the lesser bourgeoisie-第71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！


de　Godollo　must；　therefore；　be　in　the　act　of　moving　away。

He　then　resigned　himself　to　make　known　his　presence　at　the　great
lady's　door　as　he　would　have　done　at　that　of　a　grisette。　He　rapped
with　his　knuckles；　but　a　hollow　sonority　revealing　the　void；
〃intonuere　cavernae；〃　echoed　beyond　the　door　which　he　vainly　appealed
to　with　his　fist。　He　also　perceived　from　beneath　that　door　a　ray　of
vivid　light；　the　sure　sign　of　an　uninhabited　apartment　where　curtains
and　carpets　and　furniture　no　longer　dim　the　light　or　deaden　sound。
Compelled　to　believe　in　a　total　removal；　la　Peyrade　now　supposed　that
in　the　rupture　with　Brigitte；　mentioned　as　probable　by　Madame　de
Godollo；　some　brutal　insolence　of　the　old　maid　had　necessitated　this
abrupt　departure。　But　why　had　he　not　been　told　of　it？　And　what　an
idea；　to　expose　him　to　this　ridiculous　meeting　with　what　the　common
people　call；　in　their　picturesque　language；　〃the　wooden　face〃！

Before　leaving　the　door　finally；　and　as　if　some　doubt　still　remained
in　his　mind；　la　Peyrade　made　a　last　and　most　thundering　assault　upon
it。

〃Who's　knocking　like　that；　as　if　they'd　bring　the　house　down？〃　said
the　porter；　attracted　by　the　noise　to　the　foot　of　the　staircase。

〃Doesn't　Madame　de　Godollo　still　live　here？〃　asked　la　Peyrade。

〃Of　course　she　doesn't　live　here　now；　she　has　moved　away。　If　monsieur
had　told　me　he　was　going　to　her　apartment　I　would　have　spared　him　the
trouble　of　battering　down　the　door。〃

〃I　knew　that　she　was　going　to　leave　the　apartment；〃　said　la　Peyrade；
not　wishing　to　seem　ignorant　of　the　project　of　departure；　〃but　I　had
no　idea　she　was　going　so　soon。〃

〃I　suppose　it　was　something　sudden；〃　said　the　porter；　〃for　she　went
off　early　this　morning　with　post…horses。〃

〃Post…horses！〃　echoed　la　Peyrade；　stupefied。　〃Then　she　has　left
Paris？〃

〃That's　to　be　supposed；〃　said　the　porter；　〃people　don't　usually　take
post…horses　and　a　postilion　to　change　from　one　quarter　of　Paris　to
another。〃

〃And　she　did　not　tell　you　where　she　was　going？〃

〃Ah！　monsieur；　what　an　idea！　Do　people　account　to　us　porters　for　what
they　do？〃

〃No；　but　her　lettersthose　that　come　after　her　departure？〃

〃Her　letters？　I　am　ordered　to　deliver　them　to　Monsieur　le　commandeur；
the　little　old　gentlemen　who　came　to　see　her　so　often；　monsieur　must
have　met　him。〃

〃Yes；　yes；　certainly；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　keeping　his　presence　of　mind
in　the　midst　of　the　successive　shocks　which　came　upon　him；〃the
powered　little　man　who　was　here　every　day。〃

〃I　couldn't　say　every　day；　but　he　came　often。　Well；　I　am　told　to　give
the　countess's　letters　to　him。〃

〃And　for　other　persons　of　her　acquaintance；〃　said　la　Peyrade；
carelessly；　〃did　she　leave　no　message？〃

〃None；　monsieur。〃

〃Very　well；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃good…morning。〃　And　he　turned　to　go　out。

〃But　I　think；〃　said　the　porter；　〃that　Mademoiselle　Thuillier　knows
more　about　it　than　I　do。　Won't　monsieur　go　up？　She　is　at　home；　and　so
is　Monsieur　Thuillier。〃

