The Complete Works: Short Stories, Novels, Plays, Poetry, Memoirs and more. Guy de MaupassantЧитать онлайн книгу.
made this word ring, flung it out like a ball, listening to the echo of it. He went on, repeating imaginary dialogues: “‘You are going to the baths of Mont Oriol?’
“‘Yes, Madame. People say they are perfect, these waters of Mont Oriol.’
“‘Excellent, indeed. Besides, Mont Oriol is a delightful district.’”
And he smiled, assumed the air of people chatting to one another, altered his voice to indicate when the lady was speaking, saluted with the hand when representing the gentleman.
Then he resumed, in his natural voice: “Has anyone an objection to offer?”
The shareholders answered in chorus: “No, none.”
All the “supers” applauded. Père Oriol, moved, flattered, conquered, overcome by the deep-rooted pride of an upstart peasant, began to smile while he twisted his hat about between his hands, and he made a sign of assent with his head in spite of him, a movement which revealed his satisfaction, and which Andermatt observed without pretending to see it. Colosse remained impassive, but was quite as much satisfied as his father.
Then Andermatt said to the notary: “Kindly read the instrument whereby the Company is incorporated, Maître Alain.”
And he resumed his seat. The notary said to his clerk: “Go on, Marinet.”
Marinet, a wretched consumptive creature, coughed, and with the intonations of a preacher, and an attempt at declamation, began to enumerate the statutes relating to the incorporation of an anonymous Company, called the Company of the Thermal Establishment of Mont Oriol at Enval with a capital of two millions.
Père Oriol interrupted him: “A moment, a moment,” said he. And he drew forth from his pocket a few sheets of greasy paper, which during the past eight days had passed through the hands of all the notaries and all the men of business of the department. It was a copy of the statutes which his son and himself by this time were beginning to know by heart. Then, he slowly fixed his spectacles on his nose, raised up his head, looked out for the exact point where he could easily distinguish the letters, and said in a tone of command:
“Go on from that place, Marinet.”
Colosse, having got close to his chair, also kept his eye on the paper along with his father.
And Marinet commenced over again. Then old Oriol, bewildered by the double task of listening and reading at the same time, tortured by the apprehension of a word being changed, beset also by the desire to see whether Andermatt was making some sign to the notary, did not allow a single line to be got through without stopping ten times the clerk whose elocutionary efforts he interrupted.
He kept repeating: “What did you say? What did you say there? I didn’t understand — not so quick!” Then turning aside a little toward his son: “What place is he at, Coloche?”
Coloche, more self-controlled, replied: “It’s all right, father — let him go on — it’s all right.”
The peasant was still distrustful. With the end of his crooked finger he went on tracing on the paper the words as they were read out, muttering them between his lips; but he could not fix his attention at the same time on both matters. When he listened, he did not read, and he did not hear when he was reading. And he puffed as if he had been climbing a mountain; he perspired as if he had been digging his vinefields under a midday sun, and from time to time, he asked for a few minutes’ rest to wipe his forehead and to take breath, like a man fighting a duel.
Andermatt, losing patience, stamped with his foot on the ground. Gontran, having noticed on a table the “Moniteur du Puy-de-Dome,” had taken it up and was running his eye over it, and Paul, astride on his chair, with downcast eyes and an anxious heart, was reflecting that this little man, rosy and corpulent, sitting in front of him, was going to carry off, next day, the woman whom he loved with all his soul, Christiane, his Christiane, his fair Christiane, who was his, his entirely, nothing to anyone save him. And he asked himself whether he was not going to carry her off this very evening.
The seven gentlemen remained serious and tranquil.
At the end of an hour, it was finished. The deed was signed. The notary made out certificates for the payments on the shares. On being appealed to, the cashier, M. Abraham Levy, declared that he had received the necessary deposits. Then the company, from that moment legally constituted, was announced to be gathered together in general assembly, all the shareholders being in attendance, for the appointment of a board of directors and the election of their chairman.
All the votes with the exception of two, were recorded in favor of Andermatt’s election to the post of chairman. The two dissentients — the old peasant and his son — had nominated Oriol. Bretigny was appointed commissioner of superintendence. Then, the Board, consisting of MM. Andermatt, the Marquis and the Count de Ravenel, Bretigny, the Oriols, father and son, Doctor Latonne, Abraham Levy, and Simon Zidler, begged of the remaining shareholders to withdraw, as well as the notary and his clerk, in order that they, as the governing body, might determine on the first resolutions, and settle the most important points.
Andermatt rose up again: “Messieurs, we are entering on the vital question, that of success, which we must win at any cost.
“It is with mineral waters as with everything. It is necessary to get them talked about a great deal, and continually, so that invalids may drink them.
“The great modern question, Messieurs, is that of advertising. It is the god of commerce and of contemporary industry. Without advertising there is no security. The art of advertising, moreover, is difficult, complicated, and demands a considerable amount of tact. The first persons who resorted to this new expedient employed it rudely, attracting attention by noise, by beating the big drum, and letting off cannon-shots. Mangin, Messieurs, was only a forerunner.
To-day, clamor is regarded with suspicion, showy placards cause a smile, the crying out of names in the streets awakens distrust rather than curiosity. And yet it is necessary to attract public attention, and after having fixed it, it is necessary to produce conviction. The art, therefore, consists in discovering the means, the only means which can succeed, having in our possession something that we desire to sell. We, Messieurs, for our part, desire to sell water. It is by the physicians that we are to get the better of the invalids.
“The most celebrated physicians, Messieurs, are men like ourselves — who have weaknesses like us. I do not mean to convey that we can corrupt them. The reputation of the illustrious masters, whose assistance we require, places them above all suspicion of venality. But what man is there that cannot be won over by going properly to work with him? There are also women who cannot be purchased. These it is necessary to fascinate.
“Here, then, Messieurs, is the proposition which I am going to make to you, after having discussed it at great length with Doctor Latonne:
“We have, in the first place, classified in three leading groups the maladies submitted for our treatment. These are, first, rheumatism in all its forms, skin-disease, arthritis, gout, and so forth; secondly, affections of the stomach, of the intestines and of the liver; thirdly, all the disorders arising from disturbed circulation, for it is indisputable that our acidulated baths have an admirable effect on the circulation.
“Moreover, Messieurs, the marvelous cure of Père Clovis promises us miracles. Accordingly, when we have to deal with maladies which these waters are calculated to cure, we are about to make to the principal physicians who attend patients for such diseases the following proposition: ‘Messieurs,’ we shall say to them, ‘come and see, come and see with your own eyes; follow your patients; we offer you hospitality. ‘The country is magnificent; you require a rest after your severe labors during the winter — come! And come not to our houses, worthy professors, but to your own, for we offer you a cottage, which will belong to you, if you choose, on exceptional conditions.’”
Andermatt took breath, and went on in a more subdued tone:
“Here is how I have tried to work out this idea. We have selected six lots of land of a thousand