eugenie grandet-第24章

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attention。

〃When　a　man　so　respected　and　important　as；　for　example；　your　late
brother〃

〃M…my　b…b…brother；　yes。〃

〃is　threatened　with　insolvency〃

〃They　c…c…call　it　in…ins…s…solvency？〃

〃Yes；　when　his　failure　is　imminent；　the　court　of　commerce；　to　which　he
is　amenable　（please　follow　me　attentively）；　has　the　power；　by　a
decree；　to　appoint　a　receiver。　Liquidation；　you　understand；　is　not　the
same　as　failure。　When　a　man　fails；　he　is　dishonored；　but　when　he
merely　liquidates；　he　remains　an　honest　man。〃

〃T…t…that's　very　d…d…different；　if　it　d…d…doesn't　c…c…cost　m…m…more；〃
said　Grandet。

〃But　a　liquidation　can　be　managed　without　having　recourse　to　the
courts　at　all。　For；〃　said　the　president；　sniffing　a　pinch　of　snuff；
〃don't　you　know　how　failures　are　declared？〃

〃N…n…no；　I　n…n…never　t…t…thought；〃　answered　Grandet。

〃In　the　first　place；〃　resumed　the　magistrate；　〃by　filing　the　schedule
in　the　record　office　of　the　court；　which　the　merchant　may　do　himself；
or　his　representative　for　him　with　a　power　of　attorney　duly　certified。
In　the　second　place；　the　failure　may　be　declared　under　compulsion　from
the　creditors。　Now　if　the　merchant　does　not　file　his　schedule；　and　if
no　creditor　appears　before　the　courts　to　obtain　a　decree　of　insolvency
against　the　merchant；　what　happens？〃

〃W…w…what　h…h…happens？〃

〃Why；　the　family　of　the　deceased；　his　representatives；　his　heirs；　or
the　merchant　himself；　if　he　is　not　dead；　or　his　friends　if　he　is　only
hiding；　liquidate　his　business。　Perhaps　you　would　like　to　liquidate
your　brother's　affairs？〃

〃Ah！　Grandet；〃　said　the　notary；　〃that　would　be　the　right　thing　to　do。
There　is　honor　down　here　in　the　provinces。　If　you　save　your　namefor
it　is　your　nameyou　will　be　a　man〃

〃A　noble　man！〃　cried　the　president；　interrupting　his　uncle。

〃Certainly；〃　answered　the　old　man；　〃my　b…b…brother's　name　was
G…G…Grandet；　like　m…m…mine。　Th…that's　c…c…certain；　I　d…d…don't
d…d…deny　it。　And　th…th…this　l…l…liquidation　might　be；　in　m…m…many
ways；　v…v…very　advan…t…t…tageous　t…t…to　the　interests　of　m…m…my
n…n…nephew；　whom　I　l…l…love。　But　I　must　consider。　I　don't　k…k…know　the
t…t…tricks　of　P…P…Paris。　I　b…b…belong　to　Sau…m…mur；　d…d…don't　you　see？
M…m…my　vines；　my　d…d…drainsin　short；　I've　my　own　b…b…business。　I
never　g…g…give　n…n…notes。　What　are　n…n…notes？　I　t…t…take　a　good
m…m…many；　but　I　have　never　s…s…signed　one。　I　d…d…don't　understand　such
things。　I　have　h…h…heard　say　that　n…n…notes　c…c…can　be　b…b…bought　up。〃

〃Of　course；〃　said　the　president。　〃Notes　can　be　bought　in　the　market；
less　so　much　per　cent。　Don't　you　understand？〃

Grandet　made　an　ear…trumpet　of　his　hand；　and　the　president　repeated
his　words。

〃Well；　then；〃　replied　the　man；　〃there's　s…s…something　to　be　g…g…got
out　of　it？　I　k…know　n…nothing　at　my　age　about　such　th…th…things。　I
l…l…live　here　and　l…l…look　after　the　v…v…vines。　The　vines　g…g…grow；
and　it's　the　w…w…wine　that　p…p…pays。　L…l…look　after　the　v…v…vintage；
t…t…that's　my　r…r…rule。　My　c…c…chief　interests　are　at　Froidfond。　I
c…c…can't　l…l…leave　my　h…h…house　to　m…m…muddle　myself　with　a
d…d…devilish　b…b…business　I　kn…know　n…n…nothing　about。　You　say　I　ought
to　l…l…liquidate　my　b…b…brother's　af…f…fairs；　to　p…p…prevent　the
f…f…failure。　I　c…c…can't　be　in　two　p…p…places　at　once；　unless　I　were　a
little　b…b…bird；　and〃

〃I　understand；〃　cried　the　notary。　〃Well；　my　old　friend；　you　have
friends；　old　friends；　capable　of　devoting　themselves　to　your
interests。〃

〃All　right！〃　thought　Grandet；　〃make　haste　and　come　to　the　point！〃

〃Suppose　one　of　them　went　to　Paris　and　saw　your　brother　Guillaume's
chief　creditor　and　said　to　him〃

〃One　m…m…moment；〃　interrupted　the　goodman；　〃said　wh…wh…what？　Something
l…l…like　this。　Monsieur　Gr…Grandet　of　Saumur　this；　Monsieur　Grandet　of
Saumur　that。　He　l…loves　his　b…b…brother；　he　loves　his　n…nephew。
Grandet　is　a　g…g…good　uncle；　he　m…m…means　well。　He　has　sold　his
v…v…vintage。　D…d…don't　declare　a　f…f…failure；　c…c…call　a　meeting；
l…l…liquidate；　and　then　Gr…Gr…Grandet　will　see　what　he　c…c…can　do。
B…b…better　liquidate　than　l…let　the　l…l…law　st…st…stick　its　n…n…nose
in。　Hein？　isn't　it　so？〃

