第26章

"Imusthaveamongmypapers，"hesaidashewentaway，"somethingonthissubject；Iwilllookitupandsendittoyou。"

Accordingly，thatsameeveningThuillierreceivedavoluminousmanuscript；andhespenttheentirenightindelvingintothatpreciousrepositoryofideas，fromwhichheextractedenoughtomakeareallyremarkablereport，clumsilyasthepillagewasmanaged。Whenreadbeforethecouncilitobtainedaverygreatsuccess，andThuillierreturnedhomeradiantandmuchelatedbythecongratulationshehadreceived。Fromthatmoment——amomentthatwasmarkedinhislife，foreventoadvancedoldagehestilltalkedofthe"reporthehadhadthehonorofmakingtotheCouncil—generaloftheSeine"——laPeyradewentdownconsiderablyinhisestimation；hefeltthenthathecoulddoverywellwithoutthebarrister，andthisthoughtofemancipationwasstrengthenedbyanotherhappinesswhichcametohimatalmostthesametime。

Aparliamentarycrisiswasimminent，——afactthatcausedtheministrytothinkaboutdeprivingitsadversariesofathemeofoppositionwhichalwayshasgreatinfluenceonpublicopinion。Itresolvedthereforetorelaxitsrigor，whichoflatehadbeenmuchincreasedagainstthepress。Beingincludedinthisspeciesofhypocriticalamnesty，ThuillierreceivedonemorningaletterfromthebarristerwhomhehadchoseninplaceoflaPeyrade。ThisletterannouncedthattheCouncilofStatehaddismissedthecomplaint，andorderedthereleaseofthepamphlet。

ThenDutocq’spredictionwasrealized。Thatweightthelesswithinhisbosom，Thuilliertookaswingtowardinsolence；hechorusedBrigitte，andcameatlasttospeakoflaPeyradeasasortofadventurerwhomhehadfedandclothed，atrickyfellowwhohadEXTRACTEDmuchmoneyfromhim，andhadfinallybehavedwithsuchingratitudethathewasthankfulnottocounthimanylongeramonghisfriends。Orgon，inshort，wasinfullrevolt，andlikeDorine，hewasreadytocryout：

"Abeggar！who，whenhecame，hadneithershoesnorcoatworthabrassfarthing。"

Cerizet，towhomtheseindignitieswerereportedbyDutocq，wouldgladlyhaveservedthemuphottolaPeyrade；buttheinterviewinwhichthecopyingclerkwastofurnishinformationaboutMadamedeGodollodidnottakeplaceatthetimefixed。LaPeyrademadehisowndiscoveriesinthiswise：

PursuedbythethoughtofthebeautifulHungarian，andawaiting，orrathernotawaitingtheresultofCerizet’sinquiry，hescouredParisineverydirection，andmighthavebeenseen，liketheidlestofloungers，inthemostfrequentedplaces，hishearttellinghimthatsoonerorlaterhemustmeettheobjectofhisardentsearch。

Oneevening——itwastowardsthemiddleofOctober——theautumn，asfrequentlyhappensinParis，wasmagnificent，andalongtheboulevards，wheretheProvencalwasairinghisloveandhismelancholy，theout—doorlifeandgaietywereasanimatedasinsummer。OntheboulevarddesItaliens，formerlyknownastheboulevarddeGand，asheloungedpastthelonglineofchairsbeforetheCafedeParis，where，mingledwithafewwomenoftheChausseed’Antinaccompaniedbytheirhusbandsandchildren，maybeseentowardeveningacordonofnocturnalbeautieswaitingonlyaglovedhandtogatherthem，laPeyrade’sheartreceivedacruelshock。Fromafar，hethoughthesawhisadoredcountess。

Shewasalone，inadazzlingtoiletscarcelyauthorizedbytheplaceandherisolation；beforeher，mountedonachair，trembledatinylap—dog，whichshestrokedfromtimetotimewithherbeautifulhands。

Afterconvincinghimselfthathewasnotmistaken，laPeyradewasabouttodartuponthatcelestialvision，whenhewasforestalledbyadandyofthemosttriumphanttype。Withoutthrowingasidehiscigar，withouteventouchinghishat，thishandsomeyoungmanbegantoconversewiththebarrister’sideal；butwhenshesawlaPeyrademakingtowardsherthesirenmusthavefeltafraid，forsherosequickly，andtakingthearmofthemanwhowastalkingtoher，shesaidaloud：——

"Isyourcarriagehere，Emile？Mabilleclosesto—night，andIshouldliketogothere。"

