the firm of nucingen-第16节

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d。　Now　let　us　buy　up　a　million　of　Nucingen's　paper　at　a　discount　of　ten　or　twenty　per　cent；　and　we　shall　make　a　handsome　percentage　out　of　it。　We　shall　be　debtors　and　creditors　both；　confusion　will　be　worked！　But　we　must　set　about　it　carefully；　or　the　holders　may　imagine　that　we　are　operating　in　Nucingen's　interests。'

〃Then　Werbrust　understood。　He　squeezed　du　Tillet's　hand　with　an　expression　such　as　a　woman's　face　wears　when　she　is　playing　her　neighbor　a　trick。

〃Martin　Falleix　came　up。'Well；　have　you　heard　the　news？'　he　asked。　'Nucingen　has　stopped　payment。'

〃　'Pooh；'　said　Werbrust；　'pray　don't　noise　it　about；　give　those　that　hold　his　paper　a　chance。'

〃　'What　is　the　cause　of　the　smash；　do　you　know？'　put　in　Claparon。

〃　'You　know　nothing　about　it；'　said　du　Tillet。　'There　isn't　any　smash。　Payment　will　be　made　in　full。　Nucingen　will　start　again；　I　shall　find　him　all　the　money　he　wants。　I　know　the　causes　of　the　suspension。　He　has　put　all　his　capital　into　Mexican　securities；　and　they　are　sending　him　metal　in　return；　old　Spanish　cannon　cast　in　such　an　insane　fashion　that　they　melted　down　gold　and　bell…metal　and　church　plate　for　it；　and　all　the　wreck　of　the　Spanish　dominion　in　the　Indies。　The　specie　is　slow　in　coming；　and　the　dear　Baron　is　hard　up。　That　is　all。'

〃　'It　is　a　fact；'　said　Werbrust；　'I　am　taking　his　paper　myself　at　twenty　per　cent　discount。'

〃The　news　spread　swift　as　fire　in　a　straw　rick。　The　most　contradictory　reports　got　about。　But　such　confidence　was　felt　in　the　firm　after　the　two　previous　suspensions；　that　every　one　stuck　to　Nucingen's　paper。　'Palma　must　lend　us　a　hand；'　said　Werbrust。

〃Now　Palma　was　the　Keller's　oracle；　and　the　Kellers　were　brimful　of　Nucingen's　paper。　A　hint　from　Palma　would　be　enough。　Werbrust　arranged　with　Palma；　and　he　rang　the　alarm　bell。　There　was　a　panic　next　day　on　the　Bourse。　The　Kellers；　acting　on　Palma's　advice；　let　go　Nucingen's　paper　at　ten　per　cent　of　loss；　they　set　the　example　on　'Change；　for　they　were　supposed　to　know　very　well　what　they　were　about。　Taillefer　followed　up　with　three　hundred　thousand　francs　at　a　discount　of　twenty　per　cent；　and　Martin　Falleix　with　two　hundred　thousand　at　fifteen。　Gigonnet　saw　what　was　going　on。　He　helped　to　spread　the　panic；　with　a　view　to　buying　up　Nucingen's　paper　himself　and　making　a　commission　of　two　or　three　per　cent　out　of　Werbrust。

〃In　a　corner　of　the　Bourse　he　came　upon　poor　Matifat；　who　had　three　hundred　thousand　francs　in　Nucingen's　bank。　Matifat；　ghastly　and　haggard；　beheld　the　terrible　Gigonnet；　the　bill…discounter　of　his　old　quarter；　coming　up　to　worry　him。　He　shuddered　in　spite　of　himself。

〃　'Things　are　looking　bad。　There　is　a　crisis　on　hand。　Nucingen　is　compounding　with　his　creditors。　But　this　does　not　interest　you；　Daddy　Matifat；　you　are　out　of　business。'

〃　'Oh；　well；　you　are　mistaken；　Gigonnet；　I　am　in　for　three　hundred　thousand　francs。　I　meant　to　speculate　in　Spanish　bonds。'

