The Lesser Bourgeoisie by Honore de Balzac (freenovel24 TXT) 📖

nothing in my request to alarm her

maternal prudence."

 

"I would certainly yield to it," said Flavie, "if I did not fear that

these discussions might seem to open a question which is irrevocably

decided."

 

"But, my dear madame, I have the strongest desire that Mademoiselle

Celeste shall remain, until the very last moment, the mistress of her

own choice. I beg you, therefore, to grant my request."

 

"So be it!" said Madame Colleville; "you think yourself very clever,

but if you let that girl twist you round her finger, so much the worse

for you. Come, Thuillier, since we are 'de trop' here."

 

As soon as the pair were alone together, la Peyrade drew up a chair

for Celeste, and took one himself, saying:--

 

"You will, I venture to believe, do me the justice to say that until

to-day I have never annoyed you with the expression of my sentiments.

I was aware of the inclinations of your heart, and also of the

warnings of your conscience. I hoped, after a time, to make myself

acceptable as a refuge from those two currents of feeling; but, at the

point which we have now reached, I think it is not either indiscreet

or impatient to ask you to let me know plainly what course you have

decided upon."

 

"Monsieur," replied Celeste, "as you speak to me so kindly and

frankly, I will tell you, what indeed you know already, that, brought

up as I was with Monsieur Felix Phellion, knowing him far longer than

I have known you, the idea of marrying alarmed me less in regard to

him than it would in regard to others."

 

"At one time, I believe," remarked la Peyrade, "you were permitted to

choose him if you wished."

 

"Yes, but at that time difficulties grew up between us on religious

ideas."

 

"And to-day those difficulties have disappeared?"

 

"Nearly," replied Celeste. "I am accustomed to submit to the judgment

of those who are wiser than myself, monsieur, and you heard yesterday

the manner in which the Abbe Gondrin spoke of Monsieur Phellion."

 

"God forbid," said la Peyrade, "that I should seek to invalidate the

judgment of so excellent a man; but I venture to say to you,

mademoiselle, that there are great differences among the clergy; some

are thought too stern, some far too indulgent; moreover, the Abbe

Gondrin is more of a preacher than a casuist."

 

"But, Monsieur Felix," said Celeste, eagerly, "seems to wish to fulfil

Monsieur l'abbe's hopes of him, for I know that he went to see him

this morning."

 

"Ah!" said la Peyrade, with a touch of irony, "so he really decided to

go to Pere Anselme! But, admitting that on the religious side Monsieur

Phellion may now become all that you expect of him, have you

reflected, mademoiselle, on the great event which has just taken place

in his life?"

 

"Undoubtedly; and that is not a reason to think less of him."

 

"No, but it is a reason why he should think more of himself. For the

modesty which was once the chief charm of his nature, he is likely to

substitute great assumption, and you must remember, mademoiselle, that

he who has discovered one world will want to discover two; you will

have the whole firmament for rival; in short, could you ever be happy

with a man so entirely devoted to science?"

 

"You plead your cause with such adroitness," said Celeste, smiling,

"that I think you might be as a lawyer more disquieting than an

astronomer."

 

"Mademoiselle," said la Peyrade, "let us speak seriously; there is

another and far more serious aspect to the situation. Do you know

that, at this moment, in this house, and without, I am sure, desiring

it, you are the cause of most distressing and regrettable scenes?"

 

"I, monsieur!" said Celeste, in a tone of surprise that was mingled

with fear.

 

"Yes, concerning your godmother. Through the extreme affection that

she has for you she seems to have become another woman; for the first

time in her life she has shown a mind of her own. With an energy of

will which comes at times to those who have never expended any, she

declares that she will not make her proposed liberal gift to you in

the contract; and I need not tell you who is the person aimed at in

this unexpected refusal."

 

"But, monsieur, I entreat you to believe that I knew nothing of this

idea of my godmother."

 

"I know that," said la Peyrade, "and the matter itself would be of

small importance if Mademoiselle Brigitte had not taken this attitude

of your godmother, whom she has always found supple to her will, as a

personal insult to herself. Very painful explanations, approaching at

last to violence, have taken place. Thuillier, placed between the

hammer and the anvil, has been unable to stop the affair; on the

contrary, he has, without intending it, made matters worse, till they

have now arrived at such a point that Mademoiselle Brigitte is packing

her trunks to leave the house."

 

"Monsieur! what are you telling me?" cried Celeste, horrified.

 

"The truth; and the servants will confirm it to you--for I feel that

my revelations are scarcely believable."

 

"But it is impossible! impossible!" said the poor child, whose

agitation increased with every word of the adroit Provencal. "I cannot

be the cause of such dreadful harm."

 

"That is, you did not intend to be, for the harm is done; and I pray

Heaven it may not be irremediable."

 

"But what am I to do, good God!" cried Celeste, wringing her hands.

 

"I should answer, without hesitation, sacrifice yourself,

mademoiselle, if it were not that I should then be forced to play the

painful part of victimizer."

 

"Monsieur," said Celeste, "you interpret ill the resistance that I

have made, though, in fact, I have scarcely expressed it. I have

certainly had a preference, but I have never considered myself in the

light of a victim; and whatever it is necessary to do to restore peace

in this house to which I have brought trouble, I shall do it without

repugnance, and even willingly."

 

"That would be for me," said la Peyrade, humbly, "more than I could

dare ask for myself; but, for the result which we both seek, I must

tell you frankly that something more is needed. Madame Thuillier has

not changed her nature to instantly change back again on the mere

assurance by others of your compliance. It is necessary that she

should hear from your own lips that you accede to my suit, and that

you do so with eagerness,--assumed, indeed, but sufficiently well

assumed to induce her to believe in it."

