the lesser bourgeoisie-第36节

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〃Well；　dear；　good　friend；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　coming　in　about　three
o'clock；　〃here　you　are；　richissime！〃

〃And　through　you；　Theodose。〃

〃And　you；　little　aunt；　have　you　come　to　life　again？　Ah！　you　were　not
half　as　frightened　as　I　was。　I　put　your　interests　before　my　own；　I
haven't　breathed　freely　till　this　morning　at　eleven　o'clock；　and　yet　I
am　sure　now　of　having　two　mortal　enemies　at　my　heels　in　the　two　men　I
have　tricked　for　your　sake。　As　I　walked　home；　just　now；　I　asked　myself
what　could　be　your　influence　over　me　to　make　me　commit　such　a　crime；
and　whether　the　happiness　of　belonging　to　your　family　and　becoming
your　son　could　ever　efface　the　stain　I　have　put　upon　my　conscience。〃

〃Bah！　you　can　confess　it；〃　said　Thuillier；　the　free…thinker。

〃And　now；〃　said　Theodose　to　Brigitte；　〃you　can　pay；　in　all　security；
the　cost　of　the　house；eighty　thousand　francs；　and　thirty　thousand　to
Grindot；　in　all；　with　what　you　have　paid　in　costs；　one　hundred　and
twenty　thousand；　and　this　last　twenty　thousand　added　make　one　hundred
and　forty　thousand。　If　you　let　the　house　outright　to　a　single　tenant
ask　him　for　the　last　year's　rent　in　advance；　and　reserve　for　my　wife
and　me　the　whole　of　the　first　floor　above　the　entresol。　Make　those
conditions　and　you'll　still　get　your　forty　thousand　francs　a　year。　If
you　should　want　to　leave　this　quarter　so　as　to　be　nearer　the　Chamber；
you　can　always　take　up　your　abode　with　us　on　that　vast　first　floor；
which　has　stables　and　coach…house　belonging　to　it；　in　fact；　everything
that　is　needful　for　a　splendid　life。　And　now；　Thuillier；　I　am　going　to
get　the　cross　of　the　Legion　of　honor　for　you。〃

Hearing　this　last　promise；　Brigitte　cried　out　in　her　enthusiasm：

〃Faith！　my　dear　boy；　you've　done　our　business　so　well　that　I'll　leave
you　to　manage　that　of　letting　the　house。〃

〃Don't　abdicate；　dear　aunt；〃　replied　Theodose。　〃God　keep　me　from　ever
taking　a　step　without　you！　You　are　the　good　genius　of　this　family；　I
think　only　of　the　day　when　Thuillier　will　take　his　seat　in　the
Chamber。　If　you　let　the　house　you　will　come　into　possession　of　your
forty　thousand　francs　for　the　last　year　of　the　lease　in　two　months
from　now；　and　that　will　not　prevent　Thuillier　from　drawing　his
quarterly　ten　thousand　of　the　rental。〃

After　casting　this　hope　into　the　mind　of　the　old　maid；　who　was
jubilant；　Theodose　drew　Thuillier　into　the　garden　and　said　to　him；
without　beating　round　the　bush：

〃Dear；　good　friend；　find　means　to　get　ten　thousand　francs　from　your
sister；　and　be　sure　not　to　let　her　suspect　that　you　pay　them　to　me；
tell　her　that　sum　is　required　in　the　government　office　to　facilitate
your　appointment　as　chevalier　of　the　Legion　of　honor；　tell　her；　too；
that　you　know　the　persons　among　whom　that　sum　should　be　distributed。〃

〃That's　a　good　idea；〃　said　Thuillier；　〃besides；　I'll　pay　it　back　to
her　when　I　get　my　rents。〃

〃Have　the　money　ready　this　evening；　dear　friend。　Now　I　am　going　out　on
business　about　your　cross；　to…morrow　we　shall　know　something
definitely　about　it。〃

