the illustrious gaudissart-第7章

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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　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