the illustrious gaudissart-第6节

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the　stroke　with　the　mechanical　precision　of　the　figures　which　are　made

to　move　by　springs　in　the　German　toys。　He　would　then　advance　slowly

towards　the　players；　give　them　a　glance　like　the　automatic　gaze　of　the

Greeks　and　Turks　exhibited　on　the　Boulevard　du　Temple；　and　say

sternly；　〃Go　away！〃　There　were　days　when　he　had　lucid　intervals　and

could　give　his　wife　excellent　advice　as　to　the　sale　of　their　wines；

but　at　such　times　he　became　extremely　annoying；　and　would　ransack　her

closets　and　steal　her　delicacies；　which　he　devoured　in　secret。

Occasionally；　when　the　usual　visitors　made　their　appearance　he　would

treat　them　with　civility；　but　as　a　general　thing　his　remarks　and

replies　were　incoherent。　For　instance；　a　lady　once　asked　him；　〃How　do

you　feel　to…day；　Monsieur　Margaritis？〃　〃I　have　grown　a　beard；〃　he

replied；　〃have　you？〃　〃Are　you　better？〃　asked　another。　〃Jerusalem！

Jerusalem！〃　was　the　answer。　But　the　greater　part　of　the　time　he　gazed

stolidly　at　his　guests　without　uttering　a　word；　and　then　his　wife

would　say；　〃The　good…man　does　not　hear　anything　to…day。〃



On　two　or　three　occasions　in　the　course　of　five　years；　and　usually

about　the　time　of　the　equinox；　this　remark　had　driven　him　to　frenzy；

he　flourished　his　knives　and　shouted；　〃That　joke　dishonors　me！〃



As　for　his　daily　life；　he　ate；　drank；　and　walked　about　like　other　men

in　sound　health；　and　so　it　happened　that　he　was　treated　with　about　the

same　respect　and　attention　that　we　give　to　a　heavy　piece　of　furniture。

Among　his　many　absurdities　was　one　of　which　no　man　had　as　yet

discovered　the　object；　although　by　long　practice　the　wiseheads　of　the

community　had　learned　to　unravel　the　meaning　of　most　of　his　vagaries。

He　insisted　on　keeping　a　sack　of　flour　and　two　puncheons　of　wine　in

the　cellar　of　his　house；　and　he　would　allow　no　one　to　lay　hands　on

them。　But　then　the　month　of　June　came　round　he　grew　uneasy　with　the

restless　anxiety　of　a　madman　about　the　sale　of　the　sack　and　the

puncheons。　Madame　Margaritis　could　nearly　always　persuade　him　that　the

wine　had　been　sold　at　an　enormous　price；　which　she　paid　over　to　him；

and　which　he　hid　so　cautiously　that　neither　his　wife　nor　the　servant

who　watched　him　had　ever　been　able　to　discover　its　hiding…place。



The　evening　before　Gaudissart　reached　Vouvray　Madame　Margaritis　had

had　more　difficulty　than　usual　in　deceiving　her　husband；　whose　mind

happened　to　be　uncommonly　lucid。



〃I　really　don't　know　how　I　shall　get　through　to…morrow；〃　she　had　said

to　Madame　Vernier。　〃Would　you　believe　it；　the　good…man　insists　on

watching　his　two　casks　of　wine。　He　has　worried　me　so　this　whole　day；

that　I　had　to　show　him　two　full　puncheons。　Our　neighbor；　Pierre

Champlain；　fortunately　had　two　which　he　had　not　sold。　I　asked　him　to

kindly　let　me　have　them　rolled　into　our　cellar；　and　oh；　dear！　now　that

the　good…man　has　seen　them　he　insists　on　bottling　them　off　himself！〃



Madame　Vernier　had　related　the　poor　woman's　trouble　to　her　husband

just　before　the　entrance　of　Gaudissart；　and　at　the　first　words　of　the

famous　traveller　Vernier　determined　that　he　should　be　made　to　grapple

with　Margaritis。



〃Monsieur；〃　said　the　ex…dyer；　as　soon　as　the　illustrious　Gaudissart

had　fired　his　first　broadside；　〃I　will　not　hide　from　you　the　great

difficulties　which　my　native　place　offers　to　your　enterprise。　This

part　of　the　country　goes　along；　as　it　were；　in　the　rough；〃suo　modo。〃

It　is　a　country　where　new　ideas　don't　take　hold。　We　live　as　our

fathers　lived；　we　amuse　ourselves　with　four　meals　a　day；　and　we

cultivate　our　vineyards　and　sell　our　wines　to　the　best　advantage。　Our

business　principle　is　to　sell　things　for　more　than　they　cost　us；　we

shall　stick　in　that　rut；　and　neither　God　nor　the　devil　can　get　us　out

of　it。　I　will；　however；　give　you　some　advice；　and　good　advice　is　an

egg　in　the　hand。　There　is　in　this　town　a　retired　banker　in　whose

wisdom　I　haveI；　particularlythe　greatest　confidence。　If　you　can

obtain　his　support；　I　will　add　mine。　If　your　proposals　have　real

merit；　if　we　are　convinced　of　the　advantage　of　your　enterprise；　the

approval　of　Monsieur　Margaritis　（which　carries　with　it　mine）　will　open

to　you　at　least　twenty　rich　houses　in　Vouvray　who　will　be　glad　to　try

your　specifics。〃



When　Madame　Vernier　heard　the　name　of　the　lunatic　she　raised　her　head

and　looked　at　her　husband。



〃Ah；　precisely；　my　wife　intends　to　call　on　Madame　Margaritis　with　one

