“Butawifechangeseverything。Awifemeansaproperlyfurnishedhouse,“continuedthelawyer;“shewantsthecarriageforherself;ifshegoestotheplay,shewantsabox,whilethebachelorhasonlyastalltopayfor;inshort,awiferepresentsthewholeoftheincomewhichthebachelorusedtospendonhimself。Supposethathusbandandwifehavethirtythousandfrancsayearbetweenthem——practically,thesometimebachelorisapoordevilwhothinkstwicebeforehedrivesouttoChantilly。Bringchildrenonthescene——heispinchedformoneyatonce。
“Now,asM。andMme。deMarvillearescarcelyturnedfifty,Cecile'sexpectationsarebillsthatwillnotfalldueforfifteenortwentyyearstocome;andnoyoungfellowcarestokeepthemsolonginhisportfolio。TheyoungfeatherheadswhoaredancingthepolkawithlorettesattheJardinMabille,aresocankeredwithself-interest,thattheydon'tstandinneedofustoexplainbothsidesoftheproblemtothem。Betweenourselves,ImaysaythatMlle。deMarvillescarcelysetsheartsthrobbingsofastbutthattheirownerscanperfectlykeeptheirheads,andtheyarefulloftheseanti-
matrimonialreflections。Ifanyeligibleyoungman,infullpossessionofhissensesandanincomeoftwentythousandfrancs,happenstobesketchingoutaprogrammeofmarriagethatwillsatisfyhisambitions,Mlle。deMarvilledoesnotaltogetheranswerthedescription——“
“Andwhynot？”askedthebewilderedmusician。
“Oh!——“saidthenotary,“well——ayoungmannowadaysmaybeasuglyasyouandI,mydearPons,butheisalmostsuretohavetheimpertinencetowantsixhundredthousandfrancs,agirlofgoodfamily,withwitandgoodlooksandgoodbreeding——flawlessperfectioninshort。“
“Thenitwillnotbeeasytomarryher？”
“ShewillnotbemarriedsolongasM。andMme。deMarvillecannotmakeuptheirmindstosettleMarvilleonherwhenshemarries;iftheyhadchosen,shemighthavebeentheVicomtessePopinotbynow。
ButherecomesM。Brunner——Weareabouttoreadthedeedofpartnershipandthemarriagecontract。“
Greetingsandintroductionsover,therelationsmadePonspromisetosignthecontract。Helistenedtothereadingofthedocuments,andtowardshalf-pastfivethepartywentintothedining-room。Thedinnerwasmagnificent,asacitymerchant'sdinnercanbe,whenheallowshimselfarespitefrommoney-making。GraffoftheHotelduRhinwasacquaintedwiththefirstprovisiondealersinParis;neverhadPonsnorSchmuckefaredsosumptuously。Thedisheswerearapturetothinkof!Italianpaste,delicateofflavor,unknowntothepublic;smeltsfriedasneversmeltswerefriedbefore;fishfromLakeLeman,witharealGenevesesauce,andacreamforplum-puddingwhichwouldhaveastonishedtheLondondoctorwhoissaidtohaveinventedit。Itwasnearlyteno'clockbeforetheyrosefromtable。Theamountofwine,GermanandFrench,consumedatthatdinnerwouldamazethecontemporarydandy;nobodyknowstheamountofliquorthataGermancanimbibeandyetkeepcalmandquiet;tohaveevenanideaofthequantity,youmustdineinGermanyandwatchbottlesucceedtobottle,likewaveripplingafterwavealongthesunnyshoresoftheMediterranean,anddisappearasiftheTeutonpossessedtheabsorbingpowerofspongesorseasand。Perfectharmonyprevailsmeanwhile;
thereisnoneoftheracketthattherewouldbeovertheliquorinFrance;thetalkisassoberasamoney-lender'sextemporespeech;
countenancesflush,likethefacesofthebridesinfrescoesbyCorneliusorSchnorrimperceptibly,thatistosay,andreminiscencesarepouredoutslowlywhilethesmokepuffsfromthepipes。
Abouthalf-pasttenthateveningPonsandSchmuckefoundthemselvessittingonabenchoutinthegarden,withtheex-flutebetweenthem;
theywereexplainingtheircharacters,opinions,andmisfortunes,withnoveryclearideaastowhyorhowtheyhadcometothispoint。Inthethickofapotpourriofconfidences,WilhelmspokeofhisstrongdesiretoseeFritzmarried,expressinghimselfwithvehementandvinouseloquence。
“WhatdoyousaytothisprogrammeforyourfriendBrunner？”criedPonsinconfidentialtones。“Acharmingandsensibleyoungladyoftwenty-four,belongingtoafamilyofthehighestdistinction。Thefatherholdsaveryhighpositionasajudge;therewillbeahundredthousandfrancspaiddownandamilliontocome。“
“Wait！”answeredSchwab;“IwillspeaktoFritzthisinstant。“
ThepairwatchedBrunnerandhisfriendastheywalkedroundandroundthegarden;againandagaintheypassedthebench,sometimesonespoke,sometimestheother。
Ponswasnotexactlyintoxicated;hisheadwasalittleheavy,buthisthoughts,onthecontrary,seemedallthelighter;hewatchedFritzBrunner'sfacethroughtherainbowmistoffumesofwine,andtriedtoreadauguriesfavorabletohisfamily。BeforeverylongSchwabintroducedhisfriendandpartnertoM。Pons;FritzBrunnerexpressedhisthanksforthetroublewhichPonshadbeensogoodastotake。
Intheconversationwhichfollowed,thetwooldbachelorsSchmuckeandPonsextolledtheestateofmatrimony,goingsofarastosay,withoutanymaliciousintent,“thatmarriagewastheendofman。“Teaandices,punchesandcakes,wereservedinthefuturehomeofthebetrothedcouple。Thewinehadbeguntotelluponthehonestmerchants,andthegeneralhilarityreacheditsheightwhenitwasannouncedthatSchwab'spartnerthoughtoffollowinghisexample。
Attwoo'clockthatmorning,SchmuckeandPonswalkedhomealongtheboulevards,philosophizing/apertederaison/astheywentontheharmonypervadingthearrangementsofthisourworldbelow。
Onthemorrowofthebanquet,CousinPonsbetookhimselftohisfaircousinthePresidente,overjoyed——poordearnoblesoul!——toreturngoodforevil。Surelyhehadattainedtoasublimeheight,aseveryonewillallow,forweliveinanagewhentheMontyonprizeisgiventothosewhodotheirdutybycarryingoutthepreceptsoftheGospel。
“Ah！”saidPonstohimself,asheturnedthecorneroftheRuedeChoiseul,“theywilllieunderimmenseobligationstotheirparasite。“
Anymanlessabsorbedinhiscontentment,anymanoftheworld,anydistrustfulnaturewouldhavewatchedthePresident'swifeanddaughterverynarrowlyonthisfirstreturntothehouse。Butthepoormusicianwasachild,hehadallthesimplicityofanartist,believingingoodnessashebelievedinbeauty;sohewasdelightedwhenCecileandhermothermademuchofhim。Afterallthevaudevilles,tragedies,andcomedieswhichhadbeenplayedundertheworthyman'seyesfortwelvelongyears,hecouldnotdetecttheinsincerityandgrimacesofsocialcomedy,nodoubtbecausehehadseentoomuchofit。AnyonewhogoesintosocietyinParis,andknowsthetypeofwoman,driedup,bodyandsoul,byaburningthirstforsocialposition,andafiercedesiretobethoughtvirtuous,anyonefamiliarwiththeshampietyandthedomineeringcharacterofawomanwhosewordislawinherownhouse,mayimaginethelurkinghatredsheborethishusband'scousinwhomshehadwronged。
Allthedemonstrativefriendlinessofmotheranddaughterwaslinedwithaformidablelongingforrevenge,evidentlypostponed。ForthefirsttimeinAmeliedeMarville'slifeshehadbeenputinthewrong,andthatinthesightofthehusbandoverwhomshetyrannized;andnotonlyso——shewasobligedtobeamiabletotheauthorofherdefeat!
Youcanscarcelyfindamatchforthispositionsaveinthehypocriticaldramaswhicharesometimeskeptupforyearsinthesacredcollegeofcardinals,orinchaptersofcertainreligiousorders。
Atthreeo'clock,whenthePresidentcamebackfromthelaw-courts,Ponshadscarcelymadeanendofthemarveloushistoryofhisacquaintance,M。FredericBrunner。Cecilehadgonestraighttothepoint。ShewantedtoknowhowFredericBrunnerwasdressed,howhelooked,hisheightandfigure,thecolorofhishairandeyes;andwhenshehadconjecturedadistinguishedairforFrederic,sheadmiredhisgenerosityofcharacter。
“Thinkofhisgivingfivehundredthousandfrancstohiscompanioninmisfortune!Oh!mamma,IshallhaveacarriageandaboxattheItaliens——“Cecilegrewalmostprettyasshethoughtthatallhermother'sambitionsforherwereabouttoberealized,thatthehopeswhichhadalmostleftherweretocometosomethingafterall。
AsforthePresidente,allthatshesaidwas,“Mydearlittlegirl,youmayperhapsbemarriedwithinthefortnight。“
Allmotherswithdaughtersofthree-and-twentyaddressthemas“littlegirl。“
“Still,“addedthePresident,“inanycase,wemusthavetimetomakeinquiries;neverwillIgivemydaughtertojustanybody——“
“Astoinquiries,“saidPons,“Berthierisdrawingupthedeeds。Astotheyoungmanhimself,mydearcousin,yourememberwhatyoutoldme?
