the brotherhood of consolation-第5章

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asked　himself；　〃Shall　I　to…morrow　find　those　people　there？〃



III

THE　HOUSE　OF　MONGENOD

The　next　day；　as　Godefroid　rose　amid　the　appointments　of　modern　luxury
and　the　choice　appliances　of　English　〃comfort；〃　he　remembered　the
details　of　his　visit　to　that　cloister　of　Notre…Dame；　and　the　meaning
of　the　things　he　had　seen　there　came　into　his　mind。　The　three　unknown
and　silent　men；　whose　dress；　attitude；　and　stillness　acted　powerfully
upon　him；　were　no　doubt　boarders　like　the　priest。　The　solemnity　of
Madame　de　la　Chanterie　now　seemed　to　him　a　secret　dignity　with　which
she　bore　some　great　misfortune。　But　still；　in　spite　of　the
explanations　which　Godefroid　gave　himself；　he　could　not　help　fancying
there　was　an　air　of　mystery　about　those　sober　figures。

He　looked　around　him　and　selected　the　pieces　of　furniture　that　he
would　keep；　those　that　were　indispensable　to　him；　but　when　he
transported　them　in　thought　to　the　miserable　lodging　in　the　rue
Chanoinesse；　he　began　to　laugh　at　the　contrast　they　would　make　there；
resolving　to　sell　all　and　let　Madame　de　la　Chanterie　furnish　the　rooms
for　him。　He　wanted　a　new　life；　and　the　very　sight　of　these　objects
would　remind　him　of　that　which　he　wished　to　forget。　In　his　desire　for
transformation　（for　he　belonged　to　those　characters　who　spring　at　a
bound　into　the　middle　of　a　situation；　instead　of　advancing；　as　others
do；　step　by　step）；　he　was　seized　while　he　breakfasted　with　an　idea；
he　would　turn　his　whole　property　into　money；　pay　his　debts；　and　place
the　remainder　of　his　capital　in　the　banking…house　with　which　his
father　had　done　business。

This　house　was　the　firm　of　Mongenod　and　Company；　established　in　1816
or　1817；　whose　reputation　for　honesty　and　uprightness　had　never　been
questioned　in　the　midst　of　the　commercial　depravity　which　smirched；
more　or　less；　all　the　banking…houses　of　Paris。　In　spite　of　their
immense　wealth；　the　houses　of　Nucingen；　du　Tillet；　the　Keller
Brothers；　Palma　and　Company；　were　each　regarded；　more　or　less；　with
secret　disrespect；　although　it　is　true　this　disrespect　was　only
whispered。　Evil　means　had　produced　such　fine　results；　such　political
successes；　dynastic　principles　covered　so　completely　base　workings；
that　no　one　in　1834　thought　of　the　mud　in　which　the　roots　of　these
fine　trees；　the　mainstay　of　the　State；　were　plunged。　Nevertheless
there　was　not　a　single　one　of　those　great　bankers　to　whom　the
confidence　expressed　in　the　house　of　Mongenod　was　not　a　wound。　Like
English　houses；　the　Mongenods　made　no　external　display　of　luxury。　They
lived　in　dignified　stillness；　satisfied　to　do　their　business
prudently；　wisely；　and　with　a　stern　uprightness　which　enabled　them　to
carry　it　from　one　end　of　the　globe　to　the　other。

The　actual　head　of　the　house；　Frederic　Mongenod；　is　the　brother…in…law
of　the　Vicomte　de　Fontaine；　therefore；　this　numerous　family　is　allied
through　the　Baron　de　Fontaine　to　Monsieur　Grossetete；　the　receiver…
general；　brother　of　the　Grossetete　and　Company　of　Limoges；　to　the
Vandenesses；　and　to　Planat　de　Baudry；　another　receiver…general。　These
connections；　having　procured　for　the　late　Mongenod；　father　of　the
present　head　of　the　house；　many　favors　in　the　financial　operations
under　the　Restoration；　obtained　for　him　also　the　confidence　of　the　old
/noblesse/；　whose　property　and　whose　savings；　which　were　immense；　were
deposited　in　this　bank。　Far　from　coveting　a　peerage；　like　the　Kellers；
Nucingen；　and　du　Tillet；　the　Mongenods　kept　away　from　politics；　and
only　knew　as　much　about　them　as　their　banking　interests　demanded。

The　house　of　Mongenod　is　established　in　a　fine　old　mansion　in　the　rue
de　la　Victoire；　where　Madame　Mongenod；　the　mother；　lived　with　her　two
sons；　all　three　being　partners　in　the　house；the　share　of　the
Vicomtesse　de　Fontaine　having　been　bought　out　by　them　on　the　death　of
the　elder　Mongenod　in　1827。

