the nabob-第18章

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is　throat　in　an　access　of　despairing　rage。　All　this　agitation　passed　over　his　features　like　a　gust　of　wind　which　throws　the　surface　of　a　lake　into　ripples；　fashioning　there　all　manner　of　mobile　whirlpools；　but　he　remained　mute；　standing　in　the　same　place；　and　upon　the　master's　intimation　that　he　could　withdraw；　went　down　with　tottering　step　to　resume　his　work　in　the　counting…house。

In　the　evening　when　he　went　home　to　the　Rue　Saint…Ferdinand；　M。　Joyeuse　told　his　daughters　nothing。　He　did　not　dare。　The　idea　of　darkening　that　radiant　gaiety　which　was　the　life　of　the　house；　of　making　dull　with　heavy　tears　those　pretty　bright　eyes；　was　insupportable　to　him。　Timorous；　too；　and　weak；　he　was　of　those　who　always　say；　〃Let　us　wait　till　to…morrow。〃　He　waited　therefore　before　speaking；　at　first　until　the　month　of　November　should　be　ended；　deluding　himself　with　the　vague　hope　that　Hemerlingue　might　change　his　mind；　as　though　he　did　not　know　that　will　as　of　some　mollusk　flabby　and　tenacious　upon　its　ingot　of　gold。　Then　when　his　salary　had　been　paid　up　and　another　accountant　had　taken　his　place　before　the　high　desk　at　which　he　had　stood　for　so　long；　he　hoped　to　find　something　else　quickly　and　repair　his　misfortune　before　being　obliged　to　confess　it。

Every　morning　he　feigned　to　start　for　the　office；　allowed　himself　to　be　equipped　and　accompanied　to　the　door　as　usual；　his　huge　leather　portfolio　all　ready　for　the　evening's　numerous　commissions。　Although　he　would　forget　some　of　them　on　purpose　because　of　the　approaching　and　so　problematical　end　of　the　month；　he　did　not　lack　time　now　to　execute　them。　He　had　his　day　to　himself；　the　whole　of　an　interminable　day　which　he　spent　in　rushing　about　Paris　in　search　for　an　employment。　People　gave　him　addresses；　excellent　recommendations。　But　in　that　terrible　month　of　December；　so　cold　and　with　such　short　hours　of　daylight；　bringing　with　it　so　many　expenses　and　preoccupations；　employees　need　to　take　patience　and　employers　also。　Each　man　tries　to　end　the　year　in　peace；　postponing　to　the　month　of　January；　to　that　great　leap　of　time　towards　a　fresh　halting…place；　any　changes；　ameliorations；　attempts　at　a　new　life。

In　every　house　where　M。　Joyeuse　presented　himself；　he　beheld　faces　suddenly　grow　cold　as　soon　as　he　explained　the　object　of　his　visit。

〃What！　You　are　no　longer　with　Hemerlingue　&　Son？　How　is　that？〃

He　would　explain　the　matter　as　best　he　could　through　a　caprice　of　the　head　of　the　firm；　the　ferocious　Hemerlingue　whom　Paris　knew；　but　he　was　conscious　of　a　coldness；　a　mistrust　in　the　uniform　reply　which　he　received：　〃Call　on　us　again　after　the　holidays。〃　And；　timid　as　he　was　to　begin　with；　he　reached　a　point　at　which　he　could　no　longer　bring　himself　to　call　on　any　one；　a　point　at　which　he　could　walk　past　the　same　door　a　score　of　times　and　never　have　crossed　its　threshold　at　all　had　it　not　been　for　the　thought　of　his　daughters。　This　alone　pushed　him　along　by　the　shoulders；　put　heart　in　his　legs；　despatched　him　in　the　course　of　the　same　day　to　the　opposite　extremities　of　Paris；　to　very　vague　addresses　given　to　him　by　comrades；　to　a　great　manufactory　of　animal　black　at　Aubervilliers；　where　he　was　made　to　return　for　nothing　three　days　in　succession。

Oh；　the　journeys　in　the　rain；　in　the　frost；　the　closed　doors；　the　master　who　is　out　or　engaged；　the　promises　given　and　immediately　withdrawn；　the　hopes　deceived；　the　enervation　of　hours　of　waiting；　the　humiliations　reserved　for　every　man　who　asks　for　work；　as　though　it　were　a　shameful　thing　to　lack　it。　M。　Joyeuse　knew　all　these　melancholy　things　and；　too；　the　good　will　that　tires　and　grows　discouraged　before　the　persistence　of　evil　fortune。　And　you　may　imagine　how　the　hard　martyrdom　of　〃the　man　who　seeks　a　place〃　was　rendered　tenfold　more　bitter　by　the　mirages　of　his　imagination；　by　those　chimeras　which　rose　before　him　from　the　Paris　pavements　as　over　them　he　journeyed　along　on　foot　in　every　direction。

