the lesser bourgeoisie-第87节

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Celeste；　Madame　and　Mademoiselle　Minard　and　Minard　junior；　two　of
Thuillier's　colleagues　in　the　Council…general；　the　notary　Dupuis；
charged　with　the　duty　of　drawing　up　the　contract；　and　lastly；　the　Abbe
Gondrin；　director　of　the　consciences　of　Madame　Thuillier　and　Celeste；
who　was　to　give　the　nuptial　blessing。

The　latter　was　the　former　vicar　of　Saint…Jacques　du　Haut…Pas；　whose
great　refinement　of　manner　and　gift　of　preaching　had　induced　the
archbishop　to　remove　him　from　the　humble　parish　where　his　career　had
begun　to　the　aristocratic　church　of　the　Madeleine。　Since　Madame
Thuillier　and　Celeste　had　again　become　his　parishioners；　the　young
abbe　visited　them　occasionally；　and　Thuillier；　who　had　gone　to　him　to
explain；　after　his　own　fashion；　the　suitableness　of　the　choice　made
for　Celeste　in　the　person　of　la　Peyrade　（taking　pains　as　he　did　so　to
cast　reflections　on　the　religious　opinions　of　Felix　Phellion）；　had
easily　led　him　to　contribute　by　his　persuasive　words　to　the
resignation　of　the　victim。

When　the　time　came　to　sit　down　to　table　three　guests　were　missing；
two　Minards；　father　and　son；　and　the　notary　Dupuis。　The　latter　had
written　a　note　to　Thuillier　in　the　morning；　excusing　himself　from　the
dinner；　but　saying　that　at　nine　o'clock　precisely　he　would　bring　the
contract　and　place　himself　at　the　orders　of　Mademoiselle　Thuillier。　As
for　Julien　Minard；　his　mother　excused　him　as　being　confined　to　his
room　with　a　sore…throat。　The　absence　of　Minard　senior　remained
unexplained；　but　Madame　Minard　insisted　that　they　should　sit　down　to
table　without　him；　which　was　done；　Brigitte　ordering　that　the　soup　be
kept　hot　for　him；　because　in　the　bourgeois　code　of　manners　and　customs
a　dinner　without　soup　is　no　dinner　at　all。

The　repast　was　far　from　gay；　and　though　the　fare　was　better；　the
vivacity　and　the　warmth　of　the　conversation　was　far；　indeed；　from　that
of　the　famous　improvised　banquet　at　the　time　of　the　election　to　the
Council…general。　The　gaps　occasioned　by　the　absence　of　three　guests
may　have　been　one　reason；　then　Flavie　was　glum；　she　had　had　an
interview　with　la　Peyrade　in　the　afternoon　which　ended　in　tears；
Celeste；　even　if　she　had　been　content　with　the　choice　imposed　on　her；
would　scarcely；　as　a　matter　of　propriety；　have　seemed　joyful；　in　fact；
she　made　no　effort　to　brighten　a　sad　face；　and　dared　not　look　at　her
godmother；　whose　own　countenance　gave　the　impression；　if　we　may　so
express　it；　of　the　long　bleating　of　a　sheep。　The　poor　girl　seeing　this
feared　to　exchange　a　look　with　her　lest　she　might　drive　her　to　tears。
Thuillier　now　felt　himself；　on　all　sides；　of　such　importance　that　he
was　pompous　and　consequential；　while　Brigitte；　uneasy　out　of　her　own
world；　where　she　could　lord　it　over　every　one　without　competition；
seemed　constrained　and　embarrassed。

