the lesser bourgeoisie-第92部分

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passages；　I　can　find　nothing　in　the　tone　of　that　pamphlet　which
justifies　the　severe　measures　of　which　it　is　the　object。　Between
ourselves；〃　added　the　great　citizen；　lowering　his　voice；　〃I　think　the
government　has　shown　itself　petty。〃

〃So　I　think；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃but　I　am　not　employed　for　the　defence。
I　have　advised　Thuillier　to　engage　some　noted　lawyer。〃

〃It　may　be　good　advice；〃　said　Phellion；　〃at　any　rate；　it　speaks　well
for　your　modesty。　Poor　man！　I　went　to　him　at　once　when　the　blow　fell；
but　I　did　not　see　him；　I　saw　only　Brigitte；　who　was　having　a
discussion　with　Madame　de　Godollo。　There　is　a　woman　with　strong
political　views；　it　seems　she　predicted　that　the　seizure　would　be
made。〃

〃Did　you　know　that　the　countess　had　left　Paris？〃　said　la　Peyrade；
rushing　at　the　chance　of　speaking　on　the　subject　of　his　present
monomania。

〃Ah！　left　Paris；　has　she？〃　said　Phellion。　〃Well；　monsieur；　I　must　tell
you　that；　although　there　was　not　much　sympathy　between　us；　I　regard
her　departure　as　a　misfortune。　She　will　leave　a　serious　void　in　the
salon　of　our　friends。　I　say　this；　because　it　is　my　belief；　and　I　am
not　in　the　habit　of　disguising　my　convictions。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃she　is　certainly　a　very　distinguished　woman；
with　whom　in　spite　of　her　prejudice　against　me；　I　think　I　should　have
come　to　an　understanding。　But　this　morning；　without　leaving　any　word
as　to　where　she　was　going；　she　started　suddenly　with　post…horses。〃

〃Post…horses！〃　said　Phellion。　〃I　don't　know　whether　you　will　agree
with　me；　monsieur；　but　I　think　that　travelling　by　post　is　a　most
agreeable　method　of　conveyance。　Certainly　Louis　XI。；　to　whom　we　owe
the　institution；　had　a　fortunate　inspiration　in　the　matter；　although；
on　the　other　hand；　his　sanguinary　and　despotic　government　was　not；　to
my　humble　thinking；　entirely　devoid　of　reproach。　Once　only　in　my　life
have　I　used　that　method　of　locomotion；　and　I　can　truly　say　I　found　it
far　superior；　in　spite　of　its　inferior　relative　rapidity；　to　the
headlong　course　of　what　in　England　are　called　RAILWAYS；　where　speed　is
attained　only　at　the　price　of　safety。〃

La　Peyrade　paid　but　little　attention　to　Phellion's　phraseology。　〃Where
can　she　have　gone？〃round　that　idea　he　dug　and　delved　in　every
direction；　an　occupation　that　would　have　made　him　indifferent　to　a　far
more　interesting　topic。　However；　once　started；　like　the　locomotive　he
objected　to；　the　great　citizen　went　on：

〃I　made　that　journey　at　the　period　of　Madame　Phellion's　last
confinement。　She　was　in　Perche；　with　her　mother；　when　I　learned　that
serious　complications　were　feared　from　the　milk…fever。　Overcome　with
terror　at　the　danger　which　threatened　my　wife；　I　went　instantly　to　the
post…office　to　obtain　a　seat　in　the　mail…coach；　but　all　were　taken；　I
found　they　had　been　engaged　for　more　than　a　week。　Upon　that；　I　came　to
a　decision；　I　went　to　the　rue　Pigalle；　and；　for　a　very　large　sum　in
gold　a　post…chaise　and　three　horses　were　placed　at　my　disposal；　when
unfortunately　the　formality　of　a　passport；　with　which　I　had　neglected
to　supply　myself；　and　without　which；　in　virtue　of　the　decrees　of　the
consulate　of　17　Nivose；　year　VII。；　the　post　agents　were　not　permitted
to　deliver　horses　to　travellers〃

The　last　few　words　were　like　a　flash　of　light　to　la　Peyrade；　and
without　waiting　for　the　end　of　the　postal　odyssey　of　the　great
citizen；　he　darted　away　in　the　direction　of　the　rue　Pigalle；　before
Phellion；　in　the　middle　of　his　sentence；　perceived　his　departure。

