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so beautiful about it； that the emotion was general； the men all rose
and bowed to Madame Thuillier。
〃Ah！ Celeste； I would I had a kingdom to lay at your feet；〃 murmured
Felix Phellion。
The worthy Phellion wiped away a tear。 Dutocq himself was moved。
〃Oh！ the charming child！〃 cried Mademoiselle Thuillier； rising； and
going round to kiss her sister…in…law。
〃My turn now！〃 said Colleville； posing like an athlete。 〃Now listen：
To friendship！ Empty your glasses； refill your glasses。 Good！ To the
fine arts；the flower of social life！ Empty your glasses； refill your
glasses。 To another such festival on the day after election！〃
〃What is that little bottle you have there？〃 said Dutocq to
Mademoiselle Thuillier。
〃That；〃 she said； 〃is one of my three bottles of Madame Amphoux'
liqueur； the second is for the day of Celeste's marriage； the third
for the day on which her first child is baptized。〃
〃My sister is losing her head；〃 remarked Thuillier to Colleville。
The dinner ended with a toast； offered by Thuillier； but suggested to
him by Theodose at the moment when the malaga sparkled in the little
glasses like so many rubies。
〃Colleville； messieurs； has drunk to FRIENDSHIP。 I now drink； in this
most generous wine； To my friends！〃
An hurrah； full of heartiness； greeted that fine sentiment； but Dutocq
remarked aside to Theodose：
〃It is a shame to pour such wine down the throats of such people。〃
〃Ah！ if we could only make such wine as that！〃 cried Zelie； making her
glass ring by the way in which she sucked down the Spanish liquid。
〃What fortunes we could get！〃
Zelie had now reached her highest point of incandescence； and was
really alarming。
〃Yes；〃 replied Minard； 〃but ours is made。〃
〃Don't you think； sister；〃 said Brigitte to Madame Thuillier； 〃that we
had better take coffee in the salon？〃
Madame Thuillier obediently assumed the air of mistress of the house；
and rose。
〃Ah！ you are a great wizard；〃 said Flavie Colleville； accepting la
Peyrade's arm to return to the salon。
〃And yet I care only to bewitch you；〃 he answered。 〃I think you more
enchanting than ever this evening。〃
〃Thuillier；〃 she said； to evade the subject； 〃Thuillier made to think
himself a political character！ oh！ oh！〃
〃But； my dear Flavie； half the absurdities of life are the result of
such conspiracies； and men are not alone in these deceptions。 In how
many families one sees the husband； children； and friends persuading a
silly mother that she is a woman of sense； or an old woman of fifty
that she is young and beautiful。 Hence； inconceivable contrarieties
for those who go about the world with their eyes shut。 One man owes
his ill…savored conceit to the flattery of a mistress； another owes
his versifying vanity to those who are paid to call him a great poet。
Every family has its great man； and the result is； as we see it in the
Chamber； general obscurity of the lights of France。 Well； men of real
mind are laughing to themselves about it； that's all。 You are the mind
and the beauty of this little circle of the petty bourgeoisie； it is
this superiority which led me in the first instance to worship you。 I
have since longed to drag you out of it； for I love you sincerely
more in friendship than in love； though a great deal of love is
gliding into it；〃 he added； pressing her to his heart under cover of
the recess of a window to which he had taken her。
〃Madame Phellion will play the piano；〃 cried Colleville。 〃We must all
dance to…nightbottles and Brigitte's francs and all the little
girls！ I'll go and fetch my clarionet。〃
He gave his empty coffee…cup to his wife； smiling to see her so
friendly with la Peyrade。
〃What have you said and done to my husband？〃 asked Flavie； when
Colleville had left them。
〃Must I tell you all our secrets？〃
〃Ah！ you don't love me；〃 she replied； looking at him with the
coquettish slyness of a woman who is not quite decided in her mind。
〃Well； since you tell me yours；〃 he said； letting himself go to the
lively impulse of Provencal gaiety； always so charming and apparently
so natural； 〃I will not conceal from you an anxiety in my heart。〃
He took her back to the same window and said； smiling：
〃Colleville； poor man； has seen in me the artist repressed by all
these bourgeois； silent before them because I feel misjudged；
misunderstood； and repelled by them。 He has felt the heat of the
sacred fire that consumes me。 Yes I am；〃 he continued； in a tone of
conviction； 〃an artist in words after the manner of Berryer； I could
make juries weep； by weeping myself； for I'm as nervous as a woman。
