the lesser bourgeoisie-第87章

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〃At　any　rate；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃what　price　do　you　put　upon　a
publication　which　has　no　subscribers；　does　not　pay　its　expenses；　and
has　until　now　been　devoted　to　a　purpose　totally　different　from　that
you　propose　for　it？〃

〃Before　answering；〃　returned　Lousteau；　〃I　shall　ask　you　another
question。　Have　you　any　intention　of　buying　it？〃

〃That's　according　to　circumstances；〃　replied　la　Peyrade。　〃Of　course　I
must　see　Thuillier；　but　I　may　here　remark　to　you　that　he　knows
absolutely　nothing　about　newspaper　business。　With　his　rather　bourgeois
ideas；　the　ownership　of　a　newspaper　will　seem　to　him　a　ruinous
speculation。　Therefore；　if；　in　addition　to　an　idea　that　will　scare
him；　you　suggest　an　alarming　price；　it　is　useless　for　me　to　speak　to
him。　I　am　certain　he　would　never　go　into　the　affair。〃

〃No；〃　replied　Lousteau。　〃I　have　told　you　we　should　be　reasonable；
these　gentlemen　have　left　the　whole　matter　in　my　hands。　Only；　I　beg　to
remark　that　we　have　had　propositions　from　other　parties；　and　in　giving
Monsieur　Thuillier　this　option；　we　intended　to　pay　him　a　particular
courtesy。　When　can　I　have　your　answer？〃

〃To…morrow；　I　think；　shall　I　have　the　honor　of　seeing　you　at　your　own
house；　or　at　the　office　of　the　journal？〃

〃No；〃　said　Lousteau；　〃to…morrow　I　will　come　here；　at　the　same　hour；　if
that　is　convenient　to　you。〃

〃Perfectly；〃　replied　la　Peyrade；　bowing　out　his　visitor；　whom　he　was
inclined　to　think　more　consequential　than　able。

By　the　manner　in　which　the　barrister　had　received　the　proposition　to
become　an　intermediary　to　Thuillier；　the　reader　must　have　seen　that　a
rapid　revolution　had　taken　place　in　his　ideas。　Even　if　he　had　not
received　that　extremely　disquieting　letter　from　the　president　of　the
order　of　barristers；　the　new　situation　in　which　Thuillier　would　be
placed　if　elected　to　the　Chamber　gave　him　enough　to　think　about。
Evidently　his　dear　good　friend　would　have　to　come　back　to　him；　and
Thuillier's　eagerness　for　election　would　deliver　him　over；　bound　hand
and　foot。　Was　it　not　the　right　moment　to　attempt　to　renew　his　marriage
with　Celeste？　Far　from　being　an　obstacle　to　the　good　resolutions
inspired　by　his　amorous　disappointment　and　his　incipient　brain　fever；
such　a　finale　would　ensure　their　continuance　and　success。　Moreover；　if
he　received；　as　he　feared；　one　of　those　censures　which　would　ruin　his
dawning　prospects　at　the　bar；　it　was　with　the　Thuilliers；　the
accomplices　and　beneficiaries　of　the　cause　of　his　fall；　that　his
instinct　led　him　to　claim　an　asylum。

With　these　thoughts　stirring　in　his　mind　la　Peyrade　obeyed　the　summons
and　went　to　see　the　president　of　the　order　of　barristers。

He　was　not　mistaken；　a　very　circumstantial　statement　of　his　whole
proceeding　in　the　matter　of　the　house　had　been　laid　before　his
brethren　of　the　bar；　and　the　highest　dignitary　of　the　order；　after
stating　that　an　anonymous　denunciation　ought　always　to　be　received
with　great　distrust；　told　him　that　he　was　ready　to　receive　and　welcome
an　explanation。　La　Peyrade　dared　not　entrench　himself　in　absolute
denial；　the　hand　from　which　he　believed　the　blow　had　come　seemed　to
him　too　resolute　and　too　able　not　to　hold　the　proofs　as　well。　But；
while　admitting　the　facts　in　general；　he　endeavored　to　give　them　an
acceptable　coloring。　In　this；　he　saw　that　he　had　failed；　when　the
president　said　to　him：

〃After　the　vacation　which　is　now　beginning　I　shall　report　to　the
Council　of　the　order　the　charges　made　against　you；　and　the　statements
by　which　you　have　defended　yourself。　The　Council　alone　has　the　right
to　decide　on　a　matter　of　such　importance。〃

Thus　dismissed；　la　Peyrade　felt　that　his　whole　future　at　the　bar　was
imperilled；　but　at　least　he　had　a　respite；　and　in　case　of　condemnation
a　new　project　on　which　to　rest　his　head。　Accordingly；　he　put　on　his
gown；　which　he　had　never　worn　till　now；　and　went　to　the　fifth　court…
room；　where　he　was　employed　upon　a　case。

