bureaucracy-第16章

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

appeared；　and　he　was　horrible。　Rabourdin　caught　sight　of　him　and

thought；　〃What　has　happened　to　him？　can　he　be　disgraced　in　any　way？〃

The　general…secretary　was；　however；　only　thinking　how　the　pretty

Madame　Colleville；　whose　intentions　were　exactly　those　of　Madame

Rabourdin；　had　summarily　abandoned　him　when　it　suited　her　to　do　so。

Rabourdin　caught　the　sham　statesman's　eyes　fixed　on　his　wife；　and　he

recorded　the　look　in　his　memory。　He　was　too　keen　an　observer　not　to

understand　des　Lupeaulx　to　the　bottom；　and　he　deeply　despised　him；

but；　as　with　most　busy　men；　his　feelings　and　sentiments　seldom　came　to

the　surface。　Absorption　in　a　beloved　work　is　practically　equivalent　to

the　cleverest　dissimulation；　and　thus　it　was　that　the　opinions　and

ideas　of　Rabourdin　were　a　sealed　book　to　des　Lupeaulx。　The　former　was

sorry　to　see　the　man　in　his　house；　but　he　was　never　willing　to　oppose

his　wife's　wishes。　At　this　particular　moment；　while　he　talked

confidentially　with　a　supernumerary　of　his　office　who　was　destined；

later；　to　play　an　unconscious　part　in　a　political　intrigue　resulting

from　the　death　of　La　Billardiere；　he　watched；　though　half…

abstractedly；　his　wife　and　des　Lupeaulx。



Here　we　must　explain；　as　much　for　foreigners　as　for　our　own

grandchildren；　what　a　supernumerary　in　a　government　office　in　Paris

means。



The　supernumerary　is　to　the　administration　what　a　choir…boy　is　to　a

church；　what　the　company's　child　is　to　the　regiment；　what　the

figurante　is　to　a　theatre；　something　artless；　naive；　innocent；　a　being

blinded　by　illusions。　Without　illusions　what　would　become　of　any　of

us？　They　give　strength　to　bear　the　res　angusta　domi　of　arts　and　the

beginnings　of　all　science　by　inspiring　us　with　faith。　Illusion　is

illimitable　faith。　Now　the　supernumerary　has　faith　in　the

administration；　he　never　thinks　it　cold；　cruel；　and　hard；　as　it　really

is。　There　are　two　kinds　of　supernumeraries；　or　hangers…on；one　poor；

the　other　rich。　The　poor　one　is　rich　in　hope　and　wants　a　place；　the

rich　one　is　poor　in　spirit　and　wants　nothing。　A　wealthy　family　is　not

so　foolish　as　to　put　its　able　men　into　the　administration。　It　confides

an　unfledged　scion　to　some　head…clerk；　or　gives　him　in　charge　of　a

directory　who　initiates　him　into　what　Bilboquet；　that　profound

philosopher；　called　the　high　comedy　of　government；　he　is　spared　all

the　horrors　of　drudgery　and　is　finally　appointed　to　some　important

office。　The　rich　supernumerary　never　alarms　the　other　clerks；　they

know　he　does　not　endanger　their　interests；　for　he　seeks　only　the

highest　posts　in　the　administration。　About　the　period　of　which　we

write　many　families　were　saying　to　themselves：　〃What　can　we　do　with

our　sons？〃　The　army　no　longer　offered　a　chance　for　fortune。　Special

careers；　such　as　civil　and　military　engineering；　the　navy；　mining；　and

the　professorial　chair　were　all　fenced　about　by　strict　regulations　or

to　be　obtained　only　by　competition；　whereas　in　the　civil　service　the

revolving　wheel　which　turned　clerks　into　prefects；　sub…prefects；

assessors；　and　collectors；　like　the　figures　in　a　magic　lantern；　was

subjected　to　no　such　rules　and　entailed　no　drudgery。　Through　this　easy

gap　emerged　into　life　the　rich　supernumeraries　who　drove　their

tilburys；　dressed　well；　and　wore　moustachios；　all　of　them　as　impudent

as　parvenus。　Journalists　were　apt　to　persecute　the　tribe；　who　were

cousins；　nephews；　brothers；　or　other　relatives　of　some　minister；　some

deputy；　or　an　influential　peer。　The　humbler　clerks　regarded　them　as　a

means　of　influence。



The　poor　supernumerary；　on　the　other　hand；　who　is　the　only　real

worker；　is　almost　always　the　son　of　some　former　clerk's　widow；　who

lives　on　a　meagre　pension　and　sacrifices　herself　to　support　her　son

until　he　can　get　a　place　as　copying…clerk；　and　then　dies　leaving　him

no　nearer　the　head　of　his　department　than　writer　of　deeds；　order…

clerks；　or；　possibly；　under…head…clerk。　Living　always　in　some　locality

