bureaucracy-第31章

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〃You　have　more　mind　than　an　author　ought　to　have；〃　returned　des

Lupeaulx；　with　a　conceited　air。　Then　he　turned　round　and　perceived

Dutocq。　〃Ah；　good…morning；　Dutocq；〃　he　said。　〃I　sent　for　you　to　lend

me　your　Charletif　you　have　the　whole　complete。　Madame　la　comtesse

knows　nothing　of　Charlet。〃



Du　Bruel　retired。



〃Why　do　you　come　in　without　being　summoned？〃　said　des　Lupeaulx；

harshly；　when　he　and　Dutocq　were　left　alone。　〃Is　the　State　in　danger

that　you　must　come　here　at　ten　o'clock　in　the　morning；　just　as　I　am

going　to　breakfast　with　his　Excellency？〃



〃Perhaps　it　is；　monsieur；〃　said　Dutocq；　dryly。　〃If　I　had　had　the　honor

to　see　you　earlier；　you　would　probably　have　not　been　so　willing　to

support　Monsieur　Rabourdin；　after　reading　his　opinion　of　you。〃



Dutocq　opened　his　coat；　took　a　paper　from　the　left…hand　breast…pocket

and　laid　it　on　des　Lupeaulx's　desk；　pointing　to　a　marked　passage。　Then

he　went　to　the　door　and　slipped　the　bolt；　fearing　interruption。　While

he　was　thus　employed；　the　secretary…general　read　the　opening　sentence

of　the　article；　which　was　as　follows：



　　〃Monsieur　des　Lupeaulx。　A　government　degrades　itself　by　openly

　　employing　such　a　man；　whose　real　vocation　is　for　police　diplomacy。

　　He　is　fitted　to　deal　with　the　political　filibusters　of　other

　　cabinets；　and　it　would　be　a　pity　therefore　to　employ　him　on　our

　　internal　detective　police。　He　is　above　a　common　spy；　for　he　is

　　able　to　understand　a　plan；　he　could　skilfully　carry　through　a　dark

　　piece　of　work　and　cover　his　retreat　safely。〃



Des　Lupeaulx　was　succinctly　analyzed　in　five　or　six　such　paragraphs；

the　essence；　in　fact；　of　the　biographical　portrait　which　we　gave　at

the　beginning　of　this　history。　As　he　read　the　words　the　secretary　felt

that　a　man　stronger　than　himself　sat　in　judgment　on　him；　and　he　at

once　resolved　to　examine　the　memorandum；　which　evidently　reached　far

and　high；　without　allowing　Dutocq　to　know　his　secret　thoughts。　He

therefore　showed　a　calm；　grave　face　when　the　spy　returned　to　him。　Des

Lupeaulx；　like　lawyers；　magistrates；　diplomatists；　and　all　whose　work

obliges　them　to　pry　into　the　human　heart；　was　past　being　surprised　at

anything。　Hardened　in　treachery　and　in　all　the　tricks　and　wiles　of

hatred；　he　could　take　a　stab　in　the　back　and　not　let　his　face　tell　of

it。



〃How　did　you　get　hold　of　this　paper？〃



Dutocq　related　his　good　luck；　des　Lupeaulx's　face　as　he　listened

expressed　no　approbation；　and　the　spy　ended　in　terror　an　account　which

began　triumphantly。



〃Dutocq；　you　have　put　your　finger　between　the　bark　and　the　tree；〃　said

the　secretary；　coldly。　〃If　you　don't　want　to　make　powerful　enemies　I

advise　you　to　keep　this　paper　a　profound　secret；　it　is　a　work　of　the

utmost　importance　and　already　well　known　to　me。〃



So　saying；　des　Lupeaulx　dismissed　Dutocq　by　one　of　those　glances　that

are　more　expressive　than　words。



〃Ha！　that　scoundrel　of　a　Rabourdin　has　put　his　finger　in　this！〃

thought　Dutocq；　alarmed　on　finding　himself　anticipated；　〃he　has

reached　the　ear　of　the　administration；　while　I　am　left　out　in　the

cold。　I　shouldn't　have　thought　it！〃



To　all　his　other　motives　of　aversion　to　Rabourdin　he　now　added　the

jealousy　of　one　man　to　another　man　of　the　same　calling；a　most

powerful　ingredient　in　hatred。



When　des　Lupeaulx　was　left　alone；　he　dropped　into　a　strange

meditation。　What　power　was　it　of　which　Rabourdin　was　the　instrument？

Should　he；　des　Lupeaulx；　use　this　singular　document　to　destroy　him；　or

should　he　keep　it　as　a　weapon　to　succeed　with　the　wife？　The　mystery

that　lay　behind　this　paper　was　all　darkness　to　des　Lupeaulx；　who　read

with　something　akin　to　terror　page　after　page；　in　which　the　men　of　his

acquaintance　were　judged　with　unerring　wisdom。　He　admired　Rabourdin；

though　stabbed　to　his　vitals　by　what　he　said　of　him。　The　breakfast…

hour　suddenly　cut　short　his　meditation。



〃His　Excellency　is　waiting　for　you　to　come　down；〃　announced　the

