the lesser bourgeoisie-第41节

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matter；〃　he　added；　in　the　tone　of　a　man　whose　plans　are　not　yet
decided。　〃I'll　go　to　the　mayor's　office　of　your　arrondissement；　and
get　Olympe's　register　of　birth；　and　put　up　the　banns。　The　marriage
must　take　place　a　week　from　Saturday。〃

〃How　he　goes　it；　the　rascal！〃　cried　the　admiring　Madame　Cardinal；
pushing　her　formidable　son…in…law　by　the　shoulder。

As　he　went　downstairs　Cerizet　was　surprised　to　see；　through　one　of　the
small　round　windows；　an　old　man；　evidently　du　Portail；　walking　in　the
garden　with　a　very　important　member　of　the　government；　Comte　Martial
de　la　Roche…Hugon。　He　stopped　in　the　courtyard　when　he　reached　it；　as
if　to　examine　the　old　house；　built　in　the　reign　of　Louis　XIV。；　the
yellow　walls　of　which；　though　of　freestone；　were　bent　like　the　elderly
beggar　they　contained。　Then　he　looked　at　the　workshops；　and　counted
the　workmen。　The　house　was　otherwise　as　silent　as　a　cloister。　Being
observed　himself；　Cerizet　departed；　thinking　over　in　his　mind　the
various　difficulties　that　might　arise　in　extracting　the　sum　hidden
beneath　the　dying　man。

〃Carry　off　all　that　gold　at　night？〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃why；　those
porters　will　be　on　the　watch；　and　twenty　persons　might　see　us！　It　is
hard　work　to　carry　even　twenty…five　thousand　francs　of　gold　on　one's
person。〃

Societies　have　two　goals　of　perfection；　the　first　is　a　state　of
civilization　in　which　morality　equally　infused　and　pervasive　does　not
admit　even　the　idea　of　crime；　the　Jesuits　reached　that　point；　formerly
presented　by　the　primitive　Church。　The　second　is　the　state　of　another
civilization　in　which　the　supervision　of　citizens　over　one　another
makes　crime　impossible。　The　end　which　modern　society　has　placed　before
itself　is　the　latter；　namely；　that　in　which　a　crime　presents　such
difficulties　that　a　man　must　abandon　all　reasoning　in　order　to　commit
it。　In　fact；　iniquities　which　the　law　cannot　reach　are　not　left
actually　unpunished；　for　social　judgment　is　even　more　severe　than　that
of　courts。　If　a　man　like　Minoret；　the　post…master　at　Nemours　＇see
〃Ursule　Mirouet〃＇　suppresses　a　will　and　no　one　witnesses　the　act；　the
crime　is　traced　home　to　him　by　the　watchfulness　of　virtue　as　surely　as
a　robbery　is　followed　up　by　the　detective　police。　No　wrong…doing
passes　actually　unperceived；　and　wherever　a　lesion　in　rectitude　takes
place　the　scar　remains。　Things　can　be　no　more　made　to　disappear　than
men；　so　carefully；　in　Paris　especially；　are　articles　and　objects
ticketed　and　numbered；　houses　watched；　streets　observed；　places　spied
upon。　To　live　at　ease；　crime　must　have　a　sanction　like　that　of　the
Bourse；　like　that　conceded　by　Cerizet's　clients；　who　never　complained
of　his　usury；　and；　indeed；　would　have　been　troubled　in　mind　if　their
flayer　were　not　in　his　den　of　a　Tuesday。

〃Well；　my　dear　monsieur；〃　said　Madame　Perrache；　the　porter's　wife；　as
he　passed　her　lodge；　〃how　do　you　find　him；　that　friend　of　God；　that
poor　man？〃

〃I　am　not　the　doctor；〃　replied　Cerizet；　who　now　decidedly　declined
that　role。　〃I　am　Madame　Cardinal's　business　man。　I　have　just　advised
her　to　have　a　cot…bed　put　up；　so　as　to　nurse　her　uncle　night　and　day；
though；　perhaps；　she　will　have　to　get　a　regular　nurse。〃

