bureaucracy-第31部分

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Du　Bruel。　〃So　it　is！　Goodness！　I'm　off　to　the　secretary；　he　wants　to

read　the　obituary。〃



Poiret。　〃What　was　I　saying？〃



Thuillier。　〃Dominoes；perhaps　the　devil　plays　dominoes。〃　＇Sebastien

enters　to　gather　up　the　different　papers　and　circulars　for　signature。＇



Vimeux。　〃Ah！　there　you　are；　my　fine　young　man。　Your　days　of　hardship

are　nearly　over；　you'll　get　a　post。　Monsieur　Rabourdin　will　be

appointed。　Weren't　you　at　Madame　Rabourdin's　last　night？　Lucky　fellow！

they　say　that　really　superb　women　go　there。〃



Sebastien。　〃Do　they？　I　didn't　know。〃



Fleury。　〃Are　you　blind？〃



Sebastien。　〃I　don't　like　to　look　at　what　I　ought　not　to　see。〃



Phellion　＇delighted＇。　〃Well　said；　young　man！〃



Vimeux。　〃The　devil！　well；　you　looked　at　Madame　Rabourdin　enough；　any

how；　a　charming　woman。〃



Fleury。　〃Pooh！　thin　as　a　rail。　I　saw　her　in　the　Tuileries；　and　I　much

prefer　Percilliee；　the　ballet…mistress；　Castaing's　victim。〃



Phellion。　〃What　has　an　actress　to　do　with　the　wife　of　a　government

official？〃



Dutocq。　〃They　both　play　comedy。〃



Fleury　＇looking　askance　at　Dutocq＇。　〃The　physical　has　nothing　to　do

with　the　moral；　and　if　you　mean〃



Dutocq。　〃I　mean　nothing。〃



Fleury。　〃Do　you　all　want　to　know　which　of　us　will　really　be　made　head

of　this　bureau？〃



All。　〃Yes；　tell　us。〃



Fleury。　〃Colleville。〃



Thuillier。　〃Why？〃



Fleury。　〃Because　Madame　Colleville　has　taken　the　shortest　way　to　it

through　the　sacristy。〃



Thuillier。　〃I　am　too　much　Colleville's　friend　not　to　beg　you；　Monsieur

Fleury；　to　speak　respectfully　of　his　wife。〃



Phellion。　〃A　defenceless　woman　should　never　be　made　the　subject　of

conversation　here〃



Vimeux。　〃All　the　more　because　the　charming　Madame　Colleville　won't

invite　Fleury　to　her　house。　He　backbites　her　in　revenge。〃



Fleury。　〃She　may　not　receive　me　on　the　same　footing　that　she　does

Thuillier；　but　I　go　there〃



Thuillier。　〃When？　how？under　her　windows？〃



Though　Fleury　was　dreaded　as　a　bully　in　all　the　offices；　he　received

Thuillier's　speech　in　silence。　This　meekness；　which　surprised　the

other　clerks；　was　owing　to　a　certain　note　for　two　hundred　francs；　of

doubtful　value；　which　Thuillier　agreed　to　pass　over　to　his　sister。

After　this　skirmish　dead　silence　prevailed。　They　all　wrote　steadily

from　one　to　three　o'clock。　Du　Bruel　did　not　return。



About　half…past　three　the　usual　preparations　for　departure；　the

brushing　of　hats；　the　changing　of　coats；　went　on　in　all　the

ministerial　offices。　That　precious　thirty　minutes　thus　employed　served

to　shorten　by　just　so　much　the　day's　labor。　At　this　hour　the　over…

heated　rooms　cool　off；　the　peculiar　odor　that　hangs　about　the　bureaus

evaporates；　silence　is　restored。　By　four　o'clock　none　but　a　few　clerks

who　do　their　duty　conscientiously　remain。　A　minister　may　know　who　are

the　real　workers　under　him　if　he　will　take　the　trouble　to　walk　through

the　divisions　after　four　o'clock；a　species　of　prying；　however；　that

