the lesser bourgeoisie-第78部分

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herself　to　secure。

〃My　dear　child；〃　she　said　to　Celeste　the　next　morning；　〃I　think　you
have　given　up　all　idea　of　being　Felix　Phellion's　wife。　In　the　first
place；　he　is　more　of　an　atheist　than　ever；　and；　besides；　you　must　have
noticed　yourself　that　his　mind　is　quite　shaky。　You　have　seen　at　Madame
Minard's　that　Madame　Marmus；　who　married　a　savant；　officer　of　the
Legion　of　honor；　and　member　of　the　Institute。　There's　not　a　more
unhappy　woman；　her　husband　has　taken　her　to　live　behind　the
Luxembourg；　in　the　rue　Duguay…Trouin；　a　street　that　is　neither　paved
nor　lighted。　When　he　goes　out；　he　doesn't　know　where　he　is　going；　he
gets　to　the　Champ　de　Mars　when　he　wants　to　go　to　the　Faubourg
Poissoniere；　he　isn't　even　capable　of　giving　his　address　to　the　driver
of　a　street　cab；　and　he　is　so　absent…minded　he　couldn't　tell　if　it
were　before　dinner　or　after。　You　can　imagine　what　sort　of　time　a　woman
must　have　with　a　man　whose　nose　is　always　at　a　telescope　snuffing
stars。〃

〃But　Felix；〃　said　Celeste；　〃is　not　as　absent…minded　as　that。〃

〃Of　course　not；　because　he　is　younger；　but　with　years　his　absent…
mindedness　and　his　atheism　will　both　increase。　We　have　therefore
decided　that　he　is　not　the　husband　you　want；　and　we　all；　your　mother；
father；　Thuillier　and　myself；　have　determined　that　you　shall　take　la
Peyrade；　a　man　of　the　world；　who　will　make　his　way；　and　one　who　has
done　us　great　services　in　the　past；　and　who　will；　moreover；　make　your
godfather　deputy。　We　are　disposed　to　give　you；　in　consideration　of
him；　a　much　larger　'dot'　than　we　should　give　to　any　other　husband。　So；
my　dear；　it　is　settled；　the　banns　are　to　be　published　immediately；　and
this　day　week　we　sign　the　contract。　There's　to　be　a　great　dinner　for
the　family　and　intimates；　and　after　that　a　reception；　at　which　the
contract　will　be　signed　and　your　trousseau　and　corbeille　exhibited。　As
I　take　all　that　into　my　own　hands　I'll　answer　for　it　that　everything
shall　be　of　the　best　kind；　especially　if　you　are　not　babyish；　and　give
in　pleasantly　to　our　ideas。〃

〃But；　aunt　Brigitte；〃　began　Celeste；　timidly。

〃There's　no　'but；'　in　the　matter；〃　said　the　old　maid；　imperiously；　〃it
is　all　arranged；　and　will　be　carried　out；　unless；　mademoiselle；　you
pretend　to　have　more　wisdom　than　your　elders。〃

〃I　will　do　as　you　choose；　aunt；〃　replied　Celeste；　feeling　as　if　a
thunder…cloud　had　burst　upon　her　head；　and　knowing　but　too　well　that
she　had　no　power　to　struggle　against　the　iron　will　which　had　just
pronounced　her　doom。

She　went　at　once　to　pour　her　sorrows　into　Madame　Thuillier's　soul；　but
when　she　heard　her　godmother　advising　patience　and　resignation　the
poor　child　felt　that　from　that　feeble　quarter　she　could　get　no　help
for　even　the　slightest　effort　of　resistance；　and　that　her　sacrifice
was　virtually　accomplished。

Precipitating　herself　with　a　sort　of　frenzy　into　the　new　element　of
activity　thus　introduced　into　her　life；　Brigitte　took　the　field　in　the
making　of　the　trousseau　and　the　purchase　of　the　corbeille。　Like　many
misers；　who　on　great　occasions　come　out　of　their　habits　and　their
nature；　the　old　maid　now　thought　nothing　too　good　for　her　purpose；　and
she　flung　her　money　about　so　lavishly　that　until　the　day　appointed　for
the　signing　of　the　contract；　the　jeweller；　dressmaker；　milliner；
lingere；　etc。　（all　chosen　from　the　best　establishments　in　Paris）；
seemed　to　occupy　the　house。

