the deputy of arcis-第52节

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　the　interests　of　other　people　has　sobered　me。〃

〃Did　you　say　you　went　to　Arcis…sur…Aube　to　hinder　the　election　of　that　stone…cutter？〃

〃Not　at　all；　I　went　there　to　throw　myself　in　the　way　of　the　election　of　a　Left…centre　candidate。〃

〃Pah！　the　Left；　pure　and　simple；　is　hardly　worse。　But　take　a　cigar；　these　are　excellent。　The　princes　smoke　them。〃

The　colonel　rose　and　rang　the　bell；　saying　to　the　servant　when　he　came；　〃A　light！〃

The　cigars　lighted；　Monsieur　de　Trailles　endeavored　to　prevent　another　interruption　by　declaring　before　he　was　questioned　that　he　had　never　smoked　anything　more　exquisite。　Comfortably　ensconced　in　his　arm…　chair；　the　colonel　seemed　to　offer　the　hope　of　a　less　fugacious　attention；　and　Monsieur　de　Trailles　resumed：

〃All　went　well　at　first。　To　crush　the　candidate　the　ministry　wanted　to　be　rid　of；a　lawyer；　and　the　worst　sort　of　cad；I　unearthed　a　stocking…maker；　a　fearful　fool；　whom　I　persuaded　to　offer　himself　as　candidate。　The　worthy　man　was　convinced　that　he　belonged　to　the　dynastic　opposition。　That　is　the　opinion　which；　for　the　time　being；　prevails　in　that　region。　The　election；　thanks　to　me；　was　as　good　as　made；　and；　our　man　once　in　Paris；　the　great　Seducer　in　the　Tuileries　had　only　to　say　five　words　to　him；　and　this　dynastic　opposer　could　have　been　turned　inside　out　like　one　of　this　own　stockings；　and　made　to　do　whatever　was　wanted　of　him。〃

〃Pretty　well　played　that！〃　said　the　colonel。　〃I　recognize　my　Maxime。〃

〃You　will　recognize　him　still　farther　when　he　tells　you　that　he　was　able；　without　recourse　to　perquisites；　to　make　his　own　little　profit　out　of　the　affair。　In　order　to　graft　a　little　parliamentary　ambition　upon　my　vegetable；　I　addressed　myself　to　his　wife；a　rather　appetizing　provincial；　though　past　her　prime。〃

〃Yes；　yes；　I　see；　very　good！〃　said　Franchessini；　〃husband　made　deputy　satisfiedshut　his　mouth。〃

〃You　are　all　wrong；　my　dear　fellow；　the　pair　have　an　only　daughter；　a　spoilt　child；　nineteen　years　old；　very　agreeable　face；　and　something　like　a　million　in　her　pocket。〃

〃But；　my　dear　Maxime；　I　passed　your　tailor's　house　last　night；　and　it　was　not　illuminated。〃

〃No；　that　would　have　been　premature。　However；　here　was　the　situation：　two　women　frantic　to　get　to　Paris；　gratitude　to　the　skies　for　the　man　who　would　get　them　an　introduction　to　the　Palais…Bourbon；　the　little　one　crazy　for　the　title　of　countess；　the　mother　transported　at　the　idea；　carefully　insinuated　by　me；　of　holding　a　political　salon；you　must　see　all　that　such　a　situation　offers；　and　you　know　me　too　well；　I　fancy；　to　suppose　that　I　should　fall　below　any　of　its　opportunities。〃

〃Quite　easy　in　mind　as　to　that；〃　said　the　colonel；　getting　up　to　open　a　window　and　let　out　the　smoke　of　their　two　cigars。

〃I　was　on　the　point；〃　continued　Maxime；　〃of　pocketing　both　daughter　and　/dot/；　when　there　fell　from　the　skies；　or　rather　there　rose　from　the　nether　regions；　a　Left　candidate；　the　stone…cutter；　as　you　call　him；　a　man　with　two　names；in　short；　a　natural　son〃