Well,heisquitefortyyearsold;heisbald。Hewishestofindinfamilylifeahavenafterastorm;Ididnotdissuadehim;everymanhashistastes——“
“Onereasonthemoreforapersonalinterview,“returnedthePresident。“Iamnotgoingtogivemydaughtertoavaletudinarian。“
“Verygood,cousin,youshallseemysuitorinfivedaysifyoulike;
for,withyourviews,asingleinterviewwouldbeenough“——Cecileandhermothersignifiedtheirrapture——“Fredericisdecidedlyadistinguishedamateur;hebeggedmetoallowhimtoseemylittlecollectionathisleisure。Youhaveneverseenmypicturesandcuriosities;comeandseethem,“hecontinued,lookingathisrelatives。“Youcancomesimplyastwoladies,broughtbymyfriendSchmucke,andmakeM。Brunner'sacquaintancewithoutbetrayingyourselves。Fredericneednotintheleastknowwhoyouare。“
“Admirable！”criedthePresident。
Theattentiontheypaidtotheoncescornedparasitemaybelefttotheimagination!PoorPonsthatdaybecamethePresidente'scousin。
Thehappymotherdrownedherdislikeinfloodsofjoy;herlooks,hersmiles,herwordssenttheoldmanintoecstasiesoverthegoodthathehaddone,overthefuturethathesawbyglimpses。Washenotsuretofinddinnerssuchasyesterday'sbanquetoverthesigningofthecontract,multipliedindefinitelybythree,inthehousesofBrunner,Schwab,andGraff?Hesawbeforehimalandofplenty——a/viedecocagne/,amiraculoussuccessionof/platscouverts/,ofdelicatesurprisedishes,ofexquisitewines。
“IfCousinPonsbringsthisthrough,“saidthePresident,addressinghiswifeafterPonshaddeparted,“weoughttosettleanincomeuponhimequaltohissalaryatthetheatre。“
“Certainly,“saidthelady;andCecilewasinformedthatiftheproposedsuitorfoundfavorinhereyes,shemustundertaketoinducetheoldmusiciantoacceptamunificenceinsuchbadtaste。
NextdaythePresidentwenttoBerthier。HewasanxioustomakesureofM。FredericBrunner'sfinancialposition。Berthier,forewarnedbyMme。deMarville,hadaskedhisnewclientSchwabtocome。SchwabthebankerwasdazzledbytheprospectofsuchamatchforhisfriendeverybodyknowshowdeeplyaGermanveneratessocialdistinctions,somuchso,thatinGermanyawifetakesherhusband'sofficialtitle,andistheFrauGeneral,theFrauRath,andsoforth——Schwabthereforewasasaccommodatingasacollectorwhoimaginesthatheischeatingadealer。
“Inthefirstplace,“saidCecile'sfather,“asIshallmakeovermyestateofMarvilletomydaughter,Ishouldwishthecontracttobedrawnuponthedotalsystem。Inthatcase,M。Brunnerwouldinvestamillionfrancsinlandtoincreasetheestate,andbysettlingthelandonhiswifehewouldsecureherandhischildrenfromanyshareintheliabilitiesofthebank。“
Berthierstrokedhischin。“Heiscomingonwell,isM。lePresident,“
thoughthe。
WhenthedotalsystemhadbeenexplainedtoSchwab,heseemedmuchinclinedthatwayforhisfriend。HehadheardFritzsaythathewishedtofindsomewayofinsuringhimselfagainstanotherlapseintopoverty。
“Thereisafarmandpasturelandworthtwelvehundredthousandfrancsinthemarketatthismoment,“remarkedthePresident。
“IfwetakeupsharesintheBankofFrancetotheamountofamillionfrancs,thatwillbequiteenoughtoguaranteeouraccount,“saidSchwab。“Fritzdoesnotwanttoinvestmorethantwomillionfrancsinbusiness;hewilldoasyouwish,Iamsure,M。lePresident。“
ThePresident'swifeanddaughterwerealmostwildwithjoywhenhebroughthomethisnews。Never,surely,didsorichacaptureswimsocomplacentlyintothenetsofmatrimony。
“YouwillbeMme。BrunnerdeMarville,“saidtheparent,addressinghischild;“Iwillobtainpermissionforyourhusbandtoaddthenametohis,andafterwardshecantakeoutlettersofnaturalization。IfI
shouldbeapeerofFrancesomeday,hewillsucceedme！”
ThefivedayswerespentbyMme。deMarvilleinpreparations。OnthegreatdayshedressedCecileherself,takingasmuchpainsastheadmiraloftheBritishfleettakesoverthedressingofthepleasureyachtforHerMajestyofEnglandwhenshetakesatriptoGermany。
PonsandSchmucke,ontheirside,cleaned,swept,anddustedPons'
museumroomsandfurniturewiththeagilityofsailorscleaningdownaman-of-war。Therewasnotaspeckofdustonthecarvedwood;notaninchofbrassbutitglistened。TheglassesoverthepastelsobscurednothingoftheworkofLatour,Greuze,andLiotardillustriouspainterof/TheChocolateGirl/,miraclesofanart,alas!sofugitive。TheinimitablelustreofFlorentinebronzetookallthevaryinghuesofthelight;thepaintedglassglowedwithcolor。Everylineshoneoutbrilliantly,everyobjectthrewinitsphraseinaharmonyofmasterpiecesarrangedbytwomusicians——bothofwhomalikehadattainedtobepoets。
Withatactwhichavoidedthedifficultiesofalateappearanceonthesceneofaction,thewomenwerethefirsttoarrive;theywishedtobeontheirownground。PonsintroducedhisfriendSchmucke,whoseemedtohisfairvisitorstobeanidiot;theirheadsweresofulloftheeligiblegentlemanwiththefourmillionsoffrancs,thattheypaidbutlittleattentiontotheworthyPons'dissertationsuponmattersofwhichtheywerecompletelyignorant。
TheylookedwithindifferenteyesatPetitot'senamels,spacedovercrimsonvelvet,setinthreeframesofmarvelousworkmanship。FlowersbyVanHuysum,David,andHeim;butterfliespaintedbyAbrahamMignon;
VanEycks,undoubtedCranachsandAlbrechtDurers;theGiorgione,theSebastiandelPiombo;Backhuijzen,Hobbema,Gericault,theraritiesofpainting——noneofthesethingssomuchasarousedtheircuriosity;
theywerewaitingforthesuntoariseandshineuponthesetreasures。
Still,theyweresurprisedbythebeautyofsomeoftheEtruscantrinketsandthesolidvalueofthesnuff-boxes,andoutofpolitenesstheywentintoecstasiesoversomeFlorentinebronzeswhichtheyheldintheirhandswhenMme。CibotannouncedM。Brunner!Theydidnotturn;theytookadvantageofasuperbVenetianmirrorframedinhugemassesofcarvedebonytoscanthisphoenixofeligibleyoungmen。
Frederic,forewarnedbyWilhelm,hadmadethemostofthelittlehairthatremainedtohim。Heworeaneatpairoftrousers,asoftshadeofsomedarkcolor,asilkwaistcoatofsuperlativeeleganceandtheverynewestcut,ashirtwithopen-work,itslinenhand-wovenbyaFrieslandwoman,andablue-and-whitecravat。Hiswatchchain,liketheheadofhiscane,camefromMessrs。FlorentandChanor;andthecoat,cutbyoldGraffhimself,wasoftheveryfinestcloth。TheSuedeglovesproclaimedthemanwhohadrunthroughhismother'sfortune。Youcouldhaveseenthebanker'sneatlittlebroughamandpairofhorsesmirroredinthesurfaceofhisspecklessvarnishedboots,eveniftwopairsofsharpearshadnotalreadycaughtthesoundofwheelsoutsideintheRuedeNormandie。
Whentheprodigaloftwentyyearsisakindofchrysalisfromwhichabankeremergesattheageofforty,thesaidbankerisusuallyanobserverofhumannature;andsomuchthemoreshrewdif,asinBrunner'scase,heunderstandshowtoturnhisGermansimplicitytogoodaccount。Hehadassumedfortheoccasiontheabstractedairofamanwhoishesitatingbetweenfamilylifeandthedissipationsofbachelorhood。ThisexpressioninaFrenchifiedGermanseemedtoCeciletobeinthehighestdegreeromantic;thedescendantoftheVirlazwasasecondWertherinhereyes——whereisthegirlwhowillnotallowherselftoweavealittlenovelabouthermarriage?CecilethoughtherselfthehappiestofwomenwhenBrunner,lookingroundatthemagnificentworksofartsopatientlycollectedduringfortyyears,waxedenthusiastic,andPons,tohisnosmallsatisfaction,foundanappreciativeadmirerofhistreasuresforthefirsttimeinhislife。
