the lesser bourgeoisie-第85部分

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hour　under　such　an　accusation　as　this。　Continue　your　breakfast　without
us；　I　hope　soon　to　see　you　again。　La　Peyrade；　are　you　coming？〃

〃He's　charming；　isn't　he？〃　said　Barbet；　when　Thuillier　and　his　counsel
had　left　the　room。　〃To　ask　me　to　leave　a　breakfast　after　the　oysters；
and　go　and　talk　with　the　police！　Come；　messieurs；　close　up　the　ranks；〃
he　added；　gaily。

〃Tiens！〃　said　one　of　the　hungry　journalists；　who　had　cast　his　eyes
into　the　garden　of　the　Palais…Royal；　on　which　the　dining…room　of　the
restaurant　opened；　〃there's　Barbanchu　going　by；　suppose　I　call　him
in？〃

〃Yes；　certainly；〃　said　Barbet　junior；　〃have　him　up。〃

〃Barbanchu！　Barbanchu！〃　called　out　the　journalist。

Barbanchu；　his　hat　being　over　his　eyes；　was　some　time　in　discovering
the　cloud　above　him　whence　the　voice　proceeded。

〃Here；　up　here！〃　called　the　voice；　which　seemed　to　Barbanchu　celestial
when　he　saw　himself　hailed　by　a　man　with　a　glass　of　champagne　in　his
hand。　Then；　as　he　seemed　to　hesitate；　the　party　above　called　out　in
chorus：

〃Come　up！　come　up！　THERE'S　FAT　TO　BE　HAD！〃

When　Thuillier　left　the　office　of　the　public　prosecutor　he　could　no
longer　have　any　illusions。　The　case　against　him　was　serious；　and　the
stern　manner　in　which　he　had　been　received　made　him　see　that　when　the
trial　came　up　he　would　be　treated　without　mercy。　Then；　as　always
happens　among　accomplices　after　the　non…success　of　an　affair　they　have
done　in　common；　he　turned　upon　la　Peyrade　in　the　sharpest　manner：　La
Peyrade　had　paid　no　attention　to　what　he　wrote；　he　had　given　full
swing　to　his　stupid　Saint…Simonian　ideas；　HE　didn't　care　for　the
consequences；　it　was　not　HE　who　would　have　to　pay　the　fine　and　go　to
prison！　Then；　when　la　Peyrade　answered　that　the　matter　did　not　look　to
him　serious；　and　he　expected　to　get　a　verdict　of　acquittal　without
difficulty；　Thuillier　burst　forth　upon　him；　vehemently：

〃Parbleu！　the　thing　is　plain　enough；　monsieur　sees　nothing　in　it？
Well；　I　shall　not　put　my　honor　and　my　fortune　into　the　hands　of　a
little　upstart　like　yourself；　I　shall　take　some　great　lawyer　if　the
case　comes　to　trial。　I've　had　enough　of　your　collaboration　by　this
time。〃

Under　the　injustice　of　these　remarks　la　Peyrade　felt　his　anger　rising。
However；　he　saw　himself　disarmed；　and　not　wishing　to　come　to　an　open
rupture；　he　parted　from　Thuillier；　saying　that　he　forgave　a　man
excited　by　fear；　and　would　go　to　see　him　later　in　the　afternoon；　when
he　would　probably　be　calmer；　they　could　then　decide　on　what　steps　they
had　better　take。

Accordingly；　about　four　o'clock；　the　Provencal　arrived　at　the　house　in
the　Place　de　la　Madeleine。　Thuillier's　irritation　was　quieted；　but
frightful　consternation　had　taken　its　place。　If　the　executioner　were
coming　in　half　an　hour　to　lead　him　to　the　scaffold　he　could　not　have
been　more　utterly　unstrung　and　woe…begone。　When　la　Peyrade　entered
Madame　Thuillier　was　trying　to　make　him　take　an　infusion　of　linden…
leaves。　The　poor　woman　had　come　out　of　her　usual　apathy；　and　proved
herself；　beside　the　present　Sabinus；　another　Eponina。

As　for　Brigitte；　who　presently　appeared；　bearing　a　foot…bath；　she　had
no　mercy　or　restraint　towards　Theodose；　her　sharp　and　bitter
reproaches；　which　were　out　of　all　proportion　to　the　fault；　even
supposing　him　to　have　committed　one　would　have　driven　a　man　of　the
most　placid　temperament　beside　himself。　La　Peyrade　felt　that　all　was
lost　to　him　in　the　Thuillier　household；　where　they　now　seemed　to　seize
with　joy　the　occasion　to　break　their　word　to　him　and　to　give　free　rein
to　revolting　ingratitude。　On　an　ironical　allusion　by　Brigitte　to　the
manner　in　which　he　decorated　his　friends；　la　Peyrade　rose　and　took
leave；　without　any　effort　being　made　to　retain　him。

