the deputy of arcis-第29章

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〃This　does　not　prevent　Marie…Gaston　from　being　a　man　of　honor　and　a　heart　of　gold。〃

Then　he　fainted。

This　duel；　as　you　can　well　believe；　has　made　a　great　commotion；　Monsieur　Dorlange　has　been　the　hero　of　the　hour　for　the　last　two　days；　it　is　impossible　to　enter　a　single　salon　without　finding　him　the　one　topic　of　conversation。　I　heard　more；　perhaps；　in　the　salon　of　Madame　de　Montcornet　than　elsewhere。　She　receives；　as　you　know；　many　artists　and　men　of　letters；　and　to　give　you　an　idea　of　the　manner　in　which　your　friend　is　considered；　I　need　only　stenograph　a　conversation　at　which　I　was　present　in　the　countess's　salon　last　evening。

The　chief　talkers　were　Emile　Blondet　of　the　〃Debats；〃　and　Monsieur　Bixiou；　the　caricaturist；　one　of　the　best…informed　/ferrets/　of　Paris。　They　are　both；　I　think；　acquaintances　of　yours；　but；　at　any　rate；　I　am　certain　of　your　intimacy　with　Joseph　Bridau；　our　great　painter；　who　shared　in　the　talk；　for　I　well　remember　that　he　and　Daniel　d'Arthez　were　the　witnesses　of　your　marriage。

〃The　first　appearance　of　Dorlange　in　art；〃　Joseph　Bridau　was　saying；　when　I　joined　them；　〃was　fine；　the　makings　of　a　master　were　already　so　apparent　in　the　work　he　did　for　his　examinations　that　the　Academy；　under　pressure　of　opinion；　decided　to　crown　himthough　he　laughed　a　good　deal　at　its　programme。〃

〃True；〃　said　Bixiou；　〃and　that　'Pandora'　he　exhibited　in　1837；　after　his　return　from　Rome；　is　also　a　very　remarkable　figure。　But　as　she　won　him；　at　once；　the　cross　and　any　number　of　commissions　from　the　government　and　the　municipality；　together　with　scores　of　flourishing　articles　in　the　newspapers；　I　don't　see　how　he　can　rise　any　higher　after　all　that　success。〃

〃That；〃　said　Blondet；　〃is　a　regular　Bixiou　opinion。〃

〃No　doubt；　and　well…founded　it　is。　Do　you　know　the　man？〃

〃No；　he　is　never　seen　anywhere。〃

〃Exactly；　he　is　a　bear；　but　a　premeditated　bear；　a　reflecting　and　determined　bear。〃

〃I　don't　see；〃　said　Joseph　Bridau；　〃why　this　savage　inclination　for　solitude　should　be　so　bad　for　an　artist。　What　does　a　sculptor　gain　by　frequenting　salons　where　gentlemen　and　ladies　have　taken　to　a　habit　of　wearing　clothes？〃

〃Well；　in　the　first　place；　a　sculptor　can　amuse　himself　in　a　salon；　and　that　will　keep　him　from　taking　up　a　mania；　or　becoming　a　visionary；　besides；　he　sees　the　world　as　it　is；　and　learns　that　1839　is　not　the　fifteenth　nor　the　sixteenth　century。〃

〃Has　Dorlange　any　such　delusions？〃　asked　Emile　Blondet。

〃He？　he　will　talk　to　you　by　the　hour　of　returning　to　the　life　of　the　great　artists　of　the　middle　ages　with　the　universality　of　their　studies　and　their　knowledge；　and　that　frightfully　laborious　life　of　theirs；　which　may　help　us　to　understand　the　habits　and　ways　of　a　semi…　barbarous　society；　but　can　never　exist　in　ours。　He　does　not　see；　the　innocent　dreamer；　that　civilization；　by　strangely　complicating　all　social　conditions；　absorbs　for　business；　for　interests；　for　pleasures；　thrice　as　much　time　as　a　less　advanced　society　required　for　the　same　purposes。　Look　at　the　savage　in　his　hut；　he　hasn't　anything　to　do。　Whereas　we；　with　the　Bourse；　the　opera；　the　newspapers；　parliamentary　discussions；　salons；　elections；　railways；　the　Cafe　de　Paris　and　the　National　Guardwhat　time　have　we；　if　you　please；　to　go　to　work？〃

〃Beautiful　theory　of　a　do…nothing！〃　cried　Emile　Blondet；　laughing。

〃No；　my　dear　fellow；　I　am　talking　truth。　The　curfew　no　longer　rings　at　nine　o'clock。　Only　last　night　my　concierge　Ravenouillet　gave　a　party；　and　I　think　I　made　a　great　mistake　in　not　accepting　the　indirect　invitation　he　gave　me　to　be　present。〃

〃Nevertheless；〃　said　Joseph　Bridau；　〃it　is　certain　that　if　a　man　doesn't　mingle　in　the　business；　the　interests；　and　the　pleasures　of　our　epoch；　he　can　make　out　of　the　time　he　thus　saves　a　pretty　capital。　Independently　of　his　orders；　Dorlange　has；　I　think；　a　little　competence；　so　that　nothing　hinders　him　from　arranging　his　life　to　suit　himself。〃

