the lesser bourgeoisie-第33部分

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sideboard　where　he　was　preparing　to　eat　a　slice　of　tongue；　and　said　to
him：

〃Let　us　go；　we　must　be　at　Cerizet's　very　early　in　the　morning；　we
ought　both　of　us　to　think　over　that　affair；　it　is　not　so　easy　to
manage　as　Cerizet　seems　to　imagine。〃

〃Why　not？〃　asked　Dutocq；　bringing　his　slice　of　tongue　to　eat　in　the
salon。

〃Don't　you　know　the　law？〃

〃I　know　enough　of　it　to　be　aware　of　the　dangers　of　the　affair。　If　that
notary　wants　the　house　and　we　filch　it　from　him；　there　are　means　by
which　he　can　recover　it；　he　can　put　himself　into　the　skin　of　a
registered　creditor。　By　the　present　legal　system　relating　to
mortgages；　when　a　house　is　sold　at　the　request　of　creditors；　if　the
price　obtained　for　it　at　auction　is　not　enough　to　pay　all　debts；　the
owners　have　the　right　to　bid　it　in　and　hold　it　for　a　higher　sum；　now
the　notary；　seeing　himself　caught；　may　back　out　of　the　sale　in　that
way。〃

〃Well；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃it　needs　attention。〃

〃Very　good；〃　replied　Dutocq；　〃we'll　go　and　see　Cerizet。〃

These　words；　〃go　and　see　Cerizet；〃　were　overheard　by　Minard；　who　was
following　the　two　associates；　but　they　offered　no　meaning　to　his　mind。
The　two　men　were　so　outside　of　his　own　course　and　projects　that　he
heard　them　without　listening　to　them。

〃This　has　been　one　of　the　finest　days　in　our　lives；〃　said　Brigitte　to
her　brother；　when　she　found　herself　alone　with　him　in　the　deserted
salon；　at　half…past　two　in　the　morning。　〃What　a　distinction！　to　be
thus　selected　by　your　fellow…citizens！〃

〃Don't　be　mistaken　about　it；　Brigitte；　we　owe　it　all；　my　child；　to　one
man。〃

〃What　man？〃

〃To　our　friend；　la　Peyrade。〃



CHAPTER　IX

THE　BANKER　OF　THE　POOR

It　was　not　on　the　next　day；　Monday；　but　on　the　following　day；　Tuesday；
that　Dutocq　and　Theodose　went　to　see　Cerizet；　the　former　having　called
la　Peyrade's　attention　to　the　fact　that　Cerizet　always　absented
himself　on　Sundays　and　Mondays；　taking　advantage　of　the　total　absence
of　clients　on　those　days；　which　are　devoted　by　the　populace　to
debauch。　The　house　toward　which　they　directed　their　steps　is　one　of
the　striking　features　in　the　faubourg　Saint…Jacques；　and　it　is　quite
as　important　to　study　it　here　as　it　was　to　study　those　of　Phellion　and
Thuillier。　It　is　not　known　（true；　no　commission　has　yet　been　appointed
to　examine　this　phenomenon）；　no　one　knows　why　certain　quarters　become
degraded　and　vulgarized；　morally　as　well　as　materially；　why；　for
instance；　the　ancient　residence　of　the　court　and　the　church；　the
Luxembourg　and　the　Latin　quarter；　have　become　what　they　are　to…day；　in
spite　of　the　presence　of　the　finest　palaces　in　the　world；　in　spite　of
the　bold　cupola　of　Sainte…Genevieve；　that　of　Mansard　on　the　Val…de…
Grace；　and　the　charms　of　the　Jardin　des　Plantes。　One　asks　one's　self
why　the　elegance　of　life　has　left　that　region；　why　the　Vauquer　houses；
the　Phellion　and　the　Thuillier　houses　now　swarm　with　tenants　and
boarders；　on　the　site　of　so　many　noble　and　religious　buildings；　and
why　such　mud　and　dirty　trades　and　poverty　should　have　fastened　on　a
hilly　piece　of　ground；　instead　of　spreading　out　upon　the　flat　land
beyond　the　confines　of　the　ancient　city。

