the lesser bourgeoisie-第29部分

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inhabitants　of　the　arrondissement；　who　for　twenty　years；　I　may　say；
was　the　father　of　it。　I　allude　to　the　late　Monsieur　Popinot；
counsellor；　during　his　lifetime；　to　the　Royal　court；　and　our　delegate
in　the　municipal　council　of　Paris。　But　his　nephew；　of　whom　I　speak；
Doctor　Bianchon；　one　of　our　glories；　has；　in　view　of　his　absorbing
duties；　declined　the　responsibility　with　which　we　sought　to　invest
him。　While　thanking　us　for　our　compliment　he　hastake　note　of
thisindicated　for　our　suffrages　the　candidate　of　Monsieur　le　maire
as　being；　in　his　opinion；　capable；　owing　to　the　position　he　formerly
occupied；　of　exercising　the　magisterial　functions　of　the　aedileship。〃

And　Phellion　sat　down　amid　approving　murmurs。

〃Thuillier；　you　can　count　on　me；　your　old　friend；〃　said　Colleville。

At　this　moment　the　guests　were　sincerely　touched　by　the　sight
presented　of　old　Mademoiselle　Brigitte　and　Madame　Thuillier。　Brigitte；
pale　as　though　she　were　fainting；　was　letting　the　slow　tears　run；
unheeded；　down　her　cheeks；　tears　of　deepest　joy；　while　Madame
Thuillier　sat；　as　if　struck　by　lightning；　with　her　eyes　fixed。
Suddenly　the　old　maid　darted　into　the　kitchen；　crying　out　to　Josephine
the　cook：

〃Come　into　the　cellar　my　girl；　we　must　get　out　the　wine　behind　the
wood！〃

〃My　friends；〃　said　Thuillier；　in　a　shaking　voice；　〃this　is　the　finest
moment　of　my　life；　finer　than　even　the　day　of　my　election；　should　I
consent　to　allow　myself　to　be　presented　to　the　suffrages　of　my　fellow…
citizens〃　（〃You　must！　you　must！〃）；　〃for　I　feel　myself　much　worn　down
by　thirty　years　of　public　service；　and；　as　you　may　well　believe；　a　man
of　honor　has　need　to　consult　his　strength　and　his　capacities　before　he
takes　upon　himself　the　functions　of　the　aedileship。〃

〃I　expected　nothing　less　of　you；　Monsieur　Thuillier；〃　cried　Phellion。
〃Pardon　me；　this　is　the　first　time　in　my　life　that　I　have　ever
interrupted　a　superior；　but　there　are　circumstances〃

〃Accept！　accept！〃　cried　Zelie。　〃Bless　my　soul！　what　we　want　are　men
like　you　to　govern　us。〃

〃Resign　yourself；　my　chief！〃　cried　Dutocq；　and；　〃Long　live　the　future
municipal　councillor！　but　we　haven't　anything　to　drink〃

〃Well；　the　thing　is　settled；〃　said　Minard；　〃you　are　to　be　our
candidate。〃

〃You　think　too　much　of　me；〃　replied　Thuillier。

〃Come；　come！〃　cried　Colleville。　〃A　man　who　has　done　thirty　years　in
the　galleys　of　the　ministry　of　finance　is　a　treasure　to　the　town。〃

〃You　are　much　too　modest；〃　said　the　younger　Minard；　〃your　capacity　is
well　known　to　us；　it　remains　a　tradition　at　the　ministry　of　finance。〃

〃As　you　all　insist〃　began　Thuillier。

〃The　King　will　be　pleased　with　our　choice；　I　can　assure　you　of　that；〃
said　Minard；　pompously。

〃Gentlemen；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃will　you　permit　a　recent　dweller　in　the
faubourg　Saint…Jacques　to　make　one　little　remark；　which　is　not　without
importance？〃

The　consciousness　that　everybody　had　of　the　sterling　merits　of　the
advocate　of　the　poor　produced　the　deepest　silence。

