bureaucracy-第33章

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〃Madame　Rabourdin　is　charming；〃　said　the　minister's　wife；　wishing　to

say　the　civil　thing　to　the　head　of　a　bureau。



The　children　all　gazed　at　Rabourdin　with　curiosity。　The　poor　man　had

come　there　expecting　some　serious；　even　solemn；　result；　and　he　was

like　a　great　fish　caught　in　the　threads　of　a　flimsy　net；　he　struggled

with　himself。



〃Madame　la　comtesse　is　very　good；〃　he　said。



〃Shall　I　not　have　the　pleasure　of　seeing　Madame　here　some　Wednesday？〃

said　the　countess。　〃Pray　bring　her；　it　will　give　me　pleasure。〃



〃Madame　Rabourdin　herself　receives　on　Wednesdays；〃　interrupted　des

Lupeaulx；　who　knew　the　empty　civility　of　an　invitation　to　the　official

Wednesdays；　〃but　since　you　are　so　kind　as　to　wish　for　her；　you　will

soon　give　one　of　your　private　parties；　and〃



The　countess　rose　with　some　irritation。



〃You　are　the　master　of　my　ceremonies；〃　she　said　to　des　Lupeaulx；

ambiguous　words；　by　which　she　expressed　the　annoyance　she　felt　with

the　secretary　for　presuming　to　interfere　with　her　private　parties；　to

which　she　admitted　only　a　select　few。　She　left　the　room　without　bowing

to　Rabourdin；　who　remained　alone　with　des　Lupeaulx；　the　latter　was

twisting　in　his　fingers　the　confidential　letter　to　the　minister　which

Rabourdin　had　intrusted　to　La　Briere。　Rabourdin　recognized　it。



〃You　have　never　really　known　me；〃　said　des　Lupeaulx。　〃Friday　evening

we　will　come　to　a　full　understanding。　Just　now　I　must　go　and　receive

callers；　his　Excellency　saddles　me　with　that　burden　when　he　has　other

matters　to　attend　to。　But　I　repeat；　Rabourdin；　don't　worry　yourself；

you　have　nothing　to　fear。〃



Rabourdin　walked　slowly　through　the　corridors；　amazed　and　confounded

by　this　singular　turn　of　events。　He　had　expected　Dutocq　to　denounce

him；　and　found　he　had　not　been　mistaken；　des　Lupeaulx　had　certainly

seen　the　document　which　judged　him　so　severely；　and　yet　des　Lupeaulx

was　fawning　on　his　judge！　It　was　all　incomprehensible。　Men　of　upright

minds　are　often　at　a　loss　to　understand　complicated　intrigues；　and

Rabourdin　was　lost　in　a　maze　of　conjecture　without　being　able　to

discover　the　object　of　the　game　which　the　secretary　was　playing。



〃Either　he　has　not　read　the　part　about　himself；　or　he　loves　my　wife。〃



Such　were　the　two　thoughts　to　which　his　mind　arrived　as　he　crossed　the

courtyard；　for　the　glance　he　had　intercepted　the　night　before　between

des　Lupeaulx　and　Celestine　came　back　to　his　memory　like　a　flash　of

lightning。







CHAPTER　VI



THE　WORMS　AT　WORK



Rabourdin's　bureau　was　during　his　absence　a　prey　to　the　keenest

excitement；　for　the　relation　between　the　head　officials　and　the　clerks

in　a　government　office　is　so　regulated　that；　when　a　minister's

messenger　summons　the　head　of　a　bureau　to　his　Excellency's　presence

（above　all　at　the　latter's　breakfast　hour）；　there　is　no　end　to　the

comments　that　are　made。　The　fact　that　the　present　unusual　summons

followed　so　closely　on　the　death　of　Monsieur　de　la　Billardiere　seemed

to　give　special　importance　to　the　circumstance；　which　was　made　known

to　Monsieur　Saillard；　who　came　at　once　to　confer　with　Baudoyer。

Bixiou；　who　happened　at　the　moment　to　be　at　work　with　the　latter；　left

him　to　converse　with　his　father…in…law　and　betook　himself　to　the

bureau　Rabourdin；　where　the　usual　routine　was　of　course　interrupted。



Bixiou　＇entering＇。　〃I　thought　I　should　find　you　at　a　white　heat！　Don't

you　know　what's　going　on　down　below？　The　virtuous　woman　is　done　for！

yes；　done　for；　crushed！　Terrible　scene　at　the　ministry！〃



Dutocq　＇looking　fixedly　at　him＇。　〃Are　you　telling　the　truth？〃



Bixiou。　〃Pray；　who　would　regret　it？　Not　you；　certainly；　for　you　will

be　made　under…head…clerk　and　du　Bruel　head　of　the　bureau。　Monsieur

Baudoyer　gets　the　division。〃



Fleury。　〃I'll　bet　a　hundred　francs　that　Baudoyer　will　never　be　head　of

the　division。〃



Vimeux。　〃I'll　join　in　the　bet；　will　you；　Monsieur　Poiret？〃



