bureaucracy-第42章

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scheme；he　should　make　himself　another　Law；　without　Law's　fatal　ill…

luck；　he　ought　to　exhibit　the　power　of　credit；　and　show　that　we　should

reduce；　not　principal；　but　interest；　as　they　do　in　England。〃



〃Come；　come；　Celestine；〃　said　Rabourdin；　〃mix　up　ideas　as　much　as　you

please；　and　make　fun　of　them；I'm　accustomed　to　that；　but　don't

criticise　a　work　of　which　you　know　nothing　as　yet。〃



〃Do　I　need；〃　she　asked；　〃to　know　a　scheme　the　essence　of　which　is　to

govern　France　with　a　civil　service　of　six　thousand　men　instead　of

twenty　thousand？　My　dear　friend；　even　allowing　it　were　the　plan　of　a

man　of　genius；　a　king　of　France　who　attempted　to　carry　it　out　would

get　himself　dethroned。　You　can　keep　down　a　feudal　aristocracy　by

levelling　a　few　heads；　but　you　can't　subdue　a　hydra　with　thousands。

And　is　it　with　the　present　ministersbetween　ourselves；　a　wretched

crewthat　you　expect　to　carry　out　your　reform？　No；　no；　change　the

monetary　system　if　you　will；　but　do　not　meddle　with　men；　with　little

men；　they　cry　out　too　much；　whereas　gold　is　dumb。〃



〃But；　Celestine；　if　you　will　talk；　and　put　wit　before　argument；　we

shall　never　understand　each　other。〃



〃Understand！　I　understand　what　that　paper；　in　which　you　have　analyzed

the　capacities　of　the　men　in　office；　will　lead　to；〃　she　replied；

paying　no　attention　to　what　her　husband　said。　〃Good　heavens！　you　have

sharpened　the　axe　to　cut　off　your　own　head。　Holy　Virgin！　why　didn't

you　consult　me？　I　could　have　at　least　prevented　you　from　committing

anything　to　writing；　or；　at　any　rate；　if　you　insisted　on　putting　it　to

paper；　I　would　have　written　it　down　myself；　and　it　should　never　have

left　this　house。　Good　God！　to　think　that　he　never　told　me！　That's　what

men　are！　capable　of　sleeping　with　the　wife　of　their　bosom　for　seven

years；　and　keeping　a　secret　from　her！　Hiding　their　thoughts　from　a

poor　woman　for　seven　years！doubting　her　devotion！〃



〃But；〃　cried　Rabourdin；　provoked；　〃for　eleven　years　and　more　I　have

been　unable　to　discuss　anything　with　you　because　you　insist　on　cutting

me　short　and　substituting　your　ideas　for　mine。　You　know　nothing　at　all

about　my　scheme。〃



〃Nothing！　I　know　all。〃



〃Then　tell　it　to　me！〃　cried　Rabourdin；　angry　for　the　first　time　since

his　marriage。



〃There！　it　is　half…past　six　o'clock；　finish　shaving　and　dress　at

once；〃　she　cried　hastily；　after　the　fashion　of　women　when　pressed　on　a

point　they　are　not　ready　to　talk　of。　〃I　must　go；　we'll　adjourn　the

discussion；　for　I　don't　want　to　be　nervous　on　a　reception…day。　Good

heavens！　the　poor　soul！〃　she　thought；　as　she　left　the　room；　〃it　IS

hard　to　be　in　labor　for　seven　years　and　bring　forth　a　dead　child！　And

not　trust　his　wife！〃



She　went　back　into　the　room。



〃If　you　had　listened　to　me　you　would　never　had　interceded　to　keep　your

chief　clerk；　he　stole　that　abominable　paper；　and　has；　no　doubt；　kept　a

fac…simile　of　it。　Adieu；　man　of　genius！〃



Then　she　noticed　the　almost　tragic　expression　of　her　husband's　grief；

she　felt　she　had　gone　too　far；　and　ran　to　him；　seized　him　just　as　he

was；　all　lathered　with　soap…suds；　and　kissed　him　tenderly。



〃Dear　Xavier；　don't　be　vexed；〃　she　said。　〃To…night；　after　the　people

are　gone；　we　will　study　your　plan；　you　shall　speak　at　your　ease；I

will　listen　just　as　long　as　you　wish　me　to。　Isn't　that　nice　of　me？

What　do　I　want　better　than　to　be　the　wife　of　Mohammed？〃



She　began　to　laugh；　and　Rabourdin　laughed　too；　for　the　soapsuds　were

clinging　to　Celestine's　lips；　and　her　voice　had　the　tones　of　the

purest　and　most　steadfast　affection。



〃Go　and　dress；　dear　child；　and　above　all；　don't　say　a　word　of　this　to

des　Lupeaulx。　Swear　you　will　not。　That　is　the　only　punishment　that　I

impose〃



〃IMPOSE！〃　she　cried。　〃Then　I　won't　swear　anything。〃



〃Come；　come；　Celestine；　I　said　in　jest　a　really　serious　thing。〃



〃To…night；〃　she　said；　〃I　mean　your　general…secretary　to　know　whom　I　am

really　intending　to　attack；　he　has　given　me　the　means。〃



