ferragus-第22章

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the　luckiest。　In　the　first　place；　he　has　no　gate…cord　to　pull；　then；
instead　of　a　lodge；　he　has　a　house；an　establishment　which　is　not
quite　ministerial；　although　a　vast　number　of　persons　come　under　his
administration；　and　a　good　many　employees。　And　this　governor　of　the
dead　has　a　salary；　with　emoluments；　and　acts　under　powers　of　which
none　complain；　he　plays　despot　at　his　ease。　His　lodge　is　not　a　place
of　business；　though　it　has　departments　where　the　book…keeping　of
receipts；　expenses；　and　profits；　is　carried　on。　The　man　is　not　a
/suisse/；　nor　a　concierge；　nor　actually　a　porter。　The　gate　which
admits　the　dead　stands　wide　open；　and　though　there　are　monuments　and
buildings　to　be　cared　for；　he　is　not　a　care…taker。　In　short；　he　is　an
indefinable　anomaly；　an　authority　which　participates　in　all；　and　yet
is　nothing；an　authority　placed；　like　the　dead　on　whom　it　is　based；
outside　of　all。　Nevertheless；　this　exceptional　man　grows　out　of　the
city　of　Paris；that　chimerical　creation　like　the　ship　which　is　its
emblem；　that　creature　of　reason　moving　on　a　thousand　paws　which　are
seldom　unanimous　in　motion。

This　guardian　of　the　cemetery　may　be　called　a　concierge　who　has
reached　the　condition　of　a　functionary；　not　soluble　by　dissolution！
His　place　is　far　from　being　a　sinecure。　He　does　not　allow　any　one　to
be　buried　without　a　permit；　he　must　count　his　dead。　He　points　out　to
you　in　this　vast　field　the　six　feet　square　of　earth　where　you　will　one
day　put　all　you　love；　or　all　you　hate；　a　mistress；　or　a　cousin。　Yes；
remember　this：　all　the　feelings　and　emotions　of　Paris　come　to　end
here；　at　this　porter's　lodge；　where　they　are　administrationized。　This
man　has　registers　in　which　his　dead　are　booked；　they　are　in　their
graves；　and　also　on　his　records。　He　has　under　him　keepers；　gardeners；
grave…diggers；　and　their　assistants。　He　is　a　personage。　Mourning
hearts　do　not　speak　to　him　at　first。　He　does　not　appear　at　all　except
in　serious　cases；　such　as　one　corpse　mistaken　for　another；　a　murdered
body；　an　exhumation；　a　dead　man　coming　to　life。　The　bust　of　the
reigning　king　is　in　his　hall；　possibly　he　keeps　the　late　royal；
imperial；　and　quasi…royal　busts　in　some　cupboard；a　sort　of　little
Pere…Lachaise　all　ready　for　revolutions。　In　short；　he　is　a　public　man；
an　excellent　man；　good　husband　and　good　father；epitaph　apart。　But　so
many　diverse　sentiments　have　passed　before　him　on　biers；　he　has　seen
so　many　tears；　true　and　false；　he　has　beheld　sorrow　under　so　many
aspects　and　on　so　many　faces；　he　has　heard　such　endless　thousands　of
eternal　woes；that　to　him　sorrow　has　come　to　be　nothing　more　than　a
stone　an　inch　thick；　four　feet　long；　and　twenty…four　inches　wide。　As
for　regrets；　they　are　the　annoyances　of　his　office；　he　neither
breakfasts　nor　dines　without　first　wiping　off　the　rain　of　an
inconsolable　affliction。　He　is　kind　and　tender　to　other　feelings；　he
will　weep　over　a　stage…hero；　over　Monsieur　Germeuil　in　the　〃Auberge
des　Adrets；〃　the　man　with　the　butter…colored　breeches；　murdered　by
Macaire；　but　his　heart　is　ossified　in　the　matter　of　real　dead　men。
Dead　men　are　ciphers；　numbers；　to　him；　it　is　his　business　to　organize
death。　Yet　he　does　meet；　three　times　in　a　century；　perhaps；　with　an
occasion　when　his　part　becomes　sublime；　and　then　he　/is/　sublime
through　every　hour　of　his　day；in　times　of　pestilence。

When　Jacquet　approached　him　this　absolute　monarch　was　evidently　out　of
temper。

〃I　told　you；〃　he　was　saying；　〃to　water　the　flowers　from　the　rue
Massena　to　the　place　Regnault　de　Saint…Jean…d'Angely。　You　paid　no
attention　to　me！　/Sac…a…papier/！　suppose　the　relations　should　take　it
into　their　heads　to　come　here　to…day　because　the　weather　is　fine；　what
would　they　say　to　me？　They'd　shriek　as　if　they　were　burned；　they'd　say
horrid　things　of　us；　and　calumniate　us〃

