bureaucracy-第14章

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

Falleix；　Rabourdin；　Monsieur　Godard；　under…head…clerk　to　Monsieur

Baudoyer；　Monsieur　Bataille；　captain　of　the　company　of　the　National

Guard　to　which　Saillard　and　his　son…in…law　belonged。　Monsieur　Cardot；

who　was　invariably　asked；　did　as　Rabourdin　did；　namely；　accepted　one

invitation　out　of　six。　The　company　sang　at　dessert；　shook　hands　and

embraced　with　enthusiasm；　wishing　each　other　all　manner　of　happiness；

the　presents　were　exhibited　and　the　opinion　of　the　guests　asked　about

them。　The　day　Saillard　received　his　fur　cap　he　wore　it　during　the

dessert；　to　the　satisfaction　of　all　present。　At　night；　mere　ordinary

acquaintances　were　bidden；　and　dancing　went　on　till　very　late；

formerly　to　the　music　of　one　violin；　but　for　the　last　six　years

Monsieur　Godard；　who　was　a　great　flute　player；　contributed　the

piercing　tones　of　a　flageolet　to　the　festivity。　The　cook；　Madame

Baudoyer's　nurse；　and　old　Catherine；　Madame　Saillard's　woman…servant；

together　with　the　porter　or　his　wife；　stood　looking　on　at　the　door　of

the　salon。　The　servants　always　received　three　francs　on　these

occasions　to　buy　themselves　wine　or　coffee。



This　little　circle　looked　upon　Saillard　and　Baudoyer　as　transcendent

beings；　they　were　government　officers；　they　had　risen　by　their　own

merits；　they　worked；　it　was　said；　with　the　minister　himself；　they　owed

their　fortune　to　their　talents；　they　were　politicians。　Baudoyer　was

considered　the　more　able　of　the　two；　his　position　as　head　of　a　bureau

presupposed　labor　that　was　more　intricate　and　arduous　than　that　of　a

cashier。　Moreover；　Isidore；　though　the　son　of　a　leather…dresser；　had

had　the　genius　to　study　and　to　cast　aside　his　father's　business　and

find　a　career　in　politics；　which　had　led　him　to　a　post　of　eminence。　In

short；　silent　and　uncommunicative　as　he　was；　he　was　looked　upon　as　a

deep　thinker；　and　perhaps；　said　the　admiring　circle；　he　would　some　day

become　deputy　of　the　eighth　arrondissement。　As　Gigonnet　listened　to

such　remarks　as　these；　he　pressed　his　already　pinched　lips　closer

together；　and　threw　a　glance　at　his　great…niece；　Elisabeth。



In　person；　Isidore　was　a　tall；　stout　man　of　thirty…seven；　who

perspired　freely；　and　whose　head　looked　as　if　he　had　water　on　the

brain。　This　enormous　head；　covered　with　chestnut　hair　cropped　close；

was　joined　to　the　neck　by　rolls　of　flesh　which　overhung　the　collar　of

his　coat。　He　had　the　arms　of　Hercules；　hands　worthy　of　Domitian；　a

stomach　which　sobriety　held　within　the　limits　of　the　majestic；　to　use

a　saying　of　Brillaet…Savarin。　His　face　was　a　good　deal　like　that　of

the　Emperor　Alexander。　The　Tartar　type　was　in　the　little　eyes　and　the

flattened　nose　turned　slightly　up；　in　the　frigid　lips　and　the　short

chin。　The　forehead　was　low　and　narrow。　Though　his　temperament　was

lymphatic；　the　devout　Isidore　was　under　the　influence　of　a　conjugal

passion　which　time　did　not　lessen。



In　spite；　however；　of　his　resemblance　to　the　handsome　Russian　Emperor

and　the　terrible　Domitian；　Isidore　Baudoyer　was　nothing　more　than　a

political　office…holder；　of　little　ability　as　head　of　his　department；

a　cut…and…dried　routine　man；　who　concealed　the　fact　that　he　was　a

flabby　cipher　by　so　ponderous　a　personality　that　no　scalpel　could　cut

deep　enough　to　let　the　operator　see　into　him。　His　severe　studies；　in

which　he　had　shown　the　patience　and　sagacity　of　an　ox；　and　his　square

head；　deceived　his　parents；　who　firmly　believed　him　an　extraordinary

man。　Pedantic　and　hypercritical；　meddlesome　and　fault…finding；　he　was

a　terror　to　the　clerks　under　him；　whom　he　worried　in　their　work；

enforcing　the　rules　rigorously；　and　arriving　himself　with　such

terrible　punctuality　that　not　one　of　them　dared　to　be　a　moment　late。

Baudoyer　wore　a　blue　coat　with　gilt　buttons；　a　chamois　waistcoat；　gray

trousers　and　cravats　of　various　colors。　His　feet　were　large　and

ill…shod。　From　the　chain　of　his　watch　depended　an　enormous　bunch　of

