the illustrious gaudissart-第8节

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

poverty；　and　passions？　Don't　go　off　on　exceptional　points。〃



〃No；　no！　no　points；〃　said　the　lunatic。



〃Now；　what's　the　result　of　all　this？〃　cried　Gaudissart。　〃To　you；　a

banker；　I　can　sum　up　the　profits　in　a　few　words。　Listen。　A　man　lives；

he　has　a　future；　he　appears　well；　he　lives；　let　us　say；　by　his　art；　he

wants　money；　he　tries　to　get　it；he　fails。　Civilization　withholds

cash　from　this　man　whose　thought　could　master　civilization；　and　ought

to　master　it；　and　will　master　it　some　day　with　a　brush；　a　chisel；　with

words；　ideas；　theories；　systems。　Civilization　is　atrocious！　It　denies

bread　to　the　men　who　give　it　luxury。　It　starves　them　on　sneers　and

curses；　the　beggarly　rascal！　My　words　may　be　strong；　but　I　shall　not

retract　them。　Well；　this　great　but　neglected　man　comes　to　us；　we

recognize　his　greatness；　we　salute　him　with　respect；　we　listen　to　him。

He　says　to　us：　'Gentlemen；　my　life　and　talents　are　worth　so　much；　on

my　productions　I　will　pay　you　such　or　such　percentage。'　Very　good；

what　do　we　do？　Instantly；　without　reserve　or　hesitation；　we　admit　him

to　the　great　festivals　of　civilization　as　an　honored　guest〃



〃You　need　wine　for　that；〃　interposed　the　madman。



〃as　an　honored　guest。　He　signs　the　insurance　policy；　he　takes　our

bits　of　paper；scraps；　rags；　miserable　rags！which；　nevertheless；

have　more　power　in　the　world　than　his　unaided　genius。　Then；　if　he

wants　money；　every　one　will　lend　it　to　him　on　those　rags。　At　the

Bourse；　among　bankers；　wherever　he　goes；　even　at　the　usurers；　he　will

find　money　because　he　can　give　security。　Well；　Monsieur；　is　not　that　a

great　gulf　to　bridge　over　in　our　social　system？　But　that　is　only　one

aspect　of　our　work。　We　insure　debtors　by　another　scheme　of　policies

and　premiums。　We　offer　annuities　at　rates　graduated　according　to　ages；

on　a　sliding…scale　infinitely　more　advantageous　than　what　are　called

tontines；　which　are　based　on　tables　of　mortality　that　are　notoriously

false。　Our　company　deals　with　large　masses　of　men；　consequently　the

annuitants　are　secure　from　those　distressing　fears　which　sadden　old

age；too　sad　already！fears　which　pursue　those　who　receive　annuities

from　private　sources。　You　see；　Monsieur；　that　we　have　estimated　life

under　all　its　aspects。〃



〃Sucked　it　at　both　ends；〃　said　the　lunatic。　〃Take　another　glass　of

wine。　You've　earned　it。　You　must　line　your　inside　with　velvet　if　you

are　going　to　pump　at　it　like　that　every　day。　Monsieur；　the　wine　of

Vouvray；　if　well　kept；　is　downright　velvet。〃



〃Now；　what　do　you　think　of　it　all？〃　said　Gaudissart；　emptying　his

glass。



〃It　is　very　fine；　very　new；　very　useful；　but　I　like　the　discounts　I

get　at　my　Territorial　Bank；　Rue　des　Fosses…Montmartre。〃



〃You　are　quite　right；　Monsieur；〃　answered　Gaudissart；　〃but　that　sort

of　thing　is　taken　and　retaken；　made　and　remade；　every　day。　You　have

also　hypothecating　banks　which　lend　upon　landed　property　and　redeem　it

on　a　large　scale。　But　that　is　a　narrow　idea　compared　to　our　system　of

consolidating　hopes；consolidating　hopes！　coagulating；　so　to　speak；

the　aspirations　born　in　every　soul；　and　insuring　the　realization　of

our　dreams。　It　needed　our　epoch；　Monsieur；　the　epoch　of　transition

transition　and　progress〃



〃Yes；　progress；〃　muttered　the　lunatic；　with　his　glass　at　his　lips。　〃I

like　progress。　That　is　what　I've　told　them　many　times〃



〃The　'Times'！〃　cried　Gaudissart；　who　did　not　catch　the　whole　sentence。

〃The　'Times'　is　a　bad　newspaper。　If　you　read　that；　I　am　sorry　for

you。〃



〃The　newspaper！〃　cried　Margaritis。　〃Of　course！　Wife！　wife！　where　is

the　newspaper？〃　he　cried；　going　towards　the　next　room。



〃If　you　are　interested　in　newspapers；〃　said　Gaudissart；　changing　his

attack；　〃we　are　sure　to　understand　each　other。〃



〃Yes；　but　before　we　say　anything　about　that；　tell　me　what　you　think　of

this　wine。〃



〃Delicious！〃



〃Then　let　us　finish　the　bottle。〃　The　lunatic　poured　out　a　thimbleful

for　himself　and　filled　Gaudissart's　glass。　〃Well；　Monsieur；　I　have　two

puncheons　left　of　the　same　wine；　if　you　find　it　good　we　can　come　to

terms。〃



〃Exactly；〃　said　Gaudissart。　〃The　fathers　of　the　Saint…Simonian　faith

have　authorized　me　to　send　them　all　the　commodities　IBut　allow　me　to

tell　you　about　their　noble　newspaper。　You；　who　have　understood　the

whole　question　of　insurance　so　thoroughly；　and　who　are　willing　to

assist　my　work　in　this　district〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Margaritis；　〃if〃



