the lesser bourgeoisie-第6章

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of　what　she　was！

To　Brigitte；　Celeste　was　simply　a　fortune　to　lay　hold　of；　a　future
mother　to　rule；　one　more　subject　in　her　empire。　She　soon　reproached
her　for　being　WEAK；　a　constant　word　in　her　vocabulary；　and　the　jealous
old　maid；　who　would　strongly　have　resented　any　signs　of　activity　in
her　sister…in…law；　now　took　a　savage　pleasure　in　prodding　the　languid
inertness　of　the　feeble　creature。　Celeste；　ashamed　to　see　her　sister…
in…law　displaying　such　energy　in　household　work；　endeavored　to　help
her；　and　fell　ill　in　consequence。　Instantly；　Brigitte　was　devoted　to
her；　nursed　her　like　a　beloved　sister；　and　would　say；　in　presence　of
Thuillier：　〃You　haven't　any　strength；　my　child；　you　must　never　do
anything　again。〃　She　showed　up　Celeste's　incapacity　by　that　display　of
sympathy　with　which　strength；　seeming　to　pity　weakness；　finds　means　to
boast　of　its　own　powers。

But；　as　all　despotic　natures　liking　to　exercise　their　strength　are
full　of　tenderness　for　physical　sufferings；　Brigitte　took　such　real
care　of　her　sister…in…law　as　to　satisfy　Celeste's　mother　when　she　came
to　see　her　daughter。　After　Madame　Thuillier　recovered；　however；　she
called　her；　in　Celeste's　hearing；　〃a　helpless　creature；　good　for
nothing！〃　which　sent　the　poor　thing　crying　to　her　room。　When　Thuillier
found　her　there；　drying　her　eyes；　he　excused　her　sister；　saying：

〃She　is　an　excellent　woman；　but　rather　hasty；　she　loves　you　in　her　own
way；　she　behaves　just　so　with　me。〃

Celeste；　remembering　the　maternal　care　of　her　sister…in…law　during　her
illness；　forgave　the　wound。　Brigitte　always　treated　her　brother　as　the
king　of　the　family；　she　exalted　him　to　Celeste；　and　made　him　out　an
autocrat；　a　Ladislas；　an　infallible　pope。　Madame　Thuillier　having　lost
her　father　and　grandfather；　and　being　well…nigh　deserted　by　her
mother；　who　came　to　see　her　on　Thursdays　only　（she　herself　spending
Sundays　at　Auteuil　in　summer）；　had　no　one　left　to　love　except　her
husband；　and　she　did　love　him；in　the　first　place；　because　he　was　her
husband；　and　secondly；　because　he　still　remained　to　her　〃that　handsome
Thuillier。〃　Besides；　he　sometimes　treated　her　like　a　wife；　and　all
these　reasons　together　made　her　adore　him。　He　seemed　to　her　all　the
more　perfect　because　he　often　took　up　her　defence　and　scolded　his
sister；　not　from　any　real　interest　in　his　wife；　but　for　pure
selfishness；　and　in　order　to　have　peace　in　the　household　during　the
very　few　moments　that　he　stayed　there。

In　fact；　that　handsome　Thuillier　was　never　at　home　except　at　dinner；
after　which　meal　he　went　out；　returning　very　late　at　night。　He　went　to
balls　and　other　social　festivities　by　himself；　precisely　as　if　he　were
still　a　bachelor。　Thus　the　two　women　were　always　alone　together。
Celeste　insensibly　fell　into　a　passive　attitude；　and　became　what
Brigitte　wanted　her；a　helot。　The　Queen　Elizabeth　of　the　household
then　passed　from　despotism　to　a　sort　of　pity　for　the　poor　victim　who
was　always　sacrificed。　She　ended　by　softening　her　haughty　ways；　her
cutting　speech；　her　contemptuous　tones；　as　soon　as　she　was　certain
that　her　sister…in…law　was　completely　under　the　yoke。　When　she　saw　the
wounds　it　made　on　the　neck　of　her　victim；　she　took　care　of　her　as　a
thing　of　her　own；　and　Celeste　entered　upon　happier　days。　Comparing　the
end　with　the　beginning；　she　even　felt　a　sort　of　love　for　her　torturer。
To　gain　some　power　of　self…defence；　to　become　something　less　a　cipher
in　the　household；　supported；　unknown　to　herself；　by　her　own　means；　the
poor　helot　had　but　a　single　chance；　and　that　chance　never　came　to　her。

Celeste　had　no　child。　This　barrenness；　which；　from　month　to　month；
brought　floods　of　tears　from　her　eyes；　was　long　the　cause　of
Brigitte's　scorn；　she　reproached　the　poor　woman　bitterly　for　being　fit
for　nothing；　not　even　to　bear　children。　The　old　maid；　who　had　longed
to　love　her　brother's　child　as　if　it　were　her　own；　was　unable；　for
years；　to　reconcile　herself　to　this　irremediable　sterility。

