the lesser bourgeoisie-第20部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


the　facade　of　a　palace。　The　sight　of　this　man；　who；　after　vainly
ringing　at　la　Peyrade's　door；　was　now　trying　that　of　Dutocq；　made　the
Provencal　barrister　tremblebut　secretly；　within　himself；　not
betraying　externally　his　inward　emotion。　This　man　was　Cerizet；　whom
Dutocq　had　mentioned　to　Thuillier　as　his　copying…clerk。

Cerizet　was　only　thirty…eight　years　old；　but　he　looked　a　man　of　fifty；
so　aged　had　he　become　from　causes　which　age　all　men。　His　hairless　head
had　a　yellow　skull；　ill…covered　by　a　rusty；　discolored　wig；　the　mask
of　his　face；　pale；　flabby；　and　unnaturally　rough；　seemed　the　more
horrible　because　the　nose　was　eaten　away；　though　not　sufficiently　to
admit　of　its　being　replaced　by　a　false　one。　From　the　spring　of　this
nose　at　the　forehead；　down　to　the　nostrils；　it　remained　as　nature　had
made　it；　but　disease；　after　gnawing　away　the　sides　near　the
extremities；　had　left　two　holes　of　fantastic　shape；　which　vitiated
pronunciation　and　hampered　speech。　The　eyes；　originally　handsome；　but
weakened　by　misery　of　all　kinds　and　by　sleepless　nights；　were　red
around　the　edges；　and　deeply　sunken；　the　glance　of　those　eyes；　when
the　soul　sent　into　them　an　expression　of　malignancy；　would　have
frightened　both　judges　and　criminals；　or　any　others　whom　nothing
usually　affrights。

The　mouth；　toothless　except　for　a　few　black　fangs；　was　threatening；
the　saliva　made　a　foam　within　it；　which　did　not；　however；　pass　the
pale　thin　lips。　Cerizet；　a　short　man；　less　spare　than　shrunken；
endeavored　to　remedy　the　defects　of　his　person　by　his　clothes；　and
although　his　garments　were　not　those　of　opulence；　he　kept　them　in　a
condition　of　neatness　which　may　even　have　increased　his　forlorn
appearance。　Everything　about　him　seemed　dubious；　his　age；　his　nose；
his　glance　inspired　doubt。　It　was　impossible　to　know　if　he　were
thirty…eight　or　sixty；　if　his　faded　blue　trousers；　which　fitted　him
well；　were　of　a　coming　or　a　past　fashion。　His　boots；　worn　at　the
heels；　but　scrupulously　blacked；　resoled　for　the　third　time；　and　very
choice；　originally；　may　have　trodden　in　their　day　a　ministerial
carpet。　The　frock　coat；　soaked　by　many　a　down…pour；　with　its
brandebourgs；　the　frogs　of　which　were　indiscreet　enough　to　show　their
skeletons；　testified　by　its　cut　to　departed　elegance。　The　satin　stock…
cravat　fortunately　concealed　the　shirt；　but　the　tongue　of　the　buckle
behind　the　neck　had　frayed　the　satin；　which　was　re…satined；　that　is；
re…polished；　by　a　species　of　oil　distilled　from　the　wig。　In　the　days
of　its　youth　the　waistcoat　was　not；　of　course；　without　freshness；　but
it　was　one　of　those　waistcoats；　bought　for　four　francs；　which　come
from　the　hooks　of　the　ready…made　clothing　dealer。　All　these　things
were　carefully　brushed；　and　so　was　the　shiny　and　misshapen　hat。　They
harmonized　with　each　other；　even　to　the　black　gloves　which　covered　the
hands　of　this　subaltern　Mephistopheles；　whose　whole　anterior　life　may
be　summed　up　in　a　single　phrase：