The　angel　whose　beneficence　once　hovered　above　this　quarter　being
dead；　usury；　on　the　lowest　scale；　rushed　in　and　took　his　place。　To　the
old　judge；　Popinot；　succeeded　Cerizet；　and　strange　to　say；a　fact
which　it　is　well　to　study；the　effect　produced；　socially　speaking；
was　much　the　same。　Popinot　loaned　money　without　interest；　and　was
willing　to　lose；　Cerizet　lost　nothing；　and　compelled　the　poor　to　work
hard　and　stay　virtuous。　The　poor　adored　Popinot；　but　they　did　not　hate
Cerizet。　Here；　in　this　region；　revolves　the　lowest　wheel　of　Parisian
financiering。　At　the　top；　Nucingen　&　Co。；　the　Kellers；　du　Tillet；　and
the　Mongenods；　a　little　lower　down；　the　Palmas；　Gigonnets；　and
Gobsecks；　lower　still；　the　Samonons；　Chaboisseaus；　and　Barbets；　and
lastly　（after　the　pawn…shops）　comes　this　king　of　usury；　who　spreads
his　nets　at　the　corners　of　the　streets　to　entangle　all　miseries　and
miss　none；Cerizet；　〃money　lender　by　the　little　week。〃

The　frogged　frock…coat　will　have　prepared　you　for　the　den　in　which
this　convicted　stock…broker　carried　on　his　present　business。

The　house　was　humid　with　saltpetre；　the　walls；　sweating　moisture；　were
enamelled　all　over　with　large　slabs　of　mould。　Standing　at　the　corner
of　the　rue　des　Postes　and　rue　des　Poules；　it　presented　first　a　ground…
floor；　occupied　partly　by　a　shop　for　the　sale　of　the　commonest　kind　of
wine；　painted　a　coarse　bright　red；　decorated　with　curtains　of　red
calico；　furnished　with　a　leaden　counter；　and　guarded　by　formidable
iron　bars。　Above　the　gate　of　an　odious　alley　hung　a　frightful　lantern；
on　which　were　the　words　〃Night　lodgings　here。〃　The　outer　walls　were
covered　with　iron　crossbars；　showing；　apparently；　the　insecurity　of
the　building；　which　was　owned　by　the　wine…merchant；　who　also　inhabited
the　entresol。　The　widow　Poiret　（nee　Michonneau）　kept　furnished
lodgings　on　the　first；　second；　and　third　floors；　consisting　of　single
rooms　for　workmen　and　for　the　poorest　class　of　students。

Cerizet　occupied　one　room　on　the　ground…floor　and　another　in　the
entresol；　to　which　he　mounted　by　an　interior　staircase；　this　entresol
looked　out　upon　a　horrible　paved　court；　from　which　arose　mephitic
odors。　Cerizet　paid　forty　francs　a　month　to　the　widow　Poiret　for　his
breakfast　and　dinner；　he　thus　conciliated　her　by　becoming　her　boarder；
he　also　made　himself　acceptable　to　the　wine…merchant　by　procuring　him
an　immense　sale　of　wine　and　liquors　among　his　clientsprofits
realized　before　sunrise；　the　wine…shop　beginning　operations　about
three　in　the　morning　in　summer；　and　five　in　winter。

The　hour　of　the　great　Market；　which　so　many　of　his　clients；　male　and
female；　attended；　was　the　determining　cause　of　Cerizet's　early　hours。
The　Sieur　Cadenet；　the　wine…merchant；　in　view　of　the　custom　which　he
owed　to　the　usurer；　had　let　him　the　two　rooms　for　the　low　price　of
eighty　francs　a　year；　and　had　given　him　a　lease　for　twelve　years；
which　Cerizet　alone　had　a　right　to　break；　without　paying　indemnity；　at
three　months'　notice。　Cadenet　always　carried　in　a　bottle　of　excellent
wine　for　the　dinner　of　this　useful　tenant；　and　when　Cerizet　was　short
of　money　he　had　only　to　say　to　his　friend；　〃Cadenet；　lend　me　a　few
hundred　francs；〃loans　which　he　faithfully　repaid。

Cadenet；　it　was　said；　had　proof　of　the　widow　Poiret　having　deposited
in　Cerizet's　hands　some　two　thousand　francs　for　investment；　which　may
explain　the　progress　of　the　latter's　affairs　since　the　day　when　he
first　took　up　his　abode　in　the　quarter；　supplied　with　a　last　note　of　a
thousand　francs　and　Dutocq's　protection。　Cadenet；　prompted　by　a
cupidity　which　success　increased；　had　proposed；　early　in　the　year；　to
put　twenty　thousand　francs　into　the　hands　of　his　friend　Cerizet。　But
Cerizet　had　positively　declined　them；　on　the　ground　that　he　ran　risks
of　a　nature　to　become　a　possible　cause　of　dispute　with　associates。

〃I　could　only；〃　he　said　to　Cadenet；　〃take　them　at　six　per　cent
interest；　and　you　can　do　better　than　that　in　your　own　business。　We
will　go　into　partnership　later；　if　you　like；　in