the deputy of arcis-第13节

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rough　his　grandfather；　old　d'Hauteserre；　who　was　then　living　at　Cinq…Cygne　and　whom　he　knew　to　be　accessible　to　the　persuasions　of　money。

If　this　plan　failed；　and　Cecile　Beauvisage　remained　unmarried；　he　resolved　as　a　last　resort　to　consult　his　friend　Gondreville；　who　would；　he　believed；　find　his　Cecile　a　husband；　after　his　heart　and　his　ambition；　among　the　dukes　of　the　Empire。



IX

A　STRANGER

Severine　found　her　father　seated　on　a　wooden　bench　at　the　end　of　his　terrace；　under　a　bower　of　lilacs　then　in　bloom；　and　taking　his　coffee；　for　it　was　half…past　five　in　the　afternoon。　She　saw；　by　the　pain　on　her　father's　face；　that　he　had　already　heard　the　news。　In　fact；　the　old　count　had　sent　a　valet　to　his　friend；　begging　him　to　come　to　him。

Up　to　the　present　time；　old　Grevin　had　endeavored　not　to　encourage　his　daughter's　ambition　too　far；　but　now；　in　the　midst　of　the　contradictory　reflections　which　the　melancholy　death　of　Charles　Keller　caused　him；　his　secret　escaped　his　lips。

〃My　dear　child；〃　he　said　to　her；　〃I　had　formed　the　finest　plans　for　your　future。　Cecile　was　to　have　been　Vicomtesse　Keller；　for　Charles；　by　my　influence；　would　now　have　been　selected　deputy。　Neither　Gondreville　nor　his　daughter　Madame　Keller　would　have　refused　Cecile's　/dot/　of　sixty　thousand　francs　a　year；　especially　with　the　prospect　of　a　hundred　thousand　more　which　she　will　some　day　have　from　you。　You　would　have　lived　in　Paris　with　your　daughter；　and　played　your　part　of　mother…in…law　in　the　upper　regions　of　power。〃

Madame　Beauvisage　made　a　sign　of　satisfaction。

〃But　we　are　knocked　down　by　the　death　of　this　charming　young　man；　to　whom　the　prince　royal　had　already　given　his　friendship。　Now　this　Simon　Giguet；　who　has　thrust　himself　upon　the　scene；　is　a　fool；　and　the　worst　of　all　fools；　for　he　thinks　himself　an　eagle。　You　are；　however；　too　intimate　with　the　Giguets　and　the　Marion　household　not　to　put　the　utmost　politeness　into　your　refusalbut　you　must　refuse　him。〃

〃As　usual；　you　and　I　are　of　the　same　opinion；　father。〃

〃You　can　say　that　I　have　otherwise　disposed　of　Cecile's　hand；　and　that　will　cut　short　all　preposterous　pretensions　like　that　of　Antonin　Goulard。　Little　Vinet　may　offer　himself；　and　he　is　preferable　to　the　others　who　are　smelling　after　the　/dot/；　he　has　talent；　and　shrewdness；　and　he　belongs　to　the　Chargeboeufs　by　his　mother；　but　he　has　too　much　character　not　to　rule　his　wife；　and　he　is　young　enough　to　make　himself　loved。　You　would　perish　between　two　sentimentsfor　I　know　you　by　heart；　my　child。〃

〃I　shall　be　much　embarrassed　this　evening　at　the　Marions'　to　know　what　to　say；〃　remarked　Severine。

〃Well；　then；　my　dear；〃　said　her　father；　〃send　Madame　Marion　to　me；　I'll　talk　to　her。〃

〃I　knew；　father；　that　you　were　thinking　of　our　future；　but　I　had　no　idea　you　expected　it　to　be　so　brilliant；〃　said　Madame　Beauvisage；　taking　the　hands　of　the　old　man　and　kissing　them。

〃I　have　pondered　the　matter　so　deeply；〃　said　Grevin；　〃that　in　1831　I　bought　the　Beauseant　mansion　in　Paris；　which　you　have　probably　seen。〃