〃I　can　help　her；〃　said　Madame　Perrache。　〃I　nurse　women　in　childbed。〃

〃Well；　we'll　see　about　it；〃　said　Cerizet；　〃I'll　arrange　all　that。　Who
is　the　tenant　on　your　first　floor？〃

〃Monsieur　du　Portail。　He　has　lodged　here　these　thirty　years。　He　is　a
man　with　a　good　income；　monsieur；　highly　respectable；　and　elderly。　You
know　people　who　invest　in　the　Funds　live　on　their　incomes。　He　used　to
be　in　business。　But　it　is　more　than　eleven　years　now　since　he　has　been
trying　to　restore　the　reason　of　a　daughter　of　one　of　his　friends；
Mademoiselle　Lydie　de　la　Peyrade。　She　has　the　best　advice；　I　can　tell
you；　the　very　first　doctors　in　Paris；　only　this　morning　they　had　a
consultation。　But　so　far　nothing　has　cured　her；　and　they　have　to　watch
her　pretty　close；　for　sometimes　she　gets　up　and　walks　at　night〃

〃Mademoiselle　Lydie　de　la　Peyrade！〃　exclaimed　Cerizet；　〃are　you　sure
of　the　name？〃

〃I've　heard　Madame　Katte；　her　nurse；　who　also　does　the　cooking；　call
her　so　a　thousand　times；　monsieur；　though；　generally；　neither　Monsieur
Bruneau；　the　valet；　nor　Madame　Katte　say　much。　It's　like　talking　to
the　wall　to　try　and　get　any　information　out　of　them。　We　have　been
porters　here　these　twenty　years　and　we've　never　found　out　anything
about　Monsieur　du　Portail　yet。　More　than　that；　monsieur；　he　owns　the
little　house　alongside；　you　see　the　double　door　from　here。　Well；　he
can　go　out　that　way　and　receive　his　company　too；　and　we　know　nothing
about　it。　Our　owner　doesn't　know　anything　more　than　we　do；　when　people
ring　at　that　door；　Monsieur　Bruneau　goes　and　opens　it。〃

〃Then　you　didn't　see　the　gentleman　who　is　talking　with　him　in　the
garden　go　by　this　way？〃

〃Bless　me！　no；　that　I　didn't！〃

〃Ah！〃　thought　Cerizet　as　he　got　into　the　cabriolet；　〃she　must　be　the
daughter　of　that　uncle　of　Theodose。　I　wonder　if　du　Portail　can　be　the
secret　benefactor　who　sent　money　from　time　to　time　to　that　rascal？
Suppose　I　send　an　anonymous　letter　to　the　old　fellow；　warning　him　of
the　danger　the　barrister　runs　from　those　notes　for　twenty…five
thousand　francs？〃

An　hour　later　the　cot…bed　had　arrived　for　Madame　Cardinal；　to　whom　the
inquisitive　portress　offered　her　services　to　bring　her　something　to
eat。

〃Do　you　want　to　see　the　rector？〃　Madame　Cardinal　inquired　of　her
uncle。

She　had　noticed　that　the　arrival　of　the　bed　seemed　to　draw　him　from
his　somnolence。

〃I　want　wine！〃　replied　the　pauper。

〃How　do　you　feel　now；　Pere　Toupillier？〃　asked　Madame　Perrache；　in　a
coaxing　voice。

〃I　tell　you　I　want　wine；〃　repeated　the　old　man；　with　an　energetic
insistence　scarcely　to　be　expected　of　his　feebleness。

〃We　must　first　find　out　if　it　is　good　for　you；　uncle；〃　said　Madame
Cardinal；　soothingly。　〃Wait　till　the　doctor　comes。〃

〃Doctor！　I　won't　have　a　doctor！〃　cried　Toupillier；　〃and　you；　what　are
you　doing　here？　I　don't　want　anybody。〃

〃My　good　uncle；　I　came　to　know　if　you'd　like　something　tasty。　I've　got
some　nice　fresh　soleshey！　a　bit　of　fried　sole；　with　a　squeeze　of
lemon　on　it？〃

