the lesser bourgeoisie-第59节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


tenderest　and　most　virtuous　of　mothers；　will　grant　me　a　little　place
in　her　esteem；　I　shall　count　myself　more　than　repaid　for　my　trouble。〃

Madame　Phellion　plunged　headlong　into　a　responsive　compliment；　and　the
countess；　in　her　carriage；　was　at　some　distance　from　the　house　before
Phellion　had　ceased　to　offer　her　his　most　respectful　salutations。

As　the　Latin…quarter　element　in　Brigitte's　salon　became　more　rare　and
less　assiduous；　a　livelier　Paris　began　to　infiltrate　it。　Among　his
colleagues　in　the　municipal　council　and　among　the　upper　employees　of
the　prefecture　of　the　Seine；　the　new　councillor　had　made　several　very
important　recruits。　The　mayor；　and　the　deputy　mayors　of　the
arrondissement；　on　whom；　after　his　removal　to　the　Madeleine　quarter；
Thuillier　had　called；　hastened　to　return　the　civility；　and　the　same
thing　happened　with　the　superior　officers　of　the　first　legion。　The
house　itself　had　produced　a　contingent；　and　several　of　the　new　tenants
contributed；　by　their　presence；　to　change　the　aspect　of　the　dominical
meetings。　Among　the　number　we　must　mention　Rabourdin　＇see
〃Bureaucracy〃＇；　the　former　head　of　Thuillier's　office　at　the　ministry
of　finance。　Having　had　the　misfortune　to　lose　his　wife；　whose　salon；
at　an　earlier　period；　checkmated　that　of　Madame　Colleville；　Rabourdin
occupied　as　a　bachelor　the　third　floor；　above　the　apartment　let　to
Cardot；　the　notary。　As　the　result　of　an　odious　slight　to　his　just
claims；　Rabourdin　had　voluntarily　resigned　his　public　functions。　At
this　time；　when　he　again　met　Thuillier；　he　was　director　of　one　of
those　numerous　projected　railways；　the　construction　of　which　is　always
delayed　by　either　parliamentary　rivalry　or　parliamentary　indecision。
Let　us　say；　in　passing；　that　the　meeting　with　this　able　administrator；
now　become　an　important　personage　in　the　financial　world；　was　an
occasion　to　the　worthy　and　honest　Phellion　to　display　once　more　his
noble　character。　At　the　time　of　the　resignation　to　which　Rabourdin　had
felt　himself　driven；　Phellion　alone；　of　all　the　clerks　in　the　office；
had　stood　by　him　in　his　misfortunes。　Being　now　in　a　position　to　bestow
a　great　number　of　places；　Rabourdin；　on　meeting　once　more　his　faithful
subordinate；　hastened　to　offer　him　a　position　both　easy　and　lucrative。

〃Mossieu；〃　said　Phellion；　〃your　benevolence　touches　me　and　honors　me；
but　my　frankness　owes　you　an　avowal；　which　I　beg　you　not　to　take　in
ill　part：　I　do　not　believe　in　'railways；'　as　the　English　call　them。〃

〃That's　an　opinion　to　which　you　have　every　right；〃　said　Rabourdin；
smiling；　〃but；　meanwhile；　until　the　contrary　is　proved；　we　pay　the
employees　in　our　office　well；　and　I　should　be　glad　to　have　you　with　me
in　that　capacity。　I　know　by　experience　that　you　are　a　man　on　whom　I
can　count。〃

〃Mossieu；〃　returned　the　great　citizen；　〃I　did　my　duty　at　that　time；
and　nothing　more。　As　for　the　offer　you　have　been　so　good　as　to　make　to
me；　I　cannot　accept　it；　satisfied　with　my　humble　fortunes；　I　feel
neither　the　need　nor　the　desire　to　re…enter　an　administrative　career；
and；　in　common　with　the　Latin　poet；　I　may　say；　'Claudite　jam　rivos；
pueri；　sat　prata　biberunt。'〃

Thus　elevated　in　the　character　of　its　habitues；　the　salon　Thuillier
still　needed　a　new　element　of　life。　Thanks　to　the　help　of　Madame　de
Godollo；　a　born　organizer；　who　successfully　put　to　profit　the　former
connection　of　Colleville　with　the　musical　world；　a　few　artists　came　to
make　diversion　from　bouillotte　and　boston。　Old…fashioned　and
venerable；　those　two　games　were　forced　to　beat　a　retreat　before　whist；
the　only　manner；　said　the　Hungarian　countess；　in　which　respectable
people　can　kill　time。

Like　Louis　XVI。；　who　began　by　putting　his　own　hand　to　reforms　which
subsequently　engulfed　his　throne；　Brigitte　had　encouraged；　at　first；
this　domestic　revolution；　the　need　of　sustaining　her　position　suitably
in　the　new　quarter　to　which　she　had　emigrated　had　made　her　docile　to
all　suggestions　of　comfort　and　elegance。　But　the　day　on　which　occurred
the　scene　we　are　about　to　witness；　an　apparently　trivial　detail　had
revealed　to　her　the　danger　of　the　declivity　on　which　she　stood。　The
greater　number　of　the　new　guests；　recently　imported　by　Thuillier；　knew
nothing　of　his　sister's　supremacy　in　his　home。　On　arrival；　therefore；
they　all　asked　Thuillier　to　present　them　to　MADAME；　and；　naturally；
Thuillier　could　not　say　to　them　that　his　wife　was　a　figure…head　who
groaned　under　the　iron　hand　of　a　Richelieu；　to　whom　the　whole
household　bent　the　knee。　It　was　therefore　not　until　the　first　homage
rendered　to　the　sovereign　〃de　jure〃　was　paid；　that　the　new…comers　were
led　up　to　Brigitte；　and　by　reason　of　the　stiffness　which　displeasure
at　this　misplacement　of　power　gave　to　her　greeting　they　were　scarcely
encouraged　to　pay　her　any　further　attentions。　Quick　to　perceive　this
species　of　overthrow；　Queen　Elizabeth　said　to　herself；　with　that
profound　instinct　of　domination　which　was　her　ruling　passion：

