albert savarus-第20节

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〃Yes；　Mademoiselle　Rosalie；〃　replied　the　Abbe　de　Grancey。　〃You　are
ambitious。　If　she　takes　a　fancy　to　you；　you　may　be　everything　an
ambitious　man　can　wishwho　knows？　A　Minister　perhaps。　A　man　can
always　be　a　Minister　who　adds　a　hundred　thousand　francs　a　year　to　your
amazing　talents。〃

〃Monsieur　l'Abbe；　if　Mademoiselle　de　Watteville　had　three　times　her
fortune；　and　adored　me　into　the　bargain；　it　would　be　impossible　that　I
should　marry　her〃

〃You　are　married？〃　exclaimed　the　Abbe。

〃Not　in　church　nor　before　the　Maire；　but　morally　speaking；〃　said
Savarus。

〃That　is　even　worse　when　a　man　cares　about　it　as　you　seem　to　care；〃
replied　the　Abbe。　〃Everything　that　is　not　done；　can　be　undone。　Do　not
stake　your　fortune　and　your　prospects　on　a　woman's　liking；　any　more
than　a　wise　man　counts　on　a　dead　man's　shoes　before　starting　on　his
way。〃

〃Let　us　say　no　more　about　Mademoiselle　de　Watteville；〃　said　Albert
gravely；　〃and　agree　as　to　the　facts。　At　your　desirefor　I　have　a
regard　and　respect　for　youI　will　appear　for　Monsieur　de　Watteville；
but　after　the　elections。　Until　then　Girardet　must　conduct　the　case
under　my　instructions。　That　is　the　most　I　can　do。〃

〃But　there　are　questions　involved　which　can　only　be　settled　after
inspection　of　the　localities；〃　said　the　Vicar…General。

〃Girardet　can　go；〃　said　Savarus。　〃I　cannot　allow　myself；　in　the　face
of　a　town　I　know　so　well；　to　take　any　step　which　might　compromise　the
supreme　interests　that　lie　beyond　my　election。〃

The　Abbe　left　Savarus　after　giving　him　a　keen　look；　in　which　he　seemed
to　be　laughing　at　the　young　athlete's　uncompromising　politics；　while
admiring　his　firmness。

〃Ah！　I　would　have　dragged　my　father　into　a　lawsuitI　would　have　done
anything　to　get　him　here！〃　cried　Rosalie　to　herself；　standing　in　the
kiosk　and　looking　at　the　lawyer　in　his　room；　the　day　after　Albert's
interview　with　the　Abbe；　who　had　reported　the　result　to　her　father。　〃I
would　have　committed　any　mortal　sin；　and　you　will　not　enter　the
Wattevilles'　drawing…room；　I　may　not　hear　your　fine　voice！　You　make
conditions　when　your　help　is　required　by　the　Wattevilles　and　the
Rupts！Well；　God　knows；　I　meant　to　be　content　with　these　small　joys；
with　seeing　you；　hearing　you　speak；　going　with　you　to　les　Rouxey；　that
your　presence　might　to　me　make　the　place　sacred。　That　was　all　I　asked。
But　nownow　I　mean　to　be　your　wife。Yes；　yes；　look　at　/her/
portrait；　at　/her/　drawing…room；　/her/　bedroom；　at　the　four　sides　of
/her/　villa；　the　points　of　view　from　/her/　gardens。　You　expect　her
statue？　I　will　make　her　marble　herself　towards　you！After　all；　the
woman　does　not　love。　Art；　science；　books；　singing；　music；　have
absorbed　half　her　senses　and　her　intelligence。　She　is　old；　too；　she　is
past　thirty；　my　Albert　will　not　be　happy！〃

〃What　is　the　matter　that　you　stay　here；　Rosalie？〃　asked　her　mother；
interrupting　her　reflections。　〃Monsieur　de　Soulas　is　in　the　drawing…
room；　and　he　observed　your　attitude；　which　certainly　betrays　more
thoughtfulness　than　is　due　at　your　age。〃

