the deputy of arcis-第69节

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elf；　in　course　of　time；　a　very　good　practice；　he　had　married　a　rich　woman；　and　the　moment　that　he　thought　himself　able　to　do　without　crooked　ways　he　had　seriously　renounced　them。　In　1839　Desroches　had　become　an　honest　and　skilful　solicitor：　that　is　to　say；　he　assumed　the　interests　of　his　clients　with　warmth　and　ability；　he　never　counselled　an　openly　dishonorable　proceeding；　still　less　would　he　have　lent　a　hand　to　it。　As　to　that　fine　flower　of　delicacy　to　be　met　with　in　Derville　and　some　others　like　him；　besides　the　sad　fact　that　it　is　difficult　to　keep　its　fragrance　from　evaporating　in　this　business　world　of　which　Monsieur　de　Talleyrand　says；　〃Business　means　getting　the　property　of　others；〃　it　is　certain　that　it　can　never　be　added　to　any　second　state　of　existence。　The　loss　of　that　bloom　of　the　soul；　like　that　of　other　virginities；　is　irreparable。　Desroches　had　not　aspired　to　restore　it　to　himself。　He　no　longer　risked　anything　ignoble　or　dishonest；　but　the　good　tricks　admitted　the　code　of　procedure；　the　good　traps；　the　good　treacheries　which　could　be　legitimately　played　off　upon　an　adversary；　he　was　very　ready　to　undertake。

Desroches　was　moreover　a　man　of　parts　and　witty；　loving　the　pleasures　of　the　table；　and　like　all　men　perpetually　the　slaves　of　imperious　toil；　he　felt　the　need　of　vigorous　amusement；　taken　on　the　wing　and　highly　spiced。　While　purifying　after　a　fashion　his　judicial　life；　he　still　continued　the　legal　adviser　of　artists；　men　of　letters；　actresses；　courtesans；　and　elegant　bohemians　like　Maxime　de　Trailles；　because　he　liked　to　live　their　life；　they　were　sympathetic　to　him　as　he　to　them。　Their　witty　/argot/；　their　easy　morals；　their　rather　loose　adventures；　their　expedients；　their　brave　and　honorable　toil；　in　a　word；　their　greatness　and　their　weakness；he　understood　it　all　marvellously　well；　and；　like　an　ever…indulgent　providence；　he　lent　them　his　aid　whenever　they　asked　for　it。　But　in　order　to　conceal　from　his　dignified　and　more　valuable　clients　whatever　might　be　compromising　in　the　/clientele/　he　really　preferred；　Desroches　had　his　days　of　domesticity　when　he　was　husband　and　father；　especially　on　Sundays。　He　appeared　in　the　Bois　de　Boulogne　in　a　modest　caleche　beside　his　wife　（whose　ugliness　revealed　the　size　of　her　/dot/）；　with　three　children　on　the　front　seat；　who　were　luckless　enough　to　resemble　their　mother。　This　family　picture；　these　virtuous　Dominical　habits；　recalled　so　little　the　week…day　Desroches；　dining　in　cafes　with　all　the　male　and　female　/viveurs/　of　renown；　that　one　of　them；　Malaga；　a　circus…rider；　famous　for　her　wit　and　vim；　remarked　that　lawyers　ought　not　to　be　allowed　to　masquerade　in　that　way　and　deceive　the　public　with　fictitious　family　joys。

It　was　to　this　relative　integrity　that　de　Trailles　now　went　for　counsel；　as　he　never　failed　to　do　in　all　the　many　difficulties　he　encountered　in　life。　Following　a　good　habit；　Desroches　listened；　without　interrupting；　to　the　long　explanation　of　the　case　submitted　to　him。　As　Maxime　hid　nothing　from　this　species　of　confessor；　he　gave　his　reasons　for　wishing　to　injure　Sallenauve；　representing　him；　in　all　good　faith；　as　having　usurped　the　name　under　which　he　was　elected　to　the　Chamber；his　hatred　making　him　take　the　possibility　for　positive　evidence。

In　his　heart；　Desroches　did　not　want　to　take　charge　of　an　affair　in　which　he　saw　not　the　slightest　chance　of　success；　but　he　showed　his　lax　integrity　by　talking　over　the　affair　with　his　client　as　if　it　were　an　ordinary　case　of　legal　practice；　instead　of　telling　him　frankly　his　opinion　that　this　pretended　〃case〃　was　a　mere　intrigue。　The　number　of　things　done　in　the　domain　of　evil　by　connivance　in　speech；　without　proceeding　to　the　actual　collusion　of　action；　are　incalculable。

〃In　the　first　place；〃　said　Desroches；　when　the　matter　was　all　explained；　〃a　civil　suit　is　not　to　be　thought　of。　Your　Romilly　peasant…woman　might　have　her　hands　full　of　proofs；　but　she　has　no　ground　herself　to　stand　upon；　she　has　no　legal　interest　in　contesting　the　rights　of　this　recognized　natural　son。〃

〃Yes；　that　is　what　Vinet　said　just　now。〃

〃As　for　the　criminal　case；　you　could；　no　doubt；　compel　it　by　giving　information　to　the　police　authorities　of　this　alleged　imposture〃

〃Vinet；〃　interrupted　Maxime；　〃inclined　to　the　criminal　proceeding。〃

〃Yes；　but　there　are　a　great　many　objections　to　it。　In　the　first　place；　in　order　that　the　complaint　be　received　at　all；　you　must　produce　a　certain　amount　of　proof；　then；　supposing　it　is　received；　and　the　authorities　are　determined　to　pursue　the　case；　you　must　have　more　evidence　of　criminality　than　you　have　now；　and；　moreover；　supposing　that　you　can　show　that　the　so…called　Marquis　de　Sallenauve　committed　a　fraud；　how　will　you　prove　that　the　so…called　son　was　privy　to　it？　He　might　have　been　the　dupe　of　some　political　schemer。〃

