

〃You　were　spoken　to；　at　my　instigation；　about　a　marriage；〃　resumed　du
Portail。　〃This　marriage；　as　I　think；　is　closely　connected　with　a　past
existence　from　which　a　certain　hereditary　or　family　duty　has　devolved
upon　you。　Do　you　know　what　that　uncle　of　yours；　to　whom　you　applied　in
1829；　was　doing　in　Paris？　In　your　family　he　was　thought　to　be　a
millionaire；　and；　dying　suddenly；　you　remember；　before　you　got　to　him；
he　did　not　leave　enough　for　his　burial；　a　pauper's　grave　was　all　that
remained　to　him。〃

〃Did　you　know　him？〃　asked　la　Peyrade。

〃He　was　my　oldest　and　dearest　friend；〃　replied　du　Portail。

〃If　that　is　so；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　hastily；　〃a　sum　of　two　thousand
francs；　which　I　received　on　my　arrival　in　Paris　from　some　unknown
source〃

〃Came　from　me；〃　replied　du　Portail。　〃Unfortunately；　engaged　at　the
time　in　a　rush　of　important　affairs；　which　you　shall　hear　of　later；　I
could　not　immediately　follow　up　the　benevolent　interest　I　felt　in　you
for　your　uncle's　sake；　this　explains　why　I　left　you　in　the　straw　of　a
garret；　where　you　came；　like　a　medlar；　to　that　maturity　of　ruin　which
brought　you　under　the　hand　of　a　Dutocq　and　a　Cerizet。〃

〃I　am　none　the　less　grateful　to　you；　monsieur；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃and
if　I　had　known　you　were　that　generous　protector；　whom　I　was　never　able
to　discover；　I　should　have　been　the　first　to　seek　occasion　to　meet　you
and　to　thank　you。〃

〃A　truce　to　compliments；〃　said　du　Portail；　〃and；　to　come　at　once　to
the　serious　side　of　our　present　conference；　what　should　you　say　if　I
told　you　that　this　uncle；　whose　protection　and　assistance　you　came　to
Paris　to　obtain；　was　an　agent　of　that　occult　power　which　has　always
been　the　theme　of　feeble　ridicule　and　the　object　of　silly　prejudice？〃

〃I　do　not　seize　your　meaning；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　with　uneasy　curiosity；
〃may　I　ask　you　to　be　more　precise？〃

〃For　example；　I　will　suppose；〃　continued　du　Portail；　〃that　your　uncle；
if　still　living；　were　to　say　to　you　to…day：　'You　are　seeking　fortune
and　influence；　my　good　nephew；　you　want　to　rise　above　the　crowd　and　to
play　your　part　in　all　the　great　events　of　your　time；　you　want
employment　for　a　keen；　active　mind；　full　of　resources；　and　slightly
inclined　to　intrigue；　in　short；　you　long　to　exert　in　some　upper　and
elegant　sphere　that　force　of　will　and　subtlety　which　at　present　you
are　wasting　in　the　silly　and　useless　manipulation　of　the　most　barren
and　tough…skinned　animal　on　earth；　to　wit：　a　bourgeois。　Well；　then；
lower　your　head；　my　fine　nephew；　enter　with　me　through　the　little　door
which　I　will　open　to　you；　it　gives　admittance　to　a　great　house；　often
maligned；　but　better　far　than　its　reputation。　That　threshold　once
crossed；　you　can　rise　to　the　height　of　your　natural　genius；　whatever
its　spark　may　be。　Statesmen；　kings　even；　will　admit　you　to　their　most
secret　thoughts；　you　will　be　their　occult　collaborator；　and　none　of
the　joys　which　money　and　the　highest　powers　can　bestow　upon　a　man　will
be　lacking　to　you。〃

〃But；　monsieur；〃　objected　la　Peyrade；　〃without　venturing　to　understand
you；　I　must　remark　that　my　uncle　died　so　poor；　you　tell　me；　that
public　charity　buried　him。〃

〃Your　uncle；〃　replied　du　Portail；　〃was　a　man　of　rare　talent；　but　he
had　a　certain　weak　side　in　his　nature　which　compromised　his　career。　He
was　eager　for　pleasure；　a　spendthrift；　thoughtless　for　the　future；　he
wanted　also　to　taste　those　joys　that　are　meant　for　the　common　run　of
men；　but　which　for　great；　exceptional　vocations　are　the　worst　of
snares　and　impediments：　I　mean　the　joys　of　family。　He　had　a　daughter
whom　he　madly　loved；　and　it　was　through　her　that　his　terrible　enemies
opened　a　breach　in　his　life；　and　prepared　the　horrible　catastrophe
that　ended　it。〃

〃Is　that　an　encouragement　to　enter　this　shady　path；　where；　you　say；　he
might　have　asked　me　to　follow　him？〃

〃But　if　I　myself；〃　said　du　Portail；　〃should　offer　to　guide　you　in　it；
what　then？〃

〃You；　monsieur！〃　said　la　Peyrade；　in　stupefaction。

〃Yes；　II　who　was　your　uncle's　pupil　at　first；　and　later　his
protector　and　providence；　I；　whose　influence　the　last　half…century　has
daily　increased；　I；　who　am　wealthy；　I；　to　whom　all　governments；　as
they　fall　one　on　top　of　the　others　like　houses　of　cards；　come　to　ask
for　safety　and　for　the　power　to　rebuild　their　future；　I；　who　am　the
manager　of　a　great　theatre　of　puppets　（where　I　have　Columbines　in　the
style　of　Madame　de　Godollo）；　I；　who　to…morrow；　if　it　were　necessary　to
the　success　of　one　of　my　vaudevilles　or　one　of　my　dramas；　might
present　myself　to　your　eyes　as　the　wearer　of　the　grand　cordon　of　the
Legion　of　honor；　of　the　Order　of　the　Black　Eagle；　or　that　of　the
Golden　Fleece。　Do　you　wish　to　know　why　neither　you　nor　I　will　die　a
violent　death　like　your　uncle；　and　also　why；　more　fortunate　than
contemporaneous　kings；　I　can　transmit　my　sceptre　to　the　successor　whom
I　myself　may　choose？　Because；　like　you；　my　young　friend；　in　spite　of
your　Southern　appearance；　I　was　cold；　profoundly　calculating；　never
tempted　to　lose　my　time　on　trifles　at　the　outskirts；　because　heat；
when　I　was　led　by　force　of　circumstances　to　employ　it；　never　went
below　the　surface。　It　is　more　than　probable　that　you　have　heard　of　me；
well；　for　you　I　will　open　a　window　in　my　cloud；　look　at　me；　observe　me
well；　have　I　a　cloven　hoof；　or　a　tail　at　the　end　of　my　spine？　On　the
contrary；　am　I　not　a　model　of　the　most　inoffensive　of　householders　in
the　Saint…Sulpice　quarter？　In　that　quarter；　where　I　have　enjoyed；　I
may　say　it；　universal　esteem　for　the　last　twenty…five　years；　I　am
called　du　Portail；　but　to　you；　if　you　will　allow　me；　I　shall　now　name
myself　CORENTIN。〃

〃Corentin！〃　cried　la　Peyrade；　with　terrified　astonishment。

〃Yes；　monsieur；　and　you　see　that　in　telling　you　that　secret　I　lay　my
hand　upon　you；　and　enlist　you。　Corentin！　'the　greatest　man　of　the
pol