the lesser bourgeoisie-第70节

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police　would　have　found　nothing　to　bite。〃

〃My　dear　Brigitte；〃　said　Thuillier；　seeing　la　Peyrade　shrug　his
shoulders；　〃your　argument　is　vicious　in　the　sense　that　the　writing　was
not　incriminating　on　any　side。　It　is　not　la　Peyrade's　fault　if　persons
of　high　station　have　organized　a　persecution　against　me。　You　remember
that　little　substitute；　Monsieur　Olivier　Vinet；　whom　Cardot　brought　to
one　of　our　receptions。　It　seems　that　he　and　his　father　are　furious
that　we　didn't　want　him　for　Celeste；　and　they've　sworn　my
destruction。〃

〃Well；　why　did　we　refuse　him；〃　said　Brigitte；　〃if　it　wasn't　for　the
fine　eyes　of　monsieur　here？　For；　after　all；　a　substitute　in　Paris　is　a
very　suitable　match。〃

〃No　doubt；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　nonchalantly。　〃Only；　he　did　not　happen　to
bring　you　a　million。〃

〃Ah！〃　cried　Brigitte；　firing　up。　〃If　you　are　going　to　talk　any　more
about　that　house　you　helped　us　to　buy；　I　shall　tell　you　plainly　that
if　you　had　had　the　money　to　trick　the　notary　you　never　would　have　come
after　us。　You　needn't　think　I　have　been　altogether　your　dupe。　You
spoke　just　now　of　a　bargain；　but　you　proposed　that　bargain　yourself。
'Give　me　Celeste　and　I'll　get　you　that　house；'that's　what　you　said
to　us　in　so　many　words。　Besides　which；　we　had　to　pay　large　sums　on
which　we　never　counted。〃

〃Come；　come；　Brigitte；〃　said　Thuillier；　〃you　are　making　a　great　deal
out　of　nothing。〃

〃Nothing！　nothing！〃　exclaimed　Brigitte。　〃Did　we；　or　did　we　not；　have
to　pay　much　more　than　we　expected？〃

〃My　dear　Thuillier；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃I　think；　with　you；　that　the
matter　is　now　settled；　and　it　can　only　be　embittered　by　discussing　it
further。　My　course　was　decided　on　before　I　came　here；　all　that　I　have
now　heard　can　only　confirm　it。　I　shall　not　be　the　husband　of　Celeste；
but　you　and　I　can　remain　good　friends。〃

He　rose　to　leave　the　room。

〃One　moment；　monsieur；〃　said　Brigitte；　barring　his　way；　〃there　is　one
matter　which　I　do　not　consider　settled；　and　now　that　we　are　no　longer
to　have　interests　in　common；　I　should　not　be　sorry　if　you　would　be　so
good　as　to　tell　me　what　has　become　of　a　sum　of　ten　thousand　francs
which　Thuillier　gave　you　to　bribe　those　rascally　government　offices　in
order　to　get　the　cross　we　have　never　got。〃

〃Brigitte！〃　cried　Thuillier；　in　anguish；　〃you　have　a　devil　of　a
tongue！　You　ought　to　be　silent　about　that；　I　told　it　to　you　in　a
moment　of　ill…temper；　and　you　promised　me　faithfully　never　to　open
your　lips　about　it　to　any　one；　no　matter　who。〃

〃So　I　did；　but；〃　replied　the　implacable　Brigitte；　〃we　are　parting。
When　people　part　they　settle　up；　they　pay　their　debts。　Ten　thousand
francs！　For　my　part；　I　thought　the　cross　itself　dear　at　that；　but　for
a　cross　that　has　melted　away；　monsieur　himself　will　allow　the　price　is
too　high。〃

〃Come；　la　Peyrade；　my　friend；　don't　listen　to　her；〃　said　Thuillier；
going　up　to　the　barrister；　who　was　pale　with　anger。　〃The　affection　she
has　for　me　blinds　her；　I　know　very　well　what　government　offices　are；
and　I　shouldn't　be　surprised　if　you　had　had　to　pay　out　money　of　your
own。〃