〃　'Then　you　have　saved　your　money。　Spanish　bonds　would　have　swept　everything　away；　whereas　I　am　prepared　to　offer　you　something　like　fifty　per　cent　for　your　account　with　Nucingen。'

〃　'You　are　very　keen　about　it；　it　seems　to　me；'　said　Matifat。　'I　never　knew　a　banker　yet　that　paid　less　than　fifty　per　cent。　Ah；　if　it　were　only　a　matter　of　ten　per　cent　of　loss'　added　the　retired　man　of　drugs。

〃　'Well；　will　you　take　fifteen？'　asked　Gigonnet。

〃　'You　are　very　keen　about　it；　it　seems　to　me；'　said　Matifat。

〃　'Good…night。'

〃　'Will　you　take　twelve？'

〃　'Done；'　said　Gigonnet。

〃Before　night　two　millions　had　been　bought　up　in　the　names　of　the　three　chance…united　confederates；　and　posted　by　du　Tillet　to　the　debit　side　of　Nucingen's　account。　Next　day　they　drew　their　premium。

〃The　dainty　little　old　Baroness　d'Aldrigger　was　at　breakfast　with　her　two　daughters　and　Godefroid；　when　Rastignac　came　in　with　a　diplomatic　air　to　steer　the　conversation　on　the　financial　crisis。　The　Baron　de　Nucingen　felt　a　lively　regard　for　the　d'Aldrigger　family；　he　was　prepared；　if　things　went　amiss；　to　cover　the　Baroness'　account　with　his　best　securities；　to　wit；　some　shares　in　the　argentiferous　lead…　mines；　but　the　application　must　come　from　the　lady。

〃　'Poor　Nucingen！'　said　the　Baroness。　'What　can　have　become　of　him？'

〃　'He　is　in　Belgium。　His　wife　is　petitioning　for　a　separation　of　her　property；　but　he　had　gone　to　see　if　he　can　arrange　with　some　bankers　to　see　him　through。'

〃　'Dear　me！　That　reminds　me　of　my　poor　husband！　Dear　M。　de　Rastignac；　how　you　must　feel　this；　so　attached　as　you　are　to　the　house！'

〃　'If　all　the　indifferent　are　covered；　his　personal　friends　will　be　rewarded　later　on。　He　will　pull　through；　he　is　a　clever　man。'

〃　'An　honest　man；　above　all　things；'　said　the　Baroness。

〃A　month　later；　Nucingen　met　all　his　liabilities；　with　no　formalities　beyond　the　letters　by　which　creditors　signified　the　investments　which　they　preferred　to　take　in　exchange　for　their　capital；　and　with　no　action　on　the　part　of　other　banks　beyond　registering　the　transfer　of　Nucingen's　paper　for　the　investments　in　favor。

〃While　du　Tillet；　Werbrust；　Claparon；　Gigonnet；　and　others　that　thought　themselves　clever　were　fetching　in　Nucingen's　paper　from　abroad　with　a　premium　of　one　per　centfor　it　was　still　worth　their　while　to　exchange　it　for　securities　in　a　rising　marketthere　was　all　the　more　talk　on　the　Bourse；　because　there　was　nothing　now　to　fear。　They　babbled　over　Nucingen；　he　was　discussed　and　judged；　they　even　slandered　him。　His　luxurious　life；　his　enterprises！　When　a　man　has　so　much　on　his　hands；　he　overreaches　himself；　and　so　forth；　and　so　forth。

〃The　talk　was　at　its　height；　when　several　people　were　greatly　astonished　to　receive　letters　from　Geneva；　Basel；　Milan；　Naples；　Genoa；　Marseilles；　and　London；　in　which　their　correspondents；　previously　advised　of　the　failure；　informed　them　that　somebody　was　offering　one　per　cent　for　Nucingen's　paper！　'There　is　something　up；'　said　the　lynxes　of　the　Bourse。