〃No；　never　mind；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃I　only　came　to　tell　Madame　de
Godollo　about　a　commission　she　asked　me　to　execute；　I　haven't　time　to
stop　now。〃

〃Well；　as　I　told　you；　she　left　with　post…horses　this　morning。　Two
hours　earlier　monsieur　might　still　have　found　her；　but　now；　with　post…
horses；　she　must　by　this　time　have　gone　a　good　distance。〃

La　Peyrade　departed；　with　a　sense　of　despair　in　his　heart。　Added　to
the　anxiety　caused　by　this　hasty　departure；　jealousy　entered　his　soul；
and　in　this　agonizing　moment　of　disappointment　the　most　distressing
explanations　crowded　on　his　mind。

Then；　after　further　reflection；　he　said　to　himself：

〃These　clever　diplomatic　women　are　often　sent　on　secret　missions　which
require　the　most　absolute　silence；　and　extreme　rapidity　of　movement。〃

But　here　a　sudden　revulsion　of　thought　overcame　him：

〃Suppose　she　were　one　of　those　intriguing　adventurers　whom　foreign
governments　employ　as　agents？　Suppose　the　tale；　more　or　less　probable；
of　that　Russian　princess　forced　to　sell　her　furniture　to　Brigitte　were
also　that　of　this　Hungarian　countess？　And　yet；〃　he　continued；　as　his
brain　made　a　third　evolution　in　this　frightful　anarchy　of　ideas　and
feelings；　〃her　education；　her　manners；　her　language；　all　bespoke　a
woman　of　the　best　position。　Besides；　if　she　were　only　a　bird　of
passage；　why　have　given　herself　so　much　trouble　to　win　me　over？〃

La　Peyrade　might　have　continued　to　plead　thus　for　and　against　for　a
long　time　had　he　not　been　suddenly　grasped　round　the　shoulders　by　a
strong　arm　and　addressed　in　a　well…known　voice。

〃Take　care！　my　dear　barrister；　a　frightful　danger　threatens　you；　you
are　running　right　into　it。〃

La　Peyrade；　thus　arrested；　looked　round　and　found　himself　in　the　arms
of　Phellion。

The　scene　took　place　in　front　of　a　house　which　was　being　pulled　down
at　the　corner　of　the　rues　Duphot　and　Saint…Honore。　Posted　on　the
pavement　of　the　other　side　of　the　street；　Phellion；　whose　taste　for
watching　the　process　of　building　our　readers　may　remember；　had　been
witnessing　for　the　last　fifteen　minutes　the　drama　of　a　wall　about　to
fall　beneath　the　united　efforts　of　a　squadron　of　workmen。　Watch　in
hand；　the　great　citizen　was　estimating　the　length　of　the　resistance
which　that　mass　of　freestone　would　present　to　the　destructive　labor　of
which　it　was　the　object。　Precisely　at　the　crucial　moment　of　the
impending　catastrophe　la　Peyrade；　lost　in　the　tumult　of　his　thoughts；
was　entering；　heedless　of　the　shouts　addressed　to　him　on　all　sides；
the　radius　within　which　the　stones　would　fall。　Seen　by　Phellion　（who；
it　must　be　said；　would　have　done　the　same　for　a　total　stranger）　la
Peyrade　undoubtedly　owed　his　life　to　him；　for；　at　the　moment　when　he
was　violently　flung　back　by　the　vigorous　grasp　of　the　worthy　citizen；
the　wall　fell　with　the　noise　of　a　cannon…shot；　and　the　stones　rolled
in　clouds　of　dust　almost　to　his　very　feet。

〃Are　you　blind　and　deaf？〃　said　the　workman　whose　business　it　was　to
warn　the　passers；　in　a　tone　of　amenity　it　is　easy　to　imagine。

〃Thank　you；　my　dear　friend；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　recalled　to　earth。　〃I
should　certainly　have　been　crushed　like　an　idiot　if　it　hadn't　been　for
you。〃

