the lesser bourgeoisie-第19节

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and　the　family　were　joking　him　about　it　in　a　pleasant　way；　hoping　in
their　hearts　that　Celeste　and　her　parents　might　understand　the
treasure　that　was　thus　offered　to　them。

〃Alas！　the　Thuilliers　seem　to　me　infatuated　with　a　very　dangerous
man；〃　said　Madame　Phellion。　〃He　took　Madame　Colleville　by　the　arm　this
morning　after　church；　and　they　went　together　to　the　Luxembourg。〃

〃There　is　something　about　that　lawyer；〃　remarked　Felix　Phellion；　〃that
strikes　me　as　sinister。　He　might　be　found　to　have　committed　some　crime
and　I　shouldn't　be　surprised。〃

〃That's　going　too　far；〃　said　old　Phellion。　〃He　is　cousin…germain　to
Tartuffe；　that　immortal　figure　cast　in　bronze　by　our　honest　Moliere；
for　Moliere；　my　children；　had　honesty　and　patriotism　for　the　basis　of
his　genius。〃

It　was　at　that　instant　that　Genevieve　came　in　to　say；　〃There's　a
Monsieur　de　la　Peyrade　out　there；　who　wants　to　see　monsieur。〃

〃To　see　me！〃　exclaimed　Phellion。　〃Ask　him　to　come　in；〃　he　added；　with
that　solemnity　in　little　things　which　gave　him　even　now　a　touch　of
absurdity；　though　it　always　impressed　his　family；　which　accepted　him
as　king。

Phellion；　his　two　sons；　and　his　wife　and　daughter；　rose　and　received
the　circular　bow　made　by　the　lawyer。

〃To　what　do　we　owe　the　honor　of　your　visit；　monsieur？〃　asked　Phellion；
stiffly。

〃To　your　importance　in　this　arrondissement；　my　dear　Monsieur　Phellion；
and　to　public　interests；〃　replied　Theodose。

〃Then　let　us　go　into　my　study；〃　said　Phellion。

〃No；　no；　my　friend；〃　said　the　rigid　Madame　Phellion；　a　small　woman；
flat　as　a　flounder；　who　retained　upon　her　features　the　grim　severity
with　which　she　taught　music　in　boarding…schools　for　young　ladies；　〃we
will　leave　you。〃

An　upright　Erard　piano；　placed　between　the　two　windows　and　opposite　to
the　fireplace；　showed　the　constant　occupation　of　a　proficient。

〃Am　I　so　unfortunate　as　to　put　you　to　flight？〃　said　Theodose；　smiling
in　a　kindly　way　at　the　mother　and　daughter。　〃You　have　a　delightful
retreat　here；〃　he　continued。　〃You　only　lack　a　pretty　daughter…in…law
to　pass　the　rest　of　your　days　in　this　'aurea　mediocritas；'　the　wish　of
the　Latin　poet；　surrounded　by　family　joys。　Your　antecedents；　my　dear
Monsieur　Phellion；　ought　surely　to　win　you　such　rewards；　for　I　am　told
that　you　are　not　only　a　patriot　but　a　good　citizen。〃

〃Monsieur；〃　said　Phellion；　embarrassed；　〃monsieur；　I　have　only　done　my
duty。〃　At　the　word　〃daughter…in…law；〃　uttered　by　Theodose；　Madame
Barniol；　who　resembled　her　mother　as　much　as　one　drop　of　water　is　like
another；　looked　at　Madame　Phellion　and　at　Felix　as　if　she　would　say；
〃Were　we　mistaken？〃

The　desire　to　talk　this　incident　over　carried　all　four　personages　into
the　garden；　for；　in　March；　1840；　the　weather　was　spring…like；　at　least
in　Paris。

〃Commander；〃　said　Theodose；　as　soon　as　he　was　alone　with　Phellion；　who
was　always　flattered　by　that　title；　〃I　have　come　to　speak　to　you　about
the　election〃

〃Yes；　true；　we　are　about　to　nominate　a　municipal　councillor；〃　said
Phellion；　interrupting　him。

