the lesser bourgeoisie-第54章

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but　we　may；　perhaps；　have　a　slight　touch　of　hysteria。〃

〃Oh！　very　good；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃and　as　from　hysteria　to　insanity
there　is　but　a　step〃

〃Well；　yes；〃　interrupted　Cerizet；　hastily；　〃sorrows　have　affected　our
brain　slightly；　but　the　doctors　are　unanimous　in　their　diagnosis；　they
all　say　that　after　the　birth　of　the　first　child　not　a　trace　will
remain　of　this　little　trouble。〃

〃I　am　willing　to　admit　that　doctors　are　infallible；〃　replied　la
Peyrade；　〃but；　in　spite　of　your　discouragement；　you　must　allow　me；　my
friend；　to　persist　in　my　suit　to　Mademoiselle　Colleville。　Perhaps　it
is　ridiculous　to　confess　it；　but　the　truth　is　I　am　gradually　falling
in　love　with　that　little　girl。　It　isn't　that　her　beauty　is
resplendent；　or　that　the　glitter　of　her　'dot'　has　dazzled　me；　but　I
find　in　that　child　a　great　fund　of　sound　sense　joined　to　simplicity；
and；　what　to　mind　is　of　greater　consequence；　her　sincere　and　solid
piety　attracts　me；　I　think　a　husband　ought　to　be　very　happy　with　her。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Cerizet；　who；　having　been　on　the　stage；　may　very　well　have
known　his　Moliere；　〃this　marriage　will　crown　your　wishes　with　all
good；　it　will　be　filled　with　sweetness　and　with　pleasures。〃

The　allusion　to　Tartuffe　was　keenly　felt　by　la　Peyrade；　who　took　it　up
and　said；　hotly：

〃The　contact　with　innocence　will　disinfect　me　of　the　vile　atmosphere
in　which　I　have　lived　too　long。〃

〃And　you　will　pay　your　notes　of　hand；〃　added　Cerizet；　〃which　I　advise
you　to　do　with　the　least　possible　delay；　for　Dutocq　here　was　saying　to
me　just　now　that　he　would　like　to　see　the　color　of　your　money。〃

〃I？　not　at　all；〃　interposed　Dutocq。　〃I　think；　on　the　contrary；　that
our　friend　has　a　right　to　the　delay。〃

〃Well；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃I　agree　with　Cerizet。　I　hold　that　the　less　a
debt　is　due；　and　therefore　the　more　insecure　and　open　to　contention　it
is；　the　sooner　one　ought　to　free　one's　self　by　paying　it。〃

〃But；　my　dear　la　Peyrade；〃　said　Dutocq；　〃why　take　this　bitter　tone？〃

Pulling　from　his　pocket　a　portfolio；　la　Peyrade　said：

〃Have　you　those　notes　with　you；　Dutocq？〃

〃Faith！　no；　my　dear　fellow；〃　replied　Dutocq；　〃I　don't　carry　them　about
with　me；　besides；　they　are　in　Cerizet's　hands。〃

〃Well；〃　said　the　barrister；　rising；　〃whenever　you　come　to　my　house
I'll　pay　you　on　the　nail；　as　Cerizet　can　tell　you。〃

〃What！　are　you　going　to　leave　us　without　your　coffee？〃　said　Cerizet；
amazed　to　the　last　degree。

〃Yes；　I　have　an　arbitration　case　at　eight　o'clock。　Besides；　we　have
said　all　we　had　to　say。　You　haven't　your　lease；　but　you've　got　your
twenty　five　thousand　francs　in　full；　and　those　of　Dutocq　are　ready　for
him　whenever　he　chooses　to　come　to　my　office。　I　see　nothing　now　to
prevent　me　from　going　where　my　private　business　calls　me；　and　I
therefore　very　cordially　bid　you　good…bye。〃

〃Ah　ca！　Dutocq；〃　cried　Cerizet；　as　la　Peyrade　disappeared；　〃this　means
a　rupture。〃

〃Prepared　with　the　utmost　care；〃　added　Dutocq。　〃Did　you　notice　the　air
with　which　he　pulled　out　that　pocket…book？〃

〃But　where　the　devil；〃　said　the　usurer；　〃could　he　have　got　the　money？〃

〃Probably；〃　replied　Dutocq；　sarcastically；　〃where　he　got　that　with
which　he　paid　you　in　full　for　those　notes　you　sold　at　a　sacrifice。〃

〃My　dear　Dutocq；〃　said　Cerizet；　〃I'll　explain　to　you　the　circumstances
under　which　that　insolent　fellow　freed　himself；　and　you'll　see　if　he
didn't　rob　me　of　fifteen　thousand　francs。〃

〃Possibly；　but　you；　my　worthy　clerk；　were　trying　to　get　ten　thousand
away　from　me。〃

〃No；　no；　I　was　positively　ordered　to　buy　up　your　claim；　and　you　ought
to　remember　that　my　offer　had　risen　to　twenty　thousand　when　Theodose
came　in。〃

〃Well；〃　said　Dutocq；　〃when　we　leave　here　we'll　go　to　your　house；　where
you　will　give　me　those　notes；　for；　you'll　understand　that　to…morrow
morning；　at　the　earliest　decent　hour；　I　shall　go　to　la　Peyrade's
office；　I　don't　mean　to　let　his　paying　humor　cool。〃

〃And　right　you　are；　for　I　can　tell　you　now　that　before　long　there'll
be　a　fine　upset　in　his　life。〃

