the lesser bourgeoisie-第15部分

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youth：　modern　society　could　have　no　other　basis　than　heredity。　An
ardent　Catholic；　like　all　men　from　the　Comtat；　he　went　to　the　earliest
morning　masses；　and　thus　concealed　his　piety。　Like　other
philanthropists；　he　practised　a　sordid　economy；　and　gave　to　the　poor
his　time；　his　legal　advice；　his　eloquence；　and　such　money　as　he
extracted　for　them　from　the　rich。　His　clothes；　always　of　black　cloth；
were　worn　until　the　seams　became　white。　Nature　had　done　a　great　deal
for　Theodose　in　not　giving　him　that　fine　manly　Southern　beauty　which
creates　in　others　an　imaginary　expectation；　to　which　it　is　more　than
difficult　for　a　man　to　respond。　As　it　was；　he　could　be　what　suited　him
at　the　moment；an　agreeable　man　or　a　very　ordinary　one。　Never；　since
his　admission　to　the　Thuilliers'；　had　he　ventured；　till　this　evening；
to　raise　his　voice　and　speak　as　dogmatically　as　he　had　risked　doing　to
Olivier　Vinet；　but　perhaps　Theodose　de　la　Peyrade　was　not　sorry　to
seize　the　opportunity　to　come　out　from　the　shade　in　which　he　had
hitherto　kept　himself。　Besides；　it　was　necessary　to　get　rid　of　the
young　substitute；　just　as　the　Minards　had　previously　ruined　the　hopes
of　Monsieur　Godeschal。　Like　all　superior　men　（for　he　certainly　had
some　superiority）；　Vinet　had　never　lowered　himself　to　the　point　where
the　threads　of　these　bourgeois　spider…webs　became　visible　to　him；　and
he　had　therefore　plunged；　like　a　fly；　headforemost；　into　the　almost
invisible　trap　to　which　Theodose　inveigled　him。

To　complete　this　portrait　of　the　poor　man's　lawyer　we　must　here　relate
the　circumstances　of　his　first　arrival　at　the　Thuilliers'。

Theodose　came　to　lodge　in　Mademoiselle　Thuillier's　house　toward　the
close　of　the　year　1837。　He　had　taken　his　degree　about　five　years
earlier；　and　had　kept　the　proper　number　of　terms　to　become　a
barrister。　Circumstances；　however；　about　which　he　said　nothing；　had
interfered　to　prevent　his　being　called　to　the　bar；　he　was；　therefore；
still　a　licentiate。　But　soon　after　he　was　installed　in　the　little
apartment　on　the　third　floor；　with　the　furniture　rigorously　required
by　all　members　of　his　noble　profession；for　the　guild　of　barristers
admits　no　brother　unless　he　has　a　suitable　study；　a　legal　library；　and
can　thus；　as　it　were；　verify　his　claims；Theodose　de　la　Peyrade　began
to　practise　as　a　barrister　before　the　Royal　Court　of　Paris。

The　whole　of　the　year　1838　was　employed　in　making　this　change　in　his
condition；　and　he　led　a　most　regular　life。　He　studied　at　home　in　the
mornings　till　dinner…time；　going　sometimes　to　the　Palais　for　important
cases。　Having　become　very　intimate　with　Dutocq　（so　Dutocq　said）；　he
did　certain　services　to　the　poor　of　the　faubourg　Saint…Jacques　who
were　brought　to　his　notice　by　that　official。　He　pleaded　their　cases
before　the　court；　after　bringing　them　to　the　notice　of　the　attorneys；
who；　according　to　the　statutes　of　their　order；　are　obliged　to　take
turns　in　doing　business　for　the　poor。　As　Theodose　was　careful　to　plead
only　safe　cases；　he　won　them　all。　Those　persons　whom　he　thus　obliged
expressed　their　gratitude　and　their　admiration；　in　spite　of　the　young
lawyer's　admonitions；　among　their　own　class；　and　to　the　porters　of
private　houses；　through　whom　many　anecdotes　rose　to　the　ears　of　the
proprietors。　Delighted　to　have　in　their　house　a　tenant　so　worthy　and
so　charitable；　the　Thuilliers　wished　to　attract　him　to　their　salon；
and　they　questioned　Dutocq　about　him。　The　mayor's　clerk　replied　as　the
envious　reply；　while　doing　justice　to　the　young　man　he　dwelt　on　his
remarkable　avarice；　which　might；　however；　be　the　effect　of　poverty。

