the lesser bourgeoisie-第38部分

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of　honor　and　the　author　of　a　political　work；　grave；　serious；
important；　will　be　deputy　at　the　forthcoming　general　election。　But；
between　ourselves；　little　aunt；　one　couldn't　devote　one's　self　so
utterly　except　for　a　father…in…law。〃

〃You　are　right。〃

〃Though　I　have　no　fortune　I　shall　have　doubled　yours；　and　if　this
affair　goes　through　discreetly；　others　will　turn　up。〃

〃Until　I　have　seen　the　house；〃　said　Mademoiselle　Thuillier　again；　〃I
can　decide　on　nothing。〃

〃Well　then；　send　for　a　carriage　to…morrow　and　let　us　go　there。　I　will
get　a　ticket　early　in　the　morning　to　view　the　premises。〃

〃To…morrow；　then；　about　mid…day；〃　responded　Brigitte；　holding　out　her
hand　to　Theodose　that　he　might　shake　it；　but　instead　of　that　he　laid
upon　it　the　most　respectful　and　the　most　tender　kiss　that　Brigitte　had
ever　in　her　life　received。

〃Adieu；　my　child；〃　she　said；　as　he　reached　the　door。

She　rang　the　bell　hurriedly　and　when　the　servant　came：

〃Josephine；〃　she　cried；　〃go　at　once　to　Madame　Colleville；　and　ask　her
to　come　over　and　speak　to　me。〃

Fifteen　minutes　later　Flavie　entered　the　salon；　where　Brigitte　was
walking　up　and　down；　in　a　state　of　extreme　agitation。

〃My　dear；〃　she　cried　on　seeing　Flavie；　〃you　can　do　me　a　great　service；
which　concerns　our　dear　Celeste。　You　know　Tullia；　don't　you？a
danseuse　at　the　opera；　my　brother　was　always　dinning　her　into　my　ears
at　one　time。〃

〃Yes；　I　know　her；　but　she　is　no　longer　a　danseuse；　she　is　Madame　la
Comtesse　du　Bruel。　Her　husband　is　peer　of　France！〃

〃Does　she　still　like　you？〃

〃We　never　see　each　other　now。〃

〃Well；　I　know　that　Chaffaroux；　the　rich　contractor；　is　her　uncle；〃
said　Brigitte。　〃He　is　old　and　wealthy。　Go　and　see　your　former　friend；
and　get　her　to　give　you　a　line　of　introduction　to　him；　saying　he　would
do　her　an　eminent　favor　if　he　would　give　a　piece　of　friendly　advice　to
the　bearer　of　the　note；　and　then　you　and　I　will　take　it　to　him
to…morrow　about　one　o'clock。　But　tell　Tullia　she　must　request　her
uncle　to　keep　secret　about　it。　Go；　my　dear。　Celeste；　our　dear　child；
will　be　a　millionaire！　I　can't　say　more；　but　she'll　have；　from　me；　a
husband　who　will　put　her　on　a　pinnacle。〃

〃Do　you　want　me　to　tell　you　the　first　letters　of　his　name？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃T。　P。；Theodose　de　la　Peyrade。　You　are　right。　That's　a　man　who　may；
if　supported　by　a　woman　like　you；　become　a　minister。〃

〃It　is　God　himself　who　has　placed　him　in　our　house！〃　cried　the　old
maid。

At　this　moment　Monsieur　and　Madame　Thuillier　returned　home。

Five　days　later；　in　the　month　of　April；　the　ordinance　which　convoked
the　electors　to　appoint　a　member　of　the　municipal　council　on　the　20th
of　the　same　month　was　inserted　in　the　〃Moniteur；〃　and　placarded　about
Paris。　For　several　weeks　the　ministry；　called　that　of　March　1st；　had
been　in　power。　Brigitte　was　in　a　charming　humor。　She　had　been
convinced　of　the　truth　of　all　la　Peyrade's　assertions。　The　house；
visited　from　garret　to　cellar　by　old　Chaffaroux；　was　admitted　by　him
to　be　an　admirable　construction；　poor　Grindot；　the　architect；　who　was
interested　with　the　notary　and　Claparon　in　the　affair；　thought　the　old
man　was　employed　in　the　interests　of　the　contractor；　the　old　fellow
himself　thought　he　was　acting　in　the　interests　of　his　niece；　and　he
gave　it　as　his　opinion　that　thirty　thousand　francs　would　finish　the
house。　Thus；　in　the　course　of　one　week　la　Peyrade　became　Brigitte's
god；　and　she　proved　to　him　by　the　most　naively　nefarious　arguments
that　fortune　should　be　seized　when　it　offered　itself。

