the nabob-第49节

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ings　of　Paganetti；　who　was　his　man　of　straw。　In　any　case　his　golden　star　was　no　longer　in　the　ascendant。　Paul　de　Gery　knew　this　through　Joyeuse；　who　was　now　a　stock…broker's　accountant　and　well　up　in　the　doings　on　the　Bourse。　What　troubled　him　most；　however；　was　the　Nabob's　singular　agitation；　his　need　of　constant　distraction　which　had　succeeded　his　former　splendid　calm　of　strength　and　security；　the　loss；　too；　of　his　southern　sobriety。　He　kept　himself　in　a　continual　state　of　excitement；　drinking　great　glasses　of　/raki/　before　his　meals；　laughing　long；　talking　loud；　like　a　rough　sailor　ashore。　You　felt　that　here　was　a　man　overdoing　himself　to　escape　from　some　heavy　care。　It　showed；　however；　in　the　sudden　contraction　of　all　the　muscles　of　his　face；　as　some　unhappy　thought　crossed　his　mind；　or　when　he　feverishly　turned　the　pages　of　his　little　gilt…edged　note…book。　The　serious　interview　that　Paul　wanted　so　much　Jansoulet　would　not　give　him　at　any　price。　He　spent　his　nights　at　the　club；　his　mornings　in　bed；　and　from　the　moment　he　awoke　his　room　was　full　of　people　who　talked　to　him　as　he　dressed；　and　to　whom　he　replied；　sponge　in　hand。　If；　by　a　miracle；　de　Gery　caught　him　alone　for　a　second；　he　fled；　stopping　his　words　with　a　〃Not　now；　not　now；　I　beg　of　you。〃　In　the　end　the　young　man　had　recourse　to　drastic　measures。

One　morning；　towards　five　o'clock；　when　Jansoulet　came　home　from　his　club；　he　found　a　letter　on　the　table　near　his　bed。　At　first　he　took　it　to　be　one　of　the　many　anonymous　denunciations　he　received　daily。　It　was　indeed　a　denunciation；　but　it　was　signed　and　undisguised；　and　it　breathed　in　every　word　the　loyalty　and　the　earnest　youthfulness　of　him　who　wrote　it。　De　Gery　pointed　out　very　clearly　all　the　infamies　and　all　the　double　dealing　which　surrounded　him。　With　no　beating　about　the　bush　he　called　the　rogues　by　their　names。　There　was　not　one　of　the　usual　guests　whom　he　did　not　suspect；　not　one　who　came　with　any　other　object　than　to　steal　and　to　lie。　From　the　top　to　the　bottom　of　the　house　all　was　pillage　and　waste。　Bois　l'Hery's　horses　were　unsound；　Schwalbach's　gallery　was　a　swindle；　Moessard's　articles　a　recognised　blackmail。　De　Gery　had　made　a　long　detailed　memorandum　of　these　scandalous　abuses；　with　proofs　in　support　of　it。　But　he　specially　recommended　to　Jansoulet's　attention　the　accounts　of　the　Territorial　Bank　as　the　real　danger　of　the　situation。　Attracted　by　the　Nabob's　name；　as　chairman　of　the　company；　hundreds　of　shareholders　had　fallen　into　the　infamous　trappoor　seekers　of　gold；　following　the　lucky　miner。　In　the　other　matters　it　was　only　money　he　lost；　here　his　honour　was　at　stake。　He　would　discover　what　a　terrible　responsibility　lay　upon　him　if　he　examined　the　papers　of　the　business；　which　was　only　deception　and　cheatery　from　one　end　to　the　other。