〃Monsieur；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃I　am；　unfortunately；　not　in　a　position
to　return　to　you；　instantly；　that　money；　an　accounting　for　which　is　so
insolently　demanded。　Grant　me　a　short　delay；　and　have　the　goodness　to
accept　my　note；　which　I　am　ready　to　sign；　if　that　will　give　you
patience。〃

〃To　the　devil　with　your　note！〃　cried　Thuillier；　〃you　owe　me　nothing；
on　the　contrary；　it　is　we　who　owe　you；　for　Cardot　told　me　I　ought　to
give　you　at　least　ten　thousand　francs　for　enabling　us　to　buy　this
magnificent　property。〃

〃Cardot！　Cardot！〃　said　Brigitte；　〃he　is　very　generous　with　other
people's　money。　We　were　giving　monsieur　Celeste；　and　that's　a　good
deal　more　than　ten　thousand　francs。〃

La　Peyrade　was　too　great　a　comedian　not　to　turn　the　humiliation　he　had
just　endured　into　a　scene　finale。　With　tears　in　his　voice；　which
presently　fell　from　his　eyes；　he　turned　to　Brigitte。

〃Mademoiselle；〃　he　said；　〃when　I　had　the　honor　to　be　received　by　you　I
was　poor；　you　long　saw　me　suffering　and　ill　at　ease；　knowing；　alas！
too　well；　the　indignities　that　poverty　must　bear。　From　the　day　that　I
was　able　to　give　you　a　fortune　which　I　never　thought　of　for　myself　I
have　felt；　it　is　true；　more　assurance；　and　your　own　kindness
encouraged　me　to　rise　out　of　my　timidity　and　depression。　To…day；　when
I；　by　frank　and　loyal　conduct；　release　you　from　anxiety；for；　if　you
chose　to　be　honest；　you　would　acknowledge　that　you　have　been　thinking
of　another　husband　for　Celeste；we　might　still　remain　friends；　even
though　I　renounce　a　marriage　which　my　delicacy　forbids　me　to　pursue。
But　you　have　not　chosen　to　restrain　yourself　with　the　limits　of　social
politeness；　of　which　you　have　a　model　beside　you　in　Madame　de　Godollo；
who；　I　am　persuaded；　although　she　is　not　at　all　friendly　to　me；　would
never　have　approved　of　your　odious　behavior。　Thank　Heaven！　I　have　in
my　heart　some　religious　sentiment　at　least；　the　Gospel　is　not　to　me　a
mere　dead…letter；　andunderstand　me　well；　mademoiselleI　FORGIVE
YOU。　It　is　not　to　Thuillier；　who　would　refuse　them；　but　to　you　that　I
shall；　before　long；　pay　the　ten　thousand　francs　which　you　insinuate　I
have　applied　to　my　own　purposes。　If；　by　the　time　they　are　returned　to
you；　you　feel　regret　for　your　unjust　suspicions；　and　are　unwilling　to
accept　the　money；　I　request　that　you　will　turn　it　over　to　the　bureau
of　Benevolence　to　the　poor〃

〃To　the　bureau　of　Benevolence！〃　cried　Brigitte；　interrupting　him。　〃No；
I　thank　you！　the　idea　of　all　that　money　being　distributed　among　a
crowd　of　do…nothings　and　devotes；　who'll　spend　it　in　junketing！　I've
been　poor　too；　my　lad；　I　made　bags　for　the　money　of　others　long　before
I　had　any　money　of　my　own；　I　have　some　now；　and　I　take　care　of　it。　So；
whenever　you　will；　I　am　ready　to　receive　that　ten　thousand　francs　and
keep　it。　If　you　didn't　know　how　to　do　what　you　undertook　to　do；　and
spent　that　money　in　trying　to　put　salt　on　a　sparrow's　tail；　so　much
the　worse　for　you。〃

