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wisdom I haveI； particularlythe greatest confidence。 If you can
obtain his support； I will add mine。 If your proposals have real
merit； if we are convinced of the advantage of your enterprise； the
approval of Monsieur Margaritis （which carries with it mine） will open
to you at least twenty rich houses in Vouvray who will be glad to try
your specifics。〃
When Madame Vernier heard the name of the lunatic she raised her head
and looked at her husband。
〃Ah； precisely； my wife intends to call on Madame Margaritis with one
of our neighbors。 Wait a moment； and you can accompany these ladies
You can pick up Madame Fontanieu on your way；〃 said the wily dyer；
winking at his wife。
To pick out the greatest gossip； the sharpest tongue； the most
inveterate cackler of the neighborhood！ It meant that Madame Vernier
was to take a witness to the scene between the traveller and the
lunatic which should keep the town in laughter for a month。 Monsieur
and Madame Vernier played their part so well that Gaudissart had no
suspicions； and straightway fell into the trap。 He gallantly offered
his arm to Madame Vernier； and believed that he made； as they went
along； the conquest of both ladies； for those benefit he sparkled with
wit and humor and undetected puns。
The house of the pretended banker stood at the entrance to the Valley
Coquette。 The place； called La Fuye； had nothing remarkable about it。
On the ground floor was a large wainscoted salon； on either side of
which opened the bedroom of the good…man and that of his wife。 The
salon was entered from an ante…chamber； which served as the dining…
room and communicated with the kitchen。 This lower door； which was
wholly without the external charm usually seen even in the humblest
dwellings in Touraine； was covered by a mansard story； reached by a
stairway built on the outside of the house against the gable end and
protected by a shed…roof。 A little garden； full of marigolds；
syringas； and elder…bushes； separated the house from the fields； and
all around the courtyard were detached buildings which were used in
the vintage season for the various processes of making wine。
CHAPTER IV
Margaritis was seated in an arm…chair covered with yellow Utrecht
velvet； near the window of the salon； and he did not stir as the two
ladies entered with Gaudissart。 His thoughts were running on the casks
of wine。 He was a spare man； and his bald head； garnished with a few
spare locks at the back of it； was pear…shaped in conformation。 His
sunken eyes； overtopped by heavy black brows and surrounded by
discolored circles； his nose； thin and sharp like the blade of a
knife； the strongly marked jawbone； the hollow cheeks； and the oblong
tendency of all these lines； together with his unnaturally long and
flat chin； contributed to give a peculiar expression to his
countenance；something between that of a retired professor of
rhetoric and a rag…picker。
〃Monsieur Margaritis；〃 cried Madame Vernier； addressing him； 〃come；
stir about！ Here is a gentleman whom my husband sends to you； and you
must listen to him with great attention。 Put away your mathematics and
talk to him。〃
On hearing these words the lunatic rose； looked at Gaudissart； made
him a sign to sit down； and said； 〃Let us converse； Monsieur。〃
The two women went into Madame Margaritis' bedroom； leaving the door
open so as to hear the conversation； and interpose if it became
necessary。 They were hardly installed before Monsieur Vernier crept
softly up through the field and； opening a window； got into the
bedroom without noise。
〃Monsieur has doubtless been in business？〃 began Gaudissart。
〃Public business；〃 answered Margaritis； interrupting him。 〃I
pacificated Calabria under the reign of King Murat。〃
〃Bless me！ if he hasn't gone to Calabria！〃 whispered Monsieur Vernier。
〃In that case；〃 said Gaudissart； 〃we shall quickly understand each
other。〃
〃I am listening；〃 said Margaritis； striking the attitude taken by a
man when he poses to a portrait…painter。
〃Monsieur；〃 said Gaudissart； who chanced to be turning his watch…key
with a rotatory and periodical click which caught the attention of the
lunatic and contributed no doubt to keep him quiet。 〃Monsieur； if you
were not a man of superior intelligence〃 （the fool bowed）； 〃I should
content myself with merely laying before you the material advantages
of this enterprise； whose psychological aspects it would be a waste of
time to explain to you。 Listen！ Of all kinds of social wealth； is not
time the most precious？ To economize time is； consequently； to become
wealthy。 Now； is there anything that consumes so much time as those
anxieties which I call 'pot…boiling'？a vulgar expression； but it
puts the whole question in a nutshell。 For instance； what can eat up
more time than the inability to give proper security to persons from
whom you seek to borrow money when； poor at the moment； you are
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