the nabob-第53章

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nd　a　straight　back。　He　wears　a　little　pilot　coat；　a　brown　wool　Catalonian　cap　on　his　white　locks。　At　his　belt　he　carries　a　pair　of　scissors　to　cut　the　long　leaves　of　the　green　tobacco　he　smokes　into　the　hollow　of　his　hand。　A　venerable…looking　person　in　fact；　and　when　he　crossed　the　square；　shaking　hands　with　the　priest；　smiling　protectingly　at　the　gamblers；　I　would　never　have　believed　that　I　was　looking　at　the　famous　brigand　Piedigriggio；　who　held　the　woods　in　Monte…Rotondo　from　1840　to　1860；　outwitted　the　police　and　the　military；　and　who　to…day；　thanks　to　the　proscription　by　which　he　benefits；　after　seven　or　eight　cold…blooded　murders；　moves　peaceably　about　the　country　which　witnessed　his　crimes；　and　enjoys　a　considerable　importance。　This　is　why：　Piedigriggio　has　two　sons　who；　nobly　following　in　his　footsteps；　have　taken　to　the　carbine　and　the　woods；　in　their　turn　not　to　be　found；　not　to　be　caught；　as　their　father　was；　for　twenty　years；　warned　by　the　shepherds　of　the　movements　of　the　police；　when　the　latter　leave　a　village；　they　make　their　appearance　in　it。　The　eldest；　Scipio；　came　to　mass　last　Sunday　at　Pozzonegro。　To　say　they　love　them；　and　that　the　bloody　hand…　shake　of　those　wretches　is　a　pleasure　to　all　who　harbour　them；　would　be　to　calumniate　the　peaceful　inhabitants　of　this　parish。　But　they　fear　them；　and　their　will　is　law。

Now；　these　Piedigriggios　have　taken　it　into　their　heads　to　favour　our　opponent　in　the　election。　And　their　influence　is　a　formidable　power；　for　they　can　make　two　whole　cantons　vote　against　us。　They　have　long　legs；　the　rascals；　as　long　in　proportion　as　the　reach　of　their　guns。　Naturally；　we　have　the　police　on　our　side；　but　the　brigands　are　far　more　powerful。　As　our　innkeeper　said　this　morning：　〃The　police；　they　go　away；　/ma/　the　/banditti/　they　stay。〃　In　the　face　of　this　logical　reasoning　we　understood　that　the　only　thing　to　be　done　was　to　treat　with　the　Gray…feet；　to　try　a　〃job；〃　in　fact。　The　mayor　said　something　of　this　to　the　old　man；　who　consulted　his　sons；　and　it　is　the　conditions　of　this　treaty　they　are　discussing　downstairs。　I　hear　the　voice　of　our　general　director；　〃Come；　my　dear　fellow；　you　know　I　am　an　old　Corsican　myself；〃　and　then　the　other's　quiet　replies；　broken；　like　his　tobacco；　by　the　irritating　noise　of　his　scissors。　The　〃dear　fellow〃　does　not　seem　to　have　much　confidence；　and　until　the　coin　is　ringing　upon　the　table　I　fancy　there　will　not　be　any　advance。

You　see；　Paganetti　is　known　in　his　native　country。　The　worth　of　his　word　is　written　on　the　square　in　Corte；　still　waiting　for　the　monument　to　Paoli；　on　the　vast　fields　of　carrots　which　he　has　managed　to　plant　on　the　Island　of　Ithaca；　in　the　gaping　empty　purses　of　all　those　unfortunate　small　tradesmen；　village　priests；　and　petty　nobility；　whose　poor　savings　he　has　swallowed　up　dazzling　their　eyes　with　chimerical　/combinazioni/。　Truly；　for　him　to　dare　to　come　back　here；　it　needed　all　his　phenomenal　audacity；　as　well　as　the　resources　now　at　his　disposal　to　satisfy　all　claims。

And；　indeed；　what　truth　is　there　in　the　fabulous　works　undertaken　by　the　Territorial　Bank？

None。

Mines；　which　produce　nothing　and　never　will　produce　anything；　for　they　exist　only　on　paper；　quarries；　which　are　still　innocent　of　pick　or　dynamite；　tracts　of　uncultivated　sandy　land　that　they　survey　with　a　gesture；　telling　you；　〃We　begin　here；　and　we　go　right　over　there；　as　far　as　you　like。〃　It　is　the　same　with　the　forests。　The　whole　of　a　wooded　hill　in　Monte…Rotondo　belongs　to　us；　it　seems；　but　the　felling　of　the　trees　is　impossible　unless　aeronauts　undertake　the　woodman's　work。　It　is　the　same　with　the　watering…places；　among　which　this　miserable　hamlet　of　Pozzonegro　is　one　of　the　most　important；　with　its　fountain　whose　astonishing　ferruginous　properties　Paganetti　advertises。　Of　the　streamers；　not　a　shadow。　Stayan　old；　half…ruined　Genoese　tower　on　the　shore　of　the　Gulf　of　Ajaccio　bears　on　a　tarnished　escutcheon；　above　its　hermetically　sealed　doors；　this　inscription：　〃Paganetti's　Agency。　Maritime　Company。　Inquiry　Office。〃　Fat；　gray　lizards　tend　the　office　in　company　with　an　owl。　As　for　the　railways；　all　these　honest　Corsicans　to　whom　I　spoke　of　it　smiled　knowingly；　replied　with　winks　and　mysterious　hints；　and　it　was　only　this　morning　that　I　had　the　exceedingly　buffoonish　explanation　of　all　this　reticence。

