the lesser bourgeoisie-第33章

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the　expiration　of　a　certain　time；　to　bid　it　in；　that　is；　to　offer　more
and　keep　the　property　in　their　own　hands。　If　this　trickster　can't　be
hoodwinked　as　to　the　sale　being　a　bona　fide　one　until　the　time　when
his　right　to　buy　it　expires；　some　other　scheme　must　be　resorted　to。
Now；　is　this　business　strictly　legal？　Am　I　justified　in　doing　it　for
the　benefit　of　a　family　I　seek　to　enter？　That　is　the　question　I　have
been　revolving　in　my　mind　for　the　last　three　days。〃

Brigitte；　we　must　acknowledge；　hesitated；　and　Theodose　then　brought
forward　his　last　card：

〃Take　the　night　to　think　of　it；〃　he　said；　〃to…morrow　we　will　talk　it
over。〃

〃My　young　friend；〃　said　Brigitte；　looking　at　the　lawyer　with　an　almost
loving　air；　〃the　first　thing　to　be　done　is　to　see　the　house。　Where　is
it？〃

〃Near　the　Madeleine。　That　will　be　the　heart　of　Paris　in　ten　years。　All
that　property　has　been　desirable　since　1819；　the　banker　Du　Tillet's
fortune　was　derived　from　property　about　there。　The　famous　failure　of
Maitre　Roquin；　which　carried　terror　to　all　Paris；　and　did　such　harm　to
the　confidence　given　to　the　notariat；　was　also　caused　by　it；　they　went
into　heavy　speculations　on　that　land　too　soon；　they　should　have　waited
until　now。〃

〃I　remember　about　that；〃　said　Brigitte。

〃The　house　might　be　finished　by　the　end　of　the　year；〃　continued
Theodose；　〃and　the　rentals　could　begin　next　spring。〃

〃Could　we　go　there　to…morrow？〃

〃Dear　aunt；　I　am　at　your　orders。〃

〃Ah　ca！〃　she　cried；　〃don't　call　me　that　before　people。　As　to　this
affair；〃　she　continued；　〃I　can't　have　any　opinion　until　I　have　seen
the　house。〃

〃It　has　six　storeys；　nine　windows　on　the　front；　a　fine　courtyard；　four
shops；　and　it　stands　on　a　corner。　Ah！　that　notary　knows　what　he　is
about　in　wishing　to　hold　on　to　such　pieces　of　property！　But　let
political　events　interfere；　and　down　go　the　Funds！　If　I　were　you；　I
should　sell　out　all　that　you　and　Madame　Thuillier　have　on　the　Grand
Livre　and　buy　this　fine　piece　of　real　estate　for　Thuillier；　and　I'd
recover　the　fortune　of　that　poor；　pious　creature　by　savings　from　its
proceeds。　Can　the　Funds　go　higher　than　they　are　to…day？　One　hundred
and　twenty…two！　it　is　fabulous；　I　should　make　haste　to　sell。〃

Brigitte　licked　her　lips；　she　perceived　the　means　of　keeping　her　own
property　intact；　and　of　enriching　her　brother　by　this　use　of　Madame
Thuillier's　fortune。

〃My　brother　is　right；〃　she　said　to　Theodose；　〃you　certainly　are　a　rare
man；　you'll　get　on　in　the　world。〃

〃And　he'll　walk　before　me；〃　responded　Theodose　with　a　naivete　that
touched　the　old　maid。

〃You　will　live　in　the　family；〃　she　said。

〃There　may　be　obstacles　to　that；〃　he　remarked。　〃Madame　Thuillier　is
very　queer　at　times；　she　doesn't　like　me。〃

〃Ha！　I'll　settle　that；〃　cried　Brigitte。　〃Do　you　attend　to　that　affair
and　carry　it　through　if　it　is　feasible；　and　leave　your　interests　in　my
hands。〃

〃Thuillier；　member　of　the　municipal　council；　owner　of　an　estate　with　a
rental　of　forty　thousand　francs　a　year；　with　the　cross　of　the　Legion
of　honor　and　the　author　of　a　political　work；　grave；　serious；
important；　will　be　deputy　at　the　forthcoming　general　election。　But；
between　ourselves；　little　aunt；　one　couldn't　devote　one's　self　so
utterly　except　for　a　father…in…law。〃

〃You　are　right。〃

〃Though　I　have　no　fortune　I　shall　have　doubled　yours；　and　if　this
affair　goes　through　discreetly；　others　will　turn　up。〃

〃Until　I　have　seen　the　house；〃　said　Mademoiselle　Thuillier　again；　〃I
can　decide　on　nothing。〃

〃Well　then；　send　for　a　carriage　to…morrow　and　let　us　go　there。　I　will
get　a　ticket　early　in　the　morning　to　view　the　premises。〃

〃To…morrow；　then；　about　mid…day；〃　responded　Brigitte；　holding　out　her
hand　to　Theodose　that　he　might　shake　it；　but　instead　of　that　he　laid
upon　it　the　most　respectful　and　the　most　tender　kiss　that　Brigitte　had
ever　in　her　life　received。

〃Adieu；　my　child；〃　she　said；　as　he　reached　the　door。

She　rang　the　bell　hurriedly　and　when　the　servant　came：

〃Josephine；〃　she　cried；　〃go　at　once　to　Madame　Colleville；　and　ask　her
to　come　over　and　speak　to　me。〃

