the lesser bourgeoisie-第95部分

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linen…draper；　chairman　of　the　delegation；　addressed　Thuillier　in　the
following　speech：

〃Monsieur；　it　is　with　sincere　admiration　that　we　have　learned　this
morning　from　the　columns　of　your　paper；　the　great　civic　act　by　which
you　have　touched　all　hearts。　You　have　shown；　in　thus　retiring；　a　most
unusual　disinterestedness；　and　the　esteem　of　your　fellow…citizens〃

〃Excuse　me；〃　said　Thuillier；　interrupting　him；　〃I　cannot　allow　you　to
continue；　the　article　about　which　you　are　so　good　as　to　congratulate
me；　was　inserted　by　mistake。〃

〃What！〃　said　the　linen…draper；　〃then　do　you　not　retire？　Can　you
suppose　that　in　opposition　to　the　candidacy　of　Monsieur　Minard　（whose
presence　in　these　precincts　seems　to　me　rather　singular）　you　have　the
slightest　chance　of　success？〃

〃Monsieur；〃　said　Thuillier；　〃have　the　goodness　to　request　the　electors
of　your　arrondissement　to　await　the　issue　of　to…morrow's　paper；　in
which　I　shall　furnish　categorical　explanations　of　the　most　distinct
character。　The　article　to…day　is　the　result　of　a　misunderstanding。〃

〃It　will　be　a　sad　pity；　monsieur；〃　said　the　linen…draper；　〃if　you　lose
this　occasion　to　place　yourself　in　the　eyes　of　your　fellow…citizens
beside　the　Washingtons　and　other　great　men　of　antiquity。〃

〃I　say　again；　TO…MORROW；　messieurs；〃　said　Thuillier。　〃I　am　none　the
less　sensible　to　the　honor　you　do　me；　and　I　trust　that　when　you　know
the　whole　truth；　I　shall　not　suffer　in　your　esteem。〃

〃A　pretty　queer　mess　this　seems　to　be；〃　said　the　voice　of　an　elector。

〃Yes；〃　said　another；　〃it　looks　as　if　they　meant　to　bamboozle　us。〃

〃Messieurs；　messieurs！〃　cried　the　chairman；　putting　a　stop　to　the
outbreak；　〃to…morrowwe　will　wait　until　to…morrow　for　the　promised
explanations。〃

Whereupon；　the　deputation　retired。

It　is　not　likely　that　Thuillier　would　have　accompanied　them　beyond　the
door　of　the　sanctum；　but　in　any　case　he　was　prevented　by　the　sudden
entrance　of　la　Peyrade。

〃I　have　just　come　from　your　house；　my　dear　fellow；〃　said　the
Provencal；　〃they　told　me　I　should　find　you　here。〃

〃You　have　come；　doubtless；　for　the　purpose　of　explaining　to　me　the
strange　article　you　allowed　yourself　to　insert　in　my　name。〃

〃Precisely；〃　said　la　Peyrade。　〃The　remarkable　man　whom　you　know；　and
whose　powerful　influence　you　have　already　felt；　confided　to　me
yesterday；　in　your　interests；　the　plans　of　the　government；　and　I　saw
at　once　that　your　defeat　was　inevitable。　I　wished　therefore　to　secure
to　you　an　honorable　and　dignified　retreat。　There　was　no　time　to　lose；
you　were　absent　from　Paris；　and　therefore〃

〃Very　good；　monsieur；〃　said　Thuillier；　〃but　you　will　take　notice　that
from　the　present　moment　you　are　no　longer　the　editor　of　this　paper。〃

〃That　is　what　I　came　to　tell　you。〃

〃Perhaps　you　also　came　to　settle　the　little　account　we　have　together。〃

〃Messieurs；〃　said　Minard；　〃I　see　that　this　is　a　business　interview；　I
shall　therefore　take　leave　of　you。〃

As　soon　as　Minard　had　left　the　room；　la　Peyrade　pulled　out　his　pocket…
book。

〃Here　are　ten　thousand　francs；〃　he　said；　〃which　I　will　beg　you　to
remit　to　Mademoiselle　Brigitte；　and　here；　also；　is　the　bond　by　which
you　secured　the　payment　of　twenty…five　thousand　francs　to　Madame
Lambert；　that　sum　I　have　now　paid　in　full；　and　here　is　the　receipt。〃