For　a　month　he　was　one　of　those　woeful　puppets；　talking　in　monologue；　gesticulating　on　the　footways；　from　whom　every　chance　collision　with　the　crowd　wrests　an　exclamation　as　of　one　walking　in　his　sleep。　〃I　told　you　so；〃　or　〃I　have　no　doubt　of　it；　sir。〃　One　passes　by；　almost　one　would　laugh；　but　one　is　seized　with　pity　before　the　unconsciousness　of　those　unhappy　men　possessed　by　a　fixed　idea；　blind　whom　the　dream　leads；　drawn　along　by　an　invisible　leash。　The　terrible　thing　was　that　after　those　long；　cruel　days　of　inaction　and　fatigue；　when　M。　Joyeuse　returned　home；　he　had　perforce　to　play　the　comedy　of　the　man　returning　from　his　work；　to　recount　the　incidents　of　the　day；　the　things　he　had　heard；　the　gossip　of　the　office　with　which　he　had　been　always　wont　to　entertain　his　girls。

In　humble　homes　there　is　always　a　name　which　comes　up　more　often　than　all　others；　which　is　invoked　in　days　of　stress；　which　is　mingled　with　every　wish；　with　every　hope；　even　with　the　games　of　the　children；　penetrated　as　they　are　with　its　importance；　a　name　which　sustains　in　the　dwelling　the　part　of　a　sub…Providence；　or　rather　of　a　household　divinity；　familiar　and　supernatural。　In　the　Joyeuse　family；　it　was　Hemerlingue；　always　Hemerlingue；　returning　ten　times；　twenty　times　a　day　in　the　conversation　of　the　girls；　who　associated　it　with　all　their　plans；　with　the　most　intimate　details　of　their　feminine　ambitions。　〃If　Hemerlingue　would　only〃　〃All　that　depends　on　Hemerlingue。〃　And　nothing　could　be　more　charming　than　the　familiarity　with　which　these　young　people　spoke　of　that　enormously　wealthy　man　whom　they　had　never　seen。

They　would　ask　for　news　of　him。　Had　their　father　spoken　to　him？　Was　he　in　a　good　temper？　And　to　think　that　we　all　of　us；　whatever　our　position；　however　humble　we　be；　however　weighed　down　by　fate；　we　have　always　beneath　us　unfortunate　beings　more　humble；　yet　more　weighed　down；　for　whom　we　are　great；　for　whom　we　are　as　gods；　and　in　our　quality　of　gods；　indifferent；　disdainful；　or　cruel。

One　imagines　the　torture　of　M。　Joyeuse；　obliged　to　invent　stories　and　anecdotes　about　the　wretch　who　had　so　ruthlessly　discharged　him　after　ten　years　of　good　service。　He　played　his　little　comedy；　however；　so　well　as　completely　to　deceive　everybody。　Only　one　thing　had　been　remarked；　and　that　was　that　father　when　he　came　home　in　the　evening　always　sat　down　to　table　with　a　great　appetite。　I　believe　it！　Since　he　lost　his　place　the　poor　man　had　gone　without　his　luncheon。

The　days　passed。　M。　Joyeuse　found　nothing。　Yes；　one　place　as　accountant　in　the　Territorial　Bank；　which　he　refused；　however；　knowing　too　much　about　banking　operations；　about　all　the　corners　and　innermost　recesses　of　the　financial　Bohemia　in　general；　and　of　the　Territorial　bank　in　particular；　to　set　foot　in　that　den。

〃But；〃　said　Passajon　to　himfor　it　was　Passajon　who；　meeting　the　honest　fellow　and　hearing　that　he　was　out　of　employment；　had　suggested　to　him　that　he　should　come　to　Paganetti's〃but　since　I　repeat　that　it　is　serious。　We　have　lots　of　money。　They　pay　one。　I　have　been　paid。　See　how　prosperous　I　look。〃

In　effect；　the　old　office　porter　had　a　new　livery；　and　beneath　his　tunic　with　its　buttons　of　silver…gilt　his　paunch　protruded；　majestic。　All　the　same　M。　Joyeuse　had　not　allowed　himself　to　be　tempted；　even　after　Passajon；　opening　wide　his　shallow…set　blue　eyes；　had　whispered　into　his　ear　with　emphasis　these　words　rich　in　promises：

〃The　Nabob　is　in　the　concern。〃

Even　after　that；　M。　Joyeuse　had　had　the　courage　to　say　No。　Was　it　not　better　to　die　of　hunger　than　to　enter　a　fraudulent　house　of　which　he　might　perhaps　one　day　be　summoned　to　report　upon　the　books　in　the　courts？

