bureaucracy-第53章

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the　service？〃



Rabourdin　bowed。



〃Well；　then；　trust　the　papers　with　me；your　memoranda；　all　the

documents。　I　promise　you　that　he　shall　sit　up　all　night　and　examine

them。〃



〃Let　us　go　to　him；　then！〃　cried　Rabourdin；　eagerly；　〃six　years'　toil

certainly　deserves　two　or　three　hours　attention　from　the　king's

minister；　who　will　be　forced　to　recognize；　if　he　does　not　applaud；

such　perseverance。〃



Compelled　by　Rabourdin's　tenacity　to　take　a　straightforward　path；

without　ambush　or　angle　where　his　treachery　could　hide　itself；　des

Lupeaulx　hesitated　for　a　single　instant；　and　looked　at　Madame

Rabourdin；　while　he　inwardly　asked　himself；　〃Which　shall　I　permit　to

triumph；　my　hatred　for　him；　or　my　fancy　for　her？〃



〃You　have　no　confidence　in　my　honor；〃　he　said；　after　a　pause。　〃I　see

that　you　will　always　be　to　me　the　author　of　your　SECRET　ANALYSIS。

Adieu；　madame。〃



Madame　Rabourdin　bowed　coldly。　Celestine　and　Xavier　returned　at　once

to　their　own　rooms　without　a　word；　both　were　overcome　by　their

misfortune。　The　wife　thought　of　the　dreadful　situation　in　which　she

stood　toward　her　husband。　The　husband；　resolving　slowly　not　to　remain

at　the　ministry　but　to　send　in　his　resignation　at　once；　was　lost　in　a

sea　of　reflections；　the　crisis　for　him　meant　a　total　change　of　life

and　the　necessity　of　starting　on　a　new　career。　All　night　he　sat　before

his　fire；　taking　no　notice　of　Celestine；　who　came　in　several　times　on

tiptoe；　in　her　night…dress。



〃I　must　go　once　more　to　the　ministry；　to　bring　away　my　papers；　and

show　Baudoyer　the　routine　of　the　business；〃　he　said　to　himself　at

last。　〃I　had　better　write　my　resignation　now。〃



He　turned　to　his　table　and　began　to　write；　thinking　over　each　clause

of　the　letter；　which　was　as　follows：



　　Monseigneur；I　have　the　honor　to　inclose　to　your　Excellency　my

　　resignation。　I　venture　to　hope　that　you　still　remember　hearing　me

　　say　that　I　left　my　honor　in　your　hands；　and　that　everything；　for

　　me；　depended　on　my　being　able　to　give　you　an　immediate

　　explanation。



　　This　explanation　I　have　vainly　sought　to　give。　To…day　it　would；

　　perhaps；　be　useless；　for　a　fragment　of　my　work　relating　to　the

　　administration；　stolen　and　misused；　has　gone　the　rounds　of　the

　　offices　and　is　misinterpreted　by　hatred；　in　consequence；　I　find

　　myself　compelled　to　resign；　under　the　tacit　condemnation　of　my

　　superiors。



　　Your　Excellency　may　have　thought；　on　the　morning　when　I　first

　　sought　to　speak　with　you；　that　my　purpose　was　to　ask　for　my

　　promotion；　when；　in　fact；　I　was　thinking　only　of　the　glory　and

　　usefulness　of　your　ministry　and　of　the　public　good。　It　is　all…

　　important；　I　think；　to　correct　that　impression。



Then　followed　the　usual　epistolary　formulas。



It　was　half…past　seven　in　the　morning　when　the　man　consummated　the

sacrifice　of　his　ideas；　he　burned　everything；　the　toil　of　years。

Fatigued　by　the　pressure　of　thought；　overcome　by　mental　suffering；　he

fell　asleep　with　his　head　on　the　back　of　his　armchair。　He　was　wakened

by　a　curious　sensation；　and　found　his　hands　covered　with　his　wife's

tears　and　saw　her　kneeling　before　him。　Celestine　had　read　the

resignation。　She　could　measure　the　depth　of　his　fall。　They　were　now　to

be　reduced　to　live　on　four　thousand　francs　a　year；　and　that　day　she

had　counted　up　her　debts；they　amounted　to　something　like　thirty…two

thousand　francs！　The　most　ignoble　of　all　wretchedness　had　come　upon

them。　And　that　noble　man　who　had　trusted　her　was　ignorant　that　she　had

abused　the　fortune　he　had　confided　to　her　care。　She　was　sobbing　at　his

feet；　beautiful　as　the　Magdalen。



〃My　cup　is　full；〃　cried　Xavier；　in　terror。　〃I　am　dishonored　at　the

ministry；　and　dishonored〃



The　light　of　her　pure　honor　flashed　from　Celestine's　eyes；　she　sprang

up　like　a　startled　horse　and　cast　a　fulminating　glance　at　Rabourdin。



〃I！　I！〃　she　said；　on　two　sublime　tones。　〃Am　I　a　base　wife？　If　I　were；

