the deputy of arcis- 第51部分

Charles　de　Sallenauve。



XIX

MARIE…GASTON　TO　THE　COMTESSE　DE　L'ESTORADE

Arcis…sur…Aube；　May　17；　1839。

That　stupid　riot　in　Paris；　the　incredible　particulars　of　which　we　heard　this　morning　by　telegraph；　came　near　causing　us　to　lose　the　election。

The　sub…prefect　instantly　placarded　all　over　the　town　the　news　of　this　attempt　at　insurrectionno　doubt　instigated　by　the　government　to　affect　the　elections。　〃What！　elect　a　democrat！〃　was　repeated　everywhere　in　Arcis；　and　doubtless　elsewhere；　〃so　that　his　speeches　in　the　Chamber　may　be　made　the　ammunition　of　insurgents！〃

That　argument　threw　our　phalanx　into　disorder　and　hesitation。　But　the　idea　occurred　to　Jacques　Bricheteau　to　turn　the　danger　itself　to　good　account；　and　he　hastily　printed　on　a　sheet　of　paper　and　distributed　all　over　the　town　in　enormous　quantities　the　following　notice：

　　A　bloody　riot　took　place　yesterday　in　Paris。　Questioned　as　to　the　　　employment　of　such　guilty　and　desperate　means　of　opposition；　one　　　of　our　candidates；　Monsieur　de　Sallenauve；　answered　thus：　〃Riots　　　will　always　be　found　to　serve　the　interests　of　the　government；　for　　　this　reason　the　police　are　invariably　accused　of　inciting　them。　　　True　resistance；　that　which　I　stand　for；　will　always　be　legal　　　resistance；　pursued　by　legal　means；　by　the　press；　by　the　tribune；　　　and　with　Patiencethat　great　force　granted　to　the　oppressed　and　　　to　the　vanquished。〃

These　words；　you　will　remember；　madame；　were　those　in　which　Sallenauve　answered　his　questioners　at　the　preparatory　meeting。　Then　followed　in　large　letters：

　　THE　RIOT　HAS　BEEN　SUPPRESSED。　WHO　WILL　PROFIT　BY　IT？

That　sheet　of　paper　did　marvels；　it　completely　foiled　the　efforts　of　Monsieur　de　Trailles；　who；　throwing　off　the　mask；　had　spent　his　day　in　perorating；　in　white　gloves；　on　the　market…place　and　from　the　steps　of　the　electoral　college。

This　evening　the　result　is　known；　namely；　two　hundred　and　one　votes　cast：　two　for　Beauvisage；　twenty…nine　for　Simon　Giguet；　one　hundred　and　seventy　for　Sallenauve。

Consequently；　Monsieur　Charles　de　Sallenauve　is　proclaimed　Deputy。




PART　III

MONSIEUR　DE　SALLENAUVE



I

THE　SORROWS　OF　MONSIEUR　DE　TRAILLES

During　the　evening　which　followed　the　election　in　which　he　had　played　a　part　so　humiliating　to　his　vanity；　Maxime　de　Trailles　returned　to　Paris。　It　might　be　supposed　that　in　making；　on　his　arrival；　a　rapid　toilet　and　ordering　his　carriage　to　be　instantly　brought　round；　he　was　hastening　to　pay　a　visit　to　the　Comte　de　Rastignac；　minister　of　Public　Works；　to　whom　he　must　have　desired　to　render　an　account　of　his　mission；　and　explain　as　best　he　could　the　reasons　of　its　ill…success。

But　another　and　more　pressing　interest　seemed　to　claim　him。

〃To　Colonel　Franchessini's；〃　he　said　to　his　coachman。

Arriving　at　the　gate　of　one　of　the　prettiest　hotels　in　the　/quartier/　Breda；　and　nodding　to　the　concierge；　he　received　an　affirmative　sign；　which　meant；　〃Monsieur　is　at　home〃；　and　at　the　same　time　a　valet　appeared　on　the　portico　to　receive　him。

