the lesser bourgeoisie-第30章

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Sometimes　the　clients　would　sell　to　each　other　（as　hackney…coachmen　do
on　the　cabstands）；　head　numbers　for　tail　numbers。　On　certain　days；
when　the　market　business　was　pressing；　a　head　number　was　often　sold
for　a　glass　of　brandy　and　a　sou。　The　numbers；　as　they　issued　from
Cerizet's　office；　called　up　the　succeeding　numbers；　and　if　any
disputes　arose　Cadenet　put　a　stop　to　the　fray　at　once　my　remarking：

〃If　you　get　the　police　here　you　won't　gain　anything；　HE'll　shut　up
shop。〃

HE　was　Cerizet's　name。　When；　in　the　course　of　the　day；　some　hapless
woman；　without　an　atom　of　food　in　her　room；　and　seeing　her　children
pale　with　hunger；　would　come　to　borrow　ten　or　twenty　sous；　she　would
say　to　the　wine…merchant　anxiously：

〃Is　HE　there？〃

Cadenet；　a　short；　stout　man；　dressed　in　blue；　with　outer　sleeves　of
black　stuff　and　a　wine…merchant's　apron；　and　always　wearing　a　cap；
seemed　an　angel　to　these　mothers　when　he　replied　to　them：

〃HE　told　me　that　you　were　an　honest　woman　and　I　might　give　you　forty
sous。　You　know　what　you　must　do　about　it〃

And；　strange　to　say；　HE　was　blessed　by　these　poor　people；　even　as　they
had　lately　blessed　Popinot。

But　Cerizet　was　cursed　on　Sunday　mornings　when　accounts　were　settled；
and　they　cursed　him　even　more　on　Saturdays；　when　it　was　necessary　to
work　in　order　to　repay　the　sum　borrowed　with　interest。　But；　after　all；
he　was　Providence；　he　was　God　from　Tuesday　to　Friday　of　every　week。

The　room　which　he　made　his　office；　formerly　the　kitchen　of　the　next
floor；　was　bare；　the　beams　of　the　ceiling　had　been　whitewashed；　but
still　bore　marks　of　smoke。　The　walls；　along　which　he　had　put　benches；
and　the　stone　floor；　retained　and　gave　out　dampness。　The　fireplace；
where　the　crane　remained；　was　partly　filled　by　an　iron　stove　in　which
Cerizet　burned　sea…coal　when　the　weather　was　severe。　A　platform　about
half　a　foot　high　and　eight　feet　square　extended　from　the　edge　of　the
fireplace；　on　it　was　fastened　a　common　table　and　an　armchair　with　a
round　cushion　covered　with　green　leather。　Behind　him；　Cerizet　had
sheathed　the　walls　with　planks；　also　protecting　himself　with　a　little
wooden　screen；　painted　white；　from　the　draught　between　the　window　and
door；　but　this　screen；　made　of　two　leaves；　was　so　placed　that　the
warmth　from　the　stove　reached　him。　The　window　had　enormous　inside
shutters　of　cast…iron；　held；　when　closed；　by　a　bar。　The　door　commanded
respect　by　an　armor　of　the　same　character。

At　the　farther　end　of　this　room；　in　a　corner；　was　a　spiral…staircase；
coming；　evidently；　from　some　pulled…down　shop；　and　bought　in　the　rue
Chapon　by　Cadenet；　who　had　fitted　it　through　the　ceiling　into　the　room
in　the　entresol　occupied　by　Cerizet。　In　order　to　prevent　all
communication　with　the　upper　floors；　Cerizet　had　exacted　that　the　door
of　that　room　which　opened　on　the　common　landing　should　be　walled　up。
The　place　had　thus　become　a　fortress。　The　bedroom　above　had　a　cheap
carpet　bought　for　twenty　francs；　an　iron　bedstead；　a　bureau；　three
chairs；　and　an　iron　safe；　made　by　a　good　workman；　which　Cerizet　had
bought　at　a　bargain。　He　shaved　before　a　glass　on　the　chimney…piece；　he
owned　two　pairs　of　cotton　sheets　and　six　cotton　shirts；　the　rest　of
his　visible　wardrobe　was　of　the　same　character。　Cadenet　had　once　seen
Cerizet　dressed　like　a　dandy　of　the　period；　he　must；　therefore；　have
kept　hidden；　in　some　drawer　of　his　bureau；　a　complete　disguise　with
which　he　could　go　to　the　opera；　see　the　world；　and　not　be　recognized；
for；　had　it　not　been　that　Cadenet　heard　his　voice；　he　would　certainly
have　asked　him　who　he　was。

What　pleased　the　clients　of　this　man　most　was　his　joviality　and　his
repartees；　he　talked　their　language。　Cadenet；　his　two　shop…men；　and
Cerizet；　living　in　the　midst　of　dreadful　misery；　behaved　with　the
calmness　of　undertakers　in　presence　of　afflicted　heirs；　of　old
sergeants　of　the　Guard　among　heaps　of　dead。　They　no　more　shuddered　on
hearing　cries　of　hunger　and　despair　than　surgeons　shudder　at　the　cries
of　their　patients　in　hospital；　they　said；　as　the　soldiers　and　the
dressers　said；　the　perfunctory　words；　〃Have　patience！　a　little
courage！　What's　the　good　of　grieving？　Suppose　you　kill　yourself；　what
then？　One　gets　accustomed　to　everything；　be　reasonable！〃

