the lesser bourgeoisie-第59部分

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a　bell　in　my　apartment；　which　warned　me　of　any　attempt　that　was　made
to　remove　our　treasure。〃

〃Poor　Madame　Cardinal！〃　cried　Cerizet；　good…humoredly；　〃how　far　she
was　from　suspecting　it！〃

〃Now　here's　the　situation；〃　resumed　du　Portail。　〃On　account　of　the
interest　I　feel　in　the　nephew　of　my　old　friend；　and　also；　on　account
of　the　relationship；　this　marriage　seems　to　me　extremely　desirable；　in
short；　I　unite　Theodose　to　his　cousin　and　her　'dot。'　As　it　is　possible
that；　considering　the　mental　state　of　his　future　wife；　Theodose　may
object　to　sharing　my　views；　I　have　not　thought　it　wise　to　make　this
proposal　directly　to　himself。　You　have　suddenly　turned　up　upon　my
path；　I　know　already　that　you　are　clever　and　wily；　and　that　knowledge
induces　me　to　put　this　little　matrimonial　negotiation　into　your　hands。
Now；　I　think；　you　understand　the　matter　thoroughly；　speak　to　him　of　a
fine　girl；　with　one　little　drawback；　but；　on　the　other　hand；　a
comfortable　fortune。　Do　not　name　her　to　him；　and　come　here　and　let　me
know　how　the　proposal　has　been　taken。〃

〃Your　confidence　delights　me　as　much　as　it　honors　me；〃　replied
Cerizet；　〃and　I　will　justify　it　the　best　I　can。〃

〃We　must　not　expect　too　much；〃　said　du　Portail。　〃Refusal　will　be　the
first　impulse　of　a　man　who　has　an　affair　on　hand　elsewhere；　but　we
need　not　consider　ourselves　beaten。　I　shall　not　easily　give　up　a　plan
which　I　know　to　be　just；　even　if　I　push　my　zeal　so　far　as　to　put　la
Peyrade　under　lock　and　key　in　Clichy。　I　am　resolved　not　to　take　no　for
his　answer　to　a　proposal　of　which；　in　the　end；　he　cannot　fail　to　see
the　propriety。　Therefore；　in　any　case；　buy　up　those　notes　from
Monsieur　Dutocq。〃

〃At　par？〃　asked　Cerizet。

〃Yes；　at　par；　if　you　cannot　do　better；　we　are　not　going　to　haggle　over
a　few　thousand　francs；　only；　when　this　transaction　is　arranged；
Monsieur　Dutocq　must　pledge　us　either　his　assistance；　or；　at　the　very
least；　his　neutrality。　After　what　you　have　said　of　the　other　marriage；
it　is　unnecessary　for　me　to　warn　you　that　there　is　not　a　moment　to
lose　in　putting　our　irons　into　the　fire。〃

〃Two　days　hence　I　have　an　appointment　with　la　Peyrade；〃　said　Cerizet。
〃We　have　a　little　matter　of　business　of　our　own　to　settle。　Don't　you
think　it　would　be　best　to　wait　till　then；　when　I　can　introduce　the
proposal　incidentally？　In　case　of　resistance；　I　think　that　arrangement
would　best　conduce　to　OUR　dignity。〃

〃So　be　it；〃　said　du　Portail；　〃it　isn't　much　of　a　delay。　Remember；
monsieur；　that　if　you　succeed　you　have；　in　place　of　a　man　able　to
bring　you　to　a　stern　account　for　your　IMPRUDENT　ASSISTANCE　to　Madame
Cardinal；　a　greatly　obliged　person；　who　will　be　ready　at　all　times　to
serve　you；　and　whose　influence　is　greater　than　is　generally　supposed。〃

After　these　friendly　words；　the　pair　separated　with　a　thoroughly　good
understanding；　and　well　satisfied　with　each　other。



CHAPTER　XVII

IN　WHICH　THE　LAMB　DEVOURS　THE　WOLF

The　evening　before　the　day　already　agreed　upon；　Theodose　received　from
Cerizet　the　following　note：

〃To…morrow；　lease　or　no　lease；　Rocher　de　Cancale；　half…past　six
o'clock。〃

As　for　Dutocq；　Cerizet　saw　him　every　day；　for　he　was　still　his　copying
clerk；　he　therefore　gave　him　his　invitation　by　word　of　mouth；　but　the
attentive　reader　must　remark　a　difference　in　the　hour　named：　〃Quarter…
past…six；　Rocher　de　Cancale；〃　said　Cerizet。　It　was　evident；　therefore；
that　he　wanted　that　fifteen　minutes　with　Dutocq　before　the　arrival　of
la　Peyrade。