“Heispoetical,“theyoungladysaidtoherself;“heseesmillionsinthethings。Apoetisamanthatcannotcountandleaveshiswifetolookafterhismoney——aneasymantomanageandamusewithtrifles。“
EverypaneinthetwowindowswasasquareofSwisspaintedglass;theleastofthemwasworthathousandfrancs;andPonspossessedsixteenoftheseunrivaledworksofartforwhichamateursseeksoeagerlynowadays。In1815thepanescouldbeboughtforsixortenfrancsapiece。Thevalueofthegloriouscollectionofpictures,flawlessgreatworks,authentic,untouchedsincetheyleftthemaster'shands,couldonlybeprovedinthefieryfurnaceofasaleroom。Notapicturebutwassetinacostlyframe;therewereframesofeverykind——
Venetians,carvedwithheavyornaments,likeEnglishplateofthepresentday;Romans,distinguishableamongtheothersforacertaindashthatartistscall/flafla/;Spanishwreathsinboldrelief;
FlemingsandGermanswithquaintfigures,tortoise-shellframesinlaidwithcopperandbrassandmother-of-pearlandivory;framesofebonyandboxwoodinthestylesofLouisTreize,LouisQuatorze,LouisQuinze,andLouisSeize——inshort,itwasauniquecollectionofthefinestmodels。Pons,luckierthantheartmuseumsofDresdenandVienna,possessedaframebythefamousBrustoloni——theMichaelAngeloofwood-carvers。
Mlle。deMarvillenaturallyaskedforexplanationsofeachnewcuriosity,andwasinitiatedintothemysteriesofartbyBrunner。Herexclamationsweresochildish,sheseemedsopleasedtohavethevalueandbeautyofthepaintings,carvings,orbronzespointedouttoher,thattheGermangraduallythawedandlookedquiteyoungagain,andbothwereledonfurtherthantheyintendedatthispurelyaccidentalfirstmeeting。
Theprivateviewlastedforthreehours。BrunnerofferedhisarmwhenCecilewentdownstairs。Astheydescendedslowlyanddiscreetly,Cecile,stilltalkingfineart,wonderedthatM。Brunnershouldadmirehercousin'sgimcrackssomuch。
“Doyoureallythinkthatthesethingsthatwehavejustseenareworthagreatdealofmoney？”
“Mademoiselle,ifyourcousinwouldsellhiscollection,Iwouldgiveeighthundredthousandfrancsforitthisevening,andIshouldnotmakeabadbargain。Thepicturesalonewouldfetchmorethanthatatapublicsale。“
“Sinceyousayso,Ibelieveit,“returnedshe;“thethingstookupsomuchofyourattentionthatitmustbeso。“
“On!mademoiselle！”protestedBrunner。“Forallanswertoyourreproach,Iwillaskyourmother'spermissiontocall,sothatImayhavethepleasureofseeingyouagain。“
“Howcleversheis,that'littlegirl'ofmine！”thoughtthePresidente,followingcloselyuponherdaughter'sheels。Aloudshesaid,“Withthegreatestpleasure,monsieur。Ihopethatyouwillcomeatdinner-timewithourCousinPons。ThePresidentwillbedelightedtomakeyouracquaintance——Thankyou,cousin。“
TheladysqueezedPons'armwithdeepmeaning;shecouldnothavesaidmoreifshehadusedtheconsecratedformula,“Letusswearaneternalfriendship。“Theglancewhichaccompaniedthat“Thankyou,cousin,“
wasacaress。
Whentheyoungladyhadbeenputintothecarriage,andthejobbedbroughamhaddisappeareddowntheRueCharlot,Brunnertalkedbric-a-
bractoPons,andPonstalkedmarriage。
“Thenyouseenoobstacle？”saidPons。
“Oh！”saidBrunner,“sheisaninsignificantlittlething,andthemotherisatrifleprim——Weshallsee。“
“Ahandsomefortuneoneofthesedays……Morethanamillion——“
“Good-byetillMonday！”interruptedthemillionaire。“Ifyoushouldcaretosellyourcollectionofpictures,Iwouldgiveyoufiveorsixhundredthousandfrancs——“
“Ah！”saidPons;hehadnoideathathewassorich。“Buttheyaremygreatpleasureinlife,andIcouldnotbringmyselftopartwiththem。Icouldonlysellmycollectiontobedeliveredaftermydeath。“
“Verywell。Weshallsee。“
“Herewehavetwoaffairsafoot！”saidPons;hewasthinkingonlyofthemarriage。
Brunnershookhandsanddroveawayinhissplendidcarriage。Ponswatcheditoutofsight。HedidnotnoticethatRemonencqwassmokinghispipeinthedoorway。
ThateveningMme。deMarvillewenttoaskadviceofherfather-in-law,andfoundthewholePopinotfamilyattheCamusots'house。Itwasonlynaturalthatamotherwhohadfailedtocaptureaneldestsonshouldbetemptedtotakeherlittlerevenge;soMme。deMarvillethrewouthintsofthesplendidmarriagethatherCecilewasabouttomake——
“WhomcanCecilebegoingtomarry？”wasthequestionuponalllips。
AndCecile'smother,withoutsuspectingthatshewasbetrayinghersecret,letfallwordsandwhisperedconfidences,afterwardssupplementedbyMme。Berthier,tillgossipcirculatinginthebourgeoisempyreanwherePonsaccomplishedhisgastronomicalevolutionstooksomethinglikethefollowingform：
“CeciledeMarvilleisengagedtobemarriedtoayoungGerman,abankerfromphilanthropicmotives,forhehasfourmillions;heislikeaheroinanovel,aperfectWerther,charmingandkind-hearted。
Hehassownhiswildoats,andheisdistractedlyinlovewithCecile;
itisacaseofloveatfirstsight;andsomuchthemorecertain,sinceCecilehadallPons'paintingsofMadonnasforrivals,“andsoforthandsoforth。
TwoorthreeofthesetcametocallonthePresidente,ostensiblytocongratulate,butreallytofindoutwhetherornotthemarveloustaleweretrue。FortheirbenefitMme。deMarvilleexecutedthefollowingadmirablevariationsonthethemeofson-in-lawwhichmothersmayconsult,aspeopleusedtorefertothe/CompleteLetterWriter/。
“Amarriageisnotanaccomplishedfact,“shetoldMme。Chiffreville,“untilyouhavebeeninthemayor'sofficeandthechurch。Wehaveonlycomeasfarasapersonalinterview;soIcountuponyourfriendshiptosaynothingofourhopes。“
“Youareveryfortunate,madame;marriagesaresodifficulttoarrangeinthesedays。“
“Whatcanonedo?Itwaschance;butmarriagesareoftenmadeinthatway。“
“Ah!well。SoyouaregoingtomarryCecile？”saidMme。Cardot。
“Yes,“saidCecile'smother,fullyunderstandingthemeaningofthe“so。““Wewereveryparticular,orCecilewouldhavebeenestablishedbeforethis。Butnowwehavefoundeverythingwewish：money,goodtemper,goodcharacter,andgoodlooks;andmysweetlittlegirlcertainlydeservesnothingless。M。Brunnerisacharmingyoungman,mostdistinguished;heisfondofluxury,heknowslife;heiswildaboutCecile,heloveshersincerely;andinspiteofhisthreeorfourmillions,Cecileisgoingtoaccepthim——Wehadnotlookedsohighforher;still,storeisnosore。“
“Itwasnotsomuchthefortuneastheaffectioninspiredbymydaughterwhichdecidedus,“thePresidentetoldMme。Lebas。“M。
Brunnerisinsuchahurrythathewantsthemarriagetotakeplacewiththeleastpossibledelay。“
“Isheaforeigner？”
“Yes,madame;butIamveryfortunate,Iconfess。No,Ishallnothaveason-in-law,butason。M。Brunner'sdelicacyhasquitewonourhearts。Noonewouldimaginehowanxioushewastomarryunderthedotalsystem。Itisagreatsecurityforfamilies。Heisgoingtoinvesttwelvehundredthousandfrancsingrazingland,whichwillbeaddedtoMarvillesomeday。“
Morevariationsfollowedonthemorrow。Forinstance——M。Brunnerwasagreatlord,doingeverythinginlordlyfashion;hedidnothaggle。IfM。deMarvillecouldobtainlettersofnaturalization,qualifyingM。
BrunnerforanofficeunderGovernmentandtheHomeSecretarysurelycouldstrainapointforM。deMarville,hisson-in-lawwouldbeapeerofFrance。NobodyknewhowmuchmoneyM。Brunnerpossessed;“hehadthefinesthorsesandthesmartestcarriagesinParis！”andsoonandsoon。
FromthepleasurewithwhichtheCamusotspublishedtheirhopes,itwasprettyclearthatthistriumphwasunexpected。
ImmediatelyaftertheinterviewinPons'museum,M。deMarville,athiswife'sinstance,beggedtheHomeSecretary,hischief,andtheattorneyforthecrowntodinewithhimontheoccasionoftheintroductionofthisphoenixofason-in-law。
