the deputy of arcis-第25章

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XIII

PREFACE　BEFORE　LETTERING

Once　in　possession　of　the　information　furnished　by　the　landlady　of　the　Mulet　and　by　the　sub…prefect　Antonin　Goulard；　Monsieur　de　Trailles　had　soon　arranged　his　plan　of　electoral　operations；　and　this　plan　evinces　itself　so　readily　that　the　reader　must　already　have　perceived　it。

To　the　candidacy　of　Simon　Giguet；　the　wily　agent　of　the　government　policy　suddenly　and　abruptly　opposed　that　of　Phileas　Beauvisage；　and　in　spite　of　the　nullity　and　unfitness　of　that　individual　this　new　combination；　we　must　admit；　had　several　incontestable　chances　of　success。　In　the　light　of　his　municipal　halo　Beauvisage　had　one　enormous　advantage　with　the　mass　of　indifferent　voters；　as　mayor　of　the　town　his　name　was　known　to　them。　Logic　has　much　more　to　do　with　the　conducting　of　matters　and　things　here　below　than　it　seems　to　have；　it　is　like　a　woman　to　whom；　after　many　infidelities；　we　still　return。　What　common…sense　prescribes　is　that　voters　called　upon　to　choose　their　representative　in　public　matters　should　be　thoroughly　informed　as　to　his　capacity；　his　honesty；　and　his　general　character。　Too　often；　in　practice；　unfortunate　twists　are　given　to　this　principle；　but　whenever　the　electoral　sheep；　left　to　their　own　instincts；　can　persuade　themselves　that　they　are　voting　from　their　own　intelligence　and　their　own　lights；　we　may　be　certain　to　see　them　following　that　line　eagerly　and　with　a　sentiment　of　self…love。　Now　to　know　a　man's　name；　electorally　speaking；　is　a　good　beginning　toward　a　knowledge　of　the　man　himself。

Passing　from　indifferent　to　interested　electors；　we　may　be　sure　that　Phileas　was　certain　of　rallying　to　himself　the　Gondreville　party；　now　deprived　by　death　of　their　own　candidate。　The　question　for　them　was　to　punish　the　presumption　of　Simon　Giguet；　and　any　candidate　would　be　acceptable　to　the　viceroy　of　Arcis。　The　mere　nomination　of　a　man　against　his　grandson　was　a　flagrant　act　of　hostility　and　ingratitude；　and　a　check　to　the　count's　provincial　importance　which　must　be　removed　and　punished　at　any　cost。

Still；　when　the　first　news　of　his　electoral　ambition　reached　his　father…in…law；　Beauvisage　was　met　by　an　astonishment　little　flattering　to　his　feelings　and　not　encouraging。　The　old　notary　had　gauged　his　son…in…law　once　for　all；　and　to　his　just　and　upright　mind　the　idea　of　Phileas　as　a　public　man　produced　in　its　way　the　disagreeable　effect　that　discordant　instruments　produce　upon　the　ear。　If　it　be　true　that　no　man　is　a　prophet　in　his　own　country；　he　is　often　even　less　so　in　his　own　family。　Still；　the　first　impression　once　passed；　Grevin　would　doubtless　acclimatize　himself　to　the　idea　of　an　expedient　which　would　chime　in　with　the　plans　he　had　already　made　for　Severine's　future。　Besides；　for　the　safety　of　Gondreville's　interests；　so　seriously　threatened；　what　sacrifice　of　his　own　opinion　would　the　old　notary　not　have　made？

With　the　legitimist　and　the　republican　parties　who　could　have　no　weight　in　the　election；　except　that　of　increasing　a　majority；　the　candidacy　of　Beauvisage　had　a　singular　recommendation；namely；　his　utter　incapacity。　Conscious　of　not　possessing　sufficient　strength　to　elect　a　deputy　of　their　own；　the　two　extremes　of　the　antidynastic　opposition　seized；　almost　with　ardor；　the　opportunity　to　stick　a　thorn　in　the　side　in　what　they　called　〃the　present　order　of　things；〃　and　it　might　confidently　be　expected　that　in　this　frame　of　mind　they　would　joyfully　and　with　all　their　hearts　support　a　candidate　so　supremely　ridiculous　that　a　large　slice　of　the　ridicule　must　fall　upon　the　government　which　supported　him。

Moreover；　in　the　opinions　of　the　Left…Centre　which　had　provisionally　adopted　Simon　Giguet　as　its　candidate；　this　move　of　Beauvisage　was　likely　to　produce　a　serious　split；　for　he　too　had　declared　himself　a　man　of　the　dynastic　opposition；　and；　until　further　orders；　Monsieur　de　Trailles　（though　all　the　while　assuring　him　of　the　support　of　the　ministry）　encouraged　his　retaining　that　political　tint；　which　was　clearly　the　most　popular　in　that　region。　But　whatever　baggage　of　political　convictions　the　incorruptible　deputy　of　Arcis　might　bring　with　him　to　Paris；　his　horoscope　was　drawn：　it　was　very　certain　that　after　his　first　appearance　in　the　salons　of　the　Tuileries　an　august　seduction　would　make　a　henchman　of　him；　if　ministerial　blandishments　had　not　already　produced　that　result。

