the deputy of arcis-第37节

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〃You　must　excuse　me；　monsieur；〃　I　said　to　him；　〃for　leaving　you　so　abruptly。　I　must　hasten　to　the　Henri　IV。　College。　I　could　not　possibly　pass　a　night　in　the　dreadful　anxiety　my　son's　letter　has　caused　me；　he　tells　me　he　has　been　ill　since　morning　in　the　infirmary。〃

〃But；〃　replied　Monsieur　Dorlange；　〃surely　you　are　not　going　alone　in　a　hired　carriage　to　that　lonely　quarter？〃

〃Lucas　will　go　with　me。〃

At　that　moment　Lucas　returned；　his　prediction　was　realized；　there　was　not　a　coach　on　the　stand；　it　was　raining　in　torrents。　Time　was　passing；　already　it　was　almost　too　late　to　enter　the　school；　where　masters　and　pupils　go　to　bed　at　nine　o'clock。

〃Put　on　thick　shoes；〃　I　said　to　Lucas；　〃and　come　with　me　on　foot。〃

Instantly　I　saw　his　face　lengthen。　He　is　no　longer　young　and　loves　his　ease；　moreover；　he　complains　every　winter　of　rheumatism。　He　made　various　objections；that　it　was　very　late；　that　we　should　〃revolutionize〃　the　school；　I　should　take　cold；　Monsieur　Armand　could　not　be　very　ill　if　he　wrote　himself；　in　short；　it　was　clear　that　my　plan　of　campaign　did　not　suit　my　old　retainer。

Monsieur　Dorlange　very　obligingly　offered　to　go　himself　in　my　place　and　bring　me　word　about　Armand；　but　that　did　not　suit　me　at　all；　I　felt　that　I　/must/　see　for　myself。　Having　thanked　him；　I　said　to　Lucas　in　a　tone　of　authority：

〃Get　ready　at　once；　for　one　thing　is　true　in　your　remarks：　it　is　getting　late。〃

Seeing　himself　driven　into　a　corner；　Lucas　raised　the　standard　of　revolt。

〃It　is　not　possible　that　madame　should　go　out　in　such　weather；　and　I　don't　want　monsieur　to　scold　me　for　giving　in　to　such　a　singular　idea。〃

〃Then　you　do　not　intend　to　obey　me？〃

〃Madame　knows　very　well　that　for　anything　reasonable　I　would　do　what　she　told　me　if　I　had　to　go　through　fire　to　obey　her。〃

〃Heat　is　good　for　rheumatism；　but　rain　is　not；〃　I　said；　then；　turning　to　Monsieur　Dorlange；　I　added：　〃As　you　were　so　kind　as　to　offer　to　do　this　errand　alone；　may　I　ask　you　to　give　me　your　arm　and　come　with　me？〃

〃I　am　like　Lucas；〃　he　said；　〃I　do　not　think　this　excursion　absolutely　necessary；　but　as　I　am　not　afraid　of　being　scolded　by　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade；　I　shall　have　the　honor　to　accompany　you。〃

We　started。　The　weather　was　frightful；　we　had　hardly　gone　fifty　steps　before　we　were　soaked　in　spite　of　Lucas's　huge　umbrella；　with　which　Monsieur　Dorlange　sheltered　me　at　his　own　expense。　Luckily　a　coach　happened　to　pass；　Monsieur　Dorlange　hailed　the　driver；　it　was　empty。　Of　course　I　could　not　tell　my　companion　that　he　was　not　to　get　in；　such　distrust　was　extremely　unbecoming　and　not　for　me　to　show。　But　you　know；　my　dear　friend；　that　showers　of　rain　have　helped　lovers　from　the　days　of　Dido　down。　However；　Monsieur　Dorlange　said　nothing：　he　saw　my　anxiety　and　he　had　the　good　taste　not　to　attempt　conversation；　breaking　the　silence　only　from　time　to　time　with　casual　remarks。　When　we　reached　the　school；　after　getting　out　of　the　carriage　to　give　me　his　hand　he　saw　for　himself　that　he　must　not　enter　the　house　and　he　therefore　got　back　into　the　carriage　to　await　my　return。

