the lesser bourgeoisie-第48部分

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times；　was　Voltairean；　that　is　to　say；　an　unbeliever；　or；　if　you
choose；　a　deist。　He　took　up　all　the　revolutionary　ideas；　and　practised
the　charming　rites　that　you　know　of　in　the　worship　of　the　goddess
Reason。　He　came　into　our　part　of　the　country　imbued　with　the　ideas　of
the　Convention；　and　fanatical　about　them。　His　wife　was　very　handsome；
he　compelled　her　to　play　the　part　of　Liberty；　and　the　poor　unfortunate
creature　went　mad。　She　died　insane！　Well；　as　things　are　going　now　it
looks　as　if　we　might　have　another　1793。〃

This　history；　invented　on　the　spot；　made　such　an　impression　on
Celeste's　fresh　and　youthful　imagination　that　she　rose；　bowed　to　the
young　men　and　hastened　to　her　chamber。

〃Ah！　monsieur；　why　did　you　tell　her　that？〃　cried　Felix；　struck　to　the
heart　by　the　cold　look　the　young　girl；　affecting　profound
indifference；　cast　upon　him。　She　fancied　herself　transformed　into　a
goddess　of　Reason。

〃Why　not？　What　were　you　talking　about？〃　asked　Theodose。

〃About　my　indifference　to　religion。〃

〃The　great　sore　of　this　century；〃　replied　Theodose；　gravely。

〃I　am　ready；〃　said　Madame　Colleville；　appearing　in　a　toilet　of　much
taste。　〃But　what　is　the　matter　with　my　poor　daughter？　She　is　crying！〃

〃Crying？　madame；〃　exclaimed　Felix；　〃please　tell　her　that　I　will　study
'The　Imitation　of　Christ'　at　once。〃

Felix　left　the　house　with　Theodose　and　Flavie；　whose　arm　the　barrister
pressed　to　let　her　know　he　would　explain　in　the　carriage　the　apparent
dementia　of　the　young　professor。

An　hour　later；　Madame　Colleville　and　Celeste；　Colleville　and　Theodose
were　entering　the　Thuilliers'　apartment　to　dine　there。　Theodose　and
Flavie　took　Thuillier　into　the　garden；　where　the　former　said　to　him：

〃Dear；　good　friend！　you　will　have　the　cross　within　a　week。　Our
charming　friend　here　will　tell　you　about　our　visit　to　the　Comtesse　du
Bruel。〃

And　Theodose　left　Thuillier；　having　caught　sight　of　Desroches　in　the
act　of　being　brought　by　Mademoiselle　Thuillier　into　the　garden；　he
went；　driven　by　a　terrible　and　glacial　presentiment；　to　meet　him。

〃My　good　friend；〃　said　Desroches　in　his　ear；　〃I　have　come　to　see　if
you　can　procure　at　once　twenty…five　thousand　francs　plus　two　thousand
six　hundred　and　eighty　for　costs。〃

〃Are　you　acting　for　Cerizet？〃　asked　the　barrister。

〃Cerizet　has　put　all　the　papers　into　the　hands　of　Louchard；　and　you
know　what　you　have　to　expect　if　arrested。　Is　Cerizet　wrong　in　thinking
you　have　twenty…five　thousand　francs　in　your　desk？　He　says　you　offered
them　to　him　and　he　thinks　it　only　natural　not　to　leave　them　in　your
hands。〃

〃Thank　you　for　taking　the　step；　my　good　friend；〃　replied　Theodose。　〃I
have　been　expecting　this　attack。〃

〃Between　ourselves；〃　replied　Desroches；　〃you　have　made　an　utter　fool
of　him；　and　he　is　furious。　The　scamp　will　stop　at　nothing　to　get　his
revenge　upon　youfor　he'll　lose　everything　if　he　forces　you　to　fling
your　barrister's　gown；　as　they　say；　to　the　nettles　and　go　to　prison。〃

〃I？〃　said　Theodose。　〃I'm　going　to　pay　him。　But　even　so；　there　will
still　be　five　notes　of　mine　in　his　hands；　for　five　thousand　francs
each；　what　does　he　mean　to　do　with　them？〃

〃Oh！　after　the　affair　of　this　morning；　I　can't　tell　you；　my　client　is
a　crafty；　mangy　cur；　and　he　is　sure　to　have　his　little　plans。〃

〃Look　here；　Desroches；〃　said　Theodose；　taking　the　hard；　unyielding
attorney　round　the　waist；　〃those　papers　are　in　your　hands；　are　not
they？〃

