bureaucracy-第51章

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circumstances。〃



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

down　to　the　level　of　yours；that　just　as　the　diamond　alone　can　cut

the　diamond；　so　it　is　only　one　inquisitive　man　who　can　defeat　another

inquisitive　man。〃



Fleury。　〃'Inquisitive　man'　stands　for　'spy。'〃



Poiret。　〃I　don't　understand。〃



Bixiou。　〃Very　well；　try　again　some　other　time。〃



Monsieur　Rabourdin；　after　taking　Sebastien　to　his　room；　had　gone

straight　to　the　minister；　but　the　minister　was　at　the　Chamber　of

Deputies。　Rabourdin　went　at　once　to　the　Chamber；　where　he　wrote　a　note

to　his　Excellency；　who　was　at　that　moment　in　the　tribune　engaged　in　a

hot　discussion。　Rabourdin　waited；　not　in　the　conference　hall；　but　in

the　courtyard；　where；　in　spite　of　the　cold；　he　resolved　to　remain　and

intercept　his　Excellency　as　he　got　into　his　carriage。　The　usher　of　the

Chamber　had　told　him　that　the　minister　was　in　the　thick　of　a

controversy　raised　by　the　nineteen　members　of　the　extreme　Left；　and

that　the　session　was　likely　to　be　stormy。　Rabourdin　walked　to　and　for

in　the　courtyard　of　the　palace　for　five　mortal　hours；　a　prey　to

feverish　agitation。　At　half…past　six　o'clock　the　session　broke　up；　and

the　members　filed　out。　The　minister's　chasseur　came　up　to　find　the

coachman。



〃Hi；　Jean！〃　he　called　out　to　him；　〃Monseigneur　has　gone　with　the

minister　of　war；　they　are　going　to　see　the　King；　and　after　that　they

dine　together；　and　we　are　to　fetch　him　at　ten　o'clock。　There's　a

Council　this　evening。〃



Rabourdin　walked　slowly　home；　in　a　state　of　despondency　not　difficult

to　imagine。　It　was　seven　o'clock；　and　he　had　barely　time　to　dress。



〃Well；　you　are　appointed？〃　cried　his　wife；　joyously；　as　he　entered　the

salon。



Rabourdin　raised　his　head　with　a　grievous　motion　of　distress　and

answered；　〃I　fear　I　shall　never　again　set　foot　in　the　ministry。〃



〃What？〃　said　his　wife；　quivering　with　sudden　anxiety。



〃My　memorandum　on　the　officials　is　known　in　all　the　offices；　and　I

have　not　been　able　to　see　the　minister。〃



Celestine's　eyes　were　opened　to　a　sudden　vision　in　which　the　devil；　in

one　of　his　infernal　flashes；　showed　her　the　meaning　of　her　last

conversation　with　des　Lupeaulx。



〃If　I　had　behaved　like　a　low　woman；〃　she　thought；　〃we　should　have　had

the　place。〃



She　looked　at　Rabourdin　with　grief　in　her　heart。　A　sad　silence　fell

between　them；　and　dinner　was　eaten　in　the　midst　of　gloomy　meditations。



〃And　it　is　my　Wednesday；〃　she　said　at　last。



〃All　is　not　lost；　dear　Celestine；〃　said　Rabourdin；　laying　a　kiss　on

his　wife's　forehead；　〃perhaps　to…morrow　I　shall　be　able　to　see　the

minister　and　explain　everything。　Sebastien　sat　up　all　last　night　to

finish　the　writing；　the　papers　are　copied　and　collated；　I　shall　place

them　on　the　minister's　desk　and　beg　him　to　read　them　through。　La

Briere　will　help　me。　A　man　is　never　condemned　without　a　hearing。〃



〃I　am　curious　to　see　if　Monsieur　des　Lupeaulx　will　come　here　to…

night。〃



〃He？　Of　course　he　will　come；〃　said　Rabourdin；　〃there's　something　of

the　tiger　in　him；　he　likes　to　lick　the　blood　of　the　wounds　he　has

given。〃



〃My　poor　husband；〃　said　his　wife；　taking　his　hand；　〃I　don't　see　how　it

is　that　a　man　who　could　conceive　so　noble　a　reform　did　not　also　see

that　it　ought　not　to　be　communicated　to　a　single　person。　It　is　one　of

those　ideas　that　a　man　should　keep　in　his　own　mind；　for　he　alone　can

apply　them。　A　statesman　must　do　in　our　political　sphere　as　Napoleon

did　in　his；　he　stooped；　twisted；　crawled。　Yes；　Bonaparte　crawled！　To

be　made　commander…in…chief　of　the　Army　of　Italy　he　married　Barrere's

mistress。　You　should　have　waited；　got　yourself　elected　deputy；

followed　the　politics　of　a　party；　sometimes　down　in　the　depths；　at

other　times　on　the　crest　of　the　wave；　and　you　should　have　taken；　like

Monsieur　de　Villele；　the　Italian　motto　'Col　tempo；'　in　other　words；

'All　things　are　given　to　him　who　knows　how　to　wait。'　That　great　orator

