the deputy of arcis- 第67部分

〃I　don't　know；　my　dear　minister；〃　he　said；　〃why　you　insist　on　giving　that　title　to　a　man　who　is；　really　and　truly；　a　mere　acquaintance；　and；　I　may　add；　a　passing　acquaintance；　if　the　rumors　you　have　just　mentioned　to　us　take　actual　shape。〃

〃I　am　glad　to　hear　you　say　that；〃　said　the　minister；　〃because　the　friendly　relations　which　I　supposed　you　to　hold　towards　him　would　have　embarrassed　me　a　good　deal　in　the　hostilities　which　I　foresee　must　break　out　between　him　and　the　government。〃

〃Most　grateful；　I　am　sure；　for　that　sentiment；〃　replied　the　peer　of　France；　〃but　be　kind　enough　to　remember　that　I　give　you　/carte　blanche/。　You　are　free　to　handle　Monsieur　de　Sallenauve　as　your　political　enemy；　without　a　moment's　fear　of　troubling　me。〃

Thereupon　they　parted；　and　Messieurs　Vinet　and　de　Trailles　were　introduced。

The　attorney…general；　Vinet；　was　the　most　devoted　and　the　most　consulted　champion　of　the　government　among　its　various　officials。　In　a　possible　reconstitution　of　the　ministry　he　was　obviously　the　candidate　for　the　portfolio　of　justice。　Being　thoroughly　initiated　into　all　the　business　of　that　position；　and　versed　in　its　secret　dealings；　nothing　was　hatched　in　that　department　on　which　he　was　not　consulted；　if　not　actually　engaged。　The　electoral　matters　of　Arcis…sur…Aube　had　a　double　claim　to　his　interest；　partly　on　account　of　his　wife；　a　Chargeboeuf　of　Brie；　and　a　relative　of　the　Cinq…Cygnes；　but　chiefly　because　of　the　office　held　by　his　son　in　the　local　administration。　So　that　when；　earlier　in　the　morning；　Monsieur　de　Trailles　carried　to　Rastignac　a　letter　from　Madame　Beauvisage；　wife　of　the　defeated　governmental　candidate；　full　of　statements　injurious　to　the　new　deputy；　the　minister　had　replied；　without　listening　to　any　explanations；

〃See　Vinet　about　it；　and　tell　him；　from　me；　to　come　here　with　you。〃

Notified　by　de　Trailles；　who　offered　to　fetch　him　in　his　carriage；　Vinet　was　ready　enough　to　go　to　the　minister；　and　now　that　we　find　the　three　together　in　Rastignac's　study；　we　shall　be　likely　to　obtain　some　better　knowledge　of　the　sort　of　danger　hanging　over　Sallenauve's　head　than　we　gained　from　Jacques　Bricheteau's　or　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade's　very　insufficient　information。

〃You　say；　my　dear　friends；〃　said　the　minister；　〃that　we　can　win　a　game　against　that　puritan；　who　seemed　to　me；　when　I　met　him　at　l'Estorade's　last　evening；　to　be　an　out…and…out　enemy　to　the　government？〃

Admitted　to　this　interview　without　official　character；　Maxime　de　Trailles　knew　life　too　well　to　take　upon　himself　to　answer　this　query。　The　attorney…general；　on　the　contrary；　having　a　most　exalted　sense　of　his　own　political　importance；　did　not　miss　the　opportunity　to　put　himself　forward。

〃When　Monsieur　de　Trailles　communicated　to　me　this　morning　a　letter　from　Madame　Beauvisage；〃　he　hastened　to　say；　〃I　had　just　received　one　from　my　son；　conveying　to　me　very　much　the　same　information。　I　am　of　Monsieur　de　Trailles'　opinion；　that　the　affair　may　become　very　serious　for　our　adversary；　provided；　however；　that　it　is　well　managed。〃