〃Monsieur；〃　said　Jacquet；　〃we　want　to　know　where　Madame　Jules　is
buried。〃

〃Madame　Jules　/who/？〃　he　asked。　〃We've　had　three　Madame　Jules　within
the　last　week。　Ah；〃　he　said；　interrupting　himself；　〃here　comes　the
funeral　of　Monsieur　le　Baron　de　Maulincour！　A　fine　procession；　that！
He　has　soon　followed　his　grandmother。　Some　families；　when　they　begin
to　go；　rattle　down　like　a　wager。　Lots　of　bad　blood　in　Parisians。〃

〃Monsieur；〃　said　Jacquet；　touching　him　on　the　arm；　〃the　person　I　spoke
of　is　Madame　Jules　Desmarets；　the　wife　of　the　broker　of　that　name。〃

〃Ah；　I　know！〃　he　replied；　looking　at　Jacquet。　〃Wasn't　it　a　funeral
with　thirteen　mourning　coaches；　and　only　one　mourner　in　the　twelve
first？　It　was　so　droll　we　all　noticed　it〃

〃Monsieur；　take　care；　Monsieur　Desmarets　is　with　me；　he　might　hear
you；　and　what　you　say　is　not　seemly。〃

〃I　beg　pardon；　monsieur！　you　are　quite　right。　Excuse　me；　I　took　you
for　heirs。　Monsieur；〃　he　continued；　after　consulting　a　plan　of　the
cemetery；　〃Madame　Jules　is　in　the　rue　Marechal　Lefebre；　alley　No。　4；
between　Mademoiselle　Raucourt；　of　the　Comedie…Francaise；　and　Monsieur
Moreau…Malvin；　a　butcher；　for　whom　a　handsome　tomb　in　white　marble　has
been　ordered；　which　will　be　one　of　the　finest　in　the　cemetery〃

〃Monsieur；〃　said　Jacquet；　interrupting　him；　〃that　does　not　help　us。〃

〃True；〃　said　the　official；　looking　round　him。　〃Jean；〃　he　cried；　to　a
man　whom　he　saw　at　a　little　distance；　〃conduct　these　gentlemen　to　the
grave　of　Madame　Jules　Desmarets；　the　broker's　wife。　You　know　where　it
is；near　to　Mademoiselle　Raucourt；　the　tomb　where　there's　a　bust。〃

The　two　friends　followed　the　guide；　but　they　did　not　reach　the　steep
path　which　leads　to　the　upper　part　of　the　cemetery　without　having　to
pass　through　a　score　of　proposals　and　requests；　made；　with　honied
softness；　by　the　touts　of　marble…workers；　iron…founders；　and
monumental　sculptors。

〃If　monsieur　would　like　to　order　/something/；　we　would　do　it　on　the
most　reasonable　terms。〃

Jacquet　was　fortunate　enough　to　be　able　to　spare　his　friend　the
hearing　of　these　proposals　so　agonizing　to　bleeding　hearts；　and
presently　they　reached　the　resting…place。　When　Jules　beheld　the　earth
so　recently　dug；　into　which　the　masons　had　stuck　stakes　to　mark　the
place　for　the　stone　posts　required　to　support　the　iron　railing；　he
turned；　and　leaned　upon　Jacquet's　shoulder；　raising　himself　now　and
again　to　cast　long　glances　at　the　clay　mound　where　he　was　forced　to
leave　the　remains　of　the　being　in　and　by　whom　he　still　lived。

〃How　miserably　she　lies　there！〃　he　said。

〃But　she　is　not　there；〃　said　Jacquet；　〃she　is　in　your　memory。　Come；
let　us　go；　let　us　leave　this　odious　cemetery；　where　the　dead　are
adorned　like　women　for　a　ball。〃

〃Suppose　we　take　her　away？〃

〃Can　it　be　done？〃

〃All　things　can　be　done！〃　cried　Jules。　〃So；　I　shall　lie　there；〃　he
added；　after　a　pause。　〃There　is　room　enough。〃

