the lesser bourgeoisie-第65部分

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〃How　clever　monsieur　is；　and　how　well　he　understands　things！〃　she
replied；　smiling。

〃And　also；〃　continued　the　barrister；　〃you　don't　want　to　keep　that
money　openly　in　your　possession？〃

〃For　fear　my　master　should　find　it　out　and　get　it　away　from　me？
Exactly。　Besides；　as　monsieur　will　understand；　I　shouldn't　be　sorry；
in　order　to　supply　the　poor　dear　man　with　extra　comforts；　that　the　sum
should　bear　interest。〃

〃And　the　highest　possible　interest；〃　said　the　barrister。

〃Oh！　as　for　that；　monsieur；　five　or　six　per　cent。〃

〃Very　good；　then　it　is　not　only　about　the　memorial　to　the　Academy　for
the　prize　of　virtue；　but　also　about　an　investment　of　your　legacy　that
you　have　so　long　been　desirous　of　consulting　me？〃

〃Monsieur　is　so　kind；　so　charitable；　so　encouraging！〃

〃The　memorial；　after　I　have　made　a　few　inquiries；　will　be　easy　enough；
but　an　investment；　offering　good　security；　the　secret　of　which　you
desire　to　keep；　is　much　less　readily　obtained。〃

〃Ah！　if　I　dared　to〃　said　the　pious　woman；　humbly。

〃What？〃　asked　la　Peyrade。

〃Monsieur　understands　me？〃

〃I？　not　the　least　in　the　world。〃

〃And　yet　I　prayed　earnestly　just　now　that　monsieur　might　be　willing　to
keep　this　money　for　me。　I　should　feel　such　confidence　if　it　were　in
his　hands；　I　know　he　would　return　it　to　me；　and　never　speak　of　it。〃

La　Peyrade　gathered；　at　this　instant；　the　fruit　of　his　comedy　of　legal
devotion　to　the　necessitous　classes。　The　choir　of　porters　chanting　his
praises　to　the　skies　could　alone　have　inspired　this　servant…woman　with
the　boundless　confidence　of　which　he　found　himself　the　object。　His
thoughts　reverted　instantly　to　Dutocq　and　his　notes；　and　he　was　not
far　from　thinking　that　this　woman　had　been　sent　to　him　by　Providence。
But　the　more　he　was　inclined　to　profit　by　this　chance　to　win　his
independence；　the　more　he　felt　the　necessity　of　seeming　to　yield　only
to　her　importunity；　consequently　his　objections　were　many。

Moreover；　he　had　no　great　belief　in　the　character　of　his　client；　and
did　not　care；　as　the　common　saying　is；　to　uncover　Saint　Peter　to　cover
Saint　Paul；　in　other　words；　to　substitute　for　a　creditor　who；　after
all；　was　his　accomplice；　a　woman　who　might　at　any　time　become　exacting
and　insist　in　repayment　in　some　public　manner　that　would　injure　his
reputation。　He　decided；　therefore；　to　play　the　game　with　a　high　hand。

〃My　good　woman；〃　he　said；　〃I　am　not　in　want　of　money；　and　I　am　not
rich　enough　to　pay　interest　on　twenty…five　thousand　francs　for　which　I
have　no　use。　All　that　I　can　do　for　you　is　to　place　that　sum；　in　my
name；　with　the　notary　Dupuis。　He　is　a　religious　man；　you　can　see　him
every　Sunday　in　the　warden's　pew　in　our　church。　Notaries；　you　know；
never　give　receipts；　therefore　I　could　not　give　you　one　myself；　I　can
only　promise　to　leave　among　my　papers；　in　case　of　death；　a　memorandum
which　will　secure　the　restitution　of　the　money　into　your　hands。　The
affair；　you　see；　is　one　of　blind　confidence；　and　I　am　very　unwilling
to　make　it。　If　I　do　so；　it　is　only　to　oblige　a　person　whose　piety　and
the　charitable　use　she　intends　to　make　of　the　proceeds　of　her　little
fortune　entitle　her　to　my　good…will。〃