〃Then；　is　Monsieur　de　Soulas　a　foe　to　thought？〃　asked　Rosalie。

〃Then　you　were　thinking？〃　said　Madame　de　Watteville。

〃Why；　yes；　mamma。〃

〃Why；　no！　you　were　not　thinking。　You　were　staring　at　that　lawyer's
window　with　an　attention　that　is　neither　becoming；　nor　decent；　and
which　Monsieur　de　Soulas；　of　all　men；　ought　never　to　have　observed。〃

〃Why？〃　said　Rosalie。

〃It　is　time；〃　said　the　Baroness；　〃that　you　should　know　what　our
intentions　are。　Amedee　likes　you；　and　you　will　not　be　unhappy　as
Comtesse　de　Soulas。〃

Rosalie；　as　white　as　a　lily；　made　no　reply；　so　completely　was　she
stupefied　by　contending　feelings。　And　yet　in　the　presence　of　the　man
she　had　this　instant　begun　to　hate　vehemently；　she　forced　the　kind　of
smile　which　a　ballet…dancer　puts　on　for　the　public。　Nay；　she　could
even　laugh；　she　had　the　strength　to　conceal　her　rage；　which　presently
subsided；　for　she　was　determined　to　make　use　of　this　fat　simpleton　to
further　her　designs。

〃Monsieur　Amedee；〃　said　she；　at　the　moment　when　her　mother　was　walking
ahead　of　them　in　the　garden；　affecting　to　leave　the　young　people
together；　〃were　you　not　aware　that　Monsieur　Albert　Savaron　de　Savarus
is　a　Legitimist？〃

〃A　Legitimist？〃

〃Until　1830　he　was　Master　of　Appeals　to　the　Council　of　State；　attached
to　the　supreme　Ministerial　Council；　and　in　favor　with　the　Dauphin　and
Dauphiness。　It　would　be　very　good　of　you　to　say　nothing　against　him；
but　it　would　be　better　still　if　you　would　attend　the　election　this
year；　carry　the　day；　and　hinder　that　poor　Monsieur　de　Chavoncourt　from
representing　the　town　of　Besancon。〃

〃What　sudden　interest　have　you　in　this　Savaron？〃

〃Monsieur　Albert　Savaron　de　Savarus；　the　natural　son　of　the　Comte　de
Savaruspray　keep　the　secret　of　my　indiscretionif　he　is　returned
deputy；　will　be　our　advocate　in　the　suit　about　les　Rouxey。　Les　Rouxey；
my　father　tells　me；　will　be　my　property；　I　intend　to　live　there；　it　is
a　lovely　place！　I　should　be　broken…hearted　at　seeing　that　fine　piece
of　the　great　de　Watteville's　work　destroyed。〃

〃The　devil！〃　thought　Amedee；　as　he　left　the　house。　〃The　heiress　is　not
such　a　fool　as　her　mother　thinks　her。〃

Monsieur　de　Chavoncourt　is　a　Royalist；　of　the　famous　221。　Hence；　from
the　day　after　the　revolution　of　July；　he　always　preached　the　salutary
doctrine　of　taking　the　oaths　and　resisting　the　present　order　of
things；　after　the　pattern　of　the　Tories　against　the　Whigs　in　England。
This　doctrine　was　not　acceptable　to　the　Legitimists；　who；　in　their
defeat；　had　the　wit　to　divide　in　their　opinions；　and　to　trust　to　the
force　of　inertia　and　to　Providence。　Monsieur　de　Chavoncourt　was　not
wholly　trusted　by　his　own　party；　but　seemed　to　the　Moderates　the　best
man　to　choose；　they　preferred　the　triumph　of　his　half…hearted　opinions
to　the　acclamation　of　a　Republican　who　should　combine　the　votes　of　the
enthusiasts　and　the　patriots。　Monsieur　de　Chavoncourt；　highly
respected　in　Besancon；　was　the　representative　of　an　old　parliamentary
family；　his　fortune；　of　about　fifteen　thousand　francs　a　year；　was　not
an　offence　to　anybody；　especially　as　he　had　a　son　and　three　daughters。
With　such　a　family；　fifteen　thousand　francs　a　year　are　a　mere　nothing。
Now　when；　under　these　circumstances；　the　father　of　the　family　is　above
bribery；　it　would　be　hard　if　the　electors　did　not　esteem　him。　Electors
wax　enthusiastic　over　a　/beau　ideal/　of　parliamentary　virtue；　just　as
the　audience　in　the　pit　do　at　the　representation　of　the　generous
sentiments　they　so　little　practise。

