Читать книгу The Complete Works of Emile Zola - Emile Zola - Страница 77

DOUGLAS, THE NOTARY

MARIUS had returned to M. Martelly’s and resumed his duties, finding a sort of peacefulness in his work. His thoughts ran freer amidst the silence and calm of his office. He told himself that he had four months in which to come to Philippe’s assistance, and he would reflect for hours together as to the best means to be employed.

M. Martelly continued to treat him as he would a son.

Sometimes the young man thought of telling him everything and of borrowing the fifteen thousand francs of him. But a fear, a timidity prevented him; he dreaded his employer’s republican sternness. So he resolved to continue the struggle, to exhaust all possible means before applying to the shipowner. Later on, when he had unsuccessfully tried everything else, he would make up his mind to tell him of his difficulty and implore his kind assistance.

Meanwhile, he determined he would not again behave like a simpleton and take any useless step. For a moment, he thought of earning the necessary amount himself. The high figure frightened him, and he saw very well that he could never put by such a sum in four months. Yet he felt bold enough to move mountains.

It recurred to him that Douglas, the notary whose aid M. Martelly had vainly asked for Philippe, had for some months past been offering to employ him as agent, acting under power of attorney for some of his clients. The notary and the shipowner were connected in various business matters, and M. Martelly often sent Marius to settle different accounts with Douglas. One day, on calling there, the young man decided to accept the offer that had been made him: if the profits were small, he might, when he had become better known, succeed in obtaining a loan.

The notary lived in a house of simple and austere appearance. The offices occupied the entire first floor; there was quite a crowd of clerks seated along stained deal tables, in the large cold bare rooms. Luxury had never penetrated into those rooms full of prodigious activity and a kind of honest roughness. One felt oneself to be in the abode of a man who never forgot himself amid the joys of life.

About ten years before, Douglas had succeeded to the practice of a person named Imbert, whose clerk he had been for more than twelve years. He was then an intelligent and active young fellow, with a passion for business, and ever dreaming of monster speculations. The fever for trade and manufacture that was passing over France heated his blood and filled him with strong ambition; he wished to earn vast sums of money, not in order to live in opulence, but because he tasted a keen voluptuousness in unravelling all monetary matters, and in guiding the undertakings he embarked upon to success. At the outset he felt himself too restricted in his notary’s practice. He was a born banker, and his hands were formed for manipulating large sums of money. His profession, with its quiet dealings and almost sacred and paternal character, did not in the least suit his stock-jobbing nature. He felt out of his element, for all his instincts urged him to turn the money deposited with him to account. He could not reconcile himself to being a disinterested intermediary, and he launched into panting and feverish speculations, which later on turned him into a great criminal.

He paid the purchase money of his practice in a few months, without anyone knowing how he had obtained the necessary capital. Then he displayed febrile activity. In a very short time his practice developed considerably. He became the first notary of Marseille, opening his doors wide and securing fresh clients every day. His mode of proceeding was extremely simple: he never denied himself to any client, and listened to every application; he always found money for those who wanted to borrow, and always had excellent investments for those who deposited their cash with him. A considerable turnover of capital thus took place through the intermediary of his office.

At first, people were surprised at his rapid success. They talked of imprudence, and considered that the young notary was going too quickly ahead, and was undertaking a burden too heavy for his shoulders. Besides this, no one could make out how he managed to meet the calls occasioned by the continual increase of his practice. But Douglas calmed public anxiety by the simplicity of his life. He was believed to be very wealthy, yet he dressed quietly, displayed not the slightest luxury, and denied himself all pleasures. Everyone knew that he led a sober existence, eating only plain food, living, in fact, like a petty shopkeeper. He was also very pious, gave a great deal in charity, went to church and remained kneeling during the whole length of the service. By these means he acquired the reputation of an honest man, and this went on increasing daily. He came to be cited at last as a model of piety and honour. His name was respected and beloved.

It had taken him barely six years to arrive at this position; and now, during six years he had been at the head of the Marseille notaries: his office was the most frequented, and the one that did the most business. Wealthy people made a point of employing this modest and pious man endowed with every virtue. The nobility and clergy supported him; the commercial world had ended by feeling unlimited confidence in his loyalty. The position was won, and Douglas was feverishly turning it to account.