where　rents　are　low；　this　humble　supernumerary　starts　early　from　home。

For　him　the　Eastern　question　relates　only　to　the　morning　skies。　To　go

on　foot　and　not　get　muddied；　to　save　his　clothes；　and　allow　for　the

time　he　may　lose　in　standing　under　shelter　during　a　shower；　are　the

preoccupations　of　his　mind。　The　street　pavements；　the　flaggings　of　the

quays　and　the　boulevards；　when　first　laid　down；　were　a　boon　to　him。

If；　for　some　extraordinary　reason；　you　happen　to　be　in　the　streets　of

Paris　at　half…past　seven　or　eight　o'clock　of　a　winter's　morning；　and

see　through　piercing　cold　or　fog　or　rain　a　timid；　pale　young　man　loom

up；　cigarless；　take　notice　of　his　pockets。　You　will　be　sure　to　see　the

outline　of　a　roll　which　his　mother　has　given　him　to　stay　his　stomach

between　breakfast　and　dinner。　The　guilelessness　of　the　supernumerary

does　not　last　long。　A　youth　enlightened　by　gleams　by　Parisian　life

soon　measures　the　frightful　distance　that　separates　him　from　the　head…

clerkship；　a　distance　which　no　mathematician；　neither　Archimedes；　nor

Leibnitz；　nor　Laplace　has　ever　reckoned；　the　distance　that　exists

between　0　and　the　figure　1。　He　begins　to　perceive　the　impossibilities

of　his　career；　he　hears　talk　of　favoritism；　he　discovers　the　intrigues

of　officials：　he　sees　the　questionable　means　by　which　his　superiors

have　pushed　their　way；one　has　married　a　young　woman　who　made　a　false

step；　another；　the　natural　daughter　of　a　minister；　this　one　shouldered

the　responsibility　of　another's　fault；　that　one；　full　of　talent；　risks

his　health　in　doing；　with　the　perseverance　of　a　mole；　prodigies　of

work　which　the　man　of　influence　feels　incapable　of　doing　for　himself；

though　he　takes　the　credit。　Everything　is　known　in　a　government

office。　The　incapable　man　has　a　wife　with　a　clear　head；　who　has　pushed

him　along　and　got　him　nominated　for　deputy；　if　he　has　not　talent

enough　for　an　office；　he　cabals　in　the　Chamber。　The　wife　of　another

has　a　statesman　at　her　feet。　A　third　is　the　hidden　informant　of　a

powerful　journalist。　Often　the　disgusted　and　hopeless　supernumerary

sends　in　his　resignation。　About　three　fourths　of　his　class　leave　the

government　employ　without　ever　obtaining　an　appointment；　and　their

number　is　winnowed　down　to　either　those　young　men　who　are　foolish　or

obstinate　enough　to　say　to　themselves；　〃I　have　been　here　three　years；

and　I　must　end　sooner　or　later　by　getting　a　place；〃　or　to　those　who

are　conscious　of　a　vocation　for　the　work。　Undoubtedly　the　position　of

supernumerary　in　a　government　office　is　precisely　what　the　novitiate

is　in　a　religious　order；a　trial。　It　is　a　rough　trial。　The　State

discovers　how　many　of　them　can　bear　hunger；　thirst；　and　penury　without

breaking　down；　how　many　can　toil　without　revolting　against　it；　it

learns　which　temperaments　can　bear　up　under　the　horrible　experience

or　if　you　like；　the　diseaseof　government　official　life。　From　this

point　of　view　the　apprenticeship　of　the　supernumerary；　instead　of

being　an　infamous　device　of　the　government　to　obtain　labor　gratis；

becomes　a　useful　institution。



The　young　man　with　whom　Rabourdin　was　talking　was　a　poor　supernumerary

named　Sebastien　de　la　Roche；　who　had　picked　his　way　on　the　points　of

his　toes；　without　incurring　the　least　splash　upon　his　boots；　from　the

rue　du　Roi…Dore　in　the　Marais。　He　talked　of　his　mamma；　and　dared　not

raise　his　eyes　to　Madame　Rabourdin；　whose　house　appeared　to　him　as

gorgeous　as　the　Louvre。　He　was　careful　to　show　his　gloves；　well

cleaned　with　india…rubber；　as　little　as　he　could。　His　poor　mother　had

put　five　francs　in　his　pocket　in　case　it　became　absolutely　necessary

that　he　should　play　cards；　but　she　enjoined　him　to　take　nothing；　to

remain　standing；　and　to　be　very　careful　not　to　knock　over　a　lamp　or

the　bric…a…brac　from　an　etagere。　His　dress　was　all　of　the　strictest

black。　His　fair　face；　his　eyes；　of　a　fine　shade　of　green　with　golden

reflections；　were　in　keeping　with　a　handsome　head　of　auburn　hair。　The

poor