the lesser bourgeoisie-第8部分

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Collevilles　encroached　on　their　capital　and　were　often　in　difficulty
by　the　end　of　the　month；　Flavie　was　never　in　debt。

Colleville　was　very　happy；　he　still　loved　his　wife；　and　he　made
himself　her　best　friend。　Always　received　by　her　with　affectionate
smiles　and　sympathetic　pleasure；　he　yielded　readily　to　the
irresistible　grace　of　her　manners。　The　vehement　activity　with　which　he
pursued　his　three　avocations　was　a　part　of　his　natural　character　and
temperament。　He　was　a　fine　stout　man；　ruddy；　jovial；　extravagant；　and
full　of　ideas。　In　ten　years　there　was　never　a　quarrel　in　his
household。　Among　business　men　he　was　looked　upon；　in　common　with　all
artists；　as　a　scatter…brained　fellow；　and　superficial　persons　thought
that　the　constant　hurry　of　this　hard　worker　was　only　the　restless
coming　and　going　of　a　busybody。

Colleville　had　the　sense　to　seem　stupid；　he　boasted　of　his　family
happiness；　and　gave　himself　unheard…of　trouble　in　making　anagrams；　in
order　at　times　to　seem　absorbed　in　that　passion。　The　government　clerks
of　his　division　at　the　ministry；　the　office　directors；　and　even　the
heads　of　divisions　came　to　his　concerts；　now　and　then　he　quietly
bestowed　upon　them　opera　tickets；　when　he　needed　some　extra　indulgence
on　account　of　his　frequent　absence。　Rehearsals　took　half　the　time　that
he　ought　to　have　been　at　his　desk；　but　the　musical　knowledge　his
father　had　bequeathed　to　him　was　sufficiently　genuine　and　well…
grounded　to　excuse　him　from　all　but　final　rehearsals。　Thanks　to　Madame
Colleville's　intimacies；　both　the　theatre　and　the　ministry　lent
themselves　kindly　to　the　needs　of　this　industrious　pluralist；　who；
moreover；　was　bringing　up；　with　great　care；　a　youth；　warmly
recommended　to　him　by　his　wife；　a　future　great　musician；　who　sometimes
took　his　place　in　the　orchestra　with　a　promise　of　eventually
succeeding　him。　In　fact；　about　the　year　1827　this　young　man　became　the
first　clarionet　when　Colleville　resigned　his　position。

The　usual　comment　on　Flavie　was；　〃That　little　slip　of　a　coquette；
Madame　Colleville。〃　The　eldest　of　the　Colleville　children；　born　in
1816；　was　the　living　image　of　Colleville　himself。　In　1818；　Madame
Colleville　held　the　cavalry　in　high　estimation；　above　even　art；　and
she　distinguished　more　particularly　a　sub…lieutenant　in　the　dragoons
of　Saint…Chamans；　the　young　and　rich　Charles　de　Gondreville；　who
afterwards　died　in　the　Spanish　campaign。　By　that　time　Flavie　had　had　a
second　son；　whom　she　henceforth　dedicated　to　a　military　career。　In
1820　she　considered　banking　the　nursing　mother　of　trade；　the　supporter
of　Nations；　and　she　made　the　great　Keller；　that　famous　banker　and
orator；　her　idol。　She　then　had　another　son；　whom　she　named　Francois；
resolving　to　make　him　a　merchant；feeling　sure　that　Keller's
influence　would　never　fail　him。　About　the　close　of　the　year　1820；
Thuillier；　the　intimate　friend　of　Monsieur　and　Madame　Colleville；　felt
the　need　of　pouring　his　sorrows　into　the　bosom　of　this　excellent
woman；　and　to　her　he　related　his　conjugal　miseries。　For　six　years　he
had　longed　to　have　children；　but　God　did　not　bless　him；　although　that
poor　Madame　Thuillier　had　made　novenas；　and　had　even　gone；　uselessly；
to　Notra…Dame　de　Liesse！　He　depicted　Celeste　in　various　lights；　which
brought　the　words　〃Poor　Thuillier！〃　from　Flavie's　lips。　She　herself
was　rather　sad；　having　at　the　moment　no　dominant　opinion。　She　poured
her　own　griefs　into　Thuillier's　bosom。　The　great　Keller；　that　hero　of
the　Left；　was；　in　reality；　extremely　petty；　she　had　learned　to　know
the　other　side　of　public　fame；　the　follies　of　banking；　the　emptiness
of　eloquence！　The　orator　only　spoke　for　show；　to　her　he　had　behaved
extremely　ill。　Thuillier　was　indignant。　〃None　but　stupid　fellows　know
how　to　love；〃　he　said；　〃take　me！〃　That　handsome　Thuillier　was
henceforth　supposed　to　be　paying　court　to　Madame　Colleville；　and　was
rated　as　one　of　her　〃attentives；〃a　word　in　vogue　during　the　Empire。

