the lesser bourgeoisie-第14章

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enough　to　complete　his　terms　for　the　bar；　but；　strange　to　say；　he　has
never　known　the　name　or　the　address　of　this　mysterious　benefactor。
After　all；　perhaps；　under　such　circumstances；　his　economy　is
excusable；　and　he　must　have　great　strength　of　mind　to　refuse　what　the
poor　devils　whose　cases　he　wins　by　his　devotion　offer　him。　He　is
indignant　at　the　way　other　lawyers　speculate　on　the　possibility　or
impossibility　of　poor　creatures；　unjustly　sued；　paying　for　the　costs
of　their　defence。　Oh！　he'll　succeed　in　the　end。　I　shouldn't　be
surprised　to　see　that　fellow　in　some　very　brilliant　position；　he　has
tenacity；　honesty；　and　courage。　He　studies；　he　delves。〃

Notwithstanding　the　favor　with　which　he　was　greeted；　la　Peyrade　went
discreetly　to　the　Thuilliers'。　When　reproached　for　this　reserve　he
went　oftener；　and　ended　by　appearing　every　Sunday；　he　was　invited　to
all　dinner…parties；　and　became　at　last　so　familiar　in　the　house　that
whenever　he　came　to　see　Thuillier　about　four　o'clock　he　was　always
requested　to　take　〃pot…luck〃　without　ceremony。　Mademoiselle　Thuillier
used　to　say：

〃Then　we　know　that　he　will　get　a　good　dinner；　poor　fellow！〃

A　social　phenomenon　which　has　certainly　been　observed；　but　never；　as
yet；　formulated；　or；　if　you　like　it　better；　published；　though　it　fully
deserves　to　be　recorded；　is　the　return　of　habits；　mind；　and　manners　to
primitive　conditions　in　certain　persons　who；　between　youth　and　old
age；　have　raised　themselves　above　their　first　estate。　Thus　Thuillier
had　become；　once　more；　morally　speaking；　the　son　of　a　concierge。　He
now　made　use　of　many　of　his　father's　jokes；　and　a　little　of　the　slime
of　early　days　was　beginning　to　appear　on　the　surface　of　his　declining
life。　About　five　or　six　times　a　month；　when　the　soup　was　rich　and　good
he　would　deposit　his　spoon　in　his　empty　plate　and　say；　as　if　the
proposition　were　entirely　novel：

〃That's　better　than　a　kick　on　the　shin…bone！〃

On　hearing　that　witticism　for　the　first　time　Theodose；　to　whom　it　was
really　new；　laughed　so　heartily　that　the　handsome　Thuillier　was
tickled　in　his　vanity　as　he　had　never　been　before。　After　that；
Theodose　greeted　the　same　speech　with　a　knowing　little　smile。　This
slight　detail　will　explain　how　it　was　that　on　the　morning　of　the　day
when　Theodose　had　his　passage　at　arms　with　Vinet　he　had　said　to
Thuillier；　as　they　were　walking　in　the　garden　to　see　the　effect　of　a
frost：

〃You　have　much　more　wit　than　you　give　yourself　credit　for。〃

To　which　he　received　this　answer：

〃In　any　other　career；　my　dear　Theodose；　I　should　have　made　my　way
nobly；　but　the　fall　of　the　Emperor　broke　my　neck。〃

〃There　is　still　time；〃　said　the　young　lawyer。　〃In　the　first　place；
what　did　that　mountebank；　Colleville；　ever　do　to　get　the　cross？〃

There　la　Peyrade　laid　his　finger　on　a　sore　wound　which　Thuillier　hid
from　every　eye　so　carefully　that　even　his　sister　did　not　know　of　it；
but　the　young　man；　interested　in　studying　these　bourgeois；　had　divined
the　secret　envy　that　gnawed　at　the　heart　of　the　ex…official。

〃If　you；　experienced　as　you　are；　will　do　the　honor　to　follow　my
advice；〃　added　the　philanthropist；　〃and；　above　all；　not　mention　our
compact　to　any　one；　I　will　undertake　to　have　you　decorated　with　the
Legion　of　honor；　to　the　applause　of　the　whole　quarter。〃

〃Oh！　if　we　succeed　in　that；〃　cried　Thuillier；　〃you　don't　know　what　I
would　do　for　you。〃

This　explains　why　Thuillier　carried　his　head　high　when　Theodose　had
the　audacity　that　evening　to　put　opinions　into　his　mouth。

In　artand　perhaps　Moliere　had　placed　hypocrisy　in　the　rank　of　art　by
classing　Tartuffe　forever　among　comediansthere　exists　a　point　of
perfection　to　which　genius　alone　attains；　mere　talent　falls　below　it。
There　is　so　little　difference　between　a　work　of　genius　and　a　work　of
talent；　that　only　men　of　genius　can　appreciate　the　distance　that
separates　Raffaelle　from　Correggio；　Titian　from　Rubens。　More　than
that；　common　minds　are　easily　deceived　on　this　point。　The　sign　of
genius　is　a　certain　appearance　of　facility。　In　fact；　its　work　must
appear；　at　first　sight；　ordinary；　so　natural　is　it；　even　on　the
highest　subjects。　Many　peasant…women　hold　their　children　as　the　famous
Madonna　in　the　Dresden　gallery　holds　hers。　Well；　the　height　of　art　in
a　man　of　la　Peyrade's　force　was　to　oblige　others　to　say　of　him　later：
〃Everybody　would　have　been　taken　in　by　him。〃

