第21章

"AnddoesPereAnselme，"askedCeleste，"hopetoconverthim？"

"Heissureofit，"repliedthecountess。"Hisyoungcollaborator，apartfromareligiouseducationwhichhecertainlyneverhad，hasbeenbroughtuptothehighestprinciples；heknows，moreover，thathisconversiontoreligionwouldmakethehappinessofacharminggirlwhomheloves，andwholoveshim。Now，mydear，youwillnotgetanotherwordoutofme，andyoumaythinkwhatyoulike。"

"Oh！godmother！"whisperedCeleste，yieldingtothefreshnessofherfeelings，"supposeitwerehe！"

AndthetearsfilledhereyesasshepressedMadameThuillier’shand。

Atthismomenttheservantthrewopenthedoorofthesalon，and，singularcomplication！announcedMonsieurFelixPhellion。

Theyoungprofessorenteredtheroom，bathedinperspiration，hiscravatindisorder，andhimselfoutofbreath。

"Aprettyhour，"saidPhellion，sternly，"topresentyourself。"

"Father，"saidFelix，movingtothesideoftheroomwhereMadameThuillierandCelestewereseated，"Icouldnotleavebeforetheendofthephenomenon；andthenIcouldn’tfindacarriage，andIhaverunthewholeway。"

"Yourearsoughttohaveburnedasyoucame，"saidlaPeyrade，"foryouhavebeenforthelasthalf—hourinthemindsoftheseladies，andagreatproblemhasbeenstartedaboutyou。"

Felixdidnotanswer。HesawBrigitteenteringthesalonfromthedining—roomwhereshehadgonetotelltheman—servantnottobringinmoretrays，andhehurriedtogreether。

Afterlisteningtoafewreproachesfortherarityofhisvisitsandreceivingforgivenessinaverycordial"Betterlatethannever，"heturnedtowardshispole，andwasmuchastonishedtohearhimselfaddressedbyMadamedeGodolloasfollows：——

"Monsieur，"shesaid，"IhopeyouwillpardontheindiscretionIhave，intheheatofconversation，committedaboutyou。IhavetoldtheseladieswhereImetyouthismorning。"

"Metme？"saidFelix；"ifIhadthehonortomeetyou，madame，Ididnotseeyou。"

AnalmostimperceptiblesmileflickeredonlaPeyrade’slips。

"YousawmewellenoughtoaskmetokeepsilenceastowhereIhadmetyou；but，atanyrate，Ididnotgobeyondasimplestatement；I

saidyousawPereAnselmesometimes，andhadcertainscientificrelationswithhim；alsothatyoudefendedyourreligiousdoubtstohimasyoudotoCeleste。"

"PereAnselme！"saidFelix，stupidly。

"Yes，PereAnselme，"saidlaPeyrade，"agreatmathematicianwhodoesnotdespairofconvertingyou。MademoiselleCelesteweptforjoy。"

Felixlookedaroundhimwithabewilderedair。MadamedeGodollofixeduponhimapairofeyesthelanguageofwhichapoodlecouldhaveunderstood。

"Iwish，"hesaidfinally，"IcouldhavegiventhatjoytoMademoiselleCeleste，butIthink，madame，youaremistaken。"

"Ah！monsieur，thenImustbemoreprecise，"saidthecountess，"andifyourmodestystillinducesyoutohideastepthatcanonlyhonoryou，youcancontradictme；Iwillbearthemortificationofhavingdivulgedasecretwhich，Iacknowledge，youtrustedimplicitlytomydiscretion。"

MadameThuillierandCelesteweretrulyawholedramatobehold；neverweredoubtandeagerexpectationmoreplainlydepictedonthehumanface。Measuringherwordsdeliberately，MadamedeGodollothuscontinued：——

"Isaidtotheseladies，becauseIknowhowdeepaninteresttheytakeinyoursalvation，andbecauseyouareaccusedofboldlydefyingthecommandmentsofGodbyworkingonSundays，thatIhadmetyouthismorningatthehouseofPereAnselme，amathematicianlikeyourself，withwhomyouwerebusyinsolvingaproblem；Isaidthatyourscientificintercoursewiththatsaintlyandenlightenedmanhadledtootherexplanationsbetweenyou；thatyouhadsubmittedtohimyourreligiousdoubts，andhedidnotdespairofremovingthem。Intheconfirmationyoucangiveofmywordsthereisnothing，Iamsure，towoundyourself—esteem。ThematterwassimplyasurpriseyouintendedforCeleste，andIhavehadthestupiditytodivulgeit。ButwhenshehearsyouadmitthetruthofmywordsyouwillhavegivenhersuchhappinessthatIshallhopetobeforgiven。"

"Come，monsieur，"saidlaPeyrade，"there’snothingabsurdormortifyinginhavingsoughtforlight；you，sohonorableandsotrulyanenemytofalsehood，youcannotdenywhatmadameaffirmswithsuchdecision。"

