Madame　Thuillier；　ready　to　bestow　upon　all　the　bourgeois　sillinesses
  of　the　brother　and　sister。
  He　obtained；　what　he　wanted　above　all；　the　contempt　of　his　true
  antagonists；　and　he　used　it　as　a　cloak　to　hide　his　real　power。　For
  four　consecutive　months　his　face　wore　a　torpid　expression；　like　that
  of　a　snake　as　it　gulps　and　digests　its　prey。　But　at　times　he　would
  rush　into　the　garden　with　Colleville　or　Flavie；　to　laugh　and　lay　off
  his　mask；　and　rest　himself；　or　get　fresh　strength　by　giving　way　before
  his　future　mother…in…law　to　fits　of　nervous　passion　which　either
  terrified　or　deeply　touched　her。
  〃Don't　you　pity　me？〃　he　cried　to　her　the　evening　before　the
  preparatory　sale　of　the　house；　when　Thuillier　was　to　make　the　purchase
  at　seventy…five　thousand　francs。　〃Think　of　a　man　like　me；　forced　to
  creep　like　a　cat；　to　choke　down　every　pointed　word；　to　swallow　my　own
  gall；　and　submit　to　your　rebuffs！〃
  〃My　friend！　my　child！〃　Flavie　replied；　undecided　in　mind　how　to　take
  him。
  These　words　are　a　thermometer　which　will　show　the　temperature　at　which
  this　clever　manipulator　maintained　his　intrigue　with　Flavie。　He　kept
  her　floating　between　her　heart　and　her　moral　sense；　between　religious
  sentiments　and　this　mysterious　passion。
  During　this　time　Felix　Phellion　was　giving；　with　a　devotion　and
  constancy　worthy　of　all　praise；　regular　lessons　to　young　Colleville。
  He　spent　much　of　his　time　upon　these　lessons；　feeling　that　he　was　thus
  working　for　his　future　family。　To　acknowledge　this　service；　he　was
  invited；　by　advice　of　Theodose　to　Flavie；　to　dine　at　the　Collevilles'
  every　Thursday；　where　la　Peyrade　always　met　him。　Flavie　was　usually
  making　either　a　purse　or　slippers　or　a　cigar…case　for　the　happy　young
  man；　who　would　say；　deprecatingly：
  〃I　am　only　too　well　rewarded；　madame；　by　the　happiness　I　feel　in　being
  useful　to　you。〃
  〃We　are　not　rich；　monsieur；〃　replied　Colleville；　〃but；　God　bless　me！
  we　are　not　ungrateful。〃
  Old　Phellion　would　rub　his　hands　as　he　listened　to　his　son's　account
  of　these　evenings；　beholding　his　dear　and　noble　Felix　already　wedded
  to　Celeste。
  But　Celeste；　the　more　she　loved　Felix；　the　more　grave　and　serious　she
  became　with　him；　partly　because　her　mother　sharply　lectured　her；
  saying　to　her　one　evening：
  〃Don't　give　any　hope　whatever　to　that　young　Phellion。　Neither　your
  father　nor　I　can　arrange　your　marriage。　You　have　expectations　to　be
  consulted。　It　is　much　less　important　to　please　a　professor　without　a
  penny　than　to　make　sure　of　the　affection　and　good…will　of　Mademoiselle
  Brigitte　and　your　godfather。　If　you　don't　want　to　kill　your　mother
  yes；　my　dear；　kill　heryou　must　obey　me　in　this　affair　blindly；　and
  remember　that　what　we　want　to　secure；　above　all；　is　your　good。〃
  As　the　date　of　the　final　sale　was　set　for　the　last　of　July；　Theodose
  advised　Brigitte　by　the　end　of　June　to　arrange　her　affairs　in　time　to
  be　ready　for　the　payment。　Accordingly；　she　now　sold　out　her　own　and
  her　sister…in…law's　property　in　the　Funds。　The　catastrophe　of　the
  treaty　of　the　four　powers；　an　insult　to　France；　is　now　an　established