〃If　I　take　your　wine；　I　understand　perfectly。　Your　wine　is　very　good；

Monsieur；　it　puts　the　stomach　in　a　glow。〃



〃They　make　champagne　out　of　it；　there　is　a　man　from　Paris　who　comes

here　and　makes　it　in　Tours。〃



〃I　have　no　doubt　of　it；　Monsieur。　The　'Globe；'　of　which　we　were

speaking〃



〃Yes；　I've　gone　over　it；〃　said　Margaritis。



〃I　was　sure　of　it！〃　exclaimed　Gaudissart。　〃Monsieur；　you　have　a　fine

frontal　development；　a　pateexcuse　the　wordwhich　our　gentlemen　call

'horse…head。'　There's　a　horse　element　in　the　head　of　every　great　man。

Genius　will　make　itself　known；　but　sometimes　it　happens　that　great

men；　in　spite　of　their　gifts；　remain　obscure。　Such　was　very　nearly　the

case　with　Saint…Simon；　also　with　Monsieur　Vico；a　strong　man　just

beginning　to　shoot　up；　I　am　proud　of　Vico。　Now；　here　we　enter　upon　the

new　theory　and　formula　of　humanity。　Attention；　if　you　please。〃



〃Attention！〃　said　the　fool；　falling　into　position。



〃Man's　spoliation　of　manby　which　I　mean　bodies　of　men　living　upon

the　labor　of　other　menought　to　have　ceased　with　the　coming　of

Christ；　I　say　CHRIST；　who　was　sent　to　proclaim　the　equality　of　man　in

the　sight　of　God。　But　what　is　the　fact？　Equality　up　to　our　day　has

been　an　'ignus　fatuus；'　a　chimera。　Saint…Simon　has　arisen　as　the

complement　of　Christ；　as　the　modern　exponent　of　the　doctrine　of

equality；　or　rather　of　its　practice；　for　theory　has　served　its　time〃



〃Is　he　liberated？〃　asked　the　lunatic。



〃Like　liberalism；　it　has　had　its　day。　There　is　a　nobler　future　before

us：　a　new　faith；　free　labor；　free　growth；　free　production；　individual

progress；　a　social　co…ordination　in　which　each　man　shall　receive　the

full　worth　of　his　individual　labor；　in　which　no　man　shall　be　preyed

upon　by　other　men　who；　without　capacity　of　their　own；　compel　ALL　to

work　for　the　profit　of　ONE。　From　this　comes　the　doctrine　of〃



〃How　about　servants？〃　demanded　the　lunatic。



〃They　will　remain　servants　if　they　have　no　capacity　beyond　it。〃



〃Then　what's　the　good　of　your　doctrine？〃



〃To　judge　of　this　doctrine；　Monsieur；　you　must　consider　it　from　a

higher　point　of　view：　you　must　take　a　general　survey　of　humanity。　Here

we　come　to　the　theories　of　Ballance：　do　you　know　his　Palingenesis？〃



〃I　am　fond　of　them；〃　said　the　fool；　who　thought　he　said　〃ices。〃



〃Good！〃　returned　Gaudissart。　〃Well；　then；　if　the　palingenistic　aspects

of　the　successive　transformations　of　the　spiritualized　globe　have

struck；　stirred；　roused　you；　then；　my　dear　sir；　the　'Globe'　newspaper；

noble　name　which　proclaims　its　mission；the　'Globe'　is　an　organ；　a

guide；　who　will　explain　to　you　with　the　coming　of　each　day　the

conditions　under　which　this　vast　political　and　moral　change　will　be

effected。　The　gentlemen　who〃



〃Do　they　drink　wine？〃



〃Yes；　Monsieur；　their　houses　are　kept　up　in　the　highest　style；　I　may

say；　in　prophetic　style。　Superb　salons；　large　receptions；　the　apex　of

social　life〃



〃Well；〃　remarked　the　lunatic；　〃the　workmen　who　pull　things　down　want

wine　as　much　as　those　who　put　things　up。〃



〃True；〃　said　the　illustrious　Gaudissart；　〃and　all　the　more；　Monsieur；

when　they　pull　down　with　one　hand　and　build　up　with　the　other；　like

the　apostles　of　the　'Globe。'〃



〃They　want　good　wine；　Head　of　Vouvray；　two　puncheons；　three　hundred

bottles；　only　one　hundred　francs；a　trifle。〃



〃How　much　is　that　a　bottle？〃　said　Gaudissart；　calculating。　〃Let　me

see；　there's　the　freight　and　the　duty；it　will　come　to　about　seven

sous。　Why；　it　wouldn't　be　a　bad　thing：　they　give　more　for　worse　wines

（Good！　I've　got　him！〃　thought　Gaudissart；　〃he　wants　to　sell　me　wine

which　I　want；　I'll　master　him）Well；　Monsieur；〃　he　continued；　〃those

who　argue　usually　come　to　an　agreement。　Let　us　be　frank　with　each

other。　You　have　great　influence　in　this　district〃



〃I　should　think　so！〃　said　the　madman；　〃I　am　the　Head　of　Vouvray！〃



〃Well；　I　see　that　you　thoroughly　comprehend　the　insurance　of

intellectual　capital〃



〃Thoroughly。〃



〃and　that　you　have　measured　the　full　importance　of　the　'Globe'〃



〃Twice；　on　foot。〃



Gaudissart　was　listening　to　himself　and　not　to　the　replies　of　his

hearer。



〃Therefore；　in　view　of　your　circumstances　and　of　your　age；　I　quite

understand　that　you　have　no　need　of　insurance　for　yourself；　but；

Monsieur；　you　might　induce　others　to　insure；　either　because　of　their

inherent　qualities　which　need　development；　or　for　the　protection　of

their　families　against