〃I　know；　as　yet；　very　little　about　the　affair；〃　remarked　the　minister。　〃As　I　wished　for　your　opinion　in　the　first　place；　my　dear　Vinet；　I　requested　Monsieur　de　Trailles　to　postpone　his　explanation　of　its　details　until　you　could　be　present　at　the　discussion。〃

This　time　Maxime　was　plainly　authorized　and　even　required　to　speak；　but　again　Vinet　stole　the　opportunity。

〃Here　is　what　my　son　Olivier　writes　me；　and　it　is　confirmed　by　the　letter　of　Madame　Beauvisage；　in　whom；　be　it　said　in　passing；　my　dear　minister；　you　have　lost　a　most　excellent　deputy。　It　appears　that　on　the　last　market…day　Maitre　Achille　Pigoult；　who　is　left　in　charge　of　the　affairs　of　the　new　deputy；　received　a　visit　from　a　peasant…woman　of　Romilly；　a　large　village　in　the　neighborhood　of　Arcis。　The　mysterious　father　of　the　deputy；　the　so…called　Marquis　de　Sallenauve；　declared　himself　to　be　the　last　remaining　scion　of　the　family；　but　it　seems　that　this　woman　produced　papers　in　due　form；　which　show　her　to　be　a　Sallenauve　in　the　direct　line；　and　within　the　degree　of　parentage　required　to　constitute　her　an　heir。〃

〃Was　she　as　ignorant　of　the　existence　of　the　Marquis　de　Sallenauve　as　the　marquis　seems　to　have　been　of　hers？〃　asked　Rastignac。

〃That　does　not　clearly　appear　from　what　she　says；〃　replied　the　attorney…general；　〃but　it　might　so　happen　among　relations　so　curiously　placed。〃

〃Go　on；　if　you　please；〃　said　Rastignac；　〃before　we　draw　conclusions　we　must　know　the　facts；　which；　as　you　are　aware；　is　not　always　done　in　the　Chamber　of　deputies。〃

〃Fortunately；　sometimes；　for　the　ministers；〃　remarked　Maxime；　laughing。

〃Monsieur　is　right；〃　said　Vinet；　〃hail　to　the　man　who　can　muddle　questions。　But　to　return　to　our　peasant…woman。　Not　being　satisfied；　naturally；　with　Maitre　Pigoult's　reception　of　her　news；　she　went　into　the　market…square；　and　there　by　the　help　of　a　legal　practitioner　from　her　village；　who　seems　to　have　accompanied　her；　she　spread　about　reports　which　are　very　damaging　to　my　worthy　colleague　in　the　Chamber。　She　said；　for　instance；　that　it　was　not　true　that　the　Marquis　de　Sallenauve　was　his　father；　that　it　was　not　even　true　that　the　Marquis　de　Sallenauve　was　still　living；　and　moreover　that　the　spurious　Sallenauve　was　a　man　of　no　heart；　who　had　repudiated　his　real　parents；　adding　that　she　could；　by　the　help　of　the　able　man　who　accompanied　her；　compel　him　to　disgorge　the　Sallenauve　property　and　'clear　out'　of　the　place。〃

〃I　have　no　objection　to　that；〃　said　Rastignac；　〃but　this　woman　must；　of　course；　have　papers　to　prove　her　allegations？〃

〃That　is　the　weak　point　of　the　matter；〃　replied　Vinet。　〃But　let　me　go　on　with　my　story。　The　government　has　at　Arcis　a　most　intelligent　and　devoted　functionary　in　the　commissary　of　police。　Circulating　among　the　groups；　as　he　usually　does　on　market　days；　he　heard　these　statements　of　the　peasant…woman；　and　reported　them　at　once；　not　to　the　mayor；　who　might　not　have　heeded　them；　but　to　Madame　Beauvisage。〃

〃/Ah　ca/！〃　said　Rastignac；　addressing　Maxime；　〃was　the　candidate　you　gave　us　such　a　dolt　as　that？〃

