bureaucracy-第37章

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law；　Monsieur　Baudoyer；　a　man　of　consummate　talent　and　extreme

piety'〃　After　looking　at　Monsieur　Gaudron；　who　was　reflecting；　he

added；　〃'will　be　very　glad　if　he　gets　it。'　That's　not　bad；　it's　brief

and　it　says　the　whole　thing。〃



〃But　do　wait；　Saillard；　don't　you　see　that　Monsieur　l'abbe　is　turning

it　over　in　his　mind？〃　said　Madame　Saillard；　〃don't　disturb　him。〃



〃'Will　be　very　thankful　if　you　would　deign　to　interest　yourself　in　his

behalf；'〃　resumed　Gaudron。　〃'And　in　saying　a　word　to　his　Excellency

you　will　particularly　please　Madame　la　Dauphine；　by　whom　he　has　the

honor　and　the　happiness　to　be　protected。'〃



〃Ah！　Monsieur　Gaudron；　that　sentence　is　worth　more　than　the

monstrance；　I　don't　regret　the　four　thousand　eight　hundred　Besides；

Baudoyer；　my　lad；　you'll　pay　them；　won't　you？　Have　you　written　it　all

down？〃



〃I　shall　make　you　repeat　it；　father；　morning　and　evening；〃　said　Madame

Saillard。　〃Yes；　that's　a　good　speech。　How　lucky　you　are；　Monsieur

Gaudron；　to　know　so　much。　That's　what　it　is　to　be　brought　up　in　a

seminary；　they　learn　there　how　to　speak　to　God　and　his　saints。〃



〃He　is　as　good　as　he　is　learned；〃　said　Baudoyer；　pressing　the　priest's

hand。　〃Did　you　write　that　article？〃　he　added；　pointing　to　the

newspaper。



〃No；　it　was　written　by　the　secretary　of　his　Eminence；　a　young　abbe　who

is　under　obligations　to　me；　and　who　takes　an　interest　in　Monsieur

Colleville；　he　was　educated　at　my　expense。〃



〃A　good　deed　is　always　rewarded；〃　said　Baudoyer。



While　these　four　personages　were　sitting　down　to　their　game　of　boston；

Elisabeth　and　her　uncle　Mitral　reached　the　cafe　Themis；　with　much

discourse　as　they　drove　along　about　a　matter　which　Elisabeth's　keen

perceptions　told　her　was　the　most　powerful　lever　that　could　be　used　to

force　the　minister's　hand　in　the　affair　of　her　husband's　appointment。

Uncle　Mitral；　a　former　sheriff's　officer；　crafty；　clever　at　sharp

practice；　and　full　of　expedients　and　judicial　precautions；　believed

the　honor　of　his　family　to　be　involved　in　the　appointment　of　his

nephew。　His　avarice　had　long　led　him　to　estimate　the　contents　of　old

Gigonnet's　strong…box；　for　he　knew　very　well　they　would　go　in　the　end

to　benefit　his　nephew　Baudoyer；　and　it　was　therefore　important　that

the　latter　should　obtain　a　position　which　would　be　in　keeping　with　the

combined　fortunes　of　the　Saillards　and　the　old　Gigonnet；　which　would

finally　devolve　on　the　Baudoyer's　little　daughter；　and　what　an　heiress

she　would　be　with　an　income　of　a　hundred　thousand　francs！　to　what

social　position　might　she　not　aspire　with　that　fortune？　He　adopted　all

the　ideas　of　his　niece　Elisabeth　and　thoroughly　understood　them。　He

had　helped　in　sending　off　Falleix　expeditiously；　explaining　to　him　the

advantage　of　taking　post　horses。　After　which；　while　eating　his　dinner；

he　reflected　that　it　be　as　well　to　give　a　twist　of　his　own　to　the

clever　plan　invented　by　Elisabeth。



When　they　reached　the　Cafe　Themis　he　told　his　niece　that　he　alone

could　manage　Gigonnet　in　the　matter　they　both　had　in　view；　and　he　made

her　wait　in　the　hackney…coach　and　bide　her　time　to　come　forward　at　the

right　moment。　Elisabeth　saw　through　the　window…panes　the　two　faces　of

Gobseck　and　Gigonnet　（her　uncle　Bidault）；　which　stood　out　in　relief

against　the　yellow　wood…work　of　the　old　cafe；　like　two　cameo　heads；

cold　and　impassible；　in　the　rigid　attitude　that　their　gravity　gave

them。　The　two　Parisian　misers　were　surrounded　by　a　number　of　other　old

faces；　on　which　〃thirty　per　cent　discount〃　was　written　in　circular

wrinkles　that　started　from　the　nose　and　turned　round　the　glacial

cheek…bones。　These　remarkable　physiognomies　brightened　up　on　seeing

Mitral；　and　their　eyes　gleamed　with　tigerish　curiosity。



〃Hey；　hey！　it　is　papa　Mitral！〃　cried　one　of　them；　named　Chaboisseau；　a

little　old　man　who　discounted　for　a　publisher。



〃Bless　me；　so　it　is！〃　said　another；　a　broker　named　Metivier；　〃ha；

