bureaucracy-第13章

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lifetime　of　vigorous　household　work　ought　now　to　be　rewarded　with

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

husband's　stockings　and　her　own；　and　those　of　an　uncle；　just　as　her

countrywomen　knit　them；　moving　about　the　room；　talking；　pacing　up　and

down　the　garden；　or　looking　round　the　kitchen　to　watch　what　was　going

on。



The　Saillard's　avarice；　which　was　really　imposed　on　them　in　the　first

instance　by　dire　necessity；　was　now　a　second　nature。　When　the　cashier

got　back　from　the　office；　he　laid　aside　his　coat；　and　went　to　work　in

the　large　garden；　shut　off　from　the　courtyard　by　an　iron　railing；　and

which　the　family　reserved　to　itself。　For　years　Elisabeth；　the

daughter；　went　to　market　every　morning　with　her　mother；　and　the　two

did　all　the　work　of　the　house。　The　mother　cooked　well；　especially　a

duck　with　turnips；　but；　according　to　Saillard；　no　one　could　equal

Elisabeth　in　hashing　the　remains　of　a　leg　of　mutton　with　onions。　〃You

might　eat　your　boots　with　those　onions　and　not　know　it；〃　he　remarked。

As　soon　as　Elisabeth　knew　how　to　hold　a　needle；　her　mother　had　her

mend　the　household　linen　and　her　father's　coats。　Always　at　work；　like

a　servant；　she　never　went　out　alone。　Though　living　close　by　the

boulevard　du　Temple；　where　Franconi；　La　Gaite；　and　l'Ambigu…Comique

were　within　a　stone's　throw；　and；　further　on；　the　Porte…Saint…Martin；

Elisabeth　had　never　seen　a　comedy。　When　she　asked　to　〃see　what　it　was

like〃　（with　the　Abbe　Gaudron's　permission；　be　it　understood）；　Monsieur

Baudoyer　took　herfor　the　glory　of　the　thing；　and　to　show　her　the

finest　that　was　to　be　seento　the　Opera；　where　they　were　playing　〃The

Chinese　Laborer。〃　Elisabeth　thought　〃the　comedy〃　as　wearisome　as　the

plague　of　flies；　and　never　wished　to　see　another。　On　Sundays；　after

walking　four　times　to　and　fro　between　the　place　Royale　and　Saint…

Paul's　church　（for　her　mother　made　her　practise　the　precepts　and　the

duties　of　religion）；　her　parents　took　her　to　the　pavement　in　front　of

the　Cafe　Ture；　where　they　sat　on　chairs　placed　between　a　railing　and

the　wall。　The　Saillards　always　made　haste　to　reach　the　place　early　so

as　to　choose　the　best　seats；　and　found　much　entertainment　in　watching

the　passers…by。　In　those　days　the　Cafe　Ture　was　the　rendezvous　of　the

fashionable　society　of　the　Marais；　the　faubourg　Saint…Antoine；　and　the

circumjacent　regions。



Elisabeth　never　wore　anything　but　cotton　gowns　in　summer　and　merino　in

the　winter；　which　she　made　herself。　Her　mother　gave　her　twenty　francs

a　month　for　her　expenses；　but　her　father；　who　was　very　fond　of　her；

mitigated　this　rigorous　treatment　with　a　few　presents。　She　never　read

what　the　Abbe　Gaudron；　vicar　of　Saint…Paul's　and　the　family　director；

called　profane　books。　This　discipline　had　borne　fruit。　Forced　to

employ　her　feelings　on　some　passion　or　other；　Elisabeth　became　eager

after　gain。　Though　she　was　not　lacking　in　sense　or　perspicacity；

religious　theories；　and　her　complete　ignorance　of　higher　emotions　had

encircled　all　her　faculties　with　an　iron　hand；　they　were　exercised

solely　on　the　commonest　things　of　life；　spent　in　a　few　directions　they

were　able　to　concentrate　themselves　on　a　matter　in　hand。　Repressed　by

religious　devotion；　her　natural　intelligence　exercised　itself　within

the　limits　marked　out　by　cases　of　conscience；　which　form　a　mine　of

subtleties　among　which　self…interest　selects　its　subterfuges。　Like

those　saintly　personages　in　whom　religion　does　not　stifle　ambition；

Elisabeth　was　capable　of　requiring　others　to　do　a　blamable　action　that

she　might　reap　the　fruits；　and　she　would　have　been；　like　them　again；

implacable　as　to　her　dues　and　dissembling　in　her　actions。　Once

offended；　she　watched　her　adversaries　with　the　perfidious　patience　of

a　cat；　and　was　capable　of　bringing　about　some　cold　and　complete

vengeance；　and　then　laying　it　to　the　account　of　God。　Until　her

marriage　the　Saillards　lived　without　other　society　than　that　of　the