〃Is　the　colonel　visible？〃　he　asked。

〃He　has　just　gone　into　madame's　room。　Does　monsieur　wish　me　to　call　him？〃

〃No；　I'll　wait　for　him　in　the　study。〃

Then；　like　one　familiar　with　the　house；　and　without　waiting　for　the　servant　to　usher　him；　he　entered　a　large　room　on　the　ground…floor；　which　looked　into　a　garden；　and　was　filled　with　a　miscellaneous　collection　of　articles　testifying　to　the　colonel's　habits　and　tastes。　Books；　charts；　and　maps　certainly　justified　the　word　〃study〃；　but；　as　a　frantic　sportsman　and　member　of　the　Jockey　Club；　the　colonel　had　allowed　this　sanctum　of　mental　labor　and　knowledge　to　become；　by　degrees；　his　smoking；　fencing；　and　harness　room。　Pipes　and　weapons　of　all　shapes　and　all　lands；　saddles；　hunting…whips；　spurs；　bits　of　many　patterns；　foils　and　boxing…gloves　formed　a　queer　and　heterogenous　collection。　However；　by　thus　surrounding　his　daily　life　with　the　objects　of　his　favorite　/studies/；　the　colonel　proved　himself　a　man　who　possessed　the　courage　of　his　opinions。　In　fact；　he　openly　said　that；　beyond　a　passing　notice；　there　was　no　reading　worth　a　man's　attention　except　the　〃Stud　Journal。〃

It　is　to　be　supposed；　however；　that　politics　had　managed　in　some　way　to　slip　into　this　existence　devoted　to　muscular　exercise　and　the　hippic　science；　for；　from　a　heap　of　the　morning　journals　disdainfully　flung　upon　the　floor　by　the　worthy　colonel；　Monsieur　de　Trailles　picked　up　a　copy　of　the　legitimist　organ；　in　which　he　read；　under　the　heading　of　ELECTIONS；　the　following　article：

　　The　staff　of　the　National　Guard　and　the　Jockey　Club；　which　had　　　various　representatives　in　the　last　Chamber；　have　just　sent　one　of　　　their　shining　notabilities　to　the　one　about　to　open。　Colonel　　　Franchessini；　so　well　known　for　his　ardor　in　punishing　the　　　refractories　of　the　National　Guard；　has　been　elected　almost　　　unanimously　in　one　of　the　rotten　boroughs　of　the　civil　list。　It　is　　　supposed　that　he　will　take　his　seat　beside　the　phalanx　of　other　　　henchmen；　and　show　himself　in　the　Chamber；　as　he　has　elsewhere；　　　one　of　the　firmest　supporters　of　the　policy　of　the　/present　order　　　of　things/。

