bureaucracy-第39章

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benefactors。　Only；　remember　this；　if　you　show　the　slightest　treachery

to　Rabourdin；　without　my　permission；　it　will　be　your　ruin。　As　to　that

newspaper；　let　the　Grand　Almoner　subscribe　as　largely　as　we　do；　if　he

wants　its　services。　Here　we　are　at　the　end　of　the　year；　the　matter　of

subscriptions　will　come　up　for　discussion；　and　I　shall　have　something

to　say　on　that　head。　As　to　La　Billardiere's　place；　there　is　only　one

way　to　settle　the　matter；　and　that　is　to　appoint　Rabourdin　this　very

day。〃



〃Gentlemen；〃　said　Dutocq；　returning　to　the　clerks'　office　and

addressing　his　colleagues。　〃I　don't　know　if　Bixiou　has　the　art　of

looking　into　futurity；　but　if　you　have　not　read　the　ministerial

journal　I　advise　you　to　study　the　article　about　Baudoyer；　then；　as

Monsieur　Fleury　takes　the　opposition　sheet；　you　can　see　the　reply。

Monsieur　Rabourdin　certainly　has　talent；　but　a　man　who　in　these　days

gives　a　six…thousand…franc　monstrance　to　the　Church　has　a　devilish

deal　more　talent　than　he。〃



Bixiou　＇entering＇。　〃What　say　you；　gentlemen；　to　the　First　Epistle　to

the　Corinthians　in　our　pious　ministerial　journal；　and　the　reply

Epistle　to　the　Ministers　in　the　opposition　sheet？　How　does　Monsieur

Rabourdin　feel　now；　du　Bruel？〃



Du　Bruel　＇rushing　in＇。　〃I　don't　know。〃　＇He　drags　Bixiou　back　into　his

cabinet；　and　says　in　a　low　voice＇　〃My　good　fellow；　your　way　of　helping

people　is　like　that　of　the　hangman　who　jumps　upon　a　victim's　shoulders

to　break　his　neck。　You　got　me　into　a　scrape　with　des　Lupeaulx；　which

my　folly　in　ever　trusting　you　richly　deserved。　A　fine　thing　indeed；

that　article　on　La　Billardiere。　I　sha'n't　forget　the　trick！　Why；　the

very　first　sentence　was　as　good　as　telling　the　King　he　was

superannuated　and　it　was　time　for　him　to　die。　And　as　to　that　Quiberon

bit；　it　said　plainly　that　the　King　was　a　What　a　fool　I　was！〃



Bixiou　＇laughing＇。　〃Bless　my　heart！　are　you　getting　angry？　Can't　a

fellow　joke　any　more？〃



Du　Bruel。　〃Joke！　joke　indeed。　When　you　want　to　be　made　head…clerk

somebody　shall　joke　with　you；　my　dear　fellow。〃



Bixiou　＇in　a　bullying　tone＇。　〃Angry；　are　we？〃



Du　Bruel。　〃Yes！〃



Bixiou　＇dryly＇。　〃So　much　the　worse　for　you。〃



Du　Bruel　＇uneasy＇。　〃You　wouldn't　pardon　such　a　thing　yourself；　I

know。〃



Bixiou　＇in　a　wheedling　tone＇。　〃To　a　friend？　indeed　I　would。〃　＇They

hear　Fleury's　voice。＇　〃There's　Fleury　cursing　Baudoyer。　Hey；　how　well

the　thing　has　been　managed！　Baudoyer　will　get　the　appointment。〃

＇Confidentially＇　〃After　all；　so　much　the　better。　Du　Bruel；　just　keep

your　eye　on　the　consequences。　Rabourdin　would　be　a　mean…spirited

creature　to　stay　under　Baudoyer；　he　will　send　in　his　registration；　and

that　will　give　us　two　places。　You　can　be　head　of　the　bureau　and　take

me　for　under…head…clerk。　We　will　make　vaudevilles　together；　and　I'll

fag　at　your　work　in　the　office。〃



Du　Bruel　＇smiling＇。　〃Dear　me；　I　never　thought　of　that。　Poor　Rabourdin！

I　shall　be　sorry　for　him；　though。〃



Bixiou。　〃That　shows　how　much　you　love　him！〃　＇Changing　his　tone＇　〃Ah；

well；　I　don't　pity　him　any　longer。　He's　rich；　his　wife　gives　parties

and　doesn't　ask　me；me；　who　go　everywhere！　Well；　good…bye；　my　dear

fellow；　good…bye；　and　don't　owe　me　a　grudge！〃　＇He　goes　out　through　the

clerks'　office。＇　〃Adieu；　gentlemen；　didn't　I　tell　you　yesterday　that　a

man　who　has　nothing　but　virtues　and　talents　will　always　be　poor；　even

though　he　has　a　pretty　wife？〃



Henry。　〃You　are　so　rich；　you！〃



Bixiou。　〃Not　bad；　my　Cincinnatus！　But　you'll　give　me　that　dinner　at

the　Rocher　de　Cancale。〃



Poiret。　〃It　is　absolutely　impossible　for　me　to　understand　Monsieur

Bixiou。〃



Phellion　＇with　an　elegaic　air＇。　〃Monsieur　Rabourdin　so　seldom　reads

the　newspapers　that　it　might　perhaps　be　serviceable　to　deprive

ourselves　momentarily　by　taking　them　in　to　him。〃　＇Fleury　hands　over

his　paper；　Vimeux　the　office　sheet；　and　Phellion　departs　with　them。＇



At　that　moment　des　Lupeaulx；　coming　leisurely　downstairs　to　breakfast

