爱爱小说网 > 其他电子书 > modeste mignon >

第41章

modeste mignon-第41章

小说: modeste mignon 字数: 每页3500字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!




Modeste the night before; and did not see how he could get out of

them。



〃Monsieur knows my attachment to him;〃 said Germain; perceiving that

the poet was quite thrown off his balance; 〃he will not be surprised

if I give him a word of advice。 There is that clerk; try to get the

truth out of him。 Perhaps he'll unbutton after a bottle or two of

champagne; or at any rate a third。 It would be strange indeed if

monsieur; who will one day be ambassador; as Philoxene has heard

Madame la duchesse say time and time again; couldn't turn a little

notary's clerk inside out。〃







CHAPTER XXIII



BUTSCHA DISTINGUISHES HIMSELF



At this instant Butscha; the hidden prompter of the fishing part; was

requesting the secretary to say nothing about his trip to Paris; and

not to interfere in any way with what he; Butscha; might do。 The dwarf

had already made use of an unfavorable feeling lately roused against

Monsieur Mignon in Havre in consequence of his reserve and his

determination to keep silence as to the amount of his fortune。 The

persons who were most bitter against him even declared calumniously

that he had made over a large amount of property to Dumay to save it

from the just demands of his associates in China。 Butscha took

advantage of this state of feeling。 He asked the fishermen; who owed

him many a good turn; to keep the secret and lend him their tongues。

They served him well。 The captain of the fishing…smack told Germain

that one of his cousins; a sailor; had just returned from Marseilles;

where he had been paid off from the brig in which Monsieur Mignon

returned to France。 The brig had been sold to the account of some

other person than Monsieur Mignon; and the cargo was only worth three

or four hundred thousand francs at the utmost。



〃Germain;〃 said Canalis; as the valet was leaving the room; 〃serve

champagne and claret。 A member of the legal fraternity of Havre must

carry away with him proper ideas of a poet's hospitality。 Besides; he

has got a wit that is equal to Figaro's;〃 added Canalis; laying his

hand on the dwarf's shoulder; 〃and we must make it foam and sparkle

with champagne; you and I; Ernest; will not spare the bottle either。

Faith; it is over two years since I've been drunk;〃 he added; looking

at La Briere。



〃Not drunk with wine; you mean;〃 said Butscha; looking keenly at him;

〃yes; I can believe that。 You get drunk every day on yourself; you

drink in so much praise。 Ha; you are handsome; you are a poet; you are

famous in your lifetime; you have the gift of an eloquence that is

equal to your genius; and you please all women;even my master's

wife。 Admired by the finest sultana…valide that I ever saw in my life

(and I never saw but her) you can; if you choose; marry Mademoiselle

de La Bastie。 Goodness! the mere inventory of your present advantages;

not to speak of the future (a noble title; peerage; embassy!); is

enough to make me drunk already;like the men who bottle other men's

wine。〃



〃All such social distinctions;〃 said Canalis; 〃are of little use

without the one thing that gives them value;wealth。 Here we can talk

as men with men; fine sentiments only do in verse。〃



〃That depends on circumstances;〃 said the dwarf; with a knowing

gesture。



〃Ah! you writer of conveyances;〃 said the poet; smiling at the

interruption; 〃you know as well as I do that 'cottage' rhymes with

'pottage;'and who would like to live on that for the rest of his

days?〃



At table Butscha played the part of Trigaudin; in the 〃Maison en

loterie;〃 in a way that alarmed Ernest; who did not know the waggery

of a lawyer's office; which is quite equal to that of an atelier。

Butscha poured forth the scandalous gossip of Havre; the private

history of fortune and boudoirs; and the crimes committed code in

hand; which are called in Normandy; 〃getting out of a thing as best

you can。〃 He spared no one; and his liveliness increased with the

torrents of wine which poured down his throat like rain through a

gutter。



〃Do you know; La Briere;〃 said Canalis; filling Butscha's glass; 〃that

this fellow would make a capital secretary to the embassy?〃



〃And oust his chief!〃 cried the dwarf flinging a look at Canalis whose

insolence was lost in the gurgling of carbonic acid gas。 〃I've little

enough gratitude and quite enough scheming to get astride of your

shoulders。 Ha; ha; a poet carrying a hunchback! that's been seen;

often seenon book…shelves。 Come; don't look at me as if I were

swallowing swords。 My dear great genius; you're a superior man; you

know that gratitude is the word of fools; they stick it in the

dictionary; but it isn't in the human heart; pledges are worth

nothing; except on a certain mount that is neither Pindus nor

Parnassus。 You think I owe a great deal to my master's wife; who

brought me up。 Bless you; the whole town has paid her for that in

praises; respect; and admiration;the very best of coin。 I don't

recognize any service that is only the capital of self…love。 Men make

a commerce of their services; and gratitude goes down on the debit

side;that's all。 As to schemes; they are my divinity。 What?〃 he

exclaimed; at a gesture of Canalis; 〃don't you admire the faculty

which enables a wily man to get the better of a man of genius? it

takes the closest observation of his vices; and his weaknesses; and

the wit to seize the happy moment。 Ask diplomacy if its greatest

triumphs are not those of craft over force? If I were your secretary;