Thethreegreatpersonagesacceptedtheinvitation,albeititwasgivenonshortnotice;theyallsawthepartthattheyweretoplayinthefamilypolitics,andreadilycametothefather'ssupport。InFranceweareusuallyprettyreadytoassistthemotherofmarriageabledaughterstohookaneligibleson-in-law。TheCountandCountessPopinotlikewiselenttheirpresencetocompletethesplendoroftheoccasion,althoughtheythoughttheinvitationinquestionabletaste。
Therewereeleveninall。Cecile'sgrandfather,oldCamusot,came,ofcourse,withhiswifetoafamilyreunionpurposelyarrangedtoelicitaproposalfromM。Brunner。
TheCamusotdeMarvilleshadgivenoutthattheguestoftheeveningwasoneoftherichestcapitalistsinGermany,amanoftastehewasinlovewith“thelittlegirl“,afuturerivaloftheNucingens,Kellers,duTillets,andtheirlike。
“Itisourday,“saidthePresidentewithelaboratesimplicity,whenshehadnamedherguestsonebyonefortheGermanwhomshealreadyregardedasherson-in-law。“Wehaveonlyafewintimatefriends——
first,myhusband'sfather,who,asyouknow,issuretoberaisedtothepeerage;M。leComteandMme。laComtessePopinot,whosesonwasnotthoughtrichenoughforCecile;theHomeSecretary;ourFirstPresident;ourattorneyforthecrown;ourpersonalfriends,inshort——
Weshallbeobligedtodineratherlateto-night,becausetheChamberissitting,andpeoplecannotgetawaybeforesix。“
BrunnerlookedsignificantlyatPons,andPonsrubbedhishandsasiftosay,“Ourfriends,yousee!/My/friends！”
Mme。deMarville,asaclevertactician,hadsomethingveryparticulartosaytohercousin,thatCecileandherWerthermightbelefttogetherforamoment。Cecilechatteredawayvolubly,andcontrivedthatFredericshouldcatchsightofaGermandictionary,aGermangrammar,andavolumeofGoethehiddenawayinaplacewherehewaslikelytofindthem。
“Ah!areyoulearningGerman？”askedBrunner,flushingred。
ForlayingtrapsofthiskindtheFrenchwomanhasnothermatch!
“Oh!hownaughtyyouare！”shecried;“itistoobadofyou,monsieur,toexploremyhiding-placeslikethis。IwanttoreadGoetheintheoriginal,“sheadded;“IhavebeenlearningGermanfortwoyears。“
“Thenthegrammarmustbeverydifficulttolearn,forscarcelytenpageshavebeencut——“Brunnerremarkedwithmuchcandor。
Cecile,abashed,turnedawaytohideherblushes。AGermancannotresistadisplayofthiskind;BrunnercaughtCecile'shand,madeherturn,andwatchedherconfusionunderhisgaze,afterthemanneroftheheroesofthenovelsofAugusteLafontaineofchastememory。
“Youareadorable,“saidhe。
Cecile'spetulantgesturereplied,“Soareyou——whocouldhelplikingyou？”
“Itisallright,mamma,“shewhisperedtoherparent,whocameupatthatmomentwithPons。
Thesightofafamilypartyontheseoccasionsisnottobedescribed。
Everybodywaswellsatisfiedtoseeamotherputherhandonaneligibleson-in-law。Compliments,double-barreledanddouble-charged,werepaidtoBrunnerwhopretendedtounderstandnothing;toCecile,onwhomnothingwaslost;andtothePresidente,whofishedforthem。
Ponsheardthebloodsinginginhisears,thelightofalltheblazinggas-jetsofthetheatrefootlightsseemedtobedazzlinghiseyes,whenCecile,inalowvoiceandwiththemostingeniouscircumspection,spokeofherfather'splanoftheannuityoftwelvehundredfrancs。Theoldartistpositivelydeclinedtheoffer,bringingforwardthevalueofhisfortuneinfurniture,onlynowmadeknowntohimbyBrunner。
TheHomeSecretary,theFirstPresident,theattorneyforthecrown,thePopinots,andthosewhohadotherengagements,allwent;andbeforelongnoonewasleftexceptM。Camusotsenior,andCardottheoldnotary,andhisassistantandson-in-lawBerthier。Pons,worthysoul,lookingroundandseeingnoonebutthefamily,blunderedoutaspeechofthankstothePresidentandhiswifefortheproposalwhichCecilehadjustmadetohim。Soitiswiththosewhoareguidedbytheirfeelings;theyactuponimpulse。Brunner,hearingofanannuityofferedinthisway,thoughtthatithadverymuchthelookofacommissionpaidtoPons;hemadeanIsraelite'sreturnuponhimself,hisattitudetoldofmorethancoolcalculation。
MeanwhilePonswassayingtohisastonishedrelations,“Mycollectionoritsvaluewill,inanycase,gotoyourfamily,whetherIcometotermswithourfriendBrunnerorkeepit。“TheCamusotswereamazedtohearthatPonswassorich。
Brunner,watching,sawhowalltheseignorantpeoplelookedfavorablyuponamanoncebelievedtobepoorsosoonastheyknewthathehadgreatpossessions。Hehadseen,too,alreadythatCecilewasspoiledbyherfatherandmother;heamusedhimself,therefore,byastonishingthegoodbourgeois。
“Iwastellingmademoiselle,“saidhe,“thatM。Pons'pictureswereworththatsumto/me/;butthepricesofworksofarthaverisensomuchoflate,thatnoonecantellhowmuchthecollectionmightsellforatpublicauction。Thesixtypicturesmightfetchamillionfrancs;severalthatIsawtheotherdaywereworthfiftythousandapiece。“
“Itisafinethingtobeyourheir！”remarkedoldCardot,lookingatPons。
“MyheirismyCousinCecilehere,“answeredPons,insistingontherelationship。Therewasaflutterofadmirationatthis。
“Shewillbeaveryrichheiress,“laughedoldCardot,ashetookhisdeparture。
Camusotsenior,thePresidentandhiswife,Cecile,Brunner,Berthier,andPonswerenowlefttogether;foritwasassumedthattheformaldemandforCecile'shandwasabouttobemade。NosoonerwasCardotgone,indeed,thanBrunnerbeganwithaninquirywhichauguredwell。
“IthinkIunderstood,“hesaid,turningtoMme。deMarville,“thatmademoiselleisyouronlydaughter。“
“Certainly,“theladysaidproudly。
“Nobodywillmakeanydifficulties,“Pons,goodsoul,putinbywayofencouragingBrunnertobringouthisproposal。
ButBrunnergrewthoughtful,andanominoussilencebroughtonacoolnessofthestrangestkind。ThePresidentemighthaveadmittedthather“littlegirl“wassubjecttoepilepticfits。ThePresident,thinkingthatCecileoughtnottobepresent,signedtohertogo。Shewent。StillBrunnersaidnothing。Theyallbegantolookatoneanother。Thesituationwasgrowingawkward。
Camusotsenior,amanofexperience,tooktheGermantoMme。deMarville'sroom,ostensiblytoshowhimPons'fan。Hesawthatsomedifficultyhadarisen,andsignedtotheresttoleavehimalonewithCecile'ssuitor-designate。
“Hereisthemasterpiece,“saidCamusot,openingoutthefan。
Brunnertookitinhishandandlookedatit。“Itisworthfivethousandfrancs,“hesaidafteramoment。
“Didyounotcomehere,sir,toaskformygranddaughter？”inquiredthefuturepeerofFrance。
“Yes,sir,“saidBrunner;“andIbegyoutobelievethatnopossiblemarriagecouldbemoreflatteringtomyvanity。Ishallneverfindanyonemorecharmingnormoreamiable,norayoungladywhoanswerstomyideaslikeMlle。Cecile;but——“
“Oh,no/buts/！”oldCamusotbrokein;“orletushavethetranslationofyour'buts'atonce,mydearsir。“
“Iamveryglad,sir,thatthematterhasgonenofurtheroneitherside,“Brunneransweredgravely。“IhadnoideathatMlle。Cecilewasanonlydaughter。Anybodyelsewouldconsiderthisanadvantage;buttome,believeme,itisaninsurmountableobstacleto——“
“What,sir！”criedCamusot,amazedbeyondmeasure。“Doyoufindapositivedrawbackinanimmenseadvantage?Yourconductisreallyextraordinary;Ishouldverymuchliketoheartheexplanationofit。“