These　minutes　the　usurer　proposed　to　employ　in　jockeying　Dutocq　in　the
purchase　of　the　notes；　he　fancied　that　if　the　proposition　to　buy　them
were　suddenly　put　before　him　without　the　slightest　preparation　it
might　be　more　readily　received。　By　not　leaving　the　seller　time　to
bethink　himself；　perhaps　he　might　lead　him　to　loosen　his　grasp；　and
the　notes　once　bought　below　par；　he　could　consider　at　his　leisure
whether　to　pocket　the　difference　or　curry　favor　with　du　Portail　for
the　discount　he　had　obtained。　Let　us　say；　moreover；　that　apart　from
self…interest；　Cerizet　would　still　have　endeavored　to　scrape　a　little
profit　out　of　his　friend；　'twas　an　instinct　and　a　need　of　his　nature。
He　had　as　great　a　horror　for　straight　courses　as　the　lovers　of　English
gardens　show　in　the　lines　of　their　paths。

Dutocq；　having　still　a　portion　of　the　cost　of　his　practice　to　pay　off；
was　forced　to　live　very　sparingly；　so　that　a　dinner　at　the　Rocher　de
Cancale　was　something　of　an　event　in　the　economy　of　his　straitened
existence。　He　arrived；　therefore；　with　that　punctuality　which
testifies　to　an　interest　in　the　occasion；　and　precisely　at　a　quarter
past　six　he　entered　the　private　room　of　the　restaurant　where　Cerizet
awaited　him。

〃It　is　queer；〃　he　said；　〃here　we　are　returned　to　precisely　the
situation　in　which　we　began　our　business　relationship　with　la　Peyrade；
except；　to　be　sure；　that　this　present　place　of　meeting　of　the　three
emperors　is　more　comfortable；　I　prefer　the　Tilsit　of　the　rue
Montgorgeuil　to　the　Tilsit　of　the　Cheval　Rouge。〃

〃Faith！〃　said　Cerizet；　〃I　don't　know　that　the　results　justify　the
change；　for；　to　be　frank；　where　are　the　profits　to　US　in　the　scheme　of
our　triumvirate？〃

〃But；〃　said　Dutocq；　〃it　was　a　bargain　with　a　long　time　limit。　It　can't
be　said　that　la　Peyrade　has　lost　much　time　in　getting　installed
forgive　the　punat　the　Thuilleries。　The　scamp　has　made　his　way　pretty
fast；　you　must　own　that。〃

〃Not　so　fast　but　what　his　marriage；〃　said　Cerizet；　〃is　at　the　present
moment　a　very　doubtful　thing。〃

〃Doubtful！〃　cried　Dutocq；　〃why　doubtful？〃

〃Well；　I　am　commissioned　to　propose　to　him　another　wife；　and　I'm　not
sure　that　any　choice　is　left　to　him。〃

〃What　the　devil　are　you　about；　my　dear　fellow；　lending　your　hand　in
this　way　to　another　marriage　when　you　know　we　have　a　mortgage　on　the
first？〃

〃One　isn't　always　master　of　circumstances；　my　friend；　I　saw　at　once
when　the　new　affair　was　laid　before　me　that　the　one　we　had　settled　on
must　infallibly　go　by　the　board。　Consequently；　I've　tried　to　work　it
round　in　our　interests；　yours　and　mine。〃

〃Ah　ca！　do　you　mean　they　are　pulling　caps　for　this　Theodose？　Who　is
the　new　match？　Has　she　money？〃

〃The　'dot'　is　pretty　good；　quite　as　much　as　Mademoiselle
Colleville's。〃

〃Then　I　wouldn't　give　a　fig　for　it。　La　Peyrade　has　signed　those　notes
and　he　will　pay　them。〃

〃Will　he　pay　them？　that's　the　question。　You　are　not　a　business　man；
neither　is　Theodose；　it　may　come　into　his　head　to　dispute　the　validity
of　those　notes。　What　security　have　we　that　if　the　facts　about　their
origin　should　come　out；　and　the　Thuillier　marriage　shouldn't　come　off；
the　court　of　commerce　mightn't　annul　them　as　'obligations　without
cause。'　For　my　part；　I　should　laugh　at　such　a　decision；　I　can　stand
it；　and；　moreover；　my　precautions　are　taken；　but　you；　as　clerk　to　a
justice…of…peace；　don't　you　see　that　such　an　affair　would　give　the
chancellor　a　bone　to　pick　with　you？〃

〃But；　my　good　fellow；〃　said　Dutocq；　with　the　ill…humor　of　a　man　who
sees　himself　face　to　face　with　an　argument　he　can't　refute；　〃you　seem
to　have　a　mania　for　stirring　up　matters　and　meddling　with〃

〃I　tell　you　again；〃　said　Cerizet；　〃this　came　to　me；　I　d