Monsieur le baron; you'd soon be prime…minister; because it would be

my interest to have you so。 Do you want a specimen of my talents in

that line? Well then; listen; you love Mademoiselle Modeste

distractedly; and you've good reason to do so。 The girl has my fullest

esteem; she is a true Parisian。 Sometimes we get a few real Parisians

born down here in the provinces。 Well; Modeste is just the woman to

help a man's career。 She's got THAT in her;〃 he cried; with a turn of

his wrist in the air。 〃But you've a dangerous competitor in the duke;

what will you give me to get him out of Havre within three days?〃



〃Finish this bottle;〃 said the poet; refilling Butscha's glass。



〃You'll make me drunk;〃 said the dwarf; tossing off his ninth glass of

champagne。 〃Have you a bed where I could sleep it off? My master is as

sober as the camel that he is; and Madame Latournelle too。 They are

brutal enough; both of them; to scold me; and they'd have the rights

of it toothere are those deeds I ought to be drawing!〃 Then;

suddenly returning to his previous ideas; after the fashion of a

drunken man; he exclaimed; 〃and I've such a memory; it is on a par

with my gratitude。〃



〃Butscha!〃 cried the poet; 〃you said just now you had no gratitude;

you contradict yourself。〃



〃Not at all;〃 he replied。 〃To forget a thing means almost always

recollecting it。 Come; come; do you want me to get rid of the duke?

I'm cut out for a secretary。〃



〃How could you manage it?〃 said Canalis; delighted to find the

conversation taking this turn of its own accord。



〃That's none of your business;〃 said the dwarf; with a portentous

hiccough。



Butscha's head rolled between his shoulders; and his eyes turned from

Germain to La Briere; and from La Briere to Canalis; after the manner

of men who; knowing they are tipsy; wish to see what other men are

thinking of them; for in the shipwreck of drunkenness it is noticeable

that self…love is the last thing that goes to the bottom。



〃Ha! my great poet; you're a pretty good trickster yourself; but you

are not deep enough。 What do you mean by taking me for one of your own

readers;you who sent your friend to Paris; full gallop; to inquire

into the property of the Mignon family? Ha; ha! I hoax; thou hoaxest;

we hoaxGood! But do me the honor to believe that I'm deep enough to

keep the secrets of my own business。 As the head…clerk of a notary; my

heart is a locked box; padlocked! My mouth never opens to let out

anything about a client。 I know all; and I know nothing。 Besides; my

passion is well known。 I love Modeste; she is my pupil; and she must

make a good marriage。 I'll fool the duke; if need be; and you shall

marry〃



〃Germain; coffee and liqueurs;〃 said Canalis。



〃Liqueurs!〃 repeated Butscha with a wave of his hand; and the air of a

sham virgin repelling seduction; 〃Ah; those poor deeds! one of 'em was

a marriage contract; and that second clerk of mine is as stupid asas

an epithalamium; and he's capable of digging his penknife right

through the bride's paraphernalia; he thinks he's a handsome man

because he's five feet six;idiot!〃



〃Here is some creme de the; a liqueur of the West Indies;〃 said

Canalis。 〃You; whom Mademoiselle Modeste consults〃



〃Yes; she consults me。〃



〃Well; do you think she loves me?〃 asked the poet。



〃Loves you? yes; more than she loves the duke; answered the dwarf;

rousing himself from a stupor which was admirably played。 〃She loves

you for your disinterestedness。 She told me she was ready to make the

greatest sacrifices for your sake; to give up dress and spend as

little as possible on herself; and devote her life to showing you that

in marrying her you hadn't done so〃 (hiccough) 〃bad a thing for

yourself。 She's as right as a trivet;yes; and well informed。 She

knows everything; that girl。〃



〃And she has three hundred thousand francs?〃



〃There may be quite as much as that;〃 cried the dwarf;

enthusiastically。 〃Papa Mignon;mignon by name; mignon by nature; and

that's why I respect him;well; he would rob himself of everything to

marry his daughter。 Your Restoration〃 (hiccough) 〃has taught him how

to live on half…pay; he'd be quite content to live with Dumay on next

to nothing; if he could rake and scrape enough together to give the

little one three hundred thousand francs。 But don't let's forget that

Dumay is going to leave all his money to Modeste。 Dumay; you know; is

a Breton; and that fact clinches the matter; he won't go back from his

word; and his fortune is equal to the colonel's。 But I don't approve

of Monsieur Mignon's taking back that villa; and; as they often ask my

advice; I told them so。 'You sink too much in it;' I said; 'if Vilquin

does not buy it back there's two hundred thousand francs which won't

bring you a penny; it only leaves you a hundred thousand to get along

with; and it isn't enough。' The colonel and Dumay are consulting about

it now。 But nevertheless; between you and me; Modeste is sure to be

rich。 I hear talk on the quays against it; but that's all nonsense;

people are jealous。 Why; there's no such 'dot' in Havre;〃 cried

Butscha; beginning to count on his fingers。 〃Two to three hundred

thousand in ready money;〃 bending back the thumb of his left hand with

the forefinger of his right; 〃that's one item; the reversion of the

villa Mignon; that's another; 'tertio;' Dumay's property!〃 doubling

down his middle finger。 〃Ha! li

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的