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would…be creditor might change her mind before he could pay her the
visit he had promised。 But the harm was done； and； although consumed
with anxiety lest he had lost a rare chance； he would have cut off a
leg sooner than yield to his impulse to go to her one minute before
the hour he had fixed。 The information he obtained about her in the
quarter was rather contradictory。 Some said his client was a saint；
otherwise declared her to be a sly creature； but； on the whole；
nothing was said against her morality that deterred la Peyrade from
taking the piece of luck she had offered him。
When he met her at four o'clock he found her in the same mind。
With the money in his pocket he went to dine with Cerizet and Dutocq
at the Rocher de Cancale； and it is to the various emotions he had
passed through during the day that we must attribute the sharp and
ill…considered manner in which he conducted his rupture with his two
associates。 This behavior was neither that of his natural disposition
nor of his acquired temperament； but the money that was burning in his
pockets had slightly intoxicated him； its very touch had conveyed to
him an excitement and an impatience for emancipation of which he was
not wholly master。 He flung Cerizet over in the matter of the lease
without so much as consulting Brigitte； and yet； he had not had the
full courage of his duplicity； for he had laid to the charge of the
old woman a refusal which was merely the act of his own will； prompted
by bitter recollections of his fruitless struggles with the man who
had so long oppressed him。
In short； during the whole day； la Peyrade had not shown himself the
able and infallible man that we have hitherto seen him。 Once before；
when he carried the fifteen thousand francs entrusted to him by
Thuillier； he had been led by Cerizet into an insurrectionary
proceeding which necessitated the affair of Sauvaignou。 Perhaps； on
the whole； it is more difficult to be strong under good than under
evil fortune。 The Farnese Hercules； calm and in still repose；
expresses more energetically the plenitude of muscular power than a
violent and agitated Hercules represented in the over…excited energy
of his labors。
PART II
THE PARVENUS
CHAPTER I
PHELLION； UNDER A NEW ASPECT
Between the first and second parts of this history an immense event
had taken place in the life of Phellion。
There is no one who has not heard of the misfortunes of the Odeon；
that fatal theatre which； for years； ruined all its directors。 Right
or wrong； the quarter in which this dramatic impossibility stands is
convinced that its prosperity depends upon it； so that more than once
the mayor and other authorities of the arrondissement have； with a
courage that honors them； taken part in the most desperate efforts to
galvanize the corpse。
Now to meddle with theatrical matters is one of the eternally
perennial ambitions of the lesser bourgeoisie。 Always； therefore； the
successive saviours of the Odeon feel themselves magnificently
rewarded if they are given ever so small a share in the administration
of that enterprise。 It was at some crisis in its affairs that Minard；
in his capacity as mayor of the 11th arrondissement； had been called
to the chairmanship of the committee for reading plays； with the power
to join unto himself as assistants a certain number of the notables of
the Latin quarter；the selection being left to him。
We shall soon know exactly how near was the realization of la
Peyrade's projects for the possession of Celeste's 〃dot〃； let us
merely say now that these projects in approaching maturity had
inevitably become noised abroad； and as this condition of things
pointed； of course； to the exclusion of Minard junior and also of
Felix the professor； the prejudice hitherto manifested by Minard pere
against old Phellion was transformed into an unequivocal disposition
towards friendly cordiality； there is nothing that binds and soothes
like the feeling of a checkmate shared in common。 Judged without the
evil eye of paternal rivalry； Phellion became to Minard a Roman of
incorruptible integrity and a man whose little treatises had been
adopted by the University；in other words； a man of sound and tested
intellect。
So that when it became the duty of the mayor to select the members of
the dramatic custom…house； of which he was now the head； he
immediately thought of Phellion。 As for the great citizen； he felt； on
the day when a post was offered to him in that august tribunal； that a
crown of gold had been placed upon his brow。
It will be well understood that it was not lightly； nor without having
deeply meditated； that a man of Phellion's solemnity had accepted the
high and sacred mission which was offered to him。 He said within
himself that he was called upon to exercise the functions of a
magistracy； a priestly office。
〃To judge of men；〃 he replied to Minard； who was much surprised at his
hesitation； 〃is an alarming task； but to judge of minds！who can
believe himself equal to such a mission？〃
Once more the familythat rock on which the firmest resolutions split
had threatened to infringe on the domain of his conscience。 The
thought of boxes and tickets of which the future member of the
committee could dispose in favor of his own kin had excited in the
household so eager a ferment that his freedom of decision seemed for a
moment in danger。 But； happily； Brutus was able to decide himself in
the same direction along which a positive uprising of the whole
Phellionian tribe intended to push him。 From the observations of
Barniol； his son…in…law； and also by his own personal inspiration； he
became persuaded that by his vote； always given to works of
irreproachable morality； and by his firm determination to bar the way
to all plays that mothers of families could not take their daughters
to witness； he was called upon to render the most signal services to
morals and public order。 Phellion； to use his own expression； had
therefore become a member of the areopagus presided over by Minard；
andstill speaking as he spokehe was issuing from the exercise of
his functions； which were both delicate and interesting； when the
conversation we are about to report took place。 A knowledge of this
conversation is necessary to an understanding of the ulterior events
of this history； and it will also serve to put into relief the envious
insight which is one of the most marked traits of the bourgeois
character。
The session of the committee had been extremely stormy。 On the subject
of a tragedy entitled； 〃The Death of Hercules；〃 the classic party and
the romantic party； whom the mayor had carefully balanced in the
composition of his committee； had nearly approached the point of
tearing each other's hair out。 Twice Phellion had risen to speak； and
his hearers were astonished at the quantity of metaphors the speech of
a major of the National Guard could contain when his literary
convictions were imperilled。 As the result of a vote； victory remained
with the opinions of which Phellion was the eloquent organ。 It was
while descending the stairway of the theatre with Minard that he
remarked：
〃We have done