the collection of antiquities-第25节

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〃What　is　it？〃　asked　Mme。　du　Croisier。

〃Well。　Here　are　the　hundred　thousand　crowns；〃　said　Chesnel；　drawing　the　bundles　of　notes　from　his　pocket。　〃Take　them；　and　there　will　be　an　end　of　it。〃

〃If　that　is　all；〃　she　began；　〃and　if　no　harm　can　come　of　it　to　my　husband〃

〃Nothing　but　good；〃　Chesnel　replied。　〃You　are　saving　him　from　eternal　punishment　in　hell；　at　the　cost　of　a　slight　disappointment　here　below。〃

〃He　will　not　be　compromised；　will　he？〃　she　asked；　looking　into　Chesnel's　face。

Then　Chesnel　read　the　depths　of　the　poor　wife's　mind。　Mme。　du　Croisier　was　hesitating　between　her　two　creeds；　between　wifely　obedience　to　her　husband　as　laid　down　by　the　Church；　and　obedience　to　the　altar　and　the　throne。　Her　husband；　in　her　eyes；　was　acting　wrongly；　but　she　dared　not　blame　him；　she　would　fain　save　the　d'Esgrignons；　but　she　was　loyal　to　her　husband's　interests。

〃Not　in　the　least；〃　Chesnel　answered；　〃your　old　notary　swears　it　by　the　Holy　Gospels〃

He　had　nothing　left　to　lose　for　the　d'Esgrignons　but　his　soul；　he　risked　it　now　by　this　horrible　perjury；　but　Mme。　du　Croisier　must　be　deceived；　there　was　no　other　choice　but　death。　Without　losing　a　moment；　he　dictated　a　form　of　receipt　by　which　Mme。　du　Croisier　acknowledged　payment　of　a　hundred　thousand　crowns　five　days　before　the　fatal　letter　of　exchange　appeared；　for　he　recollected　that　du　Croisier　was　away　from　home；　superintending　improvements　on　his　wife's　property　at　the　time。

〃Now　swear　to　me　that　you　will　declare　before　the　examining　magistrate　that　you　received　the　money　on　that　date；〃　he　said；　when　Mme。　du　Croisier　had　taken　the　notes　and　he　held　the　receipt　in　his　hand。

〃It　will　be　a　lie；　will　it　not？〃

〃Venial　sin；〃　said　Chesnel。

〃I　could　not　do　it　without　consulting　my　director；　M。　l'Abbe　Couturier。〃

〃Very　well；〃　said　Chesnel；　〃will　you　be　guided　entirely　by　his　advice　in　this　affair？〃

〃I　promise　that。〃

〃And　you　must　not　give　the　money　to　M。　du　Croisier　until　you　have　been　before　the　magistrate。〃

〃No。　Ah！　God　give　me　strength　to　appear　in　a　Court　of　Justice　and　maintain　a　lie　before　men！〃

Chesnel　kissed　Mme。　du　Croisier's　hand；　then　stood　upright；　and　majestic　as　one　of　the　prophets　that　Raphael　painted　in　the　Vatican。

〃You　uncle's　soul　is　thrilled　with　joy；〃　he　said；　〃you　have　wiped　out　for　ever　the　wrong　that　you　did　by　marrying　an　enemy　of　altar　and　throne〃words　that　made　a　lively　impression　on　Mme。　du　Croisier's　timorous　mind。

Then　Chesnel　all　at　once　bethought　himself　that　he　must　make　sure　of　the　lady's　director；　the　Abbe　Couturier。　He　knew　how　obstinately　devout　souls　can　work　for　the　triumph　of　their　views　when　once　they　come　forward　for　their　side；　and　wished　to　secure　the　concurrence　of　the　Church　as　early　as　possible。　So　he　went　to　the　Hotel　d'Esgrignon；　roused　up　Mlle。　Armande；　gave　her　an　account　of　that　night's　work；　and　sped　her　to　fetch　the　Bishop　himself　into　the　forefront　of　the　battle。

