the lesser bourgeoisie-第11节

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it　be　done；　in　Paris　especially；　where　costs　of　living　had　trebled；
the　apartment　of　a　magistrate；　for　instance；　costing　three　thousand
francs　a　year？

〃My　father；〃　he　said　in　conclusion；　〃allows　me　three　thousand　francs　a
year；　and　that；　with　my　salary；　barely　allows　me　to　maintain　my　rank。〃

When　the　young　substitute　rode　boldly　into　this　bog…hole；　the
Provencal；　who　had　slyly　enticed　him　there；　exchanged；　without　being
observed；　a　wink　with　Dutocq；　who　was　just　then　waiting　for　the　place
of　a　player　at　bouillotte。

〃There　is　such　a　demand　for　offices；〃　remarked　the　latter；　〃that　they
talk　of　creating　two　justices　of　the　peace　to　each　arrondissement　in
order　to　make　a　dozen　new　clerkships。　As　if　they　could　interfere　with
our　rights　and　our　salaries；　which　already　require　an　exhorbitant
tax！〃

〃I　have　not　yet　had　the　pleasure　of　hearing　you　at　the　Palais；〃　said
Vinet　to　Monsieur　de　la　Peyrade。

〃I　am　advocate　for　the　poor；　and　I　plead　only　before　the　justice　of
peace；〃　replied　la　Peyrade。

Mademoiselle　Thuillier；　as　she　listened　to　young　Vinet's　theory　of　the
necessity　of　spending　an　income；　assumed　a　distant　air　and　manner；　the
significance　of　which　was　well　understood　by　Dutocq　and　the　young
Provencal。　Vinet　left　the　house　in　company　with　Minard　and　Julien　the
advocate；　so　that　the　battle…field　before　the　fire…place　was　abandoned
to　la　Peyrade　and　Dutocq。

〃The　upper　bourgeoisie；〃　said　Dutocq　to　Thuillier；　〃will　behave；　in
future；　exactly　like　the　old　aristocracy。　The　nobility　wanted　girls
with　money　to　manure　their　lands；　and　the　parvenus　of　to…day　want　the
same　to　feather　their　nests。〃

〃That's　exactly　what　Monsieur　Thuillier　was　saying　to　me　this
morning；〃　remarked　la　Peyrade；　boldly。

〃Vinet's　father；〃　said　Dutocq；　〃married　a　Demoiselle　de　Chargeboeuf
and　has　caught　the　opinions　of　the　nobility；　he　wants　a　fortune　at　any
price；　his　wife　spends　money　regally。〃

〃Oh！〃　said　Thuillier；　in　whom　the　jealousy　between　the　two　classes　of
the　bourgeoisie　was　fully　roused；　〃take　offices　away　from　those
fellows　and　they'd　fall　back　where　they　came。〃

Mademoiselle　was　knitting　with　such　precipitous　haste　that　she　seemed
to　be　propelled　by　a　steam…engine。

〃Take　my　place；　Monsieur　Dutocq；〃　said　Madame　Minard；　rising。　〃My　feet
are　cold；〃　she　added；　going　to　the　fire；　where　the　golden　ornaments　of
her　turban　made　fireworks　in　the　light　of　the　Saint…Aurora　wax…candles
that　were　struggling　vainly　to　light　the　vast　salon。

〃He　is　very　small　fry；　that　young　substitute；〃　said　Madame　Minard；
glancing　at　Mademoiselle　Thuillier。

〃Small　fry！〃　cried　la　Peyrade。　〃Ah；　madame！　how　witty！〃

〃But　madame　has　so　long　accustomed　us　to　that　sort　of　thing；〃　said　the
handsome　Thuillier。

Madame　Colleville　was　examining　la　Peyrade　and　comparing　him　with
young　Phellion；　who　was　just　then　talking　to　Celeste；　neither　of　them
paying　any　heed　to　what　was　going　on　around　them。　This　is；　certainly；
the　right　moment　to　depict　the　singular　personage　who　was　destined　to
play　a　signal　part　in　the　Thuillier　household；　and　who　fully　deserves
the　appellation　of　a　great　artist。



