bureaucracy-第25章

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

the　place　du　Chatelet）；　and　sat　in　the　same　place；　which　the　waiters

kept　for　him。　He　never　gave　five　minutes　more　time　to　the　shop　in　the

rue　Saint　Antoine　than　justly　belonged　to　it；　and　at　half…past　eight

precisely　he　reached　the　Cafe　David；　where　he　breakfasted　and　remained

till　eleven。　There　he　listened　to　political　discussions；　his　arms

crossed　on　his　cane；　his　chin　in　his　right　hand；　never　saying　a　word。

The　dame　du　comptoir；　the　only　woman　to　whom　he　ever　spoke　with

pleasure；　was　the　sole　confidant　of　the　little　events　of　his　life；　for

his　seat　was　close　to　her　counter。　He　played　dominoes；　the　only　game

he　was　capable　of　understanding。　When　his　partners　did　not　happen　to

be　present；　he　usually　went　to　sleep　with　his　back　against　the

wainscot；　holding　a　newspaper　in　his　hand；　the　wooden　file　resting　on

the　marble　of　his　table。　He　was　interested　in　the　buildings　going　up

in　Paris；　and　spent　his　Sundays　in　walking　about　to　examine　them。　He

was　often　heard　to　say；　〃I　saw　the　Louvre　emerge　from　its　rubbish；　I

saw　the　birth　of　the　place　du　Chatelet；　the　quai　aux　Fleurs　and　the

Markets。〃　He　and　his　brother；　both　born　at　Troyes；　were　sent　in　youth

to　serve　their　apprenticeship　in　a　government　office。　Their　mother

made　herself　notorious　by　misconduct；　and　the　two　brothers　had　the

grief　of　hearing　of　her　death　in　the　hospital　at　Troyes；　although　they

had　frequently　sent　money　for　her　support。　This　event　led　them　both

not　only　to　abjure　marriage；　but　to　feel　a　horror　of　children；　ill　at

ease　with　them；　they　feared　them　as　others　fear　madmen；　and　watched

them　with　haggard　eyes。



Since　the　day　when　he　first　came　to　Paris　Poiret　junior　had　never　gone

outside　the　city。　He　began　at　that　time　to　keep　a　journal　of　his　life；

in　which　he　noted　down　all　the　striking　events　of　his　day。　Du　Bruel

told　him　that　Lord　Byron　did　the　same　thing。　This　likeness　filled

Poiret　junior　with　delight；　and　led　him　to　buy　the　works　of　Lord

Byron；　translated　by　Chastopalli；　of　which　he　did　not　understand　a

word。　At　the　office　he　was　often　seen　in　a　melancholy　attitude；　as

though　absorbed　in　thought；　when　in　fact　he　was　thinking　of　nothing　at

all。　He　did　not　know　a　single　person　in　the　house　where　he　lived；　and

always　carried　the　keys　of　his　apartment　about　with　him。　On　New…Year's

day　he　went　round　and　left　his　own　cards　on　all　the　clerks　of　the

division。　Bixiou　took　it　into　his　head　on　one　of　the　hottest　of　dog…

days　to　put　a　layer　of　lard　under　the　lining　of　a　certain　old　hat

which　Poiret　junior　（he　was；　by　the　bye；　fifty…two　years　old）　had　worn

for　the　last　nine　years。　Bixiou；　who　had　never　seen　any　other　hat　on

Poiret's　head；　dreamed　of　it　and　declared　he　tasted　it　in　his　food；　he

therefore　resolved；　in　the　interests　of　his　digestion；　to　relieve　the

bureau　of　the　sight　of　that　amorphous　old　hat。　Poiret　junior　left　the

office　regularly　at　four　o'clock。　As　he　walked　along；　the　sun's　rays

reflected　from　the　pavements　and　walls　produced　a　tropical　heat；　he

felt　that　his　head　was　inundated；he；　who　never　perspired！　Feeling

that　he　was　ill；　or　on　the　point　of　being　so；　instead　of　going　as

usual　to　the　Sucking　Calf　he　went　home；　drew　out　from　his　desk　the

journal　of　his　life；　and　recorded　the　fact　in　the　following　manner：



　　〃To…day；　July　3；　1823；　overtaken　by　extraordinary　perspiration；　a

　　sign；　perhaps；　of　the　sweating…sickness；　a　malady　which　prevails

　　in　Champagne。　I　am　about　to　consult　Doctor　Haudry。　The　disease

　　first　appeared　as　I　reached　the　highest　part　of　the　quai　des

　　Ecoles。〃



Suddenly；　having　taken　off　his　hat；　he　became　aware　that　the

mysterious　sweat　had　some　cause　independent　of　his　own　person。　He

wiped　his　face；　examined　the　hat；　and　could　find　nothing；　for　he　did

not　venture　to　take　out　the　lining。　All　this　he　noted　in　his

journal：



　　〃Carried　my　hat　to　the　Sieur　Tournan；　hat…maker　in　the　rue　Saint…

