第25章

Rushingupthestaircasetwostepsatatime，thenowjoyouslovercommittedthechildishabsurdityoflockinghimselfin；then，havingsettledhimselfathiseasebeforehisdesk，andhavingbrokenthesealwithreligiouscare，hewasforcedtopresshishandonhisheart，whichseemedtoburstfromhisbosom，beforehecouldsummoncalmnesstoreadthefollowingletter：——

DearMonsieur，——Idisappearforever，becausemyplayisplayedout。Ithankyouforhavingmadeitbothattractiveandeasy。BysettingagainstyoutheThuilliersandCollevilles（whoarefullyinformedofyoursentimentstowardsthem），andbyrelatinginamannermostmortifyingtotheirbourgeoisself—lovethetruereasonofyoursuddenandpitilessrupturewiththem，IamproudandhappytobelievethatIhavedoneyouasignalservice。Thegirldoesnotloveyou，andyoulovenothingbuttheeyesofher"dot"；Ihavethereforesavedyoubothfromaspeciesofhell。

But，inexchangeforthebrideyouhavesocurtlyrejected，anothercharminggirlisproposedtoyou；sheisricherandmorebeautifulthanMademoiselleColleville，and——tospeakofmyself——

moreatlibertythanYourunworthyservant，Torna"ComtessedeGodollo。"

P。S。Forfurtherinformationapply，withoutdelay，toMonsieurduPortail，householder，rueHonore—Chevalier，neartheruedelaCassette，quartierSaint—Sulpice，bywhomyouareexpected。

Whenhehadreadthislettertheadvocateofthepoortookhisheadinhishands；hesawnothing，heardnothing，thoughtnothing；hewasannihilated。

SeveraldayswerenecessarytolaPeyradebeforehecouldevenbegintorecoverfromthecrushingblowwhichhadstruckhimdown。Theshockwasterrible。Comingoutofthatgoldendreamwhichhadshownhimaperspectiveofthefutureinsosmilinganaspect，hefoundhimselffooledunderconditionsmostcrueltohisself—love，andtohispretensionstodepthandcleverness；irrevocablypartedfromtheThuilliers；saddledwithahopelessdebtoftwenty—fivethousandfrancstoMadameLambert，togetherwithanotheroftenthousandtoBrigitte，whichhisdignityrequiredhimtopaywiththeleastdelaypossible；and，worstofall，——tocompletehishumiliationandhissenseoffailure，——hefeltthathewasnotcuredofthepassionateemotionhehadfeltforthiswoman，theauthorofhisgreatdisaster，andtheinstrumentofhisruin。

EitherthisDelilahwasaverygreatlady，sufficientlyhighinstationtoallowherselfsuchcompromisingcaprices，——butevenso，shewouldscarcelyhavecaredtoplaytheroleofacoquetteinavaudevillewherehehimselfplayedthepartofninny，——ORshewassomenotedadventuresswhowasinthepayofthisduPortailandtheagentofhissingularmatrimonialdesigns。Evillifeorevilheart，theseweretheonlytwoverdictstobepronouncedonthisdangeroussiren，andineithercase，itwouldseem，shewasnotverydeservingoftheregretsofhervictim；nevertheless，hewasconsciousoffeelingthem。

WemustputourselvesintheplaceofthissonofProvence，thisregionofhotbloodandardentheads，who，forthefirsttimeinhislifefindinghimselffacetofacewithjewelledloveinlaces，believedhewastodrinkthatpassionfromawrought—goldcup。Justasourmindsonwakingkeeptheimpressionofavividdreamandcontinueinlovewithwhatweknowwasbutashadow，laPeyradehadneedofallhismentalenergytodriveawaythememoryofthattreacherouscountess。Wemightgofurtherandsaythatheneverceasedtolongforher，thoughhewascarefultodrapewithanhonestpretexttheintensedesirethathehadtofindher。Thatdesirehecalledcuriosity，ardorforrevenge；andherefollowtheingeniousdeductionswhichhedrewforhimself：——

"Cerizettalkedtomeaboutarichheiress；thecountess，inherletter，intimatesthatthewholeintrigueshewoundaboutmewastoleadtoarichmarriage；richmarriagesflungataman’sheadarenotsoplentifulthattwosuchchancesshouldcometomewithinafewweeks；thereforethematchofferedbyCerizetandthatproposedbythecountessmustbethecrazygirltheyaresofrantictomakememarry；

thereforeCerizet，beingintheplot，mustknowthecountess；

therefore，throughhimIshallgetuponhertraces。Inanycase，Iamsureofinformationaboutthisextraordinarychoicethathasfallenuponme；evidently，thesepeople，whoevertheyare，whocanpullthewiresofsuchpuppetstoreachtheirendsmustbepersonsofconsiderableposition；therefore，I’llgoandseeCerizet。"