“Icameherethisevening,sir,“returnedtheGermanphlegmatically,“intendingtoaskM。lePresidentforhisdaughter'shand。ItwasmydesiretogiveMlle。Cecileabrilliantfuturebyofferinghersomuchofmyfortuneasshewouldconsenttoaccept。Butanonlydaughterisachildwhosewillislawtoindulgentparents,whohasneverbeencontradicted。Ihavehadtheopportunityofobservingthisinmanyfamilies,whereparentsworshipdivinitiesofthiskind。Andyourgranddaughterisnotonlytheidolofthehouse,butMme。laPresidente……youknowwhatImean。Ihaveseenmyfather'shouseturnedintoahell,sir,fromthisverycause。Mystepmother,thesourceofallmymisfortunes,anonlydaughter,idolizedbyherparents,themostcharmingbetrothedimaginable,aftermarriagebecameafiendincarnate。IdonotdoubtthatMlle。Cecileisanexceptiontotherule;butIamnotayoungman,Iamfortyyearsold,andthedifferencebetweenouragesentailsdifficultieswhichwouldputitoutofmypowertomaketheyoungladyhappy,whenMme。laPresidentealwayscarriedoutherdaughter'severywishandlistenedtoherasifMademoisellewasanoracle。WhatrighthaveItoexpectMlle。Ceciletochangeherhabitsandideas?Insteadofafatherandmotherwhoindulgehereverywhim,shewouldfindanegotisticmanofforty;ifsheshouldresist,themanoffortywouldhavetheworstofit。So,asanhonestman——Iwithdraw。Ifthereshouldbeanyneedtoexplainmyvisithere,Idesiretobeentirelysacrificed——“
“Iftheseareyourmotives,sir,“saidthefuturepeerofFrance,“howeversingulartheymaybe,theyareplausible——“
“Donotcallmysincerityinquestion,sir,“Brunnerinterruptedquickly。“Ifyouknowofapennilessgirl,oneofalargefamily,wellbroughtupbutwithoutfortune,ashappensveryofteninFrance;andifhercharacteroffersmesecurity,Iwillmarryher。“
Apausefollowed;FredericBrunnerleftCecile'sgrandfatherandpolitelytookleaveofhishostandhostess。Whenhewasgone,Cecileappeared,alivingcommentaryuponherWerther'sleave-taking;shewasghastlypale。Shehadhiddeninhermother'swardrobeandoverheardthewholeconversation。
“Refused!……“shesaidinalowvoiceforhermother'sear。
“Andwhy？”askedthePresidente,fixinghereyesuponherembarrassedfather-in-law。
“Uponthefinepretextthatanonlydaughterisaspoiltchild,“
repliedthatgentleman。“Andheisnotaltogetherwrongthere,“headded,seizinganopportunityofputtingtheblameonthedaughter-in-
law,whohadworriedhimnotalittlefortwentyyears。
“Itwillkillmychild！”criedthePresidente,“anditisyourdoing！”
sheexclaimed,addressingPons,asshesupportedherfaintingdaughter,forCecilethoughtwelltomakegoodhermother'swordsbysinkingintoherarms。ThePresidentandhiswifecarriedCeciletoaneasy-chair,wheresheswoonedoutright。Thegrandfatherrangfortheservants。
“Itisaplotofhisweaving;Iseeitallnow,“saidtheinfuriatedmother。
Ponssprangupasifthetrumpofdoomweresoundinginhisears。
“Yes！”saidthelady,hereyesliketwospringsofgreenbile,“thisgentlemanwishedtorepayaharmlessjokebyaninsult。WhowillbelievethatthatGermanwasrightinhismind?Heiseitheranaccompliceinawickedschemeofrevenge,orheiscrazy。Ihope,M。
Pons,thatinfutureyouwillspareustheannoyanceofseeingyouinthehousewhereyouhavetriedtobringshameanddishonor。“
Ponsstoodlikeastatue,withhiseyesfixedonthepatternofthecarpet。
“Well!Areyoustillhere,monsterofingratitude？”criedshe,turningroundonPons,whowastwirlinghisthumbs——“YourmasterandIareneverathome,remember,ifthisgentlemancalls,“shecontinued,turningtotheservants——“Jean,goforthedoctor;andbringhartshorn,Madeleine。“
InthePresidente'seyes,thereasongivenbyBrunnerwassimplyanexcuse,therewassomethingelsebehind;but,atthesametime,thefactthatthemarriagewasbrokenoffwasonlythemorecertain。A
woman'smindworksswiftlyingreatcrises,andMme。deMarvillehadhitatonceupontheonemethodofrepairingthecheck。Shechosetolookuponitasaschemeofrevenge。ThisnotionofascribingafiendishschemetoPonssatisfiedfamilyhonor。Faithfultoherdislikeofthecousin,shetreatedafemininesuspicionasafact。
Women,generallyspeaking,holdacreedpeculiartothemselves,acodeoftheirown;tothemanythingwhichservestheirinterestsortheirpassionsistrue。ThePresidentewentagooddealfurther。InthecourseoftheeveningshetalkedthePresidentintoherbelief,andnextmorningfoundthemagistrateconvincedofhiscousin'sculpability。
Everyone,nodoubt,willcondemnthelady'shorribleconduct;butwhatmotherinMme。Camusot'spositionwillnotdothesame?Putthechoicebetweenherowndaughterandanalien,shewillprefertosacrificethehonorofthelatter。Therearemanywaysofdoingthis,buttheendinviewisthesame。
Theoldmusicianfleddownthestaircaseinhaste;buthewentslowlyalongtheboulevardstohistheatre,heturnedinmechanicallyatthedoor,andmechanicallyhetookhisplaceandconductedtheorchestra。
IntheintervalhegavesuchrandomanswerstoSchmucke'squestions,thathisoldfrienddissembledhisfearthatPons'mindhadgivenway。
Tosochildlikeanature,therecentscenetooktheproportionsofacatastrophe。Hehadmeanttomakeeveryonehappy,andhehadarousedaterribleslumberingfeelingofhate;everythinghadbeenturnedtopsy-turvy。HehadatlastseenmortalhateinthePresidente'seyes,tones,andgesture。
Onthemorrow,Mme。CamusotdeMarvillemadeagreatresolution;thePresidentlikewisesanctionedthestepnowforceduponthembycircumstances。ItwasdeterminedthattheestateofMarvilleshouldbesettleduponCecileatthetimeofhermarriage,aswellasthehouseintheRuedeHanovreandahundredthousandfrancs。Inthecourseofthemorning,thePresidentewenttocallupontheComtessePopinot;
forshesawplainlythatnothingbutasettledmarriagecouldenablethemtorecoveraftersuchacheck。TotheComtessePopinotshetoldtheshockingstoryofPons'revenge,Pons'hideoushoax。ItallseemedprobableenoughwhenitcameoutthatthemarriagehadbeenbrokenoffsimplyonthepretextthatCecilewasanonlydaughter。ThePresidentenextdweltartfullyupontheadvantageofadding“deMarville“tothenameofPopinot;andtheimmensedowry。AtthepresentpricefetchedbylandinNormandy,attwopercent,thepropertyrepresentedninehundredthousandfrancs,andthehouseintheRuedeHanovreabouttwohundredandfiftythousand。Noreasonablefamilycouldrefusesuchanalliance。TheComteandComtessePopinotaccepted;andastheywerenowtouchedbythehonorofthefamilywhichtheywereabouttoenter,theypromisedtohelpexplainawayyesterdayevening'smishap。
AndnowinthehouseoftheelderCamusot,beforetheverypersonswhohadheardMme。deMarvillesingingFredericBrunner'spraisesbutafewdaysago,thatlady,towhomnobodyventuredtospeakonthetopic,plungedcourageouslyintoexplanations。
“Really,nowadays“shesaid,“onecouldnotbetoocarefulifamarriagewasinquestion,especiallyifonehadtodowithforeigners。“
“Andwhy,madame？”
“Whathashappenedtoyou？”askedMme。Chiffreville。
“DoyounotknowaboutouradventurewiththatBrunner,whohadtheaudacitytoaspiretomarryCecile?HisfatherwasaGermanthatkeptawine-shop,andhisuncleisadealerinrabbit-skins！”
“Isitpossible?Soclear-sightedasyouare!……“murmuredalady。
“Theseadventurersaresocunning。ButwefoundouteverythingthroughBerthier。Hisfriendisabeggarthatplaystheflute。HeisfriendlywithapersonwholetsfurnishedlodgingsintheRueduMailandsometailororother……Wefoundoutthathehadledamostdisreputablelife,andnoamountoffortunewouldbeenoughforascampthathasrunthroughhismother'sproperty。“
“Why,Mlle。deMarvillewouldhavebeenwretched！”saidMme。Berthier。
“Howdidhecometoyourhouse？”askedoldMme。Lebas。
“ItwasM。Pons。Outofrevenge,heintroducedthisfinegentlemantous,tomakeusridiculous……ThisBrunneritisthesamenameasFontaineinFrench——thisBrunner,thatwasmadeouttobesuchagrandee,haspoorenoughhealth,heisbald,andhisteetharebad。
