the lesser bourgeoisie-第99节

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fever。　La　Peyrade；　thus　prodded；　picked　up　his　hat　in　some　ill…humor；
and　went　where　his　destiny　called　him；〃quo　sua　fata　vocabant。〃



CHAPTER　XV

AT　DU　PORTAIL'S

On　reaching　the　rue　Honore…Chevalier　la　Peyrade　felt　a　doubt；　the
dilapidated　appearance　of　the　house　to　which　he　was　summoned　made　him
think　he　had　mistaken　the　number。　It　seemed　to　him　that　a　person　of
Monsieur　du　Portail's　evident　importance　could　not　inhabit　such　a
place。　It　was　therefore　with　some　hesitation　that　he　accosted　Sieur
Perrache；　the　porter。　But　no　sooner　had　he　entered　the　antechamber　of
the　apartment　pointed　out　to　him　than　the　excellent　deportment　of
Bruneau；　the　old　valet；　and　the　extremely　comfortable　appearance　of
the　furniture　and　other　appointments　made　him　see　that　he　was　probably
in　the　right　place。　Introduced　at　once；　as　soon　as　he　had　given　his
name；　into　the　study　of　the　master　of　the　house；　his　surprise　was
great　when　he　found　himself　in　presence　of　the　commander；　so　called；
the　friend　of　Madame　de　Godollo；　and　the　little　old　man　he　had　seen
half　an　hour　earlier　with　Thuillier。

〃At　last！〃　said　du　Portail；　rising；　and　offering　la　Peyrade　a　chair；
〃at　last　we　meet；　my　refractory　friend；　it　has　taken　a　good　deal　to
bring　you　here。〃

〃May　I　know；　monsieur；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　haughtily；　not　taking　the
chair　which　was　offered　to　him；　〃what　interest　you　have　in　meddling
with　my　affairs？　I　do　not　know　you；　and　I　may　add　that　the　place　where
I　once　saw　you　did　not　create　an　unconquerable　desire　in　me　to　make
your　acquaintance。〃

〃Where　have　you　seen　me？〃　asked　du　Portail。

〃In　the　apartment　of　a　strumpet　who　called　herself　Madame　de　Godollo。〃

〃Where　monsieur；　consequently；　went　himself；〃　said　the　little　old　man；
〃and　for　a　purpose　much　less　disinterested　than　mine。〃

〃I　have　not　come　here；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃to　bandy　words　with　any　one。
I　have　the　right；　monsieur；　to　a　full　explanation　as　to　the　meaning　of
your　proceedings　towards　me。　I　therefore　request　you　not　to　delay　them
by　a　facetiousness　to　which；　I　assure　you；　I　am　not　in　the　humor　to
listen。〃

〃Then；　my　dear　fellow；〃　said　du　Portail；　〃sit　down；　for　I　am　not　in
the　humor　to　twist　my　neck　by　talking　up　at　you。〃

The　words　were　reasonable；　and　they　were　said　in　a　tone　that　showed
the　old　gentleman　was　not　likely　to　be　frightened　by　grand　airs。　La
Peyrade　therefore　deferred　to　the　wishes　of　his　host；　but　he　took　care
to　do　so　with　the　worst　grace　possible。

〃Monsieur　Cerizet；〃　said　du　Portail；　〃a　man　of　excellent　standing　in
the　world；　and　who　has　the　honor　to　be　one　of　your　friends〃

〃I　have　nothing　to　do　with　that　man　now；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　sharply；
understanding　the　malicious　meaning　of　the　old　man's　speech。

〃Well；　the　time　has　been；〃　said　du　Portail；　〃when　you　saw　him；　at
least；　occasionally：　for　instance；　when　you　paid　for　his　dinner　at　the
Rocher　de　Cancale。　As　I　was　saying；　I　charged　the　virtuous　Monsieur
Cerizet　to　sound　you　as　to　a　marriage〃

