bureaucracy-第11节

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features；　which　clustered　close　about　the　nose；　gave　her　face　a　vague

resemblance　to　a　weasel's　snout。　Though　she　was　past　thirty　years　old

she　looked　scarcely　more　than　sixteen。　Her　eyes；　of　porcelain　blue；

overweighted　by　heavy　eyelids　which　fell　nearly　straight　from　the　arch

of　the　eyebrows；　had　little　light　in　them。　Everything　about　her

appearance　was　commonplace：　witness　her　flaxen　hair；　tending　to

whiteness；　her　flat　forehead；　from　which　the　light　did　not　reflect；

and　her　dull　complexion；　with　gray；　almost　leaden；　tones。　The　lower

part　of　the　face；　more　triangular　than　oval；　ended　irregularly　the

otherwise　irregular　outline　of　her　face。　Her　voice　had　a　rather　pretty

range　of　intonation；　from　sharp　to　sweet。　Elisabeth　was　a　perfect

specimen　of　the　second…rate　little　bourgeoisie　who　lectures　her

husband　behind　the　curtains；　obtains　no　credit　for　her　virtues；　is

ambitious　without　intelligent　object；　and　solely　through　the

development　of　her　domestic　selfishness。　Had　she　lived　in　the　country

she　would　have　bought　up　adjacent　land；　being；　as　she　was；　connected

with　the　administration；　she　was　determined　to　push　her　way。　If　we

relate　the　life　of　her　father　and　mother；　we　shall　show　the　sort　of

woman　she　was　by　a　picture　of　her　childhood　and　youth。



Monsieur　Saillard　married　the　daughter　of　an　upholsterer　keeping　shop

under　the　arcades　of　the　Market。　Limited　means　compelled　Monsieur　and

Madame　Saillard　at　their　start　in　life　to　bear　constant　privation。

After　thirty…three　years　of　married　life；　and　twenty…nine　years　of

toil　in　a　government　office；　the　property　of　〃the　Saillards〃their

circle　of　acquaintance　called　them　soconsisted　of　sixty　thousand

francs　entrusted　to　Falleix；　the　house　in　the　place　Royale；　bought　for

forty　thousand　in　1804；　and　thirty…six　thousand　francs　given　in　dowry

to　their　daughter　Elisabeth。　Out　of　this　capital　about　fifty　thousand

came　to　them　by　the　will　of　the　widow　Bidault；　Madame　Saillard's

mother。　Saillard's　salary　from　the　government　had　always　been　four

thousand　five　hundred　francs　a　year；　and　no　more；　his　situation　was　a

blind　alley　that　led　nowhere；　and　had　tempted　no　one　to　supersede　him。

Those　ninety　thousand　francs；　put　together　sou　by　sou；　were　the　fruit

therefore　of　a　sordid　economy　unintelligently　employed。　In　fact；　the

Saillards　did　not　know　how　better　to　manage　their　savings　than　to

carry　them；　five　thousand　francs　at　a　time；　to　their　notary；　Monsieur

Sorbier；　Cardot's　predecessor；　and　let　him　invest　them　at　five　per

cent　in　first　mortgages；　with　the　wife's　rights　reserved　in　case　the

borrower　was　married！　In　1804　Madame　Saillard　obtained　a　government

office　for　the　sale　of　stamped　papers；　a　circumstance　which　brought　a

servant　into　the　household　for　the　first　time。　At　the　time　of　which　we

write；　the　house；　which　was　worth　a　hundred　thousand　francs；　brought

in　a　rental　of　eight　thousand。　Falleix　paid　seven　per　cent　for　the

sixty　thousand　invested　in　the　foundry；　besides　an　equal　division　of

profits。　The　Saillards　were　therefore　enjoying　an　income　of　not　less

than　seventeen　thousand　francs　a　year。　The　whole　ambition　of　the　good

man　now　centred　on　obtaining　the　cross　of　the　Legion　and　his　retiring

pension。



Elisabeth；　the　only　child；　had　toiled　steadily　from　infancy　in　a　home

where　the　customs　of　life　were　rigid　and　the　ideas　simple。　A　new　hat

for　Saillard　was　a　matter　of　deliberation；　the　time　a　coat　could　last

was　estimated　and　discussed；　umbrellas　were　carefully　hung　up　by　means

of　a　brass　buckle。　Since　1804　no　repairs　of　any　kind　had　been　done　to

the　house。　The　Saillards　kept　the　ground…floor　in　precisely　the　state

in　which　their　predecessor　left　it。　The　gilding　of　the　pier…glasses

was　rubbed　off；　the　paint　on　the　cornices　was　hardly　visible　through

the　layers　of　dust　that　time　had　collected。　The　fine　large　rooms　still

retained　certain　sculptured　marble　mantel…pieces　and　ceilings；　worthy

of　Versailles；　together　with　the　old　furniture　of　the　widow　Bidault。

The　latter　consisted　of　a　curious　mixture　of　walnut　armchairs；

disjointed；　and　covered　with　tapestry；　rosewood　bureaus；　round　tables

on　single　pedestals；　with　brass　railings　and　cracked　marble　tops；　one

superb　Boulle　secretary；　the　value　of　which　style　had　not　yet　been

recognized；　in　short；　a　chaos　of　bargains　picked　up　by　the　worthy

widow；pictures　bought　for　the　sake　of　the　frames；　china　services　of

a　composite　order；　to　wit；　a　magnificent　Japanese　dessert　set；　and　all