worked　for　seven　years　to　get　into　power；　he　began　in　1814　by

protesting　against　the　Charter　when　he　was　the　same　age　that　you　are

now。　Here's　your　fault；　you　have　allowed　yourself　to　be　kept

subordinate；　when　you　were　born　to　rule。〃



The　entrance　of　the　painter　Schinner　imposed　silence　on　the　wife　and

husband；　but　these　words　made　the　latter　thoughtful。



〃Dear　friend；〃　said　the　painter；　grasping　Rabourdin's　hand；　〃the

support　of　artists　is　a　useless　thing　enough；　but　let　me　say　under

these　circumstances　that　we　are　all　faithful　to　you。　I　have　just　read

the　evening　papers。　Baudoyer　is　appointed　director　and　receives　the

cross　of　the　Legion　of　honor〃



〃I　have　been　longer　in　the　department；　I　have　served　twenty…four

hours；〃　said　Rabourdin　with　a　smile。



〃I　know　Monsieur　le　Comte　de　Serizy；　the　minister　of　State；　pretty

well；　and　if　he　can　help　you；　I　will　go　and　see　him；〃　said　Schinner。



The　salon　soon　filled　with　persons　who　knew　nothing　of　the　government

proceedings。　Du　Bruel　did　not　appear。　Madame　Rabourdin　was　gayer　and

more　graceful　than　ever；　like　the　charger　wounded　in　battle；　that

still　finds　strength　to　carry　his　master　from　the　field。



〃She　is　very　courageous；〃　said　a　few　women　who　knew　the　truth；　and　who

were　charmingly　attentive　to　her；　understanding　her　misfortunes。



〃But　she　certainly　did　a　great　deal　to　attract　des　Lupeaulx；〃　said　the

Baronne　du　Chatelet　to　the　Vicomtesse　de　Fontaine。



〃Do　you　think〃　began　the　vicomtesse。



〃If　so；〃　interrupted　Madame　de　Camps；　in　defence　of　her　friend；

〃Monsieur　Rabourdin　would　at　least　have　had　the　cross。〃



About　eleven　o'clock　des　Lupeaulx　appeared；　and　we　can　only　describe

him　by　saying　that　his　spectacles　were　sad　and　his　eyes　joyous；　the

glasses；　however；　obscured　the　glances　so　successfully　that　only　a

physiognomist　would　have　seen　the　diabolical　expression　which　they

wore。　He　went　up　to　Rabourdin　and　pressed　the　hand　which　the　latter

could　not　avoid　giving　him。



Then　he　approached　Madame　Rabourdin。



〃We　have　much　to　say　to　each　other；〃　he　remarked　as　he　seated　himself

beside　the　beautiful　woman；　who　received　him　admirably。



〃Ah！〃　he　continued；　giving　her　a　side　glance；　〃you　are　grand　indeed；　I

find　you　just　what　I　expected；　glorious　under　defeat。　Do　you　know　that

it　is　a　very　rare　thing　to　find　a　superior　woman　who　answers　to　the

expectations　formed　of　her。　So　defeat　doesn't　dishearten　you？　You　are

right；　we　shall　triumph　in　the　end；〃　he　whispered　in　her　ear。　〃Your

fate　is　always　in　your　own　hands；so　long；　I　mean；　as　your　ally　is　a

man　who　adores　you。　We　will　hold　counsel　together。〃



〃But　is　Baudoyer　appointed？〃　she　asked。



〃Yes；〃　said　the　secretary。



〃Does　he　get　the　cross？〃



〃Not　yet；　but　he　will　have　it　later。〃



〃Amazing！〃



〃Ah！　you　don't　understand　political　exigencies。〃



During　this　evening；　which　seemed　interminable　to　Madame　Rabourdin；

another　scene　was　occurring　in　the　place　Royale；one　of　those

comedies　which　are　played　in　seven　Parisian　salons　whenever　there　is　a

change　of　ministry。　The　Saillards'　salon　was　crowded。　Monsieur　and

Madame　Transon　arrived　at　eight　o'clock；　Madame　Transon　kissed　Madame

Baudoyer；　nee　Saillard。　Monsieur　Bataille；　captain　of　the　National

Guard；　came　with　his　wife　and　the　curate　of　Saint　Paul's。



〃Monsieur　Baudoyer；〃　said　Madame　Transon。　〃I　wish　to　be　the　first　to

congratulate　you；　they　have　done　justice　to　your　talents。　You　have

indeed　earned　your　promotion。〃



〃Here　you　are；　director；〃　said　Monsieur　Transon；　rubbing　his　hands；

〃and　the　appointment　is　very　flattering　to　this　neighborhood。〃



〃And　we　can　truly　say　it　came　to　pass　without　any　intriguing；〃　said

the　worthy　Saillard。　〃We　are　none　of　us　political　intriguers；　WE　don't

go　to　select　parties　at　the　ministry。〃



Uncle　Mitral　rubbed　his　nose　and　grinned　as　he　glanced　at　his　niece

Elisabeth；　the　woman　whose　hand　had　pulled　the　wires；　who　was　talking

with　Gigonnet。　Falleix；　honest　f