the lesser bourgeoisie-第18节

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together。　Perhaps　it　would　be　desirable　for　you　to　write　a　book；a
serious　book　on　matters　half　moral　and　philanthropic；　half　political；
such；　for　instance；　as　charitable　institutions　considered　from　the
highest　stand…point；　or　reforms　in　the　pawning　system；　the　abuses　of
which　are　really　frightful。　Let　us　fasten　some　slight　distinction　to
your　name；　it　will　help　you；especially　in　the　arrondissement。　Now；　I
say　again；　trust　me；　believe　in　me；　do　not　think　of　taking　me　into
your　family　until　you　have　the　ribbon　in　your　buttonhole　on　the　morrow
of　the　day　when　you　take　your　seat　in　the　Chamber。　I'll　do　more　than
that；　however；　I'll　put　you　in　the　way　of　making　forty　thousand　francs
a　year。〃

〃For　any　one　of　those　three　things　you　shall　have　our　Celeste；〃　said
Thuillier。

〃Ah！　what　a　pearl　she　is！〃　exclaimed　la　Peyrade；　raising　his　eyes　to
heaven。　〃I　have　the　weakness　to　pray　to　God　for　her　every　day。　She　is
charming；　she　is　exactly　like　youoh！　nonsense；　surely　you　needn't
caution　me！　Dutocq　told　me　all。　Well；　I'll　be　with　you　to…night。　I
must　go　to　the　Phellions'　now；　and　begin　to　work　our　plan。　You　don't
need　me　to　caution　you　not　to　let　it　be　known　that　you　are　thinking　of
me　for　Celeste；　if　you　do；　you'll　cut　off　my　arms　and　legs。　Therefore；
silence！　even　to　Flavie。　Wait　till　she　speaks　to　you　herself。　Phellion
shall　to…night　broach　the　matter　of　proposing　you　as　candidate　for　the
council。〃

〃To…night？〃　said　Thuillier。

〃Yes；　to…night；〃　replied　la　Peyrade；　〃unless　I　don't　find　him　at　home
now。〃

Thuillier　departed；　saying　to　himself：

〃That's　a　very　superior　man；　we　shall　always　understand　each　other。
Faith！　it　might　be　hard　to　do　better　for　Celeste。　They　will　live　with
us；　as　in　our　own　family；　and　that's　a　good　deal！　Yes；　he's　a　fine
fellow；　a　sound　man。〃

To　minds　of　Thuillier's　calibre；　a　secondary　consideration　often
assumes　the　importance　of　a　principal　reason。　Theodose　had　behaved　to
him　with　charming　bonhomie。



CHAPTER　VII

THE　WORTHY　PHELLIONS

The　house　to　which　Theodose　de　la　Peyrade　now　bent　his　steps　had　been
the　〃hoc　erat　in　votis〃　of　Monsieur　Phellion　for　twenty　years；　it　was
the　house　of　the　Phellions；　just　as　much　as　Cerizet's　frogged　coat　was
the　necessary　complement　of　his　personality。

This　dwelling　was　stuck　against　the　side　of　a　large　house；　but　only　to
the　depth　of　one　room　（about　twenty　feet　or　so）；　and　terminated　at
each　end　in　a　sort　of　pavilion　with　one　window。　Its　chief　charm　was　a
garden；　one　hundred　and　eighty　feet　square；　longer　than　the　facade　of
the　house　by　the　width　of　a　courtyard　which　opened　on　the　street；　and
a　little　clump　of　lindens。　Beyond　the　second　pavilion；　the　courtyard
had；　between　itself　and　the　street；　an　iron　railing；　in　the　centre　of
which　was　a　little　gate　opening　in　the　middle。

This　building；　of　rouge　stone　covered　with　stucco；　and　two　storeys　in
height；　had　received　a　coat　of　yellow…wash；　the　blinds　were　painted
green；　and　so　were　the　shutters　on　the　lower　storey。　The　kitchen
occupied　the　ground…floor　of　the　pavilion　on　the　courtyard；　and　the
cook；　a　stout；　strong　girl；　protected　by　two　enormous　dogs；　performed
the　functions　of　portress。　The　facade；　composed　of　five　windows；　and
the　two　pavilions；　which　projected　nine　feet；　were　in　the　style
Phellion。　Above　the　door　the　master　of　the　house　had　inserted　a　tablet
of　white　marble；　on　which；　in　letters　of　gold；　were　read　the　words；
〃Aurea　mediocritas。〃　Above　the　sun…dial；　affixed　to　one　panel　of　the
facade；　he　had　also　caused　to　be　inscribed　this　sapient　maxim：　〃Umbra
mea　vita；　sic！〃

The　former　window…sills　had　recently　been　superceded　by　sills　of　red
Languedoc　marble；　found　in　a　marble　shop。　At　the　bottom　of　the　garden
could　be　seen　a　colored　statue；　intended　to　lead　casual　observers　to
imagine　that　a　nurse　was　carrying　a　child。　The　ground…floor　of　the
house　contained　only　the　salon　and　the　dining…room；　separated　from
each　other　by　the　well　of　the　staircase　and　the　landing；　which　formed
a　sort　of　antechamber。　At　the　end　of　the　salon；　in　the　other　pavilion；
was　a　little　study　occupied　by　Phellion。

On　the　first　upper　floor　were　the　rooms　of　the　father　and　mother　and
that　of　the　young　professor。　Above　were　the　chambers　of　the　children
and　the　servants；　for　Phellion；　on　consideration　of　his　own　age　and
that　of　his　wife；　had　set　up　a　male　domestic；　aged　fifteen；　his　son
having　by　that　time　entered　upon　his　duties　of　tuition。　To　right；　on
entering　the　courtyard；　were　little　offices　where　wood　was　stored；　and
where　the　former　proprietor　had　lodged　a　porter。　The　Phellions　were　no
doubt　awaiting　the　marriage　of　their　son　to　allow　themselves　that
additional　luxury。