I　had　read　among　the　documents　which　the　director…general　flaunts　in　our　eyes　from　time　to　time；　like　a　fan　to　puff　up　his　impostures；　the　bill　of　sale　of　a　marble　quarry　at　a　place　said　to　be　〃Taverna；〃　two　hours'　distance　from　Pozzonegro。　Profiting　by　our　stay　here；　I　got　on　a　mule　this　morning；　without　telling　any　one；　and　guided　by　a　tall　scamp　of　a　fellow　with　legs　like　a　deertrue　type　of　a　Corsican　poacher　or　smuggler；　his　thick；　red　pipe　in　his　mouth；　his　gun　in　a　bandoleerI　went　to　Taverna。　After　a　fearful　progress　across　cracked　rocks　and　bogs；　past　abysses　of　unsoundable　depthson　the　very　edges　of　which　my　mule　maliciously　walked　as　though　to　mark　them　out　with　her　shoeswe　arrived；　by　an　almost　perpendicular　descent；　at　the　end　of　our　journey。　It　was　a　vast　desert　of　rocks；　absolutely　bare；　all　white　with　the　droppings　of　gulls　and　sea…fowl；　for　the　sea　is　at　the　bottom；　quite　near；　and　the　silence　of　the　place　was　broken　only　by　the　flow　of　the　waves　and　the　shrill　cries　of　the　wheeling　circles　of　birds。　My　guide；　who　has　a　holy　horror　of　excisemen　and　the　police；　stayed　above　on　the　cliff；　because　of　a　little　coastguard　station　posted　like　a　watchman　on　the　shore。　I　made　for　a　large　red　building　which　still　maintained；　in　this　burning　solitude　its　three　stories；　in　spite　of　broken　windows　and　ruinous　tiles。　Over　the　worm…eaten　door　was　an　immense　sign…board：　〃Territorial　Bank。　Carrbre54。〃　The　wind；　the　sun；　the　rain；　have　wiped　out　the　rest。

There　has　been　there；　certainly；　a　commencement　of　operations；　for　a　large　square；　gaping　hole；　cut　out　with　a　punch；　is　still　open　in　the　ground；　showing　along　its　crumbling　sides；　like　a　leopard's　spots；　red　slabs　with　brown　veins；　and　at　the　bottom；　in　the　brambles；　enormous　blocks　of　the　marble；　called　in　the　trade　〃black…heart〃　（marble　spotted　with　red　and　brown）；　condemned　blocks　that　no　one　could　make　anything　of　for　want　of　a　road　leading　to　the　quarry　or　a　harbour　to　make　the　coast　accessible　for　freight　ships；　and　for　want；　above　all；　of　subsidies　considerable　enough　to　carry　out　one　or　the　other　of　these　two　projects。　So　the　quarry　remains　abandoned；　at　a　few　cable…　lengths　from　the　shore；　as　cumbrous　and　useless　as　Robinson　Crusoe's　canoe　in　the　same　unfortunate　circumstances。　These　details　of　the　heart…rending　story　of　our　sole　territorial　wealth　were　furnished　by　a　miserable　caretaker；　shaking　with　fever；　whom　I　found　in　the　low…　ceilinged　room　of　the　yellow　house　trying　to　roast　a　piece　of　kid　over　the　acrid　smoke　of　a　pistachio　bush。

This　man；　who　in　himself　is　the　whole　staff　of　the　Territorial　Bank　in　Corsica；　is　Paganetti's　foster…father；　an　old　lighthouse…keeper　upon　whom　the　solitude　does　not　weigh。　Our　director…general　leaves　him　there　partly　for　charity　and　partly　because　letters　dated　from　the　Taverna　quarry；　now　and　again；　make　a　good　show　at　the　shareholders'　meetings。　I　had　the　greatest　difficulty　extracting　a　little　information　from　this　poor　creature；　three　parts　savage；　who　looked　upon　me　with　cautious　mistrust；　half　hidden　behind　the　long　hair　of　his　goat…skin　/pelone/。　He　told　me；　however；　without　intending　it；　what　the　Corsicans　understand　by　the　word　〃railway；〃　and　why　they　put　on　mysterious　airs　when　they　speak　of　it。　As　I　was　trying　to　find　out　if　he　knew　anything　about　the　scheme　for　a　railway　in　the　country；　this　old　man；　instead　of　smiling　knowingly　like　his　compatriots；　said；　quite　naturally；　in　passable　French；　his　voice　rusty　and　benumbed　like　an　ancient；　little…used　lock：

〃Oh；　sir；　no　need　of　a　railway　here。〃

〃But　it　would　be　most　valuable；　most　useful；　it　would　facilitate　communications。〃

〃I　don't　say　no；　but　with　the　police　we　have　enough　here。〃

〃The　policemen？〃

〃Certainly。〃

This　/quid　pro　quo/　went　on　for　some　five　minutes　before　I　discovered　that　here　the　secret　police　service　is　called　〃the　railway。〃　As　there　are　many　Corsican　policemen　on