So one morning he went up to the Princess's rooms, and, like a friend who is also a man of business, he explained to her the motive9 and the mechanism10 of the bank which he dreamed of. He told her everything, spread the contents of Hamelin's portfolio11 before her, did not omit one of the many Oriental enterprises. Yielding to the faculty12 he possessed13 of becoming intoxicated14 by his own enthusiasm, and of acquiring faith by his burning desire to succeed, he even revealed the mad dream of the Papacy established at Jerusalem, spoke15 of the final triumph of Catholicism, the Pope enthroning himself in the[Pg 113] Holy Land, dominating the world, and assured of a royal budget, thanks to the creation of the Treasury16 of the Holy Sepulchre.
The Princess, an ardent17 devotee, was solely18 struck by this supreme19 project, this crowning of the edifice20, the chimerical21 grandeur22 of which was in keeping with the disorderly imagination which prompted her to throw away her millions in good works of colossal23 and useless luxury. The French Catholics had just been startled and irritated by the treaty which the Emperor had concluded with the King of Italy, and by which he pledged himself, under certain conditions, to withdraw the French troops from Rome. It was very certain that this meant the abandonment of Rome to Italy; and the Catholics already saw the Pope driven away, reduced to soliciting24 alms, and wandering through the cities of Europe leaning on a beggar's staff. But what a prodigious25 dénouement that would be: the Pope again finding himself Pontiff and King at Jerusalem, installed and sustained there by a bank in which the Catholics of the whole universe would regard it an honour to become shareholders26! It was so beautiful a conception that the Princess declared it the grandest idea of the century, worthy28 to incite29 the enthusiasm of any well-born person possessed of faith. Success seemed to her absolutely certain, and her esteem30 for the engineer Hamelin, whom she treated with consideration, knowing him to be a constant worshipper, increased. Nevertheless, she flatly refused to go into the affair; she intended to remain faithful to her oath to restore her millions to the poor, without ever deriving31 from them a single copper32 of interest, for she desired that this money, the fruit of gambling33, should be lost, drunk up by poverty, like some poisoned water that must disappear. The argument that the poor would profit by the speculation34 did not touch her; it even irritated her. No, no! the accursed source must be dried up, exhausted35; she had undertaken no other mission.
Disconcerted, Saccard could only profit by her sympathy to obtain from her an authorisation which he had hitherto vainly solicited36. It had been his idea to install the Universal Bank in the mansion37 itself; or, at least, Madame Caroline had[Pg 114] suggested this idea to him; for he himself saw things on a grander scale, and would have liked a palace forthwith. However, they might content themselves with roofing the court, yard with glass and transforming it into a central hall; whilst the entire ground floor, the stables, and coach-houses might be fitted up as offices. Then on the first floor he would give up his salon39, which would do duty as a board-room, whilst his dining-room and six other rooms could be turned into additional offices. For himself, he should merely retain a bed-chamber41 and dressing-room, taking his meals and passing his evenings upstairs with the Hamelins; so that at small expense they would provide the Bank with somewhat limited but very respectable quarters. The Princess, as proprietor42, had at first refused her consent, through her hatred43 of all traffic in money. Never, said she, should her roof shelter such abomination. But when she found that religion entered into the matter, she was moved by the grandeur of the purpose, and consented. It was an extreme concession44, and she felt a little shudder45 pass through her at the thought of that infernal machine, a financial establishment, a house of speculation and jobbery, with its machinery46 of ruin and death, being set up underneath47 her.
Finally, a week after this abortive48 effort, Saccard had the joy of seeing the affair, so long thwarted49 by obstacles, concluded in a few days' time. Daigremont called to tell him that he had secured all needful support, and that they could go ahead. Then, for the last time, they went together over the proposed bye-laws, and drew up the articles of association. And it was a great time too for the Hamelins, whose circumstances were growing difficult again. Hamelin had for years had but one dream—to become the consulting engineer of a great financial establishment; as he expressed it, he undertook to bring the water to the mill. So, little by little, Saccard's fever had gained upon him, and he now burned with the same zeal50 and impatience. Madame Caroline, on the contrary, after her first enthusiasm at the idea of the beautiful and useful things which they were going to accomplish, seemed to grow colder and wore a dreamy air, now that they were reaching[Pg 115] the briars and bogs51 of execution. Her great good sense, her upright nature, scented52 all sorts of dark and unclean holes; and she particularly trembled for her brother, whom she adored and whom she sometimes laughingly called 'a big stupid' in spite of all his science; not that she in the least doubted the perfect honesty of their friend, whom she saw so devoted53 to their fortune; but she experienced a singular sensation, as if the earth were moving under her feet, and feared lest she should fall and be swallowed up at the first false step.
That morning, Saccard, when Daigremont had gone, went up to the workroom with a beaming face. 'At last, it is settled!' he cried.
Hamelin, in a transport, stepped forward with moist eyes, and grasped his hands, as if he would crush them. And as Madame Caroline simply turned towards him, a little pale, Saccard added: 'Well, and you, is that all you have to say to me? Doesn't this news please you?'
Thereupon she smiled pleasantly. 'Why, yes, I am very glad, very glad, I assure you.'
And when he had given her brother particulars respecting the syndicate now definitely formed, she intervened with her peaceful air: 'So it is permissible54, eh? for several persons to meet and divide stock among themselves, before it has been issued?'
He made a violent gesture of affirmation. 'Why, certainly, it is permissible! You don't think us silly enough to risk a failure? To say nothing of the fact that we need the support of men of standing55, men who can control the market should matters be difficult at the outset. And now, at any rate, four-fifths of our shares are placed in sure hands. We can proceed to sign the articles of association at the notary56's.'
She was daring enough to oppose him. 'I thought that the law required the subscription57 of the entire capital before that was done?'
This time, greatly surprised, he looked her in the face. 'You read the Code then?' he asked.
She coloured slightly, for he had guessed the truth. On the previous day, yielding to her uneasiness, that secret fear[Pg 116] without any precise cause, she had read the law which regulated joint58-stock companies. Still, just for a moment, she was on the point of denying it. Then she confessed with a laugh: 'Yes, it's true; I read the Code yesterday; and after my perusal60, I found myself examining into my own honesty and that of others, just as after reading medical books one fancies oneself afflicted61 with every disease.'
He, however, took offence; for the circumstance that she had wished to inform herself showed that she distrusted him, and was prepared to watch him, with her searching intelligent woman's eyes.
'Ah!' he replied, with a gesture which swept all vain scruples62 away, 'do you suppose that we are going to conform to the trumperies63 of the Code? Why! we could not take two steps; we should be met by obstacles at every turn, while others, our rivals, would go ahead at full speed and outstrip64 us. No, no, I certainly shan't wait till all the capital is subscribed65; moreover, I prefer to reserve some shares for ourselves, and I shall find a man with whom I will open an account, and who, in short, will be our man of straw.'
'It is forbidden,' she declared, simply, in that beautiful, grave voice of hers.
'Oh yes, it is forbidden, but all companies do it.'
'They do wrong, then, since it isn't right.'
Calming himself by a sudden effort of will, and smiling in his turn, Saccard thereupon thought it best to turn to Hamelin, who, in his embarrassment66, was listening without intervening. 'I hope that you don't doubt me, my dear friend; I am an old stager of some experience; you can trust yourself in my hands, so far as the financial side of the affair is concerned. Bring me good ideas, and I will undertake to make them yield all desirable profit with the least possible risk. I believe that a practical man can say nothing better.'
The engineer, with his invincible67 timidity and weakness, turned the matter into a joke, in order to avoid giving a direct answer. 'Oh! you will have a real censor68 in Caroline,' said he. 'She is a born schoolmistress.'
[Pg 117]
'But I am quite willing to join her class,' declared Saccard gallantly69.
Madame Caroline herself had begun laughing again. And the conversation continued in a familiar good-natured way.
'You see,' she said, 'I love my brother very much, and I like you yourself more than you think, and it would give me great sorrow to see you engage in shady transactions with nothing but disaster and grief at the end of them. Thus I may say, now that we are upon the matter, that I have a great terror of speculation and Bourse gambling. I was so glad, therefore, to read in the eighth clause of the proposed bye-laws which you made me copy that the company forbade itself all dealings "for account." That was a prohibition71 of gambling, was it not? And then you disenchanted me by laughing at me and explaining that it was simply a show clause, a formula which all companies made it a point of honour to insert in their bye-laws, but which none of them ever observed. Do you know what I should like? Why, that instead of these shares, these fifty thousand shares which you are going to issue, you should issue only debentures72. Oh! you see that I have become very learned since I read the Code; I am no longer ignorant that folks do not gamble in debentures, that a debenture-holder is a simple lender who receives a certain percentage for his loan without being interested in the profits, whereas the shareholder27 is a partner who runs the risk of profit and loss. So, why not debentures? That would tranquillise me so much; I should be so happy!'
