the lesser bourgeoisie-第28节

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〃An　invention　and　one　hundred　francs！〃　said　Dutocq。　〃You　don't　know
the　laws；　you　must　take　out　a　patent；　and　that　costs　two　thousand
francs；　and　you　want　influence。〃

〃All　that　is　true；〃　said　Cerizet；　who；　however；　reckoned　a　good　deal
on　such　chances。　〃Come　to…morrow　morning；　papa　Lantimeche；　at　six
o'clock；　and　we'll　talk　it　over；　you　can't　talk　inventions　in　public。〃

Cerizet　then　turned　to　Dutocq　whose　first　words　were：

〃If　the　thing　turns　out　well；　half　profits！〃

〃Why　did　you　get　up　at　this　time　in　the　morning　to　come　here　and　say
that　to　me？〃　demanded　the　distrustful　Cerizet；　already　displeased　with
the　mention　of　〃half　profits。〃　〃You　could　have　seen　me　as　usual　at　the
office。〃

And　he　looked　askance　at　Dutocq；　the　latter；　while　telling　him　his
errand　and　speaking　of　Claparon　and　the　necessity　of　pushing　forward
in　the　Theodose　affair；　seemed　confused。

〃All　the　same　you　could　have　seen　me　this　morning　at　the　office；〃
repeated　Cerizet；　conducting　his　visitor　to　the　door。

〃There's　a　man；〃　thought　he；　as　he　returned　to　his　seat；　〃who　seems　to
me　to　have　breathed　on　his　lantern　so　that　I　may　not　see　clear。　Well；
well；　I'll　give　up　that　place　of　copying　clerk。　Ha！　your　turn；　little
mother！〃　he　cried；　〃you　invent　children！　That's　amusing　enough；　though
the　trick　is　well　known。〃

It　is　all　the　more　useless　to　relate　the　conversation　which　took　place
between　the　three　confederates　at　the　〃Cheval　Rouge；〃　because　the
arrangements　there　concluded　were　the　basis　of　certain　confidences
made；　as　we　shall　see；　by　Theodose　to　Mademoiselle　Thuillier；　but　it
is　necessary　to　remark　that　the　cleverness　displayed　by　la　Peyrade
seemed　almost　alarming　to　Cerizet　and　Dutocq。　After　this　conference；
the　banker　of　the　poor；　finding　himself　in　company　with　such　powerful
players；　had　it　in　mind　to　make　sure　of　his　own　stake　at　the　first
chance。　To　win　the　game　at　any　price　over　the　heads　of　the　ablest
gamblers；　by　cheating　if　necessary；　is　the　inspiration　of　a　special
sort　of　vanity　peculiar　to　friends　of　the　green　cloth。　Hence　came　the
terrible　blow　which　la　Peyrade　was　about　to　receive。

He　knew　his　two　associates　well；　and　therefore；　in　spite　of　the
perpetual　activity　of　his　intellectual　forces；　in　spite　of　the
perpetual　watchfulness　his　personality　of　ten　faces　required；　nothing
fatigued　him　as　much　as　the　part　he　had　to　play　with　his　two
accomplices。　Dutocq　was　a　great　knave；　and　Cerizet　had　once　been　a
comic　actor；　they　were　both　experts　in　humbug。　A　motionless　face　like
Talleyrand's　would　have　made　then　break　at　once　with　the　Provencal；
who　was　now　in　their　clutches；　it　was　necessary；　therefore；　that　he
should　make　a　show　of　ease　and　confidence　and　of　playing　above　board
the　very　height　of　art　in　such　affairs。　To　delude　the　pit　is　an　every…
day　triumph；　but　to　deceive　Mademoiselle　Mars；　Frederic　Lemaitre；
Potier；　Talma；　Monrose；　is　the　acme　of　art。

