"Now, what's the result of all this?" cried Gaudissart. "To you, a banker, I can sum up the profits in a few words. Listen. A man lives;he has a future; he appears well; he lives, let us say, by his art; he wants money; he tries to get it,--he fails. Civilization withholds cash from this man whose thought could master civilization, and ought to master it, and will master it some day with a brush, a chisel, with words, ideas, theories, systems. Civilization is atrocious! It denies bread to the men who give it luxury. It starves them on sneers and curses, the beggarly rascal! My words may be strong, but I shall not retract them. Well, this great but neglected man comes to us; we recognize his greatness; we salute him with respect; we listen to him.
He says to us: 'Gentlemen, my life and talents are worth so much; on my productions I will pay you such or such percentage.' Very good;what do we do? Instantly, without reserve or hesitation, we admit him to the great festivals of civilization as an honored guest--""You need wine for that," interposed the madman.
"--as an honored guest. He signs the insurance policy; he takes our bits of paper,--scraps, rags, miserable rags!--which, nevertheless, have more power in the world than his unaided genius. Then, if he wants money, every one will lend it to him on those rags. At the Bourse, among bankers, wherever he goes, even at the usurers, he will find money because he can give security. Well, Monsieur, is not that a great gulf to bridge over in our social system? But that is only one aspect of our work. We insure debtors by another scheme of policies and premiums. We offer annuities at rates graduated according to ages, on a sliding-scale infinitely more advantageous than what are called tontines, which are based on tables of mortality that are notoriously false. Our company deals with large masses of men; consequently the annuitants are secure from those distressing fears which sadden old age,--too sad already!--fears which pursue those who receive annuities from private sources. You see, Monsieur, that we have estimated life under all its aspects.""Sucked it at both ends," said the lunatic. "Take another glass of wine. You've earned it. You must line your inside with velvet if you are going to pump at it like that every day. Monsieur, the wine of Vouvray, if well kept, is downright velvet.""Now, what do you think of it all?" said Gaudissart, emptying his glass.
"It is very fine, very new, very useful; but I like the discounts Iget at my Territorial Bank, Rue des Fosses-Montmartre.""You are quite right, Monsieur," answered Gaudissart; "but that sort of thing is taken and retaken, made and remade, every day. You have also hypothecating banks which lend upon landed property and redeem it on a large scale. But that is a narrow idea compared to our system of consolidating hopes,--consolidating hopes! coagulating, so to speak, the aspirations born in every soul, and insuring the realization of our dreams. It needed our epoch, Monsieur, the epoch of transition--transition and progress--"
"Yes, progress," muttered the lunatic, with his glass at his lips. "Ilike progress. That is what I've told them many times--""The 'Times'!" cried Gaudissart, who did not catch the whole sentence.
"The 'Times' is a bad newspaper. If you read that, I am sorry for you.""The newspaper!" cried Margaritis. "Of course! Wife! wife! where is the newspaper?" he cried, going towards the next room.
"If you are interested in newspapers," said Gaudissart, changing his attack, "we are sure to understand each other.""Yes; but before we say anything about that, tell me what you think of this wine.""Delicious!"
"Then let us finish the bottle." The lunatic poured out a thimbleful for himself and filled Gaudissart's glass. "Well, Monsieur, I have two puncheons left of the same wine; if you find it good we can come to terms.""Exactly," said Gaudissart. "The fathers of the Saint-Simonian faith have authorized me to send them all the commodities I--But allow me to tell you about their noble newspaper. You, who have understood the whole question of insurance so thoroughly, and who are willing to assist my work in this district--""Yes," said Margaritis, "if--"
"If I take your wine; I understand perfectly. Your wine is very good, Monsieur; it puts the stomach in a glow.""They make champagne out of it; there is a man from Paris who comes here and makes it in Tours.""I have no doubt of it, Monsieur. The 'Globe,' of which we were speaking--""Yes, I've gone over it," said Margaritis.
"I was sure of it!" exclaimed Gaudissart. "Monsieur, you have a fine frontal development; a pate--excuse the word--which our gentlemen call 'horse-head.' There's a horse element in the head of every great man.
Genius will make itself known; but sometimes it happens that great men, in spite of their gifts, remain obscure. Such was very nearly the case with Saint-Simon; also with Monsieur Vico,--a strong man just beginning to shoot up; I am proud of Vico. Now, here we enter upon the new theory and formula of humanity. Attention, if you please.""Attention!" said the fool, falling into position.
"Man's spoliation of man--by which I mean bodies of men living upon the labor of other men--ought to have ceased with the coming of Christ, I say CHRIST, who was sent to proclaim the equality of man in the sight of God. But what is the fact? Equality up to our day has been an 'ignus fatuus,' a chimera. Saint-Simon has arisen as the complement of Christ; as the modern exponent of the doctrine of equality, or rather of its practice, for theory has served its time--""Is he liberated?" asked the lunatic.