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Bureaucracy-Part22_Honore de Balzac(1799-1850)_Translated Works(翻译文学)-第2页

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"'If you would deign,'" said Gaudron; "add the word 'deign,' it is

more respectful. But you ought to know, first of all, whether Madame



la Dauphine will grant you her protection, and then you could suggest

to Madame la comtesse the idea of co-operating with the wishes of her



Royal Highness."

"You ought to designate the vacant post," said Baudoyer.



"'Madame la comtesse,'" began Saillard, rising, and bowing to his

wife, with an agreeable smile.



"Goodness! Saillard; how ridiculous you look. Take care, my man,

you'll make the woman laugh."



"'Madame la comtesse,'" resumed Saillard. "Is that better, wife?"

"Yes, my duck."



"'The place of the worthy Monsieur de la Billardiere is vacant; my

son-in-law, Monsieur Baudoyer--'"



"'Man of talent and extreme piety,'" prompted Gaudron.

"Write it down, Baudoyer," cried old Saillard, "write that sentence



down."

Baudoyer proceeded to take a pen and wrote, without a blush, his own



praises, precisely as Nathan or Canalis might have reviewed one of

their own books.



"'Madame la comtesse'-- Don't you see, mother?" said Saillard to his

wife; "I am supposing you to be the minister's wife."



"Do you take me for a fool?" she answered sharply. "I know that."

"'The place of the late worthy de la Billardiere is vacant; my son-in-



law, Monsieur Baudoyer, a man of consummatetalent and extreme

piety--'" After looking at Monsieur Gaudron, who was reflecting, he



added, "'will be very glad if he gets it.' That's not bad; it's brief

and it says the whole thing."



"But do wait, Saillard; don't you see that Monsieur l'abbe is turning

it over in his mind?" said Madame Saillard; "don't disturb him."



"'Will be very thankful if you would deign to interest yourself in his

behalf,'" resumed Gaudron. "'And in saying a word to his Excellency



you will particularly please Madame la Dauphine, by whom he has the

honor and the happiness to be protected.'"



"Ah! Monsieur Gaudron, that sentence is worth more than the

monstrance; I don't regret the four thousand eight hundred-- Besides,



Baudoyer, my lad, you'll pay them, won't you? Have you written it all

down?"



"I shall make you repeat it, father, morning and evening," said Madame

Saillard. "Yes, that's a good speech. How lucky you are, Monsieur



Gaudron, to know so much. That's what it is to be brought up in a

seminary; they learn there how to speak to God and his saints."



"He is as good as he is learned," said Baudoyer, pressing the priest's

hand. "Did you write that article?" he added, pointing to the



newspaper.

"No, it was written by the secretary of his Eminence, a young abbe who



is under obligations to me, and who takes an interest in Monsieur

Colleville; he was educated at my expense."



"A good deed is always rewarded," said Baudoyer.

While these four personages were sitting down to their game of boston,



Elisabeth and her uncle Mitral reached the cafe Themis, with much

discourse as they drove along about a matter which Elisabeth's keen



perceptions told her was the most powerful lever that could be used to

force the minister's hand in the affair of her husband's appointment.



Uncle Mitral, a former sheriff's officer, crafty, clever at sharp

practice, and full of expedients and judicial precautions, believed



the honor of his family to be involved in the appointment of his

nephew. His avarice had long led him to estimate the contents of old



Gigonnet's strong-box, for he knew very well they would go in the end

to benefit his nephew Baudoyer; and it was therefore important that



the latter should obtain a position which would be in keeping with the

combined fortunes of the Saillards and the old Gigonnet, which would



finally devolve on the Baudoyer's little daughter; and what an heiress

she would be with an income of a hundred thousand francs! to what



social position might she not aspire with that fortune? He adopted all

the ideas of his niece Elisabeth and thoroughly understood them. He



had helped in sending off Falleix expeditiously, explaining to him the

advantage of taking post horses. After which, while eating his dinner,



he reflected that it be as well to give a twist of his own to the

clever plan invented by Elisabeth.



When they reached the Cafe Themis he told his niece that he alone

could manage Gigonnet in the matter they both had in view, and he made



her wait in the hackney-coach and bide her time to come forward at the




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