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Five days went by; five days during which Braschon, Lourdois, Thorein, Grindot, Chaffaroux, and all the other creditors with unpaid bills passed through the chameleon phases that are customary to uneasy creditors before they take the sanguinary colors of the commercial Bellona, and reach a state of peaceful confidence.
The poor man stopped short; he was about to ask the painter to take the note given to Grindot, ridiculing the architect with the good nature of a merchant sure of his own standing; but he saw a cloud upon Lourdois' brow, and he shuddered at his own imprudence. The innocent jest would have been the death of his suspected credit.
When, a week before the fateful day, Braschon, Grindot, Lourdois, and Chaffaroux, the builder, assured Cesar positively that the rooms would be ready for the famous Sunday of December the 17th, an amusing conference took place, in the evening after dinner, between Cesar, his wife, and his daughter, for the purpose of making out the list of guests and addressing the invitations, which a stationer had sent home that morning, printed on pink paper, in flowing English writing, and in the formula of commonplace and puerile civility.
"No, monsieur, I have lived from hand to mouth, that I might scrape up this money; but I hope, in time, to repair the wrongs I have done to my neighbor." "Ah!" said the painter, swallowing a mouthful of pate de foie gras, "you are truly a man of honor." "What is Madame Birotteau doing?" asked Madame Lourdois. "She is keeping the books of Monsieur Anselme Popinot."
Moreover, as long as a man is in business he should be careful of his expenses, limited in his luxury; the law itself imposes the obligation, he must not allow himself 'excessive expenditures. If the enlargement of my home and its decoration were to go beyond due limits, it would be wrong in me to permit it; you yourself would blame me, Lourdois.
Birotteau, seduced, agreed to everything; and soon the house, and the heart of Constance, began to quiver under the blows of pick and hammer. The house-painter, Monsieur Lourdois, a very rich contractor, who had promised that nothing should be wanting, talked of gilding the salon. On hearing that word Constance interposed.
"Monsieur Lourdois," she said, "you have an income of thirty thousand francs, you occupy your own house, and you can do what you like to it; but the rest of us " "Madame, commerce ought to shine and not permit itself to be kept in the shade by the aristocracy. Besides, Monsieur Birotteau is in the government; he is before the eyes of the world "
There should either be total relinquishment of everything, or infamy." "Damn it!" said Cesar, "at the rate things are going now, a merchant will soon be a licensed thief. With his mere signature he can dip into anybody's money-drawer." "You have no mercy, Monsieur Birotteau," said Lourdois. "He is quite right," said old Ragon.
Grindot, ordered by Birotteau to stipulate the costs, went for the interests of the builders against the bourgeoisie; and the result was that three large contractors Lourdois, Chaffaroux, and Thorein the carpenter proclaimed him "one of those good fellows it is a pleasure to work for."
"Poor people!" said Madame Lourdois, in a low voice to her husband. "If you ever need me, my dear Monsieur Birotteau, come and see me," said Lourdois. "I might help " "I do need you at eleven o'clock to-day, monsieur," said Birotteau, retiring. This first result gave courage to the poor bankrupt, but not peace of mind.