Frederic　Mongenod；　a　handsome　young　man　about　thirty…five　years　of
age；　cold；　silent；　and　reserved　in　manner　like　a　Swiss；　and　neat　as　an
Englishman；　had　acquired　by　intercourse　with　his　father　all　the
qualities　necessary　for　his　difficult　profession。　Better　educated　than
the　generality　of　bankers；　his　studies　had　the　breadth　and
universality　which　characterize　the　polytechnic　training；　and　he　had；
like　most　bankers；　predilections　and　tastes　outside　of　his　business；
he　loved　mechanics　and　chemistry。　The　second　brother；　who　was　ten
years　younger　than　Frederic；　held　the　same　position　in　the　office　of
his　elder　brother　that　a　head　clerk　holds　in　that　of　a　notary　or
lawyer。　Frederic　trained　him；　as　he　had　himself　been　trained　by　his
father；　in　the　variety　of　knowledge　necessary　to　a　true　banker；　who　is
to　money　what　a　writer　is　to　ideas；they　must　both　know　all　of　that
with　which　they　have　to　deal。

When　Godefroid　reached　the　banking　house　and　gave　his　name；　he　saw　at
once　the　estimation　in　which　his　father　had　been　held；　for　he　was
ushered　through　the　offices　without　delay　to　the　private　counting…room
of　the　Mongenods。　This　counting…room　was　closed　with　a　glass　door；　so
that　Godefroid；　without　any　desire　to　listen；　overheard　as　he
approached　it　what　was　being　said　there。

〃Madame；　your　account　is　balanced　to　sixteen　hundred　thousand　francs；〃
said　the　younger　Mongenod。　〃I　do　not　know　what　my　brother's　intentions
are；　he　alone　can　say　whether　an　advance　of　a　hundred　thousand　francs
can　be　made。　You　must　have　been　imprudent。　Sixteen　hundred　thousand
francs　should　not　be　entrusted　to　any　business。〃

〃Do　not　speak　so　loud；　Louis！〃　said　a　woman's　voice。　〃Your　brother　has
often　told　you　to　speak　in　a　low　voice。　There　may　be　some　one　in　the
next　room。〃

At　this　moment　Frederic　Mongenod　himself　opened　the　door　of
communication　between　his　private　house　and　the　counting…room。　He　saw
Godefroid　and　crossed　the　room；　bowing　respectfully　to　the　lady　who
was　conversing　with　his　brother。

〃To　whom　have　I　the　honor　of　speaking？〃　he　said　to　Godefroid。

As　soon　as　Godefroid　gave　his　name；　Frederic　begged　him　to　be　seated；
and　as　the　banker　opened　the　lid　of　his　desk；　Louis　Mongenod　and　the
lady；　who　was　no　other　than　Madame　de　la　Chanterie；　rose　and　went　up
to　him。　All　three　then　moved　into　the　embrasure　of　a　window　and　talked
in　a　low　voice　with　Madame　Mongenod；　the　mother；　who　was　sitting
there；　and　to　whom　all　the　affairs　of　the　bank　were　confided。　For　over
thirty　years　this　woman　had　given；　to　her　husband　first　and　then　to
her　sons；　such　proofs　of　business　sagacity　that　she　had　long　been　a
managing　partner　in　the　firm　and　signed　for　it。

Godefroid；　as　he　looked　about　him；　noticed　on　a　shelf　certain　boxes
ticketed　with　the　words　〃De　la　Chanterie；〃　and　numbered　1　to　7。　When
the　conference　was　ended　by　the　banker　saying　to　his　brother；　〃Very
good；　go　down　to　the　cashier；〃　Madame　de　la　Chanterie　turned　round；
saw　Godefroid；　checked　a　gesture　of　surprise；　and　asked　a　few
questions　of　the　banker　in　a　low　voice；　to　which　he　replied　in　a　few
words　spoken　equally　in　a　whisper。

Madame　de　la　Chanterie　now　wore　gray　silk　stockings　and　small　prunella
shoes；　her　gown　was　the　same　as　before；　but　she　was　wrapped　in　a
Venetian　〃mantua；〃a　sort　of　cloak　which　was　just　then　returning　into
fashion。　On　her　head　was　a　drawn　bonnet　of　green　silk；　lined　with
white　silk；　of　a　style　called　/a　la　bonne　femme/。　Her　face　was　framed
by　a　cloud　of　lace。　She　held　herself　very　erect；　in　an　attitude　which
bespoke；　if　not　noble　birth；　certainly　the　habits　of　an　aristocratic
life。　Without　the　extreme　affability　of　her　manner；　she　might　have
seemed　haughty；　she　was　certainly　imposing。

〃It　is　the　will　of　Providence　rather　than　mere　chance　that　has　brought
us　here　together；　monsieur；〃　she　said　to　Godefroid；　〃for　I　had　almost
decided　to　refuse　a　lodger　whose　ways　of　life　seemed　to　me　quite
antipathetic　to　those　of　my　household；　but　Monsieur　Mongenod　has　just
given　me　some　information　about　your　family　which〃

〃Ah；　madame；monsieur！〃　said　Godefroid；　addressing　both　Madame　de　la
Chanterie　and　the　banker；　〃I　have　no　longer　a　family；　and　I　have　come
here　now　to　ask　some　financial　advice　of　my　father's　business　advisers
as　to　the　best　method　of　adapting　my　means　to　a　new　way　of　life。〃

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