〃If　monsieur　thinks　that　the　matter　cannot　be　otherwise　arranged〃

〃This　appears　to　me　the　only　possible　way；〃　said　la　Peyrade。　〃I　shall
hope　to　get　you　six　per　cent　interest；　and　you　may　rely　that　it　will
be　paid　with　the　utmost　regularity。　But　remember；　six　months；　or　even
a　year；　may　elapse　before　the　notary　will　be　in　a　position　to　repay
this　money；　because　notaries　invest　such　trust　funds　chiefly　in
mortgages　which　require　a　certain　time　to　mature。　Now；　when　you　have
obtained　the　prize　for　virtue；　which；　according　to　all　appearance；　I
can　readily　do　for　you；　there　will　be　no　reason　to　hide　your　little
property　any　longer；a　reason　which　I　fully　understand；　but　you　will
not　be　able　to　withdraw　it　from　the　notary's　hands　immediately；　and　in
case　of　any　difficulty　arising；　I　should　be　forced　to　explain　the
situation；　the　manner　in　which　you　have　concealed　your　prosperity　from
your　master；　to　whom　you　have　been　supposed　to　be　wholly　devoted。
This；　as　you　will　see；　would　put　you　in　the　position　of　falsely
professing　virtue；　and　would　do　great　harm　to　your　reputation　for
piety。〃

〃Oh！　monsieur；〃　said　the　saintly　woman；　〃can　it　be　that　any　one　would
think　me　a　person　who　did　not　speak　the　truth？〃

〃Bless　you！　my　good　creature；　in　business　it　is　necessary　to　foresee
everything。　Money　embroils　the　best　friends；　and　leads　to　actions　they
never　foresaw。　Therefore　reflect；　you　can　come　and　see　me　again　in　a
few　days。　It　is　possible　that　between　now　and　then　you　will　find　some
better　investment；　and　I　myself；　who　am　doing　at　this　moment　a　thing　I
don't　altogether　like；　may　have　found　other　difficulties　which　I　do
not　now　expect。〃

This　threat；　adroitly　thrown　out　as　an　afterthought；　was　intended　to
immediately　clinch　the　matter。

〃I　have　reflected　carefully；〃　said　the　pious　woman；　〃and　I　feel　sure
that　in　the　hands　of　so　religious　a　man　as　monsieur　I　run　no　risks。〃

Taking　from　her　bosom　a　little　pocket…book；　she　pulled　out　twenty…five
bank　notes。　The　rapid　manner　in　which　she　counted　them　was　a
revelation　to　la　Peyrade。　The　woman　was　evidently　accustomed　to　handle
money；　and　a　singular　idea　darted　through　his　mind。

〃Can　it　be　that　she　is　making　me　a　receiver　of　stolen　property？　No；〃
he　said　aloud；　〃in　order　to　draw　up　the　memorial　for　the　Academy；　I
must；　as　I　told　you；　make　a　few　inquiries；　and　that　will　give　me
occasion　to　call　upon　you。　At　what　hour　can　I　see　you　alone？〃

〃At　four　o'clock；　when　monsieur　goes　to　take　his　walk　in　the
Luxembourg。〃

〃And　where　do　you　live？〃

〃Rue　du　Val…de…Grace；　No。　9。〃

〃Very　good；　at　four　o'clock；　and　if；　as　I　doubt　not；　the　result　of　my
inquiry　is　favorable；　I　will　take　your　money　then。　Otherwise；　if　there
are　not　good　grounds　for　your　application　for　the　prize　of　virtue
there　will　be　no　reason　why　you　should　make　a　mystery　of　your　legacy。
You　could　then　invest　it　in　some　more　normal　manner　than　that　I　have
suggested　to　you。〃

〃Oh！　how　cautious　monsieur　is！〃　she　said；　with　evident　disappointment；
having　thought　the　affair　settled。　〃This　money；　God　be　thanked！　I　have
not　stolen；　and　monsieur　can　make　what　inquiries　he　likes　about　me　in
the　quarter。〃

〃It　is　quite　indispensable　that　I　should　do　so；〃　said　la　Peyrade；
dryly；　for　he　did　not　at　all　like；　under　this　mask　of　simplicity；　the
quick　intelligence　that　penetrated　his　thoughts。　〃Without　being　a
thief；　a　woman　may　very　well　not　be　a　Sister　of　Charity；　there's　a
wide　margin　between　the　two　extremes。〃

〃As　monsieur　chooses；〃　she　replied；　〃he　is　doing　me　so　great　a　service
that　I　ought　to　let　him　take　all　precautions。〃

Then；　with　a　piously　humble　bow；　she　went　away；　taking　her　money　with
her。

〃The　devil！〃　thought　la　Peyrade；　〃that　woman　is　stronger　than　I；　she
swallows　insults　with　gratitude　and　without　the　sign　of　a　grimace！　I
have　never　yet　been　able　to　master　myself　like　that。〃

He　began　now　to　fear　that　he　had　been　too　timid；　and　to　think　that　his
would…be　creditor　might　change　her　mind　before　he　could　pay　her　the
visit　he　ha