the lesser bourgeoisie-第116部分

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was　niggardly　about　a　cab。〃

〃Henri；〃　said　Brigitte　to　the　man…servant；　〃take　monsieur　down　to　the
porter　and　tell　him　to　do　the　errand　I　told　him　about　just　now；　and　to
take　monsieur　to　his　own　door；　and　be　very　careful　of　him。〃

〃Careful　of　him！〃　echoed　the　old　man。　〃Do　you　take　me　for　a　trunk；
madame；　or　a　bit　of　cracked　china？〃

Seeing　that　she　had　got　her　man　fairly　to　the　door；　Brigitte　allowed
herself　to　turn　upon　him。

〃What　I　say；　monsieur；　is　for　your　good。　You　must　allow　me　to　observe
that　you　have　not　an　agreeable　nature。〃

〃Careful　of　him！　careful　of　him！〃　repeated　the　old　man。　〃Don't　you
know；　madame；　that　by　the　use　of　such　words　you　may　get　people　put
into　lunatic　asylums？　However；　I　will　not　reply　rudely　to　the　polite
hospitality　I　have　received；all　the　more　because；　I　think；　I　have
put　Monsieur　Felix；　who　missed　me　intentionally；　in　his　right　place。〃

〃Go；　go；　go；　you　old　brute！〃　cried　Brigitte；　slamming　the　door　behind
him。

Before　returning　to　the　salon　she　was　obliged　to　drink　a　whole
glassful　of　water；　the　restraint　she　had　been　forced　to　put　upon
herself　in　order　to　get　rid　of　this　troublesome　guest　having；　to　use
her　own　expression；　〃put　her　all　about。〃



CHAPTER　XIII

THE　MAN　WHO　THINKS　THE　STAR　TOO　BRIGHT

The　next　morning　Minard　paid　a　visit　to　Phellion　in　his　study。　The
great　citizen　and　his　son　Felix　were　at　that　moment　engaged　in　a
conversation　which　seemed　to　have　some　unusual　interest　for　them。

〃My　dear　Felix；〃　cried　the　mayor　of　the　eleventh　arrondissement；
offering　his　hand　warmly　to　the　young　professor；　〃it　is　you　who　bring
me　here　this　morning；　I　have　come　to　offer　you　my　congratulations。〃

〃What　has　occurred？〃　asked　Phellion。　〃Have　the　Thuilliers〃

〃It　has　nothing　to　do　with　the　Thuilliers；〃　interrupted　the　mayor。
〃But；〃　he　added；　looking　hard　at　Felix；　〃can　that　sly　fellow　have
concealed　the　thing　even　from　you？〃

〃I　do　not　think；〃　said　Phellion；　〃that　ever；　in　his　life；　has　my　son
concealed　a　thing　from　me。〃

〃Then　you　know　about　the　sublime　astronomical　discovery　which　he
communicated　to　the　Academy　of　Sciences　yesterday？〃

〃Your　kindness　for　me；　Monsieur　le　maire；〃　said　Felix；　hastily；　〃has
led　you　astray；　I　was　only　the　reader　of　the　communication。〃

〃Oh！　let　me　alone！〃　said　Minard；　〃reader；　indeed！　I　know　all　about
it。〃

〃But　see；〃　said　Felix；　offering　Minard　the　〃Constitutionnel；〃　〃here's
the　paper；　not　only　does　it　announce　that　Monsieur　Picot　is　the　maker
of　the　discovery；　but　it　mentions　the　rewards　which；　without　losing　a
moment；　the　government　has　bestowed　upon　him。〃

〃Felix　is　right；〃　said　Phellion；　〃that　journal　is　to　be　trusted。　On
this　occasion　I　think　the　government　has　acted　very　properly。〃

〃But；　my　dear　commander；　I　repeat　to　you　that　the　truth　of　the　affair
has　got　wind；　and　your　son　is　shown　to　be　a　most　admirable　fellow。　To
put　his　own　discovery　to　the　credit　of　his　old　professor　so　as　to
obtain　for　him　the　recognition　and　favor　of　the　authoritiesupon　my
word；　in　all　antiquity　I　don't　know　a　finer　trait！〃

〃Felix！〃　said　Phellion；　beginning　to　show　some　emotion；　〃these　immense
labors　to　which　you　have　devoted　so　much　time　of　late；　these　continual
visits　to　the　Observatory〃

〃But；　father；〃　interrupted　Felix；　〃Monsieur　Minard　has　been
misinformed。〃

〃Misinformed！〃　cried　Minard；　〃when　I　know　the　whole　affair　from
Monsieur　Picot　himself！〃

At　this　argument；　stated　in　a　way　to　leave　no　possible　doubt；　the
truth　began　to　dawn　upon　Phellion。

