the deputy of arcis-第25节

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The　conversation　between　the　duke　and　the　marquis　having　naturally　turned　on　the　events　of　Parisian　society　which　had　taken　place　during　Monsieur　de　Ronquerolles'　absence；　the　latter　made　the　following　remark　which　was　of　a　nature　to　rouse　the　attention　of　Monsieur　Dorlange。

〃Your　poor　sister　Madame　de　Macumer！　what　a　sad　end；　after　her　singular　marriage！〃

〃Ah！　you　know；〃　replied　Monsieur　de　Rhetore；　in　that　high…pitched　tone　of　his；　〃my　sister　had　too　much　imagination　not　to　be　romantic　and　visionary。　She　loved　her　first　husband；　Monsieur　de　Macumer；　passionately；　but　after　a　time　one　gets　tired　of　everything；　even　widowhood。　This　Marie…Gaston　crossed　her　path。　He　is　agreeable　in　person；　my　sister　was　rich；　he　was　deeply　in　debt　and　behaved　with　corresponding　eagerness　and　devotion。　The　result　was　that　the　scoundrel　not　only　succeeded　Monsieur　de　Macumer　and　killed　his　wife　with　jealousy；　but　he　got　out　of　her　every　penny　the　law　allowed　the　poor　foolish　woman　to　dispose　of。　My　sister's　property　amounted　to　at　least　twelve　hundred　thousand　francs；　not　counting　a　delightful　villa　splendidly　furnished　which　she　built　at　Ville　d'Avray。　Half　of　this　that　man　obtained；　the　other　half　went　to　the　Duc　and　Duchesse　de　Chaulieu；　my　father　and　mother；　who　were　entitled　to　it　by　law　as　heirs　ascendant。　As　for　my　brother　Lenoncourt　and　myself；　we　were　simply　disinherited。〃

As　soon　as　your　name；　my　dear　Monsieur　Gaston；　was　uttered；　Monsieur　Dorlange　laid　aside　his　newspaper；　and　then；　as　Monsieur　de　Rhetore　ended　his　remarks；　he　rose　and　said：

〃Pardon　me；　Monsieur　le　duc；　if　I　venture　to　correct　your　statement；　but；　as　a　matter　of　conscience；　I　ought　to　inform　you　that　you　are　totally　misinformed。〃

〃What　is　that　you　say？〃　returned　the　duke；　blinking　his　eyes　and　speaking　in　that　contemptuous　tone　we　can　all　imagine。

〃I　say；　Monsieur　le　duc；　that　Marie…Gaston　is　my　friend　from　childhood；　he　has　never　been　thought　a　/scoundrel/；　on　the　contrary；　the　world　knows　him　as　a　man　of　honor　and　talent。　So　far　from　killing　his　wife　with　jealousy；　he　made　her　perfectly　happy　during　the　three　years　their　marriage　lasted。　As　for　the　property〃

〃Have　you　considered；　monsieur；〃　said　the　Duc　de　Rhetore；　interrupting　him；　〃the　result　of　such　language？〃

〃Thoroughly；　monsieur；　and　I　repeat　that　the　property　left　to　Marie…　Gaston　by　the　will　of　his　wife　is　so　little　desired　by　him　that；　to　my　knowledge；　he　is　about　to　spend　a　sum　of　two　or　three　hundred　thousand　francs　in　building　a　mausoleum　for　a　wife　whom　he　has　never　ceased　to　mourn。〃

〃After　all；　monsieur；　who　are　you？〃　said　the　Duc　de　Rhetore；　again　interrupting　him　with　ill…restrained　impatience。

〃Presently；〃　replied　Monsieur　Dorlange；　〃I　shall　have　the　honor　to　tell　you；　you　must　now　permit　me　to　add　that　the　property　of　which　you　say　you　have　been　disinherited　Madame　Marie…Gaston　had　the　right　to　dispose　of　without　any　remorse　of　conscience。　It　came　from　her　first　husband；　the　Baron　de　Macumer；　and　she　had；　previously　to　that　marriage；　given　up　her　own　property　in　order　to　constitute　a　fortune　for　your　brother；　the　Duc　de　Lenoncourt…Givry；　who；　as　younger　son；　had　not；　like　you；　Monsieur　le　Duc；　the　advantages　of　an　entail。〃

