the lesser bourgeoisie-第86章

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Hungarian；　a　sentiment　which　did　not　even　rise　to　a　desire　for
vengeance。



CHAPTER　IX

GIVE　AND　TAKE

Once　more　afoot；　and　reckoning　with　his　future；　on　which　he　had　lost
so　much　ground；　la　Peyrade　asked　himself　if　he　had　not　better　try　to
renew　his　relations　with　the　Thuilliers；　or　whether　he　should　be
compelled　to　fall　back　on　the　rich　crazy　woman　who　had　bullion　where
others　have　brains。　But　everything　that　reminded　him　of　his　disastrous
campaign　was　repulsive　to　him；　besides；　what　safety　was　there　in
dealing　with　this　du　Portail；　a　man　who　could　use　such　instruments　for
his　means　of　action？

Great　commotions　of　the　soul　are　like　those　storms　which　purify　the
atmosphere；　they　induce　reflection；　they　counsel　good　and　strong
resolutions。　La　Peyrade；　as　the　result　of　the　cruel　disappointment　he
had　just　endured；　examined　his　own　soul。　He　asked　himself　what　sort　of
existence　was　this；　of　base　and　ignoble　intrigue；　which　he　had　led　for
the　past　year？　Was　there　for　him　no　better；　no　nobler　use　to　make　of
the　faculties　he　felt　within　him？　The　bar　was　open　to　him　as　to
others；　that　was　a　broad；　straight　path　which　could　lead　him　to　all
the　satisfaction　of　legitimate　ambition。　Like　Figaro；　who　displayed
more　science　and　calculation　in　merely　getting　a　living　than　statesmen
had　shown　in　governing　Spain　for　a　hundred　years；　he；　la　Peyrade；　in
order　to　install　and　maintain　himself　in　the　Thuillier　household　and
marry　the　daughter　of　a　clarionet　and　a　smirched　coquette；　had　spent
more　mind；　more　art；　andit　should　also　be　said；　because　in　a　corrupt
society　it　is　an　element　that　must　be　reckonedmore　dishonesty　than
was　needed　to　advance　him　in　some　fine　career。

〃Enough　of　such　connections　as　Dutocq　and　Cerizet；〃　he　said　to
himself；　〃enough　of　the　nauseating　atmosphere　of　the　Minards　and
Phellions　and　Collevilles　and　Barniols　and　all　the　rest　of　them。　I'll
shake　off　this　province　'intra　muros；'　a　thousand　times　more　absurd
and　petty　than　the　true　provinces；　they　at　least；　side　by　side　with
their　pettiness；　have　habits　and　customs　that　are　characteristic；　a
'sui　generis'　dignity；　they　are　frankly　what　they　are；　the　antipodes
of　Parisian　life；　this　other　is　but　a　parody　of　it。　I　will　fling
myself　upon　Paris。〃

In　consequence　of　these　reflections；　la　Peyrade　went　to　see　two　or
three　barristers　who　had　offered　to　introduce　him　at　the　Palais　in
secondary　cases。　He　accepted　those　that　presented　themselves　at　once；
and　three　weeks　after　his　rupture　with　the　Thuilliers　he　was　no　longer
the　〃advocate　of　the　poor；〃　but　a　barrister　pleading　before　the　Royal
court。

He　had　already　pleaded　several　cases　successfully　when　he　received；
one　morning；　a　letter　which　greatly　disturbed　him。　The　president　of
the　order　of　barristers　requested　him　to　come　to　his　office　at　the
Palais　in　the　course　of　the　day；　as　he　had　something　of　importance　to
say　to　him。　La　Peyrade　instantly　thought　of　the　transaction　relating
to　the　purchase　of　the　house　on　the　boulevard　de　la　Madeleine；　it　must
have　come；　he　thought；　to　the　ears　of　the　Council　of　Discipline；　if　so
he　was　accountable　to　that　tribunal　and　he　knew　its　severity。

Now　this　du　Portail；　whom　he　had　never　yet　been　to　see；　in　spite　of
his　conditional　promise　to　Cerizet；　was　likely　to　have　heard　the　whole
story　of　that　transaction　from　Cerizet　himself。　Evidently　all　means
were　thought　good　by　that　man；　judging　by　the　use　he　had　made　of　the
Hungarian　woman。　In　his　savage　determination　to　bring　about　the
marriage　with　the　crazy　girl；　had　this　virulent　old　man　denounced　him？
On　seeing　him　courageously　and　with　some　appearance　of　success
entering　a　career　in　which　he　might　find　fame　and　independence；　had
his　persecutor　taken　a　step　to　make　that　career　impossible？　Certainly
there　was　enough　likelihood　in　this　suggestion　to　make　the　barrister
wait　in　cruel　anxiety　for　the　hour　when　he　might　learn　the　true　nature
of　the　alarming　summons。

While　breakfasting　rather　meagrely；　his　mind　full　of　these　painful
conjectures；　Madame　Coffinet；　who　had　the　honor　to　take　charge　of　his
housekeeping；　came　up　to　ask　if　he　would　see　Monsieur　Etienne
Lousteau。　＇See　〃The　Great　Man　of　the　Provinces　in　Paris。〃＇

