the lesser bourgeoisie-第41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　day　after　this　interview　the　bailiff　of　the　justice…of…peace　did
Cerizet　the　service　of　suing　la　Peyrade　secretly。　He　went　to　see　the
barrister　that　evening；　and　the　whole　affair　was　done　without　any
publicity。　The　Court　of　commerce　has　a　hundred　such　cases　in　the
course　of　one　term。　The　strict　regulations　of　the　council　of
barristers　of　the　bar　of　Paris　are　well　known。　This　body；　and　also　the
council　of　attorneys；　exercise　severe　discipline　over　their　members。　A
barrister　liable　to　go　to　Clichy　would　be　disbarred。　Consequently；
Cerizet；　under　Dutocq's　advice；　had　taken　against　their　puppet
measures　which　were　certain　to　secure　to　each　of　them　twenty…five
thousand　francs　out　of　Celeste's　〃dot。〃　In　signing　the　notes；　Theodose
saw　but　one　thing；his　means　of　living　secured；　but　as　time　had　gone
on；　and　the　horizon　grew　clearer；　and　he　mounted；　step　by　step；　to　a
better　position　on　the　social　ladder；　he　began　to　dream　of　getting　rid
of　his　associates。　And　now；　on　obtaining　twenty…five　thousand　francs
from　Thuillier；　he　hoped　to　treat　on　the　basis　of　fifty　per　cent　for
the　return　of　his　fatal　notes　by　Cerizet。

Unfortunately；　this　sort　of　infamous　speculation　is　not　an　exceptional
fact；　it　takes　place　in　Paris　under　various　forms　too　little　disguised
for　the　historian　of　manners　and　morals　to　pass　them　over　unnoticed　in
a　complete　and　accurate　picture　of　society　in　the　nineteenth　century。
Dutocq；　an　arrant　scoundrel；　still　owed　fifteen　thousand　francs　on　his
practice；　and　lived　in　hopes　of　something　turning　up　to　keep　his　head；
as　the　saying　is；　above　water　until　the　close　of　1840。　Up　to　the
present　time　none　of　the　three　confederates　had　flinched　or　groaned。
Each　felt　his　strength　and　knew　his　danger。　Equals　they　were　in
distrust；　in　watchfulness；　equals；　too；　in　apparent　confidence；　and
equally　stolid　in　silence　and　look　when　mutual　suspicions　rose　to　the
surface　of　face　or　speech。　For　the　last　two　months　the　position　of
Theodose　was　acquiring　the　strength　of　a　detached　fort。　But　Cerizet
and　Dutocq　held　it　undermined　by　a　mass　of　powder；　with　the　match　ever
lighted；　but　the　wind　might　extinguish　the　match　or　the　devil　might
flood　the　mine。

The　moment　when　wild　beasts　seize　their　food　is　always　the　most
critical；　and　that　moment　had　now　arrived　for　these　three　hungry
tigers。　Cerizet　would　sometimes　say　to　Theodose；　with　that
revolutionary　glance　which　twice　in　this　century　sovereigns　have　had
to　meet：

〃I　have　made　you　king；　and　here　am　I　still　nothing！　for　it　is　nothing
not　to　be　all。〃

A　reaction　of　envy　was　rushing　its　avalanche　through　Cerizet。　Dutocq
was　at　the　mercy　of　his　copying　clerk。　Theodose　would　gladly　have
burned　his　copartners　could　he　have　burned　their　papers　in　the　same
conflagration。　All　three　studied　each　other　too　carefully；　in　order　to
conceal　their　own　thoughts；　not　to　be　in　turn　divined。　Theodose　lived
a　life　of　three　hells　as　he　thought　of　what　lay　below　the　cards；　then
of　his　own　game；　and　then　of　his　future。　His　speech　to　Thuillier　was　a
cry　of　despair；　he　threw　his　lead　into　the　waters　of　the　old　bourgeois
and　found　there　nothing　more　than　twenty…five　thousand　francs。

〃And；〃　he　said　to　himself　as　he　went　to　his　own　room；　〃possibly
nothing　at　all　a　month　hence。〃

He　new　felt　the　deepest　hatred　to　the　Thuilliers。　But　Thuillier
himself　he　held　by　a　harpoon　stuck　into　the　depths　of　the　man's
vanity；　namely；　by　the　projected　work；　entitled　〃Taxation　and　the
Sinking　Fund；〃　for　which　he　intended　to　rearrange　the　ideas　of　the
Saint…Simonian　〃Globe；〃　giving　them　a　systematic　form；　and　coloring
them　with　his　fervid　Southern　diction。　Thuillier's　bureaucratic
knowledge　of　the　subject　would　be　of　use　to　him　here。　Theodose
therefore　clung　to　this　rope；　resolving　to　do　battle；　on　so　poor　a
base　of　operations；　with　the　vanity　of　a　fool；　which；　according　to
individual　character；　is　either　granite　or　sand。　On　reflection；
Theodose　was　inclined　to　be　content　with　the　prospect。

