the lesser bourgeoisie-第67章

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now　went　up　to　Madame　Phellion　and　asked　her　to　accompany　her；　and
between　two　verses　of　a　song　she　said　in　her　ear：

〃Why　isn't　your　son　here？〃

〃He　is　coming；〃　said　Madame　Phellion。　〃His　father　talked　to　him　very
decidedly；　but　to…night　there　happens　to　be　a　conjunction　of　I　don't
know　what　planets；　it　is　a　great　night　at　the　Observatory；　and　he　did
not　feel　willing　to　dispense　with〃

〃It　is　inconceivable　that　a　man　should　be　so　foolish！〃　exclaimed
Madame　de　Godollo；　〃wasn't　theology　bad　enough；　that　he　must　needs
bring　in　astronomy　too？〃

And　her　vexation　gave　to　her　voice　so　vibrating　a　tone　that　her　song
ended　in　the　midst　of　what　the　English　call　a　thunder　of　applause。　La
Peyrade；　who　feared　her　extremely；　was　not　one　of　the　last；　when　she
returned　to　her　place；　to　approach　her；　and　express　his　admiration；
but　she　received　his　compliments　with　a　coldness　so　near　to　incivility
that　their　mutual　hostility　was　greatly　increased。　La　Peyrade　turned
away　to　console　himself　with　Madame　Colleville；　who　had　still　too　many
pretensions　to　beauty　not　to　be　the　enemy　of　a　woman　made　to　intercept
all　homage。

〃So　you　also；　you　think　that　woman　sings　well？〃　she　said；
contemptuously；　to　Theodose。

〃At　any　rate；　I　have　been　to　tell　her　so；〃　replied　la　Peyrade；
〃because　without　her；　in　regard　to　Brigitte；　there's　no　security。　But
do　just　look　at　your　Celeste；　her　eyes　never　leave　that　door；　and
every　time　a　tray　is　brought　in；　though　it　is　an　hour　at　least　since
the　last　guest　came；　her　face　expresses　disappointment。〃

We　must　remark；　in　passing；　that　since　the　reign　of　Madame　de　Godollo
trays　were　passed　round　on　the　Sunday　reception　days；　and　that　without
scrimping；　on　the　contrary；　they　were　laden　with　ices；　cakes；　and
syrups；　from　Taurade's；　then　the　best　confectioner。

〃Don't　harass　me！〃　cried　Flavie。　〃I　know　very　well　what　that　foolish
girl　has　in　her　mind；　and　your　marriage　will　take　place　only　too
soon。〃

〃But　you　know　it　is　not　for　myself　I　make　it；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃it　is
a　necessity　for　the　future　of　all　of　us。　Come；　come；　there　are　tears
in　your　eyes！　I　shall　leave　you；　you　are　not　reasonable。　The　devil！　as
that　Prudhomme　of　a　Phellion　says；　'Whoso　wants　the　end　wants　the
means。'〃

And　he　went　toward　the　group　composed　of　Celeste；　Madame　Thuillier；
Madame　de　Godollo；　Colleville；　and　Phellion。　Madame　Colleville
followed　him；　and；　under　the　influence　of　the　feeling　of　jealousy　she
had　just　shown；　she　became　a　savage　mother。

〃Celeste；〃　she　said；　〃why　don't　you　sing？　These　gentlemen　wish　to　hear
you。〃

〃Oh；　mamma！〃　cried　the　girl；　〃how　can　I　sing　after　Madame　de　Godollo；
with　my　poor　thread　of　a　voice？　Besides；　you　know　I　have　a　cold。〃

〃That　is　to　say　that；　as　usual；　you　make　yourself　pretentious　and
disagreeable；　people　sing　as　they　can　sing；　all　voices　have　their　own
merits。〃

〃My　dear；〃　said　Colleville；　who；　having　just　lost　twenty　francs　at　the
card…tables；　found　courage　in　his　ill…humor　to　oppose　his　wife；　〃that
saying；　'People　sing　as　they　can　sing'　is　a　bourgeois　maxim。　People
sing　with　a　voice；　if　they　have　one；　but　they　don't　sing　after　hearing
such　a　magnificent　opera　voice　as　that　of　Madame　la　comtesse。　For　my
part；　I　readily　excuse　Celeste　for　not　warbling　to　us　one　of　her
sentimental　little　ditties。〃

〃Then　it　is　well　worth　while；〃　said　Flavie；　leaving　the　group；　〃to
spend　so　much　money　on　expensive　masters　who　are　good　for　nothing。〃

〃So；〃　said　Colleville；　resuming　the　conversation　which　the　invasion　of
Flavie　had　interrupted；　〃Felix　no　longer　inhabits　this　earth；　he　lives
among　the　stars？〃

〃My　dear　and　former　colleague；〃　said　Phellion；　〃I　am；　as　you　are；
annoyed　with　my　son　for　neglecting；　as　he　does；　the　oldest　friends　of
his　family；　and　though　the　contemplation　of　those　great　luminous
bodies　suspended　in　space　by　the　hand　of　the　Creator　presents；　in　my
opinion；　higher　interest　than　it　appears　to　have　to　your　more　eager
brain；　I　think　that　Felix；　by　not　coming　here　to…night；　as　he　promised
me　he　would；　shows　a　want　of　propriety；　about　which；　I　can　assure　you
I　shall　speak　my　mind。〃

