the lesser bourgeoisie-第27节

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round　cushion　covered　with　green　leather。　Behind　him；　Cerizet　had
sheathed　the　walls　with　planks；　also　protecting　himself　with　a　little
wooden　screen；　painted　white；　from　the　draught　between　the　window　and
door；　but　this　screen；　made　of　two　leaves；　was　so　placed　that　the
warmth　from　the　stove　reached　him。　The　window　had　enormous　inside
shutters　of　cast…iron；　held；　when　closed；　by　a　bar。　The　door　commanded
respect　by　an　armor　of　the　same　character。

At　the　farther　end　of　this　room；　in　a　corner；　was　a　spiral…staircase；
coming；　evidently；　from　some　pulled…down　shop；　and　bought　in　the　rue
Chapon　by　Cadenet；　who　had　fitted　it　through　the　ceiling　into　the　room
in　the　entresol　occupied　by　Cerizet。　In　order　to　prevent　all
communication　with　the　upper　floors；　Cerizet　had　exacted　that　the　door
of　that　room　which　opened　on　the　common　landing　should　be　walled　up。
The　place　had　thus　become　a　fortress。　The　bedroom　above　had　a　cheap
carpet　bought　for　twenty　francs；　an　iron　bedstead；　a　bureau；　three
chairs；　and　an　iron　safe；　made　by　a　good　workman；　which　Cerizet　had
bought　at　a　bargain。　He　shaved　before　a　glass　on　the　chimney…piece；　he
owned　two　pairs　of　cotton　sheets　and　six　cotton　shirts；　the　rest　of
his　visible　wardrobe　was　of　the　same　character。　Cadenet　had　once　seen
Cerizet　dressed　like　a　dandy　of　the　period；　he　must；　therefore；　have
kept　hidden；　in　some　drawer　of　his　bureau；　a　complete　disguise　with
which　he　could　go　to　the　opera；　see　the　world；　and　not　be　recognized；
for；　had　it　not　been　that　Cadenet　heard　his　voice；　he　would　certainly
have　asked　him　who　he　was。

What　pleased　the　clients　of　this　man　most　was　his　joviality　and　his
repartees；　he　talked　their　language。　Cadenet；　his　two　shop…men；　and
Cerizet；　living　in　the　midst　of　dreadful　misery；　behaved　with　the
calmness　of　undertakers　in　presence　of　afflicted　heirs；　of　old
sergeants　of　the　Guard　among　heaps　of　dead。　They　no　more　shuddered　on
hearing　cries　of　hunger　and　despair　than　surgeons　shudder　at　the　cries
of　their　patients　in　hospital；　they　said；　as　the　soldiers　and　the
dressers　said；　the　perfunctory　words；　〃Have　patience！　a　little
courage！　What's　the　good　of　grieving？　Suppose　you　kill　yourself；　what
then？　One　gets　accustomed　to　everything；　be　reasonable！〃

