the nabob-第54章

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〃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　the　Continent　they　use　this　euphemism　to　designate　the　ignoble　calling　they　follow。　You　inquire　of　the　relations；　〃Where　is　your　brother　Ambrosini？　What　is　your　uncle　Barbicaglia　doing？〃　They　will　answer　with　a　little　wink；　〃He　has　a　place　on　the　railway；〃　and　every　one　knows　what　that　means。　Among　the　people；　the　peasants；　who　have　never　seen　a　railway　and　don't　know　what　it　is；　it　is　quite　seriously　believed　that　the　great　occult　administration　of　the　Imperial　police　has　no　other　name　than　that。　Our　principal　agent　in　the　country　shares　this　touching　simplicity　of　belief。　It　shows　you　the　real　state　of　the　〃Line　from　Ajaccio　to　Bastia；　passing　by　Bonifacio；　Porto　Vecchio；　etc。；〃　as　it　is　written　on　the　big；　green…backed　books　of　the　house　of　Paganetti。　In　fact　all　the　goods　of　the　Territorial　Bank　consist　of　a　few　sign…boards　and　two　ruins；　the　whole　not　worthy　of　lying　in　the　〃old　materials〃　yard　in　the　Rue　Saint…Ferdinand；　every　night　as　I　go　to　sleep　I　hear　the　old　vanes　grating　and　the　old　doors　banging　on　emptiness。

But　in　this　case；　where　have　gone；　where　are　going　now；　the　enormous　sums　M。　Jansoulet　has　spent　during　the　last　five　monthsnot　to　count　what　came　from　the　outside；　attracted　by　the　magic　of　his　name？　I　thought；　as　you　did；　that　all　these　soundings；　borings；　purchasings　of　land　that　the　books　set　forth　in　fine　round…hand　were　exaggerated　beyond　measure。　But　who　could　suspect　such　effrontery？　This　is　why　the　director　was　so　opposed　to　the　idea　of　bringing　me　on　the　electioneering　trip。　I　don't　want　to　have　an　explanation　now。　My　poor　Nabob　has　quite　enough　trouble　in　this　election。　Only；　whenever　we　get　back；　I　shall　lay　before　him　all　the　details　of　my　long　inquiry；　and；　whether　he　wants　it　or　not；　I　will　get　him　out　of　this　den　of　thieves。　They　have　finished　below。　Old　Piedigriggio　is　crossing　the　square；　pulling　up　the　slip…knot　of　his　long　peasant's　purse；　which　looks　to　me　well　filled。　The　bargain　is　made；　I　conclude。　Good…bye；　hurriedly；　my　dear　M。　Joyeuse；　remember　me　to　your　daughters　and　ask　them　to　keep　a　tiny　little　place　for　me　round　the　work…table。

PAUL　DE　GERY。

The　electioneering　whirlwind　which　had　enveloped　them　in　Corsica；　crossed　the　sea　behind　them　like　a　blast　of　the　sirocco　and　filled　the　flat　in　the　Place　Vendome　with　a　mad　wind　of　folly。　It　was　overrun　from　morning　to　night　by　the　habitual　element；　augmented　now　by　a　constant　arrival　of　little　dark　men；　brown　as　the　locust…bean；　with　regular　features　and　thick　beards；　some　turbulent　and　talkative；　like　Paganetti；　others　silent；　self…contained　and　dogmatic：　the　two　types　of　the　race　upon　which　the　same　climate　produces　different　effects。　All　these　famished　islanders；　in　the　depths　of　their　savage　country；　promised　each　other　to　meet　at　the　Nabob's　table。　His　house　had　become　an　inn；　a　restaurant；　a　market…place。　In　the　dining…room；　where　the　table　was　kept　constantly　laid；　there　was　always　to　be　found　some　newly　arrived　Corsican；　with　the　bewildered　and　greedy　appearance　of　a　country　cousin；　having　something　to　eat。

The　boasting；　clamorous　race　of　election　agents　is　the　same　everywhere；　but　these　were　unusually　fiery；　had　a　zeal　even　more　impassioned　and　the　vanity　of　turkey…cocks；　all　worked　up　to　white　heat。　The　most　insignificant　recorder；　inspector；　mayor's　secretary；　village　schoolmaster；　spoke　as　if　he　had　the　whole　country　behind　him；　and　the　pockets　of　his　threadbare　black　coat　full　of　votes。　And　it　is　a　fact；　in　Corsican　parishes　（Jansoulet　had　seen　it　for　himself）　families　are　so　old；　have　sprung　from　so　little；　have　so　many　ramifications；　that　any　poor　fellow　breaking　stones　on　the　road　is　able　to　claim　relationship　with　the　greatest　personages　of　the　island；　and　is　thereby　able　to　exert　a　serious　influence。　These　complications　are　aggravated　still　more　by　the　national　temperament；　which　is　proud；　secretive；　scheming；　and　vindictive；　so　it　follows　that　one　has　to　be　careful　how　one　walks　amid　the　network　of　threads　stretching　from　one　extremity　of　the　people　to　the　other。