you　would　have　been　appointed。　But；〃　she　added　mournfully；　〃it　is

easier　to　believe　that　than　to　believe　what　is　the　truth。〃



〃Then　what　is　it？〃　said　Rabourdin。



〃All　in　three　words；〃　she　said；　〃I　owe　thirty　thousand　francs。〃



Rabourdin　caught　his　wife　to　his　heart　with　a　gesture　of　almost

frantic　joy；　and　seated　her　on　his　knee。



〃Take　comfort；　dear；〃　he　said；　in　a　tone　of　voice　so　adorably　kind

that　the　bitterness　of　her　grief　was　changed　to　something

inexpressibly　tender。　〃I　too　have　made　mistakes；　I　have　worked

uselessly　for　my　country　when　I　thought　I　was　being　useful　to　her。　But

now　I　mean　to　take　another　path。　If　I　had　sold　groceries　we　should　now

be　millionaires。　Well；　let　us　be　grocers。　You　are　only　twenty…eight；

dear　angel；　in　ten　years　you　shall　recover　the　luxury　that　you　love；

which　we　must　needs　renounce　for　a　short　time。　I；　too；　dear　heart；　am

not　a　base　or　common　husband。　We　will　sell　our　farm；　its　value　has

increased　of　late。　That　and　the　sale　of　our　furniture　will　pay　my

debts。



MY　debts！　Celestine　embraced　her　husband　a　thousand　times　in　the

single　kiss　with　which　she　thanked　him　for　that　generous　word。



〃We　shall　still　have　a　hundred　thousand　francs　to　put　into　business。

Before　the　month　is　out　I　shall　find　some　favorable　opening。　If　luck

gave　a　Martin　Falleix　to　a　Saillard；　why　should　we　despair？　Wait

breakfast　for　me。　I　am　going　now　to　the　ministry；　but　I　shall　come

back　with　my　neck　free　of　the　yoke。〃



Celestine　clasped　her　husband　in　her　arms　with　a　force　men　do　not

possess；　even　in　their　passionate　moments；　for　women　are　stronger

through　emotion　than　men　through　power。　She　wept　and　laughed　and

sobbed　in　turns。



When　Rabourdin　left　the　house　at　eight　o'clock；　the　porter　gave　him

the　satirical　cards　suggested　by　Bixiou。　Nevertheless；　he　went　to　the

ministry；　where　he　found　Sebastien　waiting　near　the　door　to　entreat

him　not　to　enter　any　of　the　bureaus；　because　an　infamous　caricature　of

him　was　making　the　round　of　the　offices。



〃If　you　wish　to　soften　the　pain　of　my　downfall；〃　he　said　to　the　lad；

〃bring　me　that　drawing；　I　am　now　taking　my　resignation　to　Ernest　de　la

Briere　myself；　that　it　may　not　be　altered　or　distorted　while　passing

through　the　routine　channels。　I　have　my　own　reasons　for　wishing　to　see

that　caricature。〃



When　Rabourdin　came　back　to　the　courtyard；　after　making　sure　that　his

letter　would　go　straight　into　the　minister's　hands；　he　found　Sebastien

in　tears；　with　a　copy　of　the　lithograph；　which　the　lad　reluctantly

handed　over　to　him。



〃It　is　very　clever；〃　said　Rabourdin；　showing　a　serene　brow　to　his

companion；　though　the　crown　of　thorns　was　on　it　all　the　same。



He　entered　the　bureaus　with　a　calm　air；　and　went　at　once　into

Baudoyer's　section　to　ask　him　to　come　to　the　office　of　the　head　of　the

division　and　receive　instructions　as　to　the　business　which　that

incapable　being　was　henceforth　to　direct。



〃Tell　Monsieur　Baudoyer　that　there　must　be　no　delay；〃　he　added；　in　the

hearing　of　all　the　clerks；　〃my　resignation　is　already　in　the

minister's　hands；　and　I　do　not　wish　to　stay　here　longer　than　is

necessary。〃



Seeing　Bixiou；　Rabourdin　went　straight　up　to　him；　showed　him　the

lithograph；　and　said；　to　the　great　astonishment　of　all　present；



〃Was　I　not　right　in　saying　you　were　an　artist？　Still；　it　is　a　pity　you

directed　the　point　of　your　pencil　against　a　man　who　cannot　be　judged

in　this　way；　nor　indeed　by　the　bureaus　at　all；but　everything　is

laughed　at　in　France；　even　God。〃



Then　he　took　Baudoyer　into　the　office　of　the　late　La　Billardiere。　At

the　door　he　found　Phellion　and　Sebastien；　the　only　two　who；　under　his

great　disaster；　dared　to　remain　openly　faithful　to　the　fallen　man。

Rabourdin　noticed　that　Phellion's　eyes　were　moist；　and　he　could　not

refrain　from　wringing　his　hand。



〃Monsieur；〃　said　the　good　man；　〃if　we　can　serve　you　in　any　way；　make

use　of　us。〃



Monsieur　Rabourdin　shut　himself　up　in　the　late　chief's　office　with

Monsieur　Baudoyer；　and　Phellion