the deputy of arcis-第7节

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〃Bravo！〃　cried　several　true…blood　Giguet　electors。

〃You　will　send　me　to　the　Chamber；〃　went　on　Simon；　〃if　you　do　send　me；　to　represent　principles；　the　principles　of　1789；　to　be　one　of　the　ciphers；　if　you　choose；　of　the　Opposition；　but　a　cipher　that　votes　with　it　to　enlighten　the　government；　make　war　against　abuses；　and　promote　progress　in　all　things〃

〃What　do　you　call　progress？〃　asked　Fromaget。　〃For　us；　progress　means　getting　the　waste　lands　of　la　Champagne　under　cultivation。〃

〃Progress！　I　will　explain　to　you　what　I　mean　by　that；〃　cried　Giguet；　exasperated　by　the　interruption。

〃It　is　the　frontier　of　the　Rhine　for　France；〃　put　in　the　colonel；　〃and　the　destruction　of　the　treaties　of　1815。〃

〃It　is　selling　wheat　dear　and　keeping　bread　cheap；〃　cried　Achille　Pigoult　sarcastically；　thinking　that　he　made　a　joke；　but　actually　expressing　one　of　the　delusions　that　reign　in　France。

〃It　is　the　happiness　of　all；　obtained　by　the　triumph　of　humanitarian　doctrines；〃　continued　Simon。

〃What　did　I　tell　you？〃　said　Achille　to　his　neighbors。

〃Hush！　silence！　let　us　listen！〃　said　various　voices。

〃Messieurs；〃　said　the　stout　Mollot；　smiling；　〃the　debate　is　beginning；　give　your　attention　to　the　orator；　and　let　him　explain　himself。〃

〃In　all　transitional　epochs；　Messieurs；〃　continued　Simon；　gravely；　〃and　we　are　now　in　such　an　epoch〃

〃Ba…a…a！　ba…a…a！〃　bleated　a　friend　of　Achille　Pigoult；　who　possessed　the　faculty　（precious　at　elections）　of　ventriloquism。

A　roar　of　laughter　came　from　the　whole　assembly；　who　were　Champagnards　before　all　else。　Simon　Giguet　folded　his　arms　and　waited　till　the　tumult　subsided。

〃If　it　was　intended　to　give　me　a　lesson；〃　he　resumed；　〃and　to　tell　me　that　I　belong　to　the　flock　of　the　glorious　defenders　of　the　rights　of　humanity；　the　flock　of　the　immortal　priest　who　pleads　for　dying　Poland；　the　daring　pamphleteers；　the　scrutinizers　of　the　civil　test；　the　philosophers　who　demand　sincerity　in　the　working　of　our　institutions；　if　that　was　the　intention　of　my　nameless　interrupter；　I　thank　him。　To　me；　progress　is　the　realization　of　all　that　was　promised　to　us　by　the　revolution　of　July；　it　is　electoral　reform；　it　is〃

〃What！　are　you　a　democrat？〃　said　Achille　Pigoult。

〃No；〃　replied　the　candidate。　〃To　desire　the　legitimate　and　regular　development　of　our　institutions；　is　that　being　a　democrat？　To　me；　progress　is　fraternity　re…established　between　the　members　of　the　great　French　family。　We　cannot　conceal　from　ourselves　that　many　sufferings〃

At　three　o'clock　Simon　Giguet　was　still　explaining　Progress；　accompanied　by　the　rhythmic　snores　of　various　electors　which　denoted　a　sound　sleep。　The　malicious　Achille　Pigoult　had　urged　all　present　to　listen　religiously　to　the　young　orator；　who　was　now　floundering　in　his　phrases　and　paraphrases　hopelessly　at　random。



