the nabob-第12章

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When　he　saw　us　all　collected　in　his　private　room；　the　manager　said　to　us　with　solemnity：

〃Gentlemen　and　dear　comrades；　the　time　of　trials　is　ended。　The　Territorial　Bank　inaugurates　a　new　phase。〃

Upon　this　he　commenced　to　speak　to　us　of　a　superb　/combinazione/it　is　his　favourite　word　and　he　pronounces　it　in　such　an　insinuating　mannera　/combinazione/　into　which　there　was　entering　this　famous　Nabob；　of　whom　all　the　newspapers　are　talking。　The　Territorial　Bank　was　therefore　about　to　find　itself　in　a　position　which　would　enable　it　to　acquit　itself　of　its　obligations　to　its　faithful　servants；　recognise　acts　of　devotion；　rid　itself　of　useless　parasites。　This　for　me；　I　imagine。　And　in　conclusion：　〃Prepare　your　statements。　All　accounts　will　be　settled　not　later　than　to…morrow。〃　Unhappily　he　has　so　often　soothed　us　with　lying　words；　that　the　effect　of　his　speech　was　lost。　Formerly　these　fine　promises　were　always　swallowed。　At　the　announcement　of　a　new　/combinazione/；　there　used　to　be　dancing；　weeping　for　joy　in　the　offices；　and　men　would　embrace　each　other　like　shipwrecked　sailors　discovering　a　sail。

Each　one　would　prepare　his　account　for　the　morrow；　as　he　had　said。　But　on　the　morrow；　no　manager。　The　day　following；　still　nobody。　He　had　left　town　on　a　little　journey。

At　length；　one　day　when　all　would　be　there；　exasperated；　putting　out　our　tongues；　maddened　by　the　water　which　he　had　brought　to　our　mouths；　the　governor　would　arrive；　let　himself　drop　into　an　easy　chair；　his　head　in　his　hands；　and　before　one　could　speak　to　him：　〃Kill　me；〃　he　would　say；　〃kill　me。　I　am　a　wretched　impostor。　The　/combinazione/　has　failed。　It　has　failed；　/Pechero！/　the　/combinazione/。〃　And　he　would　cry；　sob；　throw　himself　on　his　knees；　pluck　out　his　hair　by　handfuls；　roll　on　the　carpet。　He　would　call　us　by　our　Christian　names；　implore　us　to　put　an　end　to　his　existence；　speak　of　his　wife　and　children　whose　ruin　he　had　consummated。　And　none　of　us　would　have　the　courage　to　protest　in　face　of　a　despair　so　formidable。　What　do　I　say？　One　always　ended　by　sympathizing　with　him。　No；　since　theatres　have　existed；　never　has　there　been　a　comedian　of　his　ability。　But　to…day；　that　is　all　over；　confidence　is　gone。　When　he　had　left；　every　one　shrugged　his　shoulders。　I　must　admit；　however；　that　for　a　moment　I　had　been　shaken。　That　assurance　about　the　settling　of　my　account；　and　then　the　name　of　the　Nabob；　that　man　so　rich

〃You　actually　believe　it；　you？〃　the　cashier　said　to　me。　〃You　will　be　always　innocent；　then；　my　poor　Passajon。　Don't　disturb　yourself。　It　will　be　the　same　with　the　Nabob　as　it　was　with　Moessard's　Queen。〃　And　he　returned　to　the　manufacture　of　his　shirt…fronts。

What　he　had　just　said　referred　to　the　time　when　Moessard　was　making　love　to　his　Queen；　and　had　promised　the　governor　that　in　case　of　success　he　would　induce　her　Majesty　to　put　capital　into　our　undertaking。　At　the　office；　we　were　all　aware　of　this　new　adventure；　and　very　anxious；　as　you　may　imagine；　that　it　should　succeed　quickly；　since　our　money　depended　upon　it。　For　two　months　this　story　held　all　of　us　breathless。　We　felt　some　disquiet；　we　kept　a　watch　on　Moessard's　face；　considered　that　the　lady　was　inclined　to　insist　upon　a　great　deal　of　ceremony；　and　our　old　cashier；　with　his　dignified　and　serious　air；　when　he　was　questioned　on　the　matter；　would　answer　gravely；　behind　his　wire　screen：　〃Nothing　fresh；〃　or　〃The　thing　is　in　a　good　way。〃　Whereupon　everybody　was　contented。　One　would　say　to　another；　〃It　is　making　progress；〃　as　though　merely　an　ordinary　enterprise　was　in　question。　No；　in　good　truth；　there　is　only　one　Paris；　where　one　can　see　such　things。　Positively　it　makes　your　head　turn　sometimes。　In　a　word；　Moessard；　one　fine　morning；　ceased　coming　to　the　office。　He　had　succeeded；　it　appears；　but　the　Territorial　Bank　had　not　seemed　to　him　a　sufficiently　advantageous　investment　for　the　money　of　his　mistress。　Now；　I　ask　you；　was　that　honest？