 

"So be it," said Celeste. "I shall know how to seem smiling and happy.

My godmother, monsieur, has been a mother to me; and for such a

mother, what is there that I would not endure?"

 

The position was such, and Celeste betrayed so artlessly the depth

and, at the same time, the absolute determination of her sacrifice,

that with any heart at all la Peyrade would have loathed the part he

was playing; but Celeste, to him, was a means of ascent, and provided

the ladder can hold you and hoist you, who would ever ask if it cared

to or not? It was therefore decided that Celeste should go to her

godmother and convince her of the mistake she had made in supposing an

objection to la Peyrade which Celeste had never intended to make.

Madame Thuillier's opposition overcome, all was once more easy. La

Peyrade took upon himself the duty of making peace between the two

sisters-in-law, and we can well imagine that he was not at a loss for

fine phrases with which to assure the artless girl of the devotion and

love which would take from her all regret for the moral compulsion she

had now undergone.

 

When Celeste went to her godmother she found her by no means as

difficult to convince as she had expected. To go to the point of

rebellion which Madame Thuillier had actually reached, the poor woman,

who was acting against her instincts and against her nature, had

needed a tension of will that, in her, was almost superhuman. No

sooner had she received the false confidences of her goddaughter than

the reaction set in; the strength failed her to continue in the path

she had taken. She was therefore easily the dupe of the comedy which

Celeste's tender heart was made to play for la Peyrade's benefit.

 

The tempest calmed on this side, the barrister found no difficulty in

making Brigitte understand that in quelling the rebellion against her

authority she had gone a little farther than was proper. This

authority being no longer in danger, Brigitte ceased to be incensed

with the sister-in-law she had been on the point of beating, and the

quarrel was settled with a few kind words and a kiss, poor Celeste

paying the costs of war.

 

After dinner, which was only a family meal, the notary, to whose

office they were to go on the following day to sign the contract (it

being impossible to give a second edition of the abortive party), made

his appearance. He came, he said, to submit the contract to the

parties interested before engrossing it. This attention was not

surprising in a man who was just entering into business relations with

so important a person as the municipal councillor, whom it was his

interest to firmly secure for a client.

 

La Peyrade was far too shrewd to make any objections to the terms of

the contract, which was now read. A few changes requested by Brigitte,

which gave the new notary a high idea of the old maid's business

capacity, showed la Peyrade plainly that more precautions were being

taken against him than were altogether becoming; but he was anxious

not to raise difficulties, and he knew that the meshes of a contract

are never so close that a determined and clever man cannot get through

them. The appointment was then made for the signing of the contract

the next day, at two o'clock, in the notary's office, the family only

being present.

 

During the rest of the evening, taking advantage of Celeste's pledge

to seem smiling and happy, la Peyrade played, as it were, upon the

poor child, forced her, by a specious exhibition of gratitude and

love, to respond to him on a key that was far, indeed, from the true

state of a heart now wholly filled by Felix. Flavie, seeing the manner

in which la Peyrade put forth his seductions, was reminded of the

pains he had formerly taken to fascinate herself. "The monster!" she

said, beneath her breath. But she was forced to bear the torture with

a good grace; la Peyrade was evidently approved by all, and in the

course of the evening a circumstance came to light, showing a past

service done by him to the house of Thuillier, which brought his

influence and his credit to the highest point.

 

Minard was announced.

 

"My dear friends," he said, "I have come to make a little revelation

which will greatly surprise you, and will, I think, prove a lesson to

all of us when a question arises as to receiving foreigners in our

homes."

 

"What is it?" cried Brigitte, with curiosity.

 

"That Hungarian woman you were so delighted with, that Madame Torna,

Comtesse de Godollo--"

 

"Well?" exclaimed the old maid.

 

"Well," continued Minard, "she was no better than she should be; you

were petting in your house for two months the most impudent of kept

women."

 

"Who told you that tale?" asked Brigitte, not willing to admit that

she had fallen into such a snare.

 

"Oh, it isn't a tale," said the mayor, eagerly. "I know the thing

myself, 'de visu.'"

 

"Dear me! do you frequent such women?" said Brigitte, resuming the

offensive. "That's a pretty thing! what would Zelie say if she knew

it?"

 

"In the discharge of my duties," said Minard, stiffly, provoked at

this reception of his news, "I have seen _your friend_, Madame de

Godollo, in company with others of her class."

 

"How do you know it was she if you only saw her?" demanded Brigitte.

 

The wily Provencal was not the man to lose an occasion that fell to

him ready-made.

 

"Monsieur le maire is not mistaken," he said, with decision.

 

"Tiens! so you know her, too," said Brigitte; "and you let us consort

with such vermin?"

 

"No," said la Peyrade, "on the contrary. Without scandal, without

saying a word to any one, I removed her from your house. You remember

how suddenly the woman left it? It was I who compelled her to do so;

having discovered what she was, I gave her two days to leave the

premises; threatening her, in case she hesitated, to tell you all."

 

"My dear Theodose," said Thuillier, pressing his hand, "you acted with

as much prudence as decision. This is one more obligation that we owe

to you."

 

"You see, mademoiselle," said la Peyrade, addressing Celeste, "the

strange protectress whom a friend of yours selected."

 

"Thank God," said Madame Thuillier. "Felix Phellion is above such vile

things."

 

"Ah