the nabob-第39章

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s　of　this　treaty　they　are　discussing　downstairs。　I　hear　the　voice　of　our　general　director；　〃Come；　my　dear　fellow；　you　know　I　am　an　old　Corsican　myself；〃　and　then　the　other's　quiet　replies；　broken；　like　his　tobacco；　by　the　irritating　noise　of　his　scissors。　The　〃dear　fellow〃　does　not　seem　to　have　much　confidence；　and　until　the　coin　is　ringing　upon　the　table　I　fancy　there　will　not　be　any　advance。

You　see；　Paganetti　is　known　in　his　native　country。　The　worth　of　his　word　is　written　on　the　square　in　Corte；　still　waiting　for　the　monument　to　Paoli；　on　the　vast　fields　of　carrots　which　he　has　managed　to　plant　on　the　Island　of　Ithaca；　in　the　gaping　empty　purses　of　all　those　unfortunate　small　tradesmen；　village　priests；　and　petty　nobility；　whose　poor　savings　he　has　swallowed　up　dazzling　their　eyes　with　chimerical　/combinazioni/。　Truly；　for　him　to　dare　to　come　back　here；　it　needed　all　his　phenomenal　audacity；　as　well　as　the　resources　now　at　his　disposal　to　satisfy　all　claims。

And；　indeed；　what　truth　is　there　in　the　fabulous　works　undertaken　by　the　Territorial　Bank？

None。

Mines；　which　produce　nothing　and　never　will　produce　anything；　for　they　exist　only　on　paper；　quarries；　which　are　still　innocent　of　pick　or　dynamite；　tracts　of　uncultivated　sandy　land　that　they　survey　with　a　gesture；　telling　you；　〃We　begin　here；　and　we　go　right　over　there；　as　far　as　you　like。〃　It　is　the　same　with　the　forests。　The　whole　of　a　wooded　hill　in　Monte…Rotondo　belongs　to　us；　it　seems；　but　the　felling　of　the　trees　is　impossible　unless　aeronauts　undertake　the　woodman's　work。　It　is　the　same　with　the　watering…places；　among　which　this　miserable　hamlet　of　Pozzonegro　is　one　of　the　most　important；　with　its　fountain　whose　astonishing　ferruginous　properties　Paganetti　advertises。　Of　the　streamers；　not　a　shadow。　Stayan　old；　half…ruined　Genoese　tower　on　the　shore　of　the　Gulf　of　Ajaccio　bears　on　a　tarnished　escutcheon；　above　its　hermetically　sealed　doors；　this　inscription：　〃Paganetti's　Agency。　Maritime　Company。　Inquiry　Office。〃　Fat；　gray　lizards　tend　the　office　in　company　with　an　owl。　As　for　the　railways；　all　these　honest　Corsicans　to　whom　I　spoke　of　it　smiled　knowingly；　replied　with　winks　and　mysterious　hints；　and　it　was　only　this　morning　that　I　had　the　exceedingly　buffoonish　explanation　of　all　this　reticence。

I　had　read　among　the　documents　which　the　director…general　flaunts　in　our　eyes　from　time　to　time；　like　a　fan　to　puff　up　his　impostures；　the　bill　of　sale　of　a　marble　quarry　at　a　place　said　to　be　〃Taverna；〃　two　hours'　distance　from　Pozzonegro。　Profiting　by　our　stay　here；　I　got　on　a　mule　this　morning；　without　telling　any　one；　and　guided　by　a　tall　scamp　of　a　fellow　with　legs　like　a　deertrue　type　of　a　Corsican　poacher　or　smuggler；　his　thick；　red　pipe　in　his　mouth；　his　gun　in　a　bandoleerI　went　to　Taverna。　After　a　fearful　progress　across　cracked　rocks　and　bogs；　past　abysses　of　unsoundable　depthson　the　very　edges　of　which　my　mule　maliciously　walked　as　though　to　mark　them　out　with　her　shoeswe　arrived；　by　an　almost　perpendicular　descent；　at　the　end　of　our　journey。　It　was　a　vast　desert　of　rocks；　absolutely　bare；　all　white　with　the　droppings　of　gulls　and　sea…fowl；　for　the　sea　is　at　the　bottom；　quite　near；　and　the　silence　of　the　place　was　broken　only　by　the　flow　of　the　waves　and　the　shrill　cries　of　the　wheeling　circles　of　birds。　My　guide；　who　has　a　holy　horror　of　excisemen　and　the　police；　stayed　above　on　the　cliff；　because　of　a　little　coastguard　station　posted　like　a　watchman　on　the　shore。　I　made　for　a　large　red　building　which　still　maintained；　in　this　burning　solitude　its　three　stories；　in　spite　of　broken　windows　and　ruinous　tiles。　Over　the　worm…eaten　door　was　an　immense　sign…board：　〃Territorial　Bank。　Carrbre54。〃　The　wind；　the　sun；　the　rain；　have　wiped　out　the　rest。