Though　Cerizet　took　the　precaution　to　hide　the　money　necessary　for　his
morning　operations　in　the　hollow　seat　of　the　chair　in　which　he　sat；
taking　out　no　more　than　a　hundred　francs　at　a　time；　which　he　put　in
the　pockets　of　his　trousers；　never　dipping　into　the　funds　of　the　chair
except　between　the　entrance　of　two　batches　of　clients　（keeping　his
door　locked　and　not　opening　it　till　all　was　safely　stowed　in　his
pockets）；　he　had　really　nothing　to　fear　from　the　various　despairs
which　found　their　way　from　all　sides　to　this　rendezvous　of　misery。
Certainly；　there　are　many　different　ways　of　being　honest　and　virtuous；
and　the　〃Monograph　of　Virtue〃　has　no　other　basis　than　this　social
axiom。＇*＇　A　man　is　false　to　his　conscience；　he　fails；　apparently；　in
delicacy；　he　forfeits　that　bloom　of　honor　which；　though　lost；　does
not；　as　yet；　mean　general　disrepute；　at　last；　however；　he　fails
decidedly　in　honor；　if　he　falls　into　the　hands　of　the　correctional
police；　he　is　not；　as　yet；　guilty　of　crime　before　the　court　of
assizes；　but　after　he　is　branded　with　infamy　by　the　verdict　of　a　jury
he　may　still　be　honored　at　the　galleys　for　the　species　of　honor　and
integrity　practised　by　criminals　among　themselves；　which　consists　in
not　betraying　each　other；　in　sharing　booty　loyally；　and　in　running　all
dangers。　Well；　this　last　form　of　honorwhich　is　perhaps　a
calculation；　a　necessity；　the　practice　of　which　offers　certain
opportunities　for　grandeur　to　the　guilty　man　and　the　possibility　of　a
return　to　goodreigned　absolutely　between　Cerizet　and　his　clients。
Never　did　Cerizet　make　an　error；　nor　his　poor　people　either；　neither
side　ever　denied　what　was　due；　either　capital　or　interests。　Many　a
time　Cerizet；　who　was　born　among　the　people；　corrected　from　one　week
to　another　some　accidental　error；　to　the　benefit　of　a　poor　man　who　had
never　discovered　it。　He　was　called　a　Jew；　but　an　honest　one；　and　his
word　in　that　city　of　sorrows　was　sacred。　A　woman　died；　causing　a　loss
to　him　of　thirty　francs：

＇*＇　A　book　on　which　the　author　has　been　at　work　since　1833；　the　year
　　　　in　which　it　was　first　announced。Author's　note。

〃See　my　profits！　there　they　go！〃　he　said　to　his　assemblage；　〃and　you
howl　upon　me！　You　know　I'll　never　trouble　the　brats；　in　fact；　Cadenet
has　already　taken　them　bread　and　heel…taps。〃

After　that　it　was　said　of　him　in　both　faubourgs：

〃He　is　not　a　bad　fellow！〃

The　〃loan　by　the　little　week；〃　as　interpreted　by　Cerizet；　is　not；
considering　all　things；　so　cruel　a　thing　as　the　pawn…shop。　Cerizet
loaned　ten　francs　Tuesday　on　condition　of　receiving　twelve　francs
Sunday　morning。　In　five　weeks　he　doubled　his　capital；　but　he　had　to
make　many　compromises。　His　kindness　consisted　in　accepting；　from　time
to　time；　eleven　francs　and　fifty　centimes；　sometimes　the　whole
interest　was　still　owing。　When　he　gave　fifty　francs　for　sixty　to　a
fruit…stall　man；　or　a　hundred　francs　for　one　hundred　and　twenty　to　a
seller　of　peat…fuel；　he　ran　great　risks。

On　reaching　the　rue　des　Poules　through　the　rue　des　Postes；　Theodose
and　Dutocq　saw　a　great　assemblage　of　men　and　women；　and　by　the　light
which　the　wine…merchant's　little　oil…lamps　cast　upon　these　groups；
they　were　horrified　at　beholding　that　mass　of　red；　seamed；　haggard
faces；　solemn　with　suffering；　withered；　distorted；　swollen　with　wine；
pallid　from　liquor；　some　threatening；　others　resigned；　some　sarcastic
or　jeering；　others　besotted；　all　rising　from　the　midst　of　those
terrible　rags；　which　no　designer　can　surpass　in　his　most　extravagant
caricatures。

〃I　shall　be　recognized；〃　said　Theodose；　pulling　Dutocq　away；　〃we　have
done　a　foolish　thing　to　come　here　at　this　hour　and　take　him　in　the
midst　of　his　business。〃

〃All　the　more　that　Claparon　may　be　sleeping　in　his　lair；　the　interior
of　which　we　know　nothing　about。　Yes；　there　are　dangers　for　you；　but
none　for　me；　I　shall　be　thought　to　have　business　with　my　copying…
clerk；　and　I'll　go　and　tell　him　to　come　and　dine　with　us；　t