bureaucracy- 第15部分

where　the　servant　is　stationed；　is　furnished　with　a　stove；　a　large

black　table　with　inkstand；　pens；　and　paper；　and　benches；　but　no　mats

on　which　to　wipe　the　public　feet。　The　clerk's　office　beyond　is　a　large

room；　tolerably　well　lighted；　but　seldom　floored　with　wood。　Wooden

floors　and　fireplaces　are　commonly　kept　sacred　to　heads　of　bureaus　and

divisions；　and　so　are　closets；　wardrobes；　mahogany　tables；　sofas　and

armchairs　covered　with　red　or　green　morocco；　silk　curtains；　and　other

articles　of　administrative　luxury。　The　clerk's　office　contents　itself

with　a　stove；　the　pipe　of　which　goes　into　the　chimney；　if　there　be　a

chimney。　The　wall　paper　is　plain　and　all　of　one　color；　usually　green

or　brown。　The　tables　are　of　black　wood。　The　private　characteristics　of

the　several　clerks　often　crop　out　in　their　method　of　settling

themselves　at　their　desks；the　chilly　one　has　a　wooden　footstool

under　his　feet；　the　man　with　a　bilious　temperament　has　a　metal　mat；

the　lymphatic　being　who　dreads　draughts　constructs　a　fortification　of

boxes　on　a　screen。　The　door　of　the　under…head…clerk's　office　always

stands　open　so　that　he　may　keep　an　eye　to　some　extent　on　his

subordinates。



Perhaps　an　exact　description　of　Monsieur　de　la　Billardiere's　division

will　suffice　to　give　foreigners　and　provincials　an　idea　of　the

internal　manners　and　customs　of　a　government　office；　the　chief

features　of　which　are　probably　much　the　same　in　the　civil　service　of

all　European　governments。



In　the　first　place；　picture　to　yourself　the　man　who　is　thus　described

in　the　Yearly　Register：



　　〃Chief　of　Division。Monsieur　la　baron　Flamet　de　la　Billardiere

　　（Athanase…Jean…Francois…Michel）　formerly　provost…marshal　of　the

　　department　of　the　Correze；　gentleman　in　ordinary　of　the　bed…

　　chamber；　president　of　the　college　of　the　department　of　the

　　Dordogne；　officer　of　the　Legion　of　honor；　knight　of　Saint　Louis

　　and　of　the　foreign　orders　of　Christ；　Isabella；　Saint　Wladimir；

　　etc。；　member　of　the　Academy　of　Gers；　and　other　learned　bodies；

　　vice…president　of　the　Society　of　Belles…lettres；　member　of　the

　　Association　of　Saint…Joseph　and　of　the　Society　of　Prisons；　one　of

　　the　mayors　of　Paris；　etc。〃



The　person　who　requires　so　much　typographic　space　was　at　this　time

occupying　an　area　five　feet　six　in　length　by　thirty…six　inches　in

width　in　a　bed；　his　head　adorned　with　a　cotton　night…cap　tied　on　by

flame…colored　ribbons；　attended　by　Despleins；　the　King's　surgeon；　and

young　doctor　Bianchon；　flanked　by　two　old　female　relatives；　surrounded

by　phials　of　all　kinds；　bandages；　appliances；　and　various　mortuary

instruments；　and　watched　over　by　the　curate　of　Saint…Roch；　who　was

advising　him　to　think　of　his　salvation。



La　Billardiere's　division　occupied　the　upper　floor　of　a　magnificent

mansion；　in　which　the　vast　official　ocean　of　a　ministry　was　contained。

A　wide　landing　separated　its　two　bureaus；　the　doors　of　which　were　duly

labelled。　The　private　offices　and　antechambers　of　the　heads　of　the　two

bureaus；　Monsieur　Rabourdin　and　Monsieur　Baudoyer；　were　below　on　the

second　floor；　and　beyond　that　of　Monsieur　Rabourdin　were　the

antechamber；　salon；　and　two　offices　of　Monsieur　de　la　Billardiere。



On　the　first　floor；　divided　in　two　by　an　entresol；　were　the　living

rooms　and　office　of　Monsieur　Ernest　de　la　Briere；　an　occult　and