On　the　evening　before　the　right　of　redemption　expired；　Claparon　and
Cerizet　proceeded　to　manipulate　the　notary　in　the　following　manner。
Cerizet；　to　whom　Claparon　had　revealed　the　password　and　the　notary's
retreat；　went　out　to　this　hiding…place　to　say　to　the　latter：

〃One　of　my　friends；　Claparon；　whom　you　know；　has　asked　me　to　come　and
see　you；　he　will　expect　you　to…morrow；　in　the　evening；　you　know　where。
He　has　the　paper　you　expect　from　him；　which　he　will　exchange　with　you
for　the　ten　thousand　agreed　upon；　but　I　must　be　present；　for　five
thousand　of　that　sum　belong　to　me；　and　I　warn　you；　my　dear　monsieur；
that　the　name　in　the　counter…deed　is　in　blank。〃

〃I　shall　be　there；〃　replied　the　ex…notary。

The　poor　devil　waited　the　whole　night　in　agonies　of　mind　that　can　well
be　imagined；　for　safety　or　inevitable　ruin　were　in　the　balance。　At
sunrise　he　saw　approaching　him；　instead　of　Claparon；　a　bailiff　of　the
Court　of　commerce；　who　produced　a　judgment　against　him　in　regular
form；　and　informed　him　that　he　must　go　with　him　to　Clichy。

Cerizet　had　made　an　arrangement　with　one　of　the　creditors　of　the
luckless　notary；　pledging　himself　to　deliver　up　the　debtor　on　payment
to　himself　of　half　the　debt。　Out　of　the　ten　thousand　francs　promised
to　Claparon；　the　victim　of　this　trap　was　obliged；　in　order　to　obtain
his　liberty；　to　pay　six　thousand　down；　the　amount　of　his　debt。

On　receiving　his　share　of　this　extortion　Cerizet　said　to　himself：
〃There's　three　thousand　to　make　Cerizet　clear　out。〃

Cerizet　then　returned　to　the　notary　and　said：　〃Claparon　is　a
scoundrel；　monsieur；　he　has　received　fifteen　thousand　francs　from　the
proposed　purchaser　of　your　house；　who　will　now；　of　course；　become　the
owner。　Threaten　to　reveal　his　hiding…place　to　his　creditors；　and　to
have　him　sued　for　fraudulent　bankruptcy；　and　he'll　give　you　half。〃

In　his　wrath　the　notary　wrote　a　fulminating　letter　to　Claparon。
Claparon；　alarmed；　feared　an　arrest；　and　Cerizet　offered　to　get　him　a
passport。

〃You　have　played　me　many　a　trick；　Claparon；〃　he　said；　〃but　listen　to
me　now；　and　you　can　judge　of　my　kindness。　I　possess；　as　my　whole
means；　three　thousand　francs；　I'll　give　them　to　you；　start　for
America；　and　make　your　fortune　there；　as　I'm　trying　to　make　mine
here。〃

That　evening　Claparon；　carefully　disguised　by　Cerizet；　left　for　Havre
by　the　diligence。　Cerizet　remained　master　of　the　fifteen　thousand
francs　to　be　paid　to　Claparon；　and　he　awaited　Theodose　with　the
payment　thereof　tranquilly。

〃The　limit　for　bidding…in　is　passed；〃　thought　Theodose；　as　he　went　to
find　Dutocq　and　ask　him　to　bring　Cerizet　to　his　office。　〃Suppose　I
were　now　to　make　an　effort　to　get　rid　of　my　leech？〃

〃You　can't　settle　this　affair　anywhere　but　at　Cerizet's；　because
Claparon　must　be　present；　and　he　is　hiding　there；〃　said　Dutocq。

Accordingly；　Theodose　went；　between　seven　and　eight　o'clock；　to　the
den　of　the　〃banker　of　the　poor；〃　whom　Dutocq　had　notified　of　his
coming。　Cerizet　received　him　in　the　horrible　kitchen　where　miseries
and　sorrows　were　chopped　and　cooked；　as　we　have　seen　already。　The　pair
then　walked　up　and　down；　precisely　like　two　animals　in　a　cage；　while
mutually　playing　the　following　scene：