THE STORY-TELLER. The Dangers of Paternalism.

Evening Post, Volume LXXI, Issue 142, 16 June 1906, Page 10

THE STORY-TELLER. The Dangers of Paternalism.

At the time, Fortunatus Cadoul had tot yet become tb.6 successful vaudevii- ' list for the behoof of whose name a lease has apparently been taken of half the dead walls of Paris nowadays. He was then a modest clerk in a Government office, without any fortune save that contained iD his prenomen, and with a salary of 2400 francs. As a .Consequence, the first week after payday had scarcely elapsed, when Oadoul -Srai inevitably engaged in the distress•lngly monstrous exercise of pulling the devil by the tail, though be never succeeded in getting a good grip even on to •that. And then there was not in the whole department another official so scandalously inefficient as Monsieur Cadoul. The eniy thing that ever brought him to the notice of bis superiors wus his astonishing disregard of punctuality; his unmoralitv in this respect was so unspeakably that not a day passed on which .it did not raise to a perpendicular the indignant four hairs which his zealous -ichief, Monsieur Madurine, still retained in bis respectable cranium. Monsieur Madurine, wl.o was unfailingly ensconced in his leather arm chair on the stroke of ten, could not understand such procrastination, it inspired Mm with horror. So, after several warnings conveyed to the offender through the medium of bis deputy, the great functionary decided to take the 'matter in hand himself. He had come \o the resolution to make an example . - One morning, at halfpast ten, he rang for the office-boy. " "Give my compliments to Monsieur Cadoul, and tell him I wish to speak with him," said he. "Monsieur Cadoul has not yet come, "monsieur," was the answer. ' The four hairs of the chief 6tood up. "Very well ! Send him to me as soon as you see himr"- . It was not nntll forty-five minutes pa«t twelve that- Fortunatus Cadoul made his appearance in the office of his chief. His entrance, it must be said to -his credit, was entirely devoid of haughtiness and arrogance. Having had timely information from his colleagues of the storm that was ranging sullenly beneath the four hairs of the "boss," the candidate for the' vaudeville stage was very meek and unobtrusive in demeanour; his head was bent forward in gentle deprecation, and .there was an appealing look in his •yes that was pathetic. "Ah ! indeed ! so here you are at last ! at last, monsieur!" cried the chief, in a tone of irony which was quite successful in rendering alarming. "So it is at this hour that you usually begin your duties?" And the glance he flung at the clock on the mantel was actnally ferocious. Cadoul thought at first, buo only for & moment, of objecting that the clock was Jast, just a little fast, but fortunately, it struck him in time that a, dock does not, as a rule, go two hours and forty-five minutes fast in twentyiour hours, or, at least, a Government horologe does not. He considered it better to answer, or rather stammer, that a family affair had detained him. "Oh, a family affair, was it? A family affair! that is easily said," retorted Monsieur Medurine, with an ominous sneer. "And, pray, may we be permitted to learn what was this family affair?" Ah, yes ! there was the trouble. This iras the very thing that Cadoul was askine himself. 'What was this family affair V "Monsieur," ho stammered, in evident embarrassment. "You do not imagine, I presume, that I am likely to be satisfied with such an excuse as that 7 Anything more ridiculous "I neyer heard of !" "Monsieur, monsieur! I give you my word- of Really, it is — such a delicate matter — you cannot conceive how delicate! And if you would — if you would be pleased to — in short, I must request you, aa a great favour, not to insist on an answer." "But that was, a. reason, on the contrary, for Monsieur Madurine insisting. He did more than insist on an answer. He demanded it peremptorily. His four hairs bristled menacingly and furiously, «nd, behind them, loomed before the eyes of the unfortunate Fortlonatus the spectre of stoppage of salary, dismissal from the service, . and other disciplinary . measures more or . less harsh, or, at least, discourteous. • "Confound ifc !" thoughti Fortunatus, 'jl have got into hob water this time, f(jr rare!" And he adlded, aloud : "As I see it must be, then, monsieur, I «hall ttell you everything, although, as a gentleman yourself, you can imagine tow humilistting* it must be to a gentleman to have to make^a confesion of his poverty." Then, with a wealth of detiail that did the highest honour to the fecundity of his imagination, he invented