〃Ah；　God　in　heaven！　Thou　must　save　the　house　of　d'Esgrignon！〃　he　exclaimed；　as　he　went　slowly　home　again。　〃The　affair　is　developing　now　into　a　fight　in　a　Court　of　Law。　We　are　face　to　face　with　men　that　have　passions　and　interests　of　their　own；　we　can　get　anything　out　of　them。　This　du　Croisier　has　taken　advantage　of　the　public　prosecutor's　absence；　the　public　prosecutor　is　devoted　to　us；　but　since　the　opening　of　the　Chambers　he　has　gone　to　Paris。　Now；　what　can　they　have　done　to　get　round　his　deputy？　They　have　induced　him　to　take　up　the　charge　without　consulting　his　chief。　This　mystery　must　be　looked　into；　and　the　ground　surveyed　to…morrow；　and　then；　perhaps；　when　I　have　unraveled　this　web　of　theirs；　I　will　go　back　to　Paris　to　set　great　powers　at　work　through　Mme。　de　Maufrigneuse。〃

So　he　reasoned；　poor；　aged；　clear…sighted　wrestler；　before　he　lay　down　half　dead　with　bearing　the　weight　of　so　much　emotion　and　fatigue。　And　yet；　before　he　fell　asleep　he　ran　a　searching　eye　over　the　list　of　magistrates；　taking　all　their　secret　ambitions　into　account；　casting　about　for　ways　of　influencing　them；　calculating　his　chances　in　the　coming　struggle。　Chesnel's　prolonged　scrutiny　of　consciences；　given　in　a　condensed　form；　will　perhaps　serve　as　a　picture　of　the　judicial　world　in　a　country　town。

Magistrates　and　officials　generally　are　obliged　to　begin　their　career　in　the　provinces；　judicial　ambition　there　ferments。　At　the　outset　every　man　looks　towards　Paris；　they　all　aspire　to　shine　in　the　vast　theatre　where　great　political　causes　come　before　the　courts；　and　the　higher　branches　of　the　legal　profession　are　closely　connected　with　the　palpitating　interests　of　society。　But　few　are　called　to　that　paradise　of　the　man　of　law；　and　nine…tenths　of　the　profession　are　bound　sooner　or　later　to　regard　themselves　as　shelved　for　good　in　the　provinces。　Wherefore；　every　Tribunal　of　First　Instance　and　every　Court…Royal　is　sharply　divided　in　two。　The　first　section　has　given　up　hope；　and　is　either　torpid　or　content；　content　with　the　excessive　respect　paid　to　office　in　a　country　town；　or　torpid　with　tranquillity。　The　second　section　is　made　up　of　the　younger　sort；　in　whom　the　desire　of　success　is　untempered　as　yet　by　disappointment；　and　of　the　really　clever　men　urged　on　continually　by　ambition　as　with　a　goad；　and　these　two　are　possessed　with　a　sort　of　fanatical　belief　in　their　order。

At　this　time　the　younger　men　were　full　of　Royalist　zeal　against　the　enemies　of　the　Bourbons。　The　most　insignificant　deputy　official　was　dreaming　of　conducting　a　prosecution；　and　praying　with　all　his　might　for　one　of　those　political　cases　which　bring　a　man's　zeal　into　prominence；　draw　the　attention　of　the　higher　powers；　and　mean　advancement　for　King's　men。　Was　there　a　member　of　an　official　staff　of　prosecuting　counsel　who　could　hear　of　a　Bonapartist　conspiracy　breaking　out　somewhere　else　without　a　feeling　of　envy？　Where　was　the　man　that　did　not　burn　to　discover　a　Caron；　or　a　Berton；　or　a　revolt　of　some　sort？　With　reasons　of　State；　and　the　necessity　of　diffusing　the　monarchical　spirit　throughout　France　as　their　basis；　and　a　fierce　ambition　stirred　up　whenever　party　spirit　ran　high；　these　ardent　politicians　on　their　promotion　were　lucid；　clear…sighted；　and　perspicacious。　They　kept　up　a　vigorous　detective　system　throughout　the　kingdom；　they　did　the　work　of　spies；　and　urged　the　nation　along　a　path　of　obedience；　from　which　it　had　no　business　to　swerve。

