bureaucracy-第12章

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discovery　made　by　Falleix　in　smelting　（patent　of　invention　and　gold

medal　granted　at　the　exposition　of　1825）。　Madame　Baudoyer；　whose　only

daughter　was　treadingto　use　an　expression　of　old　Saillard'son　the

tail　of　her　twelve　years；　laid　claim　to　Falleix；　a　thickset；　swarthy；

active　young　fellow；　of　shrewd　principles；　whose　education　she　was

superintending。　The　said　education；　according　to　her　ideas；　consisted

in　teaching　him　to　play　boston；　to　hold　his　cards　properly；　and　not　to

let　others　see　his　game；　to　shave　himself　regularly　before　he　came　to

the　house；　and　to　wash　his　hands　with　good　cleansing　soap；　not　to

swear；　to　speak　her　kind　of　French；　to　wear　boots　instead　of　shoes；

cotton　shirts　instead　of　sacking；　and　to　brush　up　his　hair　instead　of

plastering　it　flat。　During　the　preceding　week　Elisabeth　had　finally

succeeded　in　persuading　Falleix　to　give　up　wearing　a　pair　of　enormous

flat　earrings　resembling　hoops。



〃You　go　too　far；　Madame　Baudoyer；〃　he　said；　seeing　her　satisfaction　at

the　final　sacrifice；　〃you　order　me　about　too　much。　You　make　me　clean

my　teeth；　which　loosens　them；　presently　you　will　want　me　to　brush　my

nails　and　curl　my　hair；　which　won't　do　at　all　in　our　business；　we

don't　like　dandies。〃



Elisabeth　Baudoyer；　nee　Saillard；　is　one　of　those　persons　who　escape

portraiture　through　their　utter　commonness；　yet　who　ought　to　be

sketched；　because　they　are　specimens　of　that　second…rate　Parisian

bourgeoisie　which　occupies　a　place　above　the　well…to…do　artisan　and

below　the　upper　middle　classes；a　tribe　whose　virtues　are　well…nigh

vices；　whose　defects　are　never　kindly；　but　whose　habits　and　manners；

dull　and　insipid　though　they　be；　are　not　without　a　certain

originality。　Something　pinched　and　puny　about　Elisabeth　Saillard　was

painful　to　the　eye。　Her　figure；　scarcely　over　four　feet　in　height；　was

so　thin　that　the　waist　measured　less　than　twenty　inches。　Her　small

features；　which　clustered　close　about　the　nose；　gave　her　face　a　vague

resemblance　to　a　weasel's　snout。　Though　she　was　past　thirty　years　old

she　looked　scarcely　more　than　sixteen。　Her　eyes；　of　porcelain　blue；

overweighted　by　heavy　eyelids　which　fell　nearly　straight　from　the　arch

of　the　eyebrows；　had　little　light　in　them。　Everything　about　her

appearance　was　commonplace：　witness　her　flaxen　hair；　tending　to

whiteness；　her　flat　forehead；　from　which　the　light　did　not　reflect；

and　her　dull　complexion；　with　gray；　almost　leaden；　tones。　The　lower

part　of　the　face；　more　triangular　than　oval；　ended　irregularly　the

otherwise　irregular　outline　of　her　face。　Her　voice　had　a　rather　pretty

range　of　intonation；　from　sharp　to　sweet。　Elisabeth　was　a　perfect

specimen　of　the　second…rate　little　bourgeoisie　who　lectures　her

husband　behind　the　curtains；　obtains　no　credit　for　her　virtues；　is

ambitious　without　intelligent　object；　and　solely　through　the

development　of　her　domestic　selfishness。　Had　she　lived　in　the　country

she　would　have　bought　up　adjacent　land；　being；　as　she　was；　connected

with　the　administration；　she　was　determined　to　push　her　way。　If　we

relate　the　life　of　her　father　and　mother；　we　shall　show　the　sort　of

woman　she　was　by　a　picture　of　her　childhood　and　youth。



Monsieur　Saillard　married　the　daughter　of　an　upholsterer　keeping　shop

under　the　arcades　of　the　Market。　Limited　means　compelled　Monsieur　and

Madame　Saillard　at　their　start　in　life　to　bear　constant　privation。

After　thirty…three　years　of　married　life；　and　twenty…nine　years　of

toil　in　a　government　office；　the　property　of　〃the　Saillards〃their

circle　of　acquaintance　called　them　soconsisted　of　sixty　thousand

francs　entrusted　to　Falleix；　the　house　in　the　place　Royale；　bought　for

forty　thousand　in　1804；　and　thirty…six　thousand　francs　given　in　dowry

to　their　daughter　Elisabeth。　Out　of　this　capital　about　fifty　thousand

came　to　them　by　the　will　of　the　widow　Bidault；　Madame　Saillard's

mother。　Saillard's　salary　from　the　government　had　always　been　four

