the lesser bourgeoisie-第83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！


were　irreproachable）；　constituted　the　apparel　of　the　younger　of　these
ladies。　As　for　the　other；　who　seemed　to　be　in　the　tow　of　her　dressy
companion；　she　was　short；　squat；　and　high…colored；　and　wore　a　bonnet；
shawl；　and　gown　which　a　practised　eye　would　at　once　have　recognized　as
second　hand。　Mothers　of　actresses　are　always　clothed　by　this　very
economical　process。　Their　garments；　condemned　to　the　service　of　two
generations；　reverse　the　order　of　things；　and　go　from　descendants　to
ancestors。

Advancing　two　chairs；　la　Peyrade　inquired；　〃To　whom　have　I　the　honor
of　speaking？〃

〃Monsieur；〃　said　the　younger　visitor；　〃I　am　a　dramatic　artist；　and　as
I　am　about　to　make　my　first　appearance　in　this　quarter；　I　allow　myself
to　hope　that　a　journal　of　this　locality　will　favor　me。〃

〃At　what　theatre？〃　asked　la　Peyrade。

〃The　Folies；　where　I　am　engaged　for　the　Dejazets。〃

〃The　Folies？〃　echoed　la　Peyrade；　in　a　tone　that　demanded　an
explanation。

〃Folies…Dramatiques；〃　interposed　the　agreeable　Madame　Cardinal；　whom
the　reader　has　doubtless　recognized。

〃When　do　you　appear？〃　asked　la　Peyrade。

〃Next　week；　monsieur；a　fairy　piece　in　which　I　play　five　parts。〃

〃You'll　encourage　her；　monsieur；　won't　you？〃　said　Madame　Cardinal；　in
a　coaxing　voice；　〃she's　so　young；　and　I　can　certify　she　works　day　and
night。〃

〃Mother！〃　said　Olympe；　with　authority；　〃the　public　will　judge　me；　all
I　want　is　that　monsieur　will　kindly　promise　to　notice　my　debut。〃

〃Very　good；　mademoiselle；〃　said　la　Peyrade　in　a　tone　of　dismissal；
beginning　to　edge　the　pair　to　the　door。

Olympe　Cardinal　went　first；　leaving　her　mother　to　hurry　after　her　as
best　she　could。

〃At　home　to　no　one！〃　cried　Thuillier　to　the　office…boy　as　he　closed
the　door　and　slipped　the　bolt。　〃Now；〃　he　said；　addressing　la　Peyrade；
〃we　will　talk。　My　dear　fellow；〃　he　went　on；　starting　with　irony；　for
he　remembered　to　have　heard　that　nothing　was　more　confusing　to　an
adversary；　〃I　have　heard　something　that　will　give　you　pleasure。　I　know
now　why　MY　pamphlet　was　seized。〃

So　saying；　he　looked　fixedly　at　la　Peyrade。

〃Parbleu！〃　said　the　latter　in　a　natural　tone　of　voice；　〃it　was　seized
because　they　chose　to　seize　it。　They　wanted　to　find；　and　they　found；
because　they　always　find　the　things　they　want；　what　the　king's
adherents　call　'subversive　doctrine。'〃

〃No；　you　are　wrong；〃　said　Thuillier；　〃the　seizure　was　planned；
concocted；　and　agreed　upon　before　publication。〃

〃Between　whom？〃　asked　la　Peyrade。

〃Between　those　who　wanted　to　kill　the　pamphlet；　and　the　wretches　who
were　paid　to　betray　it。〃

〃Well；　in　any　case；　those　who　paid；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃got　mighty
little　for　their　money；　for；　persecuted　though　it　was；　I　don't　see
that　your　pamphlet　made　much　of　a　stir。〃

〃Those　who　sold　may　have　done　better？〃　said　Thuillier　with　redoubled
irony。

〃Those　who　sold；〃　returned　la　Peyrade；　〃were　the　cleverer　of　the　two。〃

〃Ah；　I　know；〃　said　Thuillier；　〃that　you　think　a　great　deal　of
cleverness；　but　allow　me　to　tell　you　that　the　police；　whose　hand　I　see
in　all　this；　doesn't　usually　throw　its　money　away。〃

