the lesser bourgeoisie-第15节

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love　a　noble　nature　struggling　against　misfortune；　Christian　charity
enfolds　both　the　strong　and　the　weak；　its　treasure　belongs　to　both。
Refined；　graceful；　elegant　as　you　are；　made　to　be　an　ornament　of　the
highest　society；　what　man　could　see　you　without　feeling　an　immense
compassion　in　his　heartburied　here　among　these　odious　bourgeois；　who
know　nothing　of　you；　not　even　the　aristocratic　value　of　a　single　one
of　your　attitudes；　or　those　enchanting　inflections　of　your　voice！　Ah！
if　I　were　only　rich！　if　I　had　power！　your　husband；　who　is　certainly　a
good　fellow；　should　be　made　receiver…general；　and　you　yourself　could
get　him　elected　deputy。　But；　alas！　poor　ambitious　man；　my　first　duty
is　to　silence　my　ambition。　Knowing　myself　at　the　bottom　of　the　bag
like　the　last　number　in　a　family　lottery；　I　can　only　offer　you　my　arm
and　not　my　heart。　I　hope　all　from　a　good　marriage；　and；　believe　me；　I
shall　make　my　wife　not　only　happy；　but　I　shall　make　her　one　of　the
first　in　the　land；　receiving　from　her　the　means　of　success。　It　is　so
fine　a　day；　will　you　not　take　a　turn　in　the　Luxembourg？〃　he　added；　as
they　reached　the　rue　d'Enfer　at　the　corner　of　Colleville's　house；
opposite　to　which　was　a　passage　leading　to　the　gardens　by　the　stairway
of　a　little　building；　the　last　remains　of　the　famous　convent　of　the
Chartreux。

The　soft　yielding　of　the　arm　within　his　own；　indicated　a　tacit　consent
to　this　proposal；　and　as　Flavie　deserved　the　honor　of　a　sort　of
enthusiasm；　he　drew　her　vehemently　along；　exclaiming：

〃Come！　we　may　never　have　so　good　a　momentBut　see！〃　he　added；　〃there
is　your　husband　at　the　window　looking　at　us；　let　us　walk　slowly。〃

〃You　have　nothing　to　fear　from　Monsieur　Colleville；〃　said　Flavie；
smiling；　〃he　leaves　me　mistress　of　my　own　actions。〃

〃Ah！　here；　indeed；　is　the　woman　I　have　dreamed　of；〃　cried　the
Provencal；　with　that　ecstasy　that　inflames　the　soul　only；　and　in　tones
that　issue　only　from　Southern　lips。　〃Pardon　me；　madame；〃　he　said；
recovering　himself；　and　returning　from　an　upper　sphere　to　the　exiled
angel　whom　he　looked　at　piously；〃pardon　me；　I　abandon　what　I　was
saying；　but　how　can　a　man　help　feeling　for　the　sorrows　he　has　known
himself　when　he　sees　them　the　lot　of　a　being　to　whom　life　should　bring
only　joy　and　happiness？　Your　sufferings　are　mine；　I　am　no　more　in　my
right　place　than　you　are　in　yours；　the　same　misfortune　has　made　us
brother　and　sister。　Ah！　dear　Flavie；　the　first　day　it　was　granted　to
me　to　see　youthe　last　Sunday　in　September；　1838you　were　very
beautiful；　I　shall　often　recall　you　to　memory　in　that　pretty　little
gown　of　mousseline…de…laine　of　the　color　of　some　Scottish　tartan！　That
day　I　said　to　myself：　'Why　is　that　woman　so　often　at　the　Thuilliers'；
above　all；　why　did　she　ever　have　intimate　relations　with　Thuillier
himself？'〃

〃Monsieur！〃　said　Flavie；　alarmed　at　the　singular　course　la　Peyrade　was
giving　to　the　conversation。

