the lesser bourgeoisie-第3节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


often　heard　Colleville；　her　brother's　intimate　friend；　a　government
employee　like　himself；　say；　jesting　on　this　climacteric　of
bureaucrats；　〃We　shall　all　come　to　it；　ourselves；〃　not　to　appreciate
the　danger　her　brother　was　running。　The　change　from　activity　to
leisure　is；　in　truth；　the　critical　period　for　government　employees　of
all　kinds。

Those　of　them　who　know　not　how　to　substitute；　or　perhaps　cannot
substitute　other　occupations　for　the　work　to　which　they　have　been
accustomed；　change　in　a　singular　manner；　some　die　outright；　others
take　to　fishing；　the　vacancy　of　that　amusement　resembling　that　of
their　late　employment　under　government；　others；　who　are　smarter　men；
dabble　in　stocks；　lose　their　savings；　and　are　thankful　to　obtain　a
place　in　some　enterprise　that　is　likely　to　succeed；　after　a　first
disaster　and　liquidation；　in　the　hands　of　an　abler　management。　The
late　clerk　then　rubs　his　hands；　now　empty；　and　says　to　himself；　〃I
always　did　foresee　the　success　of　the　business。〃　But　nearly　all　these
retired　bureaucrats　have　to　fight　against　their　former　habits。

〃Some；〃　Colleville　used　to　say；　〃are　victims　to　a　sort　of　'spleen'
peculiar　to　the　government　clerk；　they　die　of　a　checked　circulation；　a
red…tapeworm　is　in　their　vitals。　That　little　Poiret　couldn't　see　the
well…known　white　carton　without　changing　color　at　the　beloved　sight；
he　used　to　turn　from　green　to　yellow。〃

Mademoiselle　Thuillier　was　considered　the　moving　spirit　of　her
brother's　household；　she　was　not　without　decision　and　force　of
character；　as　the　following　history　will　show。　This　superiority　over
those　who　immediately　surrounded　her　enabled　her　to　judge　her　brother；
although　she　adored　him。　After　witnessing　the　failure　of　the　hopes　she
had　set　upon　her　idol；　she　had　too　much　real　maternity　in　her　feeling
for　him　to　let　herself　be　mistaken　as　to　his　social　value。

Thuillier　and　his　sister　were　children　of　the　head　porter　at　the
ministry　of　finance。　Jerome　had　escaped；　thanks　to　his　near…
sightedness；　all　drafts　and　conscriptions。　The　father's　ambition　was
to　make　his　son　a　government　clerk。　At　the　beginning　of　this　century
the　army　presented　too　many　posts　not　to　leave　various　vacancies　in
the　government　offices。　A　deficiency　of　minor　officials　enabled　old
Pere　Thuillier　to　hoist　his　son　upon　the　lowest　step　of　the
bureaucratic　hierarchy。　The　old　man　died　in　1814；　leaving　Jerome　on
the　point　of　becoming　sub…director；　but　with　no　other　fortune　than
that　prospect。　The　worthy　Thuillier　and　his　wife　（who　died　in　1810）
had　retired　from　active　service　in　1806；　with　a　pension　as　their　only
means　of　support；　having　spent　what　property　they　had　in　giving　Jerome
the　education　required　in　these　days；　and　in　supporting　both　him　and
his　sister。

The　influence　of　the　Restoration　on　the　bureaucracy　is　well　known。
From　the　forty　and　one　suppressed　departments　a　crowd　of　honorable
employees　returned　to　Paris　with　nothing　to　do；　and　clamorous　for
places　inferior　to　those　they　had　lately　occupied。　To　these　acquired
rights　were　added　those　of　exiled　families　ruined　by　the　Revolution。
Pressed　between　the　two　floods；　Jerome　thought　himself　lucky　not　to
have　been　dismissed　under　some　frivolous　pretext。　He　trembled　until
the　day　when；　becoming　by　mere　chance　sub…director；　he　saw　himself
secure　of　a　retiring　pension。　This　cursory　view　of　matters　will　serve
to　explain　Monsieur　Thuillier's　very　limited　scope　and　knowledge。　He
had　learned　the　Latin；　mathematics；　history；　and　geography　that　are
taught　in　schools；　but　he　never　got　beyond　what　is　called　the　second
class；　his　father　having　preferred　to　take　advantage　of　a　sudden
opportunity　to　place　him　at　the　ministry。　So；　while　the　young
Thuillier　was　making　his　first　records　on　the　Grand…Livre；　he　ought　to
have　been　studying　his　rhetoric　and　philosophy。

While　grinding　the　ministerial　machine；　he　had　no　leisure　to　cultivate
letters；　still　less　the　arts；　but　he　acquired　a　routine　knowledge　of
his　business；　and　when　he　had　an　opportunity　to　rise；　under　the
Empire；　to　the　sphere　of　superior　employees；　he　assumed　a　superficial
air　of　competence　which　concealed　the　son　of　a　porter；　though　none　of
it　rubbed　into　his　mind。　His　ignorance；　however；　taught　him　to　keep
silence；　and　silence　served　him　well。　He　accustomed　himself　to
practise；　under　the　imperial　regime；　a　passive　obedience　which　pleased
his　superiors；　and　it　was　to　this　quality　that　he　owed　at　a　later
period　his　promotion　to　the　rank　of　sub…director。　His　routine　habits
then　became　great　experience；　his　manners　and　his　silence　concealed
his　lack　of　education；　and　his　absolute　nullity　was　a　recommendation；
for　a　cipher　was　needed。　The　government　was　afraid　of　displeasing　both
parties　in　the　Chamber　by　selecting　a　man　from　either　side；　it
therefore　got　out　of　the　difficulty　by　resorting　to　the　rule　of
seniority。　That　is　how　Thuillier　became　sub…director。　Mademoiselle
Thuillier；　knowing　that　her　brother　abhorred　reading；　and　could
substitute　no　business　for　the　bustle　of　a　public　office；　had　wisely
resolved　to　plunge　him　into　the　cares　of　property；　into　the　culture　of
a　garden；　in　short；　into　all　the　infinitely　petty　concerns　and
neighborhood　intrigues　which　make　up　the　life　of　the　bourgeoisie。