Though　Cerizet　took　the　precaution　to　hide　the　money　necessary　for　his
morning　operations　in　the　hollow　seat　of　the　chair　in　which　he　sat；
taking　out　no　more　than　a　hundred　francs　at　a　time；　which　he　put　in
the　pockets　of　his　trousers；　never　dipping　into　the　funds　of　the　chair
except　between　the　entrance　of　two　batches　of　clients　（keeping　his
door　locked　and　not　opening　it　till　all　was　safely　stowed　in　his
pockets）；　he　had　really　nothing　to　fear　from　the　various　despairs
which　found　their　way　from　all　sides　to　this　rendezvous　of　misery。
Certainly；　there　are　many　different　ways　of　being　honest　and　virtuous；
and　the　〃Monograph　of　Virtue〃　has　no　other　basis　than　this　social
axiom。＇*＇　A　man　is　false　to　his　conscience；　he　fails；　apparently；　in
delicacy；　he　forfeits　that　bloom　of　honor　which；　though　lost；　does
not；　as　yet；　mean　general　disrepute；　at　last；　however；　he　fails
decidedly　in　honor；　if　he　falls　into　the　hands　of　the　correctional
police；　he　is　not；　as　yet；　guilty　of　crime　before　the　court　of
assizes；　but　after　he　is　branded　with　infamy　by　the　verdict　of　a　jury
he　may　still　be　honored　at　the　galleys　for　the　species　of　honor　and
integrity　practised　by　criminals　among　themselves；　which　consists　in
not　betraying　each　other；　in　sharing　booty　loyally；　and　in　running　all
dangers。　Well；　this　last　form　of　honorwhich　is　perhaps　a
calculation；　a　necessity；　the　practice　of　which　offers　certain
opportunities　for　grandeur　to　the　guilty　man　and　the　possibility　of　a
return　to　goodreigned　absolutely　between　Cerizet　and　his　clients。
Never　did　Cerizet　make　an　error；　nor　his　poor　people　either；　neither
side　ever　denied　what　was　due；　either　capital　or　interests。　Many　a
time　Cerizet；　who　was　born　among　the　people；　corrected　from　one　week
to　another　some　accidental　error；　to　the　benefit　of　a　poor　man　who　had
never　discovered　it。　He　was　called　a　Jew；　but　an　honest　one；　and　his
word　in　that　city　of　sorrows　was　sacred。　A　woman　died；　causing　a　loss
to　him　of　thirty　francs：

＇*＇　A　book　on　which　the　author　has　been　at　work　since　1833；　the　year
　　　　in　which　it　was　first　announced。Author's　note。

〃See　my　profits！　there　they　go！〃　he　said　to　his　assemblage；　〃and　you
howl　upon　me！　You　know　I'll　never　trouble　the　brats；　in　fact；　Cadenet
has　already　taken　them　bread　and　heel…taps。〃

After　that　it　was　said　of　him　in　both　faubourgs：

〃He　is　not　a　bad　fellow！〃

The　〃loan　by　the　little　week；〃　as　interpreted　by　Cerizet；　is　not；
considering　all　things；　so　cruel　a　thing　as　the　pawn…shop。　Cerizet
loaned　ten　francs　Tuesday　on　condition　of　receiving　twelve　francs
Sunday　morning。　In　five　weeks　he　doubled　his　capital；　but　he　had　to
make　many　compromises。　His　kindness　consisted　in　accepting；　from　time
to　time；　eleven　francs　and　fifty　centimes；　sometimes　the　whole
interest　was　still　owing。　When　he　gave　fifty　francs　for　sixty　to　a
fruit…stall　man；　or　a　hundred　francs　for　one　hundred　and　twenty　to　a
seller　of　peat…fuel；　he　ran　great　risks。

On　reaching　the　rue　des　Poules　through　the　rue　des　Postes；　Theodose
and　Dutocq　saw　a　great　assemblage　of　men　and　women；　and　by　the　light
which　the　wine…merchant's　little　oil…lamps　cast　upon　these　groups；
they　were　horrified　at　beholding　that　mass　of　red；　seamed；　haggard
faces；　solemn　with　suffering；　withered；　distorted；　swollen　with　wine；
pallid　from　liquor；　some　threatening；　others　resigned；　some　sarcastic
or　jeering；　others　besotted；　all　rising　from　the　midst　of　those
terrible　rags；　which　no　designer　can　surpass　in　his　most　extravagant
caricatures。

〃I　shall　be　recognized；〃　said　Theodose；　pulling　Dutocq　away；　〃we　have
done　a　foolish　thing　to　come　here　at　this　hour　and　take　him　in　the
midst　of　his　business。〃

〃All　the　more　that　Claparon　may　be　sleeping　in　his　lair；　the　interior
of　which　we　know　nothing　about。　Yes；　there　are　dangers　for　you；　but
none　for　me；　I　shall　be　thought　to　have　business　with　my　copying…
clerk；　and　I'll　go　and　tell　him　to　come　and　dine　with　us；　this　is
court　day；　so　we　can't　have　him　to　breakfast。　I'll　tell　him　to　meet　us
at　the　'Chaumiere'　in　one　of　the　garden　dining…rooms。〃

