the lesser bourgeoisie-第80节

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else　to　get；　he　offered　to　make　me　manager　of　the　paper。〃

〃I　did　not　know　that；〃　said　du　Portail；　〃but　it　was　quite　probable。
Did　you　accept？〃

〃Conditionally；　I　asked　time　for　reflection。　I　wanted　to　know　what　you
thought　of　the　offer。〃

〃Parbleu！　I　think　that　out　of　an　evil　that　can't　be　remedied　we　should
get；　as　the　proverb　says；　wing　or　foot。　I　had　rather　see　you　inside
than　outside　of　that　enterprise。〃

〃Very　good；　but　in　order　to　get　into　it　there's　a　difficulty。　La
Peyrade　knows　I　have　debts；　and　he　won't　help　me　with　the　thirty…
three…thousand　francs'　security　which　must　be　paid　down　in　my　name。　I
haven't　got　them；　and　if　I　had；　I　wouldn't　show　them　and　expose　myself
to　the　insults　of　creditors。〃

〃You　must　have　a　good　deal　left　of　that　twenty…five　thousand　francs　la
Peyrade　paid　you　not　more　than　two　months　ago；〃　remarked　du　Portail。

〃Only　two　thousand　two　hundred　francs　and　fifty　centimes；〃　replied
Cerizet。　〃I　was　adding　it　up　last　night；　the　rest　has　all　gone　to　pay
off　pressing　debts。〃

〃But　if　you　have　paid　your　debts　you　haven't　any　creditors。〃

〃Yes；　those　I've　paid；　but　those　I　haven't　paid　I　still　owe。〃

〃Do　you　mean　to　tell　me　that　your　liabilities　were　more　than　twenty…
five　thousand　francs？〃　said　du　Portail；　in　a　tone　of　incredulity。

〃Does　a　man　go　into　bankruptcy　for　less？〃　replied　Cerizet；　as　though
he　were　enunciating　a　maxim。

〃Well；　I　see　I　am　expected　to　pay　that　sum　myself；〃　said　du　Portail；
crossly；　〃but　the　question　is　whether　the　utility　of　your　presence　in
this　enterprise　is　worth　to　me　the　interest　on　one　hundred　and　thirty…
three　thousand；　three　hundred　and　thirty…three　francs；　thirty…three
centimes。〃

〃Hang　it！〃　said　Cerizet；　〃if　I　were　once　installed　near　Thuillier；　I
shouldn't　despair　of　soon　putting　him　and　la　Peyrade　at　loggerheads。
In　the　management　of　a　newspaper　there　are　lots　of　inevitable
disagreements；　and　by　always　taking　the　side　of　the　fool　against　the
clever　man；　I　can　increase　the　conceit　of　one　and　wound　the　conceit　of
the　other　until　life　together　becomes　impossible。　Besides；　you　spoke
just　now　of　political　danger；　now　the　manager　of　a　newspaper；　as　you
ought　to　know；　when　he　has　the　intellect　to　be　something　better　than　a
man　of　straw；　can　quietly　give　his　sheet　a　push　in　the　direction
wanted。

〃There's　a　good　deal　of　truth　in　that；〃　said　du　Portail；　〃but　defeat
to　la　Peyrade；　that's　what　I　am　thinking　about。〃

〃Well；〃　said　Cerizet；　〃I　think　I　have　another　nice　little　insidious
means　of　demolishing　him　with　Thuillier。〃

〃Say　what　it　is；　then！〃　exclaimed　du　Portail；　impatiently；　〃you　go
round　and　round　the　pot　as　if　I　were　a　man　it　would　do　you　some　good
to　finesse　with。〃

〃You　remember；〃　said　Cerizet；　coming　out　with　it；　〃that　some　time　ago
Dutocq　and　I　were　much　puzzled　to　know　how　la　Peyrade　was；　all　of　a
sudden；　able　to　make　that　payment　of　twenty…five　thousand　francs？〃

〃Ha！〃　said　the　old　man　quickly；　〃have　you　discovered　the　origin　of
that　very　improbable　sum　in　our　friend's　hands；　and　is　that　origin
shady？〃

