the illustrious gaudissart-第6部分

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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　man；　you　say　to　yourself；　'I　will　be　a

minister　of　state。'　Well；　then；　youpainter；　artist；　man　of　letters；

statesman　of　the　futureyou　reckon　upon　your　talents；　you　estimate

their　value；　you　rate　them；　let　us　say；　at　a　hundred　thousand

crowns〃



〃Do　you　give　me　a　hundred　thousand　crowns？〃



〃Yes；　Monsieur；　as　you　will　see。　Either　your　heirs　and　assigns　will

receive　them　if　you　die；　for　the　company　contemplates　that　event；　or

you　will　receive　them　in　the　long　run　through　your　works　of　art；　your

writings；　or　your　fortunate　speculations　during　your　lifetime。　But；　as

I　have　already　had　the　honor　to　tell　you；　when　you　have　once　fixed

upon　the　value　of　your　intellectual　capital；for　it　is　intellectual

capital；seize　that　idea　firmly；intellectual〃



〃I　understand；〃　said　the　fool。



〃You　sign　a　policy　of　insurance　with　a　company　which　recognizes　in　you

a　value　of　a　hundred　thousand　crowns；　in　you；　poet〃



〃I　am　a　painter；〃　said　the　lunatic。



〃Yes；〃　resumed　Gaudissart；〃painter；　poet；　musician；　statesmanand

binds　itself　to　pay　them　over　to　your　family；　your　heirs；　if；　by

reason　of　your　death；　the　hopes　foundered　on　your　intellectual　capital

should　be　overthrown　for　you　personally。　The　payment　of　the　premium　is

all　that　is　required　to　protect〃



〃The　money…box；〃　said　the　lunatic；　sharply　interrupting　him。



〃Ah！　naturally；　yes。　I　see　that　Monsieur　understands　business。〃



〃Yes；〃　said　the　madman。　〃I　established　the　Territorial　Bank　in　the　Rue

des　Fosses…Montmartre　at　Paris　in　1798。〃



〃For；〃　resumed　Gaudissart；　going　back　to　his　premium；　〃in　order　to

meet　the　payments　on　the　intellectual　capital　which　each　man

recognizes　and　esteems　in　himself；　it　is　of　course　necessary　that　each

should　pay　a　certain　premium；　three　per　cent；　an　annual　due　of　three

per　cent。　Thus；　by　the　payment　of　this　trifling　sum；　a　mere　nothing；

you　protect　your　family　from　disastrous　results　at　your　death〃



〃But　I　live；〃　said　the　fool。



〃Ah！　yes；　you　mean　if　you　should　live　long？　That　is　the　usual

objection；a　vulgar　prejudice。　I　fully　agree　that　if　we　had　not

foreseen　and　demolished　it　we　might　feel　we　were　unworthy　of　being

what？　What　are　we；　after　all？　Book…keepers　in　the　great　Bureau　of

Intellect。　Monsieur；　I　don't　apply　these　remarks　to　you；　but　I　meet　on

all　sides　men　who　make　it　a　business　to　teach　new　ideas　and　disclose

chains　of　reasoning　to　people　who　turn　pale　at　the　first　word。　On　my

word　of　honor；　it　is　pitiable！　But　that's　the　way　of　the　world；　and　I

don't　pretend　to　reform　it。　Your　objection；　Monsieur；　is　really　sheer

nonsense。〃



〃Why？〃　asked　the　lunatic。



〃Why？this　is　why：　because；　if　you　live　and　possess　the　qualities

which　are　estimated　in　your　policy　against　the　chances　of　death；now；

attend　to　this〃



〃I　am　attending。〃



〃Well；　then；　you　have　succeeded　in　life；　and　you　have　succeeded

because　of　the　said　insurance。　You　doubled　your　chances　of　success　by

getting　rid　of　the　anxieties　you　were　dragging　about　with　you　in　the

shape　of　wife　and　children　who　might　otherwise　be　left　destitute　at

your　death。　If　you　attain　this　certainty；　you　have　touched　the　value

of　your　intellectual　capital；　on　which　the　cost　of　insurance　is　but　a

trifle；a　mere　trifle；　a　bagatelle。〃



〃That's　a　fine　idea！〃



〃Ah！　is　it　not；　Monsieur？〃　cried　Gaudissart。　〃I　call　this　enterprise

the　exchequer　of　beneficence；　a　mutual　insurance　against　poverty；　or；

if　you　like　it　better；　the　discounting；　the　cashing；　of　talent。　For

talent；　Monsieur；　is　a　bill　of　exchange　which　Nature　gives　to　the　man

of　genius；　and　which　often　has　a　long　time　to　run　before　it　falls

due。〃



〃That　is　usury！〃　cried　Margaritis。



〃The　devil！　he's　keen；　the　old　fellow！　I've　made　a　mistake；〃　thought

Gaudissart；　〃I　must　catch　him　with　other　chaff。　I'll　try　humbug　No。　1。

Not　at　all；〃　he　said　aloud；　〃for　you　who〃



〃Will　you　take　a　glass　of　wine？〃　asked　Margaritis。



〃With　pleasure；〃　replied　Gaudissart。



〃Wif