the lesser bourgeoisie-第89节

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enemy。　A　mob　of　savages　broke　my　instruments；　and　talked　of　stringing
me　up。　They　were　just　going　to　do　it；　when　the　captain　of　a　vessel
took　me　prisoner　and　thrust　me　into　the　citadel　of　Belver；　where　I
spent　three　years　in　the　harshest　captivity。　Since　them；　as　you　may
well　believe；　I　loathe　the　whole　celestial　system；　though　I　was；
without　knowing　it；　the　first　to　observe　the　famous　comet　of　1811；　but
I　should　have　taken　care　not　to　say　a　word　about　it　if　it　had　not　been
for　Monsieur　Flauguergues；　who　announced　it。　Like　all　my　pupils；
Phellion　knows　my　aversion　to　stars；　and　he　knew　very　well　the　worst
trick　he　could　play　me　would　be　to　saddle　one　on　my　back；　and　that
deputation　that　came　to　play　the　farce　of　congratulating　me　was　mighty
lucky　not　to　find　me　at　home；　for　if　they　had；　I　can　assure　those
gentlemen　of　the　Academy；　they　would　have　had　a　hot　reception。〃

Everybody　present　thought　the　old　mathematician's　monomania　quite
delightful；　except　la　Peyrade；　who　now；　in　perceiving　Felix　Phellion's
part　in　the　affair；　regretted　deeply　having　caused　the　explanation。

〃And　yet；　Monsieur　Picot；〃　said　Minard；　〃if　Felix　Phellion　is　only
guilty　of　attributing　his　discovery　to　you；　it　seems　to　me　that　his
indiscreet　behavior　has　resulted　in　a　certain　compensation　to　you：　the
cross　of　the　Legion　of　honor；　a　pension；　and　the　glory　attached　to
your　name　are　not　to　be　despised。〃

〃The　cross　and　the　pension　I　take；〃　said　the　old　man；　emptying　his
glass；　which；　to　Brigitte's　terror；　he　set　down　upon　the　table　with　a
force　that　threatened　to　smash　it。　〃The　government　has　owed　them　to　me
these　twenty　years；　not　for　the　discovery　of　stars；things　that　I
have　always　despised；but　for　my　famous　'Treatise　on　Differential
Logarithms'　（Kepler　thought　proper　to　call　them　monologarithms）；　which
is　a　sequel　to　the　tables　of　Napier；　also　for　my　'Postulatum'　of
Euclid；　of　which　I　was　the　first　to　discover　the　solution；　but　above
all；　for　my　'Theory　of　Perpetual　Motion；'four　volumes　in　quarto　with
plates；　Paris；　1825。　You　see；　therefore；　monsieur；　that　to　give　me
glory　is　bringing　water　to　the　Seine。　I　had　so　little　need　of　Monsieur
Felix　Phellion　to　make　me　a　position　in　the　scientific　world　that　I
turned　him　out　of　my　house　long　ago。〃

〃Then　it　isn't　the　first　star；〃　said　Colleville；　flippantly；　〃that　he
dared　to　put　upon　you？〃

〃He　did　worse　than　that；〃　roared　the　old　man；　〃he　ruined　my
reputation；　he　tarnished　my　name。　My　'Theory　of　Perpetual　Motion；'　the
printing　of　which　cost　me　every　penny　I　owned；　though　it　ought　to　have
been　printed　gratis　at　the　Royal　Printing…office；　was　calculated　to
make　my　fortune　and　render　me　immortal。　Well；　that　miserable　Felix
prevented　it。　From　time　to　time；　pretending　to　bring　messages　from　my
editor；　he　would　say；　the　young　sycophant；　'Papa　Picot；　your　book　is
selling　finely；　here's　five　hundred　francstwo　hundred　francsand
once　it　was　two　thousandwhich　your　publisher　charged　me　to　give
you。'　This　thing　went　on　for　years；　and　my　publisher；　who　had　the
baseness　to　enter　into　the　plot；　would　say　to　me；　when　I　went　to　the
shop：　'Yes；　yes；　it　doesn't　do　badly；　it　BUBBLES；　that　book；　we　shall
soon　be　at　the　end　of　this　edition。'　I；　who　didn't　suggest　anything；　I
pocketed　my　money；　and　thought　to　myself：　'My　book　is　liked；　little　by
little　its　ideas　are　making　their　way；　I　may　now　expect；　from　day　to
day；　that　some　great　capitalist　will　come　to　me　and　propose　to　apply
my　system'〃

