the lesser bourgeoisie-第117部分

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place。〃

Seeing　that　Felix　shook　his　head　with　a　look　of　incredulity；　Minard
hastened　to　say：

〃Yes；　yes；　the　commander　is　quite　right。　Last　night　there　was　a　hitch
about　signing　the　contract；　and　it　was　not　signed。　You　were　not　there；
by　the　bye；　and　your　absence　was　much　remarked　upon。〃

〃We　were　invited；〃　said　Phellion；　〃and　up　to　the　last　moment　we
hesitated　whether　to　go　or　not。　But；　as　you　will　readily　see；　our
position　was　a　false　one；　besides；　Felixand　I　see　now　it　must　have
been　in　consequence　of　his　lecture　at　the　Academywas　completely　worn
out　with　fatigue　and　emotion。　To　present　ourselves　without　him　would
have　seemed　very　singular；　therefore　we　decided　that　it　would　be
wisest　and　best　to　absent　ourselves。〃

The　presence　of　the　man　whom　he　had　just　declared　immortal　did　not
deter　Minard；　when　the　occasion　was　thus　made　for　him；　from　plunging
eagerly　into　one　of　the　most　precious　joys　of　bourgeois　existence；
namely；　the　retailing　of　gossip。

〃Just　imagine！〃　he　began；　〃last　night　at　the　Thuilliers'　the　most
extraordinary　things　took　place；　one　after　another。〃

First　he　related　the　curious　episode　of　pere　Picot。　Then　he　told　of
the　hearty　approbation　given　to　Felix's　conduct　by　the　Abbe　Gondrin；
and　the　desire　the　young　preacher　had　expressed　to　meet　him。

〃I'll　go　and　see　him；〃　said　Felix；　〃do　you　know　where　he　lives？〃

〃Rue　de　la　Madeleine；　No。　8；〃　replied　Minard。　〃But　the　great　event　of
the　evening　was　the　spectacle　of　that　fine　company　assembled　to　listen
to　the　marriage…contract；　and　waiting　in　expectation　a　whole　hour　for
the　notary；　whonever　came！〃

〃Then　the　contract　is　not　signed？〃　said　Felix；　eagerly。

〃Not　even　read；　my　friend。　Suddenly　some　one　came　in　and　told　Brigitte
that　the　notary　had　started　for　Brussels。〃

〃Ah！　no　doubt；〃　said　Phellion；　naively；　〃some　very　important
business。〃

〃Most　important；〃　replied　Minard；　〃a　little　bankruptcy　of　five　hundred
thousand　francs　which　the　gentleman　leaves　behind　him。〃

〃But　who　is　this　public　officer；〃　demanded　Phellion；　〃so　recreant；　in
this　scandalous　manner；　to　the　sacred　duties　of　his　calling？〃

〃Parbleu！　your　neighbor　in　the　rue　Saint…Jacques；　the　notary　Dupuis。〃

〃What！〃　said　Madame　Phellion；　〃that　pious　man？　Why；　he　is　churchwarden
of　the　parish！〃

〃Eh！　madame；　those　are　the　very　ones；〃　said　Minard；　〃to　run　offthere
are　many　precedents　for　that。〃

〃But；〃　said　Phellion；　〃such　news　cast　suddenly　among　the　company　must
have　fallen　like　a　thunderbolt。〃

〃Especially；〃　said　Minard；　〃as　it　was　brought　in　the　most　unexpected
and　singular　manner。〃

〃Tell　us　all　about　it；〃　said　Madame　Phellion；　with　animation。

〃Well；　it　seems；〃　continued　Minard；　〃that　this　canting　swindler　had
charge　of　the　savings　of　a　number　of　servants；　and　that　Monsieur　de　la
Peyradebecause；　you　see；　they　are　all　of　a　clique；　these　pious
peoplewas　in　the　habit　of　recruiting　clients　for　him　in　that　walk　of
life〃

〃I　always　said　so！〃　interrupted　Madame　Phellion。　〃I　knew　that
Provencal　was　no　good　at　all。〃

〃It　seems；〃　continued　the　mayor；　〃that　he　had　placed　in　Dupuis's　hands
all　the　savings　of　an　old　housekeeper；　pious　herself；　amounting　to　a
pretty　little　sum。　Faith！　I　think　myself　it　was　worth　some　trouble。
How　much　do　you　suppose　it　was？　Twenty…five　thousand　francs；　if　you
please！　This　housekeeper；　whose　name　is　Madame　Lambert〃

〃Madame　Lambert！〃　cried　Felix；　〃why；　that's　Monsieur　Picot's
housekeeper；　close　cap；　pale；　thin　face；　speaks　always　with　her　eyes
lowered；　shows　no　hair？〃