Madame　de　Beauvisage　made　a　movement　of　surprise　on　hearing　this　secret；　until　then　so　carefully　kept；　but　she　did　not　interrupt　her　father。

〃It　will　be　my　wedding　present；〃　he　went　on。　〃In　1832　I　let　it　for　seven　years　to　an　Englishman　for　twenty…four　thousand　francs　a　year；　a　pretty　stroke　of　business；　for　it　only　cost　me　three　hundred　and　twenty…five　thousand　francs；　of　which　I　thus　recover　nearly　two　hundred　thousand。　The　lease　ends　in　July　of　this　year。〃

Severine　kissed　her　father　on　the　forehead　and　on　both　cheeks。　This　last　revelation　so　magnified　her　future　that　she　was　well…nigh　dazzled。

〃I　shall　advise　my　father；〃　she　said　to　herself；　as　she　recrossed　the　bridge；　〃to　give　only　the　reversion　of　that　property　to　his　grandchildren；　and　let　me　have　the　life…interest　in　it。　I　have　no　idea　of　letting　my　daughter　and　son…in…law　turn　me　out　of　doors；　they　must　live　with　me。〃

At　dessert；　when　the　two　women…servants　were　safely　at　their　own　dinner　in　the　kitchen；　and　Madame　Beauvisage　was　certain　of　not　being　overheard；　she　thought　it　advisable　to　give　Cecile　a　little　lecture。

〃My　daughter；〃　she　said；　〃behave　this　evening　with　propriety；　like　a　well…bred　girl；　and　from　this　day　forth　be　more　sedate。　Do　not　chatter　heedlessly；　and　never　walk　alone　with　Monsieur　Giguet；　or　Monsieur　Olivier　Vinet；　or　the　sub…prefect；　or　Monsieur　Martener；in　fact；　with　any　one；　not　even　Achille　Pigoult。　You　will　not　marry　any　of　the　young　men　of　Arcis；　or　of　the　department。　Your　fate　is　to　shine　in　Paris。　Therefore　I　shall　now　give　you　charming　dresses；　to　accustom　you　to　elegance。　We　can　easily　find　out　where　the　Princesse　de　Cadignan　and　the　Marquise　de　Cinq…Cygne　get　their　things。　I　mean　that　you　shall　cease　to　look　provincial。　You　must　practise　the　piano　for　three　hours　every　day。　I　shall　send　for　Monsieur　Moise　from　Troyes　until　I　know　what　master　I　ought　to　get　from　Paris。　Your　talents　must　all　be　developed；　for　you　have　only　one　year　more　of　girlhood　before　you。　Now　I　have　warned　you；　and　I　shall　see　how　you　behave　this　evening。　You　must　manage　to　keep　Simon　at　a　distance；　but　without　coquetting　with　him。〃

〃Don't　be　uneasy；　mamma；　I　intend　to　adore　the　/stranger/。〃

These　words；　which　made　Madame　Beauvisage　laugh；　need　some　explanation。

〃Ha！　I　haven't　seen　him　yet；〃　said　Phileas；　〃but　everybody　is　talking　about　him。　When　I　want　to　know　who　he　is；　I　shall　send　the　corporal　or　Monsieur　Groslier　to　ask　him　for　his　passport。〃

There　is　no　little　town　in　France　where；　at　a　given　time；　the　drama　or　the　comedy　of　the　/stranger/　is　not　played。　Often　the　stranger　is　an　adventurer　who　makes　dupes　and　departs；　carrying　with　him　the　reputation　of　a　woman；　or　the　money　of　a　family。　Oftener　the　stranger　is　a　real　stranger；　whose　life　remains　mysterious　long　enough　for　the　town　to　busy　itself　curiously　about　his　words　and　deeds。

