the nabob-第43章

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e　days　when　there　were　sittings。　And　to　think　that　to　work　this　transformation；　to　bring　back　to　our　brows　gaiety；　the　mother　of　concord；　to　restore　to　our　scrip　its　value　ten　times　over；　to　our　dear　governor　the　esteem　and　confidence　of　which　he　had　been　so　unjustly　deprived；　one　man　has　sufficed；　the　being　of　supernatural　wealth　whom　the　hundred　voices　of　renown　designate　by　the　name　of　the　Nabob。

Oh；　the　first　time　that　he　came　to　the　office；　with　his　fine　presence；　his　face　a　little　worn　perhaps；　but　so　distinguished；　his　manners　of　one　accustomed　to　frequent　courts；　upon　terms　of　the　utmost　familiarity　with　all　the　princes　of　the　Orientin　a　word；　that　indescribable　quality　of　assurance　and　greatness　which　is　bestowed　by　immense　wealthI　felt　my　heart　bursting　beneath　the　double　row　of　buttons　on　my　waistcoat。　People　may　mouth　in　vain　their　great　words　of　equality　and　fraternity；　there　are　men　who　stand　so　surely　above　the　rest　that　one　would　like　to　bow　one's　self　down　flat　in　their　presence；　to　find　new　phrases　of　admiration　in　order　to　compel　them　to　take　a　practical　interest　in　one。　Let　us　hasten　to　add　that　I　had　need　of　nothing　of　the　kind　to　attract　the　attention　of　the　Nabob。　As　I　rose　at　his　passagemoved　to　some　emotion；　but　with　dignity；　you　may　trust　Passajon　for　thathe　looked　at　me　with　a　smile　and　said　in　an　undertone　to　the　young　man　who　accompanied　him：　〃What　a　fine　head；　like　a〃　Then　there　came　a　word　which　I　did　not　catch　very　well；　a　word　ending　in　/art/；　something　like　/leopard/。　No；　however；　it　cannot　have　been　that。　/Jean…Bart/；　perhaps；　although　even　then　I　hardly　see　the　connection。　However　that　be；　in　any　case　he　did　say；　〃What　a　fine　head；〃　and　this　condescension　made　me　proud。　Moreover；　all　the　directors　show　me　a　marked　degree　of　kindness　and　politeness。　It　seems　that　there　was　a　discussion　with　regard　to　me　at　the　meeting　of　the　board；　to　determine　whether　I　should　be　kept　or　dismissed　like　our　cashier；　that　ill…tempered　fellow　who　was　always　talking　of　getting　everybody　sent　to　the　galleys；　and　whom　they　have　now　invited　to　go　elsewhere　to　manufacture　his　cheap　shirt…fronts。　Well　done！　That　will　teach　him　to　be　rude　to　people。　So　far　as　I　am　concerned；　Monsieur　the　Governor　kindly　consented　to　overlook　my　somewhat　hasty　words；　in　consideration　of　my　record　of　service　at　the　Territorial　and　elsewhere；　and　at　the　conclusion　of　the　board　meeting；　he　said　to　me　with　his　musical　accent：　〃Passajon；　you　remain　with　us。〃　It　may　be　imagined　how　happy　I　was　and　how　profuse　in　the　expression　of　my　gratitude。　But　just　think！　I　should　have　left　with　my　few　pence　without　hope　of　ever　saving　any　more；　obliged　to　go　and　cultivate　my　vineyard　in　that　little　country　district　of　Montbars；　a　very　narrow　field　for　a　man　who　has　lived　in　the　midst　of　all　the　financial　aristocracy　of　Paris；　and　among　those　great　banking　operations　by　which　fortunes　are　made　at　a　stroke。　Instead　of　that；　here　I　am　established　afresh　in　a　magnificent　situation；　my　wardrobe　renewed；　and　my　savings；　which　I　spent　a　whole　day　in　fingering　over；　intrusted　to　the　kind　care　of　the　governor；　who　has　undertaken　to　invest　them　for　me　advantageously。　I　think　that　is　a　manoeuvre　which　he　is　the　very　man　to　execute　successfully。　And　no　need　for　the　least　anxiety。　Every　fear　vanishes　before　the　word　which　is　in　vogue　just　now　at　all　the　councils　of　administration；　in　all　shareholders'　meetings；　on　the　Bourse；　the　boulevards；　and　everywhere：　〃The　Nabob　is　in　the　affair。〃　That　is　to　say；　gold　is　being　poured　out　abundantly；　the　worst　/combinazioni/　are　excellent。