"Well，"saidFelix，afteramoment’shesitation，"willyou，MademoiselleCeleste，allowmetosayafewwordstoyouinprivate，withoutwitnesses？"

Celesterose，afterreceivinganapprovingsignfromMadameThuillier。

Felixtookherhandandledhertotherecessofthenearestwindow。

"Celeste，"hesaid，"Ientreatyou：wait！See，"headded，pointingtotheconstellationofUrsaMinor，"beyondthosevisiblestarsafutureliesbeforeus；Iwillplaceyouthere。AsforPereAnselme，Icannotadmitwhathasbeensaid，foritisnottrue。Itisaninventedtale。

Butbepatientwithme；youshallsoonknowall。"

"Heismad！"saidtheyounggirl，intonesofdespair，assheresumedherplacebesideMadameThuillier。

Felixconfirmedthisjudgmentbyrushingfranticallyfromthesalon，withoutperceivingtheemotioninwhichhisfatherandhismotherstartedafterhim。Afterthissuddendeparture，whichstupefiedeverybody，laPeyradeapproachedMadamedeGodolloveryrespectfully，andsaidtoher：——

"Youmustadmit，madame，thatitisdifficulttodragamanfromthewaterwhenhepersistsinbeingdrowned。"

"Ihadnoideauntilthismomentofsuchuttersimplicity，"repliedthecountess；"itistoosilly。Ipassovertotheenemy；andwiththatenemyIamreadyanddesiroustohave，wheneverhepleases，afrankandhonestexplanation。"

CHAPTERIV

HUNGARYVERSUSPROVENCE

ThenextdayTheodosefelthimselfpossessedbytwocuriosities：HowwouldCelestebehaveastotheoptionshehadaccepted？andthisComtesseTornadeGodollo，whatdidshemeanbywhatshehadsaid；andwhatdidshewantwithhim？

Thefirstofthesequestionsseemed，undoubtedly，tohavetherightofway，andyet，bysomesecretinstinct，laPeyradefeltmorekeenlydrawntowardtheconclusionofthesecondproblem。Hedecided，therefore，totakehisfirststepinthatdirection，fullyunderstandingthathecouldnottoocarefullyarmhimselffortheinterviewtowhichthecountesshadinvitedhim。

Themorninghadbeenrainy，andthisgreatcalculatorwas，ofcourse，notignoranthowmuchaspotofmud，tarnishingthebrilliancyofvarnishedboots，couldloweramanintheopinionofsome。Hethereforesenthisporterforacabriolet，andaboutthreeo’clockintheafternoonhedrovefromtherueSaint—Dominiqued’EnfertowardtheelegantlatitudesoftheMadeleine。Itmaywellbebelievedthatcertaincareshadbeenbestoweduponhistoilet，whichoughttopresentahappymediumbetweenthenegligenteaseofamorningcostumeandtheceremoniouscharacterofaneveningsuit。Condemnedbyhisprofessiontoawhitecravat，whichherarelylaidaside，andnotventuringtopresenthimselfinanythingbutadress—coat，hefelthimselfbeingdrawn，ofnecessity，tooneoftheextremeshedesiredtoavoid。Howeverbybuttoninguphiscoatandwearingtaninsteadofstraw—coloredgloves，hemanagedtoUNSOLEMNIZEhimself，andtoavoidthatprovincialairwhichamaninfulldresswalkingthestreetsofPariswhilethesunisabovethehorizonneverfailstoconvey。

Thewarydiplomatistwascarefulnottodrivetothehousewherehewasgoing。Hewasunwillingtobeseenfromthecountess’entresolissuingfromahiredcab，andfromthefirstfloorhefearedtobediscoveredstoppingshortonhiswayupatthelowerfloor，——aproceedingwhichcouldnotfailtogiverisetocountlessconjectures。

HethereforeorderedthedrivertopullupatthecorneroftherueRoyale，whence，alongapavementthatwasnownearlydry，hepickedhiswayontiptoetothehouse。Itsochancedthathewasnotseenbyeithertheporterorhiswife；theformerbeingbeadleofthechurchoftheMadeleine，wasabsentataservice，andthewifehadjustgoneuptoshowavacantapartmenttoalodger。Theodosewasthereforeabletoglideunobservedtothedoorofthesanctuaryhedesiredtopenetrate。Asofttouchofhishandtothesilkenbell—ropecausedasoundwhichechoedfromtheinterioroftheapartment。Afewsecondselapsed，andthenanotherandmoreimperiousbelloflessvolumeseemedtohimanotificationtothemaidthatherdelayinopeningthedoorwasdispleasingtohermistress。Amomentlater，awaiting—woman，ofmiddleage，andtoowelltrainedtodresslikea"soubrette"ofcomedy，openedthedoortohim。

Thelawyer

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