the deputy of arcis-第44节

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e…des…　Anges　is　high　in　court　favor；　and　there　is　nothing　she　cannot　obtain　in　the　most　august　regions　of　power；　but　it　is　only　just　to　add　that　she　asks　nothing；not　even　for　her　charities；　for　she　provides　the　means　to　do　them　nobly　by　the　wise　manner　in　which　she　administers　the　property　of　her　convent。

Her　gratitude；　thus　openly　shown　to　the　memory　of　the　great　revolutionist；　has　been　of　course　to　the　revolutionary　party　a　potent　recommendation；　but　not　the　only　one。

In　Arcis　the　leader　of　the　advanced　Left　is　a　rich　miller　named　Laurent　Goussard；　who　possesses　two　or　three　mills　on　the　river　Aube。　This　man；　formerly　a　member　of　the　revolutionary　municipality　of　Arcis　and　the　intimate　friend　of　Danton；　was　the　one　who　wrote　to　the　latter　telling　him　that　the　axe　was　suspended　over　the　throat　of　the　ex…　superior　of　the　Ursulines。　This；　however；　did　not　prevent　the　worthy　/sans…culotte/　from　buying　up　the　greater　part　of　the　convent　property　when　it　was　sold　under　the　name　of　national　domain。

At　the　period　when　Mother　Marie…des…Anges　was　authorized　to　reconstitute　her　community；　Laurent　Goussard；　who　had　not　made　much　by　his　purchase；　went　to　see　the　good　abbess；　and　proposed　to　her　to　buy　back　the　former　property　of　her　convent。　Very　shrewd　in　business；　Laurent　Goussard；　whose　niece　Mother　Marie…des…Anges　had　educated　gratuitously；　seemed　to　pique　himself　on　the　great　liberality　of　his　offer；　the　terms　of　which　were　that　the　sisterhood　should　reimburse　him　the　amount　of　his　purchase…money。　The　dear　man　was　not　however　making　a　bad　bargain；　for　the　difference　in　the　value　of　assignats　with　which　he　had　paid　and　the　good　sound　money　he　would　receive　made　a　pretty　profit。　But　Mother　Marie…des…Anges；　remembering　that　without　his　warning　Danton　could　not　have　saved　her；　did　better　still　for　her　first　helper。　At　the　time　when　Laurent　Goussard　made　his　offer　the　community　of　the　Ursulines　was；　financially　speaking；　in　an　excellent　position。　Having　since　its　restoration　received　many　liberal　gifts；　it　was　also　enriched　by　the　savings　of　its　superior；　made　from　the　proceeds　of　her　secular　school；　which　she　generously　made　over　to　the　common　fund。　Laurent　Goussard　must　therefore　have　been　thunderstruck　when　he　read　the　following　letter：

　　Your　proposal　does　not　suit　me。　My　conscience　will　not　allow　me　to　　　buy　property　below　its　proper　value。　Before　the　Revolution　the　　　property　of　our　abbey　was　estimated　at＇so　much＇。　That　is　the　　　price　I　choose　to　give；　and　not　that　to　which　it　has　fallen　since　　　the　great　depreciation　of　all　property　called　national。　In　a　word；　　　my　friend；　I　wish　to　pay　you　more　than　you　ask；　let　me　know　if　　　that　suits　you。

Laurent　Goussard　thought　at　first　that　either　she　had　misunderstood　him　or　he　her。　But　when　it　became　clear　to　him　that　owing　to　these　pretended　scruples　of　Mother　Marie…des…Anges；　he　was　the　gainer　of　fifty　thousand　francs；　he　would　not　do　violence　to　so　tender　a　conscience；　and　he　pocketed　this　profit　（which　came　to　him　literally　from　heaven）；　but　he　went　about　relating　everywhere　the　marvellous　proceeding；　which；　as　you　can　well　imagine；　put　Mother　Marie…des…Anges　on　a　pinnacle　of　respect　（especially　from　the　holders　of　other　national　property）　which　leaves　her　nothing　to　fear　from　any　future　revolution。　Personally　Laurent　Goussard　has　become　her　slave；　her　henchman。　He　does　no　business；　he　takes　no　step；　he　never　moves　a　sack　of　flour　without　going　to　her　for　advice；　and；　as　she　said　in　joke　the　other　day；　if　she　took　a　fancy　to　make　a　John　the　Baptist　of　the　sub…　prefect；　Laurent　Goussard　would　bring　her　his　head　on　a　charger。　That　is　proof　enough　that　he　will　also　bring　his　vote　and　that　of　his　friends　to　any　candidate　she　may　favor。

Among　the　clergy　Mother　Marie…des…Anges　has；　naturally；　many　affiliations；as　much　on　account　of　her　high　reputation　for　goodness　as　for　the　habit　of　her　order；　but　she　particularly　counts　among　the　number　of　her　most　zealous　servitors　Monseigneur　Troubert；　bishop　of　the　diocese；　who；　though　formerly　a　familiar　of　the　Congregation　＇see　〃The　Vicar　of　Tours〃＇；　has　nevertheless　managed　to　secure　from　the　dynasty　of　July　an　archbishopric　which　will　lead　to　a　cardinalship。

When　you　have　the　clergy　you　have；　or　you　are　very　near　having；　the　legitimist　party　with　you；a　party　which；　while　passionately　desirous　of　free　education　and　filled　with　hatred　for　the　July　throne；　is　not　averse；　when　occasion　offers；　to　yielding　to　a　monstrous　union　with　the　radical　party。　Now　the　head　of　the　legitimists　in　Arcis　and　its　neighborhood　is；　of　course；　the　family　of　Cinq…Cygne。　Never　does　the　old　marquise；　whose　haughty　nature　and　powerful　will　you；　madame；　know　well　＇see　〃An　Historical　Mystery〃＇；never　does　she　drive　into　Arcis　from　her　chateau　of　Cinq…Cygne；　without　paying　a　visit　to　Mother　Marie…des…Anges；　who　in　former　days　educated　her　daughter　Berthe；　now　the　Duchesse　Georges　de　Maufrigneuse。

