the lesser bourgeoisie-第41章

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last　few　days　between　the　mathematician　and　Celeste。　The　young　girl's
piety　was　real；　she　belonged　to　the　flock　of　the　truly　faithful；　and
to　her；　Catholicism；　tempered　by　that　mysticism　which　attracts　young
souls；　was　an　inward　poem；　a　life　within　her　life。　From　this　point
young　girls　are　apt　to　develop　into　either　extremely　high…minded　women
or　saints。　But；　during　this　beautiful　period　of　their　youth　they　have
in　their　heart；　in　their　ideas；　a　sort　of　absolutism：　before　their
eyes　is　the　image　of　perfection；　and　all　must　be　celestial；　angelic；
or　divine　to　satisfy　them。　Outside　of　their　ideal；　nothing　of　good　can
exist；　all　is　stained　and　soiled。　This　idea　causes　the　rejection　of
many　a　diamond　with　a　flaw　by　girls　who；　as　women；　fall　in　love　with
paste。

Now；　Celeste　had　seen　in　Felix；　not　irreligion；　but　indifference　to
matters　of　religion。　Like　most　geometricians；　chemists；
mathematicians；　and　great　naturalists；　he　had　subjected　religion　to
reason；　he　recognized　a　problem　in　it　as　insoluble　as　the　squaring　of
the　circle。　Deist　〃in　petto；〃　he　lived　in　the　religion　of　most
Frenchmen；　not　attaching　more　importance　to　it　than　he　did　to　the　new
laws　promulgated　in　July。　It　was　necessary　to　have　a　God　in　heaven；
just　as　they　set　up　a　bust　of　the　king　at　the　mayor's　office。　Felix
Phellion；　a　worthy　son　of　his　father；　had　never　drawn　the　slightest
veil　over　his　opinions　or　his　conscience；　he　allowed　Celeste　to　read
into　them　with　the　candor　and　the　inattention　of　a　student　of
problems。　The　young　girl；　on　her　side；　professed　a　horror　for　atheism；
and　her　conscience　assured　her　that　a　deist　was　cousin…germain　to　an
atheist。

〃Have　you　thought；　Felix；　of　doing　what　you　promised　me？〃　asked
Celeste；　as　soon　as　Madame　Colleville　had　left　them　alone。

〃No；　my　dear　Celeste；〃　replied　Felix。

〃Oh！　to　have　broken　his　word！〃　she　cried；　softly。

〃But　to　have　kept　it　would　have　been　a　profanation；〃　said　Felix。　〃I
love　you　so　deeply；　with　a　tenderness　so　little　proof　against　your
wishes；　that　I　promised　a　thing　contrary　to　my　conscience。　Conscience；
Celeste；　is　our　treasure；　our　strength；　our　mainstay。　How　can　you　ask
me　to　go　into　a　church　and　kneel　at　the　feet　of　a　priest；　in　whom　I
can　see　only　a　man？　You　would　despise　me　if　I　obeyed　you。〃

〃And　so；　my　dear　Felix；　you　refuse　to　go　to　church；〃　said　Celeste；
casting　a　tearful　glance　at　the　man　she　loved。　〃If　I　were　your　wife
you　would　let　me　go　alone？　You　do　not　love　me　as　I　love　you！　for；
alas！　I　have　a　feeling　in　my　heart　for　an　atheist　contrary　to　that
which　God　commands。〃

〃An　atheist！〃　cried　Felix。　〃Oh；　no！　Listen　to　me；　Celeste。　There　is
certainly　a　God；　I　believe　in　that；　but　I　have　higher　ideas　of　Him
than　those　of　your　priests；　I　do　not　wish　to　bring　Him　down　to　my
level；　I　want　to　rise　to　Him。　I　listen　to　the　voice　He　has　put　within
me；a　voice　which　honest　men　call　conscience；　and　I　strive　not　to
darken　that　divine　ray　as　it　comes　to　me。　For　instance；　I　will　never
harm　others；　I　will　do　nothing　against　the　commandments　of　universal
morality；　which　was　that　of　Confucius；　Moses；　Pythagoras；　Socrates；　as
well　as　of　Jesus　Christ。　I　will　stand　in　the　presence　of　God；　my
actions　shall　be　my　prayers；　I　will　never　be　false　in　word　or　deed；
never　will　I　do　a　base　or　shameful　thing。　Those　are　the　precepts　I
have　learned　from　my　virtuous　father；　and　which　I　desire　to　bequeath
to　my　children。　All　the　good　that　I　can　do　I　shall　try　to　accomplish；
even　if　I　have　to　suffer　for　it。　What　can　you　ask　more　of　a　man　than
that？〃