〃The　Court　meanwhile　had　granted　the　application　for　Mme。　de　Nucingen's　separation　as　to　her　estate；　and　the　question　became　still　more　complicated。　The　newspapers　announced　the　return　of　M。　le　Baron　de　Nucingen　from　a　journey　to　Belgium；　he　had　been　arranging；　it　was　said；　with　a　well…known　Belgian　firm　to　resume　the　working　of　some　coal…pits　in　the　Bois　de　Bossut。　The　Baron　himself　appeared　on　the　Bourse；　and　never　even　took　the　trouble　to　contradict　the　slanders　circulating　against　him。　He　scorned　to　reply　through　the　press；　he　simply　bought　a　splendid　estate　just　outside　Paris　for　two　millions　of　francs。　Six　weeks　afterwards；　the　Bordeaux　shipping　intelligence　announced　that　two　vessels　with　cargoes　of　bullion　to　the　amount　of　seven　millions；　consigned　to　the　firm　of　Nucingen；　were　lying　in　the　river。

〃Then　it　was　plain　to　Palma；　Werbrust；　and　du　Tillet　that　the　trick　had　been　played。　Nobody　else　was　any　the　wiser。　The　three　scholars　studied　the　means　by　which　the　great　bubble　had　been　created；　saw　that　it　had　been　preparing　for　eleven　months；　and　pronounced　Nucingen　the　greatest　financier　in　Europe。

〃Rastignac　understood　nothing　of　all　this；　but　he　had　the　four　hundred　thousand　francs　which　Nucingen　had　allowed　him　to　shear　from　the　Parisian　sheep；　and　he　portioned　his　sisters。　D'Aiglemont；　at　a　hint　from　his　cousin　Beaudenord；　besought　Rastignac　to　accept　ten　per　cent　upon　his　million　if　he　would　undertake　to　convert　it　into　shares　in　a　canal　which　is　still　to　make；　for　Nucingen　worked　things　with　the　Government　to　such　purpose　that　the　concessionaires　find　it　to　their　interest　not　to　finish　their　scheme。　Charles　Grandet　implored　Delphine's　lover　to　use　his　interest　to　secure　shares　for　him　in　exchange　for　his　cash。　And　altogether　Rastignac　played　the　part　of　Law　for　ten　days；　he　had　the　prettiest　duchesses　in　France　praying　to　him　to　allot　shares　to　them；　and　to…day　the　young　man　very　likely　has　an　income　of　forty　thousand　livres；　derived　in　the　first　instance　from　the　argentiferous　lead…mines。〃

〃If　every　one　was　better　off；　who　can　have　lost？〃　asked　Finot。

〃Hear　the　conclusion；〃　rejoined　Bixiou。　〃The　Marquis　d'Aiglemont　and　Beaudenord　（I　put　them　forward　as　two　examples　out　of　many）　kept　their　allotted　shares；　enticed　by　the　so…called　dividend　that　fell　due　a　few　months　afterwards。　They　had　another　three　per　cent　on　their　capital；　they　sang　Nucingen's　praises；　and　took　his　part　at　a　time　when　everybody　suspected　that　he　was　going　bankrupt。　Godefroid　married　his　beloved　Isaure　and　took　shares　in　the　mines　to　the　value　of　a　hundred　thousand　francs。　The　Nucingens　gave　a　ball　even　more　splendid　than　people　expected　of　them　on　the　occasion　of　the　wedding；　Delphine's　present　to　the　bride　was　a　charming　set　of　rubies。　Isaure　danced；　a　happy　wife；　a　girl　no　longer。　The　little　Baroness　was　more　than　ever　a　Shepherdess　of　the　Alps。　The　ball　was　at　its　height　when　Malvina；　the　Andalouse　of　Musset's　poem；　heard　du　Tillet's　voice　drily　advising　her　to　take　Desroches。　Desroches；　warmed　to　the　right　degree　by　Rastignac　and　Nucingen；　tried　to　come　to　an　understanding　financially；　but　at　the　first　hint　of　shares　in　the　mines　for　the　bride's　portion；　he　broke　off　and　went　back　to　the　Matifat's　in　the　Rue　du　Cherche…Midi；　only　to　find　the　accursed　canal　sha