the　rest　porcelains　of　various　makes；　unmatched　silver　plate；　old

glass；　fine　damask；　and　a　four…post　bedstead；　hung　with　curtains　and

garnished　with　plumes。



Amid　these　curious　relics；　Madame　Saillard　always　sat　on　a　sofa　of

modern　mahogany；　near　a　fireplace　full　of　ashes　and　without　fire；　on

the　mantel…shelf　of　which　stood　a　clock；　some　antique　bronzes；

candelabra　with　paper　flowers　but　no　candles；　for　the　careful

housewife　lighted　the　room　with　a　tall　tallow　candle　always　guttering

down　into　the　flat　brass　candlestick　which　held　it。　Madame　Saillard's

face；　despite　its　wrinkles；　was　expressive　of　obstinacy　and　severity；

narrowness　of　ideas；　an　uprightness　that　might　be　called　quadrangular；

a　religion　without　piety；　straightforward；　candid　avarice；　and　the

peace　of　a　quiet　conscience。　You　may　see　in　certain　Flemish　pictures

the　wives　of　burgomasters　cut　out　by　nature　on　the　same　pattern　and

wonderfully　reproduced　on　canvas；　but　these　dames　wear　fine　robes　of

velvet　and　precious　stuffs；　whereas　Madame　Saillard　possessed　no

robes；　only　that　venerable　garment　called　in　Touraine　and　Picardy

〃cottes；〃　elsewhere　petticoats；　or　skirts　pleated　behind　and　on　each

side；　with　other　skirts　hanging　over　them。　Her　bust　was　inclosed　in

what　was　called　a　〃casaquin；〃　another　obsolete　name　for　a　short　gown

or　jacket。　She　continued　to　wear　a　cap　with　starched　wings；　and　shoes

with　high　heels。　Though　she　was　now　fifty…seven　years　old；　and　her

lifetime　of　vigorous　household　work　ought　now　to　be　rewarded　with

well…earned　repose；　she　was　incessantly　employed　in　knitting　her

husband's　stockings　and　her　own；　and　those　of　an　uncle；　just　as　her

countrywomen　knit　them；　moving　about　the　room；　talking；　pacing　up　and

down　the　garden；　or　looking　round　the　kitchen　to　watch　what　was　going

on。



The　Saillard's　avarice；　which　was　really　imposed　on　them　in　the　first

instance　by　dire　necessity；　was　now　a　second　nature。　When　the　cashier

got　back　from　the　office；　he　laid　aside　his　coat；　and　went　to　work　in

the　large　garden；　shut　off　from　the　courtyard　by　an　iron　railing；　and

which　the　family　reserved　to　itself。　For　years　Elisabeth；　the

daughter；　went　to　market　every　morning　with　her　mother；　and　the　two

did　all　the　work　of　the　house。　The　mother　cooked　well；　especially　a

duck　with　turnips；　but；　according　to　Saillard；　no　one　could　equal

Elisabeth　in　hashing　the　remains　of　a　leg　of　mutton　with　onions。　〃You

might　eat　your　boots　with　those　onions　and　not　know　it；〃　he　remarked。

As　soon　as　Elisabeth　knew　how　to　hold　a　needle；　her　mother　had　her

mend　the　household　linen　and　her　father's　coats。　Always　at　work；　like

a　servant；　she　never　went　out　alone。　Though　living　close　by　the

boulevard　du　Temple；　where　Franconi；　La　Gaite；　and　l'Ambigu…Comique

were　within　a　stone's　throw；　and；　further　on；　the　Porte…Saint…Martin；

Elisabeth　had　never　seen　a　comedy。　When　she　asked　to　〃see　what　it　was

like〃　（with　the　Abbe　Gaudron's　permission；　be　it　understood）；　Monsieur

Baudoyer　took　herfor　the　glory　of　the　thing；　and　to　show　her　the

finest　that　was　to　be　seento　the　Opera；　where　they　were　playing　〃The

Chinese　Laborer。〃　Elisabeth　thought　〃the　comedy〃　as　wearisome　as　the

plague　of　flies；　and　never　wished　to　see　another。　On　Sundays；　after

walking　four　times　to　and　fro　between　the　place　Royale　and　Saint…

Paul's　church　（for　her　mother　made　her　practise　the　precepts　and　the

duties　of　religion）；　her　parents　took　her　to　the　pavement　in　front　of

the　Cafe　Ture；　where　they　sat　on　chairs　placed　between　a　railing　and

the　wall。　The　Saillards　always　made　haste　to　reach　the　place　early　so

as　to　choose　the　best　seats；　and　found　much　entertainment　in　watching

the　passers…by。　In　those　days　the　Cafe　Ture　was　the　rendezvous　of　the

fashionable　society　of　the　Marais；　the　faubourg　Saint…Antoine；　and　the

circumjacent　regions。



Elisabeth　never　wore　anything　but　cotton　gowns　in　summer　and　merino　in

the　winter；　which　she　made　herself。　Her　mother　gave　her　twenty　francs

a　month　for　her　expenses；　but　her　father；　who　was　very　fond　of　her；

mitigated　this　rigorous　treatment　with　a　few　presents。　She　never　read

what　the　Abbe　Gaudron；　vicar　of　Saint…Paul's　and　the　family　director；

called　profane　books。　This　discipline　had　borne　fruit。　Forced　to

employ　her　feelings　on　some　passion　or　other；　Elisabeth　became　eager

after　gain。　Though　she　was　not　lacking　in　sense　or　perspicacity；

religious　theories；　and　her　complete　ignorance　of　higher　emotions　had

encircled　all　her　faculties　with