〃What　a　man　you　are！〃　cried　Thuillier。

〃The　ministry　of　the　1st　of　March　is　going　to　fall；　and　we　must　get　it
out　of　them　beforehand；〃　said　Theodose；　shrewdly。

He　now　hurried　to　Madame　Colleville；　crying　out　as　he　entered　her
room：

〃I've　conquered！　We　shall　have　a　piece　of　landed　property　for　Celeste
worth　a　million；　a　life…interest　in　which　will　be　given　to　her　by　her
marriage…contract；　but　keep　the　secret；　or　your　daughter　will　be
hunted　down　by　peers　of　France。　Besides；　this　settlement　will　only　be
made　in　my　favor。　Now　dress　yourself；　and　let　us　go　and　call　on　Madame
du　Bruel；　she　can　get　the　cross　for　Thuillier。　While　you　are　getting
under　arms　I'll　do　a　little　courting　to　Celeste；　you　and　I　can　talk　as
we　drive　along。〃

La　Peyrade　had　seen；　as　he　passed　the　door　of　the　salon；　Celeste　and
Felix　Phellion　in　close　conversation。　Flavie　had　such　confidence　in
her　daughter　that　she　did　not　fear　to　leave　them　together。　Now　that
the　great　success　of　the　morning　was　secured；　Theodose　felt　the
necessity　of　beginning　his　courtship　of　Celeste。　It　was　high　time；　he
thought；　to　bring　about　a　quarrel　between　the　lovers。　He　did　not；
therefore；　hesitate　to　apply　his　ear　to　the　door　of　the　salon　before
entering　it；　in　order　to　discover　what　letters　of　the　alphabet　of　love
they　were　spelling；　he　was　even　invited　to　commit　this　domestic
treachery　by　sounds　from　within；　which　seemed　to　say　that　they　were
disputing。　Love；　according　to　one　of　our　poets；　is　a　privilege　which
two　persons　mutually　take　advantage　of　to　cause　each　other；
reciprocally；　a　great　deal　of　sorrow　about　nothing　at　all。

When　Celeste　knew　that　Felix　was　elected　by　her　heart　to　be　the
companion　of　her　life；　she　felt　a　desire；　not　so　much　to　study　him　as
to　unite　herself　closely　with　him　by　that　communion　of　souls　which　is
the　basis　of　all　affections；　and　leads；　in　youthful　minds；　to
involuntary　examination。　The　dispute　to　which　Theodose　was　now　to
listen　took　its　rise　in　a　disagreement　which　had　sprung　up　within　the
last　few　days　between　the　mathematician　and　Celeste。　The　young　girl's
piety　was　real；　she　belonged　to　the　flock　of　the　truly　faithful；　and
to　her；　Catholicism；　tempered　by　that　mysticism　which　attracts　young
souls；　was　an　inward　poem；　a　life　within　her　life。　From　this　point
young　girls　are　apt　to　develop　into　either　extremely　high…minded　women
or　saints。　But；　during　this　beautiful　period　of　their　youth　they　have
in　their　heart；　in　their　ideas；　a　sort　of　absolutism：　before　their
eyes　is　the　image　of　perfection；　and　all　must　be　celestial；　angelic；
or　divine　to　satisfy　them。　Outside　of　their　ideal；　nothing　of　good　can
exist；　all　is　stained　and　soiled。　This　idea　causes　the　rejection　of
many　a　diamond　with　a　flaw　by　girls　who；　as　women；　fall　in　love　with
paste。