This　conference　at　the　〃Cheval　Rouge〃　had　therefore　the　result　of
giving　to　la　Peyrade；　who　was　fully　as　sagacious　as　Cerizet；　a　secret
fear；　which；　during　the　latter　period　of　this　daring　game；　so　fired
his　blood　and　heated　his　brain　that　there　came　moments　when　he　fell
into　the　morbid　condition　of　the　gambler；　who　follows　with　his　eye　the
roll　of　the　ball　on　which　he　has　staked　his　last　penny。　The　senses
then　have　a　lucidity　in　their　action　and　the　mind　takes　a　range；　which
human　knowledge　has　no　means　of　measuring。



CHAPTER　X

HOW　BRIGITTE　WAS　WON

The　day　after　this　conference　at　the　〃Cheval　Rouge；〃　la　Peyrade　went
to　dine　with　the　Thuilliers；　and　on　the　commonplace　pretext　of　a　visit
to　pay；　Thuillier　carried　off　his　wife；　leaving　Theodose　alone　with
Brigitte。　Neither　Thuillier；　nor　his　sister；　nor　Theodose；　were　the
dupes　of　this　comedy；　but　the　old　beau　of　the　Empire　considered　the
manoeuvre　a　piece　of　diplomacy。

〃Young　man；　do　not　take　advantage　of　my　sister's　innocence；　respect
it；〃　said　Thuillier　solemnly；　as　he　departed。

〃Mademoiselle；〃　said　Theodose；　drawing　his　chair　closer　to　the　sofa
where　Brigitte　sat　knitting；　〃have　you　thought　of　inducing　the
business　men　of　the　arrondissement　to　support　Thuillier's　interests？〃

〃How　can　I？〃　she　asked。

〃Why！　you　are　in　close　relations　with　Barbet　and　Metivier。〃

〃Ah！　you　are　right！　Faith！　you　are　no　blunderer！〃　she　said　after　a
pause。

〃When　we　love　our　friends；　we　serve　them；〃　he　replied；　sententiously。

To　capture　Brigitte　would　be　like　carrying　the　redoubt　of　the　Moskowa；
the　culminating　strategic　point。　But　it　was　necessary　to　possess　that
old　maid　as　the　devil　was　supposed　in　the　middle　ages　to　possess　men；
and　in　a　way　to　make　any　awakening　impossible　for　her。　For　the　last
three　days　la　Peyrade　had　been　measuring　himself　for　the　task；　he　had
carefully　reconnoitred　the　ground　to　see　all　difficulty。　Flattery；
that　almost　infallible　means　in　able　hands；　would　certainly　miscarry
with　a　woman　who　for　years　had　known　she　had　no　beauty。　But　a　man　of
strong　will　finds　nothing　impregnable；　the　Lamarques　could　never　have
failed　to　take　Capri。　Therefore；　nothing　must　be　omitted　from　the
memorable　scene　which　was　now　to　take　place；　all　things　about　it　had
their　own　importance；inflections　of　the　voice；　pauses；　glances；
lowered　eyes。

〃But；〃　rejoined　Brigitte；　〃you　have　already　proved　to　us　your
affection。〃

〃Your　brother　has　told　you？〃

〃No；　he　merely　told　me　that　you　had　something　to　tell　me。〃

〃Yes；　mademoiselle；　I　have；　for　you　are　the　man　of　the　family。　In
reflecting　on　this　matter；　I　find　many　dangers　for　myself；　such　as　a
man　only　risks　for　his　nearest　and　dearest。　It　involves　a　fortune；
thirty　to　forty　thousand　francs　a　year；　and　not　the　slightest
speculationa　piece　of　landed　property。　The　hope　of　helping　Thuillier
to　win　such　a　fortune　enticed　me　from　the　first。　'It　fascinates　me；'　I
said　to　himfor；　unless　a　man　is　an　absolute　fool；　he　can't　help
asking　himself：　'Why　should　he　care　to　do　us　all　this　good？'　So　I　told
him　frankly　that　in　working　for　his　interests；　I　flattered　myself　I
was　working　for　my　own；　as　I'll　explain　to　you　later。　If　he　wishes　to
be　deputy；　two　things　are　absolutely　necessary：　to　comply　with　the　law
as　to　property；　and　to　win　for　his　name　some　sort　of　public　celebrity。
If　I　myself　push　my　devotion　to　the　point　of　helping　him　to　write　a
book　on　public　financieringor　anything　else；　no　matter　whatwhich
would　give　him　that　celebrity；　I　ought　also　to　think　of　the　other
matter；　his　propertyit　would　be　absurd　to　expect　you　to　give　him
this　house〃

