the collection of antiquities-第5节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ongue　and　the　eyes；　by　gibe　or　slight；　are　the　last　of　all　to　heal。　When　the　Chevalier　turned　his　back　on　mixed　society　and　entrenched　himself　on　the　Mons　Sacer　of　the　aristocracy；　his　witticisms　thenceforward　were　directed　at　du　Croisier's　salon；　he　stirred　up　the　fires　of　war；　not　knowing　how　far　the　spirit　of　revenge　was　to　urge　the　rival　faction。　None　but　purists　and　loyal　gentlemen　and　women　sure　one　of　another　entered　the　Hotel　d'Esgrignon；　they　committed　no　indiscretions　of　any　kind；　they　had　their　ideas；　true　or　false；　good　or　bad；　noble　or　trivial；　but　there　was　nothing　to　laugh　at　in　all　this。　If　the　Liberals　meant　to　make　the　nobles　ridiculous；　they　were　obliged　to　fasten　on　the　political　actions　of　their　opponents；　while　the　intermediate　party；　composed　of　officials　and　others　who　paid　court　to　the　higher　powers；　kept　the　nobles　informed　of　all　that　was　done　and　said　in　the　Liberal　camp；　and　much　of　it　was　abundantly　laughable。　Du　Croisier's　adherents　smarted　under　a　sense　of　inferiority；　which　increased　their　thirst　for　revenge。

In　1822；　du　Croisier　put　himself　at　the　head　of　the　manufacturing　interest　of　the　province；　as　the　Marquis　d'Esgrignon　headed　the　noblesse。　Each　represented　his　party。　But　du　Croisier；　instead　of　giving　himself　out　frankly　for　a　man　of　the　extreme　Left；　ostensibly　adopted　the　opinions　formulated　at　a　later　date　by　the　221　deputies。

By　taking　up　this　position；　he　could　keep　in　touch　with　the　magistrates　and　local　officials　and　the　capitalists　of　the　department。　Du　Croisier's　salon；　a　power　at　least　equal　to　the　salon　d'Esgrignon；　larger　numerically；　as　well　as　younger　and　more　energetic；　made　itself　felt　all　over　the　countryside；　the　Collection　of　Antiquities；　on　the　other　hand；　remained　inert；　a　passive　appendage；　as　it　were；　of　a　central　authority　which　was　often　embarrassed　by　its　own　partisans；　for　not　merely　did　they　encourage　the　Government　in　a　mistaken　policy；　but　some　of　its　most　fatal　blunders　were　made　in　consequence　of　the　pressure　brought　to　bear　upon　it　by　the　Conservative　party。

The　Liberals；　so　far；　had　never　contrived　to　carry　their　candidate。　The　department　declined　to　obey　their　command　knowing　that　du　Croisier；　if　elected；　would　take　his　place　on　the　Left　Centre　benches；　and　as　far　as　possible　to　the　Left。　Du　Croisier　was　in　correspondence　with　the　Brothers　Keller；　the　bankers；　the　oldest　of　whom　shone　conspicuous　among　〃the　nineteen　deputies　of　the　Left；〃　that　phalanx　made　famous　by　the　efforts　of　the　entire　Liberal　press。　This　same　M。　Keller；　moreover；　was　related　by　marriage　to　the　Comte　de　Gondreville；　a　Constitutional　peer　who　remained　in　favor　with　Louis　XVIII。　For　these　reasons；　the　Constitutional　Opposition　（as　distinct　from　the　Liberal　party）　was　always　prepared　to　vote　at　the　last　moment；　not　for　the　candidate　whom　they　professed　to　support；　but　for　du　Croisier；　if　that　worthy　could　succeed　in　gaining　a　sufficient　number　of　Royalist　votes；　but　at　every　election　du　Croisier　was　regularly　thrown　out　by　the　Royalists。　The　leaders　of　that　party；　taking　their　tone　from　the　Marquis　d'Esgrignon；　had　pretty　thoroughly　fathomed　and　gauged　their　man；　and　with　each　defeat；　du　Croisier　and　his　party　waxed　more　bitter。　Nothing　so　effectually　stirs　up　strife　as　the　failure　of　some　snare　set　with　elaborate　pains。

In　1822　there　seemed　to　be　a　lull　in　hostilities　which　had　been　kept　up　with　great　spirit　during　the　first　four　years　of　the　Restoration。　The　salon　du　Croisier　and　the　salon　d'Esgrignon；　having　measured　their　strength　and　weakness；　were　in　all　probability　waiting　for　opportunity；　that　Providence　of　party　strife。　Ordinary　persons　were　content　with　the　surface　quiet　which　deceived　the　Government；　but　those　who　knew　du　Croisier　better；　were　well　aware　that　the　passion　of　revenge　in　him；　as　in　all　men　whose　whole　life　consists　in　mental　activity；　is　implacable；　especially　when　political　ambitions　are　involved。　About　this　time　du　Croisier；　who　used　to　turn　white　and　red　at　the　bare　mention　of　d'Esgrignon　or　the　Chevalier；　and　shuddered　at　the　name　of　the　Collection　of　Antiquities；　chose　to　wear　the　impassive　countenance　of　a　savage。　He　smiled　upon　his　enemies；　hating　them　but　the　more　deeply；　watching　them　the　more　narrowly　from　hour　to　hour。　One　of　his　own　party；　who　seconded　him　in　these　calculations　of　cold　wrath；　was　the　President　of　the　Tribunal；　M。　du　Ronceret；　a　little　country　squire；　who　had　vainly　endeavored　to　gain　admittance　among　the　Antiquities。

