bureaucracy-第21节

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most　harmless　of　Bixiou's　jokes　perpetrated　among　the　clerks　was　the

one　he　played　off　upon　Godard；　presenting　him　with　a　butterfly　just

brought　from　China；　which　the　worthy　man　keeps　in　his　collection　and

exhibits　to　this　day；　blissfully　unconscious　that　it　is　only　painted

paper。　Bixiou　had　the　patience　to　work　up　the　little　masterpiece　for

the　sole　purpose　of　hoaxing　his　superior。



The　devil　always　puts　a　martyr　near　a　Bixiou。　Baudoyer's　bureau　held

the　martyr；　a　poor　copying…clerk　twenty…two　years　of　age；　with　a

salary　of　fifteen　hundred　francs；　named　Auguste…Jean…Francois　Minard。

Minard　had　married　for　love　the　daughter　of　a　porter；　an　artificial…

flower　maker　employed　by　Mademoiselle　Godard。　Zelie　Lorrain；　a　pupil；

in　the　first　place；　of　the　Conservatoire；　then　by　turns　a　danseuse；　a

singer；　and　an　actress；　had　thought　of　doing　as　so　many　of　the

working…women　do；　but　the　fear　of　consequences　kept　her　from　vice。　She

was　floating　undecidedly　along；　when　Minard　appeared　upon　the　scene

with　a　definite　proposal　of　marriage。　Zelie　earned　five　hundred　francs

a　year；　Minard　had　fifteen　hundred。　Believing　that　they　could　live　on

two　thousand；　they　married　without　settlements；　and　started　with　the

utmost　economy。　They　went　to　live；　like　dove…turtles；　near　the

barriere　de　Courcelles；　in　a　little　apartment　at　three　hundred　francs

a　year；　with　white　cotton　curtains　to　the　windows；　a　Scotch　paper

costing　fifteen　sous　a　roll　on　the　walls；　brick　floors　well　polished；

walnut　furniture　in　the　parlor；　and　a　tiny　kitchen　that　was　very

clean。　Zelie　nursed　her　children　herself　when　they　came；　cooked；　made

her　flowers；　and　kept　the　house。　There　was　something　very　touching　in

this　happy　and　laborious　mediocrity。　Feeling　that　Minard　truly　loved

her；　Zelie　loved　him。　Love　begets　love；it　is　the　abyssus　abyssum　of

the　Bible。　The　poor　man　left　his　bed　in　the　morning　before　his　wife

was　up；　that　he　might　fetch　provisions。　He　carried　the　flowers　she　had

finished；　on　his　way　to　the　bureau；　and　bought　her　materials　on　his

way　back；　then；　while　waiting　for　dinner；　he　stamped　out　her　leaves；

trimmed　the　twigs；　or　rubbed　her　colors。　Small；　slim；　and　wiry；　with

crisp　red　hair；　eyes　of　a　light　yellow；　a　skin　of　dazzling　fairness；

though　blotched　with　red；　the　man　had　a　sturdy　courage　that　made　no

show。　He　knew　the　science　of　writing　quite　as　well　as　Vimeux。　At　the

office　he　kept　in　the　background；　doing　his　allotted　task　with　the

collected　air　of　a　man　who　thinks　and　suffers。　His　white　eyelashes　and

lack　of　eyebrows　induced　the　relentless　Bixiou　to　name　him　〃the　white

rabbit。〃　Minardthe　Rabourdin　of　a　lower　spherewas　filled　with　the

desire　of　placing　his　Zelie　in　better　circumstances；　and　his　mind

searched　the　ocean　of　the　wants　of　luxury　in　hopes　of　finding　an　idea；

of　making　some　discovery　or　some　improvement　which　would　bring　him　a

rapid　fortune。　His　apparent　dulness　was　really　caused　by　the　continual

tension　of　his　mind；　he　went　over　the　history　of　Cephalic　Oils　and　the

Paste　of　Sultans；　lucifer　matches　and　portable　gas；　jointed　sockets

for　hydrostatic　lamps；in　short；　all　the　infinitely　little　inventions

of　material　civilization　which　pay　so　well。　He　bore　Bixiou's　jests　as

a　busy　man　bears　the　buzzing　of　an　insect；　he　was　not　even　annoyed　by

them。　In　spite　of　his　cleverness；　Bixiou　never　perceived　the　profound

contempt　which　Minard　felt　for　him。　Minard　never　dreamed　of

quarrelling；　however；regarding　it　as　a　loss　of　time。　After　a　while

his　composure　tired　out　his　tormentor。　He　always　breakfasted　with　his

wife；　and　ate　nothing　at　the　office。　Once　a　month　he　took　Zelie　to　the

theatre；　with　tickets　bestowed　by　du　Bruel　or　Bixiou；　for　Bixiou　was

capable　of　anything；　even　of　doing　a　kindness。　Monsieur　and　Madame

Minard　paid　their　visits　in　person　on　New…Year's　day。　Those　who　saw

them　often　asked　how　it　was　that　a　woman　could　keep　her　husband　in

good　clothes；　wear　a　Leghorn　bonnet　with　flowers；　embroidered　muslin

dresses；　silk　mantles；　prunella　boots；　handsome　fichus；　a　Chinese

parasol；　and　drive　home　in　a　hackney…coach；　and　yet　be　virtuous；　while

Madame　Colleville　and　other　〃ladies〃　of　her　kind　could　scarcely　make

ends　meet；　though　they　had　double　Madame　Minard's　means。



In　the　two　bureaus　were　two　clerks　so　devoted　to　each　other　that　their

friendship　became　the　butt　of　all　the　rest。　He　of　the　bureau　Baudoyer；

named　Colleville；　was　chief…clerk；　and　would　have　been　head　of　the