This　profession　of　the　Phellion　faith　caused　Celeste　to　sadly　shake
her　head。

〃Read　attentively；〃　she　replied；　〃'The　Imitation　of　Jesus　Christ。'
Strive　to　convert　yourself　to　the　holy　Catholic；　apostolic；　and　Roman
Church；　and　you　will　see　how　empty　your　words　are。　Hear　me；　Felix；
marriage　is　not；　the　Church　says；　the　affair　of　a　day；　the　mere
satisfaction　of　our　own　desires；　it　is　made　for　eternity。　What！　shall
we　be　united　day　and　night；　shall　we　form　one　flesh；　one　word；　and　yet
have　two　languages；　two　faiths　in　our　heart；　and　a　cause　of　perpetual
dissension？　Would　you　condemn　me　to　weep　tears　over　the　state　of　your
soul；tears　that　I　must　ever　conceal　from　you？　Could　I　address　myself
in　peace　to　God　when　I　see　his　arm　stretched　out　in　wrath　against　you？
Must　my　children　inherit　the　blood　of　a　deist　and　his　convictions？　Oh！
God；　what　misery　for　a　wife！　No；　no；　these　ideas　are　intolerable。
Felix！　be　of　my　faith；　for　I　cannot　share　yours。　Do　not　put　a　gulf
between　us。　If　you　loved　me；　you　would　already　have　read　'The
Imitation　of　Jesus　Christ。'〃

The　Phellion　class；　sons　of　the　〃Constitutionnel；〃　dislike　the
priestly　mind。　Felix　had　the　imprudence　to　reply　to　this　sort　of
prayer　from　the　depths　of　an　ardent　heart：

〃You　are　repeating；　Celeste；　the　lessons　your　confessor　teaches　you；
nothing；　believe　me；　is　more　fatal　to　happiness　than　the　interference
of　priests　in　a　home。〃

〃Oh！〃　cried　Celeste；　wounded　to　the　quick；　for　love　alone　inspired
her；　〃you　do　not　love！　The　voice　of　my　heart　is　not　in　unison　with
yours！　You　have　not　understood　me；　because　you　have　not　listened　to
me；　but　I　forgive　you；　for　you　know　not　what　you　say。〃

She　wrapped　herself　in　solemn　silence；　and　Felix　went　to　the　window
and　drummed　upon　the　panes；music　familiar　to　those　who　have　indulged
in　poignant　reflections。　Felix　was；　in　fact；　presenting　the　following
delicate　and　curious　questions　to　the　Phellion　conscience。

〃Celeste　is　a　rich　heiress；　and；　in　yielding　against　the　voice　of
natural　religion；　to　her　ideas；　I　should　have　in　view　the　making　of
what　is　certainly　an　advantageous　marriage；an　infamous　act。　I　ought
not；　as　father　of　a　family；　to　allow　the　priesthood　to　have　an
influence　in　my　home。　If　I　yield　to…day；　I　do　a　weak　act；　which　will
be　followed　by　many　others　equally　pernicious　to　the　authority　of　a
husband　and　father。　All　this　is　unworthy　of　a　philosopher。〃

Then　he　returned　to　his　beloved。

〃Celeste；　I　entreat　you　on　my　knees；〃　he　said；　〃not　to　mingle　that
which　the　law；　in　its　wisdom；　has　separated。　We　live　in　two　worlds；
society　and　heaven。　Each　has　its　own　way　of　salvation；　but　as　to
society；　is　it　not　obeying　God　to　obey　the　laws？　Christ　said：　'Render
unto　Caesar　that　which　is　Caesar's。'　Caesar　is　the　body　politic。　Dear；
let　us　forget　our　little　quarrel。〃

〃Little　quarrel！〃　cried　the　young　enthusiast；　〃I　want　you　to　have　my
whole　heart　as　I　want　to　have　the　whole　of　yours；　and　you　make　it　into
two　parts！　Is　not　that　an　evil？　You　forget　that　marriage　is　a
sacrament。〃

〃Your　priesthood　have　turned　your　head；〃　exclaimed　the　mathematician；
impatiently。

〃Monsieur　Phellion；〃　said　Celeste；　interrupting　him　hastily；　〃enough
of　this！〃

It　was　at　this　point　of　the　quarrel　that　Theodose　considered　it
judicious　to　enter　the　room。　He　found　Celeste　pale；　and　the　young
professor　as　anxious　as　a　lover　should　be　who　has　just　irritated　his
mistress。

〃I　heard　the　word　'enough'；　then　something　is　too　much？〃　he　said；
inquiringly；　looking　in　turn　from　Celeste　to　Felix。

〃We　were　talking　religion；〃　replied　Felix；　〃and　I　was　saying　to
mademoiselle　how　dangerous　ecclesiastical　influence　is　in　the　bosom　of
families。〃

〃That　was　not　the　point；　monsieur；〃　said　Celeste；　sharply；　〃it　was　to
know　if　husband　and　wife　could　be　of　one　heart　when　the　one　is　an
atheist　and　the　other　Catholic。〃

〃Can　there　be　such　a　thing　as　atheists？〃　cried　Theodose；　with　all　the
signs　of　extreme　wonderment。　〃Could　a　true　Catholic　marry　a
Protestant？　There　is　no　safety　possible　for　a　married　pair　unless　they
have　perfect　conformity　in　the　matter　of　religious　opinions。　I；　who
come　from　the　Comtat；　of　a　family　which　counts　a　pope　among　its
ancestorsfor　our　arms　are：　gules；　a　key　argent；　with　supporters；　a
monk　holding　a　church；　and　a　pilgrim　with　a　staff；　or；　and　the　motto；
'I　open；　I　shut'I　am；　of　course；　intensely　dogmatic　on　such　points。
But　in　these　days；　thanks　to　our　modern　system　of　education；　it　does
not　seem　to　me　strange　that　religion　should　be　called　into　question。　I
myself　would　never　marry　a　Protestant；　had　she　millions；　even　if　I
loved　her　distractedly。　Faith　is　a　thing　that　canno