So　saying；　Monsieur　Dorlange　felt　in　his　pocket　for　his　card…case。

〃I　have　no　cards　with　me；〃　he　said　at　last；　〃but　my　name　is　Dorlange；　a　theatrical　name；　easy　to　remember；　and　I　live　at　No。　42　rue　de　l'Ouest。〃

〃Not　a　very　central　quarter；〃　remarked　Monsieur　de　Rhetore；　ironically。　Then　turning　to　Monsieur　de　Ronquerolles；　whom　he　thus　constituted　one　of　his　seconds；　〃I　beg　your　pardon；　my　dear　fellow；〃　he　said；　〃for　the　voyage　of　discovery　you　will　have　to　undertake　for　me　to…morrow　morning。〃　And　then　almost　immediately　he　added：　〃Come　to　the　foyer；　we　can　talk　there　with　greater　/safety/。〃

By　his　manner　of　accenting　the　last　word　it　was　impossible　to　mistake　the　insulting　meaning　he　intended　to　attach　to　it。

The　two　gentlemen　having　left　their　seats；　without　this　scene　attracting　any　notice；　in　consequence　of　the　stalls　being　empty　for　the　most　part　during　the　entr'acte；　Monsieur　Dorlange　saw　at　some　distance　the　celebrated　sculptor　Stidmann；　and　went　up　to　him。

〃Have　you　a　note…book　of　any　kind　in　your　pocket？〃　he　said。

〃Yes；　I　always　carry　one。〃

〃Will　you　lend　it　to　me　and　let　me　tear　out　a　page？　I　have　an　idea　in　my　mind　which　I　don't　want　to　lose。　If　I　do　not　see　you　again　after　the　play　to　make　restitution；　I　will　send　it　to　you　to…morrow　morning　without　fail。〃

Returning　to　his　place；　Monsieur　Dorlange　sketched　something　rapidly；　and　when　the　curtain　rose　and　the　two　gentlemen　returned　to　their　seats；　he　touched　the　Duc　de　Rhetore　lightly　on　the　shoulder　and　said；　giving　him　the　drawing：

〃My　card；　which　I　have　the　honor　to　present　to　you。〃

This　〃card〃　was　a　charming　sketch　of　an　architectural　design　placed　in　a　landscape。　Beneath　it　was　written　〃Plan　for　a　mausoleum　to　be　erected　to　the　memory　of　Madame　Marie…Gaston；　/nee/　Chaulieu；　by　her　husband；　from　the　designs　of　Charles　Dorlange；　sculptor；　42　rue　de　l'Ouest。〃

It　was　impossible　to　let　Monsieur　de　Rhetore　know　more　delicately　that　he　had　to　do　with　a　suitable　adversary；　and　you　will　remark；　my　dear　Monsieur　Gaston；　that　Monsieur　Dorlange　made　this　drawing　the　means　of　enforcing　his　denial　and　giving　proof　of　your　disinterestedness　and　the　sincerity　of　your　grief。

After　the　play　was　over；　Monsieur　de　Rhetore　parted　from　Monsieur　de　Ronquerolles；　and　the　latter　went　up　to　Monsieur　Dorlange　and　endeavored；　very　courteously；　to　bring　about　a　reconciliation；　remarking　to　him　that；　while　he　was　right　in　the　subject…matter；　his　method　of　proceeding　was　unusual　and　offensive；　Monsieur　de　Rhetore；　on　the　other　hand；　had　shown　great　moderation；　and　would　now　be　satisfied　with　a　mere　expression　of　regret；　in　short；　Monsieur　de　Ronquerolles　said　all　that　can　be　said　on　such　an　occasion。

Monsieur　Dorlange　would　not　listen　to　anything　which　seemed　a　submission　on　his　part；　and　the　next　day　he　received　a　visit　from　Monsieur　de　Ronquerolles　and　General　Montriveau　on　behalf　of　the　Duc　de　Rhetore。　Again　an　effort　was　made　to　induce　Monsieur　Dorlange　to　give　another　turn　to　his　words。　But　your　friend　would　not　depart　from　this　ultimatum：

