the nabob-第79节

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e　in　hard　stone；　untouchable　by　pick…　axe　or　powder。　〃My　conscience！〃　Suddenly　he　changed　his　programme；　threw　to　the　winds　the　tricks　and　equivocations　which　embarrassed　his　open　and　courageous　disposition；　and；　head　high　and　heart　open；　held　to　this　honest　man　a　language　he　was　born　to　understand。

〃Do　not　be　astonished；　my　dear　colleague；〃his　voice　trembled；　but　soon　became　firm　in　the　conviction　of　his　defence〃do　not　be　astonished　if　I　am　come　to　find　you　here　instead　of　asking　simply　to　be　heard　by　the　third　committee。　The　explanation　which　I　have　to　make　to　you　is　so　delicate　and　confidential　that　it　would　have　been　impossible　to　make　it　publicly　before　my　colleagues。〃

Maitre　Le　Merquier；　above　his　spectacles；　looked　at　the　curtain　with　a　disturbed　air。　Evidently　the　conversation　was　taking　an　unexpected　turn。

〃I　do　not　enter　on　the　main　question；〃　said　the　Nabob。　〃Your　report；　I　am　assured；　is　impartial　and　loyal；　such　as　your　conscience　has　dictated　to　you。　Only　there　are　some　heart…breaking　calumnies　spread　about　me　to　which　I　have　not　answered；　and　which　have　perhaps　influenced　the　opinion　of　the　committee。　It　is　on　this　subject　that　I　wish　to　speak　to　you。　I　know　the　confidence　with　which　you　are　honoured　by　your　colleagues；　M。　Le　Merquier；　and　that；　when　I　shall　have　convinced　you；　your　word　will　be　enough　without　forcing　me　to　lay　bare　my　distress　to　them　all。　You　know　the　accusationthe　most　terrible；　the　most　ignoble。　There　are　so　many　people　who　might　be　deceived　by　it。　My　enemies　have　given　names；　dates；　addresses。　Well；　I　bring　you　the　proofs　of　my　innocence。　I　lay　them　bare　before　youyou　onlyfor　I　have　grave　reasons　for　keeping　the　whole　affair　secret。〃

Then　he　showed　the　lawyer　a　certificate　from　the　Consulate　of　Tunis；　that　during　twenty　years　he　had　only　left　the　principality　twicethe　first　time　to　see　his　dying　father　at　Bourg…Saint　Andeol；　the　second；　to　make；　with　the　Bey；　a　visit　of　three　days　to　his　chateau　of　Saint…　Romans。

〃How　comes　it；　then；　that　with　a　document　so　conclusive　in　my　hands　I　have　not　brought　my　accusers　before　the　courts　to　contradict　and　confound　them？　Alas；　monsieur；　there　are　cruel　responsibilities　in　families。　I　have　a　brother；　a　poor　fellow；　weak　and　spoiled；　who　has　for　long　wallowed　in　the　mud　of　Paris；　who　has　left　there　his　intelligence　and　his　honour。　Has　he　descended　to　that　degree　of　baseness　which　I；　in　his　name；　am　accused　of？　I　have　not　dared　to　find　out。　All　I　can　say　is；　that　my　poor　father；　who　knew　more　than　any　one　in　the　family　of　it；　whispered　to　me　in　dying；　'Bernard；　it　is　your　elder　brother　who　has　killed　me。　I　die　of　shame；　my　child。'　〃

