登陆注册
15492200000012

第12章 UNCONSCIOUS COMEDIANS(11)

"My dear friend," said Vauvinet, "if I had the money, I couldn't possibly discount, even at fifty per cent, notes which are drawn by your porter. Ravenouillet's paper isn't in demand. He's not a Rothschild. I warn you that his notes are worn thin; you had better invent another firm. Find an uncle. As for a friend who'll sign notes for us there's no such being to be found; the matter-of-factness of the present age is making awful progress."

"I have a friend," said Bixiou, motioning to Leon's cousin. "Monsieur here; one of the most distinguished manufacturers of cloth in the South, named Gazonal. His hair is not very well dressed," added Bixiou, looking at the touzled and luxuriant crop on the provincial's head, "but I am going to take him to Marius, who will make him look less like a poodle-dog, an appearance so injurious to his credit, and to ours."

"I don't believe in Southern securities, be it said without offence to monsieur," replied Vauvinet, with whom Gazonal was so entertained that he did not resent his insolence.

Gazonal, that extremely penetrating intellect, thought that the painter and Bixiou intended, by way of teaching him to know Paris, to make him pay the thousand francs for his breakfast at the Cafe de Paris, for this son of the Pyrenees had never got out of that armor of distrust which incloses the provincial in Paris.

"How can you expect me to have outstanding business at seven hundred miles from Paris?" added Vauvinet.

"Then you refuse me positively?" asked Bixiou.

"I have twenty francs, and no more," said the young usurer.

"I'm sorry for you," said the joker. "I thought I was worth a thousand francs."

"You are worth two hundred thousand francs," replied Vauvinet, "and sometimes you are worth your weight in gold, or at least your tongue is; but I tell you I haven't a penny."

"Very good," replied Bixiou; "then we won't say anything more about it. I had arranged for this evening, at Carabine's, the thing you most wanted--you know?"

Vauvinet winked an eye at Bixiou; the wink that two jockeys give each other when they want to say: "Don't try trickery."

"Don't you remember catching me round the waist as if I were a pretty woman," said Bixiou, "and coaxing me with look and speech, and saying, 'I'll do anything for you if you'll only get me shares at par in that railroad du Tillet and Nucingen have made an offer for?' Well, old fellow, du Tillet and Nucingen are coming to Carabine's to-night, where they will meet a number of political characters. You've lost a fine opportunity. Good-bye to you, old carrot."

Bixiou rose, leaving Vauvinet apparently indifferent, but inwardly annoyed by the sense that he had committed a folly.

"One moment, my dear fellow," said the money-lender. "Though I haven't the money, I have credit. If your notes are worth nothing, I can keep them and give you notes in exchange. If we can come to an agreement about that railway stock we could share the profits, of course in due proportion and I'll allow you that on--"

"No, no," said Bixiou, "I want money in hand, and I must get those notes of Ravenouillet's cashed."

"Ravenouillet is sound," said Vauvinet. "He puts money into the savings-bank; he is good security."

"Better than you," interposed Leon, "for HE doesn't stipend lorettes; he hasn't any rent to pay; and he never rushes into speculations which keep him dreading either a rise or fall."

"You think you can laugh at me, great man," returned Vauvinet, once more jovial and caressing; "you've turned La Fontaine's fable of 'Le Chene et le Roseau' into an elixir-- Come, Gubetta, my old accomplice," he continued, seizing Bixiou round the waist, "you want money; well, I can borrow three thousand francs from my friend Cerizet instead of two; 'Let us be friends, Cinna!' hand over your colossal cabbages,--made to trick the public like a gardener's catalogue. If I refused you it was because it is pretty hard on a man who can only do his poor little business by turning over his money, to have to keep your Ravenouillet notes in the drawer of his desk. Hard, hard, very hard!"

"What discount do you want?" asked Bixiou.

"Next to nothing," returned Vauvinet. "It will cost you a miserable fifty francs at the end of the quarter."

"As Emile Blondet used to say, you shall be my benefactor," replied Bixiou.

"Twenty per cent!" whispered Gazonal to Bixiou, who replied by a punch of his elbow in the provincial's oesophagus.

"Bless me!" said Vauvinet opening a drawer in his desk as if to put away the Ravenouillet notes, "here's an old bill of five hundred francs stuck in the drawer! I didn't know I was so rich. And here's a note payable at the end of the month for four hundred and fifty;

Cerizet will take it without much diminution, and there's your sum in hand. But no nonsense, Bixiou! Hein? to-night, at Carabine's, will you swear to me--"

"Haven't we RE-friended?" said Bixiou, pocketing the five-hundred-franc bill and the note for four hundred and fifty. "I give you my word of honor that you shall see du Tillet, and many other men who want to make their way--their railway--to-night at Carabine's."

Vauvinet conducted the three friends to the landing of the staircase, cajoling Bixiou on the way. Bixiou kept a grave face till he reached the outer door, listening to Gazonal, who tried to enlighten him on his late operation, and to prove to him that if Vauvinet's follower, Cerizet, took another twenty francs out of his four hundred and fifty, he was getting money at forty per cent.

