the lesser bourgeoisie-第76节

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〃I　don't　know；〃　replied　la　Peyrade；　〃but　she　is　a　woman　who　makes
people　think　of　her。〃

〃And　a　very　dangerous　woman；　monsieur；〃　added　his　companion；　〃a
fearful　spendthrift；　but　with　no　inclination　to　return　generously　what
is　done　for　her。　I　can　speak　knowingly　of　that；　when　she　first　arrived
here　from　Berlin；　six　months　ago；　she　was　very　warmly　recommended　to
me。〃

〃Ah！〃　exclaimed　la　Peyrade。

〃Yes；　at　that　time　I　had　in　the　environs　of　Ville　d'Avray　a　very
beautiful　place；　with　park　and　coverts　and　a　stream　for　fishing；　but
as　I　was　alone　I　found　it　dull；　and　several　of　these　ladies　and
gentlemen　said　to　me；　'Madame　Louchard；　why　don't　you　organize　parties
in　the　style　of　picnics？'〃

〃Madame　Louchard！〃　repeated　la　Peyrade；　〃are　you　any　relation　to
Monsieur　Louchard　of　the　commercial　police？〃

〃His　wife；　monsieur；　but　legally　separated　from　him。　A　horrid　man　who
wants　me　to　go　back　to　him；　but　I；　though　I'm　ready　to　forgive　most
things；　I　can't　forgive　a　want　of　respect；　just　imagine　that　he　dared
to　raise　his　hand　against　me！〃

〃Well；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　trying　to　bring　her　back　to　the　matter　in
hand；　〃you　organized　those　picnics；　and　Madame　de　GodoI　mean　Madame
Komorn〃

〃Was　one　of　my　first　lodgers。　It　was　there　she　made　acquaintance　with
an　Italian；　a　handsome　man；　and　rich；　a　political　refugee；　but　one　of
the　lofty　kind。　You　understand　it　didn't　suit　my　purposes　to　have
intrigues　going　on　in　my　house；　still　the　man　was　so　lovable；　and　so
unhappy　because　he　couldn't　make　Madame　Komorn　like　him；　that　at　last
I　took　an　interest　in　this　particular　love　affair；　which　produced　a
pot　of　money　for　madame；　for　she　managed　to　get　immense　sums　out　of
that　Italian。　Well；　would　you　believe　that　whenbeing　just　then　in
great　needI　asked　her　to　assist　me　with　a　trifling　little　sum；　she
refused　me　point…blank；　and　left　my　house；　taking　her　lover　with　her；
who；　poor　man；　can't　be　thankful　for　the　acquaintance　now。〃

〃Why　not？　What　happened　to　him？〃　asked　la　Peyrade。

〃It　happened　to　him　that　this　serpent　knows　every　language　in　Europe；
she　is　witty　and　clever　to　the　tips　of　her　fingers；　but　more
manoeuvring　than　either；　so；　being；　as　it　appears；　in　close　relations
to　the　police；　she　gave　the　government　a　lot　of　papers　the　Italian
left　about　carelessly；　on　which　they　expelled　him　from　France。〃

〃Well；　after　his　departure；　Madame　Komorn〃

〃Since　then；　she　has　had　a　good　many　adventures　and　upset　several
fortunes；　and　I　thought　she　had　left　Paris。　For　the　last　two　months
she　was　nowhere　to　be　seen；　but　three　days　ago　she　reappeared；　more
brilliant　than　ever。　My　advice　to　monsieur　is　not　to　trust　himself　in
that　direction；　and　yet；　monsieur　looks　to　me　a　Southerner；　and
Southerners　have　passions；　perhaps　what　I　have　told　him　will　only
serve　to　spur　them　up。　However；　being　warned；　there's　not　so　much
danger；　and　she　is　a　most　fascinating　creatureoh！　very　fascinating。
She　used　to　love　me　very　much；　though　we　parted　such　ill…friends；　and
just　now；　seeing　me　here；　she　came　over　and　asked　my　address；　and　said
she　should　come　and　see　me。〃

〃Well；　madame；　I'll　think　about　it；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　rising　and
bowing　to　her。

The　bow　was　returned　with　extreme　coldness；　his　abrupt　departure　did
not　show　him　to　be　a　man　of　SERIOUS　intentions。

It　might　be　supposed　from　the　lively　manner　in　which　la　Peyrade　made
these　inquiries　that　his　cure　though　sudden　was　complete；　but　this
surface　of　indifference　and　cool　self…possession　was　only　the
stillness　of　the　atmosphere　that　precedes　a　storm。　On　leaving　Madame
Louchard；　la　Peyrade　flung　himself　into　a　street…cab　and　there　gave
way　to　a　passion　of　tears　like　that　Madame　Colleville　had　witnessed　on
the　day　he　believed　that　Cerizet　had　got　the　better　of　him　in　the　sale
of　the　house。

What　was　his　position　now？　The　investment　of　the　Thuilliers；　prepared
with　so　much　care；　all　useless；　Flavie　well　avenged　for　the　odious
comedy　he　had　played　with　her；　his　affairs　in　a　worse　state　than　they
were　when　Cerizet　and　Dutocq　had　sent　him；　like　a　devouring　wolf；　into
the　sheepfold　from　which　he　had　allowed　the　stupid　sheep　to　drive　him；
his　heart　full　of　revengeful　projects　against　the　woman　who　had　so
easily　got　the　better　of　what　he　thought　his　cleverness；　and　the
memory；　still　vivid；　of　the　seductions　to　which　he　had　succumbed；
such　were　the　thoughts　and　emotions　of　his　sleepless　night；　sleepless
except　for　moments　shaken　by　agitated　dreams。