V

THE　PERPLEXITIES　OF　THE　GOVERNMENT　IN　ARCIS

At　this　moment　several　groups　of　bourgeois；　electors　and　non…electors；　were　standing　before　the　Chateau　d'Arcis；　the　iron　gates　of　which　open　on　the　square　near　to　the　door　of　Madame　Marion's　house。　This　square　is　a　piece　of　open　ground　from　which　issue　several　roads　and　several　streets。　In　it　is　a　covered　market。　Opposite　to　the　chateau；　on　the　other　side　of　the　square；　which　is　neither　paved　nor　macadamized；　and　where　the　rain　has　made　various　little　gutters；　is　a　fine　esplanade；　called　the　Avenue　of　Sighs。　Is　that　to　the　honor　or　to　the　blame　of　the　leaders　of　the　town？　This　singular　ambibology　is　no　doubt　a　stroke　of　native　wit。

Two　handsome　side　avenues；　planted　with　lindens；　lead　from　the　square　to　a　circular　boulevard　which　forms　another　promenade；　though　usually　deserted；　where　more　dirt　and　rubbish　than　promenaders　may　commonly　be　seen。

At　the　height　of　the　discussion　which　Achille　Pigoult　was　dramatizing　with　a　coolness　and　courage　worthy　of　a　member　of　a　real　parliament；　four　personages　were　walking　down　one　of　the　linden　avenues　which　led　from　the　Avenue　of　Sighs。　When　they　reached　the　square；　they　stopped　as　if　by　common　consent；　and　looked　at　the　inhabitants　of　Arcis；　who　were　humming　before　the　chateau　like　so　many　bees　before　returning　to　their　hives　at　night。　The　four　promenaders　were　the　whole　ministerial　conclave　of　Arcis；　namely：　the　sub…prefect；　the　/procureur…du…roi/；　his　substitute；　and　the　examining…judge；　Monsieur　Martener。　The　judge　of　the　court；　Monsieur　Michu；　was；　as　we　know　already；　a　partisan　of　the　Elder　Branch　and　a　devoted　adherent　of　the　house　of　Cinq…Cygne。

〃No；　I　don't　understand　the　action　of　the　government；〃　repeated　the　sub…prefect；　Antonin　Goulard；　pointing　to　the　groups　which　seemed　to　be　thickening。　〃At　such　an　important　crisis　to　leave　me　without　instructions！〃

〃In　that　you　are　like　the　rest　of　us；〃　said　Olivier　Vinet；　the　substitute；　smiling。

〃Why　do　you　blame　the　government？〃　asked　the　/procureur…du…roi/；　Frederic　Marest。

〃The　ministry　is　much　embarrassed；〃　remarked　young　Martener。　〃It　knows　that　this　arrondissement　belongs；　in　a　certain　way；　to　the　Kellers；　and　it　is　very　desirous　not　to　thwart　them。　It　is　forced　to　keep　on　good　terms　with　the　only　man　who　is　comparable　to　Monsieur　de　Talleyrand。　It　is　not　to　the　prefect；　but　to　the　Comte　de　Gondreville　that　you　ought　to　send　the　commissary　of　police。〃

〃Meanwhile；〃　said　Frederic　Marest；　〃the　Opposition　is　bestirring　itself；　you　see　yourselves　the　influence　of　Monsieur　Giguet。　Our　mayor；　Monsieur　Beauvisage；　is　presiding　over　that　preparatory　meeting。〃

〃After　all；〃　said　Olivier　Vinet　slyly　to　the　sub…prefect；　〃Simon　Giguet　is　your　friend　and　schoolmate；　he　will　belong　to　the　Thiers'　party；　you　risk　nothing　in　supporting　his　election。〃

〃The　present　ministry　could　dismiss　me　before　its　fall；〃　replied　the　sub…prefect；　〃and　who　knows　when　I　should　be　reappointed？〃

〃Collinet；　the　grocer！that　makes　the　sixty…sixth　elector　who　has　entered　the　Giguet　house；〃　said　Monsieur　Martener；　who　was　practising　his　trade　as　examining…judge　by　counting　the　electors。

〃If　Charles　Keller　is　the　ministerial　candidate；〃　resumed　the　sub…　prefect；　〃I　ought　to　have　been　told　of　it；　the　government　makes　a　mistake　in　giving　time　for　Simon　Giguet　to　get　hold　of　the　electors。〃

