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〃My dear friend； if we are all to remain good friends； you must be our
friend only。 Colleville is attached to you； well； that's enough for
you in this household。〃
〃Explain to me；〃 said the handsome Thuillier to Tullia after this
remark； 〃why women are never attached to me。 I am not the Apollo
Belvidere； but for all that I'm not a Vulcan； I am passably good…
looking； I have sense； I am faithful〃
〃Do you want me to tell you the truth？〃 replied Tullia。
〃Yes；〃 said Thuillier。
〃Well； though we can； sometimes； love a stupid fellow； we never love a
silly one。〃
Those words killed Thuillier； he never got over them； henceforth he
was a prey to melancholy and accused all women of caprice。
The secretary…general of the ministry； des Lupeaulx； whose influence
Madame Colleville thought greater than it was； and of whom she said；
later； 〃That was one of my mistakes；〃 became for a time the great man
of the Colleville salon； but as Flavie found he had no power to
promote Colleville into the upper division； she had the good sense to
resent des Lupeaulx's attentions to Madame Rabourdin （whom she called
a minx）； to whose house she had never been invited； and who had twice
had the impertinence not to come to the Colleville concerts。
Madame Colleville was deeply affected by the death of young
Gondreville； she felt； she said； the finger of God。 In 1824 she turned
over a new leaf； talked of economy； stopped her receptions； busied
herself with her children； determined to become a good mother of a
family； no favorite friend was seen at her house。 She went to church；
reformed her dress； wore gray； and talked Catholicism； mysticism； and
so forth。 All this produced； in 1825； another little son； whom she
named Theodore。 Soon after； in 1826； Colleville was appointed sub…
director of the Clergeot division； and later； in 1828； collector of
taxes in a Paris arrondissement。 He also received the cross of the
Legion of honor； to enable him to put his daughter at the royal school
of Saint…Denis。 The half…scholarship obtained by Keller for the eldest
boy； Charles； was transferred to the second in 1830； when Charles
entered the school of Saint…Louis on a full scholarship。 The third
son； taken under the protection of Madame la Dauphine； was provided
with a three…quarter scholarship in the Henri IV。 school。
In 1830 Colleville； who had the good fortune not to lose a child； was
obliged； owing to his well…known attachment to the fallen royal
family； to send in his resignation； but he was clever enough to make a
bargain for it；obtaining in exchange a pension of two thousand four
hundred francs； based on his period of service； and ten thousand
francs indemnity paid by his successor； he also received the rank of
officer of the Legion of honor。 Nevertheless； he found himself in
rather a cramped condition when Mademoiselle Thuillier； in 1832；
advised him to come and live near them； pointing out to him the
possibility of obtaining some position in the mayor's office； which；
in fact； he did obtain a few weeks later； at a salary of three
thousand francs。 Thus Thuillier and Colleville were destined to end
their days together。 In 1833 Madame Colleville； then thirty…five years
old； settled herself in the rue d'Enfer； at the corner of the rue des
Deux…Eglises with Celeste and little Theodore； the other boys being at
their several schools。 Colleville was equidistant between the mayor's
office and the rue Saint…Dominique d'Enfer。 Thus the household； after
a brilliant； gay； headlong； reformed； and calmed existence； subsided
finally into bourgeois obscurity with five thousand four hundred
francs a year for its sole dependence。
Celeste was by this time twelve years of age； and she promised to be
pretty。 She needed masters； and her education ought to cost not less
than two thousand francs a year。 The mother felt the necessity of
keeping her under the eye of her godfather and godmother。 She
therefore very willingly adopted the proposal of Mademoiselle
Thuillier； who； without committing herself to any engagement； allowed
Madame Colleville to understand that the fortunes of her brother； his
wife； and herself would go； ultimately； to the little Celeste。 The
child had been left at Auteuil until she was seven years of age；
adored by the good old Madame Lemprun； who died in 1829； leaving
twenty thousand francs； and a house which was sold for the enormous
sum of twenty…eight thousand。 The lively little girl had seen very
little of her mother； but very much of Mademoiselle and Madame
Thuillier when she first returned to the paternal mansion in 1829； but