  historical　fact；　but　it　is　necessary　to　remind　the　reader　that　from
  July　to　the　last　of　August　the　French　funds；　alarmed　by　the　prospect
  of　war；　a　fear　which　Monsieur　Thiers　did　much　to　promote；　fell　twenty
  francs；　and　the　Three…per…cents　went　down　to　sixty。　That　was　not　all：
  this　financial　fiasco　had　a　most　unfortunate　influence　on　the　value　of
  real　estate　in　Paris；　and　all　those　who　had　such　property　then　for
  sale　suffered　loss。　These　events　made　Theodose　a　prophet　in　the　eyes
  of　Brigitte　and　Thuillier；　to　whom　the　house　was　now　about　to　be
  definitely　sold　for　seventy…five　thousand　francs。　The　notary；　involved
  in　the　political　disaster；　and　whose　practice　was　already　sold；
  concealed　himself　for　a　time　in　the　country；　but　he　took　with　him　the
  ten　thousand　francs　for　Claparon。　Advised　by　Theodose；　Thuillier　made
  a　contract　with　Grindot；　who　supposed　he　was　really　working　for　the
  notary　in　finishing　the　house；　and　as；　during　this　period　of　financial
  depression；　suspended　work　left　many　workmen　with　their　arms　folded；
  the　architect　was　able　to　finish　off　the　building　in　a　splendid　manner
  at　a　low　cost。　Theodose　insisted　that　the　agreement　should　be　in
  writing。
  This　purchase　increased　Thuillier's　importance　ten…fold。　As　for　the
  notary；　he　had　temporarily　lost　his　head　in　presence　of　political
  events　which　came　upon　him　like　a　waterspout　out　of　cloudless　skies。
  Theodose；　certain　now　of　his　supremacy；　holding　Thuillier　fast　by　his
  past　services　and　by　the　literary　work　in　which　they　were　both
  engaged；　admired　by　Brigitte　for　his　modesty　and　discretion；for
  never　had　he　made　the　slightest　allusion　to　his　own　poverty　or　uttered
  one　word　about　money；Theodose　began　to　assume　an　air　that　was　rather
  less　servile　than　it　had　been。　Brigitte　and　Thuillier　said　to　him　one
  day：
  〃Nothing　can　deprive　you　of　our　esteem；　you　are　here　in　this　house　as
  if　in　your　own　home；　the　opinion　of　Minard　and　Phellion；　which　you
  seem　to　fear；　has　no　more　value　for　us　than　a　stanza　of　Victor　Hugo。
  Therefore；　let　them　talk！　Carry　your　head　high！〃
  〃But　we　shall　still　need　them　for　Thuillier's　election　to　the
  Chamber；〃　said　Theodose。　〃Follow　my　advice；　you　have　found　it　good　so
  far；　haven't　you？　When　the　house　is　actually　yours；　you　will　have　got
  it　for　almost　nothing；　for　you　can　now　buy　into　the　Three…per…cents　at
  sixty　in　Madame　Thuillier's　name；　and　thus　replace　nearly　the　whole　of
  her　fortune。　Wait　only　for　the　expiration　of　the　time　allowed　to　the
  nominal　creditor　to　buy　it　in；　and　have　the　fifteen　thousand　francs
  ready　for　our　scoundrels。〃
  Brigitte　did　not　wait；　she　took　her　whole　capital　with　the　exception
  of　a　sum　of　one　hundred　and　twenty　thousand　francs；　and　bought　into
  the　Three…per…cents　in　Madame　Thuillier's　name　to　the　amount　of　twelve
  thousand　francs　a　year；　and　in　her　own　for　ten　thousand　a　year；
  resolving　in　her　own　mind　to　choose　no　other　kind　of　investment　in
  future。　She　saw　her　brother　secure　of　forty　thousand　francs　a　year
  besides　his　pension；　twelve　thousand　a　year　for　Madame　Thuillier　and