Abbe　Gaudron；　a　priest　from　Auvergne　appointed　vicar　of　Saint…Paul's

after　the　restoration　of　Catholic　worship。　Besides　this　ecclesiastic；

who　was　a　friend　of　the　late　Madame　Bidault；　a　paternal　uncle　of

Madame　Saillard；　an　old　paper…dealer　retired　from　business　ever　since

the　year　II。　of　the　Republic；　and　now　sixty…nine　years　old；　came　to

see　them　on　Sundays　only；　because　on　that　day　no　government　business

went　on。



This　little　old　man；　with　a　livid　face　blazoned　by　the　red　nose　of　a

tippler　and　lighted　by　two　gleaming　vulture　eyes；　allowed　his　gray

hair　to　hang　loose　under　a　three…cornered　hat；　wore　breeches　with

straps　that　extended　beyond　the　buckles；　cotton　stockings　of　mottled

thread　knitted　by　his　niece；　whom　he　always　called　〃the　little

Saillard；〃　stout　shoes　with　silver　buckles；　and　a　surtout　coat　of

mixed　colors。　He　looked　very　much　like　those　verger…beadle…bell…

ringing…grave…digging…parish…clerks　who　are　taken　to　be　caricatures

until　we　see　them　performing　their　various　functions。　On　the　present

occasion　he　had　come　on　foot　to　dine　with　the　Saillards；　intending　to

return　in　the　same　way　to　the　rue　Greneta；　where　he　lived　on　the　third

floor　of　an　old　house。　His　business　was　that　of　discounting　commercial

paper　in　the　quartier　Saint…Martin；　where　he　was　known　by　the　nickname

of　〃Gigonnet；〃　from　the　nervous　convulsive　movement　with　which　he

lifted　his　legs　in　walking；　like　a　cat。　Monsieur　Bidault　began　this

business　in　the　year　II。　in　partnership　with　a　dutchman　named

Werbrust；　a　friend　of　Gobseck。



Some　time　later　Saillard　made　the　acquaintance　of　Monsieur　and　Madame

Transon；　wholesale　dealers　in　pottery；　with　an　establishment　in　the

rue　de　Lesdiguieres；　who　took　an　interest　in　Elisabeth　and　introduced

young　Isadore　Baudoyer　to　the　family　with　the　intention　of　marrying

her。　Gigonnet　approved　of　the　match；　for　he　had　long　employed　a

certain　Mitral；　uncle　of　the　young　man；　as　clerk。　Monsieur　and　Madame

Baudoyer；　father　and　mother　of　Isidore；　highly　respected　leather…

dressers　in　the　rue　Censier；　had　slowly　made　a　moderate　fortune　out　of

a　small　trade。　After　marrying　their　only　son；　on　whom　they　settled

fifty　thousand　francs；　they　determined　to　live　in　the　country；　and　had

lately　removed　to　the　neighborhood　of　Ile…d'Adam；　where　after　a　time

they　were　joined　by　Mitral。　They　frequently　came　to　Paris；　however；

where　they　kept　a　corner　in　the　house　in　the　rue　Censier　which　they

gave　to　Isidore　on　his　marriage。　The　elder　Baudoyers　had　an　income　of

about　three　thousand　francs　left　to　live　upon　after　establishing　their

son。



Mitral　was　a　being　with　a　sinister　wig；　a　face　the　color　of　Seine

water；　lighted　by　a　pair　of　Spanish…tobacco…colored　eyes；　cold　as　a

well…rope；　always　smelling　a　rat；　and　close…mouthed　about　his

property。　He　probably　made　his　fortune　in　his　own　hole　and　corner；

just　as　Werbrust　and　Gigonnet　made　theirs　in　the　quartier　Saint…

Martin。



Though　the　Saillards'　circle　of　acquaintance　increased；　neither　their

ideas　nor　their　manners　and　customs　changed。　The　saint's…days　of

father；　mother；　daughter；　son…in…law；　and　grandchild　were　carefully

observed；　also　the　anniversaries　of　birth　and　marriage；　Easter；

Christmas；　New　Year's　day；　and　Epiphany。　These　festivals　were　preceded

by　great　domestic　sweepings　and　a　universal　clearing　up　of　the　house；

which　added　an　element　of　usefulness　to　the　ceremonies。　When　the

festival　day　came；　the　presents　were　offered　with　much　pomp　and　an

accompaniment　of　flowers；silk　stockings　or　a　fur　cap　for　old

Saillard；　gold　earrings　and　articles　of　plate　for　Elisabeth　or　her

husband；　for　whom；　little　by　little；　the　parents　were　accumulating　a

whole　silver　service；　silk　petticoats　for　Madame　Saillard；　who　laid

the　stuff　by　and　never　made　it　up。　The　recipient　of　these　gifts　was

placed　in　an　armchair　and　asked　by　those　present　for　a　certain　length

of　time；　〃Guess　what　we　have　for　you！〃　Then　came　a　splendid　dinner；

lasting　at　least　five　hours；　to　which　were　invited　the　Abbe　Gaudron；