the lesser bourgeoisie-第74章

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beards；　exhaling　a　strong　odor　of　tobacco；　made　their　appearance。
Thuillier　thanked　them　effusively　for　the　〃honor〃　they　had　done　him；
after　which　came　another　long　period　of　waiting；　of　which　we　shall　not
relate　the　tortures。　At　one　o'clock　the　assembled　contingent　comprised
five　of　the　invited　guests；　Barbet　and　la　Peyrade　not　included。　It　is
scarcely　necessary　to　say　that　none　of　the　self…respecting　journalists
of　the　better　papers　had　taken　any　notice　of　the　absurd　invitation。

Breakfast　now　had　to　be　served　to　this　reduced　number。　A　few　polite
phrases　that　reached　Thuillier's　ears　about　the　〃immense〃　interest　of
his　publication；　failed　to　blind　him　to　the　bitterness　of　his
discomfiture；　and　without　the　gaiety　of　the　publisher；　who　had　taken
in　hand　the　reins　his　patron；　gloomy　as　Hippolytus　on　the　road　to
Mycenae；　let　fall；　nothing　could　have　surpassed　the　glum　and　glacial
coldness　of　the　meeting。

After　the　oysters　were　removed；　the　champagne　and　chablis　which　had
washed　them　down　had　begun；　nevertheless；　to　raise　the　thermometer；
when；　rushing　into　the　room　where　the　banquet　was　taking　place；　a
young　man　in　a　cap　conveyed　to　Thuillier　a　most　unexpected　and
crushing　blow。

〃Master；〃　said　the　new…comer　to　Barbet　（he　was　a　clerk　in　the
bookseller's　shop）；　〃we　are　done　for！　The　police　have　made　a　raid　upon
us；　a　commissary　and　two　men　have　come　to　seize　monsieur's　pamphlet。
Here's　a　paper　they　have　given　me　for　you。〃

〃Look　at　that；〃　said　Barbet；　handing　the　document　to　la　Peyrade；　his
customary　assurance　beginning　to　forsake　him。

〃A　summons　to　appear　at　once　before　the　court　of　assizes；〃　said　la
Peyrade；　after　reading　a　few　lines　of　the　sheriff's　scrawl。

Thuillier　had　turned　as　pale　as　death。

〃Didn't　you　fulfil　all　the　necessary　formalities？〃　he　said　to　Barbet；
in　a　choking　voice。

〃This　is　not　a　matter　of　formalities；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃it　is　a
seizure　for　what　is　called　press　misdemeanor；　exciting　contempt　and
hatred　of　the　government；　you　probably　have　the　same　sort　of
compliment　awaiting　you　at　home；　my　poor　Thuillier。〃

〃Then　it　is　treachery！〃　cried　Thuillier；　losing　his　head　completely。

〃Hang　it；　my　dear　fellow！　you　know　very　well　what　you　put　in　your
pamphlet；　for　my　part；　I　don't　see　anything　worth　whipping　a　cat　for。〃

〃There's　some　misunderstanding；〃　said　Barbet；　recovering　courage；　〃it
will　all　be　explained；　and　the　result　will　be　a　fine　cause　of
complaintwon't　it；　messieurs？〃

〃Waiter；　pens　and　ink！〃　cried　one　of　the　journalists　thus　appealed　to。

〃Nonsense！　you'll　have　time　to　write　your　article　later；〃　said　another
of　the　brotherhood；　〃what　has　a　bombshell　to　do　with　this　'filet
saute'？〃

That；　of　course；　was　a　parody　on　the　famous　speech　of　Charles　XII。；
King　of　Sweden；　when　a　shot　interrupted　him　while　dictating　to　a
secretary。

〃Messieurs；〃　said　Thuillier；　rising；　〃I　am　sure　you　will　excuse　me　for
leaving　you。　If；　as　Monsieur　Barbet　thinks；　there　is　some
misunderstanding；　it　ought　to　be　explained　at　once；　I　must　therefore；
with　your　permission；　go　to　the　police　court。　La　Peyrade；〃　he　added　in
a　significant　tone；　〃you　will　not　refuse；　I　presume；　to　accompany　me。
And　you；　my　dear　publisher；　you　would　do　well　to　come　too。〃

〃No；　faith！〃　said　Barbet；　〃when　I　breakfast；　I　breakfast；　if　the
police　have　committed　a　blunder；　so　much　the　worse　for　them。〃

〃But　suppose　the　matter　is　serious？〃　cried　Thuillier；　in　great
agitation。

〃Well；　I　should　say；　what　is　perfectly　true；　that　I　had　never　read　a
line　of　your　pamphlet。　One　thing　is　very　annoying；　those　damned　juries
hate　beards；　and　I　must　cut　off　mine　if　I'm　compelled　to　appear　in
court。〃

〃Come；　my　dear　amphitryon；　sit　down　again；〃　said　the　editor　of　the
〃Echo　de　la　Bievre；〃　〃we'll　stand　by　you；　I've　already　written　an
article　in　my　head　which　will　stir　up　all　the　tanners　in　Paris；　and；
let　me　tell　you；　that　honorable　corporation　is　a　power。〃

〃No；　monsieur；〃　replied　Thuillier；　〃no；　a　man　like　me　cannot　rest　an
hour　under　such　an　accusation　as　this。　Continue　your　breakfast　without
us；　I　hope　soon　to　see　you　again。　La　Peyrade；　are　you　coming？〃