powerful　personage　who　must　be　described　in　a　few　words；　for　he　well

deserves　the　parenthesis。　This　young　man　held；　during　the　whole　time

that　this　particular　administration　lasted；　the　position　of　private

secretary　to　the　minister。　His　apartment　was　connected　by　a　secret

door　with　the　private　office　of　his　Excellency。　A　private　secretary　is

to　the　minister　himself　what　des　Lupeaulx　was　to　the　ministry　at

large。　The　same　difference　existed　between　young　La　Briere　and　des

Lupeaulx　that　there　is　between　an　aide…de…camp　and　a　chief　of　staff。

This　ministerial　apprentice　decamps　when　his　protector　leaves　office；

returning　sometimes　when　he　returns。　If　the　minister　enjoys　the　royal

favor　when　he　falls；　or　still　has　parliamentary　hopes；　he　takes　his

secretary　with　him　into　retirement　only　to　bring　him　back　on　his

return；　otherwise　he　puts　him　to　grass　in　some　of　the　various

administrative　pastures；for　instance；　in　the　Court　of　Exchequer；

that　wayside　refuge　where　private　secretaries　wait　for　the　storm　to

blow　over。　The　young　man　is　not　precisely　a　government　official；　he　is

a　political　character；　however；　and　sometimes　his　politics　are　limited

to　those　of　one　man。　When　we　think　of　the　number　of　letters　it　is　the

private　secretary's　fate　to　open　and　read；　besides　all　his　other

avocations；　it　is　very　evident　that　under　a　monarchical　government　his

services　would　be　well　paid　for。　A　drudge　of　this　kind　costs　ten　or

twenty　thousand　francs　a　year；　and　he　enjoys；　moreover；　the　opera…

boxes；　the　social　invitations；　and　the　carriages　of　the　minister。　The

Emperor　of　Russia　would　be　thankful　to　be　able　to　pay　fifty　thousand　a

year　to　one　of　these　amiable　constitutional　poodles；　so　gentle；　so

nicely　curled；　so　caressing；　so　docile；　always　spick　and　span；

careful　watch…dogs　besides；　and　faithful　to　a　degree！　But　the　private

secretary　is　a　product　of　the　representative　government　hot…house；　he

is　propagated　and　developed　there；　and　there　only。　Under　a　monarchy

you　will　find　none　but　courtiers　and　vassals；　whereas　under　a

constitutional　government　you　may　be　flattered；　served；　and　adulated

by　free　men。　In　France　ministers　are　better　off　than　kings　or　women；

they　have　some　one　who　thoroughly　understands　them。　Perhaps；　indeed；

the　private　secretary　is　to　be　pitied　as　much　as　women　and　white

paper。　They　are　nonentities　who　are　made　to　bear　all　things。　They　are

allowed　no　talents　except　hidden　ones；　which　must　be　employed　in　the

service　of　their　ministers。　A　public　show　of　talent　would　ruin　them。

The　private　secretary　is　therefore　an　intimate　friend　in　the　gift　of

government　However；　let　us　return　to　the　bureaus。



Three　men…servants　lived　in　peace　in　the　Billardiere　division；　to　wit：

a　footman　for　the　two　bureaus；　another　for　the　service　of　the　two

chiefs；　and　a　third　for　the　director　of　the　division　himself。　All

three　were　lodged；　warmed；　and　clothed　by　the　State；　and　wore　the

well…known　livery　of　the　State；　blue　coat　with　red　pipings　for

undress；　and　broad　red；　white；　and　blue　braid　for　great　occasions。　La

Billardiere's　man　had　the　air　of　a　gentleman…usher；　an　innovation

which　gave　an　aspect　of　dignity　to　the　division。



Pillars　of　the　ministry；　experts　in　all　manners　and　customs

bureaucratic；　well…warmed　and　clothed　at　the　State's　expense；　growing