〃Then　the　thing　is　really　seriousthis　tale　of　a　crazy　woman　you　want
him　to　marry？　I　must　say　that　in　his　place；　with　these　money…matters
evidently　on　the　rise；　I　should　have　backed　out　of　your　proposals　just
as　he　did。　Ninas　and　Ophelias　are　all　very　well　on　the　stage；　but　in　a
home〃

〃In　a　home；　when　they　bring　a　'dot；'　we　can　be　their　guardian；〃
replied　Cerizet；　sententiously。　〃In　point　of　fact；　we　get　a　fortune
and　not　a　wife。〃

〃Well；〃　said　Dutocq；　〃that's　one　way　to　look　at　it。〃

〃If　you　are　willing；〃　said　Cerizet；　〃let　us　go　and　take　our　coffee
somewhere　else。　This　dinner　has　turned　out　so　foolishly　that　I　want　to
get　out　of　this　room；　where　there's　no　air。〃　He　rang　for　the　waiter。
〃Garcon！〃　he　said；　〃the　bill。〃

〃Monsieur；　it　is　paid。〃

〃Paid！　by　whom？〃

〃By　the　gentleman　who　just　went　out。〃

〃But　this　is　outrageous；〃　cried　Cerizet。　〃I　ordered　the　dinner；　and
you　allow　some　one　else　to　pay　for　it！〃

〃It　wasn't　I；　monsieur；〃　said　the　waiter；　〃the　gentleman　went　and　paid
the　'dame　du　comptoir'；　she　must　have　thought　it　was　arranged　between
you。　Besides；　it　is　not　so　uncommon　for　gentlemen　to　have　friendly
disputes　about　paying。〃

〃That's　enough；〃　said　Cerizet；　dismissing　the　waiter。

〃Won't　these　gentlemen　take　their　coffee？it　is　paid　for；〃　said　the
man　before　he　left　the　room。

〃A　good　reason　for　not　taking　it；〃　replied　Cerizet；　angrily。　〃It　is
really　inconceivable　that　in　a　house　of　this　kind　such　an　egregious
blunder　should　be　committed。　What　do　you　think　of　such　insolence？〃　he
added；　when　the　waiter　had　left　the　room。

〃Bah！〃　exclaimed　Dutocq；　taking　his　hat；　〃it　is　a　schoolboy
proceeding；　he　wanted　to　show　he　had　money；　it　is　easy　to　see　he　never
had　any　before。〃

〃No；　no！　that's　not　it；〃　said　Cerizet；　〃he　meant　to　mark　the　rupture。
'I　will　not　owe　you　even　a　dinner；'　is　what　he　says　to　me。〃

〃But；　after　all；〃　said　Dutocq；　〃this　banquet　was　given　to　celebrate
your　enthronement　as　principal　tenant　of　the　grand　house。　Well；　he　has
failed　to　get　you　the　lease；　and　I　can　understand　that　his　conscience
was　uneasy　at　letting　you　pay　for　a　dinner　which；　like　those　notes　of
mine；　were　an　'obligation　without　cause。'〃

Cerizet　made　no　reply　to　this　malicious　observation。　They　had　reached
the　counter　where　reigned　the　dame　who　had　permitted　the　improper
payment；　and；　for　the　sake　of　his　dignity；　the　usurer　thought　it
proper　to　make　a　fuss。　After　which　the　two　men　departed；　and　the
copying…clerk　took　his　employer　to　a　low　coffee…house　in　the　Passage
du　Saumon。　There　Cerizet　recovered　his　good…humor；　he　was　like　a　fish
out　of　water　suddenly　returned　to　his　native　element；　for　he　had
reached　that　state　of　degradation　when　he　felt　ill　at　ease　in　places
frequented　by　good　society；　and　it　was　with　a　sort　of　sensuous
pleasure　that　he　felt　himself　back　in　the　vulgar　place　where　they　were
noisily　playing　pool　for　the　benefit　of　a　〃former　conqueror　of　the
Bastille。〃

In　this　establishment　Cerizet　enjoyed　the　fame　of　being　a　skilful
billiard…player；　and　he　was　now　entreated　to　take　part　in　a　game
already　begun。　In　technical　language；　he　〃bought　his　ball〃；　that　is；
one　of　the　players　sold　him　his　turn　and　his　chances。　Dutocq　profited
by　this　arrangement　to　slip　away；　on　pretence　of　inquiring　for　a　sick
friend。

Presently；　in　his　shirt…sleeves；　with　a　pipe　between　his　lips；　Cerizet
made　one　of　those　masterly　strokes　which　bring　down　the　house　with
frantic　applause。　As　he　waited　a　moment；　looking　about　him
triumphantly；　his　eye　lighted　on　a　terrible　kill…joy。　Standing　among
the　spectators　with　his　chin　on　his　cane；　du　Portail　was　steadily
watching　him。

A　tinge　of　red　showed　itself　in　Cerizet's　cheeks。　He　hesitated　to　bow
or　to　recognize　the　old　gentleman；　a　most　unlikely　person　to　meet　in
such　a　place。　Not　knowing　how　to　take　the　unpleasant　encounter；　he
went　on　playing；　but　his　hand　betrayed　his　uneasiness；　and　presently
an　unlucky　stroke　threw　him　out　of　the　game。　While　he　was　putting　on
his　coat　in　a　tolerably　ill…humor；　du　Portail　passed；　almost　brushing
him；　on　his　way　to　the　door。

〃Rue　Montmartre；　at　the　farther　end　of　the　Passage；〃　said　the　old　man；
in　a　low　tone。

Wh