〃Just　the　man　you　needed；〃　replied　Maxime；〃silly　to　the　last　degree；　and　capable　of　being　wound　round　anybody's　finger。　I'll　go　any　lengths　to　repair　that　loss。〃

〃Madame　Beauvisage；〃　continued　Vinet；　〃wished　to　speak　with　the　woman　herself；　and　she　ordered　Groslierthat's　the　commissary　of　policeto　fetch　her　with　a　threatening　air　to　the　mayor's　office；　so　as　to　give　her　an　idea　that　the　authorities　disapproved　of　her　conduct。〃

〃Did　Madame　Beauvisage　concoct　that　plan？〃　asked　Rastignac。

〃Yes；〃　replied　Maxime；　〃she　is　a　very　clever　woman。〃

〃Questioned　closely　by　the　mayoress；〃　continued　Vinet；　〃who　took　care　to　have　the　mayor　present；　the　peasant…woman　was　far　from　categorical。　Her　grounds　for　asserting　that　the　new　deputy　could　not　be　the　son　of　the　marquis；　and　the　assurance　with　which　she　stated　that　the　latter　had　long　been　dead　were　not；　as　it　appears；　very　clearly　established；　vague　rumors　and　the　deductions　drawn　by　the　village　practitioner　seem　to　be　all　there　was　to　them。〃

〃Then；〃　said　Rastignac；　〃what　does　all　this　lead　to？〃

〃Absolutely　nothing　from　a　legal　point　of　view；〃　replied　the　attorney…　general；　〃for　supposing　the　woman　were　able　to　establish　the　fact　that　this　recognition　of　the　said　Dorlange　was　a　mere　pretence；　she　has　no　status　on　which　to　proceed　farther。　By　Article　339　of　the　Civil　Code　direct　heirship　alone　has　the　right　to　attack　the　recognition　of　natural　children。〃

〃Your　balloon　is　collapsing　fast；〃　said　the　minister。

〃So　that　the　woman；〃　continued　Vinet；　〃has　no　object　in　proceeding；　for　she　can't　inherit；　it　belongs　to　the　government　to　pursue　the　case　of　supposition　of　person；　she　can　do　no　more　than　denounce　the　fact。〃

〃From　which　you　conclude？〃　said　Rastignac；　with　that　curtness　of　speech　which　to　a　prolix　speaker　is　a　warning　to　be　concise。

〃From　which　I　conclude；　judicially　speaking；　that　the　Romilly　peasant…　woman；　so　far　as　she　is　concerned；　will　have　her　trouble　for　her　pains；　but；　speaking　politically；　the　thing　takes　quite　another　aspect。〃

〃Let　us　see　the　political　side；〃　said　the　minister；　〃up　to　this　point；　I　see　nothing。〃

〃In　the　first　place；〃　replied　the　attorney…general；　〃you　will　admit　that　it　is　always　possible　to　bring　a　bad　case？〃

〃Certainly。〃

〃And　I　don't　suppose　it　would　signify　much　to　you　if　the　woman　did　embark　in　a　matter　in　which　she　can　lose　nothing　but　her　costs？〃

〃No；　I　assure　you　I　am　wholly　indifferent。〃

〃In　any　case；　I　should　have　advised　you　to　let　things　take　their　course。　The　Beauvisage　husband　and　wife　have　engaged　to　pay　the　costs　and　also　the　expense　of　keeping　the　peasant…woman　and　her　counsel　in　Paris　during　the　inquiry。〃

〃Then；〃　said　Rastignac；　still　pressing　for　a　conclusion；　〃the　case　is　really　begun。　What　will　be　the　result？〃

〃What　will　be　the　result？〃　cried　the　attorney…general；　getting　excited；　〃why；　anything　you　please　if；　/before　the　case　comes　for　trial/；　your　newspapers　comment　upon　it；　and　your　friends　spread　reports　and　insinuations。　What　will　result？　why；　an　immense　fall　in　public　estimation　for　our　adversary　suspected　of　stealing　a　name　which　does　not　belong　to　him！　Wha