the deputy of arcis-第46节

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；〃　they　say。

This；　madame；　is　how　the　electoral　kitchen　is　carried　on　and　the　way　in　which　a　deputy　is　cooked。



XVI

MARIE…GASTON　TO　THE　COMTESSE　DE　L'ESTORADE

Arcis…sur…Aube；　May　15；　1839。

Madame；You　do　me　the　honor　to　say　that　my　letters　amuse　you；　and　you　tell　me　not　to　fear　that　I　send　too　many。

We　are　no　longer　at　the　Hotel　de　la　Poste；　having　left　it　for　the　chateau；　but　thanks　to　the　rivalry　existing　between　the　two　inns；　the　Poste　and　the　Mulet；　in　the　latter　of　which　Monsieur　de　Trailles　has　established　his　headquarters；　we　are　kept　informed　of　what　is　going　on　in　the　town　and　among　our　enemies。　Since　our　departure；　as　our　late　landlord　informs　us；　a　Parisian　journalist　has　arrived　at　his　hotel。　This　individual；　whose　name　I　do　not　know；　at　once　announced　himself　as　Jack…the…giant…killer；　sent　down　to　reinforce　with　his　Parisian　vim　and　vigor　the　polemic　which　the　local　press；　subsidized　by　the　〃bureau　of　public　spirit；〃　has　directed　against　us。

In　that　there　is　nothing　very　grave　or　very　gay；　since　the　world　was　a　world；　governments　have　always　found　pens　for　sale；　and　never　have　they　failed　to　buy　them；　but　the　comedy　of　this　affair　begins　with　the　co…arrival　and　the　co…presence　in　the　hotel　of　a　young　lady　of　very　problematical　virtue。　The　name　of　this　young　lady　as　it　appears　on　her　passport　is　Mademoiselle　Chocardelle；　but　the　journalist　in　speaking　of　her　calls　her　Antonia；　or；　when　he　wants　to　treat　her　with　more　respect；　Mademoiselle　Antonia。

Now；　what　can　bring　Mademoiselle　Chocardelle　to　Arcis？　A　pleasure　trip；　you　will　say；　offered　to　her　by　the　journalist；　who　combines　with　that　object　our　daily　defamation　and　his　consequent　earnings　from　the　secret…service　fund　of　the　government。　Not　at　all；　Mademoiselle　Chocardelle　has　come　to　Arcis　on　business　of　her　own；namely；　to　enforce　a　claim。

It　seems　that　Charles　Keller　before　his　departure　for　Africa；　where　he　met　a　glorious　death；　drew　a　note　of　hand；　payable　to　Mademoiselle　Antonia　on　order；　for　ten　thousand　francs；　〃value　received　in　furniture；〃　a　charming　ambiguity；　the　furniture　having　been　received　by；　and　not　from；　Mademoiselle　Chocardelle；　who　estimated　at　ten　thousand　francs　the　sacrifice　she　made　in　accepting　it。

A　few　days　after　Charles　Keller's　death；　the　note　being　almost　due；　Mademoiselle　Antonia　went　to　the　counting…room　of　the　Keller　Brothers　to　inquire　about　its　payment。　The　cashier；　who　is　crabbed；　like　all　cashiers；　replied　that　he　did　not　see　how　Mademoiselle　Antonia　had　the　face　to　present　such　a　note；　at　any　rate；　the　heads　of　the　house　were　at　Gondreville；　where　the　whole　family　had　met　after　receiving　the　fatal　news；　and　he　should　pay　no　such　note　without　referring　the　matter　to　them。

〃Very　good；　then　I'll　refer　it　to　them　myself；〃　replied　Mademoiselle　Antonia。　Thereupon　she　was　meditating　a　departure　alone　to　Arcis；　when　the　government　felt　the　need　of　insulting　us　with　more　wit　and　point　than　provincial　journalism　can　muster；　and　so　confided　that　employment　to　a　middle…aged　journalist　to　whom　Mademoiselle　Antonia　had；　during　the　absence　of　Charles　Keller；　shown　some　kindness。　〃I　am　going　to　Arcis；〃　seems　to　have　been　said　at　the　same　instant　by　writer　and　lady。　The　most　commonplace　lives　encounter　similar　coincidences。

