the deputy of arcis-第24章

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〃But　I！　here　am　I；　exposed　to　the　doubts　of　everybody。　A　miserable　coward　like　du　Tillet　dares　to　ask　if　I　have　the　courage　to　kill　myself！　It　is　high　time　for　me　to　settle　down。　Does　the　ministry　want　to　get　rid　of　me；　or　does　it　not？　You　ought　to　know。　At　any　rate；　you　must　find　out；〃　continued　Maxime；　making　a　gesture　with　his　hand　to　silence　Rastignac。　〃Here　is　my　plan：　listen　to　it。　You　ought　to　serve　me；　for　I　have　served　you；　and　can　serve　you　again。　The　life　I　live　now　is　intolerable；　I　want　an　escape　from　it。　Help　me　to　a　marriage　which　shall　bring　me　half　a　million。　Once　married；　appoint　me　minister　to　some　wretched　little　republic　in　America。　I'll　stay　there　long　enough　to　make　my　promotion　to　the　same　post　in　Germany　legitimate。　If　I　am　worth　anything；　they　will　soon　take　me　out　of　it；　if　I　am　not　worth　anything；　they　can　dismiss　me。　Perhaps　I　may　have　a　child。　If　so；　I　shall　be　stern　with　him；　his　mother　will　be　rich；　I'll　make　him　a　minister；　perhaps　an　ambassador。〃

〃Here　is　my　answer；〃　said　Rastignac。　〃An　incessant　battle　is　going　on　greater　than　common　people　who　are　not　in　it　have　any　idea　of　between　power　in　its　swaddling…clothes　and　power　in　its　childhood。　Power　in　swaddling…clothes　is　the　Chamber　of　Deputies　which；　not　being　restrained　by　an　hereditary　chamber〃

〃Ha！　ha！〃　said　Maxime；　〃you　are　now　a　peer　of　France。〃

〃I　should　say　the　same　if　I　were　not；〃　said　the　new　peer。　〃But　don't　interrupt　me；　you　are　concerned　in　all　this。　The　Chamber　of　Deputies　is　fated　to　become　the　whole　government；　as　de　Marsay　used　to　tell　us　（the　only　man　by　whom　France　could　have　been　saved）；　for　peoples　don't　die；　they　are　slaves　or　free　men；　and　that's　all。　Child…power　is　the　royalty　that　was　crowned　in　August；　1830。　The　present　ministry　is　beaten；　it　dissolves　the　Chamber　and　brings　on　a　general　election　in　order　to　prevent　the　coming　ministry　from　calling　one；　but　it　does　not　expect　a　victory。　If　it　were　victorious　in　these　elections；　the　dynasty　would　be　in　danger；　whereas；　if　the　ministry　is　beaten；　the　dynastic　party　can　fight　to　advantage　for　a　long　time。　The　mistakes　of　the　Chamber　will　turn　to　the　profit　of　a　will　which　wants；　unfortunately；　to　be　the　whole　political　power。　When　a　ruler　is　that　whole；　as　Napoleon　was；　there　comes　a　moment　when　he　must　supplement　himself；　and　having　by　that　time　alienated　superior　men；　he；　the　great　single　will；　can　find　no　assistant。　That　assistant　ought　to　be　what　is　called　a　cabinet；　but　there　is　no　cabinet　in　France；　there　is　only　a　Will　with　a　life　lease。　In　France　it　is　the　government　that　is　blamed；　the　opposition　never；　it　may　lose　as　many　battles　as　it　fights；　but；　like　the　allies　in　1814；　one　victory　suffices。　With　〃three　glorious　days〃　it　overturned　and　destroyed　everything。　Therefore；　if　we　are　heirs　of　power；　we　must　cease　to　govern；　and　wait。　I　belong　by　my　personal　opinions　to　the　aristocracy；　and　by　my　public　opinions　to　the　royalty　of　July。　The　house　of　Orleans　served　me　to　raise　the　fortunes　of　my　family；　and　I　shall　ever　remain　attached　to　it。〃

〃The　'ever'　of　Monsieur　de　Talleyrand；　be　it　understood；〃　put　in　Maxime。

〃At　this　moment　I　can't　do　anything　for　you；〃　continued　Rastignac。　〃We　shall　not　be　in　power　more　than　six　months　longer。　Yes；　those　six　months　will　be　our　last　dying　agony；　I　know　that；　but　we　know　what　we　were　when　we　formed　ourselves；　a　stop…gap　ministry　and　that　was　all。　But　you　can　distinguish　yourself　in　the　electoral　battle　that　is　soon　to　be　fought。　If　you　can　bring　one　vote　to　the　Chamber；　a　deputy　faithful　to　the　dynastic　cause；　you　will　find　your　wishes　gratified。　I　will　speak　of　your　good　services；　and　I　will　keep　my　eye　on　the　reports　of　our　confidential　agents；　I　may　find　you　some　difficult　task　in　which　you　can　distinguish　yourself。　If　you　succeed；　I　can　insist　upon　your　talents；　your　devotion；　and　claim　your　reward。　Your　marriage；　my　dear　fellow；　can　be　made　only　in　some　ambitious　provincial　family　of　tradespeople　or　manufacturers。　In　Paris　you　are　too　well　known。　We　must　therefore　look　out　for　a　millionaire　parvenu；　endowed　with　a　daughter；　and　possessed　with　a　desire　to　parade　himself　and　his　family　at　the　Chateau　des　Tuileries。〃

