the collection of antiquities-第29节

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　and　follow　up　the　proceedings　at　once　without　consulting　the　public　prosecutor　at　Paris。　And；　then；　pray　Heaven　that　the　Ministry　dismisses　you　for　doing　your　office　impartially；　in　spite　of　the　powers　that　be；　for　if　they　do；　your　fortune　is　made！　You　will　have　a　charming　wife　and　thirty　thousand　francs　a　year　with　her；　to　say　nothing　of　four　millions　expectations　in　ten　years'　time。〃

In　two　evenings　Sauvager　was　talked　over。　Both　he　and　the　President　kept　the　affair　a　secret　from　old　Blondet；　from　Michu；　and　from　the　second　member　of　the　staff　of　prosecuting　counsel。　Feeling　sure　of　Blondet's　impartiality　on　a　question　of　fact；　the　President　made　certain　of　a　majority　without　counting　Camusot。　And　now　Camusot's　unexpected　defection　had　thrown　everything　out。　What　the　President　wanted　was　a　committal　for　trial　before　the　public　prosecutor　got　warning。　How　if　Camusot　or　the　second　counsel　for　the　prosecution　should　send　word　to　Paris？

And　here　some　portion　of　Camusot's　private　history　may　perhaps　explain　how　it　came　to　pass　that　Chesnel　took　it　for　granted　that　the　examining　magistrate　would　be　on　the　d'Esgrignons'　side；　and　how　he　had　the　boldness　to　tamper　in　the　open　street　with　that　representative　of　justice。

Camusot's　father；　a　well…known　silk　mercer　in　the　Rue　des　Bourdonnais；　was　ambitious　for　the　only　son　of　his　first　marriage；　and　brought　him　up　to　the　law。　When　Camusot　junior　took　a　wife；　he　gained　with　her　the　influence　of　an　usher　of　the　Royal　cabinet；　backstairs　influence；　it　is　true；　but　still　sufficient；　since　it　had　brought　him　his　first　appointment　as　justice　of　the　peace；　and　the　second　as　examining　magistrate。　At　the　time　of　his　marriage；　his　father　only　settled　an　income　of　six　thousand　francs　upon　him　（the　amount　of　his　mother's　fortune；　which　he　could　legally　claim）；　and　as　Mlle。　Thirion　brought　him　no　more　than　twenty　thousand　francs　as　her　portion；　the　young　couple　knew　the　hardships　of　hidden　poverty。　The　salary　of　a　provincial　justice　of　the　peace　does　not　exceed　fifteen　hundred　francs；　while　an　examining　magistrate's　stipend　is　augmented　by　something　like　a　thousand　francs；　because　his　position　entails　expenses　and　extra　work。　The　post；　therefore；　is　much　coveted；　though　it　is　not　permanent；　and　the　work　is　heavy；　and　that　was　why　Mme。　Camusot　had　just　scolded　her　husband　for　allowing　the　President　to　read　his　thoughts。

Marie　Cecile　Amelie　Thirion；　after　three　years　of　marriage；　perceived　the　blessing　of　Heaven　upon　it　in　the　regularity　of　two　auspicious　eventsthe　births　of　a　girl　and　a　boy；　but　she　prayed　to　be　less　blessed　in　the　future。　A　few　more　of　such　blessings　would　turn　straitened　means　into　distress。　M。　Camusot's　father's　money　was　not　likely　to　come　to　them　for　a　long　time；　and；　rich　as　he　was；　he　would　scarcely　leave　more　than　eight　or　ten　thousand　francs　a　year　to　each　of　his　children；　four　in　number；　for　he　had　been　married　twice。　And　besides；　by　the　time　that　all　〃expectations；〃　as　matchmakers　call　them；　were　realized；　would　not　the　magistrate　have　children　of　his　own　to　settle　in　life？　Any　one　can　imagine　the　situation　for　a　little　woman　with　plenty　of　sense　and　determination；　and　Mme。　Camusot　was　such　a　woman。　She　did　not　refrain　from　meddling　in　matters　judicial。　She　had　far　too　strong　a　sense　of　the　gravity　of　a　false　step　in　her　husband's　career。

She　was　the　only　child　of　an　old　servant　of　Louis　XVIII。；　a　valet　who　had　followed　his　master　in　his　wanderings　in　Italy；　Courland；　and　England；　till　after　the　Restoration　the　King　awarded　him　with　the　one　place　that　he　could　fill　at　Court；　and　made　him　usher　by　rotation　to　the　royal　cabinet。　So　in　Amelie's　home　there　had　been；　as　it　were；　a　sort　of　reflection　of　the　Court。　Thirion　used　to　tell　her　about　the　lords；　and　ministers；　and　great　men　whom　he　announced　and　introduced　and　saw　passing　to　and　fro。　The　girl；　brought　up　at　the　gates　of　the　Tuileries；　had　caught　some　tincture　of　the　maxims　practised　there；　and　adopted　the　dogma　of　passive　obedience　to　authority。　She　had　sagely　judged　that　her　husband；　by　ranging　himself　on　the　side　of　the　d'Esgrignons；　would　find　favor　with　Mme。　la　Duchesse　de　Maufrigneuse；　and　with　two　powerful　families　on　whose　influence　with　the　King　the　Sieur　Thirion　could　depend　at　an　opportune　moment。　Camusot　might　get　an　appointment　at　the　first　opportunity　within　the　jurisdiction　of　Paris；　and　afterwards　at　Paris　itself。　That　promotion；　dreamed　of　and　longed　for　at　every　moment；　was　certain　to　have　a　salary　of　six　thousand　francs　attached　to　it；　as　well　as　the　alleviation　of　living　in　her　own　father's　house；　or　under　the　Camusots'　roof；　and　all　the　advantages　of　a　father's　fortune　on　either　side。　If　the　adage；　〃Out　of　sight　is　out　of　mind；〃　holds　good　of　most　women；　it　is　particularly　true　where　family　feeling　or　royal　or　ministerial　patronage　is　concerned。　The　personal　attendants　of　kings　prosper　at　all　times；　you　take　an　interest　in　a　man；　be　it　only　a　man　in　livery；　if　you　see　him　every　day。