Now；　madame；　admire　the　manner　in　which　things　link　together。　Setting　forth　on　a　purely　selfish　financial　enterprise；　behold　Mademoiselle　Chocardelle　suddenly　brought　to　the　point　of　wielding　an　immense　electoral　influence！　And　observe　also　that　her　influence　is　of　a　nature　to　compensate　for　all　the　witty　pin…pricks　of　her　gallant　companion。

Mademoiselle's　affair；　it　appears；　hung　fire。　Twice　she　went　to　Gondreville；　and　was　not　admitted。　The　journalist　was　busy；partly　with　his　articles；　and　partly　with　certain　commissions　given　to　him　by　Monsieur　de　Trailles；　under　whose　orders　he　was　told　to　place　himself。　Mademoiselle　Antonia　was　therefore　much　alone；　and　in　the　ennui　of　such　solitude；　she　was　led　to　create　for　herself　a　really　desperate　amusement。

A　few　steps　from　the　Hotel　de　la　Poste　is　a　bridge　across　the　Aube；　a　path　leads　down　beside　it；　by　a　steep　incline；　to　the　water's　edge；　which；　being　hidden　from　the　roadway　above　and　little　frequented；　offers　peace　and　solitude　to　whoever　may　like　to　dream　there　to　the　sound　of　the　rippling　current。　Mademoiselle　Antonia　at　first　took　a　book　with　her；　but　books　not　being；　as　she　says；　in　her　line；　she　looked　about　for　other　ways　of　killing　her　time；　and　bethought　herself　of　fishing；　for　which　amusement　the　landlord　of　the　inn　supplied　her　with　a　rod。　Much　pleased　with　her　first　successes；　the　pretty　exile　devoted　herself　to　an　occupation　which　must　be　attractive；witness　the　fanatics　that　it　makes；　and　the　few　persons　who　crossed　the　bridge　could　admire　at　all　hours　a　charming　naiad　in　a　flounced　gown　and　a　broad…brimmed　straw　hat；　engaged　in　fishing　with　the　conscientious　gravity　of　a　/gamin　de　Paris/。

Up　to　this　time　Mademoiselle　Antonia　and　her　fishing　have　had　nothing　to　do　with　our　election；　but　if　you　will　recall；　madame；　in　the　history　of　Don　Quixote　（which　I　have　heard　you　admire　for　its　common…　sense　and　jovial　reasoning）　the　rather　disagreeable　adventures　of　Rosinante　and　the　muleteers；　you　will　have　a　foretaste　of　the　good　luck　which　the　development　of　Mademoiselle　Antonia's　new　passion　brought　to　us。

Our　rival；　Beauvisage；　is　not　only　a　successful　stocking…maker　and　an　exemplary　mayor；　but　he　is　also　a　model　husband；　having　never　tripped　in　loyalty　to　his　wife；　whom　he　respects　and　admires。　Every　evening；　by　her　orders；　he　goes　to　bed　before　ten　o'clock；　while　Madame　Beauvisage　and　her　daughter　go　into　what　Arcis　is　pleased　to　call　society。　But　there　is　no　more　treacherous　water；　they　say；　than　still　water；　just　as　there　was　nothing　less　proper　and　well…behaved　than　the　calm　and　peaceable　Rosinante　on　the　occasion　referred　to。