And　again　he　looked　fixedly　at　la　Peyrade。

〃So；〃　said　the　barrister；　without　winking；　〃you　have　discovered　that
the　police　had　plotted　in　advance　the　smothering　of　your　pamphlet？〃

〃Yes；　my　dear　fellow；　and　what　is　more；　I　know　the　actual　sum　paid　to
the　person　who　agreed　to　carry　out　this　honorable　plot。〃

〃The　person；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　thinking　a　moment；〃perhaps　I　know　the
person；　but　as　for　the　money；　I　don't　know　a　word　about　that。〃

〃Well；　I　can　tell　you　the　amount。　It　was　twenty…fivethousand
francs；〃　said　Thuillier；　dwelling　on　each　word；　〃that　was　the　sum　paid
to　Judas。〃

〃Oh！　excuse　me；　my　dear　fellow；　but　twenty…five　thousand　francs　is　a
good　deal　of　money。　I　don't　deny　that　you　have　become　an　important
man；　but　you　are　not　such　a　bugbear　to　the　government　as　to　lead　it　to
make　such　sacrifices。　Twenty…five　thousand　francs　is　as　much　as　would
ever　be　given　for　the　suppression　of　one　of　those　annoying　pamphlets
about　the　Civil　list。　But　our　financial　lucubrations　didn't　annoy　in
that　way；　and　such　a　sum　borrowed　from　the　secret…service　money　for
the　mere　pleasure　of　plaguing　you；　seems　to　me　rather　fabulous。〃

〃Apparently；〃　said　Thuillier；　acrimoniously；　〃this　honest　go…between
had　some　interest　in　exaggerating　my　value。　One　thing　is　very　sure；
this　monsieur　had　a　debt　of　twenty…five　thousand　francs　which　harassed
him　much；　and　a　short　time　before　the　seizure　this　same　monsieur；　who
had　no　means　of　his　own；　paid　off　that　debt；　and　unless　you　can　tell
me　where　else　he　got　the　money；　the　inference　I　think　is　not　difficult
to　draw。〃

It　was　la　Peyrade's　turn　to　look　fixedly　at　Thuillier。

〃Monsieur　Thuillier；〃　he　said；　raising　his　voice；　〃let　us　get　out　of
enigmas　and　generalities；　will　you　do　me　the　favor　to　name　that
person？〃

〃Well；　no；〃　replied　Thuillier；　striking　his　hand　upon　the　table；　〃I
shall　not　name　him；　because　of　the　sentiments　of　esteem　and　affection
which　formerly　united　us；　but　you　have　understood　me；　Monsieur　la
Peyrade。〃

〃I　ought　to　have　known；〃　said　the　Provencal；　in　a　voice　changed　by
emotion；　〃that　in　bringing　a　serpent　to　this　place　I　should　soon　be
soiled　by　his　venom。　Poor　fool！　do　you　not　see　that　you　have　made
yourself　the　echo　of　Cerizet's　calumny？〃

〃Cerizet　has　nothing　to　do　with　it；　on　the　contrary；　he　has　told　me
the　highest　good　of　you。　How　was　it；　not　having　a　penny　the　night
before；and　I　had　reason　to　know　it；that　you　were　able　to　pay
Dutocq　the　round　sum　of　twenty…five　thousand　francs　the　next　day？〃

La　Peyrade　reflected　for　a　moment。

〃No；〃　he　said；　〃it　was　not　Dutocq　who　told　you　that。　He　is　not　a　man
to　wrestle　with　an　enemy　of　my　strength　without　a　strong　interest　in
it。　It　was　Cerizet；　he's　the　infamous　calumniator；　from　whose　hands　I
wrenched　the　lease　of　your　house　near　the　Madeleine；Cerizet；　whom　in
kindness；　I　went　to　seek　on　his　dunghill　that　I　might　give　him　the
chance　of　honorable　employment；　that　is　the　wretch；　to　whom　a　benefit
is　only　an　encouragement　to　treachery。　Tiens！　if　I　were　to　tell　you
what　that　man　is　I　should　turn　you　sick　with　disgust；　in　the　sphere　of
infamy　he　has　discovered　worlds。〃

