the lesser bourgeoisie-第2部分

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On　one　side　was　the　porter's　lodge；　on　the　other　the　staircase　of　the
front　building。　Two　wings；　built　against　the　adjoining　houses；　had
formerly　served　as　stables；　coach…house；　kitchen　and　offices　to　the
rear　dwelling；　but　since　1830；　they　had　been　converted　into　warerooms。
The　one　on　the　right　was　let　to　a　certain　M。　Metivier；　jr。；　wholesale
dealer　in　paper；　that　on　the　left　to　a　bookseller　named　Barbet。　The
offices　of　each　were　above　the　warerooms；　the　bookseller　occupying　the
first　storey；　and　the　paper…dealer　the　second　storey　of　the　house　on
the　street。　Metivier；　jr。；　who　was　more　of　a　commission　merchant　in
paper　than　a　regular　dealer；　and　Barbet；　much　more　of　a　money　lender
and　discounter　than　a　bookseller；　kept　these　vast　warerooms　for　the
purpose　of　storing；one；　his　stacks　of　paper；　bought　of　needy
manufacturers；　the　other；　editions　of　books　given　as　security　for
loans。

The　shark　of　bookselling　and　the　pike　of　paper…dealing　lived　on　the
best　of　terms；　and　their　mutual　operations；　exempt　from　the　turmoil　of
retail　business；　brought　so　few　carriages　into　that　tranquil　courtyard
that　the　concierge　was　obliged　to　pull　up　the　grass　between　the　paving
stones。　Messrs。　Barbet　and　Metivier　paid　a　few　rare　visits　to　their
landlords；　and　the　punctuality　with　which　they　paid　their　rent　classed
them　as　good　tenants；　in　fact；　they　were　looked　upon　as　very　honest
men　by　the　Thuillier　circle。

As　for　the　third　floor　on　the　street；　it　was　made　into　two　apartments；
one　of　which　was　occupied　by　M。　Dutocq；　clerk　of　the　justice　of　peace；
a　retired　government　employee；　and　a　frequenter　of　the　Thuillier
salon；　the　other　by　the　hero　of　this　Scene；　about　whom　we　must　content
ourselves　at　the　present　moment　by　fixing　the　amount　of　his　rent；
namely；　seven　hundred　francs　a　year；and　the　location　he　had　chosen
in　the　heart　of　this　well…filled　building；　exactly　three　years　before
the　curtain　rises　on　the　present　domestic　drama。

The　clerk；　a　bachelor　of　fifty；　occupied　the　larger　of　the　two
apartments　on　the　third　floor。　He　kept　a　cook；　and　the　rent　of　the
rooms　was　a　thousand　francs　a　year。　Within　two　years　of　the　time　of
her　purchase；　Mademoiselle　Thuillier　was　receiving　seven　thousand　two
hundred　francs　in　rentals；　for　a　house　which　the　late　proprietor　had
supplied　with　outside　blinds；　renovated　within；　and　adorned　with
mirrors；　without　being　able　to　sell　or　let　it。　Moreover；　the
Thuilliers　themselves；　nobly　lodged；　as　we　shall　see；　enjoyed　also　a
fine　garden；one　of　the　finest　in　that　quarter；the　trees　of　which
shaded　the　lonely　little　street　named　the　rue　Neuve…Saint…Catherine。

Standing　between　the　courtyard　and　the　garden；　the　main　building；
which　they　inhabited；　seems　to　have　been　the　caprice　of　some　enriched
bourgeois　in　the　reign　of　Louis　XIV。；　the　dwelling；　perhaps；　of　a
president　of　the　parliament；　or　that　of　a　tranquil　savant。　Its　noble
free…stone　blocks；　damaged　by　time；　have　a　certain　air　of　Louis…the…
Fourteenth　grandeur；　the　courses　of　the　facade　define　the　storeys；
panels　of　red　brick　recall　the　appearance　of　the　stables　at
Versailles；　the　windows　have　masks　carved　as　ornaments　in　the　centre
of　their　arches　and　below　their　sills。　The　door；　of　small　panels　in
the　upper　half　and　plain　below；　through　which；　when　open；　the　garden
can　be　seen；　is　of　that　honest；　unassuming　style　which　was　often
employed　in　former　days　for　the　porter's　lodges　of　the　royal　chateaux。

