按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
of twenty…eight francs in ten minutes； without breaking the law of the
land。
The thousand francs； the one incontestable item in the account； comes
first。
The second item is shared between the bailiff and the Inland Revenue
Department。 The six francs due to the State for providing a piece of
stamped paper； and putting the debtor's mortification on record； will
probably ensure a long life to this abuse； and as you already know；
one franc fifty centimes from this item found its way into the
banker's pockets in the shape of Doublon's rebate。
〃Bank charges one…half per cent；〃 runs the third item； which appears
upon the ingenious plea that if a banker has not received payment； he
has for all practical purposes discounted a bill。 And although the
contrary may be the case； if you fail to receive a thousand francs； it
seems to be very much the same thing as if you had paid them away。
Everybody who has discounted a bill knows that he has to pay more than
the six per cent fixed by law； for a small percentage appears under
the humble title of 〃charges；〃 representing a premium on the financial
genius and skill with which the capitalist puts his money out to
interest。 The more money he makes out of you； the more he asks。
Wherefore it would be undoubtedly cheaper to discount a bill with a
fool； if fools there be in the profession of bill…discounting。
The law requires the banker to obtain a stock…broker's certificate for
the rate of exchange。 When a place is so unlucky as to boast no stock
exchange； two merchants act instead。 This is the significance of the
item 〃brokerage〃； it is a fixed charge of a quarter per cent on the
amount of the protested bill。 The custom is to consider the amount as
paid to the merchants who act for the stock…broker； and the banker
quietly puts the money into his cash…box。 So much for the third item
in this delightful account。
The fourth includes the cost of the piece of stamped paper on which
the account itself appears； as well as the cost of the stamp for
re…draft； as it is ingeniously named； viz。； the banker's draft upon
his colleague in Paris。
The fifth is a charge for postage and the legal interest due upon the
amount for the time that it may happen to be absent from the banker's
strong box。
The final item； the exchange； is the object for which the bank exists；
which is to say； for the transmission of sums of money from one place
to another。
Now； sift this account thoroughly； and what do you find？ The method of
calculation closely resembles Polichinelle's arithmetic in Lablache's
Neapolitan song； 〃fifteen and five make twenty…two。〃 The signatures of
Messieurs Postel and Gannerac were obviously given to oblige in the
way of business； the Cointets would act at need for Gannerac as
Gannerac acted for the Cointets。 It was a practical application of the
well…known proverb； 〃Reach me the rhubarb and I will pass you the
senna。〃 Cointet Brothers； moreover； kept a standing account with
Metivier； there was no need of a re…draft； and no re…draft was made。 A
returned bill between the two firms simply meant a debit or credit
entry and another line in a ledger。
This highly…colored account； therefore； is reduced to the one thousand
francs； with an additional thirteen francs for expenses of protest；
and half per cent for a month's delay； one thousand and eighteen
francs it may be in all。
Suppose that in a large banking…house a bill for a thousand francs is
daily protested on an average； then the banker receives twenty…eight
francs a day by the grace of God and the constitution of the banking
system； that all powerful invention due to the Jewish intellect of the
Middle Ages； which after six centuries still controls monarchs and
peoples。 In other words； a thousand francs would bring such a house
twenty…eight francs per day； or ten thousand two hundred and twenty
francs per annum。 Triple the average of protests； and consequently of
expenses； and you shall derive an income of thirty thousand francs per
annum； interest upon purely fictitious capital。 For which reason；
nothing is more lovingly cultivated than these little 〃accounts of
expenses。〃
If David Sechard had come to pay his bill on the 3rd of May； that is；
the day after it was protested； MM。 Cointet Brothers would have met
him at once with； 〃We have returned your bill to M。 Metivier；〃
although； as a matter of fact； the document would have been lying upon
the desk。 A banker has a right to make out the account of expenses on
the evening of the day when the bill is protested； and he uses the
right to 〃sweat the silver crowns；〃 in the country banker's phrase。
The Kellers； with correspondents all over the world； make twenty
thousand francs per annum by charges for postage alone； accounts of
expenses of protest pay for Mme。 la Baronne de Nucingen's dresses；
opera box； and carriage。 The charge for postage is a more shocking
swindle； because a house will settle ten matters of business in as
many lines of a single letter。 And of the tithe wrung from misfortune；
the Government； strange to say！ takes its share； and the national
revenue is swelled by a tax on commercial failure。 And the Bank？ from
the august height of a counting…house she flings an observation； full
of commonsense； at the debtor； 〃How is it？〃 asks she； 〃that you cannot
meet your bill？〃 and； unluckily； there is no reply to the question。
Wherefore； the 〃account of expenses〃 is an account bristling with
dreadful fictions； fit to cause any debtor； who henceforth shall
reflect upon this instructive page； a salutary shudder。
On the 4th of May； Metivier received the account from Cointet
Brothers； with instructions to proceed against M。 Lucien Chardon；
otherwise de Rubempre； with the utmost rigor of the law。
Eve also wrote to M。 Metivier； and a few days later received an answer
which reassured her completely：
To M。 Sechard； Junior； Printer； Angouleme。
〃I have duly received your esteemed favor of the 5th instant。 From
your explanation of the bill due on April 30th； I understand that
you have obliged your brother…in…law； M。 de Rubempre； who is
spending so much that it will be doing you a service to summons
him。 His present position is such that he is likely to delay
payment for long。 If your brother…in…law should refuse payment； I
shall rely upon the credit of your old…established house。I sign
myself now； as ever； your obedient servant；
〃Metivier。〃
〃Well；〃 said Eve； commenting upon the letter to David； 〃Lucien will
know when they summons him that we could not pay。〃
What a change wrought in Eve those few words meant！ The love that grew
deeper as she came to know her husband's character better and better；
was taking the place of love for her brother in her heart。 But to how
many illusions had she not bade farewell？
And now let us trace out the whole history of the bill and the account
of expenses in the business world of Paris。 The law enacts that the
third holder； the technical expression for the third party into whose
hands the bill passes； is at liberty to proceed for the whole amount
against any one of the var