bureaucracy-第15章

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

Mitral；　who　had　come　up　from　Ile…d'Adam　for　the　Christmas　holidays。　No

one　moved　as　the　cashier　entered；　and　for　some　minutes　he　walked　up

and　down　the　room；　his　fat　face　contracted　with　unaccustomed　thought。



〃He　is　always　so　when　he　dines　at　the　ministry；〃　remarked　Madame

Saillard；　〃happily；　it　is　only　twice　a　year；　or　he'd　die　of　it。

Saillard　was　never　made　to　be　in　the　government　Well；　now；　I　do

hope；　Saillard；〃　she　continued　in　a　loud　tone；　〃that　you　are　not　going

to　keep　on　those　silk　breeches　and　that　handsome　coat。　Go　and　take

them　off；　don't　wear　them　at　home；　my　man。〃



〃Your　father　has　something　on　his　mind；〃　said　Baudoyer　to　his　wife；

when　the　cashier　was　in　his　bedroom；　undressing　without　any　fire。



〃Perhaps　Monsieur　de　la　Billardiere　is　dead；〃　said　Elisabeth；　simply；

〃and　as　he　is　anxious　you　should　have　the　place；　it　worries　him。〃



〃Can　I　be　useful　in　any　way？〃　said　the　vicar　of　Saint…Paul's；　〃if　so；

pray　use　my　services。　I　have　the　honor　to　be　known　to　Madame　la

Dauphine。　These　are　days　when　public　offices　should　be　given　only　to

faithful　men；　whose　religious　principles　are　not　to　be　shaken。〃



〃Dear　me！〃　said　Falleix；　〃do　men　of　merit　need　protectors　and

influence　to　get　places　in　the　government　service？　I　am　glad　I　am　an

iron…master；　my　customers　know　where　to　find　a　good　article〃



〃Monsieur；〃　interrupted　Baudoyer；　〃the　government　is　the　government；

never　attack　it　in　this　house。〃



〃You　speak　like　the　'Constitutionel；'〃　said　the　vicar。



〃The　'Constitutionel'　never　says　anything　different　from　that；〃

replied　Baudoyer；　who　never　read　it。



The　cashier　believed　his　son…in…law　to　be　as　superior　in　talent　to

Rabourdin　as　God　was　greater　than　Saint…Crepin；　to　use　his　own

expression；　but　the　good　man　coveted　this　appointment　in　a

straightforward；　honest　way。　Influenced　by　the　feeling　which　leads　all

officials　to　seek　promotion；a　violent；　unreflecting；　almost　brutal

passion；he　desired　success；　just　as　he　desired　the　cross　of　the

Legion　of　honor；　without　doing　anything　against　his　conscience　to

obtain　it；　and　solely；　as　he　believed；　on　the　strength　of　his　son…in…

law's　merits。　To　his　thinking；　a　man　who　had　patiently　spent　twenty…

five　years　in　a　government　office　behind　an　iron　railing　had

sacrificed　himself　to　his　country　and　deserved　the　cross。　But　all　that

he　dreamed　of　doing　to　promote　his　son…in…law's　appointment　in　La

Billardiere's　place　was　to　say　a　word　to　his　Excellency's　wife　when　he

took　her　the　month's　salary。



〃Well；　Saillard；　you　look　as　if　you　had　lost　all　your　friends！　Do

speak；　do；　pray；　tell　us　something；〃　cried　his　wife　when　he　came　back

into　the　room。



Saillard；　after　making　a　little　sign　to　his　daughter；　turned　on　his

heel　to　keep　himself　from　talking　politics　before　strangers。　When

Monsieur　Mitral　and　the　vicar　had　departed；　Saillard　rolled　back　the

card…table　and　sat　down　in　an　armchair　in　the　attitude　he　always

assumed　when　about　to　tell　some　office…gossip；a　series　of　movements

which　answered　the　purpose　of　the　three　knocks　given　at　the　Theatre…

Francais。　After　binding　his　wife；　daughter；　and　son…in…law　to　the

deepest　secrecy；for；　however　petty　the　gossip；　their　places；　as　he

thought；　depended　on　their　discretion；he　related　the

incomprehensible　enigma　of　the　resignation　of　a　deputy；　the　very

legitimate　desire　of　the　general…secretary　to　get　elected　to　the

place；　and　the　secret　opposition　of　the　minister　to　this　wish　of　a　man

who　was　one　of　his　firmest　supporters　and　most　zealous　workers。　This；

of　course；　brought　down　an　avalanche　of　suppositions；　flooded　with　the

sapient　arguments　of　the　two　officials；　who　sent　back　and　forth　to

each　other　a　wearisome　flood　of　nonsense。　Elisabeth　quietly　asked

three　questions：



〃If　Monsieur　des　Lupeaulx　is　on　our　side；　will　Monsieur　Baudoyer　be

appointed　in　Monsieur　de　la　Billardiere's　place？〃



