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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 

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