Etienne　Lousteau！　la　Peyrade　had　an　idea　that　he　had　heard　the　name
before。

〃Show　him　into　my　office；〃　he　said　to　the　portress。

A　moment　later　he　met　his　visitor；　whose　face　did　not　seem　utterly
unknown　to　him。

〃Monsieur；〃　said　this　new…comer；　〃I　had　the　honor　of　breakfasting　with
you　not　long　ago　at　Vefour's；　I　was　invited　to　that　meeting；
afterwards　rather　disturbed；　by　Monsieur　Thuillier。〃

〃Ah；　very　good！〃　said　the　barrister；　offering　a　chair；　〃you　are
attached　to　the　staff　of　a　newspaper？〃

〃Editor…in…chief　of　the　'Echo　de　la　Bievre；'　and　it　is　on　the　subject
of　that　paper　that　I　have　now　called　to　see　you。　You　know　what　has
happened？〃

〃No；〃　said　la　Peyrade。

〃Is　it　possible　you　are　not　aware　that　the　ministry　met　with　terrible
defeat　last　night？　But　instead　of　resigning；　as　every　one　expected；
they　have　dissolved　the　Chamber　and　appeal　to　the　people。〃

〃I　knew　nothing　of　all　that；〃　said　la　Peyrade。　〃I　have　not　read　the
morning　papers。〃

〃So；〃　continued　Lousteau；　〃all　parliamentary　ambitions　will　take　the
field；　and；　if　I　am　well　informed；　Monsieur　Thuillier；　already　member
of　the　Council…general；　intends　to　present　himself　as　candidate　for
election　in　the　12th　arrondissement。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃that　is　likely　to　be　his　intention。〃

〃Well；　monsieur；　I　desire　to　place　at　his　disposition　an　instrument
the　value　of　which　I　am　confident　you　will　not　underestimate。　The
'Echo　de　la　Bievre；'　a　specialist　paper；　can　have　a　decisive　influence
on　the　election　in　that　quarter。〃

〃And　you　would　be　disposed；〃　asked　la　Peyrade；　〃to　make　that　paper
support　Monsieur　Thuillier's　candidacy？〃

〃Better　than　that；〃　replied　Lousteau。　〃I　have　come　to　propose　to
Monsieur　Thuillier　that　he　purchase　the　paper　itself。　Once　the
proprietor　of　it　he　can　use　it　as　he　pleases。〃

〃But　in　the　first　place；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃what　is　the　present
condition　of　the　enterprise？　In　its　character　as　a　specialist　journal
as　you　called　it　just　nowit　is　a　sheet　I　have　seldom　met　with；　in
fact；　it　would　be　entirely　unknown　to　me　were　it　not　for　the
remarkable　article　you　were　so　good　as　to　devote　to　Thuillier's
defence　at　the　time　his　pamphlet　was　seized。〃

Etienne　Lousteau　bowed　his　thanks；　and　then　said：

〃The　position　of　the　paper　is　excellent；　we　can　give　it　to　you　on　easy
terms；　for　we　were　intending　shortly　to　stop　the　publication。〃

〃That　is　strange　for　a　prosperous　journal。〃

〃On　the　contrary；　it　happens　to　be　quite　natural。　The　founders；　who
were　all　representatives　of　the　great　leather　interest；　started　this
paper　for　a　special　object。　That　object　has　been　attained。　The　'Echo
de　la　Bievre'　has　therefore　become　an　effect　without　a　cause。　In　such
a　case；　stockholders　who　don't　like　the　tail　end　of　matters；　and　are
not　eager　after　small　profits；　very　naturally　prefer　to　sell　out。〃

〃But；〃　asked　la　Peyrade；　〃does　the　paper　pay　its　costs？〃

〃That；〃　replied　Lousteau；　〃is　a　point　we　did　not　consider；　we　were　not
very　anxious　to　have　subscribers；　the　mainspring　of　the　whole　affair
was　direct　and　immediate　action　on　the　ministry　of　commerce　to　obtain
a　higher　duty　on　the　introduction　of　foreign　leathers。　You　understand
that　outside　of　the　tannery　circle；　this　interest　was　not　very
exciting　to　the　general　reader。〃

〃I　should　have　thought；　however；〃　persisted　la　Peyrade；　〃that　a
newspaper；　however　circumscribed　its　action；　would　be　a　lever　which
depended　for　its　force　on　the　number　of　its　subscribers。〃

〃Not　for　journals　which　aim　for　a　single　definite　thing；〃　replied
Lousteau；　dogmatically。　〃In　that　case；　subscribers　are；　on　the
contrary；　an　embarrassment；　for　you　have　to　please　and　amuse　them；　and
in　so　doing；　the　real　object　has　to　be　neglected。　A　newspaper　which
has　a　definite　and　circumscribed　object　ought　to　be　like　the　stroke　of
that　pendulum　which；　striking　steadily　on　one　spot；　fires　at　a　given
hour　the　cannon　of　the　Palais…Royal。〃

〃At　any　rate；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃what　price　do　you　put　upon　a
pu