〃Felix；　my　son！〃　he　said；　rising　to　embrace　him。

But　he　was　obliged　to　sit　down　again；　his　legs　refused　to　bear　his
weight；　he　turned　pale；　and　that　nature；　ordinarily　so　impassible；
seemed　about　to　give　way　under　the　shock　of　this　happiness。

〃My　God！〃　said　Felix；　terrified；　〃he　is　ill；　ring　the　bell；　I　entreat
you；　Monsieur　Minard。〃

And　he　ran　to　the　old　man；　loosened　his　cravat　and　unfastened　the
collar　of　his　shirt；　striking　him　in　the　palms　of　his　hands。　But　the
sudden　faintness　was　but　momentary；　almost　immediately　himself　again；
Phellion　gathered　his　son　to　his　heart；　and　holding　him　long　in　his
embrace；　he　said；　in　a　voice　broken　by　the　tears　that　came　to　put　an
end　to　this　shock　of　joy：

〃Felix；　my　noble　son！　so　great　in　heart；　so　great　in　mind！〃

The　bell　had　been　rung　by　Minard　with　magisterial　force；　and　with　such
an　accent　that　the　whole　household　was　alarmed；　and　came　running　in。

〃It　is　nothing；　it　is　nothing；〃　said　Phellion　to　the　servants；　sending
them　away。　But　almost　at　the　same　moment；　seeing　his　wife；　who　now
entered　the　room；　he　resumed　his　habitual　solemnity。

〃Madame　Phellion；〃　he　said；　pointing　to　Felix；　〃how　many　years　is　it
since　you　brought　that　young　man　into　the　world？〃

Madame　Phellion；　bewildered　by　the　question；　hesitated　a　moment；　and
then　said：

〃Twenty…five　years　next　January。〃

〃Have　you　not　thought；　until　now；　that　God　had　amply　granted　your
maternal　desires　by　making　this　child　of　your　womb　an　honest　man；　a
pious　son；　and　by　gifting　him　for　mathematics；　that　Science　of
sciences；　with　an　aptitude　sufficiently　remarkable？〃

〃I　have；〃　said　Madame　Phellion；　understanding　less　and　less　what　her
husband　was　coming　to。

〃Well；〃　continued　Phellion；　〃you　owe　to　God　an　additional
thanksgiving；　for　He　has　granted　that　you　be　the　mother　of　a　man　of
genius；　his　toil；　which　lately　we　rebuked；　and　which　made　us　fear　for
the　reason　of　our　child；　was　the　waythe　rough　and　jagged　wayby
which　men　come　to　fame。〃

〃Ah　ca！〃　cried　Madame　Phellion；　〃can't　you　stop　coming　yourself　to　an
explanation　of　what　you　mean；　and　get　there？〃

〃Your　son；〃　said　Minard；　cautious　this　time　in　measuring　the　joy　he
was　about　to　bestow；　fearing　another　fainting…fit　of　happiness；　〃has
just　made　a　very　important　scientific　discovery。〃

〃Is　it　true？〃　said　Madame　Phellion；　going　up　to　Felix；　and　taking　him
by　both　hands　as　she　looked　at　him　lovingly。

〃When　I　say　important；〃　continued　Minard；　〃I　am　only　sparing　your
maternal　emotions；　it　is；　in　truth；　a　sublime；　a　dazzling　discovery。
He　is　only　twenty…five　years　old；　but　his　name；　from　henceforth；　is
immortal。〃

〃And　this　is　the　man；〃　said　Madame　Phellion；　half　beside　herself；　and
kissing　Felix　with　effusion；　〃to　whom　that　la　Peyrade　is　preferred！〃

〃No；　not　preferred；　madame；〃　said　Minard；　〃for　the　Thuilliers　are　not
the　dupes　of　that　adventurer。　But　he　has　made　himself　necessary　to
them。　Thuillier　fancies　that　without　la　Peyrade　he　could　not　be
elected；　the　election　is　still　doubtful；　and　they　are　sacrificing
everything　to　it。〃

〃But　isn't　it　odious；〃　cried　Madame　Phellion；　〃to　consider　such
interests　before　the　happiness　of　their　child！〃

〃Ah！〃　said　Minard；　〃but　Celeste　is　not　their　child；　only　their　adopted
daughter。〃

〃Brigitte's；　if　you　like；〃　said　Madame　Phellion；　〃but　as　for
Thuillier〃

〃My　good　wife；〃　said　Phellion；　〃no　censoriousness。　The　good　God　has
just　sent　us　a　great　consolation；　and；　indeed；　though　certainly　far
advanced；　this　marriage；　about　which　I　regret　to　say　Felix　does　not
behave　with　all　the　philosophy　I　could　desire；　may　still　not　take
place。〃

Seeing　that　Felix　shook　his　head　with　a　look　of　increduli