the lesser bourgeoisie-第84章

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〃Thuillier　began　by　not　being　very　hostile　to　you；　but　it　now　seems
that　the　seizure　business　has　taken　a　good　turn；　and　having　less　need
of　you　he　is　getting　drawn　into　his　sister's　waters；　and　if　the
tendency　continues；　I　haven't　a　doubt　that　he'll　soon　come　to　think
you　deserving　of　hanging。〃

〃Well；　I'm　out　of　it　all；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃and　if　anybody　ever
catches　me　in　such　a　mess　again！Well；　adieu；　my　friends；〃　he　added。
〃And　you；　Cerizet；　as　to　what　we　were　speaking　about；　activity；
safety；　and　discretion！〃

When　la　Peyrade　reached　the　courtyard　of　the　municipal　building；　he
was　accosted　by　Madame　Lambert；　who　was　lying　in　wait　for　him。

〃Monsieur　wouldn't　believe；　I　am　sure；〃　she　said；　in　a　deprecating
tone；　〃the　villainous　things　that　Monsieur　Cerizet　said　about　me；
monsieur　knows　it　was　the　little　property　I　received　from　my　uncle　in
England　that　I　placed　in　his　hands。〃

〃Yes；　yes；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃but　you　must　understand　that　with　all
these　rumors　set　about　by　your　master's　relatives　the　prize　of　virtue
is　desperately　endangered。〃

〃If　it　is　God's　will　that　I　am　not　to　have　it〃

〃You　ought　also　to　understand　how　important　it　is　for　your　interests
to　keep　secret　the　other　service　which　I　did　for　you。　At　the　first
appearance　of　any　indiscretion　on　your　part　that　money；　as　I　told　you；
will　be　peremptorily　returned　to　you。〃

〃Oh！　monsieur　may　be　easy　about　that。〃

〃Very　well；　then　good…bye　to　you；　my　dear；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　in　a
friendly　tone。

As　he　turned　to　leave　her；　a　nasal　voice　was　heard　from　a　window　on
the　staircase。

〃Madame　Lambert！〃　cried　Cerizet；　who；　suspecting　the　colloquy；　had
gone　to　the　staircase　window　to　make　sure　of　it。　〃Madame　Lambert！
Monsieur　Dutocq　has　returned；　you　may　come　up　and　see　him；　if　you
like。〃

Impossible　for　la　Peyrade　to　prevent　the　conference；　although　he　knew
the　secret　of　that　twenty…five　thousand　francs　ran　the　greatest
danger。

〃Certainly；〃　he　said　to　himself　as　he　walked　away；　〃I'm　in　a　run　of
ill…luck；　and　I　don't　know　where　it　will　end。〃

In　Brigitte's　nature　there　was　such　an　all…devouring　instinct　of
domination；　that　it　was　without　regret；　and；　we　may　even　say；　with　a
sort　of　secret　joy　that　she　saw　the　disappearance　of　Madame　de
Godollo。　That　woman；　she　felt；　had　a　crushing　superiority　over　her；
and　this；　while　it　had　given　a　higher　order　to　the　Thuillier
establishment；　made　her　ill　at　ease。　When　therefore　the　separation
took　place；　which　was　done；　let　us　here　say；　on　good　terms；　and　under
fair　and　honorable　pretexts；　Mademoiselle　Thuillier　breathed　more
freely。　She　felt　like　those　kings　long　swayed　by　imperious　and
necessary　ministers；　who　celebrate　within　their　hearts　the　day　when
death　delivers　them　from　a　master　whose　services　and　rival　influence
they　impatiently　endured。

Thuillier　was　not　far　from　having　the　same　sentiment　about　la　Peyrade。
But　Madame　de　Godollo　was　only　the　elegance；　whereas　la　Peyrade　was
the　utility　of　the　house　they　had　now　simultaneously　abandoned；　and
after　the　lapse　of　a　few　days；　a　terrible　need　of　Theodose　made　itself
felt　in　the　literary　and　political　existence　of　his　dear；　good　friend。
The　municipal　councillor　found　himself　suddenly　appointed　to　draft　an
important　report。　He　was　unable　to　decline　the　task；　saddled　as　he　was
with　the　reputation；　derived　from　his　pamphlet；　of　being　a　man　of
letters　and　an　able　writer；　therefore；　in　presence　of　the　perilous
honor　conferred　upon　him　by　his　colleagues　of　the　general　Council；　he
sat　down　terrified　by　his　solitude　and　his　insufficiency。

In　vain　did　he　lock　himself　into　his　study；　gorge　himself　with　black
coffee；　mend　innumerable　pens；　and　write　a　score　of　times　at　the　head
of　his　paper　（which　he　was　careful　to　cut　of　the　exact　dimensions　as
that　used　by　la　Peyrade）　the　solemn　words：　〃Report　to　the　Members　of
the　Municipal　Council　of　the　City　of　Paris；〃　followed；　on　a　line　by
itself；　by　a　magnificent　MESSIEURSnothing　came　of　it！　He　was　fain　to
issue　furious　from　his　study；　complaining　of　the　horrible　household
racket　which　〃cut　the　thread　of　his　ideas〃；　though　really　no　greater
noise　than　the　closing　of　a　door　or　the　opening　of　a　closet　or　the
moving　of　a　chair　had　made　itself　heard。　All　this；　however；　did　not
help　the　advancement　of　the　work；　which　remained；　as　beforesimply
begun。