Madame　de　Chavoncourt；　at　this　time　a　woman　of　forty；　was　one　of　the
beauties　of　Besancon。　While　the　Chamber　was　sitting；　she　lived
meagrely　in　one　of　their　country　places　to　recoup　herself　by　economy
for　Monsieur　de　Chavoncourt's　expenses　in　Paris。　In　the　winter　she
received　very　creditably　once　a　week；　on　Tuesdays；　understanding　her
business　as　mistress　of　the　house。　Young　Chavoncourt；　a　youth　of　two…
and…twenty；　and　another　young　gentleman；　named　Monsieur　de　Vauchelles；
no　richer　than　Amedee　and　his　school…friend；　were　his　intimate　allies。
They　made　excursions　together　to　Granvelle；　and　sometimes　went　out
shooting；　they　were　so　well　known　to　be　inseparable　that　they　were
invited　to　the　country　together。

Rosalie；　who　was　intimate　with　the　Chavoncourt　girls；　knew　that　the
three　young　men　had　no　secrets　from　each　other。　She　reflected　that　if
Monsieur　de　Soulas　should　repeat　her　words；　it　would　be　to　his　two
companions。　Now；　Monsieur　de　Vauchelles　had　his　matrimonial　plans；　as
Amedee　had　his；　he　wished　to　marry　Victoire；　the　eldest　of　the
Chavoncourts；　on　whom　an　old　aunt　was　to　settle　an　estate　worth　seven
thousand　francs　a　year；　and　a　hundred　thousand　francs　in　hard　cash；
when　the　contract　was　to　be　signed。　Victoire　was　this　aunt's　god…
daughter　and　favorite　niece。　Consequently；　young　Chavoncourt　and　his
friend　Vauchelles　would　be　sure　to　warn　Monsieur　de　Chavoncourt　of　the
danger　he　was　in　from　Albert's　candidature。

But　this　did　not　satisfy　Rosalie。　She　sent　the　Prefet　of　the
department　a　letter　written　with　her　left　hand；　signed　〃/A　friend　to
Louis　Philippe/；〃　in　which　she　informed　him　of　the　secret　intentions
of　Monsieur　Albert　de　Savarus；　pointing　out　the　serious　support　a
Royalist　orator　might　give　to　Berryer；　and　revealing　to　him　the　deeply
artful　course　pursued　by　the　lawyer　during　his　two　years'　residence　at
Besancon。　The　Prefet　was　a　capable　man；　a　personal　enemy　of　the
Royalist　party；　devoted　by　conviction　to　the　Government　of　Julyin
short；　one　of　those　men　of　whom；　in　the　Rue　de　Grenelle；　the　Minister
of　the　Interior　could　say；　〃We　have　a　capital　Prefet　at　Besancon。〃
The　Prefet　read　the　letter；　and；　in　obedience　to　its　instructions；　he
burnt　it。

Rosalie　aimed　at　preventing　Albert's　election；　so　as　to　keep　him　five
years　longer　at　Besancon。

At　that　time　an　election　was　a　fight　between　parties；　and　in　order　to
win；　the　Ministry　chose　its　ground　by　choosing　the　moment　when　it
would　give　battle。　The　elections　were　therefore　not　to　take　place　for
three　months　yet。　When　a　man's　whole　life　depends　on　an　election；　the
period　that　elapses　between　the　issuing　of　the　writs　for　convening　the
electoral　bodies；　and