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！
nevertheless rich in hope？〃
〃Money；yes； that's right；〃 said Margaritis。
〃Well； Monsieur； I am sent into the departments by a company of
bankers and capitalists； who have apprehended the enormous waste which
rising men of talent are thus making of time； and； consequently； of
intelligence and productive ability。 We have seized the idea of
capitalizing for such men their future prospects； and cashing their
talents by discountingwhat？ TIME； securing the value of it to their
survivors。 I may say that it is no longer a question of economizing
time； but of giving it a price； a quotation； of representing in a
pecuniary sense those products developed by time which presumably you
possess in the region of your intellect； of representing also the
moral qualities with which you are endowed； and which are； Monsieur；
living forces；as living as a cataract； as a steam…engine of three；
ten； twenty； fifty horse…power。 Ha！ this is progress！ the movement
onward to a better state of things； a movement born of the spirit of
our epoch； a movement essentially progressive； as I shall prove to you
when we come to consider the principles involved in the logical
co…ordination of the social fabric。 I will now explain my meaning by
literal examples； leaving aside all purely abstract reasoning； which I
call the mathematics of thought。 Instead of being； as you are； a
proprietor living upon your income； let us suppose that you are
painter； a musician； an artist； or a poet〃
〃I am a painter；〃 said the lunatic。
〃Well； so be it。 I see you take my metaphor。 You are a painter； you
have a glorious future； a rich future before you。 But I go still
farther〃
At these words the madman looked anxiously at Gaudissart； thinking he
meant to go away； but was reassured when he saw that he kept his seat。
〃You may even be nothing at all；〃 said Gaudissart； going on with his
phrases； 〃but you are conscious of yourself； you feel yourself〃
〃I feel myself；〃 said the lunatic。
〃you feel yourself a great man； you say to yourself； 'I will be a
minister of state。' Well； then； youpainter； artist； man of letters；
statesman of the futureyou reckon upon your talents； you estimate
their value； you rate them； let us say； at a hundred thousand
crowns〃
〃Do you give me a hundred thousand crowns？〃
〃Yes； Monsieur； as you will see。 Either your heirs and assigns will
receive them if you die； for the company contemplates that event； or
you will receive them in the long run through your works of art； your
writings； or your fortunate speculations during your lifetime。 But； as
I have already had the honor to tell you； when you have once fixed
upon the value of your intellectual capital；for it is intellectual
capital；seize that idea firmly；intellectual〃
〃I understand；〃 said the fool。
〃You sign a policy of insurance with a company which recognizes in you
a value of a hundred thousand crowns； in you； poet〃
〃I am a painter；〃 said the lunatic。
〃Yes；〃 resumed Gaudissart；〃painter； poet； musician； statesmanand
binds itself to pay them over to your family； your heirs； if； by
reason of your death； the hopes foundered on your intellectual capital
should be overthrown for you personally。 The payment of the premium is
all that is required to protect〃
〃The money…box；〃 said the lunatic； sharply interrupting him。
〃Ah！ naturally； yes。 I see that Monsieur understands business。〃
〃Yes；〃 said the madman。 〃I established the Territorial Bank in the Rue
des Fosses…Montmartre at Paris in 1798。〃
〃For；〃 resumed Gaudissart； going back to his premium； 〃in order to
meet the payments on the intellectual capital which each man
recognizes and esteems in himself； it is of course necessary that each
should pay a certain premium； three per cent； an annual due of three
per cent。 Thus； by the payment of this trifling sum； a mere nothing；
you protect your family from disastrous results at your death〃
〃But I live；〃 said the fool。
〃Ah！ yes； you mean if you should live long？ That is the usual
objection；a vulgar prejudice。 I fully agree that if we had not
foreseen and demolished it we might feel we were unworthy of being
what？ What are we； after all？ Book…keepers in the great Bureau of
Intellect。 Monsieur； I don't apply these remarks to you； but I meet on
all sides men who make it a business to teach new ideas and disclose
