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〃Well； dear； good friend；〃 said la Peyrade； coming in about three
o'clock； 〃here you are； richissime！〃
〃And through you； Theodose。〃
〃And you； little aunt； have you come to life again？ Ah！ you were not
half as frightened as I was。 I put your interests before my own； I
haven't breathed freely till this morning at eleven o'clock； and yet I
am sure now of having two mortal enemies at my heels in the two men I
have tricked for your sake。 As I walked home； just now； I asked myself
what could be your influence over me to make me commit such a crime；
and whether the happiness of belonging to your family and becoming
your son could ever efface the stain I have put upon my conscience。〃
〃Bah！ you can confess it；〃 said Thuillier； the free…thinker。
〃And now；〃 said Theodose to Brigitte； 〃you can pay； in all security；
the cost of the house；eighty thousand francs； and thirty thousand to
Grindot； in all； with what you have paid in costs； one hundred and
twenty thousand； and this last twenty thousand added make one hundred
and forty thousand。 If you let the house outright to a single tenant
ask him for the last year's rent in advance； and reserve for my wife
and me the whole of the first floor above the entresol。 Make those
conditions and you'll still get your forty thousand francs a year。 If
you should want to leave this quarter so as to be nearer the Chamber；
you can always take up your abode with us on that vast first floor；
which has stables and coach…house belonging to it； in fact； everything
that is needful for a splendid life。 And now； Thuillier； I am going to
get the cross of the Legion of honor for you。〃
Hearing this last promise； Brigitte cried out in her enthusiasm：
〃Faith！ my dear boy； you've done our business so well that I'll leave
you to manage that of letting the house。〃
〃Don't abdicate； dear aunt；〃 replied Theodose。 〃God keep me from ever
taking a step without you！ You are the good genius of this family； I
think only of the day when Thuillier will take his seat in the
Chamber。 If you let the house you will come into possession of your
forty thousand francs for the last year of the lease in two months
from now； and that will not prevent Thuillier from drawing his
quarterly ten thousand of the rental。〃
After casting this hope into the mind of the old maid； who was
jubilant； Theodose drew Thuillier into the garden and said to him；
without beating round the bush：
〃Dear； good friend； find means to get ten thousand francs from your
sister； and be sure not to let her suspect that you pay them to me；
tell her that sum is required in the government office to facilitate
your appointment as chevalier of the Legion of honor； tell her； too；
that you know the persons among whom that sum should be distributed。〃
〃That's a good idea；〃 said Thuillier； 〃besides； I'll pay it back to
her when I get my rents。〃
〃Have the money ready this evening； dear friend。 Now I am going out on
business about your cross； to…morrow we shall know something
definitely about it。〃
〃What a man you are！〃 cried Thuillier。
〃The ministry of the 1st of March is going to fall； and we must get it
out of them beforehand；〃 said Theodose； shrewdly。
He now hurried to Madame Colleville； crying out as he entered her
room：
〃I've conquered！ We shall have a piece of landed property for Celeste
worth a million； a life…interest in which will be given to her by her
marriage…contract； but keep the secret； or your daughter will be
hunted down by peers of France。 Besides； this settlement will only be
made in my favor。 Now dress yourself； and let us go and call on Madame
du Bruel； she can get the cross for Thuillier。 While you are getting
under arms I'll do a little courting to Celeste； you and I can talk as
we drive along。〃
La Peyrade had seen； as he passed the door of the salon； Celeste and
Felix Phellion in close conversation。 Flavie had such confidence in
her daughter that she did not fear to leave them together。 Now that
the great success of the morning was secured； Theodose felt the
necessity of beginning his courtship of Celeste。 It was high time； he
thought； to bring about a quarrel between the lovers。 He did not；
therefore； hesitate to apply his ear to the door of the salon before
entering it； in order to discover what letters of the alphabet of love
they were spelling； he was even invited to commit this domestic
treachery by sounds from within； which seemed to say that they were
disputing。 Love； according to one of our poets； is a privilege which
two persons mutually take advantage of to cause each other；
