the lesser bourgeoisie-第84节

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solemnly：

〃You　will　remember；　my　friend；　that　you　were　pitiless；　and；　by
subjecting　me　to　a　species　of　moral　torture；　you　have　forced　me　to
reveal　to　you　a　secret　that　is　not　mine。〃

〃Go　on；〃　said　Thuillier；　〃I　take　the　whole　responsibility　upon　myself。
Make　me　see　the　truth　clearly　in　this　darkness；　and　if　I　have　done
wrong　I　will　be　the　first　to　say　so。〃

〃Well；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃those　twenty…five　thousand　francs　are　the
savings　of　a　servant…woman　who　came　to　me　and　asked　me　to　take　them
and　to　pay　her　interest。〃

〃A　servant　with　twenty…five　thousand　francs　of　savings！　Nonsense；　she
must　serve　in　monstrously　rich　households。〃

〃On　the　contrary；　she　is　the　one　servant　of　an　infirm　old　savant；　and
it　was　on　account　of　the　discrepancy　which　strikes　your　mind　that　she
wanted　to　put　her　money　in　my　hands　as　a　sort　of　trustee。〃

〃Bless　me！　my　friend；〃　said　Thuillier；　flippantly；　〃you　said　we　were
in　want　of　a　romance…feuilletonist；　but　really；　after　this；　I　sha'n't
be　uneasy。　Here's　imagination　for　you！〃

〃What？〃　said　la　Peyrade；　angrily；　〃you　don't　believe　me？〃

〃No；　I　do　not　believe　you。　Twenty…five　thousand　francs　savings　in　the
service　of　an　old　savant！　that　is　about　as　believable　as　the　officer
of　La　Dame　Blanche　buying　a　chateau　with　his　pay。〃

〃But　if　I　prove　to　you　the　truth　of　my　words；　if　I　let　you　put　your
finger　upon　it？〃

〃In　that　case；　like　Saint　Thomas；　I　shall　lower　my　flag　before　the
evidence。　Meanwhile　you　must　permit　me；　my　noble　friend；　to　wait　until
you　offer　me　that　proof。〃

Thuillier　felt　really　superb。

〃I'd　give　a　hundred　francs；〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃if　Brigitte　could
have　been　here　and　heard　me　impeach　him。〃

〃Well；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃suppose　that　without　leaving　this　office；
and　by　means　of　a　note　which　you　shall　read；　I　bring　into　your
presence　the　person　from　whom　I　received　the　money；　if　she　confirms
what　I　say　will　you　believe　me？〃

This　proposal　and　the　assurance　with　which　it　was　made　rather
staggered　Thuillier。

〃I　shall　know　what　to　do　when　the　time　comes；〃　he　replied；　changing
his　tone。　〃But　this　must　be　done　at　once；　now；　here。〃

〃I　said；　without　leaving　this　office。　I　should　think　that　was　clear
enough。〃

〃And　who　will　carry　the　note　you　write？〃　asked　Thuillier；　believing
that　by　thus　examining　every　detail　he　was　giving　proofs　of　amazing
perspicacity。

〃Carry　the　note！　why；　your　own　porter　of　course；〃　replied　la　Peyrade；
〃you　can　send　him　yourself。〃

〃Then　write　it；〃　said　Thuillier；　determined　to　push　him　to　the　wall。

La　Peyrade　took　a　sheet　of　paper　with　the　new　heading　and　wrote　as
follows；　reading　the　note　aloud：

　　Madame　Lambert　is　requested　to　call　at　once；　on　urgent　business；
　　at　the　office　of　the　〃Echo　de　la　Bievre；〃　rue　Saint…Dominique
　　d'Enfer。　The　bearer　of　this　note　will　conduct　her。　She　is　awaited
　　impatiently　by　her　devoted　servant；

Theodose　de　la　Peyrade。


〃There；　will　that　suit　you？〃　said　the　barrister；　passing　the　paper　to
Thuillier。

〃Perfectly；〃　replied　Thuillier；　taking　the　precaution　to　fold　the
letter　himself　and　seal　it。　〃Put　the　address；〃　he　added。

