the lesser bourgeoisie-第94章

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is　only　an　encouragement　to　treachery。　Tiens！　if　I　were　to　tell　you
what　that　man　is　I　should　turn　you　sick　with　disgust；　in　the　sphere　of
infamy　he　has　discovered　worlds。〃

This　time　Thuillier　made　an　able　reply。

〃I　don't　know　anything　about　Cerizet　except　through　you；〃　he　said；
〃you　introduced　him　to　me　as　a　manager；　offering　every　guarantee；　but；
allowing　him　to　be　blacker　than　the　devil；　and　supposing　that　this
communication　comes　from　him；　I　don't　see；　my　friend；　that　all　that
makes　YOU　any　the　whiter。〃

〃No　doubt　I　was　to　blame；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃for　putting　such　a　man
into　relations　with　you；　but　we　wanted　some　one　who　understood
journalism；　and　that　value　he　really　had　for　us。　But　who　can　ever
sound　the　depths　of　souls　like　his？　I　thought　him　reformed。　A　manager；
I　said　to　myself；　is　only　a　machine；　he　can　do　no　harm。　I　expected　to
find　him　a　man　of　straw；　well；　I　was　mistaken；　he　will　never　be
anything　but　a　man　of　mud。〃

〃All　that　is　very　fine；〃　said　Thuillier；　〃but　those　twenty…five
thousand　francs　found　so　conveniently　in　your　possession；　where　did
you　get　them？　That　is　the　point　you　are　forgetting　to　explain。〃

〃But　to　reason　about　it；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃a　man　of　my　character　in
the　pay　of　the　police　and　yet　so　poor　that　I　could　not　pay　the　ten
thousand　francs　your　harpy　of　a　sister　demanded　with　an　insolence
which　you　yourself　witnessed〃

〃But；〃　said　Thuillier；　〃if　the　origin　of　this　money　is　honest；　as　I
sincerely　desire　it　may　be；　what　hinders　you　from　telling　me　how　you
got　it？〃

〃I　cannot；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃the　history　of　that　money　is　a　secret
entrusted　to　me　professionally。〃

〃Come；　come；　you　told　me　yourself　that　the　statutes　of　your　order
forbid　all　barristers　from　doing　business　of　any　kind。〃

〃Let　us　suppose；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃that　I　have　done　something　not
absolutely　regular；　it　would　be　strange　indeed　after　what　I　risked；　as
you　know；　for　you；　if　you　should　have　the　face　to　reproach　me　with
it。〃

〃My　poor　friend；　you　are　trying　to　shake　off　the　hounds；　but　you　can't
make　me　lose　the　scent。　You　wish　to　keep　your　secret；　then　keep　it。　I
am　master　of　my　own　confidence　and　my　own　esteem；　by　paying　you　the
forfeit　stipulated　in　our　deed　I　take　the　newspaper　into　my　own
hands。〃

〃Do　you　mean　that　you　dismiss　me？〃　cried　la　Peyrade。　〃The　money　that
you　have　put　into　the　affair；　all　your　chances　of　election；　sacrificed
to　the　calumnies　of　such　a　being　as　Cerizet！〃

〃In　the　first　place；〃　said　Thuillier；　〃another　editor…in…chief　can　be
found；　it　is　a　true　saying　that　no　man　is　indispensable。　As　for
election　to　the　Chamber　I　would　rather　never　receive　it　than　owe　it　to
the　help　of　one　who〃

〃Go　on；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　seeing　that　Thuillier　hesitated；　〃or　rather；
no；　be　silent；　for　you　will　presently　blush　for　your　suspicions　and
ask　my　pardon　humbly。〃

By　this　time　la　Peyrade　saw　that　without　a　confession　to　which　he　must
compel　himself；　the　influence　and　the　future　he　had　just　recovered
would　be　cut　from　under　his　feet。　Resuming　his　speech　he　said；
solemnly：

〃You　will　remember；　my　friend；　that　you　were　pitiless；　and；　by
subjecting　me　to　a　species　of　moral　torture；　you　have　forced　me　to
reveal　to　you　a　secret　that　is　not　mine。〃

〃Go　on；〃　said　Thuillier；　〃I　take　the　whole　responsibility　upon　myself。
Make　me　see　the　truth　clearly　in　this　darkness；　and　if　I　have　done
wrong　I　will　be　the　first　to　say　so。〃

〃Well；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃those　twenty…five　thousand　francs　are　the
savings　of　a　servant…woman　who　came　to　me　and　asked　me　to　take　them
and　to　pay　her　interest。〃

〃A　servant　with　twenty…five　thousand　francs　of　savings！　Nonsense；　she
must　serve　in　monstrously　rich　households。〃

〃On　the　contrary；　she　is　the　one　servant　of　an　infirm　old　savant；　and
it　was　on　account　of　the　discrepancy　which　strikes　your　mind　that　she
wanted　to　put　her　money　in　my　hands　as　a　sort　of　trustee。〃

〃Bless　me！　my　friend；〃　said　Thuillier；　flippantly；　〃you　said　we　were
in　want　of　a　romance…feuilletonist；　but　really；　after　this；　I　sha'n't
be　uneasy。　Here's　imagination　for　you！〃

