the deputy of arcis-第15节

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the　partisans　of　Simon；　the　idol　of　the　day。　〃I　always　knew　that　Mademoiselle　had　as　much　sense　as　money。〃

〃And；〃　continued　Ernestine；　〃she　has　selected　for　the　hero　of　her　romance〃

〃Oh！〃　interrupted　Madame　Mollot；　〃an　old　man　of　fifty！fie！〃

〃How　do　you　know　he　is　fifty？〃　asked　Olivier　Vinet；　laughing。

〃How？〃　replied　Madame　Mollot。　〃Why；　this　morning　I　was　so　puzzled　that　I　got　out　my　opera…glass〃

〃Bravo！〃　cried　the　superintendent　of　/ponts　et　chaussees/；　who　was　paying　court　to　the　mother　to　obtain　the　daughter。

〃And　so；〃　continued　Madame　Mollot；　〃I　was　able　to　see　him　shaving；　with　such　elegant　razors！mounted　in　gold；　or　silver…gilt！〃

〃Gold！　gold；　of　course！〃　said　Vinet。　〃When　things　are　unknown　they　should　always　be　imagined　of　the　finest　quality。　Consequently　I；　not　having　seen　this　gentleman；　am　perfectly　sure　that　he　is　at　least　a　count。〃

This　speech　created　a　laugh；　and　the　laughing　group　excited　the　jealousy　of　a　group　of　dowagers　and　the　attention　of　a　troop　of　men　in　black　who　surrounded　Simon　Giguet。　As　for　the　latter；　he　was　chafing　in　despair　at　not　being　able　to　lay　his　fortune　and　his　future　at　the　feet　of　the　rich　Cecile。

〃Yes；〃　continued　Vinet；　〃a　man　distinguished　for　his　birth；　for　his　manners；　his　fortune；　his　equipages；a　lion；　a　dandy；　a　yellow…kid…　glover！〃

〃Monsieur　Olivier；〃　said　Ernestine；　〃he　drives　the　prettiest　tilbury　you　ever　saw。〃

〃What？　Antonin；　you　never　told　me　he　had　a　tilbury　when　we　were　talking　about　that　conspirator　this　morning。　A　tilbury！　Why；　that's　an　extenuating　circumstance；　he　can't　be　a　republican。〃

〃Mesdemoiselles；　there　is　nothing　that　I　will　not　do　in　the　interests　of　your　amusement；〃　said　Antonin　Goulard。　〃I　will　instantly　proceed　to　ascertain　if　this　individual　is　a　count；　and　if　he　is；　what　kind　of　count。〃

〃You　can　make　a　report　upon　him；〃　said　the　superintendent　of　bridges。

〃For　the　use　of　all　future　sub…prefects；〃　added　Olivier　Vinet。

〃How　can　you　do　it？〃　asked　Madame　Mollot。

〃Oh！〃　replied　the　sub…prefect；　〃ask　Mademoiselle　Beauvisage　whom　she　would　accept　as　her　husband　among　all　of　us　here　present；　she　will　not　answer。　Allow　me　the　same　discretion。　Mesdemoiselles；　restrain　your　anxiety；　in　ten　minutes　you　shall　know　whether　the　Unknown　is　a　count　or　a　commercial　traveller。〃



X

THE　REVELATIONS　OF　AN　OPERA…GLASS

Antonin　Goulard　left　the　little　group　of　young　ladies；　in　which；　besides　Cecile　and　Ernestine；　were　Mademoiselle　Berton；　daughter　of　the　tax…collector；an　insignificant　young　person　who　played　the　part　of　satellite　to　Cecile；and　Mademoiselle　Herbelot；　sister　of　the　second　notary　of　Arcis；　an　old　maid　of　thirty；　soured；　affected；　and　dressed　like　all　old　maids；　for　she　wore；　over　a　bombazine　gown；　an　embroidered　fichu；　the　corners　of　which；　gathered　to　the　front　of　the　bodice；　were　knotted　together　after　the　well…known　fashion　under　the　Terror。

〃Julien；〃　said　the　sub…prefect　to　his　valet；　who　was　waiting　in　the　antechamber；　〃you　who　served　six　years　at　Gondreville　ought　to　know　how　a　count's　coronet　is　made。〃