Now；　Celeste　had　seen　in　Felix；　not　irreligion；　but　indifference　to
matters　of　religion。　Like　most　geometricians；　chemists；
mathematicians；　and　great　naturalists；　he　had　subjected　religion　to
reason；　he　recognized　a　problem　in　it　as　insoluble　as　the　squaring　of
the　circle。　Deist　〃in　petto；〃　he　lived　in　the　religion　of　most
Frenchmen；　not　attaching　more　importance　to　it　than　he　did　to　the　new
laws　promulgated　in　July。　It　was　necessary　to　have　a　God　in　heaven；
just　as　they　set　up　a　bust　of　the　king　at　the　mayor's　office。　Felix
Phellion；　a　worthy　son　of　his　father；　had　never　drawn　the　slightest
veil　over　his　opinions　or　his　conscience；　he　allowed　Celeste　to　read
into　them　with　the　candor　and　the　inattention　of　a　student　of
problems。　The　young　girl；　on　her　side；　professed　a　horror　for　atheism；
and　her　conscience　assured　her　that　a　deist　was　cousin…germain　to　an
atheist。

〃Have　you　thought；　Felix；　of　doing　what　you　promised　me？〃　asked
Celeste；　as　soon　as　Madame　Colleville　had　left　them　alone。

〃No；　my　dear　Celeste；〃　replied　Felix。

〃Oh！　to　have　broken　his　word！〃　she　cried；　softly。

〃But　to　have　kept　it　would　have　been　a　profanation；〃　said　Felix。　〃I
love　you　so　deeply；　with　a　tenderness　so　little　proof　against　your
wishes；　that　I　promised　a　thing　contrary　to　my　conscience。　Conscience；
Celeste；　is　our　treasure；　our　strength；　our　mainstay。　How　can　you　ask
me　to　go　into　a　church　and　kneel　at　the　feet　of　a　priest；　in　whom　I
can　see　only　a　man？　You　would　despise　me　if　I　obeyed　you。〃

〃And　so；　my　dear　Felix；　you　refuse　to　go　to　church；〃　said　Celeste；
casting　a　tearful　glance　at　the　man　she　loved。　〃If　I　were　your　wife
you　would　let　me　go　alone？　You　do　not　love　me　as　I　love　you！　for；
alas！　I　have　a　feeling　in　my　heart　for　an　atheist　contrary　to　that
which　God　commands。〃

〃An　atheist！〃　cried　Felix。　〃Oh；　no！　Listen　to　me；　Celeste。　There　is
certainly　a　God；　I　believe　in　that；　but　I　have　higher　ideas　of　Him
than　those　of　your　priests；　I　do　not　wish　to　bring　Him　down　to　my
level；　I　want　to　rise　to　Him。　I　listen　to　the　voice　He　has　put　within
me；a　voice　which　honest　men　call　conscience；　and　I　strive　not　to
darken　that　divine　ray　as　it　comes　to　me。　For　instance；　I　will　never
harm　others；　I　will　do　nothing　against　the　commandments　of　universal
morality；　which　was　that　of　Confucius；　Moses；　Pythagoras；　Socrates；　as
well　as　of　Jesus　Christ。　I　will　stand　in　the　presence　of　God；　my
actions　shall　be　my　prayers；　I　will　never　be　false　in　word　or　deed；
never　will　I　do　a　base　or　shameful　thing。　Those　are　the　precepts　I
have　learned　from　my　virtuous　father；　and　which　I　desire　to　bequeath
to　my　children。　All　the　good　that　I　can　do　I　shall　try　to　accomplish；
even　if　I　have　to　suffer　for　it。　What　can　you　ask　more　of　a　man　than
that？〃

This　profession　of　the　Phellion　faith　caused　Celeste　to　sadly　shake
her　head。

〃Read　attentively；〃　she　replied；　〃'The　Imitation　of　Jesus　Christ。'
Strive　to　convert　yourself　to　the　holy　Catholic；　apostolic；　and　Roman
Church；　and　you　will　see　how　empty　your　words　are。　Hear　me；　Felix；
marriage　is　not；　the　Church　says；　the　affair　of　a　day；　the　mere
satisfaction　of　our　own　desires；　it　is　made　for　eternity。　What！　shall
we　be　united　day　and　night；　shall　we　form　one　flesh；　one　word；　and　yet
have　two　languages；　two　faiths　in　our　heart；　and　a　cause　of　perpetual
dissension？　Would　you　condemn　me　to　weep　tears　over　the