  eighteen　thousand　a　year　for　herself；　besides　the　house　they　lived　in；
  the　rental　of　which　she　valued　at　eight　thousand。
  〃We　are　worth　quite　as　much　as　the　Minards；〃　she　remarked。
  〃Don't　chant　victory　before　you　win　it；〃　said　Theodose。　〃The　right　of
  redemption　doesn't　expire　for　another　week。　I　have　attended　to　your
  affairs；　but　mine　have　gone　terribly　to　pieces。〃
  〃My　dear　child；　you　have　friends；〃　cried　Brigitte；　〃if　you　should
  happen　to　want　five　hundred　francs　or　so；　you　will　always　find　them
  here。〃
  Theodose　exchanged　a　smile　with　Thuillier；　who　hastened　to　carry　him
  off；　saying：
  〃Excuse　my　poor　sister；　she　sees　the　world　through　a　small　hole。　But
  if　you　should　want　twenty…five　thousand　francs　I'll　lend　them　to　you
  out　of　my　first　rents；〃　he　added。
  〃Thuillier；〃　exclaimed　Theodose；　〃the　rope　is　round　my　neck。　Ever
  since　I　have　been　a　barrister　I　have　had　notes　of　hand　running。　But
  say　nothing　about　it；〃　added　Theodose；　frightened　himself　at　having
  let　out　the　secret　of　his　situation。　〃I'm　in　the　claws　of　scoundrels；
  but　I　hope　to　crush　them　yet。〃
  In　telling　this　secret　Theodose；　though　alarmed　as　he　did　so；　had　a
  two…fold　purpose：　first；　to　test　Thuillier；　and　next；　to　avert　the
  consequences　of　a　fatal　blow　which　might　be　dealt　to　him　any　day　in　a
  secret　and　sinister　struggle　he　had　long　foreseen。　Two　words　will
  explain　his　horrible　position。
  CHAPTER　XII
  DEVILS　AGAINST　DEVILS
  During　the　extreme　poverty　of　la　Peyrade's　first　years　in　Paris；　none
  but　Cerizet　had　ever　gone　to　see　him　in　the　wretched　garret　where；　in
  severely　cold　weather；　he　stayed　in　bed　for　want　of　clothes。　Only　one
  shirt　remained　to　him。　For　three　days　he　lived　on　one　loaf　of　bread；
  cutting　it　into　measured　morsels；　and　asking　himself；　〃What　am　I　to
  do？〃　At　this　moment　it　was　that　his　former　partner　came　to　him；　having
  just　left　prison；　pardoned。　The　projects　which　the　two　men　then　formed
  before　a　fire　of　laths；　one　wrapped　in　his　landlady's　counterpane；　the
  other　in　his　infamy；　it　is　useless　to　relate。　The　next　day　Cerizet；
  who　had　talked　with　Dutocq　in　the　course　of　the　morning；　returned；
  bringing　trousers；　waistcoat；　coat；　hat；　and　boots；　bought　in　the
  Temple；　and　he　carried　off　Theodose　to　dine　with　himself　and　Dutocq。
  The　hungry　Provencal　ate　at　Pinson's；　rue　de　l'Ancienne　Comedie；　half
  of　a　dinner　costing　forty…seven　francs。　At　dessert；　after　Theodose　had
  drunk　freely；　Cerizet　said　to　him：
  〃Will　you　sign　me　bills　of　exchange　for　fifty　thousand　francs　in　your
  capacity　as　a　barrister？〃
  〃You　couldn't　get　five　thousand　on　them。〃
  〃That's　not　your　affair；　but　ours；　I　mean　monsieur's　here；　who　is
  giving　us　this　dinner；　and　mine；　in　a　matter　where　you　risk　nothing；
  but　in　which　you'll　get　your　title　as　barrister；　a　fine　practice；　and
  the　hand　in　marriage　of　a　girl　about　the　age　of　an　old　dog；　and　rich
  by　twenty　or　thirty　thousand　francs　a　year。　Neither　Dutocq　nor　I　can
  marry　her；　but　we'll　equip　you；　give　you　the　look　of　a　decent　man；
  feed　and　lodge　you；　and　set　you　up　generally。　Consequently；　we　want
  sec