The　d'Esgrignons'　little　fortune；　carefully　administered　by　Maitre　Chesnel；　was　barely　sufficient　for　the　worthy　Marquis'　needs；　for　though　he　lived　without　the　slightest　ostentation；　he　also　lived　like　a　noble。　The　governor　found　by　his　Lordship　the　Bishop　for　the　hope　of　the　house；　the　young　Comte　Victurnien　d'Esgrignon；　was　an　elderly　Oratorian　who　must　be　paid　a　certain　salary；　although　he　lived　with　the　family。　The　wages　of　a　cook；　a　waiting…woman　for　Mlle。　Armande；　an　old　valet　for　M。　le　Marquis；　and　a　couple　of　other　servants；　together　with　the　daily　expenses　of　the　household；　and　the　cost　of　an　education　for　which　nothing　was　spared；　absorbed　the　whole　family　income；　in　spite　of　Mlle。　Armande's　economies；　in　spite　of　Chesnel's　careful　management；　and　the　servants'　affection。　As　yet；　Chesnel　had　not　been　able　to　set　about　repairs　at　the　ruined　castle；　he　was　waiting　till　the　leases　fell　in　to　raise　the　rent　of　the　farms；　for　rents　had　been　rising　lately；　partly　on　account　of　improved　methods　of　agriculture；　partly　by　the　fall　in　the　value　of　money；　of　which　the　landlord　would　get　the　benefit　at　the　expiration　of　leases　granted　in　1809。

The　Marquis　himself　knew　nothing　of　the　details　of　the　management　of　the　house　or　of　his　property。　He　would　have　been　thunderstruck　if　he　had　been　told　of　the　excessive　precautions　needed　〃to　make　both　ends　of　the　year　meet　in　December；〃　to　use　the　housewife's　saying；　and　he　was　so　near　the　end　of　his　life；　that　every　one　shrank　from　opening　his　eyes。　The　Marquis　and　his　adherents　believed　that　a　House；　to　which　no　one　at　Court　or　in　the　Government　gave　a　thought；　a　House　that　was　never　heard　of　beyond　the　gates　of　the　town；　save　here　and　there　in　the　same　department；　was　about　to　revive　its　ancient　greatness；　to　shine　forth　in　all　its　glory。　The　d'Esgrignons'　line　should　appear　with　renewed　lustre　in　the　person　of　Victurnien；　just　as　the　despoiled　nobles　came　into　their　own　again；　and　the　handsome　heir　to　a　great　estate　would　be　in　a　position　to　go　to　Court；　enter　the　King's　service；　and　marry　（as　other　d'Esgrignons　had　done　before　him）　a　Navarreins；　a　Cadignan；　a　d'Uxelles；　a　Beausant；　a　Blamont…Chauvry；　a　wife；　in　short；　who　should　unite　all　the　distinctions　of　birth　and　beauty；　wit　and　wealth；　and　character。

The　intimates　who　came　to　play　their　game　of　cards　of　an　eveningthe　Troisvilles　（pronounced　Treville）；　the　La　Roche…Guyons；　the　Casterans　（pronounced　Cateran）；　and　the　Duc　de　Verneuilhad　all　so　long　been　accustomed　to　look　up　to　the　Marquis　as　a　person　of　immense　consequence；　that　they　encouraged　him　in　such　notions　as　these。　They　were　perfectly　sincere　in　their　belief；　and　indeed；　it　would　have　been　well　founded　if　they　could　have　wiped　out　the　history　of　the　last　forty　years。　But　the　most　honorable　and　undoubted　sanctions　of　right；　such　as　Louis　XVIII。　had　tried　to　set　on　record　when　he　dated　the　Charter　from　the　one…and…twentieth　year　of　his　reign；　only　exist　when　ratified　by　the　general　consent。　The　d'Esgrignons　not　only　lacked　the　very　rudiments　of　the　language　of　latter…day　politics；　to　wit；　money；　the　great　modern　RELIEF；　or　sufficient　rehabilitation　of　nobility；　but；　in　their　case；　too；　〃historical　continuity〃　was　lacking；　and　that　is　a　kind　of　renown　which　tells　quite　as　much　at　Court　as　on　the　battlefield；　in　diplomatic　circles　as　in　Parliament；　with　a　book；　or　in　connection　with　an　adventure；　it　is；　as　it　were；　a　sacred　ampulla　poured　upon　the　heads　of　each　successive　generation。　Whereas　a　noble　family；　inactive　and　forgotten；　is　very　much　in　the　position　of　a　hard…featured；　poverty…stricken；　simple…minded；　and　virtuous　maid；　these　qualifications　being　the　four　cardinal　points　of　misfortune。　The　marriage　of　a　daughter　of　the　Troisvilles　with　General　Montcornet；　so　far　from　opening　the　eyes　of　the　Antiquities；　very　nearly　brought　about　a　rupture　between　the　Troisvilles　and　the　salon　d'Esgrignon；　the　latter　declaring　that　the　Troisvilles　were　mixing　themselves　up　with　all　sorts　of　people。

There　was　one；　and　one　only；　among　all　these　folk　who　did　not　share　their　illusions。　And　that　one；　needless　to　say；　was　Chesnel　the　notary。　Although　his　devotion；　sufficiently　proved　already；　was　simply　unbounded　for　the　great　house　now　reduced　to　three　persons；　although　he　accepted　all　their　ideas；　and　thought　them　nothing　less　than　right；　he　had　too　much　common　sense；　he　was　too　good　a　man　of　business　to　more　than　half　the　families　in　the　department；　to　miss　the　significance　of　the　great　changes　that　were　taking　place　in　people's　minds；　or　to　be　blind　to　the　different　conditions　brought　about　by　industrial　development　and　modern　manners。　He　had　watched　the　Revolution　pass　through　the　violent　phase　of　1793；　when　men；　women；　and　children　wore　arms；　and　heads　fell　on