the deputy of arcis-第38章

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father　knew　all　and　I　nothing；　it　seemed　to　me　that　to　enter　on　a　struggle　with　him　was　neither　reasonable　nor　opportune。　In　fact；　had　I　any　real　repugnance　to　the　career　suggested　to　me？　No。　Political　interests　have　always　roused　me　to　a　certain　degree；　and　if　my　electoral　attempt　should　come　to　nothing；　I　could　always　return　to　my　art　without　being　more　ridiculous　than　the　other　still…born　ambitions　which　each　new　legislature　produces。

Accordingly；　I　have　bought　the　necessary　piece　of　property；　and　made　myself　a　shareholder　in　the　〃National。〃　I　have　also　made　the　Saint…　Ursula；　and　am　now　awaiting　instructions；　which　seem　to　me　rather　long　in　coming；　as　to　her　actual　destination。　Moreover；　I　have　made　known　my　parliamentary　ambition；　and　the　fact　that　I　intend　to　stand　in　the　coming　elections。

I　need　not　ask　you　to　preserve　the　utmost　secrecy　about　my　present　confidence。　Discretion　is　a　virtue　which　you　practise；　to　my　knowledge；　in　too　signal　a　manner　to　need　any　exhorting　thereto　from　me。　But　I　am　wrong；　dear　friend；　in　making　these　unkind　allusions　to　the　past；　for　at　this　moment　I　am；　more　perhaps　than　you　know；　the　obliged　party。　Partly　out　of　interest　in　me；　but　more　because　of　the　general　aversion　your　brother…in…law's　extreme　haughtiness　inspires；　the　democratic　party　has　flocked　to　my　door　to　make　inquiries　about　my　wound；　and　the　talk　and　excitement　about　this　duel　have　served　me　well；　there　is　no　doubt　that　my　candidacy　has　gained　much　ground。　Therefore；　I　say；　a　truce　to　your　gratitude；　do　you　not　see　how　much　I　owe　to　you？



X

DORLANGE　TO　MARIE…GASTON

Paris；　April；　1839。

Dear　Friend；For　better　or　for　worse；　I　continue　my　candidacy　without　a　constituency　to　elect　me。　This　surprises　my　friends　and　worries　me；　for　it　is　only　a　few　weeks　now　to　the　general　election；　and　if　it　happens　that　all　this　mysterious　〃preparation〃　comes　to　nought；　a　pretty　figure　I　shall　cut　in　the　caricatures　of　Monsieur　Bixiou；　of　whose　malicious　remarks　on　the　subject　you　lately　wrote　me。

One　thing　reassures　me：　it　does　not　seem　likely　that　any　one　would　have　sown　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　francs　in　my　electoral　furrow　without　feeling　pretty　sure　of　gathering　a　harvest。　Perhaps；　to　take　a　cheerful　view　of　the　matter；　this　very　slowness　may　be　considered　as　showing　great　confidence　of　success。

However　that　may　be；　I　am　kept　by　this　long　delay　in　a　state　of　inaction　which　weighs　upon　me。　Astride　as　it　were　of　two　existences；　one　in　which　I　have　not　set　foot；　the　other　in　which　my　foot　still　lingers；I　have　no　heart　to　undertake　real　work；　I　am　like　a　traveller　who；　having　arrived　before　the　hour　when　the　diligence　starts；　does　not　know　what　to　do　with　his　person　nor　how　to　spend　his　time。　You　will　not　complain；　I　think；　that　I　turn　this　enforced　/far　niente/　to　the　profit　of　our　correspondence；　and　now　that　I　am　thus　at　leisure；　I　shall　take　up　two　points　in　your　last　letter　which　did　not　seem　to　me　of　sufficient　importance　to　pay　much　attention　to　at　the　time：　I　refer　to　your　warning　that　my　parliamentary　pretensions　did　not　meet　the　approval　of　Monsieur　Bixiou；　and　to　your　suggestion　that　I　might　expose　myself　to　falling　in　love　with　Madame　de　l'Estoradeif　I　were　not　in　love　with　her　already。　Let　us　discuss；　in　the　first　instance；　Monsieur　Bixiou's　grand　disapprobationjust　as　we　used　to　talk　in　the　olden　time　of　the　grand　treachery　of　Monsieur　de　Mirabeau。

I'll　describe　that　man　to　you　in　a　single　word。　Envy。　In　Monsieur　Bixiou　there　is；　unquestionably；　the　makings　of　a　great　artist；　but　in　the　economy　of　his　existence　the　belly　has　annihilated　the　heart　and　the　head；　and　he　is　now　and　forever　under　the　dominion　of　sensual　appetites；　he　is　riveted　to　the　condition　of　a　/caricaturist/；that　is　to　say；　to　the　condition　of　a　man　who　from　day　to　day　discounts　himself　in　petty　products；　regular　galley…slave　pot…boilers；　which；　to　be　sure；　give　him　a　lively　living；　but　in　themselves　are　worthless　and　have　no　future。　With　talents　misused　and　now　impotent；　he　has　in　his　mind；　as　he　has　on　his　face；　that　everlasting　and　despairing　/grin/　which　human　thought　instinctively　attributes　to　fallen　angels。　Just　as　the　Spirit　of　darkness　attacks；　in　preference；　great　saints　because　they　recall　to　him　most　bitterly　the　angelic　nature　from　which　he　has　fallen；　so　Monsieur　Bixiou　delights　to　slaver　the　talents　and　characters　of　those　who　he　sees　have　courageously　refused　to　squander　their　strength；　sap；　and　aims　as　he　has　done。

