the illustrious gaudissart-第6章

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envious；　jealous；　delighted　to　catch　up　and　retail　gossip　and

calumnies　against　the　aristocracy；　dragging　things　down　to　their　own

level；　and　at　war　with　all　kinds　of　superiority；　which　they　deposited

with　the　fine　composure　of　ignorance。　Monsieur　Verniersuch　was　the

name　of　this　great　little　manwas　just　finishing　his　breakfast；　with

his　wife　and　daughter　on　either　side　of　him；　when　Gaudissart　entered

the　room　through　a　window　that　looked　out　on　the　Loire　and　the　Cher；

and　lighted　one　of　the　gayest　dining…rooms　of　that　gay　land。



〃Is　this　Monsieur　Vernier　himself？〃　said　the　traveller；　bending　his

vertebral　column　with　such　grace　that　it　seemed　to　be　elastic。



〃Yes；　Monsieur；〃　said　the　mischievous　ex…dyer；　with　a　scrutinizing

look　which　took　in　the　style　of　man　he　had　to　deal　with。



〃I　come；　Monsieur；〃　resumed　Gaudissart；　〃to　solicit　the　aid　of　your

knowledge　and　insight　to　guide　my　efforts　in　this　district；　where

Mitouflet　tells　me　you　have　the　greatest　influence。　Monsieur；　I　am

sent　into　the　provinces　on　an　enterprise　of　the　utmost　importance；

undertaken　by　bankers　who〃



〃Who　mean　to　win　our　tricks；〃　said　Vernier；　long　used　to　the　ways　of

commercial　travellers　and　to　their　periodical　visits。



〃Precisely；〃　replied　Gaudissart；　with　native　impudence。　〃But　with　your

fine　tact；　Monsieur；　you　must　be　aware　that　we　can't　win　tricks　from

people　unless　it　is　their　interest　to　play　at　cards。　I　beg　you　not　to

confound　me　with　the　vulgar　herd　of　travellers　who　succeed　by　humbug

or　importunity。　I　am　no　longer　a　commercial　traveller。　I　was　one；　and

I　glory　in　it；　but　to…day　my　mission　is　of　higher　importance；　and

should　place　me；　in　the　minds　of　superior　people；　among　those　who

devote　themselves　to　the　enlightenment　of　their　country。　The　most

distinguished　bankers　in　Paris　take　part　in　this　affair；　not

fictitiously；　as　in　some　shameful　speculations　which　I　call　rat…traps。

No；　no；　nothing　of　the　kind！　I　should　never　condescendnever！to

hawk　about　such　CATCH…FOOLS。　No；　Monsieur；　the　most　respectable　houses

in　Paris　are　concerned　in　this　enterprise；　and　their　interests

guarantee〃



Hereupon　Gaudissart　drew　forth　his　whole　string　of　phrases；　and

Monsieur　Vernier　let　him　go　the　length　of　his　tether；　listening　with

apparent　interest　which　completely　deceived　him。　But　after　the　word

〃guarantee〃　Vernier　paid　no　further　attention　to　our　traveller's

rhetoric；　and　turned　over　in　his　mind　how　to　play　him　some　malicious

trick　and　deliver　a　land；　justly　considered　half…savage　by　speculators

unable　to　get　a　bite　of　it；　from　the　inroads　of　these　Parisian

caterpillars。



At　the　head　of　an　enchanting　valley；　called　the　Valley　Coquette

because　of　its　windings　and　the　curves　which　return　upon　each　other　at

every　step；　and　seem　more　and　more　lovely　as　we　advance；　whether　we

ascend　or　descend　them；　there　lived；　in　a　little　house　surrounded　by

vineyards；　a　half…insane　man　named　Margaritis。　He　was　of　Italian

origin；　married；　but　childless；　and　his　wife　took　care　of　him　with　a

courage　fully　appreciated　by　the　neighborhood。　Madame　Margaritis　was

undoubtedly　in　real　danger　from　a　man　who；　among　other　fancies；

persisted　in　carrying　about　with　him　two　long…bladed　knives　with　which

he　sometimes　threatened　her。　Who　has　not　seen　the　wonderful　self…

devotion　shown　by　provincials　who　consecrate　their　lives　to　the　care

of　sufferers；　possibly　because　of　the　disgrace　heaped　upon　a

bourgeoise　if　she　allows　her　husband　or　children　to　be　taken　to　a

public　hospital？　Moreover；　who　does　not　know　the　repugnance　which

these　people　feel　to　the　payment　of　the　two　or　three　thousand　francs

required　at　Charenton　or　in　the　private　lunatic　asylums？　If　any　one

had　spoken　to　Madame　Margaritis　of　Doctors　Dubuisson；　Esquirol；

Blanche；　and　others；　she　would　have　preferred；　with　noble　indignation；

to　keep　her　thousands　and　take　care　of　the　〃good…man〃　at　home。



As　the　incomprehensible　whims　of　this　lunatic　are　connected　with　the

current　of　our　story；　we　are　compelled　to　exhibit　the　most　striking　of

them。　Margaritis　went　out　as　soon　as　it　rained；　and　walked　about　bare…

headed　in　his　vineyard。　At　home　he　made　incessant　inquiries　for

newspapers；　to　satisfy　him　his　wife　and　the　maid…servant　used　to　give

him　an　old　journal　called　the　〃Indre…et…Loire；〃　and　for　seven　years　he

had　never　yet　perceived　that　he　was　reading　the　same　number　over　and

over　again。　Perhaps　a　doctor　would　have　observed　with　interest　the

connection　that　evidently　existed　between　the　recurring　and　spasmodic

demands　for　the　newspaper　and　the　atmospheric　variations　of　the

weather。



Usually　when　his　wife　had　company；　which　happened　nearly　every

evening；　for　the　neighbors；　pitying　her　situation；　would　frequently

come　to　play　at　boston　in　her　salon；　Margaritis　remained　silent　in　a

corner　and　never　stirred。　But　the　moment　ten　o'clock　began　to　strike

on　a　clock　which　he　kept　shut　up　in　a　large　oblong　closet；　he　rose　at

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　th