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it be done; in Paris especially; where costs of living had trebled;
the apartment of a magistrate; for instance; costing three thousand
francs a year?

〃My father;〃 he said in conclusion; 〃allows me three thousand francs a
year; and that; with my salary; barely allows me to maintain my rank。〃

When the young substitute rode boldly into this bog…hole; the
Provencal; who had slyly enticed him there; exchanged; without being
observed; a wink with Dutocq; who was just then waiting for the place
of a player at bouillotte。

〃There is such a demand for offices;〃 remarked the latter; 〃that they
talk of creating two justices of the peace to each arrondissement in
order to make a dozen new clerkships。 As if they could interfere with
our rights and our salaries; which already require an exhorbitant
tax!〃

〃I have not yet had the pleasure of hearing you at the Palais;〃 said
Vinet to Monsieur de la Peyrade。

〃I am advocate for the poor; and I plead only before the justice of
peace;〃 replied la Peyrade。

Mademoiselle Thuillier; as she listened to young Vinet's theory of the
necessity of spending an income; assumed a distant air and manner; the
significance of which was well understood by Dutocq and the young
Provencal。 Vinet left the house in company with Minard and Julien the
advocate; so that the battle…field before the fire…place was abandoned
to la Peyrade and Dutocq。

〃The upper bourgeoisie;〃 said Dutocq to Thuillier; 〃will behave; in
future; exactly like the old aristocracy。 The nobility wanted girls
with money to manure their lands; and the parvenus of to…day want the
same to feather their nests。〃

〃That's exactly what Monsieur Thuillier was saying to me this
morning;〃 remarked la Peyrade; boldly。

〃Vinet's father;〃 said Dutocq; 〃married a Demoiselle de Chargeboeuf
and has caught the opinions of the nobility; he wants a fortune at any
price; his wife spends money regally。〃

〃Oh!〃 said Thuillier; in whom the jealousy between the two classes of
the bourgeoisie was fully roused; 〃take offices away from those
fellows and they'd fall back where they came。〃

Mademoiselle was knitting with such precipitous haste that she seemed
to be propelled by a steam…engine。

〃Take my place; Monsieur Dutocq;〃 said Madame Minard; rising。 〃My feet
are cold;〃 she added; going to the fire; where the golden ornaments of
her turban made fireworks in the light of the Saint…Aurora wax…candles
that were struggling vainly to light the vast salon。

〃He is very small fry; that young substitute;〃 said Madame Minard;
glancing at Mademoiselle Thuillier。

〃Small fry!〃 cried la Peyrade。 〃Ah; madame! how witty!〃

〃But madame has so long accustomed us to that sort of thing;〃 said the
handsome Thuillier。

Madame Colleville was examining la Peyrade and comparing him with
young Phellion; who was just then talking to Celeste; neither of them
paying any heed to what was going on around them。 This is; certainly;
the right moment to depict the singular personage who was destined to
play a signal part in the Thuillier household; and who fully deserves
the appellation of a great artist。



CHAPTER V

A PRINCIPAL PERSONAGE

There exists in Provence; especially about Avignon; a race of men with
blond or chestnut hair; fair skin; and eyes that are almost tender;
their pupils calm; feeble; or languishing; rather than keen; ardent;
or profound; as they usually are in the eyes of Southerners。 Let us
remark; in passing; that among Corsicans; a race subject to fits of
anger and dangerous irascibility; we often meet with fair skins and
physical natures of the same apparent tranquillity。 These pale men;
rather stout; with somewhat dim and hazy eyes either green or blue;
are the worst species of humanity in Provence; and Charles…Marie…
Theodose de la Peyrade presents a fine type of that race; the
constitution of which deserves careful examination on the part of
medical science and philosophical physiology。 There rises; at times;
within such men; a species of bile;a bitter gall; which flies to
their head and makes them capable of ferocious actions; done;
apparently; in cold blood。 Being the result of an inward intoxication;
this sort of dumb violence seems to be irreconcilable with their
quasi…lymphatic outward man; and the tranquillity of their benignant
glance。