CHAPTER　V

A　PRINCIPAL　PERSONAGE

There　exists　in　Provence；　especially　about　Avignon；　a　race　of　men　with
blond　or　chestnut　hair；　fair　skin；　and　eyes　that　are　almost　tender；
their　pupils　calm；　feeble；　or　languishing；　rather　than　keen；　ardent；
or　profound；　as　they　usually　are　in　the　eyes　of　Southerners。　Let　us
remark；　in　passing；　that　among　Corsicans；　a　race　subject　to　fits　of
anger　and　dangerous　irascibility；　we　often　meet　with　fair　skins　and
physical　natures　of　the　same　apparent　tranquillity。　These　pale　men；
rather　stout；　with　somewhat　dim　and　hazy　eyes　either　green　or　blue；
are　the　worst　species　of　humanity　in　Provence；　and　Charles…Marie…
Theodose　de　la　Peyrade　presents　a　fine　type　of　that　race；　the
constitution　of　which　deserves　careful　examination　on　the　part　of
medical　science　and　philosophical　physiology。　There　rises；　at　times；
within　such　men；　a　species　of　bile；a　bitter　gall；　which　flies　to
their　head　and　makes　them　capable　of　ferocious　actions；　done；
apparently；　in　cold　blood。　Being　the　result　of　an　inward　intoxication；
this　sort　of　dumb　violence　seems　to　be　irreconcilable　with　their
quasi…lymphatic　outward　man；　and　the　tranquillity　of　their　benignant
glance。

Born　in　the　neighborhood　of　Avignon；　the　young　Provencal　whose　name　we
have　just　mentioned　was　of　middle　height；　well…proportioned；　and
rather　stout；　the　tone　of　his　skin　had　no　brilliancy；　it　was　neither
livid　nor　dead…white；　nor　colored；　but　gelatinous；that　word　can
alone　give　a　true　idea　of　the　flabby；　hueless　envelope；　beneath　which
were　concealed　nerves　that　were　less　vigorous　than　capable　of　enormous
resistance　at　certain　given　moments。　His　eyes；　of　a　pale　cold　blue；
expressed　in　their　ordinary　condition　a　species　of　deceptive　sadness；
which　must　have　had　great　charms　for　women。　The　forehead；　finely　cut；
was　not　without　dignity；　and　it　harmonized　well　with　the　soft；　light
chestnut　hair　curling　naturally；　but　slightly；　at　its　tips。　The　nose；
precisely　like　that　of　a　hunting　dog；　flat　and　furrowed　at　the　tip；
inquisitive；　intelligent；　searching；　always　on　the　scent；　instead　of
expressing　good…humor；　was　ironical　and　mocking；　but　this　particular
aspect　of　his　nature　never　showed　itself　openly；　the　young　man　must
have　ceased　to　watch　himself；　he　must　have　flown　into　fury　before　the
power　came　to　him　to　flash　out　the　sarcasm　and　the　wit　which
embittered；　tenfold；　his　infernal　humor。　The　mouth；　the　curving　lines
and　pomegranate…colored　lips　of　which　were　very　pleasing；　seemed　the
admirable　instrument　of　an　organ　that　was　almost　sweet　in　its　middle
tones；　where　its　owner　usually　kept　it；　but　which；　in　its　higher　key；
vibrated　on　the　ear　like　the　sound　of　a　gong。　This　falsetto　was　the
voice　of　his　nerves　and　his　anger。　His　face；　kept　expressionless　by　an
inward　command；　was　oval　in　form。　His　manners；　in　harmony　with　the
sacerdotal　calmness　of　the　face；　were　reserved　and　conventional；　but
he　had　supple；　pliant　ways　which；　though　they　never　descended　to
wheedling；　were　not　lacking　in　seduction；　although　as　soon　as　his　back
was　turned　their　charm　seemed　inexplicable。　Charm；　when　it　takes　its
rise　in　the　heart；　leaves　deep　and　lasting　traces；　that　which　is
merely　a　product　of　art；　or　of　eloquence；　has　only　a　passing　power；　it
produces　its　immediate　effect；　and　that　is　all。　But　how　many
philosophers　are　there　in　life　who　are　able　to　distinguish　the
difference？　Almost　always　the　trick　is　played　（to　use　a　popular
expression）　before　the　ordinary　run　of　men　have　perceived　its　methods。

