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bad terms。〃
〃Well； but what are they； those terms？〃
〃I gave up my shares for fifteen thousand francs。〃
〃Come； come！〃 said Dutocq； shrugging his shoulders； 〃what you are
after is to recover a loss （if you made it） by a commission on my
shareand perhaps； after all； the whole thing is only a plot between
you and la Peyrade〃
〃At any rate； my good friend； you don't mince your words； an infamous
thought comes into your head and you state it with charming frankness。
Luckily you shall presently hear me make the proposal to Theodose； and
you are clever enough to know by his manner if there has been any
connivance between us。〃
〃So be it！〃 said Dutocq。 〃I withdraw the insinuation； but I must say
your employers are pirates； I call their proposal throttling people。 I
have not； like you； something to fall back upon。〃
〃Well； you poor fellow； this is how I reasoned： I said to myself； That
good Dutocq is terribly pressed for the last payment on his practice；
this will give him enough to pay it off at one stroke； events have
proved that there are great uncertainties about our Theodose…and…
Thuillier scheme； here's money down； live money； and therefore it
won't be so bad a bargain after all。〃
〃It is a loss of two…fifths！〃
〃Come；〃 said Cerizet； 〃you were talking just now of commissions。 I see
a means of getting one for you if you'll engage to batter down this
Colleville marriage。 If you will cry it down as you have lately cried
it up I shouldn't despair of getting you a round twenty thousand out
of the affair。〃
〃Then you think that this new proposal will not be agreeable to la
Peyrade；that he'll reject it？ Is it some heiress on whom he has
already taken a mortgage？〃
〃All that I can tell you is that these people expect some difficulty
in bringing the matter to a conclusion。〃
〃Well； I don't desire better than to follow your lead and do what is
disagreeable to la Peyrade； but five thousand francsthink of it！it
is too much to lose。〃
At this moment the door opened； and a waiter ushered in the expected
guest。
〃You can serve dinner；〃 said Cerizet to the waiter； 〃we are all here。〃
It was plain that Theodose was beginning to take wing toward higher
social spheres； elegance was becoming a constant thought in his mind。
He appeared in a dress suit and varnished shoes； whereas his two
associates received him in frock…coats and muddy boots。
〃Gentlemen；〃 he said； 〃I think I am a little late； but that devil of a
Thuillier is the most intolerable of human beings about a pamphlet I
am concocting for him。 I was unlucky enough to agree to correct the
proofs with him； and over every paragraph there's a fight。 'What I
can't understand；' he says； 'the public can't； either。 I'm not a man
of letters； but I'm a practical man'； and that's the way we battle it；
page after page。 I thought the sitting this afternoon would never
end。〃
〃How unreasonable you are； my dear fellow；〃 said Dutocq； 〃when a man
wants to succeed he must have the courage to make sacrifices。 Once
married； you can lift your head。〃
〃Ah； yes！〃 said la Peyrade with a sigh； 〃I'll lift it； for since the
day you made me eat this bread of anguish I've become terribly sick of
it。〃
〃Cerizet；〃 said Dutocq； 〃has a plan that will feed you more
succulently。〃
Nothing more was said at the moment； for justice had to be done to the
excellent fare ordered by Cerizet in honor of his coming lease。 As
usually happens at dinners where affairs are likely to be discussed；
each man； with his mind full of them； took pains not to approach those
topics； fearing to compromise his advantages by seeming eager； the
conversation； therefore； continued for a long time on general
subjects； and it was not until the dessert was served that Cerizet
brought himself to ask la Peyrade what had been settled about the
terms of his lease。
〃Nothing； my friend；〃 replied Theodose。
〃What！ nothing？ I certainly allowed you time enough to decide the
matter。〃
〃Well； as to that； something is decided。 There will not be any
principal tenant at all； Mademoiselle Brigitte is going to let the
house herself。〃
〃That's a singular thing；〃 said Cerizet； stiffly。 〃After your
agreement with me； I certainly did not expect such a result as this。〃
〃How can I help it； my dear fellow？ I agreed with you； barring
amendments on the other side； I wasn't able to give another turn to
the affair。 In her natural character as a managing woman and a sample
of perpetual motion； Brigitte has reflected that she might as well
manage that house herself and put into her own pocket the profits you
