unconscious comedians-第3章

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chamber…maid；　a　cook；　and　a　man…servant。　She　occupies　a　fine　apartment

in　the　rue　Saint…Georges；　in　short；　she　is；　in　proportion　to　French

fortunes　of　the　present　day　compared　with　those　of　former　times；　a

relic　of　the　eighteenth　century　'opera…girl。'　Carabine　is　a　power；　at

this　moment　she　governs　du　Tillet；　a　banker　who　is　very　influential　in

the　Chamber　of　Deputies。〃



〃And　above　these　two　rounds　in　the　ballet　ladder　what　comes　next？〃

asked　Gazonal。



〃Look！〃　said　his　cousin；　pointing　to　an　elegant　caleche　which　was

turning　at　that　moment　from　the　boulevard　into　the　rue　Grange…

Bateliere；　〃there's　one　of　the　leading　danseuses　whose　name　on　the

posters　attracts　all　Paris。　That　woman　earns　sixty　thousand　francs　a

year　and　lives　like　a　princess；　the　price　of　your　manufactory　all　told

wouldn't　suffice　to　buy　you　the　privilege　of　bidding　her　good…morning

a　dozen　times。〃



〃Do　you　see；〃　said　Bixiou；　〃that　young　man　who　is　sitting　on　the　front

seat　of　her　carriage？　Well；　he's　a　viscount　who　bears　a　fine　old　name；

he's　her　first　gentleman　of　the　bed…chamber；　does　all　her　business

with　the　newspapers；　carries　messages　of　peace　or　war　in　the　morning

to　the　director　of　the　Opera；　and　takes　charge　of　the　applause　which

salutes　her　as　she　enters　or　leaves　the　stage。〃



〃Well；　well；　my　good　friends；　that's　the　finishing　touch！　I　see　now

that　I　knew　nothing　of　the　ways　of　Paris。〃



〃At　any　rate；　you　are　learning　what　you　can　see　in　ten　minutes　in　the

Passage　de　l'Opera；〃　said　Bixiou。　〃Look　there。〃



Two　persons；　a　man　and　a　woman；　came　out　of　the　Passage　at　that

moment。　The　woman　was　neither　plain　nor　pretty；　but　her　dress　had　that

distinction　of　style　and　cut　and　color　which　reveals　an　artist；　the

man　had　the　air　of　a　singer。



〃There；〃　said　Bixiou；　〃is　a　baritone　and　a　second　danseuse。　The

baritone　is　a　man　of　immense　talent；　but　a　baritone　voice　being　only

an　accessory　to　the　other　parts　he　scarcely　earns　what　the　second

danseuse　earns。　The　danseuse；　who　was　celebrated　before　Taglioni　and

Ellsler　appeared；　has　preserved　to　our　day　some　of　the　old　traditions

of　the　character　dance　and　pantomime。　If　the　two　others　had　not

revealed　in　the　art　of　dancing　a　poetry　hitherto　unperceived；　she

would　have　been　the　leading　talent；　as　it　is；　she　is　reduced　to　the

second　line。　But　for　all　that；　she　fingers　her　thirty　thousand　francs

a　year；　and　her　faithful　friend　is　a　peer　of　France；　very　influential

in　the　Chamber。　And　see！　there's　a　danseuse　of　the　third　order；　who；

as　a　dancer；　exists　only　through　the　omnipotence　of　a　newspaper。　If

her　engagement　were　not　renewed　the　ministry　would　have　one　more

journalistic　enemy　on　its　back。　The　corps　de　ballet　is　a　great　power；

consequently　it　is　considered　better　form　in　the　upper　ranks　of

dandyism　and　politics　to　have　relations　with　dance　than　with　song。　In

the　stalls；　where　the　habitues　of　the　Opera　congregate；　the　saying

'Monsieur　is　all　for　singing'　is　a　form　of　ridicule。〃



A　short　man　with　a　common　face；　quite　simply　dressed；　passed　them　at

this　moment。



〃There's　the　other　half　of　the　Opera　receiptsthat　man　who　just　went

by；　the　tenor。　There　is　no　longer　any　play；　poem；　music；　or

representation　of　any　kind　possible　unless　some　celebrated　tenor　can

reach　a　certain　note。　The　tenor　is　love；　he　is　the　Voice　that　touches

the　heart；　that　vibrates　in　the　soul；　and　his　value　is　reckoned　at　a

much　higher　salary　than　that　of　a　minister。　One　hundred　thousand

francs　for　a　throat；　one　hundred　thousand　francs　for　a　couple　of

ankle…bones；those　are　the　two　financial　scourges　of　the　Opera。〃



〃I　am　amazed；〃　said　Gazonal；　〃at　the　hundreds　of　thousands　of　francs

walking　about　here。〃



〃We'll　amaze　you　a　good　deal　more；　my　dear　cousin；〃　said　Leon　de　Lora。

〃We'll　take　Paris　as　an　artist　takes　his　violoncello；　and　show　you　how

it　is　played；in　short；　how　people　amuse　themselves　in　Paris。〃