The　transplanting　of　the　Thuillier　household　from　the　rue　d'Argenteuil
to　the　rue　Saint…Dominique　d'Enfer；　the　business　of　making　the
purchase；　of　finding　a　suitable　porter；　and　then　of　obtaining　tenants
occupied　Thuillier　from　1831　to　1832。　When　the　phenomenon　of　the
change　was　accomplished；　and　the　sister　saw　that　Jerome　had　borne　it
fairly　well；　she　found　him　other　cares　and　occupations　（about　which　we
shall　hear　later）；　all　based　upon　the　character　of　the　man　himself；　as
to　which　it　will　now　be　useful　to　give　information。

Though　the　son　of　a　ministerial　porter；　Thuillier　was　what　is　called　a
fine　man；　slender　in　figure；　above　middle　height；　and　possessing　a
face　that　was　rather　agreeable　if　wearing　his　spectacles；　but
frightful　without　them；　which　is　frequently　the　case　with　near…sighted
persons；　for　the　habit　of　looking　through　glasses　has　covered　the
pupils　of　his　eyes　with　a　sort　of　film。

Between　the　ages　of　eighteen　and　thirty；　young　Thuillier　had　much
success　among　women；　in　a　sphere　which　began　with　the　lesser　bourgeois
and　ended　in　that　of　the　heads　of　departments。　Under　the　Empire；　war
left　Parisian　society　rather　denuded　of　men　of　energy；　who　were　mostly
on　the　battlefield；　and　perhaps；　as　a　great　physician　has　suggested；
this　may　account　for　the　flabbiness　of　the　generation　which　occupies
the　middle　of　the　nineteenth　century。

Thuillier；　forced　to　make　himself　noticeable　by　other　charms　than
those　of　mind；　learned　to　dance　and　to　waltz　in　a　way　to　be　cited；　he
was　called　〃that　handsome　Thuillier〃；　he　played　billiards　to
perfection；　he　knew　how　to　cut　out　likenesses　in　black　paper；　and　his
friend　Colleville　coached　him　so　well　that　he　was　able　to　sing　all　the
ballads　of　the　day。　These　various　small　accomplishments　resulted　in
that　appearance　of　success　which　deceives　youth　and　befogs　it　about
the　future。　Mademoiselle　Thuillier；　from　1806　to　1814；　believed　in　her
brother　as　Mademoiselle　d'Orleans　believed　in　Louis…Philippe。　She　was
proud　of　Jerome；　she　expected　to　see　him　the　director…general　of　his
department　of　the　ministry；　thanks　to　his　successes　in　certain　salons；
where；　undoubtedly；　he　would　never　have　been　admitted　but　for　the
circumstances　which　made　society　under　the　Empire　a　medley。

But　the　successes　of　〃that　handsome　Thuillier〃　were　usually　of　short
duration；　women　did　not　care　to　keep　his　devotion　any　more　than　he
desired　to　make　his　devotion　eternal。　He　was　really　an　unwilling　Don
Juan；　the　career　of　a　〃beau〃　wearied　him　to　the　point　of　aging　him；
his　face；　covered　with　lines　like　that　of　an　old　coquette；　looked　a
dozen　years　older　than　the　registers　made　him。　There　remained　to　him
of　all　his　successes　in　gallantry；　a　habit　of　looking　at　himself　in
mirrors；　of　buttoning　his　coat　to　define　his　waist；　and　of　posing　in
various　dancing　attitudes；　all　of　which　prolonged；　beyond　the　period
of　enjoying　his　advantages；　the　sort　of　lease　that　he　held　on　his
cognomen；　〃that　handsome　Thuillier。〃

The　truth　of　1806　has；　however；　become　a　fable；　in　1826。　He　retains　a
few　vestiges　of　the　former　costume　of　the　beaux　of　the　Empire；　which
are　not　unbecoming　to　the　dignity　of　a　former　sub…director。　He　still
wears　the　white　cravat　with　innumerable　folds；　wherein　his　chin　is
buried；　and　the　coquettish　bow；　formerly　tied　by　the　hands　of　beauty；
the　two　ends　of　which　threaten　danger　to　the　passers　to　right　and
left。　He　follows　the　fashions　of　former　days；　adapting　them　to　his
present　needs；　he　tips　his　hat　on　the　back　of　his　head；　and　wears
shoes　and　thread　stockings　in　summer；　his　long…tailed　coats　remind　one
of　the　well…known　〃surtouts〃　of　the　Empire；　he　has　not　yet　abandoned
his　frilled　shirts　and　his　white　waistcoats；　he　still　plays　with　his
Empire　switch；　and　holds　himself　so　erect　that　his　back　bends　in。　No
one；　seeing　Thuillier　promenading　on　the　boulevards；　would　take　him
for　the　son　of　a　man　who　cooked　the　breakfasts　of　the　clerks　at　a
ministry　and　wor