〃Ha！〃　said　the　colonel；　〃those　fellows　do　have　lucky　stars；　to　be　sure。　I　am　not　surprised　if　one　of　them　mowed　the　grass　from　under　your　feet。〃

〃My　dear　friend；〃　said　Maxime；　〃if　we　were　in　the　middle　ages；　I　should　explain　by　magic　and　sorcery　the　utter　discomfiture　of　my　candidate；　and　the　election　of　the　stone…man；　whom　you　are　fated　to　have　for　your　colleague。　How　is　it　possible　to　believe；　what　is　however　the　fact；　that　an　old　/tricoteuse/；　a　former　friend　of　Danton；　and　now　the　abbess　of　a　convent　of　Ursulines；　should　actually；　by　the　help　of　her　nephew；　an　obscure　organist　in　Paris；　have　so　bewitched　the　whole　electoral　college　that　this　upstart　has　been　elected　by　a　large　majority？〃

〃But　I　suppose　he　had　some　friends　and　acquaintances　in　the　town？〃

〃Not　the　ghost　of　one；unless　it　might　be　that　nun。　Fortune；　relations；　father；　even　a　name；　he　never　had　until　the　day　of　his　arrival　at　Arcis　two　weeks　ago；　and　now；　if　you　please；　the　Comte　Charles　de　Sallenauve；　seigneur　of　the　chateau　of　Arcis；　is　elected　to　the　Chamber　of　deputies！　God　only　knows　how　it　was　done！　The　pretended　head　of　a　former　great　family；　representing　himself　as　absent　in　foreign　lands　for　many　years；　suddenly　appears　with　this　schemer　before　a　notary　in　Arcis；　recognizes　him　at　a　gallop　as　his　son；　buys　the　chateau　of　Arcis　and　presents　it　to　him；　and　is　off　during　the　night　before　any　one　could　even　know　what　road　he　took。　The　trick　thus　played；　the　abbess　and　her　aide…de…camp；　the　organist；　launched　the　candidate；　and　at　once　republicans；　legitimists；　conservatives；　clergy；　nobility；　bourgeoisie；　in　fact　everybody；　as　if　by　some　spell　cast　upon　that　region；　all　did　the　bidding　of　that　old　witch　of　a　nun；　and　without　the　stalwart　battalion　of　the　functionaries　（who　under　my　eye　stood　firm　and　did　not　flinch）；　his　election　would　have　been；　like　yours；　unanimous。〃

〃Then；　my　poor　friend；　good…bye　to　the　/dot/。〃

〃Not　precisely；　though　it　must　certainly　be　adjourned。　The　father　grumbles　because　the　blessed　tranquillity　of　his　life　was　disturbed　and　he　himself　covered　with　ridicule；　though　the　poor　dear　man　had　already　enough　of　that！　The　daughter　still　wants　to　be　a　countess；　but　the　mother　takes　it　hard　that　her　political　salon　should　be　floating　away　from　her；　and　God　knows　how　far　I　shall　be　led　in　order　to　comfort　her。　Besides　all　this；　I　myself　am　goaded　by　the　necessity　of　having　to　find　the　solution　of　my　own　problem　pretty　soon。　I　/had/　found　it　there：　I　intended　to　marry；　and　take　a　year　to　settle　my　affairs；　at　the　next　session　I　should　have　made　my　father…in…law　resign　and　stepped　into　his　seat　in　the　Chamber；　then；　you　understand；　what　an　horizon　before　me！〃

〃But；　my　dear　fellow；　political　horizon　apart；　don't　let　that　million　slip　through　your　fingers。〃

〃Oh；　heavens！　as　for　that；　except　for　the　delay；　I　feel　safe　enough。　My　future　family　is　about　to　remove　to　Paris。　After　this　mortifying　defeat；　life　in　Arcis　will　not　be　endurable。　Beauvisage　（forgive　the　name；　it　is　that　of　my　adopted　family）Beauvisage　is　like　Coriolanus；　ready　if　he　can　to　bring　fire　and　slaughter　on　his　ungrateful　birthplace。　Besides；　in　transplanting　themselves　hither；　these　unfortunate　exiles　know　where　to　lay　their　heads；　being　the　owners　of　the　hotel　Beauseant。〃

