the nabob-第25章

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affecting　benedictions；　the　whining　and　piteous　mummeries　of　a　church…porch　after　vespers。　And　the　moment　the　young　visitors　departed；　what　an　explosion　of　laughter　and　shouting　in　the　garret；　what　a　dance　in　a　circle　round　the　present　brought；　what　an　upsetting　of　the　arm…chair　in　which　one　had　pretended　to　be　lying　ill；　of　the　medicine　spilt　in　the　fire；　a　fire　of　cinders　very　artistically　prepared！

When　the　little　Jansoulets　went　out　to　visit　their　parents　at　home；　they　were　intrusted　to　the　care　of　the　man　with　the　red　fez；　the　indispensable　Bompain。　It　was　Bompain　who　conducted　them　to　the　Champs…Elysees；　clad　in　English　jackets；　bowler　hats　of　the　latest　fashionat　seven　years　old！and　carrying　little　canes　in　their　dog…　skin…gloved　hands。　It　was　Bompain　who　stuffed　the　race…wagonette　with　provisions。　Here　he　mounted　with　the　children；　who；　with　their　entrance…cards　stuck　in　their　hats　round　which　green　veils　were　twisted；　looked　very　like　those　personages　in　Liliputian　pantomimes　whose　entire　funniness　lies　in　the　enormous　size　of　their　heads　compared　with　their　small　legs　and　dwarf…like　gestures。　They　smoked　and　drank；　it　was　a　painful　sight。　Sometimes　the　man　in　the　fez；　hardly　able　to　hold　himself　upright；　would　bring　them　home　frightfully　sick。　And　yet　Jansoulet　was　fond　of　them；　the　youngest　especially；　who；　with　his　long　hair；　his　doll…like　manner；　recalled　to　him　the　little　Afchin　passing　in　her　carriage。　But　they　were　still　of　the　age　when　children　belong　to　the　mother；　when　neither　the　fashionable　tailor；　nor　the　most　accomplished　masters；　nor　the　smart　boarding…　school；　nor　the　ponies　girthed　specially　for　the　little　men　in　the　stable；　nor　anything　else　can　replace　the　attentive　and　caressing　hand；　the　warmth　and　the　gaiety　of　the　home…nest。　The　father　could　not　give　them　that；　and　then；　too；　he　was　so　busy！

A　thousand　irons　in　the　fire：　the　Territorial　Bank；　the　installation　of　the　picture　gallery；　drives　to　Tattersall's　with　Bois　l'Hery；　some　/bibelot/　to　inspect；　here　or　there；　at　the　houses　of　collectors　indicated　by　Schwalbach；　hours　passed　with　trainers；　jockeys；　dealers　in　curiosities；　the　encumbered　and　multiple　existence　of　a　/bourgeois　gentilhomme/　in　modern　Paris。　This　rubbing　of　shoulders　with　all　sorts　and　conditions　of　people　brought　him　improvement；　in　that　each　day　he　was　becoming　a　little　more　Parisianized；　he　was　received　at　Monpavon's　club；　in　the　green…room　of　the　ballet；　behind　the　scenes　at　the　theatres；　and　presided　regularly　at　his　famous　bachelor　luncheons；　the　only　receptions　possible　in　his　household。　His　existence　was　really　a　very　busy　one；　and　de　Gery　relieved　him　of　the　heaviest　part　of　it；　the　complicated　department　of　appeals　and　of　charities。

