the lesser bourgeoisie-第4节

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for　the　son　of　a　man　who　cooked　the　breakfasts　of　the　clerks　at　a
ministry　and　wore　the　livery　of　Louis　XVI。；　he　resembles　an　imperial
diplomatist　or　a　sub…prefect。　Now；　not　only　did　Mademoiselle　Thuillier
very　innocently　work　upon　her　brother's　weak　spot　by　encouraging　in
him　an　excessive　care　of　his　person；　which；　in　her；　was　simply　a
continuation　of　her　worship；　but　she　also　provided　him　with　family
joys；　by　transplanting　to　their　midst　a　household　which　had　hitherto
been　quasi…collateral　to　them。

It　was　that　of　Monsieur　Colleville；　an　intimate　friend　of　Thuillier。
But　before　we　proceed　to　describe　Pylades　let　us　finish　with　Orestes；
and　explain　why　Thuillierthat　handsome　Thuillierwas　left　without　a
family　of　his　ownfor　the　family；　be　it　said；　is　non…existent　without
children。　Herein　appears　one　of　those　deep　mysteries　which　lie　buried
in　the　arena　of　private　life；　a　few　shreds　of　which　rise　to　the
surface　at　moments　when　the　pain　of　a　concealed　situation　grows
poignant。　This　concerns　the　life　of　Madame　and　Mademoiselle　Thuillier；
so　far；　we　have　seen　only　the　life　（and　we　may　call　it　the　public
life）　of　Jerome　Thuillier。

Marie…Jeanne…Brigitte　Thuillier；　four　years　older　than　her　brother；
had　been　utterly　sacrificed　to　him；　it　was　easier　to　give　a　career　to
one　than　a　〃dot〃　to　the　other。　Misfortune　to　some　natures　is　a　pharos；
which　illumines　to　their　eyes　the　dark　low　corners　of　social
existence。　Superior　to　her　brother　both　in　mind　and　energy；　Brigitte
had　one　of　those　natures　which；　under　the　hammer　of　persecution；
gather　themselves　together；　become　compact　and　powerfully　resistant；
not　to　say　inflexible。　Jealous　of　her　independence；　she　kept　aloof
from　the　life　of　the　household；　choosing　to　make　herself　the　sole
arbiter　of　her　own　fate。　At　fourteen　years　of　age；　she　went　to　live
alone　in　a　garret；　not　far　from　the　ministry　of　finance；　which　was
then　in　the　rue　Vivienne；　and　also　not　far　from　the　Bank　of　France；
then；　and　now；　in　the　rue　de　la　Vrilliere。　There　she　bravely　gave
herself　up　to　a　form　of　industry　little　known　and　the　perquisite　of　a
few　persons；　which　she　obtained；　thanks　to　the　patrons　of　her　father。
It　consisted　in　making　bags　to　hold　coin　for　the　Bank；　the　Treasury；
and　the　great　financial　houses。　At　the　end　of　three　years　she　employed
two　workwomen。　By　investing　her　savings　on　the　Grand…Livre；　she　found
herself；　in　1814；　the　mistress　of　three　thousand　six　hundred　francs　a
year；　earned　in　fifteen　years。　As　she　spent　little；　and　dined　with　her
father　as　long　as　he　lived；　and；　as　government　securities　were　very
low　during　the　last　convulsions　of　the　Empire；　this　result；　which
seems　at　first　sight　exaggerated；　explains　itself。

On　the　death　of　their　father；　Brigitte　and　Jerome；　the　former　being
twenty…seven；　the　latter　twenty…three；　united　their　existence。　Brother
and　sister　were　bound　together　by　an　extreme　affection。　If　Jerome；
then　at　the　height　of　his　success；　was　pinched　for　money；　his　sister；
clothed　in　serge；　and　her　fingers　roughened　by　the　coarse　thread　with
which　she　sewed　her　bags；　would　give　him　a　few　louis。　In　Brigitte's
eyes　Jerome　was　the　handsomest　and　most　charming　man　in　the　whole
French　Empire。　To　keep　house　for　this　cherished　brother；　to　be
initiated　into　the　secrets　of　Lindor　and　Don　Juan；　to　be　his
handmaiden；　his　spaniel；　was　Brigitte's　dream。　She　immolated　herself
lovingly　to　an　idol　whose　selfishness；　always　great；　was　enormously
increased　by　her　self…sacrifice。　She　sold　her　business　to　her　fore…
woman　for　fifteen　thousand　francs　and　came　to　live　with　Thuillier　in
the　rue　d'Argenteuil；　where　she　made　herself　the　mother；　protectress；
and　servant　of　this　spoiled　child　of　women。　Brigitte；　with　the　natural
caution　of　a　girl　who　owed　everything　to　her　own　discretion　and　her
own　labor；　concealed　the　amount　of　her　savings　from　Jerome；fearing；
no　doubt；　the　extravagance　of　a　man　of　gallantry。　She　merely　paid　a
quota　of　six　hundred　francs　a　year　to　the　expenses　of　the　household；
and　this；　with　her　brother's　eighteen　hundred；　enabled　her　to　make
both　ends　meet　at　the　end　of　the　year。

From　the　first　days　of　their　coming　together；　Thuillier　listened　to
his　sister　as　to　an　oracle；　he　consulted　her　in　his　trifling　affairs；
kept　none　of　his　secrets　from　her；　and　thus　made　her　taste　the　fruit
of　despotism　which　was；　in　truth；　the　one　little　sin　of　her　nature。
But　the　sister　had　sacrificed　everything　to　the　brother；　she　had
staked　her　all　upon　his　heart；　she　lived　by　him　only。　Brigitte's
ascendancy　over　Jerome　was　singularly　proved　by　the　marriage　which　she
procured　for　him　about　the　year　1814。

