the lesser bourgeoisie-第102部分

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fairly　dazzled　the　Provencal；　and　we　have　seen　the　peremptory　manner
in　which　Thuillier　was　forced　into　accepting　with　some　enthusiasm　the
discovery　of　this　philosopher's…stone。

The　cost　of　the　purchase　was　ridiculously　insignificant。　A　bank…note
for　five　hundred　francs；　for　which　Etienne　Lousteau　never　clearly
accounted　to　the　share…holders；　put　Thuillier　in　possession　of　the
name；　property；　furniture；　and　good…will　of　the　newspaper；　which　he
and　la　Peyrade　at　once　busied　themselves　in　reorganizing。



CHAPTER　X

IN　WHICH　CERIZET　PRACTISES　THE　HEALING　ART　AND
THE　ART　OF　POISONING　ON　THE　SAME　DAY

While　this　regeneration　was　going　on；　Cerizet　went　one　morning　to　see
du　Portail；　with　whom　la　Peyrade　was　now　more　than　ever　determined　to
hold　no　communication。

〃Well；〃　said　the　little　old　man　to　the　poor　man's　banker；　〃what　effect
did　the　news　we　gave　to　the　president　of　the　bar　produce　on　our　man？
Did　the　affair　get　wind　at　the　Palais？〃

〃Phew！〃　said　Cerizet；　whose　intercourse；　no　doubt　pretty　frequent；
with　du　Portail　had　put　him　on　a　footing　of　some　familiarity　with　the
old　man；　〃there's　no　question　of　that　now。　The　eel　has　wriggled　out　of
our　hands；　neither　softness　nor　violence　has　any　effect　upon　that
devil　of　a　man。　He　has　quarrelled　with　the　bar；　and　is　in　better　odor
than　ever　with　Thuillier。　'Necessity；'　says　Figaro；　'obliterates
distance。'　Thuillier　needs　him　to　push　his　candidacy　in　the　quartier
Saint…Jacques；　so　they　kissed　and　made　up。〃

〃And　no　doubt；〃　said　du　Portail；　without　much　appearance　of　feeling；
〃the　marriage　is　fixed　for　an　early　day？〃

〃Yes；〃　replied　Cerizet；　〃but　there's　another　piece　of　work　on　hand。
That　crazy　fellow　has　persuaded　Thuillier　to　buy　a　newspaper；　and
he'll　make　him　sink　forty　thousand　francs　in　it。　Thuillier；　once
involved；　will　want　to　get　his　money　back；　and　in　my　opinion　they　are
bound　together　for　the　rest　of　their　days。〃

〃What　paper　is　it？〃

〃Oh；　a　cabbage…leaf　that　calls　itself　the　'Echo　de　la　Bievre'！〃　replied
Cerizet　with　great　scorn；　〃a　paper　which　an　old　hack　of　a　journalist
on　his　last　legs　managed　to　set　up　in　the　Mouffetard　quarter　by　the
help　of　a　lot　of　tannersthat；　you　know；　is　the　industry　of　the
quarter。　From　a　political　and　literary　point　of　view　the　affair　is
nothing　at　all；　but　Thuillier　has　been　made　to　think　it　a　masterly
stroke。〃

〃Well；　for　local　service　to　the　election　the　instrument　isn't　so　bad；〃
remarked　du　Portail。　〃La　Peyrade　has　talent；　activity；　and　much
resource　of　mind；　he　may　make　something　out　of　that　'Echo。'　Under　what
political　banner　will　Thuillier　present　himself？〃

〃Thuillier；〃　replied　the　beggars'　banker；　〃is　an　oyster；　he　hasn't　any
opinions。　Until　the　publication　of　his　pamphlet　he　was；　like　all　those
bourgeois；　a　rabid　conservative；　but　since　the　seizure　he　has　gone
over　to　the　Opposition。　His　first　stage　will　probably　be　the　Left…
centre；　but　if　the　election　wind　should　blow　from　another　quarter；
he'll　go　straight　before　it　to　the　extreme　left。　Self…interest；　for
those　bourgeois；　that's　the　measure　of　their　convictions。〃

〃Dear；　dear！〃　said　du　Portail；　〃this　new　combination　of　la　Peyrade's
may　assume　the　importance　of　a　political　danger　from　the　point　of　view
of　my　opinions；　which　are　extremely　conservative　and　governmental。〃
Then；　after　a　moment's　reflection；　he　added；　〃I　think　you　did
newspaper　work　once　upon　a　time；　I　remember　'the　courageous　Cerizet。'〃

〃Yes；〃　replied　the　usurer；　〃I　even　managed　one　with　la　Peyrade；an
evening　paper；　and　a　pretty　piece　of　work　we　did；　for　which　we　were
finely　recompensed。〃