〃of　'Absorption　of　Liquids'？〃　asked　Colleville；　who　had　been
steadily　filling　the　old　fellow's　glass。

〃No；　monsieur；　my　'Theory　of　Perpetual　Motion；'　4　vols。　in　quarto　with
plates。　But　no！　days；　weeks　went　by　and　nobody　came；　so；　thinking　that
my　publisher　did　not　put　all　the　energy　he　should　into　the　matter；　I
tried　to　sell　the　second　edition　to　another　man。　It　was　that；
monsieur；　that　enabled　me　to　discover　the　whole　plot；　on　which；　as　I
said　before；　I　turned　that　serpent　out　of　my　house。　In　six　years　only
nine　copies　had　been　sold！　Kept　quiet　in　false　security　I　had　done
nothing　for　the　propagation　of　my　book；　which　had　been　left　to　take
care　of　itself；　and　thus　it　was　that　I；　victim　of　black　and　wicked
jealousy；　was　shamefully　despoiled　of　the　value　of　my　labors。〃

〃But；〃　said　Minard；　making　himself　the　mouthpiece　of　the　thoughts　of
the　company；　〃may　we　not　see　in　that　act　a　manner　as　ingenious　as　it
was　delicate　to〃

〃To　give　me　alms！　is　that　what　you　mean？〃　interrupted　the　old　man；
with　a　roar　that　made　Mademoiselle　Minard　jump　in　her　chair；　〃to
humiliate　me；　dishonor　meme；　his　old　professor！　Am　I　in　need　of
charity？　Has　Picot　（Nepomucene）；　to　whom　his　wife　brought　a　dowry　of
one　hundred　thousand　francs；　ever　stretched　out　his　palm　to　any　one？
But　in　these　days　nothing　is　respected。　Old　fellows；　as　they　call　us；
our　religion　and　our　good　faith　is　taken　advantage　of　so　that　these
youths　may　say　to　the　public：　'Old　drivellers；　don't　you　see　now　they
are　good　for　nothing？　It　needs　US；　the　young　generation；　US；　the
moderns；　US；　Young　France；　to　bring　them　up　on　a　bottle。'　Young
greenhorn！　let　me　see　YOU　try　to　feed　ME！　Old　drivellers　know　more　in
their　little　finger　than　you　in　your　whole　brain；　and　you'll　never　be
worth　us；　paltry　little　intriguer　that　you　are！　However；　I　know　my　day
of　vengeance　will　come；　that　young　Phellion　can't　help　ending　badly；
what　he　did　to…day；　reading　a　statement　to　the　Academy；　under　my　name；
was　forgery；　forgery！　and　the　law　will　send　him　to　the　galleys　for
that。〃

〃True；〃　said　Colleville；　〃forgery　of　a　public　star。〃

Brigitte；　who　quaked　for　her　glasses；　and　whose　nerves　were
exacerbated　by　the　monstrous　consumption　of　cakes　and　wine；　now　gave
the　signal　to　return　to　the　salon。　Besides；　she　had　heard　the　door…
bell　ring　several　times；　announcing　the　arrival　of　guests　for　the
evening。　The　question　then　was　how　to　transplant　the　professor；　and
Colleville　politely　offered　him　his　arm。

〃No；　monsieur；〃　he　said；　〃you　must　allow　me　to　stay　where　I　am。　I　am
not　dressed　for　a　party；　and　besides；　a　strong　light　hurts　my　eyes。
Moreover；　I　don't　choose　to　give　myself　as　a　spectacle；　it　will　be
best　that　my　interview　with　Felix　Phellion　should　take　place　between
'four…eyes；'　as　they　say。〃