As　Maxime　finished　reading　the　article；　the　colonel　entered。

After　serving　the　Empire　for　a　very　short　time；　Colonel　Franchessini　had　become　one　of　the　most　brilliant　colonels　of　the　Restoration；　but　in　consequence　of　certain　mists　which　had　risen　about　the　perfect　honorableness　of　his　character　he　had　found　himself　obliged　to　send　in　his　resignation；　so　that　in　1830　he　was　fully　prepared　to　devote　himself　in　the　most　ardent　manner　to　the　dynasty　of　July。　He　did　not　re…enter　military　service；　because；　shortly　after　his　misadventure　he　had　met　with　an　Englishwoman；　enormously　rich；　who　being　taken　with　his　beauty；　worthy　at　that　time　of　the　Antinous；　had　made　him　her　husband；　and　the　colonel　henceforth　contented　himself　with　the　epaulets　of　the　staff　of　the　National　Guard。　He　became；　in　that　position；　one　of　the　most　exacting　and　turbulent　of　blusterers；　and　through　the　influence　of　that　quality　combined　with　the　fortune　his　wife　had　given　him；　he　had　just　been　elected；　as　the　paper　stated；　to　the　Chamber　of　deputies。　Approaching　the　fifties；　like　his　friend　de　Trailles；　Colonel　Franchessini　had　still　some　pretensions　to　the　after…glow　of　youth；　which　his　slim　figure　and　agile　military　bearing　seemed　likely　to　preserve　to　him　for　some　time　longer。　Although　he　had　conquered　the　difficulty　of　his　gray　hair；　reducing　its　silvery　reflections　by　keeping　it　cut　very　close；　he　was　less　resigned　to　the　scantiness　of　his　moustache；　which　he　wore　in　youthful　style；　twirled　to　a　sharp　point　by　means　of　a　Hungarian　cosmetic；　which　also　preserved　to　a　certain　degree　its　primitive　color。　But　whoso　wants　to　prove　too　much　proves　nothing；　and　in　the　black　which　the　colonel　used　there　was　noticeably　a　raw　tone；　and　an　equality　of　shade　too　perfect　for　truth　of　nature。　Hence　his　countenance；　swarthy　and　strongly　marked　with　the　Italian　origin　indicated　by　his　name；　had　an　expression　of　singular　rigidity；　to　which　his　features；　now　become　angular；　his　piercing　glance；　and　his　nose　like　the　beak　of　a　bird　of　prey；　did　not　afford　the　requisite　corrective。

〃Hey；　Maxime！〃　he　cried；　shaking　hands　with　his　visitor；　〃where　the　devil　do　you　come　from？　It　is　more　than　a　fortnight　since　I　have　seen　you　at　the　club。〃

〃Where　do　I　come　from？〃　replied　Monsieur　de　Trailles。　〃I'll　tell　you　presently；　but　first　let　me　congratulate　you　on　your　election。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　the　colonel；　with　apparent　indifference；　〃/they/　would　put　me　up；　but　I　assure　you；　upon　my　honor；　I　was　very　innocent　of　it　all；　and　if　no　one　had　done　more　than　I〃

〃But；　my　dear　fellow；　you　are　a　blessed　choice　for　that　arrondissement；　I　only　wish　that　the　electors　I　have　had　to　do　with　were　equally　intelligent。〃

〃What！　have　you　been　standing　for　election？　I　didn't　suppose；　taking　into　consideration　therather　troubled　state　of　your　finances；　that　you　could　manage　it。〃

〃True；　and　I　was　not　electioneering　on　my　own　account。　Rastignac　was　uneasy　about　the　arrondissement　of　Arcis…sur…Aube；　and　he　asked　me　to　go　down　there　for　a　few　days。〃

〃Arcis…sur…Aube？　Seems　to　me　I　read　an　article　about　that　this　morning　in　one　of　those　cabbage…leaves。　Horrid　choice；　isn't　it？some　plasterer　or　image…maker　they　propose　to　send　us？〃

〃Precisely；　and　it　is　about　that　very　thing　I　have　come　to　see　you　before　I　see　the　others。　I　have　just　arrived；　and　I　don't　want　to　go　to　Rastignac　until　after　I　have　talked　with　you。〃

〃How　is　he　getting　on；　that　little　minister？〃　said　the　colonel；　taking　no　notice　of　the　clever　steps　by　which　Maxime　was　gravitating　toward　the　object　of　his　visit。　〃They　seem　to　be　satisfied　with　him　at　the　palace。　Do　you　know　that　little　Nucingen　whom　he　married？〃

〃Yes；　I　often　see　Rastignac；　he　is　a　very　old　acquaintance　of　mine。〃

〃She　is　pretty；　that　little　thing；〃　continued　the　colonel；　〃very　pretty；　and　I　think；　the　first　year　of　marriage　well　buried；　one　might　risk　one's　self　in　that　direction　with　some　success。〃

〃Come；　come；〃　said　Maxime；　〃you　are　a　serious　man　now；　a　legislator！　As　for　me；　the　mere　meddling　in　electoral　matters　in　the　interests　of　other　people　has　sobered　me。〃

〃Did