〃What？〃　said　la　Peyrade；　angrily；　〃you　don't　believe　me？〃

〃No；　I　do　not　believe　you。　Twenty…five　thousand　francs　savings　in　the
service　of　an　old　savant！　that　is　about　as　believable　as　the　officer
of　La　Dame　Blanche　buying　a　chateau　with　his　pay。〃

〃But　if　I　prove　to　you　the　truth　of　my　words；　if　I　let　you　put　your
finger　upon　it？〃

〃In　that　case；　like　Saint　Thomas；　I　shall　lower　my　flag　before　the
evidence。　Meanwhile　you　must　permit　me；　my　noble　friend；　to　wait　until
you　offer　me　that　proof。〃

Thuillier　felt　really　superb。

〃I'd　give　a　hundred　francs；〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃if　Brigitte　could
have　been　here　and　heard　me　impeach　him。〃

〃Well；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃suppose　that　without　leaving　this　office；
and　by　means　of　a　note　which　you　shall　read；　I　bring　into　your
presence　the　person　from　whom　I　received　the　money；　if　she　confirms
what　I　say　will　you　believe　me？〃

This　proposal　and　the　assurance　with　which　it　was　made　rather
staggered　Thuillier。

〃I　shall　know　what　to　do　when　the　time　comes；〃　he　replied；　changing
his　tone。　〃But　this　must　be　done　at　once；　now；　here。〃

〃I　said；　without　leaving　this　office。　I　should　think　that　was　clear
enough。〃

〃And　who　will　carry　the　note　you　write？〃　asked　Thuillier；　believing
that　by　thus　examining　every　detail　he　was　giving　proofs　of　amazing
perspicacity。

〃Carry　the　note！　why；　your　own　porter　of　course；〃　replied　la　Peyrade；
〃you　can　send　him　yourself。〃

〃Then　write　it；〃　said　Thuillier；　determined　to　push　him　to　the　wall。

La　Peyrade　took　a　sheet　of　paper　with　the　new　heading　and　wrote　as
follows；　reading　the　note　aloud：

　　Madame　Lambert　is　requested　to　call　at　once；　on　urgent　business；
　　at　the　office　of　the　〃Echo　de　la　Bievre；〃　rue　Saint…Dominique
　　d'Enfer。　The　bearer　of　this　note　will　conduct　her。　She　is　awaited
　　impatiently　by　her　devoted　servant；

Theodose　de　la　Peyrade。


〃There；　will　that　suit　you？〃　said　the　barrister；　passing　the　paper　to
Thuillier。

〃Perfectly；〃　replied　Thuillier；　taking　the　precaution　to　fold　the
letter　himself　and　seal　it。　〃Put　the　address；〃　he　added。

Then　he　rang　the　bell　for　the　porter。

〃You　will　carry　this　letter　to　its　address；〃　he　said　to　the　man；　〃and
bring　back　with　you　the　person　named。　But　will　she　be　there？〃　he
asked；　on　reflection。

〃It　is　more　than　probable；〃　replied　la　Peyrade；　〃in　any　case；　neither
you　nor　I　will　leave　this　room　until　she　comes。　This　matter　must　be
cleared　up。〃

〃Then　go！〃　said　Thuillier　to　the　porter；　in　a　theatrical　tone。

When　they　were　alone；　la　Peyrade　took　up　a　newspaper　and　appeared　to
be　absorbed　in　its　perusal。

Thuillier；　beginning　to　get　uneasy　as　to　the　upshot　of　the　affair；
regretted　that　he　had　not　done　something　the　idea　of　which　had　come　to
him　just　too　late。

〃Yes；　I　ought；〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃to　have　torn　up　that　letter；　and
not　driven　him　to　prove　his　words。〃

Wishing　to　do　something　that　might　look　like　retaining　la　Peyrade　in
the　position　of　which　he　had　threatened　to　deprive　him；　he　remarked
presently：

〃By　the　bye；　I　have　just　come　from　the　printing…office；　the　new　type
has　arrived；　and　I　think　we　might　make　our　first　appearance
to…morrow。〃

La　Peyrade　did　not　answer；　but　he　got　up　and　took　his　paper　nearer　to
the　window。

〃He　is　sulky；〃　thought　Thuillier；　〃and　if　he　is　innocent；　he　may　well
be。　But；　after　all；　why　did　he　ever　bring　a　man　like　that　Cerizet
here？〃

Then　to　hide　his　embarrassment　and　the　preoccupation　of　his　mind；　he
sat　down　before　the　editor's　table；　took　a　sheet　of　the　head…lined
paper　and　made　himself　write　a　letter。

Presently　la　Peyrade　returned　to　the　table　and　sitting　down；　took
another　sheet　and　with　the　feverish　rapidity　of　a　man　stirred　by　some
emotion　he　drove　his　pen　over　the　paper。

From　the　corner　of　his　eye；　Thuillier　tried　hard　to　see　what　la
Peyrade　was　writing；　and　noticing　that　his　sentences　were　separated　by
numbers　placed　between　brackets；　he　said：

〃Tiens！　are　you　drawing　up　a　parliamentary　law？〃

〃Yes；〃　replied　la　Peyrade；　〃the　law　of　the　vanquished。〃

Soon　after　this；　the　porter　opened　the　door　and　introduced　Madame