the nabob-第17章

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nobody　paid　attention　to　such　things　any　longer。　It　was　known　that　at　the　last　moment　there　would　always　arrive　a　Monpavon；　a　Bois　l'Hery；　to　pacify　the　bailiffs；　for　all　those　gentlemen；　being　deeply　implicated　in　the　concern；　have　an　interest　in　avoiding　a　bankruptcy。　That　is　the　very　circumstance　which　saves　him；　our　wily　governor。　The　others　run　after　their　moneywe　know　the　meaning　which　that　expression　has　in　gaming　and　they　would　not　like　all　the　stock　on　their　hands　to　become　worthless　save　to　sell　for　waste　paper。

Small　and　great；　that　is　the　case　of　all　of　us　who　are　connected　with　the　firm。　From　the　landlord；　to　whom　two　years'　rent　is　owing　and　who；　for　fear　of　losing　it　all；　allows　us　to　stay　for　nothing；　to　us　poor　employees；　even　to　me；　who　am　involved　to　the　extent　of　my　seven　thousand　francs　of　savings　and　my　four　years　of　arrears；　we　are　running　after　our　money。　That　is　the　reason　why　I　remain　obstinately　here。

Doubtless；　in　spite　of　my　advanced　age；　thanks　to　my　good　appearance；　to　my　education；　to　the　care　which　I　have　always　taken　of　my　clothes；　I　might　have　obtained　some　post　under　other　management。　There　is　one　person　of　excellent　repute　known　to　me；　M。　Joyeuse；　a　bookkeeper　in　the　firm　of　Hemerlingue　&　Son；　the　great　bankers　of　the　Rue　Saint…　Honore；　who；　every　time　he　meets　me；　never　fails　to　remark：

〃Passajon；　my　friend；　don't　stop　in　that　den　of　brigands。　You　are　wrong　to　persist　in　remaining。　You　will　never　get　a　halfpenny　out　of　them。　So　come　to　Hemerlingue's。　I　undertake　to　find　some　little　corner　for　you　there。　You　will　earn　less；　but　you　will　be　paid　much　more。〃

I　feel　that　he　is　quite　right；　that　worthy　fellow。　But　the　thing　is　stronger　than　I。　I　cannot　make　up　my　mind　to　leave。　And　yet　it　is　by　no　means　gay；　the　life　I　lead　here　in　these　great；　cold　rooms；　where　no　one　ever　comes；　where　each　man　stows　himself　away　in　a　corner　without　speaking。　What　will　you　have？　Each　knows　the　other　too　well。　Everything　has　been　said　already。

Again；　until　last　year；　we　used　to　have　sittings　of　the　board　of　inspection；　meetings　of　shareholders；　stormy　and　noisy　assemblies；　veritable　battles　of　savages；　from　which　the　cries　could　be　heard　to　the　Madeleine。　Several　times　a　week　also　there　would　call　subscribers　indignant　at　no　longer　ever　receiving　any　news　of　their　money。　It　was　on　such　occasions　that　our　governor　shone。　I　have　seen　these　people；　monsieur；　go　into　his　office　furious　as　wolves　thirsting　for　blood；　and；　after　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　come　out　milder　than　sheep；　satisfied；　reassured；　and　their　pockets　relieved　of　a　few　bank…notes。　For；　there　lay　the　acme　of　his　cleverness；　in　the　extraction　of　money　from　the　unlucky　people　who　came　to　demand　it。　Nowadays　the　shareholders　of　the　Territorial　Bank　no　longer　give　any　sign　of　existence。　I　think　they　are　all　dead　or　else　resigned　to　the　situation。　The　board　never　meets。　The　sittings　only　take　place　on　paper；　it　is　I　who　am　charged　with　the　preparation　of　a　so…called　reportalways　the　samewhich　I　copy　out　afresh　each　quarter。　We　should　never　see　a　living　soul；　if；　at　long　intervals；　there　did　not　rise　from　the　depths　of　Corsica　some　subscribers　to　the　statue　of　Paoli；　curious　to　know　how　the　monument　is　progressing；　or；　it　may　be；　some　worthy　reader　of　/Financial　Truth/；　which　died　over　two　years　ago；　who　calls　to　renew　his　subscription　with　a　timid　air；　and　begs　a　little　more　regularity；　if　possible；　in　the　forwarding　of　the　paper。　There　is　a　faith　that　nothing　shakes。　So；　when　one　of　these　innocents　falls　among　our　hungry　band；　it　is　something　terrible。　He　is　surrounded；　hemmed　in；　an　attempt　is　made　to　secure　his　name　for　one　of　our　lists；　and；　in　case　of　resistance；　if　he　wishes　to　subscribe　neither　to　the　Paoli　monument　nor　to　Corsican　railways；　these　gentlemen　deal　him　what　they　callmy　pen　blushes　to　write　itwhat　they　call；　I　say；　〃the　drayman　thrust。〃