no　one　of　his　dignity　would　condescend　to。



The　various　heads　of　divisions　and　bureaus　usually　encountered　each

other　in　the　courtyards　at　this　hour　and　exchanged　opinions　on　the

events　of　the　day。　On　this　occasion　they　departed　by　twos　and　threes；

most　of　them　agreeing　in　favor　of　Rabourdin；　while　the　old　stagers；

like　Monsieur　Clergeot；　shook　their　heads　and　said；　〃Habent　sua　sidera

lites。〃　Saillard　and　Baudoyer　were　politely　avoided；　for　nobody　knew

what　to　say　to　them　about　La　Billardiere's　death；　it　being　fully

understood　that　Baudoyer　wanted　the　place；　though　it　was　certainly　not

due　to　him。



When　Saillard　and　his　son…in…law　had　gone　a　certain　distance　from　the

ministry　the　former　broke　silence　and　said：　〃Things　look　badly　for

you；　my　poor　Baudoyer。〃



〃I　can't　understand；〃　replied　the　other；　〃what　Elisabeth　was　dreaming

of　when　she　sent　Godard　in　such　a　hurry　to　get　a　passport　for　Falleix；

Godard　tells　me　she　hired　a　post…chaise　by　the　advice　of　my　uncle

Mitral；　and　that　Falleix　has　already　started　for　his　own　part　of　the

country。〃



〃Some　matter　connected　with　our　business；〃　suggested　Saillard。



〃Our　most　pressing　business　just　now　is　to　look　after　Monsieur　La

Billardiere's　place；〃　returned　Baudoyer；　crossly。



They　were　just　then　near　the　entrance　of　the　Palais…Royal　on　the　rue

Saint…Honore。　Dutocq　came　up；　bowing；　and　joined　them。



〃Monsieur；〃　he　said　to　Baudoyer；　〃if　I　can　be　useful　to　you　in　any　way

under　the　circumstances　in　which　you　find　yourself；　pray　command　me；

for　I　am　not　less　devoted　to　your　interests　than　Monsieur　Godard。〃



〃Such　an　assurance　is　at　least　consoling；〃　replied　Baudoyer；　〃it　makes

me　aware　that　I　have　the　confidence　of　honest　men。〃



〃If　you　would　kindly　employ　your　influence　to　get　me　placed　in　your

division；　taking　Bixiou　as　head　of　the　bureau　and　me　as　under…head…

clerk；　you　will　secure　the　future　of　two　men　who　are　ready　to　do

anything　for　your　advancement。〃



〃Are　you　making　fun　of　us；　monsieur？〃　asked　Saillard；　staring　at　him

stupidly。



〃Far　be　it　from　me　to　do　that；〃　said　Dutocq。　〃I　have　just　come　from

the　printing…office　of　the　ministerial　journal　（where　I　carried　from

the　general…secretary　an　obituary　notice　of　Monsieur　de　la

Billardiere）；　and　I　there　read　an　article　which　will　appear　to…night

about　you；　which　has　given　me　the　highest　opinion　of　your　character

and　talents。　If　it　is　necessary　to　crush　Rabourdin；　I'm　in　a　position

to　give　him　the　final　blow；　please　to　remember　that。〃



Dutocq　disappeared。



〃May　I　be　shot　if　I　understand　a　single　word　of　it；〃　said　Saillard；

looking　at　Baudoyer；　whose　little　eyes　were　expressive　of　stupid

bewilderment。　〃I　must　buy　the　newspaper　to…night。〃



When　the　two　reached　home　and　entered　the　salon　on　the　ground…floor；

they　found　a　large　fire　lighted；　and　Madame　Saillard；　Elisabeth；

Monsieur　Gaudron　and　the　curate　of　Saint…Paul's　sitting　by　it。　The

