bureaucracy-第23章

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care　of　his　grandmother；　who　married　her　head…clerk；　named　Descoings；

after　the　death　of　her　first　husband；　and　died　in　1822。　Finding

himself　without　prospects　on　leaving　college；　he　attempted　painting；

but　in　spite　of　his　intimacy　with　Joseph　Bridau；　his　life…long　friend；

he　abandoned　art　to　take　up　caricature；　vignette　designing；　and

drawing　for　books；　which　twenty　years　later　went　by　the　name　of

〃illustration。〃　The　influence　of　the　Ducs　de　Maufrigneuse　and　de

Rhetore；　whom　he　knew　in　the　society　of　actresses；　procured　him　his

employment　under　government　in　1819。　On　good　terms　with　des　Lupeaulx；

with　whom　in　society　he　stood　on　an　equality；　and　intimate　with　du

Bruel；　he　was　a　living　proof　of　Rabourdin's　theory　as　to　the　steady

deterioration　of　the　administrative　hierarchy　in　Paris　through　the

personal　importance　which　a　government　official　may　acquire　outside　of

a　government　office。　Short　in　stature　but　well…formed；　with　a　delicate

face　remarkable　for　its　vague　likeness　to　Napoleon's；　thin　lips；　a

straight　chin；　chestnut　whiskers；　twenty…seven　years　old；　fair…

skinned；　with　a　piercing　voice　and　sparkling　eye；such　was　Bixiou；　a

man；　all　sense　and　all　wit；　who　abandoned　himself　to　a　mad　pursuit　of

pleasure　of　every　description；　which　threw　him　into　a　constant　round

of　dissipation。　Hunter　of　grisettes；　smoker；　jester；　diner…out　and

frequenter　of　supper…parties；　always　tuned　to　the　highest　pitch；

shining　equally　in　the　greenroom　and　at　the　balls　given　among　the

grisettes　of　the　Allee　des　Veuves；　he　was　just　as　surprisingly

entertaining　at　table　as　at　a　picnic；　as　gay　and　lively　at　midnight　on

the　streets　as　in　the　morning　when　he　jumped　out　of　bed；　and　yet　at

heart　gloomy　and　melancholy；　like　most　of　the　great　comic　players。



Launched　into　the　world　of　actors　and　actresses；　writers；　artists；　and

certain　women　of　uncertain　means；　he　lived　well；　went　to　the　theatre

without　paying；　gambled　at　Frascati；　and　often　won。　Artist　by　nature

and　really　profound；　though　by　flashes　only；　he　swayed　to　and　fro　in

life　like　a　swing；　without　thinking　or　caring　of　a　time　when　the　cord

would　break。　The　liveliness　of　his　wit　and　the　prodigal　flow　of　his

ideas　made　him　acceptable　to　all　persons　who　took　pleasure　in　the

lights　of　intellect；　but　none　of　his　friends　liked　him。　Incapable　of

checking　a　witty　saying；　he　would　scarify　his　two　neighbors　before　a

dinner　was　half　over。　In　spite　of　his　skin…deep　gayety；　a　secret

dissatisfaction　with　his　social　position　could　be　detected　in　his

speech；　he　aspired　to　something　better；　but　the　fatal　demon　hiding　in

his　wit　hindered　him　from　acquiring　the　gravity　which　imposes　on

fools。　He　lived　on　the　second　floor　of　a　house　in　the　rue　de　Ponthieu；

where　he　had　three　rooms　delivered　over　to　the　untidiness　of　a

bachelor's　establishment；　in　fact；　a　regular　bivouac。　He　often　talked

of　leaving　France　and　seeking　his　fortune　in　America。　No　wizard　could

foretell　the　future　of　this　young　man　in　whom　all　talents　were

incomplete；　who　was　incapable　of　perseverance；　intoxicated　with

pleasure；　and　who　acted　on　the　belief　that　the　world　ended　on　the

morrow。



In　the　matter　of　dress　Bixiou　had　the　merit　of　never　being　ridiculous；

he　was　perhaps　the　only　official　of　the　ministry　whose　dress　did　not

lead　outsiders　to　say；　〃That　man　is　a　government　clerk！〃　He　wore

elegant　boots　with　black　trousers　strapped　under　them；　a　fancy

waistcoat；　a　becoming　blue　coat；　collars　that　were　the　never…ending

gift　of　grisettes；　one　of　Bandoni's　hats；　and　a　pair　of　dark…colored

kid　gloves。　His　walk　and　bearing；　cavalier　and　simple　both；　were　not

without　grace。　He　knew　all　this；　and　when　des　Lupeaulx　summoned　him

for　a　piece　of　impertinence　said　and　done　about　Monsieur　de　la

Billardiere　and　threatened　him　with　dismissal；　Bixiou　replied；　〃You

will　take　me　back　because　my　clothes　do　credit　to　the　ministry〃；　and

des　Lupeaulx；　unable　to　keep　from　laughing；　let　the　matter　pass。　The