So　he　continued　to　wander；　but；　discouraged；　he　no　longer　sought　employ。　As　it　was　necessary　that　he　should　absent　himself　from　home；　he　used　to　linger　over　the　stalls　on　the　quays；　lean　for　hours　on　the　parapets；　watch　the　water　flow　and　the　unladening　of　the　vessels。　He　became　one　of　those　idlers　whom　one　sees　in　the　first　rank　whenever　a　crowd　collects　in　the　street；　taking　shelter　from　the　rain　under　the　porches；　warming　himself　at　the　stoves　where；　in　the　open　air；　the　tar　of　the　asphalters　reeks；　sinking　on　a　bench　of　some　boulevard　when　his　legs　could　no　longer　carry　him。

To　do　nothing！　What　a　fine　way　of　making　life　seem　longer！

On　certain　days；　however；　when　M。　Joyeuse　was　too　weary　or　the　sky　too　unkind；　he　would　wait　at　the　end　of　the　street　until　his　daughters　should　have　closed　their　window　again　and；　returning　to　the　house；　keeping　close　to　the　walls；　would　mount　the　staircase　very　quickly；　pass　before　his　own　door　holding　his　breath；　and　take　refuge　in　the　apartment　of　the　photographer　Andre　Maranne；　who；　aware　of　his　ill…　fortune；　always　gave　him　that　kindly　welcome　which　the　poor　have　for　each　other。　Clients　are　rare　so　near　the　outskirts　of　the　town。　He　used　to　remain　long　hours　in　the　studio；　talking　in　a　very　low　voice；　reading　at　his　friend's　side；　listening　to　the　rain　on　the　window…　panes　or　the　wind　that　blew　as　it　does　on　the　open　sea；　shaking　the　old　doors　and　the　window…sashes　below　in　the　wood…sheds。　Beneath　him　he　could　hear　sounds　well　known　and　full　of　charm；　songs　that　escaped　in　the　satisfaction　of　work　accomplished；　assembled　laughter；　the　pianoforte　lesson　being　given　by　Bonne　Maman；　the　tic…tac　of　the　metronome；　all　the　delicious　household　stir　that　pleased　his　heart。　He　lived　with　his　darlings；　who　certainly　never　could　have　guessed　that　they　had　him　so　near　them。

Once；　when　Maranne　was　out；　M。　Joyeuse　keeping　faithful　watch　over　the　studio　and　its　new　apparatus；　heard　two　little　strokes　given　on　the　ceiling　of　the　apartment　below；　two　separate；　very　distinct　strokes；　then　a　cautious　pattering　of　fingers；　like　the　scamper　of　mice。　The　friendliness　of　the　photographer　with　his　neighbours　sufficiently　authorized　these　communications　like　those　of　prisoners。　But　what　did　they　mean？　How　reply　to　what　seemed　a　call？　Quite　at　hazard；　he　repeated　the　two　strokes；　the　light　tapping；　and　the　conversation　ended　there。　On　the　return　of　Andre　Maranne　he　learned　the　explanation　of　the　incident。　It　was　very　simple。　Sometimes；　in　the　course　of　the　day；　the　young　ladies　below；　who　only　saw　their　neighbour　in　the　evening；　would　inquire　how　things　were　going　with　him；　whether　any　clients　were　coming　in。　The　signal　he　had　heard　meant；　〃Is　business　good　to…day？〃　And　M。　Joyeuse　had　replied；　obeying　only　an　instinct　without　any　knowledge；　〃Fairly　well　for　the　season。〃　Although　young　Maranne　was　very　red　as　he　made　this　affirmation；　M。　Joyeuse　accepted　his　word　at　once。　Only　this　idea　of　frequent　communications　between　the　two　households　made　him　afraid　for　the　secrecy　of　his　position；　and　from　that　time　forward　he　cut　himself　off　from　what　he　used　to　call　his　〃artistic　days。〃　Moreover；　the　moment　was　approaching　when　he　would　no　longer　be　able　to　conceal　his　misfortune；　the　end　of　the　month　arriving；　complicated　by　the　ending　of　the　year。

Paris　was　already　assuming　the　holiday　appearance　which　it　wears　during　the　last　weeks　of　December。　In　the　way　of　national　or　popular　rejoicing　it　had　little　left　but　that。　The　follies　of　the　Carnival　died　with　Gavarni；　the　religious　festivals　with　their　peals　of　bells　which　one　scarcely　hears　amid　the　noise　of　the　streets　confine　themselves　within　their　heavy　church…doors；　the　15