〃It　is　like　a　procession；〃　said　Josephine；　the　cook；　admiringly；　to
Francoise；　the　Minards'　maid；　〃the　bell　never　stops　ringing　from
morning　till　night。〃



CHAPTER　XII

A　STAR

The　dinner　on　the　great　occasion　was　ordered　from　Chabot　and　Potel；
and　not　from　Chevet；　by　which　act　Brigitte　intended　to　prove　her
initiative　and　her　emancipation　from　the　late　Madame　de　Godollo。　The
invited　guests　were　as　follows：　three　Collevilles；　including　the
bride；　la　Peyrade　the　groom；　Dutocq　and　Fleury；　whom　he　had　asked　to
be　his　witnesses；　the　extremely　limited　number　of　his　relatives
leaving　him　no　choice；　Minard　and　Rabourdin；　chosen　as　witnesses　for
Celeste；　Madame　and　Mademoiselle　Minard　and　Minard　junior；　two　of
Thuillier's　colleagues　in　the　Council…general；　the　notary　Dupuis；
charged　with　the　duty　of　drawing　up　the　contract；　and　lastly；　the　Abbe
Gondrin；　director　of　the　consciences　of　Madame　Thuillier　and　Celeste；
who　was　to　give　the　nuptial　blessing。

The　latter　was　the　former　vicar　of　Saint…Jacques　du　Haut…Pas；　whose
great　refinement　of　manner　and　gift　of　preaching　had　induced　the
archbishop　to　remove　him　from　the　humble　parish　where　his　career　had
begun　to　the　aristocratic　church　of　the　Madeleine。　Since　Madame
Thuillier　and　Celeste　had　again　become　his　parishioners；　the　young
abbe　visited　them　occasionally；　and　Thuillier；　who　had　gone　to　him　to
explain；　after　his　own　fashion；　the　suitableness　of　the　choice　made
for　Celeste　in　the　person　of　la　Peyrade　（taking　pains　as　he　did　so　to
cast　reflections　on　the　religious　opinions　of　Felix　Phellion）；　had
easily　led　him　to　contribute　by　his　persuasive　words　to　the
resignation　of　the　victim。

When　the　time　came　to　sit　down　to　table　three　guests　were　missing；
two　Minards；　father　and　son；　and　the　notary　Dupuis。　The　latter　had
written　a　note　to　Thuillier　in　the　morning；　excusing　himself　from　the
dinner；　but　saying　that　at　nine　o'clock　precisely　he　would　bring　the
contract　and　place　himself　at　the　orders　of　Mademoiselle　Thuillier。　As
for　Julien　Minard；　his　mother　excused　him　as　being　confined　to　his
room　with　a　sore…throat。　The　absence　of　Minard　senior　remained
unexplained；　but　Madame　Minard　insisted　that　they　should　sit　down　to
table　without　him；　which　was　done；　Brigitte　ordering　that　the　soup　be
kept　hot　for　him；　because　in　the　bourgeois　code　of　manners　and　customs
a　dinner　without　soup　is　no　dinner　at　all。

The　repast　was　far　from　gay；　and　though　the　fare　was　better；　the
vivacity　and　the　warmth　of　the　conversation　was　far；　indeed；　from　that
of　the　famous　improvised　banquet　at　the　time　of　the　election　to　the
Council…general。　The　gaps　occasioned　by　the　absence　of　three　guests
may　have　been　one　reason；　then　Flavie　was　glum；　she　had　had　an
interview　with　la　Peyrade　in　the　afternoon　which　ended　in　tears；
Celeste；　even　if　she　had　been　content　with　the　choice　imposed　on　her；
would　scarcely；　as　a　matter　of　propriety；　have　seemed　joyful；　in　fact；
she　made　no　effort　to　brighten　a　sad　face；　and　dared　not　look　at　her
godmother；　whose　own　countenance　gave　the　impression；　if　we　may　so
express　it；　of　the　long　bleating　of　a　sheep。　The　poor　girl　seeing　this
feared　to　exchange　a　look　with　her　lest　she　might　drive　her　to　tears。
Thuillier　now　felt　himself；　on　all　sides；　of　such　importance　that　he
was　pompous　and　consequential；　while　Brigitte；　uneasy　out　of　her　own
world；　where　she　could　lord　it　over　every　one　without　competition；
seemed　constrained　and　embarrassed。