Thefirstsightofhimwasenoughforme;Idistrustedhimfromthefirst。“
“Buthowaboutthegreatfortunethatyouspokeof？”ayoungmarriedwomanaskedshyly。
“Thefortunewasnotnearlysolargeastheysaid。Thesetailorsandthelandlordandheallscrapedthemoneytogetheramongthem,andputalltheirsavingsintothisbankthattheyarestarting。Whatisabankforthosethatbegininthesedays?Simplyalicensetoruinthemselves。Abanker'swifemayliedownatnightamillionaireandwakeupinthemorningwithnothingbuthersettlement。Atfirstword,attheveryfirstsightofhim,wemadeupourmindsaboutthisgentleman——heisnotoneofus。Youcantellbyhisgloves,byhiswaistcoat,thatheisaworkingman,thesonofamanthatkeptapot-
housesomewhereinGermany;hehasnottheinstinctsofagentleman;
hedrinksbeer,andhesmokes——smokes?ah!madame,/twenty-fivepipesaday!/……WhatwouldhavebecomeofpoorLili?……Itmakesmeshudderevennowtothinkofit。Godhasindeedpreservedus!Andbesides,Cecileneverlikedhim……Whowouldhaveexpectedsuchatrickfromarelative,anoldfriendofthehousethathaddinedwithustwiceaweekfortwentyyears?Wehaveloadedhimwithbenefits,andheplayedhisgamesowell,thathesaidCecilewashisheirbeforetheKeeperoftheSealsandtheAttorneyGeneralandtheHomeSecretary!……ThatBrunnerandM。Ponshadtheirstoryready,andeachofthemsaidthattheotherwasworthmillions!……No,Idoassureyou,allofyouwouldhavebeentakeninbyanartist'shoaxlikethat。“
Inafewweeks'time,theunitedforcesoftheCamusotandPopinotfamiliesgainedaneasyvictoryintheworld,fornobodyundertooktodefendtheunfortunatePons,thatparasite,thatcurmudgeon,thatskinflint,thatsmooth-facedhumbug,onwhomeverybodyheapedscorn;
hewasavipercherishedinthebosomofthefamily,hehadnothismatchforspite,hewasadangerousmountebankwhomnobodyoughttomention。
AboutamonthaftertheperfidiousWerther'swithdrawal,poorPonslefthisbedforthefirsttimeafteranattackofnervousfever,andwalkedalongthesunnysideofthestreetleaningonSchmucke'sarm。
NobodyintheBoulevardduTemplelaughedatthe“pairofnutcrackers,“foroneoftheoldmenlookedsoshattered,andtheothersotouchinglycarefulofhisinvalidfriend。BythetimethattheyreachedtheBoulevardPoissonniere,alittlecolorcamebacktoPons'face;hewasbreathingtheairoftheboulevards,hefeltthevitalizingpoweroftheatmosphereofthecrowdedstreet,thelife-
givingpropertyoftheairthatisnoticeableinquarterswherehumanlifeabounds;inthefilthyRomanGhetto,forinstance,withitsswarmingJewishpopulation,wheremalariaisunknown。Perhaps,too,thesightofthestreets,thegreatspectacleofParis,thedailypleasureofhislife,didtheinvalidgood。Theywalkedonsidebyside,thoughPonsnowandagainlefthisfriendtolookattheshopwindows。OppositetheTheatredesVarieteshesawCountPopinot,andwentuptohimveryrespectfully,forofallmenPonsesteemedandveneratedtheex-Minister。
ThepeerofFranceansweredhimseverely：
“Iamatalosstounderstand,sir,howyoucanhavenomoretactthantospeaktoanearconnectionofafamilywhomyoutriedtobrandwithshameandridiculebyatrickwhichnoonebutanartistcoulddevise。
Understandthis,sir,thatfromto-daywemustbecompletestrangerstoeachother。Mme。laComtessePopinot,likeeveryoneelse,feelsindignantatyourbehaviortotheMarvilles。“
AndCountPopinotpassedon,leavingPonsthunderstruck。Passion,justice,policy,andgreatsocialforcesnevertakeintoaccounttheconditionofthehumancreaturewhomtheystrikedown。Thestatesman,drivenbyfamilyconsiderationstocrushPons,didnotsomuchasseethephysicalweaknessofhisredoubtableenemy。
“Vatisit,mineboorfriend？”exclaimedSchmucke,seeinghowwhitePonshadgrown。
“Itisafreshstabintheheart,“Ponsreplied,leaningheavilyonSchmucke'sarm。“Ithinkthatnoone,saveGodinheaven,canhaveanyrighttodogood,andthatiswhyallthosewhomeddleinHisworkaresocruellypunished。“
Theoldartist'ssarcasmwasutteredwithasupremeeffort;hewastrying,excellentcreature,toquietthedismayvisibleinSchmucke'sface。
“SoIdink,“Schmuckerepliedsimply。
Ponscouldnotunderstandit。NeithertheCamusotsnorthePopinotshadsenthimnoticeofCecile'swedding。
OntheBoulevarddesItaliensPonssawM。Cardotcomingtowardsthem。
WarnedbyCountPopinot'sallocution,Ponswasverycarefulnottoaccosttheoldacquaintancewithwhomhehaddinedonceafortnightforthelastyear;heliftedhishat,buttheother,mayoranddeputyofParis,threwhimanindignantglanceandwentby。PonsturnedtoSchmucke。
“Dogoandaskhimwhatitisthattheyallhaveagainstme,“hesaidtothefriendwhoknewallthedetailsofthecatastrophethatPonscouldtellhim。
“Mennseir,“Schmuckebegandiplomatically,“minefriendBonsischustrecoferingfromanillness;youhafnodoubtfailtorekognizehim？”
“Notintheleast。“
“Butmitvatkannyourebroachhim？”
“Youhaveamonsterofingratitudeforafriend,sir;ifheisstillalive,itisbecausenothingkillsillweeds。Peopledowelltomistrustartists;theyareasmischievousandspitefulasmonkeys。
Thisfriendofyourstriedtodishonorhisownfamily,andtoblightayounggirl'scharacter,inrevengeforaharmlessjoke。Iwishtohavenothingtodowithhim;IshalldomybesttoforgetthatIhaveknownhim,orthatsuchamanexists。Allthemembersofhisfamilyandmyownsharethewish,sir,sodoallthepersonswhooncedidthesaidPonsthehonorofreceivinghim。“
“Boot,mennseir,youareareasonaplemann;gifyouvillbermitme,I
shallexblaindieaffair——“
“Youarequiteatlibertytoremainhisfriend,sir,ifyouaremindedthatway,“returnedCardot,“butyouneedgonofurther;forImustgiveyouwarningthatinmyopinionthosewhotrytoexcuseordefendhisconductarejustasmuchtoblame。“
“Tochustifyit？”
“Yes,forhisconductcanneitherbejustifiednorqualified。“Andwiththatword,thedeputyfortheSeinewenthisway;hewouldnothearanothersyllable。
“IhavetwopowersintheStateagainstme,“smiledpoorPons,whenSchmuckehadrepeatedthesesavagespeeches。
“Eferpodyisagainstus,“Schmuckeanswereddolorously。“Letusgoavaypeforeweshallmeedoderfools。“
NeverbeforeinthecourseofatrulyovinelifehadSchmuckeutteredsuchwordsasthese。Neverbeforehadhisalmostdivinemeeknessbeenruffled。Hehadsmiledchildlikeonallthemischancesthatbefellhim,buthecouldnotlookandseehissublimePonsmaltreated;hisPons,hisunknownAristides,thegeniusresignedtohislot,thenaturethatknewnobitterness,thetreasuryofkindness,theheartofgold!……Alceste'sindignationfilledSchmucke'ssoul——hewasmovedtocallPons'amphitryons“fools。“ForhispacificnaturethatimpulseequaledthewrathofRoland。
Withwiseforesight,SchmucketurnedtogohomebythewayoftheBoulevardduTemple,Ponspassivelysubmittinglikeafallenfighter,heedlessofblows;butchanceorderedthatheshouldknowthatallhisworldwasagainsthim。TheHouseofPeers,theChamberofDeputies,strangersandthefamily,thestrong,theweak,andtheinnocent,allcombinedtosenddowntheavalanche。
IntheBoulevardPoissonniere,PonscaughtsightofthatveryM。
Cardot'sdaughter,who,youngasshewas,hadlearnedtobecharitabletoothersthroughtroubleofherown。Herhusbandknewasecretbywhichhekeptherinbondage。ShewastheonlyoneamongPons'
hostesseswhomhecalledbyherChristianname;headdressedMme。
Berthieras“Felicie,“andhethoughtthatsheunderstoodhim。ThegentlecreatureseemedtobedistressedbythesightofCousinPons,ashewascalledthoughhewasinnowayrelatedtothefamilyofthesecondwifeofacousinbymarriage。Therewasnohelpforit,however;FelicieBerthierstoppedtospeaktotheinvalid。