She jocularly exaggerated the supplicating74 tone of her request in order to conceal75 her real anxiety. And Saccard answered in the same tone, with comical passion: 'Debentures, debentures! No, never! What would you have us do with debentures? They are so much dead matter. You must understand that speculation, gambling, is the central mechanism, the heart itself, of a vast affair like ours. Yes, it attracts blood, takes it from every source in little streamlets collects it, sends it back in rivers in all directions, and establishes an enormous circulation of money, which is the[Pg 118] very life of great enterprises. But for this, the great movements of capital and the great civilising works that result therefrom would be impossible. It is the same with joint-stock companies. Has there not been a great outcry against them? Has it not been said again and again that they are gambling, cut-throat institutions? But the truth is that without them we should have no railways nor any of the huge modern enterprises that have made the world a new one; for no single fortune would have sufficed to carry them through, just as no single individual or group of individuals would have been willing to run the risk. The risk and the grandeur of the object are everything. There must be a vast project, the magnitude of which will strike the imagination; there must be the hope of a considerable gain, of some stroke that will increase the investment tenfold, provided it is not swept away; and then passions kindle76, life abounds77, each brings his money, and you can knead the earth over again. What evil do you see in that? The risks incurred78 are voluntary, they are spread over an infinite number of persons, they are unequal, limited by the fortune and audacity79 of each. One man loses, but another wins; all hope to secure a lucky number, but must always expect to draw a blank; and humanity has no more obstinate80, no more ardent dream, than that of trying fortune, of striving to obtain everything from its capricious decisions, of becoming a king, a demi-god!'
Little by little, Saccard had ceased laughing, and straightening himself upon his short legs, he became inflamed81 with a lyric82 ardour, indulging the while in gestures that scattered83 his words to the four corners of heaven. 'See!' he cried, 'we, with our Universal Bank, are we not going to open up a broad horizon, pierce through that old world of Asia, that unlimited84 field for the pickaxe of progress and the dreams of the goldfinder? Certainly there was never a more colossal ambition, and, I grant it, never were the chances of success or failure more obscure. But, precisely85 for that reason, we are within the very terms of the problem, and shall arouse, I am convinced, extraordinary infatuation among the public as soon as we become known. Our Universal Bank will, in the first[Pg 119] place, be one of the orthodox establishments which transact70 all banking86 and discount business, which receive funds on deposit, and contract, negotiate, or issue loans. But what I especially wish to make of it, is a machine to launch your brother's grand projects: that will be its real r?le, the r?le in which it will find increasing profits and a gradually commanding power. We establish it, in short, in order that it may assist the financial and industrial companies which we shall organise87 in foreign countries, the companies whose shares we shall place, and which will owe us life and assure us sovereignty. And now that we are already in sight of this dazzling future of conquest, you come and ask me if it is allowable to form a syndicate and grant a premium88 to the syndicators, a premium which will be charged among the initial expenses. You worry yourself about inevitable89 petty irregularities, such as unsubscribed shares, which the Bank will do well to retain under cover of a man of straw; in short, you start on a campaign against gambling—gambling, good heavens! which is the very soul, the furnace, of the mechanical giant that I dream of! Know then that all this is nothing! that this paltry90 little capital of twenty-five millions is a simple faggot thrown under the machine to heat it! that I hope to double, quadruple, quintuple this capital as fast as our operations extend! that we must have a hail of gold, a dance of millions, if we wish to accomplish over yonder the prodigies91 we have predicted! Ah! I won't say there will be no breakage—one can't move the world, you know, without crushing the feet of a few passers-by.'
She looked at him, and, in her love of life, of all that was strong and active, she ended by finding him handsome, seductive, by reason of his fervour and faith. Accordingly, without espousing92 his theories, at which the uprightness of her clear intelligence revolted, she pretended to be vanquished93.
'Well, then, say that I am only a woman, and that the battles of existence frighten me. Only do try to crush as few people as possible, and especially crush none of those I love.'
Saccard, intoxicated by his own outburst of eloquence94, as[Pg 120] triumphant95 at the mere40 exposition of his vast plans as though the work were already done, made a display of great good-nature. 'Oh, don't be afraid!' said he; 'if I play the ogre, it is for fun. We shall all be rich.'
Then they talked quietly of the arrangements which had to be made, and it was agreed that Hamelin should proceed to Marseilles and thence to the East, to hasten the launching of their grand enterprises.
Rumours96 were already spreading, however, about the Parisian market; the name of Saccard emerged from the troubled depths in which it had temporarily sunk; and the reports which circulated, at first in a whisper, but gradually in a louder key, so clearly trumpeted97 approaching success that once again, as at the Parc Monceau in former days, his ante-room became filled every morning with applicants100. He saw Mazaud call, as if by chance, to shake hands with him and talk over the news of the day; he received other brokers101, Jacoby the Jew with the thundering voice, and his brother-in-law, Delarocque, a stout102 red-haired man who made his wife very unhappy. The coulisse came also, personified by Nathansohn, a little fair-haired, active man, borne onward103 on the wave of fortune. And as for Massias, resigned to the hard lot of an unlucky remisier, he already appeared every morning, though as yet there were no orders to be received. Day by day the crowd increased.
One morning at nine o'clock Saccard found the ante-room full. Not having yet engaged any special staff, he had to content himself with such assistance as his valet could give, and, as a rule, he took the trouble to usher104 in his visitors himself. That day, as he opened the door of his private room, Jantrou wished to be admitted, but among those waiting Saccard caught sight of Sabatani, for whom he had been searching for two days past.
'Excuse me, my friend,' said he, stopping the ex-professor in order to receive the Levantine first.
Sabatani, with his disturbing, caressing105 smile and adder-like suppleness106, left the speaking to Saccard, and the latter, like one who knew his man, plainly set forth38 his proposition.[Pg 121] 'My dear fellow,' said he, 'I have need of you. We want the loan of your name. I will open an account with you, set you down as the buyer of a certain number of our shares, which you will pay for simply by a manipulation of accounts. You can see that I come straight to the point, and treat you as a friend.'
The young man looked at him with his handsome velvet107 eyes gleaming softly in his long dark face.
'The law, dear master, formally specifies108 that payment must be made in cash. Oh! it is not for myself that I tell you that. You treat me as a friend, and I am very proud of it. Anything you like.'
Thereupon Saccard, to be agreeable to him, spoke of the esteem in which he was held by Mazaud, who was now willing to take his orders without cover. 'And, by the way,' he added, 'we shall also need signatures to make certain operations regular—transfers, for instance. Can I send you the papers to sign?'
'Why, certainly, dear master. Anything you like!'
He did not even raise the question of payment, knowing that such services are priceless; and, as the other added that they would give him a franc per signature to compensate110 him for his loss of time, he acquiesced111 with a simple nod of the head. Then, with his familiar smile, he said: 'I hope, too, dear master, that you won't refuse me your advice. As you will be so well placed, I shall come to you for information.'
'Quite so,' concluded Saccard, who understood. 'Till we meet again, be careful of yourself; don't listen too readily to the ladies.'
Then, with a laugh, for Sabatani was reported to be for some mysterious reason a remarkable112 favourite with the fair sex, he dismissed him by a private exit, which enabled him to send people away without making them pass through the ante-room again.
Having gone to open the other door, he next called Jantrou, who, as he saw at a glance, was in sore straits, at the very end of his tether, clad in a frock-coat, the sleeves of which had been worn threadbare by long leaning on café[Pg 122] tables during his endless 'wait' for a situation. The Bourse continued to be a hard-hearted mother to him, and yet he bore himself jauntily113, with his fan-shaped beard, still cynical114 and lettered, at times dropping a flowery phrase, betokening115 the former university man.
'I meant to write to you shortly,' said Saccard. 'We are drawing up a list of employees, upon which I have inscribed116 your name among the first, and I expect I shall place you in the issue office.'
Jantrou stopped him with a gesture. 'You are very kind, and I thank you. But I have a proposal to make to you.'
He did not explain himself forthwith, but, starting with generalities, inquired what part the Press would play in the launching of the Universal Bank. The other took fire at the first words, declared that he was for advertising117 on the largest scale, and would devote all available money to it. Not a trumpet98 was to be disdained118; not even the penny trumpets119; for he laid it down as an axiom that every noise was good from the simple fact that it was a noise. The ideal would be to have every paper at one's service; only that would cost too much.
'Is it your idea, then, to organise our advertising?' he at last inquired. 'Perhaps that wouldn't be a bad scheme. We will talk it over.'
'Yes, later, if you like. But what would you say to a paper of your own, completely your own, and which I should manage for you? Every morning there would be a page reserved for you, articles that would sing your praises, or paragraphs reminding people of you, with allusions120 to you in contributions altogether foreign to financial matters—in short, a regular campaign, in which, à propos of everything and nothing, you would be incessantly122 exalted123 on the slaughtered124 bodies of your rivals. Does that tempt125 you?'
'Why yes, if it doesn't cost the devil.'
'No, the price will be reasonable.'
And at last he named the paper he had in view—'L'Espérance,' which had been founded two years previously126 by a little group of Catholic notabilities, the violent members[Pg 123] of the party, who waged ferocious127 war upon the Empire. The success of their efforts was however absolutely null, and every week there circulated a fresh report of the paper's disappearance128.
'Oh, it doesn't print two thousand copies!' cried Saccard.
