bureaucracy-第18章

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you　in　such　a　career；　he　could　do　the　steady　work　while　you　were　in

the　Chamber。　Just　as　you　dream　of　the　ministry；　so　I　dream　of　seeing

Rabourdin　in　the　Council　of　State；　and　general　director。　It　is

therefore　my　object　to　draw　together　two　men　who　can　never　injure；

but；　on　the　contrary；　must　greatly　help　each　other。　Isn't　that　a

woman's　mission？　If　you　are　friends；　you　will　both　rise　the　faster；

and　it　is　surely　high　time　that　each　of　you　made　hay。　I　have　burned　my

ships；〃　she　added；　smiling。　〃But　you　are　not　as　frank　with　me　as　I

have　been　with　you。〃



〃You　would　not　listen　to　me　if　I　were；〃　he　replied；　with　a　melancholy

air；　in　spite　of　the　deep　inward　satisfaction　her　remarks　gave　him。

〃What　would　such　future　promotions　avail　me；　if　you　dismiss　me　now？〃



〃Before　I　listen　to　you；〃　she　replied；　with　naive　Parisian　liveliness；

〃we　must　be　able　to　understand　each　other。〃



And　she　left　the　old　fop　to　go　and　speak　with　Madame　de　Chessel；　a

countess　from　the　provinces；　who　seemed　about　to　take　leave。



〃That　is　a　very　extraordinary　woman；〃　said　des　Lupeaulx　to　himself。　〃I

don't　know　my　own　self　when　I　am　with　her。〃



Accordingly；　this　man　of　no　principle；　who　six　years　earlier　had　kept

a　ballet…girl；　and　who　now；　thanks　to　his　position；　made　himself　a

seraglio　with　the　pretty　wives　of　the　under…clerks；　and　lived　in　the

world　of　journalists　and　actresses；　became　devotedly　attentive　all　the

evening　to　Celestine；　and　was　the　last　to　leave　the　house。



〃At　last！〃　thought　Madame　Rabourdin；　as　she　undressed　that　night；　〃we

have　the　place！　Twelve　thousand　francs　a　year　and　perquisites；　beside

the　rents　of　our　farms　at　Grajeux；nearly　twenty　thousand　francs　a

year。　It　is　not　affluence；　but　at　least　it　isn't　poverty。〃







CHAPTER　IV



THREE…QUARTER　LENGTH　PORTRAITS　OF　CERTAIN　GOVERNMENT　OFFICIALS



If　it　were　possible　for　literature　to　use　the　microscope　of　the

Leuwenhoeks；　the　Malpighis；　and　the　Raspails　（an　attempt　once　made　by

Hoffman；　of　Berlin）；　and　if　we　could　magnify　and　then　picture　the

teredos　navalis；　in　other　words；　those　ship…worms　which　brought

Holland　within　an　inch　of　collapsing　by　honey…combing　her　dykes；　we

might　have　been　able　to　give　a　more　distinct　idea　of　Messieurs

Gigonnet；　Baudoyer；　Saillard；　Gaudron；　Falleix；　Transon；　Godard　and

company；　borers　and　burrowers；　who　proved　their　undermining　power　in

the　thirtieth　year　of　this　century。



But　now　it　is　time　to　show　another　set　of　teredos；　who　burrowed　and

swarmed　in　the　government　offices　where　the　principal　scenes　of　our

present　study　took　place。



In　Paris　nearly　all　these　government　bureaus　resemble　each　other。　Into

whatever　ministry　you　penetrate　to　ask　some　slight　favor；　or　to　get

redress　for　a　trifling　wrong；　you　will　find　the　same　dark　corridors；

ill…lighted　stairways；　doors　with　oval　panes　of　glass　like　eyes；　as　at

the　theatre。　In　the　first　room　as　you　enter　you　will　find　the　office

servant；　in　the　second；　the　under…clerks；　the　private　office　of　the

second　head…clerk　is　to　the　right　or　left；　and　further　on　is　that　of

the　head　of　the　bureau。　As　to　the　important　personage　called；　under

the　Empire；　head　of　division；　then；　under　the　Restoration；　director；

and　now　by　the　former　name；　head　or　chief　of　division；　he　lives　either

above　or　below　the　offices　of　his　three　or　four　different　bureaus。



Speaking　in　the　administrative　sense；　a　bureau　consists　of　a　man…

servant；　several　supernumeraries　（who　do　the　work　gratis　for　a　certain

number　of　years）；　various　copying　clerks；　writers　of　bills　and　deeds；

order　clerks；　principal　clerks；　second　or　under　head…clerk；　and　head…

clerk；　otherwise　called　head　or　chief　of　the　bureau。　These

denominational　titles　vary　under　some　administrations；　for　instance；

the　order…clerks　are　sometimes　called　auditors；　or　again；　book…

keepers。



Paved　like　the　corridor；　and　hung　with　a　shabby　paper；　the　first　room；

where　the　servant　is　stationed；　is　furnished　with　a　stove；　a　large