He　is　so　rich；　that　man！

Rich　to　a　degree　one　cannot　imagine。　Has　he　not　just　lent　fifteen　million　francs　as　a　simple　loan　passing　from　hand　to　hand；　to　the　Bey　of　Tunis？　I　repeat；　fifteen　millions。　It　was　a　trick　he　played　on　the　Hemerlingues；　who　wished　to　embroil　him　with　that　monarch　and　cut　the　grass　under　his　feet　in　those　fine　regions　of　the　Orient　where　it　grows　golden；　high；　and　thick。　It　was　an　old　Turk　whom　I　know；　Colonel　Brahim；　one　of　our　directors　at　the　Territorial；　who　arranged　the　affair。　Naturally；　the　Bey；　who　happened　to　be；　it　appears；　short　of　pocket…money；　was　very　much　touched　by　the　alacrity　of　the　Nabob　to　oblige　him；　and　he　has　just　sent　him　through　Brahim　a　letter　of　thanks　in　which　he　announces　that　upon　the　occasion　of　his　next　visit　to　Vichy；　he　will　stay　a　couple　of　days　with　him　at　that　fine　Chateau　de　Saint…Romans；　which　the　former　Bey；　the　brother　of　this　one；　honoured　with　a　visit　once　before。　You　may　fancy；　what　an　honour！　To　receive　a　reigning　prince　as　a　guest！　The　Hemerlingues　are　in　a　rage。　They　who　had　manoeuvred　so　carefullythe　son　at　Tunis；　the　father　in　Paristo　get　the　Nabob　into　disfavour。　And　then　it　is　true　that　fifteen　millions　is　a　big　sum。　And　do　not　say；　〃Passajon　is　telling　us　some　fine　tales。〃　The　person　who　acquainted　me　with　the　story　has　held　in　his　hands　the　paper　sent　by　the　Bey　in　an　envelope　of　green　silk　stamped　with　the　royal　seal。　If　he　did　not　read　it；　it　was　because　this　paper　was　written　in　Arabic；　otherwise　he　would　have　made　himself　familiar　with　its　contents　as　in　the　case　of　all　the　rest　of　the　Nabob's　correspondence。　This　person　is　his　/valet　de　chambre/；　M。　Noel；　to　whom　I　had　the　honour　of　being　introduced　last　Friday　at　a　small　evening…party　of　persons　in　service　which　he　gave　to　all　his　friends。　I　record　an　account　of　this　function　in　my　memoirs　as　one　of　the　most　curious　things　which　I　have　seen　in　the　course　of　my　four　years　of　sojourn　in　Paris。

I　had　thought　at　first　when　M。　Francis；　Monpavon's　/valet　de　chambre/；　spoke　to　me　of　the　thing；　that　it　was　a　question　of　one　of　those　little　clandestine　junketings　such　as　are　held　sometimes　in　the　garrets　of　our　boulevards　with　the　fragments　of　food　brought　up　by　Mlle。　Seraphine　and　the　other　cooks　in　the　building；　at　which　you　drink　stolen　wine；　and　gorge　yourself；　sitting　on　trunks；　trembling　with　fear；　by　the　light　of　a　couple　of　candles　which　are　extinguished　at　the　least　noise　in　the　corridors。　These　secret　practices　are　repugnant　to　my　character。　But　when　I　received；　as　for　the　regular　servants'　ball；　an　invitation　written　in　a　very　beautiful　hand　upon　pink　paper：

〃M。　Noel　rekwests　M　to　be　present　at　his　evenin…party　on　the　25th　instent。　Super　will　be　provided〃

I　saw　clearly；　not　withstanding　the　defective　spelling；　that　it　was　a　question　of　something　serious　and　authorized。　I　dressed　myself　therefore　in　my　newest　frock…coat；　my　finest　linen；　and　arrived　at　the　Place　Vendome　at　the　address　indicated　by　the　invitation。

For　the　giving　of　his　party；　M。　Noel　had　taken　advantage　of　a　first…　night　at　the　opera；　to　which　all　fashionable　society　was　thronging；　thus　giving　the　servants　a　free　rein；　and　putting　the　entire　place　at　our　disposal　until　midnight。　Notwithstanding　this；　the　host　had　preferred　to　receive　us　upstairs　in　his　own　bed…chamber；　and　this　I　approved　highly；　being　in　that　matter　of　the　opinion　of　the　old　fellow　in　the　rhyme：

　　Fie　on　the　pleasure　　　That　fear　may　corrupt！

But　my　word；　the　luxury　on　the　Place　Vendome！　A　felt　carpet　on　the　floor；　the　bed　hidden　away　in　an　alcove；　Algerian　curtains　with　red　stripes；　an　ornamental　clock　in　green　marble　on　the　chimneypiece；　the　whole　lighted　by　lamps　of　which　the　flames　can　be　regulated　at　will。　Our　oldest　member；　M。　Chalmette；　is　not　better　lodged　at　Dijon。　I　arrived　about　nine　o'clock　with　Monpavon's　old　Francis；　and　I　must　confess　that　my　entry　made　a　sensation；　preceded　as　I　was　by　my　academical　past；　my　reputation　for　politeness；　and　great　knowledge　of　the　world。　My　fine　presence　did　the　rest；　for　it　must　be　said　that　I　know　how　to　go　into　a　room。　M。　Noel；　in　a　dress…coat；　very　dark　skinned　and　with　mutton…chop　whiskers；　came　forward　to　meet　us。

〃You　are　welcome；　M。　Passajon；〃　said　he；　and　taking　my　cap　with　silver　galloons　which；　according　to　the　fashion；　I　had　kept　in　my　right　hand　while　making　my　entry；　he　gave　it　to　a　gigantic　negro　in　red　and　gold　livery。

〃Here；　Lakdar；　hang　that　upand　that；〃　he　added　by　way　of　a　joke；　giving　him　a　kick　in　a　certain　region　of　the　back。

There　was　much　laughter　at　this　sally；　and　we　began　to　chat　together　in　very　friendly　fashion。　An　excellent