〃You　will　find　the　memorandum　of　which　I　speak；〃　said　Paul　de　Gery；　at　the　end　of　his　letter；　〃in　the　top　drawer　of　my　desk　along　with　sundry　receipts。　I　have　not　put　them　in　your　room；　because　I　mistrust　Noel　like　the　rest。　When　I　go　away　to…night　I　will　give　you　the　key。　For　I　am　going　away；　my　dear　benefactor　and　friend；　I　am　going　away　full　of　gratitude　for　the　good　you　have　done　me；　and　heartbroken　that　your　blind　confidence　has　prevented　me　from　repaying　you　even　in　part。　As　things　are　now；　my　conscience　as　an　honest　man　will　not　let　me　stay　any　longer　useless　at　my　post。　I　am　looking　on　at　a　disaster；　at　the　sack　of　a　palace；　which　I　can　do　nothing　to　prevent。　My　heart　burns　at　all　I　see。　I　give　handshakes　which　shame　me。　I　am　your　friend；　and　I　seem　their　accomplice。　And　who　knows　that　if　I　went　on　living　in　such　an　atmosphere　I　might　not　become　one？〃

This　letter；　which　he　read　slowly　and　carefully；　even　between　the　lines　and　through　the　words；　made　so　great　an　impression　on　the　Nabob　that；　instead　of　going　to　bed；　he　went　at　once　to　find　his　young　secretary。　De　Gery　had　a　study　at　the　end　of　the　row　of　public　rooms　where　he　slept　on　a　sofa。　It　had　been　a　provisional　arrangement；　but　he　had　preferred　not　to　change　it。

The　house　was　still　asleep。　As　he　was　crossing　the　lofty　rooms；　filled　with　the　vague　light　of　a　Parisian　dawn　（those　blinds　were　never　lowered；　as　no　evening　receptions　were　held　there）；　the　Nabob　stopped；　struck　by　the　look　of　sad　defilement　his　luxury　wore。　In　the　heavy　odour　of　tobacco　and　various　liqueurs　which　hung　over　everything；　the　furniture；　the　ceilings；　the　woodwork　could　be　seen；　already　faded　and　still　new。　Spots　on　the　crumpled　satins；　ashes　staining　the　beautiful　marbles；　dirty　footmarks　on　the　carpets。　It　reminded　one　of　a　huge　first…class　railway　carriage　incrusted　with　all　the　laziness；　the　impatience；　the　boredom　of　a　long　journey；　and　all　the　wasteful；　spoiling　disdain　of　the　public　for　a　luxury　for　which　it　has　paid。　In　the　middle　of　this　set　scene；　still　warm　from　the　atrocious　comedy　played　there　every　day；　his　own　image；　reflected　in　twenty　cold　and　staring　looking…glasses；　stood　out　before　him；　forbidding　yet　comical；　in　absolute　contrast　to　his　elegant　clothes；　his　eyes　swollen；　his　face　bloated　and　inflamed。

What　an　obvious　and　disenchanting　to…morrow　to　the　mad　life　he　was　leading！

He　lost　himself　for　a　moment　in　dreary　thought；　then　he　gave　his　shoulders　a　vigorous　shake；　a　movement　frequent　with　himit　was　like　a　peddler　shifting　his　packas　though　to　rid　himself　of　too　cruel　cares；　and　again　took　up　the　burden　every　man　carried　with　him；　which　bows　his　back；　more　or　less；　according　to　his　courage　or　his　strength；　and　went　into　de　Gery's　room；　who　was　already　up；　standing　at　his　desk　sorting　papers。

〃First　of　all；　my　friend；〃　said　Jansoulet；　softly　shutting　the　door　for　their　interview；　〃answer　me　frankly。　Is　it　really　for　the　motives　given　in　your　letter　that　you　have　resolved　to　leave　me？　Is　there　not；　beneath　it　all；　one　of　those　scandals　that　I　know　are　being　circulated　in　Paris　against　me？　I　am　sure　you　would　be　loyal　enough　to　warn　me　and　to　give　me　the　opportunity　ofof　clearing　myself　to　you。〃

Paul　assured　him　that　he　had　no　other　reasons　for　going；　but　that　those　were　surely　sufficient；　since　it　was　a　matter　of　conscience。

