登陆注册
5406500000063

第63章 I(2)

Molineux, interested in any discussion about law, lingered in the shop; and as the attention of a few persons is apt to make others attentive, Pillerault and Ragon listened as gravely as the three strangers, though they perfectly well knew Cesar's opinions.

"I would have," said the perfumer, "a court of irremovable judges, with a magistracy to attend to the application and execution of the laws. After the examination of a case, during which the judge should fulfil the functions of agent, assignee, and commissioner, the merchant should be declared /insolvent with rights of reinstatement/, or else /bankrupt/. If the former, he should be required to pay in full; he should be left in control of his own property and that of his wife; all his belongings and his inherited property should belong to his creditors, and he should administer his affairs in their interests under supervision; he should still carry on his business, signing always 'So-and-so, insolvent,' until the whole debt is paid off. If bankrupt, he should be condemned, as formerly, to the pillory on the Place de la Bourse, and exposed for two hours, wearing a green cap.

His property and that of his wife, and all his rights of every kind should be handed over to his creditors, and he himself banished from the kingdom."

"Business would be more secure," said Lourdois; "people would think twice before launching into speculations."

"The existing laws are not enforced," cried Cesar, lashing himself up.

"Out of every hundred merchants there are more than fifty who never realize seventy-five per cent of the whole value of their business, or who sell their merchandise at twenty-five per cent below the invoice price; and that is the destruction of commerce."

"Monsieur is very right," said Molineux; "the law leaves a great deal too much latitude. There should either be total relinquishment of everything, or infamy."

"Damn it!" said Cesar, "at the rate things are going now, a merchant will soon be a licensed thief. With his mere signature he can dip into anybody's money-drawer."

"You have no mercy, Monsieur Birotteau," said Lourdois.

"He is quite right," said old Ragon.

"All insolvents are suspicious characters," said Cesar, exasperated by his little loss, which sounded in his ears like the first cry of the view-halloo in the ears of the game.

At this moment the late major-domo brought in Chevet's account, followed by a clerk sent by Felix, a waiter from the cafe Foy, and Collinet's clarionet, each with a bill.

"Rabelais' quarter of an hour," said Ragon, smiling.

"It was a fine ball," said Lourdois.

"I am busy," said Cesar to the messengers; who all left the bills and went away.

"Monsieur Grindot," said Lourdois, observing that the architect was folding up Birotteau's cheque, "will you certify my account? You need only to add it up; the prices were all agreed to by you on Monsieur Birotteau's behalf."

Pillerault looked at Lourdois and Grindot.

"Prices agreed upon between the architect and contractor?" he said in a low voice to his nephew,--"they have robbed you."

Grindot left the shop, and Molineux followed him with a mysterious air.

"Monsieur," he said, "you listened to me, but you did not understand me,--I wish you the protection of an umbrella."

The architect was frightened. The more illegal a man's gains the more he clings to them: the human heart is so made. Grindot had really studied the appartement lovingly; he had put all his art and all his time into it; he had given ten thousand francs worth of labor, and he felt that in so doing he had been the dupe of his vanity: the contractors therefore had little trouble in seducing him. The irresistible argument and threat, fully understood, of injuring him professionally by calumniating his work were, however, less powerful than a remark made by Lourdois about the lands near the Madeleine.

Birotteau did not expect to hold a single house upon them; he was speculating only on the value of the land; but architects and contractors are to each other very much what authors and actors are,--

mutually dependent. Grindot, ordered by Birotteau to stipulate the costs, went for the interests of the builders against the bourgeoisie;

and the result was that three large contractors--Lourdois, Chaffaroux, and Thorein the carpenter--proclaimed him "one of those good fellows it is a pleasure to work for." Grindot guessed that the contractor's bills, out of which he was to have a share, would be paid, like his commission, in notes; and little Molineux had just filled his mind with doubts as to their payment. The architect was about to become pitiless,--after the manner of artists, who are most intolerant of men in their dealings with the middle classes.