This　building；　with　five　windows　to　each　course；　rises　two　storeys
above　the　ground…floor；　and　is　particularly　noticeable　for　a　roof　of
four　sides　ending　in　a　weather…vane；　and　broken　here　and　there　by
tall；　handsome　chimneys；　and　oval　windows。　Perhaps　this　structure　is
the　remains　of　some　great　mansion；　but　after　examining　all　the
existing　old　maps　of　Paris；　we　find　nothing　which　bears　out　this
conjecture。　Moreover；　the　title…deeds　of　property　under　Louis　XIV。　was
Petitot；　the　celebrated　painter　in　miniature；　who　obtained　it
originally　from　President　Lecamus。　We　may　therefore　believe　that
Lecamus　lived　in　this　building　while　he　was　erecting　his　more　famous
mansion　in　the　rue　de　Thorigny。

So　Art　and　the　legal　robe　have　passed　this　way　in　turn。　How　many
instigations　of　needs　and　pleasures　have　led　to　the　interior
arrangement　of　the　dwelling！　To　right；　as　we　enter　a　square　hall
forming　a　closed　vestibule；　rises　a　stone　staircase　with　two　windows
looking　on　the　garden。　Beneath　the　staircase　opens　a　door　to　the
cellar。　From　this　vestibule　we　enter　the　dining…room；　lighted　from　the
courtyard；　and　the　dining…room　communicates　at　its　side　with　the
kitchen；　which　forms　a　continuation　of　the　wing　in　which　are　the
warerooms　of　Metivier　and　Barbet。　Behind　the　staircase　extends；　on　the
garden　side；　a　fine　study　or　office　with　two　large　windows。　The　first
and　second　floor　form　two　complete　apartments；　and　the　servants'
quarters　are　shown　by　the　oval　windows　in　the　four…sided　roof。

A　large　porcelain　stove　heats　the　square　vestibule；　the　two　glass
doors　of　which；　placed　opposite　to　each　other；　light　it。　This　room；
paved　in　black　and　white　marble；　is　especially　noticeable　for　a
ceiling　of　beams　formerly　painted　and　gilt；　but　which　had　since
received；　probably　under　the　Empire；　a　coat　of　plain　white　paint。　The
three　doors　of　the　study；　salon　and　dining…room；　surmounted　by　oval
panels；　are　awaiting　a　restoration　that　is　more　than　needed。　The　wood…
work　is　heavy；　but　the　ornamentation　is　not　without　merit。　The　salon；
panelled　throughout；　recalls　the　great　century　by　its　tall　mantelpiece
of　Languedoc　marble；　its　ceiling　decorated　at　the　corners；　and　by　the
style　of　its　windows；　which　still　retain　their　little　panes。　The
dining…room；　communicating　with　the　salon　by　a　double　door；　is　floored
with　stone；　the　wood…work　is　oak；　unpainted；　and　an　atrocious　modern
wall…paper　has　been　substituted　for　the　tapestries　of　the　olden　time。
The　ceiling　is　of　chestnut；　and　the　study；　modernized　by　Thuillier；
adds　its　quota　to　these　discordances。

The　white　and　gold　mouldings　of　the　salon　are　so　effaced　that　nothing
remains　of　the　gilding　but　reddish　lines；　while　the　white　enamelling
is　yellow；　cracked；　and　peeling　off。　Never　did　the　Latin　saying　〃Otium
cum　dignitate〃　have　a　greater　commentary　to　the　mind　of　a　poet　than　in
this　noble　building。　The　iron…work　of　the　staircase　baluster　is　worthy
of　the　artist　and　the　magistrate；　but　to　find　other　traces　of　their
taste　to…day　in　this　majestic　relic；　the　eyes　of　an　artistic　observer
are　needed。

The　Thuilliers　and　their　predecessors　have　frequently　degraded　this
jewel　of　the　upper　bourgeoisie　by　the　habits　and　inventions　of　the
lesser　bourgeoisie。　Look　at　those　walnut　chairs　covered　with　horse…
hair；　that　mahogany　table　with　its　oilcloth　cover；　that　sideboard；
also　of　mahogany；　that　carpet；　bought　at　a　bargain；　beneath　the　table；
those　metal　lamps；　that　wretched　paper　with　its　red　border；　those
execrable　engravings；　and　the　calico　curtains　with　red　fringes；　in　a
dining…room；　where　the　friends　of　Petitot　once　feasted！　Do　you　notice
the　effect　produced　in　the　salon　by　those　portraits　of　Monsieur　and
Madame　and　Mademoiselle　Thuillier　by　Pierre　Grassou；