Born in the neighborhood of Avignon; the young Provencal whose name we
have just mentioned was of middle height; well…proportioned; and
rather stout; the tone of his skin had no brilliancy; it was neither
livid nor dead…white; nor colored; but gelatinous;that word can
alone give a true idea of the flabby; hueless envelope; beneath which
were concealed nerves that were less vigorous than capable of enormous
resistance at certain given moments。 His eyes; of a pale cold blue;
expressed in their ordinary condition a species of deceptive sadness;
which must have had great charms for women。 The forehead; finely cut;
was not without dignity; and it harmonized well with the soft; light
chestnut hair curling naturally; but slightly; at its tips。 The nose;
precisely like that of a hunting dog; flat and furrowed at the tip;
inquisitive; intelligent; searching; always on the scent; instead of
expressing good…humor; was ironical and mocking; but this particular
aspect of his nature never showed itself openly; the young man must
have ceased to watch himself; he must have flown into fury before the
power came to him to flash out the sarcasm and the wit which
embittered; tenfold; his infernal humor。 The mouth; the curving lines
and pomegranate…colored lips of which were very pleasing; seemed the
admirable instrument of an organ that was almost sweet in its middle
tones; where its owner usually kept it; but which; in its higher key;
vibrated on the ear like the sound of a gong。 This falsetto was the
voice of his nerves and his anger。 His face; kept expressionless by an
inward command; was oval in form。 His manners; in harmony with the
sacerdotal calmness of the face; were reserved and conventional; but
he had supple; pliant ways which; though they never descended to
wheedling; were not lacking in seduction; although as soon as his back
was turned their charm seemed inexplicable。 Charm; when it takes its
rise in the heart; leaves deep and lasting traces; that which is
merely a product of art; or of eloquence; has only a passing power; it
produces its immediate effect; and that is all。 But how many
philosophers are there in life who are able to distinguish the
difference? Almost always the trick is played (to use a popular
expression) before the ordinary run of men have perceived its methods。

Everything about this young man of twenty…seven was in harmony with
his character; he obeyed his vocation by cultivating philanthropy;
the only expression which explains the philanthropist。 Theodose loved
the People; for he limited his love for humanity。 Like the
horticulturist who devotes himself to roses; or dahlias; or heart's…
ease; or geraniums; and pays no attention to the plants his fancy has
not selected; so this young La Rochefoucault…Liancourt gave himself to
the workingmen; the proletariat and the paupers of the faubourgs
Saint…Jacques and Saint…Marceau。 The strong man; the man of genius at
bay; the worthy poor of the bourgeois class; he cut them off from the
bosom of his charity。 The heart of all persons with a mania is like
those boxes with compartments; in which sugarplums are kept in sorts:
〃suum cuique tribuere〃 is their motto; they measure to each duty its
dose。 There are some philanthropists who pity nothing but the man
condemned to death。 Vanity is certainly the basis of philanthropy; but
in the case of this Provencal it was calculation; a predetermined
course; a 〃liberal〃 and democratic hypocrisy; played with a perfection
that no other actor will ever attain。

Theodose did not attack the rich; he contented himself with not
understanding them; he endured them; every one; in his opinion; ought
to enjoy the fruits of his labor。 He had been; he said; a fervent
disciple of Saint…Simon; but that mistake must be attributed to his
youth: modern society could have no other basis than heredity。 An
ardent Catholic; like all men from the Comtat; he went to the earliest
morning masses; and thus concealed his piety。 Like other
philanthropists; he practised a sordid economy; and gave to the poor
his time; his legal advice; his eloquence; and such money as he
extracted for them from the rich。 His clothes; always of black cloth;
were worn until the seams became white。 Nature had done a great deal
for Theodose in not giving him that fine manly Southern beauty which
creates in others an imaginary expectation; to which it is more than
difficult for a man to respond。 As it was; he could be what suited him
at the moment;an agreeable man or a very ordinary one。 Never; since
his admission to the Thuilliers'; had he ventured; till this evening;
to raise his voice and speak as dogmatically as he had risked doing to
Olivier Vinet; but perhaps Theodose de la Peyrade was not sorry to
seize the opportunity to come out from the shade in which he had
hitherto kept himself。 Besides; it was necessary to get rid of the
you

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