chains of reasoning to people who turn pale at the first word。 On my
word of honor； it is pitiable！ But that's the way of the world； and I
don't pretend to reform it。 Your objection； Monsieur； is really sheer
nonsense。〃
〃Why？〃 asked the lunatic。
〃Why？this is why： because； if you live and possess the qualities
which are estimated in your policy against the chances of death；now；
attend to this〃
〃I am attending。〃
〃Well； then； you have succeeded in life； and you have succeeded
because of the said insurance。 You doubled your chances of success by
getting rid of the anxieties you were dragging about with you in the
shape of wife and children who might otherwise be left destitute at
your death。 If you attain this certainty； you have touched the value
of your intellectual capital； on which the cost of insurance is but a
trifle；a mere trifle； a bagatelle。〃
〃That's a fine idea！〃
〃Ah！ is it not； Monsieur？〃 cried Gaudissart。 〃I call this enterprise
the exchequer of beneficence； a mutual insurance against poverty； or；
if you like it better； the discounting； the cashing； of talent。 For
talent； Monsieur； is a bill of exchange which Nature gives to the man
of genius； and which often has a long time to run before it falls
due。〃
〃That is usury！〃 cried Margaritis。
〃The devil！ he's keen； the old fellow！ I've made a mistake；〃 thought
Gaudissart； 〃I must catch him with other chaff。 I'll try humbug No。 1。
Not at all；〃 he said aloud； 〃for you who〃
〃Will you take a glass of wine？〃 asked Margaritis。
〃With pleasure；〃 replied Gaudissart。
〃Wife； give us a bottle of the wine that is in the puncheons。 You are
here at the very head of Vouvray；〃 he continued； with a gesture of the
hand； 〃the vineyard of Margaritis。〃
The maid…servant brought glasses and a bottle of wine of the vintage
of 1819。 The good…man filled a glass with circumspection and offered
it to Gaudissart； who drank it up。
〃Ah； you are joking； Monsieur！〃 exclaimed the commercial traveller。
〃Surely this is Madeira； true Madeira？〃
〃So you think；〃 said the fool。 〃The trouble with our Vouvray wine is
that it is neither a common wine； nor a wine that can be drunk with
the entremets。 It is too generous； too strong。 It is often sold in
Paris adulterated with brandy and called Madeira。 The wine…merchants
buy it up； when our vintage has not been good enough for the Dutch and
Belgian markets； to mix it with wines grown in the neighborhood of
Paris； and call it Bordeaux。 But what you are drinking just now； my
good Monsieur； is a wine for kings； the pure Head of Vouvray；that's
it's name。 I have two puncheons； only two puncheons of it left。 People
who like fine wines； high…class wines； who furnish their table with
qualities that can't be bought in the regular trade；and there are
many persons in Paris who have that vanity；well； such people send
direct to us for this wine。 Do you know any one who？〃
〃Let us go on with what we were saying；〃 interposed Gaudissart。
〃We are going on；〃 said the fool。 〃My wine is capital； you are
capital； capitalist； intellectual capital； capital wine；all the same
etymology； don't you see？ hein？ Capital； 'caput；' head； Head of
Vouvray； that's my wine；it's all one thing。〃
〃So that you have realized your intellectual capital through your
wines？ Ah； I see！〃 said Gaudissart。
〃I have realized；〃 said the lunatic。 〃Would you like to buy my
puncheons？ you shall have them on good terms。〃
〃No； I was merely speaking；〃 said the illustrious Gaudissart； 〃of the
results of insurance and the employment of intellectual capital。 I
will resume my argument。〃
The lunatic calmed down； and fell once more into position。
〃I remarked； Monsieur； that if you die the capital will be paid to
your family without discussion。〃
〃Without discussion？〃
〃Yes； unless there were suicide。〃
〃That's quibbling。〃
〃No； Monsieur； you are aware that suicide is one of those acts which
are easy to prove〃
〃In France；〃 said the fool； 〃but〃
〃But in other countries？〃 said Gaudissart。 〃Well； Monsieur； to cut
short discussion on this point； I will say； once for all； that death
in foreign countries or on the field of battle is outside of our〃
〃Then what are you insuring？ Nothing at all！〃 cried Margaritis。 〃My
bank； my Territorial Bank； rested upon〃
〃Nothing at all？〃 exclaimed Gaudissart； interrupting the good…man。
〃Nothing at all？ What do you call sickness； and afflictions； and
poverty； and passions？ Don't go off on except