〃Yes；　monsieur；　it　has　pearls　on　its　nine　points。〃

〃Very　good。　Go　to　the　Mulet；　and　try　to　clap　your　eye　on　the　tilbury　of　the　gentleman　who　is　stopping　there；　and　then　come　and　tell　me　what　is　painted　on　it。　Do　your　business　thoroughly；　and　bring　me　all　the　gossip　of　the　inn。　If　you　see　the　little　groom；　ask　him　at　what　hour　to…morrow　his　master　can　receive　the　sub…prefectin　case　you　find　the　nine　pearls。　Don't　drink；　don't　gossip　yourself；　and　come　back　quickly；　and　as　soon　as　you　get　back　let　me　know　it　by　coming　to　the　door　of　the　salon。〃

〃Yes；　monsieur。〃

The　Mulet　inn；　as　we　have　already　said；　stands　on　the　square；　at　the　opposite　corner　to　the　garden　wall　of　the　Marion　estate　on　the　other　side　of　the　road　leading　to　Brienne。　Therefore　the　solution　of　the　problem　could　be　rapid。　Antonin　Goulard　returned　to　his　place　by　Cecile　to　await　results。

〃We　talked　so　much　about　the　stranger　yesterday　that　I　dreamed　of　him　all　night；〃　said　Madame　Mollot。

〃Ha！　ha！　do　you　still　dream　of　unknown　heroes；　fair　lady？〃　said　Vinet。

〃You　are　very　impertinent；　if　I　chose　I　could　make　you　dream　of　me；〃　she　retorted。　〃So　this　morning　when　I　rose〃

It　may　not　be　useless　to　say　that　Madame　Mollot　was　considered　a　clever　woman　in　Arcis；　that　is；　she　expressed　herself　fluently　and　abused　that　advantage。　A　Parisian；　wandering　by　chance　into　these　regions；　like　the　Unknown；　would　have　thought　her　excessively　garrulous。

〃I　was；　naturally；　making　my　toilet；　and　as　I　looked　mechanically　about　me〃

〃Through　the　window？〃　asked　Antonin。

〃Certainly；　my　dressing…room　opens　on　the　street。　Now　you　know；　of　course；　that　Poupart　has　put　the　stranger　into　one　of　the　rooms　exactly　opposite　to　mine〃

〃One　room；　mamma！〃　interrupted　Ernestine。　〃The　count　occupies　three　rooms！　The　little　groom；　dressed　all　in　black；　is　in　the　first。　They　have　made　a　salon　of　the　next；　and　the　Unknown　sleeps　in　the　third。〃

〃Then　he　has　half　the　rooms　in　the　inn；〃　remarked　Mademoiselle　Herbelot。

〃Well；　young　ladies；　and　what　has　that　to　do　with　his　person？〃　said　Madame　Mollot；　sharply；　not　pleased　at　the　interruption。　〃I　am　talking　of　the　man　himself〃

〃Don't　interrupt　the　orator；〃　put　in　Vinet。

〃As　I　was　stooping〃

〃Seated？〃　asked　Antonin。

〃Madame　was　of　course　as　she　naturally　would　be；making　her　toilet　and　looking　at　the　Mulet；〃　said　Vinet。

In　the　provinces　such　jokes　are　prized；　for　people　have　so　long　said　everything　to　each　other　that　they　have　recourse　at　last　to　the　sort　of　nonsense　our　fathers　indulged　in　before　the　introduction　of　English　hypocrisy；one　of　those　products　against　which　custom…houses　are　powerless。

〃Don't　interrupt　the　orator；〃　repeated　Cecile　Beauvisage　to　Vinet；　with　whom　she　exchanged　a　smile。

〃My　eyes　involuntarily　fell　on　the　window　of　the　room　in　which　the　stranger　had　slept　the　night　before。　I　don't　know　what　time　he　went　to　bed；　although　I　was　awake　till　past　midnight；　but　I　have　the　misfortune　to　be　married　to　a　man　who　snores　fit　to　crack　the　planks　and　the　rafters。　If　I　fall　asleep　first；　oh！　I　sleep　so　sound　nothing　can　wake　me；　but　if　Mollot　drops　off　first　my　night　is　ruined〃