〃Science；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃is　a　fine　thing；　but　it　has；
unfortunately；　the　attribute　of　making　bears　and　monomaniacs。〃

〃Not　to　mention；〃　said　Celeste；　〃that　it　destroys　all　religious
sentiments。〃

〃You　are　mistaken　there；　my　dear　child；〃　said　Madame　de　Godollo。
〃Pascal；　who　was　himself　a　great　example　of　the　falseness　of　your
point　of　view；　says；　if　I　am　not　mistaken；　that　a　little　science　draws
us　from　religion；　but　a　great　deal　draws　us　back　to　it。〃

〃And　yet；　madame；〃　said　Celeste；　〃every　one　admits　that　Monsieur　Felix
is　really　very　learned；　when　he　helped　my　brother　with　his　studies
nothing　could　be；　so　Francois　told　me；　clearer　or　more　comprehensible
than　his　explanations；　and　you　see；　yourself；　he　is　not　the　more
religious　for　that。〃

〃I　tell　you；　my　dear　child；　that　Monsieur　Felix　is　not　irreligious；
and　with　a　little　gentleness　and　patience　nothing　would　be　easier　than
to　bring　him　back。〃

〃Bring　back　a　savant　to　the　duties　of　religion！〃　exclaimed　la　Peyrade。
〃Really；　madame；　that　seems　to　me　very　difficult。　These　gentlemen　put
the　object　of　their　studies　before　everything　else。　Tell　a
geometrician　or　a　geologist；　for　example；　that　the　Church　demands；
imperatively；　the　sanctification　of　the　Sabbath　by　the　suspension　of
all　species　of　work；　and　they　will　shrug　their　shoulders；　though　God
Himself　did　not　disdain　to　rest　from　His　labors。〃

〃So　that　in　not　coming　here　this　evening；〃　said　Celeste；　naively；
〃Monsieur　Felix　commits　not　only　a　fault　against　good　manners；　but　a
sin。〃

〃But；　my　dearest；〃　said　Madame　de　Godollo；　〃do　you　think　that　our
meeting　here　this　evening　to　sing　ballads　and　eat　ices　and　say　evil　of
our　neighborwhich　is　the　customary　habit　of　salonsis　more　pleasing
to　God　than　to　see　a　man　of　science　in　his　observatory　busied　in
studying　the　magnificent　secrets　of　His　creation？〃

〃There's　a　time　for　all　things；〃　said　Celeste；　〃and；　as　Monsieur　de　la
Peyrade　says；　God　Himself　did　not　disdain　to　rest。〃

〃But；　my　love；〃　said　Madame　de　Godollo；　〃God　has　time　to　do　so；　He　is
eternal。〃

〃That；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃is　one　of　the　wittiest　impieties　ever
uttered；　those　are　the　reasons　that　the　world's　people　put　forth。　They
interpret　and　explain　away　the　commands　of　God；　even　those　that　are
most　explicit　and　imperative；　they　take　them；　leave　them；　or　choose
among　them；　the　free…thinker　subjects　them　to　his　lordly　revision；　and
from　free…thinking　the　distance　is　short　to　free　actions。〃

During　this　harangue　of　the　barrister　Madame　de　Godollo　had　looked　at
the　clock；　it　then　said　half…past　eleven。　The　salon　began　to　empty。
Only　one　card…table　was　still　going　on；　Minard；　Thuillier；　and　two　of
the　new　acquaintances　being　the　players。　Phellion　had　just　quitted　the
group　with　which　he　had　so　far　been　sitting；　to　join　his　wife；　who　was
talking　with　Brigitte　in　a　corner；　by　the　vehemence　of　his　pantomimic
action　it　was　easy　to　see　that　he　was　filled　with　some　virtuous
indignation。　Everything　seemed　to　show　that　all　hope　of　seeing　the
arrival　of　the　tardy　lover　was　decidedly　over。

〃Monsieur；〃　said　the　countess　to　la　Peyrade；　〃do　you　consider　the
gentlemen　attached　to　Saint…Jacques　du　Haut　Pas　in　the　rue　des　Postes
good　Catholics？〃

〃Undoubtedly；〃　replied　the　barrister；　〃religion　has　no　more　loyal
supporters。〃

〃This　morning；〃　continued　the　countess；　〃I　had　the　happiness　to　be
received　by　Pere　Anselme。　He　is　thought　the　model　of　all　Christian
virtues；　and　yet　the　good　father　is　a　very　learned　mathematician。〃

〃I　have　not　said；　madame；　that　the　two　qualities　were　absolutely
incompatible。〃

〃But　you　did　say　that　a　true　Christian　could　not　attend　to　any　species
of　work　on　Sunday。　If　so；　Pere　Anselme　must　be　an　unbeliever；　for　when
I　was　admitted　to　his　room　I　found　him　standing　before　a　blackboard
with　a　bit　of　chalk　in　his　hand；　busy　with　a　problem　which　was；　no
doubt；　knotty；　for　the　board　was　three…parts　covered　with　algebraic
signs；　and　I　must　add　that　he　did　not　seem　to　care　for　the　scandal
this　ought　to　cause；　for　he　had　with　him　an　individual　whom　I　am　not
allowed　to