the lesser bourgeoisie-第93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！


confirmed　the　hope　that　he　had　reached　the　end　of　the　cruellest
emotion　he　had　ever　in　his　life　experienced。　To　read　that　letter
before　that　odious　porter　seemed　to　him　a　profanation。　With　a
refinement　of　feeling　which　all　lovers　will　understand；　he　gave
himself　the　pleasure　of　pausing　before　his　happiness；　he　would　not
even　unseal　that　blissful　note　until　the　moment　when；　with　closed
doors　and　no　interruptions　to　distract　him；　he　could　enjoy　at　his　ease
the　delicious　sensation　of　which　his　heart　had　a　foretaste。

Rushing　up　the　staircase　two　steps　at　a　time；　the　now　joyous　lover
committed　the　childish　absurdity　of　locking　himself　in；　then；　having
settled　himself　at　his　ease　before　his　desk；　and　having　broken　the
seal　with　religious　care；　he　was　forced　to　press　his　hand　on　his
heart；　which　seemed　to　burst　from　his　bosom；　before　he　could　summon
calmness　to　read　the　following　letter：

　　Dear　Monsieur；I　disappear　forever；　because　my　play　is　played
　　out。　I　thank　you　for　having　made　it　both　attractive　and　easy。　By
　　setting　against　you　the　Thuilliers　and　Collevilles　（who　are　fully
　　informed　of　your　sentiments　towards　them）；　and　by　relating　in　a
　　manner　most　mortifying　to　their　bourgeois　self…love　the　true
　　reason　of　your　sudden　and　pitiless　rupture　with　them；　I　am　proud
　　and　happy　to　believe　that　I　have　done　you　a　signal　service。　The
　　girl　does　not　love　you；　and　you　love　nothing　but　the　eyes　of　her
　　〃dot〃；　I　have　therefore　saved　you　both　from　a　species　of　hell。
　　But；　in　exchange　for　the　bride　you　have　so　curtly　rejected；
　　another　charming　girl　is　proposed　to　you；　she　is　richer　and　more
　　beautiful　than　Mademoiselle　Colleville；　andto　speak　of　myself
　　more　at　liberty　than

Your　unworthy　servant；
Torna　〃Comtesse　de　Godollo。〃

　　P。S。　For　further　information　apply；　without　delay；　to　Monsieur　du
　　Portail；　householder；　rue　Honore…Chevalier；　near　the　rue　de　la
　　Cassette；　quartier　Saint…Sulpice；　by　whom　you　are　expected。


When　he　had　read　this　letter　the　advocate　of　the　poor　took　his　head　in
his　hands；　he　saw　nothing；　heard　nothing；　thought　nothing；　he　was
annihilated。

Several　days　were　necessary　to　la　Peyrade　before　he　could　even　begin
to　recover　from　the　crushing　blow　which　had　struck　him　down。　The　shock
was　terrible。　Coming　out　of　that　golden　dream　which　had　shown　him　a
perspective　of　the　future　in　so　smiling　an　aspect；　he　found　himself
fooled　under　conditions　most　cruel　to　his　self…love；　and　to　his
pretensions　to　depth　and　cleverness；　irrevocably　parted　from　the
Thuilliers；　saddled　with　a　hopeless　debt　of　twenty…five　thousand
francs　to　Madame　Lambert；　together　with　another　of　ten　thousand　to
Brigitte；　which　his　dignity　required　him　to　pay　with　the　least　delay
possible；　and；　worst　of　all；to　complete　his　humiliation　and　his
sense　of　failure；he　felt　that　he　was　not　cured　of　the　passionate
emotion　he　had　felt　for　this　woman；　the　author　of　his　great　disaster；
and　the　instrument　of　his　ruin。

