下载辰思小说免费APP
"Apparently，"saidThuillier，acrimoniously，"thishonestgo—betweenhadsomeinterestinexaggeratingmyvalue。Onethingisverysure；
thismonsieurhadadebtoftwenty—fivethousandfrancswhichharassedhimmuch；andashorttimebeforetheseizurethissamemonsieur，whohadnomeansofhisown，paidoffthatdebt；andunlessyoucantellmewhereelsehegotthemoney，theinferenceIthinkisnotdifficulttodraw。"
ItwaslaPeyrade’sturntolookfixedlyatThuillier。
"MonsieurThuillier，"hesaid，raisinghisvoice，"letusgetoutofenigmasandgeneralities；willyoudomethefavortonamethatperson？"
"Well，no，"repliedThuillier，strikinghishanduponthetable，"I
shallnotnamehim，becauseofthesentimentsofesteemandaffectionwhichformerlyunitedus；butyouhaveunderstoodme，MonsieurlaPeyrade。"
"Ioughttohaveknown，"saidtheProvencal，inavoicechangedbyemotion，"thatinbringingaserpenttothisplaceIshouldsoonbesoiledbyhisvenom。Poorfool！doyounotseethatyouhavemadeyourselftheechoofCerizet’scalumny？"
"Cerizethasnothingtodowithit；onthecontrary，hehastoldmethehighestgoodofyou。Howwasit，nothavingapennythenightbefore，——andIhadreasontoknowit，——thatyouwereabletopayDutocqtheroundsumoftwenty—fivethousandfrancsthenextday？"
LaPeyradereflectedforamoment。
"No，"hesaid，"itwasnotDutocqwhotoldyouthat。Heisnotamantowrestlewithanenemyofmystrengthwithoutastronginterestinit。ItwasCerizet；he’stheinfamouscalumniator，fromwhosehandsI
wrenchedtheleaseofyourhouseneartheMadeleine，——Cerizet，whominkindness，IwenttoseekonhisdunghillthatImightgivehimthechanceofhonorableemployment；thatisthewretch，towhomabenefitisonlyanencouragementtotreachery。Tiens！ifIweretotellyouwhatthatmanisIshouldturnyousickwithdisgust；inthesphereofinfamyhehasdiscoveredworlds。"
ThistimeThuilliermadeanablereply。
"Idon’tknowanythingaboutCerizetexceptthroughyou，"hesaid；
"youintroducedhimtomeasamanager，offeringeveryguarantee；but，allowinghimtobeblackerthanthedevil，andsupposingthatthiscommunicationcomesfromhim，Idon’tsee，myfriend，thatallthatmakesYOUanythewhiter。"
"NodoubtIwastoblame，"saidlaPeyrade，"forputtingsuchamanintorelationswithyou；butwewantedsomeonewhounderstoodjournalism，andthatvaluehereallyhadforus。Butwhocaneversoundthedepthsofsoulslikehis？Ithoughthimreformed。Amanager，Isaidtomyself，isonlyamachine；hecandonoharm。Iexpectedtofindhimamanofstraw；well，Iwasmistaken，hewillneverbeanythingbutamanofmud。"
"Allthatisveryfine，"saidThuillier，"butthosetwenty—fivethousandfrancsfoundsoconvenientlyinyourpossession，wheredidyougetthem？Thatisthepointyouareforgettingtoexplain。"
"Buttoreasonaboutit，"saidlaPeyrade；"amanofmycharacterinthepayofthepoliceandyetsopoorthatIcouldnotpaythetenthousandfrancsyourharpyofasisterdemandedwithaninsolencewhichyouyourselfwitnessed——"
"But，"saidThuillier，"iftheoriginofthismoneyishonest，asI
sincerelydesireitmaybe，whathindersyoufromtellingmehowyougotit？"
"Icannot，"saidlaPeyrade；"thehistoryofthatmoneyisasecretentrustedtomeprofessionally。"
"Come，come，youtoldmeyourselfthatthestatutesofyourorderforbidallbarristersfromdoingbusinessofanykind。"
"Letussuppose，"saidlaPeyrade，"thatIhavedonesomethingnotabsolutelyregular；itwouldbestrangeindeedafterwhatIrisked，asyouknow，foryou，ifyoushouldhavethefacetoreproachmewithit。"
"Mypoorfriend，youaretryingtoshakeoffthehounds；butyoucan’tmakemelosethescent。Youwishtokeepyoursecret；thenkeepit。I
ammasterofmyownconfidenceandmyownesteem；bypayingyoutheforfeitstipulatedinourdeedItakethenewspaperintomyownhands。"
"Doyoumeanthatyoudismissme？"criedlaPeyrade。"Themoneythatyouhaveputintotheaffair，allyourchancesofelection，sacrificedtothecalumniesofsuchabeingasCerizet！"
"Inthefirstplace，"saidThuillier，"anothereditor—in—chiefcanbefound；itisatruesayingthatnomanisindispensable。AsforelectiontotheChamberIwouldratherneverreceiveitthanoweittothehelpofonewho——"
