bureaucracy-第24章

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

dresses；　silk　mantles；　prunella　boots；　handsome　fichus；　a　Chinese

parasol；　and　drive　home　in　a　hackney…coach；　and　yet　be　virtuous；　while

Madame　Colleville　and　other　〃ladies〃　of　her　kind　could　scarcely　make

ends　meet；　though　they　had　double　Madame　Minard's　means。



In　the　two　bureaus　were　two　clerks　so　devoted　to　each　other　that　their

friendship　became　the　butt　of　all　the　rest。　He　of　the　bureau　Baudoyer；

named　Colleville；　was　chief…clerk；　and　would　have　been　head　of　the

bureau　long　before　if　the　Restoration　had　never　happened。　His　wife　was

as　clever　in　her　way　as　Madame　Rabourdin　in　hers。　Colleville；　who　was

son　of　a　first　violin　at　the　opera；　fell　in　love　with　the　daughter　of

a　celebrated　danseuse。　Flavie　Minoret；　one　of　those　capable　and

charming　Parisian　women　who　know　how　to　make　their　husbands　happy　and

yet　preserve　their　own　liberty；　made　the　Colleville　home　a　rendezvous

for　all　our　best　artists　and　orators。　Colleville's　humble　position

under　government　was　forgotten　there。　Flavie's　conduct　gave　such　food

for　gossip；　however；　that　Madame　Rabourdin　had　declined　all　her

invitations。　The　friend　in　Rabourdin's　bureau　to　whom　Colleville　was

so　attached　was　named　Thuillier。　All　who　knew　one　knew　the　other。

Thuillier；　called　〃the　handsome　Thuillier；〃　an　ex…Lothario；　led　as

idle　a　life　as　Colleville　led　a　busy　one。　Colleville；　government

official　in　the　mornings　and　first　clarionet　at　the　Opera…Comique　at

night；　worked　hard　to　maintain　his　family；　though　he　was　not　without

influential　friends。　He　was　looked　upon　as　a　very　shrewd　man；all　the

more；　perhaps；　because　he　hid　his　ambitions　under　a　show　of

indifference。　Apparently　content　with　his　lot　and　liking　work；　he

found　every　one；　even　the　chiefs；　ready　to　protect　his　brave　career。

During　the　last　few　weeks　Madame　Colleville　had　made　an　evident　change

in　the　household；　and　seemed　to　be　taking　to　piety。　This　gave　rise　to

a　vague　report　in　the　bureaus　that　she　thought　of　securing　some　more

powerful　influence　than　that　of　Francois　Keller；　the　famous　orator；

who　had　been　one　of　her　chief　adorers；　but　who；　so　far；　had　failed　to

obtain　a　better　place　for　her　husband。　Flavie　had；　about　this　time

and　it　was　one　of　her　mistakesturned　for　help　to　des　Lupeaulx。



Colleville　had　a　passion　for　reading　the　horoscopes　of　famous　men　in

the　anagram　of　their　names。　He　passed　whole　months　in　decomposing　and

recomposing　words　and　fitting　them　to　new　meanings。　〃Un　Corse　la

finira；〃　found　within　the　words；　〃Revolution　Francaise〃；　〃Eh；　c'est

large　nez；〃　in　〃Charles　Genest；〃　an　abbe　at　the　court　of　Louis　XIV。；

whose　huge　nose　is　recorded　by　Saint…Simon　as　the　delight　of　the　Duc

de　Bourgogne　（the　exigencies　of　this　last　anagram　required　the

substitution　of　a　z　for　an　s）；were　a　never…ending　marvel　to

Colleville。　Raising　the　anagram　to　the　height　of　a　science；　he

declared　that　the　destiny　of　every　man　was　written　in　the　words　or

phrase　given　by　the　transposition　of　the　letters　of　his　names　and

titles；　and　his　patriotism　struggled　hard　to　suppress　the　factsignal

evidence　for　his　theorythat　in　Horatio　Nelson；　〃honor　est　a　Nilo。〃

Ever　since　the　accession　of　Charles　X。；　he　had　bestowed　much　thought

on　the　king's　anagram。　Thuillier；　who　was　fond　of　making　puns；

declared　that　an　anagram　was　nothing　more　than　a　pun　on　letters。　The

sight　of　Colleville；　a　man　of　real　feeling；　bound　almost　indissolubly

to　Thuillier；　the　model　of　an　egoist；　presented　a　difficult　problem　to

the　mind　of　an　observer。　The　clerks　in　the　offices　explained　it　by

saying；　〃Thuillier　is　rich；　and　the　Colleville　household　costly。〃　This

friendship；　however；　consolidated　by　time；　was　based　on　feelings　and

on　facts　which　naturally　explained　it；　an　account　of　which　may　be

found　elsewhere　（see　〃Les　Petits　Bourgeois〃）。　We　may　remark　in　passing

that　though　Madame　Colleville　was　well　known　in　the　bureaus；　the

existence　of　Madame　Thuillier　was　almost　unknown　there。　Colleville；　an