The　next　day　la　Peyrade　could　think　no　more；　he　was　a　prey　to　fever；
the　violence　of　which　became　sufficiently　alarming　for　the　physician
who　attended　him　to　take　all　precautions　against　the　symptoms　now
appearing　of　brain　fever：　bleeding；　cupping；　leeches；　and　ice　to　his
head；　these　were　the　agreeable　finale　to　his　dream　of　love。　We　must
hasten　to　add；　however；　that　this　violent　crisis　in　the　physical　led
to　a　perfect　cure　of　the　mental　being。　The　barrister　came　out　of　his
illness　with　no　other　sentiment　than　cold　contempt　for　the　treacherous
Hungarian；　a　sentiment　which　did　not　even　rise　to　a　desire　for
vengeance。



CHAPTER　IX

GIVE　AND　TAKE

Once　more　afoot；　and　reckoning　with　his　future；　on　which　he　had　lost
so　much　ground；　la　Peyrade　asked　himself　if　he　had　not　better　try　to
renew　his　relations　with　the　Thuilliers；　or　whether　he　should　be
compelled　to　fall　back　on　the　rich　crazy　woman　who　had　bullion　where
others　have　brains。　But　everything　that　reminded　him　of　his　disastrous
campaign　was　repulsive　to　him；　besides；　what　safety　was　there　in
dealing　with　this　du　Portail；　a　man　who　could　use　such　instruments　for
his　means　of　action？

Great　commotions　of　the　soul　are　like　those　storms　which　purify　the
atmosphere；　they　induce　reflection；　they　counsel　good　and　strong
resolutions。　La　Peyrade；　as　the　result　of　the　cruel　disappointment　he
had　just　endured；　examined　his　own　soul。　He　asked　himself　what　sort　of
existence　was　this；　of　base　and　ignoble　intrigue；　which　he　had　led　for
the　past　year？　Was　there　for　him　no　better；　no　nobler　use　to　make　of
the　faculties　he　felt　within　him？　The　bar　was　open　to　him　as　to
others；　that　was　a　broad；　straight　path　which　could　lead　him　to　all
the　satisfaction　of　legitimate　ambition。　Like　Figaro；　who　displayed
more　science　and　calculation　in　merely　getting　a　living　than　statesmen
had　shown　in　governing　Spain　for　a　hundred　years；　he；　la　Peyrade；　in
order　to　install　and　maintain　himself　in　the　Thuillier　household　and
marry　the　daughter　of　a　clarionet　and　a　smirched　coquette；　had　spent
more　mind；　more　art；　andit　should　also　be　said；　because　in　a　corrupt
society　it　is　an　element　that　must　be　reckonedmore　dishonesty　than
was　needed　to　advance　him　in　some　fine　career。

〃Enough　of　such　connections　as　Dutocq　and　Cerizet；〃　he　said　to
himself；　〃enough　of　the　nauseating　atmosphere　of　the　Minards　and
Phellions　and　Collevilles　and　Barniols　and　all　the　rest　of　them。　I'll
shake　off　this　province　'intra　muros；'　a　thousand　times　more　absurd
and　petty　than　the　true　provinces；　they　at　least；　side　by　side　with
their　pettiness；　have　habits　and　customs　that　are　characteristic；　a
'sui　generis'　dignity；　they　are　frankly　what　they　are；　the　antipodes
of　Parisian　life；　this　other　is　but　a　parody　of　it。　I　will　fling
myself　upon　Paris。〃

In　consequence　of　these　reflections；　la　Peyrade　went　to　see　two　or
three　barristers　who　had　offered　to　introduce　him　at　the　Palais　in
secondary　cases。　He　accepted　those　that　presented　themselves　at　once；
and　three　weeks　after　his　rupture　with　the　Thuilliers　he　was　no　longer
the　〃advocate　of　the　poor；〃　but　a　barrister　pleading　before　the　Royal
court。

He　had　already　pleaded　several　cases　successfully　when　he　received；
one　morning；　a　letter　which　greatly　disturbed　him。　The　president　of
the　order　of　barristers　requested　him　to　come　to　his　office　at　the
Palais　in　the　course　of　the　day；　as　he　had　something　of　importance　to
say　to　him。　La　Peyrade　instantly　thought　of　the　transaction　relating
to　the　purchase　of　the　house　on　the　boulevard　de　la　Madeleine；　it　must
have　come；　he　thought；　to　the　ears　of　the　Council　of　Discipline；　if　so
he　was　accountable　to　that　tribunal　and　he　knew　its　severity。

Now　this　du　Portail；　whom　he　had　never　yet　been　to　see；　in　spite　of
his　conditional　promise　to　Cerizet；　was　likely　to　have　heard　the　whole
story　of　that　transaction　from　Cerizet　himself。　Evidently　all　means
were　thought　good　by　that　man；　judging　by　the　use　he　had　made　of　the
Hungarian　woman。　In　his　savage　determination　to　bring　about　the
marriage　with　the　crazy　girl；　had　this　virulent　old　man　denounced　him？
On　seeing　him　courageously　and　with　some　appearance　of　success
entering　a　career　in　which　he　might　find　fame　and　independence；　had
his　persecutor　taken　a　step　to　make　that　career　impossible？　Certainly
there　was　enough　likelihood　in　this　suggestion　to　make　the　barrister
wait　in　cruel　anxiety　for　the　hour　when　he　might　learn　the　true　nature
of　the　alarming　summons。

While　breakfasting　rather　meagrely；　his　mind　full　of　these　painful
conjectures；　Madame　Coffinet；　who　had　the　honor　to　take　charge　of　his
housekeeping；　came　up　to　ask　if　he　would　see　Monsieur　Etienne
Lousteau。　＇See　〃The　Great　Man　of　the　Provinces　i