bureaucracy-第6节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


through　the　value　and　extent　of　his　labors　and　the　excellence　of　his

salary；　every　one　was　able　to　provide　for　his　own　future　and　France

was　delivered　from　the　cancer　of　pensions。　As　a　result　Rabourdin's

scheme　exhibited　only　seven　hundred　millions　of　expenditures　and

twelve　hundred　millions　of　receipts。　A　saving　of　five　hundred　millions

annually　had　far　more　virtue　than　the　accumulation　of　a　sinking　fund

whose　dangers　were　plainly　to　be　seen。　In　that　fund　the　State；

according　to　Rabourdin；　became　a　stockholder；　just　as　it　persisted　in

being　a　land…holder　and　a　manufacturer。　To　bring　about　these　reforms

without　too　roughly　jarring　the　existing　state　of　things　or　incurring

a　Saint…Bartholomew　of　clerks；　Rabourdin　considered　that　an　evolution

of　twenty　years　would　be　required。



Such　were　the　thoughts　maturing　in　Rabourdin's　mind　ever　since　his

promised　place　had　been　given　to　Monsieur　de　la　Billardiere；　a　man　of

sheer　incapacity。　This　plan；　so　vast　apparently　yet　so　simple　in　point

of　fact；　which　did　away　with　so　many　large　staffs　and　so　many　little

offices　all　equally　useless；　required　for　its　presentation　to　the

public　mind　close　calculations；　precise　statistics；　and　self…evident

proof。　Rabourdin　had　long　studied　the　budget　under　its　double…aspect

of　ways　and　means　and　of　expenditure。　Many　a　night　he　had　lain　awake

unknown　to　his　wife。　But　so　far　he　had　only　dared　to　conceive　the　plan

and　fit　it　prospectively　to　the　administrative　skeleton；　all　of　which

counted　for　nothing；he　must　gain　the　ear　of　a　minister　capable　of

appreciating　his　ideas。　Rabourdin's　success　depended　on　the　tranquil

condition　of　political　affairs；　which　up　to　this　time　were　still

unsettled。　He　had　not　considered　the　government　as　permanently　secure

until　three　hundred　deputies　at　least　had　the　courage　to　form　a

compact　majority　systematically　ministerial。　An　administration　founded

on　that　basis　had　come　into　power　since　Rabourdin　had　finished　his

elaborate　plan。　At　this　time　the　luxury　of　peace　under　the　Bourbons

had　eclipsed　the　warlike　luxury　of　the　days　when　France　shone　like　a

vast　encampment；　prodigal　and　magnificent　because　it　was　victorious。

After　the　Spanish　campaign；　the　administration　seemed　to　enter　upon　an

era　of　tranquillity　in　which　some　good　might　be　accomplished；　and

three　months　before　the　opening　of　our　story　a　new　reign　had　begun

without　any　apparent　opposition；　for　the　liberalism　of　the　Left　had

welcomed　Charles　X。　with　as　much　enthusiasm　as　the　Right。　Even　clear…

sighted　and　suspicious　persons　were　misled。　The　moment　seemed

propitious　for　Rabourdin。　What　could　better　conduce　to　the　stability

of　the　government　than　to　propose　and　carry　through　a　reform　whose

beneficial　results　were　to　be　so　vast？



Never　had　Rabourdin　seemed　so　anxious　and　preoccupied　as　he　now　did　in

the　mornings　as　he　walked　from　his　house　to　the　ministry；　or　at　half…

past　four　in　the　afternoon；　when　he　returned。　Madame　Rabourdin；　on　her

part；　disconsolate　over　her　wasted　life；　weary　of　secretly　working　to

obtain　a　few　luxuries　of　dress；　never　appeared　so　bitterly

discontented　as　now；　but；　like　any　wife　who　is　really　attached　to　her

husband；　she　considered　it　unworthy　of　a　superior　woman　to　condescend

to　the　shameful　devices　by　which　the　wives　of　some　officials　eke　out

the　insufficiency　of　their　husband's　salary。　This　feeling　made　her

refuse　all　intercourse　with　Madame　Colleville；　then　very　intimate　with

Francois　Keller；　whose　parties　eclipsed　those　of　the　rue　Duphot。

Nevertheless；　she　mistook　the　quietude　of　the　political　thinker　and

the　preoccupation　of　the　intrepid　worker　for　the　apathetic　torpor　of

an　official　broken　down　by　the　dulness　of　routine；　vanquished　by　that

most　hateful　of　all　miseries；　the　mediocrity　that　simply　earns　a

living；　and　she　groaned　at　being　married　to　a　man　without　energy。



Thus　it　was　that　about　this　period　in　their　lives　she　resolved　to　take

the　making　of　her　husband's　fortune　on　herself；　to　thrust　him　at　any

cost　into　a　higher　sphere；　and　to　hide　from　him　the　secret　springs　of

her　machinations。　She　carried　into　all　her　plans　the　independence　of

ideas　which　characterized　her；　and　was　proud　to　think　that　she　could

rise　above　other　women　by　sharing　none　of　their　petty　prejudices　and

by　keeping　herself　untrammelled　by　the　restraints　which　society

imposes。　In　her　anger　she　resolved　to　fight　fools　with　their　own