Then　he　rang　the　bell　for　the　porter。

〃You　will　carry　this　letter　to　its　address；〃　he　said　to　the　man；　〃and
bring　back　with　you　the　person　named。　But　will　she　be　there？〃　he
asked；　on　reflection。

〃It　is　more　than　probable；〃　replied　la　Peyrade；　〃in　any　case；　neither
you　nor　I　will　leave　this　room　until　she　comes。　This　matter　must　be
cleared　up。〃

〃Then　go！〃　said　Thuillier　to　the　porter；　in　a　theatrical　tone。

When　they　were　alone；　la　Peyrade　took　up　a　newspaper　and　appeared　to
be　absorbed　in　its　perusal。

Thuillier；　beginning　to　get　uneasy　as　to　the　upshot　of　the　affair；
regretted　that　he　had　not　done　something　the　idea　of　which　had　come　to
him　just　too　late。

〃Yes；　I　ought；〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃to　have　torn　up　that　letter；　and
not　driven　him　to　prove　his　words。〃

Wishing　to　do　something　that　might　look　like　retaining　la　Peyrade　in
the　position　of　which　he　had　threatened　to　deprive　him；　he　remarked
presently：

〃By　the　bye；　I　have　just　come　from　the　printing…office；　the　new　type
has　arrived；　and　I　think　we　might　make　our　first　appearance
to…morrow。〃

La　Peyrade　did　not　answer；　but　he　got　up　and　took　his　paper　nearer　to
the　window。

〃He　is　sulky；〃　thought　Thuillier；　〃and　if　he　is　innocent；　he　may　well
be。　But；　after　all；　why　did　he　ever　bring　a　man　like　that　Cerizet
here？〃

Then　to　hide　his　embarrassment　and　the　preoccupation　of　his　mind；　he
sat　down　before　the　editor's　table；　took　a　sheet　of　the　head…lined
paper　and　made　himself　write　a　letter。

Presently　la　Peyrade　returned　to　the　table　and　sitting　down；　took
another　sheet　and　with　the　feverish　rapidity　of　a　man　stirred　by　some
emotion　he　drove　his　pen　over　the　paper。

From　the　corner　of　his　eye；　Thuillier　tried　hard　to　see　what　la
Peyrade　was　writing；　and　noticing　that　his　sentences　were　separated　by
numbers　placed　between　brackets；　he　said：

〃Tiens！　are　you　drawing　up　a　parliamentary　law？〃

〃Yes；〃　replied　la　Peyrade；　〃the　law　of　the　vanquished。〃

Soon　after　this；　the　porter　opened　the　door　and　introduced　Madame
Lambert；　whom　he　had　found　at　home；　and　who　arrived　looking　rather
frightened。

〃You　are　Madame　Lambert？〃　asked　Thuillier；　magisterially。

〃Yes；　monsieur；〃　said　the　woman；　in　an　anxious　voice。

After　requesting　her　to　be　seated　and　noticing　that　the　porter　was
still　there　as　if　awaiting　further　orders　he　said　to　the　man：

〃That　will　do；　you　may　go；　and　don't　let　any　one　disturb　us。〃

The　gravity　and　the　lordly　tone　assumed　by　Thuillier　only　increased
Madame　Lambert's　uneasiness。　She　came　expecting　to　see　only　la
Peyrade；　and　she　found　herself　received　by　an　unknown　man　with　a
haughty　manner；　while　the　barrister；　who　had　merely　bowed　to　her；　said
not　a　word；　moreover；　the　scene　took　place　in　a　newspaper　office；　and
it　is　a　well…known　fact　that　to　pious　persons　especially　all　that
relates　to　the　press　is　infernal　and　diabolical。

〃Well；〃　said　Thuillier　to　the　barrister；　〃it　seems　to　me　that　nothing
hinders　you　from　explaining　to　madame　why　you　have　sent　for　her。〃