This　time　Thuillier　made　an　able　reply。

〃I　don't　know　anything　about　Cerizet　except　through　you；〃　he　said；
〃you　introduced　him　to　me　as　a　manager；　offering　every　guarantee；　but；
allowing　him　to　be　blacker　than　the　devil；　and　supposing　that　this
communication　comes　from　him；　I　don't　see；　my　friend；　that　all　that
makes　YOU　any　the　whiter。〃

〃No　doubt　I　was　to　blame；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃for　putting　such　a　man
into　relations　with　you；　but　we　wanted　some　one　who　understood
journalism；　and　that　value　he　really　had　for　us。　But　who　can　ever
sound　the　depths　of　souls　like　his？　I　thought　him　reformed。　A　manager；
I　said　to　myself；　is　only　a　machine；　he　can　do　no　harm。　I　expected　to
find　him　a　man　of　straw；　well；　I　was　mistaken；　he　will　never　be
anything　but　a　man　of　mud。〃

〃All　that　is　very　fine；〃　said　Thuillier；　〃but　those　twenty…five
thousand　francs　found　so　conveniently　in　your　possession；　where　did
you　get　them？　That　is　the　point　you　are　forgetting　to　explain。〃

〃But　to　reason　about　it；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃a　man　of　my　character　in
the　pay　of　the　police　and　yet　so　poor　that　I　could　not　pay　the　ten
thousand　francs　your　harpy　of　a　sister　demanded　with　an　insolence
which　you　yourself　witnessed〃

〃But；〃　said　Thuillier；　〃if　the　origin　of　this　money　is　honest；　as　I
sincerely　desire　it　may　be；　what　hinders　you　from　telling　me　how　you
got　it？〃

〃I　cannot；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃the　history　of　that　money　is　a　secret
entrusted　to　me　professionally。〃

〃Come；　come；　you　told　me　yourself　that　the　statutes　of　your　order
forbid　all　barristers　from　doing　business　of　any　kind。〃

〃Let　us　suppose；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃that　I　have　done　something　not
absolutely　regular；　it　would　be　strange　indeed　after　what　I　risked；　as
you　know；　for　you；　if　you　should　have　the　face　to　reproach　me　with
it。〃

〃My　poor　friend；　you　are　trying　to　shake　off　the　hounds；　but　you　can't
make　me　lose　the　scent。　You　wish　to　keep　your　secret；　then　keep　it。　I
am　master　of　my　own　confidence　and　my　own　esteem；　by　paying　you　the
forfeit　stipulated　in　our　deed　I　take　the　newspaper　into　my　own
hands。〃

〃Do　you　mean　that　you　dismiss　me？〃　cried　la　Peyrade。　〃The　money　that
you　have　put　into　the　affair；　all　your　chances　of　election；　sacrificed
to　the　calumnies　of　such　a　being　as　Cerizet！〃

〃In　the　first　place；〃　said　Thuillier；　〃another　editor…in…chief　can　be
found；　it　is　a　true　saying　that　no　man　is　indispensable。　As　for
election　to　the　Chamber　I　would　rather　never　receive　it　than　owe　it　to
the　help　of　one　who〃

〃Go　on；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　seeing　that　Thuillier　hesitated；　〃or　rather；
no；　be　silent；　for　you　will　presently　blush　for　your　suspicions　and
ask　my　pardon　humbly。〃

By　this　time　la　Peyrade　saw　that　without　a　confession　to　which　he　must
compel　himself；　the　influence　and　the　future　he　had　just　recovered
would　be　cut　from　under　his　feet。　Resuming　his　speech　he　said；
solemnly：

〃You　will　remember；　my　friend；　that　you　were　pitiless；　and；　by
subjecting　me　to　a　species　of