the lesser bourgeoisie-第11部分

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his　bureaucratic　life；　he　respected　all　social　superiority。　He　was
therefore　silent　before　Minard。　During　the　critical　period　of
retirement　from　office；　he　had　held　his　own　admirably；　for　the
following　reason。　Never　until　now　had　that　worthy　and　excellent　man
been　able　to　indulge　his　own　tastes。　He　loved　the　city　of　Paris；　he
was　interested　in　its　embellishment；　in　the　laying　out　of　its　streets；
he　was　capable　of　standing　for　hours　to　watch　the　demolition　of
houses。　He　might　now　have　been　observed；　stolidly　planted　on　his　legs；
his　nose　in　the　air；　watching　for　the　fall　of　a　stone　which　some　mason
was　loosening　at　the　top　of　a　wall；　and　never　moving　till　the　stone
fell；　when　it　had　fallen　he　went　away　as　happy　as　an　academician　at
the　fall　of　a　romantic　drama。　Veritable　supernumeraries　of　the　social
comedy；　Phellion；　Laudigeois；　and　their　kind；　fulfilled　the　functions
of　the　antique　chorus。　They　wept　when　weeping　was　in　order；　laughed
when　they　should　laugh；　and　sang　in　parts　the　public　joys　and　sorrows；
they　triumphed　in　their　corner　with　the　triumphs　of　Algiers；　of
Constantine；　of　Lisbon；　of　Sainte…Jean　d'Ulloa；　they　deplored　the
death　of　Napoleon　and　the　fatal　catastrophes　of　the　Saint…Merri　and
the　rue　Transnonnain；　grieving　over　celebrated　men　who　were　utterly
unknown　to　them。　Phellion　alone　presents　a　double　side：　he　divides
himself　conscientiously　between　the　reasons　of　the　opposition　and
those　of　the　government。　When　fighting　went　on　in　the　streets；
Phellion　had　the　courage　to　declare　himself　before　his　neighbors；　he
went　to　the　Place　Saint…Michel；　the　place　where　his　battalion
assembled；　he　felt　for　the　government　and　did　his　duty。　Before　and
during　the　riot；　he　supported　the　dynasty；　the　product　of　July；　but；
as　soon　as　the　political　trials　began；　he　stood　by　the　accused。　This
innocent　〃weather…cockism〃　prevails　in　his　political　opinions；　he
produces；　in　reply　to　all　arguments；　the　〃colossus　of　the　North。〃
England　is；　to　his　thinking；　as　to　that　of　the　old　〃Constitutionnel；〃
a　crone　with　two　faces；Machiavellian　Albion；　and　the　model　nation：
Machiavellian；　when　the　interests　of　France　and　of　Napoleon　are
concerned；　the　model　nation　when　the　faults　of　the　government　are　in
question。　He　admits；　with　his　chosen　paper；　the　democratic　element；
but　refuses　in　conversation　all　compact　with　the　republican　spirit。
The　republican　spirit　to　him　means　1793；　rioting；　the　Terror；　and
agrarian　law。　The　democratic　element　is　the　development　of　the　lesser
bourgeoisie；　the　reign　of　Phellions。

The　worthy　old　man　is　always　dignified；　dignity　serves　to　explain　his
life。　He　has　brought　up　his　children　with　dignity；　he　has　kept　himself
a　father　in　their　eyes；　he　insists　on　being　honored　in　his　home；　just
as　he　himself　honors　power　and　his　superiors。　He　has　never　made　debts。
As　a　juryman　his　conscience　obliges　him　to　sweat　blood　and　water　in
the　effort　to　follow　the　debates　of　a　trial；　he　never　laughs；　not　even
if　the　judge；　and　audience；　and　all　the　officials　laugh。　Eminently
useful；　he　gives　his　services；　his　time；　everythingexcept　his　money。
Felix　Phellion；　his　son；　the　professor；　is　his　idol；　he　thinks　him
capable　of　attaining　to　the　Academy　of　Sciences。　Thuillier；　between
the　audacious　nullity　of　Minard；　and　the　solid　silliness　of　Phellion；
was　a　neutral　substance；　but　connected　with　both　through　his　dismal
experience。　He　managed　to　conceal　the　emptiness　of　his　brain　by
commonplace　talk；　just　as　he　covered　the　yellow　skin　of　his　bald　pate
with　thready　locks　of　his　gray　hair；　brought　from　the　back　of　his　head
with　infinite　art　by　the　comb　of　his　hairdresser。

