the lesser bourgeoisie-第13节

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appear；　at　first　sight；　ordinary；　so　natural　is　it；　even　on　the
highest　subjects。　Many　peasant…women　hold　their　children　as　the　famous
Madonna　in　the　Dresden　gallery　holds　hers。　Well；　the　height　of　art　in
a　man　of　la　Peyrade's　force　was　to　oblige　others　to　say　of　him　later：
〃Everybody　would　have　been　taken　in　by　him。〃

Now；　in　the　salon　Thuillier；　he　noted　a　dawning　opposition；　he
perceived　in　Colleville　the　somewhat　clear…sighted　and　criticising
nature　of　an　artist　who　has　missed　his　vocation。　The　barrister　felt
himself　displeasing　to　Colleville；　who　（as　the　result　of　circumstances
not　necessary　to　here　report）　considered　himself　justified　in
believing　in　the　science　of　anagrams。　None　of　this　anagrams　had　ever
failed。　The　clerks　in　the　government　office　had　laughed　at　him　when；
demanding　an　anagram　on　the　name　of　the　poor　helpless　Auguste…Jean…
Francois　Minard；　he　had　produced；　〃J'amassai　une　si　grande　fortune〃；
and　the　event　had　justified　him　after　the　lapse　of　ten　years！
Theodose；　on　several　occasions；　had　made　advances　to　the　jovial
secretary　of　the　mayor's　office；　and　had　felt　himself　rebuffed　by　a
coldness　which　was　not　natural　in　so　sociable　a　man。　When　the　game　of
bouillotte　came　to　an　end；　Colleville　seized　the　moment　to　draw
Thuillier　into　the　recess　of　a　window　and　say　to　him：

〃You　are　letting　that　lawyer　get　too　much　foothold　in　your　house；　he
kept　the　ball　in　his　own　hands　all　the　evening。〃

〃Thank　you；　my　friend；　forewarned　is　forearmed；〃　replied　Thuillier；
inwardly　scoffing　at　Colleville。

Theodose；　who　was　talking　at　the　moment　to　Madame　Colleville；　had　his
eye　on　the　two　men；　and；　with　the　same　prescience　by　which　women　know
when　and　how　they　are　spoken　of；　he　perceived　that　Colleville　was
trying　to　injure　him　in　the　mind　of　the　weak　and　silly　Thuillier。
〃Madame；〃　he　said　in　Flavie's　ear；　〃if　any　one　here　is　capable　of
appreciating　you　it　is　certainly　I。　You　seem　to　me　a　pearl　dropped
into　the　mire。　You　say　you　are　forty…two；　but　a　woman　is　no　older　than
she　looks；　and　many　women　of　thirty　would　be　thankful　to　have　your
figure　and　that　noble　countenance；　where　love　has　passed　without　ever
filling　the　void　in　your　heart。　You　have　given　yourself　to　God；　I
know；　and　I　have　too　much　religion　myself　to　regret　it；　but　I　also
know　that　you　have　done　so　because　no　human　being　has　proved　worthy　of
you。　You　have　been　loved；　but　you　have　never　been　adoredI　have
divined　that。　There　is　your　husband；　who　has　not　known　how　to　please
you　in　a　position　in　keeping　with　your　deserts。　He　dislikes　me；　as　if
he　thought　I　loved　you；　and　he　prevents　me　from　telling　you　of　a　way
that　I　think　I　have　found　to　place　you　in　the　sphere　for　which　you
were　destined。　No；　madame；〃　he　continued；　rising；　〃the　Abbe　Gondrin
will　not　preach　this　year　through　Lent　at　our　humble　Saint…Jacques　du
Haut…Pas；　the　preacher　will　be　Monsieur　d'Estival；　a　compatriot　of
mine；　and　you　will　hear　in　him　one　of　the　most　impressive　speakers
that　I　have　ever　known；a　priest　whose　outward　appearance　is　not
agreeable；　but；　oh！　what　a　soul！〃