with　the　minister；　was　asking　himself　whether；　before　playing　a　trump

card　for　the　husband；　it　might　not　be　prudent　to　probe　the　wife's

heart　and　make　sure　of　a　reward　for　his　devotion。　He　was　feeling　about

for　the　small　amount　of　heart　that　he　possessed；　when；　at　a　turn　of

the　staircase；　he　encountered　his　lawyer；　who　said　to　him；　smiling；

〃Just　a　word；　Monseigneur；〃　in　the　tone　of　familiarity　assumed　by　men

who　know　they　are　indispensable。



〃What　is　it；　my　dear　Desroches？〃　exclaimed　the　politician。　〃Has

anything　happened？〃



〃I　have　come　to　tell　you　that　all　your　notes　and　debts　have　been

brought　up　by　Gobseck　and　Gigonnet；　under　the　name　of　a　certain

Samanon。〃



〃Men　whom　I　helped　to　make　their　millions！〃



〃Listen；〃　whispered　the　lawyer。　〃Gigonnet　（really　named　Bidault）　is

the　uncle　of　Saillard；　your　cashier；　and　Saillard　is　father…in…law　to

a　certain　Baudoyer；　who　thinks　he　has　a　right　to　the　vacant　place　in

your　ministry。　Don't　you　think　I　have　done　right　to　come　and　tell

you？〃



〃Thank　you；〃　said　des　Lupeaulx；　nodding　to　the　lawyer　with　a　shrewd

look。



〃One　stroke　of　your　pen　will　buy　them　off；〃　said　Desroches；　leaving

him。



〃What　an　immense　sacrifice！〃　muttered　des　Lupeaulx。　〃It　would　be

impossible　to　explain　it　to　a　woman；〃　thought　he。　〃Is　Celestine　worth

more　than　the　clearing　off　of　my　debts？that　is　the　question。　I'll　go

and　see　her　this　morning。〃



So　the　beautiful　Madame　Rabourdin　was　to　be；　within　an　hour；　the

arbiter　of　her　husband's　fate；　and　no　power　on　earth　could　warn　her　of

the　importance　of　her　replies；　or　give　her　the　least　hint　to　guard　her

conduct　and　compose　her　voice。　Moreover；　in　addition　to　her

mischances；　she　believed　herself　certain　of　success；　never　dreaming

that　Rabourdin　was　undermined　in　all　directions　by　the　secret　sapping

of　the　mollusks。



〃Well；　Monseigneur；〃　said　des　Lupeaulx；　entering　the　little　salon

where　they　breakfasted；　〃have　you　seen　the　articles　on　Baudoyer？〃



〃For　God's　sake；　my　dear　friend；〃　replied　the　minister；　〃don't　talk　of

those　appointments　just　now；　let　me　have　an　hour's　peace！　They　cracked

my　ears　last　night　with　that　monstrance。　The　only　way　to　save

Rabourdin　is　to　bring　his　appointment　before　the　Council；　unless　I

submit　to　having　my　hand　forced。　It　is　enough　to　disgust　a　man　with

the　public　service。　I　must　purchase　the　right　to　keep　that　excellent

Rabourdin　by　promoting　a　certain　Colleville！〃



〃Why　not　make　over　the　management　of　this　pretty　little　comedy　to　me；

and　rid　yourself　of　the　worry　of　it？　I'll　amuse　you　every　morning　with

an　account　of　the　game　of　chess　I　should　play　with　the　Grand　Almoner；〃

said　des　Lupeaulx。



〃Very　good；〃　said　the　minister；　〃settle　it　with　the　head　examiner。　But

you　know　perfectly　well　that　nothing　is　more　likely　to　strike　the

king's　mind　than　just　those　reasons　the　opposition　journal　has　chosen

to　put　forth。　Good　heavens！　fancy　managing　a　ministry　with　such　men　as

Baudoyer　under　me！〃



〃An　imbecile　bigot；〃　said　des　Lupeaulx；　〃and　as　utterly　incapable

as〃



〃as　La　Billardiere；〃　added　the　minister。



〃But　La　Billardiere　had　the　manners　of　a　gentleman…in…ordinary；〃

replied　des　Lupeaulx。　〃Madame；〃　he　continued；　addressing　the　countess；

〃it　is　now　an　absolute　necessity　to　invite　Madame　Rabourdin　to　your

next　private　party。　I　must　assure　you　she　is　the　intimate　friend　of

Madame　de　Camps；　they　were　at　the　Opera　together　last　night。　I　first

met　her　at　the　hotel　Firmiani。　Besides；　you　will　see　that　she　is　not

of　a　kind　to　compromise　a　salon。〃



〃Invite　Madame　Rabourdin；　my　dear；〃　said　the　minister；　〃and　pray　let

us　talk　of　something　else。〃







CHAPTER　VII



SCENES　FROM　DOMESTIC　LIFE



Parisian　households　are　literally　eaten　up　with　the　desire　to　be　in

keeping　with　the　luxury　that　surrounds　them　on　all　sides；　and　few

there　are　who　have　the　wisdom　to　let　their　external　situation　conform

to　their　internal　revenue。　But　this　vice　may　perhaps　denote　a　t