　　Martin；　for　the　reason　that　I　suspect　some　unknown　cause　for　this

　　perspiration；　which；　in　that　case；　might　not　be　perspiration；　but；

　　possibly；　the　effect　of　something　lately　added；　or　formerly　done；

　　to　my　hat。〃



Monsieur　Tournan　at　once　informed　his　customer　of　the　presence　of　a

greasy　substance；　obtained　by　the　trying…out　of　the　fat　of　a　pig　or

sow。　The　next　day　Poiret　appeared　at　the　office　with　another　hat；　lent

by　Monsieur　Tournan　while　a　new　one　was　making；　but　he　did　not　sleep

that　night　until　he　had　added　the　following　sentence　to　the　preceding

entries　in　his　journal：　〃It　is　asserted　that　my　hat　contained　lard；

the　fat　of　a　pig。〃



This　inexplicable　fact　occupied　the　intellect　of　Poiret　junior　for　the

space　of　two　weeks；　and　he　never　knew　how　the　phenomenon　was　produced。

The　clerks　told　him　tales　of　showers　of　frogs；　and　other　dog…day

wonders；　also　the　startling　fact　that　an　imprint　of　the　head　of

Napoleon　had　been　found　in　the　root　of　a　young　elm；　with　other

eccentricities　of　natural　history。　Vimeux　informed　him　that　one　day

his　hathis；　Vimeux'shad　stained　his　forehead　black；　and　that　hat…

makers　were　in　the　habit　of　using　drugs。　After　that　Poiret　paid　many

visits　to　Monsieur　Tournan　to　inquire　into　his　methods　of　manufacture。



In　the　Rabourdin　bureau　was　a　clerk　who　played　the　man　of　courage　and

audacity；　professed　the　opinions　of　the　Left　centre；　and　rebelled

against　the　tyrannies　of　Baudoyer　as　exercised　upon　what　he　called　the

unhappy　slaves　of　that　office。　His　name　was　Fleury。　He　boldly

subscribed　to　an　opposition　newspaper；　wore　a　gray　hat　with　a　broad

brim；　red　bands　on　his　blue　trousers；　a　blue　waistcoat　with　gilt

buttons；　and　a　surtout　coat　crossed　over　the　breast　like　that　of　a

quartermaster　of　gendarmerie。　Though　unyielding　in　his　opinions；　he

continued　to　be　employed　in　the　service；　all　the　while　predicting　a

fatal　end　to　a　government　which　persisted　in　upholding　religion。　He

openly　avowed　his　sympathy　for　Napoleon；　now　that　the　death　of　that

great　man　put　an　end　to　the　laws　enacted　against　〃the　partisans　of　the

usurper。〃　Fleury；　ex…captain　of　a　regiment　of　the　line　under　the

Emperor；　a　tall；　dark；　handsome　fellow；　was　now；　in　addition　to　his

civil…service　post；　box…keeper　at　the　Cirque…Olympique。　Bixiou　never

ventured　on　tormenting　Fleury；　for　the　rough　trooper；　who　was　a　good

shot　and　clever　at　fencing；　seemed　quite　capable　of　extreme　brutality

if　provoked。　An　ardent　subscriber　to　〃Victoires　et　Conquetes；〃　Fleury

nevertheless　refused　to　pay　his　subscription；　though　he　kept　and　read

the　copies；　alleging　that　they　exceeded　the　number　proposed　in　the

prospectus。　He　adored　Monsieur　Rabourdin；　who　had　saved　him　from

dismissal；　and　was　even　heard　to　say　that　if　any　misfortune　happened

to　the　chief　through　anybody's　fault　he　would　kill　that　person。　Dutocq

meanly　courted　Fleury　because　he　feared　him。　Fleury；　crippled　with

debt；　played　many　a　trick　on　his　creditors。　Expert　in　legal　matters；

he　never　signed　a　promissory　note；　and　had　prudently　attached　his　own

salary　under　the　names　of　fictitious　creditors；　so　that　he　was　able　to

draw　nearly　the　whole　of　it　himself。　He　played　ecarte；　was　the　life　of

evening　parties；　tossed　off　glasses　of　champagne　without　wetting　his

lips；　and　knew　all　the　songs　of　Beranger　by　heart。　He　was　proud　of　his

full；　sonorous　voice。　His　three　great　admirations　were　Napoleon；

Bolivar；　and　Beranger。　Foy；　Lafitte；　and　Casimir　Delavigne　he　only

esteemed。　Fleury；　as　you　will　have　guessed　already；　was　a　Southerner；

destined；　no　doubt；　to　become　the　responsible　editor　of　a　liberal

journal。



Desroys；　the　mysterious　clerk　of　the　division；　consorted　with　no　one；

talked　little；　and　hid　his　private　life　so　carefully　that　no　one　knew

where　he　lived；　nor　who　were　his　protectors；　nor　what　were　his　means

of　subsistence。　Looking　about　them　for　the　causes　of　this　reserve；

some　of　his　colleagues　thought　him　a　〃carbonaro；〃　others　an　Orleanist；

there　were　others　again　who　doubted　wheth