the lesser bourgeoisie-第47节

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bad　terms。〃

〃Well；　but　what　are　they；　those　terms？〃

〃I　gave　up　my　shares　for　fifteen　thousand　francs。〃

〃Come；　come！〃　said　Dutocq；　shrugging　his　shoulders；　〃what　you　are
after　is　to　recover　a　loss　（if　you　made　it）　by　a　commission　on　my
shareand　perhaps；　after　all；　the　whole　thing　is　only　a　plot　between
you　and　la　Peyrade〃

〃At　any　rate；　my　good　friend；　you　don't　mince　your　words；　an　infamous
thought　comes　into　your　head　and　you　state　it　with　charming　frankness。
Luckily　you　shall　presently　hear　me　make　the　proposal　to　Theodose；　and
you　are　clever　enough　to　know　by　his　manner　if　there　has　been　any
connivance　between　us。〃

〃So　be　it！〃　said　Dutocq。　〃I　withdraw　the　insinuation；　but　I　must　say
your　employers　are　pirates；　I　call　their　proposal　throttling　people。　I
have　not；　like　you；　something　to　fall　back　upon。〃

〃Well；　you　poor　fellow；　this　is　how　I　reasoned：　I　said　to　myself；　That
good　Dutocq　is　terribly　pressed　for　the　last　payment　on　his　practice；
this　will　give　him　enough　to　pay　it　off　at　one　stroke；　events　have
proved　that　there　are　great　uncertainties　about　our　Theodose…and…
Thuillier　scheme；　here's　money　down；　live　money；　and　therefore　it
won't　be　so　bad　a　bargain　after　all。〃

〃It　is　a　loss　of　two…fifths！〃

〃Come；〃　said　Cerizet；　〃you　were　talking　just　now　of　commissions。　I　see
a　means　of　getting　one　for　you　if　you'll　engage　to　batter　down　this
Colleville　marriage。　If　you　will　cry　it　down　as　you　have　lately　cried
it　up　I　shouldn't　despair　of　getting　you　a　round　twenty　thousand　out
of　the　affair。〃

〃Then　you　think　that　this　new　proposal　will　not　be　agreeable　to　la
Peyrade；that　he'll　reject　it？　Is　it　some　heiress　on　whom　he　has
already　taken　a　mortgage？〃

〃All　that　I　can　tell　you　is　that　these　people　expect　some　difficulty
in　bringing　the　matter　to　a　conclusion。〃

〃Well；　I　don't　desire　better　than　to　follow　your　lead　and　do　what　is
disagreeable　to　la　Peyrade；　but　five　thousand　francsthink　of　it！it
is　too　much　to　lose。〃

At　this　moment　the　door　opened；　and　a　waiter　ushered　in　the　expected
guest。

〃You　can　serve　dinner；〃　said　Cerizet　to　the　waiter；　〃we　are　all　here。〃

It　was　plain　that　Theodose　was　beginning　to　take　wing　toward　higher
social　spheres；　elegance　was　becoming　a　constant　thought　in　his　mind。
He　appeared　in　a　dress　suit　and　varnished　shoes；　whereas　his　two
associates　received　him　in　frock…coats　and　muddy　boots。

〃Gentlemen；〃　he　said；　〃I　think　I　am　a　little　late；　but　that　devil　of　a
Thuillier　is　the　most　intolerable　of　human　beings　about　a　pamphlet　I
am　concocting　for　him。　I　was　unlucky　enough　to　agree　to　correct　the
proofs　with　him；　and　over　every　paragraph　there's　a　fight。　'What　I
can't　understand；'　he　says；　'the　public　can't；　either。　I'm　not　a　man
of　letters；　but　I'm　a　practical　man'；　and　that's　the　way　we　battle　it；
page　after　page。　I　thought　the　sitting　this　afternoon　would　never
end。〃

〃How　unreasonable　you　are；　my　dear　fellow；〃　said　Dutocq；　〃when　a　man
wants　to　succeed　he　must　have　the　courage　to　make　sacrifices。　Once
married；　you　can　lift　your　head。〃