At　the　time　when　our　history　begins；　namely；　in　1840；　Celeste；　then
forty…six　years　old；　had　ceased　to　weep；　she　now　had　the　certainty　of
never　being　a　mother。　And　here　is　a　strange　thing。　After　twenty…five
years　of　this　life；　in　which　victory　had　ended　by　first　dulling　and
then　breaking　its　own　knife；　Brigitte　loved　Celeste　as　much　as　Celeste
loved　Brigitte。　Time；　ease；　and　the　perpetual　rubbing　of　domestic
life；　had　worn　off　the　angles　and　smoothed　the　asperities；　Celeste's
resignation　and　lamb…like　gentleness　had　brought；　at　last；　a　serene
and　peaceful　autumn。　The　two　women　were　still　further　united　by　the
one　sentiment　that　lay　within　them；　namely；　their　adoration　for　the
lucky　and　selfish　Thuillier。

Moreover；　these　two　women；　both　childless；　had　each；　like　all　women
who　have　vainly　desired　children；　fallen　in　love　with　a　child。　This
fictitious　motherhood；　equal　in　strength　to　a　real　motherhood；　needs
an　explanation　which　will　carry　us　to　the　very　heart　of　our　drama；　and
will　show　the　reason　of　the　new　occupation　which　Mademoiselle
Thuillier　provided　for　her　brother。



CHAPTER　III

COLLEVILLE

Thuillier　had　entered　the　ministry　of　finance　as　supernumerary　at　the
same　time　as　Colleville；　who　has　been　mentioned　already　as　his
intimate　friend。　In　opposition　to　the　well…regulated；　gloomy　household
of　Thuillier；　social　nature　had　provided　that　of　Colleville；　and　if　it
is　impossible　not　to　remark　that　this　fortuitous　contrast　was　scarcely
moral；　we　must　add　that；　before　deciding　that　point；　it　would　be　well
to　wait　for　the　end　of　this　drama；　unfortunately　too　true；　for　which
the　present　historian　is　not　responsible。

Colleville　was　the　only　son　of　a　talented　musician；　formerly　first
violin　at　the　Opera　under　Francoeur　and　Rebel；　who　related；　at　least
six　times　a　month　during　his　lifetime；　anecdotes　concerning　the
representations　of　the　〃Village　Seer〃；　and　mimicked　Jean…Jacques
Rousseau；　taking　him　off　to　perfection。　Colleville　and　Thuillier　were
inseparable　friends；　they　had　no　secrets　from　each　other；　and　their
friendship；　begun　at　fifteen　years　of　age；　had　never　known　a　cloud　up
to　the　year　1839。　The　former　was　one　of　those　employees　who　are
called；　in　the　government　offices；　pluralists。　These　clerks　are
remarkable　for　their　industry。　Colleville；　a　good　musician；　owed　to
the　name　and　influence　of　his　father　a　situation　as　first　clarionet　at
the　Opera…Comique；　and　so　long　as　he　was　a　bachelor；　Colleville；　who
was　rather　richer　than　Thuillier；　shared　his　means　with　his　friend。
But；　unlike　Thuillier；　Colleville　married　for　love　a　Mademoiselle
Flavie；　the　natural　daughter　of　a　celebrated　danseuse　at　the　Opera；
her　reputed　father　being　a　certain　du　Bourguier；　one　of　the　richest
contractors　of　the　day。　In　style　and　origin；　Flavie　was　apparently
destined　for　a　melancholy　career；　when　Colleville；　often　sent　to　her
mother's　apartments；　fell　in　love　with　her　and　married　her。　Prince
Galathionne；　who　at　that　time　was　〃protecting〃　the　danseuse；　then
approaching　the　end　of　her　brilliant　career；　gave　Flavie　a　〃dot〃　of
twenty　thousand　francs；　to　which　her　mother　added　a　magnificent
trousseau。　Other　friends　and　opera…comrades　sent　jewels　and
silver…ware；　so　that　the　Colleville　household　was　far　richer　in
superfluities　than　in　capital。　Flavie；　brought　up　in　opulence；　began
her　married　life　in　a　charming　apartment；　furnished　by　her　mother's
upholsterer；　where　the　young　wife；　who　was　full　of　taste　for　art　and
for　artists；　and　possessed　a　certain　elegance；　ruled；　a　queen。

Madame　Colleville　was　pretty　and　piquant；　clever；　gay；　and　graceful；
to　express　her　in　one　sentence；a　charming　creature。　Her　mother；　the
danseuse；　now　forty…three　years　old；　retired　from　the　stage　and　went
to　live　in　the　country；thus　depriving　her　daughter　of　the　resources
derived　from　her　wasteful　extravagance。　Madame　Colleville　kept　a　very
agreeable　but　extremely　free　and　easy　household。　From　1816　to　1826　she
had　five　children。　Colleville；　a　musician　in　the　evening；　kept　the
books　of　a　merchant　from　seven　to　nine　in　the　morning；　and　by　ten
o'clock　he　was　at　his　ministry。　Thus；　by　blowing　into　a　bit　of　wood　by
night；　and　writing　double…entry　accounts　in　the　early　morning；　he
man