unconscious comedians-第7节

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Ravenouillet　says；　his　first　'cordon。'〃



〃I　was　the　first　master；〃　said　Leon；　〃to　consider　the　race　of　porter。

You'll　find　knaves　of　morality；　mountebanks　of　vanity；　modern

sycophants；　septembriseurs；　disguised　in　philanthropy；　inventors　of

palpitating　questions；　preaching　the　emancipation　of　the　negroes；

improvement　of　little　thieves；　benevolence　to　liberated　convicts；　and

who；　nevertheless；　leave　their　porters　in　a　condition　worse　than　that

of　the　Irish；　in　holes　more　dreadful　than　a　mud　cabin；　and　pay　them

less　money　to　live　on　than　the　State　pays　to　support　a　convict。　I　have

done　but　one　good　action　in　my　life；　and　that　was　to　build　my　porter　a

decent　lodge。〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Bixiou；　〃if　a　man；　having　built　a　great　cage　divided　into

thousands　of　compartments　like　the　cells　of　a　beehive　or　the　dens　of　a

menagerie；　constructed　to　receive　human　beings　of　all　trades　and　all

kinds；　if　that　animal；　calling　itself　the　proprietor；　should　go　to　a

man　of　science　and　say：　'I　want　an　individual　of　the　bimanous　species；

able　to　live　in　holes　full　of　old　boots；　pestiferous　with　rags；　and

ten　feet　square；　I　want　him　such　that　he　can　live　there　all　his　life；

sleep　there；　eat　there；　be　happy；　get　children　as　pretty　as　little

cupids；　work；　toil；　cultivate　flowers；　sing　there；　stay　there；　and

live　in　darkness　but　see　and　know　everything；'　most　assuredly　the　man

of　science　could　never　have　invented　the　porter　to　oblige　the

proprietor；　Paris；　and　Paris　only　could　create　him；　or；　if　you　choose；

the　devil。〃



〃Parisian　creative　powers　have　gone　farther　than　that；〃　said　Gazonal；

〃look　at　the　workmen！　You　don't　know　all　the　products　of　industry；

though　you　exhibit　them。　Our　toilers　fight　against　the　toilers　of　the

continent　by　force　of　misery；　as　Napoleon　fought　Europe　by　force　of

regiments。〃



〃Here　we　are；　at　my　friend　the　usurer's；〃　said　Bixiou。　〃His　name　is

Vauvinet。　One　of　the　greatest　mistakes　made　by　writers　who　describe

our　manners　and　morals　is　to　harp　on　old　portraits。　In　these　days　all

trades　change。　The　grocer　becomes　a　peer　of　France；　artists　capitalize

their　money；　vaudevillists　have　incomes。　A　few　rare　beings　may　remain

what　they　originally　were；　but　professions　in　general　have　no　longer

either　their　special　costume　or　their　formerly　fixed　habits　and　ways。

In　the　past　we　had　Gobseck；　Gigounet；　Samonon；the　last　of　the

Romans；　to…day　we　rejoice　in　Vauvinet；　the　good…fellow　usurer；　the

dandy　who　frequents　the　greenroom　and　the　lorettes；　and　drives　about

in　a　little　coupe　with　one　horse。　Take　special　note　of　my　man；　friend

Gazonal；　and　you'll　see　the　comedy　of　money；　the　cold　man　who　won't

give　a　penny；　the　hot　man　who　snuffs　a　profit；　listen　to　him

attentively！〃



All　three　went　up　to　the　second　floor　of　a　fine…looking　house　on　the

boulevard　des　Italiens；　where　they　found　themselves　surrounded　by　the