AndhewenttoseeCerizet。

SincethedinnerattheRocherdeCancale，thepairhadnotmet。OnceortwicelaPeyradehadaskedDutocqattheThuilliers’（wherethelatterseldomwentnow，onaccountofthedistancetotheirnewabode）

whathadbecomeofhiscopyingclerk。

"Heneverspeaksofyou，"Dutocqhadanswered。

Henceitmightbeinferredthatresentment，the"manetaltamenterepostum"wasstilllivinginthebreastofthevindictiveusurer。LaPeyrade，however，wasnotstoppedbythatconsideration。Afterall，hewasnotgoingtoaskforanything；hewentunderthepretextofrenewinganaffairinwhichCerizethadtakenpart，andCerizetnevertookpartinanythingunlesshehadapersonalinterestinit。Thechanceswere，therefore，thathewouldbereceivedwithaffectionateeagernessratherthanunpleasantacerbity。Moreover，hedecidedtogoandseethecopyingclerkatDutocq’soffice；itwouldlook，hethought，lesslikeavisitthanifhewenttohisdenintheruedesPoules。Itwasnearlytwoo’clockwhenlaPeyrademadehisentranceintotheprecinctsofthejustice—of—peaceofthe12tharrondissement。

Hecrossedthefirstroom，inwhichwereacrowdofpersonswhomcivilsuitsofonekindoranothersummonedbeforethemagistrate。Withoutpausinginthatwaiting—room，laPeyradepushedontotheofficeadjoiningthatofDutocq。TherehefoundCerizetatashabbydeskofblackenedwood，atwhichanotherclerk，thenabsent，occupiedtheoppositeseat。

Seeinghisvisitor，Cerizetcastasavagelookathimandsaid，withoutrising，orsuspendingthecopyofthejudgmenthewasthenengrossing：——

"Youhere，SieurlaPeyrade？YouhavebeendoingfinethingsforyourfriendThuillier！"

"Howareyou？"askedlaPeyrade，inatonebothresoluteandfriendly。

"I？"repliedCerizet。"Asyousee，stillrowingmygalley；and，tofollowoutthenauticalmetaphor，allowmetoaskwhatwindhasblownyouhither；isit，perchance，thewindofadversity？"

LaPeyrade，withoutreplying，tookachairbesidehisquestioner，afterwhichhesaidinagravetone：——

"Mydearfellow，wehavesomethingtosaytoeachother。"

"Isuppose，"saidCerizet，spitefully，"theThuilliershavegrowncoldsincetheseizureofthepamphlet。"

"TheThuilliersareungratefulpeople；Ihavebrokenwiththem，"

repliedlaPeyrade。

"Ruptureordismissal，"saidCerizet，"theirdoorisshutagainstyou；

andfromwhatDutocqtellsme，IjudgethatBrigitteishandlingyouwithoutgloves。Yousee，myfriend，whatitistotryandmanageaffairsalone；complicationscome，andthere’snoonetosmooththeangles。Ifyouhadgotmethatlease，IshouldhavehadafootingattheThuilliers’，Dutocqwouldnothaveabandonedyou，andtogetherwecouldhavebroughtyougentlyintoport。"

"ButsupposeIdon’twanttore—enterthatport？"saidlaPeyrade，withsomesharpness。"ItellyouI’vehadenoughofthoseThuilliers，andIbrokewiththemmyself；Iwarnedthemtogetoutofmysun；andifDutocqtoldyouanythingelseyoumaytellhimfrommethathelies。Isthatclearenough？ItseemstomeI’vemadeitplain。"

"Well，exactly，mygoodfellow，ifyouaresosavageagainstyourThuilliersyououghttohaveputmeamongthem，andthenyou’dhaveseenmeavengeyou。"

"Thereyouareright，"saidlaPeyrade；"IwishIcouldhavesetyouattheirlegs——butasforthatmatteroftheleaseItellyouagain，I

wasnotmasterofit。"

"Ofcourse，"saidCerizet，"itwasyourconsciencewhichobligedyoutotellBrigittethatthetwelvethousandfrancsayearIexpectedtomakeoutofitwerebetterinherpocketthaninmine。"

"ItseemsthatDutocqcontinuesthehonorableprofessionofspyw

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