〃Attack　whom？〃



〃The　minister；〃　she　answered；　drawing　himself　up。　〃We　are　to　be

invited　to　his　wife's　private　parties。〃



In　spite　of　his　Celestine's　loving　caresses；　Rabourdin；　as　he　finished

dressing；　could　not　prevent　certain　painful　thoughts　from　clouding　his

brow。



〃Will　she　ever　appreciate　me？〃　he　said　to　himself。　〃She　does　not　even

understand　that　she　is　the　sole　incentive　of　my　whole　work。　How　wrong…

headed；　and　yet　how　excellent　a　mind！If　I　had　not　married　I　might

now　have　been　high　in　office　and　rich。　I　could　have　saved　half　my

salary；　my　savings　well…invested　would　have　given　me　to…day　ten

thousand　francs　a　year　outside　of　my　office；　and　I　might　then　have

become；　through　a　good　marriage　Yes；　that　is　all　true；〃　he

exclaimed；　interrupting　himself；　〃but　I　have　Celestine　and　my　two

children。〃　The　man　flung　himself　back　on　his　happiness。　To　the　best　of

married　lives　there　come　moments　of　regret。　He　entered　the　salon　and

looked　around　him。　〃There　are　not　two　women　in　Paris　who　understand

making　life　pleasant　as　she　does。　To　keep　such　a　home　as　this　on

twelve　thousand　francs　a　year！〃　he　thought；　looking　at　the　flower…

stands　bright　with　bloom；　and　thinking　of　the　social　enjoyments　that

were　about　to　gratify　his　vanity。　〃She　was　made　to　be　the　wife　of　a

minister。　When　I　think　of　his　Excellency's　wife；　and　how　little　she

helps　him！　the　good　woman　is　a　comfortable　middle…class　dowdy；　and

when　she　goes　to　the　palace　or　into　society〃　He　pinched　his　lips

together。　Very　busy　men　are　apt　to　have　very　ignorant　notions　about

household　matters；　and　you　can　make　them　believe　that　a　hundred

thousand　francs　afford　little　or　that　twelve　thousand　afford　all。



Though　impatiently　expected；　and　in　spite　of　the　flattering　dishes

prepared　for　the　palate　of　the　gourmet…emeritus；　des　Lupeaulx　did　not

come　to　dinner；　in　fact　he　came　in　very　late；　about　midnight；　an　hour

when　company　dwindles　and　conversations　become　intimate　and

confidential。　Andoche　Finot；　the　journalist；　was　one　of　the　few

remaining　guests。



〃I　now　know　all；〃　said　des　Lupeaulx；　when　he　was　comfortably　seated　on

a　sofa　at　the　corner　of　the　fireplace；　a　cup　of　tea　in　his　hand　and

Madame　Rabourdin　standing　before　him　with　a　plate　of　sandwiches　and

some　slices　of　cake　very　appropriately　called　〃leaden　cake。〃　〃Finot；

my　dear　and　witty　friend；　you　can　render　a　great　service　to　our

gracious　queen　by　letting　loose　a　few　dogs　upon　the　men　we　were

talking　of。　You　have　against　you；〃　he　said　to　Rabourdin；　lowering　his

voice　so　as　to　be　heard　only　by　the　three　persons　whom　he　addressed；

〃a　set　of　usurers　and　priestsmoney　and　the　church。　The　article　in

the　liberal　journal　was　instituted　by　an　old　money…lender　to　whom　the

paper　was　under　obligations；　but　the　young　fellow　who　wrote　it　cares

nothing　about　it。　The　paper　is　about　to　change　hands；　and　in　three

days　more　will　be　on　our　side。　The　royalist　opposition；for　we　have；

thanks　to　Monsieur　de　Chateaubriand；　a　royalist　opposition；　that　is　to

say；　royalists　who　have　gone　over　to　the　liberals；however；　there's

no　need　to　discuss　political　matters　now；these　assassins　of　Charles

X。　have　promised　me　to　support　your　appointment　at　the　price　of　our

acquiescence　in　one　of　their　amendments。　All　my　batteries　are　manned。

If　they　threaten　us　with　Baudoyer　we　shall　say　to　the　clerical

phalanx；　'Such　and　such　a　paper　and　such　and　such　men　will　attack　your

measures　and　the　whole　press　will　be　against　you'　（for　even　the

ministerial　journals　which　I　influence　will　be　deaf　and　dumb；　won't

they；　Finot？）。　'Appoint　Rabourdin；　a　faithful　servant；　and　public

opinion　is　with　you'〃



〃Hi；　hi！〃　laughed　Finot。



〃So；　there's　no　need　to　be　uneasy；〃　said　des　Lupeaulx。　〃I　have

arranged　it　all　to…night；　the　Grand　Almoner　must　yield。〃



〃I　would　rather　have　had　less　hope；　and　you　to　dinner；〃　whispered

Celestine；　looking　at　him　with　a　vexed　air　which　might　very　well　pass

for　an　expression　of　wounded　love。



〃This　mus