〃Don't　you　ever　go　off　together？〃　said　Achille　Pigoult；　joining　the　group。　〃I　see　you　are　talking　of　sleep。〃

〃Hush；　naughty　boy！〃　replied　Madame　Mollot；　graciously。

〃Do　you　know　what　they　mean？〃　whispered　Cecile　to　Ernestine。

〃At　any　rate；　he　was　not　in　at　one　o'clock　in　the　morning；〃　continued　Madame　Mollot。

〃Then　he　defrauded　you！came　home　without　your　knowing　it！〃　said　Achille　Pigoult。　〃Ha！　that　man　is　sly　indeed；　he'll　put　us　all　in　his　pouch　and　sell　us　in　the　market…place。〃

〃To　whom？〃　asked　Vinet。

〃Oh！　to　a　project！　to　an　idea！　to　a　system！〃　replied　the　notary；　to　whom　Olivier　smiled　with　a　knowing　air。

〃Imagine　my　surprise；〃　continued　Madame　Mollot；　〃when　I　saw　a　stuff；　a　material；　of　splendid　magnificence；　most　beautiful！　dazzling！　I　said　to　myself；　'That　must　be　a　dressing…gown　of　the　spun…glass　material　I　have　sometimes　seen　in　exhibitions　of　industrial　products。'　So　I　fetched　my　opera…glass　to　examine　it。　But；　good　gracious！　what　do　you　think　I　saw？　Above　the　dressing…gown；　where　the　head　ought　to　have　been；　I　saw　an　enormous　mass；　something　like　a　kneeI　can't　tell　you　how　my　curiosity　was　excited。〃

〃I　can　conceive　it；〃　said　Antonin。

〃No；　you　can　/not/　conceive　it；〃　said　Madame　Mollot；　〃for　this　knee〃

〃Ah！　I　understand；〃　cried　Olivier　Vinet；　laughing；　〃the　Unknown　was　also　making　his　toilet；　and　you　saw　his　two　knees。〃

〃No；　no！〃　cried　Madame　Mollot；　〃you　are　putting　incongruities　into　my　mouth。　The　stranger　was　standing　up；　he　held　a　sponge　in　his　hand　above　an　immense　basin；　andnone　of　your　jokes；　Monsieur　Olivier！it　wasn't　his　knee；　it　was　his　head！　He　was　washing　his　bald　head；　he　hasn't　a　spear　of　hair　upon　it。〃

〃Impudent　man！〃　said　Antonin。　〃He　certainly　can't　have　come　with　ideas　of　marriage　in　that　head。　Here　we　must　have　hair　in　order　to　be　married。　That's　essential。〃

〃I　am　therefore　right　in　saying　that　our　Unknown　visitor　must　be　fifty　years　old。　Nobody　ever　takes　to　a　wig　before　that　time　of　life。　After　a　time；　when　his　toilet　was　finished；　he　opened　his　window　and　looked　out；　and　/then/　he　wore　a　splendid　head　of　black　hair。　He　turned　his　eyeglass　full　on　me；for　by　that　time；　I　was　in　my　balcony。　Therefore；　my　dear　Cecile；　you　see　for　yourself　that　you　can't　take　that　man　for　the　hero　of　your　romance。〃

〃Why　not？　Men　of　fifty　are　not　to　be　despised；　if　they　are　counts；〃　said　Ernestine。

〃Heavens！　what　has　age　to　do　with　it？〃　said　Mademoiselle　Herbelot。

〃Provided　one　gets　a　husband；〃　added　Vinet；　whose　cold　maliciousness　made　him　feared。

〃Yes；〃　replied　the　old　maid；　feeling　the　cut；　〃I　should　prefer　a　man　of　fifty；　indulgent；　kind；　and　considerate；　to　a　young　man　without　a　heart；　whose　wit　would　bite　every　one；　even　his　wife。〃

〃This　is　all　very　well　for　conversation；〃　retorted　Vinet；　〃but　in　order　to　love　the　man　of　fifty　and　reject　the　other；　it　is　necessary　to　have　the　opportunity　to　choose。〃

〃Oh！〃　said　Madame　Mollot；　in　order　to　stop　this　passage　at　arms　between　the　old　maid　and　Vinet；　who　always　went　to　far；　〃when　a　woman　h