When they reached the asphalt Bixiou frightened Gazonal by the laugh of a Parisian hoaxer,--that cold, mute laugh, a sort of labial north wind.

"The assignment of the contract for that railway is adjourned, positively, by the Chamber; I heard this yesterday from that marcheuse whom we smiled at just now. If I win five or six thousand francs at lansquenet to-night, why should I grudge sixty-five francs for the power to stake, hey?"

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 真假太子妃

    真假太子妃

    杨萌萌从小就被大家称之为天才,才18岁,就成了某大医院的主治医生。阴差阳错魂魄穿到异世一个和太子订了婚,却被杀的郡主身上。还没明白是怎么回事,就被人当尸体扔到了山崖底下。大难不死,萌萌又一次醒了过来。可是萌萌完全不知道自己是谁。她利用自己男孩的装扮,顶着欧阳海洋的名子,建医院,开学馆,训练特种小队来寻找那名疯老道。她把二十一世纪的先进理念融入到了异世。她用她的善良、乐观向上的态度赢得了她周围人的喜爱,更赢得了太子的情有独钟。情景一:“那我得多拍你两下,你这么聪明,我那机会养你。”“谁用你养,你有恋童癖呀!”情景二:“我想跟你白头到老。”“你,你是断袖吗?”“我是不是断袖,你心里明白。”
  • 芳路之爱在星空

    芳路之爱在星空

    宋谨芳一个生活在偏远且封闭的北方农村,世俗的偏见让生为女儿身的她受到了父亲的怠慢。父亲在她还很小的时候,就把她和邻家朋友的三儿子定了婚约。可执拗的宋谨芳一心想上学,想从学校这条路走到大城市去。却不经意被邻家老大喜欢,生出了一件又一件不被人家接受的事情。为了摆脱世俗,摆脱这桩婚姻,她借住到一同学家里。在那里她受到了这对母子的爱戴,也萌生了一段充满坎坷的爱情。在经过种种磨难之后,宋谨芳终于如愿以偿,考了大学。可是心已伤痕累累,爱也随风而去。
  • 妖娆妻主之青觞曲

    妖娆妻主之青觞曲

    【女尊短篇文】郁青歌,穿越到女尊世界成为了风月阁头牌,京城四大美人之首!!阴差阳错救了被百般虐待的丑陋“下奴”,郁青歌看他很是顺眼,既然这么顺眼将就收了他吧!并给男子起名曲桦。郁青歌调戏男子道:“如果想要谢我,那就以…身…相许吧!”“不答应?好吧,总有一天我会让你答应我的”女尊男生子(1v1)不喜者请绕道!!!
  • 兰陵王妃

    兰陵王妃

    为了再被人问起,我事先说几点哈,第一,这篇文是按电视剧的人物写的,内容是原创。第二,这个剧情可能有些略,请支持兰和舞的童鞋们忍下哈~~~毕竟先苦后甜嘛~~~
  • 天涯追梦

    天涯追梦

    一块七色麒麟古玉让原本平静的中华大地掀起了一波探墓风波,至此原本毫无交集的四个人走到了一起,在经历了一个个匪夷所思的冒险之后,终于发现了一个惊天的秘密,至此,付出一生,只为终结。
  • 灭世阴阳剑

    灭世阴阳剑

    两千年前的灭世之战中幸存的男主神浩,灵魂附体在女主苏凡的项链上。将苏凡引入魔法修炼的道路上,修行成长之中,彼此产生了特别的感情。可是苏凡却有婚约在身,陷入矛盾之中……
  • 三姓山川纪

    三姓山川纪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 女人,女人

    女人,女人

    一朝进婆门事情就接连不断的出现多次经历生死生下了宝宝最后却得到一句离婚
  • 穿回夏年止步于前

    穿回夏年止步于前

    “铛铛,铛铛。”芷夏在附近的街区巡游了好久,才找到失踪一段时间的小金猫。“你这么不乖,我可是会生气的喔。”芷夏这才发现,自己再次来到了废墟前。“如果能够回去,再看看以往的他们,就好了。”芷夏摸着小金猫的皮毛,往前迈了一步。小金猫忽然抓伤她的手,往废墟里跑去。阳光忽然格外刺眼,芷夏冲进了废墟。一阵大风掀起周边的废弃物,往少女砸去。等少女在醒来时,发现自己变回3年前学生的样子,还多了一个神秘又亲切的伙伴铛铛。已经拆卸的校园现在完好无损的呈现在她眼前,这是怎么一回事?这是梦还是一场骗局?
  • 有情人,终成故事

    有情人,终成故事

    “姑奶奶。你这是折腾啥呀?”我当时满是抱怨。因为小娘皮与她的小狗弄脏了我刚清洁干净的地板。?“它可怜!”小娘皮眼眶红红的,抽着鼻子。?“可怜你就往家里带?那要带你也带你家去,带我这干嘛吖?”“你也可怜。”?“我可怜?啥意思吖?”?“单身狗,都可怜。”小娘皮扁扁嘴,将小狗直接丢我怀里:“你俩同病相怜,正好做个伴。”?