the collection of antiquities-第4节

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　figures　as　they　came　and　went　seemed　to　me　no　whit　less　extraordinary　than　their　sepulchral　immobility　as　they　sat　round　the　card…tables。

〃The　men　looked　gray　and　faded　like　the　ancient　tapestries　on　the　wall；　in　dress　they　were　much　more　like　the　men　of　the　day；　but　even　they　were　not　altogether　convincingly　alive。　Their　white　hair；　their　withered　waxen…hued　faces；　their　devastated　foreheads　and　pale　eyes；　revealed　their　kinship　to　the　women；　and　neutralized　any　effects　of　reality　borrowed　from　their　costume。

〃The　very　certainty　of　finding　all　these　folk　seated　at　or　among　the　tables　every　day　at　the　same　hours　invested　them　at　length　in　my　eyes　with　a　sort　of　spectacular　interest　as　it　were；　there　was　something　theatrical；　something　unearthly　about　them。

〃Whenever；　in　after　times；　I　have　gone　through　museums　of　old　furniture　in　Paris；　London；　Munich；　or　Vienna；　with　the　gray…headed　custodian　who　shows　you　the　splendors　of　time　past；　I　have　peopled　the　rooms　with　figures　from　the　Collection　of　Antiquities。　Often；　as　little　schoolboys　of　eight　or　ten　we　used　to　propose　to　go　and　take　a　look　at　the　curiosities　in　their　glass　cage；　for　the　fun　of　the　thing。　But　as　soon　as　I　caught　sight　of　Mlle。　Armande's　sweet　face；　I　used　to　tremble；　and　there　was　a　trace　of　jealousy　in　my　admiration　for　the　lovely　child　Victurnien；　who　belonged；　as　we　all　instinctively　felt；　to　a　different　and　higher　order　of　being　from　our　own。　It　struck　me　as　something　indescribably　strange　that　the　young　fresh　creature　should　be　there　in　that　cemetery　awakened　before　the　time。　We　could　not　have　explained　our　thoughts　to　ourselves；　yet　we　felt　that　we　were　bourgeois　and　insignificant　in　the　presence　of　that　proud　court。〃



The　disasters　of　1813　and　1814；　which　brought　about　the　downfall　of　Napoleon；　gave　new　life　to　the　Collection　of　Antiquities；　and　what　was　more　than　life；　the　hope　of　recovering　their　past　importance；　but　the　events　of　1815；　the　troubles　of　the　foreign　occupation；　and　the　vacillating　policy　of　the　Government　until　the　fall　of　M。　Decazes；　all　contributed　to　defer　the　fulfilment　of　the　expectations　of　the　personages　so　vividly　described　by　Blondet。　This　story；　therefore；　only　begins　to　shape　itself　in　1822。

In　1822　the　Marquis　d'Esgrignon's　fortunes　had　not　improved　in　spite　of　the　changes　worked　by　the　Restoration　in　the　condition　of　emigres。　Of　all　the　nobles　hardly　hit　by　Revolutionary　legislation；　his　case　was　the　hardest。　Like　other　great　families；　the　d'Esgrignons　before　1789　derived　the　greater　part　of　their　income　from　their　rights　as　lords　of　the　manor　in　the　shape　of　dues　paid　by　those　who　held　of　them；　and；　naturally；　the　old　seigneurs　had　reduced　the　size　of　the　holdings　in　order　to　swell　the　amounts　paid　in　quit…rents　and　heriots。　Families　in　this　position　were　hopelessly　ruined。　They　were　not　affected　by　the　ordinance　by　which　Louis　XVIII。　put　the　emigres　into　possession　of　such　of　their　lands　as　had　not　been　sold；　and　at　a　later　date　it　was　impossible　that　the　law　of　indemnity　should　indemnify　them。　Their　suppressed　rights；　as　everybody　knows；　were　revived　in　the　shape　of　a　land　tax　known　by　the　very　name　of　domaines；　but　the　money　went　into　the　coffers　of　the　State。

The　Marquis　by　his　position　belonged　to　that　small　section　of　the　Royalist　party　which　would　hear　of　no　kind　of　compromise　with　those　whom　they　styled；　not　Revolutionaries；　but　revolted　subjects；　or；　in　more　parliamentary　language；　they　had　no　dealings　with　Liberals　or　Constitutionnels。　Such　Royalists；　nicknamed　Ultras　by　the　opposition；　took　for　leaders　and　heroes　those　courageous　orators　of　the　Right；　who　from　the　very　beginning　attempted；　with　M。　de　Polignac；　to　protest　against　the　charter　granted　by　Louis　XVIII。　This　they　regarded　as　an　ill…advised　edict　extorted　from　the　Crown　by　the　necessity　of　the　moment；　only　to　be　annulled　later　on。　And；　therefore；　so　far　from　co…　operating　with　the　King　to　bring　about　a　new　condition　of　things；　the　Marquis　d'Esgrignon　stood　aloof；　an　upholder　of　the　straitest　sect　of　the　Right　in　politics；　until　such　time　as　his　vast　fortune　should　be　restored　to　him。　Nor　did　he　so　much　as　admit　the　thought　of　the　indemnity　which　filled　the　minds　of　the　Villele　ministry；　and　formed　a　part　of　a　design　of　strengthening　the　Crown　by　putting　an　end　to　those　fatal　distinctions　of　ownership　which　still　lingered　on　in　spite　of　legislation。

