the firm of nucingen-第19章

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e　off　and　went　back　to　the　Matifat's　in　the　Rue　du　Cherche…Midi；　only　to　find　the　accursed　canal　shares　which　Gigonnet　had　foisted　on　Matifat　in　lieu　of　cash。

〃They　had　not　long　to　wait　for　the　crash。　The　firm　of　Claparon　did　business　on　too　large　a　scale；　the　capital　was　locked　up；　the　concern　ceased　to　serve　its　purposes；　or　to　pay　dividends；　though　the　speculations　were　sound。　These　misfortunes　coincided　with　the　events　of　1827。　In　1829　it　was　too　well　known　that　Claparon　was　a　man　of　straw　set　up　by　the　two　giants；　he　fell　from　his　pedestal。　Shares　that　had　fetched　twelve　hundred　and　fifty　francs　fell　to　four　hundred；　though　intrinsically　they　were　worth　six。　Nucingen；　knowing　their　value；　bought　them　up　at　four。

〃Meanwhile　the　little　Baroness　d'Aldrigger　had　sold　out　of　the　mines　that　paid　no　dividends；　and　Godefroid　had　reinvested　the　money　belonging　to　his　wife　and　her　mother　in　Claparon's　concern。　Debts　compelled　them　to　realize　when　the　shares　were　at　their　lowest；　so　that　of　seven　hundred　thousand　francs　only　two　hundred　thousand　remained。　They　made　a　clearance；　and　all　that　was　left　was　prudently　invested　in　the　three　per　cents　at　seventy…five。　Godefroid；　the　sometime　gay　and　careless　bachelor　who　had　lived　without　taking　thought　all　his　life　long；　found　himself　saddled　with　a　little　goose　of　a　wife　totally　unfitted　to　bear　adversity　（indeed；　before　six　months　were　over；　he　had　witnessed　the　anserine　transformation　of　his　beloved）　to　say　nothing　of　a　mother…in…law　whose　mind　ran　on　pretty　dresses　while　she　had　not　bread　to　eat。　The　two　families　must　live　together　to　live　at　all。　It　was　only　by　stirring　up　all　his　considerably　chilled　interest　that　Godefroid　got　a　post　in　the　audit　department。　His　friends？They　were　out　of　town。　His　relatives？All　astonishment　and　promises。　'What！　my　dear　boy！　Oh！　count　upon　me！　Poor　fellow！'　and　Beaudenord　was　clean　forgotten　fifteen　minutes　afterwards。　He　owed　his　place　to　Nucingen　and　de　Vandenesse。

〃And　to…day　these　so　estimable　and　unfortunate　people　are　living　on　a　third　floor　（not　counting　the　entresol）　in　the　Rue　du　Mont　Thabor。　Malvina；　the　Adolphus'　pearl　of　a　granddaughter；　has　not　a　farthing。　She　gives　music…lessons；　not　to　be　a　burden　upon　her　brother…in…law。　You　may　see　a　tall；　dark；　thin；　withered　woman；　like　a　mummy　escaped　from　Passalacqua's　about　afoot　through　the　streets　of　Paris。　In　1830　Beaudenord　lost　his　situation　just　as　his　wife　presented　him　with　a　fourth　child。　A　family　of　eight　and　two　servants　（Wirth　and　his　wife）　and　an　income　of　eight　thousand　livres。　And　at　this　moment　the　mines　are　paying　so　well；　that　an　original　share　of　a　thousand　francs　brings　in　a　dividend　of　cent　per　cent。

〃Rastignac　and　Mme。　de　Nucingen　bought　the　shares　sold　by　the　Baroness　and　Godefroid。　The　Revolution　made　a　peer　of　France　of　Nucingen　and　a　Grand　Officer　of　the　Legion　of　Honor。　He　has　not　stopped　payment　since　1830；　but　still　I　hear　that　he　has　something　like　seventeen　millions。　He　put　faith　in　the　Ordinances　of　July；　sold　out　of　all　his　investments；　and　boldly　put　his　money　into　the　funds　when　the　three　per　cents　stood　at　forty…five。　He　persuaded　the　Tuileries　that　this　was　done　out　of　devotion；　and　about　the　same　time　he　and　du　Tillet　between　them　swallowed　down　three　millions　belonging　to　that　great　scamp　Philippe　Bridau。

〃Quite　lately　our　Baron　was　walking　along　the　Rue　de　Rivoli　on　his　way　to　the　Bois　when　he　met　the　Baroness　d'Aldrigger　under　the　colonnade。　The　little　old　lady　wore　a　tiny　green　bonnet　with　a　rose…colored　lining；　a　flowered　gown；　and　a　mantilla；　altogether；　she　was　more　than　ever　the　Shepherdess　of　the　Alps。　She　could　no　more　be　made　to　understand　the　causes　of　her　poverty　than　the　sources　of　her　wealth。　As　she　went　along；　leaning　upon　poor　Malvina；　that　model　of　heroic　devotion；　she　seemed　to　be　the　young　girl　and　Malvina　the　old　mother。　Wirth　followed　them；　carrying　an　umbrella。

〃　'Dere　are　beoples　whose　vordune　I　vound　it　imbossible　to　make；'　said　the　Baron；　addressing　his　companion　（M。　Cointet；　a　cabinet　minister）。　'Now　dot　de　baroxysm　off　brincibles　haf　bassed　off；　chust　reinshtate　dot　boor　Peautenord。'

