the lesser bourgeoisie-第61章

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leave　their　old　home　in　the　Latin　quarter。

At　this　period；　when　his　power　and　credit　had　reached　their　apogee；
Theodose　considered　his　marriage　a　settled　thing；　and　he　now　felt　an
almost　childish　haste　to　spring　into　the　sphere　of　elegance　which
seemed　henceforth　to　be　his　future。　He　had　therefore　furthered　the
inducements　of　the　countess；　feeling　that　he　thus　sent　the　Thuilliers
before　him　to　make　his　bed　in　the　splendid　apartment　he　intended　to
share　with　them。　By　thus　removing　them　from　their　old　home　he　saw
another　advantage；that　of　withdrawing　Celeste　from　daily　intercourse
with　a　rival　who　seemed　to　him　dangerous。　Deprived　of　the　advantage　of
propinquity；　Felix　would　be　forced　to　make　his　visits　farther　apart；
and　therefore　there　would　be　greater　facilities　to　ruin　him　in　the
girl's　heart；　where　he　was　installed　on　condition　of　giving　religious
satisfaction；a　requirement　to　which　he　showed　himself　refractory。

But　in　all　these　plans　and　schemes　various　drawbacks　confronted　him。
To　enlarge　the　horizon　of　the　Thuilliers　was　for　la　Peyrade　to　run　the
chance　of　creating　competition　for　the　confidence　and　admiration　of
which　he　had　been　till　then　the　exclusive　object。　In　the　sort　of
provincial　life　they　had　hitherto　lived；　Brigitte　and　his　dear；　good
friend　placed　him；　for　want　of　comparison；　at　a　height　from　which　the
juxtaposition　of　other　superiorities　and　elegances　must　bring　him
down。　So；　then；　apart　from　the　blows　covertly　dealt　him　by　Madame　de
Godollo；　the　idea　of　the　transpontine　emigration　had　proved　to　be；　on
the　whole；　a　bad　one。

The　Collevilles　had　followed　their　friends　the　Thuilliers；　to　the　new
house　near　the　Madeleine；　where　an　entresol　at　the　back　had　been
conceded　to　them　at　a　price　conformable　to　their　budget。　But
Colleville　declared　it　lacked　light　and　air；　and　being　obliged　to　go
daily　from　the　boulevard　of　the　Madeleine　to　the　faubourg　Saint…
Jacques；　where　his　office　was；　he　fumed　against　the　arrangement　of
which　he　was　the　victim；　and　felt　at　times　that　la　Peyrade　was　a
tyrant。　Madame　Colleville；　on　the　other　hand；　had　flung　herself　into
an　alarming　orgy　of　bonnets；　mantles；　and　new　gowns；　requiring　the
presentation　of　a　mass　of　bills；　which　led　not　infrequently　to　scenes
in　the　household　which　were　more　or　less　stormy。　As　for　Celeste；　she
had　undoubtedly　fewer　opportunities　to　see　young　Phellion；　but　she　had
also　fewer　chances　to　rush　into　religious　controversy；　and　absence；
which　is　dangerous　to　none　but　inferior　attachments；　made　her　think
more　tenderly　and　less　theologically　of　the　man　of　her　dreams。

But　all　these　false　calculations　of　Theodose　were　as　nothing　in　the
balance　with　another　cause　for　his　diminishing　influence　which　was　now
to　weigh　heavily　on　his　situation。

He　had　assured　Thuillier　that；　after　a　short　delay　and　the　payment　of
ten　thousand　francs；　to　which　his　dear；　good　friend　submitted　with
tolerable　grace；　the　cross　of　the　Legion　of　honor　would　arrive　to
realize　the　secret　desire　of　all　his　life。　Two　months　had　now　passed
without　a　sign　of　that　glorious　rattle；　and　the　former　sub…director；
who　would　have　felt　such　joy　in　parading　his　red　ribbon　on　the
boulevard　of　the　Madeleine；　of　which　he　was　now　one　of　the　most
assiduous　promenaders；　had　nothing　to　adorn　his　buttonhole　but　the
flowers　of　the　earth；　the　privilege　of　everybody；of　which　he　was　far
less　proud　than　Beranger。

La　Peyrade　had；　to　be　sure；　mentioned　an　unforeseen　and　inexplicable
difficulty　by　which　all　the　efforts　of　the　Comtesse　du　Bruel　had　been
paralyzed；　but　Thuillier　did　not　take　comfort　in　the　explanation；　and
on　certain　days；　when　the　disappointment　became　acute；　he　was　very
near　saying　with　Chicaneau　in　Les　Plaideurs；　〃Return　my　money。〃

However；　no　outbreak　happened；　for　la　Peyrade　held　him　in　leash　by　the
famous　pamphlet　on　〃Taxation　and　the　Sliding…Scale〃；　the　conclusion　of
which　had　been　suspended　during　the　excitement　of　the　moving；　for
during　that　agitating　period　Thuillier　had　been　unable　to　give　proper
care　to　the　correction　of　proofs；　about　which；　we　may　remember；　he　had
reserved　the　right　of　punctilious　examination。　La　Peyrade　had　now
reached　a　point　when　he　was　forced　to　see　that；　in　order　to　restore
his　influence；　which　was　daily　evaporating；　he　must　strike　some　grand
blow；　and　it　was　precisely　this　nagging　and　vexatious　fancy　about　the
proofs　that　the　barrister　decided　to　take　as　the　starting…point　of　a
scheme；　both　deep　and　adventurous；　which　came　into　his　mind。