Your husband； who detests the bourgeoisie； began to tease me about
them。 At first we laughed； then； in becoming serious； he found out
that I was as strong as he。 I told him of the plan concocted to make
SOMETHING of Thuillier； and I showed him all the good he could get
himself out of a political puppet。 'If it were only；' I said to him；
'to make yourself Monsieur DE Colleville； and to put your charming
wife where I should like to see her； as the wife of a receiver…
general； or deputy。 To make yourself all that you and she ought to be；
you have only to go and live a few years in the Upper or Lower Alps；
in some hole of a town where everybody will like you； and your wife
will seduce everybody； and this；' I added； 'you cannot fail to obtain；
especially if you give your dear Celeste to some man who can influence
the Chamber。' Good reasons； stated in jest； have the merit of
penetrating deeper into some minds than if they were given soberly。 So
Colleville and I became the best friends in the world。 Didn't you hear
him say to me at table； 'Rascal！ you have stolen my speech'？ To…night
we shall be theeing and thouing each other。 I intend to have a choice
little supper…party soon； where artists； tied to the proprieties at
home； always compromise themselves。 I'll invite him； and that will
make us as solidly good friends as he is with Thuillier。 There； my
dear adorned one； is what a profound sentiment gives a man the courage
to produce。 Colleville must adopt me； so that I may visit your house
by his invitation。 But what couldn't you make me do？ lick lepers；
swallow live toads； seduce Brigitteyes； if you say so； I'll impale
my own heart on that great picket…rail to please you。〃
〃You frightened me this morning；〃 she said。
〃But this evening you are reassured。 Yes；〃 he added； 〃no harm will
ever happen to you through me。〃
〃You are； I must acknowledge； a most extraordinary man。〃
〃Why； no！ the smallest as well as the greatest of my efforts are
merely the reflections of the flame which you have kindled。 I intend
to be your son…in…law that we may never part。 My wife； heavens！ what
could she be to me but a machine for child…bearing？ whereas the
divinity； the sublime being will beyou；〃 he whispered in her ear。
〃You are Satan！〃 she said； in a sort of terror。
〃No； I am something of a poet； like all the men of my region。 Come； be
my Josephine！ I'll go and see you to…morrow。 I have the most ardent
desire to see where you live and how you live； the furniture you use；
the color of your stuffs； the arrangement of all things about you。 I
long to see the pearl in its shell。〃
He slipped away cleverly after these words； without waiting for an
answer。
Flavie； to whom in all her life love had never taken the language of
romance； sat still； but happy； her heart palpitating； and saying to
herself that it was very difficult to escape such influence。 For the
first time Theodose had appeared in a pair of new trousers； with gray
silk stockings and pumps； a waistcoat of black silk； and a cravat of
black satin on the knot of which shone a plain gold pin selected with
taste。 He wore also a new coat in the last fashion； and yellow gloves；
relieved by white shirt…cuffs； he was the only man who had manners； or
deportment in that salon； which was now filling up for the evening。
Madame Pron； nee Barniol； arrived with two school…girls； aged
seventeen； confided to her maternal care by families residing in
Martinique。 Monsieur Pron； professor of rhetoric in a college presided
over by priests； belonged to the Phellion class； but； instead of
expanding on the surface in phrases and demonstrations； and posing as
an example； he was dry and sententious。 Monsieur and Madame Pron； the
flowers of the Phellion salon； received every Monday。 Though a
professor； the little man danced。 He enjoyed great influence in the
quarter enclosed by the boulevard du Mont…Parnasse； the Luxembourg；
and the rue de Sevres。 Therefore； as soon as Phellion saw his friend；
he took him by the arm into a corner to inform him of the Thuillier
candidacy。 After ten minutes' consultation they both went to find
Thuillier； and the recess of a window； opposite to that where Flavie
still sat absorbed in her reflections； no doubt； heard a 〃trio〃
worthy； in its way； of that of the Swiss in 〃Guillaume Tell。〃
〃Do you see；〃 said Theodose； returning to Flavie； 〃the pure and honest
Phellion intriguing over there？ Give a personal reason to a virtuous
man and he'll paddle in the slimiest puddle； he is hooking that little
Pron； and Pron is taking it all in； solely to get your little