Seeing　the　tendency　to　enforced　reduction　which　the　new…comers　to
power　under　the　Restoration　were　beginning　to　bring　about　in　the
government　offices；　and　particularly　since　the　return　of　the　old
society　which　sought　to　ride　over　the　bourgeoisie；　Brigitte
understood；　far　better　than　her　brother　could　explain　it　to　her；　the
social　crisis　which　presently　extinguished　their　common　hopes。　No　more
successes　for　that　handsome　Thuillier　in　the　salons　of　the　nobles　who
now　succeeded　the　plebeians　of　the　Empire！

Thuillier　was　not　enough　of　a　person　to　take　up　a　politic　opinion　and
choose　a　party；　he　felt；　as　his　sister　did　for　him；　the　necessity　of
profiting　by　the　remains　of　his　youth　to　make　a　settlement。　In　such　a
situation；　a　sister　as　jealous　of　her　power　as　Brigitte　naturally
would；　and　ought；　to　marry　her　brother；　to　suit　herself　as　well　as　to
suit　him；　for　she　alone　could　make　him　really　happy；　Madame　Thuillier
being　only　an　indispensable　accessory　to　the　obtaining　of　two　or　three
children。　If　Brigitte　did　not　have　an　intellect　quite　the　equal　of　her
will；　at　least　she　had　the　instinct　of　her　despotism；　without；　it　is
true；　education；　she　marched　straight　before　her；　with　the　headstrong
determination　of　a　nature　accustomed　to　succeed。　She　had　the　genius　of
housekeeping；　a　faculty　for　economy；　a　thorough　understanding　of　how
to　live；　and　a　love　for　work。　She　saw　plainly　that　she　could　never
succeed　in　marrying　Jerome　into　a　sphere　above　their　own；　where
parents　might　inquire　into　their　domestic　life　and　feel　uneasy　at
finding　a　mistress　already　reigning　in　the　home。　She　therefore　sought
in　a　lower　grade　for　persons　to　dazzle；　and　found；　almost　beside　her；
a　suitable　match。

The　oldest　usher　at　the　Bank；　a　man　named　Lemprun；　had　an　only
daughter；　called　Celeste。　Mademoiselle　Celeste　Lemprun　would　inherit
the　fortune　of　her　mother；　the　only　daughter　of　a　rich　farmer。　This
fortune　consisted　of　some　acres　of　land　in　the　environs　of　Paris；
which　the　old　father　still　worked；　besides　this；　she　would　have　the
property　of　Lemprun　himself；　a　man　who　had　left　the　firms　of　Thelusson
and　of　Keller　to　enter　the　service　of　the　Bank　of　France。　Lemprun；　now
the　head　of　that　service；　enjoyed　the　respect　and　consideration　of　the
governors　and　auditors。

The　Bank　council；　on　hearing　of　the　probable　marriage　of　Celeste　to　an
honorable　employee　at　the　ministry　of　finance；　promised　a　wedding
present　of　six　thousand　francs。　This　gift；　added　to　twelve　thousand
given　by　Pere　Lemprun；　and　twelve　thousand　more　from　the　maternal
grandfather；　Sieur　Galard；　market…gardener　at　Auteuil；　brought　up　the
dowry　to　thirty　thousand　francs。　Old　Galard　and　Monsieur　and　Madame
Lemprun　were　delighted　with　the　marriage。　Lemprun　himself　knew
Mademoiselle　Thuillier；　and　considered　her　one　of　the　worthiest　and
most　conscientious　women　in　Paris。　Brigitte　then；　for　the　first　time；
allowed　her　investments　on　the　Grand…Livre　to　shine　forth；　assuring
Lemprun　that　she　should　never　marry；　consequently；　neither　he　nor　his
wife；　persons　devoted　to　the　main　chance；　would　ever　allow　themselves
to　find　fault　with　Brigitte。　Above　all；　they　were　greatly　struck　by
the　splendid　prospects　of　the　handsome　Thuillier；　and　the　marriage
took　place；　as　the　conventional　saying　is；　to　the　general
satisfaction。

The　governor　of　the　Bank　and　the　secretary　were　the　bride's　witnesses；
Monsieur　de　la　Billardiere；　director　of　Thuillier's　department；　and
Monsieur　Rabourdin；　head　of　the　office；　being　those　of　the　groom。　Six
days　after　the　marriage　old　Lemprun　was　the　victim　of　a　daring　robbery
which　made　a　great　noise　in　the　newspapers　of　the　day；　though　it　was
quickly　forgotten　during　the　events　of　1815。　The　guilty　parties　having
escaped　detection；　Lemprun　wished　to　make　up　the　loss；　but　the　Bank
agreed　to　carry　the　deficit　to　its　profit　and　loss　account；
nevertheless；　the　poor　old　man　actually　died　of　the　grief　this　affair
had　caused　him。　He　regarded　it　as　an　attack　upon　his　aged　honor。

Madame　Lemprun　then　resigned　all　her　property　to　her　daughter；　Madame
Thuillier；　and　went　to　live　with　her　father　at　Auteuil　until　he　died
from　an　accident　in　1817。　Alarmed　at　the　prospect　of　having　to　manage
or　lease　the　market…garden　and　the　farm　of　her　father；　Madame　Lemprun
entreated　Brigitte；　whose　honesty　and　capacity　astonished　her；　to　wind
up　old　Galard's　affairs；　and　to　settle　the　property　in　such　a　way　that
her　daughter　should　take　possession　of　everything；　securing　to　her
mother　fifteen　hundred　francs　a　year　and　the　house　at　Auteuil。　The
landed　property　o