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the deputy of arcis-第79节

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tives with which   I supported my request; I regret to have to say to the Chamber   that I cannot be more explicit even now; because in revealing the   true cause of my absence I should betray the secret of an   honorable man; and not my own。 I did not conceal from myself that   by this reticence I exposed my proceedings to mistaken   interpretations;though I certainly did not expect it to give   rise to accusations as burlesque as they are odious。 'Much   excitement。' In point of fact; I was so anxious not to neglect any   of the duties of my new position that I did precisely what the   minister of Public Works reproaches me for not doing。 I selected a   man in a most honorable position; who was; like myself; a   repository of the secret I am unable to divulge; and I requested   him to make all necessary explanations to the president of this   Chamber。 But; calumny having no doubt worked upon his mind; that   honorable person must have thought it compromising to his name and   dignity to do me this service。 The danger to me being now over; I   shall not betray his prudent incognito。 Though I was far indeed   from expecting this calculating selfishness; which has painfully   surprised and wounded me; I shall be careful to keep this betrayal   of friendship between myself and his own conscience; which alone   shall reproach him for the wrong he has done me。

  At this moment a disturbance occurred in the peers' gallery; a   lady had fainted; and several deputies; among them a physician;   left the hall hastily。 The sitting was momentarily suspended。

  /The President/。Ushers; open the ventilators。 It is want of air   that has caused this unfortunate accident。 M。 de Sallenauve; be   good enough to resume your speech。

  /M。 de Sallenauve/。Two words; gentleman; and I have finished。 I   think the petition to authorize a criminal prosecution has already   lost something of its weight in the minds of my least cordial   colleagues。 But I have here a letter from the Romilly peasant…   woman; my relation; duly signed and authenticated; withdrawing her   charge and confirming all the explanations I have just had the   honor to give you。 I might read this letter aloud to you; but I   think it more becoming to place it in the hands of M。 le   president。 '〃Very good! very good!〃' As for my illegal absence; I   returned to Paris early this morning; and I could have been in my   seat at the opening of the Chamber; but; as M。 de Canalis has told   you; I had it much at heart not to appear in this hall until I   could disperse the cloud which has so strangely appeared around my   reputation。 It has taken me the whole morning to obtain these   papers。 And now; gentlemen; you have to decide whether a few   hours' delay in taking his seat in this Chamber justifies you in   sending a colleague back to his electors。 But after all; whatever   is done; whether some persist in thinking me a forger; or a   libertine; or merely a negligent deputy; I feel no anxiety about   the verdict of my electors。 I can confidently assert that after a   delay of a few weeks I shall return to you。

  /Cries on all sides/。The vote! the vote!

  On leaving the tribune M。 de Sallenauve receives many   congratulations。

  /The President/。I put to vote the admission of M。 de Sallenauve   as the deputy elected by the arrondissement of Arcis。

  Nearly the whole Chamber rises and votes the admission; a few   deputies of the Centre alone abstain from taking part in the   demonstration。

  M。 de Sallenauve is admitted and takes the oath。

  /The President/。The order of the day calls for the reading of   the Address to the Throne; but the chairman of the committee   appointed to prepare it informs me that the document in question   cannot be communicated to the Chamber before to…morrow。 Nothing   else being named in the order of the day; I declare this sitting   adjourned。

  The Chamber rose at half…past four o'clock。




TRANSLATOR'S NOTE

  Note。〃The Deputy of Arcis;〃 of which Balzac wrote and published   the first part in 1847; was left unfinished at his death。 He   designated M。 Charles Rabou; editor of the 〃Revue de Paris;〃 as   the person to take his notes and prepare the rest of the volume   for the press。 It is instructive to a student of Balzac to see how   disconnected and out of proportion the story becomes in these   later parts;showing plainly that the master's hand was in the   habit of pruning away half; if not more; of what it had written;   orto change the metaphor and give the process in his own   languagethat he put /les grands pots dans les petits pots/; the   quarts into the pint pots。 〃If a thing can be done in one line   instead of two;〃 he says; 〃I try to do it。〃

  Some parts of this conclusion are evidently added by M。 Rabou; and   are not derived from Balzac at all;especially the unnecessary   reincarnation of Vautrin。 There is no trace of the master's hand   here。 The character is made so silly and puerile; and is so out of   keeping with Balzac's strong portrait; which never weakens; that   the translator has thought best; in justice to Vautrin; to omit   all that is not absolutely necessary to connect the story。










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