the nabob-第26章

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hese　that　you　find　the　true　interest　and　the　poetry　of　New　Year's　gifts。　Sumptuous　in　the　district　of　the　Madeleine；　well…to…do　towards　the　Boulevard　Saint…Denis；　of　more　〃popular〃　order　as　you　ascend　to　the　Bastille；　these　little　sheds　adapt　themselves　according　to　their　public；　calculate　their　chances　of　success　by　the　more　or　less　well…lined　purses　of　the　passers…by。　Among　these；　there　are　set　up　portable　tables；　laden　with　trifling　objects；　miracles　of　the　Parisian　trade　that　deals　in　such　small　things；　constructed　out　of　nothing；　frail　and　delicate；　and　which　the　wind　of　fashion　sometimes　sweeps　forward　in　its　great　rush　by　reason　of　their　very　triviality。　Finally；　along　the　curbs　of　the　footways；　lost　in　the　defile　of　the　carriage　traffic　which　grazes　their　wandering　path；　the　orange…girls　complete　this　peripatetic　commerce；　heaping　up　the　sun…　coloured　fruit　beneath　their　lanterns　of　red　paper；　crying　〃La　Valence〃　amid　the　fog；　the　tumult；　the　excessive　haste　which　Paris　displays　at　the　ending　of　its　year。

Ordinarily；　M。　Joyeuse　was　accustomed　to　make　one　of　the　busy　crowd　which　goes　and　comes　with　the　jingle　of　money　in　its　pocket　and　parcels　in　every　hand。　He　would　wander　about　with　Bonne　Maman　at　his　side　on　the　lookout　for　New　Year's　presents　for　his　girls；　stop　before　the　booths　of　the　small　dealers；　who　are　accustomed　to　do　much　business　and　excited　by　the　appearance　of　the　least　important　customer；　have　based　upon　this　short　season　hopes　of　extraordinary　profits。　And　there　would　be　colloquies；　reflections；　an　interminable　perplexity　to　know　what　to　select　in　that　little　complex　brain　of　his；　always　ahead　of　the　present　instant　and　of　the　occupation　of　the　moment。

This　year；　alas！　nothing　of　that　kind。　He　wandered　sadly　through　the　town　in　its　rejoicing；　time　seeming　to　hang　all　the　heavier　for　the　activity　around　him；　jostled；　hustled；　as　all　are　who　stand　obstructing　the　way　of　active　folk；　his　heart　beating　with　a　perpetual　fear；　for　Bonne　Maman　for　some　days　past；　in　conversation　with　him　at　table；　had　been　making　significant　allusions　with　regard　to　the　New　Year's　presents。　Consequently　he　avoided　finding　himself　alone　with　her　and　had　forbidden　her　to　come　to　meet　him　at　the　office　at　closing…time。　But　in　spite　of　all　his　efforts　he　knew　the　moment　was　drawing　near　when　concealment　would　be　impossible　and　his　grievous　secret　be　unveiled。　Was；　then；　a　very　formidable　person；　Bonne　Maman；　that　M。　Joyeuse　should　stand　in　such　fear　of　her？　By　no　means。　A　little　stern；　that　was　all；　with　a　pretty　smile　that　instantly　forgave　one。　But　M。　Joyeuse　was　a　coward；　timid　from　his　birth；　twenty　years　of　housekeeping　with　a　masterful　wife；　〃a　member　of　the　nobility；〃　having　made　him　a　slave　for　ever；　like　those　convicts　who；　after　their　imprisonment　is　over；　have　to　undergo　a　period　of　surveillance。　And　for　him　this　meant　all　his　life。

One　evening　the　Joyeuse　family　was　gathered　in　the　little　drawing…　room；　last　relic　of　its　splendour；　still　containing　two　upholstered　chairs；　many　crochet　decorations；　a　piano；　two　lamps　crowned　with　little　green　shades；　and　a　what…not　covered　with　bric…a…brac。

True　family　life　exists　in　humble　homes。

For　the　sake　of　economy；　there　was　lighted　for　the　whole　household　but　one　fire　and　a　single　lamp；　around　which　the　occupations　and　amusements　of　all　were　grouped。　A　fine　big　family　lamp；　whose　old　painted　shadenight　scenes　pierced　with　shining　dotshad　been　the　astonishment　and　the　joy　of　every　one　of　those　young　girls　in　her　early　childhood。　Issuing　softly　from　the　shadow　of　the　room；　four　young　heads　were　bent　forward；　fair　or　dark；　smiling　or　intent；　into　that　intimate　and　warm　circle　of　light　which　illumined　them　as　far　as　the　eyes；　seemed　to　feed　the　fire　of　their　glance；　to　shelter　them；　protect　them；　preserve　them　from　the　black　cold　blowing　outside；　from　phantoms；　from　snares；　from　miseries　and　terrors；　from　all　the　sinister　things　that　a　winter　night　in　Paris　brings　forth　in　the　remoteness　of　its　quiet　suburbs。