Well；　I　found　Monsieur　Armand　had　hoaxed　me。　His　illness　reduced　itself　to　a　headache；　which　departed　soon　after　he　had　written　me。　The　doctor；　for　the　sake　of　ordering　something；　had　told　him　to　take　an　infusion　of　linden…leaves；　telling　him　that　the　next　day　he　could　go　back　to　his　studies。　I　had　taken　a　club　to　kill　a　flea；　and　committed　all　sorts　of　enormities　to　get　there　at　an　hour　when　the　entire　establishment　were　going　to　bed；　only　to　find　my　young　gentleman　perfectly　well　and　playing　chess　with　one　of　the　nurses。

On　leaving　the　school　I　found　the　rain　had　ceased　and　the　moon　was　shining　brightly。　My　heart　was　full；　the　reaction　from　my　great　anxiety　had　set　in　and　I　felt　a　need　of　breathing　the　fresh　air。　I　therefore　proposed　to　Monsieur　Dorlange　to　dismiss　the　coach　and　return　on　foot。

Here　was　an　opportunity　for　him　to　make　me　that　long…delayed　explanation；　but　Monsieur　Dorlange　seemed　so　little　inclined　to　take　advantage　of　it　that；　using　Monsieur　Armand's　freak　as　a　text；　he　read　me　a　lecture　on　the　danger　of　spoiling　children：　a　subject　which　was　not　at　all　agreeable　to　me；　as　he　must　have　perceived　from　the　rather　stiff　manner　with　which　I　listened　to　him。　Come；　thought　I；　I　must　and　will　get　to　the　bottom　of　this　history；　it　is　like　the　tale　of　Sancho's　herdsman；　which　had　the　faculty　of　never　getting　told。　So；　cutting　short　my　companion's　theories　of　education；　I　said　distinctly：

〃This　is　a　very　good　time；　I　think；　to　continue　the　confidence　you　were　about　to　make　to　me。　Here　we　are　sure　of　no　interruption。〃

〃I　am　afraid　I　shall　prove　a　poor　story…teller；〃　replied　Monsieur　Dorlange。　〃I　have　spent　all　my　fire　this　very　day　in　telling　that　tale　to　Marie…Gaston。〃

〃That；〃　I　answered　laughing；　〃is　against　your　own　theory　of　secrecy；　in　which　a　third　party　is　one　too　many。〃

〃Oh；　Marie…Gaston　and　I　count　for　one　only。　Besides；　I　had　to　reply　to　his　odd　ideas　about　you　and　me。〃

〃What　about　me？〃

〃Well；　he　imagined　that　in　looking　at　the　sun　I　should　be　dazzled　by　its　rays。〃

〃Which　means；　speaking　less　metaphorically？〃

〃That；　in　view　of　the　singularities　which　accompanied　my　first　knowledge　of　you　and　led　me　to　the　honor　of　your　acquaintance；　I　might　expose　myself　to　the　danger；　madame；　of　not　retaining　my　reason　and　self…possession。〃

〃And　your　history　refutes　this　fear　in　the　mind　of　Monsieur　Marie…　Gaston？〃

〃You　shall　judge。〃

And　then；　without　further　preamble；　he　told　me　a　long　tale　which　I　need　not　repeat　here；　the　gist　of　it　is；　however；　that　Monsieur　Dorlange　is　in　love　with　a　woman　who　posed　in　his　imagination　for　Saint…Ursula；　but　as　this　woman　appears　to　be　forever　lost　to　him　it　did　not　seem　to　me　impossible　that　in　the　long　run　he　might　transfer　his　sentiments　for　her　memory　to　me。　When　he　had　finished　his　tale　he　asked　if　I　did　not　think　it　a　victorious　answer　to　the　ridiculous　fears　of　our　friend。

