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Saint Paul； in other words； to substitute for a creditor who； after
all； was his accomplice； a woman who might at any time become exacting
and insist in repayment in some public manner that would injure his
reputation。 He decided； therefore； to play the game with a high hand。
〃My good woman；〃 he said； 〃I am not in want of money； and I am not
rich enough to pay interest on twenty…five thousand francs for which I
have no use。 All that I can do for you is to place that sum； in my
name； with the notary Dupuis。 He is a religious man； you can see him
every Sunday in the warden's pew in our church。 Notaries； you know；
never give receipts； therefore I could not give you one myself； I can
only promise to leave among my papers； in case of death； a memorandum
which will secure the restitution of the money into your hands。 The
affair； you see； is one of blind confidence； and I am very unwilling
to make it。 If I do so； it is only to oblige a person whose piety and
the charitable use she intends to make of the proceeds of her little
fortune entitle her to my good…will。〃
〃If monsieur thinks that the matter cannot be otherwise arranged〃
〃This appears to me the only possible way；〃 said la Peyrade。 〃I shall
hope to get you six per cent interest； and you may rely that it will
be paid with the utmost regularity。 But remember； six months； or even
a year； may elapse before the notary will be in a position to repay
this money； because notaries invest such trust funds chiefly in
mortgages which require a certain time to mature。 Now； when you have
obtained the prize for virtue； which； according to all appearance； I
can readily do for you； there will be no reason to hide your little
property any longer；a reason which I fully understand； but you will
not be able to withdraw it from the notary's hands immediately； and in
case of any difficulty arising； I should be forced to explain the
situation； the manner in which you have concealed your prosperity from
your master； to whom you have been supposed to be wholly devoted。
This； as you will see； would put you in the position of falsely
professing virtue； and would do great harm to your reputation for
piety。〃
〃Oh！ monsieur；〃 said the saintly woman； 〃can it be that any one would
think me a person who did not speak the truth？〃
〃Bless you！ my good creature； in business it is necessary to foresee
everything。 Money embroils the best friends； and leads to actions they
never foresaw。 Therefore reflect； you can come and see me again in a
few days。 It is possible that between now and then you will find some
better investment； and I myself； who am doing at this moment a thing I
don't altogether like； may have found other difficulties which I do
not now expect。〃
This threat； adroitly thrown out as an afterthought； was intended to
immediately clinch the matter。
〃I have reflected carefully；〃 said the pious woman； 〃and I feel sure
that in the hands of so religious a man as monsieur I run no risks。〃
Taking from her bosom a little pocket…book； she pulled out twenty…five
bank notes。 The rapid manner in which she counted them was a
revelation to la Peyrade。 The woman was evidently accustomed to handle
money； and a singular idea darted through his mind。
〃Can it be that she is making me a receiver of stolen property？ No；〃
he said aloud； 〃in order to draw up the memorial for the Academy； I
must； as I told you； make a few inquiries； and that will give me
occasion to call upon you。 At what hour can I see you alone？〃
〃At four o'clock； when monsieur goes to take his walk in the
Luxembourg。〃
〃And where do you live？〃
〃Rue du Val…de…Grace； No。 9。〃
〃Very good； at four o'clock； and if； as I doubt not； the result of my
inquiry is favorable； I will take your money then。 Otherwise； if there
are not good grounds for your application for the prize of virtue
there will be no reason why you should make a mystery of your legacy。
You could then invest it in some more normal manner than that I have
suggested to you。〃
〃Oh！ how cautious monsieur is！〃 she said； with evident disappointment；
having thought the affair settled。 〃This money； God be thanked！ I have
not stolen； and monsieur can make what inquiries he likes about me in
the quarter。〃
〃It is quite indispensable that I should do so；〃 said la Peyrade；
dryly； for he did not at all like； under this mask of simplicity； the
quick intelligence that penetrated his thoughts。 〃Without being a
thief； a woman may very well not be a Sister of Charity； there's a
wide margin between the two extremes。〃