most　harmless　of　Bixiou's　jokes　perpetrated　among　the　clerks　was　the

one　he　played　off　upon　Godard；　presenting　him　with　a　butterfly　just

brought　from　China；　which　the　worthy　man　keeps　in　his　collection　and

exhibits　to　this　day；　blissfully　unconscious　that　it　is　only　painted

paper。　Bixiou　had　the　patience　to　work　up　the　little　masterpiece　for

the　sole　purpose　of　hoaxing　his　superior。



The　devil　always　puts　a　martyr　near　a　Bixiou。　Baudoyer's　bureau　held

the　martyr；　a　poor　copying…clerk　twenty…two　years　of　age；　with　a

salary　of　fifteen　hundred　francs；　named　Auguste…Jean…Francois　Minard。

Minard　had　married　for　love　the　daughter　of　a　porter；　an　artificial…

flower　maker　employed　by　Mademoiselle　Godard。　Zelie　Lorrain；　a　pupil；

in　the　first　place；　of　the　Conservatoire；　then　by　turns　a　danseuse；　a

singer；　and　an　actress；　had　thought　of　doing　as　so　many　of　the

working…women　do；　but　the　fear　of　consequences　kept　her　from　vice。　She

was　floating　undecidedly　along；　when　Minard　appeared　upon　the　scene

with　a　definite　proposal　of　marriage。　Zelie　earned　five　hundred　francs

a　year；　Minard　had　fifteen　hundred。　Believing　that　they　could　live　on

two　thousand；　they　married　without　settlements；　and　started　with　the

utmost　economy。　They　went　to　live；　like　dove…turtles；　near　the

barriere　de　Courcelles；　in　a　little　apartment　at　three　hundred　francs

a　year；　with　white　cotton　curtains　to　the　windows；　a　Scotch　paper

costing　fifteen　sous　a　roll　on　the　walls；　brick　floors　well　polished；

walnut　furniture　in　the　parlor；　and　a　tiny　kitchen　that　was　very

clean。　Zelie　nursed　her　children　herself　when　they　came；　cooked；　made

her　flowers；　and　kept　the　house。　There　was　something　very　touching　in

this　happy　and　laborious　mediocrity。　Feeling　that　Minard　truly　loved

her；　Zelie　loved　him。　Love　begets　love；it　is　the　abyssus　abyssum　of

the　Bible。　The　poor　man　left　his　bed　in　the　morning　before　his　wife

was　up；　that　he　might　fetch　provisions。　He　carried　the　flowers　she　had

finished；　on　his　way　to　the　bureau；　and　bought　her　materials　on　his

way　back；　then；　while　waiting　for　dinner；　he　stamped　out　her　leaves；

trimmed　the　twigs；　or　rubbed　her　colors。　Small；　slim；　and　wiry；　with

crisp　red　hair；　eyes　of　a　light　yellow；　a　skin　of　dazzling　fairness；

though　blotched　with　red；　the　man　had　a　sturdy　courage　that　made　no

show。　He　knew　the　science　of　writing　quite　as　well　as　Vimeux。　At　the

office　he　kept　in　the　background；　doing　his　allotted　task　with　the

collected　air　of　a　man　who　thinks　and　suffers。　His　white　eyelashes　and

lack　of　eyebrows　induced　the　relentless　Bixiou　to　name　him　〃the　white

rabbit。〃　Minardthe　Rabourdin　of　a　lower　spherewas　filled　with　the

desire　of　placing　his　Zelie　in　better　circumstances；　and　his　mind

searched　the　ocean　of　the　wants　of　luxury　in　hopes　of　finding　an　idea；

of　making　some　discovery　or　some　improvement　which　would　bring　him　a

rapid　fortune。　His　apparent　dulness　was　really　caused　by　the　continual

tension　of　his　mind；　he　went　over　the　history　of　Cephalic　Oils　and　the

Paste　of　Sultans；　lucifer　matches　and　portable　gas；　jointed　sockets

for　hydrostatic　lamps；in　short；　all　the　infinitely　little　inventions

of　material　civilization　which　pay　so　well。　He　bore　Bixiou's　jests　as

a　busy　man　bears　the　buzzing　of　an　insect；　he　was　not　even　annoyed　by

them。　In　spite　of　his　cleverness；　Bixiou　never　perceived　the　profound

contempt　which　Minard　felt　for　him。　Minard　never　dreamed　of

quarrelling；　however；regarding　it　as　a　loss　of　time。　After　a　while

his　composure　tired　out　his　tormentor。　He　always　breakfasted　with　his

wife；　and　ate　nothing　at　the　office。　Once　a　month　he　took　Zelie　to　the

theatre；　with　tickets　bestowed　by　du　Bruel　or　Bixiou；　for　Bixiou　was

capable　of　anything；　even　of　doing　a　kindness。　Monsieur　and　Madame

Minard　paid　their　visits　in　person　on　New…Year's　day。　Those　who　saw

them　often　asked　how　it　was　that　a　woman　could　keep　her　husband　in

good　clothes；　wear　a　Leghorn　bonnet　with　flowers；　embroidered　muslin

dresses；　silk　mantles；　prunella　boots；　handsome　fic