For　that　matter；　the　notion　of　honesty　is　lost　so　easily　as　hardly　to　be　believed。　When　I　reflect　that　I；　Passajon；　with　my　white　hair；　my　venerable　appearance；　my　so　blameless　pastthirty　years　of　academical　servicesam　grown　accustomed　to　living　like　a　fish　in　the　water；　in　the　midst　of　these　infamies；　this　swindling！　One　might　well　ask　what　I　am　doing　here；　why　I　remain；　how　I　am　come　to　this。

How　I　am　come　to　it？　Oh；　/mon　Dieu！/　very　simply。　Four　years　ago；　my　wife　being　dead；　my　children　married；　I　had　just　retired　from　my　post　as　hall…porter　at　the　college；　when　an　advertisement　in　the　newspaper　chanced　to　meet　my　eye：　〃Wanted；　an　office…porter；　middle…aged；　at　the　Territorial　Bank；　56；　Boulevard　Malesherbes。　Good　references。〃　Let　me　confess　it　at　the　outset。　The　modern　Babylon　had　always　attracted　me。　Then；　too；　I　felt　myself　still　a　young　man。　I　saw　before　me　ten　good　years　during　which　I　might　earn　a　little　money；　a　great　deal；　perhaps；　by　means　of　investing　my　savings　in　the　banking…house　which　I　should　enter。　So　I　wrote；　inclosing　my　photograph；　the　one　taken　at　Crespon's；　in　the　Market　Place；　which　represents　me　with　chin　closely　shaven；　a　keen　eye　beneath　my　thick　white　eyebrows；　my　steel　chain　about　my　neck；　my　ribbon　as　an　academy　official；　〃the　air　of　a　conscript　father　upon　his　curule…chair；〃　as　M。　Chalmette；　our　dean　used　to　say。　（He　insisted　also　that　I　much　resembled　the　late　King　Louis　XVIII；　less　strongly；　however。）　I　supplied；　further；　the　best　of　references；　the　most　flattering　recommendations　from　the　gentlemen　of　the　college。　By　return　of　post；　the　governor　replied　that　my　appearance　pleased　himI　believe　it；　/parbleu！/　an　antechamber　in　the　charge　of　a　person　with　a　striking　face　like　mine　is　a　bait　for　the　shareholderand　that　I　might　come　when　I　liked。　I　ought；　you　may　say　to　me；　myself　also　to　have　made　my　inquiries。　Eh！　no　doubt。　But　I　had　to　give　so　much　information　about　myself　that　it　never　occurred　to　me　to　ask　for　any　about　them。　Besides；　how　could　a　man　be　suspicious；　seeing　this　admirable　installation；　these　lofty　ceilings；　these　great　safes；　as　big　as　cupboards；　and　these　mirrors；　in　which　you　can　see　yourself　from　head　to　knee？　And　then　those　sonorous　prospectuses；　those　millions　that　I　seemed　to　hear　flying　through　the　air；　those　colossal　enterprises　with　their　fabulous　profits。　I　was　dazzled；　fascinated。　It　must　be　mentioned；　too；　that　at　the　time　the　house　did　not　bear　quite　the　aspect　which　it　has　to…day。　Certainly；　business　was　already　going　badlyour　business　always　has　gone　badlythe　paper　appeared　only　at　irregular　intervals。　But　a　little　/combinazione/　of　the　governor's　enabled　him　to　save　appearances。

He　had　conceived　the　idea；　just　imagine；　of　opening　a　patriotic　subscription　for　the　purpose　of　erecting　a　statue　to　General　Paolo　Paoli；　or　some　such　name；　in　any　case；　to　a　great　countryman　of　his　own。　Money　flowed　accordingly　into　the　Territorial。　Unfortunately；　that　state　of　things　did　not　last。　By　the　end　of　a　couple　of　months　the　statue　was　eaten　up　before　it　had　been　made；　and　the　series　of　protests　and　writs　recommenced。　Nowadays　I　am　accustomed　to　them。　But　in　the　days　when　I　had　just　come　from　the　country；　the　Auvergnats　at　the　door；　caused　me　a　painful　impression。　In　the　house；　nobody　paid　attention　to　such　things　any　longer。　It　was　known　that　at　the　last　moment　there　would　always　arrive　a　Monpavon；　a　Bois　l'Hery；　to　pacify　the　bailiffs；　for　all　those　gentlemen；　being　deeply　implicated　in　the　concern；　have　an　interest　in　avoiding　a　bankruptcy。　That　is　the　very　circumstance　which　saves　him；　our　wily　governor。　The　others　run　after　their　moneywe　know　the　meaning　which　that　expression　has　in　gaming　and　they　would　not　like　all　the　stock　on　their　hands　to　become　worthless　save　to　sell　for　waste　paper。