Reaching　the　Royal　postal　establishment；　la　Peyrade　was　puzzled　as　to
whom　to　address　himself　in　order　to　obtain　the　information　he　wanted。
He　began　by　explaining　to　the　porter　that　he　had　a　letter　to　send　to　a
lady　of　his　acquaintance　that　morning　by　post；　neglecting；　very
thoughtlessly；　to　send　him　her　address；　and　that　he　thought　he　might
discover　it　by　means　of　the　passport　which　she　must　have　presented　in
order　to　obtain　horses。

〃Was　it　a　lady　accompanied　by　a　maid　whom　I　took　up　on　the　boulevard
de　la　Madeleine？〃　asked　a　postilion　sitting　in　the　corner　of　the　room
where　la　Peyrade　was　making　his　preliminary　inquiry。

〃Exactly；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　going　eagerly　up　to　the　providential
being；　and　slipping　a　five…franc　piece　into　his　hand。

〃Ah！　well；　she's　a　queer　traveller！〃　said　the　man；　〃she　told　me　to
take　her　to　the　Bois　de　Boulogne；　and　there　she　made　me　drive　round
and　round　for　an　hour。　After　that；　we　came　back　to　the　Barriere　de
l'Etoile；　where　she　gave　me　a　good　'pourboire'　and　got　into　a　hackney
coach；　telling　me　to　take　the　travelling　carriage　back　to　the　man　who
lets　such　carriages　in　the　Cour　des　Coches；　Faubourg　Saint…Honore。〃

〃Give　me　the　name　of　that　man？〃　said　la　Peyrade；　eagerly。

〃Simonin；〃　replied　the　postilion。

Furnished　with　that　information　la　Peyrade　resumed　his　course；　and
fifteen　minutes　later　he　was　questioning　the　livery…stable　keeper；　but
that　individual　knew　only　that　a　lady　residing　on　the　Boulevard　de　la
Madeleine　had　hired；　without　horses；　a　travelling…carriage　for　half　a
day；　that　he　had　sent　out　the　said　carriage　at　nine　that　morning；　and
it　was　brought　back　at　twelve　by　a　postilion　of　the　Royal　Post　house。

〃Never　mind；〃　thought　la　Peyrade；　〃I　am　certain　now　she　has　not　left
Paris；　and　is　not　avoiding　me。　Most　probably；　she　wants　to　break
utterly　with　the　Thuilliers；　and　so　has　invented　this　journey。　Fool
that　I　am！　no　doubt　there's　a　letter　waiting　for　me　at　home；
explaining　the　whole　thing。〃

Worn　out　with　emotion　and　fatigue；　and　in　order　to　verify　as　quickly
as　possible　this　new　supposition；　la　Peyrade　flung　himself　into　a
street　cab；　and　in　less　than　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　having　promised　the
driver　a　good　pourboire；　he　was　deposited　at　the　house　in　the　rue
Saint…Dominique　d'Enfer。　There　he　was　compelled　to　endure　still　longer
the　tortures　of　waiting。　Since　Brigitte's　departure；　the　duty　of　the
porter；　Coffinet；　had　been　very　negligently　performed；　and　when　la
Peyrade　rushed　to　the　lodge　to　inquire　for　his　letter；　which　he
thought　he　saw　in　the　case　that　belonged　to　him；　the　porter　and　his
wife　were　both　absent　and　their　door　was　locked。　The　wife　was　doing
some　household　work　in　the　building；　and　Coffinet　himself；　taking
advantage　of　that　circumstance；　had　allowed　a　friend　to　entice　him
into　a　neighboring　wine…shop；　where；　between　two　glasses；　he　was
supporting；　against　a　republican　who　was　talking　disrespectfully
against　it；　the　cause　of　the　owners　of　property。

It　was　twenty　minutes　before　the　worthy　porter；　remembering　the
〃property〃　entrusted　to　his　charge；　decided　to　return　to　his　post。　It
is　easy　to　imagine　the　reproaches　with　which　la　Peyrade　overwhelmed
him。　He　excused　himself　by　saying　that　he　had　gone　to　do　a　commission
for　Mademoiselle；　and　that　he　couldn't　be　at　the　door　and　where　his
masters　chose　to　send　him　at　the　same　time。　At　last；　however；　he　gave
the　lawyer　a　letter　bearing　the　Paris　postmark。

With　his　heart　rather　than　his　eyes　la　Peyrade　recognized　the
handwriting；　and；　turning　over　the　missive；　the　arms　and　motto
confirmed　the　hope　that　he　had　reached　the　end　of　the　cruellest
emotion　he　had　ever　in　his　life　experienced。　To　read　that　l