〃The　influence　of　Monsieur　le　maire　of　an　adjoining　arrondissement；
which　is　immense　in　ours　where　he　has　left　such　excellent　memories；
that　of　Monsieur　Phellion；　the　oracleyes；　let　the　truth　be　spoken；〃
he　exclaimed；　noticing　a　gesture　made　by　Phellion〃the　ORACLE　of　his
battalion；　the　influence；　no　less　powerful；　which　Monsieur　Colleville
owes　to　the　frank　heartiness　of　his　manner；　and　to　his　urbanity；　that
of　Monsieur　Dutocq；　the　clerk　of　the　justice　court；　which　will　not　be
less　efficacious；　I　am　sure；　and　the　poor　efforts　which　I　can　offer　in
my　humble　sphere　of　activity；are　pledges　of　success；　but　they　are
not　success　itself。　To　obtain　a　rapid　triumph　we　should　pledge
ourselves；　now　and　here；　to　keep　the　deepest　secrecy　on　the
manifestation　of　sentiments　which　has　just　taken　place。　Otherwise；　we
should　excite；　without　knowing　or　willing　it；　envy　and　all　the　other
secondary　passions；　which　would　create　for　us　later　various　obstacles
to　overcome。　The　political　meaning　of　the　new　social　organization；　its
very　basis；　its　token；　and　the　guarantee　for　its　continuance；　are　in　a
certain　sharing　of　the　governing　power　with　the　middle　classes；
classes　who　are　the　true　strength　of　modern　societies；　the　centre　of
morality；　of　all　good　sentiments　and　intelligent　work。　But　we　cannot
conceal　from　ourselves　that　the　principle　of　election；　extended　now　to
almost　every　function；　has　brought　the　interests　of　ambition；　and　the
passion　for　being　SOMETHING；　excuse　the　word；　into　social　depths　where
they　ought　never　to　have　penetrated。　Some　see　good　in　this；　others　see
evil；　it　is　not　my　place　to　judge　between　them　in　presence　of　minds
before　whose　eminence　I　bow。　I　content　myself　by　simply　suggesting
this　question　in　order　to　show　the　dangers　which　the　banner　of　our
friend　must　meet。　See　for　yourselves！　the　decease　of　our　late
honorable　representative　in　the　municipal　council　dates　back　scarcely
one　week；　and　already　the　arrondissement　is　being　canvassed　by
inferior　ambitions。　Such　men　put　themselves　forward　to　be　seen　at　any
price。　The　writ　of　convocation　will；　probably；　not　take　effect　for　a
month　to　come。　Between　now　and　then；　imagine　the　intrigues！　I　entreat
you　not　to　expose　our　friend　Thuillier　to　the　blows　of　his
competitors；　let　us　not　deliver　him　over　to　public　discussion；　that
modern　harpy　which　is　but　the　trumpet　of　envy　and　calumny；　the　pretext
seized　by　malevolence　to　belittle　all　that　is　great；　soil　all　that　is
immaculate　and　dishonor　whatever　is　sacred。　Let　us；　rather；　do　as　the
Third　Party　is　now　doing　in　the　Chamber；keep　silence　and　vote！〃

〃He　speaks　well；〃　said　Phellion　to　his　neighbor　Dutocq。

〃And　how　strong　the　statement　is！〃

Envy　had　turned　Minard　and　his　son　green　and　yellow。

〃That　is　well　said　and　very　true；〃　remarked　Minard。

〃Unanimously　adopted！〃　cried　Colleville。　〃Messieurs；　we　are　men　of
honor；　it　suffices　to　understand　each　other　on　this　point。〃

〃Whoso　desires　the　end　accepts　the　means；〃　said　Phellion；
emphatically。

At　this　moment；　Mademoiselle　Thuillier　reappeared；　followed　by　her　two
servants；　the　key　of　the　cellar　was　hanging　from　her　belt；　and　three
bottles　of　champagne；　three　of　hermitage；　and　one　bottle　of　malaga
were　placed　upon　the　table。　She　herself　was　carrying；　with　almost
respectful　care；　a　smaller　bottle；　like　a　fairy　Carabosse；　which　she
placed　before　her。　In　the　midst　of　the　hilarity　caused　by　this
abundance　of　excellent　thingsa　fruit　of　gratitude；　which　the　poor
spinster　in　the　delirium　of　her　joy　poured　out　with　a　profusion　which
put　to　shame　the　sparing　hospitality　of　her　usual　fortnightly　dinners
numerous　dessert　dishes　made　their　appearance：　mounds　of　almonds；
raisins；　figs；　and　nuts　（popularly　known　as　the　〃four　beggars〃）；
pyramids　of　oranges；　confections；　crystallized　fruits；　brought　from
the　hidden　depths　of　her　cupboards；　which　would　never　have　figured　on
the　table…cloth　had　it　not　been　for　the　〃candidacy。〃

〃Celeste；　they　will　bring　you　a　bottle　of　brandy　which　my　father
obtained　in　1802；　make　an　orange…salad！〃　cried　Brigitte　to　her　sister…
in…law。　〃Monsieur　Phellion；　open　the　champagne；　that　bottle　is　for　you
three。　Monsieur　Dutocq；　take　this　one。　Monsieu