the lesser bourgeoisie-第58章

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nor　of　his　acquired　temperament；　but　the　money　that　was　burning　in　his
pockets　had　slightly　intoxicated　him；　its　very　touch　had　conveyed　to
him　an　excitement　and　an　impatience　for　emancipation　of　which　he　was
not　wholly　master。　He　flung　Cerizet　over　in　the　matter　of　the　lease
without　so　much　as　consulting　Brigitte；　and　yet；　he　had　not　had　the
full　courage　of　his　duplicity；　for　he　had　laid　to　the　charge　of　the
old　woman　a　refusal　which　was　merely　the　act　of　his　own　will；　prompted
by　bitter　recollections　of　his　fruitless　struggles　with　the　man　who
had　so　long　oppressed　him。

In　short；　during　the　whole　day；　la　Peyrade　had　not　shown　himself　the
able　and　infallible　man　that　we　have　hitherto　seen　him。　Once　before；
when　he　carried　the　fifteen　thousand　francs　entrusted　to　him　by
Thuillier；　he　had　been　led　by　Cerizet　into　an　insurrectionary
proceeding　which　necessitated　the　affair　of　Sauvaignou。　Perhaps；　on
the　whole；　it　is　more　difficult　to　be　strong　under　good　than　under
evil　fortune。　The　Farnese　Hercules；　calm　and　in　still　repose；
expresses　more　energetically　the　plenitude　of　muscular　power　than　a
violent　and　agitated　Hercules　represented　in　the　over…excited　energy
of　his　labors。




PART　II

THE　PARVENUS



CHAPTER　I

PHELLION；　UNDER　A　NEW　ASPECT

Between　the　first　and　second　parts　of　this　history　an　immense　event
had　taken　place　in　the　life　of　Phellion。

There　is　no　one　who　has　not　heard　of　the　misfortunes　of　the　Odeon；
that　fatal　theatre　which；　for　years；　ruined　all　its　directors。　Right
or　wrong；　the　quarter　in　which　this　dramatic　impossibility　stands　is
convinced　that　its　prosperity　depends　upon　it；　so　that　more　than　once
the　mayor　and　other　authorities　of　the　arrondissement　have；　with　a
courage　that　honors　them；　taken　part　in　the　most　desperate　efforts　to
galvanize　the　corpse。

Now　to　meddle　with　theatrical　matters　is　one　of　the　eternally
perennial　ambitions　of　the　lesser　bourgeoisie。　Always；　therefore；　the
successive　saviours　of　the　Odeon　feel　themselves　magnificently
rewarded　if　they　are　given　ever　so　small　a　share　in　the　administration
of　that　enterprise。　It　was　at　some　crisis　in　its　affairs　that　Minard；
in　his　capacity　as　mayor　of　the　11th　arrondissement；　had　been　called
to　the　chairmanship　of　the　committee　for　reading　plays；　with　the　power
to　join　unto　himself　as　assistants　a　certain　number　of　the　notables　of
the　Latin　quarter；the　selection　being　left　to　him。

We　shall　soon　know　exactly　how　near　was　the　realization　of　la
Peyrade's　projects　for　the　possession　of　Celeste's　〃dot〃；　let　us
merely　say　now　that　these　projects　in　approaching　maturity　had
inevitably　become　noised　abroad；　and　as　this　condition　of　things
pointed；　of　course；　to　the　exclusion　of　Minard　junior　and　also　of
Felix　the　professor；　the　prejudice　hitherto　manifested　by　Minard　pere
against　old　Phellion　was　transformed　into　an　unequivocal　disposition
towards　friendly　cordiality；　there　is　nothing　that　binds　and　soothes
like　the　feeling　of　a　checkmate　shared　in　common。　Judged　without　the
evil　eye　of　paternal　rivalry；　Phellion　became　to　Minard　a　Roman　of
incorruptible　integrity　and　a　man　whose　little　treatises　had　been
adopted　by　the　University；in　other　words；　a　man　of　sound　and　tested
intellect。

So　that　when　it　became　the　duty　of　the　mayor　to　select　the　members　of
the　dramatic　custom…house；　of　which　he　was　now　the　head；　he
immediately　thought　of　Phellion。　As　for　the　great　citizen；　he　felt；　on
the　day　when　a　post　was　offered　to　him　in　that　august　tribunal；　that　a
crown　of　gold　had　been　placed　upon　his　brow。

It　will　be　well　understood　that　it　was　not　lightly；　nor　without　having
deeply　meditated；　that　a　man　of　Phellion's　solemnity　had　accepted　the
high　and　sacred　mission　which　was　offered　to　him。　He　said　within
himself　that　he　was　called　upon　to　exercise　the　functions　of　a
magistracy；　a　priestly　office。

〃To　judge　of　men；〃　he　replied　to　Minard；　who　was　much　surprised　at　his
hesitation；　〃is　an　alarming　task；　but　to　judge　of　minds！who　can
believe　himself　equal　to　such　a　mission？〃