〃Your　fish；　indeed！〃　cried　Toupillier；　〃all　rotten！　That　last　you
brought　me；　more　than　six　weeks　ago；　it　is　there　in　the　cupboard；　you
can　take　it　away　with　you。〃

〃Heavens！　how　ungrateful　sick　men　are！〃　whispered　the　widow　Cardinal
to　Perrache。

Nevertheless；　to　exhibit　solicitude；　she　arranged　the　pillow　under　the
patient's　head；　saying：

〃There！　uncle；　don't　you　feel　better　like　that？〃

〃Let　me　alone！〃　shouted　Toupillier；　angrily；　〃I　want　no　one　here；　I
want　wine；　leave　me　in　peace。〃

〃Don't　get　angry；　little　uncle；　we'll　fetch　you　some　wine。〃

〃Number　six　wine；　rue　des　Canettes；〃　cried　the　pauper。

〃Yes；　I　know；〃　replied　Madame　Cardinal；　〃but　let　me　count　out　my
coppers。　I　want　to　get　something　better　for　you　than　that　kind　of
wine；　for；　don't　you　see；　an　uncle；　he's　a　kind　of　father；　and　one
shouldn't　mind　what　one　does　for　him。〃

So　saying；　she　sat　down；　with　her　legs　apart；　on　one　of　the
dilapidated　chairs；　and　poured　into　her　apron　the　contents　of　her
pockets；　namely：　a　knife；　her　snuff…box；　two　pawn…tickets；　some　crusts
of　bread；　and　a　handful　of　copper；　from　which　she　extracted　a　few
silver　bits。

This　exhibition；　intended　to　prove　her　generous　and　eager　devotion；
had　no　result。　Toupillier　seemed　not　to　notice　it。　Exhausted　by　the
feverish　energy　with　which　he　had　demanded　his　favorite　remedy；　he
made　an　effort　to　change　his　position；　and；　with　his　back　turned　to
his　two　nurses；　he　again　muttered：　〃Wine！　wine！〃　after　which　nothing
more　was　heard　of　him　but　a　stentorous　breathing；　that　plainly　showed
the　state　of　his　lungs；　which　were　beginning　to　congest。

〃I　suppose　I　must　go　and　fetch　his　wine！〃　said　the　Cardinal；　restoring
to　her　pockets；　with　some　ill…humor；　the　cargo　she　had　just　pulled　out
of　them。

〃If　you　don't　want　to　go〃　began　Madame　Perrache；　always　ready　to
offer　her　services。

The　fishwife　hesitated　for　a　moment；　then；　reflecting　that　something
might　be　got　out　of　a　conversation　with　the　wine…merchant；　and　sure；
moreover；　that　as　long　as　Toupillier　lay　on　his　gold　she　could　safely
leave　him　alone　with　the　portress；　she　said：

〃Thank　you；　Madame　Perrache；　but　I'd　better　make　acquaintance　with　his
trades…folk。〃

Then；　having　spied　behind　the　night…table　a　dirty　bottle　which　might
hold　about　two　quarts；

〃Did　he　say　the　rue　des　Canelles？〃　she　inquired　of　the　portress。

〃Corner　of　the　rue　Guisarde；〃　replied　Madame　Perrache。　〃Monsieur
Legrelu；　a　tall；　fine　man　with　big　whiskers　and　no　hair。〃　Then；
lowering　her　voice；　she　added：　〃His　number…six　wine；　you　know；　is
Roussillon；　and　the　best；　too。　However；　the　wine…merchant　knows；　it　is
enough　if　you　tell　him　you　have　come　from　his　customer；　the　pauper　of
Saint…Sulpice。〃

〃No　need　to　tell　me　anything　twice；〃　said　the　Cardinal；　opening　the
door　and　making；　as　they　say；　a　false　exit。　〃Ah　ca！〃　she　said；　coming
back；　〃what　does　he　burn　in　his　stove；　supposing　I　want　to　heat　some
remedy　for　him？〃

〃Goodness！〃　said　the　portress；　〃he　doesn't　make　much　provision　for
winter；