Here　is　what　it　is：　We　always　keep　at　the　office　a　parcel　prepared　in　advance；　a　well…corded　case　which　arrives　nominally　from　the　railway　station　while　the　visitor　is　present。　〃There　are　twenty　francs　carriage　to　pay；〃　says　the　one　among　us　who　brings　the　thing　in。　（Twenty　francs；　sometimes　thirty；　according　to　the　appearance　of　the　patient。）　Every　one　then　begins　to　ransack　his　pockets：　〃Twenty　francs　carriage！　but　I　haven't　got　it。〃　〃Nor　I　either。　What　a　nuisance！〃　Some　one　runs　to　the　cash…till。　Closed。　The　cashier　is　summoned。　He　is　out。　And　the　gruff　voice　of　the　drayman；　growing　impatient　in　the　antechamber：　〃Come；　come；　make　haste。〃　（It　is　generally　I　who　play　the　drayman；　because　of　the　strength　of　my　vocal　organs。）　What　is　to　be　done　now？　Return　the　parcel？　That　will　vex　the　governor。　〃Gentlemen；　I　beg；　will　you　permit　me；〃　ventures　the　innocent　victim；　opening　his　purse。　〃Ah；　monsieur；　indeed〃　He　hands　over　his　twenty　francs；　he　is　ushered　to　the　door；　and；　as　soon　as　his　heel　is　turned；　we　all　divide　the　fruit　of　the　crime；　laughing　like　highway　robbers。

Fie！　M。　Passajon。　At　your　age；　such　a　trade！　Eh！　/mon　Dieu！/　I　well　know　it。　I　know　that　I　should　do　myself　more　honour　in　quitting　this　evil　place。　But　what！　You　would　have　me　then　renounce　the　hope　of　getting　back　anything　of　all　I　have　put　in　here。　No；　it　is　not　possible。　There　is　urgent　need　on　the　contrary　that　I　should　remain；　that　I　should　be　on　the　watch；　always　at　hand；　ready　to　profit　by　any　windfall；　if　one　should　come。　Oh；　for　example；　I　swear　it　upon　my　ribbon；　upon　my　thirty　years　of　academical　service；　if　ever　an　affair　like　this　of　the　Nabob　allow　me　to　recover　my　disbursements；　I　shall　not　wait　another　single　minute。　I　shall　quickly　be　off　to　look　after　my　pretty　vineyard　down　yonder；　near　Monbars；　cured　forever　of　my　thoughts　of　speculation。　But；　alas！　that　is　a　very　chimerical　hope。　Exhausted；　used　up；　known　as　we　are　upon　the　Paris　market；　with　our　stocks　which　are　no　longer　quoted　on　the　Bourse；　our　bonds　which　are　near　being　waste　paper；　so　many　lies；　so　many　debts；　and　the　hole　that　grows　ever　deeper　and　deeper。　（We　owe　at　this　moment　three　million　five　hundred　thousand　francs。　It　is　not；　however；　those　three　millions　that　worry　us。　On　the　contrary；　it　is　they　that　keep　us　going；　but　we　have　with　the　/concierge/　a　little　bill　of　a　hundred　and　twenty…five　francs　for　postage…stamps；　a　month's　gas　bill；　and　other　little　things。　That　is　the　really　terrible　part　of　it。）　and　we　are　expected　to　believe　that　a　man；　a　great　financier　like　this　Nabob；　even　though　he　were　just　arrived　from　the　Congo；　or　dropped　from　the　moon　the　same　day；　would　be　fool　enough　to　put　his　money　into　a　concern　like　this。　Come！　Is　the　thing　possible？　You　may　tell　that　story　to　the　marines；　my　dear　governor。



A　DEBUT　IN　SOCIETY


〃M。　BERNARD　JANSOULET！〃

The　plebeian　name；　accentuated　proudly　by　the　liveried　servants；　and　announced　in　a　resounding　voice；　sounded　in　Jenkins's　drawing…rooms　like　the　clash　of　a　cymbal；　one　of　those　gongs　which；　in　fairy　pieces　at　the　theatre；　are　the　prelude　to　fantastic　apparitions。　The　light　of　the　chandeliers　paled；　every　eye　sparkled　at　the　dazzling　perspective　of　the　treasures　of　the　Orient；　of　the　showers　of　the　sequins　and　of　pearls　evoked　by　the　magic　syllables　of　that　name；　yesterday　unknown。

He；　it　was　he　himself；　the　Nabob；　the　rich　among　the　rich；　the　great　Parisian　curiosity；　spiced　by　that　relish　of　adventure　which　is　so　pleasing　to　the　surfeited　crowd。　All　heads　turned；　all　conversations　were　interrupted；　near　the　door　there　was　a　pushing　among　the　guests；　a　crush　as　upon　the　quay　of　a　seaport　to　witness　the　entry　of　a　felucca　laden　with　gold。

Jenkins　himself；　so　hospitable；　so　self…possessed；　who　was　standing　in　the　first　drawing…room　receiving　his　guests；　abruptly　quitted　the　group　of　men　about　him　and　hurried　to　place　himself　at　the　head　of　the　galleons　bearing　down　upon　the　guest。

〃You　are　a　thousand　times；　a　thousand　times　kind。　Mme。　Jenkins　will　be　so　glad；　so　proud。Come；　let　me　conduct　you！〃

And　in　his　haste；　in　his　vainglorious　delight；　he　bore　Jansoulet　off　so　quickly　that　the　latter　had　no　time　to　present　his　companion；　Paul　de　Gery；　to　whom　he　was　giving　his　first　entry　into　society。　The　young　man　welcomed　this　forgetfulness。　He　slipped　away　among　the　crowd　of　b