Now　the　probable　accession　to　power　of　Simon　Giguet　was　not　the　only　serious　event　that　was　happening　in　Arcis。　For　the　last　two　days　the　attention　of　the　little　town　had　been　focussed　on　a　personage　just　arrived；　who　proved　to　be　the　first　Unknown　of　the　present　generation。　The　/stranger/　was　at　this　moment　the　subject　of　conversation　in　every　household　in　the　place。　He　was　the　beam　fallen　from　heaven　into　the　city　of　the　frogs。

The　situation　of　Arcis…sur…Aube　explains　the　effect　which　the　arrival　of　a　stranger　was　certain　to　produce。　About　eighteen　miles　from　Troyes；　on　the　high…road　to　Paris；　opposite　to　a　farm　called　〃La　Belle　Etoile；〃　a　county　road　branches　off　from　the　main　road；　and　leads　to　Arcis；　crossing　the　vast　plains　where　the　Seine　cuts　a　narrow　green　valley　bordered　with　poplars；　which　stand　out　upon　the　whiteness　of　the　chalk　soil　of　Champagne。　The　main　road　from　Arcis　to　Troyes　is　eighteen　miles　in　length；　and　makes　the　arch　of　a　bow；　the　extremities　of　which　are　Troyes　and　Arcis；　so　that　the　shortest　route　from　Paris　to　Arcis　is　by　the　county　road　which　turns　off；　as　we　have　said；　near　the　Belle　Etoile。　The　Aube　is　navigable　only　from　Arcis　to　its　mouth。　Therefore　this　town；　standing　eighteen　miles　from　a　high…road；　and　separated　from　Troyes　by　monotonous　plains；　is　isolated　more　or　less；　and　has　but　little　commerce　or　transportation　either　by　land　or　water。　Arcis　is；　in　fact；　a　town　completely　isolated；　where　no　travellers　pass；　and　is　attached　to　Troyes　and　La　Belle　Etoile　by　stage…coaches　only。　All　the　inhabitants　know　each　other；　they　even　know　the　commercial　travellers　who　come；　now　and　then；　on　business　from　the　large　Parisian　houses。　Thus；　as　in　all　provincial　towns　in　a　like　position；　a　stranger；　if　he　stayed　two　days；　would　wag　the　tongues　and　excite　the　imaginations　of　the　whole　community　without　his　name　or　his　business　being　known。

Now；　Arcis　being　still　in　a　state　of　tranquillity　three　days　before　the　morning　when；　by　the　will　of　the　creator　of　so　many　histories；　the　present　tale　begins；　there　was　seen　to　arrive　by　the　county　road　a　stranger；　driving　a　handsome　tilbury　drawn　by　a　valuable　horse；　and　accompanied　by　a　tiny　groom；　no　bigger　than　my　fist；　mounted　on　a　saddle…horse。　The　coach；　connecting　with　the　diligences　to　Troyes；　had　brought　from　La　Belle　Etoile　three　trunks　coming　from　Paris；　marked　with　no　name；　but　belonging　to　this　stranger；　who　took　up　his　quarters　at　the　Mulet　inn。　Every　one　in　Arcis　supposed；　on　the　first　evening；　that　this　personage　had　come　with　the　intention　of　buying　the　estate　of　Arcis；　and　much　was　said　in　all　households　about　the　future　owner　of　the　chateau。　The　tilbury；　the　traveller；　his　horses；　his　servant；　one　and　all　appeared　to　belong　to　a　man　who　had　dropped　upon　Arcis　from　the　highest　social　sphere。

The　stranger；　no　doubt　fatigued；　did　not　show　himself　for　a　time；　perhaps　he　spent　part　of　the　day　in　arranging　himself　in　the　rooms　he　had　chosen；　announcing　his　intention　of　staying　a　certain　time。　He　requested　to　see　the　stable　where　his　horses　were　to　be　kept；　showed　himself　very　exacting；　and　insisted　that　they　should　be　placed　in　stalls　apart　from　those　of　the　innkeeper's　horses；　and　from　those　of　guests　who　might　come　later。　In　consequence　of　such　singular　demands；　the　landlord　of　the　hotel　du　Mulet　considered　his　guest　to