〃Modesty；〃　I　replied；　〃obliges　me　to　share　your　security；　but　they　say　that　in　the　army　shots　frequently　ricochet　and　kill　their　victims。〃

〃Then　you　think　me　capable　of　the　impertinence　Marie…Gaston　is　good　enough　to　suspect　in　me？〃

〃I　don't　know　about　its　being　an　impertinence；〃　I　said　stiffly；　〃but　if　such　a　fancy　came　into　your　mind；　I　should　think　you　very　much　to　be　pitied。〃

His　answer　was　vehement。

〃Madame；〃　he　said；　〃you　will　not　have　to　pity　me。　In　my　opinion；　first　love　is　a　vaccination　which　protects　us　from　a　second。〃

The　conversation　stopped　there。　We　had　now　reached　my　own　door；　and　I　invited　Monsieur　Dorlange　to　come　in。　He　accepted　my　politeness；　remarking　that　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade　had　probably　returned　and　he　could　thus　take　leave　of　him。

My　husband　was　at　home。　I　don't　know　whether　Lucas；　forestalling　the　rebuke　I　intended　to　give　him；　had　made　out　a　story　to　excuse　himself；　or　whether　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade　for　the　first　time　in　his　life；　felt；　in　view　of　my　maternal　escapade；　a　movement　of　jealousy。　It　is　certain；　however；　that　his　manner　of　receiving　me　was　curt；　he　called　it　an　unheard…of　thing　to　go　out　at　such　an　hour；　in　such　weather；　to　see　a　boy　who　proved；　by　announcing　his　own　illness；　that　it　was　nothing　serious。　After　letting　him　talk　in　this　discourteous　way　for　some　little　time；　I　thought　it　was　time　to　put　an　end　to　the　scene；　so　I　said　in　a　rather　peremptory　tone：

〃As　I　wanted　to　sleep　at　night；　I　went　to　the　school　in　a　pelting　rain；　I　came　back　by　moonlight；　and　I　beg　you　to　remark　that　monsieur；　who　was　so　good　as　to　escort　me；　has　come　upstairs　to　bid　you　good…　bye；　because　he　leaves　Paris　to…morrow　morning。〃

I　have　habitually　enough　power　over　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade　to　make　this　call　to　order　effective；　but　I　saw　that　my　husband　was　displeased；　and　that　instead　of　having　made　Monsieur　Dorlange　an　easy　diversion；　I　had　called　down　upon　his　head　the　ill…humor　of　my　ogre；　who　instantly　turned　upon　him。

After　telling　him　that　much　had　been　said　about　his　candidacy　during　dinner　at　the　ministry；　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade　began　to　show　him　all　the　reasons　why　he　might　expect　an　overwhelming　defeat；　namely；　that　Arcis…sur…Aube　was　one　of　the　boroughs　where　the　administration　felt　itself　most　secure；　that　a　man　of　extraordinary　political　ability　had　already　been　sent　there　to　manipulate　the　election；　and　had　made　a　first　report　giving　triumphant　news　of　his　success。　These　were　only　generalities；　to　which　Monsieur　Dorlange　replied　with　modesty；　but　also　with　the　air　of　a　man　who　had　resolved　who　take　his　chances　against　all　risks　to　which　his　election　might　be　exposed。　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade　then　produced　a　final　shaft　which；　under　the　circumstances；　was　calculated　to　have　a　marvellous　effect；　because　it　attacked　both　the　candidate　and　his　private　life。

〃Listen　to　me；　my　dear　monsieur；〃　said　my　husband；　〃when　a　man　starts　on　an　electoral　career　he　must　remember　that　he　stakes　everything；　his　public　life　and　also　his　private　life。　Your　adversaries　will　ransack　your　present　and　your　past　with　a　pitiless　hand；　and　sorrow　to　him　who　has　any　dark　spots　to　hide。　Now　I　ought　not　to　conceal　from　you　that　to…night；　at　the　ministers'；　much　was　said　about　a　little　scandal　which；　while　it　ma