Small　and　great；　that　is　the　case　of　all　of　us　who　are　connected　with　the　firm。　From　the　landlord；　to　whom　two　years'　rent　is　owing　and　who；　for　fear　of　losing　it　all；　allows　us　to　stay　for　nothing；　to　us　poor　employees；　even　to　me；　who　am　involved　to　the　extent　of　my　seven　thousand　francs　of　savings　and　my　four　years　of　arrears；　we　are　running　after　our　money。　That　is　the　reason　why　I　remain　obstinately　here。

Doubtless；　in　spite　of　my　advanced　age；　thanks　to　my　good　appearance；　to　my　education；　to　the　care　which　I　have　always　taken　of　my　clothes；　I　might　have　obtained　some　post　under　other　management。　There　is　one　person　of　excellent　repute　known　to　me；　M。　Joyeuse；　a　bookkeeper　in　the　firm　of　Hemerlingue　&　Son；　the　great　bankers　of　the　Rue　Saint…　Honore；　who；　every　time　he　meets　me；　never　fails　to　remark：

〃Passajon；　my　friend；　don't　stop　in　that　den　of　brigands。　You　are　wrong　to　persist　in　remaining。　You　will　never　get　a　halfpenny　out　of　them。　So　come　to　Hemerlingue's。　I　undertake　to　find　some　little　corner　for　you　there。　You　will　earn　less；　but　you　will　be　paid　much　more。〃

I　feel　that　he　is　quite　right；　that　worthy　fellow。　But　the　thing　is　stronger　than　I。　I　cannot　make　up　my　mind　to　leave。　And　yet　it　is　by　no　means　gay；　the　life　I　lead　here　in　these　great；　cold　rooms；　where　no　one　ever　comes；　where　each　man　stows　himself　away　in　a　corner　without　speaking。　What　will　you　have？　Each　knows　the　other　too　well。　Everything　has　been　said　already。

Again；　until　last　year；　we　used　to　have　sittings　of　the　board　of　inspection；　meetings　of　shareholders；　stormy　and　noisy　assemblies；　veritable　battles　of　savages；　from　which　the　cries　could　be　heard　to　the　Madeleine。　Several　times　a　week　also　there　would　call　subscribers　indignant　at　no　longer　ever　receiving　any　news　of　their　money。　It　was　on　such　occasions　that　our　governor　shone。　I　have　seen　these　people；　monsieur；　go　into　his　office　furious　as　wolves　thirsting　for　blood；　and；　after　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　come　out　milder　than　sheep；　satisfied；　reassured；　and　their　pockets　relieved　of　a　few　bank…notes。　For；　there　lay　the　acme　of　his　cleverness；　in　the　extraction　of　money　from　the　unlucky　people　who　came　to　demand　it。　Nowadays　the　shareholders　of　the　Territorial　Bank　no　longer　give　any　sign　of　existence。　I　think　they　are　all　dead　or　else　resigned　to　the　situation。　The　board　never　meets。　The　sittings　only　take　place　on　paper；　it　is　I　who　am　charged　with　the　preparation　of　a　so…called　reportalways　the　samewhich　I　copy　out　afresh　each　quarter。　We　should　never　see　a　living　soul；　if；　at　long　intervals；　there　did　not　rise　from　the　depths　of　Corsica　some　subscribers　to　the　statue　of　Paoli；　curious　to　know　how　the　monument　is　progressing；　or；　it　may　be；　some　worthy　reader　of　/Financial　Truth/；　which　died　over　two　years　ago；　who　calls　to　renew　his　subscription　with　a　timid　air；　and　begs　a　little　more　regularity；　if　possible；　in　the　forwarding　of　the　paper。　There　is　a　faith　that　nothing　shakes。　So；　when　one　of　these　innocents　falls　among　our　hungry　band；　it　is　something　terrible。　He　is　surrounded；　hemmed　in；　an　attempt　is　made　to　secure　his　name　for　one　of　our　lists；　and；　in　case　of　resistance；　if　he　wishes　to　subscribe　neither　to　the　Paoli　monument　nor　to　Corsican　railways；　these　gentlemen　deal　him　what　they　callmy　pen　blushes　to　write　itwhat　they　call；　I　say；　〃the　drayman　thrust。〃

Here　is　what　it　is：　We　always　keep　at　the　office　a　parcel　prepared　in　advance；　a　well…corded　case　which　arrives　nominally　from　the　railway　station　while　the　visitor　is　present。　〃There　are　twenty　franc