Seeing　that　he　had　missed　his　effect；　and　had　made　not　the　slightest
impression　on　Brigitte's　granite；　la　Peyrade　cast　a　disdainful　look
upon　her　and　left　the　room　majestically。　As　he　did　so　he　noticed　a
movement　made　by　Thuillier　to　follow　him；　and　also　the　imperious
gesture　of　Brigitte；　always　queen　and　mistress；　which　nailed　her
brother　to　his　chair。



CHAPTER　VIII

At　the　moment　when　la　Peyrade　was　preparing　to　lay　at　the　feet　of　the
countess　the　liberty　he　had　recovered　in　so　brutal　a　manner；　he
received　a　perfumed　note；　which　made　his　heart　beat；　for　on　the　seal
was　that　momentous　〃All　or　Nothing〃　which　she　had　given　him　as　the
rule　of　the　relation　now　to　be　inaugurated　between　them。　The　contents
of　the　note　were　as　follows：

　　Dear　Monsieur；I　have　heard　of　the　step　you　have　taken；　thank
　　you！　But　I　must　now　prepare　to　take　my　own。　I　cannot；　as　you　may
　　well　think；　continue　to　live　in　this　house；　and　among　these　people
　　who　are　so　little　of　our　own　class　and　with　whom　we　have　nothing
　　in　common。　To　arrange　this　transaction；　and　to　avoid　explanations
　　of　the　fact　that　the　entresol　welcomes　the　voluntary　exile　from
　　the　first…floor；　I　need　to…day　and　to…morrow　to　myself。　Do　not
　　therefore　come　to　see　me　until　the　day　after。　By　that　time　I　shall
　　have　executed　Brigitte；　as　they　say　at　the　Bourse；　and　have　much
　　to　tell　you。

Tua　tota；
Torna　de　Godollo。


That　〃Wholly　thine〃　in　Latin　seemed　charming　to　la　Peyrade；　who　was
not；　however；　astonished；　for　Latin　is　a　second　national　language　to
the　Hungarians。　The　two　days'　waiting　to　which　he　was　thus　condemned
only　fanned　the　flame　of　the　ardent　passion　which　possessed　him；　and
on　the　third　day　when　reached　the　house　by　the　Madeleine　his　love　had
risen　to　a　degree　of　incandescence　of　which　only　a　few　days　earlier　he
would　scarcely　have　supposed　himself　capable。

This　time　the　porter's　wife　perceived　him；　but　he　was　now　quite
indifferent　as　to　whether　or　not　the　object　of　his　visit　should　be
known。　The　ice　was　broken；　his　happiness　was　soon　to　be　official；　and
he　was　more　disposed　to　cry　it　aloud　in　the　streets　than　to　make　a
mystery　of　it。

Running　lightly　up　the　stairs；　he　prepared　to　ring　the　bell；　when；　on
putting　out　his　hand　to　reach　the　silken　bell…cord　he　perceived　that
the　bell…cord　had　disappeared。　La　Peyrade's　first　thought　was　that　one
of　those　serious　illnesses　which　make　all　noises　intolerable　to　a
patient　would　explain　its　absence；　but　with　the　thought　came　other
observations　that　weakened　it；　and　which；　moreover；　were　not　in
themselves　comforting。

From　the　vestibule　to　the　countess's　door　a　stair　carpet；　held　at　each
step　by　a　brass　rod；　made　a　soft　ascent　to　the　feet　of　visitors；　this；
too；　had　been　removed。　A　screen…door　covered　with　green　velvet　and
studded　with　brass　nails　had　hitherto　protected　the　entrance　to　the
apartment；　of　that　no　sign；　except　the　injury　to　the　wall　done　by　the
workmen　in　taking　it　away。　For　a　moment　the　barrister　thought；　in　his
agitation；　that　he　must　have　mistaken　the　floor；　but；　casting　his　eye
over　the　baluster　he　saw　that　he　had　not　passed　the　entresol。　Madame
de　Godollo　must；　therefore；　be　in　the　act　of　moving