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love a noble nature struggling against misfortune； Christian charity
enfolds both the strong and the weak； its treasure belongs to both。
Refined； graceful； elegant as you are； made to be an ornament of the
highest society； what man could see you without feeling an immense
compassion in his heartburied here among these odious bourgeois； who
know nothing of you； not even the aristocratic value of a single one
of your attitudes； or those enchanting inflections of your voice！ Ah！
if I were only rich！ if I had power！ your husband； who is certainly a
good fellow； should be made receiver…general； and you yourself could
get him elected deputy。 But； alas！ poor ambitious man； my first duty
is to silence my ambition。 Knowing myself at the bottom of the bag
like the last number in a family lottery； I can only offer you my arm
and not my heart。 I hope all from a good marriage； and； believe me； I
shall make my wife not only happy； but I shall make her one of the
first in the land； receiving from her the means of success。 It is so
fine a day； will you not take a turn in the Luxembourg？〃 he added； as
they reached the rue d'Enfer at the corner of Colleville's house；
opposite to which was a passage leading to the gardens by the stairway
of a little building； the last remains of the famous convent of the
Chartreux。
The soft yielding of the arm within his own； indicated a tacit consent
to this proposal； and as Flavie deserved the honor of a sort of
enthusiasm； he drew her vehemently along； exclaiming：
〃Come！ we may never have so good a momentBut see！〃 he added； 〃there
is your husband at the window looking at us； let us walk slowly。〃
〃You have nothing to fear from Monsieur Colleville；〃 said Flavie；
smiling； 〃he leaves me mistress of my own actions。〃
〃Ah！ here； indeed； is the woman I have dreamed of；〃 cried the
Provencal； with that ecstasy that inflames the soul only； and in tones
that issue only from Southern lips。 〃Pardon me； madame；〃 he said；
recovering himself； and returning from an upper sphere to the exiled
angel whom he looked at piously；〃pardon me； I abandon what I was
saying； but how can a man help feeling for the sorrows he has known
himself when he sees them the lot of a being to whom life should bring
only joy and happiness？ Your sufferings are mine； I am no more in my
right place than you are in yours； the same misfortune has made us
brother and sister。 Ah！ dear Flavie； the first day it was granted to
me to see youthe last Sunday in September； 1838you were very
beautiful； I shall often recall you to memory in that pretty little
gown of mousseline…de…laine of the color of some Scottish tartan！ That
day I said to myself： 'Why is that woman so often at the Thuilliers'；
above all； why did she ever have intimate relations with Thuillier
himself？'〃
〃Monsieur！〃 said Flavie； alarmed at the singular course la Peyrade was
giving to the conversation。
〃Eh！ I know all；〃 he cried； accompanying the words with a shrug of his
shoulders。 〃I explain it all to my own mind； and I do not respect you
less。 You now have to gather the fruits of your sin； and I will help
you。 Celeste will be very rich； and in that lies your own future。 You
can have only one son…in…law； chose him wisely。 An ambitious man might
become a minister； but you would humble your daughter and make her
miserable； and if such a man lost his place and fortune he could never
recover it。 Yes； I love you；〃 he continued。 〃I love you with an
unlimited affection； you are far above the mass of petty
considerations in which silly women entangle themselves。 Let us
understand each other。〃
Flavie was bewildered； she was； however； awake to the extreme
frankness of such language； and she said to herself； 〃He is not a
secret manoeuvrer； certainly。〃 Moreover； she admitted to her own mind
that no one had ever so deeply stirred and excited her as this young
man。
〃Monsieur；〃 she said； 〃I do not know who could have put into your mind
so great an error as to my life； nor by what right you〃
〃Ah！ pardon me； madame；〃 interrupted the Provencal with a coolness
that smacked of contempt。 〃I must have dreamed it。 I said to myself；
'She is all that！' But I see I was judging from the outside。 I know
now why you are living and will always live on a fourth floor in the
rue d'Enfer。〃
And he pointed his speech with an energetic gesture toward the
Colleville windows； which could be seen through the passage from the
alley of the Luxembourg； where they were walking alone； in that
immense tract trodden by so many and various young ambitions。
