the lesser bourgeoisie-第77节

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housekeeping；　came　up　to　ask　if　he　would　see　Monsieur　Etienne
Lousteau。　＇See　〃The　Great　Man　of　the　Provinces　in　Paris。〃＇

Etienne　Lousteau！　la　Peyrade　had　an　idea　that　he　had　heard　the　name
before。

〃Show　him　into　my　office；〃　he　said　to　the　portress。

A　moment　later　he　met　his　visitor；　whose　face　did　not　seem　utterly
unknown　to　him。

〃Monsieur；〃　said　this　new…comer；　〃I　had　the　honor　of　breakfasting　with
you　not　long　ago　at　Vefour's；　I　was　invited　to　that　meeting；
afterwards　rather　disturbed；　by　Monsieur　Thuillier。〃

〃Ah；　very　good！〃　said　the　barrister；　offering　a　chair；　〃you　are
attached　to　the　staff　of　a　newspaper？〃

〃Editor…in…chief　of　the　'Echo　de　la　Bievre；'　and　it　is　on　the　subject
of　that　paper　that　I　have　now　called　to　see　you。　You　know　what　has
happened？〃

〃No；〃　said　la　Peyrade。

〃Is　it　possible　you　are　not　aware　that　the　ministry　met　with　terrible
defeat　last　night？　But　instead　of　resigning；　as　every　one　expected；
they　have　dissolved　the　Chamber　and　appeal　to　the　people。〃

〃I　knew　nothing　of　all　that；〃　said　la　Peyrade。　〃I　have　not　read　the
morning　papers。〃

〃So；〃　continued　Lousteau；　〃all　parliamentary　ambitions　will　take　the
field；　and；　if　I　am　well　informed；　Monsieur　Thuillier；　already　member
of　the　Council…general；　intends　to　present　himself　as　candidate　for
election　in　the　12th　arrondissement。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃that　is　likely　to　be　his　intention。〃

〃Well；　monsieur；　I　desire　to　place　at　his　disposition　an　instrument
the　value　of　which　I　am　confident　you　will　not　underestimate。　The
'Echo　de　la　Bievre；'　a　specialist　paper；　can　have　a　decisive　influence
on　the　election　in　that　quarter。〃

〃And　you　would　be　disposed；〃　asked　la　Peyrade；　〃to　make　that　paper
support　Monsieur　Thuillier's　candidacy？〃

〃Better　than　that；〃　replied　Lousteau。　〃I　have　come　to　propose　to
Monsieur　Thuillier　that　he　purchase　the　paper　itself。　Once　the
proprietor　of　it　he　can　use　it　as　he　pleases。〃

〃But　in　the　first　place；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃what　is　the　present
condition　of　the　enterprise？　In　its　character　as　a　specialist　journal
as　you　called　it　just　nowit　is　a　sheet　I　have　seldom　met　with；　in
fact；　it　would　be　entirely　unknown　to　me　were　it　not　for　the
remarkable　article　you　were　so　good　as　to　devote　to　Thuillier's
defence　at　the　time　his　pamphlet　was　seized。〃

Etienne　Lousteau　bowed　his　thanks；　and　then　said：

〃The　position　of　the　paper　is　excellent；　we　can　give　it　to　you　on　easy
terms；　for　we　were　intending　shortly　to　stop　the　publication。〃

〃That　is　strange　for　a　prosperous　journal。〃

〃On　the　contrary；　it　happens　to　be　quite　natural。　The　founders；　who
were　all　representatives　of　the　great　leather　interest；　started　this
paper　for　a　special　object。　That　object　has　been　attained。　The　'Echo
de　la　Bievre'　has　therefore　become　an　effect　without　a　cause。　In　such
a　case；　stockholders　who　don't　like　the　tail　end　of　matters；　and　are
not　eager　after　small　profits；　very　naturally　prefer　to　sell　out。〃

〃But；〃　asked　la　Peyrade；　〃does　the　paper　pay　its　costs？〃

〃That；〃　replied　Lousteau；　〃is　a　point　we　did　not　consider；　we　were　not
very　anxious　to　have　subscribers；　the　mainspring　of　the　whole　affair
was　direct　and　immediate　action　on　the　ministry　of　commerce　to　obtain
a　higher　duty　on　the　introduction　of　foreign　leathers。　You　understand
that　outside　of　the　tannery　circle；　this　interest　was　not　very
exciting　to　the　general　reader。〃

〃I　should　have　thought；　however；〃　persisted　la　Peyrade；　〃that　a
newspaper；　however　circumscribed　its　action；　would　be　a　lever　which
depended　for　its　force　on　the　number　of　its　subscribers。〃

〃Not　for　journals　which　aim　for　a　single　definite　thing；〃　replied
Lousteau；　dogmatically。　〃In　that　case；　subscribers　are；　on　the
contrary；　an　embarrassment；　for　you　have　to　please　and　amuse　them；　and
in　so　doing；　the　real　object　has　to　be　neglected。　A　newspaper　which
has　a　definite　and　circumscribed　object　ought　to　be　like　the　stroke　of
that　pendulum　which；　striking　steadily　on　one　spot；　fires　at　a　given
hour　the　cannon　of　the　Palais…Royal。〃

〃At　any　rate；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃what　price　do　you　put　upon　a
publication　which　has　no　subscribers；　does　not　pay　its　expenses；　and
has　until　now　been　devoted　to　a　purpose　totally　different　from　that
you　propose　for　it？〃

〃Before　answering；〃　returned　Lousteau；　〃I　shall　ask　you　another
question。　Have　you　any　intention　of　buying　it？〃