the history o\^ an uncle, an only uncle, who lived far 'away, ever so far away, iway down in the South, an aged uncle, ever, so aged, and deplorably infirm, into the bargain/ Ah, but that) was not all! This venerable relative, who had been a ffioth&T to him in his boyhood, was now without resources to an extent tihat it was agonising to contemplate, and it was he, Cadoul, who, from his elender and hardearned savings, supported the declining days of tihis respectable old man. But what could he do with 2400 francs a year? Only by marvels of ingenuity, of which it would be almost impossible to form an idea, was he able partially to accomplish this pious duty, and whenever ifc- was his misfortune, as it was today, to come late to the office, it was because he had been forced to run in eyery direction, right and left, -left 'and right!, trying to borrow — and at the price of -what self-abasement — the jfcwjenty -franc piece her 4, tho ten-franc piece there, that could not be .dispensed witlh. But it woult 1 h<ive been necessary to listen, not only to the history of the old uncle, but t» the tone in which it was narrated. The rogue was born to be an actor: ' He played the little scene with the most consummate art. Gtsture, intonation, expression, everyhing was {Here, even to the restrained little Uremolo with which the monologue ended. Monsieur Madurine himself, wHo, bow«ver, was anything rather than emotional, tras completely carried away. "Yes, yes, of course, of course," he returned, in a voice that had grown almost gentle, while his four hairs ; sank down gracefully and gradually, as it they, too, were affected by the atmosphere of »eninbility that now pervaded the apartment ; "of eouist, your position i* deterving of every consideration. But then, my good friend, the Administration cannot, surely, take into account queitions of tiiat nattare?" "I am quite aware of that, monsieur." "When you happen to find yourself momentarily, embarrasted, .why do you not make your troubles known to tShe official head of your department?" .."To you, monsieur!" exclaimed Cadoul, Ms- eyes starting out of his head in hiirf amazement. ''Oh, monsieur, I should never b*vo dared to think of such * grin**"-

"You have been wrong. The chief of a department is like a colonel. He should be a father to bis subordinates. Have you, at any rate, found the louis or the half-louds you needed to-day?" "Alas ! no !" answered Cad end, whose heart throbbed with a sudden hope which he would never have ventured to entertain. "Well, here ifc is!" eaid Monsieur Madurine, majestically, opening his pocket-book. "And know that I far prefer rendering you this slight favour to seeing you giving a pernicious example of unpunctualitjy to your colleagues." Cadoul was struck dumb. But he took the louis. Its touch restored his voice, and be was profuse in his acknowledgments. When he entered his office, he executed, but in a. subdued manner, the opening steps of a cake-walk, to the bewilderment no less than to the admiration of his fellows. " Yes, monsieur," he interrupted, with a snivel,. " I know what you are about to say to me. But it is not my fault, monsieur; ifc is the fault of my timidity, of my silly timidity. I have nob ventured to take advantage s second time of the generous offer you made me. But, since you insist " . The accent in which he concluded was heartrending. "I must ask you for another louis. monsieur. ' Amazement and indignation were ' painted on the solemn features of Mon- ' sieur Madurine. But what excuse' could j he give for a refusal ? Was it not he j himself who had authorised — nay, worse! encouraged — by his imprudent words, this appeal to his pocket-book? With a grimace, he took the twenty francs demanded from his fob. and handed them over. But he came to a resolution ; from that day onward he was particularly careful | to take no notice of tho absences and I late arrivals of his subordinate. This system h« adopted because it seemed bo him by far the most economical. This abstention did not, however, at oil suit tho views of Monsieur Cadoul. Th» very moment the mountain grew shy of coming: to hip, he went to the mountain. Since his chief no longer dreamed 1 of summoning him for a deserved reproof, he felt it was his duty to call upon his chief and remind him that j he was the father of his subalterns >v His tariff never varied by a sou. It was, on every occasion, twenty francs. Ah, he had recovered nicely from what he had styled his "silly timidity"; recovered, in fact, much too speedily and j much too completely. One day Monsieur Madurina tried to compound with ten francs. Cadoul put the question aside, with