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And then； the Bible！ Upon that I declare that this little gentleman is none of mine。 Let him be taken care of。
It is not his fault。〃
This manner of procedure was good…tempered。 The woman； whose name was Magnon； sent him another parcel in the following year。
It was a boy again。 Thereupon； M。 Gillenormand capitulated。
He sent the two brats back to their mother； promising to pay eighty francs a month for their maintenance； on the condition that the said mother would not do so any more。
He added：
〃I insist upon it that the mother shall treat them well。
I shall go to see them from time to time。〃 And this he did。
He had had a brother who was a priest； and who had been rector of the Academy of Poitiers for three and thirty years； and had died at seventy…nine。 〃I lost him young；〃 said he。 This brother； of whom but little memory remains； was a peaceable miser； who； being a priest； thought himself bound to bestow alms on the poor whom he met； but he never gave them anything except bad or demonetized sous； thereby discovering a means of going to hell by way of paradise。
As for M。 Gillenormand the elder； he never haggled over his alms…giving； but gave gladly and nobly。 He was kindly； abrupt； charitable； and if he had been rich； his turn of mind would have been magnificent。
He desired that all which concerned him should be done in a grand manner； even his rogueries。
One day； having been cheated by a business man in a matter of inheritance； in a gross and apparent manner； he uttered this solemn exclamation：
〃That was indecently done！ I am really ashamed of this pilfering。
Everything has degenerated in this century； even the rascals。
Morbleu！ this is not the way to rob a man of my standing。
I am robbed as though in a forest； but badly robbed。
Silva； sint consule dignae！〃
He had had two wives； as we have already mentioned； by the first he had had a daughter； who had remained unmarried； and by the second another daughter； who had died at about the age of thirty； who had wedded； through love； or chance； or otherwise； a soldier of fortune who had served in the armies of the Republic and of the Empire； who had won the cross at Austerlitz and had been made colonel at Waterloo。 〃He is the disgrace of my family；〃 said the old bourgeois。 He took an immense amount of snuff； and had a particularly graceful manner of plucking at his lace ruffle with the back of one hand。 He believed very little in God。
BOOK SECOND。THE GREAT BOURGEOIS
CHAPTER VII
RULE：
RECEIVE NO ONE EXCEPT IN THE EVENING
Such was M。 Luc…Esprit Gillenormand； who had not lost his hair； which was gray rather than white；and which was always dressed in 〃dog's ears。〃
To sum up； he was venerable in spite of all this。
He had something of the eighteenth century about him； frivolous and great。
In 1814 and during the early years of the Restoration； M。 Gillenormand； who was still young；he was only seventy…four；lived in the Faubourg Saint Germain； Rue Servandoni； near Saint…Sulpice。 He had only retired to the Marais when he quitted society； long after attaining the age of eighty。
And； on abandoning society； he had immured himself in his habits。 The principal one； and that which was invariable； was to keep his door absolutely closed during the day； and never to receive any one whatever except in the evening。
He dined at five o'clock； and after that his door was open。
That had been the fashion of his century； and he would not swerve from it。
〃The day is vulgar；〃 said he； 〃and deserves only a closed shutter。
Fashionable people only light up their minds when the zenith lights up its stars。〃
And he barricaded himself against every one； even had it been the king himself。 This was the antiquated elegance of his day。
BOOK SECOND。THE GREAT BOURGEOIS
CHAPTER VIII
TWO DO NOT MAKE A PAIR
We have just spoken of M。 Gillenormand's two daughters。
They had e into the world ten years apart。
In their youth they had borne very little resemblance to each other； either in character or countenance； and had also been as little like sisters to each other as possible。
The youngest had a charming soul； which turned towards all that belongs to the light； was occupied with flowers； with verses； with music； which fluttered away into glorious space； enthusiastic； ethereal； and was wedded from her very youth； in ideal； to a vague and heroic figure。
The elder had also her chimera； she espied in the azure some very wealthy purveyor； a contractor； a splendidly stupid husband； a million made man； or even a prefect； the receptions of the Prefecture； an usher in the antechamber with a chain on his neck； official balls； the harangues of the town…hall； to be 〃Madame la Prefete；〃all this had created a whirlwind in her imagination。
Thus the two sisters strayed； each in her own dream； at the epoch when they were young girls。 Both had wings； the one like an angel； the other like a goose。
No ambition is ever fully realized； here below at least。 No paradise bees terrestrial in our day。
The younger wedded the man of her dreams； but she died。
The elder did not marry at all。
At the moment when she makes her entrance into this history which we are relating； she was an antique virtue； an inbustible prude； with one of the sharpest noses； and one of the most obtuse minds that it is possible to see。
A characteristic detail； outside of her immediate family； no one had ever known her first name。 She was called Mademoiselle Gillenormand； the elder。
In the matter of cant； Mademoiselle Gillenormand could have given points to a miss。
Her modesty was carried to the other extreme of blackness。
She cherished a frightful memory of her life； one day； a man had beheld her garter。
Age had only served to accentuate this pitiless modesty。
Her guimpe was never sufficiently opaque； and never ascended sufficiently high。 She multiplied clasps and pins where no one would have dreamed of looking。
The peculiarity of prudery is to place all the more sentinels in proportion as the fortress is the less menaced。
Neverthele