〃Bad；　anybody　could　listen　to　us　there　without　being　seen；〃　said　la
Peyrade。　〃I　prefer　the　'Petit　Rocher　de　Cancale'；　we　can　go　into　a
private　room　and　speak　low。〃

〃But　suppose　you　are　seen　with　Cerizet？〃

〃Well；　then；　let's　go　to　the　'Cheval　Rouge；'　quai　de　la　Tournelle。〃

〃That's　best；　seven　o'clock；　nobody　will　be　there　then。〃

Dutocq　advanced　alone　into　the　midst　of　that　congress　of　beggars；　and
he　heard　his　own　name　repeated　from　mouth　to　mouth；　for　he　could
hardly　fail　to　encounter　among　them　some　jail…bird　familiar　with　the
judge's　office；　just　as　Theodose　was　certain　to　have　met　a　client。

In　these　quarters　the　justice…of…peace　is　the　supreme　authority；　all
legal　contests　stop　short　at　his　office；　especially　since　the　law　was
passed　giving　to　those　judges　sovereign　power　in　all　cases　of
litigation　involving　not　over　one　hundred　and　forty　francs。　A　way　was
made　for　the　judge's　clerk；　who　was　not　less　feared　than　the　judge
himself。　He　saw　women　seated　on　the　staircase；　a　horrible　display　of
pallor　and　suffering　of　many　kinds。　Dutocq　was　almost　asphyxiated　when
he　opened　the　door　of　the　room　in　which　already　sixty　persons　had　left
their　odors。

〃Your　number？　your　number？〃　cried　several　voices。

〃Hold　your　jaw！〃　cried　a　gruff　voice　from　the　street；　〃that's　the　pen
of　the　judge。〃

Profound　silence　followed。　Dutocq　found　his　copying　clerk　clothed　in　a
jacket　of　yellow　leather　like　that　of　the　gloves　of　the　gendarmerie；
beneath　which　he　wore　an　ignoble　waistcoat　of　knitted　wool。　The　reader
must　imagine　the　man's　diseased　head　issuing　from　this　species　of
scabbard　and　covered　with　a　miserable　Madras　handkerchief；　which；
leaving　to　view　the　forehead　and　neck；　gave　to　that　head；　by　the　gleam
of　a　tallow　candle　of　twelve　to　the　pound；　its　naturally　hideous　and
threatening　character。

〃It　can't　be　done　that　way；　papa　Lantimeche；〃　Cerizet　was　saying　to　a
tall　old　man；　seeming　to　be　about　seventy　years　of　age；　who　was
standing　before　him　with　a　red　woollen　cap　in　his　hand；　exhibiting　a
bald　head；　and　a　breast　covered　with　white　hairs　visible　through　his
miserable　linen　jacket。　〃Tell　me　exactly　what　you　want　to　undertake。
One　hundred　francs；　even　on　condition　of　getting　back　one　hundred　and
twenty；　can't　be　let　loose　that　way；　like　a　dog　in　a　church〃

The　five　other　applicants；　among　whom　were　two　women；　both　with
infants；　one　knitting；　the　other　suckling　her　child；　burst　out
laughing。

When　Cerizet　saw　Dutocq；　he　rose　respectfully　and　went　rather　hastily
to　meet　him；　adding　to　his　client：

〃Take　time　to　reflect；　for；　don't　you　see？　it　makes　me　doubtful　to
have　such　a　sum　as　that；　one　hundred　francs！　asked　for　by　an　old
journeyman　locksmith！〃

〃But　I　tell　you　it　concerns　an　invention；〃　cried　the　old　workman。

〃An　invention　and　one　hundred　francs！〃　said　Dutocq。　〃You　don't　know
the　laws；　you　mus