the illustrious gaudissart-第7节

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nevertheless　rich　in　hope？〃



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



〃Well；　Monsieur；　I　am　sent　into　the　departments　by　a　company　of

bankers　and　capitalists；　who　have　apprehended　the　enormous　waste　which

rising　men　of　talent　are　thus　making　of　time；　and；　consequently；　of

intelligence　and　productive　ability。　We　have　seized　the　idea　of

capitalizing　for　such　men　their　future　prospects；　and　cashing　their

talents　by　discountingwhat？　TIME；　securing　the　value　of　it　to　their

survivors。　I　may　say　that　it　is　no　longer　a　question　of　economizing

time；　but　of　giving　it　a　price；　a　quotation；　of　representing　in　a

pecuniary　sense　those　products　developed　by　time　which　presumably　you

possess　in　the　region　of　your　intellect；　of　representing　also　the

moral　qualities　with　which　you　are　endowed；　and　which　are；　Monsieur；

living　forces；as　living　as　a　cataract；　as　a　steam…engine　of　three；

ten；　twenty；　fifty　horse…power。　Ha！　this　is　progress！　the　movement

onward　to　a　better　state　of　things；　a　movement　born　of　the　spirit　of

our　epoch；　a　movement　essentially　progressive；　as　I　shall　prove　to　you

when　we　come　to　consider　the　principles　involved　in　the　logical

co…ordination　of　the　social　fabric。　I　will　now　explain　my　meaning　by

literal　examples；　leaving　aside　all　purely　abstract　reasoning；　which　I

call　the　mathematics　of　thought。　Instead　of　being；　as　you　are；　a

proprietor　living　upon　your　income；　let　us　suppose　that　you　are

painter；　a　musician；　an　artist；　or　a　poet〃



〃I　am　a　painter；〃　said　the　lunatic。



〃Well；　so　be　it。　I　see　you　take　my　metaphor。　You　are　a　painter；　you

have　a　glorious　future；　a　rich　future　before　you。　But　I　go　still

farther〃



At　these　words　the　madman　looked　anxiously　at　Gaudissart；　thinking　he

meant　to　go　away；　but　was　reassured　when　he　saw　that　he　kept　his　seat。



〃You　may　even　be　nothing　at　all；〃　said　Gaudissart；　going　on　with　his

phrases；　〃but　you　are　conscious　of　yourself；　you　feel　yourself〃



〃I　feel　myself；〃　said　the　lunatic。



〃you　feel　yourself　a　great　man；　you　say　to　yourself；　'I　will　be　a

minister　of　state。'　Well；　then；　youpainter；　artist；　man　of　letters；

statesman　of　the　futureyou　reckon　upon　your　talents；　you　estimate

their　value；　you　rate　them；　let　us　say；　at　a　hundred　thousand

crowns〃



〃Do　you　give　me　a　hundred　thousand　crowns？〃



〃Yes；　Monsieur；　as　you　will　see。　Either　your　heirs　and　assigns　will

receive　them　if　you　die；　for　the　company　contemplates　that　event；　or

you　will　receive　them　in　the　long　run　through　your　works　of　art；　your

writings；　or　your　fortunate　speculations　during　your　lifetime。　But；　as

I　have　already　had　the　honor　to　tell　you；　when　you　have　once　fixed

upon　the　value　of　your　intellectual　capital；for　it　is　intellectual

capital；seize　that　idea　firmly；intellectual〃



〃I　understand；〃　said　the　fool。



〃You　sign　a　policy　of　insurance　with　a　company　which　recognizes　in　you

a　value　of　a　hundred　thousand　crowns；　in　you；　poet〃



〃I　am　a　painter；〃　said　the　lunatic。



〃Yes；〃　resumed　Gaudissart；〃painter；　poet；　musician；　statesmanand

binds　itself　to　pay　them　over　to　your　family；　your　heirs；　if；　by

reason　of　your　death；　the　hopes　foundered　on　your　intellectual　capital

should　be　overthrown　for　you　personally。　The　payment　of　the　premium　is

all　that　is　required　to　protect〃



〃The　money…box；〃　said　the　lunatic；　sharply　interrupting　him。



〃Ah！　naturally；　yes。　I　see　that　Monsieur　understands　business。〃



〃Yes；〃　said　the　madman。　〃I　established　the　Territorial　Bank　in　the　Rue

des　Fosses…Montmartre　at　Paris　in　1798。〃



〃For；〃　resumed　Gaudissart；　going　back　to　his　premium；　〃in　order　to

meet　the　payments　on　the　intellectual　capital　which　each　man

recognizes　and　esteems　in　himself；　it　is　of　course　necessary　that　each

should　pay　a　certain　premium；　three　per　cent；　an　annual　due　of　three

per　cent。　Thus；　by　the　payment　of　this　trifling　sum；　a　mere　nothing；

you　protect　your　family　from　disastrous　results　at　your　death〃



〃But　I　live；〃　said　the　fool。



〃Ah！　yes；　you　mean　if　you　should　live　long？　That　is　the　usual

objection；a　vulgar　prejudice。　I　fully　agree　that　if　we　had　not

foreseen　and　demolished　it　we　might　feel　we　were　unworthy　of　being

what？　What　are　we；　after　all？　Book…keepers　in　the　great　Bureau　of

Intellect。　Monsieur；　I　don't　apply　these　remarks　to　you；　but　I　meet　on

all　sides　men　who　make　it　a　business　to　teach　new　ideas　and　disclose

