the lesser bourgeoisie-第68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！


most　knotty　questions　of　political　economy。　Many　good　minds　think；　on
the　contrary；　that　luxury　is　absolutely　demanded　in　the　interests　of
commerce；　which　is　certainly　the　life　of　States。　In　any　case；　this
view；　which　isn't　yours；　appears　to　have　been　that　of　Madame　de
Godollo；　for；　they　tell　me；　her　apartment　is　very　coquettishly
furnished；　and　to　coax　Mademoiselle　Brigitte　into　the　same　path　of
elegance　she　made　a　proposal　to　her　as　follows：　'A　friend　of　mine；'
she　said；　'a　Russian　princess　for　whom　one　of　the　first　upholsterers
has　just　made　splendid　furniture；　is　suddenly　recalled　to　Russia　by
the　czar；　a　gentleman　with　whom　no　one　dares　to　trifle。　The　poor　woman
is　therefore　obliged　to　turn　everything　she　owns　here　into　money　as
fast　as　possible；　and　I　feel　sure　she　would　sell　this　furniture　for
ready　money　at　a　quarter　of　the　price　it　cost　her。　All　of　it　is　nearly
new；　and　some　things　have　never　been　used　at　all。'〃

〃So；〃　cried　Madame　Phellion；　〃all　that　magnificence　displayed　before
our　eyes　last　night　was　a　magnificent　economical　bargain？〃

〃Just　so；〃　replied　Minard；　〃and　the　thing　that　decided　Mademoiselle
Brigitte　to　take　that　splendid　chance　was　not　so　much　the　desire　to
renew　her　shabby　furniture　as　the　idea　of　doing　an　excellent　stroke　of
business。　In　that　old　maid　there's　always　something　of　Madame　la
Ressource　in　Moliere's　'Miser。'〃

〃I　think；　Monsieur　le　maire；　that　you　are　mistaken；〃　said　Phellion。
〃Madame　la　Ressource　is　a　character　in　'Turcaret；'　a　very　immoral　play
by　the　late　Le　Sage。〃

〃Do　you　think　so？〃　said　Minard。　〃Well；　very　likely。　But　what　is
certain　is　that；　though　the　barrister　ingratiated　himself　with
Brigitte　in　helping　her　to　buy　the　house；　it　was　by　this　clever
jockeying　about　the　furniture　that　the　foreign　countess　got　upon　the
footing　with　Brigitte　that　you　now　see。　You　may　have　remarked；
perhaps；　that　a　struggle　is　going　on　between　those　two　influences；
which　we　may　designate　as　the　house；　and　its　furniture。〃

〃Yes；　certainly；〃　said　Madame　Phellion；　with　a　beaming　expression　that
bore　witness　to　the　interest　she　took　in　the　conversation；　〃it　did
seem　to　me　that　the　great　lady　allowed　herself　to　contradict　the
barrister；　and　did　it；　too；　with　a　certain　sharpness。〃

〃Very　marked　sharpness；〃　resumed　Minard；　〃and　that　intriguing　fellow
perceives　it。　It　strikes　me　that　the　lady's　hostility　makes　him
uneasy。　The　Thuilliers　he　got　cheaply；　for；　between　ourselves　you
know；　there's　not　much　in　Thuillier　himself；　but　he　feels　now　that　he
has　met　a　tough　adversary；　and　he　is　looking　anxiously　for　a　weak　spot
on　which　to　attack　her。〃

〃Well；　that's　justice；〃　said　Madame　Phellion。　〃For　some　time　past　that
man；　who　used　to　make　himself　so　small　and　humble；　has　been　taking
airs　of　authority　in　the　house　which　are　quite　intolerable；　he　behaves
openly　as　the　son…in…law；　and　you　know　very　well；　in　that　affair　of
Thuillier's　election　he　jockeyed　us　all；　and　made　us　the　stepping…
stone　for　his　matrimonial　ambition。〃

〃Yes；　but　I　can　assure　you；〃　said　Minard；　〃that　at　the　present　time
his　influence　is　waning。　In　the　first　place；　he　won't　find　every　day
for　his　dear；　good　friend；　as　he　calls　him；　a　fine　property　worth　a
million　to　be　bought　for　a　bit　of　bread。〃

〃Then　they　did　get　that　house　very　cheap？〃　said　Madame　Phellion；
interrogatively。

