A Man of Business.docx
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A Man of Business.docx
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AManofBusiness
AManofBusinessbyHonoredeBalzacTranslatedbyClaraBellandothersDEDICATION
ToMonsieurleBaronJamesdeRothschild,BankerandAustrianConsul-GeneralatParis.
AMANOFBUSINESS
Theword/lorette/isaeuphemisminventedtodescribethestatusofapersonage,orapersonageofastatus,ofwhichitisawkwardtospeak;theFrenchAcademie,initsmodesty,havingomittedtosupplyadefinitionoutofregardfortheageofitsfortymembers.Wheneveranewwordcomestosupplytheplaceofanunwieldycircumlocution,itsfortuneisassured;theword/lorette/haspassedintothelanguageofeveryclassofsociety,evenwheretheloretteherselfwillnevergainanentrance.Itwasonlyinventedin1840,andderivedbeyondadoubtfromtheagglomerationofsuchswallows'nestsabouttheChurchofOurLadyofLoretto.Thisinformationisforetymoligistsonly.Thosegentlemenwouldnotbesoofteninaquandaryifmediaevalwritershadonlytakensuchpainswithdetailsofcontemporarymannersaswetakeinthesedaysofanalysisanddescription.
Mlle.Turquet,orMalaga,forsheisbetterknownbyherpseudonym(See/LafausseMaitresse/.),wasoneoftheearliestparishionersofthatcharmingchurch.Atthetimetowhichthisstorybelongs,thatlightheartedandlivelydamselgladdenedtheexistenceofanotarywithawifesomewhattoobigoted,rigid,andfrigidfordomestichappiness.
Now,itsofelloutthatoneCarnivaleveningMaitreCardotwasentertainingguestsatMlle.Turquet'shouse--Desrochestheattorney,Bixiouofthecaricatures,Lousteauthejournalist,Nathan,andothers;itisquiteunnecessarytogiveanyfurtherdescriptionofthesepersonages,allbearersofillustriousnamesinthe/ComedieHumaine/.YoungLaPalferine,inspiteofhistitleofCountandhisgreatdescent,which,alas!
meansagreatdescentinfortunelikewise,hadhonoredthenotary'slittleestablishmentwithhispresence.
Atdinner,insuchahouse,onedoesnotexpecttomeetthepatriarchalbeef,theskinnyfowlandsaladofdomesticandfamilylife,noristhereanyattemptatthehypocriticalconversationofdrawing-roomsfurnishedwithhighlyrespectablematrons.When,alas!
willrespectabilitybecharming?
Whenwillthewomeningoodsocietyvouchsafetoshowratherlessoftheirshouldersandrathermorewitorgeniality?
MargueriteTurquet,theAspasiaoftheCirque-Olympique,isoneofthosefrank,verylivingpersonalitiestowhomallisforgiven,suchunconscioussinnersarethey,suchintelligentpenitents;ofsuchasMalagaonemightask,likeCardot--awittymanenough,albeitanotary--tobewell"deceived."Andyetyoumustnotthinkthatanyenormitieswerecommitted.DesrochesandCardotweregoodfellowsgrowntoograyintheprofessionnottofeelateasewithBixiou,Lousteau,Nathan,andyoungLaPalferine.Andtheyontheirsidehadtoooftenhadrecoursetotheirlegaladvisers,andknewthemtoowelltotryto"drawthemout,"inlorettelanguage.
Conversation,perfumedwithsevencigars,atfirstwasasfantasticasakidletloose,butfinallyitsettleddownuponthestrategyoftheconstantwarwagedinParisbetweencreditorsanddebtors.
Now,ifyouwillbesogoodastorecallthehistoryandantecedentsoftheguests,youwillknowthatinallParis,youcouldscarcelyfindagroupofmenwithmoreexperienceinthismatter;theprofessionalmenononehand,andtheartistsontheother,weresomethinginthepositionofmagistratesandcriminalshobnobbingtogether.AsetofBixiou'sdrawingstoillustratelifeinthedebtors'prison,ledtheconversationtotakethisparticularturn;
andfromdebtors'prisonstheywenttodebts.
Itwasmidnight.Theyhadbrokenupintolittleknotsroundthetableandbeforethefire,andgavethemselvesuptotheburlesquefunwhichisonlypossibleorcomprehensibleinParisandinthatparticularregionwhichisboundedbytheFaubourgMontmartre,theRueChausseed'Antin,theupperendoftheRuedeNavarinandthelineoftheboulevards.
Intenminutes'timetheyhadcometoanendofallthedeepreflections,allthemoralizings,smallandgreat,allthebadpunsmadeonasubjectalreadyexhaustedbyRabelaisthreehundredandfiftyyearsago.ItwasnotalittletotheircreditthatthepyrotechnicdisplaywascutshortwithafinalsquibfromMalaga.
"Itallgoestotheshoemakers,"shesaid."Ileftamillinerbecauseshefailedtwicewithmyhats.Thevixenhasbeenheretwenty-seventimestoaskfortwentyfrancs.Shedidnotknowthatweneverhavetwentyfrancs.Onehasathousandfrancs,oronesendstoone'snotaryforfivehundred;buttwentyfrancsIhaveneverhadinmylife.Mycookandmymaidmay,perhaps,havesomuchbetweenthem;butformyownpart,Ihavenothingbutcredit,andIshouldlosethatifItooktoborrowingsmallsums.IfIweretoaskfortwentyfrancs,Ishouldhavenothingtodistinguishmefrommycolleaguesthatwalktheboulevard."
