gobseck-第16章

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shared　the　spoil　without　disbursements；　for　his　knowledge　was　accepted

instead　of　capital。　The　agency　was　a　sort　of　distillery；　in　which

money　was　extracted　from　doubtful　claims；　and　the　claims　of　those　who

knew　no　better；　or　had　no　confidence　in　the　government。　As　a

liquidator；　Gobseck　could　make　terms　with　the　large　landed

proprietors；　and　these；　either　to　gain　a　higher　percentage　of　their

claims；　or　to　ensure　prompt　settlements；　would　send　him　presents　in

proportion　to　their　means。　In　this　way　presents　came　to　be　a　kind　of

percentage　upon　sums　too　large　to　pass　through　his　control；　while　the

agency　bought　up　cheaply　the　small　and　dubious　claims；　or　the　claims

of　those　persons　who　preferred　a　little　ready　money　to　a　deferred　and

somewhat　hazy　repayment　by　the　Republic。　Gobseck　was　the　insatiable

boa　constrictor　of　the　great　business。　Every　morning　he　received　his

tribute；　eyeing　it　like　a　Nabob's　prime　minister；　as　he　considers

whether　he　will　sign　a　pardon。　Gobseck　would　take　anything；　from　the

present　of　game　sent　him　by　some　poor　devil　or　the　pound's　weight　of

wax　candles　from　devout　folk；　to　the　rich　man's　plate　and　the

speculator's　gold　snuff…box。　Nobody　knew　what　became　of　the　presents

sent　to　the　old　money…lender。　Everything　went　in；　but　nothing　came

out。



〃　'On　the　word　of　an　honest　woman；'　said　the　portress；　an　old

acquaintance　of　mine；　'I　believe　he　swallows　it　all　and　is　none　the

fatter　for　it；　he　is　as　thin　and　dried　up　as　the　cuckoo　in　the　clock。'



〃At　length；　last　Monday；　Gobseck　sent　his　pensioner　for　me。　The　man

came　up　to　my　private　office。



〃　'Be　quick　and　come；　M。　Derville；'　said　he；　'the　governor　is　just

going　to　hand　in　his　checks；　he　has　grown　as　yellow　as　a　lemon；　he　is

fidgeting　to　speak　with　you；　death　has　fair　hold　of　him；　the　rattle　is

working　in　his　throat。'



〃When　I　entered　Gobseck's　room；　I　found　the　dying　man　kneeling　before

the　grate。　If　there　was　no　fire　on　the　hearth；　there　was　at　any　rate　a

monstrous　heap　of　ashes。　He　had　dragged　himself　out　of　bed；　but　his

strength　had　failed　him；　and　he　could　neither　go　back　nor　find　the

voice　to　complain。



〃　'You　felt　cold；　old　friend；'　I　said；　as　I　helped　him　back　to　his

bed；　'how　can　you　do　without　a　fire？'



〃　'I　am　not　cold　at　all；'　he　said。　'No　fire　here！　no　fire！　I　am　going；

I　know　not　where；　lad；'　he　went　on；　glancing　at　me　with　blank；

lightless　eyes；　'but　I　am　going　away　from　this。I　have　carpology；'

said　he　（the　use　of　the　technical　term　showing　how　clear　and　accurate

his　mental　processes　were　even　now）。　'I　thought　the　room　was　full　of

live　gold；　and　I　got　up　to　catch　some　of　it。To　whom　will　all　mine

go；　I　wonder？　Not　to　the　crown；　I　have　left　a　will；　look　for　it；

Grotius。　La　belle　Hollandaise　had　a　daughter；　I　once　saw　the　girl

somewhere　or　other；　in　the　Rue　Vivienne；　one　evening。　They　call　her

〃La　Torpille；〃　I　believe；　she　is　as　pretty　as　pretty　can　be；　look　her

up；　Grotius。　You　are　my　executor；　take　what　you　like；　help　yourself。

There　are　Strasburg　pies；　there；　and　bags　of　coffee；　and　sugar；　and

gold　spoons。　Give　the　Odiot　service　to　your　wife。　But　who　is　to　have

the　diamonds？　Are　you　going　to　take　them；　lad？　There　is　snuff　too

sell　it　at　Hamburg；　tobaccos　are　worth　half　as　much　again　at　Hamburg。

All　sorts　of　things　I　have　in　fact；　and　now　I　must　go　and　leave　them

all。Come；　Papa　Gobseck；　no　weakness；　be　yourself！'