thousand　five　hundred　francs　a　year；　and　no　more；　his　situation　was　a

blind　alley　that　led　nowhere；　and　had　tempted　no　one　to　supersede　him。

Those　ninety　thousand　francs；　put　together　sou　by　sou；　were　the　fruit

therefore　of　a　sordid　economy　unintelligently　employed。　In　fact；　the

Saillards　did　not　know　how　better　to　manage　their　savings　than　to

carry　them；　five　thousand　francs　at　a　time；　to　their　notary；　Monsieur

Sorbier；　Cardot's　predecessor；　and　let　him　invest　them　at　five　per

cent　in　first　mortgages；　with　the　wife's　rights　reserved　in　case　the

borrower　was　married！　In　1804　Madame　Saillard　obtained　a　government

office　for　the　sale　of　stamped　papers；　a　circumstance　which　brought　a

servant　into　the　household　for　the　first　time。　At　the　time　of　which　we

write；　the　house；　which　was　worth　a　hundred　thousand　francs；　brought

in　a　rental　of　eight　thousand。　Falleix　paid　seven　per　cent　for　the

sixty　thousand　invested　in　the　foundry；　besides　an　equal　division　of

profits。　The　Saillards　were　therefore　enjoying　an　income　of　not　less

than　seventeen　thousand　francs　a　year。　The　whole　ambition　of　the　good

man　now　centred　on　obtaining　the　cross　of　the　Legion　and　his　retiring

pension。



Elisabeth；　the　only　child；　had　toiled　steadily　from　infancy　in　a　home

where　the　customs　of　life　were　rigid　and　the　ideas　simple。　A　new　hat

for　Saillard　was　a　matter　of　deliberation；　the　time　a　coat　could　last

was　estimated　and　discussed；　umbrellas　were　carefully　hung　up　by　means

of　a　brass　buckle。　Since　1804　no　repairs　of　any　kind　had　been　done　to

the　house。　The　Saillards　kept　the　ground…floor　in　precisely　the　state

in　which　their　predecessor　left　it。　The　gilding　of　the　pier…glasses

was　rubbed　off；　the　paint　on　the　cornices　was　hardly　visible　through

the　layers　of　dust　that　time　had　collected。　The　fine　large　rooms　still

retained　certain　sculptured　marble　mantel…pieces　and　ceilings；　worthy

of　Versailles；　together　with　the　old　furniture　of　the　widow　Bidault。

The　latter　consisted　of　a　curious　mixture　of　walnut　armchairs；

disjointed；　and　covered　with　tapestry；　rosewood　bureaus；　round　tables

on　single　pedestals；　with　brass　railings　and　cracked　marble　tops；　one

superb　Boulle　secretary；　the　value　of　which　style　had　not　yet　been

recognized；　in　short；　a　chaos　of　bargains　picked　up　by　the　worthy

widow；pictures　bought　for　the　sake　of　the　frames；　china　services　of

a　composite　order；　to　wit；　a　magnificent　Japanese　dessert　set；　and　all

the　rest　porcelains　of　various　makes；　unmatched　silver　plate；　old

glass；　fine　damask；　and　a　four…post　bedstead；　hung　with　curtains　and

garnished　with　plumes。



Amid　these　curious　relics；　Madame　Saillard　always　sat　on　a　sofa　of

modern　mahogany；　near　a　fireplace　full　of　ashes　and　without　fire；　on

the　mantel…shelf　of　which　stood　a　clock；　some　antique　bronzes；

candelabra　with　paper　flowers　but　no　candles；　for　the　careful

housewife　lighted　the　room　with　a　tall　tallow　candle　always　guttering

down　into　the　flat　brass　candlestick　which　held　it。　Madame　Saillard's

face；　despite　its　wrinkles；　was　expressive　of　obstinacy　and　severity；

narrowness　of　ideas；　an　uprightness　that　might　be　called　quadrangular；

a　religion　without　piety；　straightforward；　candid　avarice；　and　the

peace　of　a　quiet　conscience。　You　may　see　in　certain　Flemish　pictures

the　wives　of　burgomasters　cut　out　by　nature　on　the　same　pattern　and

wonderfully　reproduced　on　canvas；　but　these　dames　wear　fine　robes　of

velvet　and　precious　stuffs；　whereas　Madame　Saillard　possessed　no

robes；　only　that　venerable　garment　called　in　Touraine　and　Picardy

〃cottes；〃　elsewhere　petticoats；　or　skirts　pleated　behind　and　on　each

side；　with　other　skirts　hanging　over　them。　Her　bust　was　inclosed　in

what　was　called　a　〃casaquin；〃　another　obsolete　name　for　a　short　gown

or　jacket。　She　continued　to　wear　a　cap　with　starched　wings；　and　shoes

with　high　heels。　Though　she　was　now　fifty…seven　years　old；　and　her

lifetime　of　vigorous　household　work　ought　now　to　be　rewarded　with

well…earned　repose；　she　was　incessantly　employed　in　knitting　her

hu