〃Eh！　I　know　all；〃　he　cried；　accompanying　the　words　with　a　shrug　of　his
shoulders。　〃I　explain　it　all　to　my　own　mind；　and　I　do　not　respect　you
less。　You　now　have　to　gather　the　fruits　of　your　sin；　and　I　will　help
you。　Celeste　will　be　very　rich；　and　in　that　lies　your　own　future。　You
can　have　only　one　son…in…law；　chose　him　wisely。　An　ambitious　man　might
become　a　minister；　but　you　would　humble　your　daughter　and　make　her
miserable；　and　if　such　a　man　lost　his　place　and　fortune　he　could　never
recover　it。　Yes；　I　love　you；〃　he　continued。　〃I　love　you　with　an
unlimited　affection；　you　are　far　above　the　mass　of　petty
considerations　in　which　silly　women　entangle　themselves。　Let　us
understand　each　other。〃

Flavie　was　bewildered；　she　was；　however；　awake　to　the　extreme
frankness　of　such　language；　and　she　said　to　herself；　〃He　is　not　a
secret　manoeuvrer；　certainly。〃　Moreover；　she　admitted　to　her　own　mind
that　no　one　had　ever　so　deeply　stirred　and　excited　her　as　this　young
man。

〃Monsieur；〃　she　said；　〃I　do　not　know　who　could　have　put　into　your　mind
so　great　an　error　as　to　my　life；　nor　by　what　right　you〃

〃Ah！　pardon　me；　madame；〃　interrupted　the　Provencal　with　a　coolness
that　smacked　of　contempt。　〃I　must　have　dreamed　it。　I　said　to　myself；
'She　is　all　that！'　But　I　see　I　was　judging　from　the　outside。　I　know
now　why　you　are　living　and　will　always　live　on　a　fourth　floor　in　the
rue　d'Enfer。〃

And　he　pointed　his　speech　with　an　energetic　gesture　toward　the
Colleville　windows；　which　could　be　seen　through　the　passage　from　the
alley　of　the　Luxembourg；　where　they　were　walking　alone；　in　that
immense　tract　trodden　by　so　many　and　various　young　ambitions。

〃I　have　been　frank；　and　I　expected　reciprocity；〃　resumed　Theodose。　〃I
myself　have　had　days　without　food；　madame；　I　have　managed　to　live；
pursue　my　studies；　obtain　my　degree；　with　two　thousand　francs　for　my
sole　dependence；　and　I　entered　Paris　through　the　Barriere　d'Italie；
with　five　hundred　francs　in　my　pocket；　firmly　resolved；　like　one　of　my
compatriots；　to　become；　some　day；　one　of　the　foremost　men　of　our
country。　The　man　who　has　often　picked　his　food　from　baskets　of　scraps
where　the　restaurateurs　put　their　refuse；　which　are　emptied　at　six
o'clock　every　morningthat　man　is　not　likely　to　recoil　before　any
means；avowable；　of　course。　Well；　do　you　think　me　the　friend　of　the
people？〃　he　said；　smiling。　〃One　has　to　have　a　speaking…trumpet　to
reach　the　ear　of　Fame；　she　doesn't　listen　if　you　speak　with　your　lips；
and　without　fame　of　what　use　is　talent？　The　poor　man's　advocate　means
to　be　some　day　the　advocate　of　the　rich。　Is　that　plain　speaking？　Don't
I　open　my　inmost　being　to　you？　Then　open　your　heart　to　me。　Say　to　me；
'Let　us　be　friends；'　and　the　day　will　come　when　we　shall　both　be
happy。〃

〃Good　heavens！　why　did　I　ever　come　here？　Why　did　I　ever　take　your
arm？〃　cried　Flavie。

〃Because　it　is　in　your　destiny；〃　he　replied。　〃Ah！　my　dear；　beloved
Flavie；〃　he　added；　again　pressing　her　arm　upon　his　heart；　〃did　you
expect　to　hear　the　vulgarities　of　love　from　me？　We　are　brother　and
sister；　that　is　all。〃