〃Then；　my　boy；　listen　to　me；　and　I　am　sure　of　keeping　you。　Your　letter；　so　eloquent　of　honesty　and　sincerity；　has　told　me　nothing　that　I　have　not　been　convinced　of　for　three　months。　Yes；　my　dear　Paul；　you　were　right。　Paris　is　more　complicated　than　I　thought。　What　I　needed；　when　I　arrived；　was　an　honest　and　disinterested　cicerone　to　put　me　on　my　guard　against　people　and　things。　I　met　only　swindlers。　Every　worthless　rascal　in　the　town　has　left　the　mud　of　his　boots　on　my　carpets。　I　was　looking　at　them　just　nowmy　poor　drawing…rooms。　They　need　a　fine　sweeping　out。　And　I　swear　to　you　they　shall　have　it；　by　God；　and　with　no　light　hand！　But　I　must　wait　for　that　until　I　am　a　deputy。　All　these　scoundrels　are　of　use　to　me　for　the　election；　and　this　election　is　far　too　necessary　now　for　me　to　risk　losing　the　smallest　chance。　In　a　word；　this　is　the　situation：　Not　only　does　the　Bey　mean　to　keep　the　money　I　lent　him　three　months　ago；　but　he　has　replied　to　my　summons　by　a　counter　action　for　eighty　millions；　the　sum　out　of　which　he　says　I　cheated　his　brother。　It　is　a　frightful　theft；　an　audacious　libel。　My　fortune　is　mine；　my　own。　I　made　it　by　my　trade　as　a　merchant。　I　had　Ahmed's　favour；　he　gave　me　the　opportunity　of　becoming　rich。　It　is　possible　I　may　have　put　on　the　screw　a　little　tightly　sometimes。　But　one　must　not　judge　these　things　from　a　European　standpoint。　Over　there；　the　enormous　profits　the　Levantines　make　is　an　accepted　facta　known　thing。　It　is　the　ransom　those　savages　pay　for　the　western　comfort　we　bring　them。　That　wretch　Hemerlingue；　who　is　suggesting　all　this　persecution　against　me；　has　done　just　as　much。　But　what　is　the　use　of　talking？　I　am　in　the　lion's　jaws。　While　waiting　for　me　to　go　to　defend　myself　at　his　tribunalsand　how　I　know　it；　justice　of　the　Orient！the　Bey　has　begun　by　putting　an　embargo　on　all　my　goods；　ships；　and　palaces；　and　what　they　contain。　The　affair　was　conducted　quite　regularly　by　a　decree　of　the　Supreme　Court。　Young　Hemerlingue　had　a　hand　in　that；　you　can　see。　If　I　am　made　a　deputy；　it　is　only　a　joke。　The　court　takes　back　its　decree　and　they　give　me　back　my　treasure　with　every　sort　of　excuse。　If　I　am　not　elected　I　lose　everything；　sixty；　eighty　millions；　even　the　possibility　of　making　another　fortune。　It　is　ruin；　disgrace；　dishonour。　Are　you　going　to　abandon　me　in　such　a　crisis？　ThinkI　have　only　you　in　the　whole　world。　My　wifeyou　have　seen　her；　you　know　what　help；　what　support　she　is　to　her　husband。　My　childrenI　might　as　well　not　have　any。　I　never　see　them；　they　would　scarcely　know　me　in　the　street。　My　horrible　wealth　has　killed　all　affection　around　me　and　has　enveloped　me　with　shameless　self…seeking。　I　have　only　my　mother　to　love　me；　and　she　is　far　away；　and　you　who　came　to　me　from　my　mother。　No；　you　will　not　leave　me　alone　amid　all　the　scandals　that　are　creeping　around　me。　It　is　awfulif　you　only　knew！　At　the　club；　at　the　play；　wherever　I　go　I　seem　to　see　the　little　viper's　head　of　the　Baroness　Hemerlingue；　I　hear　the　echo　of　her　hiss；　I　feel　the　venom　of　her　bite。　Everywhere　mocking　looks；　conversation　stopped　when　I　appear；　lying　smiles；　or　kindness　m