bureaucracy-第49章

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well；　and　either　to　chop　them　off　or　buy　them。　I　don't　know　how　much

talent　I　have；　but　I　know　that　I　have　ambition；　and　you　are　committing

a　serious　blunder　when　you　set　aside　a　man　who　wishes　you　well。　The

anointed　head　dazzles　for　the　time　being；　but　what　next？Why；　a　war

of　words；　discussions　will　spring　up　once　more　and　grow　embittered；

envenomed。　Then；　for　your　own　sake；　I　advise　you　not　to　find　me　at　the

Left　Centre。　In　spite　of　your　prefect's　manoeuvres　（instructions　for

which　no　doubt　went　from　here　confidentially）　I　am　secure　of　a

majority。　The　time　has　come　for　you　and　me　to　understand　each　other。

After　a　breeze　like　this　people　sometimes　become　closer　friends　than

ever。　I　must　be　made　count　and　receive　the　grand　cordon　of　the　Legion

of　honor　as　a　reward　for　my　public　services。　However；　I　care　less　for

those　things　just　now　than　I　do　for　something　else　in　which　you　are

more　personally　concerned。　You　have　not　yet　appointed　Rabourdin；　and　I

have　news　this　morning　which　tends　to　show　that　most　persons　will　be

better　satisfied　if　you　appoint　Baudoyer。〃



〃Appoint　Baudoyer！〃　echoed　the　minister。　〃Do　you　know　him？〃



〃Yes；〃　said　des　Lupeaulx；　〃but　suppose　he　proves　incapable；　as　he

will；　you　can　then　get　rid　of　him　by　asking　those　who　protect　him　to

employ　him　elsewhere。　You　will　thus　get　back　an　important　office　to

give　to　friends；　it　may　come　in　at　the　right　moment　to　facilitate　some

compromise。〃



〃But　I　have　pledged　it　to　Rabourdin。〃



〃That　may　be；　and　I　don't　ask　you　to　make　the　change　this　very　day。　I

know　the　danger　of　saying　yes　and　no　within　twenty…four　hours。　But

postpone　the　appointment；　and　don't　sign　the　papers　till　the　day　after

to…morrow；　by　that　time　you　may　find　it　impossible　to　retain

Rabourdin；in　fact；　in　all　probability；　he　will　send　you　his

resignation〃



〃His　resignation？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃Why？〃



〃He　is　the　tool　of　a　secret　power　in　whose　interests　he　has　carried　on

a　system　of　espionage　in　all　the　ministries；　and　the　thing　has　been

discovered　by　mere　accident。　He　has　written　a　paper　of　some　kind；

giving　short　histories　of　all　the　officials。　Everybody　is　talking　of

it；　the　clerks　are　furious。　For　heaven's　sake；　don't　transact　business

with　him　to…day；　let　me　find　some　means　for　you　to　avoid　it。　Ask　an

audience　of　the　King；　I　am　sure　you　will　find　great　satisfaction　there

if　you　concede　the　point　about　Baudoyer；　and　you　can　obtain　something

as　an　equivalent。　Your　position　will　be　better　than　ever　if　you　are

forced　later　to　dismiss　a　fool　whom　the　court　party　impose　upon　you。〃



〃What　has　made　you　turn　against　Rabourdin？〃



〃Would　you　forgive　Monsieur　de　Chateaubriand　for　writing　an　article

against　the　ministry？　Well；　read　that；　and　see　how　Rabourdin　has

treated　me　in　his　secret　document；〃　said　des　Lupeaulx；　giving　the

paper　to　the　minister。　〃He　pretends　to　reorganize　the　government　from

beginning　to　end；no　doubt　in　the　interests　of　some　secret　society　of

which；　as　yet；　we　know　nothing。　I　shall　continue　to　be　his　friend　for

the　sake　of　watching　him；　by　that　means　I　may　render　the　government

such　signal　service　that　they　will　have　to　make　me　count；　for　the

peerage　is　the　only　thing　I　really　care　for。　I　want　you　fully　to

understand　that　I　am　not　seeking　office　or　anything　else　that　would

cause　me　to　stand　in　your　way；　I　am　simply　aiming　for　the　peerage；

which　will　enable　me　to　marry　a　banker's　daughter　with　an　income　of　a

couple　of　hundred　thousand　francs。　And　so；　allow　me　to　render　you　a

few　signal　services　which　will　make　the　King　feel　that　I　have　saved

the　throne。　I　have　long　said　that　Liberalism　would　never　offer　us　a

pitched　battle。　It　has　given　up　conspiracies；　Carbonaroism；　and

revolts　with　weapons；　it　is　now　sapping　and　mining；　and　the　day　is

coming　when　it　will　be　able　to　say；　'Out　of　that　and　let　me　in！'　Do

you　think　I　have　been　courting　Rabourdin's　wife　for　my　own　pleasure？

