the lesser bourgeoisie-第56章

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〃So　much　the　better　for　you；〃　replied　the　clerk　of　the　justice…of…
peace；　〃but　you　will　probably　be　summoned　before　the　judge　who
examines　the　affair。　At　any　rate；　you　are　in　good　hands　here；　and　my
friend　la　Peyrade　will　advise　you　for　the　best。〃

〃Monsieur　is　mistaken；〃　said　the　woman；　〃it　is　not　for　what　he　thinks
that　I　have　come　to　consult　a　lawyer。〃

〃Well；　be　careful　what　you　say　and　do；　my　dear　woman；　for　I　warn　you
you　are　going　to　be　finely　picked　to　pieces。　The　relations　are　furious
against　you；　and　you　can't　get　the　idea　out　of　their　heads　that　you
have　got　a　great　deal　of　money。〃

While　speaking　thus；　Dutocq　kept　his　eye　on　Theodose；　who　bore　the
look　uneasily；　and　requested　his　client　to　enter。

Here　follows　a　scene　which　had　taken　place　the　previous　afternoon
between　this　woman　and　la　Peyrade。

La　Peyrade；　we　may　remember；　was　in　the　habit　of　going　to　early　mass
at　his　parish　church。　For　some　little　time　he　had　felt　himself　the
object　of　a　singular　attention　which　he　could　not　explain　on　the　part
of　the　woman　whom　we　have　just　seen　entering　his　office；　who　daily
attended　the　church　at；　as　Dorine　says；　his　〃special　hour。〃　Could　it
be　for　love？　That　explanation　was　scarcely　compatible　with　the
maturity　and　the　saintly；　beatific　air　of　this　person；　who；　beneath　a
plain　cap；　called　〃a　la　Janseniste；〃　by　which　fervent　female　souls　of
that　sect　were　recognized；　affected；　like　a　nun；　to　hide　her　hair。　On
the　other　hand；　the　rest　of　her　clothing　was　of　a　neatness　that　was
almost　dainty；　and　the　gold　cross　at　her　throat；　suspended　by　a　black
velvet　ribbon；　excluded　the　idea　of　humble　and　hesitating　mendicity。

The　morning　of　the　day　on　which　the　dinner　at　the　Rocher　de　Cancale
was　to　take　place；　la　Peyrade；　weary　of　a　performance　which　had　ended
by　preoccupying　his　mind；　went　up　to　the　woman　and　asked　her
pointblank　if　she　had　any　request　to　make　of　him。

〃Monsieur；〃　she　answered；　in　a　tone　of　solemnity；　〃is；　I　think；　the
celebrated　Monsieur　de　la　Peyrade；　the　advocate　of　the　poor？〃

〃I　am　la　Peyrade；　and　I　have　had；　it　is　true；　an　opportunity　to　render
services　to　the　indigent　persons　of　this　quarter。〃

〃Would　it；　then；　be　asking　too　much　of　monsieur's　goodness　that　he
should　suffer　me　to　consult　him？〃

〃This　place；〃　replied　la　Peyrade；　〃is　not　well　chosen　for　such
consultation。　What　you　have　to　say　to　me　seems　important；　to　judge　by
the　length　of　time　you　have　been　hesitating　to　speak　to　me。　I　live
near　here；　rue　Saint…Dominique　d'Enfer；　and　if　you　will　take　the
trouble　to　come　to　my　office〃

〃It　will　not　annoy　monsieur？〃

〃Not　in　the　least；　my　business　is　to　hear　clients。〃

〃At　what　hourlest　I　disturb　monsieur？〃

〃When　you　choose；　I　shall　be　at　home　all　the　morning。〃

〃Then　I　will　hear　another　mass；　at　which　I　can　take　the　communion。　I
did　not　dare　to　do　so　at　this　mass；　for　the　thought　of　speaking　to
monsieur　so　distracted　my　mind。　I　will　be　at　monsieur's　house　by　eight
o'clock；　when　I　have　ended　my　meditation；　if　that　hour　does　not
inconvenience　him。〃

〃No；　but　there　is　no　necessity　for　all　this　ceremony；〃　replied　la
Peyrade；　with　some　impatience。

Perhaps　a　little　professional　jealousy　inspired　his　ill…humor；　for　it
was　evident　that　he　had　to　do　with　an　antagonist　who　was　capable　of
giving　him　points。

At　the　hour　appointed；　not　a　minute　before　nor　a　minute　after；　the
pious　woman　rang　the　bell；　and　the　barrister　having；　not　without　some
difficulty；　induced　her　to　sit　down；　he　requested　her　to　state　her
case。　She　was　then　seized　with　that　delaying　little　cough　with　which
we　obtain　a　respite　when　brought　face　to　face　with　a　difficult
subject。　At　last；　however；　she　compelled　herself　to　approach　the
object　of　her　visit。

〃It　is　to　ask　monsieur；〃　she　said；　〃if　he　would　be　so　very　good　as　to
inform　me　whether　it　is　true　that　a　charitable　gentleman；　now
deceased；　has　bequeathed　a　fund　to　reward　domestic　servants　who　are
faithful　to　their　masters。〃