Thenameofthatdisreputableplacethusthrowninthefaceoftheunhappybarrister，wasacharity，foritsavedhimfromafoolishaction，thatofaddressing，onthearmofthemanwhohadsuddenlymadehimselfhercavalier，theunworthycreatureofwhomhewasthinkingafewsecondsearlierwithsomuchtenderness。

"Sheisnotworthinsulting，"hesaidtohimself。

But，asloversarebeingswhowillnotallowtheirfootholdtobetakenfromthemeasily，theProvencalwasneitherconvincednorresignedasyet。Notfarfromtheplacewhichhiscountesshadleft，satanotherwoman，alsoalone；butthisonewasripewithyears，withfeathersonherhead，andbeneaththefoldsofacashmereshawlsheconcealedtheplaintiveremainsoftarnishedeleganceandlongpastluxury。Therewasnothingimposingaboutthissight，nordiditcommandrespect，butthecontrary。LaPeyradewentuptothewomanwithoutceremonyandaddressedher。

"Madame，"hesaid，"doyouknowthatwomanwhohasjustgoneawayonthearmofagentleman？"

"Certainly，monsieur；Iknownearlyallthewomenwhocomehere。"

"Andhernameis？——"

"MadameKomorn。"

"Issheasimpregnableasthefortressofthatname？"

OurreaderswilldoubtlessrememberthatatthetimeoftheinsurrectioninHungaryourearswerebatteredbythepressandbynovelistsaboutthefamouscitadelofKomorn；andlaPeyradeknewthatbyassumingatoneofindifferenceorflippancyhewasmorelikelytosucceedwithhisinquiries。

"Hasmonsieuranyideaofmakingheracquaintance？"

"Idon’tknow，"repliedlaPeyrade，"butsheisawomanwhomakespeoplethinkofher。"

"Andaverydangerouswoman，monsieur，"addedhiscompanion；"afearfulspendthrift，butwithnoinclinationtoreturngenerouslywhatisdoneforher。Icanspeakknowinglyofthat；whenshefirstarrivedherefromBerlin，sixmonthsago，shewasverywarmlyrecommendedtome。"

"Ah！"exclaimedlaPeyrade。

"Yes，atthattimeIhadintheenvironsofVilled’Avrayaverybeautifulplace，withparkandcovertsandastreamforfishing；butasIwasaloneIfounditdull，andseveraloftheseladiesandgentlemensaidtome，’MadameLouchard，whydon’tyouorganizepartiesinthestyleofpicnics？’"

"MadameLouchard！"repeatedlaPeyrade，"areyouanyrelationtoMonsieurLouchardofthecommercialpolice？"

"Hiswife，monsieur，butlegallyseparatedfromhim。Ahorridmanwhowantsmetogobacktohim；butI，thoughI’mreadytoforgivemostthings，Ican’tforgiveawantofrespect；justimaginethathedaredtoraisehishandagainstme！"

"Well，"saidlaPeyrade，tryingtobringherbacktothematterinhand；"youorganizedthosepicnics，andMadamedeGodo——ImeanMadameKomorn——"

"Wasoneofmyfirstlodgers。ItwasthereshemadeacquaintancewithanItalian，ahandsomeman，andrich，apoliticalrefugee，butoneoftheloftykind。Youunderstanditdidn’tsuitmypurposestohaveintriguesgoingoninmyhouse；stillthemanwassolovable，andsounhappybecausehecouldn’tmakeMadameKomornlikehim，thatatlastItookaninterestinthisparticularloveaffair；whichproducedapotofmoneyformadame，forshemanagedtogetimmensesumsoutofthatItalian。Well，wouldyoubelievethatwhen——beingjusttheningreatneed——Iaskedhertoassistmewithatriflinglittlesum，sherefusedmepoint—blank，andleftmyhouse，takingherloverwithher，who，poorman，can’tbethankfulfortheacquaintancenow。"

"Whynot？Whathappenedtohim？"askedlaPeyrade。

"IthappenedtohimthatthisserpentknowseverylanguageinEurope；

sheiswittyandclevertothetipsofherfingers，butmoremanoeuvringthaneither；so，being，asitappears，incloserelationstothepolice，shegavethegovernmentalotofpaperstheItalianleftaboutcarelessly，onwhichtheyexpelledhimfromFrance。"

"Well，afterhisdeparture，MadameKomorn——"

"Sincethen，shehashadagoodmanyadventuresandupsetseveralfortunes，andIthoughtshehadle

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