〃Very　good；　monsieur；〃　said　Thuillier。

La　Peyrade　bowed　and　went　away。

〃Serpent！〃　said　Thuillier　as　he　watched　him　go。

〃Cerizet　said　the　right　thing；〃　thought　la　Peyrade；〃a　pompous
imbecile！〃

The　blow　struck　at　Thuillier's　candidacy　was　mortal；　but　Minard　did
not　profit　by　it。　While　the　pair　were　contending　for　votes；　a
government　man；　an　aide…de…camp　to　the　king；　arrived　with　his　hands
full　of　tobacco　licenses　and　other　electoral　small　change；　and；　like
the　third　thief；　he　slipped　between　the　two　who　were　thumping　each
other；　and　carried　off　the　booty。

It　is　needless　to　say　that　Brigitte　did　not　get　her　farm　in　Beauce。
That　was　only　a　mirage；　by　help　of　which　Thuillier　was　enticed　out　of
Paris　long　enough　for　la　Peyrade　to　deal　his　blow；a　service　rendered
to　the　government　on　the　one　hand；　but　also　a　precious　vengeance　for
the　many　humiliations　he　had　undergone。

Thuillier　had　certainly　some　suspicions　as　to　the　complicity　of
Cerizet；　but　that　worthy　managed　to　justify　himself；　and　by
manoeuvring　the　sale　of　the　〃Echo　de　la　Bievre；〃　now　become　a
nightmare　to　the　luckless　owner；　he　ended　by　appearing　as　white　as
snow。

The　paper　was　secretly　bought　up　by　Corentin；　and　the　late　opposition
sheet　became　a　〃canard〃　sold　on　Sundays　in　the　wine…shops　and
concocted　in　the　dens　of　the　police。



CHAPTER　XVII

IN　THE　EXERCISE　OF　HIS　FUNCTIONS

About　two　months　after　the　scene　in　which　la　Peyrade　had　been
convinced　that　through　a　crime　of　his　past　life　his　future　was
irrevocably　settled；　he　（being　now　married　to　his　victim；　who　was
beginning　to　have　lucid　intervals；　though　the　full　return　of　her
reason　would　not　take　place　until　the　occasion　indicated　by　the
doctors）　was　sitting　one　morning　with　the　head　of　the　police　in　the
latter's　office。　Taking　part　in　the　work　of　the　department；　the　young
man　was　serving　an　apprenticeship　under　that　great　master　in　the
difficult　and　delicate　functions　to　which　he　was　henceforth　riveted。
But　Corentin　found　that　his　pupil　did　not　bring　to　this　initiation　all
the　ardor　and　amiability　that　he　desired。　It　was　plain　that　in　la
Peyrade's　soul　there　was　a　sense　of　forfeiture　and　degradation；　time
would　get　the　better　of　that　impression；　but　the　callus　was　not　yet
formed。

Opening　a　number　of　sealed　envelopes　enclosing　the　reports　of　his
various　agents；　Corentin　glanced　over　these　documents；　seldom　as
useful　as　the　public　suppose；　casting　them　one　after　another
contemptuously　into　a　basket；　whence　they　issued　in　a　mass　for　a
burning。　But　to　one　of　them　the　great　man　evidently　gave　some
particular　attention；　as　he　read　it　a　smile　flickered　on　his　lips；　and
when　he　had　finished；　instead　of　adding　it　to　the　pile　in　the　basket；
he　gave　it　to　la　Peyrade。

〃Here；〃　he　said；　〃here's　something　that　concerns　you；　it　shows　that　in
our　profession；　which　just　now　seems　to　you　unpleasantly　serious；　we
do　occasionally　meet　with　comedies。　Read　it　aloud；　it　will　cheer　me
up。〃

Before　la　Peyrade　began　to　read；　Corentin　added：

〃I　ought　to　tell　you　that　the　report　is　from　a　man　called　Henri；　whom
Madame　Komorn　introduced　as　man…servant　at　the　Thuilliers'；　you
probably　remember　him。〃

〃So！〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃servants　placed　in　families！　is　that　one　of
your　methods？〃