〃Which　I　refused；〃　interrupted　la　Peyrade；　〃and　which　I　now　refuse
again；　more　vehemently　than　ever。〃

〃That's　the　question；〃　said　the　old　man。　〃I　think；　on　the　contrary；
that　you　will　accept　it；　and　it　is　to　talk　over　this　affair　with　you
that　I　have　so　long　desired　a　meeting。〃

〃But　this　crazy　girl　that　you　are　flinging　at　my　head；〃　said　la
Peyrade；　〃what　is　she　to　you？　She　can't　be　your　daughter；　or　you　would
put　more　decency　into　your　hunt　for　a　husband。〃

〃This　young　girl；〃　replied　du　Portail；　〃is　the　daughter　of　one　of　my
friends　who　died　about　ten　years　ago；　at　his　death　I　took　her　to　live
with　me；　and　have　given　her　all　the　care　her　sad　condition　needed。　Her
fortune；　which　I　have　greatly　increased；　added　to　my　own；　which　I
intend　to　leave　to　her；　will　make　her　a　very　rich　heiress。　I　know　that
you　are　no　enemy　to　handsome　'dots；'　for　you　have　sought　them　in
various　places；Thuillier's　house；　for　instance；　or；　to　use　your　own
expression；　that　of　a　strumpet　whom　you　scarcely　knew。　I　have
therefore　supposed　you　would　accept　at　my　hands　a　very　rich　young
woman；　especially　as　her　infirmity　is　declared　by　the　best　physicians
to　be　curable；　whereas　you　can　never　cure　Monsieur　and　Mademoiselle
Thuillier；　the　one　of　being　a　fool；　the　other　of　being　a　fury；　any
more　than　you　could　cure　Madame　Komorn　of　being　a　woman　of　very　medium
virtue　and　extremely　giddy。〃

〃It　may　suit　me；〃　replied　la　Peyrade；　〃to　marry　the　daughter　of　a　fool
and　a　fury　if　I　choose　her；　or　I　might　become　the　husband　of　a　clever
coquette；　if　passion　seized　me；　but　the　Queen　of　Sheba　herself；　if
imposed　upon　me；　neither　you；　monsieur；　nor　the　ablest　and　most
powerful　man　living　could　force　me　to　accept。〃

〃Precisely；　therefore　it　is　to　your　own　good　sense　and　intelligence
that　I　now　address　myself；　but　we　have　to　come　face　to　face　with
people　in　order　to　speak　to　them；　you　know。　Now；　then；　let　us　look
into　your　present　situation；　and　don't　get　angry　if；　like　a　surgeon
who　wants　to　cure　his　patient；　I　lay　my　hand　mercilessly　on　wounds
which　have　long　tormented　and　harassed　you。　The　first　point　to　state
is　that　the　Celeste　Colleville　affair　is　at　an　end　for　you。〃

〃Why　so？〃　demanded　la　Peyrade。

〃Because　I　have　just　seen　Thuillier　and　terrified　him　with　the　history
of　the　misfortunes　he　has　incurred；　and　those　he　will　incur　if　he
persists　in　the　idea　of　giving　you　his　goddaughter　in　marriage。　He
knows　now　that　it　was　I　who　paralyzed　Madame　du　Bruel's　kind　offices
in　the　matter　of　the　cross；　that　I　had　his　pamphlet　seized；　that　I
sent　that　Hungarian　woman　into　his　house　to　handle　you　all；　as　she
did；　and　that　my　hand　is　opening　fire　in　the　ministerial　journals；
which　will　only　increase　from　bad　to　worse；not　to　speak　of　other
machinations　which　will　be　directed　against　his　candidacy。　Therefore
you　see；　my　good　friend；　that　not　only　have　you　no　longer　the　credit
in　Thuillier's　eyes　of　being　his　great　helper　to　that　election；　but
that　you　actually　block　the　way　to　his　ambition。　That　is　enough　to
prove　to　you　that　the　side　by　which　you　have　imposed　yourself　on　that
familywho　have　never　sincerely　liked　or　desired　youis　now
completely　battered　down　and　dismantled。〃