〃As monsieur chooses；〃 she replied； 〃he is doing me so great a service
that I ought to let him take all precautions。〃
Then； with a piously humble bow； she went away； taking her money with
her。
〃The devil！〃 thought la Peyrade； 〃that woman is stronger than I； she
swallows insults with gratitude and without the sign of a grimace！ I
have never yet been able to master myself like that。〃
He began now to fear that he had been too timid； and to think that his
would…be creditor might change her mind before he could pay her the
visit he had promised。 But the harm was done； and； although consumed
with anxiety lest he had lost a rare chance； he would have cut off a
leg sooner than yield to his impulse to go to her one minute before
the hour he had fixed。 The information he obtained about her in the
quarter was rather contradictory。 Some said his client was a saint；
otherwise declared her to be a sly creature； but； on the whole；
nothing was said against her morality that deterred la Peyrade from
taking the piece of luck she had offered him。
When he met her at four o'clock he found her in the same mind。
With the money in his pocket he went to dine with Cerizet and Dutocq
at the Rocher de Cancale； and it is to the various emotions he had
passed through during the day that we must attribute the sharp and
ill…considered manner in which he conducted his rupture with his two
associates。 This behavior was neither that of his natural disposition
nor of his acquired temperament； but the money that was burning in his
pockets had slightly intoxicated him； its very touch had conveyed to
him an excitement and an impatience for emancipation of which he was
not wholly master。 He flung Cerizet over in the matter of the lease
without so much as consulting Brigitte； and yet； he had not had the
full courage of his duplicity； for he had laid to the charge of the
old woman a refusal which was merely the act of his own will； prompted
by bitter recollections of his fruitless struggles with the man who
had so long oppressed him。
In short； during the whole day； la Peyrade had not shown himself the
able and infallible man that we have hitherto seen him。 Once before；
when he carried the fifteen thousand francs entrusted to him by
Thuillier； he had been led by Cerizet into an insurrectionary
proceeding which necessitated the affair of Sauvaignou。 Perhaps； on
the whole； it is more difficult to be strong under good than under
evil fortune。 The Farnese Hercules； calm and in still repose；
expresses more energetically the plenitude of muscular power than a
violent and agitated Hercules represented in the over…excited energy
of his labors。
PART II
THE PARVENUS
CHAPTER I
PHELLION； UNDER A NEW ASPECT
Between the first and second parts of this history an immense event
had taken place in the life of Phellion。
There is no one who has not heard of the misfortunes of the Odeon；
that fatal theatre which； for years； ruined all its directors。 Right
or wrong； the quarter in which this dramatic impossibility stands is
convinced that its prosperity depends upon it； so that more than once
the mayor and other authorities of the arrondissement have； with a
courage that honors them； taken part in the most desperate efforts to
galvanize the corpse。
Now to meddle with theatrical matters is one of the eternally
perennial ambitions of the lesser bourgeoisie。 Always； therefore； the
successive saviours of the Odeon feel themselves magnificently
rewarded if they are given ever so small a share in the administration
of that enterprise。 It was at some crisis in its affairs that Minard；
in his capacity as mayor of the 11th arrondissement； had been called
to the chairmanship of the committee for reading plays； with the power
to join unto himself as assistants a certain number of the notables of
the Latin quarter；the selection being left to him。
We shall soon know exactly how near was the realization of la
Peyrade's projects for the possession of Celeste's 〃dot〃； let us
merely say now that these projects in approaching maturity had
inevitably become noised abroad； and as this condition of things
pointed； of course； to the exclusion of Minard junior and also of
Felix the professor； the prejudice hitherto manifested by Minard pere
against old Phellion was transformed into an unequivocal disposition
towards friendly cordiality； there is nothing that binds and soothes
like the feeling of a checkmate shared in common。 Judged without the
evil eye of paternal rivalry； Phellion became to Minard a Roman of
incorruptible integrity and a man whose little treatises had been
adopted by the Univer