〃That's　according　to　circumstances；〃　replied　la　Peyrade。　〃Of　course　I
must　see　Thuillier；　but　I　may　here　remark　to　you　that　he　knows
absolutely　nothing　about　newspaper　business。　With　his　rather　bourgeois
ideas；　the　ownership　of　a　newspaper　will　seem　to　him　a　ruinous
speculation。　Therefore；　if；　in　addition　to　an　idea　that　will　scare
him；　you　suggest　an　alarming　price；　it　is　useless　for　me　to　speak　to
him。　I　am　certain　he　would　never　go　into　the　affair。〃

〃No；〃　replied　Lousteau。　〃I　have　told　you　we　should　be　reasonable；
these　gentlemen　have　left　the　whole　matter　in　my　hands。　Only；　I　beg　to
remark　that　we　have　had　propositions　from　other　parties；　and　in　giving
Monsieur　Thuillier　this　option；　we　intended　to　pay　him　a　particular
courtesy。　When　can　I　have　your　answer？〃

〃To…morrow；　I　think；　shall　I　have　the　honor　of　seeing　you　at　your　own
house；　or　at　the　office　of　the　journal？〃

〃No；〃　said　Lousteau；　〃to…morrow　I　will　come　here；　at　the　same　hour；　if
that　is　convenient　to　you。〃

〃Perfectly；〃　replied　la　Peyrade；　bowing　out　his　visitor；　whom　he　was
inclined　to　think　more　consequential　than　able。

By　the　manner　in　which　the　barrister　had　received　the　proposition　to
become　an　intermediary　to　Thuillier；　the　reader　must　have　seen　that　a
rapid　revolution　had　taken　place　in　his　ideas。　Even　if　he　had　not
received　that　extremely　disquieting　letter　from　the　president　of　the
order　of　barristers；　the　new　situation　in　which　Thuillier　would　be
placed　if　elected　to　the　Chamber　gave　him　enough　to　think　about。
Evidently　his　dear　good　friend　would　have　to　come　back　to　him；　and
Thuillier's　eagerness　for　election　would　deliver　him　over；　bound　hand
and　foot。　Was　it　not　the　right　moment　to　attempt　to　renew　his　marriage
with　Celeste？　Far　from　being　an　obstacle　to　the　good　resolutions
inspired　by　his　amorous　disappointment　and　his　incipient　brain　fever；
such　a　finale　would　ensure　their　continuance　and　success。　Moreover；　if
he　received；　as　he　feared；　one　of　those　censures　which　would　ruin　his
dawning　prospects　at　the　bar；　it　was　with　the　Thuilliers；　the
accomplices　and　beneficiaries　of　the　cause　of　his　fall；　that　his
instinct　led　him　to　claim　an　asylum。

With　these　thoughts　stirring　in　his　mind　la　Peyrade　obeyed　the　summons
and　went　to　see　the　president　of　the　order　of　barristers。

He　was　not　mistaken；　a　very　circumstantial　statement　of　his　whole
proceeding　in　the　matter　of　the　house　had　been　laid　before　his
brethren　of　the　bar；　and　the　highest　dignitary　of　the　order；　after
stating　that　an　anonymous　denunciation　ought　always　to　be　received
with　great　distrust；　told　him　that　he　was　ready　to　receive　and　welcome
an　explanation。　La　Peyrade　dared　not　entrench　himself　in　absolute
denial；　the　hand　from　which　he　believed　the　blow　had　come　seemed　to
him　too　resolute　and　too　able　not　to　hold　the　proofs　as　well。　But；
while　admitting　the　facts　in　general；　he　endeavored　to　give　them　an
acceptable　coloring。　In　this；　he　saw　that　he　had　failed；　when　the
president　said　to　him：

〃After　the　vacation　which　is　now　beginning　I　shall　report　to　the
Council　of　the　order　the　charges　made　against　you；　and　the　statements
by　which　you　have　defended　yourself。　The　Council　alone　has　the　right
to　decide　on　a　matter　of　such　importance。〃

Thus　dismissed；　la　Peyrade　felt　that　his　whole　future　at　the　bar　was
imperilled；　but　at　least　he　had　a　respite；　and　in　case　of　condemnation
a　new　project　on　which　to　rest　his　head。　Accordingly；　he　put　on　his
gown；　which　he　had　never　worn　till　now；　and　went　to　the　fifth　court…
room；　where　he　was　employed　upon　a　case。

As　he　left　the　court…room；　carrying　one　of　those　bundles　of　legal
papers　held　together　by　a　strip　of　cotton　which；　being　too　voluminous
to　hold　under　the　arm；　are　carried　by　the　hand　and　the　forearm　pressed
against　the　chest；　la　Peyrade　began　to　pace　about　the　Salle　des　Pas
perdus　with　that　harassed　look　of　business　which　denotes　a　lawyer
overwhelmed　with　work。　Whether　he　had　really　excited　himself　in
pleading；　or　whether　he　was　pretending　to　be　exhausted　to　prove　that
his　gown　was　not　a　dignity　for　show；　as　it　was　with　many　of　his　legal
brethren；　but　an　armor　buckled　on　for　the　fight；　it　is　certain　that；
handkerchief　in　hand；　he　was　mopping　his　forehead　as　he　walked；　when；
in　the　distance；　he　spied　Thuillier；　who　had　evidently　just　caught
sight　of　him；　and　was　beginning　on　his　side　to　manoeuvre。

La　Peyrade　was　not　surprised　by　the　encounter。　On　leaving　home　he　had
told　Madame　Coffinet　he　was　going　to　the　Palais；　and　should　be　there
till　three　o'clock；　and　she　might　send　to　him　any　persons　who　called
on　business。　Not　wishing　to　let　Thuillier　accost　him　too　easily；　he
turned　abruptly；　as　if　some　thought　had　changed　his　purpose；　and　went
and　seated　himself　on　one　of　the　benches　which　surround　the　walls　of
that　great　antech