〃Ah；　yes！〃　said　la　Peyrade　with　a　sigh；　〃I'll　lift　it；　for　since　the
day　you　made　me　eat　this　bread　of　anguish　I've　become　terribly　sick　of
it。〃

〃Cerizet；〃　said　Dutocq；　〃has　a　plan　that　will　feed　you　more
succulently。〃

Nothing　more　was　said　at　the　moment；　for　justice　had　to　be　done　to　the
excellent　fare　ordered　by　Cerizet　in　honor　of　his　coming　lease。　As
usually　happens　at　dinners　where　affairs　are　likely　to　be　discussed；
each　man；　with　his　mind　full　of　them；　took　pains　not　to　approach　those
topics；　fearing　to　compromise　his　advantages　by　seeming　eager；　the
conversation；　therefore；　continued　for　a　long　time　on　general
subjects；　and　it　was　not　until　the　dessert　was　served　that　Cerizet
brought　himself　to　ask　la　Peyrade　what　had　been　settled　about　the
terms　of　his　lease。

〃Nothing；　my　friend；〃　replied　Theodose。

〃What！　nothing？　I　certainly　allowed　you　time　enough　to　decide　the
matter。〃

〃Well；　as　to　that；　something　is　decided。　There　will　not　be　any
principal　tenant　at　all；　Mademoiselle　Brigitte　is　going　to　let　the
house　herself。〃

〃That's　a　singular　thing；〃　said　Cerizet；　stiffly。　〃After　your
agreement　with　me；　I　certainly　did　not　expect　such　a　result　as　this。〃

〃How　can　I　help　it；　my　dear　fellow？　I　agreed　with　you；　barring
amendments　on　the　other　side；　I　wasn't　able　to　give　another　turn　to
the　affair。　In　her　natural　character　as　a　managing　woman　and　a　sample
of　perpetual　motion；　Brigitte　has　reflected　that　she　might　as　well
manage　that　house　herself　and　put　into　her　own　pocket　the　profits　you
proposed　to　make。　I　said　all　I　could　about　the　cares　and　annoyances
which　she　would　certainly　saddle　upon　herself。　'Oh！　nonsense！'　she
said；　'they'll　stir　my　blood　and　do　my　health　good！'〃

〃It　is　pitiable！〃　said　Cerizet。　〃That　poor　old　maid　will　never　know
which　end　to　take　hold　of；　she　doesn't　imagine　what　it　is　to　have　an
empty　house；　and　which　must　be　filled　with　tenants　from　garret　to
cellar。〃

〃I　plied　her　with　all　those　arguments；〃　replied　la　Peyrade；　〃but　I
couldn't　move　her　resolution。　Don't　you　see；　my　dear　democrats；　you
stirred　up　the　revolution　of　'89；　you　thought　to　make　a　fine
speculation　in　dethroning　the　noble　by　the　bourgeois；　and　the　end　of
it　is　you　are　shoved　out　yourselves。　This　looks　like　paradox；　but
you've　found　out　now　that　the　peasant　and　clodhopper　isn't　malleable；
he　can't　be　forced　down　and　kept　under　like　the　noble。　The
aristocracy；　on　behalf　of　its　dignity；　would　not　condescend　to　common
cares；　and　was　therefore　dependent　on　a　crowd　of　plebeian　servitors　to
whom　it　had　to　trust　for　three…fourths　of　the　actions　of　its　own　life。
That　was　the　reign　of　stewards　and　bailiffs；　wily　fellows；　into　whose
hands　the　interests　of　the　great　families　passed；　and　who　fed　and　grew
fat　on　the　parings　of　the　great　fortunes　they　managed。　But　now…a…days；
utilitarian　theories；　as　they　call　them；　have　come　to　the　fore；'We
are　never　so　well　served　as　by　ourselves；'　'There's　no　shame　in
attending　to　one's　own　business；'　and　many　other　bourgeois　maxims
which　have　suppressed　the　role　of　intermediaries。　Why　shouldn't
Mademoiselle　Brigitte　Thuillier　manage　her　own　house　when　dukes　and
peers　go　in　person　to　the　Bourse；　where　such　men　sign　their　own　leases
and　read　the　deeds　before　they　sign　them；　and　go　themselves　to　the
notary；　whom；　in　former　days；　they　considered　a　servant。〃