curate　turned　at　once　to　Monsieur　Baudoyer；　to　whom　Elisabeth　made　a

sign　which　he　failed　to　understand。



〃Monsieur；〃　said　the　curate；　〃I　have　lost　no　time　in　coming　in　person

to　thank　you　for　the　magnificent　gift　with　which　you　have　adorned　my

poor　church。　I　dared　not　run　in　debt　to　buy　that　beautiful　monstrance；

worthy　of　a　cathedral。　You；　who　are　one　of　our　most　pious　and　faithful

parishioners；　must　have　keenly　felt　the　bareness　of　the　high　altar。　I

am　on　my　way　to　see　Monseigneur　the　coadjutor；　and　he　will；　I　am　sure；

send　you　his　own　thanks　later。〃



〃I　have　done　nothing　as　yet〃　began　Baudoyer。



〃Monsieur　le　cure；〃　interposed　his　wife；　cutting　him　short。　〃I　see　I

am　forced　to　betray　the　whole　secret。　Monsieur　Baudoyer　hopes　to

complete　the　gift　by　sending　you　a　dais　for　the　coming　Fete…Dieu。　But

the　purchase　must　depend　on　the　state　of　our　finances；　and　our

finances　depend　on　my　husband's　promotion。〃



〃God　will　reward　those　who　honor　him；〃　said　Monsieur　Gaudron；

preparing；　with　the　curate；　to　take　leave。



〃But　will　you　not；〃　said　Saillard　to　the　two　ecclesiastics；　〃do　us　the

honor　to　take　pot　luck　with　us？〃



〃You　can　stay；　my　dear　vicar；〃　said　the　curate　to　Gaudron；　〃you　know　I

am　engaged　to　dine　with　the　curate　of　Saint…Roch；　who；　by　the　bye；　is

to　bury　Monsieur　de　la　Billardiere　to…morrow。〃



〃Monsieur　le　cure　de　Saint…Roch　might　say　a　word　for　us；〃　began

Baudoyer。　His　wife　pulled　the　skirt　of　his　coat　violently。



〃Do　hold　your　tongue；　Baudoyer；〃　she　said；　leading　him　aside　and

whispering　in　his　ear。　〃You　have　given　a　monstrance　to　the　church；

that　cost　five　thousand　francs。　I'll　explain　it　all　later。〃



The　miserly　Baudoyer　make　a　sulky　grimace；　and　continued　gloomy　and

cross　for　the　rest　of　the　day。



〃What　did　you　busy　yourself　about　Falleix's　passport　for？　Why　do　you

meddle　in　other　people's　affairs？〃　he　presently　asked　her。



〃I　must　say；　I　think　Falleix's　affairs　are　as　much　ours　as　his；〃

returned　Elisabeth；　dryly；　glancing　at　her　husband　to　make　him　notice

Monsieur　Gaudron；　before　whom　he　ought　to　be　silent。



〃Certainly；　certainly；〃　said　old　Saillard；　thinking　of　his　co…

partnership。



〃I　hope　you　reached　the　newspaper　office　in　time？〃　remarked　Elisabeth

to　Monsieur　Gaudron；　as　she　helped　him　to　soup。



〃Yes；　my　dear　lady；〃　answered　the　vicar；　〃when　the　editor　read　the

little　article　I　gave　him；　written　by　the　secretary　of　the　Grand

Almoner；　he　made　no　difficulty。　He　took　pains　to　insert　it　in　a

conspicuous　place。　I　should　never　have　thought　of　that；　but　this　young

journalist　has　a　wide…awake　mind。　The　defenders　of　religion　can　enter

the　lists　against　impiety　without　disadvantage　at　the　present　moment；

for　there　is　a　great　deal　of　talent　in　the　royalist　press。　I　have

every　reason　to　believe　that　success　will　crown　your　hopes。　But　you

must　remember；　my　dear　Baudoyer；　to　promote　Monsieur　Colleville；　he　is

an　object　of　great　interest　to　his　Eminence；　in　fact；　I　am　desired　to

mention　him　to　you。〃



〃If　I