old　trinkets；　among　which　in　1824　he　still　wore　〃American　beads；〃

which　were　very　much　the　fashion　in　the　year　VII。



In　the　bosom　of　this　family；　bound　together　by　the　force　of　religious

ties；　by　the　inflexibility　of　its　customs；　by　one　solitary　emotion；

that　of　avarice；　a　passion　which　was　now　as　it　were　its　compass；

Elisabeth　was　forced　to　commune　with　herself；　instead　of　imparting　her

ideas　to　those　around　her；　for　she　felt　herself　without　equals　in　mind

who　could　comprehend　her。　Though　facts　compelled　her　to　judge　her

husband；　her　religious　duty　led　her　to　keep　up　as　best　she　could　a

favorable　opinion　of　him；　she　showed　him　marked　respect；　honored　him

as　the　father　of　her　child；　her　husband；　the　temporal　power；　as　the

vicar　of　Saint…Paul's　told　her。　She　would　have　thought　it　a　mortal　sin

to　make　a　single　gesture；　or　give　a　single　glance；　or　say　a　single

word　which　would　reveal　to　others　her　real　opinion　of　the　imbecile

Baudoyer。　She　even　professed　to　obey　passively　all　his　wishes。　But　her

ears　were　receptive　of　many　things；　she　thought　them　over；　weighed　and

compared　them　in　the　solitude　of　her　mind；　and　judged　so　soberly　of

men　and　events　that　at　the　time　when　our　history　begins　she　was　the

hidden　oracle　of　the　two　functionaries；　her　husband　and　father；　who

had；　unconsciously；　come　to　do　nothing　whatever　without　consulting

her。　Old　Saillard　would　say；　innocently；　〃Isn't　she　clever；　that

Elisabeth　of　mine？〃　But　Baudoyer；　too　great　a　fool　not　to　be　puffed　up

by　the　false　reputation　the　quartier　Saint…Antoine　bestowed　upon　him；

denied　his　wife's　cleverness　all　the　while　that　he　was　making　use　of

it。



Elisabeth　had　long　felt　sure　that　her　uncle　Bidault；　otherwise　called

Gigonnet；　was　rich　and　handled　vast　sums　of　money。　Enlightened　by

self…interest；　she　had　come　to　understand　Monsieur　des　Lupeaulx　far

better　than　the　minister　understood　him。　Finding　herself　married　to　a

fool；　she　never　allowed　herself　to　think　that　life　might　have　gone

better　with　her；　she　only　imagined　the　possibility　of　better　things

without　expecting　or　wishing　to　attain　them。　All　her　best　affections

found　their　vocation　in　her　love　for　her　daughter；　to　whom　she　spared

the　pains　and　privations　she　had　borne　in　her　own　childhood；　she

believed　that　in　this　affection　she　had　her　full　share　in　the　world　of

feeling。　Solely　for　her　daughter's　sake　she　had　persuaded　her　father

to　take　the　important　step　of　going　into　partnership　with　Falleix。

Falleix　had　been　brought　to　the　Saillard's　house　by　old　Bidault；　who

lent　him　money　on　his　merchandise。　Falleix　thought　his　old　countryman

extortionate；　and　complained　to　the　Saillards　that　Gigonnet　demanded

eighteen　per　cent　from　an　Auvergnat。　Madame　Saillard　ventured　to

remonstrate　with　her　uncle。



〃It　is　just　because　he　is　an　Auvergnat　that　I　take　only　eighteen　per

cent；〃　said　Gigonnet；　when　she　spoke　of　him。



Falleix；　who　had　made　a　discovery　at　the　age　of　twenty…eight；　and

communicated　it　to　Saillard；　seemed　to　carry　his　heart　in　his　hand　（an

expression　of　old　Saillard's）；　and　also　seemed　likely　to　make　a　great

fortune。　Elisabeth　determined　to　husband　him　for　her　daughter　and

train　him　herself；　having；　as　she　calculated；　seven　years　to　do　it　in。

Martin　Falleix　felt　and　showed　the　deepest　respect　for　Madame

Baudoyer；　whose　superior　qualities　he　was　able　to　recognize。　If　he

were　fated　to　make　millions　he　would　always　belong　to　her　family；

where　he　had　found　a　home。　The　little　Baudoyer　girl　was　already

trained　to　bring　him　his　tea　and　to　take　his　hat。



On　the　evening　of　which　we　write；　Monsieur　Saillard；　returning　from

the　ministry；　found　a　game　of　boston　in　full　blast；　Elisabeth　was

advising　Falleix　how　to　play；　Madame　Saillard　was　knitting　in　the

chimney…corner　and　overlooking　the　cards　of　the　vicar；　Monsieur

Baudoyer；　motionless　as　a　mile…stone；　was　employing　his　mental

capacity　in　calculating　how　the　cards　were　placed；　and　sat　opposite　to

Mitral；　who　had　come　up　from　Ile…d'Adam　for