〃For　my　brother？　Why；　I'd　put　it　in　his　name　to…morrow；〃　cried
Brigitte。　〃You　don't　know　me。〃

〃I　don't　know　you　thoroughly；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃but　I　do　know　things
about　you　which　now　make　me　regret　that　I　did　not　tell　you　the　whole
affair　from　its　origin；　I　mean　from　the　moment　when　I　conceived　the
plan　to　which　Thuillier　will　owe　his　nomination。　He　will　be　hunted
down　by　envy　and　jealousy；　and　the　task　of　upholding　him　will　be　a
hard　one；　we　must；　however；　get　the　better　of　his　rivals　and　take　the
wind　out　of　their　sails。〃

〃But　this　affair；〃　said　Brigitte；　〃what　are　the　difficulties？〃

〃Mademoiselle；　the　difficulties　lie　within　my　own　conscience。
Assuredly；　I　could　not　serve　you　in　this　matter　without　first
consulting　my　confessor。　From　a　worldly　point　of　viewoh！　the　affair
is　perfectly　legal；　and　I　amyou'll　understand　me？a　barrister
inscribed　on　the　panel；　that　is；　member　of　a　bar　controlled　by　the
strictest　rules。　I　am　therefore　incapable　of　proposing　an　enterprise
which　might　give　occasion　for　blame。　In　the　first　place；　I　myself
don't　make　a　penny　by　it。〃

Brigitte　was　on　thorns；　her　face　was　flaming；　she　broke　her　wool；
mended　it；　broke　it　again；　and　did　not　know　which　way　to　look。

〃One　can't　get；〃　she　said；　〃in　these　days；　forty　thousand　francs　a
year　from　landed　property　unless　it　is　worth　one　million　eight　hundred
thousand。〃

〃Well；　I　will　undertake　that　you　shall　see　a　piece　of　property　and
estimate　yourself　its　probable　revenue；　which　I　can　make　Thuillier　the
owner　of　for　fifty　thousand　francs　down。〃

〃Oh！　if　you　can　make　us　obtain　that！〃　cried　Brigitte；　worked　up　to　the
highest　excitement　by　the　spur　of　her　natural　cupidity。　〃Go　on；　my
dear　Monsieur　Theodose；　and〃

She　stopped　short。

〃Well；　mademoiselle？〃

〃You　will；　perhaps；　have　done　yourself　a　service。〃

〃Ah！　if　Thuillier　has　told　you　my　secret；　I　must　leave　this　house。〃

Brigitte　looked　up。

〃Did　he　tell　you　that　I　love　Celeste？〃

〃No；　on　my　word　of　honor！〃　cried　Brigitte；　〃but　I　myself　was　just
about　to　speak　of　her。〃

〃And　offer　her　to　me？　Oh！　may　God　forgive　us！　I　can　only　win　her　of
herself；　her　parents；　by　a　free　choiceNo；　no；　all　I　ask　of　you　is
your　good…will；　your　protection。　Promise　me；　as　Thuillier　has；　in
return　for　my　services　your　influence；　your　friendship；　tell　me　that
you　will　treat　me　as　a　son。　If　you　will　do　that；　I　will　abide　by　your
decision　in　this　matter；　I　can　trust　it；　I　need　not　speak　to　my
confessor。　For　the　last　two　years；　ever　since　I　have　seen　much　of　this
family；　to　whom　I　would　fain　give　my　powers　and　devote　my　utmost
energyfor；　I　shall　succeed！　surely　I　shall！I　have　observed　that
your　integrity；