weapons；　and　to　make　herself　a　fool　if　need　be。　She　saw　things　coming

to　a　crisis。　The　time　was　favorable。　Monsieur　de　la　Billardiere；

attacked　by　a　dangerous　illness；　was　likely　to　die　in　a　few　days。　If

Rabourdin　succeeded　him；　his　talents　（for　Celestine　did　vouchsafe　him

an　administrative　gift）　would　be　so　thoroughly　appreciated　that　the

office　of　Master　of　petitions；　formerly　promised；　would　now　be　given

to　him；　she　fancied　she　saw　him　the　king's　commissioner；　presenting

bills　to　the　Chambers　and　defending　them；　then　indeed　she　could　help

him；　she　would　even　be；　if　needful；　his　secretary；　she　would　sit　up

all　night　to　do　the　work！　All　this　to　drive　in　the　Bois　in　a　pretty

carriage；　to　equal　Madame　Delphine　de　Nucingen；　to　raise　her　salon　to

the　level　of　Madame　Colleville's；　to　be　invited　to　the　great

ministerial　solemnities；　to　win　listeners　and　make　them　talk　of　her　as

〃Madame　Rabourdin　DE　something　or　other〃　（she　had　not　yet　determined

on　the　estate）；　just　as　they　did　of　Madame　Firmiani；　Madame　d'Espard；

Madame　d'Aiglemont；　Madame　de　Carigliano；　and　thus　efface　forever　the

odious　name　of　Rabourdin。



These　secret　schemes　brought　some　changes　into　the　household。　Madame

Rabourdin　began　to　walk　with　a　firm　step　in　the　path　of　DEBT。　She　set

up　a　manservant；　and　put　him　in　livery　of　brown　cloth　with　red　pipins；

she　renewed　parts　of　her　furniture；　hung　new　papers　on　the　walls；

adorned　her　salon　with　plants　and　flowers；　always　fresh；　and　crowded

it　with　knick…knacks　that　were　then　in　vogue；　then　she；　who　had　always

shown　scruples　as　to　her　personal　expenses；　did　not　hesitate　to　put

her　dress　in　keeping　with　the　rank　to　which　she　aspired；　the　profits

of　which　were　discounted　in　several　of　the　shops　where　she　equipped

herself　for　war。　To　make　her　〃Wednesdays〃　fashionable　she　gave　a

dinner　on　Fridays；　the　guests　being　expected　to　pay　their　return　visit

and　take　a　cup　of　tea　on　the　following　Wednesday。　She　chose　her　guests

cleverly　among　influential　deputies　or　other　persons　of　note　who；

sooner　or　later；　might　advance　her　interests。　In　short；　she　gathered

an　agreeable　and　befitting　circle　about　her。　People　amused　themselves

at　her　house；　they　said　so　at　least；　which　is　quite　enough　to　attract

society　in　Paris。　Rabourdin　was　so　absorbed　in　completing　his　great

and　serious　work　that　he　took　no　notice　of　the　sudden　reappearance　of

luxury　in　the　bosom　of　his　family。



Thus　the　wife　and　the　husband　were　besieging　the　same　fortress；

working　on　parallel　lines；　but　without　each　other's　knowledge。







CHAPTER　II



MONSIEUR　DES　LUPEAULX



At　the　ministry　to　which　Rabourdin　belonged　there　flourished；　as

general…secretary；　a　certain　Monsieur　Clement　Chardin　des　Lupeaulx；

one　of　those　men　whom　the　tide　of　political　events　sends　to　the

surface　for　a　few　years；　then　engulfs　on　a　stormy　night；　but　whom　we

find　again　on　a　distant　shore；　tossed　up　like　the　carcass　of　a　wrecked

ship　which　still　seems　to　have　life　in　her。　We　ask　ourselves　if　that

derelict　could　ever　have　held　goodly　merchandise　or　served　a　high

emprize；　co…operated　in　some　defence；　held　up　the　trappings　of　a

throne；　or　borne　away　the　corpse　of　a　monarchy。　At　this　particular

time　Clement　des　Lupeaulx　（the　〃Lupeaulx〃　absorbed　the　〃Chardin〃）　had

reached　his　culminating　period。　In　the　most　illustrious　lives　as　in

the　most　obscure；　in　animals　as　in　secretary…generals；　there　is　a

zenith　and　there　is　a　nadir；　a　period　when　the　fur　is　magnificent；　the

fortune　dazzling。　In　the　nomenclature　which　we　derive　from　fabulists；

des　Lupeaulx　belonged　to　the　species　Bertrand；　and　was　always　in

search　of　Ratons。　As　he　is　one　of　the　principal　actors　in　this　drama

he　deserves　a　description；　all　the　more　precise　because　the　revolution

of　July　has　suppressed　his　office；　eminently　useful　as　it　was；　to　a

constitutional　ministry。



Moralists　usually　employ　their　weapons　against　obstructive

administrations。　In　their　eyes；　crime　belongs　to　the　assizes　or　the

police…courts；　but　the　socially　refined　evils　escape　their　ken；　the

adroitness　that　triumphs　under　shield　of　the　Code　is　above　them　or

beneath　them；　they　have　neither　eye…glass　nor　telescope；　they　want

good　stout　horrors　easily　visible。　With　their　eyes　fixed　on　the

carnivora；　they　pay　no　attention　to　the　reptiles；　happily；　they

abandon　to　the　writers　of　comedy　the　shading　and　colorings　of　a

Chardin　des　Lupeaulx。　Vain　and　egotistical；　supple　and　proud；

libertine　and　gourmand；　grasping　from　the　pressure　of　debt；　discreet

as　a　tomb　out　of　which　nought　issues　to　con