the lesser bourgeoisie-第37节

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have　two　languages；　two　faiths　in　our　heart；　and　a　cause　of　perpetual
dissension？　Would　you　condemn　me　to　weep　tears　over　the　state　of　your
soul；tears　that　I　must　ever　conceal　from　you？　Could　I　address　myself
in　peace　to　God　when　I　see　his　arm　stretched　out　in　wrath　against　you？
Must　my　children　inherit　the　blood　of　a　deist　and　his　convictions？　Oh！
God；　what　misery　for　a　wife！　No；　no；　these　ideas　are　intolerable。
Felix！　be　of　my　faith；　for　I　cannot　share　yours。　Do　not　put　a　gulf
between　us。　If　you　loved　me；　you　would　already　have　read　'The
Imitation　of　Jesus　Christ。'〃

The　Phellion　class；　sons　of　the　〃Constitutionnel；〃　dislike　the
priestly　mind。　Felix　had　the　imprudence　to　reply　to　this　sort　of
prayer　from　the　depths　of　an　ardent　heart：

〃You　are　repeating；　Celeste；　the　lessons　your　confessor　teaches　you；
nothing；　believe　me；　is　more　fatal　to　happiness　than　the　interference
of　priests　in　a　home。〃

〃Oh！〃　cried　Celeste；　wounded　to　the　quick；　for　love　alone　inspired
her；　〃you　do　not　love！　The　voice　of　my　heart　is　not　in　unison　with
yours！　You　have　not　understood　me；　because　you　have　not　listened　to
me；　but　I　forgive　you；　for　you　know　not　what　you　say。〃

She　wrapped　herself　in　solemn　silence；　and　Felix　went　to　the　window
and　drummed　upon　the　panes；music　familiar　to　those　who　have　indulged
in　poignant　reflections。　Felix　was；　in　fact；　presenting　the　following
delicate　and　curious　questions　to　the　Phellion　conscience。

〃Celeste　is　a　rich　heiress；　and；　in　yielding　against　the　voice　of
natural　religion；　to　her　ideas；　I　should　have　in　view　the　making　of
what　is　certainly　an　advantageous　marriage；an　infamous　act。　I　ought
not；　as　father　of　a　family；　to　allow　the　priesthood　to　have　an
influence　in　my　home。　If　I　yield　to…day；　I　do　a　weak　act；　which　will
be　followed　by　many　others　equally　pernicious　to　the　authority　of　a
husband　and　father。　All　this　is　unworthy　of　a　philosopher。〃

Then　he　returned　to　his　beloved。

〃Celeste；　I　entreat　you　on　my　knees；〃　he　said；　〃not　to　mingle　that
which　the　law；　in　its　wisdom；　has　separated。　We　live　in　two　worlds；
society　and　heaven。　Each　has　its　own　way　of　salvation；　but　as　to
society；　is　it　not　obeying　God　to　obey　the　laws？　Christ　said：　'Render
unto　Caesar　that　which　is　Caesar's。'　Caesar　is　the　body　politic。　Dear；
let　us　forget　our　little　quarrel。〃

〃Little　quarrel！〃　cried　the　young　enthusiast；　〃I　want　you　to　have　my
whole　heart　as　I　want　to　have　the　whole　of　yours；　and　you　make　it　into
two　parts！　Is　not　that　an　evil？　You　forget　that　marriage　is　a
sacrament。〃

〃Your　priesthood　have　turned　your　head；〃　exclaimed　the　mathematician；
impatiently。

〃Monsieur　Phellion；〃　said　Celeste；　interrupting　him　hastily；　〃enough
of　this！〃

It　was　at　this　point　of　the　quarrel　that　Theodose　considered　it
judicious　to　enter　the　room。　He　found　Celeste　pale；　and　the　young
professor　as　anxious　as　a　lover　should　be　who　has　just　irritated　his
mistress。

〃I　heard　the　word　'enough'；　then　something　is　too　much？〃　he　said；
inquiringly；　looking　in　turn　from　Celeste　to　Felix。

