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