〃That's　she；〃　said　Minard；〃a　regular　hypocrite！〃

〃Twenty…five　thousand　francs　of　savings！〃　said　Felix。　〃I　don't　wonder
that　poor　pere　Picot　is　always　out　of　money。〃

〃And　that　someone　had　to　meddle　with　the　sale　of　his　book；〃　said
Minard；　slyly。　〃However　that　may　be；　you　can　imagine　that　the　woman
was　in　a　fine　state　of　mind　on　hearing　of　the　flight　of　the　notary。
Off　she　went　to　la　Peyrade's　lodgings；　there　she　was　told　he　was
dining　at　the　Thuilliers'；　to　the　Thuilliers'　she　came；　after　running
about　the　streetsfor　they　didn't　give　her　quite　the　right　address
till　ten　o'clock；　but　she　got　there　while　the　company　were　still
sitting　round　waiting　for　the　notary；　and　gaping　at　each　other；　no　one
knowing　what　to　say　and　do；　for　neither　Brigitte　nor　Thuillier　have
faculty　enough　to　get　out　of　such　a　scrape　with　credit；　and　we　all
missed　the　voice　of　Madame　de　Godollo　and　the　talent　of　Madame
Phellion。〃

〃Oh！　you　are　too　polite；　Monsieur　le　maire；〃　said　Madame　Phellion；
bridling。

〃Well；　as　I　said；〃　continued　Minard；　〃at　ten　o'clock　Madame　Lambert
reached　the　antechamber　of　Monsieur　the　general…councillor；　and　there
she　asked；　in　great　excitement；　to　see　la　Peyrade。〃

〃That　was　natural；〃　said　Phellion；　〃he　being　the　intermediary　of　the
investment；　this　woman　had　a　right　to　question　him。〃

〃You　should　just　have　seen　that　Tartuffe！〃　continued　Minard。　〃He　had
no　sooner　gone　out　than　he　returned；　bringing　the　news。　As　everybody
was　longing　to　get　away；　there　followed　a　general　helter…skelter。　And
then　what　does　our　man　do？　He　goes　back　to　Madame　Lambert；　who　was
crying　that　she　was　ruined！　she　was　lost！which　might　very　well　be
true；　but　it　might　also　be　only　a　scene　arranged　between　them　in
presence　of　the　company；　whom　the　woman's　outcries　detained　in　the
antechamber。　'Don't　be　anxious；　my　good　woman；'　said　la　Peyrade；　'the
investment　was　made　at　your　request；　consequently；　I　owe　you　nothing；
BUT　it　is　enough　that　the　money　passed　through　my　hands　to　make　my
conscience　tell　me　I　am　responsible。　If　the　notary's　assets　are　not
enough　to　pay　you　I　will　do　so。'〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Phellion；　〃that　was　my　idea　as　you　told　it；　the
intermediary　is　or　ought　to　be　responsible。　I　should　not　have
hesitated　to　do　as　Monsieur　de　la　Peyrade　did；　and　I　do　not　think　that
after　such　conduct　as　that　he　ought　to　be　taxed　with　Jesuitism。〃

〃Yes；　you　would　have　done　so；〃　said　Minard；　〃and　so　should　I；　but　we
shouldn't　have　done　it　with　a　brass　band；　we　should　have　paid　our
money　quietly；　like　gentlemen。　But　this　electoral　manager；　how　is　he
going　to　pay　it？　Out　of　the　'dot'？〃

At　this　moment　the　little　page　entered　the　room　and　gave　a　letter　to
Felix　Phellion。　It　came　from　pere　Picot；　and　was　written　at　his
dictation　by　Madame　Lambert；　for　which　reason　we　will　not　reproduce
the　orthography。　The　writing　of　Madame　Lambert　was　of　those　that　can
never　be　forgotten　when　once　seen。　Recognizing　it　instantly；　Felix
hastened　to　say：

〃A　letter　from　the　professor〃；　then；　before　breaking　the　seal；　he
added；　〃Will　you　permit　me；　Monsieur　le　maire。〃

〃He'll　rate　you　finely；〃　said　Minard；　laughing。　〃I　never　saw　anything
so　comical　as　his　wrath　last　night。〃

Felix；　as　he　read　the　letter；　smiled　to　himself。　When　he　had　finished
it；　he　passed　it　to　his　father；　saying：

〃Read　it　aloud　if　you　like。〃

Whereupon；　with　his　solemn　voice　and　manner；　Phellion　read　as
follows：

　　My　dear　Felix；I　have　just　received　your　note；　it　came　in　the
　　nick　of　time；　for　I　was；　as　they　say；　in　a　fury　with　you。　You　tell
　　me　that　you　were　guilty　of　that　abuse　of　confidence　（about　which　I
　　intended　to　write　you　a　piece　of　my　mind）　in　o