Either　this　Delilah　was　a　very　great　lady；　sufficiently　high　in
station　to　allow　herself　such　compromising　caprices；but　even　so；　she
would　scarcely　have　cared　to　play　the　role　of　a　coquette　in　a
vaudeville　where　he　himself　played　the　part　of　ninny；OR　she　was　some
noted　adventuress　who　was　in　the　pay　of　this　du　Portail　and　the　agent
of　his　singular　matrimonial　designs。　Evil　life　or　evil　heart；　these
were　the　only　two　verdicts　to　be　pronounced　on　this　dangerous　siren；
and　in　either　case；　it　would　seem；　she　was　not　very　deserving　of　the
regrets　of　her　victim；　nevertheless；　he　was　conscious　of　feeling　them。
We　must　put　ourselves　in　the　place　of　this　son　of　Provence；　this
region　of　hot　blood　and　ardent　heads；　who；　for　the　first　time　in　his
life　finding　himself　face　to　face　with　jewelled　love　in　laces；
believed　he　was　to　drink　that　passion　from　a　wrought…gold　cup。　Just　as
our　minds　on　waking　keep　the　impression　of　a　vivid　dream　and　continue
in　love　with　what　we　know　was　but　a　shadow；　la　Peyrade　had　need　of　all
his　mental　energy　to　drive　away　the　memory　of　that　treacherous
countess。　We　might　go　further　and　say　that　he　never　ceased　to　long　for
her；　though　he　was　careful　to　drape　with　an　honest　pretext　the　intense
desire　that　he　had　to　find　her。　That　desire　he　called　curiosity；　ardor
for　revenge；　and　here　follow　the　ingenious　deductions　which　he　drew
for　himself：

〃Cerizet　talked　to　me　about　a　rich　heiress；　the　countess；　in　her
letter；　intimates　that　the　whole　intrigue　she　wound　about　me　was　to
lead　to　a　rich　marriage；　rich　marriages　flung　at　a　man's　head　are　not
so　plentiful　that　two　such　chances　should　come　to　me　within　a　few
weeks；　therefore　the　match　offered　by　Cerizet　and　that　proposed　by　the
countess　must　be　the　crazy　girl　they　are　so　frantic　to　make　me　marry；
therefore　Cerizet；　being　in　the　plot；　must　know　the　countess；
therefore；　through　him　I　shall　get　upon　her　traces。　In　any　case；　I　am
sure　of　information　about　this　extraordinary　choice　that　has　fallen
upon　me；　evidently；　these　people；　whoever　they　are；　who　can　pull　the
wires　of　such　puppets　to　reach　their　ends　must　be　persons　of
considerable　position；　therefore；　I'll　go　and　see　Cerizet。〃

And　he　went　to　see　Cerizet。

Since　the　dinner　at　the　Rocher　de　Cancale；　the　pair　had　not　met。　Once
or　twice　la　Peyrade　had　asked　Dutocq　at　the　Thuilliers'　（where　the
latter　seldom　went　now；　on　account　of　the　distance　to　their　new　abode）
what　had　become　of　his　copying　clerk。

〃He　never　speaks　of　you；〃　Dutocq　had　answered。

Hence　it　might　be　inferred　that　resentment；　the　〃manet　alta　mente
repostum〃　was　still　living　in　the　breast　of　the　vindictive　usurer。　La
Peyrade；　however；　was　not　stopped　by　that　consideration。　After　all；　he
was　not　going　to　ask　for　anything；　he　went　under　the　pretext　of
renewing　an　affair　in　which　Cerizet　had　taken　part；　and　Cerizet　never
took　part　in　anything　unless　he　had　a　personal　interest　in　it。　The
chances　were；　therefore；　that　he　would　be　received　with　affectionate
eagerness　rather　than　unpleasant　acerbity。　Moreover；　he　decided　to　go
and　see　the　copying　clerk　at　Dutocq's　office；　it　would　look；　he
thought；　less　like　a　visit　than　if　he　went　to　his　den　in　the　rue　des
Poules。　It　was　nearly　two　o'clock　when　la　Peyrade　made　his　entrance
into　the　precincts　of　the　justice…of…peace　of　the　12th　arrondissement。
He　crossed　the　first　room；　in　which　were　a　crowd　of　persons　whom　civil
suits　of　one　kind　or　another　summoned　before　the　magistrate。　Without
pausing　in　that　waiting…room；　la　Peyrade　pushed　on　to　the　office
adjoining　that　of　Dutocq。　There　he　found　Cerizet　at　a　shabby　desk　of
blackened　wood；　at　which　another　clerk；　then　absent；　occupied　the
opposite　seat。

Seeing　his　visitor；　Cerizet　cast　a　savage　look　at　him　and　said；
without　rising；　or　suspending　the　copy　of　the　judgment　he　was　then
engrossing：

〃You　here；　Sieur　la　Peyrade？　You　have　been　doing　fine　things　for　your
friend　Thuillier！〃

〃How　are　you？〃　asked　la　Peyrade；　in　a　tone　both　resolute　and　friendly。

〃I？〃　replied　Cerizet。　〃As　you　see；　still　rowing　my　galley；　and；　to
follow　out　the　nautical　metaphor；　allow　me　to　ask　what　wind　has　blown
you　hither；　is　it；　perchance；　the　wind　of　adversity？〃

La　Peyrade；　with