The Lesser Bourgeoisie Part 69

"G.o.d 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 Ph.e.l.lion 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 subst.i.tute great a.s.sumption, 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 G.o.dmother. 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 G.o.dmother."

"I know that," said la Peyrade, "and the matter itself would be of small importance if Mademoiselle Brigitte had not taken this att.i.tude of your G.o.dmother, 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 G.o.d!" 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 a.s.surance 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,--a.s.sumed, indeed, but sufficiently well a.s.sumed to induce her to believe in it."

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

My G.o.dmother, 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 G.o.dmother 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 a.s.sure 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 G.o.dmother 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 G.o.ddaughter 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 munic.i.p.al 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 grat.i.tude 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 circ.u.mstance 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 G.o.dollo--"

"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 G.o.dollo, in company with others of her cla.s.s."

"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 G.o.d," said Madame Thuillier. "Felix Ph.e.l.lion is above such vile things."

"Ah ca! papa Minard, we'll keep quiet about all this; silence is the word. Will you take a cup of tea?"

"Willingly," replied Minard.

"Celeste," said the old maid, "ring for Henri, and tell him to put the large kettle on the fire."

Though the visit to the notary was not to be made till two in the afternoon, Brigitte began early in the morning of the next day what Thuillier called her _rampage_, a popular term which expresses that turbulent, nagging, irritating activity which La Fontaine has described so well in his fable of "The Old Woman and her Servants." Brigitte declared that if you didn't take time by the forelock no one would be ready. She prevented Thuillier from going to his office, insisting that if he once got off she never should see him again; she plagued Josephine, the cook, about hurrying the breakfast, and in spite of what had happened the day before she scarcely restrained herself from nagging at Madame Thuillier, who did not enter, as she thought she should have done, into her favorite maxim, "Better be early than late."

Presently down she went to the Collevilles' to make the same disturbance; and there she put her veto on the costume, far too elegant, which Flavie meditated wearing, and told Celeste the hat and gown she wished her to appear in. As for Colleville, who could not, he declared, stay away all the morning from his official duties, she compelled him to put on his dress-suit before he went out, made him set his watch by hers, and warned him that if he was late no one would wait for him.

The amusing part of it was that Brigitte herself, after driving every one at the point of the bayonet, came very near being late herself.