bureaucracy-第50章

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Dutocq。　〃Yes。〃



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



Dutocq　＇dryly＇。　〃You　can　make　the　caricature　or　not；　and　you　can　be

under…head…clerk　or　not；as　you　please。〃



Bixiou。　〃At　any　rate；　let　me　see　that　thousand　francs。〃



Dutocq。　〃You　shall　have　them　when　you　bring　the　drawing。〃



Bixiou。　〃Forward；　march！　that　lampoon　shall　go　from　end　to　end　of　the

bureaus　to…morrow　morning。　Let　us　go　and　torment　the　Rabourdins。〃

＇Then　speaking　to　Saillard；　Godard；　and　Baudoyer；　who　were　talking

together　in　a　low　voice。＇　〃We　are　going　to　stir　up　the　neighbors。〃

＇Goes　with　Dutocq　into　the　Rabourdin　bureau。　Fleury；　Thuillier；　and

Vimeux　are　there；　talking　excitedly。＇　〃What's　the　matter；　gentlemen？

All　that　I　told　you　turns　out　to　be　true；　you　can　go　and　see　for

yourselves　the　work　of　this　infamous　informer；　for　it　is　in　the　hands

of　the　virtuous；　honest；　estimable；　upright；　and　pious　Baudoyer；　who

is　indeed　utterly　incapable　of　doing　any　such　thing。　Your　chief　has

got　every　one　of　you　under　the　guillotine。　Go　and　see；　follow　the

crowd；　money　returned　if　you　are　not　satisfied；　execution　GRATIS！　The

appointments　are　postponed。　All　the　bureaus　are　in　arms；　Rabourdin　has

been　informed　that　the　minister　will　not　work　with　him。　Come；　be　off；

go　and　see　for　yourselves。〃



They　all　depart　except　Phellion　and　Poiret；　who　are　left　alone。　The

former　loved　Rabourdin　too　well　to　look　for　proof　that　might　injure　a

man　he　was　determined　not　to　judge；　the　other　had　only　five　days　more

to　remain　in　the　office；　and　cared　nothing　either　way。　Just　then

Sebastien　came　down　to　collect　the　papers　for　signature。　He　was　a　good

deal　surprised；　though　he　did　not　show　it；　to　find　the　office

deserted。



Phellion。　〃My　young　friend〃　＇he　rose；　a　rare　thing＇；　〃do　you　know　what

is　going　on？　what　scandals　are　rife　about　Monsieur　Rabourdin　whom　you

love；　and〃　＇bending　to　whisper　in　Sebastien's　ear＇　〃whom　I　love　as

much　as　I　respect　him。　They　say　he　has　committed　the　imprudence　to

leave　a　paper　containing　comments　on　the　officials　lying　about　in　the

office〃　＇Phellion　stopped　short；　caught　the　young　man　in　his　strong

arms；　seeing　that　he　turned　pale　and　was　near　fainting；　and　placed　him

on　a　chair。＇　〃A　key；　Monsieur　Poiret；　to　put　down　his　back；　have　you　a

key？〃



Poiret。　〃I　have　the　key　of　my　domicile。〃



＇Old　Poiret　junior　promptly　inserted　the　said　key　between　Sebastien's

shoulders；　while　Phellion　gave　him　some　water　to　drink。　The　poor　lad

no　sooner　opened　his　eyes　than　he　began　to　weep。　He　laid　his　head　on

Phellion's　desk；　and　all　his　limbs　were　limp　as　if　struck　by

lightning；　while　his　sobs　were　so　heartrending；　so　genuine；　that　for

the　first　time　in　his　life　Poiret's　feelings　were　stirred　by　the

sufferings　of　another。＇



Phellion　＇speaking　firmly＇。　〃Come；　come；　my　young　friend；　courage！　In

times　of　trial　we　must　show　courage。　You　are　a　man。　What　is　the

matter？　What　has　happened　to　distress　you　so　terribly？〃



Sebastien　＇sobbing＇。　〃It　is　I　who　have　ruined　Monsieur　Rabourdin。　I

left　that　paper　lying　about　when　I　copied　it。　I　have　killed　my

benefactor；　I　shall　die　myself。　Such　a　noble　man！a　man　who　ought　to

be　minister！〃



Poiret　＇blowing　his　nose＇。　〃Then　it　is　true　he　wrote　the　report。〃



Sebastien　＇still　sobbing＇。　〃But　it　was　tothere；　I　was　going　to　tell

his　secrets！　Ah！　that　wretch　of　a　Dutocq；　it　was　he　who　stole　the

paper。〃



His　tears　and　sobs　recommenced　and　made　so　much　noise　that　Rabourdin

came　up　to　see　what　was　the　matter。　He　found　the　young　fellow　almost

fainting　in　the　arms　of　Poiret　and　Phellion。



Rabourdin。　〃What　is　the　matter；　gentlemen？〃



Sebastien　＇struggling　to　his　feet；　and　then　falling　on　his　knees

before　Rabourdin＇。　〃I　have　ruined　you；　monsieur。　That　memorandum；

Dutocq；　the　monster；　he　must　have　taken　it。〃



Rabourdin　＇calmly＇。　〃I　knew　that　already〃　＇he　lifts　Sebastien＇。　〃You