In　order　to　leave　no　loophole　for　suspicion　in　Thuillier's　mind　la
Peyrade　knew　that　he　must　put　his　question　bluntly　and　without　the
slightest　preparation；　he　therefore　said　to　her　〃ex　abrupto〃：

〃We　wish　to　ask　you；　madame；　if　it　is　not　true　that　about　two　and　a
half　months　ago　you　placed　in　my　hands；　subject　to　interest；　the　sum；
in　round　numbers；　of　twenty…five　thousand　francs。〃

Though　she　felt　the　eyes　of　Thuillier　and　those　of　la　Peyrade　upon
her；　Madame　Lambert；　under　the　shock　of　this　question　fired　at　her
point…blank；　could　not　restrain　a　start。

〃Heavens！〃　she　exclaimed；　〃twenty…five　thousand　francs！　and　where
should　I　get　such　a　sum　as　that？〃

La　Peyrade　gave　no　sign　on　his　face　of　the　vexation　he　might　be
supposed　to　feel。　As　for　Thuillier；　who　now　looked　at　him　with
sorrowful　commiseration；　he　merely　said：

〃You　see；　my　friend！〃

〃So；〃　resumed　la　Peyrade；　〃you　are　very　certain　that　you　did　not　place
in　my　hands　the　sum　of　twenty…five　thousand　francs；　you　declare　this；
you　affirm　it？〃

〃Why；　monsieur！　did　you　ever　hear　of　such　a　sum　as　that　in　the　pocket
of　a　poor　woman　like　me？　The　little　that　I　had；　as　everybody　knows；
has　gone　to　eke　out　the　housekeeping　of　that　poor　dear　gentleman　whose
servant　I　have　been　for　more　than　twenty　years。〃

〃This；〃　said　Thuillier；　pompously；　〃seems　to　me　categorical。〃

La　Peyrade　still　did　not　show　the　slightest　sign　of　annoyance；　on　the
contrary；　he　seemed　to　be　playing　into　Thuillier's　hand。

〃You　hear；　my　dear　Thuillier；〃　he　said；　〃and　if　necessary　I　shall　call
for　your　testimony；　that　madame　here　declares　that　she　did　not　possess
twenty…five　thousand　francs　and　could　not　therefore　have　placed　them
in　my　hands。　Now；　as　the　notary　Dupuis；　in　whose　hands　I　fancied　I　had
placed　them；　left　Paris　this　morning　for　Brussels　carrying　with　him
the　money　of　all　his　clients；　I　have　no　account　with　madame；　by　her
own　showing；　and　the　absconding　of　the　notary〃

〃Has　the　notary　Dupuis　absconded？〃　screamed　Madame　Lambert；　driven　by
this　dreadful　news　entirely　out　of　her　usual　tones　of　dulcet　sweetness
and　Christian　resignation。　〃Ah；　the　villain！　it　was　only　this　morning
that　he　was　taking　the　sacrament　at　Saint…Jacques　du　Haut…Pas。〃

〃To　pray　for　a　safe　journey；　probably；〃　said　la　Peyrade。

〃Monsieur　talks　lightly　enough；〃　continued　Madame　Lambert；　〃though
that　brigand　has　carried　off　my　savings。　But　I　gave　them　to　monsieur；
and　monsieur　is　answerable　to　me　for　them；　he　is　the　only　one　I　know
in　this　transaction。〃

〃Hey？〃　said　la　Peyrade　to　Thuillier；　pointing　to　Madame　Lambert；　whose
whole　demeanor　had　something　of　the　mother…wolf　suddenly　bereft　of　her
cubs；　〃is　that　nature？　tell　me！　Do　you　think　now　that　madame　and　I　are
playing　a　comedy　for　your　benefit？〃

〃I　am　thunderstruck　at　Cerizet's　audacity；〃　said　Thuillier。　〃I　am
overwhelmed　with　my　own　stupidity；　there　is　nothing　for　me　to　do　but
to　submit　myself　entirely　to　your　discretion。〃

〃Madame；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　gaily；　〃excuse　me　for　thus　frightening　you；
the　notary　Dupuis　is　still　a　very　saintly　man；