This　property；　on　which　the　Phellions　had　long　had　their　eye；　cost
them　eighteen　thousand　francs　in　1831。　The　house　was　separated　from
the　courtyard　by　a　balustrade　with　a　base　of　freestone　and　a　coping　of
tiles；　this　little　wall；　which　was　breast…high；　was　lined　with　a　hedge
of　Bengal　roses；　in　the　middle　of　which　opened　a　wooden　gate　opposite
and　leading　to　the　large　gates　on　the　street。　Those　who　know　the　cul…
de…sac　of　the　Feuillantines；　will　understand　that　the　Phellion　house；
standing　at　right　angles　to　the　street；　had　a　southern　exposure；　and
was　protected　on　the　north　by　the　immense　wall　of　the　adjoining　house；
against　which　the　smaller　structure　was　built。　The　cupola　of　the
Pantheon　and　that　of　the　Val…de…Grace　looked　from　there　like　two
giants；　and　so　diminished　the　sky　space　that；　walking　in　the　garden；
one　felt　cramped　and　oppressed。　No　place　could　be　more　silent　than
this　blind　street。

Such　was　the　retreat　of　the　great　unknown　citizen　who　was　now　tasting
the　sweets　of　repose；　after　discharging　his　duty　to　the　nation　in　the
ministry　of　finance；　from　which　he　had　retired　as　registration　clerk
after　a　service　of　thirty…six　years。　In　1832　he　had　led　his　battalion
of　the　National　Guard　to　the　attack　on　Saint…Merri；　but　his　neighbors
had　previously　seen　tears　in　his　eyes　at　the　thought　of　being　obliged
to　fire　on　misguided　Frenchmen。　The　affair　was　already　decided　by　the
time　his　legion　crossed　the　pont　Notre…Dame　at　a　quick　step；　after
debouching　by　the　flower…market。　This　noble　hesitation　won　him　the
respect　of　his　whole　quarter；　but　he　lost　the　decoration　of　the　Legion
of　honor；　his　colonel　told　him　in　a　loud　voice　that；　under　arms；　there
was　no　such　thing　as　deliberation；a　saying　of　Louis…Philippe　to　the
National　Guard　of　Metz。　Nevertheless；　the　bourgeois　virtues　of
Phellion；　and　the　great　respect　in　which　he　was　held　in　his　own
quarter　had　kept　him　major　of　the　battalion　for　eight　years。　He　was
now　nearly　sixty；　and　seeing　the　moment　coming　when　he　must　lay　off
the　sword　and　stock；　he　hoped　that　the　king　would　deign　to　reward　his
services　by　granting　him　at　last　the　Legion　of　honor。

Truth　compels　us　to　say；　in　spite　of　the　stain　this　pettiness　will　put
upon　so　fine　a　character；　that　Commander　Phellion　rose　upon　the　tips
of　his　toes　at　the　receptions　in　the　Tuileries；　and　did　all　that　he
could　to　put　himself　forward；　even　eyeing　the　citizen…king　perpetually
when　he　dined　at　his　table。　In　short；　he　intrigued　in　a　dumb　sort　of
way；　but　had　never　yet　obtained　a　look　in　return　from　the　king　of　his
choice。　The　worthy　man　had　more　than　once　thought；　but　was　not　yet
decided；　to　beg　Monsieur　Minard　to　assist　him　in　obtaining　his　secret
desire。

Phellion；　a　man　of　passive　obedience；　was　stoical　in　the　matter　of
duty；　and　iron　in　all　that　touched　his　conscience。　To　complete　this
picture　by　a　sketch　of　his　person；　we　must　add　that　at　fifty…nine
years　of　age　Phellion　had　〃thickened；〃　to　use　a　term　of　the　bourgeois
vocabulary。　His　face；　of　one　monotonous　tone　and　pitted　with　the
small…pox；　had　grown　to　resemble　a　full　moon；　so　that　his　lips；
formerly　large；　now　seemed　of　ordinary　size。　His　eyes；　much　weakened；
and　protected　by　glasses；　no　longer　showed　the　innocence　of　their
light…blue　orbs；　which　in　former　days　had　often　excited　a　smile；　his
white　hair　now　gave　gravity　to　much　that　twelve　years　earlier　had
looked　like　silliness；　and　lent　itself　to　ridicule。　Time；　which　does
such　damage　to　faces　with　refined　and　delicate　features；　only　improves
those　which；　in　their　youth；　have　been　course　and　massive。　This　was
the　case　with　Phellion。　He　occupied　the　leisure　of　his　old　age　in
making　an　abridgment　of　the　History　of　France；　for　Phellion　was　the
author　of　several　works　adopted　by　the　University。

When　la　Peyrade　presented　himself；　the　family　were　all　together。
Madame　Barniol　was　just　telling　her　mother　about　one　of　her　babies；
which　was　slightly　indisposed。　They　were　dressed　in　their　Sunday
clothes；　and　were　sitting　before　the　fireplace　of　the　wainscoted　salon
on　chairs　bought　at　a　bargain；　and　they　all　felt　an　emotion　when
Genevieve；　the　cook　and　portress；　announced　the　personage　of　whom　they
were　just　then　speaking　in　connection　with　Celeste；　whom；　we　must　here
state；　Felix　Phellion　loved；　to　the　extent　of　going　to　mass　to　behold
her。　The　learned　mathematician　had　made　that　effort　in　the　morning；
and　the　family　were　joking　him　about　it　in　a　pleasant　way；　hoping　in
their　hearts　that　Celeste　and　her　parents　might　understand