"Isthemillinerpaid?
"askedLaPalferine.
"Oh,comenow,areyouturningstupid?
"saidshe,withawink."Shecamethismorningforthetwenty-seventhtime,thatishowIcametomentionit."
"Whatdidyoudo?
"askedDesroches.
"Itookpityuponher,and--orderedalittlehatthatIhavejustinvented,aquitenewshape.IfMlle.Amandasucceedswithit,shewillsaynomoreaboutthemoney,herfortuneismade."
"Inmyopinion,"putinDesroches,"thefinestthingsthatIhaveseeninaduelofthiskindgivethosewhoknowParisafarbetterpictureofthecitythanallthefancyportraitsthattheypaint.Someofyouthinkthatyouknowathingortwo,"hecontinued,glancingroundatNathan,Bixiou,LaPalferine,andLousteau,"butthekingofthegroundisacertainCount,nowbusyranginghimself.Inhistime,hewassupposedtobethecleverest,adroitest,canniest,boldest,stoutest,mostsubtleandexperiencedofallthepirates,who,equippedwithfinemanners,yellowkidgloves,andcabs,haveeversailedoreverwillsailuponthestormyseasofParis.HefearsneitherGodnorman.HeappliesinprivatelifetheprinciplesthatguidetheEnglishCabinet.Uptothetimeofhismarriage,hislifewasonecontinualwar,like--Lousteau's,forinstance.Iwas,andamstillhissolicitor."
"AndthefirstletterofhisnameisMaximedeTrailles,"saidLaPalferine.
"Forthatmatter,hehaspaideveryone,andinjurednoone,"
continuedDesroches."ButasyourfriendBixiouwassayingjustnow,itisaviolationofthelibertyofthesubjecttobemadetopayinMarchwhenyouhavenomindtopaytillOctober.Byvirtueofthisarticleofhisparticularcode,Maximeregardedacreditor'sschemeformakinghimpayatonceasaswindler'strick.Itwasalongtimesincehehadgraspedthesignificanceofthebillofexchangeinallitsbearings,directandremote.Ayoungmanonce,inmyplace,calledabillofexchangethe'asses'bridge'inhishearing.'No,'saidhe,'itistheBridgeofSighs;itistheshortestwaytoanexecution.'
Indeed,hisknowledgeofcommerciallawwassocomplete,thataprofessionalcouldnothavetaughthimanything.Atthattimehehadnothing,asyouknow.Hiscarriageandhorseswerejobbed;helivedinhisvalet'shouse;and,bytheway,hewillbeaherotohisvalettotheendofthechapter,evenafterthemarriagethatheproposestomake.Hebelongedtothreeclubs,anddinedatoneofthemwheneverhedidnotdineout.Asarule,hewastobefoundveryseldomathisownaddress--"
"Heoncesaidtome,"interruptedLaPalferine,"'MyoneaffectationisthepretencethatImakeoflivingintheRuePigalle.'"
"Well,"resumedDesroches,"hewasoneofthecombatants;andnowfortheother.YouhaveheardmoreorlesstalkofoneClaparon?
"
"Hadhairlikethis!
"criedBixiou,rufflinghislockstilltheystoodonend.GiftedwiththesametalentformimickingabsurditieswhichChopinthepianistpossessestosohighadegree,heproceededforthwithtorepresentthecharacterwithstartlingtruth.
"Herollshisheadlikethiswhenhespeaks;hewasonceacommercialtraveler;hehasbeenallsortsofthings--"
"Well,hewasborntotravel,foratthisminute,asIspeak,heisontheseaonhiswaytoAmerica,"saidDesroches."Itishisonlychance,forinallprobabilityhewillbecondemnedbydefaultasafraudulentbankruptnextsession."
"Verymuchatsea!
"exclaimedMalaga.
"ForsixorsevenyearsthisClaparonactedasmanofstraw,cat'spaw,andscapegoattotwofriendsofours,duTilletandNucingen;butin1829hispartwassowellknownthat--"
"Ourfriendsdroppedhim,"putinBixiou.
"Theylefthimtohisfateatlast,andhewallowedinthemire,"
continuedDesroches."In1833hewentintopartnershipwithoneCerizet--"
"What!
hethatpromotedajoint-stockcompanysonicelythattheSixthChambercutshorthiscareerwithacoupleofyearsinjail?
"askedthelorette.
"Thesame.UndertheRestoration,between1823and1827,Cerizet'soccupationconsistedinfirstputtinghisnameintrepidlytovariousparagraphs,onwhichthepublicprosecutorfastenedwithavidity,andsubsequentlymarchingofftoprison.Amancouldmakeanameforhimselfwithsmallexpenseinthosedays.TheLiberalpartycalledtheirprovincialchampion'thecourageousCerizet,'andtowards1828
somuchzealreceiveditsrewardin'generalinterest.'
"'Generalinterest'isakindofciviccrownbestowedonthedeservingbythedailypress.Cerizettriedtodiscountthe'generalinterest'takeninhim.HecametoParis,and,withsomehelpfromcapitalistsintheOpposition,startedasabroker,andconductedfinancialoperationstosomeextent,thecapitalbeingfoundbyamaninhiding,askilfulgamblerwhooverreachedhimself,andinconsequence,inJuly1830,hiscapitalfound
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