“Ididnotthinkyouwerecruel,cousin,“shesaid;“butifevenaquarterofallthatIhearofyouistrue,youareveryfalse……
Oh!donotjustifyyourself,“sheaddedquickly,seeingPons'
significantgesture,“itisuseless,fortworeasons。Inthefirstplace,Ihavenorighttoaccuseorjudgeorcondemnanybody,forI
myselfknowsowellhowmuchmaybesaidforthosewhoseemtobemostguilty;secondly,yourexplanationwoulddonogood。M。BerthierdrewupthemarriagecontractforMlle。deMarvilleandtheVicomtePopinot;heissoexasperated,thatifheknewthatIhadsomuchasspokenonewordtoyou,onewordforthelasttime,hewouldscoldme。
Everybodyisagainstyou。“
“Soitseemsindeed,madame,“Ponssaid,hisvoiceshakingasheliftedhishatrespectfully。
PainfullyhemadehiswaybacktotheRuedeNormandie。TheoldGermanknewfromtheheavyweightonhisarmthathisfriendwasstrugglingbravelyagainstfailingphysicalstrength。ThatthirdencounterwasliketheverdictoftheLambatthefootofthethroneofGod;andtheangeroftheAngelofthePoor,thesymbolofthePeoples,isthelastwordofHeaven。Theyreachedhomewithoutanotherword。
Therearemomentsinourliveswhenthesensethatourfriendisnearisallthatwecanbear。Ourwoundssmartundertheconsolingwordsthatonlyrevealthedepthsofpain。Theoldpianist,yousee,possessedageniusforfriendship,thetactofthosewho,havingsufferedmuch,knewthecustomsofsuffering。
Ponswasnevertotakeawalkagain。Fromoneillnesshefellintoanother。Hewasofasanguine-bilioustemperament,thebilepassedintohisblood,andaviolentliverattackwastheresult。Hehadneverknownaday'sillnessinhislifetillamonthago;hehadneverconsultedadoctor;soLaCibot,withalmostmotherlycareandintentionsatfirstoftheverybest,calledin“thedoctorofthequarter。“
IneveryquarterofParisthereisadoctorwhosenameandaddressareonlyknowntotheworkingclasses,tothelittletradespeopleandtheporters,andinconsequenceheiscalled“thedoctorofthequarter。“
Heundertakesconfinementcases,heletsblood,heisinthemedicalprofessionprettymuchwhatthe“generalservant“oftheadvertisingcolumnisinthescaleofdomesticservice。Hemustperforcebekindtothepoor,andtolerablyexpertbyreasonofmuchpractice,andheisgenerallypopular。Dr。Poulain,calledinbyMme。Cibot,gaveaninattentiveeartotheoldmusician'scomplainings。Ponsgroanedoutthathisskinitched;hehadscratchedhimselfallnightlong,tillhecouldscarcelyfeel。Thelookofhiseyes,withtheyellowcirclesaboutthem,corroboratedthesymptoms。
“Hadyousomeviolentshockacoupleofdaysago？”thedoctoraskedthepatient。
“Yes,alas！”
“Youhavethesamecomplaintthatthisgentlemanwasthreatenedwith,“
saidDr。Poulain,lookingatSchmuckeashespoke;“itisanattackofjaundice,butyouwillsoongetoverit,“headded,ashewroteaprescription。
Butinspiteofthatcomfortablephrase,thedoctor'seyeshadtoldanothertaleashelookedprofessionallyatthepatient;andthedeath-sentence,thoughhiddenunderstereotypedcompassion,canalwaysbereadbythosewhowishtoknowthetruth。Mme。Cibotgaveaspy'sglanceatthedoctor,andreadhisthought;hisbedsidemannerdidnotdeceiveher;shefollowedhimoutoftheroom。
“Doyouthinkhewillgetoverit？”askedMme。Cibot,atthestairhead。
“MydearMme。Cibot,yourlodgerisadeadman;notbecauseofthebileinthesystem,butbecausehisvitalityislow。Still,withgreatcare,yourpatientmaypullthrough。Somebodyoughttotakehimawayforachange——“
“Howishetogo？”askedMme。Cibot。“Hehasnothingtoliveuponbuthissalary;hisfriendhasjustalittlemoneyfromsomegreatladies,verycharitableladies,inreturnforhisservices,itseems。Theyaretwochildren。Ihavelookedafterthemfornineyears。“
“Ispendmylifewatchingpeopledie,notoftheirdisease,butofanotherbadandincurablecomplaint——thewantofmoney,“saidthedoctor。“Howoftenithappensthatsofarfromtakingafee,Iamobligedtoleaveafive-francpieceonthemantel-shelfwhenIgo——“
“Poor,dearM。Poulain！”criedMme。Cibot。“Ah,ifyouhadn'tonlythehundredthousandlivresayear,whatsomestingyfolkshasinthequarterregulardevilsfromhelltheyare,youwouldbelikeProvidenceonearth。“
Dr。Poulainhadmadethelittlepractice,bywhichhemadeabaresubsistence,chieflybywinningtheesteemoftheporters'lodgesinhisdistrict。SoheraisedhiseyestoheavenandthankedMme。CibotwithasolemnfaceworthyofTartuffe。
“Thenyouthinkthatwithcarefulnursingourdearpatientwillgetbetter,mydearM。Poulain？”
“Yes,ifthisshockhasnotbeentoomuchforhim。“
“Poorman!whocanhavevexedhim?Thereisn'tnobodylikehimonearthexcepthisfriendM。Schmucke。Iwillfindoutwhatisthematter,andIwillundertaketogivethemthatupsetmygentlemanahaulingoverthecoals——“
“Lookhere,mydearMme。Cibot,“saidthedoctorastheystoodinthegateway,“oneoftheprincipalsymptomsofhiscomplaintisgreatirritability;andasitishardlytobesupposedthathecanaffordanurse,thetaskofnursinghimwillfalltoyou。So——“
“AreyoutalkingofMouchieuPonsh？”askedthemarinestore-dealer。Hewassittingsmokingonthecurb-postinthegateway,andnowherosetojoinintheconversation。
“Yes,DaddyRemonencq。“
“Allright,“saidRemonencq,“ashtomoneysh,heishbetteroffthanMouchieuMonishtrolandthebigmeninthecurioshityline。Iknowenoughintheartlinetotellyouthish——thedearmanhastreasursh！”
hespokewithabroadAuvergnedialect。
“Lookhere,IthoughtyouwerelaughingatmetheotherdaywhenmygentlemenwereoutandIshowedyoutheoldrubbishupstairs,“saidMme。Cibot。
InParis,wherewallshaveears,wheredoorshavetongues,andwindowbarshaveeyes,therearefewthingsmoredangerousthanthepracticeofstandingtochatinagateway。Partingsarelikepostscriptstoaletter——indiscreetutterancesthatdoasmuchmischieftothespeakerastothosewhooverhearthem。Asingleinstancewillbesufficientasaparalleltoaneventinthishistory。
InthetimeoftheEmpire,whenmenpaidconsiderableattentiontotheirhair,oneofthefirstcoiffeursofthedaycameoutofahousewherehehadjustbeendressingaprettywoman'shead。Thisartistinquestionenjoyedthecustomofallthelowerfloorinmatesofthehouse;andamongthese,thereflourishedanelderlybachelorguardedbyahousekeeperwhodetestedhermaster'snext-of-kin。The/ci-
devant/youngman,fallingseriouslyill,themostfamousofdoctorsofthedaytheywerenotasyetstyledthe“princesofscience“hadbeencalledintoconsultuponhiscase;anditsochancedthatthelearnedgentlemenweretakingleaveofoneanotherinthegatewayjustasthehairdressercameout。Theyweretalkingasdoctorsusuallytalkamongthemselveswhenthefarceofaconsultationisover。“Heisadeadman,“quothDr。Haudry——“Hehadnotamonthtolive,“addedDesplein,“unlessamiracletakesplace。“——Thesewerethewordsoverheardbythehairdresser。
Likeallhairdressers,hekeptupagoodunderstandingwithhiscustomers'servants。Prodigiousgreedsentthemanupstairsagain;hemountedtothe/ci-devant/youngman'sapartment,andpromisedtheservant-mistressatolerablyhandsomecommissiontopersuadehermastertosinkalargeportionofhismoneyinanannuity。Thedyingbachelor,fifty-sixbycountofyears,andtwiceasoldashisagebyreasonofamorouscampaigns,owned,amongotherproperty,asplendidhouseintheRuedeRichelieu,worthatthattimeabouttwohundredandfiftythousandfrancs。Itwasthishousethatthehairdressercoveted;andonagreementtopayanannuityofthirtythousandfrancssolongasthebachelorlived,itpassedintohishands。Thishappenedin1806。Andinthisyear1846thehairdresserisstillpayingthatannuity。Hehasretiredfrombusiness,heisseventyyearsold;the/ci-devant/youngmanisinhisdotage;andashehasmarriedhisMme。