〃We　were　talking　religion；〃　replied　Felix；　〃and　I　was　saying　to
mademoiselle　how　dangerous　ecclesiastical　influence　is　in　the　bosom　of
families。〃

〃That　was　not　the　point；　monsieur；〃　said　Celeste；　sharply；　〃it　was　to
know　if　husband　and　wife　could　be　of　one　heart　when　the　one　is　an
atheist　and　the　other　Catholic。〃

〃Can　there　be　such　a　thing　as　atheists？〃　cried　Theodose；　with　all　the
signs　of　extreme　wonderment。　〃Could　a　true　Catholic　marry　a
Protestant？　There　is　no　safety　possible　for　a　married　pair　unless　they
have　perfect　conformity　in　the　matter　of　religious　opinions。　I；　who
come　from　the　Comtat；　of　a　family　which　counts　a　pope　among　its
ancestorsfor　our　arms　are：　gules；　a　key　argent；　with　supporters；　a
monk　holding　a　church；　and　a　pilgrim　with　a　staff；　or；　and　the　motto；
'I　open；　I　shut'I　am；　of　course；　intensely　dogmatic　on　such　points。
But　in　these　days；　thanks　to　our　modern　system　of　education；　it　does
not　seem　to　me　strange　that　religion　should　be　called　into　question。　I
myself　would　never　marry　a　Protestant；　had　she　millions；　even　if　I
loved　her　distractedly。　Faith　is　a　thing　that　cannot　be　tampered　with。
'Una　fides；　unus　Dominus；'　that　is　my　device　in　life。〃

〃You　hear　that！〃　cried　Celeste；　triumphantly；　looking　at　Felix
Phellion。

〃I　am　not　openly　devout；〃　continued　la　Peyrade。　〃I　go　to　mass　at　six
every　morning；　that　I　may　not　be　observed；　I　fast　on　Fridays；　I　am；　in
short；　a　son　of　the　Church；　and　I　would　not　undertake　any　serious
enterprise　without　prayer；　after　the　ancient　fashion　of　our　ancestors；
but　no　one　is　able　to　notice　my　religion。　A　singular　thing　happened　to
our　family　during　the　Revolution　of　1789；　which　attached　us　more
closely　than　ever　to　our　holy　mother　the　Church。　A　poor　young　lady　of
the　elder　branch　of　the　Peyrades；　who　owned　the　little　estate　of　la
Peyrade；for　we　ourselves　are　Peyrades　of　Canquoelle；　but　the　two
branches　inherit　from　one　another；well；　this　young　lady　married；　six
years　before　the　Revolution；　a　barrister　who；　after　the　fashion　of　the
times；　was　Voltairean；　that　is　to　say；　an　unbeliever；　or；　if　you
choose；　a　deist。　He　took　up　all　the　revolutionary　ideas；　and　practised
the　charming　rites　that　you　know　of　in　the　worship　of　the　goddess
Reason。　He　came　into　our　part　of　the　country　imbued　with　the　ideas　of
the　Convention；　and　fanatical　about　them。　His　wife　was　very　handsome；
he　compelled　her　to　play　the　part　of　Liberty；　and　the　poor　unfortunate
creature　went　mad。　She　died　insane！　Well；　as　things　are　going　now　it
looks　as　if　we　might　have　another　1793。〃

This　history；　invented　on　the　spot；　made　such　an　impression　on
Celeste's　fresh　and　youthful　imagination　that　she　rose；　bowed　to　the
young　men　and　hastened　to　her　chamber。

〃Ah！　monsieur；　why　did　you　tell　her　that？〃　cried　Felix；　struck　to　the
heart　by　the　cold　look　the　young　girl；　affecting　profound
indifference；　cast　upon　him。　She　fancied　herself　transformed　into　a
goddess　of　Reason。

〃Why　not？　What　were　you　talking　about？〃　asked　Theodose。

〃About　my　indifference　to　religion。〃

〃The　great　sore　of　this　century；〃　replied　Theodose；　gravely。

〃I　am　ready；〃　said　Madame　Colleville；　appearing　in　a　toilet　of　much
taste。　〃But　what　is　the　matter　with　my　poor　daughter？　She　is　crying！〃