'But it will be our business to raise its circulation.'
'And besides, it is impossible: it drags my brother in the mud; I cannot afford to offend him at the very outset.'
Jantrou gently shrugged130 his shoulders. 'There is no need to offend anyone. You know as well as I do that, when a financial house has a paper of its own, it is of little consequence whether this paper supports or attacks the Government; if it is an officious journal, the house is certain to be included in all the syndicates organised by the Minister of Finance to insure the success of the State and Communal131 loans; while if it is an opposition132 print, the same minister is very considerate in his treatment of the bank which it represents, prompted by a desire to disarm133 it and win it over, which often finds expression in still more favours. So don't trouble yourself as to the politics of "L'Espérance." Have a paper, it is a power.'
Silent for a moment, Saccard, with that alertness of intellect which in a trice enabled him to appropriate another's idea, examine it, and adapt it to his needs, to the point of making it entirely134 his own, swiftly thought out a complete plan: he would buy 'L'Espérance,' silence its bitter attacks, lay it at the feet of his brother—who would be obliged to show his gratitude—but at the same time keep it Catholic, as a menace, a machine ever ready to resume its terrible campaign in the name of the interests of religion. And, if the folks in power were not amiable135 with him, he would brandish136 Rome in their faces, and risk the grand Jerusalem stroke. It would be a pretty trick to finish with.
'Should we be free to do as we chose?' he asked abruptly138.
'Absolutely free. They have had enough of it; the paper has fallen into the hands of a needy139 fellow who will hand it[Pg 124] over to us for ten thousand francs or so. We can then do what we like with it.'
Saccard reflected a minute longer. 'Well, it is settled,' he eventually said. 'Make an appointment and bring your man here. You shall be director, and I will see to centralising all our advertising in your hands. I wish it to be something unheard of, enormous—oh! later on when we have the wherewithal to set the machine going properly.'
He had risen. Jantrou also rose, concealing140 the joy he felt at finding bread, beneath a bantering141 laugh, the laugh of one who has lost caste, and is weary of all the mire142 of Paris.
'At last, then, I shall return to my element, my dear belles143 lettres!'
'Don't engage anybody as yet,' said Saccard, as he escorted him to the door. 'And while I think of it, just make a note of a protégé of mine, Paul Jordan, a young man whom I find remarkably144 talented, and in whom you will have an excellent literary contributor. I will write him a letter and tell him to call upon you.'
As Jantrou was going out by the private door, this happy arrangement of the two outlets145 struck him. 'Why, this is convenient,' said he, in his familiar style. 'One can conjure146 people away. When beautiful ladies come, like the one I saluted147 just now in the ante-room, the Baroness148 Sandorff——'
Saccard did not know that she was there, and with a shrug129 of his shoulders he sought to express his indifference149; but the other chuckled150, refusing to believe in such disinterestedness151. Then the two men exchanged a vigorous handshake, and Jantrou went off.
When he was alone, Saccard instinctively152 approached the mirror, and brushed back his hair, in which not a white thread as yet appeared. He had not, however, spoken falsely to Jantrou, for women scarcely entered his thoughts, now that business had again taken entire possession of him; and he merely yielded to the involuntary gallantry which makes it impossible for a Frenchman to find himself alone with a woman without fearing that she will look upon him as a blockhead if he does not conquer her. And so, as soon as he[Pg 125] had ushered153 in the Baroness, he showed himself remarkably attentive154.
'Be seated, madame, I pray you.'
Never had he seen her so strangely seductive, with her red lips, and her burning eyes with bruised155 lids, set deeply under thick eyebrows156. What could she want of him? And he was much surprised, almost mortified157, when she had explained to him the motive of her visit.
'Mon Dieu! monsieur, I beg your pardon for disturbing you without advantage to yourself; but between people who move in the same circle it is necessary one should render each other these little services. You lately had a cook, a chef, whom my husband is on the point of engaging. I have therefore simply come to inquire about him.'
Thereupon he allowed himself to be questioned, answering with the greatest obligingness, and at the same time never taking his eyes off her; for he fancied that all this was a mere pretext158: in her heart she cared little or nothing about the cook, she evidently came for something else. And, in fact, by man?uvring, she finally referred to a common friend, the Marquis de Bohain, who had spoken to her of the Universal Bank. So much trouble and worry were attached to investments, said she, it was so difficult to find reliable securities. And at last he understood that she would willingly take some shares, with the premium of ten per cent. given to the syndicators; and he understood still better that, if he should open an account with her, she would not pay.
'I have my private fortune, she said, 'my husband never meddles159 with it. It gives me a deal of worry, but supplies a little amusement also, I confess. People are astonished—are they not?—to see a woman busy herself with money matters, especially a young woman, and they are tempted160 to blame her. There are days when I am in mortal embarrassment, having no friends who are willing to advise me. Last fortnight, for want of proper information, I lost a considerable sum. Ah! now that you will be in such a good position to know things, if you would be obliging, if you would only——'
Through the woman of society pierced the gambler, the[Pg 126] fierce mad gambler. Such was the passion of this daughter of the Ladricourts, one of whose ancestors had taken Antioch, this diplomat's wife before whom the foreign colony of Paris bent73 almost double—a passion which led her, like some equivocal applicant99, to the offices of everyone who dabbled161 in finance. Her lips bled, her eyes flamed more brightly, her desire shot forth, seemingly stirring all her ardent nature. And he was simple enough to believe that she was prepared for everything, provided that he admitted her into his great enterprise, and gave her some useful financial tips when opportunity offered.
'Why, I ask nothing better, madame,' said he, 'than to lay my experience at your feet.'
He had drawn162 his chair nearer, and he took her hand. But at this she at once seemed sobered. Ah! no, she had not yet come to that point! And she rose up in a revolt of birth and breeding.
'So you say, monsieur, that you were satisfied with your chef?' she exclaimed.
Quite astonished, Saccard rose in his turn. Had she hoped that he would put her name on the list and give her information for nothing? However, he merely replied: 'Very well satisfied, I assure you. It was only a change in my household arrangements which led me to part with him.'
The Baroness Sandorff hesitated, though scarcely for a second. Then she responded with a simple inclination163 of her head to the respectful bow with which he bade her good-day; and he was accompanying her to the little door when it was suddenly opened in a familiar manner. The intruder was Saccard's son Maxime, who was to breakfast with him that morning. He stepped aside, likewise bowing, and allowed the Baroness to pass. When she had gone, however, he gave a slight laugh, followed by a few bantering words.
Then seating himself in a large arm-chair, and taking up a newspaper, he added: 'Don't mind me; finish your receiving, if I am not in the way. I have arrived too early, but the fact is I wanted to see my doctor, and I did not find him at home.'
[Pg 127]
Just then the valet came in to say that the Countess de Beauvilliers requested to be received. Saccard, a little surprised, although he had already met his 'noble neighbour,' as he called her, at the Institute of Work, gave orders for her immediate164 admittance; then, recalling the valet, he told him to send everybody else away, as he was tired and very hungry.
When the Countess entered, she did not even see Maxime, who was hidden by the back of the large arm-chair. And Saccard was still more astonished to find that she had brought her daughter Alice with her. This lent additional solemnity to the visit: these two women so sad and so pale, the mother slender, tall and very white, with a past-century air, and the daughter already ageing, with a neck elongated165 to the point of ugliness. He set chairs for them with a bustling166 politeness, the better to show his deference167. 'I am extremely honoured, madame,' said he; 'can I have the happiness to be of any use to you?'
With great timidity, which her haughty168 manners failed to conceal, the Countess finally explained the motive of her visit.
'Monsieur,' she said, 'it is in consequence of a conversation I lately had with my friend, the Princess d'Orviedo, that the idea occurred to me of calling on you. I confess to you that I hesitated at first, for at my age one cannot easily change one's ideas, and I have always been very much afraid of certain things of nowadays which I do not understand. At last, however, I have talked matters over with my daughter, and I believe it is my duty to stifle169 my scruples, so that I may try to assure the happiness of my children.'
And she continued; saying how the Princess had spoken to her of the Universal Bank, certainly a financial establishment like the rest of them in the eyes of the profane170, but endowed in the eyes of the initiated171 with an irreproachable172 excuse, an object so meritorious173 and lofty as to silence the most timorous174 consciences. She named neither the Pope nor Jerusalem; those were matters not to be spoken of, scarcely to be whispered among the faithful; therein lay the mystery destined175 to[Pg 128] excite enthusiasm; but each of her words, allusions, and hints revealed a hope and faith which imparted a true religious flame to her belief in the success of the new bank.
Saccard himself was astonished at her suppressed emotion, at the trembling in her voice. As yet he had only spoken of Jerusalem in the poetical176 phases of his fever. In his heart he distrusted that mad project, scenting177 something ridiculous in it, and quite prepared to abandon it and laugh at it if it should be greeted with jests. And the emotional application of this pious178 woman who brought her daughter with her, the earnest way in which she gave him to understand that she and all her kindred, the entire French nobility, would believe and become infatuated with the scheme, struck him forcibly, gave substance to what had been purely179 a dream, and infinitely180 enlarged his field of evolution. Was it true, then, that he had a lever here, the employment of which would permit him to move the world? With his gift of rapid assimilation, he at once entered into the situation, talking in mysterious terms of this final triumph which he would pursue in silence; and his speech was full of fervour, for he had really just acquired faith—faith in the excellence181 of the instrument placed in his hands by the crisis through which the Papacy was passing. He indeed had the happy faculty of believing, as soon as the success of his plans required it.