The　young　man　now　became　acquainted　with　all　the　audacious　and　burlesque　inventions；　all　the　serio…comic　combinations　of　that　mendicancy　of　great　cities；　organized　like　a　department　of　state；　innumerable　as　an　army；　which　subscribes　to　the　newspapers　and　knows　its　/Bottin/　by　heart。　He　received　the　blonde　lady；　bold；　young；　and　already　faded；　who　only　asks　for　a　hundred　napoleons；　with　the　threat　that　she　will　throw　herself　into　the　river　when　she　leaves　if　they　are　not　given　to　her；　and　the　stout　matron　of　prepossessing　and　unceremonious　manner；　who　says；　as　she　enters：　〃Sir；　you　do　not　know　me。　Neither　have　I　the　honour　of　knowing　you。　But　we　shall　soon　make　each　other's　acquaintance。　Be　kind　enough　to　sit　down　and　let　us　have　a　chat。〃　The　merchant　at　bay；　on　the　verge　of　bankruptcysometimes　it　is　truewho　comes　to　entreat　you　to　save　his　honour；　with　a　pistol　ready　to　shoot　himself；　bulging　out　the　pocket　of　his　overcoat　sometimes　it　is　only　his　pipe…case。　And　often　genuine　distresses；　wearisome　and　prolix；　of　people　who　are　unable　even　to　tell　how　little　competent　they　are　to　earn　a　livelihood。　Side　by　side　with　this　open　begging；　there　was　that　which　wears　various　kinds　of　disguise：　charity；　philanthropy；　good　works；　the　encouragement　of　projects　of　art；　the　house…to…house　begging　for　infant　asylums；　parish　churches；　rescued　women；　charitable　societies；　local　libraries。　Finally；　those　who　wear　a　society　mask；　with　tickets　for　concerts；　benefit　performances；　entrance…cards　of　all　colours；　〃platform；　front　seats；　reserved　seats。〃　The　Nabob　insisted　that　no　refusals　should　be　given；　and　it　was　a　concession　that　he　no　longer　burdened　his　own　shoulders　with　such　matters。　For　quite　a　long　time；　in　generous　indifference；　he　had　gone　on　covering　with　gold　all　that　hypocritical　exploitation；　paying　five　hundred　francs　for　a　ticket　for　the　concert　of　some　Wurtemberg　cithara…player　or　Languedocian　flutist；　which　at　the　Tuileries　or　at　the　Duc　de　Mora's　might　have　fetched　ten　francs。　There　were　days　when　the　young　de　Gery　issued　from　these　audiences　nauseated。　All　the　honesty　of　his　youth　revolted；　he　approached　the　Nabob　with　schemes　of　reform。　But　the　Nabob's　face；　at　the　first　word；　would　assume　the　bored　expression　of　weak　natures　when　they　have　to　make　a　decision；　or　he　would　perhaps　reply：　〃But　that　is　Paris；　my　dear　boy。　Don't　get　frightened　or　interfere　with　my　plans。　I　know　what　I　am　doing　and　what　I　want。〃

At　that　time　he　wanted　two　things：　a　deputyship　and　the　cross　of　the　Legion　of　Honour。　These　were　for　him　the　first　two　stages　of　the　great　ascent　to　which　his　ambition　pushed　him。　Deputy　he　would　certainly　be　through　the　influence　of　the　Territorial　Bank；　at　the　head　of　which　he　stood。　Paganetti　of　Porto…Vecchio　was　often　saying　it　to　him：　〃When　the　day　arrives；　the　island　will　rise　and　vote　for　you　as　one　man。〃

It　is　not　enough；　however；　to　control　electors；　it　is　necessary　also　that　there　be　a　seat　vacant　in　the　Chamber；　and　the　representation　of　Corsica　was　complete。　One　of　its　members；　however；　the　old　Popolusca；　infirm　and　in　no　condition　to　do　his　work；　might　perhaps；　upon　certain　conditions；　be　willing　to　resign　his　seat。　It　was　a　difficult　matter　to　negotiate；　but　quite　feasible；　the　old　fellow　having　a　numerous　family；　estates　which　produced　little　or　nothing；　a　palace　in　ruins　at　Bastia；　where　his　children　lived　on　/polenta/；　and　a　furnished　apartment　at　Paris　in　an　eighteenth…rate　lodging…house。　If　a　hundred　or　two　hundred　thousand　francs　were　not　a　consideration；　one　ought　to　be　able　to　obtain　a　favourable　decision　from　this　honourable　pauper　who；　sounded　by　Paganetti；　would　say　neither　yes　nor　no；　tempted　by　the　large　sum　of　money；　held　back　by　the　vainglory　of　his　position。　The　matter　had　reached　that　point；　it　might　be　decided　from　one　day　to　another。

As　for　the　cross；　things　were　going　still　better。　The　Bethlehem　Society　had　assuredly　made　the　devil　of　a　noise　at　the　Tuileries。　They　were　now　only　waiting　until　after　the　visit　of　M。　de　la　Perriere　and　his　report；　which　could　not　be　other　than　favorable；　before　inscribing　on　the　list　for　the　16th　March；　on　the　date　of　an　imperial　anniversary；　the　glorious　name　of　Jansoulet。　The　16th　March；　that　was　to　say；　within　a　month。　What　would　the　fat　Hemerlingue　find　to　say　of　this　signal　favour；　he　who　for　so　long　had　had　to　content　himself　with　the　Nisham？　And　the　Bey；　who　had　been　misled　into　believing　that　Jansoulet　was　cut　by　Parisian　society；　and　the　old　mother；　down　yonder　at　Saint…Romans；　ever　so　happy　in　the　successes　of　her　son！　Was　that　not　worth　a　few　millions　cleverly　squandered　along　the　path　of　glory　which　the　Nabob　was　treading　like　a　child；　all　unconscious　of　the　fate　that　lay　waiting　to　devour　him　at　its　end？　And　in　these　external　joys；　these　honours；　this　consideration　so　dearly　bought；　was　there　not　a　compensation　for　all　the　troubles　of　this　Oriental　won　back　to　European　life；　who　desired　a　home　and　possessed　only　a　caravansary；　looked　for　a　wife　and　found　only　a　Levantine？