These　four　individuals　had　now　reached；　walking　slowly；　the　spot　where　the　avenue　ceases　and　becomes　an　open　square。

〃There's　Monsieur　Groslier；〃　said　the　judge；　catching　sight　of　a　man　on　horseback。

This　was　the　commissary　of　police；　he　saw　the　government　of　Arcis　collected　on　the　public　square；　and　he　rode　up　to　the　four　gentlemen。

〃Well；　Monsieur　Groslier？〃　said　the　sub…prefect；　taking　the　commissary　a　little　apart　from　his　three　colleagues。

〃Monsieur；〃　said　the　commissary　of　police　in　a　low　voice；　〃Monsieur　la　prefet　has　sent　me　to　tell　you　some　sad　news；　Monsieur　le　Vicomte　Charles　Keller　is　dead。　The　news　reached　Paris　by　telegram　night　before　last；　and　the　two　Messieurs　Keller；　the　Comte　de　Gondreville；　the　Marechale　Carigliano；　in　fact　the　whole　family　are　now　at　Gondreville。　Abd…el…Kader　has　resumed　the　offensive　in　Africa；　the　war　is　being　vigorously　carried　on。　This　poor　young　man　was　among　the　first　victims　of　the　renewal　of　hostilities。　You　will　receive　confidential　instructions；　so　Monsieur　le　prefet　told　me；　in　relation　to　the　coming　election。〃

〃By　whom？〃　asked　the　sub…prefect。

〃If　I　knew　that；　the　matter　would　not　be　confidential；〃　replied　the　commissary。　〃In　fact；　I　think　the　prefect　himself　does　not　know。　He　told　me　that　the　matter　would　be　a　secret　one　between　you　and　the　ministry。〃

Then　he　rode　on；　after　seeing　the　sub…prefect　lay　his　fingers　on　his　lips　as　a　warning　to　keep　silence。

〃Well；　what　news　from　the　prefecture？〃　said　the　/procureur…du…roi/；　when　Goulard　returned　to　the　group　of　the　three　functionaries。

〃Nothing　satisfactory；〃　replied　Goulard；　stepping　quickly；　as　if　he　wanted　to　get　away　from　the　others；　who　now　walked　silently　toward　the　middle　of　the　square；　somewhat　piqued　by　the　manner　of　the　sub…　prefect。　There　Monsieur　Martener　noticed　old　Madame　Beauvisage；　the　mother　of　Phileas；　surrounded　by　nearly　all　the　bourgeois　on　the　square；　to　whom　she　was　apparently　relating　something。　A　solicitor；　named　Sinot；　who　numbered　all　the　royalists　of　Arcis　among　his　clients；　and　who　had　not　gone　to　the　Giguet　meeting；　now　detached　himself　from　the　group；　and　running　to　the　door　of　the　Marion　house　rang　the　bell　violently。

〃What　can　be　the　matter？〃　said　Frederic　Marest；　dropping　his　eyeglass；　and　calling　the　attention　of　his　colleagues　to　this　circumstance。

〃The　matter　is；　messieurs；〃　said　the　sub…prefect；　thinking　it　useless　to　keep　a　secret　which　was　evidently　known　to　the　other　party；　〃that　Charles　Keller　has　been　killed　in　Africa；　and　that　this　event　doubles　the　chances　of　Simon　Giguet。　You　know　Arcis；　there　can　be　no　other　ministerial　candidate　than　Charles　Keller。　Any　other　man　would　find　the　whole　local　patriotism　of　the　place　arrayed　against　him。

〃Will　they　really　elect　such　an　idiot　as　Simon　Giguet？〃　said　Olivier　Vinet；　laughing。

This　young　substitute；　then　only　twenty…three　years　of　age；　was　the　son　of　one　of　our　most　famous　attorney…generals；　who　had　come　into　power　with　the　Revolution　of　July；　he　therefore　owed　his　early　entrance　into　public　life　to　the　influenc