〃Ha！　you　are　after　my　wife；〃　said　Colleville；　laughing。　〃Take　care；
she'll　leave　you　in　the　lurch；　like　all　the　rest。〃

A　rather　clever　speech；　by　which　Colleville　saved　his　marital　dignity。
From　1820　to　1821；　Thuillier；　in　virtue　of　his　title　as　friend　of　the
family；　helped　Colleville；　who　had　formerly　helped　him；　so　much　so；
that　in　eighteen　months　he　had　lent　nearly　ten　thousand　francs　to　the
Colleville　establishment；　with　no　intention　of　ever　claiming　them。　In
the　spring　of　1821；　Madame　Colleville　gave　birth　to　a　charming　little
girl；　to　whom　Monsieur　and　Madame　Thuillier　were　godfather　and
godmother。　The　child　was　baptized　Celeste…Louise…Caroline…Brigitte；
Mademoiselle　Thuillier　wishing　that　her　name　should　be　given　among
others　to　the　little　angel。　The　name　of　Caroline　was　a　graceful
attention　paid　to　Colleville。　Old　mother　Lemprun　assumed　the　care　of
putting　the　baby　to　nurse　under　her　own　eyes　at　Auteuil；　where　Celeste
and　her　sister…in…law　Brigitte；　paid　it　regularly　a　semi…weekly　visit。

As　soon　as　Madame　Colleville　recovered　she　said　to　Thuillier；　frankly；
in　a　very　serious　tone：

〃My　dear　friend；　if　we　are　all　to　remain　good　friends；　you　must　be　our
friend　only。　Colleville　is　attached　to　you；　well；　that's　enough　for
you　in　this　household。〃

〃Explain　to　me；〃　said　the　handsome　Thuillier　to　Tullia　after　this
remark；　〃why　women　are　never　attached　to　me。　I　am　not　the　Apollo
Belvidere；　but　for　all　that　I'm　not　a　Vulcan；　I　am　passably　good…
looking；　I　have　sense；　I　am　faithful〃

〃Do　you　want　me　to　tell　you　the　truth？〃　replied　Tullia。

〃Yes；〃　said　Thuillier。

〃Well；　though　we　can；　sometimes；　love　a　stupid　fellow；　we　never　love　a
silly　one。〃

Those　words　killed　Thuillier；　he　never　got　over　them；　henceforth　he
was　a　prey　to　melancholy　and　accused　all　women　of　caprice。

The　secretary…general　of　the　ministry；　des　Lupeaulx；　whose　influence
Madame　Colleville　thought　greater　than　it　was；　and　of　whom　she　said；
later；　〃That　was　one　of　my　mistakes；〃　became　for　a　time　the　great　man
of　the　Colleville　salon；　but　as　Flavie　found　he　had　no　power　to
promote　Colleville　into　the　upper　division；　she　had　the　good　sense　to
resent　des　Lupeaulx's　attentions　to　Madame　Rabourdin　（whom　she　called
a　minx）；　to　whose　house　she　had　never　been　invited；　and　who　had　twice
had　the　impertinence　not　to　come　to　the　Colleville　concerts。

Madame　Colleville　was　deeply　affected　by　the　death　of　young
Gondreville；　she　felt；　she　said；　the　finger　of　God。　In　1824　she　turned
over　a　new　leaf；　talked　of　economy；　stopped　her　receptions；　busied
herself　with　her　children；　determined　to　become　a　good　mother　of　a
family；　no　favorite　friend　was　seen　at　her　house。　She　went　to　church；
reformed　her　dress；　wore　gray；　and　talked　Catholicism；　mysticism；　and
so　forth。　All　this　produced；　in　1825；　another　little　son；　whom　she
named　Theodore。　Soon　after；　in　1826；　Colleville　was　appointed　sub…
director　of　the　Clergeot　division；　and　later；　in　1828；　collector　of
taxes　in　a　Paris　arrondissement。　He　also　received　the　cross　of　the
Legion　of　honor；　to　enable　him　to　put　his　daughter　at　the　royal　school
of　Saint…Denis。　The　half…scholarship　obtained　by　Keller　for　the　eldest
boy；　Charles；　was　transferred　to　the　second　in　1830；　when　Charle