"Goon，"saidlaPeyrade，seeingthatThuillierhesitated，"orrather，no，besilent，foryouwillpresentlyblushforyoursuspicionsandaskmypardonhumbly。"
BythistimelaPeyradesawthatwithoutaconfessiontowhichhemustcompelhimself，theinfluenceandthefuturehehadjustrecoveredwouldbecutfromunderhisfeet。Resuminghisspeechhesaid，solemnly：——
"Youwillremember，myfriend，thatyouwerepitiless，and，bysubjectingmetoaspeciesofmoraltorture，youhaveforcedmetorevealtoyouasecretthatisnotmine。"
"Goon，"saidThuillier，"Itakethewholeresponsibilityuponmyself。
Makemeseethetruthclearlyinthisdarkness，andifIhavedonewrongIwillbethefirsttosayso。"
"Well，"saidlaPeyrade，"thosetwenty—fivethousandfrancsarethesavingsofaservant—womanwhocametomeandaskedmetotakethemandtopayherinterest。"
"Aservantwithtwenty—fivethousandfrancsofsavings！Nonsense；shemustserveinmonstrouslyrichhouseholds。"
"Onthecontrary，sheistheoneservantofaninfirmoldsavant；anditwasonaccountofthediscrepancywhichstrikesyourmindthatshewantedtoputhermoneyinmyhandsasasortoftrustee。"
"Blessme！myfriend，"saidThuillier，flippantly，"yousaidwewereinwantofaromance—feuilletonist；butreally，afterthis，Isha’n’tbeuneasy。Here’simaginationforyou！"
"What？"saidlaPeyrade，angrily，"youdon’tbelieveme？"
"No，Idonotbelieveyou。Twenty—fivethousandfrancssavingsintheserviceofanoldsavant！thatisaboutasbelievableastheofficerofLaDameBlanchebuyingachateauwithhispay。"
"ButifIprovetoyouthetruthofmywords；ifIletyouputyourfingeruponit？"
"Inthatcase，likeSaintThomas，Ishalllowermyflagbeforetheevidence。Meanwhileyoumustpermitme，mynoblefriend，towaituntilyouoffermethatproof。"
Thuillierfeltreallysuperb。
"I’dgiveahundredfrancs，"hesaidtohimself，"ifBrigittecouldhavebeenhereandheardmeimpeachhim。"
"Well，"saidlaPeyrade，"supposethatwithoutleavingthisoffice，andbymeansofanotewhichyoushallread，IbringintoyourpresencethepersonfromwhomIreceivedthemoney；ifsheconfirmswhatIsaywillyoubelieveme？"
ThisproposalandtheassurancewithwhichitwasmaderatherstaggeredThuillier。
"Ishallknowwhattodowhenthetimecomes，"hereplied，changinghistone。"Butthismustbedoneatonce，now，here。"
"Isaid，withoutleavingthisoffice。Ishouldthinkthatwasclearenough。"
"Andwhowillcarrythenoteyouwrite？"askedThuillier，believingthatbythusexaminingeverydetailhewasgivingproofsofamazingperspicacity。
"Carrythenote！why，yourownporterofcourse，"repliedlaPeyrade；
"youcansendhimyourself。"
"Thenwriteit，"saidThuillier，determinedtopushhimtothewall。
LaPeyradetookasheetofpaperwiththenewheadingandwroteasfollows，readingthenotealoud：——
MadameLambertisrequestedtocallatonce，onurgentbusiness，attheofficeofthe"EchodelaBievre，"rueSaint—Dominiqued’Enfer。Thebearerofthisnotewillconducther。Sheisawaitedimpatientlybyherdevotedservant，TheodosedelaPeyrade。
"There，willthatsuityou？"saidthebarrister，passingthepapertoThuillier。
"Perfectly，"repliedThuillier，takingtheprecautiontofoldtheletterhimselfandsealit。"Puttheaddress，"headded。
Thenherangthebellfortheporter。
"Youwillcarrythislettertoitsaddress，"hesaidtotheman，"andbringbackwithyouthepersonnamed。Butwillshebethere？"heasked，onreflection。
"Itismorethanprobable，"repliedlaPeyrade；"inanycase，neitheryounorIwillleavethisroomuntilshecomes。Thismattermustbeclearedup。"
"Thengo！"saidThuilliertotheporter，inatheatricaltone。
Whentheywerealone，laPeyradetookupanewspaperandappearedtobeabsorbedinitsperusal。
Thuillier，beginningtogetuneasyastotheupshotoftheaffair，regrettedthathehadnotdonesomethingtheideaofwhichhadcometohimjusttoolate。
"Yes，Iought，"hesaidtohimself，"tohavetornupthatletter，andnotdrivenhimtoprovehiswords。"
Wishingtodosomethingthatmight
后续内容为VIP可读请开通VIP，或购买此章节