〃I　have　had　other　information　about　him。　He　belongs　to　the　Peyrades；
an　old　family　of　the　'comtat'　of　Avignon；　he　came　here　toward　the　end
of　1829；　to　inquire　about　an　uncle　whose　fortune　was　said　to　be
considerable；　he　discovered　the　address　of　the　old　man　only　three　days
before　his　death；　and　the　furniture　of　the　deceased　merely　sufficed　to
bury　him　and　pay　his　debts。　A　friend　of　this　useless　uncle　gave　a
couple　of　hundred　louis　to　the　poor　fortune…hunter；　advising　him　to
finish　his　legal　studies　and　enter　the　judiciary　career。　Those　two
hundred　louis　supported　him　for　three　years　in　Paris；　where　he　lived
like　an　anchorite。　But　being　unable　to　discover　his　unknown　friend　and
benefactor；　the　poor　student　was　in　abject　distress　in　1833。　He　worked
then；　like　so　many　other　licentiates；　in　politics　and　literature；　by
which　he　kept　himself　for　a　time　above　wantfor　he　had　nothing　to
expect　from　his　family。　His　father；　the　youngest　brother　of　the　dead
uncle；　has　eleven　other　children；　who　live　on　a　small　estate　called
Les　Canquoelles。　He　finally　obtained　a　place　on　a　ministerial
newspaper；　the　manager　of　which　was　the　famous　Cerizet；　so　celebrated
for　the　persecutions　he　met　with；　under　the　Restoration；　on　account　of
his　attachment　to　the　liberals；a　man　whom　the　new　Left　will　never
forgive　for　having　made　his　paper　ministerial。　As　the　government　of
these　days　does　very　little　to　protect　even　its　most　devoted　servants
（witness　the　Gisquet　affair）；　the　republicans　have　ended　by　ruining
Cerizet。　I　tell　you　this　to　explain　how　it　is　that　Cerizet　is　now　a
copying　clerk　in　my　office。　Well；　in　the　days　when　he　flourished　as
managing　editor　of　a　paper　directed　by　the　Perier　ministry　against　the
incendiary　journals；　the　'Tribune'　and　others；　Cerizet；　who　is　a
worthy　fellow　after　all；　though　he　is　too　fond　of　women；　pleasure；　and
good　living；　was　very　useful　to　Theodose；　who　edited　the　political
department　of　the　paper；　and　if　it　hadn't　been　for　the　death　of
Casimir　Perier　that　young　man　would　certainly　have　received　an
appointment　as　substitute　judge　in　Paris。　As　it　was；　he　dropped　back
in　1834…35；　in　spite　of　his　talent；　for　his　connection　with　a
ministerial　journal　of　course　did　him　harm。　'If　it　had　not　been　for　my
religious　principles；'　he　said　to　me；　'I　should　have　thrown　myself
into　the　Seine。'　However；　it　seems　that　the　friend　of　his　uncle　must
have　heard　of　his　distress；　for　again　he　sent　him　a　sum　of　money；
enough　to　complete　his　terms　for　the　bar；　but；　strange　to　say；　he　has
never　known　the　name　or　the　address　of　this　mysterious　benefactor。
After　all；　perhaps；　under　such　circumstances；　his　economy　is
excusable；　and　he　must　have　great　strength　of　mind　to　refuse　what　the
poor　devils　whose　cases　he　wins　by　his　devotion　offer　him。　He　is
indignant　at　the　way　other　lawyers　speculate　on　the　possibility　or
impossibility　of　poor　creatures；　unjustly　sued；　paying　for　the　costs
of　their　defence。　Oh！　he'll　succeed　in　the　end。　I　shouldn't　be
surprised　to　see　that　fellow　in　some　very　brilliant　position；　he　has
tenacity；　honesty；　and　courage。　He　studies；　he　delves。〃

Notwithstanding　the　favor　with　which　he　was　greeted；　la　Peyrade　went
discreetly　to　the　Thuilliers'。　When　reproached　for　this　reserve　he
went　oftener；　and　ended　by　appearing　every　Sunday；　he　was　invited　to
all　dinner…parties；　and　became　at　last　so　familiar　in　the　house　that
whenever　he　came　to　see　Thuillier　about　four　o'clock　he　was　always
requested　to　take　〃pot…luck〃　without　ceremony。　Mademoiselle　Thuillier
used　to　say：

〃Then　we　know　that　he　will　get　a　good　dinner；　p