〃Then　my　desire　will　be　gratified；〃　said　poor　Madame　Thuillier。　〃I
have　never　yet　been　able　to　understand　a　famous　preacher。〃

A　smile　flickered　on　the　lips　of　Mademoiselle　Thuillier　and　several
others　who　heard　the　remark。

〃They　devote　themselves　too　much　to　theological　demonstration；〃　said
Theodose。　〃I　have　long　thought　so　myselfbut　I　never　talk　religion；
if　it　had　not　been　for　Madame　DE　Colleville；　I〃

〃Are　there　demonstrations　in　theology？〃　asked　the　professor　of
mathematics；　naively；　plunging　headlong　into　the　conversation。

〃I　think；　monsieur；〃　replied　Theodose；　looking　straight　at　Felix
Phellion；　〃that　you　cannot　be　serious　in　asking　me　such　a　question。〃

〃Felix；〃　said　old　Phellion；　coming　heavily　to　the　rescue　of　his　son；
and　catching　a　distressed　look　on　the　pale　face　of　Madame　Thuillier；
〃Felix　separates　religion　into　two　categories；　he　considers　it　from
the　human　point　of　view　and　the　divine　point　of　view；tradition　and
reason。〃

〃That　is　heresy；　monsieur；〃　replied　Theodose。　〃Religion　is　one；　it
requires；　above　all　things；　faith。〃

Old　Phellion；　nonplussed　by　that　remark；　nodded　to　his　wife：

〃It　is　getting　late；　my　dear；〃　and　he　pointed　to　the　clock。

〃Oh；　Monsieur　Felix；〃　said　Celeste　in　a　whisper　to　the　candid
mathematician；　〃Couldn't　you　be；　like　Pascal　and　Bossuet；　learned　and
pious　both？〃

The　Phellions；　on　departing；　carried　the　Collevilles　with　them。　Soon
no　one　remained　in　the　salon　but　Dutocq；　Theodose；　and　the　Thuilliers。

The　flattery　administered　by　Theodose　to　Flavie　seems　at　the　first
sight　coarsely　commonplace；　but　we　must　here　remark；　in　the　interests
of　this　history；　that　the　barrister　was　keeping　himself　as　close　as
possible　to　these　vulgar　minds；　he　was　navigating　their　waters；　he
spoke　their　language。　His　painter　was　Pierre　Grassou；　and　not　Joseph
Bridau；　his　book　was　〃Paul　and　Virginia。〃　The　greatest　living　poet　for
him　was　Casimire　de　la　Vigne；　to　his　eyes　the　mission　of　art　was；
above　all　things；　utility。　Parmentier；　the　discoverer　of　the　potato；
was　greater　to　him　that　thirty　Raffaelles；　the　man　in　the　blue　cloak
seemed　to　him　a　sister　of　charity。　These　were　Thuillier's　expressions；
and　Theodose　remembered　them　allon　occasion。

〃That　young　Felix　Phellion；〃　he　now　remarked；　〃is　precisely　the
academical　man　of　our　day；　the　product　of　knowledge　which　sends　God　to
the　rear。　Heavens；　what　are　we　coming　to？　Religion　alone　can　save
France；　nothing　but　the　fear　of　hell　will　preserve　us　from　domestic
robbery；　which　is　going　on　at　all　hours　in　the　bosom　of　families；　and
eating　into　the　surest　fortunes。　All　of　you　have　a　secret　warfare　in
your　homes。〃

After　this　shrewd　tirade；　which　made　a　great　impression　upon　Brigitte；
he　retired；　followed　by　Dutocq；　after　wishing　good　evening　to　the
three　Thuilliers。

〃That　young　man　has　great　capacity；〃　said　Thuillier；　sententiously。

〃Yes；　that　he　has；〃　replied　Brigitte；　extinguishing　the　lamps。

〃He　has　religion；〃　said　Madame　Thuillier；　as　she　left　the　room。

〃Monsieur；〃　Phellion　was　saying　to　Colleville　as　they　came　abreast　of
the　Ecole　de　Mines；　looking　about　him　to　see　that　no　one　was　near；　〃it
is　usually　my　custom　to　submit　my　insight　to　that　of　others；　but　it　is
impossible　for　me　not　to　think　that　that　young　lawyer　plays　the　master
at　our　friend　Thuillier's。〃