minister's　footman。



The　minister　always　breakfasted　with　his　wife　and　children　and　des

Lupeaulx；　without　the　presence　of　servants。　The　morning　meal　affords

the　only　moment　of　privacy　which　public　men　can　snatch　from　the

current　of　overwhelming　business。　Yet　in　spite　of　the　precautions　they

take　to　keep　this　hour　for　private　intimacies　and　affections；　a　good

many　great　and　little　people　manage　to　infringe　upon　it。　Business

itself　will；　as　at　this　moment；　thrust　itself　in　the　way　of　their

scanty　comfort。



〃I　thought　Rabourdin　was　a　man　above　all　ordinary　petty　manoeuvres；〃

began　the　minister；　〃and　yet　here；　not　ten　minutes　after　La

Billardiere's　death；　he　sends　me　this　note　by　La　Briere；it　is　like　a

stage　missive。　Look；〃　said　his　Excellency；　giving　des　Lupeaulx　a　paper

which　he　was　twirling　in　his　fingers。



Too　noble　in　mind　to　think　for　a　moment　of　the　shameful　meaning　La

Billardiere's　death　might　lend　to　his　letter；　Rabourdin　had　not

withdrawn　it　from　La　Briere's　hands　after　the　news　reached　him。　Des

Lupeaulx　read　as　follows：



　　〃Monseigneur；If　twenty…three　years　of　irreproachable　services

　　may　claim　a　favor；　I　entreat　your　Excellency　to　grant　me　an

　　audience　this　very　day。　My　honor　is　involved　in　the　matter　of

　　which　I　desire　to　speak。〃



〃Poor　man！〃　said　des　Lupeaulx；　in　a　tone　of　compassion　which　confirmed

the　minister　in　his　error。　〃We　are　alone；　I　advise　you　to　see　him　now。

You　have　a　meeting　of　the　Council　when　the　Chamber　rises；　moreover；

your　Excellency　has　to　reply　to…day　to　the　opposition；　this　is　really

the　only　hour　when　you　can　receive　him。〃



Des　Lupeaulx　rose；　called　the　servant；　said　a　few　words；　and　returned

to　his　seat。　〃I　have　told　them　to　bring　him　in　at　dessert；〃　he　said。



Like　all　other　ministers　under　the　Restoration；　this　particular

minister　was　a　man　without　youth。　The　charter　granted　by　Louis　XVIII。

had　the　defect　of　tying　the　hands　of　the　kings　by　compelling　them　to

deliver　the　destinies　of　the　nation　into　the　control　of　the　middle…

aged　men　of　the　Chamber　and　the　septuagenarians　of　the　peerage；　it

robbed　them　of　the　right　to　lay　hands　on　a　man　of　statesmanlike　talent

wherever　they　could　find　him；　no　matter　how　young　he　was　or　how

poverty…stricken　his　condition　might　be。　Napoleon　alone　was　able　to

employ　young　men　as　he　chose；　without　being　restrained　by　any

consideration。　After　the　overthrow　of　that　mighty　will；　vigor　deserted

power。　Now　the　period　when　effeminacy　succeeds　to　vigor　presents　a

contrast　that　is　far　more　dangerous　in　France　than　in　other　countries。

As　a　general　thing；　ministers　who　were　old　before　they　entered　office

have　proved　second　or　third　rate；　while　those　who　were　taken　young

have　been　an　honor　to　European　monarchies　and　to　the　republics　whose

affairs　they　have　directed。　The　world　still　rings　with　the　struggle

between　Pitt　and　Napoleon；　two　men　who　conducted　the　politics　of　their

respective　countries　at　an　age　when　Henri　de　Navarre；　Richelieu；

Mazarin；　Colbert；　Louvois；　the　Prince　of　Orange；　the　Guises；

Machiavelli；　in　short；　all　the　best　known　of　our　great　men；　coming

from　the　ranks　or　born　to　a　throne；　began　to　rule　the　State。　The

Conventionthat　model　of　energywas　made　up　in　a　great　measure　of

young　heads；　no　sovereign　can　ever　forget　that　it　was　able　to　put

fourteen　armies　into　the　field　against　Europe。　Its　policy；　fatal　in

the　eyes　of　those　who　cling　to　what　is　called　absolute　power；　was

nevertheless　dictated　by　strictly　monarchical　principles；　and　it

behaved　itself　like　any　of　the　great　kings。



After　ten　or　a　dozen　years　of　parliamentary　struggle；　having　studied

the　science　of　politics　until　he　was　worn　down　by　it；　this　particular

minister　had　come　to　be　enthroned　by　his　party；　who　considered　him　in

the　light　of　their　business　man。　Happily　for　him　he　was　now　nearer

sixty　than　fifty　years　of　age；　had　he　retained　even　a　vestige　of

juvenile　vigor　he　would　quickly　have　quenched　it。　But；　accustomed　to

back　and　fill；　retreat　and　retur