the lesser bourgeoisie-第73节

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countess。　We　might　go　further　and　say　that　he　never　ceased　to　long　for
her；　though　he　was　careful　to　drape　with　an　honest　pretext　the　intense
desire　that　he　had　to　find　her。　That　desire　he　called　curiosity；　ardor
for　revenge；　and　here　follow　the　ingenious　deductions　which　he　drew
for　himself：

〃Cerizet　talked　to　me　about　a　rich　heiress；　the　countess；　in　her
letter；　intimates　that　the　whole　intrigue　she　wound　about　me　was　to
lead　to　a　rich　marriage；　rich　marriages　flung　at　a　man's　head　are　not
so　plentiful　that　two　such　chances　should　come　to　me　within　a　few
weeks；　therefore　the　match　offered　by　Cerizet　and　that　proposed　by　the
countess　must　be　the　crazy　girl　they　are　so　frantic　to　make　me　marry；
therefore　Cerizet；　being　in　the　plot；　must　know　the　countess；
therefore；　through　him　I　shall　get　upon　her　traces。　In　any　case；　I　am
sure　of　information　about　this　extraordinary　choice　that　has　fallen
upon　me；　evidently；　these　people；　whoever　they　are；　who　can　pull　the
wires　of　such　puppets　to　reach　their　ends　must　be　persons　of
considerable　position；　therefore；　I'll　go　and　see　Cerizet。〃

And　he　went　to　see　Cerizet。

Since　the　dinner　at　the　Rocher　de　Cancale；　the　pair　had　not　met。　Once
or　twice　la　Peyrade　had　asked　Dutocq　at　the　Thuilliers'　（where　the
latter　seldom　went　now；　on　account　of　the　distance　to　their　new　abode）
what　had　become　of　his　copying　clerk。

〃He　never　speaks　of　you；〃　Dutocq　had　answered。

Hence　it　might　be　inferred　that　resentment；　the　〃manet　alta　mente
repostum〃　was　still　living　in　the　breast　of　the　vindictive　usurer。　La
Peyrade；　however；　was　not　stopped　by　that　consideration。　After　all；　he
was　not　going　to　ask　for　anything；　he　went　under　the　pretext　of
renewing　an　affair　in　which　Cerizet　had　taken　part；　and　Cerizet　never
took　part　in　anything　unless　he　had　a　personal　interest　in　it。　The
chances　were；　therefore；　that　he　would　be　received　with　affectionate
eagerness　rather　than　unpleasant　acerbity。　Moreover；　he　decided　to　go
and　see　the　copying　clerk　at　Dutocq's　office；　it　would　look；　he
thought；　less　like　a　visit　than　if　he　went　to　his　den　in　the　rue　des
Poules。　It　was　nearly　two　o'clock　when　la　Peyrade　made　his　entrance
into　the　precincts　of　the　justice…of…peace　of　the　12th　arrondissement。
He　crossed　the　first　room；　in　which　were　a　crowd　of　persons　whom　civil
suits　of　one　kind　or　another　summoned　before　the　magistrate。　Without
pausing　in　that　waiting…room；　la　Peyrade　pushed　on　to　the　office
adjoining　that　of　Dutocq。　There　he　found　Cerizet　at　a　shabby　desk　of
blackened　wood；　at　which　another　clerk；　then　absent；　occupied　the
opposite　seat。

Seeing　his　visitor；　Cerizet　cast　a　savage　look　at　him　and　said；
without　rising；　or　suspending　the　copy　of　the　judgment　he　was　then
engrossing：

〃You　here；　Sieur　la　Peyrade？　You　have　been　doing　fine　things　for　your
friend　Thuillier！〃

〃How　are　you？〃　asked　la　Peyrade；　in　a　tone　both　resolute　and　friendly。

〃I？〃　replied　Cerizet。　〃As　you　see；　still　rowing　my　galley；　and；　to
follow　out　the　nautical　metaphor；　allow　me　to　ask　what　wind　has　blown
you　hither；　is　it；　perchance；　the　wind　of　adversity？〃