proposed to make。 I said all I could about the cares and annoyances
which she would certainly saddle upon herself。 'Oh！ nonsense！' she
said； 'they'll stir my blood and do my health good！'〃
〃It is pitiable！〃 said Cerizet。 〃That poor old maid will never know
which end to take hold of； she doesn't imagine what it is to have an
empty house； and which must be filled with tenants from garret to
cellar。〃
〃I plied her with all those arguments；〃 replied la Peyrade； 〃but I
couldn't move her resolution。 Don't you see； my dear democrats； you
stirred up the revolution of '89； you thought to make a fine
speculation in dethroning the noble by the bourgeois； and the end of
it is you are shoved out yourselves。 This looks like paradox； but
you've found out now that the peasant and clodhopper isn't malleable；
he can't be forced down and kept under like the noble。 The
aristocracy； on behalf of its dignity； would not condescend to common
cares； and was therefore dependent on a crowd of plebeian servitors to
whom it had to trust for three…fourths of the actions of its own life。
That was the reign of stewards and bailiffs； wily fellows； into whose
hands the interests of the great families passed； and who fed and grew
fat on the parings of the great fortunes they managed。 But now…a…days；
utilitarian theories； as they call them； have come to the fore；'We
are never so well served as by ourselves；' 'There's no shame in
attending to one's own business；' and many other bourgeois maxims
which have suppressed the role of intermediaries。 Why shouldn't
Mademoiselle Brigitte Thuillier manage her own house when dukes and
peers go in person to the Bourse； where such men sign their own leases
and read the deeds before they sign them； and go themselves to the
notary； whom； in former days； they considered a servant。〃
During this time Cerizet had time to recover from the blow he had just
received squarely in the face； and to think of the transition he had
to make from one set of interests to the other； of which he was now
the agent。
〃What you are declaiming there is all very clever；〃 he said；
carelessly； 〃but the thing that proves to me our defeat is the fact
that you are not on the terms with Mademoiselle Thuillier you would
have us believe you are。 She is slipping through your fingers； and I
don't think that marriage is anything like as certain as Dutocq and I
have been fancying it was。〃
〃Well； no doubt；〃 said la Peyrade； 〃there are still some touches to be
given to our sketch； but I believe it is well under way。〃
〃And I think； on the contrary； that you have lost ground； and the
reason is simple： you have done those people an immense service； and
that's a thing never forgiven。〃
〃Well； we shall see；〃 said la Peyrade。 〃I have more than one hold upon
them。〃
〃No； you are mistaken。 You thought you did a brilliant thing in
putting them on a pinnacle； but the fact is you emancipated them；
they'll keep you now at heel。 The human heart； particularly the
bourgeois heart； is made that way。 If I were in your place I shouldn't
feel so sure of being on solid ground； and if something else turned up
that offered me a good chance〃
〃What！ just because I couldn't get you the lease of that house do you
want to knock everything to pieces？〃
〃No；〃 said Cerizet； 〃I am not looking at the matter in the light of my
own interests； I don't doubt that as a trustworthy friend you have
done every imaginable thing to promote them； but I think the manner in
which you have been shoved aside a very disturbing symptom。 It even
decides me to tell you something I did not intend to speak of；
because； in my opinion； when persons start a course they ought to keep
on steadily； looking neither forward nor back； and not allowing
themselves to be diverted to other aspirations。〃
〃Ah ca！〃 cried la Peyrade； 〃what does all this verbiage mean？ Have you
anything to propose to me？ What's the price of it？〃
〃My dear Theodose；〃 said Cerizet； paying no attention to the
impertinence； 〃you yourself can judge of the value of discovering a
young girl； well brought…up； adorned with beauty and talents and a
'dot' equal to that of Celeste； which she has in her own right； PLUS
fifty thousand francs' worth of diamonds （as Mademoiselle Georges says
on her posters in the provinces）； and； moreover；a fact which ought
to strike the mind of an ambitious man；a strong political influence；
which she can use for a husband。〃
〃And this treasure you hold in your hand？〃 said la Peyrade； in a tone
of incredulity。
〃Better still； I am authorized to offer it to you； in fact； I might
say that I am charged