'In short, monsieur,' continued the Countess, 'I have decided182 upon a thing which has hitherto been repugnant to me. Yes, the idea of making money work, of putting it out at interest, had never entered my head. Mine are the old ways of viewing life, scruples that are becoming a little stupid, I know; but what would you have? One cannot easily throw off the ideas acquired in childhood, and I imagined that land alone, extensive estates, ought to support people like ourselves. Unfortunately, large estates——'
She blushed slightly, for she was coming to the confession183 of the ruin which she had so carefully concealed184. 'Large estates can now scarcely be found in France; we have been sorely tried, and now we have but one farm left.'
Thereupon Saccard, to spare her further embarrassment,[Pg 129] began blazing away. 'But nowadays, madame, no one lives on land. The landed fortune of olden times is an out-of-date form of wealth, which has ceased to have its raison d'être. It was the very stagnation185 of money, the value of which we have increased tenfold by throwing it into circulation, and by inventing paper money, and securities of all sorts, commercial and financial. It is by this means that the world is to be renewed, for nothing would be possible—neither the applications of science nor the final universal peace—without money, liquid money which flows and penetrates186 everywhere. Oh! landed wealth! it has gone to keep company with the old stage-coaches. With a million in land a man dies; whereas with a fourth of that capital invested in good enterprises at fifteen, twenty, and even thirty per cent., he lives.'
Gently, and with infinite sadness, the Countess shook her head. 'I scarcely understand you, and, as I have told you, I am a survivor187 of an epoch188 in which these things were feared, as things wicked and forbidden. However, I am not alone; above all, I must think of my daughter. In the last few years I have succeeded in laying aside, oh! a little sum——'
Her blush appeared again.
'Twenty thousand francs, which lie idle at home in a drawer. Later on perhaps I might feel remorseful189 at having left them thus unproductive; and since your enterprise has a good object, as my friend has confided190 to me, and since you are going to labour for what we all wish, and wish most ardently191, I will make the venture. In short, I shall be grateful to you if you can reserve for me some shares in your bank, say to the amount of ten or twelve thousand francs. I wanted my daughter to accompany me, for I will not conceal from you that this money is hers.'
So far Alice had not opened her mouth, but had kept quite in the background, in spite of her look of keen intelligence. Now, however, she made a gesture of loving reproach. 'Oh, mine, mamma! Have I anything that is not yours?'
'And your marriage, my child?'
'But you know very well that I do not wish to marry.'
She had said this too quickly; the chagrin192 of her solitude[Pg 130] cried out in her shrill193 voice. Her mother silenced her with a distressful194 glance; and they looked at each other for a moment, unable to lie, compelled as they were to share each other's daily sufferings and secrets.
Saccard was greatly moved. 'Madame,' said he, 'even though there were no more shares left, I would find some for you. Yes, if necessary, I will take them from my own. Your application touches me infinitely; I am highly honoured by your confidence.' And at that moment he really believed that he was making the fortune of these unfortunates; he associated them for a share in the golden rain that was about to pour upon him and around him.
The ladies had risen and were retiring. Only at the door did the Countess venture on a direct allusion121 to the grand affair, which they did not speak of. 'I have received,' she said, 'from my son Ferdinand, who is at Rome, a distressing195 letter respecting the sadness which the announcement of the withdrawal196 of our troops has produced there.'
'Patience!' declared Saccard, in a tone of conviction. 'We are here to save everything.'
They exchanged profound bows, and he accompanied them to the landing, passing this time through the ante-room, which he fancied was empty. But, as he came back, he noticed, on a bench, a tall, withered197 fellow of fifty, clad like a working man in his Sunday best, and accompanied by a pretty girl of eighteen, slender and pale.
'What! What do you want?'
The girl had risen first, and the man, intimidated198 by this abrupt137 reception, began to stammer199 a confused explanation.
'I had given orders that everybody was to be sent away!' added Saccard. 'Why are you here? Tell me your name at least.'
'Dejoie, monsieur, and I have come with my daughter Nathalie——'
Then he again became confused, so much so that Saccard in his impatience was about to push him to the door, when he finally understood that Madame Caroline had known the fellow for a long time and had told him to wait.
[Pg 131]
'Ah! you are recommended by Madame Caroline! You should have said so at first. Come in, and make haste, for I am very hungry.'
On returning to his room, he allowed Dejoie and Nathalie to remain standing; nor did he even sit down himself, wishing to despatch200 them more quickly. Maxime, who had risen on the departure of the Countess, was no longer discreet201 enough to hold aloof202, but scrutinised the new-comers with an air of curiosity. And Dejoie told his story at length.
'This is how it is, monsieur. After I served my term in the army I was engaged as office-porter by M. Durieu, Madame Caroline's late husband, when he was a brewer203. Then I entered the employ of M. Lamberthier, the salesman at the Central Markets; after which I worked for M. Blaisot, a banker, whom you must have known. He blew his brains out two months ago, and so I am now out of work. I must tell you first of all that I had married. Yes, I married my wife, Josephine, when I was with M. Durieu, and when she was cook to Monsieur's sister-in-law, Madame Leveque, whom Madame Caroline knew very well. Then, when I was with Monsieur Lamberthier, she could not get a situation there, but got suited at a doctor's in Grenelle, Monsieur Renaudin. Then she went to the linen204-draper's shop, the Trois-Frères, in the Rue59 Rambuteau, where by ill-luck I could never get a situation——'
'In short,' interrupted Saccard, 'you come to ask me for employment, don't you?'
Dejoie, however, was determined205 to explain the great grief of his life, the ill-fortune which had led him to marry a cook with whose employers he had never succeeded in obtaining a situation. It was as if they had not been married, never having a home they could call their own, but having to meet at wine-shops, and kiss each other behind kitchen-doors. However, a daughter was born, Nathalie, whom he had been obliged to put out to nurse until she was eight years old, until indeed he was tired of living alone, and took her to join him in his little bachelor lodging206. And in this wise he had become the little one's real mother, bringing her up, taking[Pg 132] her to school, watching over her with infinite care, his heart overflowing207 the while with growing adoration208.
'Ah! I may certainly say, monsieur,' he continued, 'that she has given me satisfaction. She's educated, and well behaved. And, as you can see yourself, she's as nice-looking as can be.'
Indeed Saccard found this blonde flower of the Paris pavements quite charming with her slight graceful209 figure and large eyes shining from under quivering ringlets of light hair. She complacently210 allowed her father to admire her, virtuous211 as yet, having no reason to be otherwise, yet allowing a ferocious, quiet egotism to be seen in the limpid212 brilliancy of her eyes.
'And so, monsieur,' continued Dejoie, 'she's now of an age to marry, and a capital suitor has just come forward, the eon of a pasteboard maker213, our neighbour. But he wants to set up in business himself, and asks for six thousand francs. It isn't much; he might expect a girl who would bring him more. I must tell you that I lost my wife four years ago and that she left us her savings214, her little profits as a cook, you see. Well, I have four thousand francs, but that's not six thousand, and the young man is in a hurry. Nathalie too——'
The girl, who stood listening, smiling, with a clear, cold decided look, here expressed assent215 with her chin. 'Of course,' said she, 'I want to end the matter, one way or another.'
Saccard again interposed. He had already gauged216 the man—his intellect might be limited, but he was upright, had a kindly217 heart, and was accustomed to military discipline. Moreover, it sufficed that he had presented himself with Madame Caroline's recommendation.
'Very well, my friend,' said the financier, 'I am about to purchase a newspaper, and I will engage you as office attendant. Let me have your address, and now good-day.'
Dejoie did not take his departure, however, but with fresh embarrassment resumed: 'It's very kind of you, monsieur. I'll accept the situation gratefully, for sure enough I shall have to work when I have arranged Nathalie's matter. But I came[Pg 133] for something else. Yes, I have heard through Madame Caroline and other people too, that you are about to start a big enterprise, monsieur, and will be able to place your friends and acquaintances in a position to make as much money as you may choose them to make. So if you would be kind enough, monsieur, to interest yourselves in us, if you would consent to let us have some of your shares——'
A second time was Saccard moved, more moved even than he had been on the first occasion when the Countess likewise had intrusted her daughter's dowry to him. Did not this simple man, this microscopical218 capitalist, with savings scraped up copper by copper, personify the believing, truthful219 multitude, the great multitude that means abundant, substantial custom, the fanatical army that endows a financial establishment with invincible power? If this worthy fellow hurried to him in this fashion, before a single announcement had been made, a single advertisement issued, what would it be when the offices opened? He smiled with emotion upon this first little shareholder, in whose coming he beheld220 an omen4 of immense success.
'Agreed, my friend, you shall have some shares,' said he.