〃He's　charming；　isn't　he？〃　said　Barbet；　when　Thuillier　and　his　counsel
had　left　the　room。　〃To　ask　me　to　leave　a　breakfast　after　the　oysters；
and　go　and　talk　with　the　police！　Come；　messieurs；　close　up　the　ranks；〃
he　added；　gaily。

〃Tiens！〃　said　one　of　the　hungry　journalists；　who　had　cast　his　eyes
into　the　garden　of　the　Palais…Royal；　on　which　the　dining…room　of　the
restaurant　opened；　〃there's　Barbanchu　going　by；　suppose　I　call　him
in？〃

〃Yes；　certainly；〃　said　Barbet　junior；　〃have　him　up。〃

〃Barbanchu！　Barbanchu！〃　called　out　the　journalist。

Barbanchu；　his　hat　being　over　his　eyes；　was　some　time　in　discovering
the　cloud　above　him　whence　the　voice　proceeded。

〃Here；　up　here！〃　called　the　voice；　which　seemed　to　Barbanchu　celestial
when　he　saw　himself　hailed　by　a　man　with　a　glass　of　champagne　in　his
hand。　Then；　as　he　seemed　to　hesitate；　the　party　above　called　out　in
chorus：

〃Come　up！　come　up！　THERE'S　FAT　TO　BE　HAD！〃

When　Thuillier　left　the　office　of　the　public　prosecutor　he　could　no
longer　have　any　illusions。　The　case　against　him　was　serious；　and　the
stern　manner　in　which　he　had　been　received　made　him　see　that　when　the
trial　came　up　he　would　be　treated　without　mercy。　Then；　as　always
happens　among　accomplices　after　the　non…success　of　an　affair　they　have
done　in　common；　he　turned　upon　la　Peyrade　in　the　sharpest　manner：　La
Peyrade　had　paid　no　attention　to　what　he　wrote；　he　had　given　full
swing　to　his　stupid　Saint…Simonian　ideas；　HE　didn't　care　for　the
consequences；　it　was　not　HE　who　would　have　to　pay　the　fine　and　go　to
prison！　Then；　when　la　Peyrade　answered　that　the　matter　did　not　look　to
him　serious；　and　he　expected　to　get　a　verdict　of　acquittal　without
difficulty；　Thuillier　burst　forth　upon　him；　vehemently：

〃Parbleu！　the　thing　is　plain　enough；　monsieur　sees　nothing　in　it？
Well；　I　shall　not　put　my　honor　and　my　fortune　into　the　hands　of　a
little　upstart　like　yourself；　I　shall　take　some　great　lawyer　if　the
case　comes　to　trial。　I've　had　enough　of　your　collaboration　by　this
time。〃

Under　the　injustice　of　these　remarks　la　Peyrade　felt　his　anger　rising。
However；　he　saw　himself　disarmed；　and　not　wishing　to　come　to　an　open
rupture；　he　parted　from　Thuillier；　saying　that　he　forgave　a　man
excited　by　fear；　and　would　go　to　see　him　later　in　the　afternoon；　when
he　would　probably　be　calmer；　they　could　then　decide　on　what　steps　they
had　better　take。

Accordingly；　about　four　o'clock；　the　Provencal　arrived　at　the　house　in
the　Place　de　la　Madeleine。　Thuillier's　irritation　was　quieted；　but
frightful　consternation　had　taken　its　place。　If　the　executioner　were
coming　in　half　an　hour　to　lead　him　to　the　scaffold　he　could　not　have
been　more　utterly　unstrung　and　woe…begone。　When　la　Peyrade　entered
Madame　Thuillier　was　trying　to　make　him　take　an　infusion　of　linden…
leaves。　The　poor　woman　had　come　out　of　her　usual　apathy；　and　proved
herself；　beside　the　present　Sabinus；　another　Eponina。

As　for　Brigitte；　who　presently　appeared；　bearing　a　foot…bath；　she　had
no　mercy　or　restraint　towards　Theodose；　her　sharp　and　bitter
reproaches；　which　were　out　of　all　proportion　to　the　fault；　even
supposing　him　to　have　committed　one　would　have　driven　a　man　of　the
most　placid　temperament　beside　himself。　La　Peyrade　felt　that　all　was
lost　to　him　in　the　Thuillier　household；　where　they　now　seemed　to　seize
with　joy　the　occasion　to　break　their　word　to　him　and　to　give　free　rein
to　revolting　ingratitude。　On　an　ironical　allusion　by　Brigitte　to　the
manner　in　which　he　decorated　his　friends；　la　Peyrade　rose　and　took
leave；　without　any　effort　being　made　to　retain　him。

After　walking　about　the　streets　for　awhile；　la　Peyrade；　in　the　midst
of　his　indignation；　turned　to　thoughts　of　Madame　de　Godollo；　whose
image；　to　tell　the　truth；　had　been　much　in　his　mind　since　their　former
interview。



CHAPTER　VI

'TWAS　THUS　THEY　BADE　ADIEU

Not　only　once　when　the　countess　met　the　barrister　at　the　Thuilliers
had　she　left　the　room；　but　the　same　performance　took　place　at　each　of
their　encounters；　and　la　Peyrade　had　convinced　himself；　without
know