the deputy of arcis-第43节

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I　told　you；　madame；　that　I　resolved　to　come　down　here　and　join　our　mutual　friend　in　consequence　of　a　certain　trouble　of　mind　apparent　in　one　of　his　letters；　which　informed　me　of　a　great　revolution　taking　place　in　his　life。　I　am　able　to…day　to　be　more　explicit。　Dorlange　at　last　knows　his　father。　He　is　the　natural　son　of　the　Marquis　de　Sallenauve；　the　last　living　scion　of　one　of　the　best　families　in　Champagne。　Without　explaining　the　reasons　which　have　hitherto　induced　him　to　keep　his　son's　birth　secret；　the　marquis　has　now　recognized　him　legally。　He　has　also　bought　and　presented　to　him　an　estate　formerly　belonging　to　the　Sallenauve　family。　This　estate　is　situated　in　Arcis　itself；　and　its　possession　will　assist　the　project　of　our　friend's　election。　That　project　dates　much　farther　back　than　we　thought；　and　it　did　not　take　its　rise　in　the　fancy　of　Dorlange。

A　year　ago；　the　marquis　began　to　prepare　for　it　by　sending　his　son　a　sum　of　money　for　the　purchase　of　real　estate　in　conformity　with　electoral　laws；　and　it　is　also　for　the　furtherance　of　this　purpose　that　he　has　now　made　him　doubly　a　landowner。　The　real　object　of　all　these　sacrifices　not　seeming　plain　to　Charles　de　Sallenauve；　doubts　have　arisen　in　his　mind；　and　it　was　to　assist　in　dispelling　them　that　my　friendship　for　the　poor　fellow　brought　me　here。

The　marquis　appears　to　be　as　odd　and　whimsical　as　he　is　opulent；　for；　instead　of　remaining　in　Arcis；　where　his　presence　and　his　name　would　contribute　to　the　success　of　the　election　he　desires；　the　very　day　after　legal　formalities　attending　the　recognition　of　his　son　had　been　complied　with；　he　departed　furtively　for　foreign　countries；　where　he　says　he　has　important　interests；　without　so　much　as　taking　leave　of　his　son。　This　coldness　has　poisoned　the　happiness　Charles　would　otherwise　feel　in　these　events；　but　one　must　take　fathers　as　they　are；　for　Dorlange　and　I　are　living　proofs　that　all　cannot　have　them　as　they　want　them。

Another　eccentricity　of　the　marquis　is　the　choice　he　has　made；　as　chief　assistant　in　his　son's　election；　of　an　old　Ursuline　nun；　with　whom　he　seems　to　have　made　a　bargain；　in　which；　strange　to　say；　you　have　unconsciously　played　a　part。　Yes；　madame；　the　Saint…Ursula　for　which；　unknown　to　yourself；　you　were　posing；　will　have；　to　all　appearances；　a　considerable　influence　on　the　election　of　our　friend。　The　case　is　this：

For　many　years　Mother　Marie…des…Anges；　superior　of　the　Ursuline　convent　at　Arcis…sur…Aube；　has　desired　to　install　in　the　chapel　of　her　convent　an　image　of　its　patron　saint。　But　this　abbess；　who　is　a　woman　of　taste　and　intelligence；　would　not　listen　to　the　idea　of　one　of　those　stock　figures　which　can　be　bought　ready…made　from　the　venders　of　church　decorations。　On　the　other　hand；　she　thought　it　was　robbing　her　poor　to　spend　on　this　purpose　the　large　sum　necessary　to　procure　a　work　of　art。　The　nephew　of　this　excellent　woman　is　an　organist　in　Paris　to　whom　the　Marquis　de　Sallenauve；　then　in　emigration；　had　confided　the　care　of　his　son。　When　it　became　a　question　of　making　Charles　a　deputy；　the　marquis　naturally　thought　of　Arcis；　a　place　where　his　family　had　left　so　many　memories。　The　organist　also　recollected　his　aunt's　desire；　he　knew　how　influential　she　was　in　that　region　because　of　her　saintliness；　and　having　in　his　nature　a　touch　of　that　intrigue　which　likes　to　undertake　things　difficult　and　arduous；　he　went　to　see　her；　with　the　approval　of　the　Marquis　de　Sallenauve；　and　let　her　know　that　one　of　the　most　skilful　sculptors　in　Paris　was　ready　to　make　her　the　statue　of　Saint…Ursula　if　she；　on　her　side；　would　promise　to　secure　the　artist's　election　as　deputy　from　the　arrondissement　of　Arcis。

The　old　nun　did　not　think　the　undertaking　beyond　her　powers。　She　now　possesses　the　object　of　her　pious　longings；　the　statue　arrived　some　days　ago；　and　is　already　in　the　chapel　of　the　convent；　where　she　proposes　to　give　it；　before　long；　a　solemn　inauguration。　It　now　remains　to　be　seen　whether　the　good　nun　will　perform　her　part　of　the　contract。