〃You　shall　judge；〃　said　Cerizet。

And　he　related　in　all　its　details　the　affair　of　Madame　Lambert；
adding；　however；　that　on　questioning　the　woman　closely　at　the　office
of　the　justice…of…peace；　after　the　meeting　with　la　Peyrade；　he　had
been　unable　to　extract　from　her　any　confession；　although　by　her　whole
bearing　she　had　amply　confirmed　the　suspicions　of　Dutocq　and　himself。

〃Madame　Lambert；　rue　du　Val…de…Grace；　No。　9；　at　the　house　of　Monsieur
Picot；　professor　of　mathematics；〃　said　du　Portail；　as　he　made　a　note
of　the　information。　〃Very　good；〃　he　added；　〃come　back　and　see　me
to…morrow；　my　dear　Monsieur　Cerizet。〃

〃But　please　remark；〃　said　the　usurer；　〃that　I　must　give　an　answer　to
la　Peyrade　in　the　course　of　to…day。　He　is　in　a　great　hurry　to　start
the　business。〃

〃Very　well；　you　must　accept；　asking　a　delay　of　twenty…four　hours　to
obtain　your　security。　If；　after　making　certain　inquiries　I　see　it　is
more　to　my　interests　not　to　meddle　in　the　affair；　you　can　get　out　of
it　by　merely　breaking　your　word；　you　can't　be　sent　to　the　court　of
assizes　for　that。〃

Independently　of　a　sort　of　inexplicable　fascination　which　du　Portail
exercised　over　his　agent；　he　never　lost　an　opportunity　to　remind　him
of　the　very　questionable　point　of　departure　of　their　intercourse。

The　next　day　Cerizet　returned。

〃You　guessed　right；〃　said　du　Portail。　〃That　woman　Lambert；　being
obliged　to　conceal　the　existence　of　her　booty；　and　wanting　to　draw
interest　on　her　stolen　property；　must　have　taken　it　into　her　head　to
consult　la　Peyrade；　his　devout　exterior　may　have　recommended　him　to
her。　She　probably　gave　him　that　money　without　taking　a　receipt。　In
what　kind　of　money　was　Dutocq　paid？〃

〃In　nineteen　thousand…franc　notes；　and　twelve　of　five…hundred　francs。〃

〃That's　precisely　it；〃　said　du　Portail。　〃There　can't　be　the　slightest
doubt　left。　Now；　what　use　do　you　expect　to　make　of　this　information
bearing　upon　Thuillier。〃

〃I　expect　to　put　it　into　his　head　that　la　Peyrade；　to　whom　he　is　going
to　give　his　goddaughter　and　heiress；　is　over　head　and　ears　in　debt；
that　he　makes　enormous　secret　loans；　and　that　in　order　to　get　out　of
his　difficulties　he　means　to　gnaw　the　newspaper　to　the　bone；　and　I
shall　insinuate　that　the　position　of　a　man　so　much　in　debt　must　be
known　to　the　public　before　long；　and　become　a　fatal　blow　to　the
candidate　whose　right　hand　he　is。〃

〃That's　not　bad；〃　said　du　Portail；　〃but　there's　another　and　even　more
conclusive　use　to　be　made　of　the　discovery。〃

〃Tell　me；　master；　I'm　listening；〃　said　Cerizet。

〃Thuillier　has　not　yet　been　able；　has　he；　to　explain　to　himself　the
reason　of　the　seizure　of　the　pamphlet？〃

〃Yes；　he　has；〃　replied　Cerizet。　〃La　Peyrade　was　telling　me　only
yesterday；　by　way　of　explaining　Thuillier's　idiotic　simplicity；　that
he　had　believed　a　most　ridiculous　bit　of　humbug。　The　'honest
bourgeois'　is　persuaded　that　the　seizure　was　instigated　by　Monsieur
Olivier　Vinet；　substitute　to　the　procureur…general。　The　young　man
aspired　for　a　moment　to　the　hand　of　Mademoiselle　Colleville；　and　the
worthy　Thuillier　has　been　made　to　imagine　that　the　seizure　of　his
pamphlet　was　a　revenge　for　the　refusal。〃