He　was　an　artist　in　evil；　with　whom；　from　the　first；　evil　had
succeeded；　a　man　misled　by　these　early　successes　to　continue　the
plotting　of　infamous　deeds　within　the　lines　of　strict　legality。
Becoming　the　head　of　a　printing…office　by　betraying　his　master　＇see
〃Lost　Illusions〃＇；　he　had　afterwards　been　condemned　to　imprisonment　as
editor　of　a　liberal　newspaper。　In　the　provinces；　under　the
Restoration；　he　became　the　bete　noire　of　the　government；　and　was
called　〃that　unfortunate　Cerizet〃　by　some；　as　people　spoke　of　〃the
unfortunate　Chauvet〃　and　〃the　heroic　Mercier。〃　He　owed　to　this
reputation　of　persecuted　patriotism　a　place　as　sub…prefect　in　1830。
Six　months　later　he　was　dismissed；　but　he　insisted　that　he　was　judged
without　being　heard；　and　he　made　so　much　talk　about　it　that；　under　the
ministry　of　Casimir　Perier；　he　became　the　editor　of　an　anti…republican
newspaper　in　the　pay　of　the　government。　He　left　that　position　to　go
into　business；　one　phase　of　which　was　the　most　nefarious　stock…company
that　ever　fell　into　the　hands　of　the　correctional　police。　Cerizet
proudly　accepted　the　severe　sentence　he　received；　declaring　it　to　be　a
revengeful　plot　on　the　part　of　the　republicans；　who；　he　said；　would
never　forgive　him　for　the　hard　blows　he　had　dealt　them　in　his　journal。
He　spent　the　time　of　his　imprisonment　in　a　hospital。　The　government　by
this　time　were　ashamed　of　a　man　whose　almost　infamous　habits　and
shameful　business　transactions；　carried　on　in　company　with　a　former
banker；　named　Claparon；　led　him　at　last　into　well…deserved　public
contempt。

Cerizet；　thus　fallen；　step　by　step；　to　the　lowest　rung　of　the　social
ladder；　had　recourse　to　pity　in　order　to　obtain　the　place　of　copying
clerk　in　Dutocq's　office。　In　the　depths　of　his　wretchedness　the　man
still　dreamed　of　revenge；　and；　as　he　had　nothing　to　lose；　he　employed
all　means　to　that　end。　Dutocq　and　himself　were　bound　together　in
depravity。　Cerizet　was　to　Dutocq　what　the　hound　is　the　huntsman。
Knowing　himself　the　necessities　of　poverty　and　wretchedness；　he　set　up
that　business　of　gutter　usury　called；　in　popular　parlance；　〃the　loan
by　the　little　week。〃　He　began　this　at　first　by　help　of　Dutocq；　who
shared　the　profits；　but；　at　the　present　moment　this　man　of　many　legal
crimes；　now　the　banker　of　fishwives；　the　money…lender　of
costermongers；　was　the　gnawing　rodent　of　the　whole　faubourg。

〃Well；〃　said　Cerizet　as　Dutocq　opened　his　door；　〃Theodose　has　just
come　in；　let　us　go　to　his　room。〃

The　advocate　of　the　poor　was　fain　to　allow　the　two　men　to　pass　before
him。

All　three　crossed　a　little　room；　the　tiled　floor　of　which；　covered
with　a　coating　of　red　encaustic；　shone　in　the　light；　thence　into　a
little　salon　with　crimson　curtains　and　mahogany　furniture；　covered
with　red　Utrecht　velvet；　the　wall　opposite　the　window　being　occupied
by　book…shelves　containing　a　legal　library。　The　chimney…piece　was
covered　with　vulgar　ornaments；　a　clock　with　four　columns　in　mahogany；
and　candelabra　under　glass　shades。　The　study；　where　the　three　men
seated　themselves　before　a　soft…coal　fire；　was　the　study　of　a　lawyer
just　beginning　to　practise。　The　furniture　consisted　of　a　desk；　an
armchair；　little　curtains　of　green　silk　at　the　windows；　a　green
carpet；　shelves　for　lawyer's　boxes；　and　a　couch；　above　which　hung　an
ivory　Christ　on　a　velvet　background。　The　bedroom；　kitchen；　and　rest　of
the　apartment　looked　out　upon　the　courtyard。

〃Well；〃　said　Cerizet；　〃how　are　things　going？　Are　we　getting　on？〃

〃Yes；〃　replied　Theodose。

〃You　must　admit；〃　cried　Dutocq；　〃that　my　idea　was　a　famous　one；　in
laying　hold　of　that　imbecile　of　a　Thuillier？〃

〃Yes；　but　I'm　not　behindhand　either；〃　exclaimed　Cerizet。　〃I　have　come
now　to　show　you　a　way　to　put　the　thumbscrews　on　the　old　maid　and　make
her　spin　like　a　teetotum。　We　mustn't　deceive　ourselves；　Mademoiselle
Thuillier　is　the　head　and　front　of　everything　in　this　affair；　if　we
get　her　on　our　side　the　town　is　won。　Let　us　say　little；　but　that
little　to　the　point；　as　becomes　strong　men　with　each　other。　Claparon；
you　know；　is　a　fool；　he'll　be　all　his　life　what　he　always　was；a
cat's…paw。　Just　now　he　is　lending　his　name　to　a　notary　in　Paris；　who
is　concerned　with　a　lot　of　contractors；　and　they　are　allnotar