La　Peyrade；　without　replying；　took　a　chair　beside　his　questioner；
after　which　he　said　in　a　grave　tone：

〃My　dear　fellow；　we　have　something　to　say　to　each　other。〃

〃I　suppose；〃　said　Cerizet；　spitefully；　〃the　Thuilliers　have　grown　cold
since　the　seizure　of　the　pamphlet。〃

〃The　Thuilliers　are　ungrateful　people；　I　have　broken　with　them；〃
replied　la　Peyrade。

〃Rupture　or　dismissal；〃　said　Cerizet；　〃their　door　is　shut　against　you；
and　from　what　Dutocq　tells　me；　I　judge　that　Brigitte　is　handling　you
without　gloves。　You　see；　my　friend；　what　it　is　to　try　and　manage
affairs　alone；　complications　come；　and　there's　no　one　to　smooth　the
angles。　If　you　had　got　me　that　lease；　I　should　have　had　a　footing　at
the　Thuilliers'；　Dutocq　would　not　have　abandoned　you；　and　together　we
could　have　brought　you　gently　into　port。〃

〃But　suppose　I　don't　want　to　re…enter　that　port？〃　said　la　Peyrade；
with　some　sharpness。　〃I　tell　you　I've　had　enough　of　those　Thuilliers；
and　I　broke　with　them　myself；　I　warned　them　to　get　out　of　my　sun；　and
if　Dutocq　told　you　anything　else　you　may　tell　him　from　me　that　he
lies。　Is　that　clear　enough？　It　seems　to　me　I've　made　it　plain。〃

〃Well；　exactly；　my　good　fellow；　if　you　are　so　savage　against　your
Thuilliers　you　ought　to　have　put　me　among　them；　and　then　you'd　have
seen　me　avenge　you。〃

〃There　you　are　right；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃I　wish　I　could　have　set　you
at　their　legsbut　as　for　that　matter　of　the　lease　I　tell　you　again；　I
was　not　master　of　it。〃

〃Of　course；〃　said　Cerizet；　〃it　was　your　conscience　which　obliged　you
to　tell　Brigitte　that　the　twelve　thousand　francs　a　year　I　expected　to
make　out　of　it　were　better　in　her　pocket　than　in　mine。〃

〃It　seems　that　Dutocq　continues　the　honorable　profession　of　spy　which
he　formerly　practised　at　the　ministry　of　finance；〃　said　la　Peyrade；
〃and；　like　others　who　do　that　dirty　business；　he　makes　his　reports
more　witty　than　truthful〃

〃Take　care！〃　said　Cerizet；　〃you　are　talking　of　my　patron　in　his　own
lair。〃

〃Look　here！〃　said　la　Peyrade。　〃I　have　come　to　talk　to　you　on　serious
matters。　Will　you　do　me　the　favor　to　drop　the　Thuilliers　and　all　their
belongings；　and　give　me　your　attention？〃

〃Say　on；　my　friend；〃　said　Cerizet；　laying　down　his　pen；　which　had
never　ceased　to　run；　up　to　this　moment；　〃I　am　listening。〃

〃You　talked　to　me　some　time　ago；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃about　marrying　a
girl　who　was　rich；　fully　of　age；　and　slightly　hysterical；　as　you　were
pleased　to　put　it　euphemistically。〃

〃Well　done！〃　cried　Cerizet。　〃I　expected　this；　but　you've　been　some
time　coming　to　it。〃

〃In　offering　me　this　heiress；　what　did　you　have　in　your　mind？〃　asked
la　Peyrade。

〃Parbleu！　to　help　you　to　a　splendid　stroke　of　business。　You　had　only
to　stoop　and　take　it。　I　was　formally　charged　to　propose　it　to　you；
and；　as　there　wasn't　any　brokerage；　I　should　have　relied　wholly　on
your　generosity。〃

〃But　you　are　not　the　only　person　who　was　commissioned　to　make　me　that
offer。　A　woman　had　the　same　order。〃