Mme。　Camusot；　regarding　herself　as　a　bird　of　passage；　had　taken　a　little　house　in　the　Rue　du　Cygne。　Furnished　lodgings　there　were　none；　the　town　was　not　enough　of　a　thoroughfare；　and　the　Camusots　could　not　afford　to　live　at　an　inn　like　M。　Michu。　So　the　fair　Parisian　had　no　choice　for　it　but　to　take　such　furniture　as　she　could　find；　and　as　she　paid　a　very　moderate　rent；　the　house　was　remarkably　ugly；　albeit　a　certain　quaintness　of　detail　was　not　wanting。　It　was　built　against　a　neighboring　house　in　such　a　fashion　that　the　side　with　only　one　window　in　each　story；　gave　upon　the　street；　and　the　front　looked　out　upon　a　yard　where　rose…bushes　and　buckhorn　were　growing　along　the　wall　on　either　side。　On　the　farther　side；　opposite　the　house；　stood　a　shed；　a　roof　over　two　brick　arches。　A　little　wicket…gate　gave　entrance　into　the　gloomy　place　（made　gloomier　still　by　the　great　walnut…tree　which　grew　in　the　yard）；　but　a　double　flight　of　steps；　with　an　elaborately…　wrought　but　rust…eaten　handrail；　led　to　the　house　door。　Inside　the　house　there　were　two　rooms　on　each　floor。　The　dining…room　occupied　that　part　of　the　ground　floor　nearest　the　street；　and　the　kitchen　lay　on　the　other　side　of　a　narrow　passage　almost　wholly　taken　up　by　the　wooden　staircase。　Of　the　two　first…floor　rooms；　one　did　duty　as　the　magistrate's　study；　the　other　as　a　bedroom；　while　the　nursery　and　the　servants'　bedroom　stood　above　in　the　attics。　There　were　no　ceilings　in　the　house；　the　cross…beams　were　simply　white…washed　and　the　spaces　plastered　over。　Both　rooms　on　the　first　floor　and　the　dining…room　below　were　wainscoted　and　adorned　with　the　labyrinthine　designs　which　taxed　the　patience　of　the　eighteenth　century　joiner；　but　the　carving　had　been　painted　a　dingy　gray　most　depressing　to　behold。

The　magistrate's　study　looked　as　though　it　belonged　to　a　provincial　lawyer；　it　contained　a　big　bureau；　a　mahogany　armchair；　a　law　student's　books；　and　shabby　belongings　transported　from　Paris。　Mme。　Camusot's　room　was　more　of　a　native　product；　it　boasted　a　blue…and…　white　scheme　of　decoration；　a　carpet；　and　that　anomalous　kind　of　furniture　which　appears　to　be　in　the　fashion；　while　it　is　simply　some　style　that　has　failed　in　Paris。　As　to　the　dining…room；　it　was　nothing　but　an　ordinary　provincial　dining…room；　bare　and　chilly；　with　a　damp；　faded　paper　on　the　walls。

In　this　shabby　room；　with　nothing　to　see　but　the　walnut…tree；　the　dark　leaves　growing　against　the　walls；　and　the　almost　deserted　road　beyond　them；　a　somewhat　lively　and　frivolous　woman；　accustomed　to　the　amusements　and　stir　of　Paris；　used　to　sit　all　day　long；　day　after　day；　and　for　the　most　part　of　the　time　alone；　though　she　received　tiresome　and　inane　visits　which　led　her　to　think　her　loneliness　preferable　to　empty　tittle…tattle。　If　she　permitted　herself　the　slightest　gleam　of　intelligence；　it　gave　rise　to　interminable　comment　and　embittered　her　condition。　She　occupied　herself　a　great　deal　with　her　children；　not　so　much　from　taste　as　for　the　sake　of　an　interest　in　her　almost　solitary　life；　and　exercised　her　mind　on　the　only　subjects　which　she　could　find　to　wit；　the　intrigues　which　went　on　around　her；　the　ways　of　provincials；　and　the　ambitions　shut　in　by　their　narrow　horizons。　So　she　very　soon　fathomed　mysteries　of　which　her　husband　had　no　idea。　As　she　sat　at　her　window　with　a　piece　of　intermittent　embroidery　work　in　her　fingers；　she　did　not　see　her　woodshed　full　of　faggots　nor　the　servant　busy　at　the　wash　tub；　she　was　looking　out　upon　Paris；　Paris　where　everything　is　pleasure；　everything　is　full　of　life。　She　dreamed　of　Paris　gaieties；　and　shed　tears　because　she　must　abide　in　this　dull　prison　of　a　country　town。　She　was　disconsolate　because　she　lived　in　a　peaceful　district；　where　no　conspiracy；　no　great　affair　would　ever　occur。　She　saw　herself　doomed　to　sit　under　the　shadow　of　the　walnut…　tree　for　some　time　to　come。

Mme。　Camusot　was　a　little；　plump；　fresh；　fair…haired　woman；　with　a　very　prominent　forehead；　a　mouth　which　receded；　and　a　turned…up　chin；　a　type　of　countenance　which　is　passable　in　youth；　but　looks　old　before　the　time。　Her　bright；　quick　eyes　expressed　her　innocent　desire　to　get　on　in　the　world；　and　the　envy　born　of　her　present　inferior　position；　with　rather　too　much　candor；　but　still　they　lighted　up