〃Good！〃　said　du　Portail；　〃to…morrow；　as　a　preparation　for　the　other
version　of　which　you　are　to　be　the　organ；　Thuillier　shall　receive　from
Monsieur　Vinet　a　very　sharp　and　decided　denial　of　the　abuse　of　power
he　foolishly　gave　ear　to。〃

〃Will　he？〃　said　Cerizet；　with　curiosity。

〃But　another　explanation　must　take　its　place；〃　continued　du　Portail；
〃you　must　assure　Thuillier　that　he　is　the　victim　of　police
machinations。　That　is　all　the　police　is　good　for；　you　know；
machinations。〃

〃I　know　that　very　well；　I've　made　that　affirmation　scores　of　times
when　I　was　working　for　the　republican　newspapers　and〃

〃When　you　were　'the　courageous　Cerizet；'〃　interrupted　du　Portail。
〃Well；　the　present　machination；　here　it　is。　The　government　was　much
displeased　at　seeing　Thuillier　elected　without　its　influence　to　the
Council…general　of　the　Seine；　it　was　angry　with　an　independent　and
patriotic　citizen　who　showed　by　his　candidacy　that　he　could　do　without
it；　and　it　learned；　moreover；　that　this　excellent　citizen　was
preparing　a　pamphlet　on　the　subject；　always　a　delicate　one；　of　the
finances；　as　to　which　this　dangerous　adversary　had　great　experience。
So；　what　did　this　essentially　corrupt　government　do？　It　suborned　a　man
in　whom；　as　it　learned；　Thuillier　placed　confidence；　and　for　a　sum　of
twenty…five　thousand　francs　（a　mere　trifle　to　the　police）；　this
treacherous　friend　agreed　to　insert　into　the　pamphlet　three　or　four
phrases　which　exposed　it　to　seizure　and　caused　its　author　to　be
summoned　before　the　court　of　assizes。　Now　the　way　to　make　the
explanation　clinch　the　doubt　in　Thuillier's　mind　is　to　let　him　know
that　the　next　day　la　Peyrade；　who；　as　Thuillier　knew；　hadn't　a　sou；
paid　Dutocq　precisely　that　very　sum　of　twenty…five　thousand　francs。〃

〃The　devil！〃　cried　Cerizet；　〃it　isn't　a　bad　trick。　Fellows　of　the
Thuillier　species　will　believe　anything　against　the　police。〃

〃We　shall　see；　then；〃　continued　du　Portail；　〃whether　Thuillier　will
want　to　keep　such　a　collaborator　beside　him；　and　above　all；　whether　he
will　be　so　eager　to　give　him　his　goddaughter。〃

〃You　are　a　strong　man；　monsieur；〃　said　Cerizet；　again　expressing　his
approbation；　〃but　I　must　own　that　I　feel　some　scruples　at　the　part
assigned　me。　La　Peyrade　came　and　offered　me　the　management　of　the
paper；　and；　you　see；　I　should　be　working　to　evict　him。〃

〃And　that　lease　he　knocked　you　out　of　in　spite　of　his　promises；　have
you　forgotten　that？〃　asked　the　little　old　man。　〃Besides；　are　we　not
aiming　for　his　happiness；　though　the　obstinate　fellow　persists　in
thwarting　our　benevolent　intentions？〃

〃It　is　true；〃　said　Cerizet；　〃that　the　result　will　absolve　me。　Yes；
I'll　go　resolutely　along　the　ingenious　path　you've　traced　out　for　me。
But　there's　one　thing　more：　I　can't　fling　my　revelation　at　Thuillier's
head　at　the　very　first；　I　must　have　time　to　prepare　the　way　for　it；
but　that　security　will　have　to　be　paid　in　immediately。〃

〃Listen　to　me；　Monsieur　Cerizet；〃　said　du　Portail；　in　a　tone　of
author