〃But　you　see　he　goes　to　the　opera；　for　it　was　there　he　found　his　duel。　Besides；　you　are　all　wrong　in　representing　him　as　isolated　from　this　contemporaneous　life；　for　I　happen　to　know　that　he　is　just　about　to　harness　himself　to　it　by　the　most　rattling　and　compelling　chains　of　the　social　systemI　mean　political　interests。〃

〃Does　he　want　to　be　a　statesman？〃　asked　Emile　Blondet；　sarcastically。

〃Yes；　no　doubt　that's　in　his　famous　programme　of　universality；　and　you　ought　to　see　the　consistency　and　perseverance　he　puts　into　that　idea！　Only　last　year　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　francs　dropped　into　his　mouth　as　if　from　the　skies；　and　he　instantly　bought　a　hovel　in　the　rue　Saint…Martin　to　make　himself　eligible　for　the　Chamber。　Thenanother　pretty　speculationwith　the　rest　of　the　money　he　bought　stock　in　the　'National；'　where　I　meet　him　every　time　I　want　to　have　a　laugh　over　the　republican　Utopia。　He　has　his　flatterers　on　the　staff　of　that　estimable　newspaper；　they　have　persuaded　him　that　he's　a　born　orator　and　can　cut　the　finest　figure　in　the　Chamber。　They　even　talk　of　getting　up　a　candidacy　for　him；　and　on　some　of　their　enthusiastic　days　they　go　so　far　as　to　assert　that　he　bears　a　distant　likeness　to　Danton。〃

〃But　this　is　getting　burlesque；〃　said　Emile　Blondet。

I　don't　know　if　you　have　ever　remarked；　my　dear　Monsieur　Gaston；　that　in　men　of　real　talent　there　is　always　great　leniency　of　judgment。　In　this；　Joseph　Bridau　is　pre…eminent。

〃I　think　with　you；〃　he　said；　〃that　if　Dorlange　takes　this　step；　and　enters　politics；　he　will　be　lost　to　art。　But；　after　all；　why　should　he　not　succeed　in　the　Chamber？　He　expresses　himself　with　great　facility；　and　seems　to　me　to　have　ideas　at　his　command。　Look　at　Canalis　when　he　was　made　deputy！　'What！　a　poet！'　everybody　cried　out；which　didn't　prevent　him　from　making　himself　a　fine　reputation　as　orator；　and　becoming　a　minister。〃

〃But　the　first　question　is　how　to　get　into　the　Chamber；〃　said　Emile　Blondet。　〃Where　does　Dorlange　propose　to　stand？〃

〃Why；　naturally；　for　one　of　the　rotten　boroughs　of　the　'National。'　I　don't　know　if　it　has　yet　been　chosen。〃

〃General　rule；〃　said　the　writer　for　the　〃Debats。〃　〃To　obtain　your　election；　even　though　you　may　have　the　support　of　an　active　and　ardent　party；　you　must　also　have　a　somewhat　extended　political　notoriety；　or；　at　any　rate；　some　provincial　backing　of　family　or　fortune。　Has　Dorlange　any　of　those　elements　of　success？〃

〃As　for　the　backing　of　a　family；　that　element　is　particularly　lacking；〃　replied　Bixiou；　〃in　fact；　in　his　case；　it　is　conspicuously　absent。〃

〃Really？〃　said　Emile　Blondet。　〃Is　he　a　natural　child？〃

〃Nothing　could　be　more　natural；father　and　mother　unknown。　But　I　believe；　myself；　that　he　can　be　elected。　It　is　the　ins　and　outs　of　his　political　ideas　that　will　be　the　wonder。〃

〃He　is　a　republican；　I　suppose；　if　he　is　a　friend　of　those　'National'　gentlemen；　and　resembles　Danton？〃

〃Yes；　of　course；　but　he　despises　his　co…religionists；　declaring　they　are　only　good　for　carrying　a　point；　and　for　violence　and　bullying。　Provisionally；　he　is　satisfied　with　a　monarchy　hedged　in　by　republican　institutions；　but　he　insists　that　our　civic　royalty　will　infallibly　be　lost　through　the　abuse　of　influence；　which　he　roughly　calls　corruption。　This　will　lead　him　towards　the　little　Church　of　the　Left…　centre；　but　there　againfor　there's　always　a　buthe　finds　only　a　collection　of　ambitious　minds　and　eunuchs　unconsciously　smoothing　the　way　to　a　revolution；　which　he；　for　his　part；　sees　looming　on　the　horizon　with　great　regret；　because；　he　says；　the　masses　are　too　little　prepared；　and　too　little　intelligent；　not　to　let　it　slip　through　their　fingers。　Legitimacy　he　simply　laughs　at；　he　doesn't　admit　it　to　be　a　principle　in　any　way。　To　him　it　is　simply　the　most　fixed　and　consistent　form　of　monarchical　heredity；　he　sees　no　other　superiority　in　it　than　that　of　old　wine　over　new。　But　while　he　is　neither　legitimist；　nor　conservative；　nor　Left…centre；　and　is　republican　without　wanting　a　republic；　he　proclaims　himself　a　Catholic；　and　sits　astride　the　hobby　of　that　party；　namely；liberty　of　education。　But　this　man；　who　wants　free　education　for　every　one；　is　afraid　of　the　Jesuits；　and　he　is　still；　as　in　1829；　uneasy　about　the　encroachments　of　the　clergy　and　the　Congregation。　Can