He　paused；　compelled　by　his　suppressed　emotion；　then：

〃My　father　is　dead；　Maitre　Le　Merquier；　but　my　mother　still　lives；　and　it　is　for　her　sake；　for　her　peace；　that　I　have　held　back；　that　I　hold　back　still；　before　the　scandal　of　my　justification。　Up　to　now；　in　fact；　the　mud　thrown　at　me　has　not　touched　her；　it　only　comes　from　a　certain　class；　in　a　special　press；　a　thousand　leagues　away　from　the　poor　woman。　But　law　courts；　a　trialit　would　be　proclaiming　our　misfortune　from　one　end　of　France　to　the　other；　the　articles　of　the　official　paper　reproduced　by　all　the　journals；　even　those　of　the　little　district　where　my　mother　lives。　The　calumny；　my　defence；　her　two　children　covered　with　shame　by　the　one　stroke；　the　namethe　only　pride　of　the　old　peasantforever　disgraced。　It　would　be　too　much　for　her。　It　would　be　enough　to　kill　her。　And　truly；　I　find　it　enough；　too。　That　is　why　I　have　had　the　courage　to　be　silent；　to　weary；　if　I　could；　my　enemies　by　silence。　But　I　need　some　one　to　answer　for　me　in　the　Chamber。　It　must　not　have　the　right　to　expel　me　for　reasons　which　would　dishonour　me；　and　since　it　has　chosen　you　as　the　chairman　of　the　committee；　I　am　come　to　tell　you　everything；　as　to　a　confessor；　to　a　priest；　begging　you　not　to　divulge　anything　of　this　conversation；　even　in　the　interests　of　my　case。　I　only　ask　you；　my　dear　colleague；　absolute　silence；　for　the　rest；　I　rely　on　your　justice　and　your　loyalty。〃

He　rose；　ready　to　go；　and　Le　Merquier　did　not　move；　still　asking　the　green　curtain　in　front　of　him；　as　if　seeking　inspiration　for　his　answer　there。　At　last　he　said：

〃It　shall　be　as　you　desire；　my　dear　colleague。　This　confidence　shall　remain　between　us。　You　have　told　me　nothing；　I　have　heard　nothing。〃

The　Nabob；　still　heated　with　his　burst　of　confidence；　which　demanded；　it　seemed　to　him；　a　cordial　response；　a　pressure　of　the　hand；　was　seized　with　a　strange　uneasiness。　This　coolness；　this　absent　look；　so　unnerved　him　that　he　was　at　the　door　with　the　awkward　bow　of　one　who　feels　himself　importunate；　when　the　other　stopped　him。

〃Wait；　then；　my　dear　colleague。　What　a　hurry　you　are　in　to　leave　me！　A　few　moments；　I　beg　of　you。　I　am　too　happy　to　have　a　chat　with　a　man　like　you。　Besides；　we　have　more　than　one　common　bond。　Our　friend　Hemerlingue　has　told　me　that　you；　too；　are　much　interested　in　pictures。〃

Jansoulet　trembled。　The　two　words〃Hemerlingue；〃　〃pictures〃meeting　in　the　same　phrase　so　unexpectedly；　restored　all　his　doubts；　all　his　perplexities。　He　did　not　give　himself　away　yet；　however；　and　let　Le　Merquier　advance；　word　by　word；　testing　the　ground　for　his　stumbling　advances。　People　had　told　him　often　of　the　collection　of　his　honourable　colleague。　〃Would　it　be　indiscreet　to　ask　the　favour　of　being　admitted；　to〃

〃On　the　contrary；　I　should　feel　much　honoured；〃　said　the　Nabob；　tickled　in　the　most　sensiblesince　the　most　costlypoint　of　his　vanity；　and　looking　round　him　at　the　walls　of　the　room；　he　added　with　the　tone　of　a　connoisseur；　〃You　have　some　fine　things；　too。〃

〃Oh；〃　said　the　other　modestly；　〃just　a　few　canvases。　Painting　is　so　dear　now；　it　is　a　taste　so　difficult　to　satisfy；　a　true　passion　/de　luxe/a　passion　for　a　Nabob；〃　said　he；　smiling；　with　a　furtive　look　over　his　glasses。

They　were　two　prudent　players；　face　to　face；　but　Jansoulet　was　a　little　astray　in　this　new　situation；　where　he　who　only　knew　how　to　be　bold；　had　to　be　on　his　guard。

〃When　I　think；〃　murmured　the　lawyer；　〃that　I　have　been　ten　years　covering　these　walls；　and　that　I　have　still　this　panel　to　fill。〃