〃So　Beaudenord　went　back　to　his　desk；　thanks　to　Nucingen's　good　offices；　and　the　d'Aldriggers　extol　Nucingen　as　a　hero　of　friendship；　for　he　always　sends　the　little　Shepherdess　of　the　Alps　and　her　daughters　invitations　to　his　balls。　No　creature　whatsoever　can　be　made　to　understand　that　the　Baron　yonder　three　times　did　his　best　to　plunder　the　public　without　breaking　the　letter　of　the　law；　and　enriched　people　in　spite　of　himself。　No　one　has　a　word　to　say　against　him。　If　anybody　should　suggest　that　a　big　capitalist　often　is　another　word　for　a　cut…throat；　it　would　be　a　most　egregious　calumny。　If　stocks　rise　and　fall；　if　property　improves　and　depreciates；　the　fluctuations　of　the　market　are　caused　by　a　common　movement；　a　something　in　the　air；　a　tide　in　the　affairs　of　men　subject　like　other　tides　to　lunar　influences。　The　great　Arago　is　much　to　blame　for　giving　us　no　scientific　theory　to　account　for　this　important　phenomenon。　The　only　outcome　of　all　this　is　an　axiom　which　I　have　never　seen　anywhere　in　print〃

〃And　that　is？〃

〃The　debtor　is　more　than　a　match　for　the　creditor。〃

〃Oh！〃　said　Blondet。　〃For　my　own　part；　all　that　we　have　been　saying　seems　to　me　to　be　a　paraphrase　of　the　epigram　in　which　Montesquieu　summed　up　l'Espirit　des　Lois。〃

〃What？〃　said　Finot。

〃Laws　are　like　spiders'　webs；　the　big　flies　get　through；　while　the　little　ones　are　caught。〃

〃Then；　what　are　you　for？〃　asked　Finot。

〃For　absolute　government；　the　only　kind　of　government　under　which　enterprises　against　the　spirit　of　the　law　can　be　put　down。　Yes。　Arbitrary　rule　is　the　salvation　of　a　country　when　it　comes　to　the　support　of　justice；　for　the　right　of　mercy　is　strictly　one…sided。　The　king　can　pardon　a　fraudulent　bankrupt；　he　cannot　do　anything　for　the　victims。　The　letter　of　the　law　is　fatal　to　modern　society。〃

〃Just　get　that　into　the　electors'　heads！〃　said　Bixiou。

〃Some　one　has　undertaken　to　do　it。〃

〃Who？〃

〃Time。　As　the　Bishop　of　Leon　said；　'Liberty　is　ancient；　but　kingship　is　eternal；　any　nation　in　its　right　mind　returns　to　monarchical　government　in　one　form　or　another。'　〃

〃I　say；　there　was　somebody　next　door；〃　said　Finot；　hearing　us　rise　to　go。

〃There　always　is　somebody　next　door；〃　retorted　Bixiou。　〃But　he　must　have　been　drunk。〃



PARIS；　November　1837。




ADDENDUM

The　following　personages　appear　in　other　stories　of　the　Human　Comedy。

Aiglemont；　General；　Marquis　Victor　d'　　　At　the　Sign　of　the　Cat　and　Racket　　　A　Woman　of　Thirty

Beaudenord；　Godefroid　de　　　A　Distinguished　Provincial　at　Paris　　　The　Ball　at　Sceaux

Bidault　（known　as　Gigonnet）　　　The　Government　Clerks　　　Gobseck　　　The　Vendetta　　　Cesar　Birotteau　　　A　Daughter　of　Eve

Bixiou；　Jean…Jacques　　　The　Purse　　　A　Bachelor's　Establishment　　　The　Government　Clerks　　　Modeste　Mignon　　　Scenes　from　a　Courtesan's　Life　　　The　Muse　of　the　Department　　　Cousin　Betty　　　The　Member　for　Arcis　　　Beatrix　　　A　Man　of　Business　　　Gaudissart　II。　　　The　Unconscious　Humorists　　　Cousin　Pons

Blondet；　Emile　　　Jealousies　of　a　Country　Town　　　A　Distinguished　Provincial　at　Paris　　　Scenes　from　a　Courtesan's　Life　　　Modeste　Mignon　　　Another　Study　of　Woman　　　The　Secrets　of　a　Princess　　　A　Daughter　of　Eve　　　The　Peasantry

Claparon；　Charles　　　A　Bachelor's　Establishment　　　Cesar　Birotteau　　　Melmoth　Reconciled　　　A　Man　of　Business　　　The　Middle　Classes

Cochin；　Emile…Louis…Lucien…Emmanuel　　　Cesar　Birotteau　　　The　Government　Clerks　　　　The　Middle　Classes

Cochin；　Adolphe　　　Cesar　Birotteau

Cointet；　Boniface　　　Lost　Illusions　　　The　Member　for　Arcis

Couture　　　Beatrix　　　The　Middle　Classes

Desroches　（son）　　　A　Bachelor's　Establishment　　　Colonel　Chabert　　　A　Start　in　Life　　　A　Woman　of　Thirty　　　The　Commission　in　Lunacy　　　The　Government　Clerks　　　A　Distinguished　Provincial　at　Paris　　　Scenes　from　a　Courtesan's　Life　　　A　Man　of　Business　　　The　Middle　Classes

Falleix；　Martin　　　The　Government　Clerks

Finot；　Andoche　　　Cesar　Birotteau　　　A　Bachelor's　Establishment　　　A　Distinguished　Provincial　at　Paris　　　Scenes　from　a　Courtesan's　Life　　　The　Government　Clerks　　　A　Start　in　Life　　　Gaudissart　the　Great

Gobseck；　Esther　Van