第30章

Thistrialkitehadthehappiesteffect。Thetenoradozennamesthusputforwardwereconsideredtoexpressthewilloftheelectorsandwerecalled"thevoiceofthequarter。"ThusThuillier’scandidacymadefromthestartsuchrapidprogressthatMinardhesitatedtoputhisownclaimsinopposition。

Delightednowwiththecourseofevents，Brigittewasthefirsttosaythatthetimehadcometoattendtothemarriage，andThuillierwasallthemorereadytoagreebecause，fromdaytoday，hefearedhemightbecalledupontopaythetwenty—fivethousandfrancstoMadameLambertforwhichhehadpledgedhimself。AthoroughexplanationnowtookplacebetweenlaPeyradeandtheoldmaid。ShetoldhimhonestlyofthefearshefeltastothemaintenanceofhersovereignauthoritywhenaSON—IN—LAWofhismindandcharacterwasestablishedinthehousehold。

"Ifwe，"sheendedbysaying，"aretoopposeeachotherfortherestofourdays，itwouldbemuchbetter，fromthebeginning，tomaketwohouseholds；weshouldn’tbethelessfriendsforthat。"

LaPeyraderepliedthatnothingunderthesunwouldinducehimtoconsenttosuchaplan；onthecontrary，heregardedasamongsthishappiestprospectsforthefuturethesecurityheshouldfeelaboutthewisemanagementofthematerialaffairsofthehomeinsuchhandsashers。Heshouldhaveenoughtodointhemanagementofoutsideinterests，andhecouldnotcomprehend，forhispart，howshecouldsupposehehadeverhadthethoughtofinterferinginmattersthatwereabsolutelyoutofhisprovince。Inshort，hereassuredhersocompletelythatsheurgedhimtotakeimmediatestepsforthepublicationofthebannsandthesignatureofthemarriagecontract，——

declaringthatshereservedtoherselfallthepreparationsrelatingtoCeleste，whoseacceptanceofthissuddenconclusionshepledgedherselftosecure。

"Mydearchild，"shesaidtoCelestethenextmorning，"IthinkyouhavegivenupallideaofbeingFelixPhellion’swife。Inthefirstplace，heismoreofanatheistthanever，and，besides，youmusthavenoticedyourselfthathismindisquiteshaky。YouhaveseenatMadameMinard’sthatMadameMarmus，whomarriedasavant，officeroftheLegionofhonor，andmemberoftheInstitute。There’snotamoreunhappywoman；herhusbandhastakenhertolivebehindtheLuxembourg，intherueDuguay—Trouin，astreetthatisneitherpavednorlighted。Whenhegoesout，hedoesn’tknowwhereheisgoing；hegetstotheChampdeMarswhenhewantstogototheFaubourgPoissoniere；heisn’tevencapableofgivinghisaddresstothedriverofastreetcab；andheissoabsent—mindedhecouldn’ttellifitwerebeforedinnerorafter。Youcanimaginewhatsortoftimeawomanmusthavewithamanwhosenoseisalwaysatatelescopesnuffingstars。"

"ButFelix，"saidCeleste，"isnotasabsent—mindedasthat。"

"Ofcoursenot，becauseheisyounger；butwithyearshisabsent—

mindednessandhisatheismwillbothincrease。Wehavethereforedecidedthatheisnotthehusbandyouwant，andweall，yourmother，father，Thuillierandmyself，havedeterminedthatyoushalltakelaPeyrade，amanoftheworld，whowillmakehisway，andonewhohasdoneusgreatservicesinthepast，andwhowill，moreover，makeyourgodfatherdeputy。Wearedisposedtogiveyou，inconsiderationofhim，amuchlarger’dot’thanweshouldgivetoanyotherhusband。So，mydear，itissettled；thebannsaretobepublishedimmediately，andthisdayweekwesignthecontract。There’stobeagreatdinnerforthefamilyandintimates，andafterthatareception，atwhichthecontractwillbesignedandyourtrousseauandcorbeilleexhibited。AsItakeallthatintomyownhandsI’llanswerforitthateverythingshallbeofthebestkind；especiallyifyouarenotbabyish，andgiveinpleasantlytoourideas。"

"But，auntBrigitte，"beganCeleste，timidly。

"There’sno’but，’inthematter，"saidtheoldmaid，imperiously；"itisallarranged，andwillbecarriedout，unless，mademoiselle，youpretendtohavemorewisdomthanyourelders。"