of　our　neighbors。　Wait　a　moment；　and　you　can　accompany　these　ladies

You　can　pick　up　Madame　Fontanieu　on　your　way；〃　said　the　wily　dyer；

winking　at　his　wife。



To　pick　out　the　greatest　gossip；　the　sharpest　tongue；　the　most

inveterate　cackler　of　the　neighborhood！　It　meant　that　Madame　Vernier

was　to　take　a　witness　to　the　scene　between　the　traveller　and　the

lunatic　which　should　keep　the　town　in　laughter　for　a　month。　Monsieur

and　Madame　Vernier　played　their　part　so　well　that　Gaudissart　had　no

suspicions；　and　straightway　fell　into　the　trap。　He　gallantly　offered

his　arm　to　Madame　Vernier；　and　believed　that　he　made；　as　they　went

along；　the　conquest　of　both　ladies；　for　those　benefit　he　sparkled　with

wit　and　humor　and　undetected　puns。



The　house　of　the　pretended　banker　stood　at　the　entrance　to　the　Valley

Coquette。　The　place；　called　La　Fuye；　had　nothing　remarkable　about　it。

On　the　ground　floor　was　a　large　wainscoted　salon；　on　either　side　of

which　opened　the　bedroom　of　the　good…man　and　that　of　his　wife。　The

salon　was　entered　from　an　ante…chamber；　which　served　as　the　dining…

room　and　communicated　with　the　kitchen。　This　lower　door；　which　was

wholly　without　the　external　charm　usually　seen　even　in　the　humblest

dwellings　in　Touraine；　was　covered　by　a　mansard　story；　reached　by　a

stairway　built　on　the　outside　of　the　house　against　the　gable　end　and

protected　by　a　shed…roof。　A　little　garden；　full　of　marigolds；

syringas；　and　elder…bushes；　separated　the　house　from　the　fields；　and

all　around　the　courtyard　were　detached　buildings　which　were　used　in

the　vintage　season　for　the　various　processes　of　making　wine。







CHAPTER　IV



Margaritis　was　seated　in　an　arm…chair　covered　with　yellow　Utrecht

velvet；　near　the　window　of　the　salon；　and　he　did　not　stir　as　the　two

ladies　entered　with　Gaudissart。　His　thoughts　were　running　on　the　casks

of　wine。　He　was　a　spare　man；　and　his　bald　head；　garnished　with　a　few

spare　locks　at　the　back　of　it；　was　pear…shaped　in　conformation。　His

sunken　eyes；　overtopped　by　heavy　black　brows　and　surrounded　by

discolored　circles；　his　nose；　thin　and　sharp　like　the　blade　of　a

knife；　the　strongly　marked　jawbone；　the　hollow　cheeks；　and　the　oblong

tendency　of　all　these　lines；　together　with　his　unnaturally　long　and

flat　chin；　contributed　to　give　a　peculiar　expression　to　his

countenance；something　between　that　of　a　retired　professor　of

rhetoric　and　a　rag…picker。



〃Monsieur　Margaritis；〃　cried　Madame　Vernier；　addressing　him；　〃come；

stir　about！　Here　is　a　gentleman　whom　my　husband　sends　to　you；　and　you

must　listen　to　him　with　great　attention。　Put　away　your　mathematics　and

talk　to　him。〃



On　hearing　these　words　the　lunatic　rose；　looked　at　Gaudissart；　made

him　a　sign　to　sit　down；　and　said；　〃Let　us　converse；　Monsieur。〃



The　two　women　went　into　Madame　Margaritis'　bedroom；　leaving　the　door

open　so　as　to　hear　the　conversation；　and　interpose　if　it　became

necessary。　They　were　hardly　installed　before　Monsieur　Vernier　crept

softly　up　through　the　field　and；　opening　a　window；　got　into　the

bedroom　without　noise。



〃Monsieur　has　doubtless　been　in　business？〃　began　Gaudissart。



〃Public　business；〃　answered　Margaritis；　interrupting　him。　〃I

pacificated　Calabria　under　the　reign　of　King　Murat。〃



〃Bless　me！　if　he　hasn't　gone　to　Calabria！〃　whispered　Monsieur　Vernier。



〃In　that　case；〃　said　Gaudissart；　〃we　shall　quickly　understand　each

other。〃



〃I　am　listening；〃　said　Margaritis；　striking　the　attitude　taken　by　a

man　when　he　poses　to　a　portrait…painter。



〃Monsieur；〃　said　Gaudissart；　who　chanced　to　be　turning　his　watch…key

with　a　rotatory　and　periodical　click　which　caught　the　attention　of　the

lunatic　and　contributed　no　doubt　to　keep　him　quiet。　〃Monsieur；　if　you

were　not　a　man　of　superior　intelligence〃　（the　fool　bowed）；　〃I　should

content　myself　with　merely　laying　before　you　the　material　advantages

of　this　enterprise；　whose　psychological　aspects　it　would　be　a　waste　of

time　to　explain　to　you。　Listen！　Of　all　kinds　of　social　wealth；　is　not

time　the　most　precious？　To　economize　time　is；　consequently；　to　become

wealthy。　Now；　is　there　anything　that　consumes　so　much　time　as　those

anxieties　which　I　call　'pot…boiling'？a　vulgar　expression；　but　it

puts　the　whole　question　in　a　nutshell。　For　instance；　what　can　eat　up

more　time　than　the　inability　to　give　proper　security　to　persons　from

whom　you　seek　to　borrow　money　when；　poor　at　the　moment；　you　are

nevertheless　rich　in　hope？〃



〃Money；yes；　that's　right；〃　said　Margaritis。



〃Well；　Monsieur；　I　am　sen