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Updated: May 2, 2025
Madame Birotteau followed the architect with an anxious and appealing eye, watching with terror, and pointing out to her daughter, the fantastic movements of the four-foot rule, that wand of architects and builders, with which Grindot was measuring.
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."
The house, visited from garret to cellar by old Chaffaroux, was admitted by him to be an admirable construction; poor Grindot, the architect, who was interested with the notary and Claparon in the affair, thought the old man was employed in the interests of the contractor; the old fellow himself thought he was acting in the interests of his niece, and he gave it as his opinion that thirty thousand francs would finish the house.
Like the gentleman that he was, Rochefide invested his six hundred thousand francs in stock of the Bank of France and put half of that sum in the name of Josephine Schiltz. A little house was now hired in the rue de La Bruyere and given to Grindot, that great decorative architect, with orders to make it a perfect bonbon-box. Henceforth, Rochefide no longer managed his affairs.
I assemble my friends as much to celebrate the emancipation of our territory as to commemorate my promotion to the order of the Legion of honor," here Grindot made a curious gesture. "Possibly I showed myself worthy of that signal and royal favor, by my services on the bench, and by fighting for the Bourbons upon the steps of Saint-Roch on the 13th Vendemiaire, where I was wounded by Napoleon.
"What I want," said Crevel to Grindot, "is that a duchess, if I brought one there, should be surprised at it." He wanted to have a perfect Parisian Eden for his Eve, his "real lady," his Valerie, his duchess. "There are two beds," said Crevel to Hulot, showing him a sofa that could be made wide enough by pulling out a drawer. "This is one, the other is in the bedroom.
"Rabelais' quarter of an hour," said Ragon, smiling. "It was a fine ball," said Lourdois. "I am busy," said Cesar to the messengers; who all left the bills and went away. "Monsieur Grindot," said Lourdois, observing that the architect was folding up Birotteau's cheque, "will you certify my account? You need only to add it up; the prices were all agreed to by you on Monsieur Birotteau's behalf."
In decorating this house, which Crevel regarded as his own, Grindot had tried to compete with Cleretti, in whose hands the Duc d'Herouville had placed Josepha's villa. But Crevel, incapable of understanding art, had, like all sordid souls, wanted to spend a certain sum fixed beforehand. Grindot, fettered by a contract, had found it impossible to embody his architectural dream.
The good God has always taken care of him," said Cesarine, kissing her mother and sitting down to the piano, to let the architect know that the perfumer's daughter was not ignorant of the fine arts. When Grindot came in to measure the bedroom he was surprised and taken aback at the beauty of Cesarine.
"Ah! my boy, so here you are? How is the dear mamma?" he said, taking Oscar by the hand. "Good-day, messieurs," he added to Mistigris and his master, who then came forward. "You are, no doubt, the two painters whom Monsieur Grindot, the architect, told me to expect." He whistled twice at the end of his whip; the concierge came. "Take these gentlemen to rooms 14 and 15.
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