Once　more　the　familythat　rock　on　which　the　firmest　resolutions　split
had　threatened　to　infringe　on　the　domain　of　his　conscience。　The
thought　of　boxes　and　tickets　of　which　the　future　member　of　the
committee　could　dispose　in　favor　of　his　own　kin　had　excited　in　the
household　so　eager　a　ferment　that　his　freedom　of　decision　seemed　for　a
moment　in　danger。　But；　happily；　Brutus　was　able　to　decide　himself　in
the　same　direction　along　which　a　positive　uprising　of　the　whole
Phellionian　tribe　intended　to　push　him。　From　the　observations　of
Barniol；　his　son…in…law；　and　also　by　his　own　personal　inspiration；　he
became　persuaded　that　by　his　vote；　always　given　to　works　of
irreproachable　morality；　and　by　his　firm　determination　to　bar　the　way
to　all　plays　that　mothers　of　families　could　not　take　their　daughters
to　witness；　he　was　called　upon　to　render　the　most　signal　services　to
morals　and　public　order。　Phellion；　to　use　his　own　expression；　had
therefore　become　a　member　of　the　areopagus　presided　over　by　Minard；
andstill　speaking　as　he　spokehe　was　issuing　from　the　exercise　of
his　functions；　which　were　both　delicate　and　interesting；　when　the
conversation　we　are　about　to　report　took　place。　A　knowledge　of　this
conversation　is　necessary　to　an　understanding　of　the　ulterior　events
of　this　history；　and　it　will　also　serve　to　put　into　relief　the　envious
insight　which　is　one　of　the　most　marked　traits　of　the　bourgeois
character。

The　session　of　the　committee　had　been　extremely　stormy。　On　the　subject
of　a　tragedy　entitled；　〃The　Death　of　Hercules；〃　the　classic　party　and
the　romantic　party；　whom　the　mayor　had　carefully　balanced　in　the
composition　of　his　committee；　had　nearly　approached　the　point　of
tearing　each　other's　hair　out。　Twice　Phellion　had　risen　to　speak；　and
his　hearers　were　astonished　at　the　quantity　of　metaphors　the　speech　of
a　major　of　the　National　Guard　could　contain　when　his　literary
convictions　were　imperilled。　As　the　result　of　a　vote；　victory　remained
with　the　opinions　of　which　Phellion　was　the　eloquent　organ。　It　was
while　descending　the　stairway　of　the　theatre　with　Minard　that　he
remarked：

〃We　have　done　a　good　work　this　day。　'The　Death　of　Hercules'　reminded
me　of　'The　Death　of　Hector；'　by　the　late　Luce　de　Lancival；　the　work　we
have　just　accepted　sparkles　with　sublime　verses。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Minard；　〃the　versification　has　taste；　there　are　some
really　fine　lines　in　it；　and　I　admit　to　you　that　I　think　this　sort　of
literature　rather　above　the　anagrams　of　Master　Colleville。〃

〃Oh！〃　replied　Minard；　〃Colleville's　anagrams　are　mere　witticisms；
which　have　nothing　in　common　with　the　sterner　accents　of　Melpomene。〃

〃And　yet；〃　said　Minard；　〃I　can　assure　you　he　attaches　the　greatest
importance　to　that　rubbish；　and　apropos　to　his　anagrams；　as；　indeed；
about　many　other　things；　he　is　not　a　little　puffed　up。　Since　their
emigration　to　the　Madeleine　quarter　it　seems　to　me　that　not　only　the
Sieur　Colleville；　but　his　wife　and　daughter；　and　the　Thuilliers　and
the　whole　coterie　have　assumed　an　air　of　importance　which　is　rather
difficult　to　justify。〃

〃No　wonder！〃　said　Phellion；　〃one　must　have　a　pretty　strong　head　to
stand　the　fumes　of　opulence。　Our　friends　have　become　so　very　rich　by
the　purchase　of　that　property　where　they　have　gone　to　live　that　we
ought　to　forgive　them　for　a　little　intoxication；　and　I　must　say　the
dinner　they　gave　us　yesterday　for　a　house…warming　was　really　as　well
arranged　as　it　was　succulent。〃

〃I　myself；〃　said　Minard；　〃have　given　a　few　remarkable　dinners　to　which
men　in　high　government　positions　have　not　disdained　to　come；　yet　I　am
not　puffed　up　with　pride　on　that　account；　such　as　my　friends　have
always　known　me；　that　I　have　remained。〃

〃You；　Monsieur　le　maire；　have　long　been　habituated　to　the　splendid
existence　you　have　made　for　yourself　by　your　high　commercial　talents；
our　friends；　on　the　contrary；　so　lately　embarked　on　the　smiling　ship
of　Fortune；　have　not　yet　found；　as　the　vulgar　saying　is；　their　sea…
legs。〃

And　then　to　cut　short　a　conversation　in　which　Phellion　began　to　think
the　mayor　rather　〃caustic；〃　he　made　as　if　he　intended　to　take　leave　of
him。　In　order