〃And　it　is　apropos　of　that　candidacy　that　I　have　come　to　disturb　your
Sunday　joys；　but　perhaps　in　so　doing　we　shall　not　go　beyond　the　limits
of　the　family　circle。〃

It　would　be　impossible　for　Phellion　to　be　more　Phellion　than　Theodose
was　Phellion　at　that　moment。

〃I　shall　not　let　you　say　another　word；〃　replied　the　commander；
profiting　by　the　pause　made　by　Theodose；　who　watched　for　the　effect　of
his　speech。　〃My　choice　is　made。〃

〃We　have　had　the　same　idea！〃　exclaimed　Theodose；　〃men　of　the　same
character　agree　as　well　as　men　of　the　same　mind。〃

〃In　this　case　I　do　not　believe　in　that　phenomenon；〃　replied　Phellion。
〃This　arrondissement　had　for　its　representative　in　the　municipal
council　the　most　virtuous　of　men；　as　he　was　the　noblest　of
magistrates。　I　allude　to　the　late　Monsieur　Popinot；　the　deceased　judge
of　the　Royal　courts。　When　the　question　of　replacing　him　came　up；　his
nephew；　the　heir　to　his　benevolence；　did　not　reside　in　this　quarter。
He　has　since；　however；　purchased；　and　now　occupies；　the　house　where
his　uncle　lived　in　the　rue　de　la　Montagne…Sainte…Genevieve；　he　is　the
physician　of　the　Ecole　Polytechnique　and　that　of　our　hospitals；　he
does　honor　to　this　quarter；　for　these　reasons；　and　to　pay　homage　in
the　person　of　the　nephew　to　the　memory　of　the　uncle；　we　have　decided
to　nominate　Doctor　Horace　Bianchon；　member　of　the　Academy　of　Sciences；
as　you　are　aware；　and　one　of　the　most　distinguished　young　men　in　the
illustrious　faculty　of　Paris。　A　man　is　not　great　in　our　eyes　solely
because　he　is　celebrated；　to　my　mind　the　late　Councillor　Popinot　was
almost　another　Saint　Vincent　de　Paul。〃

〃But　a　doctor　is　not　an　administrator；〃　replied　Theodose；　〃and；
besides；　I　have　come　to　ask　your　vote　for　a　man　to　whom　your　dearest
interests　require　that　you　should　sacrifice　a　predilection；　which；
after　all；　is　quite　unimportant　to　the　public　welfare。〃

〃Monsieur！〃　cried　Phellion；　rising　and　striking　an　attitude　like　that
of　Lafon　in　〃Le　Glorieux；〃　〃Do　you　despise　me　sufficiently　to　suppose
that　my　personal　interests　could　ever　influence　my　political
conscience？　When　a　matter　concerns　the　public　welfare；　I　am　a　citizen
nothing　more；　and　nothing　less。〃

Theodose　smiled　to　himself　at　the　thought　of　the　battle　which　was　now
to　take　place　between　the　father　and　the　citizen。

〃Do　not　bind　yourself　to　your　present　ideas；　I　entreat　you；〃　he　said；
〃for　this　matter　concerns　the　happiness　of　your　dear　Felix。〃

〃What　do　you　mean　by　those　words？〃　asked　Phellion；　stopping　short　in
the　middle　of　the　salon　and　posing；　with　his　hand　thrust　through　the
bosom　of　his　waistcoat　from　right　to　left；　in　the　well…known　attitude
of　Odilon　Barrot。