Colleville　tried　by　a　few　jovialities　to　raise　the　temperature　of　the
assemblage；　but　the　coarse　salt　of　his　witticisms　had　an　effect；　in
the　atmosphere　in　which　he　produced　them；　of　a　loud　laugh　in　a　sick…
chamber；　and　a　mute　intimation　from　his　wife；　Thuillier；　and　la
Peyrade　to　BEHAVE　HIMSELF　put　a　stopper　on　his　liveliness　and
turbulent　expansion。　It　was　somewhat　remarkable　that　the　gravest
member　of　the　party；　aided　by　Rabourdin；　was　the　person　who　finally
warmed　up　the　atmosphere。　The　Abbe　Gondrin；　a　man　of　a　most　refined
and　cultivated　mind；　had；　like　every　pure　and　well…ordered　soul；　a
fund　of　gentle　gaiety　which　he　was　well　able　to　communicate；　and
liveliness　was　beginning　to　dawn　upon　the　party　when　Minard　entered
the　room。

After　making　his　excuses　on　the　ground　of　important　duties；　the　mayor
of　the　eleventh　arrondissement；　who　was　in　the　habit　of　taking　the
lead　in　the　conversation　wherever　he　went；　said；　having　swallowed　a
few　hasty　mouthfuls：

〃Messieurs　and　mesdames；　have　you　heard　the　great　news？〃

〃No；　what　is　it？〃　cried　several　voices　at　once。

〃The　Academy　of　Sciences　received；　to…day；　at　its　afternoon　session；
the　announcement　of　a　vast　discovery：　the　heavens　possess　a　new　star！〃

〃Tiens！〃　said　Colleville；　〃that　will　help　to　replace　the　one　that
Beranger　thought　was　lost　when　he　grieved　（to　that　air　of　'Octavie'）
over　Chateaubriand's　departure：　'Chateaubriand；　why　fly　thy　land？'〃

This　quotation；　which　he　sang；　exasperated　Flavie；　and　if　the　custom
had　been　for　wives　to　sit　next　to　their　husbands；　the　former　clarionet
of　the　Opera…Comique　would　not　have　escaped　with　a　mere　〃Colleville！〃
imperiously　calling　him　to　order。

〃The　point　which　gives　this　great　astronomical　event　a　special
interest　on　this　occasion；〃　continued　Minard；　〃is　that　the　author　of
the　discovery　is　a　denizen　of　the　twelfth　arrondissement；　which　many
of　you　still　inhabit；　or　have　inhabited。　But　other　points　are　striking
in　this　great　scientific　fact。　The　Academy；　on　the　reading　of　the
communication　which　announced　it；　was　so　convinced　of　the　existence　of
this　star　that　a　deputation　was　appointed　to　visit　the　domicile　of　the
modern　Galileo　and　compliment　him　in　the　name　of　the　whole　body。　And
yet　this　star　is　not　visible　to　either　the　eye　or　the　telescope！　It　is
only　by　the　power　of　calculation　and　induction　that　its　existence　and
the　place　it　occupies　in　the　heavens　have　been　proved　in　the　most
irrefutable　manner：　'There　MUST　be　THERE　a　hitherto　unknown　star；　I
cannot　see　it；　but　I　am　sure　of　it；'that　is　what　this　man　of　science
said　to　the　Academy；　whom　he　instantly　convinced　by　his　deductions。
And　do　you　know；　messieurs；　who　is　this　Christopher　Columbus　of　a　new
celestial　world？　An　old　man；　two…thirds　blind；　who　has　scarcely　eyes
enough　to　walk　in　the　street。〃

〃Wonderful！　Marvellous！　Admirable！〃　came　from　all　sides。

〃What　is　the　name　of　this　learned　man？〃　asked　several　voices。

〃Monsieur　Picot；　or；　if　you　prefer　it；　pere　Picot；　for　that　is　how
they　call　him　in　the　rue　du　Val…de…Grace；　where　he　lives。　He　is　simply
an　old　professor　of　mathematics；　who　has　turned　out　several　very　fine
pupils；by　the　bye；　Felix　Phellion；　whom　we　all　know；　studied　under
him；　and　it　was　he　who　read；　on　behalf　of　his　blind　old　master；　the
communication　to　the　Academy　this　afternoon。〃