Now；　in　the　salon　Thuillier；　he　noted　a　dawning　opposition；　he
perceived　in　Colleville　the　somewhat　clear…sighted　and　criticising
nature　of　an　artist　who　has　missed　his　vocation。　The　barrister　felt
himself　displeasing　to　Colleville；　who　（as　the　result　of　circumstances
not　necessary　to　here　report）　considered　himself　justified　in
believing　in　the　science　of　anagrams。　None　of　this　anagrams　had　ever
failed。　The　clerks　in　the　government　office　had　laughed　at　him　when；
demanding　an　anagram　on　the　name　of　the　poor　helpless　Auguste…Jean…
Francois　Minard；　he　had　produced；　〃J'amassai　une　si　grande　fortune〃；
and　the　event　had　justified　him　after　the　lapse　of　ten　years！
Theodose；　on　several　occasions；　had　made　advances　to　the　jovial
secretary　of　the　mayor's　office；　and　had　felt　himself　rebuffed　by　a
coldness　which　was　not　natural　in　so　sociable　a　man。　When　the　game　of
bouillotte　came　to　an　end；　Colleville　seized　the　moment　to　draw
Thuillier　into　the　recess　of　a　window　and　say　to　him：

〃You　are　letting　that　lawyer　get　too　much　foothold　in　your　house；　he
kept　the　ball　in　his　own　hands　all　the　evening。〃

〃Thank　you；　my　friend；　forewarned　is　forearmed；〃　replied　Thuillier；
inwardly　scoffing　at　Colleville。

Theodose；　who　was　talking　at　the　moment　to　Madame　Colleville；　had　his
eye　on　the　two　men；　and；　with　the　same　prescience　by　which　women　know
when　and　how　they　are　spoken　of；　he　perceived　that　Colleville　was
trying　to　injure　him　in　the　mind　of　the　weak　and　silly　Thuillier。
〃Madame；〃　he　said　in　Flavie's　ear；　〃if　any　one　here　is　capable　of
appreciating　you　it　is　certainly　I。　You　seem　to　me　a　pearl　dropped
into　the　mire。　You　say　you　are　forty…two；　but　a　woman　is　no　older　than
she　looks；　and　many　women　of　thirty　would　be　thankful　to　have　your
figure　and　that　noble　countenance；　where　love　has　passed　without　ever
filling　the　void　in　your　heart。　You　have　given　yourself　to　God；　I
know；　and　I　have　too　much　religion　myself　to　regret　it；　but　I　also
know　that　you　have　done　so　because　no　human　being　has　proved　worthy　of
you。　You　have　been　loved；　but　you　have　never　been　adoredI　have
divined　that。　There　is　your　husband；　who　has　not　known　how　to　please
you　in　a　position　in　keeping　with　your　deserts。　He　dislikes　me；　as　if
he　thought　I　loved　you；　and　he　prevents　me　from　telling　you　of　a　way
that　I　think　I　have　found　to　place　you　in　the　sphere　for　which　you
were　destined。　No；　madame；〃　he　continued；　rising；　〃the　Abbe　Gondrin
will　not　preach　this　year　through　Lent　at　our　humble　Saint…Jacques　du
Haut…Pas；　the　preacher　will　be　Monsieur　d'Estival；　a　compatriot　of
mine；　and　you　will　hear　in　him　one　of　the　most　impressive　speakers
that　I　have　ever　known；a　priest　whose　outward　appearance　is　not
agreeable；　but；　oh！　what　a　soul！〃

〃Then　my　desire　will　be　gratified；〃　said　poor　Madame　Thuillier。　〃I
have　never　yet　been　able　to　understand　a　famous　preacher。〃

A　smile　flickered　on　the　lips　of　Mademoiselle　Thuillier　and　several
others　who　heard　the　remark。

〃They　devote　themselves　too　much　to　theological　demonstration；〃　said
Theodose。　〃I　have　long　thought　so　myselfbut　I　never　talk　religion；
if　it　had　not　been　for　Madame　DE　Colleville；　I〃

〃Are　there　demonstrations　in　theology？〃　asked　the　professor　of
mathematics；　naively；　plunging　headlong　into　the　conversation。

〃I　think；　monsieur；〃　replied　Theodose；　looking　straight　at　Felix
Phellion；　〃that　you　cannot　be　serious　in　asking　me　such　a　question。〃

〃Felix；〃　said　old　Phellion；　coming　heavily　to　the　rescue　of　his　son；
and　catching　a　distressed　look　on　the　pale　face　of　Madame　Thuillier；
〃Felix　separates　religion　into　two　categories；　he　considers　it　from
the　human　point　of　view　and　the　divine　point　of　view；tradition　and
reason。〃

〃That　is　heresy；　monsieur；〃　replied　Theodose。　〃Religion　is　one；　it
requires；　above　all　things；　faith。〃

Old