Evrard,hemaylastforalongwhileyet。Asthehairdressergavethewomanthirtythousandfrancs,hisbitofrealestatehascosthim,firstandlast,morethanamillion,andthehouseatthisdayiswortheightorninehundredthousandfrancs。
Likethehairdresser,RemonencqtheAuvergnathadoverheardBrunner'spartingremarkinthegatewayonthedayofCecile'sfirstinterviewwiththatphoenixofeligiblemen。RemonencqatoncelongedtogainasightofPons'museum;andashelivedongoodtermswithhisneighborstheCibots,itwasnotverylongbeforetheopportunitycameonedaywhenthefriendswereout。Thesightofsuchtreasuresdazzledhim;hesawa“goodhaul,“indealers'phrase,whichbeinginterpretedmeansachancetostealafortune。Hehadbeenmeditatingthisforfiveorsixdays。
“Iamshofarfromjoking,“hesaid,inreplytoMme。Cibot'sremark,“thatwewilltalkthethingover;andifthegoodshentlemanwilltakeanannuity,offiftythousandfrancsh,Iwillshtandahamperofwine,if——“
“Fiftythousandfrancs！”interruptedthedoctor;“whatareyouthinkingabout?Why,ifthegoodmanissowelloffasthat,withmeinattendance,andMme。Cibottonursehim,hemaygetbetter——forlivercomplaintisadiseasethatattacksstrongconstitutions。“
“Fifty,didIshay?Why,ashentlemanhere,onyourverydoorshtep,offeredhimshevenhundredthoushandfrancsh,shimplyforthepictursh,/fouchtra/！”
WhileRemonencqmadethisannouncement,Mme。CibotwaslookingatDr。
Poulain。Therewasastrangeexpressioninhereyes;thedevilmighthavekindledthatsinisterglitterintheirtawnydepths。
“Oh,come!wemustnotpayanyattentiontosuchidletales,“saidthedoctor,wellpleased,however,tofindthathispatientcouldaffordtopayforhisvisits。
“IfmydearMme。Cibot,here,wouldletmecomeandbringanekshpertshinshtheshentlemanupshtairsishinbed,Iwillshertainlyfindthemoneyinacoupleofhoursh,evenifshevenhundredthousandfrancshishinqueshtion——“
“Allright,myfriend,“saidthedoctor。“Now,Mme。Cibot,becarefulnevertocontradicttheinvalid。Youmustbepreparedtobeverypatientwithhim,forhewillfindeverythingirritatingandwearisome,evenyourservices;nothingwillpleasehim;youmustexpectgrumbling——“
“Hewillbeuncommonlyhardtoplease,“saidLaCibot。
“Lookhere,mindwhatItellyou,“thedoctorsaidinatoneofauthority,“M。Pons'lifeisinthehandsofthosethatnursehim;I
shallcomeperhapstwiceaday。Ishalltakehimfirstonmyround。“
Thedoctor'sprofoundindifferencetothefateofapoorpatienthadsuddenlygivenplacetoamosttendersolicitudewhenhesawthatthespeculatorwasserious,andthattherewasapossiblefortuneinquestion。
“Hewillbenursedlikeaking,“saidMadameCibot,forcingupenthusiasm。ShewaitedtillthedoctorturnedthecornerintotheRueCharlot;thenshefelltotalkingagainwiththedealerinoldiron。
Remonencqhadfinishedsmokinghispipe,andstoodinthedoorwayofhisshop,leaningagainsttheframe;hehadpurposelytakenthisposition;hemeanttheportresstocometohim。
Theshophadoncebeenacafe。NothinghadbeenchangedtheresincetheAuvergnatdiscovereditandtookoverthelease;youcouldstillread“CafedeNormandie“onthestripleftabovethewindowsinallmodernshops。Remonencqhadfoundsomebody,probablyahousepainter'sapprentice,whodidtheworkfornothing,topaintanotherinscriptionintheremainingspacebelow——“REMONENCQ,“itran,“DEALERINMARINE
STORES,FURNITUREBOUGHT“——paintedinsmallblackletters。Allthemirrors,tables,seats,shelves,andfittingsoftheCafedeNormandiehadbeensold,asmighthavebeenexpected,beforeRemonencqtookpossessionoftheshopasitstood,payingayearlyrentofsixhundredfrancsfortheplace,withabackshop,akitchen,andasingleroomabove,wherethehead-waiterusedtosleep,forthehousebelongingtotheCafedeNormandiewasletseparately。Oftheformersplendorofthecafe,nothingnowremainedsavetheplainlightgreenpaperonthewalls,andthestrongironboltsandbarsoftheshop-
front。
WhenRemonencqcamehitherin1831,aftertheRevolutionofJuly,hebeganbydisplayingaselectionofbrokendoorbells,crackedplates,oldiron,andtheobsoletescalesandweightsabolishedbyaGovernmentwhichalonefailstocarryoutitsownregulations,forpenceandhalfpenceofthetimeofLouisXVI。arestillincirculation。AfteratimethisAuvergnat,amatchforfiveordinaryAuvergnats,boughtupoldsaucepansandkettles,oldpicture-frames,oldcopper,andchippedchina。Gradually,astheshopwasemptiedandfilled,thequalityofthestock-in-tradeimproved,likeNicolet'sfarces。Remonencqpersistedinanunfailingandprodigiouslyprofitablemartingale,a“system“whichanyphilosophicalidlermaystudyashewatchestheincreasingvalueofthestockkeptbythisintelligentclassoftrader。Picture-framesandcoppersucceedtotin-ware,argandlamps,anddamagedcrockery;chinamarksthenexttransition;andafternolongtarrianceinthe“omniumgatherum“
stage,theshopbecomesamuseum。Somedayorotherthedustywindowsarecleaned,theinteriorisrestored,theAuvergnatrelinquishesvelveteenandjacketsforagreat-coat,andtherehesitslikeadragonguardinghistreasure,surroundedbymasterpieces!Heisacunningconnoisseurbythistime;hehasincreasedhiscapitaltenfold;heisnottobecheated;heknowsthetricksofthetrade。
Themonsteramonghistreasureslookslikesomeoldhagamongascoreofyounggirlsthatsheofferstothepublic。Beautyandmiraclesofartarealikeindifferenttohim;subtleanddenseasheis,hehasakeeneyetoprofits,hetalksroughlytothosewhoknowlessthanhedoes;hehaslearnedtoactapart,hepretendstolovehispictures,oragainheletsyouknowthepricehehimselfgaveforthethings,heofferstoletyouseethememorandaofthesale。HeisaProteus;inonehourhecanbeJocrisse,Janot,/Queue-rouge/,Mondor,Hapagon,orNicodeme。
Thethirdyearfoundarmor,andoldpictures,andsometolerablyfineclocksinRemonencq'sshop。Hesentforhissister,andLaRemonencqcameonfootallthewayfromAuvergnetotakechargeoftheshopwhileherbrotherwasaway。Abigandveryuglywoman,dressedlikeaJapaneseidol,ahalf-idioticcreaturewithavague,staringgazeshewouldnotbateacentimeofthepricesfixedbyherbrother。Intheintervalsofbusinessshedidtheworkofthehouse,andsolvedtheapparentlyinsolubleproblem——howtoliveon“themistsoftheSeine。“
TheRemonencqs'dietconsistedofbreadandherrings,withtheoutsideleavesoflettuceorvegetablerefuseselectedfromtheheapsdepositedinthekennelbeforethedoorsofeating-houses。Thetwobetweenthemdidnotspendmorethanfivepenceadayonfoodbreadincluded,andLaRemonencqearnedthemoneybysewingorspinning。
RemonencqcametoParisinthefirstinstancetoworkasanerrand-
boy。Betweentheyears1825and1831heranerrandsfordealersincuriositiesintheBoulevardBeaumarchaisorcoppersmithsintheRuedeLappe。Itistheusualstartinlifeinhislineofbusiness。Jews,Normans,Auvergnats,andSavoyards,thosefourdifferentracesofmenallhavethesameinstincts,andmaketheirfortunesinthesameway;
theyspendnothing,makesmallprofits,andletthemaccumulateatcompoundinterest。Suchistheirtradingcharter,and/that/charterisnodelusion。
RemonencqatthismomenthadmadeitupwithhisoldmasterMonistrol;
hedidbusinesswithwholesaledealers,hewasa/chineur/thetechnicalword,plyinghistradeinthe/banlieue/,which,aseverybodyknows,extendsforsomefortyleaguesroundParis。