The　worst　was　that　all　these　people　were　jealous　of　each　other；　detested　each　other；　and　quarrelled　across　the　table　about　the　election；　exchanging　black　looks　and　grasping　the　handles　of　their　knives　at　the　least　contradiction。　They　spoke　very　loud　and　all　at　once；　some　in　the　hard；　sonorous　Genoese　dialect；　and　others　in　the　most　comical　French；　all　choking　with　suppressed　oaths。　They　threw　in　each　other's　teeth　names　of　unknown　villages；　dates　of　local　scandals；　which　suddenly　revived　between　two　fellow　guests　two　centuries　of　family　hatreds。　The　Nabob　was　afraid　of　seeing　his　luncheons　end　tragically；　and　strove　to　calm　all　this　violence　and　conciliate　them　with　his　large　good…natured　smile。　But　Paganetti　reassured　him。　According　to　him；　the　vendetta；　though　still　existing　in　Corsica；　no　longer　employs　the　stiletto　or　the　rifle　except　very　rarely；　and　among　the　lowest　classes。　The　anonymous　letter　had　taken　their　place。　Indeed；　every　day　unsigned　letters　were　received　at　the　Place　Vendome　written　in　this　style：

〃M。　Jansoulet；　you　are　so　generous　that　I　cannot　do　less　than　point　out　to　you　that　the　Sieur　Bornalinco　（Ange…Marie）　is　a　traitor；　bought　by　your　enemies。　I　could　say　very　differently　about　his　cousin　Bornalinco　（Louis…Thomas）；　who　is　devoted　to　the　good　cause；　etc。〃

Or　again：

〃M。　Jansoulet；　I　fear　your　chances　of　election　will　come　to　nothing；　and　are　on　a　poor　foundation　for　success　if　you　continue　to　employ　one　named　Castirla　（Josue）；　of　the　parish　of　Omessa。　His　relative；　Luciani；　is　the　man　you　need。〃

Although　he　no　longer　read　any　of　these　missives；　the　poor　candidate　suffered　from　the　disturbing　effect　of　all　these　doubts　and　of　all　these　unchained　passions。　Caught　in　the　gearing　of　those　small　intrigues；　full　of　fears；　mistrustful；　curious；　feverish；　he　felt　in　every　aching　nerve　the　truth　of　the　Corsican　proverb；　〃The　greatest　ill　you　can　wish　your　enemy　is　an　election　in　his　house。〃

It　may　be　imagined　that　the　check…book　and　the　three　deep　drawers　in　the　mahogany　cabinet　were　not　spared　by　this　hoard　of　devouring　locusts　which　had　fallen　upon　〃Moussiou　Jansoulet's〃　dwelling。　Nothing　could　be　more　comic　than　the　haughty　manner　in　which　these　good　islanders　effected　their　loans；　briskly；　and　with　an　air　of　defiance。　At　the　same　time　it　was　not　they　who　were　the　worstexcept　for　the　boxes　of　cigars　which　sank　in　their　pockets　as　though　they　all　meant　to　open　a　〃Civette〃　on　their　return　to　their　own　country。　For　just　as　the　very　hot　weather　inflames　and　envenoms　old　sores；　so　the　election　had　given　an　astonishing　new　growth　to　the　pillaging　already　established　in　the　house。　Money　was　demanded　for　advertising　expenses；　for　Moessard's　articles；　which　were　sent　to　Corsica　in　bales　of　thousands　of　copies；　with　portraits；　biographies；　pamphletsall　the　printed　clamour　that　it　was　possible　to　raise　round　a　name。　And　always　the　usual　work　of　the　suction…pumps　went　on；　those　pumps　now　fixed　to　this　great　reservoir　of　millions。　Here；　the　Bethlehem　Society；　a　powerful　machine　working　with　regular；　slow…recurring　strokes；　full　of　impetus；　the　Territorial　Bank；　a　marvellous　exhauster；　indefatigable；　with　triple　and　quadruple　rows　of　pumps；　several　thousand　horse…power；　the　Schwalbach　pump；　the　Bois　l'Hery　pump；　and　how　many　others　as　well？　Some　enormous　and　noisy　with　screaming　pistons；　some　quite　dumb　and　discreet　with　clack…valves　knowingly　oiled；　pumps　with　tiny　valves；　dear　little　pumps　as　fine　as　the　sting　of　insects；　and　like　them；　leaving　a　poison　in　the　place　whence　they　have　drawn　life；　all　working　together　and　bound　to　bring　about　if　not　a　complete　drought；　at　least　a　serious　lowering　of　level。

Already　evil　rumours；　vague　as　yet；　were　going　the　round　of　the　Bourse。　Was　this　a　move　of　the　enemy？　For　Jansoulet　was　waging　a　furious　money　war　against　Hemerlingue；　trying　to　thwart　all　his　financial　operations；　and　was　losing　considerable　sums　at　the　game。　He　had　against　him　his　own　fury；　his　adversary's　coolness；　and　the　blunderings　of　Paga