After　walking　about　the　streets　for　awhile；　la　Peyrade；　in　the　midst
of　his　indignation；　turned　to　thoughts　of　Madame　de　Godollo；　whose
image；　to　tell　the　truth；　had　been　much　in　his　mind　since　their　former
interview。



CHAPTER　VI

'TWAS　THUS　THEY　BADE　ADIEU

Not　only　once　when　the　countess　met　the　barrister　at　the　Thuilliers
had　she　left　the　room；　but　the　same　performance　took　place　at　each　of
their　encounters；　and　la　Peyrade　had　convinced　himself；　without
knowing　exactly　why；　that　in　each　case；　this　affectation　of　avoiding
him；　signified　something　that　was　not　indifference。　To　have　paid　her
another　visit　immediately　would　certainly　have　been　very　unskilful；
but　now　a　sufficient　time　had　elapsed　to　prove　him　to　be　a　man　who　was
master　of　himself。　Accordingly；　he　returned　upon　his　steps　to　the
Boulevard　de　la　Madeleine；　and　without　asking　the　porter　if　the
countess　was　at　home；　he　passed　the　lodge　as　if　returning　to　the
Thuilliers'；　and　rang　the　bell　of　the　entresol。

The　maid　who　opened　the　door　asked　him；　as　before；　to　wait　until　she
notified　her　mistress；　but；　on　this　occasion；　instead　of　showing　him
into　the　dining…room；　she　ushered　him　into　a　little　room　arranged　as　a
library。

He　waited　long；　and　knew　not　what　to　think　of　the　delay。　Still；　he
reassured　himself　with　the　thought　that　if　she　meant　to　dismiss　him　he
would　not　have　been　asked　to　wait　at　all。　Finally　the　maid　reappeared；
but　even　then　it　was　not　to　introduce　him。

〃Madame　la　comtesse；〃　said　the　woman；　〃was　engaged　on　a　matter　of
business；　but　she　begged　monsieur　be　so　kind　as　to　wait；　and　to　amuse
himself　with　the　books　in　the　library；　because　she　might　be　detained
longer　than　she　expected。〃

The　excuse；　both　in　form　and　substance；　was　certainly　not
discouraging；　and　la　Peyrade　looked　about　him　to　fulfil　the　behest　to
amuse　himself。　Without　opening　any　of　the　carved　rosewood　bookcases；
which　enclosed　a　collection　of　the　most　elegantly　bound　volumes　he　had
ever　laid　his　eyes　upon；　he　saw　on　an　oblong　table　with　claw　feet　a
pell…mell　of　books　sufficient　for　the　amusement　of　a　man　whose
attention　was　keenly　alive　elsewhere。

But；　as　he　opened　one　after　another　of　the　various　volumes；　he　began
to　fancy　that　a　feast　of　Tantalus　had　been　provided　for　him：　one　book
was　English；　another　German；　a　third　Russian；　there　was　even　one　in
cabalistic　letters　that　seemed　Turkish。　Was　this　a　polyglottic　joke
the　countess　had　arranged　for　him？

One　volume；　however；　claimed　particular　attention。　The　binding；　unlike
those　of　the　other　books；　was　less　rich　than　dainty。　Lying　by　itself
at　a　corner　of　the　table；　it　was　open；　with　the　back　turned　up；　the
edges　of　the　leaves　resting　on　the　green　table…cloth　in　the　shape　of　a
tent。　La　Peyrade　took　it　up；　being　careful　not　to　lose　the　page　which
it　seemed　to　have　been　some　one's　intention　to　mark。　It　proved　to　be　a
volume　of　the　illustrated　edition　of　Monsieur　Scribe's　works。　The
engraving　which　presented　itself　on　the　open　page　to　la　Peyrade's
eyes；　was　entitled　〃The　Hatred　of　a　Woman〃；　the　principal　personage　of
which　is　a　young　widow；　desperately　pursuing　a　poor　young　man　who
cannot　help　himself。　There　is　hatred　all　round。　Through　her　devilries
she　almost　makes　him　lose　his　reputation；　and　does　make　him　miss　a
rich　marriage；　but　the　end　is　that　she　gives　him　more　than　she　took
away　from　him；　and　makes　a　husband　of　the　man　who　was　thought　her
victim。

If　chance　had　put　th