Thus；　drawn　close　together　in　a　small　room　at　the　top　of　the　lonely　house；　in　the　warmth；　the　security　of　their　comfortable　home；　the　Joyeuse　household　seems　like　a　nest　right　at　the　top　of　a　lofty　tree。　The　girls　sew；　read；　chat　a　little。　A　leap　of　the　lamp…flame；　a　crackling　of　fire；　is　what　you　may　hear；　with　from　time　to　time　an　exclamation　from　M。　Joyeuse；　a　little　removed　from　his　small　circle；　lost　in　the　shadow　where　he　hides　his　anxious　brow　and　all　the　extravagance　of　his　imagination。　Just　now　he　is　imagining　that　in　the　distress　into　which　he　finds　himself　driven　beyond　possibility　of　escape；　in　that　absolute　necessity　of　confessing　everything　to　his　children；　this　evening；　at　latest　to…morrow；　an　unhoped…for　succour　may　come　to　him。　Hemerlingue；　seized　with　remorse；　sends　to　him；　as　to　all　those　who　took　part　in　the　work　connected　with　the　Tunis　loan；　his　December　gratuity。　A　tall　footman　brings　it：　〃On　behalf　of　M。　le　Baron。〃　The　visionary　says　those　words　aloud。　The　pretty　faces　turn　towards　him；　the　girls　laugh；　move　their　chairs；　and　the　poor　fellow　awakes　suddenly　to　reality。

Oh；　how　angry　he　is　with　himself　now　for　his　delay　in　confessing　all；　for　that　false　security　which　he　has　maintained　around　him　and　which　he　will　have　to　destroy　at　a　blow。　What　need　had　he；　too；　to　criticise　that　Tunis　loan？　At　this　moment　he　even　reproaches　himself　for　not　having　accepted　a　place　in　the　Territorial　Bank。　Had　he　the　right　to　refuse？　Ah；　the　sorry　head　of　a　family；　without　strength　to　keep　or　to　defend　the　happiness　of　his　own！　And；　glancing　at　the　pretty　group　within　the　circle　of　the　lamp…shade；　whose　reposeful　aspect　forms　so　great　a　contrast　with　his　own　internal　agitation；　he　is　seized　by　a　remorse　so　violent　for　the　weakness　of　his　soul　that　his　secret　rises　to　his　lips；　is　about　to　escape　him　in　a　burst　of　sobs；　when　the　ring　of　a　bellno　chimera；　thatgives　them　all　a　start　and　arrests　him　at　the　very　moment　when　he　was　about　to　speak。

Whoever　could　it　be；　coming　at　this　hour？　They　had　lived　in　retirement　since　the　mother's　death　and　saw　almost　nobody。　Andre　Maranne；　when　he　came　down　to　spend　a　few　minutes　with　them；　tapped　like　a　familiar　friend。　Profound　silence　in　the　drawing…room；　long　colloquy　on　the　landing。　Finally；　the　old　servantshe　had　been　in　the　family　as　long　as　the　lampshowed　in　a　young　man；　complete　stranger；　who　stopped；　struck　with　admiration　at　the　charming　picture　of　the　four　darlings　gathered　round　the　table。　This　made　his　entrance　timid；　rather　awkward。　However；　he　explained　clearly　the　object　of　his　visit。　He　had　been　referred　to　M。　Joyeuse　by　an　honest　fellow　of　his　acquaintance；　old　Passajon；　to　take　lessons　in　bookkeeping。　One　of　his　friends　happened　to　be　engaged　in　large　financial　transactions　in　connection　with　an　important　joint…stock　company。　He　wished　to　be　of　service　to　him　in　keeping　an　eye　on　the　employment　of　the　capital；　the　straightforwardness　of　the　operations；　but　he　was　a　lawyer；　little　familiar　with　financial　methods；　with　the　terms　employed　in　banking。　Could　not　M。　Joyeuse　in　the　course　of　a　few　months；　with　three　or　four　lessons　a　week

〃Yes；　indeed；　sir；　yes；　indeed；〃　stammered　the　father；　quite　overcome　by　this　unlooked…for　piece　of　good　luck。　〃Assuredly　I　can　undertake；　in　a　few　months；　to　qualify　you　for　such　auditing　work。　Where　shall　we　have　our　lessons？〃

〃Here；　at　your　own　house；　if　you　are　agreeable；〃　said　the　young　man；　〃for　I　am　anxious　that　no　one　should　know　that　I　am　working　at　the　subject。　But　I　shall　be　grieved　if　I　always　frighten　everybody　away　as　I　have　this　evening。〃

For；　at　the　first　words　of　the　visitor；　the　four　curly　heads　had　disappeared；　with　little　whisperings；　and　with　rustlings　of　skirts；　and　the　drawing…room　looked　very　bare　now　that　the　big　circle　of　white　light　was　empty。

Always　quick　to　take　offence；　where　his　daughters　were　concerned；　M。　Joyeuse　replied　that　〃the　young　girls　were　accustomed　to　retire　early　every　evening；〃　and　the　words　were　spoken　in　a　brief；　dry　tone　which　very　clearly　signified：　〃Let　us　talk　of　our　lessons；　young　man；　if　you　please。〃　Days　were　then　fixed；　free　hours　in　the　evening。

As　for　the　terms；　they　would　be　whatever　monsieur　desired。