the lesser bourgeoisie-第96章

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your　presence。〃

〃Dear！　dear！　dear！〃　said　Cerizet；　〃so　papa　Thuillier　has　let　the　wool
be　pulled　over　his　eyes　again！〃

〃Leave　the　room！〃　said　Thuillier；　〃you　have　nothing　more　to　do　here。〃

〃Hey；　my　boy！〃　said　Cerizet；　turning　to　la　Peyrade；　〃so　you've　twisted
the　old　bourgeois　round　your　finger　again？　Well；　well；　no　matter！　I
think　you　are　making　a　mistake　not　to　go　and　see　du　Portail；　and　I
shall　tell　him〃

〃Leave　this　house！〃　cried　Thuillier；　in　a　threatening　tone。

〃Please　remember；　my　dear　monsieur；　that　I　never　asked　you　to　employ
me；　I　was　well　enough　off　before　you　sent　for　me；　and　I　shall　be
after。　But　I'll　give　you　a　piece　of　advice：　don't　pay　the　twenty…five
thousand　francs　out　of　your　own　pocket；　for　that's　hanging　to　your
nose。〃

So　saying；　Cerizet　put　his　thirty…three　thousand　francs　in　banknotes
back　into　his　wallet；　took　his　hat　from　the　table；　carefully　smoothed
the　nap　with　his　forearm　and　departed。

Thuillier　had　been　led　by　Cerizet　into　what　proved　to　be　a　most
disastrous　campaign。　Now　become　the　humble　servant　of　la　Peyrade；　he
was　forced　to　accept　his　conditions；　which　were　as　follows：　five
hundred　francs　a　month　for　la　Peyrade's　services　in　general；　his
editorship　of　the　paper　to　be　paid　at　the　rate　of　fifty　francs　a
column；which　was　simply　enormous；　considering　the　small　size　of　the
sheet；　a　binding　pledge　to　continue　the　publication　of　the　paper　for
six　months；　under　pain　of　the　forfeiture　of　fifteen　thousand　francs；
an　absolute　omnipotence　in　the　duties　of　editor…in…chief；that　is　to
say；　the　sovereign　right　of　inserting；　controlling；　and　rejecting　all
articles　without　being　called　to　explain　the　reasons　of　his　actions；
such　were　the　stipulations　of　a　treaty　in　duplicate　made　openly；　〃in
good　faith；〃　between　the　contracting　parties。　BUT；　in　virtue　of
another　and　secret　agreement；　Thuillier　gave　security　for　the　payment
of　the　twenty…five　thousand　francs　for　which　la　Peyrade　was
accountable　to　Madame　Lambert；　binding　the　said　Sieur　de　la　Peyrade；
in　case　the　payment　were　required　before　his　marriage　with　Celeste
Colleville　could　take　place；　to　acknowledge　the　receipt　of　said　sum
advanced　upon　the　dowry。

Matters　being　thus　arranged　and　accepted　by　the　candidate；　who　saw　no
chance　of　election　if　he　lost　la　Peyrade；　Thuillier　was　seized　with　a
happy　thought。　He　went　to　the　Cirque…Olympique；　where　he　remembered　to
have　seen　in　the　ticket…office　a　former　employee　in　his　office　at　the
ministry　of　Finance；a　man　named　Fleury；　to　whom　he　proposed　the　post
of　manager。　Fleury；　being　an　old　soldier；　a　good　shot；　and　a　skilful
fencer；　would　certainly　make　himself　an　object　of　respect　in　a
newspaper　office。　The　working…staff　of　the　paper　being　thus
reconstituted；　with　the　exception　of　a　few　co…editors　or　reporters　to
be　added　later；　but　whom　la　Peyrade；　thanks　to　the　facility　of　his
pen；　was　able　for　the　present　to　do　without；　the　first　number　of　the
new　paper　was　launched　upon　the　world。

Thuillier　now　recommenced　the　explorations　about　Paris　which　we　saw
him　make　on　the　publication　of　his　pamphlet。　Entering　all　reading…
rooms　and　cafes；　he　asked　for　the　〃Echo　de　la　Bievre；〃　and　when
informed；　alas；　very　frequently；　that　the　paper　was　unknown　in　this　or
that　establishment；　〃It　is　incredible！〃　he　would　exclaim；　〃that　a
house　which　respects　itself　does　not　take　such　a　widely　known　paper。〃

On　that；　he　departed　disdainfully；　not　observing　that　in　many　places；
where　this　ancient　trick　of　commercial　travellers　was　well　understood；
they　were　laughing　behind　his　back。

The　evening　of　the　day　when　the　inauguration　number　containing　the
〃profession　of　faith〃　appeared；　Brigitte's　salon；　although　the　day　was
not　Sunday；　was　filled　with　visitors。　Reconciled　to　la　Peyrade；　whom
her　brother　had　brought　home　to　dinner；　the　old　maid　went　so　far　as　to
tell　him　that；　without　flattery；　she　thought　his　leading　article　was　a
famous　HIT。　For　that　matter；　all　the　guests　as　they　arrived；　reported
that　the　public　seemed　enchanted　with　the　first　number　of　the　new
journal。

