unconscious comedians-第12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！


〃I　thought　the　Chamber　unapproachable？〃　said　the　provincial；　surprised

to　find　himself　in　the　great　lobby。



〃That　depends；〃　replied　Bixiou；　〃materially　speaking；　it　costs　thirty

sous　for　a　citadine　to　approach　it；　politically；　you　have　to　spend

rather　more。　The　swallows　thought；　so　a　poet　says；　that　the　Arc　de

Triomphe　was　erected　for　them；　we　artists　think　that　this　public

building　was　built　for　us；to　compensate　for　the　stupidities　of　the

Theatre…Francais　and　make　us　laugh；　but　the　comedians　on　this　stage

are　much　more　expensive；　and　they　don't　give　us　every　day　the　value　of

our　money。〃



〃So　this　is　the　Chamber！〃　cried　Gazonal；　as　he　paced　the　great　hall　in

which　there　were　then　about　a　dozen　persons；　and　looked　around　him

with　an　air　which　Bixiou　noted　down　in　his　memory　and　reproduced　in

one　of　the　famous　caricatures　with　which　he　rivalled　Gavarni。



Leon　went　to　speak　to　one　of　the　ushers　who　go　and　come　continually

between　this　hall　and　the　hall　of　sessions；　with　which　it　communicates

by　a　passage　in　which　are　stationed　the　stenographers　of　the

〃Moniteur〃　and　persons　attached　to　the　Chamber。



〃As　for　the　minister；〃　replied　the　usher　to　Leon　as　Gazonal　approached

them；　〃he　is　there；　but　I　don't　know　if　Monsieur　Giraud　has　come。　I'll

see。〃



As　the　usher　opened　one　side　of　the　double　door　through　which　none　but

deputies；　ministers；　or　messengers　from　the　king　are　allowed　to　pass；

Gazonal　saw　a　man　come　out　who　seemed　still　young；　although　he　was

really　forty…eight　years　old；　and　to　whom　the　usher　evidently

indicated　Leon　de　Lora。



〃Ha！　you　here！〃　he　exclaimed；　shaking　hands　with　both　Bixiou　and　Lora。

〃Scamps！　what　are　you　doing　in　the　sanctuary　of　the　laws？〃



〃Parbleu！　we've　come　to　learn　how　to　blague；〃　said　Bixiou。　〃We　might

get　rusty　if　we　didn't。〃



〃Let　us　go　into　the　garden；〃　said　the　young　man；　not　observing　that

Gazonal　belonged　to　the　party。



Seeing　that　this　new…comer　was　well…dressed；　in　black；　the　provincial

did　not　know　in　which　political　category　to　place　him；　but　he　followed

the　others　into　the　garden　contiguous　to　the　hall　which　follows　the

line　of　the　quai　Napoleon。　Once　in　the　garden　the　ci…devant　young　man

gave　way　to　a　peal　of　laughter　which　he　seemed　to　have　been　repressing

since　he　entered　the　lobby。



〃What　is　it？〃　asked　Leon　de　Lora。



〃My　dear　friend；　to　prove　the　sincerity　of　the　constitutional

government　we　are　forced　to　tell　the　most　frightful　lies　with

incredible　self…possession。　But　as　for　me；　I'm　freakish；　some　days　I

can　lie　like　a　prospectus；　other　days　I　can't　be　serious。　This　is　one

of　my　hilarious　days。　Now；　at　this　moment；　the　prime　minister；　being

summoned　by　the　Opposition　to　make　known　a　certain　diplomatic　secret；

is　going　through　his　paces　in　the　tribune。　Being　an　honest　man　who

never　lies　on　his　own　account；　he　whispered　to　me　as　he　mounted　the