〃I　have　come　in　behalf　of　our　mutual　friend；　the　worthy　and　excellent
Monsieur　Thuillier；　whose　influence　on　the　destiny　of　that　beautiful
Celeste　Colleville　must　be　well　known　to　you。　If；　as　I　think；　your
son；　whose　merits　are　incontestable；　and　of　whom　both　families　may
well　be　proud；　if；　I　say；　he　is　courting　Celeste　with　a　view　to　a
marriage　in　which　all　expediencies　may　be　combined；　you　cannot　do　more
to　promote　that　end　than　to　obtain　Thuillier's　eternal　gratitude　by
proposing　your　worthy　friend　to　the　suffrages　of　your　fellow…citizens。
As　for　me；　though　I　have　lately　come　into　the　quarter；　I　can；　thanks
to　the　influence　I　enjoy　through　certain　legal　benefits　done　to　the
poor；　materially　advance　his　interests。　I　might；　perhaps；　have　put
myself　forward　for　this　position；　but　serving　the　poor　brings　in　but
little　money；　and；　besides；　the　modesty　of　my　life　is　out　of　keeping
with　such　distinctions。　I　have　devoted　myself；　monsieur；　to　the
service　of　the　weak；　like　the　late　Councillor　Popinot；a　sublime　man；
as　you　justly　remarked。　If　I　had　not　already　chosen　a　career　which　is
in　some　sort　monastic；　and　precludes　all　idea　of　marriage　and　public
office；　my　taste；　my　second　vocation；　would　lead　me　to　the　service　of
God；　to　the　Church。　I　do　not　trumpet　what　I　do；　like　the
philanthropists；　I　do　not　write　about　it；　I　simply　act；　I　am　pledged
to　Christian　charity。　The　ambition　of　our　friend　Thuillier　becoming
known　to　me；　I　have　wished　to　contribute　to　the　happiness　of　two　young
people　who　seem　to　me　made　for　each　other；　by　suggesting　to　you　the
means　of　winning　the　rather　cold　heart　of　Monsieur　Thuillier。〃

Phellion　was　bewildered　by　this　tirade；　admirably　delivered；　he　was
dazzled；　attracted；　but　he　remained　Phellion；　he　walked　up　to　the
lawyer　and　held　out　his　hand；　which　la　Peyrade　took。

〃Monsieur；〃　said　the　commander；　with　emotion；　〃I　have　misjudged　you。
What　you　have　done　me　the　honor　to　confide　to　me　will　die　THERE；〃
laying　his　hand　on　his　heart。　〃You　are　one　of　the　men　of　whom　we　have
too　few；men　who　console　us　for　many　evils　inherent　in　our　social
state。　Righteousness　is　seen　so　seldom　that　our　too　feeble　natures
distrust　appearances。　You　have　in　me　a　friend；　if　you　will　allow　me
the　honor　of　assuming　that　title。　But　you　must　learn　to　know　me；
monsieur。　I　should　lose　my　own　esteem　if　I　nominated　Thuillier。　No；　my
son　shall　never　own　his　happiness　to　an　evil　action　on　his　father's
part。　I　shall　not　change　my　candidate　because　my　son's　interests
demand　it。　That　is　civic　virtue；　monsieur。〃

La　Peyrade　pulled　out　his　handkerchief　and　rubbed　it　in　his　eye　so
that　it　drew　a　tear；　as　he　said；　holding　out　his　hand　to　Phellion；　and
turning　aside　his　head：

〃Ah！　monsieur；　how　sublime　a　struggle　between　public　and　private　duty！
Had　I　come　here　only　to　see　this　sight；　my　visit　would　not　have　been
wasted。　You　cannot　do　otherwise！　In　your　place；　I　should　do　the　same。
You　are　that　noblest　thing　that　God　has　madea　righteous　man！　a
citizen　of　the　Jean…Jacques　type！　With　many　such　citizens；　oh　France！
my　country！　what　mightest　thou　become！　It　is　I；　monsieur；　who　solicit；
humbly；　the　honor　to　be　your　friend。〃

〃What　can　be　happening？〃　said　Madame　Phellion；　watching　the　scene
through　the　window。　〃Do　see　your　father　and　that　horrid　man　embracing
each　other。〃

Phellion　and　la　Peyrade　now　came　out　and　joined　the　family　in　the
garden。

〃My　dear　Felix；〃　said　the　old　man；　pointing　to　la　Peyrade；　who　was
bowing　to　Madame　Phellion；　〃be　v