〃Yes；〃　replied　la　Peyrade；　〃that　is　to　say；　Monsieur　de　Montyon
founded　'prizes　for　virtue；'　which　are　frequently　given　to　zealous　and
exemplary　domestic　servants。　But　ordinary　good　conduct　is　not
sufficient；　there　must　be　some　act　or　acts　of　great　devotion；　and
truly　Christian　self…abnegation。〃

〃Religion　enjoins　humility　upon　us；〃　replied　the　pious　woman；　〃and
therefore　I　dare　not　praise　myself；　but　inasmuch　as　for　the　last
twenty　years　I　have　lived　in　the　service　of　an　old　man　of　the　dullest
description；　a　savant；　who　has　wasted　his　substance　on　inventions；　so
that　I　myself　have　had　to　feed　and　clothe　him；　persons　have　thought
that　I　am　not　altogether　undeserving　of　that　prize。〃

〃It　is　certainly　under　such　conditions　that　the　Academy　selects　its
candidates；〃　said　la　Peyrade。　〃What　is　your　master's　name？〃

〃Pere　Picot；　he　is　never　called　otherwise　in　our　quarter；　sometimes　he
goes　out　into　the　streets　as　if　dressed　for　the　carnival；　and　all　the
little　children　crowd　about　him；　calling　out：　'How　d'ye　do；　Pere
Picot！　Good…morning；　Pere　Picot！'　But　that's　how　it　is；　he　takes　no
care　of　his　dignity；　he　goes　about　full　of　his　own　ideas；　and　though　I
kill　myself　trying　to　give　him　appetizing　food；　if　you　ask　him　what　he
has　had　for　his　dinner　he　can't　tell　you。　Yet　he's　a　man　full　of
ability；　and　he　has　taught　good　pupils。　Perhaps　monsieur　knows　young
Phellion；　a　professor　in　the　College　of　Saint…Louis；　he　was　one　of　his
scholars；　and　he　comes　to　see　him　very　often。〃

〃Then；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃your　master　is　a　mathematician？〃

〃Yes；　monsieur；　mathematics　have　been　his　bane；　they　have　flung　him
into　a　set　of　ideas　which　don't　seem　to　have　any　common…sense　in　them
ever　since　he　has　been　employed　at　the　Observatory；　near　here。〃

〃Well；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃you　must　bring　testimony　proving　your　long
devotion　to　this　old　man；　and　I　will　then　draw　up　a　memorial　to　the
Academy　and　take　the　necessary　steps　to　present　it。〃

〃How　good　monsieur　is！〃　said　the　pious　woman；　clasping　her　hands；　〃and
if　he　would　also　let　me　tell　him　of　a　little　difficulty〃

〃What　is　it？〃

〃They　tell　me；　monsieur；　that　to　get　this　prize　persons　must　be　really
very　poor。〃

〃Not　exactly；　still；　the　Academy　does　endeavor　to　choose　whose　who　are
in　straitened　circumstances；　and　who　have　made　sacrifices　too　heavy
for　their　means。〃

〃Sacrifices！　I　think　I　may　indeed　say　I　have　made　sacrifices；　for　the
little　property　I　inherited　from　my　parents　has　all　been　spent　in
keeping　the　old　man；　and　for　fifteen　years　I　have　had　no　wages；　which；
at　three　hundred　francs　a　year　and　compound　interest；　amount　now　to　a
pretty　little　sum；　as　monsieur；　I　am　sure；　will　agree。〃

At　the　words　〃compound　interest；〃　which　evidenced　a　certain　amount　of
financial　culture；　la　Peyrade　looked　at　this　Antigone　with　increased
attention。

〃In　short；〃　he　said；　〃your　difficulty　is〃

〃Monsieur　will　not　think　it　strange；〃　replied　the　saintly　person；　〃that
a　very　rich　uncle　dying　in　England；　who　had　never　done　anything　for
his　family　in　his　lifetime；　should　have　left　me　twenty…five　thousand
francs。〃

〃Certainly；〃　said　the　barrister；　〃there's　nothing　in　that　but　what　is
perfectly　natural　and　proper。〃

〃But；　monsieur；　I　have　been　told　that　the　possession　of　this　money
will　prevent　the　judges　from　considering　my　claims　to　the　prize。〃

〃Possibly；　because　seeing　you　in　possession　of　a　little　competence；
the　sacrifices　which　you　apparently　intend　to　continue　in　favor　of
your　master　will　be　less　meritorious。〃

〃I　shall　never　abandon　him；　poor；　dear　man；　in　spite　of　his　faults；
though　I　know　that　this　poor　little　legacy　which　Heaven　has　given　me
is　in　the　greatest　danger　from　him。〃

〃How　so？〃　asked　la　Peyrade；　with　some　curiosity。

〃Eh！　monsieur；　let　him　only　get　wind　of　that　money；　and　he'd　snap　it
up　at　a　mouthful；　it　would　all　go　into　his　inventions　of　perpetual
motion　and　other　machines　of　various　kinds　which　have　already　ruined
him；　and　me；　too。〃

〃Then；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃your　desire　is　that　this　legacy　should
remain　completely　unknown；　not　only　to　your　master　but　to　the　judges
of　the　Academy？〃

〃How　clever　monsieur　is；　and　how　well　he　understands　things！〃　she
replied；　smiling。

〃And　also