that's　an　old　monkey　well　up　in　his　tricks。〃



〃And　you；〃　retorted　Mitral；　〃you　are　an　old　crow　who　knows　all　about

carcasses。〃



〃True；〃　said　the　stern　Gobseck。



〃What　are　you　here　for？　Have　you　come　to　seize　friend　Metivier？〃　asked

Gigonnet；　pointing　to　the　broker；　who　had　the　bluff　face　of　a　porter。



〃Your　great…niece　Elisabeth　is　out　there；　papa　Gigonnet；〃　whispered

Mitral。



〃What！　some　misfortune？〃　said　Bidault。　The　old　man　drew　his　eyebrows

together　and　assumed　a　tender　look　like　that　of　an　executioner　when

about　to　go　to　work　officially。　In　spite　of　his　Roman　virtue　he　must

have　been　touched；　for　his　red　nose　lost　somewhat　of　its　color。



〃Well；　suppose　it　is　misfortune；　won't　you　help　Saillard's　daughter？

a　girl　who　has　knitted　your　stockings　for　the　last　thirty　years！〃

cried　Mitral。



〃If　there's　good　security　I　don't　say　I　won't；〃　replied　Gigonnet。

〃Falleix　is　in　with　them。　Falleix　has　just　set　up　his　brother　as　a

broker；　and　he　is　doing　as　much　business　as　the　Brezacs；　and　what

with？　his　mind；　perhaps！　Saillard　is　no　simpleton。〃



〃He　knows　the　value　of　money；〃　put　in　Chaboisseau。



That　remark；　uttered　among　those　old　men；　would　have　made　an　artist

and　thinker　shudder　as　they　all　nodded　their　heads。



〃But　it　is　none　of　my　business；〃　resumed　Bidault…Gigonnet。　〃I'm　not

bound　to　care　for　my　neighbors'　misfortunes。　My　principle　is　never　to

be　off　my　guard　with　friends　or　relatives；　you　can't　perish　except

through　weakness。　Apply　to　Gobseck；　he　is　softer。〃



The　usurers　all　applauded　these　doctrines　with　a　shake　of　their

metallic　heads。　An　onlooker　would　have　fancied　he　heard　the　creaking

of　ill…oiled　machinery。



〃Come；　Gigonnet；　show　a　little　feeling；〃　said　Chaboisseau；　〃they've

knit　your　stockings　for　thirty　years。〃



〃That　counts　for　something；〃　remarked　Gobseck。



〃Are　you　all　alone？　Is　it　safe　to　speak？〃　said　Mitral；　looking

carefully　about　him。　〃I　come　about　a　good　piece　of　business。〃



〃If　it　is　good；　why　do　you　come　to　us？〃　said　Gigonnet；　sharply；

interrupting　Mitral。



〃A　fellow　who　was　a　gentleman　of　the　Bedchamber；〃　went　on　Mitral；　〃a

former　'chouan；'what's　his　name？La　Billardiere　is　dead。〃



〃True；〃　said　Gobseck。



〃And　our　nephew　is　giving　monstrances　to　the　church；〃　snarled

Gigonnet。



〃He　is　not　such　a　fool　as　to　give　them；　he　sells　them；　old　man；〃　said

Mitral；　proudly。　〃He　wants　La　Billardiere's　place；　and　in　order　to　get

it；　we　must　seize〃



〃Seize！　You'll　never　be　anything　but　a　sheriff's　officer；〃　put　in

Metivier；　striking　Mitral　amicably　on　the　shoulder；　〃I　like　that；　I

do！〃



〃Seize　Monsieur　Clement　des　Lupeaulx　in　our　clutches；〃　continued

Mitral；　〃Elisabeth　has　discovered　how　to　do　it；　and　he　is〃



〃Elisabeth〃；　cried　Gigonnet；　interrupting　again；　〃dear　little

creature！　she　takes　after　her　grandfather；　my　poor　brother！　he　never

had　his　equal！　Ah；　you　should　have　seen　him　buying　up　old　furniture；

what　tact！　what　shrewdness！　What　does　Elisabeth　want？〃



〃Hey！　hey！〃　cried　Mitral；　〃you've　got　back　your　bowels　of　compassion；

papa　Gigonnet！　That　phenomenon　has　a　cause。〃



〃Always　a　child；〃　said　Gobseck　to　Gigonnet；　〃you　are　too　quick　on　the

trigger。〃



〃Come；　Gobseck　and　Gigonnet；　listen　to　me；　you　want　to　keep　well　with

des　Lupeaulx；　don't　you？　You've　not　forgotten　how　you　plucked　him　in

that　affair　about　the　king's　debts；　and　you　are　afraid　he'll　ask　you

to　return　some　of　his　feathers；〃　said　Mitral。



〃Shall　we　tell　him　the　whole　thing？〃　asked　Gobseck；　whispering　to

Gigonnet。



〃Mitral　is　one　of　us；　he　wouldn't　play　a　shabby　trick　on　his　former

customers；〃　replied　Gigonnet。　〃You　see；　Mitral；〃　he　went　on；　speaking

to　the　ex…sheriff　in　a　low　voice；　〃we　three　have　just　bought　up　all

those　debts；　the　payment　of　which　depends　on　the　decision　of　the

liquidation　committee。〃



〃How　much　will　you　lose？〃　asked　Mitral。



〃Nothing；〃　said　Gobseck。



〃Nobody　knows　we　are　in　it；〃　added　Gigonnet；　〃Samanon　screens　us。〃



〃Come；　listen　to　me；