〃If　I　don't　take　care　I　shall　soon　be　nobody　in　this　house。〃

Burrowing　into　that　idea；　she　came　to　think　that　if　the　project　of
making　a　common　household　with　la　Peyrade；　then　Celeste's　husband；
were　carried　out；　the　situation　which　was　beginning　to　alarm　her　would
become　even　worse。　From　that　moment；　and　by　sudden　intuition；　Felix
Phellion；　that　good　young　man；　with　his　head　too　full　of　mathematics
ever　to　become　a　formidable　rival　to　her　sovereignty；　seemed　to　her　a
far　better　match　than　the　enterprising　lawyer；　and　she　was　the　first；
on　seeing　the　Phellion　father　and　mother　arrive　without　the　son；　to
express　regret　at　his　absence。　Brigitte；　however；　was　not　the　only　one
to　feel　the　injury　that　the　luckless　professor　was　doing　to　his
prospects　in　thus　keeping　away　from　her　reception。　Madame　Thuillier；
with　simple　candor；　and　Celeste　with　feigned　reserve；　both　made
manifest　their　displeasure。　As　for　Madame　de　Godollo；　who；　in　spite　of
a　very　remarkable　voice；　usually　required　much　pressing　before　she
would　sing　（the　piano　having　been　opened　since　her　reign　began）；　she
now　went　up　to　Madame　Phellion　and　asked　her　to　accompany　her；　and
between　two　verses　of　a　song　she　said　in　her　ear：

〃Why　isn't　your　son　here？〃

〃He　is　coming；〃　said　Madame　Phellion。　〃His　father　talked　to　him　very
decidedly；　but　to…night　there　happens　to　be　a　conjunction　of　I　don't
know　what　planets；　it　is　a　great　night　at　the　Observatory；　and　he　did
not　feel　willing　to　dispense　with〃

〃It　is　inconceivable　that　a　man　should　be　so　foolish！〃　exclaimed
Madame　de　Godollo；　〃wasn't　theology　bad　enough；　that　he　must　needs
bring　in　astronomy　too？〃

And　her　vexation　gave　to　her　voice　so　vibrating　a　tone　that　her　song
ended　in　the　midst　of　what　the　English　call　a　thunder　of　applause。　La
Peyrade；　who　feared　her　extremely；　was　not　one　of　the　last；　when　she
returned　to　her　place；　to　approach　her；　and　express　his　admiration；
but　she　received　his　compliments　with　a　coldness　so　near　to　incivility
that　their　mutual　hostility　was　greatly　increased。　La　Peyrade　turned
away　to　console　himself　with　Madame　Colleville；　who　had　still　too　many
pretensions　to　beauty　not　to　be　the　enemy　of　a　woman　made　to　intercept
all　homage。

〃So　you　also；　you　think　that　woman　sings　well？〃　she　said；
contemptuously；　to　Theodose。

〃At　any　rate；　I　have　been　to　tell　her　so；〃　replied　la　Peyrade；
〃because　without　her；　in　regard　to　Brigitte；　there's　no　security。　But
do　just　look　at　your　Celeste；　her　eyes　never　leave　that　door；　and
every　time　a　tray　is　brought　in；　though　it　is　an　hour　at　least　since
the　last　guest　came；　her　face　expresses　disappointment。〃

We　must　remark；　in　passing；　that　since　the　reign　of　Madame　de　Godollo
trays　were　passed　round　on　the　Sunday　reception　days；　and　that　without
scrimping；　on　the　contrary；　they　were　laden　with　ices；　cakes；　and
syrups；　from　Taurade's；　then　the　best　confectioner。

〃Don't　harass　me！〃　cried　Flavie。　〃I　know　very　well　what　that　foolish
girl　has　in　her　mind；　and　your　marriage　will　take　place　only　too
soon。〃

〃But　you　know　it　is　not　for　myself　I　make　it；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃it　is
a　necessity　for　the　future　of　all　of　us。　Come；　come；　there　are　tears
in　your　eyes！　I　shall　leave　you；　you　are　not　reasonable。　The　devil！　as
that　Prudhomme　of　a　Phellion　says；　'Whoso　wants　the　end　wants　the
means。'〃

And　he　went　toward　the　group　composed　of　Celeste；　Madame　Thuillier；
Madame　de　Godollo；　Colleville；　and　Phellion。　Madame　Colleville
followed　him；　and；　under　the　influence　of　the　feeling　of　jealousy　she
had　just　shown；　she　became　a　savage　mother。

〃Celeste；〃　she　said；　〃why　don't　you　sing？　These　gentlemen　wish　to　hear
you。〃

〃Oh；　mamma！〃　cried　the　girl；　〃how　can　I　sing　after　Madame　de　Godollo；
with　my　poor　thread　of　a　voice？　Besides；　you　know　I　have　a　cold。〃

〃That　is　to　say　that；　as　usual；　you　make　yourself　pretentious　and
disagreeable；　people　sing　as　they　can　sing；　all　voices　have　their　own
merits。〃

〃My　dear；〃　said　Colleville；　who；　having　just　lost　twenty　francs　at　the
card…tables；　found　courage　in　his　ill…humor　to　oppose　his　wife；　〃that
saying；　'People　sing　as　they　can　sing'　is　a　bourgeois　maxim。　People
sing　with　a　voice；　if　they　have　one；　but　they　don't　sing　after　hearing
such　a　magnificent　opera　voi