Everything　about　this　young　man　of　twenty…seven　was　in　harmony　with
his　character；　he　obeyed　his　vocation　by　cultivating　philanthropy；
the　only　expression　which　explains　the　philanthropist。　Theodose　loved
the　People；　for　he　limited　his　love　for　humanity。　Like　the
horticulturist　who　devotes　himself　to　roses；　or　dahlias；　or　heart's…
ease；　or　geraniums；　and　pays　no　attention　to　the　plants　his　fancy　has
not　selected；　so　this　young　La　Rochefoucault…Liancourt　gave　himself　to
the　workingmen；　the　proletariat　and　the　paupers　of　the　faubourgs
Saint…Jacques　and　Saint…Marceau。　The　strong　man；　the　man　of　genius　at
bay；　the　worthy　poor　of　the　bourgeois　class；　he　cut　them　off　from　the
bosom　of　his　charity。　The　heart　of　all　persons　with　a　mania　is　like
those　boxes　with　compartments；　in　which　sugarplums　are　kept　in　sorts：
〃suum　cuique　tribuere〃　is　their　motto；　they　measure　to　each　duty　its
dose。　There　are　some　philanthropists　who　pity　nothing　but　the　man
condemned　to　death。　Vanity　is　certainly　the　basis　of　philanthropy；　but
in　the　case　of　this　Provencal　it　was　calculation；　a　predetermined
course；　a　〃liberal〃　and　democratic　hypocrisy；　played　with　a　perfection
that　no　other　actor　will　ever　attain。

Theodose　did　not　attack　the　rich；　he　contented　himself　with　not
understanding　them；　he　endured　them；　every　one；　in　his　opinion；　ought
to　enjoy　the　fruits　of　his　labor。　He　had　been；　he　said；　a　fervent
disciple　of　Saint…Simon；　but　that　mistake　must　be　attributed　to　his
youth：　modern　society　could　have　no　other　basis　than　heredity。　An
ardent　Catholic；　like　all　men　from　the　Comtat；　he　went　to　the　earliest
morning　masses；　and　thus　concealed　his　piety。　Like　other
philanthropists；　he　practised　a　sordid　economy；　and　gave　to　the　poor
his　time；　his　legal　advice；　his　eloquence；　and　such　money　as　he
extracted　for　them　from　the　rich。　His　clothes；　always　of　black　cloth；
were　worn　until　the　seams　became　white。　Nature　had　done　a　great　deal
for　Theodose　in　not　giving　him　that　fine　manly　Southern　beauty　which
creates　in　others　an　imaginary　expectation；　to　which　it　is　more　than
difficult　for　a　man　to　respond。　As　it　was；　he　could　be　what　suited　him
at　the　moment；an　agreeable　man　or　a　very　ordinary　one。　Never；　since
his　admission　to　the　Thuilliers'；　had　he　ventured；　till　this　evening；
to　raise　his　voice　and　speak　as　dogmatically　as　he　had　risked　doing　to
Olivier　Vinet；　but　perhaps　Theodose　de　la　Peyrade　was　not　sorry　to
seize　the　opportunity　to　come　out　from　the　shade　in　which　he　had
hitherto　kept　himself。　Besides；　it　was　necessary　to　get　rid　of　the
you