elegances　then　in　fashion。　A　young　man　about　twenty…eight　years　of　age

advanced　to　meet　them　with　a　smiling　face；　for　he　saw　Leon　de　Lora

first。　Vauvinet　held　out　his　hand　with　apparent　friendliness　to

Bixiou；　and　bowed　coldly　to　Gazonal　as　he　motioned　them　to　enter　his

office；　where　bourgeois　taste　was　visible　beneath　the　artistic

appearance　of　the　furniture；　and　in　spite　of　the　statuettes　and　the

thousand　other　little　trifles　applied　to　our　little　apartments　by

modern　art；　which　has　made　itself　as　small　as　its　patrons。



Vauvinet　was　dressed；　like　other　young　men　of　our　day　who　go　into

business；　with　extreme　elegance；　which　many　of　them　regard　as　a

species　of　prospectus。



〃I've　come　for　some　money；〃　said　Bixiou；　laughing；　and　presenting　his

notes。



Vauvinet　assumed　a　serious　air；　which　made　Gazonal　smile；　such

difference　was　there　between　the　smiling　visage　that　received　them　and

the　countenance　of　the　money…lender　recalled　to　business。



〃My　dear　fellow；〃　said　Vauvinet；　looking　at　Bixiou；　〃I　should

certainly　oblige　you　with　the　greatest　pleasure；　but　I　haven't　any

money　to　loan　at　the　present　time。〃



〃Ah；　bah！〃



〃No；　I　have　given　all　I　had　toyou　know　who。　That　poor　Lousteau　went

into　partnership　for　the　management　of　a　theatre　with　an　old

vaudevillist　who　has　great　influence　with　the　ministry；　Ridal；　and

they　came　to　me　yesterday　for　thirty　thousand　francs。　I'm　cleaned　out；

and　so　completely　that　I　was　just　in　the　act　of　sending　to　Cerizet　for

a　hundred　louis；　when　I　lost　at　lansquenet　this　morning；　at　Jenny

Cadine's。〃



〃You　must　indeed　me　hard…up　if　you　can't　oblige　this　poor　Bixiou；〃

said　Leon　de　Lora；　〃for　he　can　be　very　sharp…tongued　when　he　hasn't　a

sou。〃



〃Well；〃　said　Bixiou；　〃I　could　never　say　anything　but　good　of　Vauvinet；

he's　full　of　goods。〃



〃My　dear　friend；〃　said　Vauvinet；　〃if　I　had　the　money；　I　couldn't

possibly　discount；　even　at　fifty　per　cent；　notes　which　are　drawn　by

your　porter。　Ravenouillet's　paper　isn't　in　demand。　He's　not　a

Rothschild。　I　warn　you　that　his　notes　are　worn　thin；　you　had　better

invent　another　firm。　Find　an　uncle。　As　for　a　friend　who'll　sign　notes

for　us　there's　no　such　being　to　be　found；　the　matter…of…factness　of

the　present　age　is　making　awful　progress。〃



〃I　have　a　friend；〃　said　Bixiou；　motioning　to　Leon's　cousin。　〃Monsieur

here；　one　of　the　most　distinguished　manufacturers　of　cloth　in　the

South；　named　Gazonal。　His　hair　is　not　very　well　dressed；〃　added

Bixiou；　looking　at　the　touzled　and　luxuriant　crop　on　the　provincial's

head；　〃but　I　am　going　to　take　him　to　Marius；　who　will　make　him　look

less　like　a　poodle…dog；　an　appearance　so　injurious　to　his　credit；　and

to　ours。〃



〃I　don't　believe　in　Southern　securities；　be　it　said　without　offence　to

monsieur；〃　replied　Vauvinet；　with　whom　Gazonal　was　so　entertained　that

he　did　not　resent　his　insolence。



Gazonal；　that　extremely　penetrating　intellect；　thought　that　the

painter　and　Bixiou　intended；　by　way　of　teaching　him　to　know　Paris；　to