Fifteen　minutes　later　Flavie　entered　the　salon；　where　Brigitte　was
walking　up　and　down；　in　a　state　of　extreme　agitation。

〃My　dear；〃　she　cried　on　seeing　Flavie；　〃you　can　do　me　a　great　service；
which　concerns　our　dear　Celeste。　You　know　Tullia；　don't　you？a
danseuse　at　the　opera；　my　brother　was　always　dinning　her　into　my　ears
at　one　time。〃

〃Yes；　I　know　her；　but　she　is　no　longer　a　danseuse；　she　is　Madame　la
Comtesse　du　Bruel。　Her　husband　is　peer　of　France！〃

〃Does　she　still　like　you？〃

〃We　never　see　each　other　now。〃

〃Well；　I　know　that　Chaffaroux；　the　rich　contractor；　is　her　uncle；〃
said　Brigitte。　〃He　is　old　and　wealthy。　Go　and　see　your　former　friend；
and　get　her　to　give　you　a　line　of　introduction　to　him；　saying　he　would
do　her　an　eminent　favor　if　he　would　give　a　piece　of　friendly　advice　to
the　bearer　of　the　note；　and　then　you　and　I　will　take　it　to　him
to…morrow　about　one　o'clock。　But　tell　Tullia　she　must　request　her
uncle　to　keep　secret　about　it。　Go；　my　dear。　Celeste；　our　dear　child；
will　be　a　millionaire！　I　can't　say　more；　but　she'll　have；　from　me；　a
husband　who　will　put　her　on　a　pinnacle。〃

〃Do　you　want　me　to　tell　you　the　first　letters　of　his　name？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃T。　P。；Theodose　de　la　Peyrade。　You　are　right。　That's　a　man　who　may；
if　supported　by　a　woman　like　you；　become　a　minister。〃

〃It　is　God　himself　who　has　placed　him　in　our　house！〃　cried　the　old
maid。

At　this　moment　Monsieur　and　Madame　Thuillier　returned　home。

Five　days　later；　in　the　month　of　April；　the　ordinance　which　convoked
the　electors　to　appoint　a　member　of　the　municipal　council　on　the　20th
of　the　same　month　was　inserted　in　the　〃Moniteur；〃　and　placarded　about
Paris。　For　several　weeks　the　ministry；　called　that　of　March　1st；　had
been　in　power。　Brigitte　was　in　a　charming　humor。　She　had　been
convinced　of　the　truth　of　all　la　Peyrade's　assertions。　The　house；
visited　from　garret　to　cellar　by　old　Chaffaroux；　was　admitted　by　him
to　be　an　admirable　construction；　poor　Grindot；　the　architect；　who　was
interested　with　the　notary　and　Claparon　in　the　affair；　thought　the　old
man　was　employed　in　the　interests　of　the　contractor；　the　old　fellow
himself　thought　he　was　acting　in　the　interests　of　his　niece；　and　he
gave　it　as　his　opinion　that　thirty　thousand　francs　would　finish　the
house。　Thus；　in　the　course　of　one　week　la　Peyrade　became　Brigitte's
god；　and　she　proved　to　him　by　the　most　naively　nefarious　arguments
that　fortune　should　be　seized　when　it　offered　itself。

〃Well；　if　there　IS　any　sin　in　the　business；〃　she　said　to　him　in　the
middle　of　the　garden；　〃you　can　confess　it。〃

〃The　devil！〃　cried　Thuillier；　〃a　man　owes　himself　to　his　relatives；
and　you　are　one　of　us　now。〃

〃Then　I　decide　to　do　it；〃　replied　la　Peyrade；　in　a　voice　of　emotion；
〃but　on　conditions　that　I　must　now　distinctly　state。　I　will　not；　in
marrying　Celeste；　be　accused　of　greed　and　mercenary　motives。　If　you
lay　remorse　upon　me；　at　least　you　must　consent　that　I　shall　remain　as
I　am　for　the　present。　Do　not　settle　upon　Celeste；　my　old　Thuillier；
the　future　possession　of　the　property　I　am　about　to　obtain　for　you〃

〃You　are　right。〃

〃Don't　rob　yourself；　and　let　my　dear　little　aunt　here　act　in　the　same
way　in　relation　to　the　marriage　contract。　Put　the　remainder　of　the
capital　in　Madame　Thuillier's　name；　on　the　Grand　Livre；　and　she　can　do
what　she　likes　with　it。　We　shall　all　live　together　as　one　family；　and
I'll　undertake　to　make　my　own　fortune；　now　that　I　am　free　from　anxiety
about　the　future。〃

〃That　suits　me；〃　said　Thuillier；　〃that's　the　talk　of　an　honest　man。〃

〃Let　me　kiss　you　on　the　forehead；　my　son；〃　said　the　old　maid；　〃but；
inasmuch　as　Celeste　cannot　be　allowed　to　go　without　a　'dot；'　we　shall
give　her　sixty　thousand　francs。〃

〃For　her　dress；〃　said　la　Peyrade。

〃We　are　all　three　persons　of　honor；〃　cried　Thuillier。　〃It　is　now
settled；　isn't　it？　You　are　to　manage　the　purchase　of　the　house；　we　are
to　write　together；　you　and　I；　my　political　work；　and　you'll　bestir
yourself　to　get　me　the　decoration？〃

〃You　will　have　that　as　soon　as　you　are　made　a　municipal　councillor　on
the　1st　of　May。　Only；　my