breach：　'Heaven　knows　what　I　shall　say　to　them。'　A　mad　desire　to　laugh

overcame　me；　and　as　one　mustn't　laugh　on　the　ministerial　bench　I

rushed　out；　for　my　youth　does　come　back　to　me　most　unseasonably　at

times。〃



〃At　last；〃　cried　Gazonal；　〃I've　found　an　honest　man　in　Paris！　You　must

be　a　very　superior　man；〃　he　added；　looking　at　the　stranger。



〃Ah　ca！　who　is　this　gentleman？〃　said　the　ci…devant　young　man；

examining　Gazonal。



〃My　cousin；〃　said　Leon；　hastily。　〃I'll　answer　for　his　silence　and　his

honor　as　for　my　own。　It　is　on　his　account　we　have　come　here　now；　he

has　a　case　before　the　administration　which　depends　on　your　ministry。

His　prefect　evidently　wants　to　ruin　him；　and　we　have　come　to　see　you

in　order　to　prevent　the　Council　of　State　from　ratifying　a　great

injustice。〃



〃Who　brings　up　the　case？〃



〃Massol。〃



〃Good。〃



〃And　our　friends　Giraud　and　Claude　Vignon　are　on　the　committee；〃　said

Bixiou。



〃Say　just　a　word　to　them；〃　urged　Leon；　〃tell　them　to　come　to…night　to

Carabine's；　where　du　Tillet　gives　a　fete　apropos　of　railways；they

are　plundering　more　than　ever　on　the　roads。〃



〃Ah　ca！　but　isn't　your　cousin　from　the　Pyrenees？〃　asked　the　young　man；

now　become　serious。



〃Yes；〃　replied　Gazonal。



〃And　you　did　not　vote　for　us　in　the　last　elections？〃　said　the

statesman；　looking　hard　at　Gazonal。



〃No；　but　what　you　have　just　said　in　my　hearing　has　bribed　me；　on　the

word　of　a　commandant　of　the　National　Guard　I'll　have　your　candidate

elected〃



〃Very　good；　will　you　guarantee　your　cousin？〃　asked　the　young　man；

turning　to　Leon。



〃We　are　forming　him；〃　said　Bixiou；　in　a　tone　irresistibly　comic。



〃Well；　I'll　see　about　it；〃　said　the　young　man；　leaving　his　friends　and

rushing　precipitately　back　to　the　Chamber。



〃Who　is　that？〃　asked　Gazonal。



〃The　Comte　de　Rastignac；　the　minister　of　the　department　in　which　your

affair　is　brought　up。〃



〃A　minister！　Isn't　a　minister　anything　more　than　that？〃



〃He　is　an　old　friend　of　ours。　He　now　has　three　hundred　thousand　francs

a　year；　he's　a　peer　of　France；　the　king　has　made　him　a　count；　he

married　Nucingen's　daughter；　and　he　is　one　of　the　two　or　three

statesmen　produced　by　the　revolution　of　July。　But　his　fame　and　his

power　bore　him　sometimes；　and　he　comes　down　to　laugh　with　us。〃



〃Ah　ca！　cousin；　why　didn't　you　tell　us　you　belonged　to　the

Opposition？〃　asked　Leon；　seizing　Gazonal　by　the　arm。　〃How　stupid　of

you！　One　deputy　more　or　less　to　Right　or　Left　and　your　bed　is　made。〃



〃We　are　all　for　the　Others　down　my　way。〃



〃Let　'em　go；〃　said　Bixiou；　with　a　facetious　look；　〃they　have

Providence　on　their　side；　and　Providence　will　bring　them　back　without

you　and　in　spite　of　themselves。　A　manufacturer　ought　to　be　a

fatalist。〃



〃What　luck！　There's　Maxime；　with　Canalis　and　Giraud；〃　said　Leon。



〃Come　along；　friend　Gazonal；　the　promised　actors　are　mustering　on　the

stage；〃　said　Bixiou。



And　all　three　advanced　to　the　above…named　personages；　who　seemed　to　be