Poiret。　〃I　retire　in　January。〃



Bixiou。　〃Is　it　possible？　are　we　to　lose　the　sight　of　those　shoe…ties？

What　will　the　ministry　be　without　you？　Will　nobody　take　up　the　bet　on

my　side？〃



Dutocq。　〃I　can't；　for　I　know　the　facts。　Monsieur　Rabourdin　is

appointed。　Monsieur　de　la　Billardiere　requested　it　of　the　two

ministers　on　his　death…bed；　blaming　himself　for　having　taken　the

emoluments　of　an　office　of　which　Rabourdin　did　all　the　work；　he　felt

remorse　of　conscience；　and　the　ministers；　to　quiet　him；　promised　to

appoint　Rabourdin　unless　higher　powers　intervened。〃



Bixiou。　〃Gentlemen；　are　you　all　against　me？　seven　to　one；for　I　know

which　side　you'll　take；　Monsieur　Phellion。　Well；　I'll　bet　a　dinner

costing　five　hundred　francs　at　the　Rocher　de　Cancale　that　Rabourdin

does　not　get　La　Billardiere's　place。　That　will　cost　you　only　a　hundred

francs　each；　and　I'm　risking　five　hundred；five　to　one　against　me！　Do

you　take　it　up？〃　＇Shouting　into　the　next　room。＇　〃Du　Bruel；　what　say

you？〃



Phellion　＇laying　down　his　pen＇。　〃Monsieur；　may　I　ask　on　what　you　base

that　contingent　proposal？for　contingent　it　is。　But　stay；　I　am　wrong

to　call　it　a　proposal；　I　should　say　contract。　A　wager　constitutes　a

contract。〃



Fleury。　〃No；　no；　you　can　only　apply　the　word　'contract'　to　agreements

that　are　recognized　in　the　Code。　Now　the　Code　allows　of　no　action　for

the　recovery　of　a　bet。〃



Dutocq。　〃Proscribe　a　thing　and　you　recognize　it。〃



Bixiou。　〃Good！　my　little　man。〃



Poiret。　〃Dear　me！〃



Fleury。　〃True！　when　one　refuses　to　pay　one's　debts；　that's　recognizing

them。〃



Thuillier。　〃You　would　make　famous　lawyers。〃



Poiret。　〃I　am　as　curious　as　Monsieur　Phellion　to　know　what　grounds

Monsieur　Bixiou　has　for〃



Bixiou　＇shouting　across　the　office＇。　〃Du　Bruel！　Will　you　bet？〃



Du　Bruel　＇appearing　at　the　door＇。　〃Heavens　and　earth；　gentlemen；　I'm

very　busy；　I　have　something　very　difficult　to　do；　I've　got　to　write　an

obituary　notice　of　Monsieur　de　la　Billardiere。　I　do　beg　you　to　be

quiet；　you　can　laugh　and　bet　afterwards。〃



Bixiou。　〃That's　true；　du　Bruel；　the　praise　of　an　honest　man　is　a　very

difficult　thing　to　write。　I'd　rather　any　day　draw　a　caricature　of

him。〃



Du　Bruel。　〃Do　come　and　help　me；　Bixiou。〃



Bixiou　＇following　him＇。　〃I'm　willing；　though　I　can　do　such　things　much

better　when　eating。〃



Du　Bruel。　〃Well；　we　will　go　and　dine　together　afterwards。　But　listen；

this　is　what　I　have　written〃　＇reads＇　〃'The　Church　and　the　Monarchy　are

daily　losing　many　of　those　who　fought　for　them　in　Revolutionary

times。'〃



Bixiou。　〃Bad；　very　bad；　why　don't　you　say；　'Death　carries　on　its

ravages　amongst　the　few　surviving　defenders　of　the　monarchy　and　the

old　and　faithful　servants　of　the　King；　whose　heart　bleeds　under　these

reiterated　blows？'〃　＇Du　Bruel　writes　rapidly。＇　〃'Monsieur　le　Baron

Flamet　de　la　Billardiere　died　this　morning　of　dropsy；　caused　by　heart

disease。'　You　see；　it　is　just　as　well　to　show　there　are　hearts　in

government　offices；　and　you　ought　to　slip　in　a　little　flummery　about

the　emotions　of　the　Royalists　during　the　Terror；might　be　useful；

hey！　But　stay；no！　the　petty　papers　would　be　sure　to　say　the　emotions

came　more　from　the　stomach　than　the　heart。　Better　leave　that　out。　What

are　you　writing　now？〃



Du　Bruel　＇reading＇。　〃'Issuing　from　an　old　parliamentary　stock　in　which

devotion　to　the　throne　was　hereditary；　as　was　also　attachment　to　the

faith　of　our　fathers；　Monsieur　de　la　Billardiere'〃



Bixiou。　〃Better　say　Monsieur　le　Baron　de　la　Billardiere。〃



Du　Bruel。　〃But　he　wasn't　baron　in　1793。〃



Bixiou。　〃No　matter。　Don't　you　remember　that　under　the　Empire　Fouche

was　telling　an　anecdote　about　the　Convention；　in　which　he　had　to　quote

Robespierre；　and　he　said；　'Robespierre　called　out　to　me；　〃Duc

d'Otrante；　go　to　the　Hotel　de　Ville。〃'　There's　a　precedent　for　you！〃



Du　Bruel。　〃Let　me　just　write　that　down；　I　can　use　it　in　a　vaudeville。

But　to　go　back　to　what　we　were　saying。　I　don't　want　to　put　'Monsieur

le　baron；'　because　I　am　reservin