Dejoie's face became radiant, as though some great unhoped-for favour had been promised him. 'You are very kind, monsieur. And with my four thousand francs I shall be able, shan't I? to gain two thousand more, in six months' time or so, and then we can make up the amount we want. And since you consent, monsieur, I would rather settle the matter at once. I've brought the money.'
He fumbled221 in his pocket and pulled out an envelope which he offered to Saccard, who stood there motionless, silent, struck with admiration222 at this final proof of confidence. And he, the terrible corsair, who had levied223 tribute on so many fortunes, ended by bursting into a hearty224 laugh, honestly resolved that he would enrich this trusting man as well as all the others.
'But, my good fellow,' he said, 'things are not managed in that way. Keep your money. I will put your name down, and you will pay up at the proper time and place.'
[Pg 134]
Thereupon he finally dismissed them, after Dejoie had made Nathalie thank him, which she did with a smile of content lighting225 up her hard, yet candid226 eyes.
When Maxime at last found himself alone with his father he remarked with that insolently227 jeering228 air of his: 'And so now you dower young girls?'
'Why not?' Saccard answered gaily229. 'It's a good thing to invest in other people's happiness.' Then before leaving his room he turned to set some papers in order, and all at once exclaimed: 'And you, by the way, don't you want some shares?'
Maxime, who was slowly walking up and down, turned round with a start, and planted himself in front of his father. 'Oh no, indeed! Do you take me to be a fool?' he asked.
Saccard made an angry gesture, for he found the answer sadly disrespectful and witty230. He was on the point of shouting that the affair was really a superb one, and that he, Maxime, credited him with little common sense if he imagined him to be a mere thief like others; but as he looked at the young fellow, a feeling of pity came over him for this poor boy of his, who at five and twenty was already exhausted, worn-out, settled down, and even avaricious—so aged2 by vice109, so anxious as to his health that he no longer ventured on any expenditure231 or enjoyment232 without carefully calculating the profits that might accrue233 to him. And thereupon, thoroughly234 consoled, quite proud of the passionate235 imprudence which he himself displayed at the age of fifty, he once more began laughing, and tapped his son on the shoulder: 'Come, let's go to breakfast, my poor youngster, and mind you are careful of your rheumatism236.'
Two days later, October 5, Saccard, accompanied by Hamelin and Daigremont, repaired to the offices of Ma?tre Lelorrain, notary, in the Rue Sainte-Anne, and there executed the deed which established the joint stock company of the Universal Bank, with a capital of five and twenty millions of francs, divided into fifty thousand shares of five hundred francs each, a fourth part of the amount alone having[Pg 135] to be paid on allotment. The offices of the company were fixed237 at the Orviedo mansion in the Rue St. Lazare, and a copy of the bye-laws, drawn up in accordance with the deed, was deposited at Ma?tre Lelorrain's office. Then, on leaving the notary's, as it happened to be a very bright, sunny autumn day, the three gentlemen lighted cigars, and slowly sauntered homeward by way of the boulevard and the Rue de la Chaussée d'Antin, feeling well pleased with life, and as merry as boys escaped from school.
The initial general meeting was not held until the following week, in a hall in the Rue Blanche which had formerly238 been used for public balls, and in which a scheming individual was now endeavouring to start a fine art exhibition. The members of the syndicate had already disposed of those shares which they had taken, but did not wish to keep for themselves; and there came to the meeting one hundred and twenty-two shareholders, representing nearly forty thousand shares, which should have given a total of two thousand votes, since twenty shares were necessary to entitle one to sit and vote. However, as no one shareholder was allowed more than ten votes, whatever might be the amount of stock held by him, the exact total number of votes proved to be sixteen hundred and forty-three.
Saccard positively239 insisted upon Hamelin presiding. He himself had voluntarily disappeared among the crowd. He had put down the engineer's name and his own for five hundred shares apiece, which were to be paid for, temporarily at all events, by a manipulation of accounts. All the members of the syndicate were present: Daigremont, Huret, Sédille, Kolb, and the Marquis de Bohain, each with the group of shareholders marching under his orders. Sabatani, one of the largest subscribers, was also noticed there, together with Jantrou, accompanied by several of the higher officials of the bank, who had entered upon their duties a couple of days previously. And all the decisions which had to be arrived at had been so well foreseen and settled beforehand, that never was there a shareholders' meeting at which more splendid calmness, simplicity240, and harmony were displayed. The sincerity[Pg 136] of the declaration that the entire capital had been subscribed, and that one hundred and twenty-five francs per share had been paid on allotment, was endorsed241 by an unanimous vote; and then with all solemnity the company was declared to be established. Immediately afterwards came the appointment of the board of directors, which was to consist of twenty members, who, in addition to attendance fees, calculated at an annual total of fifty thousand francs, were, according to the bye-laws, to receive ten per cent. upon the net profits.
This was not to be despised, so each member of the syndicate had insisted upon having a seat on the board; and naturally, at the head of the list of those who were elected, came Daigremont, Huret, Sédille, Kolb, the Marquis de Bohain, and Hamelin, whom his colleagues wished to appoint chairman, followed by fourteen others of minor242 importance, selected from among the most subservient243 and ornamental244 of the shareholders. At last Saccard, who so far had remained in the background, came forward on Hamelin proposing him for the post of general manager. A murmur245 of sympathy greeted the mention of his name, and he also obtained a unanimous vote.
It then only remained for them to elect the two auditors246, whose duty it would be to examine and report on the balance sheets and in this way check the accounts supplied by the management—functions, at once delicate and useless, for which Saccard had designated a certain Sieur Rousseau and a Sieur Lavignière, the first completely under the influence of the second, who was a tall, fair-haired fellow with very polite manners and a disposition247 to approve of everything, being consumed with a desire to become a member of the board when the latter, later on, should express satisfaction with his services. Rousseau and Lavignière having been appointed, the meeting was about to end, when the chairman thought it his duty to refer to the premium of ten per cent. granted to the members of the syndicate, in all four hundred thousand francs, which, at his suggestion, the meeting charged to the preliminary expenses account. It was a trifle; it was necessary to make an allowance to the promoters; and, this point being settled,[Pg 137] whilst the crowd of petty shareholders hurried away like a flock of sheep, the larger subscribers lingered behind, shaking hands with one another on the footway with smiling faces.
On the very next day the directors met at the Orviedo mansion, in Saccard's former salon, now transformed into a board room. A huge table, covered with a green velvet cloth and encompassed249 by twenty arm-chairs upholstered in the same material, occupied the centre of the apartment, where there was also a couple of bookcases, the glass doors of which were provided with silk curtains, also green. Deep red hangings darkened the room, whose three windows overlooked the garden of the Beauvilliers mansion, whence came a kind of twilight250, the peacefulness as it were of some old cloister251, sleeping in the greeny shade of its trees. Altogether the apartment had a severe, aristocratic appearance, conveying an impression of antique honesty.
The board had met to select its officers, and when four o'clock struck almost all the members were present. With his lofty stature252 and little pale aristocratic head, the Marquis de Bohain was quite typical of 'old France;' whilst Daigremont, with his affability, personified the lofty fortune of the Empire in all the splendour of its success. Sédille, less worried than usual, began talking to Kolb of an unexpected turn which business was taking on the Vienna market; and around them the other directors, the band, stood listening, trying to glean253 some information, or else chatting together about their own affairs, being there merely to make up the requisite254 number, to pick up their share of the spoils on the days when there might be booty to divide. As usual, it was Huret who came late, out of breath, after escaping at the last moment from some committee of the Chamber on which he served. He apologised, and then they all seated themselves in the arm-chairs ranged round the table.
The eldest255 of the directors, the Marquis de Bohain, had taken his seat in the presidential arm-chair, which was higher and more lavishly256 gilded257 than the others. Saccard, as general manager, had placed himself at the other end of the[Pg 138] table in front of him; and upon the Marquis announcing that they were first about to select a chairman, Hamelin at once rose up to decline nomination258. He had reason to believe, said he, that several gentlemen present had thought of him for the chairmanship, but he wished to call their attention to the fact that he must start for the East immediately, that he was altogether without experience in banking, Bourse, and book-keeping matters, and that the chairmanship altogether carried with it a weighty responsibility which he was unable to accept. Saccard listened to him in great surprise, for only the day before the matter had been quite decided between them; and he at once divined that Madame Caroline had brought her influence to bear upon her brother. They had, he knew, had a long conversation together that morning. And so, as he was unwilling259 to have any other director as chairman—any independent individual who might embarrass him—he ventured to intervene, explaining that the office was mainly one of honour, and that it sufficed for the chairman to put in an appearance at the general meetings, and there support the proposals of the board and deliver the customary speeches. Moreover, said he, they were going to elect a vice-chairman, who would be empowered to sign for the board. As for the rest, the purely technical parts of their business, the account-keeping, the Bourse, the thousand and one details connected with the inner management of a great financial establishment, would not he, Saccard, be there, he the manager, expressly appointed to attend to the matters in question? According to the bye-laws he had to direct all the office work, see that money was collected and paid, attend to current affairs, carry out the decisions of the board—in a word, act as the company's executive officer. All this seemed sensible enough. Nevertheless, Hamelin resisted for a considerable time longer, and it became necessary for Daigremont and Huret to insist in the most pressing fashion, whilst the majestic260 Marquis de Bohain affected261 to take no interest in the matter.