sauntering　along　with　nothing　to　do。



〃Have　they　turned　you　out；　or　why　are　you　idling　about　in　this　way？〃

said　Bixiou　to　Giraud。



〃No；　while　they　are　voting　by　secret　ballot　we　have　come　out　for　a

little　air；〃　replied　Giraud。



〃How　did　the　prime　minister　pull　through？〃



〃He　was　magnificent！〃　said　Canalis。



〃Magnificent！〃　repeated　Maxime。



〃Magnificent！〃　cried　Giraud。



〃So！　so！　Right；　Left；　and　Centre　are　unanimous！〃



〃All　with　a　different　meaning；〃　observed　Maxime　de　Trailles。



Maxime　was　the　ministerial　deputy。



〃Yes；〃　said　Canalis；　laughing。



Though　Canalis　had　already　been　a　minister；　he　was　at　this　moment

tending　toward　the　Right。



〃Ah！　but　you　had　a　fine　triumph　just　now；〃　said　Maxime　to　Canalis；　〃it

was　you　who　forced　the　minister　into　the　tribune。〃



〃And　made　him　lie　like　a　charlatan；〃　returned　Canalis。



〃A　worthy　victory；〃　said　the　honest　Giraud。　〃In　his　place　what　would

you　have　done？〃



〃I　should　have　lied。〃



〃It　isn't　called　lying；〃　said　Maxime　de　Trailles；　〃it　is　called

protecting　the　crown。〃



So　saying；　he　led　Canalis　away　to　a　little　distance。



〃That's　a　great　orator；〃　said　Leon　to　Giraud；　pointing　to　Canalis。



〃Yes　and　no；〃　replied　the　councillor　of　state。　〃A　fine　bass　voice；　and

sonorous；　but　more　of　an　artist　in　words　than　an　orator。　In　short；

he's　a　fine　instrument　but　he　isn't　music；　consequently　he　has　not；

and　he　never　will　have；　the　ear　of　the　Chamber；　in　no　case　will　he

ever　be　master　of　the　situation。〃



Canalis　and　Maxime　were　returning　toward　the　little　group　as　Giraud；

deputy　of　the　Left　Centre；　pronounced　this　verdict。　Maxime　took　Giraud

by　the　arm　and　led　him　off；　probably　to　make　the　same　confidence　he

had　just　made　Canalis。



〃What　an　honest；　upright　fellow　that　is；〃　said　Leon　to　Canalis；

nodding　towards　Giraud。



〃One　of　those　upright　fellows　who　kill　administrators；〃　replied

Canalis。



〃Do　you　think　him　a　good　orator？〃



〃Yes　and　no；〃　replied　Canalis；　〃he　is　wordy；　he's　long…winded；　a

plodder　in　argument；　and　a　good　logician；　but　he　doesn't　understand

the　higher　logic；　that　of　events　and　circumstances；　consequently　he

has　never　had；　and　never　will　have；　the　ear　of　the　Chamber。〃



At　the　moment　when　Canalis　uttered　this　judgment　on　Giraud；　the　latter

was　returning　with　Maxime　to　the　group；　and　forgetting　the　presence　of

a　stranger　whose　discretion　was　not　known　to　them　like　that　of　Leon

and　Bixiou；　he　took　Canalis　by　the　hand　in　a　very　significant　manner。



〃Well；〃　he　said；　〃I　consent　to　what　Monsieur　de　Trailles　proposes。

I'll　put　the　question　to　you　in　the　Chamber；　but　I　shall　do　it　with

great　severity。〃



〃Then　we　shall　have　the　house　with　us；　for　a　man　of　your　weight　and

your　eloquence　is　certain　to　have　the　ear　of　the　Chamber；〃　said

Canalis。　〃I'll　reply　to　you；　but　I　shall　do　it　sharply；　to　crush　you。〃



〃You　could　bring　about　a　change　of　the　cabinet；　for　on　such　ground　you

can　do　what　you　like　with　the　Chamber；　and　be　master　of　the

sit