〃They　got　it　for　nothing；　as　the　result　of　a　dirty　intrigue　which　the
lawyer　Desroches　related　to　me　the　other　day。　If　it　ever　became　known
to　the　council　of　the　bar；　that　little　barrister　would　be　badly
compromised。　The　next　thing　is　the　coming　election　to　the　Chamber。
Eating　gives　appetite；　as　they　say；　and　our　good　Thuillier　is　hungry；
but　he　begins　to　perceive　that　Monsieur　de　la　Peyrade；　when　it　becomes
a　question　of　getting　him　that　mouthful；　hasn't　his　former　opportunity
to　make　dupes　of　us。　That　is　why　the　family　is　turning　more　and　more
to　Madame　de　Godollo；　who　seems　to　have　some　very　high　acquaintances
in　the　political　world。　Besides　all　this；　in　fact；　without　dwelling　on
the　election　business；　which　is　still　a　distant　matter；　this　Hungarian
countess　is　becoming；　every　day；　more　and　more　a　necessity　to
Brigitte；　for　it　must　be　owned　that　without　the　help　of　the　great
lady；　the　poor　soul　would　look　in　the　midst　of　her　gilded　salon　like　a
ragged　gown　in　a　bride's　trousseau。〃

〃Oh；　Monsieur　le　maire；　you　are　cruel；〃　said　Madame　Phellion；
affecting　compunction。

〃No；　but　say；〃　returned　Minard；　〃with　your　hand　on　your　conscience；
whether　Brigitte；　whether　Madame　Thuillier　could　preside　in　such　a
salon？　No；　it　is　the　Hungarian　countess　who　does　it　all。　She　furnished
the　rooms；　she　selected　the　male　domestic；　whose　excellent　training
and　intelligence　you　must　have　observed；　it　was　she　who　arranged　the
menu　of　that　dinner；　in　short；　she　is　the　providence　of　the　parvenu
colony；　which；　without　her　intervention；　would　have　made　the　whole
quarter　laugh　at　it。　Andnow　this　is　a　very　noticeable　thinginstead
of　being　a　parasite　like　la　Peyrade；　this　Hungarian　lady；　who　seems　to
have　a　fortune　of　her　own；　proves　to　be　not　only　disinterested；　but
generous。　The　two　gowns　that　you　saw　Brigitte　and　Madame　Thuillier
wear　last　night　were　a　present　from　her；　and　it　was　because　she　came
herself　to　superintend　the　toilet　of　our　two　'amphitryonesses'　that
you　were　so　surprised　last　night　not　to　find　them　rigged　in　their
usual　dowdy　fashion。〃

〃But　what　can　be　the　motive；〃　asked　Madame　Phellion；　〃of　this　maternal
and　devoted　guardianship？〃

〃My　dear　wife；〃　said　Phellion；　solemnly；　〃the　motives　of　human　actions
are　not　always；　thank　God！　selfishness　and　the　consideration　of　vile
interests。　There　are　hearts　in　this　world　that　find　pleasure　in　doing
good　for　its　own　sake。　This　lady　may　have　seen　in　our　good　friends　a
set　of　people　about　to　enter　blindly　into　a　sphere　they　knew　nothing
about；　and　having　encouraged　their　first　steps　by　the　purchase　of　this
furniture；　she　may；　like　a　nurse　attached　to　her　nursling；　find
pleasure　in　giving　them　the　milk　of　her　social　knowledge　and　her
counsels。〃

〃He　seems　to　keep　aloof　from　our　strictures；　the　dear　husband！〃　cried
Minard；　〃but　just　see　how　he　goes　beyond　them！〃

〃I！〃　said　Phellion；　〃it　is　neither　my　intention　nor　my　habit　to　do
so。〃

〃All　the　same　it　would　be　difficult　to　say　more　neatly　that　the
Thuilliers　are　geese；　and　that　Madame　de　Godollo　is　bringing　them　up
by　hand。〃

〃I　do　not　accept　for　these　friends　of　ours；〃　said　Phellion；　〃a
characterization　so　derogatory　to　their　repute。　I　meant　to　say　that
they　were　lacking；　perhaps；　in　that　form　of　experience；　and　that　this
noble　lady　has　placed　at　their　service　her　knowledge　of　the　world　and
its　usages。　I　protest　against　any　interpretation　of　my　language　which
goes　beyond　my　thought　thus　limited。〃

〃Well；　anyhow；　you　will　agree；　my　dear　commander；　that　in　the　idea　of
giving　Celeste　to　this　la　Peyrade；　there　is　something　more　than　want
of　experience；　there　is；　it　must　be　said；　blundering　folly　and
immorality；　for　really　the　goings　on　of　that　barrister　with　Madame
Colleville〃

〃Monsieur　le　maire；〃　interrupted　Phellion；　with　redoubled　solemnity；
〃Solon；　the　law…giver；　de