He was then about forty-five years old, a strong, thickset man, inclined to stoutness. His face, always cleanshaven, was deathly pale; the flesh seemed inanimate, the eyes alone showing signs of life. He looked like a verger turned banker. Beneath his gentle exterior, one could hear a kind of muffled roar: no doubt the blood was coursing fiercely in this struggler’s body which seemed asleep. When he conversed in his drawling tones, his voice occasionally rose to a pitch which revealed the internal fever consuming him. He was always to be found in his private room, a cold apartment, poorly furnished. There was generally a priest or a nun in the antechamber. The door was left open and it was easy for anyone to find the chief. He displayed his charity, contempt for luxury, and austere goodnature even rather too complacently.

Marius felt a real sympathy for this man whose simple virtues quite won his heart. He delighted in calling upon him. On this particular day, after discussing with Douglas the business upon which M. Martelly had sent him, the young man added, hesitatingly:

“I wish now, sir, to speak to you on a private matter, only, I am afraid I may be trespassing on your time.”

“Not at all! my dear friend,” said the notary cordially, “I am quite at your service. I have already offered you my assistance, and my house is open to you.”

“I remember your kind offers, and I wish to remind you of what you said to me some months ago.”

“I told you that it only rested with yourself to earn some money with me. I should like to assist a young fellow like you by putting your willingness and courage to the proof. What I told you then I repeat today.”

“I thank you and accept,” replied Marius simply, much affected by Douglas’ frank and generous ways. The latter, on hearing the young man’s words, started with joy. He turned his chair round quickly and indicated another seat to his visitor.

“Sit down and let us talk,” he said. “I can only give you a few minutes. I like young men such as you; not afraid of work and speaking their minds freely. You do not know how happy you make me by placing me in the position to be useful to you.” He smiled, and every word he uttered was like a caress. “Well, this is the matter in question,” he continued. “As some of my clients do not reside at Marseille, I have had to find a means of facilitating their transactions. I have therefore obtained several agents acting under power of attorney to represent the absent parties and who look after these persons’ properties. Whenever one of my clients is, for some reason or other, unable to attend personally to his affairs, he leaves with me a blank power of attorney, depending on me to find some upright party who will faithfully fulfil his duties. I know that you are an active and honest fellow, and I offer you the position of representing two or three landlords whose powers of attorney I have by me. There is only your name to fill in, and you will receive five per cent, upon all the transactions you carry out.”

He spoke in a calm and simple tone of voice. Marius was frightened at the responsibility of such a position; but he felt so sure of his uprightness that he did not hesitate to accept.

“I am at your commands,” he said to Douglas. “You must guide and advise me. I know I shall have nothing to fear in obeying you in everything.”

“So as not to overwhelm you at the outset,” resumed the notary rising, “I will only entrust you with two powers of attorney to begin with.”

He took some papers and returned to his table, where he read out the two documents after having filled in Marius’ name. The powers conferred were practically unlimited: the right to sell and buy, mortgage, and bring or defend actions. When the notary had finished reading he added:

“I must now give you some information respecting the persons you are to represent.” He handed Marius one of the documents, and went on: “This, to begin with, is the authorization of my friend and client, M. Authier, of Lambesc. He is just now at Cherbourg, and will be shortly starting for New York, to take possession of a large fortune that has been left him. He purchased at Marseille, before his departure, a building in the Rue de Rome. You will administer the property during his absence. I am expecting to receive his instructions tomorrow, and I will inform you of them.”

He then took up the other document, and continued:

“And this is the authorization of M. Mouttet, a retired merchant at Toulon, who entrusted me with the capital necessary for taking a mortgage on a country house in the Saint Just district. He has just remitted a further sum which he wishes to have invested in the same way; but as he is a great sufferer from gout, he has asked me to find someone who, acting under his power of attorney, would give the necessary signatures in his stead. Come back tomorrow, and we can then arrange finally about the two matters.”

Douglas rose as a hint that the interview was at an end. At the door, he shook Marius’ hand with rough and cordial familiarity.

The young man withdrew, rather stunned by the rapidity of what had taken place. He was surprised at the facility with which the notary had entrusted him with such important matters, and felt ill at ease as he thought of the heavy responsibility about to weigh upon him.