There　has　been　there；　certainly；　a　commencement　of　operations；　for　a　large　square；　gaping　hole；　cut　out　with　a　punch；　is　still　open　in　the　ground；　showing　along　its　crumbling　sides；　like　a　leopard's　spots；　red　slabs　with　brown　veins；　and　at　the　bottom；　in　the　brambles；　enormous　blocks　of　the　marble；　called　in　the　trade　〃black…heart〃　（marble　spotted　with　red　and　brown）；　condemned　blocks　that　no　one　could　make　anything　of　for　want　of　a　road　leading　to　the　quarry　or　a　harbour　to　make　the　coast　accessible　for　freight　ships；　and　for　want；　above　all；　of　subsidies　considerable　enough　to　carry　out　one　or　the　other　of　these　two　projects。　So　the　quarry　remains　abandoned；　at　a　few　cable…　lengths　from　the　shore；　as　cumbrous　and　useless　as　Robinson　Crusoe's　canoe　in　the　same　unfortunate　circumstances。　These　details　of　the　heart…rending　story　of　our　sole　territorial　wealth　were　furnished　by　a　miserable　caretaker；　shaking　with　fever；　whom　I　found　in　the　low…　ceilinged　room　of　the　yellow　house　trying　to　roast　a　piece　of　kid　over　the　acrid　smoke　of　a　pistachio　bush。

This　man；　who　in　himself　is　the　whole　staff　of　the　Territorial　Bank　in　Corsica；　is　Paganetti's　foster…father；　an　old　lighthouse…keeper　upon　whom　the　solitude　does　not　weigh。　Our　director…general　leaves　him　there　partly　for　charity　and　partly　because　letters　dated　from　the　Taverna　quarry；　now　and　again；　make　a　good　show　at　the　shareholders'　meetings。　I　had　the　greatest　difficulty　extracting　a　little　information　from　this　poor　creature；　three　parts　savage；　who　looked　upon　me　with　cautious　mistrust；　half　hidden　behind　the　long　hair　of　his　goat…skin　/pelone/。　He　told　me；　however；　without　intending　it；　what　the　Corsicans　understand　by　the　word　〃railway；〃　and　why　they　put　on　mysterious　airs　when　they　speak　of　it。　As　I　was　trying　to　find　out　if　he　knew　anything　about　the　scheme　for　a　railway　in　the　country；　this　old　man；　instead　of　smiling　knowingly　like　his　compatriots；　said；　quite　naturally；　in　passable　French；　his　voice　rusty　and　benumbed　like　an　ancient；　little…used　lock：

〃Oh；　sir；　no　need　of　a　railway　here。〃

〃But　it　would　be　most　valuable；　most　useful；　it　would　facilitate　communications。〃

〃I　don't　say　no；　but　with　the　police　we　have　enough　here。〃

〃The　policemen？〃

〃Certainly。〃

This　/quid　pro　quo/　went　on　for　some　five　minutes　before　I　discovered　that　here　the　secret　police　service　is　called　〃the　railway。〃　As　there　are　many　Corsican　policemen　on　the　Continent　they　use　this　euphemism　to　designate　the　ignoble　calling　they　follow。　You　inquire　of　the　relations；　〃Where　is　your　brother　Ambrosini？　What　is　your　uncle　Barbicaglia　doing？〃　They　will　answer　with　a　little　wink；　〃He　has　a　place　on　the　railway；〃　and　every　one　knows　what　that　means。　Among　the　people；　the　peasants；　who　have　never　seen　a　railway　and　don't　know　what　it　is；　it　is　quite　seriously　believed　that　the　great　occult　administration　of　the　Imperial　police　has　no　other　name　than　that。　Our　principal　agent　in　the　country　shares　this　touching　simplicity　of　belief。　It　shows　you　the　real　state　of　the　〃Line　from　Ajaccio　to　Bastia；　passing　by　Bonifacio；　Porto　Vecchio；　etc。；〃　as　it　is　written　on　the　big；　green…backed　books　of　the　house　of　Paganetti。　In　fact　all　the　goods　of　the　Territorial　Bank　consist　of　a　few　sign…boards　and　two　ruins；　the　whole　not　worthy　of　lying　in　the　〃old　materials〃　yard　in　the　Rue　Saint…Ferdinand；　every　night　as　I　go　to　sleep　I　hear　the　old　vanes　grating　and　the　old　doors　banging　on　emptiness。