During　this　time　Cerizet　had　time　to　recover　from　the　blow　he　had　just
received　squarely　in　the　face；　and　to　think　of　the　transition　he　had
to　make　from　one　set　of　interests　to　the　other；　of　which　he　was　now
the　agent。

〃What　you　are　declaiming　there　is　all　very　clever；〃　he　said；
carelessly；　〃but　the　thing　that　proves　to　me　our　defeat　is　the　fact
that　you　are　not　on　the　terms　with　Mademoiselle　Thuillier　you　would
have　us　believe　you　are。　She　is　slipping　through　your　fingers；　and　I
don't　think　that　marriage　is　anything　like　as　certain　as　Dutocq　and　I
have　been　fancying　it　was。〃

〃Well；　no　doubt；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃there　are　still　some　touches　to　be
given　to　our　sketch；　but　I　believe　it　is　well　under　way。〃

〃And　I　think；　on　the　contrary；　that　you　have　lost　ground；　and　the
reason　is　simple：　you　have　done　those　people　an　immense　service；　and
that's　a　thing　never　forgiven。〃

〃Well；　we　shall　see；〃　said　la　Peyrade。　〃I　have　more　than　one　hold　upon
them。〃

〃No；　you　are　mistaken。　You　thought　you　did　a　brilliant　thing　in
putting　them　on　a　pinnacle；　but　the　fact　is　you　emancipated　them；
they'll　keep　you　now　at　heel。　The　human　heart；　particularly　the
bourgeois　heart；　is　made　that　way。　If　I　were　in　your　place　I　shouldn't
feel　so　sure　of　being　on　solid　ground；　and　if　something　else　turned　up
that　offered　me　a　good　chance〃

〃What！　just　because　I　couldn't　get　you　the　lease　of　that　house　do　you
want　to　knock　everything　to　pieces？〃

〃No；〃　said　Cerizet；　〃I　am　not　looking　at　the　matter　in　the　light　of　my
own　interests；　I　don't　doubt　that　as　a　trustworthy　friend　you　have
done　every　imaginable　thing　to　promote　them；　but　I　think　the　manner　in
which　you　have　been　shoved　aside　a　very　disturbing　symptom。　It　even
decides　me　to　tell　you　something　I　did　not　intend　to　speak　of；
because；　in　my　opinion；　when　persons　start　a　course　they　ought　to　keep
on　steadily；　looking　neither　forward　nor　back；　and　not　allowing
themselves　to　be　diverted　to　other　aspirations。〃

〃Ah　ca！〃　cried　la　Peyrade；　〃what　does　all　this　verbiage　mean？　Have　you
anything　to　propose　to　me？　What's　the　price　of　it？〃

〃My　dear　Theodose；〃　said　Cerizet；　paying　no　attention　to　the
impertinence；　〃you　yourself　can　judge　of　the　value　of　discovering　a
young　girl；　well　brought…up；　adorned　with　beauty　and　talents　and　a
'dot'　equal　to　that　of　Celeste；　which　she　has　in　her　own　right；　PLUS
fifty　thousand　francs'　worth　of　diamonds　（as　Mademoiselle　Georges　says
on　her　posters　in　the　provinces）；　and；　moreover；a　fact　which　ought
to　strike　the　mind　of　an　ambitious　man；a　strong　political　influence；
which　she　can　use　for　a　husband。〃

〃And　this　treasure　you　hold　in　your　hand？〃　said　la　Peyrade；　in　a　tone
of　incredulity。

〃Better　still；　I　am　authorized　to　offer　it　to　you；　in　fact；　I　might
say　that　I　am　charged