As　he　left　the　court…room；　carrying　one　of　those　bundles　of　legal
papers　held　together　by　a　strip　of　cotton　which；　being　too　voluminous
to　hold　under　the　arm；　are　carried　by　the　hand　and　the　forearm　pressed
against　the　chest；　la　Peyrade　began　to　pace　about　the　Salle　des　Pas
perdus　with　that　harassed　look　of　business　which　denotes　a　lawyer
overwhelmed　with　work。　Whether　he　had　really　excited　himself　in
pleading；　or　whether　he　was　pretending　to　be　exhausted　to　prove　that
his　gown　was　not　a　dignity　for　show；　as　it　was　with　many　of　his　legal
brethren；　but　an　armor　buckled　on　for　the　fight；　it　is　certain　that；
handkerchief　in　hand；　he　was　mopping　his　forehead　as　he　walked；　when；
in　the　distance；　he　spied　Thuillier；　who　had　evidently　just　caught
sight　of　him；　and　was　beginning　on　his　side　to　manoeuvre。

La　Peyrade　was　not　surprised　by　the　encounter。　On　leaving　home　he　had
told　Madame　Coffinet　he　was　going　to　the　Palais；　and　should　be　there
till　three　o'clock；　and　she　might　send　to　him　any　persons　who　called
on　business。　Not　wishing　to　let　Thuillier　accost　him　too　easily；　he
turned　abruptly；　as　if　some　thought　had　changed　his　purpose；　and　went
and　seated　himself　on　one　of　the　benches　which　surround　the　walls　of
that　great　antechamber　of　Justice。　There　he　undid　his　bundle；　took　out
a　paper；　and　buried　himself　in　it　with　the　air　of　a　man　who　had　not
had　time　to　examine　in　his　study　a　case　he　was　about　to　plead。　It　is
not　necessary　to　say　that　while　doing　this　the　Provencal　was　watching
the　manoeuvres　of　Thuillier　out　of　the　corner　of　his　eye。　Thuillier；
believing　that　la　Peyrade　was　really　occupied　in　some　serious
business；　hesitated　to　approach　him。

However；　after　sundry　backings　and　fillings　the　municipal　councillor
made　up　his　mind；　and　sailing　straight　before　the　wind　he　headed　for
the　spot　he　had　been　reconnoitring　for　the　last　ten　minutes。

〃Bless　me；　Theodose！〃　he　cried　as　soon　as　he　had　got　within　hailing
distance。　〃Do　you　come　to　the　Palais　now？〃

〃It　seems　to　me；〃　replied　Theodose；　〃that　barristers　at　the　Palais　are
like　Turks　at　Constantinople；　where　a　friend　of　mine　affirmed　you
could　see　a　good　many。　It　is　YOU　whom　it　is　rather　surprising　to　see
here。〃

〃Not　at　all；〃　said　Thuillier；　carelessly。　〃I've　come　about　that　cursed
pamphlet。　Is　there　ever　any　end　to　your　legal　bothers？　I　was　summoned
here　this　morning；　but　I　don't　regret　it；　as　it　gives　me　the　happy
chance　of　meeting　you。〃

〃I；　too；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　tying　up　his　bundle。　〃I　am　very　glad　to　see
you；　but　I　must　leave　you　now；　I　have　an　appointment；　and　I　suppose
you　want　to　do　your　business　at　once。〃

〃I　have　done　it；〃　said　Thuillier。

〃Did　you　speak　to　Olivier　Vinet；　that　mortal　enemy　of　yours？　he　sits
in　that　court；〃　asked　la　Peyrade。

〃No；〃　said　Thuillier；　naming　another　official。

〃Well；　that's　queer！〃　said　the　barrister；　〃that　fellow　must　have　the
gift　of　ubiquity；　he　has　been　all　the　morning　in　the　fifth　court…room；
and　has　just　this　minute　given　a　judgment　on　a　case　I　pleaded。〃

Thuillier　colored；　and　got　out　of　his　hobble　as　best　he　could。　〃Oh；
hang　it！〃　he　said；　〃those　men　in　gowns　are　all　alike；　I　don't　know　one
from　another。〃

La　Peyrade　shrugged　his　shoulders　and　said　aloud；　but　as　if　to
himself：　〃Always　the　same；　crafty；　crooked；　never　straightforward。〃

〃Whom　are　you　talking　about？〃　asked　Thuillier；　rather　nonplussed。

〃Why；　of　you；　my　dear　fellow；　who　take　me　for　an　imbecile；　as　if　I　and
the　whole　world　didn't　know　that　your　pamphlet　business　came　to　an　end
two　weeks　ago。　Why；　then；　summon　you　to　court？〃

〃Well；　I　was　sent　for；〃　said　Thuillier；　with　embarrassment；　〃something
about　registry　fees；it　is　all　Greek　to　me；　I　can't　comprehend　their
scrawls。〃

〃And　they　chose；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃precisely　the　very　day　when　the
Moniteur；　announcing　the　dissolution　of　the　Chamber；　made　you　think
about　being　a　candidate　for　the　12th　arrondissement。〃

〃Why　not？〃　asked　Thuillier；　〃what　has　my　candidacy　to　do　with　the　fees
I　owe　to　the　court？〃

〃I'll　tell　you；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　dryly。　〃The　court　is　a　thing
essentially　amiable　and　complaisant。　'Tiens！'　it　said　to　itself；
'here's　this　good　Monsieur　Thuillier　going　to　be　a　candidate　for　the
Chamber；　how　hampered　he'll　be　by　his　attitude　to　his　ex…friend
Mons