同类推荐
  • 海印三昧论一卷(并序)

    海印三昧论一卷(并序)

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 金液大丹诗

    金液大丹诗

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

    蜀碧

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 太平经合校

    太平经合校

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

    野記

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 重生商纣王

    重生商纣王

    重生商纣王,不一样的封神,穿越朱厚照、杨广、吕布····
  • 血咒

    血咒

    万年诅咒,承载着暴风血雨,一场毁灭性灾难即将来临。血颜,从出生就注定会有不寻常命运,万年血咒的寄托,血族的重任母亲的仇恨,从弱小到强大,一步步成为世界强者,看似坚强的背后又有多少不为人知的心酸,无奈。“我本无心争夺,奈何命运与自己开了个玩笑。”“若我不去战斗,被敌人杀了,还有指着我的头颅说:看,这就是奴隶!”“我绝不能让世界落入我所厌恶的人手中!”
  • 情迷二分之一他

    情迷二分之一他

    关水儿没想过,自己平凡的一生从被领假证的前夫抛弃开始,就跟开挂了一样。去国外散心发现怀孕了,然后一直待到生产,生孩子的时候还狗血的遇到了自己的亲生父母。还外带有了一个差不多二十年没见面的弟弟。几年后,弟弟打算回国内发展,自己也收拾包袱一块跟了回去。游氏集团董事长独子回国,接下游氏集团。多少名媛千金争破脑袋想进入游氏。这好运还真砸到了刚回国正愁没工作的关水儿身上。
  • 别人的故事

    别人的故事

    作品讲述了音乐奇才高牧甫从一个自小酷爱音乐的青年,成长为一个音乐才子的故事。高牧甫乃将门之后,却一改先辈持刀征服世界的做法,笃信“乐使人和”的古训。1962年逃港,赤手空拳、衣衫褴褛,在命运的安排下,渐次成长为横跨新加坡、香港、台湾中乐界的音乐奇才、中乐交响化的奠基性人物。故事以主人公的情感世界为切入点,采用浅近的语言娓娓道来,使人流连忘返。正如席容的诗句:在别人的故事里,流着自己的泪。作者深绿洋为广东省作协会员,长篇小说《鸟儿才听得懂》曾获广东省2004年度新人新作提名奖,多部作品发表于各大报刊。
  • 天宫计划

    天宫计划

    一场由冥星人引发的大灾难,让人类经历了一次灭顶之灾,人口锐减至百分之三十……灾后,地球上所有动作都发生变异,幸存者退化成原始人,苟延残喘……在天宫逃亡者的帮助下,人类好不容易修建了城墙,躲过了变异兽的残害,又遭到地球土著鬼——冥星人的屠杀,把幸存者变异成容器奴……外星人又来凑热闹,要将地球人类赶尽杀绝?
  • 甜心宝贝:惹上撒旦校草

    甜心宝贝:惹上撒旦校草

    回国入学,本想平静度过高三,殊不知这一年内却发生了太多令人诧异之事。刚来学校不久,便相识了校园几大男神,并与之发生了一系列感情碰撞,在生日来临前的十一天,每天都能收到来自神秘少年的蓝色妖姬,明明是双生子,但她与哥哥生日却不一样。生日当天,一场巨大的阴谋和真相浮出水面,神秘少年再度出现,带来了蓝色妖姬和桔梗花,在两种花的背后到底隐藏着怎样令人揪心的秘密?她与哥哥究竟是不是双生子?得知真相之后,旧爱与新爱如何抉择,而她的真实身份,到底是谁?
  • 敖子逸0a

    敖子逸0a

    柒七【安柒(qi)七】:“爸妈,你们真是的,自己出去旅游把我丢给别人。”
  • 多情应笑我

    多情应笑我

    众人皆以为林芳洲是个游手好闲的男子,而从小女扮男装的她,其实很忧伤。倘若被人知道她是女儿身,告到官府,说不定就要流放三千里,去沙漠里种西瓜。所以,打死也不能让别人发现她的秘密。然而她誓死保卫的这个秘密,却被她意外救下的一个“从天而降”的小少年抓了“小辫子”,林芳洲顿觉生无可恋!
  • 第二星球传记

    第二星球传记

    宙历4018年,随着宇宙航路的开辟,连通了各个星系间的空间虫洞,加上两次星球大战的爆发,极大的曾进了各星球文明间的交流,我们的宇宙进入了繁盛期。随着格斗竞技的流行,宇宙迎来了格斗家的时代,人们开始追求人体的极限力量;从小在地球长大的第二星球人小宇因为一次偶然的机遇,开始了他的冒险,在这广阔的宇宙,数之不尽星球,各具特色的文明,前方的一切都是未知……
  • 小荷才露尖尖角

    小荷才露尖尖角

    谁的青春不迷茫,女主在走过自己的雨季之后,终于迎来了自己的蜕变和发芽。陪她慢慢成长的男孩子,终于也在回忆中渐渐走散……有些人注定只能陪伴我们成长,而有些人注定和我们走完一生。这是一部写女孩子在高中时期慢慢脱离父母的庇护之后,渐渐成长起来的故事。故事会一直写到女孩读完大学,在读大学期间,女孩收获了自己的甜美爱情,但同时也告别了自己高中时最好的朋友。有得必有失,或许,这就是成长……