bureau　long　before　if　the　Restoration　had　never　happened。　His　wife　was

as　clever　in　her　way　as　Madame　Rabourdin　in　hers。　Colleville；　who　was

son　of　a　first　violin　at　the　opera；　fell　in　love　with　the　daughter　of

a　celebrated　danseuse。　Flavie　Minoret；　one　of　those　capable　and

charming　Parisian　women　who　know　how　to　make　their　husbands　happy　and

yet　preserve　their　own　liberty；　made　the　Colleville　home　a　rendezvous

for　all　our　best　artists　and　orators。　Colleville's　humble　position

under　government　was　forgotten　there。　Flavie's　conduct　gave　such　food

for　gossip；　however；　that　Madame　Rabourdin　had　declined　all　her

invitations。　The　friend　in　Rabourdin's　bureau　to　whom　Colleville　was

so　attached　was　named　Thuillier。　All　who　knew　one　knew　the　other。

Thuillier；　called　〃the　handsome　Thuillier；〃　an　ex…Lothario；　led　as

idle　a　life　as　Colleville　led　a　busy　one。　Colleville；　government

official　in　the　mornings　and　first　clarionet　at　the　Opera…Comique　at

night；　worked　hard　to　maintain　his　family；　though　he　was　not　without

influential　friends。　He　was　looked　upon　as　a　very　shrewd　man；all　the

more；　perhaps；　because　he　hid　his　ambitions　under　a　show　of

indifference。　Apparently　content　with　his　lot　and　liking　work；　he

found　every　one；　even　the　chiefs；　ready　to　protect　his　brave　career。

During　the　last　few　weeks　Madame　Colleville　had　made　an　evident　change

in　the　household；　and　seemed　to　be　taking　to　piety。　This　gave　rise　to

a　vague　report　in　the　bureaus　that　she　thought　of　securing　some　more

powerful　influence　than　that　of　Francois　Keller；　the　famous　orator；

who　had　been　one　of　her　chief　adorers；　but　who；　so　far；　had　failed　to

obtain　a　better　place　for　her　husband。　Flavie　had；　about　this　time

and　it　was　one　of　her　mistakesturned　for　help　to　des　Lupeaulx。



Colleville　had　a　passion　for　reading　the　horoscopes　of　famous　men　in

the　anagram　of　their　names。　He　passed　whole　months　in　decomposing　and

recomposing　words　and　fitting　them　to　new　meanings。　〃Un　Corse　la

finira；〃　found　within　the　words；　〃Revolution　Francaise〃；　〃Eh；　c'est

large　nez；〃　in　〃Charles　Genest；〃　an　abbe　at　the　court　of　Louis　XIV。；

whose　huge　nose　is　recorded　by　Saint…Simon　as　the　delight　of　the　Duc

de　Bourgogne　（the　exigencies　of　this　last　anagram　required　the

substitution　of　a　z　for　an　s）；were　a　never…ending　marvel　to

Colleville。　Raising　the　anagram　to　the　height　of　a　science；　he

declared　that　the　destiny　of　every　man　was　written　in　the　words　or

phrase　given　by　the　transposition　of　the　letters　of　his　names　and

titles；　and　his　patriotism　struggled　hard　to　suppress　the　factsignal

evidence　for　his　theorythat　in　Horatio　Nelson；　〃honor　est　a　Nilo。〃

Ever　since　the　accession　of　Charles　X。；　he　had　bestowed　much　thought

on　the　king's　anagram。　Thuillier；　who　was　fond　of　making　puns；

declared　that　an　anagram　was　nothing　more　than　a　pun　on　letters。　The

sight　of　Colleville；　a　man　of　real　feeling；　bound　almost　indissolubly

to　Thuillier；　the　model　of　an　egoist；　presented　a　difficult　problem　to

the　mind　of　an　observer。　The　clerks　in　the　offices　explained　it　by

saying；　〃Thuillier　is　rich；　and　the　Colleville　household　costly。〃　This

friendship；　however；　consolidated　by　time；　was　based　on　feelings　and

on　facts　which　naturally　explained　it；　an　account　of　which　may　be

found　elsewhere　（see　〃Les　Petits　Bourgeois〃）。　We　may　remark　in　passing

that　though　Madame　Colleville　was　well　known　in　the　bureaus；　the

existence　of　Madame　Thuillier　was　almost　unknown　there。　Colleville；　an

active　man；　burdened　with　a　family　of　children；　was　fat；　round；　and

jolly；　whereas　Thuillier；　〃the　beau　of　the　Empire〃　without　apparent

anxieties　and　always　at　leisure；　was　slender　and　thin；　with　a　livid

face　and　a　melancholy　air。　〃We　never　know；〃　said　Rabourdin；　speaking

of　the　two　men；　〃whether　our　friendships　are　born　of　likeness　or　of

contrast。〃



Unlike　these　Siamese　twins；　two　other　clerks；　Chazelle　and　Paulmier；

were　forever　squabbling。　One　smoked；　the　other　took　snuff；　and　the

merits　of　their　respective　use　of　tobacco　were　the　origin　of　ceaseless

disputes。　Chazelle's　home；　which　was　tyrannized　over　by　a　wife；

furnished　a　subject　of　endless　ridicule　to　Paulmier；　whereas　Paulmier；

a　bachelor；　often　half…starved　like　Vimeux；　with　ragged　clothes　and

half…concealed　penury　was　a　fruitful　source　of　ridicule　to　Chazelle。

Both　were　beginning　to　show　a　protuberant　stomach；　Chazelle's；　which

was　round　and　projecting；　had　the　impertinence；　so　Bixiou　said；　to

enter　the　room　first；　Paulmier's　corporation　spread　to　right　and　l