chains　of　reasoning　to　people　who　turn　pale　at　the　first　word。　On　my

word　of　honor；　it　is　pitiable！　But　that's　the　way　of　the　world；　and　I

don't　pretend　to　reform　it。　Your　objection；　Monsieur；　is　really　sheer

nonsense。〃



〃Why？〃　asked　the　lunatic。



〃Why？this　is　why：　because；　if　you　live　and　possess　the　qualities

which　are　estimated　in　your　policy　against　the　chances　of　death；now；

attend　to　this〃



〃I　am　attending。〃



〃Well；　then；　you　have　succeeded　in　life；　and　you　have　succeeded

because　of　the　said　insurance。　You　doubled　your　chances　of　success　by

getting　rid　of　the　anxieties　you　were　dragging　about　with　you　in　the

shape　of　wife　and　children　who　might　otherwise　be　left　destitute　at

your　death。　If　you　attain　this　certainty；　you　have　touched　the　value

of　your　intellectual　capital；　on　which　the　cost　of　insurance　is　but　a

trifle；a　mere　trifle；　a　bagatelle。〃



〃That's　a　fine　idea！〃



〃Ah！　is　it　not；　Monsieur？〃　cried　Gaudissart。　〃I　call　this　enterprise

the　exchequer　of　beneficence；　a　mutual　insurance　against　poverty；　or；

if　you　like　it　better；　the　discounting；　the　cashing；　of　talent。　For

talent；　Monsieur；　is　a　bill　of　exchange　which　Nature　gives　to　the　man

of　genius；　and　which　often　has　a　long　time　to　run　before　it　falls

due。〃



〃That　is　usury！〃　cried　Margaritis。



〃The　devil！　he's　keen；　the　old　fellow！　I've　made　a　mistake；〃　thought

Gaudissart；　〃I　must　catch　him　with　other　chaff。　I'll　try　humbug　No。　1。

Not　at　all；〃　he　said　aloud；　〃for　you　who〃



〃Will　you　take　a　glass　of　wine？〃　asked　Margaritis。



〃With　pleasure；〃　replied　Gaudissart。



〃Wife；　give　us　a　bottle　of　the　wine　that　is　in　the　puncheons。　You　are

here　at　the　very　head　of　Vouvray；〃　he　continued；　with　a　gesture　of　the

hand；　〃the　vineyard　of　Margaritis。〃



The　maid…servant　brought　glasses　and　a　bottle　of　wine　of　the　vintage

of　1819。　The　good…man　filled　a　glass　with　circumspection　and　offered

it　to　Gaudissart；　who　drank　it　up。



〃Ah；　you　are　joking；　Monsieur！〃　exclaimed　the　commercial　traveller。

〃Surely　this　is　Madeira；　true　Madeira？〃



〃So　you　think；〃　said　the　fool。　〃The　trouble　with　our　Vouvray　wine　is

that　it　is　neither　a　common　wine；　nor　a　wine　that　can　be　drunk　with

the　entremets。　It　is　too　generous；　too　strong。　It　is　often　sold　in

Paris　adulterated　with　brandy　and　called　Madeira。　The　wine…merchants

buy　it　up；　when　our　vintage　has　not　been　good　enough　for　the　Dutch　and

Belgian　markets；　to　mix　it　with　wines　grown　in　the　neighborhood　of

Paris；　and　call　it　Bordeaux。　But　what　you　are　drinking　just　now；　my

good　Monsieur；　is　a　wine　for　kings；　the　pure　Head　of　Vouvray；that's

it's　name。　I　have　two　puncheons；　only　two　puncheons　of　it　left。　People

who　like　fine　wines；　high…class　wines；　who　furnish　their　table　with

qualities　that　can't　be　bought　in　the　regular　trade；and　there　are

many　persons　in　Paris　who　have　that　vanity；well；　such　people　send

direct　to　us　for　this　wine。　Do　you　know　any　one　who？〃



〃Let　us　go　on　with　what　we　were　saying；〃　interposed　Gaudissart。



〃We　are　going　on；〃　said　the　fool。　〃My　wine　is　capital；　you　are

capital；　capitalist；　intellectual　capital；　capital　wine；all　the　same

etymology；　don't　you　see？　hein？　Capital；　'caput；'　head；　Head　of

Vouvray；　that's　my　wine；it's　all　one　thing。〃



〃So　that　you　have　realized　your　intellectual　capital　through　your

wines？　Ah；　I　see！〃　said　Gaudissart。



〃I　have　realized；〃　said　the　lunatic。　〃Would　you　like　to　buy　my

puncheons？　you　shall　have　them　on　good　terms。〃



〃No；　I　was　merely　speaking；〃　said　the　illustrious　Gaudissart；　〃of　the

results　of　insurance　and　the　employment　of　intellectual　capital。　I

will　resume　my　argument。〃



The　lunatic　calmed　down；　and　fell　once　more　into　position。



〃I　remarked；　Monsieur；　that　if　you　die　the　capital　will　be　paid　to

your　family　without　discussion。〃



〃Without　discussion？〃



〃Yes；　unless　there　were　suicide。〃



〃That's　quibbling。〃



〃No；　Monsieur；　you　are　aware　that　suicide　is　one　of　those　acts　which

are　easy　to　prove〃



〃In　France；〃　said　the　fool；　〃but〃



〃But　in　other　countries？〃　said　Gaudissart。　〃Well；　Monsieur；　to　cut

short　discussion　on　this　point；　I　will　say；　once　for　all；　that　death

in　foreign　countries　or　on　the　field　of　battle　is　outside　of　our〃



〃Then　what　are　you　insuring？　Nothing　at　all！〃　cried　Margaritis。　〃My

bank；　my　Territorial　Bank；　rested　upon〃



〃Nothing　at　all？〃　exclaimed　Gaudissart；　interrupting　the　good…man。

〃Nothing　at　all？　What　do　you　call　sickness；　and　afflictions；　and

poverty；　and　passions？　Don't　go　off　on　except