Justice；　thus　informed　with　monarchical　enthusiasm；　atoned　for　the　errors　of　the　ancient　parliaments；　and　walked；　perhaps；　too　ostentatiously　hand　in　hand　with　religion。　There　was　more　zeal　than　discretion　shown；　but　justice　sinned　not　so　much　in　the　direction　of　machiavelism　as　by　giving　the　candid　expression　to　its　views；　when　those　views　appeared　to　be　opposed　to　the　general　interests　of　a　country　which　must　be　put　safely　out　of　reach　of　revolutions。　But　taken　as　a　whole；　there　was　still　too　much　of　the　bourgeois　element　in　the　administration；　it　was　too　readily　moved　by　petty　liberal　agitation；　and　as　a　result；　it　was　inevitable　that　it　should　incline　sooner　or　later　to　the　Constitutional　party；　and　join　ranks　with　the　bourgeoisie　in　the　day　of　battle。　In　the　great　body　of　legal　functionaries；　as　in　other　departments　of　the　administration；　there　was　not　wanting　a　certain　hypocrisy；　or　rather　that　spirit　of　imitation　which　always　leads　France　to　model　herself　on　the　Court；　and；　quite　unintentionally；　to　deceive　the　powers　that　be。

Officials　of　both　complexions　were　to　be　found　in　the　court　in　which　young　d'Esgrignon's　fate　depended。　M。　le　President　du　Ronceret　and　an　elderly　judge；　Blondet　by　name；　represented　the　section　of　functionaries　shelved　for　good；　and　resigned　to　stay　where　they　were；　while　the　young　and　ambitious　party　comprised　the　examining　magistrate　M。　Camusot；　and　his　deputy　M。　Michu；　appointed　through　the　interests　of　the　Cinq…Cygnes；　and　certain　of　promotion　to　the　Court　of　Appeal　of　Paris　at　the　first　opportunity。

President　du　Ronceret　held　a　permanent　post；　it　was　impossible　to　turn　him　out。　The　aristocratic　party　declined　to　give　him　what　he　considered　to　be　his　due；　socially　speaking；　so　he　declared　for　the　bourgeoisie；　glossed　over　his　disappointment　with　the　name　of　independence；　and　failed　to　realize　that　his　opinions　condemned　him　to　remain　a　president　of　a　court　of　the　first　instance　for　the　rest　of　his　life。　Once　started　in　this　track　the　sequence　of　events　led　du　Ronceret　to　place　his　hopes　of　advancement　on　the　triumph　of　du　Croisier　and　the　Left。　He　was　in　no　better　odor　at　the　Prefecture　than　at　the　Court…Royal。　He　was　compelled　to　keep　on　good　terms　with　the　authorities；　the　Liberals　distrusted　him；　consequently　he　belonged　to　neither　party。　He　was　obliged　to　resign　his　chances　of　election　to　du　Croisier；　he　exercised　no　influence；　and　played　a　secondary　part。　The　false　position　reacted　on　his　character；　he　was　soured　and　discontented；　he　was　tired　of　political　ambiguity；　and　privately　had　made　up　his　mind　to　come　forward　openly　as　leader　of　the　Liberal　party；　and　so　to　strike　ahead　of　du　Croisier。　His　behavior　in　the　d'Esgrignon　affair　was　the　first　step　in　this　direction。　To　begin　with；　he　was　an　admirable　representative　of　that　section　of　the　middle　classes　which　allows　its　petty　passions　to　obscure