The　miracles　of　the　Restoration　of　1814；　the　still　greater　miracle　of　Napoleon's　return　in　1815；　the　portents　of　a　second　flight　of　the　Bourbons；　and　a　second　reinstatement　（that　almost　fabulous　phase　of　contemporary　history）；　all　these　things　took　the　Marquis　by　surprise　at　the　age　of　sixty…seven。　At　that　time　of　life；　the　most　high…　spirited　men　of　their　age　were　not　so　much　vanquished　as　worn　out　in　the　struggle　with　the　Revolution；　their　activity；　in　their　remote　provincial　retreats；　had　turned　into　a　passionately　held　and　immovable　conviction；　and　almost　all　of　them　were　shut　in　by　the　enervating；　easy　round　of　daily　life　in　the　country。　Could　worse　luck　befall　a　political　party　than　thisto　be　represented　by　old　men　at　a　time　when　its　ideas　are　already　stigmatized　as　old…fashioned？

When　the　legitimate　sovereign　appeared　to　be　firmly　seated　on　the　throne　again　in　1818；　the　Marquis　asked　himself　what　a　man　of　seventy　should　do　at　court；　and　what　duties；　what　office　he　could　discharge　there？　The　noble　and　high…minded　d'Esgrignon　was　fain　to　be　content　with　the　triumph　of　the　Monarchy　and　Religion；　while　he　waited　for　the　results　of　that　unhoped…for；　indecisive　victory；　which　proved　to　be　simply　an　armistice。　He　continued　as　before；　lord…paramount　of　his　salon；　so　felicitously　named　the　Collection　of　Antiquities。

But　when　the　victors　of　1793　became　the　vanquished　in　their　turn；　the　nickname　given　at　first　in　jest　began　to　be　used　in　bitter　earnest。　The　town　was　no　more　free　than　other　country　towns　from　the　hatreds　and　jealousies　bred　of　party　spirit。　Du　Croisier；　contrary　to　all　expectation；　married　the　old　maid　who　had　refused　him　at　first；　carrying　her　off　from　his　rival；　the　darling　of　the　aristocratic　quarter；　a　certain　Chevalier　whose　illustrious　name　will　be　sufficiently　hidden　by　suppressing　it　altogether；　in　accordance　with　the　usage　formerly　adopted　in　the　place　itself；　where　he　was　known　by　his　title　only。　He　was　〃the　Chevalier〃　in　the　town；　as　the　Comte　d'Artois　was　〃Monsieur〃　at　court。　Now；　not　only　had　that　marriage　produced　a　war　after　the　provincial　manner；　in　which　all　weapons　are　fair；　it　had　hastened　the　separation　of　the　great　and　little　noblesse；　of　the　aristocratic　and　bourgeois　social　elements；　which　had　been　united　for　a　little　space　by　the　heavy　weight　of　Napoleonic　rule。　After　the　pressure　was　removed；　there　followed　that　sudden　revival　of　class　divisions　which　did　so　much　harm　to　the　country。

The　most　national　of　all　sentiments　in　France　is　vanity。　The　wounded　vanity　of　the　many　induced　a　thirst　for　Equality；　though；　as　the　most　ardent　innovator　will　some　day　discover；　Equality　is　an　impossibility。　The　Royalists　pricked　the　Liberals　in　the　most　sensitive　spots；　and　this　happened　specially　in　the　provinces；　where　either　party　accused　the　other　of　unspeakable　atrocities。　In　those　days　the　blackest　deeds　were　done　in　politics；　to　secure　public　opinion　on　one　side　or　the　other；　to　catch　the　votes　of　that　public　of　fools　which　holds　up　hands　for　those　that　are　clever　enough　to　serve　out　weapons　to　them。　Individuals　are　identified　with　their　political　opinions；　and　opponents　in　public　life　forthwith　became　private　enemies。　It　is　very　difficult　in　a　country　town　to　avoid　a　man…to…man　conflict　of　this　kind　over　interests　or　questions　which　in　Paris　appear　in　a　more　general　and　theoretical　form；　with　the　result　that　political　combatants　also　rise　to　a　higher　level；　M。　Laffitte；　for　example；　or　M。　Casimir…Perier　can　respect　M。　de　Villele　or　M。　de　Payronnet　as　a　man。　M。　Laffitte；　who　drew　the　fire　on　the　Ministry；　would　have　given　them　an　asylum　in　his　house　if　they　had　fled　thither　on　the　29th　of　July　1830。　Benjamin　Constant　sent　a　copy　of　his　work　on　Religion　to　the　Vicomte　de　Chateaubriand；　with　a　flattering　letter　acknowledging　benefits　received　from　the　former　Minister。　At　Paris　men　are　systems；　whereas　in　the　provinces　systems　are　identified　with　men；　men；　moreover；　with　restless　passions；　who　must　always　confront　one　another；　always　spy　upon　each　other　in　private　life；　and　pull　their　opponents'　speeches　to　pieces；　and　live　generally　like　two　duelists　on　the　watch　for　a　chance　to　thrust　six　inches　of　steel　between　an　antagonist's　ribs。　Each　must　do　his　best　to　get　under　his　enemy's　guard；　and　a　political　hatred　becomes　as　all…absorbing　as　a　duel　to　the　death。　Epigram　and　slander　are　used　against　individuals　to　bring　the　party　into　discredit。

In　such　warfare　as　this；　waged　ceremoniously　and　without　rancor　on　the　side　of　the　Antiquities；　while　du　Croisier's　faction　went　so　far　as　to　use　the　poisoned　weapons　of　savagesin　this　warfare　the　advantages　of　wit　and　delicate　irony　lay　on　the　side　of　the　nobles。　But　it　should　never　be　forgotten　that　the　wounds　made　by　the　tongue　and　the　eyes；　by　gibe　or　slight；　are　the　last　of　all　to　heal。　When　the　Chevalier　turned　his　ba