the lesser bourgeoisie-第24章

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modest。　There　come　the　Minards；　let　me　pipe　to　them。　Bring　them　out
here；　and　then　disappear　yourself。〃

After　the　first　salutations；　la　Peyrade　was　careful　to　keep　close　to
the　mayor；　and　presently　at　an　opportune　moment　he　drew　him　aside　to
say：

〃Monsieur　le　maire；　a　man　of　your　political　importance　doesn't　come　to
bore　himself　in　a　house　of　this　kind　without　an　object。　I　don't　want
to　fathom　your　motiveswhich；　indeed；　I　have　no　right　to　doand　my
part　in　this　world　is　certainly　not　to　mingle　with　earthly　powers；　but
please　pardon　my　apparent　presumption；　and　deign　to　listen　to　a　piece
of　advice　which　I　shall　venture　to　give　you。　If　I　do　you　a　service
to…day　you　are　in　a　position　to　return　it　to　me　to…morrow；　therefore；
in　case　I　should　be　so　fortunate　as　to　do　you　a　good　turn；　I　am　really
only　obeying　the　law　of　self…interest。　Our　friend　Thuillier　is　in
despair　at　being　a　nobody；　he　has　taken　it　into　his　head　that　he　wants
to　become　a　personage　in　this　arrondissement〃

〃Ah！　ah！〃　exclaimed　Minard。

〃Oh！　nothing　very　exalted；　he　wants　to　be　elected　to　the　municipal
council。　Now；　I　know　that　Phellion；　seeing　the　influence　such　a
service　would　have　on　his　family　interests；　intends　to　propose　your
poor　friend　as　candidate。　Well；　perhaps　you　might　think　it　wise；　in
your　own　interests；　to　be　beforehand　with　him。　Thuillier's　nomination
could　only　be　favorable　for　youI　mean　agreeable；　and　he'll　fill　his
place　in　the　council　very　well；　there　are　some　there　who　are　not　as
strong　as　he。　Besides；　owing　to　his　place　to　your　support；　he　will　see
with　your　eyes；　he　already　looks　to　you　as　one　of　the　lights　of　the
town。〃

〃My　dear　fellow；　I　thank　you　very　much；〃　replied　Minard。　〃You　are
doing　me　a　service　I　cannot　sufficiently　acknowledge；　and　which　proves
to　me〃

〃That　I　don't　like　those　Phellions；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　taking　advantage
of　a　slight　hesitation　on　the　part　of　the　mayor；　who　feared　to　express
an　idea　in　which　the　lawyer　might　see　contempt。　〃I　hate　people　who
make　capital　out　of　their　honesty　and　coin　money　from　fine
sentiments。〃

〃You　know　them　well；〃　said　Minard；　〃they　are　sycophants。　That　man's
whole　life　for　the　last　ten　years　is　explained　by　this　bit　of　red
ribbon；〃　added　the　mayor；　pointing　to　his　own　buttonhole。

〃Take　care！〃　said　the　lawyer；　〃his　son　is　in　love　with　Celeste；　and
he's　fairly　in　the　heart　of　the　family。〃

〃Yes；　but　my　son　has　twelve　thousand　a　year　in　his　own　right。〃

〃Oh！〃　said　Theodose；　with　a　start；　〃Mademoiselle　Brigitte　was　saying
the　other　day　that　she　wanted　at　least　as　much　as　that　in　Celeste's
suitor。　Moreover；　six　months　hence　you'll　probably　hear　that　Thuillier
has　a　property　worth　forty　thousand　francs　a　year。〃

〃The　devil！　well；　I　thought　as　much。　Yes；　certainly；　he　shall　be　made
a　member　of　the　municipal　council。〃

〃In　any　case；　don't　say　anything　about　me　to　him；〃　said　the　advocate
of　the　poor；　who　now　hastened　away　to　speak　to　Madame　Phellion。　〃Well；
my　fair　lady；〃　he　said；　when　he　reached　her；　〃have　you　succeeded？〃

〃I　waited　till　four　o'clock；　and　then　that　worthy　and　excellent　man
would　not　let　me　finish　what　I　had　to　say。　He　is　much　to　busy　to
accept　such　an　office；　and　he　sent　a　letter　which　Monsieur　Phellion
has　read；　saying　that　he；　Doctor　Bianchon；　thanked　him　for　his　good
intentions；　and　assured　him　that　his　own　candidate　was　Monsieur
Thuillier。　He　said　that　he　should　use　all　his　influence　in　his　favor；
and　begged　my　husband　to　do　the　same。〃

〃And　what　did　your　excellent　husband　say？〃

〃'I　have　done　my　duty；'　he　said。　'I　have　not　been　false　to　my
conscience；　and　now　I　am　all　for　Thuillier。'〃

〃Well；　then；　the　thing　is　settled；〃　said　la　Peyrade。　〃Ignore　my　visit；
and　take　all　the　credit　of　the　idea　to　yourselves。〃

Then　he　went　to　Madame　Colleville；　composing　himself　in　the　attitude
and　manner　of　the　deepest　respect。

〃Madame；〃　he　said；　〃have　the　goodness　to　send　out　to　me　here　that
kindly　papa　Colleville。　A　surprise　is　to　be　given　to　Monsieur
Thuillier；　and　I　want　Monsieur　Colleville　to　be　in　the　secret。〃