Jacquet　finally　succeeded　in　getting　him　to　leave　the　great　enclosure；
divided　like　a　chessboard　by　iron　railings　and　elegant　compartments；
in　which　were　tombs　decorated　with　palms；　inscriptions；　and　tears　as
cold　as　the　stones　on　which　sorrowing　hearts　had　caused　to　be　carved
their　regrets　and　coats　of　arms。　Many　good　words　are　there　engraved　in
black　letters；　epigrams　reproving　the　curious；　/concetti/；　wittily
turned　farewells；　rendezvous　given　at　which　only　one　side　appears；
pretentious　biographies；　glitter；　rubbish　and　tinsel。　Here　the
floriated　thyrsus；　there　a　lance…head；　farther　on　Egyptian　urns；　now
and　then　a　few　cannon；　on　all　sides　the　emblems　of　professions；　and
every　style　of　art；Moorish；　Greek；　Gothic；friezes；　ovules；
paintings；　vases；　guardian…angels；　temples；　together　with　innumerable
/immortelles/；　and　dead　rose…bushes。　It　is　a　forlorn　comedy！　It　is
another　Paris；　with　its　streets；　its　signs；　its　industries；　and　its
lodgings；　but　a　Paris　seen　through　the　diminishing　end　of　an　opera…
glass；　a　microscopic　Paris　reduced　to　the　littleness　of　shadows；
spectres；　dead　men；　a　human　race　which　no　longer　has　anything　great
about　it；　except　its　vanity。　There　Jules　saw　at　his　feet；　in　the　long
valley　of　the　Seine；　between　the　slopes　of　Vaugirard　and　Meudon　and
those　of　Belleville　and　Montmartre；　the　real　Paris；　wrapped　in　a　misty
blue　veil　produced　by　smoke；　which　the　sunlight　tendered　at　that
moment　diaphanous。　He　glanced　with　a　constrained　eye　at　those　forty
thousand　houses；　and　said；　pointing　to　the　space　comprised　between　the
column　of　the　Place　Vendome　and　the　gilded　cupola　of　the　Invalides：

〃She　was　wrenched　from　me　there　by　the　fatal　curiosity　of　that　world
which　excites　itself　and　meddles　solely　for　excitement　and
occupation。〃

Twelve　miles　from　where　they　were；　on　the　banks　of　the　Seine；　in　a
modest　village　lying　on　the　slope　of　a　hill　of　that　long　hilly　basin
the　middle　of　which　great　Paris　stirs　like　a　child　in　its　cradle；　a
death　scene　was　taking　place；　far　indeed　removed　from　Parisian　pomps；
with　no　accompaniment　of　torches　or　tapers　or　mourning…coaches；
without　prayers　of　the　Church；　in　short；　a　death　in　all　simplicity。
Here　are　the　facts：　The　body　of　a　young　girl　was　found　early　in　the
morning；　stranded　on　the　river…bank　in　the　slime　and　reeds　of　the
Seine。　Men　employed　in　dredging　sand　saw　it　as　they　were　getting　into
their　frail　boat　on　their　way　to　their　work。

〃/Tiens/！　fifty　francs　earned！〃　said　one　of　them。

〃True；〃　said　the　other。

They　approached　the　body。

〃A　handsome　girl！　We　had　better　go　and　make　our　statement。〃

And　the　two　dredgers；　after　covering　the　body　with　their　jackets；　went
to　the　house　of　the　village　mayor；　who　was　much　embarrassed　at　having
to　make　out　the　legal　papers　necessitated　by　this　discovery。

The　news　of　this　event　spread　with　the　telegraphic　rapidity　peculiar
to　regions　where　social　communications　have　no　distractions；　where
gossip；　scandal；　calumny；　in　short；　the　social　tale　which　feasts　the
world　has　no　break　of　continuity　from　one　boundary　to　another。　Before
long；　persons　arriving　at　the　mayor's　office　released　him　from　all
embarrassment。　They　were　able　to　convert　the　/proces…verbal/　into　a
mere　certificate　of　death；　by　recognizing　the　body　as　that　of　the
Demoiselle　Ida　Gruget；　corset…maker；　living　rue　de　la　Corderie…du…
Temple；　number　14。　The　judiciary　police　of　Paris　arrived；　and　the
mother；　bearing　her　daughter's　last　letter。　Amid　the　mother's　moans；　a
doctor　certified　to　death　by　asphyxia；　through　the　injection　of　black
blood　into　the　pulmonary　system；which　settled　the　matter。　The
inquest　over；　and　the　certificates　signed；　by　six　o'clock　the　same
evening　authority　was　given　to　bury　the　grisette。　The　rector　of　the
parish；　however；　refused　to　receive　her　into　the　church　or　to　pray　for
her。　Ida　Gruget　was　therefore　wrapped　in　a　shroud　by　an　old　peasant…
woman；　put　into　a　common　pine…coffin；　and　carried　to　the　village
cemetery　by　four　men；　followed　by　a　few　inquisitive　peasant…women；　who
talked　about　the　death　with　wonder　mingled　with　some　pity。

The　widow　Gruget　was　charitably　taken　in　by　an　old　lady　who　prevented
her　from　following　the　sad　procession　of　her　daughter's　funeral。　A　man
of　triple　functions；　the　bell…ringer；　beadle；　and　grave…digger　of　the
parish；　had　dug　a　grave　in　the　half…acre　cemetery　behind　the　church；
a　church　well　known；　a　classic　church；　with　a　square　tower　and　pointed
roof　covered　with　slate；　supported　on　the　outside　by　strong　corner
but