〃Will　you　pay　them？〃

〃Yes；　in　three　hours。〃

〃Very　good；　then。　Be　at　my　office　at　nine　o'clock；　I'll　receive　the
money　and　give　you　your　notes；　BUT；　at　half…past　nine　o'clock；　they
will　be　in　the　sheriff's　hands。〃

〃To…night；　then；　at　nine　o'clock；〃　said　Theodose。

〃Nine　o'clock；〃　repeated　Desroches；　whose　glance　had　taken　in　the
whole　family；　then　assembled　in　the　garden。

Celeste；　with　red　eyes；　was　talking　to　her　godmother；　Colleville　and
Brigitte；　Flavie　and　Thuillier　were　on　the　steps　of　the　broad　portico
leading　to　the　entrance…hall。　Desroches　remarked　to　Theodose；　who
followed　him　to　the　door：

〃You　can　pay　off　those　notes。〃

At　a　single　glance　the　shrewd　attorney　had　comprehended　the　whole
scheme　of　the　barrister。



CHAPTER　XIV

ONE　OF　CERIZET'S　FEMALE　CLIENTS

The　next　morning；　at　daybreak；　Theodose　went　to　the　office　of　the
banker　of　the　poor；　to　see　the　effect　produced　upon　his　enemy　by　the
punctual　payment　of　the　night　before；　and　to　make　another　effort　to
get　rid　of　his　hornet。

He　found　Cerizet　standing　up；　in　conference　with　a　woman；　and　he
received　an　imperative　sign　to　keep　at　a　distance　and　not　to　interrupt
the　interview。　The　barrister　was　therefore　reduced　to　conjectures　as
to　the　importance　of　this　woman；　an　importance　revealed　by　the　eager
look　on　the　face　of　the　lender　〃by　the　little　week。〃　Theodose　had　a
presentiment；　though　a　very　vague　one；　that　the　upshot　of　this
conference　would　have　some　influence　on　Cerizet's　own　arrangements；
for　he　suddenly　beheld　on　that　crafty　countenance　the　change　produced
by　a　dawning　hope。

〃But；　my　dear　mamma　Cardinal〃

〃Yes；　my　good　monsieur〃

〃What　is　it　you　want？〃

〃It　must　be　decided〃

These　beginnings；　or　these　ends　of　sentences　were　the　only　gleams　of
light　that　the　animated　conversation；　carried　on　in　the　lowest　tones
with　lip　to　ear　and　ear　to　lip；　conveyed　to　the　motionless　witness；
whose　attention　was　fixed　on　Madame　Cardinal。

Madame　Cardinal　was　one　of　Cerizet's　earliest　clients；　she　peddled
fish。　If　Parisians　know　these　creations　peculiar　to　their　soil；
foreigners　have　no　suspicion　of　their　existence；　and　Mere　Cardinal
technologically　speaking；　of　course；　deserved　all　the　interest　she
excited　in　Theodose。　So　many　women　of　her　species　may　be　met　with　in
the　streets　that　the　passers…by　give　them　no　more　attention　than　they
give　to　the　three　thousand　pictures　of　the　Salon。　But　as　she　stood　in
Cerizet's　office　the　Cardinal　had　all　the　value　of　an　isolated
masterpiece；　she　was　a　complete　and　perfect　type　of　her　species。

The　woman　was　mounted　on　muddy　sabots；　but　her　feet；　carefully　wrapped
in　gaiters；　were　still　further　protected　by　stout　and　thick…ribbed
stockings。　Her　cotton　gown；　adorned　with　a　glounce　of　mud；　bore　the
imprint　of　the　strap　which　supported　the　fish…basket。　Her　principal
garment　was　a　shawl　of　what　was　called　〃rabbit's…hair　cashmere；〃　the
two　ends　of　which　were　knotted　behind；　above　her　bustlefor　we　must
needs　employ　a　fashionable　word　to　express　the　effect　produced　by　the
transversal　pressure　of　the　basket　upon　her　petticoats；　which
projected　below　it；　in　shape　like　a　cabbage。　A　printed　cotton
neckerchief；　of　the　coarsest　description；　gave　to　view　a　red　neck；
ribbed　and　lined　like　the　surface　of　a　pond　where　people　have　skated。
Her　head　was　covered　in　a　yellow　silk　foulard；　twined　in　a　manner　that
was　rather　picturesque。　Short　and　stout；　and　ruddy　of　skin；　Mere
Cardinal　probably　drank　her　little　drop　of　brandy　in　the　morning。　She
had　once　been　handsome。　The　Halle　had　formerly　reproached　her；　in　the
boldness　of　its　figurative　speech；　for　doing　〃a　double　day's…work　in
the　twenty…four。〃　Her　voice；　in　order　to　reduce　itself　to　the　diapason
of　ordinary　conversation；　was