〃But　to　have　done　all　that　which　you　claim　with　such　pretension；　who
are　you？〃　demanded　la　Peyrade。

〃I　shall　not　say　that　you　are　very　inquisitive；　for　I　intend　to　answer
your　question　later；　but　for　the　present　let　us　continue；　if　you
please；　the　autopsy　of　your　existence；　dead　to…day；　but　which　I
propose　to　resuscitate　gloriously。　You　are　twenty…eight　years　old；　and
you　have　begun　a　career　in　which　I　shall　not　allow　you　to　make　another
step。　A　few　days　hence　the　Council　of　the　order　of　barristers　will
assemble　and　will　censure；　more　or　less　severely；　your　conduct　in　the
matter　of　the　property　you　placed　with　such　candor　in　Thuillier's
hands。　Do　not　deceive　yourself；　censure　from　that　quarter　（and　I
mention　only　your　least　danger）　is　as　fatal　to　a　barrister　as　being
actually　disbarred。〃

〃And　it　is　to　your　kind　offices；　no　doubt；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃that　I
shall　owe　that　precious　result？〃

〃Yes；　I　may　boast　of　it；〃　replied　du　Portail；　〃for；　in　order　to　tow
you　into　port　it　has　been　necessary　to　strip　you　of　your　rigging；
unless　that　were　done；　you　would　always　have　tried　to　navigate　under
your　own　sails　the　bourgeois　shoals　that　you　are　now　among。〃

Seeing　that　he；　undoubtedly；　had　to　do　with　a　strong　hand；　la　Peyrade
thought　best　to　modify　his　tone；　and　so；　with　a　more　circumspect　air；
he　said：

〃You　will　allow　me；　monsieur；　to　reserve　my　acknowledgments　until　I
receive　some　fuller　explanation。〃

〃Here　you　are；　then；〃　continued　du　Portail；　〃at　twenty…eight　years　of
age；　without　a　penny；　virtually　without　a　profession；　with　antecedents
that　are　verymiddling；　with　associates　like　Monsieur　Dutocq　and　the
courageous　Cerizet；　owing　to　Mademoiselle　Thuillier　ten　thousand
francs；　and　to　Madame　Lambert　twenty…five　thousand；　which　you　are　no
doubt　extremely　desirous　to　return　to　her；　and　finally；　this　marriage；
your　last　hope；　your　sheet…anchor；　has　just　become　an　utter
impossibility。　Between　ourselves；　if　I　have　something　reasonable　to
propose　to　you；　do　you　not　think　that　you　had　much　better　place
yourself　at　my　disposal？〃

〃I　have　time　enough　to　prove　that　your　opinion　is　mistaken；〃　returned
la　Peyrade；　〃and　I　shall　not　form　any　resolutions　so　long　as　the
designs　you　choose　to　have　upon　me　are　not　more　fully　explained。〃

〃You　were　spoken　to；　at　my　instigation；　about　a　marriage；〃　resumed　du
Portail。　〃This　marriage；　as　I　think；　is　closely　connected　with　a　past
existence　from　which　a　certain　hereditary　or　family　duty　has　devolved
upon　you。　Do　you　know　what　that　uncle　of　yours；　to　whom　you　applied　in
1829；　was　doing　in　Paris？　In　your　family　he　was　thought　to　be　a
millionaire；　and；　dying　suddenly；　you　remember；　before　you　got　to　him；
he　did　not　leave　enough　for　his　burial；　a　pauper's　grave　was　all　that
remained　to　him。〃

〃Did　you　know　him？〃　asked　la　Peyrade。

〃He　was　my　oldest　and　dearest　friend；〃　replied　du　Portail。

〃If　that　is　so；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　hastily；　〃a　sum　of　two　thousand
francs；　which　I　received　on　my　arrival　in　Paris　from　some　unknown
source〃

〃Cam