One　day；　when　the　pair　were　engaged　on　the　sheets　of　the　pamphlet；　a
discussion　arose　upon　the　word　〃nepotism；〃　which　Thuillier　wished　to
eliminate　from　one　of　la　Peyrade's　sentences；　declaring　that　never　had
he　met　with　it　anywhere；　it　was　pure　neologismwhich；　to　the　literary
notions　of　the　bourgeoisie；　is　equivalent　to　the　idea　of　1793　and　the
Terror。

Generally　la　Peyrade　took　the　ridiculous　remarks　of　his　dear；　good
friend　pretty　patiently；　but　on　this　occasion　he　made　himself
exceedingly　excited；　and　signified　to　Thuillier　that　he　might
terminate　himself　a　work　to　which　he　applied　such　luminous　and
intelligent　criticism；　after　which　remark　he　departed　and　was　not　seen
again　for　several　days。

At　first　Thuillier　supposed　this　outbreak　to　be　a　mere　passing　effect
of　ill…humor；　but　when　la　Peyrade's　absence　grew　prolonged　he　felt　the
necessity　of　taking　some　conciliatory　step；　and　accordingly　he　went　to
see　the　barrister；　intending　to　make　honorable　amends　and　so　put　an
end　to　his　sulkiness。　Wishing；　however；　to　give　this　advance　an　air
which　allowed　an　honest　issue　to　his　own　self…love；　he　entered　la
Peyrade's　room　with　an　easy　manner；　and　said；　cheerfully：

〃Well；　my　dear　fellow；　it　turns　out　that　we　were　both　right：
'nepotism'　means　the　authority　that　the　nephews　of　popes　take　in
public　affairs。　I　have　searched　the　dictionary　and　it　gives　no　other
explanation；　but；　from　what　Phellion　tells　me；　I　find　that　in　the
political　vocabulary　the　meaning　of　the　word　has　been　extended　to
cover　the　influence　which　corrupt　ministers　permit　certain　persons　to
exercise　illegally。　I　think；　therefore；　that　we　may　retain　the
expression；　though　it　is　certainly　not　taken　in　that　sense　by　Napoleon
Landais。〃

La　Peyrade；　who；　in　receiving　his　visitor；　had　affected　to　be
extremely　busy　in　sorting　his　papers；　contented　himself　by　shrugging
his　shoulders　and　saying　nothing。

〃Well；〃　said　Thuillier；　〃have　you　got　the　last　proofs？　We　ought　to　be
getting　on。〃

〃If　you　have　sent　nothing　to　the　printing…office；〃　replied　la　Peyrade；
〃of　course　there　are　no　proofs。　I　myself　haven't　touched　the
manuscript。〃

〃But；　my　dear　Theodose；〃　said　Thuillier；　〃it　isn't　possible　that　for
such　a　trifle　you　are　affronted。　I　don't　pretend　to　be　a　writer；　only
as　my　name　is　on　the　book　I　have；　I　think；　the　right　to　my　opinion
about　a　word。〃

〃But　'Mossie'　Phellion；〃　replied　Theodose；　〃is　a　writer；　and　inasmuch
as　you　have　consulted　him；　I　don't　see　why　you　can't　engage　him　to
finish　the　work　in　which；　for　my　part；　I　have　resolved　not　to
co…operate　any　longer。〃

〃Heavens！　what　temper！〃　cried　Thuillier；　〃here　you　are　furious　just
because　I　seemed　to　question　a　word　and　then　consulted　some　one。　You
know　very　well　that　I　have　read　passages　to　Phellion；　Colleville；
Minard；　and　Barniol　as　if　the　work　were　mine；　in　order　to　see　the
effect　it　would　produce　upon　the　public；　but　that's　no　reason　why　I
should　be　willing　to　give　my　name　to　the　things　they　are　capable　of
writing。　Do　you　wish　me　to　give　you　a　proof　of　the　confidence　I　have
in　you？　Madame　la　Comtesse　de　Godollo；　to　whom　I　read　a　few　pages　last
night；　told　me　that　the　pamphlet　was　likely　to　get　me　into　trouble
with　the　authorities；　but　I　wouldn't　allow　what　she　said　to　have　any
influence　upon　me。〃

〃Well；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃I　think　that　the　oracle　of　the　family　sees
the　matter　clearly；　and　I've　no　desire　to　bring　your　head　to　the
scaffold。〃

〃All　that　is　nonsense；〃　said　Thuillier。　〃Have　you；　or　have　you　not；　an
intention　to　leave　me　in　the　lurch？〃

〃Literary　questions　make　more　quarrels　among　friends　than　political
questions；〃　replied　Theodose。　〃I　wish　to　put　an　end　to　these
discussions