At last the engineer yielded and was named chairman; and then the vice-chairmanship was bestowed262 on an obscure[Pg 139] agriculturist, the Viscount de Robin-Chagot, formerly a Counsellor of State and a gentle niggardly263 fellow, who would prove a first-rate signing machine. As for the secretary, it was proposed that he should be selected not from among the board members but from among the bank staff, and thereupon the head of the issue department was chosen. Then, as dusk was falling in the spacious264, severe-looking room, a greeny dusk of infinite sadness, the work accomplished265 was judged good and sufficient, and they separated after fixing their meetings at two a month—the petty board on the 15th, and the full board on the 30th.
Saccard and Hamelin went up together to the workroom, where Madame Caroline was awaiting them. By her brother's embarrassment she clearly realised that he had once more yielded through weakness; and for a moment she was quite angry with him.
'But come now, this isn't reasonable!' exclaimed Saccard. 'Remember that the chairman receives thirty thousand francs a year—which amount will be doubled when our business shall have extended. You are not rich enough to despise such an advantage. And besides, what is it that you fear, tell me?'
'Why, I fear everything,' answered Madame Caroline. 'My brother won't be here and I myself understand nothing about money matters. And about those five hundred shares which you have put him down for, without his paying for them at once, isn't that irregular? Would he not find himself in trouble if the enterprise should come to grief?'
Saccard had begun laughing. 'A fine affair!' said he. 'Five hundred shares, a first call of sixty-two thousand five hundred francs! Why, if he won't be able to pay that out of his first profits before six months are over our heads, we might just as well, all of us, throw ourselves into the Seine at once, rather than take the trouble to launch anything at all. No, you can be easy, speculation only devours266 fools.'
She retained her severity of demeanour in the growing darkness which was filling the room. However, a couple of lamps were brought, and a broad light then illumined the walls, the large plans, the bright water-colours, which so often made[Pg 140] her dream of the countries over yonder. The plains were still barren, the mountains still barred the horizon, and once more she conjured267 up a vision of the distressful wretchedness of that old world asleep on its treasures, but which science was going to reawaken in its filth268 and its ignorance. What great and beautiful and good things there were to be accomplished! Little by little, her vision showed her the generations of the future, a stronger and happier humanity springing from the ancient soil which progress would once more plough.
'Speculation, speculation!' she mechanically repeated, struggling with her doubts. 'Ah! the idea of it fills my heart with disturbing anguish269.'
Saccard, who was well acquainted with her usual train of thought, had watched that hope in the future dawning on her face. 'Yes,' said he, 'speculation. Why does the word frighten you? Speculation—why, it is the one inducement that we have to live; it is the eternal desire that compels us to live and struggle. Without speculation, my dear friend, there would be no business of any kind. Why on earth would you have me loosen my purse strings270 and risk my fortune, if you do not promise me some extraordinary enjoyment, some sudden happiness which will open heaven to me? With the mere legitimate271, moderate remuneration of labour, the mere living wage—with nothing but well-balanced equilibrium272 in all transactions, life becomes a desert of dreary273 flatness, a marsh274 in which all forces slumber275 and stagnate276. But, all at once, just make some dream flare277 up on the horizon, promise men that with one sou they shall gain a hundred, propose to all these sleepers278 that they shall join you in the chase after the impossible, and gain millions in a couple of hours, amidst the most fearful hazards—why then the race at once begins, all energies are increased tenfold, and amidst the scramble279 of people toiling280 and sweating for their own gratification, birth is given to great and beautiful living things. It is the same as in love. In love as in speculation there is much filth; in love also, people think only of their own gratification; yet without love there would be no life, and the world would come to an end.'
[Pg 141]
Madame Caroline was not prudish281, and made up her mind to laugh. 'And so,' said she, 'your conclusion is that we must resign ourselves since all this enters into Nature's plan. You are right, life is by no means clean.'
Genuine bravery came to her at the thought that each forward step in the world's history and development is made through blood and mire. One must have will-power, determination. Meantime her eyes, straying along the walls, had not ceased gazing at the plans and drawings, and the future appeared to her with its ports, canals, highways, railways, rural districts with immense farms equipped like factories, new, healthy, and intelligent cities, where the human race would live to a great age and in the enjoyment of much knowledge.
'Well,' she resumed gaily, 'I must give way, I suppose, as usual. Let us try to do a little good, that we may be forgiven.'
Her brother, who had remained silent, now drew near and embraced her. She threatened him with her finger. 'Oh! you,' said she, 'you are a coaxer282. I know you well. To-morrow, when you have left us, you will trouble yourself but little as to what may go on here; and as soon as you have buried yourself in your work over yonder, you will find everything going well and be dreaming of triumph, whilst here, perhaps, the soil will be cracking beneath us.'
'But,' cried Saccard in a jocular way, 'since it's understood that he will leave you here like a gendarme283 to lay hold of me if I behave badly.'
All three burst out laughing.
'Yes,' said Madame Caroline, 'you may rely upon it, I shall lay hold of you. Remember what you have promised, to ourselves to begin with, and then to so many others, my worthy Dejoie for instance, whom I strongly recommend to you. Ah! and our neighbours also, those poor Beauvilliers ladies, whom I saw to-day superintending their cook whilst she washed some of their linen, by way of reducing the laundry bill, no doubt.'
For another moment all three continued talking in a very friendly way, and Hamelin's departure was definitely settled.[Pg 142] Then, as Saccard went down again to his private room, he learnt from his valet that a woman had been obstinately284 waiting to see him, although she had been told that there was a board meeting that afternoon, and that he would in all probability be unable to receive her. At first, feeling quite tired, Saccard became angry, and gave orders to send her away; then the thought that he ought to be grateful for success and the fear that he might change his luck should he close his door caused him to alter his mind. The stream of applicants was increasing day by day, and the swarming285 of this throng286 brought him intoxication287.
His private room was lighted by a single lamp and he could not see his visitor very clearly.
'It was Monsieur Busch who sent me, monsieur,' she began.
His anger kept him standing, and he did not even tell the woman to sit down. By that shrill voice emanating288 from an unsightly mass of flesh he had recognised Madame Méchain. There was a pretty shareholder for you—a creature who bought securities by the pound weight!
She, however, calmly explained that Busch had sent her to get some information respecting the issue of the Universal Bank shares. Were there any still available? Could one hope to secure some with the premium accorded to the members of the syndicate? But all this was surely a pretext, a dodge289 to get in to see the house, to spy out what was being done there, and to feel him, Saccard; for her tiny eyes, gimlet-holes as they seemed, pierced in her puffy face, were ferreting everywhere, and incessantly returning to him, as though to probe him to the very soul. Busch, indeed, after long and patient waiting, ripening290 the famous affair of the abandoned child, was now making up his mind to act, and had sent her out to reconnoitre.
'There are none left,' answered Saccard brutally291.
She realised that she would learn nothing further, and that any attempt that day would be imprudent. And so, without waiting for him to push her out, she at once stepped towards the door.
[Pg 143]
'Why don't you ask me for some shares for yourself?' he resumed with the intention of offending her.
Thereupon, in her lisping, pointed248 voice in which there was a touch of mockery, she replied: 'Me! Oh! that isn't my style of business—I—wait.'
And, at that moment, catching292 sight of the huge, worn leather bag which never left her, he felt a shudder pass through him. To think of it, on a day when everything had gone off so well, when he had at last felt so happy at beholding293 the long-desired birth of that great financial establishment, this woman came to him. Would she, rascally294 old creature that she was, prove to be the wicked fairy, the fairy who in the familiar tales throws a spell over princesses in their cradles? That bag which she had been carrying through the offices of his nascent295 bank was—he realised—full of depreciated296 securities, stock that had ceased to be quoted. And he understood, so he fancied, that she meant to wait as long as might be necessary in order to bury his own shares in it, when the fall of his enterprise should come. Her reply was like the cry of the raven297 that starts with the army when it sets out on the march, that follows it until the night of the carnage, then hovers298 and swoops299 down, knowing there must be dead to eat.
'Au revoir, monsieur,' added La Méchain, as she retired300 panting and very polite.