THE　BETHLEHEM　SOCIETY

BETHLEHEM！　Why　did　it　give　one　such　a　chill　to　see　written　in　letters　of　gold　over　the　iron　gate　that　historic　name；　sweet　and　warm　like　the　straw　of　the　miraculous　stable！　Perhaps　it　was　partly　to　be　accounted　for　by　the　melancholy　of　the　landscape；　that　immense　gloomy　plain　which　stretches　from　Nanterre　to　Saint　Cloud；　broken　only　by　a　few　clumps　of　trees　or　the　smoke　of　factory　chimneys。　Possibly　also　by　the　disproportion　that　existed　between　the　humble　little　straggling　village　which　you　expected　to　find　and　the　grandiose　establishment；　this　country　mansion　in　the　style　of　Louis　XIII；　an　agglomeration　of　mortar　looking　pink　through　the　branches　of　its　leafless　park；　ornamented　with　wide　pieces　of　water　thick　with　green　weeds。　What　is　certain　is　that　as　you　passed　this　place　your　heart　was　conscious　of　an　oppression。　When　you　entered　it　was　still　worse。　A　heavy　inexplicable　silence　weighed　on　the　house；　and　the　faces　you　might　see　at　the　windows　had　a　mournful　air　behind　the　little；　old…fashioned　greenish　panes。　The　goats　scattered　along　the　paths　nibbled　languidly　at　the　new　spring　grass；　with　〃baas〃　at　the　woman　who　was　tending　them；　and　looked　bored；　as　she　followed　the　visitors　with　a　lack…　lustre　eye。　A　mournfulness　was　over　the　place；　like　the　terror　of　a　contagion。　Yet　it　had　been　a　cheerful　house；　and　one　where　even　recently　there　had　been　high　junketings。　Replanted　with　timber　for　the　famous　singer　who　had　sold　it　to　Jenkins；　it　revealed　clearly　the　kind　of　imagination　which　is　characteristic　of　the　opera…house　in　a　bridge　flung　over　the　miniature　lake；　with　its　broken　punt　half　filled　with　mouldy　leaves；　and　in　its　pavilion　all　of　rockery…work；　garlanded　by　ivy。　It　had　witnessed　gay　scenes；　this　pavilion；　in　the　singer's　time；　now　it　looked　on　sad　ones；　for　the　infirmary　was　installed　in　it。

To　tell　the　truth；　the　whole　establishment　was　one　vast　infirmary。　The　children　had　hardly　arrived　when　they　fell　ill；　languished；　and　ended　by　dying；　if　their　parents　did　not　quickly　take　them　away　and　put　them　again　under　the　protection　of　home。　The　cure　of　Nanterre　had　to　go　so　often　to　Bethlehem　with　his　black　vestments　and　his　silver　cross；　the　undertaker　had　so　many　orders　from　the　house；　that　it　became　known　in　the　district；　and　indignant　mothers　shook　their　fists　at　the　model　nurse；　from　a　long　way　off；　it　is　true；　for　they　might　chance　to　have　in　their　arms　pink…and…white　babies　to　be　preserved　from　all　the　contagions　of　the　place。　It　was　these　things　that　gave　to　the　poor　place　so　heart…rending　an　aspect。　A　house　in　which　children　die　cannot　be　gay；　you　cannot　see　trees　break　into　flower　there；　birds　building；　streams　flowing　like　rippling　laughter。

The　thing　seemed　altogether　false。　Excellent　in　itself；　Jenkins's　scheme　was　difficult；　almost　impracticable　in　its　application。　Yet；　God　knows；　the　affair　had　been　started　and　carried　out　with　the　greatest　enthusiasm　to　the　last　details；　with　as　much　money　and　as　large　a　staff　as　were　requisite。　At　its　head；　one　of　the　most　skilful　of　practitioners；　M。　Pondevez；　who　had　studied　in　the　Paris　hospitals；　and　by　his　side；　to　attend　to　the　more　intimate　needs　of　the　children；　a　trusty　matron；　Mme。　Polge。　Then　there　were　nursemaids；　seamstresses；　infirmary…nurses。　And　how　many　the　arrangements　and　how　thorough　was　the　maintenance　of　the　establishment；　from　the　water　distributed　by　a　regular　system　from　fifty　taps　to　the　omnibus　trotting　off　with　jingling　of　its　posting　bells　to　meet　every　train　of　the　day