〃Owners　of　the　hotel　Beauseant！〃　cried　the　colonel；　in　amazement。

〃Yes；　BeauseantBeauvisage；　only　a　termination　to　change。　Ah！　my　dear　fellow；　you　don't　know　what　these　provincial　fortunes　are；　accumulated　penny　by　penny；　especially　when　to　the　passion　for　saving　is　added　the　incessant　aspiration　of　that　leech　called　commerce。　We　must　make　up　our　minds　to　some　course；　the　bourgeoisie　are　rising　round　us　like　a　flood；　it　is　almost　affable　in　them　to　buy　our　chateaus　and　estates　when　they　might　guillotine　us　as　in　1793；　and　get　them　for　nothing。〃

〃Happily　for　you；　my　dear　Maxime；　you　have　reduced　the　number　of　your　chateaus　and　estates。〃

〃You　see　yourself　that　is　not　so；〃　replied　Maxime；　〃inasmuch　as　I　am　now　engaged　in　providing　myself　with　one。　The　Beauseant　house　is　to　be　repaired　and　refurnished　immediately；　and　I　am　charged　with　the　ordering　of　the　work。　But　I　have　made　my　future　mother…in…law　another　promise；　and　I　want　your　help；　my　dear　fellow；　in　fulfilling　it。〃

〃It　isn't　a　tobacco　license；　or　a　stamped…paper　office；　is　it？〃

〃No；　something　less　difficult。　These　damned　women；　when　hatred　or　a　desire　for　vengeance　takes　possession　of　them；　are　marvels　of　instinct；　and　Madame　Beauvisage；　who　roars　like　a　lioness　at　the　very　name　of　Sallenauve；　has　taken　it　into　her　head　that　beneath　his　incomprehensible　success　there　is　some　foul　intrigue　or　mystery。　It　is　certain　that　the　appearance　and　disappearance　of　this　mysterious　father　have　given　rise　to　very　singular　conjectures；　and　probably　if　the　thumb…screws　were　put　upon　the　organist；　who　was；　they　say；　entrusted　with　the　education　of　the　interesting　bastard；　we　might　get　the　secret　of　his　birth　and　possibly　other　unexpected　revelations。　Now　I　have　thought　of　a　man　on　whom　you　have；　I　believe；　great　influence；　who　might　in　this　hunt　for　facts　assist　us　immensely。　Don't　you　remember　the　robbery　of　those　jewels　from　Jenny　Cardine；　about　which　she　was　so　unhappy　one　night　at　Very's？　You　asked　the　waiter　for　pens　and　paper；　and　on　a　simple　note　which　you　sent　at　three　o'clock　in　the　morning　to　a　Monsieur　Saint…Esteve　the　police　went　to　work；　and　before　the　evening　of　the　next　day　the　thieves　were　captured　and　the　jewels　restored。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　the　colonel；　〃I　remember　all　that；　my　interference　was　lucky。　But　I　must　tell　you　that　had　I　paused　to　reflect　I　should　not　have　treated　Monsieur　de　Saint…Esteve　so　cavalierly。　He　is　a　man　to　be　approached　with　greater　ceremony。〃

〃/Ah　ca/！　but　isn't　he　a　former　galley…slave；　whose　pardon　you　helped　to　obtain；　and　who　feels　for　you　the　veneration　they　say　Fieschi　felt　for　one　of　his　protectors？〃

〃Yes；　that　is　true。　Monsieur　de　Saint…Esteve；　like　his　predecessor；　Bibi…Lupin；　has　had　/misfortunes/；　but　he　is　to…day　the　head　of　the　detective　police；　the　important　functions　of　which　office　he　fulfils　with　rare　capacity。　If　the　matter　concerned　anything　that　comes　within　his　department；　I　should　not　hesitate　to　give　you　a