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enraged
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| 使暴怒( enrage的过去式和过去分词 )； 歜； 激愤 | |
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aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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omen
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| n.征兆，预兆；vt.预示 | |
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renouncing
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| v.声明放弃( renounce的现在分词 )；宣布放弃；宣布与…决裂；宣布摒弃 | |
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seduced
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| 诱奸( seduce的过去式和过去分词 )； 勾引； 诱使堕落； 使入迷 | |
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investors
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| n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 ) | |
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scattering
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| n.[物]散射；散乱，分散；在媒介质中的散播adj.散乱的；分散在不同范围的；广泛扩散的；（选票）数量分散的v.散射(scatter的ing形式)；散布；驱散 | |
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motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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10
mechanism
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| n.机械装置；机构，结构 | |
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11
portfolio
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| n.公事包；文件夹；大臣及部长职位 | |
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12
faculty
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| n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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13
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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14
intoxicated
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| 喝醉的，极其兴奋的 | |
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15
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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16
treasury
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| n.宝库；国库，金库；文库 | |
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17
ardent
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，强烈的，烈性的 | |
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18
solely
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| adv.仅仅，唯一地 | |
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19
supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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20
edifice
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| n.宏伟的建筑物(如宫殿，教室) | |
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21
chimerical
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| adj.荒诞不经的，梦幻的 | |
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22
grandeur
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| n.伟大，崇高，宏伟，庄严，豪华 | |
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23
colossal
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| adj.异常的，庞大的 | |
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24
soliciting
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| v.恳求( solicit的现在分词 )；（指娼妇）拉客；索求；征求 | |
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25
prodigious
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| adj.惊人的，奇妙的；异常的；巨大的；庞大的 | |
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26
shareholders
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| n.股东( shareholder的名词复数 ) | |
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27
shareholder
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| n.股东，股票持有人 | |
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28
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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29
incite
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| v.引起，激动，煽动 | |
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30
esteem
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| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
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31
deriving
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| v.得到( derive的现在分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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32
copper
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| n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的 | |
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33
gambling
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| n.赌博；投机 | |
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34
speculation
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| n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机 | |
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35
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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36
solicited
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| v.恳求( solicit的过去式和过去分词 )；（指娼妇）拉客；索求；征求 | |
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37
mansion
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| n.大厦，大楼；宅第 | |
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38
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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39
salon
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| n.[法]沙龙；客厅；营业性的高级服务室 | |
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40
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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41
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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42
proprietor
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| n.所有人；业主；经营者 | |
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43
hatred
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|
| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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44
concession
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| n.让步，妥协；特许(权) | |
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45
shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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46
machinery
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| n.(总称)机械，机器；机构 | |
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47
underneath
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|
| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
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48
abortive
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| adj.不成功的，发育不全的 | |
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49
thwarted
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| 阻挠( thwart的过去式和过去分词 )； 使受挫折； 挫败； 横过 | |
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50
zeal
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| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
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51
bogs
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| n.沼泽，泥塘( bog的名词复数 )；厕所v.（使）陷入泥沼， （使）陷入困境( bog的第三人称单数 )；妨碍，阻碍 | |
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52
scented
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|
| adj.有香味的；洒香水的；有气味的v.嗅到(scent的过去分词) | |
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53
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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54
permissible
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| adj.可允许的，许可的 | |
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55
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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56
notary
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| n.公证人，公证员 | |
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57
subscription
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| n.预订，预订费，亲笔签名，调配法，下标（处方） | |
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58
joint
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| adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合 | |
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59
rue
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| n.懊悔，芸香，后悔；v.后悔，悲伤，懊悔 | |
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60
perusal
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| n.细读，熟读；目测 | |
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61
afflicted
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| 使受痛苦，折磨( afflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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62
scruples
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| n.良心上的不安( scruple的名词复数 )；顾虑，顾忌v.感到于心不安，有顾忌( scruple的第三人称单数 ) | |
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63
trumperies
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|
| n.中看不中用的东西( trumpery的名词复数 )；徒有其表的东西；胡言乱语；废话 | |
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64
outstrip
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| v.超过，跑过 | |
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65
subscribed
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| v.捐助( subscribe的过去式和过去分词 )；签署，题词；订阅；同意 | |
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66
embarrassment
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| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
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67
invincible
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| adj.不可征服的，难以制服的 | |
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68
censor
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|
| n./vt.审查，审查员；删改 | |
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69
gallantly
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| adv. 漂亮地，勇敢地，献殷勤地 | |
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70
transact
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| v.处理；做交易；谈判 | |
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71
prohibition
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| n.禁止；禁令，禁律 | |
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72
debentures
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| n.公司债券( debenture的名词复数 ) | |
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73
bent
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|
| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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74
supplicating
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|
| v.祈求，哀求，恳求( supplicate的现在分词 ) | |
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75
conceal
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|
| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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76
kindle
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| v.点燃，着火 | |
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77
abounds
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|
| v.大量存在，充满，富于( abound的第三人称单数 ) | |
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78
incurred
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| [医]招致的，遭受的； incur的过去式 | |
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79
audacity
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|
| n.大胆，卤莽，无礼 | |
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80
obstinate
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|
| adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的 | |
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81
inflamed
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|
| adj.发炎的，红肿的v.（使）变红，发怒，过热( inflame的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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82
lyric
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|
| n.抒情诗，歌词；adj.抒情的 | |
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83
scattered
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|
| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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84
unlimited
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|
| adj.无限的，不受控制的，无条件的 | |
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85
precisely
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|
| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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86
banking
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|
| n.银行业，银行学，金融业 | |
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87
organise
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| vt.组织，安排，筹办 | |
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88
premium
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|
| n.加付款；赠品；adj.高级的；售价高的 | |
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89
inevitable
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|
| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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90
paltry
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| adj.无价值的，微不足道的 | |
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91
prodigies
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| n.奇才，天才（尤指神童）( prodigy的名词复数 ) | |
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92
espousing
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| v.（决定）支持，拥护（目标、主张等）( espouse的现在分词 ) | |
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93
vanquished
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| v.征服( vanquish的过去式和过去分词 )；战胜；克服；抑制 | |
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94
eloquence
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| n.雄辩；口才，修辞 | |
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95
triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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96
rumours
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| n.传闻( rumour的名词复数 )；风闻；谣言；谣传 | |
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97
trumpeted
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| 大声说出或宣告（trumpet的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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98
trumpet
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| n.喇叭，喇叭声；v.吹喇叭，吹嘘 | |
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99
applicant
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| n.申请人，求职者，请求者 | |
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100
applicants
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| 申请人，求职人( applicant的名词复数 ) | |
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101
brokers
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| n.（股票、外币等）经纪人( broker的名词复数 )；中间人；代理商；（订合同的）中人v.做掮客（或中人等）( broker的第三人称单数 )；作为权力经纪人进行谈判；以中间人等身份安排… | |
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103
onward
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| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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104
usher
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| n.带位员，招待员；vt.引导，护送；vi.做招待，担任引座员 | |
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105
caressing
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| 爱抚的，表现爱情的，亲切的 | |
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106
suppleness
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| 柔软； 灵活； 易弯曲； 顺从 | |
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107
velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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108
specifies
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| v.指定( specify的第三人称单数 )；详述；提出…的条件；使具有特性 | |
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109
vice
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| n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的 | |
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110
compensate
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|
| vt.补偿，赔偿；酬报 vi.弥补；补偿；抵消 | |
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111
acquiesced
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| v.默认，默许( acquiesce的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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112
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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113
jauntily
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| adv.心满意足地；洋洋得意地；高兴地；活泼地 | |
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114
cynical
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| adj.(对人性或动机)怀疑的，不信世道向善的 | |
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115
betokening
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| v.预示，表示( betoken的现在分词 ) | |
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116
inscribed
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| v.写，刻( inscribe的过去式和过去分词 )；内接 | |
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117
advertising
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| n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的 | |
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118
disdained
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| 鄙视( disdain的过去式和过去分词 )； 不屑于做，不愿意做 | |
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119
trumpets
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| 喇叭( trumpet的名词复数 )； 小号； 喇叭形物； （尤指）绽开的水仙花 | |
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120
allusions
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| 暗指，间接提到( allusion的名词复数 ) | |
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121
allusion
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| n.暗示，间接提示 | |
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122
incessantly
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| ad.不停地 | |
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123
exalted
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| adj.(地位等)高的，崇高的；尊贵的，高尚的 | |
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124
slaughtered
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| v.屠杀，杀戮，屠宰( slaughter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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125
tempt
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| vt.引诱，勾引，吸引，引起…的兴趣 | |
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126
previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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127
ferocious
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| adj.凶猛的，残暴的，极度的，十分强烈的 | |
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128
disappearance
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| n.消失，消散，失踪 | |
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129
shrug
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| v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等) | |
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130
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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131
communal
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| adj.公有的，公共的，公社的，公社制的 | |
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132
opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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133
disarm
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| v.解除武装，回复平常的编制，缓和 | |
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134
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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135
amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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136
brandish
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| v.挥舞，挥动；n.挥动，挥舞 | |
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137
abrupt
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| adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的 | |
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138
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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139
needy
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| adj.贫穷的，贫困的，生活艰苦的 | |
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140
concealing
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，遮住( conceal的现在分词 ) | |
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141
bantering
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| adj.嘲弄的v.开玩笑，说笑，逗乐( banter的现在分词 )；（善意地）取笑，逗弄 | |
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142
mire
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| n.泥沼，泥泞；v.使...陷于泥泞，使...陷入困境 | |
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143
belles
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| n.美女( belle的名词复数 )；最美的美女 | |
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144
remarkably
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| ad.不同寻常地，相当地 | |
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145
outlets
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| n.出口( outlet的名词复数 )；经销店；插座；廉价经销店 | |
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146
conjure
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| v.恳求，祈求；变魔术，变戏法 | |
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147
saluted
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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148
baroness
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| n.男爵夫人，女男爵 | |
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149
indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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150
chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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151
disinterestedness
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152
instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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153
ushered
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| v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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154
attentive
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| adj.注意的，专心的；关心(别人)的，殷勤的 | |
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155
bruised
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| [医]青肿的，瘀紫的 | |
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156
eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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157
mortified
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| v.使受辱( mortify的过去式和过去分词 )；伤害（人的感情）；克制；抑制（肉体、情感等） | |
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158
pretext
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| n.借口，托词 | |
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159
meddles
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| v.干涉，干预（他人事务）( meddle的第三人称单数 ) | |
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160
tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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161
dabbled
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| v.涉猎( dabble的过去式和过去分词 )；涉足；浅尝；少量投资 | |
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162
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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163
inclination
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| n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好 | |
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164
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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165
elongated
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| v.延长，加长( elongate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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166
bustling
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| adj.喧闹的 | |
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167
deference
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| n.尊重，顺从；敬意 | |
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168
haughty
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| adj.傲慢的，高傲的 | |
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169
stifle
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| vt.使窒息；闷死；扼杀；抑止，阻止 | |
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170
profane
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| adj.亵神的，亵渎的；vt.亵渎，玷污 | |
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171
initiated
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| n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始，创始，启蒙，介绍加入 | |
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172
irreproachable
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| adj.不可指责的，无过失的 | |
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173
meritorious
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| adj.值得赞赏的 | |
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174
timorous
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| adj.胆怯的，胆小的 | |
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175
destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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176
poetical
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| adj.似诗人的；诗一般的；韵文的；富有诗意的 | |
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177
scenting
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| vt.闻到（scent的现在分词形式） | |
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178
pious
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| adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的 | |
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179
purely
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| adv.纯粹地，完全地 | |
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180
infinitely
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| adv.无限地，无穷地 | |
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181
excellence
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| n.优秀，杰出，(pl.)优点，美德 | |
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182
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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183
confession
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| n.自白，供认，承认 | |
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184
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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185
stagnation
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| n. 停滞 | |
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186
penetrates
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| v.穿过( penetrate的第三人称单数 )；刺入；了解；渗透 | |
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187
survivor
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| n.生存者，残存者，幸存者 | |
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188
epoch
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| n.(新)时代；历元 | |
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189
remorseful
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| adj.悔恨的 | |
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190
confided
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|
| v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的过去式和过去分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等） | |
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191
ardently
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| adv.热心地，热烈地 | |
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192
chagrin
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| n.懊恼；气愤；委屈 | |
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193
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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194
distressful
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| adj.苦难重重的，不幸的，使苦恼的 | |
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195
distressing
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| a.使人痛苦的 | |
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196
withdrawal
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| n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销 | |
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197
withered
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| adj. 枯萎的，干瘪的，（人身体的部分器官）因病萎缩的或未发育良好的 动词wither的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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198
intimidated
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| v.恐吓；威胁adj.害怕的；受到威胁的 | |
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199
stammer
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| n.结巴，口吃；v.结结巴巴地说 | |
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200
despatch
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| n./v.(dispatch)派遣；发送；n.急件；新闻报道 | |
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201
discreet
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| adj.(言行)谨慎的；慎重的；有判断力的 | |
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202
aloof
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| adj.远离的；冷淡的，漠不关心的 | |
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203
brewer
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| n. 啤酒制造者 | |
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204
linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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205
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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206
lodging
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| n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍 | |
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207
overflowing
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| n. 溢出物,溢流 adj. 充沛的，充满的 动词overflow的现在分词形式 | |
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208
adoration
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| n.爱慕，崇拜 | |
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209
graceful
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|
| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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210
complacently
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| adv. 满足地, 自满地, 沾沾自喜地 | |
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211
virtuous
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| adj.有品德的，善良的，贞洁的，有效力的 | |
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212
limpid
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| adj.清澈的，透明的 | |
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213
maker
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| n.制造者，制造商 | |
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214
savings
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| n.存款，储蓄 | |
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215
assent
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| v.批准，认可；n.批准，认可 | |
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216
gauged
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| adj.校准的；标准的；量规的；量计的v.（用仪器）测量( gauge的过去式和过去分词 )；估计；计量；划分 | |
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217
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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218
microscopical
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| adj.显微镜的，精微的 | |
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219
truthful
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| adj.真实的，说实话的，诚实的 | |
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220
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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221
fumbled
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| （笨拙地）摸索或处理（某事物）( fumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 乱摸，笨拙地弄； 使落下 | |
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222
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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223
levied
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| 征（兵）( levy的过去式和过去分词 )； 索取； 发动（战争）； 征税 | |
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224
hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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225
lighting
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| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
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226
candid
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| adj.公正的，正直的；坦率的 | |
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227
insolently
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| adv.自豪地，自傲地 | |
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228
jeering
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| adj.嘲弄的，揶揄的v.嘲笑( jeer的现在分词 ) | |
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229
gaily
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| adv.欢乐地，高兴地 | |
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230
witty
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| adj.机智的，风趣的 | |
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231
expenditure
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| n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出；使用，消耗 | |
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232
enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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233
accrue
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| v.(利息等)增大，增多 | |
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234
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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235
passionate
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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236
rheumatism
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| n.风湿病 | |
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237
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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238
formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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239
positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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240
simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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241
endorsed
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| vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品 | |
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242
minor
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| adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修 | |
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243
subservient
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| adj.卑屈的，阿谀的 | |
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244
ornamental
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| adj.装饰的；作装饰用的；n.装饰品；观赏植物 | |
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245
murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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246
auditors
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| n.审计员，稽核员( auditor的名词复数 )；（大学课程的）旁听生 | |
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247
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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248
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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249
encompassed
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| v.围绕( encompass的过去式和过去分词 )；包围；包含；包括 | |
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250
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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251
cloister
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| n.修道院；v.隐退，使与世隔绝 | |
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252
stature
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| n.（高度）水平，（高度）境界，身高，身材 | |
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253
glean
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| v.收集(消息、资料、情报等) | |
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254
requisite
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| adj.需要的，必不可少的；n.必需品 | |
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255
eldest
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| adj.最年长的，最年老的 | |
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256
lavishly
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| adv.慷慨地，大方地 | |
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257
gilded
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| a.镀金的，富有的 | |
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258
nomination
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| n.提名，任命，提名权 | |
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259
unwilling
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| adj.不情愿的 | |
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260
majestic
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| adj.雄伟的，壮丽的，庄严的，威严的，崇高的 | |
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261
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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262
bestowed
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| 赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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263
niggardly
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| adj.吝啬的，很少的 | |
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264
spacious
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| adj.广阔的，宽敞的 | |
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265
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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266
devours
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| 吞没( devour的第三人称单数 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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267
conjured
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| 用魔术变出( conjure的过去式和过去分词 )； 祈求，恳求； 变戏法； （变魔术般地） 使…出现 | |
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268
filth
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| n.肮脏，污物，污秽；淫猥 | |
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anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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270
strings
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| n.弦 | |
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271
legitimate
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| adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法 | |
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272
equilibrium
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| n.平衡，均衡，相称，均势，平静 | |
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273
dreary
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| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
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marsh
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| n.沼泽，湿地 | |
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275
slumber
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| n.睡眠，沉睡状态 | |
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276
stagnate
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| v.停止 | |
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277
flare
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| v.闪耀，闪烁；n.潮红；突发 | |
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278
sleepers
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| n.卧铺（通常以复数形式出现）；卧车( sleeper的名词复数 )；轨枕；睡觉（呈某种状态）的人；小耳环 | |
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279
scramble
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| v.爬行，攀爬，杂乱蔓延，碎片，片段，废料 | |
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280
toiling
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| 长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的现在分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉 | |
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281
prudish
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| adj.装淑女样子的，装规矩的，过分规矩的；adv.过分拘谨地 | |
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282
coaxer
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283
gendarme
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| n.宪兵 | |
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284
obstinately
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| ad.固执地，顽固地 | |
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285
swarming
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| 密集( swarm的现在分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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286
throng
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| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
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287
intoxication
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| n.wild excitement;drunkenness；poisoning | |
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288
emanating
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| v.从…处传出，传出( emanate的现在分词 )；产生，表现，显示 | |
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289
dodge
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| v.闪开，躲开，避开；n.妙计，诡计 | |
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290
ripening
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| v.成熟，使熟( ripen的现在分词 )；熟化；熟成 | |
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291
brutally
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| adv.残忍地，野蛮地，冷酷无情地 | |
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292
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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293
beholding
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| v.看，注视( behold的现在分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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294
rascally
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| adj. 无赖的，恶棍的 adv. 无赖地，卑鄙地 | |
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295
nascent
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| adj.初生的，发生中的 | |
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296
depreciated
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| v.贬值，跌价，减价( depreciate的过去式和过去分词 )；贬低，蔑视，轻视 | |
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297
raven
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| n.渡鸟，乌鸦；adj.乌亮的 | |
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298
hovers
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| 鸟( hover的第三人称单数 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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299
swoops
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| 猛扑，突然下降( swoop的名词复数 ) | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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