〃Well；　if　there　IS　any　sin　in　the　business；〃　she　said　to　him　in　the
middle　of　the　garden；　〃you　can　confess　it。〃

〃The　devil！〃　cried　Thuillier；　〃a　man　owes　himself　to　his　relatives；
and　you　are　one　of　us　now。〃

〃Then　I　decide　to　do　it；〃　replied　la　Peyrade；　in　a　voice　of　emotion；
〃but　on　conditions　that　I　must　now　distinctly　state。　I　will　not；　in
marrying　Celeste；　be　accused　of　greed　and　mercenary　motives。　If　you
lay　remorse　upon　me；　at　least　you　must　consent　that　I　shall　remain　as
I　am　for　the　present。　Do　not　settle　upon　Celeste；　my　old　Thuillier；
the　future　possession　of　the　property　I　am　about　to　obtain　for　you〃

〃You　are　right。〃

〃Don't　rob　yourself；　and　let　my　dear　little　aunt　here　act　in　the　same
way　in　relation　to　the　marriage　contract。　Put　the　remainder　of　the
capital　in　Madame　Thuillier's　name；　on　the　Grand　Livre；　and　she　can　do
what　she　likes　with　it。　We　shall　all　live　together　as　one　family；　and
I'll　undertake　to　make　my　own　fortune；　now　that　I　am　free　from　anxiety
about　the　future。〃

〃That　suits　me；〃　said　Thuillier；　〃that's　the　talk　of　an　honest　man。〃

〃Let　me　kiss　you　on　the　forehead；　my　son；〃　said　the　old　maid；　〃but；
inasmuch　as　Celeste　cannot　be　allowed　to　go　without　a　'dot；'　we　shall
give　her　sixty　thousand　francs。〃

〃For　her　dress；〃　said　la　Peyrade。

〃We　are　all　three　persons　of　honor；〃　cried　Thuillier。　〃It　is　now
settled；　isn't　it？　You　are　to　manage　the　purchase　of　the　house；　we　are
to　write　together；　you　and　I；　my　political　work；　and　you'll　bestir
yourself　to　get　me　the　decoration？〃

〃You　will　have　that　as　soon　as　you　are　made　a　municipal　councillor　on
the　1st　of　May。　Only；　my　good　friend；　I　must　beg　you；　and　you；　too；
dear　aunt；　to　keep　the　most　profound　secrecy　about　me　in　this　affair；
and　do　not　listen　to　the　calumnies　which　all　the　men　I　am　about　to
trick　will　spread　about　me。　I　shall　become；　you'll　see；　a　vagabond；　a
swindler；　a　dangerous　man；　a　Jesuit；　an　ambitious　fortune…hunter。　Can
you　hear　those　accusations　against　me　with　composure？〃

〃Fear　nothing；〃　replied　Brigitte。



CHAPTER　XI

THE　REIGN　OF　THEODOSE

From　that　day　forth　Thuillier　became　a　dear；　good　friend。　〃My　dear；
good　friend；〃　was　the　name　given　to　him　by　Theodose；　with　voice
inflections　of　varieties　of　tenderness　which　astonished　Flavie。　But
〃little　aunt；〃　a　name　that　flattered　Brigitte　deeply；　was　only　given
in　family　secrecy；　and　occasionally　before　Flavie。　The　activity　of
Theodose　and　Dutocq；　Cerizet；　Barbet；　Metivier；　Minard；　Phellion；
Colleville；　and　others　of　the　Thuillier　circle　was　extreme。　Great　and
small；　they　all　put　their　hands　to　the　work。　Cadenet　procured　thirty
votes　in　his　section。　On　the　30th　of　April　Thuillier　was　proclaimed
member　of　the　Council…general　of　the　department　of　the　Seine　by　an
imposing　majority；　in　fact；　he　only　needed　sixty　more　votes　to　make
his　election　unanimous。　May　1st　Thuillier　joined　the　municipal　body
and　went　to　the　Tuileries　to　congratulate　the　King　on　his　fete…day；
and　returned　home　radiant。　He　had　gone　where　Minard　went！

Ten　days　later　a　yellow　poster　announced　the　sale　of　the　house；　after
due　publication；　the　price　named　being　seventy…five　thousand　francs；
the　final　purchase　to　take　place　about　the　last　of　July。　On　this　point
Cerizet　and　Claparon　had　an　agreement　by　which　Cerizet　pledged　the　sum
of　fifteen　thousand　francs　（in　words　only；　be　it　understood）　to
Claparon　in　case　the　latter　could　deceive　the　notary　and　keep　him
quiet　until　the　time　expired　during　which　he　might　withdraw　the
property　by　bidding　it　in。　Mademoiselle　Thuillier；　notified　by
Theodose；　agreed　entirely　to　this　secret　clause；　understanding
perfectly　the