active　man；　burdened　with　a　family　of　children；　was　fat；　round；　and

jolly；　whereas　Thuillier；　〃the　beau　of　the　Empire〃　without　apparent

anxieties　and　always　at　leisure；　was　slender　and　thin；　with　a　livid

face　and　a　melancholy　air。　〃We　never　know；〃　said　Rabourdin；　speaking

of　the　two　men；　〃whether　our　friendships　are　born　of　likeness　or　of

contrast。〃



Unlike　these　Siamese　twins；　two　other　clerks；　Chazelle　and　Paulmier；

were　forever　squabbling。　One　smoked；　the　other　took　snuff；　and　the

merits　of　their　respective　use　of　tobacco　were　the　origin　of　ceaseless

disputes。　Chazelle's　home；　which　was　tyrannized　over　by　a　wife；

furnished　a　subject　of　endless　ridicule　to　Paulmier；　whereas　Paulmier；

a　bachelor；　often　half…starved　like　Vimeux；　with　ragged　clothes　and

half…concealed　penury　was　a　fruitful　source　of　ridicule　to　Chazelle。

Both　were　beginning　to　show　a　protuberant　stomach；　Chazelle's；　which

was　round　and　projecting；　had　the　impertinence；　so　Bixiou　said；　to

enter　the　room　first；　Paulmier's　corporation　spread　to　right　and　left。

A　favorite　amusement　with　Bixiou　was　to　measure　them　quarterly。　The

two　clerks；　by　dint　of　quarrelling　over　the　details　of　their　lives；

and　washing　much　of　their　dirty　linen　at　the　office；　had　obtained　the

disrepute　which　they　merited。　〃Do　you　take　me　for　a　Chazelle？〃　was　a

frequent　saying　that　served　to　end　many　an　annoying　discussion。



Monsieur　Poiret　junior；　called　〃junior〃　to　distinguish　him　from　his

brother　Monsieur　Poiret　senior　（now　living　in　the　Maison　Vanquer；

where　Poiret　junior　sometimes　dined；　intending　to　end　his　days　in　the

same　retreat）；　had　spent　thirty　years　in　the　Civil　Service。　Nature

herself　is　not　so　fixed　and　unvarying　in　her　evolutions　as　was　Poiret

junior　in　all　the　acts　of　his　daily　life；　he　always　laid　his　things　in

precisely　the　same　place；　put　his　pen　in　the　same　rack；　sat　down　in

his　seat　at　the　same　hour；　warmed　himself　at　the　stove　at　the　same

moment　of　the　day。　His　sole　vanity　consisted　in　wearing　an　infallible

watch；　timed　daily　at　the　Hotel　de　Ville　as　he　passed　it　on　his　way　to

the　office。　From　six　to　eight　o'clock　in　the　morning　he　kept　the　books

of　a　large　shop　in　the　rue　Saint…Antoine；　and　from　six　to　eight

o'clock　in　the　evening　those　of　the　Maison　Camusot；　in　the　rue　des

Bourdonnais。　He　thus　earned　three　thousand　francs　a　year；　counting　his

salary　from　the　government。　In　a　few　months　his　term　of　service　would

be　up；　when　he　would　retire　on　a　pension；　he　therefore　showed　the

utmost　indifference　to　the　political　intrigues　of　the　bureaus。　Like

his　elder　brother；　to　whom　retirement　from　active　service　had　proved　a

fatal　blow；　he　would　probably　grow　an　old　man　when　he　could　no　longer

come　from　his　home　to　the　ministry；　sit　in　the　same　chair　and　copy　a

certain　number　of　pages。　Poiret's　eyes　were　dim；　his　glance　weak　and

lifeless；　his　skin　discolored　and　wrinkled；　gray　in　tone　and　speckled

with　bluish　dots；　his　nose　flat；　his　lips　drawn　inward　to　the　mouth；

where　a　few　defective　teeth　still　lingered。　His　gray　hair；　flattened

to　the　head　by　the　pressure　of　his　hat；　gave　him　the　look　of　an

ecclesiastic；a　resemblance　he　would　scarcely　have　liked；　for　he

hated　priests　and　clergy；　though　he　could　give　no　reasons　for　his

anti…religious　views。　This　antipathy；　however；　did　not　prevent　him

from　being　extremely　attached　to　whatever　administration　happened　to

be　in　power。　He　never　buttoned　his　old　green　coat；　even　on　the　coldest

days；　and　he　always　wore　shoes　with　ties；　and　black　trousers。



No　human　life　was　ever　lived　so　thoroughly　by　rule。　Poiret　kept　all

his　receipted　bills；　even　the　most　trifling；　and　all　his　account…

books；　wrapped　in　old　shirts　and　put　away　according　to　their

respective　years　from　the　time　of　his　entrance　at　the　ministry。　Rough

copies　of　his　letters　were　dated　and　put　away　in　a　box；　ticketed　〃My

Correspondence。〃　He　dined　at　the　same　restaurant　（the　Sucking　Calf　in

the　place　du　Chatelet）；　and　sat