But　in　this　case；　where　have　gone；　where　are　going　now；　the　enormous　sums　M。　Jansoulet　has　spent　during　the　last　five　monthsnot　to　count　what　came　from　the　outside；　attracted　by　the　magic　of　his　name？　I　thought；　as　you　did；　that　all　these　soundings；　borings；　purchasings　of　land　that　the　books　set　forth　in　fine　round…hand　were　exaggerated　beyond　measure。　But　who　could　suspect　such　effrontery？　This　is　why　the　director　was　so　opposed　to　the　idea　of　bringing　me　on　the　electioneering　trip。　I　don't　want　to　have　an　explanation　now。　My　poor　Nabob　has　quite　enough　trouble　in　this　election。　Only；　whenever　we　get　back；　I　shall　lay　before　him　all　the　details　of　my　long　inquiry；　and；　whether　he　wants　it　or　not；　I　will　get　him　out　of　this　den　of　thieves。　They　have　finished　below。　Old　Piedigriggio　is　crossing　the　square；　pulling　up　the　slip…knot　of　his　long　peasant's　purse；　which　looks　to　me　well　filled。　The　bargain　is　made；　I　conclude。　Good…bye；　hurriedly；　my　dear　M。　Joyeuse；　remember　me　to　your　daughters　and　ask　them　to　keep　a　tiny　little　place　for　me　round　the　work…table。

PAUL　DE　GERY。

The　electioneering　whirlwind　which　had　enveloped　them　in　Corsica；　crossed　the　sea　behind　them　like　a　blast　of　the　sirocco　and　filled　the　flat　in　the　Place　Vendome　with　a　mad　wind　of　folly。　It　was　overrun　from　morning　to　night　by　the　habitual　element；　augmented　now　by　a　constant　arrival　of　little　dark　men；　brown　as　the　locust…bean；　with　regular　features　and　thick　beards；　some　turbulent　and　talkative；　like　Paganetti；　others　silent；　self…contained　and　dogmatic：　the　two　types　of　the　race　upon　which　the　same　climate　produces　different　effects。　All　these　famished　islanders；　in　the　depths　of　their　savage　country；　promised　each　other　to　meet　at　the　Nabob's　table。　His　house　had　become　an　inn；　a　restaurant；　a　market…place。　In　the　dining…room；　where　the　table　was　kept　constantly　laid；　there　was　always　to　be　found　some　newly　arrived　Corsican；　with　the　bewildered　and　greedy　appearance　of　a　country　cousin；　having　something　to　eat。

The　boasting；　clamorous　race　of　election　agents　is　the　same　everywhere；　but　these　were　unusually　fiery；　had　a　zeal　even　more　impassioned　and　the　vanity　of　turkey…cocks；　all　worked　up　to　white　heat。　The　most　insignificant　recorder；　inspector；　mayor's　secretary；　village　schoolmaster；　spoke　as　if　he　had　the　whole　country　behind　him；　and　the　pockets　of　his　threadbare　black　coat　full　of　votes。　And　it　is　a　fact；　in　Corsican　parishes　（Jansoulet　had　seen　it　for　himself）　families　are　so　old；　have　sprung　from　so　little；　have　so　many　ramifications；　that　any　poor　fellow　breaking　stones　on　the　road　is　able　to　claim　relationship　with　the　greatest　personages　of　the　island；　and　is　thereby　able　to　exert　a　serious　influence。　These　complications　are　aggravated　still　more　by　the　national　temperament；　which　is　proud；　secretive；　scheming；　and　vindictive；　so　it　follows　that　one　has　to　be　careful　how　one　walks　amid　the　network　of　threads　stretching　from　one　extremity　of　the　people　to　the　other。

The　worst　was　that　all　these　people　were　jealous　of　each　other；　detested　each　other；　and　quarrelled　across　the　table　about　the　election；　exchanging　black　looks　and　grasping　the　handles　of　their　knives　at　the　least　contradiction。　They　spoke　very　loud　and　all　at　once；　some　in　the　hard；　sonorous　Genoese　dialect；　and　others　in　the　most　comical　French；　all　choking　with　suppressed　oaths。　They　threw　in　each　other's　teeth　names　of　unknown　villages；　dates　of　local　scandals；　which　suddenly　revived　between　two　fellow　guests　two　centuries　of　family　hatreds。　The　Nabob　was　afraid　of　seeing　his　luncheons　end　tragically；　and　strove　to　calm　all　this　violence　and　conciliate　them　with　his　large　good…natured　smile。　But　Paganetti　reassured　him。　According　to　him；　the　vendetta；　though　still　existing　in　Corsica；　no　longer　employs　the　stiletto　or　the　rifle　except　very　rarely；　and　among　the　lowest　classes。　The　anonymous　letter　had　taken　their　place。　Indeed；　every　day　unsigned　letters　were　received　at　the　Place　Vendome　written　in　this　style：

〃M。　Jansoulet；　you　are