Hearing　that　name；　and　remembering　the　promise　Felix　had　made　her　to
lift　her　to　the　skies；　which；　as　he　said　it；　she　had　fancied　a　sign　of
madness；　Celeste　looked　at　Madame　Thuillier；　whose　face　had　taken　a
sudden　glow　of　animation；　and　seemed　to　say　to　her；　〃Courage；　my
child！　all　is　not　lost。〃

〃My　dear　Theodose；〃　said　Thuillier；　〃Felix　is　coming　here　to…night；
you　must　take　him　aside　and　get　him　to　give　you　a　copy　of　that
communication；　it　would　be　a　fine　stroke　of　fortune　for　the　'Echo'　to
be　the　first　to　publish　it。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Minard；　assuming　the　answer；　〃that　would　do　good　service
to　the　public；　for　the　affair　is　going　to　make　a　great　noise。　The
committee；　not　finding　Monsieur　Picot　at　home；　went　straight　to　the
Minister　of　Public　Instruction；　and　the　minister　flew　to　the　Tuileries
and　saw　the　King；　and　the　'Messager'　came　out　this　eveningstrange　to
say；　so　early　that　I　could　read　it　in　my　carriage　as　I　drove　along
with　an　announcement　that　Monsieur　Picot　is　named　Chevalier　of　the
Legion　of　honor；　with　a　pension　of　eighteen　hundred　francs　from　the
fund　devoted　to　the　encouragement　of　science　and　letters。〃

〃Well；〃　said　Thuillier；　〃there's　one　cross　at　least　well　bestowed。〃

〃But　eighteen　hundred　francs　for　the　pension　seems　to　me　rather
paltry；〃　said　Dutocq。

〃So　it　does；〃　said　Thuillier；　〃and　all　the　more　because　that　money
comes　from　the　tax…payers；　and；　when　one　sees　the　taxes；　as　we　do；
frittered　away　on　court　favorites〃

〃Eighteen　hundred　francs　a　year；〃　interrupted　Minard；　〃is　certainly
something；　especially　for　savants；　a　class　of　people　who　are
accustomed　to　live　on　very　little。〃

〃I　think　I　have　heard；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃that　this　very　Monsieur
Picot　leads　a　strange　life；　and　that　his　family；　who　at　first　wanted
to　shut　him　up　as　a　lunatic；　are　now　trying　to　have　guardians
appointed　over　him。　They　say　he　allows　a　servant…woman　who　keeps　his
house　to　rob　him　of　all　he　has。　Parbleu！　Thuillier；　you　know　her；　it
is　that　woman　who　came　to　the　office　the　other　day　about　some　money　in
Dupuis's　hands。〃

〃Yes；　yes；　true；〃　said　Thuillier；　significantly；　〃you　are　right；　I　do
know　her。〃

〃It　is　queer；〃　said　Brigitte；　seeing　a　chance　to　enforce　the　argument
she　had　used　to　Celeste；　〃that　all　these　learned　men　are　good　for
nothing　outside　of　their　science；　in　their　homes　they　have　to　be
treated　like　children。〃

〃That　proves；〃　said　the　Abbe　Gondrin；　〃the　great　absorption　which
their　studies　give　to　their　minds；　and；　at　the　same　time；　a　simplicity
of　nature　which　is　very　touching。〃

〃When　they　are　not　as　obstinate　as　mules；〃　said　Brigitte；　hastily。
〃For　myself；　monsieur　l'abbe；　I　must　say　that　if　I　had　had　any　idea　of
marriage；　a　savant　wouldn't　have　suited　me　at　all。　What　do　they　do；
these　savants；　anyhow？　Useless　things　most　of　the　time。　You　are　all
admiring　one　who　has　discovered　a　star；　but　as　long　as　we　are　in　this
world　what　good　is　that　to　us？　For　all　the　use　we　make　of　stars　it
seems　to　me　we　have　got　enough　of　them　as　it　is。〃

〃Bravo；　Brigitte！〃　said　Colleville；　gettin