〃Exactly　so；〃　said　the　president。

〃B…because；　don't　you　see；　Monsieur　de　B…Bonfons；　a　man　must　l…l…look
b…b…before　he　l…leaps。　If　you　c…c…can't；　you　c…c…can't。　M…m…must　know
all　about　the　m…m…matter；　all　the　resources　and　the　debts；　if　you
d…d…don't　want　to　be　r…r…ruined。　Hein？　isn't　it　so？〃

〃Certainly；〃　said　the　president。　〃I'm　of　opinion　that　in　a　few　months
the　debts　might　be　bought　up　for　a　certain　sum；　and　then　paid　in　full
by　an　agreement。　Ha！　ha！　you　can　coax　a　dog　a　long　way　if　you　show　him
a　bit　of　lard。　If　there　has　been　no　declaration　of　failure；　and　you
hold　a　lien　on　the　debts；　you　come　out　of　the　business　as　white　as　the
driven　snow。〃

〃Sn…n…now；〃　said　Grandet；　putting　his　hand　to　his　ear；　〃wh…wh…what
about　s…now？〃

〃But；〃　cried　the　president；　〃do　pray　attend　to　what　I　am　saying。〃

〃I　am　at…t…tending。〃

〃A　note　is　merchandise；an　article　of　barter　which　rises　and　falls　in
prices。　That　is　a　deduction　from　Jeremy　Bentham's　theory　about　usury。
That　writer　has　proved　that　the　prejudice　which　condemned　usurers　to
reprobation　was　mere　folly。〃

〃Whew！〃　ejaculated　the　goodman。

〃Allowing　that　money；　according　to　Bentham；　is　an　article　of
merchandise；　and　that　whatever　represents　money　is　equally
merchandise；〃　resumed　the　president；　〃allowing　also　that　it　is
notorious　that　the　commercial　note；　bearing　this　or　that　signature；　is
liable　to　the　fluctuation　of　all　commercial　values；　rises　or　falls　in
the　market；　is　dear　at　one　moment；　and　is　worth　nothing　at　another；
the　courts　decideah！　how　stupid　I　am；　I　beg　your　pardonI　am
inclined　to　think　you　could　buy　up　your　brother's　debts　for　twenty…
five　per　cent。〃

〃D…d…did　you　c…c…call　him　Je…Je…Jeremy　B…Ben？〃

〃Bentham；　an　Englishman。'

〃That's　a　Jeremy　who　might　save　us　a　lot　of　lamentations　in　business；〃
said　the　notary；　laughing。

〃Those　Englishmen　s…sometimes　t…t…talk　sense；〃　said　Grandet。　〃So；
ac…c…cording　to　Ben…Bentham；　if　my　b…b…brother's　n…notes　are　worth
n…n…nothing；　if　Je…JeI'm　c…c…correct；　am　I　not？　That　seems　c…c…clear
to　my　m…m…mindthe　c…c…creditors　would　beNo；　would　not　be；　I
understand。〃

〃Let　me　explain　it　all；〃　said　the　president。　〃Legally；　if　you　acquire
a　title　to　all　the　debts　of　the　Maison　Grandet；　your　brother　or　his
heirs　will　owe　nothing　to　any　one。　Very　good。〃

〃Very　g…good；〃　repeated　Grandet。

〃In　equity；　if　your　brother's　notes　are　negotiatednegotiated；　do　you
clearly　understand　the　term？negotiated　in　the　market　at　a　reduction
of　so　much　per　cent　in　value；　and　if　one　of　your　friends　happening　to
be　present　should　buy　them　in；　the　creditors　having　sold　them　of　their
own　free…will　without　constraint；　the　estate　of　the　late　Grandet　is
honorably　released。〃

〃That's　t…true；　b…b…business　is　b…business；〃　said　the　cooper。
〃B…b…but；　st…still；　you　know；　it　is　d…d…difficult。　I　h…have　n…no
m…m…money　and　n…no　t…t…time。〃

〃Yes；　but　you　need　not　undertake　it。　I　am　quite　ready　to　go　to　Paris
（you　may　pay　my　expenses；　they　will　only　be　a　trifle）。　I　will　see　the
creditors　and　talk　with　them　and　get　an　extension　of　time；　and
everything　can　be　arranged　if　you　will　add　something　to　the　assets　so
as　to　buy　up　all　title　to　the　debts。〃

〃We…we'll　see　about　th…that。　I　c…c…can't　and　I　w…w…won't　bind　myself
withoutHe　who　c…c…can't；　can't；　don't　you　see？〃

〃That's　very　true。〃

〃I'm　all　p…p…put　ab…b…bout　by　what　you've　t…t…told　me。　This　is　the
f…first　t…t…time　in　my　life　I　have　b…been　obliged　to　th…th…think〃

〃Yes；　you　are　not　a　lawyer。〃

〃I'm　only　a　p…p…poor　wine…g…grower；　and　know　n…nothing　about　wh…what
you　have　just　t…told　me；　I　m…m…must　th…think　about　it。〃

〃Very　good；〃　said　the　president；　preparing　to　resume　his　argument。

〃Nephew！〃　said　the　notary；　interrupting　him　in　a　warning　tone。

〃Well；　what；　uncle？〃　answered　the　president。

〃Let　Monsieur　Grandet　explain　his　own　intentions。　The　matter　in
question　is　of　the　first　importance。　Our　good　friend　ought　to　define
his　meaning　clearly；　and〃

A　loud　knock；　which　announced　the　arrival　of　the　des　Grassins　family；
succeeded　by　their　entrance　and　salutations；