Most　fortunately；　it　happened　that　Rabourdin；　wanting　to　make　some
change　in　his　apartment；　came；　as　was　proper；　to　submit　his　plan　to
the　owner　of　the　house。　Thuillier　granted　cordially　the　request　that
was　made　to　him；　and　then　discoursed　to　his　tenant　about　the　report
with　which　he　was　charged；being　desirous；　he　said；　to　obtain　his
ideas　on　the　subject。

Rabourdin；　to　whom　no　administrative　question　was　foreign；　very
readily　threw　upon　the　subject　a　number　of　very　clear　and　lucid　ideas。
He　was　one　of　those　men　to　whom　the　quality　of　the　intellect　to　which
they　address　themselves　is　more　or　less　indifferent；　a　fool；　or　a　man
of　talent　who　will　listen　to　them；　serves　equally　well　to　think　aloud
to；　and　they　are；　as　a　stimulant；　about　the　same　thing。　After
Rabourdin　had　said　his　say；　he　observed　that　Thuillier　had　not
understood　him；　but　he　had　listened　to　himself　with　pleasure；　and　he
was；　moreover；　grateful　for　the　attention；　obtuse　as　it　was；　of　his
hearer；　and　also　for　the　kindliness　of　the　landlord　in　receiving　his
request。

〃I　must　have　among　my　papers；〃　he　said　as　he　went　away；　〃something　on
this　subject；　I　will　look　it　up　and　send　it　to　you。〃

Accordingly；　that　same　evening　Thuillier　received　a　voluminous
manuscript；　and　he　spent　the　entire　night　in　delving　into　that
precious　repository　of　ideas；　from　which　he　extracted　enough　to　make　a
really　remarkable　report；　clumsily　as　the　pillage　was　managed。　When
read　before　the　council　it　obtained　a　very　great　success；　and
Thuillier　returned　home　radiant　and　much　elated　by　the　congratulations
he　had　received。　From　that　momenta　moment　that　was　marked　in　his
life；　for　even　to　advanced　old　age　he　still　talked　of　the　〃report　he
had　had　the　honor　of　making　to　the　Council…general　of　the　Seine〃la
Peyrade　went　down　considerably　in　his　estimation；　he　felt　then　that　he
could　do　very　well　without　the　barrister；　and　this　thought　of
emancipation　was　strengthened　by　another　happiness　which　came　to　him
at　almost　the　same　time。

A　parliamentary　crisis　was　imminent；a　fact　that　caused　the　ministry
to　think　about　depriving　its　adversaries　of　a　theme　of　opposition
which　always　has　great　influence　on　public　opinion。　It　resolved
therefore　to　relax　its　rigor；　which　of　late　had　been　much　increased
against　the　press。　Being　included　in　this　species　of　hypocritical
amnesty；　Thuillier　received　one　morning　a　letter　from　the　barrister
whom　he　had　chosen　in　place　of　la　Peyrade。　This　letter　announced　that
the　Council　of　State　had　dismissed　the　complaint；　and　ordered　the
release　of　the　pamphlet。

Then　Dutocq's　prediction　was　realized。　That　weight　the　less　within　his
bosom；　Thuillier　took　a　swing　toward　insolence；　he　chorused　Brigitte；
and　came　at　last　to　speak　of　la　Peyrade　as　a　sort　of　adventurer　whom
he　had　fed　and　clothed；　a　tricky　fellow　who　had　EXTRACTED　much　money
from　him；　and　had　finally　behaved　with　such　ingratitude　that　he　was
thankful　not　to　count　him　any　longer　among　his　friends。　Orgon；　in
short；　was　in　full　revolt；　and　like　Dorine；　he　was　ready　to　cry　out：
〃A　beggar！　who；　when　he　came；　had　neither　shoes　nor　coat　worth　a　brass
farthing。〃

Cerizet；　to　whom　these　indignities　were　reported　by　Dutocq；　would
gladly　have　served　them　up　hot　to　la　Peyrade；　but　the　interview　in
which　the　copying　clerk　was　to　furnish　information　about　Madame　de
Godollo　did　not　take　place　at　the　time　fixed。　La　Peyrade　made　his　own
discoveries　in　this　wise：

Pursued　by　the　thought　of　the　beautiful　Hungarian；　and　awaiting；　or
rather　not　awaiting　the　result　of　Cerizet's　inquiry；　he　scoured　Paris
in　every　direction；　and　might　have　been　seen；　like　the　idlest　of
loungers；　in　the　most　frequented　places；　his　heart　telling　him　that
sooner　or　later　he　must　meet　the　object　of　his　ardent　search。

One　eveningit　was　towards　the　middle　of　Octoberthe　autumn；　as
frequently　happens　i