〃A　woman！〃　cried　Cerizet　in　a　perfectly　natural　tone　of　surprise。　〃Not
that　I　know　of。〃

〃Yes；　a　foreigner；　young　and　pretty；　whom　you　must　have　met　in　the
family　of　the　bride；　to　whom　she　seems　to　be　ardently　devoted。〃

〃Never；〃　said　Cerizet；　〃never　has　there　been　the　slightest　question　of
a　woman　in　this　negotiation。　I　have　every　reason　to　believe　that　I　am
exclusively　charged　with　it。〃

〃What！〃　said　la　Peyrade；　fixing　upon　Cerizet　a　scrutinizing　eye；　〃did
you　never　hear　of　the　Comtesse　Torna　de　Godollo？〃

〃Never；　in　all　my　life；　this　is　the　first　time　I　ever　heard　that
name。〃

〃Then；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃it　must　really　have　been　another　match；　for
that　woman；　after　many　singular　preliminaries；　too　long　to　explain　to
you；　made　me　a　formal　offer　of　the　hand　of　a　young　woman　much　richer
than　Mademoiselle　Colleville〃

〃And　hysterical？〃　asked　Cerizet。

〃No；　she　did　not　embellish　the　proposal　with　that　accessory；　but
there's　another　detail　which　may　put　you　on　the　track　of　her。　Madame
de　Godollo　exhorted　me；　if　I　wished　to　push　the　matter；　to　go　and　see
a　certain　Monsieur　du　Portail〃

〃Rue　Honore…Chevalier？〃　exclaimed　Cerizet；　quickly。

〃Precisely。〃

〃Then　it　is　the　same　marriage　which　is　offered　to　you　through　two
different　mediums。　It　is　strange　I　was　not　informed　of　this
collaboration！〃

〃In　short；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃you　not　only　didn't　have　wind　of　the
countess's　intervention；　but　you　don't　know　her；　and　you　can't　give　me
any　information　about　heris　that　so？〃

〃At　present　I　can't；〃　replied　Cerizet；　〃but　I'll　find　out　about　her；
for　the　whole　proceeding　is　rather　cavalier　towards　me；　but　this
employment　of　two　agents　only　shows　you　how　desirable　you　are　to　the
family。〃

At　this　moment　the　door　of　the　room　was　opened　cautiously；　a　woman's
head　appeared；　and　a　voice；　which　was　instantly　recognized　by　la
Peyrade；　said；　addressing　the　copying…clerk：

〃Ah！　excuse　me！　I　see　monsieur　is　busy。　Could　I　say　a　word　to　monsieur
when　he　is　alone？〃

Cerizet；　who　had　an　eye　as　nimble　as　a　hand；　instantly　noticed　a
certain　fact。　La　Peyrade；　who　was　so　placed　as　to　be　plainly　seen　by
the　new…comer；　no　sooner　heard　that　drawling；　honeyed　voice；　than　he
turned　his　head　in　a　manner　to　conceal　his　features。　Instead　therefore
of　being　roughly　sent　away；　as　usually　happened　to　petitioners　who
addressed　the　most　surly　of　official　clerks；　the　modest　visitor　heard
herself　greeted　in　a　very　surprising　manner。

〃Come　in；　come　in；　Madame　Lambert；〃　said　Cerizet；　〃you　won't　be　kept
waiting　long；　come　in。〃

The　visitor　advanced；　and　then　came　face　to　face　with　la　Peyrade。

〃Ah！　monsieur！〃　cried　his　creditor；　whom　the　reader　has　no　doubt
recognized；　〃how　fortunate　I　am　to　meet　monsieur！　I　have　been　several
times　to　his　office　to　ask　if　he　had　had　time　to　attend　to　my　little
affair。〃

〃I　have　had　many　engagements　which　have　kept　me　away　from　my　office
lately；　but　I　attended　to　that　matter；　everything　has　been　done　right；
and　is　now　in　the　hands　of　the　secretary。〃

〃Oh！　how　good　monsieur　is！　I　pray　God　to　bless　him；〃　said　the　pious
woman；　claspi