reciprocally； a great deal of sorrow about nothing at all。
When Celeste knew that Felix was elected by her heart to be the
companion of her life； she felt a desire； not so much to study him as
to unite herself closely with him by that communion of souls which is
the basis of all affections； and leads； in youthful minds； to
involuntary examination。 The dispute to which Theodose was now to
listen took its rise in a disagreement which had sprung up within the
last few days between the mathematician and Celeste。 The young girl's
piety was real； she belonged to the flock of the truly faithful； and
to her； Catholicism； tempered by that mysticism which attracts young
souls； was an inward poem； a life within her life。 From this point
young girls are apt to develop into either extremely high…minded women
or saints。 But； during this beautiful period of their youth they have
in their heart； in their ideas； a sort of absolutism： before their
eyes is the image of perfection； and all must be celestial； angelic；
or divine to satisfy them。 Outside of their ideal； nothing of good can
exist； all is stained and soiled。 This idea causes the rejection of
many a diamond with a flaw by girls who； as women； fall in love with
paste。
Now； Celeste had seen in Felix； not irreligion； but indifference to
matters of religion。 Like most geometricians； chemists；
mathematicians； and great naturalists； he had subjected religion to
reason； he recognized a problem in it as insoluble as the squaring of
the circle。 Deist 〃in petto；〃 he lived in the religion of most
Frenchmen； not attaching more importance to it than he did to the new
laws promulgated in July。 It was necessary to have a God in heaven；
just as they set up a bust of the king at the mayor's office。 Felix
Phellion； a worthy son of his father； had never drawn the slightest
veil over his opinions or his conscience； he allowed Celeste to read
into them with the candor and the inattention of a student of
problems。 The young girl； on her side； professed a horror for atheism；
and her conscience assured her that a deist was cousin…germain to an
atheist。
〃Have you thought； Felix； of doing what you promised me？〃 asked
Celeste； as soon as Madame Colleville had left them alone。
〃No； my dear Celeste；〃 replied Felix。
〃Oh！ to have broken his word！〃 she cried； softly。
〃But to have kept it would have been a profanation；〃 said Felix。 〃I
love you so deeply； with a tenderness so little proof against your
wishes； that I promised a thing contrary to my conscience。 Conscience；
Celeste； is our treasure； our strength； our mainstay。 How can you ask
me to go into a church and kneel at the feet of a priest； in whom I
can see only a man？ You would despise me if I obeyed you。〃
〃And so； my dear Felix； you refuse to go to church；〃 said Celeste；
casting a tearful glance at the man she loved。 〃If I were your wife
you would let me go alone？ You do not love me as I love you！ for；
alas！ I have a feeling in my heart for an atheist contrary to that
which God commands。〃
〃An atheist！〃 cried Felix。 〃Oh； no！ Listen to me； Celeste。 There is
certainly a God； I believe in that； but I have higher ideas of Him
than those of your priests； I do not wish to bring Him down to my
level； I want to rise to Him。 I listen to the voice He has put within
me；a voice which honest men call conscience； and I strive not to
darken that divine ray as it comes to me。 For instance； I will never
harm others； I will do nothing against the commandments of universal
morality； which was that of Confucius； Moses； Pythagoras； Socrates； as
well as of Jesus Christ。 I will stand in the presence of God； my
actions shall be my prayers； I will never be false in word or deed；
never will I do a base or shameful thing。 Those are the precepts I
have learned from my virtuous father； and which I desire to bequeath
to my children。 All the good that I can do I shall try to accomplish；
even if I have to suffer for it。 What can you ask more of a man than
that？〃
This profession of the Phellion faith caused Celeste to sadly shake
her head。
〃Read attentively；〃 she replied； 〃'The Imitation of Jesus Christ。'
Strive to convert yourself to the holy Catholic； apostolic； and Roman
Church； and you will see how empty your words are。 Hear me； Felix；
marriage is not； the Church says； the affair of a day； the mere
satisfaction of our own desires； it is made for eternity。 What！ shall
we be united day and night； shall we form one flesh； one word； and yet
have two languages； two faiths in our heart； and a cause of perpetual
dissension？ Would you condemn me to weep tears over the