〃I have been frank； and I expected reciprocity；〃 resumed Theodose。 〃I
myself have had days without food； madame； I have managed to live；
pursue my studies； obtain my degree； with two thousand francs for my
sole dependence； and I entered Paris through the Barriere d'Italie；
with five hundred francs in my pocket； firmly resolved； like one of my
compatriots； to become； some day； one of the foremost men of our
country。 The man who has often picked his food from baskets of scraps
where the restaurateurs put their refuse； which are emptied at six
o'clock every morningthat man is not likely to recoil before any
means；avowable； of course。 Well； do you think me the friend of the
people？〃 he said； smiling。 〃One has to have a speaking…trumpet to
reach the ear of Fame； she doesn't listen if you speak with your lips；
and without fame of what use is talent？ The poor man's advocate means
to be some day the advocate of the rich。 Is that plain speaking？ Don't
I open my inmost being to you？ Then open your heart to me。 Say to me；
'Let us be friends；' and the day will come when we shall both be
happy。〃
〃Good heavens！ why did I ever come here？ Why did I ever take your
arm？〃 cried Flavie。
〃Because it is in your destiny；〃 he replied。 〃Ah！ my dear； beloved
Flavie；〃 he added； again pressing her arm upon his heart； 〃did you
expect to hear the vulgarities of love from me？ We are brother and
sister； that is all。〃
And he led her towards the passage to return to the rue d'Enfer。
Flavie felt a sort of terror in the depths of the contentment which
all women find in violent emotions； and she took that terror for the
sort of fear which a new passion always excites； but for all that； she
felt she was fascinated； and she walked along in absolute silence。
〃What are you thinking of？〃 asked Theodose； when they reached the
middle of the passage。
〃Of what you have just said to me；〃 she answered。
〃At our age；〃 he said； 〃it is best to suppress preliminaries； we are
not children； we both belong to a sphere in which we should understand
each other。 Remember this；〃 he added； as they reached the rue d'Enfer。
〃I am wholly yours。〃
So saying； he bowed low to her。
〃The iron's in the fire now！〃 he thought to himself as he watched his
giddy prey on her way home。
CHAPTER VI
A KEYNOTE
When Theodose reached home he found； waiting for him on the landing； a
personage who is； as it were； the submarine current of this history；
he will be found within it like some buried church on which has risen
the facade of a palace。 The sight of this man； who； after vainly
ringing at la Peyrade's door； was now trying that of Dutocq； made the
Provencal barrister tremblebut secretly； within himself； not
betraying externally his inward emotion。 This man was Cerizet； whom
Dutocq had mentioned to Thuillier as his copying…clerk。
Cerizet was only thirty…eight years old； but he looked a man of fifty；
so aged had he become from causes which age all men。 His hairless head
had a yellow skull； ill…covered by a rusty； discolored wig； the mask
of his face； pale； flabby； and unnaturally rough； seemed the more
horrible because the nose was eaten away； though not sufficiently to
admit of its being replaced by a false one。 From the spring of this
nose at the forehead； down to the nostrils； it remained as nature had
made it； but disease； after gnawing away the sides near the
extremities； had left two holes of fantastic shape； which vitiated
pronunciation and hampered speech。 The eyes； originally handsome； but
weakened by misery of all kinds and by sleepless nights； were red
around the edges； and deeply sunken； the glance of those eyes； when
the soul sent into them an expression of malignancy； would have
frightened both judges and criminals； or any others whom nothing
usually affrights。
The mouth； toothless except for a few black fangs； was threatening；
the saliva made a foam within it； which did not； however； pass the
pale thin lips。 Cerizet； a short man； less spare than shrunken；
endeavored to remedy the defects of his person by his clothes； and
although his garments were not those of opulence； he kept them in a
condition of neatness which may even have increased his forlorn
appearance。 Everything about him seemed dubious； his age； his nose；
his glance inspired doubt。 It was impossible to know if he were
thirty…eight or sixty； if his faded blue trousers； which fitted him
well； were of a coming or a past fashion。 His boots； worn at the
heels； but scrupulously blacked； resoled for the third time； and very
choice； originally； may have trodden in their day a ministerial
carpet。 The frock coat； soake