〃But　what　interest　could　such　a　schemer　have　in　giving　Dorlange　the　many　advantages　he　has　derived　from　the　recognition？〃

〃Ah！　my　dear　fellow；　in　political　manners　all　queer　proceedings　are　possible；　there　is　no　such　fertile　source　for　compilers　of　/causes　celebres/　and　novelists。　In　the　eyes　of　the　law；　you　must　remember；　the　counterfeiting　of　a　person　is　not　always　a　crime。〃

〃How　so？〃　asked　Maxime。

〃Here；〃　said　Desroches；　taking　up　the　Five　Codes；　〃do　me　the　favor　to　read　Article　5　of　the　Penal　Code；　the　only　one　which　gives　an　opening　to　the　case　you　have　in　mind。〃

Maxime　read　aloud　the　article；　which　was　as　follows：

〃'Any　functionary　or　public　officer　who；　in　the　exercise　of　his　function；　shall　commit　forgeryeither　by　false　signatures；　by　alterations　of　deeds；　writings；　or　signatures；　or　by　counterfeiting　persons'　There；　you　see；〃　said　Maxime；　interrupting　himself；〃'by　counterfeiting　persons'〃

〃Go　on；〃　insisted　Desroches。

〃'by　counterfeiting　persons；'〃　resumed　de　Trailles；　〃'either　by　writings　made　or　intercalated　in　the　public　records　or　other　documents；　shall　be　punished　by　imprisonment　at　hard　labor　for　life。'〃

Maxime　lingered　lovingly　over　the　last　words；　which　gave　his　revenge　a　foretaste　of　the　fate　that　awaited　Sallenauve。

〃My　dear　count；〃　said　Desroches；　〃you　do　as　the　barristers　do；　they　read　to　the　jury　only　so　much　of　a　legal　document　as　suits　their　point　of　view。　You　pay　no　attention　to　the　fact　that　the　only　persons　affected　by　this　article　are　/functionaries/　or　/public　officers/。〃

Maxime　re…read　the　article；　and　convinced　himself　of　the　truth　of　that　remark。

〃But；〃　he　objected；　〃there　must　be　something　elsewhere　about　such　a　crime　when　committed　by　private　individuals。〃

〃No；　there　is　not；　you　can　trust　my　knowledge　of　jurisprudence；the　Code　is　absolutely　silent　in　that　direction。〃

〃Then　the　crime　we　wish　to　denounce　can　be　committed　with　impunity？〃

〃Its　repression　is　always　doubtful；〃　replied　Desroches。　〃Judges　do　sometimes　make　up　for　the　deficiency　of　the　Code　in　this　respect。　Here；〃　he　added；　turning　over　the　leaves　of　a　book　of　reference；　〃here　are　two　decisions　of　the　court　of　assizes；　reported　in　Carnot's　Commentary　on　the　Penal　Code：　one　of　July　7；　1814；　the　other　April　24；　1818；both　confirmed　by　the　court　of　appeals；　which　condemn　for　forgery；　by　'counterfeiting　persons；'　individuals　who　were　neither　functionaries　nor　public　officers：　but　these　decisions；　unique　in　law；　rest　on　the　authority　of　an　article　in　which　the　crime　they　punish　is　not　even　mentioned；　and　it　is　only　by　elaborate　reasoning　that　they　contrived　to　make　this　irregular　application　of　it。　You　can　understand；　therefore；　how　very　doubtful　the　issue　of　such　a　case　would　be；　because　in　the　absence　of　a　positive　rule　you　can　never　tell　how　the　magistrates　might　decide。〃

〃Consequently；　your　opinion；　like　Rastignac's；　is　that　we　had　better　send　our　peasant…woman　back　to　Romilly　and　drop　the　whole　matter？〃

〃There　is　always　something　to　be　done　if　one　knows　how　to　set　about　it；〃　replied　Desroches。　〃There　is　a　point　that　neither　you　nor　Rastignac　nor　Vinet　seems　to　have　thought　of；　and　that　is；　to　proceed　in　a　criminal　case　against　a　member　of　the　national　representation；　except　for　flagrant　crime；　requires　the　consent　and　authority　of　the　Chamber。〃

〃True；〃　said　Maxime；　〃but　I　don't　see　how　a　new　difficulty　is　going　to　help　us。〃

〃You　wouldn't　be　sorry　to　send　your　adversary　with　the　galleys；〃　said　Desroches；　laughing。

〃A　villain；〃　added　Maxime；　〃who　may　make　me　lose　a　rich　marriage；　a　fellow　who　poses　for　stern　virtue；　and　then　proceeds　to　trickery　of　this　kind！〃

〃Well；　you　must　resign　yourself　to　a　less　glorious　result；　but　you　can　make　a　pretty　scandal；　and　destroy　the　reputation　of　your　man；　and　that　ought；　it　seems　to　me；　to　serve　your　ends。〃

〃Of　course；better　that　than　nothing。〃

〃Well；　then；　here's　what　I　advise。　Don't　let　your　peasant…woman　lodge　her　complaint　before　the　criminal　court；　but　make　her　place　in　the　hands　of　the　president　of　the　Chamber　of　deputies　a　simple　request　for　permission　to　proceed。　Probably　the　permission　will　not　be　granted；　and　the　affair　will　have　to　stop　at　that　stage；　but　the　matter　being　once　made　known　will　circulate　through　the　Chambers；　the　newspapers　will　get　hold　of　it　and　make　a　stir；　and　the　ministry；　/sub　rosa/；　can　envenom　the　vague　accusation　through　its　friends。〃

〃/Parbleu/！　my