in 1833 she fell under the dominion of Flavie； who was then； as we
have said； endeavoring to do her duty； which； like other women
instigated by remorse； she exaggerated。 Without being an unkind
mother； Flavie was very stern with her daughter。 She remembered her
own bringing…up； and swore within herself to make Celeste a virtuous
woman。 She took her to mass； and had her prepared for her first
communion by a rector who has since become a bishop。 Celeste was all
the more readily pious； because her godmother； Madame Thuillier； was a
saint； and the child adored her； she felt that the poor neglected
woman loved her better than her own mother。
From 1833 to 1840 she received a brilliant education according to the
ideas of the bourgeoisie。 The best music…masters made her a fair
musician； she could paint a water…color properly； she danced extremely
well； and she had studied the French language； history； geography；
English； Italian；in short； all that constitutes the education of a
well…brought…up young lady。 Of medium height； rather plump；
unfortunately near…sighted； she was neither plain nor pretty； not
without delicacy or even brilliancy of complexion； it is true； but
totally devoid of all distinction of manner。 She had a great fund of
reserved sensibility； and her godfather and godmother； Mademoiselle
Thuillier and Colleville； were unanimous on one point；the great
resource of mothersnamely； that Celeste was capable of attachment。
One of her beauties was a magnificent head of very fine blond hair；
but her hands and feet showed her bourgeois origin。
Celeste endeared herself by precious qualities； she was kind； simple；
without gall of any kind； she loved her father and mother； and would
willingly sacrifice herself for their sake。 Brought up to the deepest
admiration for her godfather by Brigitte （who taught her to say 〃Aunt
Brigitte〃）； and by Madame Thuillier and her own mother； Celeste
imbibed the highest idea of the ex…beau of the Empire。 The house in
the rue Saint…Dominique d'Enfer produced upon her very much the effect
of the Chateau des Tuileries on a courtier of the new dynasty。
Thuillier had not escaped the action of the administrative rolling…pin
which thins the mind as it spreads it out。 Exhausted by irksome toil；
as much as by his life of gallantry； the ex…sub…director had well…nigh
lost all his faculties by the time he came to live in the rue Saint…
Dominique。 But his weary face； on which there still reigned an air of
imperial haughtiness； mingled with a certain contentment； the conceit
of an upper official； made a deep impression upon Celeste。 She alone
adored that haggard face。 The girl； moreover； felt herself to be the
happiness of the Thuillier household。
CHAPTER IV
THE CIRCLE OF MONSIEUR AND MADAME THUILLIER
The Collevilles and their children became； naturally； the nucleus of
the circle which Mademoiselle Thuillier had the ambition to group
around her brother。 A former clerk in the Billardiere division of the
ministry； named Phellion； had lived for the last thirty years in their
present quarter。 He was promptly greeted by Colleville and Thuillier
at the first review。 Phellion proved to be one of the most respected
men in the arrondissement。 He had one daughter； now married to a
school…teacher in the rue Saint…Hyacinthe； a Monsieur Barniol。
Phellion's eldest son was a professor of mathematics in a royal
college； he gave lectures and private lessons； being devoted； so his
father was wont to say； to pure mathematics。 A second son was in the
government School of Engineering。 Phellion had a pension of nine
hundred francs； and he possessed a little property of nine thousand
and a few odd hundred francs； the fruit of his economy and that of his
wife during thirty years of toil and privation。 He was； moreover； the
owner of a little house and garden where he lived in the 〃impasse〃 des
Feuillantines；in thirty years he had never used the old…fashioned
word 〃cul…de…sac〃！
Dutocq； the clerk of the justice of peace； was also a former employee
at the ministry of finance。 Sacrificed； in former days； to one of
those necessities which are always met with in representative
government； he had accepted the position of scapegoat； receiving；
privately； a round sum of money and the opportunity to buy his present
post of clerk in the arrondissement。 This man； not very honorable； and
known to be a spy in the government offices； was never welcomed as he
thought he ought to be by the Thuilliers； but the coldness of his
landlords only made him the more persistent in going to see them。 He
was a bachelor and had