Well；　madame；　strange　to　say；　after　hearing　and　inquiring　into　the　whole　matter　I　shall　not　be　surprised　if　this　remarkable　woman　should　carry　the　day。　From　the　description　our　friend　gives　of　her；　Mother　Marie…des…Anges　is　a　small　woman；　short　and　thick…set；　whose　face　is　prepossessing　and　agreeable　beneath　its　wrinkles　and　the　mask　of　saffron…tinted　pallor　which　time　and　the　austerities　of　a　cloister　have　placed　upon　it。　Carrying　very　lightly　the　weight　of　her　corpulence　and　also　that　of　her　seventy…six　years；　she　is　lively；　alert；　and　frisky　to　a　degree　that　shames　the　youngest　of　us。　For　fifty　years　she　has　governed　in　a　masterly　manner　her　community；　which　has　always　been　the　most　regular；　the　best　organized；　and　also　the　richest　society　in　the　diocese　of　Troyes。　Admirably　fitted　for　the　training　of　youth；　she　has　long　conducted　a　school　for　girls；　which　is　famous　throughout　the　department　of　the　Aube　and　adjacent　regions。　Having　thus　superintended　the　education　of　nearly　all　the　daughters　of　the　best　houses　in　the　province；　it　is　easy　to　imagine　the　influence　she　has　acquired　among　the　aristocracy；an　influence　she　probably　intends　to　use　in　the　electoral　struggle　she　has　promised　to　take　part　in。

On　the　other　hand；　it　appears　that　this　really　extraordinary　woman　is　the　sovereign　disposer　of　the　votes　of　the　democratic　party　in　the　arrondissement　of　Arcis。　Until　now；　the　existence　of　that　party　in　Arcis　has　been　considered　problematical；　but　it　is　actually；　by　its　nature；　active　and　stirring；　and　our　candidate　proposes　to　present　himself　under　its　banner。　Evidently；　therefore；　the　support　the　good　mother　has　promised　will　be　useful　and　important。

I　am　sure　you　will　admire　with　me　theas　one　might　saybicephalous　ability　of　this　old　nun；　who　has　managed　to　keep　well　with　the　nobility　and　the　secular　clergy　on　the　one　hand；　and　on　the　other　to　lead　with　her　wand　the　radical　party；　their　sworn　enemy。　Admirable　for　her　charity　and　her　lucid　intellect；　respected　throughout　the　region　as　a　saint；　exposed　during　the　Revolution　to　a　dreadful　persecution；　which　she　bore　with　rare　courage；　one　can　easily　understand　her　close　relations　with　the　upper　and　conservative　classes；　but　why　she　should　be　equally　welcome　to　democrats　and　to　the　subverters　of　order　would　seem；　at　first；　to　pass　all　belief。

The　power　which　she　undoubtedly　wields　over　the　revolutionary　party　took　its　rise；　madame；　in　a　struggle　which　they　formerly　had　together。　In　1793　that　amiable　party　were　bent　on　cutting　her　throat。　Driven　from　her　convent；　and　convicted　of　harboring　a　〃refractory〃　priest；　she　was　incarcerated；　arraigned　before　the　Revolutionary　tribunal；　and　condemned　to　death。　The　matter　was　reported　to　Danton；　a　native　of　Arcis；　and　then　a　member　of　the　National　Convention。　Danton　had　known　Mother　Marie…des…Anges；　he　thought　her　the　most　virtuous　and　enlightened　woman　he　had　ever　met。　Hearing　of　her　condemnation；　he　was　furiously　angry；　and　wrote；　as　they　said　in　those　days；　a　high…horse　letter　to　the　Revolutionary　tribunal；　and；　with　an　authority　no　human　being　in　Arcis　would　have　dared　to　contest；　he　ordered　a　reprieve。

The　same　day　he　mounted　the　tribune；　and　after　speaking　in　general　terms　of　the　〃bloody　boobies〃　who　by　their　foolish　fury　compromised　the　future　of　the　Revolution；　he　told　who　and　what　Mother　Marie…des…　Anges　really　was；　he　dwelt　on　her　marvellous　aptitude　for　the　training　of　youth；　and　he　presented　a　scheme　in　which　she　was　placed　at　the　head　of　a　〃grand　national　gynaecium；〃　the　organization　of　which　was　to　be　made　the　subject　of　another　decree。　Robespierre；　who　would　have　thought　the　intellect　of　an　Ursuline　nun　only　a　more　imperative　reason　for　bringing　her　under　the　revolutionary　axe；　was　absent　that　day　from　the　session；　and　the　motion　was　voted　with　enthusiasm。　The　head　of　Mother　Marie…des…Anges　being　indispensably　necessary　to　the　carrying　out　of　this　decree　of　the　sovereign　people；　she　kept　it　on　her　shoulders；　and　the　headsman　put　aside　his　machine。

Though　the　other　decree；　organising　the　Grand　National　Gynaecium；　was　lost　sight　of　in　the　many　other　duties　that　devolved　upon　the　Convention；　the　excellent　nun　carried　it　out　after　her　fashion。　Instead　of　something　grand　and　Greek　and　national；　she　started　in　Arcis　a　secular　girl's…school；　and　as　soon　as　a　little　quiet　was　restored　to　the　minds　of　the　community；　pupils　flocked　in　from　all　quarters。　Under　the　Empire　Mother　Marie…des…Anges　was　able　to　reconstitute　her　Ursuline　sisterhood；　and　the　first　act　of　her　restored　authority　was　a　recognition　of　gratitude。　She　decreed　that　on　every　year　on　the　5th　of　April；　the　anniversary　of　Danton's　death；　a　service　should　be　held　in　the　chapel　of　the　convent　for　the　repose　of　his　soul。　To　those　who　objected　to　this　edict　she　answered：　〃Do　you　know　many　for　whom　it　is　more　necessary　to　implore　God's　mercy？〃

Under　the　Restoration；　the　celebration　of　this　service　became　a　sort　of　scandal；　but　Mother　Marie…des…Anges　would　never　hear　of　suppressing　it；　and　the　great　veneration　which　has　always　surrounded　her　obliged　these　cavillers　to　hold　their　tongues。　This　courageous　obstinacy　had　its　reward；　under　the　government　of　July。　To…day　Mother　Marie…des…　Anges　is　high　in　court