〃It　is　a　kaleidoscope　with　a　circumference　of　twenty　miles；〃　cried

Gazonal。



〃Before　piloting　monsieur　about；　I　have　to　see　Gaillard；〃　said　Bixiou。



〃But　we　can　use　Gaillard　for　the　cousin；〃　replied　Leon。



〃What　sort　of　machine　is　that？〃　asked　Gazonal。



〃He　isn't　a　machine；　he　is　a　machinist。　Gaillard　is　a　friend　of　ours

who　has　ended　a　miscellaneous　career　by　becoming　the　editor　of　a

newspaper；　and　whose　character　and　finances　are　governed　by　movements

comparable　to　those　of　the　tides。　Gaillard　can　contribute　to　make　you

win　your　lawsuit〃



〃It　is　lost。〃



〃That's　the　very　moment　to　win　it；〃　replied　Bixiou。



When　they　reached　Theodore　Gaillard's　abode；　which　was　now　in　the　rue

de　Menars；　the　valet　ushered　the　three　friends　into　a　boudoir　and

asked　them　to　wait；　as　monsieur　was　in　secret　conference。



〃With　whom？〃　asked　Bixiou。



〃With　a　man　who　is　selling　him　the　incarceration　of　an　UNSEIZABLE

debtor；〃　replied　a　handsome　woman　who　now　appeared　in　a　charming

morning　toilet。



〃In　that　case；　my　dear　Suzanne；〃　said　Bixiou；　〃I　am　certain　we　may　go

in。〃



〃Oh！　what　a　beautiful　creature！〃　said　Gazonal。



〃That　is　Madame　Gaillard；〃　replied　Leon　de　Lora；　speaking　low　into　his

cousin's　ear。　〃She　is　the　most　humble…minded　woman　in　Paris；　for　she

had　the　public　and　has　contented　herself　with　a　husband。〃



〃What　is　your　will；　messeigneurs？〃　said　the　facetious　editor；　seeing

his　two　friends　and　imitating　Frederic　Lemaitre。



Theodore　Gaillard；　formerly　a　wit；　had　ended　by　becoming　a　stupid　man

in　consequence　of　remaining　constantly　in　one　centre；a　moral

phenomenon　frequently　to　be　observed　in　Paris。　His　principal　method　of

conversation　consisted　in　sowing　his　speeches　with　sayings　taken　from

plays　then　in　vogue　and　pronounced　in　imitation　of　well…known　actors。



〃We　have　come　to　blague；〃　said　Leon。



〃'Again；　young　men'〃　（Odry　in　the　Saltimbauques）。



〃Well；　this　time；　we've　got　him；　sure；〃　said　Gaillard's　other　visitor；

apparently　by　way　of　conclusion。



〃ARE　you　sure　of　it；　pere　Fromenteau？〃　asked　Gaillard。　〃This　it　the

eleventh　time　you've　caught　him　at　night　and　missed　him　in　the

morning。〃



〃How　could　I　help　it？　I　never　saw　such　a　debtor！　he's　a　locomotive；

goes　to　sleep　in　Paris　and　wakes　up　in　the　Seine…et…Oise。　A　safety

lock　I　call　him。〃　Seeing　a　smile　on　Gaillard's　face　he　added：　〃That's

a　saying　in　our　business。　Pinch　a　man；　means　arrest　him；　lock　him　up。

The　criminal　police　have　another　term。　Vidoeq　said　to　his　man；　'You

are　served'；　that's　funnier；　for　it　means　the　guillotine。〃



A　nudge　from　Bixiou　made　Gazonal　all　eyes　and　ears。



〃Does　monsieur　grease　my　paws？〃　asked　Fromenteau　of　Gaillard；　in　a

threatening　but　cool　tone。



〃'A　question　that　of　fifty　centimes'〃　（Les　Saltimbauques）；　replied　the

editor；　taking　out　five　francs　and　offering　them　to　Fromenteau。



〃And　the　rapscallions？〃　said　the　man。



〃What　rapscallions？〃　asked　Gaillard。



〃Those　I　employ；〃　replied　Fromenteau　calmly。



〃Is　there　a　lower　depth　still？〃　asked　Bixiou。



〃Yes；　monsieur；〃　said　the　spy。　〃Some　people　give　us　information

without　knowing　they　do　so；　and　without　getting　paid　for　it。　I　put

fools　and　ninnies　below　rapscallions。〃



〃They　are　often　original；　and　witty；　your　rapscallions！〃　said　Leon。



〃Do　you　belong　to　the　police？〃　asked　Gazonal；　eying　with　uneasy

curiosity　the　hard；　impassible　little　man；　who　was　dressed　like　the

third　clerk　in　a　sheriff's　office。



〃Which　police　do　you　mean？〃　asked　Fromenteau。



〃There　are　several？〃



〃As　many　as　five；〃　replied　the　man。　〃Criminal；　the　head　of　which　was

Vidoeq；　secret　police；　which　keeps　an　eye　on　the　other　police；　the

head　of　it　being　always　unknown；　political　police；that's　Fouche's。

Then　there's　the　police　of　Foreign　Affairs；　and　finally；　the　palace

police　（of　the　Emperor；　Louis　XVIII。；　etc。）；　always　squabbling　with

that　of　the　quai　Malaquais。　It　came　to　an　end　under　Monsieur　Decazes。

I　belonged　to　the　police　of　Louis　XVIII。；　I'd　been　in　it　sinc