Colleville　tried　by　a　few　jovialities　to　raise　the　temperature　of　the
assemblage；　but　the　coarse　salt　of　his　witticisms　had　an　effect；　in
the　atmosphere　in　which　he　produced　them；　of　a　loud　laugh　in　a　sick…
chamber；　and　a　mute　intimation　from　his　wife；　Thuillier；　and　la
Peyrade　to　BEHAVE　HIMSELF　put　a　stopper　on　his　liveliness　and
turbulent　expansion。　It　was　somewhat　remarkable　that　the　gravest
member　of　the　party；　aided　by　Rabourdin；　was　the　person　who　finally
warmed　up　the　atmosphere。　The　Abbe　Gondrin；　a　man　of　a　most　refined
and　cultivated　mind；　had；　like　every　pure　and　well…ordered　soul；　a
fund　of　gentle　gaiety　which　he　was　well　able　to　communicate；　and
liveliness　was　beginning　to　dawn　upon　the　party　when　Minard　entered
the　room。

After　making　his　excuses　on　the　ground　of　important　duties；　the　mayor
of　the　eleventh　arrondissement；　who　was　in　the　habit　of　taking　the
lead　in　the　conversation　wherever　he　went；　said；　having　swallowed　a
few　hasty　mouthfuls：

〃Messieurs　and　mesdames；　have　you　heard　the　great　news？〃

〃No；　what　is　it？〃　cried　several　voices　at　once。

〃The　Academy　of　Sciences　received；　to…day；　at　its　afternoon　session；
the　announcement　of　a　vast　discovery：　the　heavens　possess　a　new　star！〃

〃Tiens！〃　said　Colleville；　〃that　will　help　to　replace　the　one　that
Beranger　thought　was　lost　when　he　grieved　（to　that　air　of　'Octavie'）
over　Chateaubriand's　departure：　'Chateaubriand；　why　fly　thy　land？'〃

This　quotation；　which　he　sang；　exasperated　Flavie；　and　if　the　custom
had　been　for　wives　to　sit　next　to　their　husbands；　the　former　clarionet
of　the　Opera…Comique　would　not　have　escaped　with　a　mere　〃Colleville！〃
imperiously　calling　him　to　order。

〃The　point　which　gives　this　great　astronomical　event　a　special
interest　on　this　occasion；〃　continued　Minard；　〃is　that　the　author　of
the　discovery　is　a　denizen　of　the　twelfth　arrondissement；　which　many
of　you　still　inhabit；　or　have　inhabited。　But　other　points　are　striking
in　this　great　scientific　fact。　The　Academy；　on　the　reading　of　the
communication　which　announced　it；　was　so　convinced　of　the　existence　of
this　star　that　a　deputation　was　appointed　to　visit　the　domicile　of　the
modern　Galileo　and　compliment　him　in　the　name　of　the　whole　body。　And
yet　this　star　is　not　visible　to　either　the　eye　or　the　telescope！　It　is
only　by　the　power　of　calculation　and　induction　that　its　existence　and
the　place　it　occupies　in　the　heavens　have　been　proved　in　the　most
irrefutable　manner：　'There　MUST　be　THERE　a　hitherto　unknown　star；　I
cannot　see　it；　but　I　am　sure　of　it；'that　is　what　this　man　of　science
said　to　the　Academy；　whom　he　instantly　convinced　by　his　deductions。
And　do　you　know；　messieurs；　who　is　this　Christopher　Columbus　of　a　new
celestial　world？　An　old　man；　two…thirds　blind；　who　has　scarcely　eyes
enough　to　walk　in　the　street。〃

〃Wonderful！　Marvellous！　Admirable！〃　came　from　all　sides。

〃What　is　the　name　of　this　learned　man？〃　asked　several　voices。

〃Monsieur　Picot；　or；　if　you　prefer　it；　pere　Picot；　for　that　is　how
they　call　him　in　the　rue　du　Val…de…Grace；　where　he　lives。　He　is　simply
an　old　professor　of　mathematics；　who　has　turned　out　several　very　fine
pupils；by　the　bye；　Felix　Phellion；　whom　we　all　know；　studied　under
him；　and　it　was　he　who　read；　on　behalf　of　his　blind　old　master；　the
communication　to　the　Academy　this　afternoon。〃

Hearing　that　name；　and　rememb