are　a　child；　my　young　friend。〃　＇Speaks　to　Phellion。＇　〃Where　are　the

other　gentlemen？〃



Phellion。　〃They　have　gone　into　Monsieur　Baudoyer's　office　to　see　a

paper　which　it　is　said〃



Rabourdin　＇interrupting　him＇。　〃Enough。〃　＇Goes　out；　taking　Sebastien

with　him。　Poiret　and　Phellion　look　at　each　other　in　amazement；　and　do

not　know　what　to　say。＇



Poiret　＇to　Phellion＇。　〃Monsieur　Rabourdin〃



Phellion　＇to　Poiret＇。　〃Monsieur　Rabourdin〃



Poiret。　〃Well；　I　never！　Monsieur　Rabourdin！〃



Phellion。　〃But　did　you　notice　how　calm　and　dignified　he　was？〃



Poiret　＇with　a　sly　look　that　was　more　like　a　grimace＇。　〃I　shouldn't　be

surprised　if　there　were　something　under　it　all。〃



Phellion。　〃A　man　of　honor；　pure　and　spotless。〃



Poiret。　〃Who　is？〃



Phellion。　〃Monsieur　Poiret；　you　think　as　I　think　about　Dutocq；　surely

you　understand　me？〃



Poiret　＇nodding　his　head　three　times　and　answering　with　a　shrewd

look＇。　〃Yes。〃　＇The　other　clerks　return。＇



Fleury。　〃A　great　shock；　I　still　don't　believe　the　thing。　Monsieur

Rabourdin；　a　king　among　men！　If　such　men　are　spies；　it　is　enough　to

disgust　one　with　virtue。　I　have　always　put　Rabourdin　among　Plutarch's

heroes。〃



Vimeux。　〃It　is　all　true。〃



Poiret　＇reflecting　that　he　had　only　five　days　more　to　stay　in　the

office＇。　〃But；　gentlemen；　what　do　you　say　about　the　man　who　stole　that

paper；　who　spied　upon　Rabourdin？〃　＇Dutocq　left　the　room。＇



Fleury。　〃I　say　he　is　a　Judas　Iscariot。　Who　is　he？〃



Phellion　＇significantly＇。　〃He　is　not　here　at　THIS　MOMENT。〃



Vimeux　＇enlightened＇。　〃It　is　Dutocq！〃



Phellion。　〃I　have　no　proof　of　it；　gentlemen。　While　you　were　gone；　that

young　man；　Monsieur　de　la　Roche；　nearly　fainted　here。　See　his　tears　on

my　desk！〃



Poiret。　〃We　held　him　fainting　in　our　arms。My　key；　the　key　of　my

domicile！dear；　dear！　it　is　down　his　back。〃　＇Poiret　goes　hastily

out。＇



Vimeux。　〃The　minister　refused　to　transact　business　with　Rabourdin　to…

day；　and　Monsieur　Saillard；　to　whom　the　secretary　said　a　few　words；

came　to　tell　Monsieur　Baudoyer　to　apply　for　the　cross　of　the　Legion　of

honor；there　is　one　to　be　granted；　you　know；　on　New…Year's　day；　to

all　the　heads　of　divisions。　It　is　quite　clear　what　it　all　means。

Monsieur　Rabourdin　is　sacrificed　by　the　very　persons　who　employed　him。

Bixiou　says　so。　We　were　all　to　be　turned　out；　except　Sebastien　and

Phellion。〃



Du　Bruel　＇entering＇。　〃Well；　gentlemen；　is　it　true？〃



Thuillier。　〃To　the　last　word。〃



Du　Bruel　＇putting　his　hat　on　again＇。　〃Good…bye。〃　＇Hurries　out。＇



Thuillier。　〃He　may　rush　as　much　as　he　pleases　to　his　Duc　de　Rhetore

and　Duc　de　Maufrigneuse；　but　Colleville　is　to　be　our　under…head…clerk；

that's　certain。〃



Phellion。　〃Du　Bruel　always　seemed　to　be　attached　to　Monsieur

Rabourdin。〃



Poiret　＇returning＇。　〃I　have　had　a　world　of　trouble　to　get　back　my　key。

That　boy　is　crying　still；　and　Monsieur　Rabourdin　has　disappeared。〃

＇Dutocq　and　Bixiou　enter。＇



Bixiou。　〃Ha；　gentlemen！　strange　things　are　going　on　in　your　bureau。　Du

Bruel！　I　want　you。〃　＇Looks　into　the　adjoining　room。＇　〃Gone？〃



Thuillier。　〃Full　speed。〃



Bixiou。　〃What　about　Rabourdin？〃



Fleury。　〃Distilled；　evaporated；　melted！　Such　a　man；　the　king　of　men；

that　he〃



Poiret　＇to　Dutocq＇。　〃That　little　Sebastien；　in　his　trouble；　said　that

you；　Monsieur　Dutocq；　had　taken　the　paper　from　him　ten　days　ago。〃



Bixiou　＇looking　at　Dutocq＇。　〃You　must　clear　yourself　of　THAT；　my　good

friend。〃　＇All　the　clerks　look　fixedly　at　Dutocq。＇



Dutocq。　〃Where's　the　little　viper　who　copied　it？〃



Bixiou。　〃Copied　it？　How　did　you　know　he　copied　it？　Ha！　ha！　it　is　only

the　diamond　that　cuts　the　diamond。〃　＇Dutocq　leaves　the　room。＇



Poiret。　〃Would　you　listen　to　me；　Monsieur　Bixiou？　I　have　only　five

days　and　a　half　to　stay　in　this　office；　and　I　do　wish　that　once；　only

once；　I　might　have　the　pleasure　of　understanding　what　you　mean。　Do　me

the　honor　to　explain　what　diamonds　have　to　do　with　these　present

circumstances。〃



Bixiou。　〃I　meant　papa；for　I'm　willing　for　once　to　bring　my　intellec