While　la　Peyrade　played　the　part　of　man　of　the　world　with　Colleville；
and　allowed　himself　various　witty　sarcasms　when　explaining　to　him
Thuillier's　candidacy；　telling　him　he　ought　to　support　it；　if　only　to
exhibit　his　incapacity；　Flavie　was　listening　in　the　salon　to　the
following　conversation；　which　bewildered　her　for　the　moment　and　made
her　ears　ring。

〃I　should　like　to　know　what　Monsieur　Colleville　and　Monsieur　de　la
Peyrade　can　be　saying　to　each　other　to　make　them　laugh　like　that；〃
said　Madame　Thuillier；　foolishly；　looking　out　of　the　window。

〃A　lot　of　improper　things；　as　men　always　do　when　they　talk　together；〃
replied　Mademoiselle　Thuillier；　who　often　attacked　men　with　the　sort
of　instinct　natural　to　old　maids。

〃No；　they　are　incapable　of　that；〃　said　Phellion；　gravely。　〃Monsieur　de
la　Peyrade　is　one　of　the　most　virtuous　young　men　I　have　ever　met。
People　know　what　I　think　of　Felix；　well；　I　put　the　two　on　the　same
line；　indeed；　I　wish　my　son　had　a　little　more　of　Monsieur　de　la
Peyrade's　beautiful　piety。〃

〃You　are　right；　he　is　a　man　of　great　merit；　who　is　sure　to　succeed；〃
said　Minard。　〃As　for　me；　my　suffragesfor　I　really　ought　not　to　say
protectionare　his。〃

〃He　pays　more　for　oil　than　for　bread；〃　said　Dutocq。　〃I　know　that。〃

〃His　mother；　if　he　has　the　happiness　to　still　possess　her；　must　be
proud　of　him；〃　remarked　Madame　Thuillier；　sententiously。

〃He　is　a　real　treasure　for　us；〃　said　Thuillier。　〃If　you　only　knew　how
modest　he　is！　He　doesn't　do　himself　justice。〃

〃I　can　answer　for　one　thing；〃　added　Dutocq；　〃no　young　man　ever
maintained　a　nobler　attitude　in　poverty；　he　triumphed　over　it；　but　he
sufferedit　is　easy　to　see　that。〃

〃Poor　young　man！〃　cried　Zelie。　〃Such　things　make　my　heart　ache！〃

〃Any　one　could　safely　trust　both　secrets　and　fortune　to　him；〃　said
Thuillier；　〃and　in　these　days　that　is　the　finest　thing　that　can　be
said　of　a　man。〃

〃It　is　Colleville　who　is　making　him　laugh；〃　cried　Dutocq。

Just　then　Colleville　and　la　Peyrade　returned　from　the　garden　the　very
best　friends　in　the　world。

〃Messieurs；〃　said　Brigitte；　〃the　soup　and　the　King　must　never　be　kept
waiting；　give　your　hand　to　the　ladies。〃

Five　minutes　after　this　little　pleasantry　（issuing　from　the　lodge　of
her　father　the　porter）　Brigitte　had　the　satisfaction　of　seeing　her
table　surrounded　by　the　principal　personages　of　this　drama；　the　rest；
with　the　one　exception　of　the　odious　Cerizet；　arrived　later。

The　portrait　of　the　former　maker　of　canvas　money…bags　would　be
incomplete　if　we　omitted　to　give　a　description　of　one　of　her　best
dinners。　The　physiognomy　of　the　bourgeois　cook　of　1840　is；　moreover；
one　of　those　details　essentially　necessary　to　a　history　of　manners　and
customs；　and　clever　housewives　may　find　some　lessons　in　it。　A　woman
doesn't　make　empty　bags　for　twenty　years　without　looking　out　for　the
means　to　fill　a　few　of　them。　Now　Brigitte　had　one　peculiar
characteristic。　She　united　the　economy　to　which　she　owed　her　fortune
with　a　full　understanding　of　necessary　expenses。　Her　relative
prodigality；　when　it　concerned　her　brother　or　Celeste；　was　the
antipodes　of　avarice。　In　fact；　she　often　bemoaned　herself　that　she
couldn't　be　miserly。　At　her　last　dinner　she　had　related　how；　after
struggling　ten　minute　and　enduring　martyrdom；　she　had　ended　by　giving
ten　francs　to　a　poor　workwoman　whom　she　knew；　positively；　had　been
without　food　for　two　days。

〃Nature；〃　she　said　naively；　〃is　stronger　than　reason。〃

The　soup　was　a　rather　pale　bouillon；　for；　even　on　an　occasion　like
this；　the　cook　had　been　enjoined　to　make　a　great　deal　of　bouillon　out
of　the　beef　supplied。　Then；　as　the　said　beef　was　to　feed　the　family　on
the　next　day　and　the　day　after　that；　the　less　juice　it　expended　in　the
bouillon；　the　more　substantial　were　the　subsequent　dinners。　The　beef；
little　cooked；　was　always　taken　away　at　the　following　speech　from
Brigitte；　uttered　as　soon　as　Thuillier　put　his　knife　into　it：

〃I　think　it　is　rather　tough；　send　it　away；　Thuillier；　nobody　will　eat
it；　we　have　other　things。〃

The　soup　was；　in　fact；　flanked　by　four　viands　mounted　on　old　hot…water
chafing…dishes；　with　the