And　he　pressed　Phellion's　hand。

〃My　reward；〃　replied　the　latter；　〃lies　in　the　satisfaction　of　knowing
that　you　are　saved　from　an　imminent　peril。　And　I　may　say　that　that
satisfaction　is　mingled；　for　me；　with　a　certain　pride；　for　I　was　not
mistaken　by　a　single　second　in　the　calculation　which　enabled　me　to
foresee　the　exact　moment　when　that　formidable　mass　would　be　displaced
from　its　centre　of　gravity。　But　what　were　you　thinking　of；　my　dear
monsieur？　Probably　of　the　plea　you　are　about　to　make　in　the　Thuillier
affair。　The　public　prints　have　informed　me　of　the　danger　of
prosecution　by　the　authorities　which　hangs　above　the　head　of　our
estimable　friend。　You　have　a　noble　cause　to　defend；　monsieur。
Habituated　as　I　am；　through　my　labors　as　a　member　of　the　reading
committee　of　the　Odeon；　to　judge　of　works　of　intellect；　and　with　my
hand　upon　my　conscience；　I　declare　that　after　reading　the　incriminated
passages；　I　can　find　nothing　in　the　tone　of　that　pamphlet　which
justifies　the　severe　measures　of　which　it　is　the　object。　Between
ourselves；〃　added　the　great　citizen；　lowering　his　voice；　〃I　think　the
government　has　shown　itself　petty。〃

〃So　I　think；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃but　I　am　not　employed　for　the　defence。
I　have　advised　Thuillier　to　engage　some　noted　lawyer。〃

〃It　may　be　good　advice；〃　said　Phellion；　〃at　any　rate；　it　speaks　well
for　your　modesty。　Poor　man！　I　went　to　him　at　once　when　the　blow　fell；
but　I　did　not　see　him；　I　saw　only　Brigitte；　who　was　having　a
discussion　with　Madame　de　Godollo。　There　is　a　woman　with　strong
political　views；　it　seems　she　predicted　that　the　seizure　would　be
made。〃

〃Did　you　know　that　the　countess　had　left　Paris？〃　said　la　Peyrade；
rushing　at　the　chance　of　speaking　on　the　subject　of　his　present
monomania。

〃Ah！　left　Paris；　has　she？〃　said　Phellion。　〃Well；　monsieur；　I　must　tell
you　that；　although　there　was　not　much　sympathy　between　us；　I　regard
her　departure　as　a　misfortune。　She　will　leave　a　serious　void　in　the
salon　of　our　friends。　I　say　this；　because　it　is　my　belief；　and　I　am
not　in　the　habit　of　disguising　my　convictions。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃she　is　certainly　a　very　distinguished　woman；
with　whom　in　spite　of　her　prejudice　against　me；　I　think　I　should　have
come　to　an　understanding。　But　this　morning；　without　leaving　any　word
as　to　where　she　was　going；　she　started　suddenly　with　post…horses。〃

〃Post…horses！〃　said　Phellion。　〃I　don't　know　whether　you　will　agree
with　me；　monsieur；　but　I　think　that　travelling　by　post　is　a　most
agreeable　method　of　conveyance。　Certainly　Louis　XI。；　to　whom　we　owe
the　institution；　had　a　fortunate　inspiration　in　the　matter；　although；
on　the　other　hand；　his　sanguinary　and　despotic　government　was　not；　to
my　humble　thinking；　entirely　devoid　of　reproach。　Once　only　in　my　life
have　I　used　that　method　of　locomotion；　and　I　can　truly　say　I　found　it
far　superior；　in　spite　of　its　inferior　relative　rapidity；　to　the
headlong　course　of　what　in　England　are　called　RAILWAYS；　where　speed　is
attained　only　at　the　price　of　safety。〃

La　Peyrade　paid　but　little　atten