"Iwilldoasyouchoose，aunt，"repliedCeleste，feelingasifathunder—cloudhadburstuponherhead，andknowingbuttoowellthatshehadnopowertostruggleagainsttheironwillwhichhadjustpronouncedherdoom。

ShewentatoncetopourhersorrowsintoMadameThuillier’ssoul；butwhensheheardhergodmotheradvisingpatienceandresignationthepoorchildfeltthatfromthatfeeblequartershecouldgetnohelpforeventheslightesteffortofresistance，andthathersacrificewasvirtuallyaccomplished。

Precipitatingherselfwithasortoffrenzyintothenewelementofactivitythusintroducedintoherlife，Brigittetookthefieldinthemakingofthetrousseauandthepurchaseofthecorbeille。Likemanymisers，whoongreatoccasionscomeoutoftheirhabitsandtheirnature，theoldmaidnowthoughtnothingtoogoodforherpurpose；andsheflunghermoneyaboutsolavishlythatuntilthedayappointedforthesigningofthecontract，thejeweller，dressmaker，milliner，lingere，etc。（allchosenfromthebestestablishmentsinParis），seemedtooccupythehouse。

"Itislikeaprocession，"saidJosephine，thecook，admiringly，toFrancoise，theMinards’maid；"thebellneverstopsringingfrommorningtillnight。"

CHAPTERXII

ASTAR

ThedinneronthegreatoccasionwasorderedfromChabotandPotel，andnotfromChevet，bywhichactBrigitteintendedtoproveherinitiativeandheremancipationfromthelateMadamedeGodollo。Theinvitedguestswereasfollows：threeCollevilles，includingthebride，laPeyradethegroom，DutocqandFleury，whomhehadaskedtobehiswitnesses，theextremelylimitednumberofhisrelativesleavinghimnochoice，MinardandRabourdin，chosenaswitnessesforCeleste，MadameandMademoiselleMinardandMinardjunior，twoofThuillier’scolleaguesintheCouncil—general；thenotaryDupuis，chargedwiththedutyofdrawingupthecontract，andlastly，theAbbeGondrin，directoroftheconsciencesofMadameThuillierandCeleste，whowastogivethenuptialblessing。

ThelatterwastheformervicarofSaint—JacquesduHaut—Pas，whosegreatrefinementofmannerandgiftofpreachinghadinducedthearchbishoptoremovehimfromthehumbleparishwherehiscareerhadbeguntothearistocraticchurchoftheMadeleine。SinceMadameThuillierandCelestehadagainbecomehisparishioners，theyoungabbevisitedthemoccasionally，andThuillier，whohadgonetohimtoexplain，afterhisownfashion，thesuitablenessofthechoicemadeforCelesteinthepersonoflaPeyrade（takingpainsashedidsotocastreflectionsonthereligiousopinionsofFelixPhellion），hadeasilyledhimtocontributebyhispersuasivewordstotheresignationofthevictim。

Whenthetimecametositdowntotablethreeguestsweremissing，——

twoMinards，fatherandson，andthenotaryDupuis。ThelatterhadwrittenanotetoThuillierinthemorning，excusinghimselffromthedinner，butsayingthatatnineo’clockpreciselyhewouldbringthecontractandplacehimselfattheordersofMademoiselleThuillier。AsforJulienMinard，hismotherexcusedhimasbeingconfinedtohisroomwithasore—throat。TheabsenceofMinardseniorremainedunexplained，butMadameMinardinsistedthattheyshouldsitdowntotablewithouthim；whichwasdone，Brigitteorderingthatthesoupbekepthotforhim，becauseinthebourgeoiscodeofmannersandcustomsadinnerwithoutsoupisnodinneratall。

Therepastwasfarfromgay，andthoughthefarewasbetter，thevivacityandthewarmthoftheconversationwasfar，indeed，fromthatofthefamousimprovisedbanquetatthetimeoftheelectiontotheCouncil—general。Thegapsoccasionedbytheabsenceofthreeguestsmayhavebeenonereason；thenFlaviewasglum；shehadhadaninterviewwithlaPeyradeintheafternoonwhichendedintears；

Celeste，evenifshehadbeencontentwiththechoiceimposedonher，wouldscarcely，asamatterofpropriety，haveseemedjoyful；infact，shemadenoefforttobrightenasadface，anddarednotlookathergodmother，whoseowncountenancegavetheimpression，ifwemaysoexpressit，ofthelongbleatingofasheep。Thepoorgirlseeingthisfear

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