〃He　raised　himself　in　bed；　the　lines　of　his　face　standing　out　as

sharply　against　the　pillow　as　if　the　profile　had　been　cast　in　bronze；

he　stretched　out　a　lean　arm　and　bony　hand　along　the　coverlet　and

clutched　it；　as　if　so　he　would　fain　keep　his　hold　on　life；　then　he

gazed　hard　at　the　grate；　cold　as　his　own　metallic　eyes；　and　died　in

full　consciousness　of　death。　To　usthe　portress；　the　old　pensioner；

and　myselfhe　looked　like　one　of　the　old　Romans　standing　behind　the

Consuls　in　Lethiere's　picture　of　the　Death　of　the　Sons　of　Brutus。



〃　'He　was　a　good…plucked　one；　the　old　Lascar！'　said　the　pensioner　in

his　soldierly　fashion。



〃But　as　for　me；　the　dying　man's　fantastical　enumeration　of　his　riches

still　sounding　in　my　ears；　and　my　eyes；　following　the　direction　of

his；　rested　on　that　heap　of　ashes。　It　struck　me　that　it　was　very

large。　I　took　the　tongs；　and　as　soon　as　I　stirred　the　cinders；　I　felt

the　metal　underneath；　a　mass　of　gold　and　silver　coins；　receipts　taken

during　his　illness；　doubtless；　after　he　grew　too　feeble　to　lock　the

money　up；　and　could　trust　no　one　to　take　it　to　the　bank　for　him。



〃　'Run　for　the　justice　of　the　peace；'　said　I；　turning　to　the　old

pensioner；　'so　that　everything　can　be　sealed　here　at　once。'



〃Gobseck's　last　words　and　the　old　portress'　remarks　had　struck　me。　I

took　the　keys　of　the　rooms　on　the　first　and　second　floor　to　make　a

visitation。　The　first　door　that　I　opened　revealed　the　meaning　of　the

phrases　which　I　took　for　mad　ravings；　and　I　saw　the　length　to　which

covetousness　goes　when　it　survives　only　as　an　illogical　instinct；　the

last　stage　of　greed　of　which　you　find　so　many　examples　among　misers　in

country　towns。



〃In　the　room　next　to　the　one　in　which　Gobseck　had　died；　a　quantity　of

eatables　of　all　kinds　were　storedputrid　pies；　mouldy　fish；　nay；　even

shell…fish；　the　stench　almost　choked　me。　Maggots　and　insects　swarmed。

These　comparatively　recent　presents　were　put　down；　pell…mell；　among

chests　of　tea；　bags　of　coffee；　and　packing…cases　of　every　shape。　A

silver　soup　tureen　on　the　chimney…piece　was　full　of　advices　of　the

arrival　of　goods　consigned　to　his　order　at　Havre；　bales　of　cotton；

hogsheads　of　sugar；　barrels　of　rum；　coffees；　indigo；　tobaccos；　a

perfect　bazaar　of　colonial　produce。　The　room　itself　was　crammed　with

furniture；　and　silver…plate；　and　lamps；　and　vases；　and　pictures；　there

were　books；　and　curiosities；　and　fine　engravings　lying　rolled　up；

unframed。　Perhaps　these　were　not　all　presents；　and　some　part　of　this

vast　quantity　of　stuff　had　been　deposited　with　him　in　the　shape　of

pledges；　and　had　been　left　on　his　hands　in　default　of　payment。　I

noticed　jewel…cases；　with　ciphers　and　armorial　bearings　stamped　upon

them；　and　sets　of　fine　table…linen；　and　weapons　of　price；　but　none　of

the　things　were　docketed。　I　opened　a　book　which　seemed　to　be

misplaced；　and　found　a　thousand…franc　note　in　it。　I　promised　myself

that　I　would　go　through　everything　thoroughly；　I　would　try　the

ceilings；　and　floors；　and　walls；　and　cornices　to　discover　all　the

gold；　hoarded　with　such　passionate　greed　by　a　Dutch　miser　worthy　of　a

Rembrandt's　brush。　In　all　the　course　of　my　professional　career　I　have

never　seen　such　impressive　signs　of　the　eccentricity　of　avarice。



〃I　went　back　to　his　room；　and　found　an　explanation　of　this　chaos　and

accumulation　of　riches　in　a　pile　of　letters　lying　under　the　paper…

weights　on　his　deskGobseck's　correspondence　with　the　various　dealers

to　whom　doubtless　he　usually　sold　his　presents。　These　persons　had；

perhaps；　fallen　victims　to　Gobseck's　cleverness；　or　Gobseck　may　have

wanted　fancy　prices　for　his　goods；　at　any　rate；　every　bargain　hung　in

suspense。　He　had　not　disposed　of　the　eatables　to　Chevet；　because

Chevet　would　only　take　them　of　him　at　a　loss　of　thirty　per　cent。

Gobseck　haggled　for　a　few　francs　between　the　prices；　and　while　they

wrangled　the　goods　became　unsalable。　Again；　Gobseck　had　refused　free

delivery　of　his　silver…plate；　and　declined　to　guarantee　the　weights　of

his　coffees。　There　had　been　a　dispute　over　each　article；　the　first

indication　in　Gobseck　of　the　childishness　and　incomprehensible

obstinacy　of　age；　a　condition　of　mind　reached　at　last　by　all　men　in

whom　a　strong　passion　survives　the　intellect。



〃I　said　to　myself；　as　he　had　said；　'To　whom　will　all　these　riches　go？'

。　。　。　And　then　I　think　of　the　grotesque　information　he　gave　me　as　to

the　present　address　of　his　heiress；　I　foresee　that　it　will　be　my　duty

to　search　all　the　houses　of　ill…fame　in　Paris　to　pour　out　an　immense

fortune　on　some　worthless　jade。　But；　in