〃Crying？　madame；〃　exclaimed　Felix；　〃please　tell　her　that　I　will　study
'The　Imitation　of　Christ'　at　once。〃

Felix　left　the　house　with　Theodose　and　Flavie；　whose　arm　the　barrister
pressed　to　let　her　know　he　would　explain　in　the　carriage　the　apparent
dementia　of　the　young　professor。

An　hour　later；　Madame　Colleville　and　Celeste；　Colleville　and　Theodose
were　entering　the　Thuilliers'　apartment　to　dine　there。　Theodose　and
Flavie　took　Thuillier　into　the　garden；　where　the　former　said　to　him：

〃Dear；　good　friend！　you　will　have　the　cross　within　a　week。　Our
charming　friend　here　will　tell　you　about　our　visit　to　the　Comtesse　du
Bruel。〃

And　Theodose　left　Thuillier；　having　caught　sight　of　Desroches　in　the
act　of　being　brought　by　Mademoiselle　Thuillier　into　the　garden；　he
went；　driven　by　a　terrible　and　glacial　presentiment；　to　meet　him。

〃My　good　friend；〃　said　Desroches　in　his　ear；　〃I　have　come　to　see　if
you　can　procure　at　once　twenty…five　thousand　francs　plus　two　thousand
six　hundred　and　eighty　for　costs。〃

〃Are　you　acting　for　Cerizet？〃　asked　the　barrister。

〃Cerizet　has　put　all　the　papers　into　the　hands　of　Louchard；　and　you
know　what　you　have　to　expect　if　arrested。　Is　Cerizet　wrong　in　thinking
you　have　twenty…five　thousand　francs　in　your　desk？　He　says　you　offered
them　to　him　and　he　thinks　it　only　natural　not　to　leave　them　in　your
hands。〃

〃Thank　you　for　taking　the　step；　my　good　friend；〃　replied　Theodose。　〃I
have　been　expecting　this　attack。〃

〃Between　ourselves；〃　replied　Desroches；　〃you　have　made　an　utter　fool
of　him；　and　he　is　furious。　The　scamp　will　stop　at　nothing　to　get　his
revenge　upon　youfor　he'll　lose　everything　if　he　forces　you　to　fling
your　barrister's　gown；　as　they　say；　to　the　nettles　and　go　to　prison。〃

〃I？〃　said　Theodose。　〃I'm　going　to　pay　him。　But　even　so；　there　will
still　be　five　notes　of　mine　in　his　hands；　for　five　thousand　francs
each；　what　does　he　mean　to　do　with　them？〃

〃Oh！　after　the　affair　of　this　morning；　I　can't　tell　you；　my　client　is
a　crafty；　mangy　cur；　and　he　is　sure　to　have　his　little　plans。〃

〃Look　here；　Desroches；〃　said　Theodose；　taking　the　hard；　unyielding
attorney　round　the　waist；　〃those　papers　are　in　your　hands；　are　not
they？〃

〃Will　you　pay　them？〃

〃Yes；　in　three　hours。〃

〃Very　good；　then。　Be　at　my　office　at　nine　o'clock；　I'll　receive　the
money　and　give　you　your　notes；　BUT；　at　half…past　nine　o'clock；　they
will　be　in　the　sheriff's　hands。〃

〃To…night；　then；　at　nine　o'clock；〃　said　Theodose。

〃Nine　o'clock；〃　repeated　Desroches；　whose　glance　had　taken　in　the
whole　family；　then　assembled　in　the　garden。

Celeste；　with　red　eyes；　was　talking　to　her　godmother；　Colleville　and
Brigitte；　Flavie　and　Thuillier　were　on　the　steps　of　the　broad　portico
leading　to　the　entrance…hall。　Desroches　remarked　to　Theodose；　who
followed　him　to　the　door：

〃You　can　pay　off　those　notes。〃

At　a　single　glance　the　shrewd　attorney　had　compre