At　any　rate；　while　making　the　tour　of　his　town　according　to　his　laudable　official　habit；　Beauvisage　from　the　top　of　the　bridge　chanced　to　catch　sight　of　the　fair　Parisian　who　with　outstretched　arms　and　gracefully　bent　body　was　pursuing　her　favorite　pastime。　A　slight　movement；　the　charming　impatience　with　which　the　pretty　fisher　twitched　her　line　from　the　water　when　the　fish　had　not　bitten；　was　perhaps　the　electric　shock　which　struck　upon　the　heart　of　the　magistrate；　hitherto　irreproachable。　No　one　can　say；　perhaps；　how　the　thing　really　came　about。　But　I　ought　to　remark　that　during　the　interregnum　that　occurred　between　the　making　of　socks　and　night…caps　and　the　assumption　of　municipal　duties；　Beauvisage　himself　had　practised　the　art　of　fishing　with　a　line　with　distinguished　success。　Probably　it　occurred　to　him　that　the　poor　young　lady；　having　more　ardor　than　science；　was　not　going　the　right　way　to　work；　and　the　thought　of　improving　her　method　may　have　been　the　real　cause　of　his　apparent　degeneracy。　However　that　may　be；　it　is　certain　that；　crossing　the　bridge　in　company　with　her　mother；　Mademoiselle　Beauvisage　suddenly　cried　out；　like　a　true　/enfant　terrible/；

〃Goodness！　there's　papa　talking　with　that　Parisian　woman！〃

To　assure　herself　at　a　glance　of　the　monstrous　fact；　to　rush　down　the　bank　and　reach　her　husband　（whom　she　found　with　laughing　lips　and　the　happy　air　of　a　browsing　sheep）；　to　blast　him　with　a　stern　〃What　are　you　doing　here？〃　to　order　his　retreat　to　Arcis　with　the　air　of　a　queen；　while　Mademoiselle　Chocardelle；　first　astonished　and　then　enlightened　as　to　what　it　all　meant；　went　off　into　fits　of　laughter；　took　scarcely　the　time　I　have　taken　to　tell　it。　Such；　madame；　was　the　proceeding　by　which　Madame　Beauvisage；　/nee/　Grevin；　rescued　her　husband；　and　though　that　proceeding　may　be　called　justifiable；　it　was　certainly　injudicious；　for　before　night　the　whole　town　had　heard　of　the　catastrophe；　and　Beauvisage；　arraigned　and　convicted　by　common　consent　of　deplorable　immorality；　saw　fresh　desertions　taking　place　in　the　already　winnowed　phalanx　of　his　partisans。

However；　the　Gondreville　and　Grevin　side　still　held　firm；　andwould　you　believe　it；　madame？it　was　again　Mademoiselle　Antonia　to　whom　we　owe　the　overthrow　of　their　last　rampart。

Here　is　the　tale　of　that　phenomenon：　Mother　Marie…des…Anges　wanted　an　interview　with　the　Comte　de　Gondreville；　but　how　to　get　it　she　did　not　know；　because　to　ask　for　it　was　not；　as　she　thought；　proper。　Having；　it　appears；　unpleasant　things　to　say　to　him；　she　did　not　wish　to　bring　the　old　man　to　the　convent　expressly　to　hear　them；　such　a　proceeding　seemed　to　her　uncharitable。　Besides；　things　comminatory　delivered　point…blank　will　often　provoke　their　recipient　instead　of　alarming　him；　whereas　the　same　things　slipped　in　sweetly　never　fail　of　their　effect。　Still；　time　was　passing；　the　election；　as　you　know；　takes　place　to…morrow；　Sunday；　and　the　preparatory　meeting　of　all　the　candidates　and　the　electors；　to…night。　The　poor　dear　saintly　woman　did　not　know　what　course　to　take；　when　a　little　matter　occurred；　most　flattering　to　her　vanity；　which　solved　her　doubts。　A　pretty　sinner；　she　was　told；　who　had　come　to　Arcis　to　〃do〃　Monsieur　Keller　the　financier；　then　at　Gondreville；　out　of　some　money；　had　heard　of　the　virtues　and　the　inexhaustible　kindness　of　Mother　Marie