But　now　we　come　to　the　most　opposing　and　resisting　side；that　of　the　conservatives；　which　must　not　be　confounded　with　the　party　of　the　administration。　Here　we　find　as　its　leader　the　Comte　de　Gondreville；　your　husband's　colleague　in　the　Chamber　of　peers。　Closely　allied　to　the　count　is　a　very　influential　man；　his　old　friend　Grevin；　formerly　mayor　and　notary　of　Arcis；　who；　in　turn；　draws　after　him　another　elector　of　considerable　influence；　Maitre　Achille　Pigoult；　to　whom；　on　retiring　from　active　life；　he　sold　his　practice　as　notary。

But　Mother　Marie…des…Anges　has　a　powerful　means　of　access　to　the　Comte　de　Gondreville　through　his　daughter；　the　Marechale　de　Carigliano。　That　great　lady；　who；　as　you　know；　has　taken　to　devotion；　goes　into　retreat　every　year　at　the　Ursuline　convent。　More　than　that；　the　good　Mother；　without　giving　any　explanation；　intimates　that　she　has　a　lever　of　some　kind　on　the　Comte　de　Gondreville　known　to　herself　only；　in　fact；　the　life　of　that　old　regicideturned　senator；　then　count　of　the　Empire；　then　peer　of　France　under　two　dynastieshas　wormed　itself　through　too　many　tortuous　underground　ways　not　to　allow　us　to　suppose　the　existence　of　secrets　he　might　not　care　to　have　unmasked。

Now　Gondreville　is　Grevin；his　confidant；　and；　as　they　say；　his　tool；　his　catspaw　for　the　last　fifty　years。　But　even　supposing　that　by　an　utter　impossibility　their　close　union　should；　under　present　circumstances；　be　sundered；　we　are　certainly　sure　of　Achille　Pigoult；　Grevin's　successor；　on　whom；　when　the　purchase　of　the　chateau　d'Arcis　was　made　in　his　office　by　the　Marquis　de　Sallenauve；　a　fee　was　bestowed　of　such　an　unusual　amount　that　to　accept　it　was　virtually　to　pledge　himself。

As　for　the　ruck　of　the　electors；　our　friend　cannot　fail　to　make　recruits　there；　by　the　work　he　is　about　to　give　in　repairing　the　chateau；　which；　fortunately　for　him；　is　falling　into　ruin　in　several　places。　We　must　also　count　on　the　manifesto　which　Charles　de　Sallenauve　has　just　issued；　in　which　he　openly　declares　that　he　will　accept　neither　favors　nor　employment　from　the　government。　So　that；　really；　taking　into　consideration　his　own　oratorical　talent；　the　support　of　the　Opposition　journals　both　here　and　in　Paris；　the　insults　and　calumnies　which　the　ministerial　journals　are　already　beginning　to　fire　upon　him；　I　feel　great　hopes　of　his　success。

Forgive　me　for　presenting　to　you　in　glowing　colors　the　parliamentary　future　of　a　man　of　whom；　you　said　to　me　the　other　day；　you　felt　you　could　not　safely　make　a　friend；　because　of　the　lofty　and　rather　impertinent　assumption　of　his　personality。　To　tell　the　truth；　madame；　whatever　political　success　may　be　in　store　for　Charles　de　Sallenauve；　I　fear　he　may　one　day　regret　the　calmer　fame　of　which　he　was　already　assured　in　the　world　of　art。　But　neither　he　nor　I　was　born　under　an　easy　and　accommodating　star。　Birth　has　been　a　costly　thing　to　us；　it　is　therefore　doubly　cruel　not　to　like　us。　You　have　been　kind　to　me　because　you　fancy　that　a　lingering　fragrance　of　our　dear　Louise　still　clings　to　me；　give　something；　I　beseech　you；　of　the　same　kindness　to　him　whom　I　have　not　hesitated　in　this　letter　to　call　our　friend。



XV

MARIE…GASTON　TO　THE　COMTESSE　DE　L'ESTORADE

Arcis…sur…Aube；　May　13；　1839。

Madame；I　see　that　the　electoral　fever　is　upon　you；　as　you　are　good　enough　to　send　me　from　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade　so　many　/discouragements/　which　certainly　deserve　consideration。

We　knew　already　of　the　mission　given　to　Comte　Maxime　de　Trailles；a　mission　he　endeavored　at　first　to　conceal　under　some　irrigating　project。　We　even　know　what　you；　madame；　seem　not　to　know；that　this　able　ministerial　agent　has　found　means　to　combine　with　the　cares　of　electoral　politics　those　of　his　own　private　policy。　Monsieur　Maxime　de　Trailles；　if　we　are　rightly　informed；　was　on　the　point　of　succumbing　to　the　chronic　malady　with　which　he　has　been　so　long　afflicted；　I　mean　/debt/。　Not　debts；　for　we　say　〃the　debt　of　Monsieur　de　Trailles；〃　as　we　say　〃the　debt　of　England。〃　In　this　extremity　the　patient；　resolved　on　heroic　remedies；　adopted　that　of　marriage；　which　might　perhaps　be　called　marriage　/in　extremis/。

To　cut　a　long　story　short；　Monsieur　de　Trailles　was　sent　to　Arcis　to　put　an　end　to　the　candidacy　of　an　upstart　of　the　Left　centre；　a　certain　Simon　Giguet；　and　having　brought　forward　the