In　fact；　at　the　most　conspicuous　place　on　the　wall　there　was　an　empty　place；　emptied　rather；　for　a　great　gold…headed　nail　near　the　ceiling　showed　the　visible；　almost　clumsy；　trace　of　a　snare　laid　for　the　poor　simpleton；　who　let　himself　be　taken　in　it　so　foolishly。

〃My　dear　M。　Le　Merquier；〃　said　he　with　his　engaging；　good…natured　voice；　〃I　have　a　Virgin　of　Tintoretto's　just　the　size　of　your　panel。〃

Impossible　to　read　anything　in　the　eyes　of　the　lawyer；　this　time　hidden　under　their　overhanging　brows。

〃Permit　me　to　hang　it　there；　opposite　your　table。　That　will　help　you　to　think　sometimes　of　me。〃

〃And　to　soften　the　severities　of　my　report；　too；　sir？〃　cried　Le　Merquier；　formidable　and　upright；　his　hand　on　the　bell。　〃I　have　seen　many　shameless　things　in　my　life；　but　never　anything　like　this。　Such　offers　to　me；　in　my　own　house！〃

〃But；　my　dear　colleague；　I　swear　to　you〃

〃Show　him　out；〃　said　the　lawyer　to　the　hang…dog　servant　who　had　just　entered；　and　from　the　middle　of　his　office；　whose　door　remained　open；　before　all　the　waiting…room；　where　the　paternosters　were　silent；　he　pursued　Jansouletwho　slunk　off　murmuring　excuses　to　the　doorwith　these　terrible　words：

〃You　have　outraged　the　honour　of　the　Chamber　in　my　person；　sir。　Our　colleagues　shall　be　informed　of　it　this　very　day；　and；　this　crime　coming　after　your　others；　you　will　learn　to　your　cost　that　Paris　is　not　the　East；　and　that　here　we　do　not　make　shameless　traffic　of　the　human　conscience。〃

Then；　after　having　chased　the　seller　from　the　temple；　the　just　man　closed　his　door；　and　approaching　the　mysterious　green　curtain；　said　in　a　tone　that　sounded　soft　amidst　his　pretended　anger：

〃Is　that　what　you　wanted；　Baroness　Marie？〃



THE　SITTING

That　morning　there　were　no　guests　to　lunch　at　32　Place　Vendome；　so　that　towards　one　o'clock　might　have　been　seen　the　majestic　form　of　M。　Barreau；　gleaming　white　at　the　gate；　among　four　or　five　of　his　scullions　in　their　cook's　caps；　and　as　many　stable…boys　in　Scotch　caps　an　imposing　group；　which　gave　to　the　house　the　aspect　of　an　hotel　where　the　staff　was　taking　the　air　between　the　arrivals　of　the　trains。　To　complete　the　resemblance；　a　cab　drew　up　before　the　door　and　the　driver　took　down　an　old　leather　trunk；　while　a　tall　old　woman；　her　upright　figure　wrapped　in　a　little　green　shawl；　jumped　lightly　to　the　footpath；　a　basket　on　her　arm；　looked　at　the　number　with　great　attention；　then　approached　the　servants　to　ask　if　it　was　there　that　M。　Bernard　Jansoulet　lived。

〃It　is　here；〃　was　the　answer；　〃but　he　is　not　in。〃

〃That　does　not　matter；〃　said　the　old　lady　simply。

She　returned　to　the　driver；　who　put　her　trunk　in　the　porch；　and　paid　him；　returning　her　purse　to　her　pocket　at　once　with　a　gesture　that　said　much　for　the　caution　of　the　provincial。

Since　Jansoulet　had　been　deputy　for　Corsica；　the　domestics　had　seen　so　many　strange　and　exotic　figures　at　his　house；　that　they　were　not　surprised　at　this　sunburnt　woman；　with　eyes　glowing　like　coals；　a　true　Corsican　under　her　severe　coif；　but　different　from　the　ordinary　provincial　i