〃Well；〃　said　du　Portail；　〃why　don't　you　do　it　again；journalism；　I
mean；with　la　Peyrade。〃

Cerizet　looked　at　du　Portail　in　amazement。

〃Ah　ca！〃　he　cried；　〃are　you　the　devil；　monsieur？　Can　nothing　ever　be
hidden　from　you？〃

〃Yes；〃　said　du　Portail；　〃I　know　a　good　many　things。　But　what　has　been
settled　between　you　and　la　Peyrade？〃

〃Well；　remembering　my　experience　in　the　business；　and　not　knowing　whom
else　to　get；　he　offered　to　make　me　manager　of　the　paper。〃

〃I　did　not　know　that；〃　said　du　Portail；　〃but　it　was　quite　probable。
Did　you　accept？〃

〃Conditionally；　I　asked　time　for　reflection。　I　wanted　to　know　what　you
thought　of　the　offer。〃

〃Parbleu！　I　think　that　out　of　an　evil　that　can't　be　remedied　we　should
get；　as　the　proverb　says；　wing　or　foot。　I　had　rather　see　you　inside
than　outside　of　that　enterprise。〃

〃Very　good；　but　in　order　to　get　into　it　there's　a　difficulty。　La
Peyrade　knows　I　have　debts；　and　he　won't　help　me　with　the　thirty…
three…thousand　francs'　security　which　must　be　paid　down　in　my　name。　I
haven't　got　them；　and　if　I　had；　I　wouldn't　show　them　and　expose　myself
to　the　insults　of　creditors。〃

〃You　must　have　a　good　deal　left　of　that　twenty…five　thousand　francs　la
Peyrade　paid　you　not　more　than　two　months　ago；〃　remarked　du　Portail。

〃Only　two　thousand　two　hundred　francs　and　fifty　centimes；〃　replied
Cerizet。　〃I　was　adding　it　up　last　night；　the　rest　has　all　gone　to　pay
off　pressing　debts。〃

〃But　if　you　have　paid　your　debts　you　haven't　any　creditors。〃

〃Yes；　those　I've　paid；　but　those　I　haven't　paid　I　still　owe。〃

〃Do　you　mean　to　tell　me　that　your　liabilities　were　more　than　twenty…
five　thousand　francs？〃　said　du　Portail；　in　a　tone　of　incredulity。

〃Does　a　man　go　into　bankruptcy　for　less？〃　replied　Cerizet；　as　though
he　were　enunciating　a　maxim。

〃Well；　I　see　I　am　expected　to　pay　that　sum　myself；〃　said　du　Portail；
crossly；　〃but　the　question　is　whether　the　utility　of　your　presence　in
this　enterprise　is　worth　to　me　the　interest　on　one　hundred　and　thirty…
three　thousand；　three　hundred　and　thirty…three　francs；　thirty…three
centimes。〃

〃Hang　it！〃　said　Cerizet；　〃if　I　were　once　installed　near　Thuillier；　I
shouldn't　despair　of　soon　putting　him　and　la　Peyrade　at　loggerheads。
In　the　management　of　a　newspaper　there　are　lots　of　inevitable
disagreements；　and　by　always　taking　the　side　of　the　fool　against　the
clever　man；　I　can　increase　the　conceit　of　one　and　wound　the　conceit　of
the　other　until　life　together　becomes　impossible。　Besides；　you　spoke
just　now　of　political　danger；　now　the　manager　of　a　newspaper；　as　you
ought　to　know；　when　he　has　the　intellect　to　be　something　better　than　a
man　of　straw；　can　quietly　give　his　sheet　a　push　in　the　direction
wanted。

〃There's　a　good　deal　of　truth　in　that；〃　said　du　Portail；　〃but　defeat
to　la　Peyrade；　that's　what　I　am　thinking　about。〃

〃Well；〃　said　Cerizet；　〃I　think　I　have　another　nice　little　insidious
means　of　demolishing　him　with　Thuillier。〃

〃Say　what　it　is；　then！〃　exclaimed　du　Portail；　impatiently；　〃you　go
round　and　round　the　pot　as　if　I　were　a　man　it　would　do　you　some　good
to　finesse　with。〃

〃You　remember；〃　said　Cerizet；　coming　out　with　it；　〃that　some　time　ago
Dutocq　and　I　were　much　puzzled　to　know　how　la　Peyrade　was；　all　of　a
sudden；　able　to　make　that　payment　of　twenty…five　thousand　francs？〃

〃Ha！〃　said　the　old　man　quickly；　〃have　you　discovered　the　origin　of
that　very　improbable　sum　in　our　friend's　hands；　and　is　that　origin
shady？〃

〃You　shall　judge；〃　said　Cerizet。

And　he　related　in　all　its　details　the　affair　of　Madame　Lambert；
adding；　however；　that