black　table　with　inkstand；　pens；　and　paper；　and　benches；　but　no　mats

on　which　to　wipe　the　public　feet。　The　clerk's　office　beyond　is　a　large

room；　tolerably　well　lighted；　but　seldom　floored　with　wood。　Wooden

floors　and　fireplaces　are　commonly　kept　sacred　to　heads　of　bureaus　and

divisions；　and　so　are　closets；　wardrobes；　mahogany　tables；　sofas　and

armchairs　covered　with　red　or　green　morocco；　silk　curtains；　and　other

articles　of　administrative　luxury。　The　clerk's　office　contents　itself

with　a　stove；　the　pipe　of　which　goes　into　the　chimney；　if　there　be　a

chimney。　The　wall　paper　is　plain　and　all　of　one　color；　usually　green

or　brown。　The　tables　are　of　black　wood。　The　private　characteristics　of

the　several　clerks　often　crop　out　in　their　method　of　settling

themselves　at　their　desks；the　chilly　one　has　a　wooden　footstool

under　his　feet；　the　man　with　a　bilious　temperament　has　a　metal　mat；

the　lymphatic　being　who　dreads　draughts　constructs　a　fortification　of

boxes　on　a　screen。　The　door　of　the　under…head…clerk's　office　always

stands　open　so　that　he　may　keep　an　eye　to　some　extent　on　his

subordinates。



Perhaps　an　exact　description　of　Monsieur　de　la　Billardiere's　division

will　suffice　to　give　foreigners　and　provincials　an　idea　of　the

internal　manners　and　customs　of　a　government　office；　the　chief

features　of　which　are　probably　much　the　same　in　the　civil　service　of

all　European　governments。



In　the　first　place；　picture　to　yourself　the　man　who　is　thus　described

in　the　Yearly　Register：



　　〃Chief　of　Division。Monsieur　la　baron　Flamet　de　la　Billardiere

　　（Athanase…Jean…Francois…Michel）　formerly　provost…marshal　of　the

　　department　of　the　Correze；　gentleman　in　ordinary　of　the　bed…

　　chamber；　president　of　the　college　of　the　department　of　the

　　Dordogne；　officer　of　the　Legion　of　honor；　knight　of　Saint　Louis

　　and　of　the　foreign　orders　of　Christ；　Isabella；　Saint　Wladimir；

　　etc。；　member　of　the　Academy　of　Gers；　and　other　learned　bodies；

　　vice…president　of　the　Society　of　Belles…lettres；　member　of　the

　　Association　of　Saint…Joseph　and　of　the　Society　of　Prisons；　one　of

　　the　mayors　of　Paris；　etc。〃



The　person　who　requires　so　much　typographic　space　was　at　this　time

occupying　an　area　five　feet　six　in　length　by　thirty…six　inches　in

width　in　a　bed；　his　head　adorned　with　a　cotton　night…cap　tied　on　by

flame…colored　ribbons；　attended　by　Despleins；　the　King's　surgeon；　and

young　doctor　Bianchon；　flanked　by　two　old　female　relatives；　surrounded

by　phials　of　all　kinds；　bandages；　appliances；　and　various　mortuary

instruments；　and　watched　over　by　the　curate　of　Saint…Roch；　who　was

advising　him　to　think　of　his　salvation。



La　Billardiere's　division　occupied　the　upper　floor　of　a　magnificent

mansion；　in　which　the　vast　official　ocean　of　a　ministry　was　contained。

A　wide　landing　separated　its　two　bureaus；　the　doors　of　which　were　duly

labelled。　The　private　offices　and　antechambers　of　the　heads　of　the　two

bureaus；　Monsieur　Rabourdin　and　Monsieur　Baudoyer；　were　below　on　the

second　floor；　and　beyond　that　of　Monsieur　Rabourdin　were　the

antechamber；　salon；　and　two　offices　of　Monsieur　de　la　Billardiere。



On　the　first　floor；　divided　in　two　by　an　entresol；　were　the　living

rooms　and　office　of　Monsieur　Ernest　de　la　Briere；　an　occult　and

powerful　personage　who　must　be　described　in　a　few　words；　for　he　well

deserves　the　parenthesis。　This　young　man　held；　during　the　whole　time

that　this　particular　administration　lasted；　the　position　of　private

secretary　to　the　minister。　His　apartment　was　connected　by　a　secret

door　with　the　private　office　of　his　Excellency。　A　private　secretary　is

to　the　minister　himself　what　des　Lupeaulx　was　to　the　ministry　at

large。　The　same　difference　existed　between　young　La　Briere　and　des

Lupeaulx　that　there　is　between　an　aide…de…camp　and　a　chief　of　staff。

This　ministerial　apprentice　decamps　when　his　protector　leaves　office；

returning　sometimes　when　he　returns。　If　the　minister　enjoys　the　royal

favor　when　he　falls；　o