〃Well；　let　him　alone；　then；〃　said　Brigitte　to　Colleville。

No　one　insisted；the　old　man　having；　unconsciously；　pretty　nigh
discrowned　himself　in　the　opinion　of　the　company。　But　before　leaving；
the　careful　housewife　removed　everything　that　was　at　all　fragile　from
his　reach；　then；　by　way　of　a　slight　attention；　she　said：

〃Shall　I　send　you　some　coffee？〃

〃I'll　take　it；　madame；〃　responded　pere　Picot；　〃and　some　cognac　with
it。〃

〃Oh！　parbleu！　he　takes　everything；〃　said　Brigitte　to　the　male
domestic；　and　she　told　the　latter　to　keep　an　eye　on　the　old　madman。

When　Brigitte　returned　to　the　salon　she　found　that　the　Abbe　Gondrin
had　become　the　centre　of　a　great　circle　formed　by　nearly　the　whole
company；　and　as　she　approached；　she　heard　him　say：

〃I　thank　Heaven　for　bestowing　upon　me　such　a　pleasure。　I　have　never
felt　an　emotion　like　that　aroused　by　the　scene　we　have　just　witnessed；
even　the　rather　burlesque　form　of　this　confidence；　which　was　certainly
very　artless；　for　it　was　quite　involuntary；　only　adds　to　the　honor　of
the　surprising　generosity　it　revealed。　Placed　as　I　am　by　my　ministry
in　the　way　of　knowing　of　many　charities；　and　often　either　the　witness
or　intermediary　of　good　actions；　I　think　I　never　in　my　life　have　met
with　a　more　touching　or　a　more　ingenious　devotion。　To　keep　the　left
hand　ignorant　of　what　the　right　hand　does　is　a　great　step　in
Christianity；　but　to　go　so　far　as　to　rob　one's　self　of　one's　own　fame
to　benefit　another　under　such　conditions　is　the　gospel　applied　in　its
highest　precepts；　it　is　being　more　than　a　Sister　of　Charity；　it　is
doing　the　work　of　an　apostle　of　beneficence。　How　I　should　like　to　know
that　noble　young　man；　and　shake　him　by　the　hand。〃

With　her　arm　slipped　through　that　of　her　godmother；　Celeste　was
standing　very　near　the　priest；　her　ears　intent　upon　his　words；　her　arm
pressing　tighter　and　tighter　that　of　Madame　Thuillier；　as　the　abbe
analyzed　the　generous　action　of　Felix　Phellion；　until　at　last　she
whispered　under　her　breath：

〃You　hear；　godmother；　you　hear！〃

To　destroy　the　inevitable　effect　which　this　hearty　praise　would　surely
have　on　Celeste；　Thuillier　hastened　to　say：

〃Unfortunately；　Monsieur　l'abbe；　the　young　man　of　whom　you　speak　so
warmly　is　not　altogether　unknown　to　you。　I　have　had　occasion　to　tell
you　about　him；　and　to　regret　that　it　was　not　possible　to　follow　out
certain　plans　which　we　once　entertained　for　him；　I　allude　to　the　very
compromising　independence　he　affects　in　his　religious　opinions。〃

〃Ah！　is　that　the　young　man？〃　said　the　abbe；　〃you　surprise　me　much；　I
must　say　such　an　idea　would　never　have　crossed　my　mind。〃

〃You　will　see　him　presently；　Monsieur　l'abbe；〃　said　la　Peyrade；
joining　in　the　conversation；　〃and　if　you　question　him　on　certain
grounds　you　will　have　no　difficulty　in　discovering　the　ravages　that　a
love　of　science　can　commit　in　the　most　gifted　souls。〃

〃I　am　afraid　I　shall　not　see　him；〃　said　the　abbe；　〃as　my　black　gown
would