rich　by　reason　of　their　few　wants；　these　lackeys　saw　completely

through　the　government　officials；　collectively　and　individually。　They

had　no　better　way　of　amusing　their　idle　hours　than　by　observing　these

personages　and　studying　their　peculiarities。　They　knew　how　far　to

trust　the　clerks　with　loans　of　money；　doing　their　various　commissions

with　absolute　discretion；　they　pawned　and　took　out　of　pawn；　bought　up

bills　when　due；　and　lent　money　without　interest；　albeit　no　clerk　ever

borrowed　of　them　without　returning　a　〃gratification。〃　These　servants

without　a　master　received　a　salary　of　nine　hundred　francs　a　year；　new

years'　gifts　and　〃gratifications〃　brought　their　emoluments　to　twelve

hundred　francs；　and　they　made　almost　as　much　money　by　serving

breakfasts　to　the　clerks　at　the　office。



The　elder　of　these　men；　who　was　also　the　richest；　waited　upon　the　main

body　of　the　clerks。　He　was　sixty　years　of　age；　with　white　hair　cropped

short　like　a　brush；　stout；　thickset；　and　apoplectic　about　the　neck；

with　a　vulgar　pimpled　face；　gray　eyes；　and　a　mouth　like　a　furnace

door；　such　was　the　profile　portrait　of　Antoine；　the　oldest　attendant

in　the　ministry。　He　had　brought　his　two　nephews；　Laurent　and　Gabriel；

from　Echelles　in　Savoie；one　to　serve　the　heads　of　the　bureaus；　the

other　the　director　himself。　All　three　came　to　open　the　offices　and

clean　them；　between　seven　and　eight　o'clock　in　the　morning；　at　which

time　they　read　the　newspapers　and　talked　civil　service　politics　from

their　point　of　view　with　the　servants　of　other　divisions；　exchanging

the　bureaucratic　gossip。　In　common　with　servants　of　modern　houses　who

know　their　masters'　private　affairs　thoroughly；　they　lived　at　the

ministry　like　spiders　at　the　centre　of　a　web；　where　they　felt　the

slightest　jar　of　the　fabric。



On　a　Thursday　evening；　the　day　after　the　ministerial　reception　and

Madame　Rabourdin's　evening　party；　just　as　Antoine　was　trimming　his

beard　and　his　nephews　were　assisting　him　in　the　antechamber　of　the

division　on　the　upper　floor；　they　were　surprised　by　the　unexpected

arrival　of　one　of　the　clerks。



〃That's　Monsieur　Dutocq；〃　said　Antoine。　〃I　know　him　by　that　pickpocket

step　of　his。　He　is　always　moving　round　on　the　sly；　that　man。　He　is　on

your　back　before　you　know　it。　Yesterday；　contrary　to　his　usual　ways；

he　outstayed　the　last　man　in　the　office；　such　a　thing　hasn't　happened

three　times　since　he　has　been　at　the　ministry。〃



Here　follows　the　portrait　of　Monsieur　Dutocq；　order…clerk　in　the

Rabourdin　bureau：　Thirty…eight　years　old；　oblong　face　and　bilious

skin；　grizzled　hair　always　cut　close；　low　forehead；　heavy　eyebrows

meeting　together；　a　crooked　nose　and　pinched　lips；　tall；　the　right

shoulder　slightly　higher　than　the　left；　brown　coat；　black　waistcoat；

silk　cravat；　yellowish　trousers；　black　woollen　stockings；　and　shoes

with　flapping　bows；　thus　you　behold　him。　Idle　and　incapable；　he　hated

Rabourdin；naturally　enough；　for　Rabourdin　had　no　vice　to　flatter；

and　no　bad　or　weak　side　on　which　Dutocq　could　make　himself　useful。　Far

too　noble　to　injure　a　clerk；　the　chief　was　also　too　clear…sighted　to

be　deceived　by　any　make…believe。　Dutocq　kept　his　place　therefore

solely　through　Rabourdin's　generosity；　and　was　very　certain　that　he

could　never　be　promoted　if　the　latter　succeeded　La