〃Make　your　father…in…law　lend　me　twenty…five　thousand　francs　to　enable　me　to　wait　as　long　as　that；　he　will　then　have　an　interest　in　seeing　that　I　am　not　paid　in　holy…water　if　I　succeed；　he　will　further　a　rich　marriage　for　his　own　sake。〃

〃You　are　wily；　Maxime；　and　you　distrust　me。　But　I　like　able　men；　and　I　will　attend　to　your　affair。〃

They　reached　the　Austrian　embassy。　The　Comte　de　Rastignac　saw　the　minister　of　the　interior　in　one　of　the　salons　and　went　to　talk　with　him　in　a　corner。　Comte　Maxime　de　Trailles；　meantime；　was　apparently　engrossed　by　the　old　Comtesse　de　Listomere；　but　he　was；　in　reality；　following　the　course　of　the　conversation　between　the　two　peers　of　France；　he　watched　their　gestures；　interpreted　their　looks；　and　ended　by　catching　a　favorable　glance　cast　upon　him　by　the　minister。

Maxime　and　Rastignac　left　the　embassy　together　about　one　in　the　morning；　and　before　getting　into　their　respective　carriages；　Rastignac　said　to　Maxime　on　the　steps　of　the　portico：　〃Come　and　see　me　just　before　the　elections。　Between　now　and　then　I　shall　know　in　what　locality　the　chances　of　the　ministry　are　worst；　and　what　resources　two　heads　like　yours　and　mine　can　find　there。〃

〃But　my　twenty…five　thousand　francs　are　needed；〃　replied　de　Trailles。

〃Well；　you　must　hide　yourself；　that's　all。〃

Fifty　days　later；　one　morning　before　dawn；　the　Comte　de　Trailles　went　to　the　rue　de　Varennes；　mysteriously　in　a　hired　cab。　At　the　gate　of　the　ministry　of　Public　Works；　he　sent　the　cab　away；　looked　about　him　to　see　that　he　was　not　watched；　and　then　waited　in　a　little　salon　on　the　first　floor　until　Rastignac　should　awake。　A　few　moments　later　the　valet　who　had　taken　in　his　card　ushered　Maxime　into　the　minister's　bed…chamber；　where　that　statesman　was　making　his　morning　toilet。

〃My　dear　Maxime；〃　said　the　latter；　〃I　can　tell　you　a　secret　which　will　be　in　the　newspapers　two　days　hence；　and　which；　meantime；　you　can　turn　to　your　own　profit。　That　poor　Charles　Keller；　who　danced　the　mazurka　so　well；　as　been　killed　in　Africa。　His　death　leaves　a　vacancy；　he　was　our　candidate　in　the　arrondissement　of　Arcis。　Here　is　a　copy　of　two　reports；　one　from　the　sub…prefect；　the　other　from　the　commissary　of　police；　informing　the　ministry　that　the　election　of　the　poor　fellow　would　meet　with　opposition。　In　that　of　the　commissary　of　police　you　will　find　some　information　about　the　state　of　the　town　which　ought　to　be　useful　to　a　man　of　your　shrewdness；　it　seems　that　the　ambition　of　the　rival　candidate　comes　chiefly　from　his　desire　to　marry　a　certain　heiress。　To　one　of　your　calibre　that　word　is　enough。　The　Cinq…Cygnes；　the　Princesse　de　Cadignan；　and　Georges　de　Maufrigneuse　are　living　at　Cinq…Cygne；　close　to　Arcis；　you　can　certainly　obtain　through　them　all　the　Legitimist　votes；　therefore〃

〃Don't　waste　your　breath；〃　said　Maxime。　〃Is　the　commissary　still　there？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Give　me　a　letter　to　him。〃

〃My　dear　fellow；〃　replied　Rastignac；　giving　Maxime　quite　a　bundle　of　papers；　〃you　will　find　there　two　letters　written　to　Gondreville　for　you。　You　have　been　a　page　and　he　has　been　a　senator；　you　can't　fail　therefore　to　understand　each　other。　Madame　Francois　Keller　is　pious；　here　is　a　letter　introducing　you　to　her　from　the　Marechale　de　Carigliano。　The　marechale　has　become　dynastic；　she　recommends　you　warmly；　and　may　go　down　herself。　I　will　only　add　one　word：　Distrust　the　sub…prefect；　whom　I　think　capable　of　working　this　candidate；　this　Simon　Giguet；　into　a　support　for　himself　with　the　president　of　the　council。　If　you　want　letters；　powers；　credentials；　write　to　me。〃

〃And　those　twenty…five　thousand　francs？〃　said　Maxime。

〃Sign　this　note　to　the　order　of　du　Tillet；　and　here's　the　money。〃

〃I　shall　succeed；〃　said　the　count；　〃and　you　may　tell　the　king　that　the　deputy　of　Arcis　shall　belong　to　him　body　and　soul。　If　I　fail；　I　give　you　leave　to　abandon　me。〃

An　hour　later　Maxime　de　Trailles　was　in　his　tilbury　on　the　road　to　Arcis。



XIII

PREFACE　BEFORE　LETTERING

Once　in　possession　of　the　information　furnished　by　the　landlady　of　the