The　public！　everybody　knows　what　that　is。　To　every　man　who　launches　a
bit　of　writing　into　the　world；　the　public　consists　of　five　or　six
intimates　who　cannot；　without　offending　the　author；　avoid　knowing
something　more　or　less　of　his　lucubrations。

〃As　for　me！〃　cried　Colleville；　〃I　can　truthfully　declare　that　it　is
the　first　political　article　I　ever　read　that　didn't　send　me　to　sleep。〃

〃It　is　certain；〃　said　Phellion；　〃that　the　leading　article　seems　to　me
to　be　stamped　with　vigor　joined　to　an　atticism　which　we　may　seek　in
vain　in　the　columns　of　the　other　public　prints。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Dutocq；　〃the　matter　is　very　well　presented；　and　besides；
there's　a　turn　of　phrase；　a　clever　diction；　that　doesn't　belong　to
everybody。　However；　we　must　wait　and　see　how　it　keeps　on。　I　fancy　that
to…morrow　the　'Echo　de　la　Bievre'　will　be　strongly　attacked　by　the
other　papers。〃

〃Parbleu！〃　cried　Thuillier；　〃that's　what　we　are　hoping　for；　and　if　the
government　would　only　do　us　the　favor　to　seize　us〃

〃No；　thank　you；〃　said　Fleury；　whom　Thuillier　had　also　brought　home　to
dinner；　〃I　don't　want　to　enter　upon　those　functions　at　first。〃

〃Seized！〃　said　Dutocq；　〃oh；　you　won't　be　seized；　but　I　think　the
ministerial　journals　will　fire　a　broadside　at　you。〃

The　next　day　Thuillier　was　at　the　office　as　early　as　eight　o'clock；　in
order　to　be　the　first　to　receive　that　formidable　salvo。　After　looking
through　every　morning　paper　he　was　forced　to　admit　that　there　was　no
more　mention　of　the　〃Echo　de　la　Bievre〃　than　if　it　didn't　exist。　When
la　Peyrade　arrived　he　found　his　unhappy　friend　in　a　state　of
consternation。

〃Does　that　surprise　you？〃　said　the　Provencal；　tranquilly。　〃I　let　you
enjoy　yesterday　your　hopes　of　a　hot　engagement　with　the　press；　but　I
knew　myself　that　in　all　probability　there　wouldn't　be　the　slightest
mention　of　us　in　to…day's　papers。　Against　every　paper　which　makes　its
debut　with　some　distinction；　there's　always　a　two　weeks'；　sometimes　a
two　months'　conspiracy　of　silence。〃

〃Conspiracy　of　silence！〃　echoed　Thuillier；　with　admiration。

He　did　not　know　what　it　meant；　but　the　words　had　a　grandeur　and　a
SOMETHING　that　appealed　to　his　imagination。　After　la　Peyrade　had
explained　to　him　that　by　〃conspiracy　of　silence〃　was　meant　the
agreement　of　existing　journals　to　make　no　mention　of　new…comers　lest
such　notice　should　serve　to　advertise　them；　Thuillier's　mind　was
hardly　better　satisfied　than　it　had　been　by　the　pompous　flow　of　the
words。　The　bourgeois　is　born　so；　words　are　coins　which　he　takes　and
passes　without　question。　For　a　word；　he　will　excite　himself　or　calm
down；　insult　or　applaud。　With　a　word；　he　can　be　brought　to　make　a
revolution　and　overturn　a　government　of　his　own　choice。

The　paper；　however；　was　only　a　means；　the　object　was　Thuillier's
election。　This　was　insinuated　rather　than　stated　in　the　first　numbers。
But　one　morning；　in　the　columns　of　the　〃Echo；〃　appeared　a　letter　from
several　electors　thanking　their　delegate　to　the　municipal　council　for
the　firm　and　frankly　liberal　attitude　in　which　he　had　taken　on　all
questions　of　local　interests。　〃This　firmness；〃　said　the　letter；　〃had
brought　down　upon　him　the　persecution　of　the　government；　which；　towed
at　the　heels　of　foreigners；　had　sacrificed　Poland　and　sold　itself　to
England。　The　arrondissement　needed　a　man　of　such　tried　convictions　to
represent　it　in　the　Chamber；a　man　holding　high　and　firm　the　banner
of　dynastic　opposition；　a　man　who　would　be；　by　the　mere　signification
of　his　name；　a　stern　lesson　given　to　the　authorities。〃

Enforced　by　an　able　commentary　from　la　Peyrade；　this　letter　was　signed
by　Barbet　and　Metivier　and　all　Brigitte's　tradesmen　（whom；　in　view　of
the　election　she　had　continued　to　employ　since　her　emigration）；　also
by　the　family　doctor　and　apothecary；　and　by　Thuillier's　builder；　and
Barniol；　Phellion's　son…in…law；　who　professed　to　hold　rather
〃advanced〃　political　opinions。　As　for　Phellion　himself；　he　thought　the
wording　of　the　letter　not　altogether　circumspect；　andalways　without
fear　as　without　reproachhowever　much　he　might　expect　that　this
refusal　would　injure　his　son　in　his　dearest　interests