make　him　pay　the　thousand　francs　for　his　breakfast　at　the　Cafe　de

Paris；　for　this　son　of　the　Pyrenees　had　never　got　out　of　that　armor　of

distrust　which　incloses　the　provincial　in　Paris。



〃How　can　you　expect　me　to　have　outstanding　business　at　seven　hundred

miles　from　Paris？〃　added　Vauvinet。



〃Then　you　refuse　me　positively？〃　asked　Bixiou。



〃I　have　twenty　francs；　and　no　more；〃　said　the　young　usurer。



〃I'm　sorry　for　you；〃　said　the　joker。　〃I　thought　I　was　worth　a　thousand

francs。〃



〃You　are　worth　two　hundred　thousand　francs；〃　replied　Vauvinet；　〃and

sometimes　you　are　worth　your　weight　in　gold；　or　at　least　your　tongue

is；　but　I　tell　you　I　haven't　a　penny。〃



〃Very　good；〃　replied　Bixiou；　〃then　we　won't　say　anything　more　about

it。　I　had　arranged　for　this　evening；　at　Carabine's；　the　thing　you　most

wantedyou　know？〃



Vauvinet　winked　an　eye　at　Bixiou；　the　wink　that　two　jockeys　give　each

other　when　they　want　to　say：　〃Don't　try　trickery。〃



〃Don't　you　remember　catching　me　round　the　waist　as　if　I　were　a　pretty

woman；〃　said　Bixiou；　〃and　coaxing　me　with　look　and　speech；　and　saying；

'I'll　do　anything　for　you　if　you'll　only　get　me　shares　at　par　in　that

railroad　du　Tillet　and　Nucingen　have　made　an　offer　for？'　Well；　old

fellow；　du　Tillet　and　Nucingen　are　coming　to　Carabine's　to…night；

where　they　will　meet　a　number　of　political　characters。　You've　lost　a

fine　opportunity。　Good…bye　to　you；　old　carrot。〃



Bixiou　rose；　leaving　Vauvinet　apparently　indifferent；　but　inwardly

annoyed　by　the　sense　that　he　had　committed　a　folly。



〃One　moment；　my　dear　fellow；〃　said　the　money…lender。　〃Though　I　haven't

the　money；　I　have　credit。　If　your　notes　are　worth　nothing；　I　can　keep

them　and　give　you　notes　in　exchange。　If　we　can　come　to　an　agreement

about　that　railway　stock　we　could　share　the　profits；　of　course　in　due

proportion　and　I'll　allow　you　that　on〃



〃No；　no；〃　said　Bixiou；　〃I　want　money　in　hand；　and　I　must　get　those

notes　of　Ravenouillet's　cashed。〃



〃Ravenouillet　is　sound；〃　said　Vauvinet。　〃He　puts　money　into　the

savings…bank；　he　is　good　security。〃



〃Better　than　you；〃　interposed　Leon；　〃for　HE　doesn't　stipend　lorettes；

he　hasn't　any　rent　to　pay；　and　he　never　rushes　into　speculations　which

keep　him　dreading　either　a　rise　or　fall。〃



〃You　think　you　can　laugh　at　me；　great　man；〃　returned　Vauvinet；　once

more　jovial　and　caressing；　〃you've　turned　La　Fontaine's　fable　of　'Le

Chene　et　le　Roseau'　into　an　elixir　Come；　Gubetta；　my　old

accomplice；〃　he　continued；　seizing　Bixiou　round　the　waist；　〃you　want

money；　well；　I　can　borrow　three　thousand　francs　from　my　friend　Cerizet

instead　of　two；　'Let　us　be　friends；　Cinna！'　hand　over　your　colossal

cabbages；made　to　trick　the　public　like　a　gardener's　catalogue。　If　I

refused　you　it　was　because　it　is　pretty　hard　on　a　man　who　can　only　do

his　poor　little　business　by　turning　over　his　money；　to　have　to　keep

your　Ravenouillet　notes　in　the　drawer　of　his　desk。　Hard；　hard；　very

hard！〃



〃What　discount　do　you　want？〃　asked　Bixiou。



〃Next　to　nothing；〃　returned　Va