〃My　own　opinion；〃　said　Colleville；　who　was　walking　with　Phellion
behind　his　wife；　Madame　Phellion；　and　Celeste；　〃is　that　he's　a　Jesuit；
and　I　don't　like　Jesuits；　the　best　of　them　are　no　good。　To　my　mind　a
Jesuit　means　knavery；　and　knavery　for　knavery's　sake；　they　deceive　for
the　pleasure　of　deceiving；　and；　as　the　saying　is；　to　keep　their　hand
in。　That's　my　opinion；　and　I　don't　mince　it。〃

〃I　understand　you；　monsieur；〃　said　Phellion；　who　was　arm…in…arm　with
Colleville。

〃No；　Monsieur　Phellion；〃　remarked　Flavie　in　a　shrill　voice；　〃you　don't
understand　Colleville；　but　I　know　what　he　means；　and　I　think　he　had
better　stop　saying　it。　Such　subjects　are　not　to　be　talked　of　in　the
street；　at　eleven　o'clock　at　night；　and　before　a　young　lady。〃

〃You　are　right；　wife；〃　said　Colleville。

When　they　reached　the　rue　des　Deux…Eglises；　which　Phellion　was　to
take；　they　all　stopped　to　say　good…night；　and　Felix　Phellion；　who　was
bring　up　the　rear；　said　to　Colleville：

〃Monsieur；　your　son　Francois　could　enter　the　Ecole　Polytechnique　if　he
were　well…coached；　I　propose　to　you　to　fit　him　to　pass　the
examinations　this　year。〃

〃That's　an　offer　not　to　be　refused！　Thank　you；　my　friend；〃　said
Colleville。　〃We'll　see　about　it。〃

〃Good！〃　said　Phellion　to　his　son；　as　they　walked　on。

〃Not　a　bad　stroke！〃　said　the　mother。

〃What　do　you　mean　by　that？〃　asked　Felix。

〃You　are　very　cleverly　paying　court　to　Celeste's　parents。〃

〃May　I　never　find　the　solution　of　my　problem　if　I　even　thought　of　it！〃
cried　the　young　professor。　〃I　discovered；　when　talking　with　the　little
Collevilles；　that　Francois　has　a　strong　turn　for　mathematics；　and　I
thought　I　ought　to　enlighten　his　father。〃

〃Good；　my　son！〃　repeated　Phellion。　〃I　wouldn't　have　you　otherwise。　My
prayers　are　granted！　I　have　a　son　whose　honor；　probity；　and　private
and　civic　virtues　are　all　that　I　could　wish。〃

Madame　Colleville；　as　soon　as　Celeste　had　gone　to　bed；　said　to　her
husband：

〃Colleville；　don't　utter　those　blunt　opinions　about　people　without
knowing　something　about　them。　When　you　talk　of　Jesuits　I　know　you　mean
priests；　and　I　wish　you　would　do　me　the　kindness　to　keep　your　opinions
on　religion　to　yourself　when　you　are　in　company　with　your　daughter。　We
may　sacrifice　our　own　souls；　but　not　the　souls　of　our　children。　You
don't　want　Celeste　to　be　a　creature　without　religion？　And　remember；　my
dear；　that　we　are　at　the　mercy　of　others；　we　have　four　children　to
provide　for；　and　how　do　you　know　that；　some　day　or　other；　you　may　not
need　the　services　of　this　one　or　that　one？　Therefore　don't　make
enemies。　You　haven't　any　now；　for　you　are　a　good…natured　fellow；　and；
thanks　to　that　quality；　which　amounts　in　you　to　a　charm；　we　have　got
along　pretty　well　in　life；　so　far。〃

〃That's　enough！〃　said　Colleville；　flinging　his　coat　on　a　chair