But　the　thing　which　ought　to　reassure　you　somewhat　as　to　the　danger　of　his　calumny　and　his　slander　（for　he　employs　both　forms　of　backbiting）　is　that　at　the　very　time　when　he　believes　he　is　making　a　burlesque　autopsy　of　me　he　is　actually　an　obedient　puppet　whose　wire　I　hold　in　my　hands；　and　whom　I　am　making　talk　as　I　please。　Being　convinced　that　a　certain　amount　of　noisy　discussion　would　advance　my　political　career；　I　looked　about　me　for　what　I　may　call　a　public　crier。　Among　these　circus　trumpets；　if　I　could　have　found　one　with　a　sharper　tone；　a　more　deafening　blare　than　Bixiou's；　I　would　have　chosen　it。　As　it　was；　I　have　profited　by　the　malevolent　curiosity　which　induces　that　amiable　lepidopter　to　insinuate　himself　into　all　studios。　I　confided　the　whole　affair　to　him；　even　to　the　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　francs　（which　I　attributed　to　a　lucky　stroke　at　the　Bourse）；　I　told　him　all　my　plans　of　parliamentary　conduct；　down　to　the　number　of　the　house　I　have　bought　to　conform　to　the　requirements　of　the　electoral　law。　It　is　all　jotted　down　in　his　notebook。

That　statement；　I　think；　would　somewhat　reduce　the　admiration　of　his　hearers　in　the　salon　Montcornet　did　they　know　of　it。　As　for　the　political　horoscope　which　he　has　been　so　kind　as　to　draw　for　me；　I　cannot　honestly　say　that　his　astrology　is　at　fault。　It　is　very　certain　that　with　my　intention　of　following　no　set　of　fixed　opinions；　I　must　reach　the　situation　so　admirably　summed　up　by　the　lawyer　of　Monsieur　de　la　Palisse；　when　he　exclaimed　with　burlesque　emphasis：　〃What　do　you　do；　gentlemen；　when　you　place　a　man　in　solitude？　You　isolate　him。〃

Isolation　will　certainly　be　my　lot；　and　the　artist…life；　in　which　a　man　lives　alone　and　draws　from　himself　like　the　Great　Creator　whose　work　he　toils　to　imitate；　has　predisposed　me　to　welcome　the　situation。　But　although；　in　the　beginning　especially；　it　will　deprive　me　of　all　influence　in　the　lobbies；　it　may　serve　me　well　in　the　tribune；　where　I　shall　be　able　to　speak　with　strength　and　/freedom/。　Being　bound　by　no　promises　and　by　no　party　trammels；　nothing　will　prevent　me　from　being　the　man　I　am；　and　expressing；　in　all　their　sacred　crudity；　the　ideas　which　I　think　sound　and　just。　I　know　very　well　that　before　an　audience　plain；　honest　truth　may　fail　to　be　contagious　or　even　welcome。　But　have　you　never　remarked　that；　by　using　our　opportunities　wisely；　we　finally　meet　with　days　which　may　be　called　the　festivals　of　morality　and　intelligence；　days　on　which；　naturally　and　almost　without　effort；　the　thought　of　good　triumphs？

I　do　not；　however；　conceal　from　myself　that；　although　I　may　reach　to　some　reputation　as　an　orator；　such　a　course　will　never　lead　to　a　ministry；　and　that　it　does　not　bestow　that　reputation　of　being　a　practical　man　to　which　it　is　now　the　fashion　to　sacrifice　so　much。　But　if　at　arm's　length　in　the　tribune　I　have　but　little　influence；　I　shall　make　my　mark　at　a　greater　distance。　I　shall　speak　as　it　were　from　a　window；　beyond　the　close　and　narrow　sphere　of　parliamentary　discussion；　and　above　the　level　of　its　petty　passions　and　its　petty　interests。　This　species　of　success　appears　to　meet　the　views　of　the　mysterious　paternal　intentions　toward　me。　What　they　seem　to　require　is　that　I　shall　sound　and　resound。　From　that　point　of　view；　i'　faith；　politics　have　a　poetic　side　which　is　not　out　of　keeping　with　my　past　life。

Now；　to　take　up　your　other　warning：　that　of　my　passion　born　or　to　be　born　for　Madame　de　l'Estorade。　I　quote　your　most　judicious　deductions　for　the　purpose　of　answering　them　fully。

In　1837；　when　you　left　for　Italy；　Madame　de　l'Estorade　was；　you　say；　in　the　flower　of　her　beauty；　and　the　queer；　audacious　persistence　which　I　have　shown　in　deriving　inspiration　from　her　shows　that　it　has　not　faded。