The　public　side　of　this　matter　being　thus　well…planned　and　provided　for；　the　ministerial　agent　could　turn　his　attention　to　the　personal　aspect　of　the　question；　namely；　that　of　turning　the　stuff　he　was　making　into　a　deputy　to　the　still　further　use　of　being　made　into　a　father…in…law。

First　point；　the　/dot/；　second　point；　the　daughter；　and　both　appeared　to　suit　him。　The　first　did　not　dazzle　him；　but　as　to　the　second；　he　did　not　conceal　from　himself　the　imperfections　of　a　provincial　education　which　he　should　have　to　unmake；　but　this　was　no　serious　objection　to　his　sapient　conjugal　pedagogy。

Madame　Beauvisage；　when　the　matter　was　laid　before　her；　swept　her　husband　into　it　at　a　single　bound。　Maxime　recognized　her　for　an　ambitious　woman　who；　in　spite　of　her　forty…four　years；　still　had　the　air　of　being　conscious　of　a　heart。　Hence　he　saw　that　the　game　had　better　begin　with　a　false　attack　on　her　to　fall　back　later　on　the　daughter。　How　far　these　advanced　works　could　be　pushed；　circumstances　would　show。　In　either　case；　Maxime　was　well　aware　that　his　title；　his　reputation　as　a　man　of　the　world；　and　his　masterly　power　of　initiating　them　into　the　difficult　and　elegant　mysteries　of　Parisian　society　were　powerful　reasons　to　bind　the　two　women　to　him；　not　to　speak　of　their　gratitude　for　the　political　success　of　Monsieur　Beauvisage　of　which　he　was　the　author。

But　however　all　this　might　be；　his　matrimonial　campaign　offered　one　very　serious　difficulty。　The　consent　of　old　Grevin　would　have　to　be　obtained；　and　he　was　not　a　man　to　allow　Cecile　to　be　married　without　investigating　to　its　depths　the　whole　past　of　a　suitor。　This　inquiry　made；　was　it　not　to　be　feared　that　the　thirty　years'　stormy　biography　of　a　roue　would　seem　to　the　cautious　old　man　a　poor　security　for　the　future？

However；　the　species　of　governmental　mission　with　which　Monsieur　de　Trailles　appeared　in　Arcis　might　seem　to　be　an　offset　and　even　a　condonation　that　would　neutralize　the　effect　of　such　disclosures。　By　getting　the　Comte　de　Gondreville　to　confide　the　news　of　that　mission　to　old　Grevin　before　it　was　publicly　made　known；　he　had　flattered　the　old　man's　vanity　and　obtained　a　certain　foothold　in　his　mind。　Moreover；　he　determined；　when　the　time　came；　to　forestall　the　old　notary's　distrust　by　seeming　to　distrust　himself；　and　to　propose；　as　a　precaution　against　his　old　habits　of　extravagance；　to　introduce　a　clause　into　the　marriage…contract　providing　for　the　separation　of　property　and　settling　the　wife's　fortune　upon　herself。　In　this　way　he　gave　security　against　any　return　to　his　old　habits　of　prodigality。　As　for　himself；　it　was　his　affair　to　obtain　such　empire　over　his　wife　by　the　power　of　sentiment　that　he　could　recover　practically　the　marital　power　of　which　the　contract　dispossessed　him。

At　first　nothing　occurred　to　contradict　the　wisdom　and　clearsightedness　of　all　these　intentions。　The　Beauvisage　candidacy　being　made　public　took　fire　like　a　train　of　gunpowder；　and　Monsieur　de　Trailles　was　able　to　feel　such　assurance　of　the　success　of　his　efforts　that　he　wrote　to　Rastignac　informing　him　of　the　fortunate　and　highly　successful　progress　of　his　mission。

But；　all　of　a　sudden；　in　face　of　the　triumphant　Beauvisage　rose　another　candidate；　and；　be　it　said　in　passing　for　the　sake　of　our　history；　this　rivalry　presented　itself　under　such　exceptional　and　unforeseen　circumstances　that　it　changed　what　might　have　been　a　trivial　electoral　struggle　into　a　drama　possessing　wider　and　more　varied　interests。

The　man　who　now　appears　in　this　narrative　will　play　so　considerable　a　part　in　it　that　it　seems　necessary　to　install　him；　as　it　were；　by　means　of　retrospective　and　somewhat　lengthy　explanations。　But　to　suspend　the　course　of　the　narrative　for　this　purpose　would　be　to　fly　in　the　face　of　every　rule　of　art　and　expose　the　present　pious　guardian　of　literary　orthodoxy　to　the　wrath　of　cr