〃Heavens！　I　should　think　so；〃　cried　the　cashier。



〃My　uncle　Bidault　and　Monsieur　Gobseck　helped　in　him　1814；〃　thought

she。　〃Is　he　in　debt？〃　she　asked；　aloud。



〃Yes；〃　cried　the　cashier　with　a　hissing　and　prolonged　sound　on　the

last　letter；　〃his　salary　was　attached；　but　some　of　the　higher　powers

released　it　by　a　bill　at　sight。〃



〃Where　is　the　des　Lupeaulx　estate？〃



〃Why；　don't　you　know？　in　the　part　of　the　country　where　your

grandfather　and　your　great…uncle　Bidault　belong；　in　the　arrondissement

of　the　deputy　who　wants　to　resign。〃



When　her　colossus　of　a　husband　had　gone　to　bed；　Elisabeth　leaned　over

him；　and　though　he　always　treated　her　remarks　as　women's　nonsense；　she

said；　〃Perhaps　you　will　really　get　Monsieur　de　la　Billardiere's

place。〃



〃There　you　go　with　your　imaginations！〃　said　Baudoyer；　〃leave　Monsieur

Gaudron　to　speak　to　the　Dauphine　and　don't　meddle　with　politics。〃



At　eleven　o'clock；　when　all　were　asleep　in　the　place　Royale；　Monsieur

des　Lupeaulx　was　leaving　the　Opera　for　the　rue　Duphot。　This　particular

Wednesday　was　one　of　Madame　Rabourdin's　most　brilliant　evenings。　Many

of　her　customary　guests　came　in　from　the　theatres　and　swelled　the

company　already　assembled；　among　whom　were　several　celebrities；　such

as：　Canalis　the　poet；　Schinner　the　painter；　Dr。　Bianchon；　Lucien　de

Rubempre；　Octave　de　Camps；　the　Comte　de　Granville；　the　Vicomte　de

Fontaine；　du　Bruel　the　vaudevillist；　Andoche　Finot　the　journalist；

Derville；　one　of　the　best　heads　in　the　law　courts；　the　Comte　du

Chatelet；　deputy；　du　Tillet；　banker；　and　several　elegant　young　men；

such　as　Paul　de　Manerville　and　the　Vicomte　de　Portenduere。　Celestine

was　pouring　out　tea　when　the　general…secretary　entered。　Her　dress　that

evening　was　very　becoming；　she　wore　a　black　velvet　robe　without

ornament　of　any　kind；　a　black　gauze　scarf；　her　hair　smoothly　bound

about　her　head　and　raised　in　a　heavy　braided　mass；　with　long　curls　a

l'Anglaise　falling　on　either　side　of　her　face。　The　charms　which

particularly　distinguished　this　woman　were　the　Italian　ease　of　her

artistic　nature；　her　ready　comprehension；　and　the　grace　with　which　she

welcomed　and　promoted　the　least　appearance　of　a　wish　on　the　part　of

others。　Nature　had　given　her　an　elegant；　slender　figure；　which　could

sway　lightly　at　a　word；　black　eyes　of　oriental　shape；　able；　like　those

of　the　Chinese　women；　to　see　out　of　their　corners。　She　well　knew　how

to　manage　a　soft；　insinuating　voice；　which　threw　a　tender　charm　into

every　word；　even　such　as　she　merely　chanced　to　utter；　her　feet　were

like　those　we　see　in　portraits　where　the　painter　boldly　lies　and

flatters　his　sitter　in　the　only　way　which　does　not　compromise　anatomy。

Her　complexion；　a　little　yellow　by　day；　like　that　of　most　brunettes；

was　dazzling　at　night　under　the　wax　candles；　which　brought　out　the

brilliancy　of　her　black　hair　and　eyes。　Her　slender　and　well…defined

outlines　reminded　an　artist　of　the　Venus　of　the　Middle　Ages　rendered

by　Jean　Goujon；　the　illustrious　sculptor　of　Diane　de　Poitiers。



Des　Lupeaulx　stopped　in　the　doorway；　and　leaned　against　the　woodwork。

This　ferret　of　ideas　did　not　deny　himself　the　pleasure　of　spying　upon

sentiment；　and　this　woman　interested　him　more　than　any　of　the　others

to　whom　he　had　attached　himself。　Des　Lupeaulx　had　reached　an　age　when

men　assert　pretensions　in　regard　to　women。　The　first　white　hairs　lead

to　the　latest　passions；　all　the　more　violent　because　they　are　astride

of　vanishing　powers　and　dawning　weakness。　The　age　of　forty　is　the　age

of　folly；an　age　when　man　wants　to　be　loved　for　himself；　whereas　at

twenty…five　life　is　so　full　that　he　has　no　wants。　At　twenty…five　he

overflows　with　vigor　and　wastes　it　with　impunity；　but　at　forty　he

learns　that　to　use　it　in　that　way　is　to　abuse　it。　The　thoughts　that

came　into　des　Lupeaulx's　mind　at　this　moment　were　melancholy　ones。　The

nerves　of　the　old　beau　relaxed；　the　agreeable　smile；　which　served　as　a

mask　and　made　the　character　of　his　countenance；　faded；　the　real　man