No；　but　I　got　much　information　from　her。　So　now；　let　us　agree　on　two

things；　first；　the　postponement　of　the　appointment；　second；　your

SINCERE　support　of　my　election。　You　shall　find　at　the　end　of　the

session　that　I　have　amply　repaid　you。〃



For　all　answer；　the　minister　took　the　appointment　papers　and　placed

them　in　des　Lupeaulx's　hand。



〃I　will　go　and　tell　Rabourdin；〃　added　des　Lupeaulx；　〃that　you　cannot

transact　business　with　him　till　Saturday。〃



The　minister　replied　with　an　assenting　gesture。　The　secretary

despatched　his　man　with　a　message　to　Rabourdin　that　the　minister　could

not　work　with　him　until　Saturday；　on　which　day　the　Chamber　was

occupied　with　private　bills；　and　his　Excellency　had　more　time　at　his

disposal。



Just　at　this　moment　Saillard；　having　brought　the　monthly　stipend；　was

slipping　his　little　speech　into　the　ear　of　the　minister's　wife；　who

drew　herself　up　and　answered　with　dignity　that　she　did　not　meddle　in

political　matters；　and　besides；　she　had　heard　that　Monsieur　Rabourdin

was　already　appointed。　Saillard；　terrified；　rushed　up　to　Baudoyer's

office；　where　he　found　Dutocq；　Godard；　and　Bixiou　in　a　state　of

exasperation　difficult　to　describe；　for　they　were　reading　the　terrible

paper　on　the　administration　in　which　they　were　all　discussed。



Bixiou　＇with　his　finger　on　a　paragraph＇。　〃Here　YOU　are；　pere　Saillard。

Listen〃　＇reads＇：



〃Saillard。The　office　of　cashier　to　be　suppressed　in　all　the

ministries；　their　accounts　to　be　kept　in　future　at　the　Treasury。

Saillard　is　rich　and　does　not　need　a　pension。



〃Do　you　want　to　hear　about　your　son…in…law？〃　＇Turns　over　the　leaves。＇

〃Here　he　is〃　＇reads＇：



〃Baudoyer。Utterly　incapable。　To　be　thanked　and　dismissed。　Rich；　does

not　need　a　pension。



〃And　here's　for　Godard〃　＇reads＇：



〃Godard。Should　be　dismissed；　pension　one…third　of　his　present

salary。



〃In　short；　here　we　all　are。　Listen　to　what　I　am〃　＇reads＇：　〃An　artist

who　might　be　employed　by　the　civil　list；　at　the　Opera；　or　the　Menus…

Plaisirs；　or　the　Museum。　Great　deal　of　capacity；　little　self…respect；

no　application；a　restless　spirit。　Ha！　I'll　give　you　a　touch　of　the

artist；　Monsieur　Rabourdin！〃



Saillard。　〃Suppress　cashiers！　Why；　the　man's　a　monster？〃



Bixiou。　〃Let　us　see　what　he　says　of　our　mysterious　Desroys。〃　＇Turns

over　the　pages；　reads。＇



〃Desroys。Dangerous；　because　he　cannot　be　shaken　in　principles　that

are　subversive　of　monarchial　power。　He　is　the　son　of　the　Conventionel；

and　he　admires　the　Convention。　He　may　become　a　very　mischievous

journalist。〃



Baudoyer。　〃The　police　are　not　worse　spies！〃



Godard。　〃I　shall　go　the　general…secretary　and　lay　a　complaint　in　form；

we　must　all　resign　in　a　body　if　such　a　man　as　that　is　put　over　us。〃



Dutocq。　〃Gentlemen；　listen　to　me；　let　us　be　prudent。　If　you　rise　at

once　in　a　body；　we　may　all　be　accused　of　rancor　and　revenge。　No；　let

the　thing　work；　let　the　rumor　spread　quietly。　When　the　whole　ministry

is　aroused　your　remonstrances　will　meet　with　general　approval。〃



Bixiou。　〃Dutocq　believes　in　the　principles　of　the　grand　air　composed

by　the　sublime　Rossini　for　Basilio；which　goes　to　show；　by　the　bye；

that　the　great　composer　was　also　a　great　politician。　I　shall　leave　my

card　on　Monsieur　Rabourdin　to…morrow　morning；　inscribed　thus：　'Bixiou；

no　self…respect；　no　application；　restless　mind。'〃



Godard。　〃A　good　idea；　gentlemen。　Let　us　all　leave　our　cards　to…morrow

on　Rabourdin　inscribed　in　the　same　way。〃



Dutocq　＇leading　Bixiou　apart＇。　〃Come；　you'll　agree　to　make　that

caricature　now；　won't　you？〃



Bixiou。　〃I　see　plainly；　my　dear　fellow；　that　you　knew　all　about　this

affair　ten　days　ago〃　＇looks　him　in　the　eye＇。　〃Am　I　to　be　under…head…

clerk？〃



Dutocq。　〃On　my　word　of　honor；　yes；　and　a　thousand…franc　fee　beside；

just　as　I　told　you。　You　don't　know　what　a　service　you'll　be　rendering

to　powerful　personages。〃



Bixiou。　〃You　know　them？〃



Dutocq。　〃Yes。〃



Bixiou。　〃Well；　then　I　want　to　speak　with　them。〃



Dutocq　＇dryly＇。　〃You　can　make　the　caric