〃Sometimes；〃　replied　Corentin；　〃in　order　to　know　all；　we　must　use　all
means。　But　a　great　many　lies　are　told　about　us　on　that　subject。　It　is
not　true　that　the　police；　making　a　system　of　it；　has；　at　certain
periods；　by　a　general　enrolment　of　lacqueys　and　lady's…maids；
established　a　vast　network　in　private　families。　Nothing　is　fixed　and
absolute　in　our　manner　of　proceeding；　we　act　in　accordance　with　the
time　and　circumstances。　I　wanted　an　ear　and　an　influence　in　the
Thuillier　household；　accordingly；　I　let　loose　the　Godollo　upon　it；　and
she；　in　turn；　partly　to　assist　herself；　installed　there　one　of　our
men；　an　intelligent　fellow；　as　you　will　see　for　yourself。　But　for　all
that；　if；　at　another　time；　a　servant　came　and　offered　to　sell　me　the
secrets　of　his　master；　I　should　have　him　arrested；　and　let　a　warning
reach　the　ears　of　the　family　to　distrust　the　other　servants。　Now　go
on；　and　read　that　report。〃

　　Monsieur　the　Director　of　the　Secret　Police；

read　la　Peyrade　aloud；

　　I　did　not　stay　long　with　the　little　baron；　he　is　a　man　wholly
　　occupied　in　frivolous　pleasures；　and　there　was　nothing　to　be
　　gathered　there　that　was　worthy　of　a　report　to　you。　I　have　found
　　another　place；　where　I　have　already　witnessed　several　thing　which
　　fit　into　the　mission　that　Madame　de　Godollo　gave　me；　and
　　therefore；　thinking　them　likely　to　interest　you；　I　hasten　to　bring
　　them　to　your　knowledge。　The　household　in　which　I　am　now　employed
　　is　that　of　an　old　savant；　named　Monsieur　Picot；　who　lives　on　a
　　first　floor；　Place　de　la　Madeleine；　in　the　house　and　apartment
　　formerly　occupied　by　my　late　masters；　the　Thuilliers

〃What！〃　cried　la　Peyrade；　interrupting　his　reading；　〃Pere　Picot；　that
ruined　old　lunatic；　occupying　such　an　apartment　as　that？〃

〃Go　on；　go　on！〃　said　Corentin；　〃life　is　full　of　many　strange　things。
You'll　find　the　explanation　farther　along；　for　our　correspondentit
is　the　defect　of　those　fellows　to　waste　themselves　on　detailsis　only
too　fond　of　dotting　his　i's。〃

La　Peyrade　read　on：

　　The　Thuilliers　left　this　apartment　some　weeks　ago　to　return　to
　　their　Latin　quarter。　Mademoiselle　Brigitte　never　really　liked　our
　　sphere；　her　total　want　of　education　made　her　ill　at　ease。　Just
　　because　I　speak　correctly；　she　was　always　calling　me　'the　orator；'
　　and　she　could　not　endure　Monsieur　Pascal；　her　porter；　because；
　　being　beadle　in　the　church　of　the　Madeleine；　he　had　manners；　she
　　even　found　something　to　say　against　the　dealers　in　the　great
　　market　behind　the　church；　where；　of　course；　she　bought　her
　　provisions；　she　complained　that　they　gave　themselves　CAPABLE　airs；
　　merely　because　they　are　not　so　coarse…tongued　as　those　of　the
　　Halle；　and　only　laughed　at　her　when　she　tried　to　beat　them　down。
　　She　has　leased　the　whole　house　to　a　certain　Monsieur　Cerizet　（a
　　very　ugly　man；　with　a　nose　all　eaten　away）　for　an　annual　rent　of
　　fifty…five　thousand　francs。　This　tenant　seems　to　know　what　he　is
　　about。　He　has　lately　married　an　actress　at　one　of　the　minor
　　theatres；　Mademoiselle　Olympe　Cardinal；　and　he　was　just　about　to
　　occupy　himself　the　first…floor　apartment；　where　he　proposed　to
　　establish　his　present　business；　namely；　insurance　for　the　〃dots〃
　　of　children；　when　Monsieur　Picot；　arriving　from　England　with　his
　　wife；　a　very　rich　Englishwoman；　saw　the　apartment　and　offered　such
　　a　good　price　that　Monsieur　Cerizet　felt　constrained　to　take　it。
　　That　was　the　time　when；　by　the　help　of　M。　Pascal；　the　porter；　with
　　whom　I　have　been　careful　to　maintain　good　relations；　I　entered　the
　　household　of　Monsieur　Picot。

〃Monsieur　Picot　married　to　a　rich　Englishwoman！〃　exclaimed　la　Peyrade；
interruptin