〃Will　Monsieur　de　Rhetore　withdraw　the　words　I　felt　bound　to　notice；　if　so；　I　will　withdraw　mine。〃

〃But　that　is　impossible；〃　they　said　to　him。　〃Monsieur　de　Rhetore　has　been　personally　insulted；　you；　on　the　contrary；　have　not　been。　Right　or　wrong；　he　has　the　conviction　that　Monsieur　Marie…Gaston　has　done　him　an　injury。　We　must　always　make　certain　allowances　for　wounded　self…interests；　you　can　never　get　absolute　justice　from　them。〃

〃It　comes　to　this；　then；〃　replied　Monsieur　Dorlange；　〃that　Monsieur　de　Rhetore　may　continue　to　calumniate　my　friend　at　his　ease；　in　the　first　place；　because　he　is　in　Italy；　and　secondly；　because　Marie…Gaston　would　always　feel　extreme　repugnance　to　come　to　certain　extremities　with　the　brother　of　his　wife。　It　is　precisely　that　powerlessness；　relatively　speaking；　to　defend　himself；　which　constitutes　my　rightI　will　say　moremy　duty　to　interfere。　It　was　not　without　a　special　permission　of　Providence　that　I　was　enabled　to　catch　a　few　of　the　malicious　words　that　were　said　of　him；　and；　as　Monsieur　de　Rhetore　declines　to　modify　any　of　them；　we　must；　if　it　please　you；　continue　this　matter　to　the　end。〃

The　duel　then　became　inevitable；　the　terms　were　arranged　in　the　course　of　the　day；　and　the　meeting；　with　pistols；　was　appointed　for　the　day　after。　On　the　ground　Monsieur　Dorlange　was　perfectly　cool。　When　the　first　fire　was　exchanged　without　result；　the　seconds　proposed　to　put　an　end　to　the　affair。

〃No；　one　more　shot！〃　he　said　gaily；　as　if　he　were　shooting　in　a　pistol…gallery。

This　time　he　was　shot　in　the　fleshy　part　of　the　thigh；　not　a　dangerous　wound；　but　one　which　caused　him　to　lose　a　great　deal　of　blood。　As　they　carried　him　to　the　carriage　which　brought　him；　Monsieur　de　Rhetore；　who　hastened　to　assist　them；　being　close　beside　him；　he　said；　aloud：

〃This　does　not　prevent　Marie…Gaston　from　being　a　man　of　honor　and　a　heart　of　gold。〃

Then　he　fainted。

This　duel；　as　you　can　well　believe；　has　made　a　great　commotion；　Monsieur　Dorlange　has　been　the　hero　of　the　hour　for　the　last　two　days；　it　is　impossible　to　enter　a　single　salon　without　finding　him　the　one　topic　of　conversation。　I　heard　more；　perhaps；　in　the　salon　of　Madame　de　Montcornet　than　elsewhere。　She　receives；　as　you　know；　many　artists　and　men　of　letters；　and　to　give　you　an　idea　of　the　manner　in　which　your　friend　is　considered；　I　need　only　stenograph　a　conversation　at　which　I　was　present　in　the　countess's　salon　last　evening。

The　chief　talkers　were　Emile　Blondet　of　the　〃Debats；〃　and　Monsieur　Bixiou；　the　caricaturist；　one　of　the　best…informed　/ferrets/　of　Paris。　They　are　both；　I　think；　acquaintances　of　yours；　but；　at　any　rate；　I　am　certain　of　your　intimacy　with　Joseph　Bridau；　our　great　painter；　who　shared　in　the　talk；　for　I　well　remember　that　he　and　Daniel　d'Arthez　were　the　witnesses　of　your　marriage。

〃The　first　appearance　of　Dorlange　in　art；〃　Joseph　Bridau　was　saying；　when　I　joined　them；　〃was　fine；　the　makings　of　a　master　were　already　so　apparent　in