And　he　led　her　towards　the　passage　to　return　to　the　rue　d'Enfer。

Flavie　felt　a　sort　of　terror　in　the　depths　of　the　contentment　which
all　women　find　in　violent　emotions；　and　she　took　that　terror　for　the
sort　of　fear　which　a　new　passion　always　excites；　but　for　all　that；　she
felt　she　was　fascinated；　and　she　walked　along　in　absolute　silence。

〃What　are　you　thinking　of？〃　asked　Theodose；　when　they　reached　the
middle　of　the　passage。

〃Of　what　you　have　just　said　to　me；〃　she　answered。

〃At　our　age；〃　he　said；　〃it　is　best　to　suppress　preliminaries；　we　are
not　children；　we　both　belong　to　a　sphere　in　which　we　should　understand
each　other。　Remember　this；〃　he　added；　as　they　reached　the　rue　d'Enfer。
〃I　am　wholly　yours。〃

So　saying；　he　bowed　low　to　her。

〃The　iron's　in　the　fire　now！〃　he　thought　to　himself　as　he　watched　his
giddy　prey　on　her　way　home。



CHAPTER　VI

A　KEYNOTE

When　Theodose　reached　home　he　found；　waiting　for　him　on　the　landing；　a
personage　who　is；　as　it　were；　the　submarine　current　of　this　history；
he　will　be　found　within　it　like　some　buried　church　on　which　has　risen
the　facade　of　a　palace。　The　sight　of　this　man；　who；　after　vainly
ringing　at　la　Peyrade's　door；　was　now　trying　that　of　Dutocq；　made　the
Provencal　barrister　tremblebut　secretly；　within　himself；　not
betraying　externally　his　inward　emotion。　This　man　was　Cerizet；　whom
Dutocq　had　mentioned　to　Thuillier　as　his　copying…clerk。

Cerizet　was　only　thirty…eight　years　old；　but　he　looked　a　man　of　fifty；
so　aged　had　he　become　from　causes　which　age　all　men。　His　hairless　head
had　a　yellow　skull；　ill…covered　by　a　rusty；　discolored　wig；　the　mask
of　his　face；　pale；　flabby；　and　unnaturally　rough；　seemed　the　more
horrible　because　the　nose　was　eaten　away；　though　not　sufficiently　to
admit　of　its　being　replaced　by　a　false　one。　From　the　spring　of　this
nose　at　the　forehead；　down　to　the　nostrils；　it　remained　as　nature　had
made　it；　but　disease；　after　gnawing　away　the　sides　near　the
extremities；　had　left　two　holes　of　fantastic　shape；　which　vitiated
pronunciation　and　hampered　speech。　The　eyes；　originally　handsome；　but
weakened　by　misery　of　all　kinds　and　by　sleepless　nights；　were　red
around　the　edges；　and　deeply　sunken；　the　glance　of　those　eyes；　when
the　soul　sent　into　them　an　expression　of　malignancy；　would　have
frightened　both　judges　and　criminals；　or　any　others　whom　nothing
usually　affrights。

The　mouth；　toothless　except　for　a　few　black　fangs；　was　threatening；
the　saliva　made　a　foam　within　it；　which　did　not；　however；　pass　the
pale　thin　lips。　Cerizet；　a　short　man；　less　spare　than　shrunken；
endeavored　to　remedy　the　defects　of　his　person　by　his　clothes；　and
although　his　garments　were　not　those　of　opulence；　he　kept　them　in　a
condition　of　neatness　which　may　even　have　increased　his　forlorn
appearance。　Everything　about　him　seemed　dubious；　his　age；　his　nose；
his　glance　inspired　doubt。　It　was　impossible　to　know　if　he　were
thirty…eight　or　sixty；　if　his　faded　blue　trousers；　which　fitted　him
well；　were　of　a　coming　or　a　past　fashion。　His　boots；　worn　at　the
heels；　but　scrupulously　blacked；　resoled　for　the　third　time；　and　very
choice；　originally；　may　have　trodden　in　their　day　a　ministerial
carpet。　The　frock　coat；　soake