trreat respect, but with great firmness. He said that such a transaction would entail a loss on him that wouM seriously embarrass his financial position. "So things havo gone off better than you expected?" enquired one of them. " The chief hasn't made mincemeat of you, after all?" " Let no one here ever dare to think of even touching a single one of tho four hairs of ""Monsieur Madurine ! He s a brick!" declared the future vaudevillist, with solemnity. "He has lent mo j twenty francs. "From this lime forward, I his person is for me a sacred object. Monsieur Madurine' is a brother. . What have I said? A brother! He is n father; and, moreover, he has informed thiß hitherto unappreciated individual that he is the parent, the papa of us all." The next day — will ifc be believed— B'ortunatus Cadoul was the first to arrivo at the office. From the office boy to tho chief clerk, every one was so overcome with astonishment that it took him some time to recover. The sub-chief j thought there might have been a revolution in the sun's course, and compared the hour on his timepiece with that on the face of the ministerial clock, to convince himself that ifc was not he himself who was late. Monsieur Madurina was the only person who was not struck with wonder. "Learn to know men! That knowledge is all-important; is essential, when you have to govern them!" he murmured, swelling with importance. " Behold a young man whom I have rendered as exact as the horologe of the Hotel do Ville, or even my sun chronometer!" Unluckily ior the esteem in which this leader of men held himself, the next day the would-be chronometer was an hour late. On the following day, he did not make his appearance until two hours after ten. On the third day, the four hairs of Monsieur Madurine resumed their vertical position. He issued his commands that his subordinate should be summoned before him again. "This is a pretty state of affairs, Monsieur Ca "he was beginning, but Cadoul did not allow him fo finish. Monsieur Madurine consented, with repressed remorse and rage, to grant him a holiday for eight days to attend to his "family affairs." Monsieur Cadoul turned every day of his holiday to account conscientiously, but he appeared again, the ninth day afler, and that meant twenty francs Then Monsieur Madurine tried another expedient. He refused to receive Cadoul, and gave strict orders that he was not to be admitted even into the antechamber. After that, he always found Cadou; waiting for him, in an attitude of the utmost respect, on the staircase. Things at last came to such- a pass that the unfortunate Monsieur Madurine no longer dared to quit his office, so much did ho dread knocking against the übiquitous Cadoul, who was sure to be somewhere, in a corridor, or in tho shadow of a pillar, and always in an attitude of- profound veneration. The four hairs of the chief, once grey) had now become entirely white. It was necessary to bring the thing to an end. One morning Monsieur Madurine, after entering his antechamber, questioned the office boy : "Has Monsieur Cadoul come.?" . "Yes, monsieur. Shall I go and tell him that you want to see him?" "No, no! by no means!" exclaimed Monsieur Madurine in terror. And, without even venturing into his office, he ran tumbling down the staircase, at the same time buttoning his overcoat, as if to defend the approach to the vest pocket in which his pocket book reposed. From that day forth, it was— explain it how you can — Monsieur Madurine, once a model of the strictest punctuality, who became noted for his irregularity. If Cadoul was absent, Monsieur Madurino never budged from his seat. As soon as Cadoul appeared Monsieur Mudurine sheered off as fa3t as he could pri'dcntly. Fortunatas was no fool. It did not take him long to unravel the motives of this singular conduct. He saw clearly that his presenco was disagreeable to his superior And then, what did he do? Moved by a grandour of soul that is rarely encountered, ho sacrificed himself, the noble boy ! He became a voluntary exile, and formed tho habit of no longer entering tho department except on tho last day of the month when lie was forced by ministerial routine 10 appeal; there in ordor to receive his salary. Nay, more, as he was not an ingrate, he wrote a letter to his chief, in which he thanked him for his goodness, recalled the debt, not only of gratitude, but even of money, which ho had contracted, and expressed the hope, respectfully, that, m order to enable him to pay his debts, Monsieur Madurine would kindly recommend him for promotion at the earliest possible date. And Monsieur Madurine did ! — From thfoFsensh of Michel Thivarok