〃In　any　other　career；〃　he　was　wont　to　say；　speaking　of　the　government
employ；　〃I　should　have　made　a　very　different　fortune。〃

He　had　seen　the　RIGHT；　which　is　possible　in　theory　and　impossible　in
practice；results　proving　contrary　to　premises；and　he　related　the
intrigues　and　the　injustices　of　the　Rabourdin　affair。

〃After　that；　one　can　believe　all；　and　believe　nothing；〃　he　would　say。
〃Ah！　it　is　a　queer　thing；　government！　I'm　very　glad　not　to　have　a　son；
and　never　to　see　him　in　the　career　of　a　place…hunter。〃

Colleville；　ever　gay；　rotund；　and　good…humored；　a　sayer　of
〃quodlibets；〃　a　maker　of　anagrams；　always　busy；　represented　the
capable　and　bantering　bourgeois；　with　faculty　without　success；
obstinate　toil　without　result；　he　was　also　the　embodiment　of　jovial
resignation；　mind　without　object；　art　with　usefulness；　for；　excellent
musician　that　he　was；　he　never　played　now　except　for　his　daughter。

The　Thuillier　salon　was　in　some　sort　a　provincial　salon；　lighted；
however；　by　continual　flashes　from　the　Parisian　conflagration；　its
mediocrity　and　its　platitudes　followed　the　current　of　the　times。　The
popular　saying　and　thing　（for　in　Paris　the　thing　and　its　saying　are
like　the　horse　and　its　rider）　ricochetted；　so　to　speak；　to　this
company。　Monsieur　Minard　was　always　impatiently　expected；　for　he　was
certain　to　know　the　truth　of　important　circumstances。　The　women　of　the
Thuillier　salon　held　by　the　Jesuits；　the　men　defended　the　University；
and；　as　a　general　thing；　the　women　listened。　A　man　of　intelligence
（could　he　have　borne　the　dulness　of　these　evenings）　would　have
laughed；　as　he　would　at　a　comedy　of　Moliere；　on　hearing；　amid　endless
discussion；　such　remarks　as　the　following：

〃How　could　the　Revolution　of　1789　have　been　avoided？　The　loans　of
Louis　XIV。　prepared　the　way　for　it。　Louis　XV。；　an　egotist；　a　man　of
narrow　mind　（didn't　he　say；　'If　I　were　lieutenant　of　police　I　would
suppress　cabriolets'？）；　that　dissolute　kingyou　remember　his　Parc　aux
Cerfs？did　much　to　open　the　abyss　of　revolution。　Monsieur　de　Necker；
an　evil…minded　Genovese；　set　the　thing　a…going。　Foreigners　have　always
tried　to　injure　France。　The　maximum　did　great　harm　to　the　Revolution。
Legally　Louis　XVI。　should　never　have　been　condemned；　a　jury　would　have
acquitted　him。　Why　did　Charles　X。　fall？　Napoleon　was　a　great　man；　and
the　facts　that　prove　his　genius　are　anecdotal：　he　took　five　pinches　of
snuff　a　minute　out　of　a　pocket　lined　with　leather　made　in　his
waistcoat。　He　looked　into　all　his　tradesmen's　accounts；　he　went　to
Saint…Denis　to　judge　for　himself　the　prices　of　things。　Talma　was　his
friend；　Talma　taught　him　his　gestures；　nevertheless；　he　always　refused
to　give　Talma　the　Legion　of　honor！　The　emperor　mounted　guard　for　a
sentinel　who　went　to　sleep；　to　save　him　from　being　shot。　Those　were
the　things　that　made　his　soldiers　adore　him。　Louis　XVIII。；　who
certainly　had　some　sense；　was　very　unjust　in　calling　him　Monsieur　de
Buonaparte。　The　defect　of　the　present　government　is　in　letting　itself
be　led　instead　of　leading。　It　holds　itself　too　low。　It　is　afraid　of
men　of　energy。　It　ought　to　have　torn　up　all　the　treaties　of　1815　and
demanded　the　Rhine。　They　keep　the　same　men　too　long　in　the　ministry〃；
etc。；　etc。

〃Come；　you've　exerted　your　minds　long　enough；〃　said　Mademoiselle
Thuillier；　interrupting　one　of　these　luminous　talks；　〃the　altar　is
dressed；　begin　your　little　game。〃

If　these　anterior　facts　and　all　these　generalities　were　not　placed
here　as　the　frame　of　the　present　Scene；　to　give　an　idea　of　the　spirit
of　this　society；　the　f