the deputy of arcis-第43章

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〃But　you　must　certainly　admit　that　if　any　acquaintance　had　met　you　at　half…past　nine　o'clock　walking　arm…in…arm　with　Monsieur　Dorlange　the　thing　would　have　seemed　to　them；　to　say　the　least；　singular。〃

Pretending　to　discover　what　I　had　known　for　the　last　hour；　I　exclaimed：

〃Is　it　possible　that　after　sixteen　years　of　married　life　you　do　me　the　honor　to　be　jealous。　Now　I　see　why；　in　spite　of　your　respect　for　proprieties；　you　spoke　to　Monsieur　Dorlange　in　my　presence　of　that　Italian　woman　whom　people　think　his　mistress；　that　was　a　nice　little　perfidy　by　which　you　meant　to　ruin　him　in　my　estimation。〃

Thus　exposed　to　the　light；　my　poor　husband　talked　at　random　for　a　time；　and　finally　had　no　resource　but　to　ring　for　Lucas　and　lecture　him　severely。　That　ended　the　explanation。

What　do　you　think　of　this　conjugal　proceeding；　by　which　my　husband；　wishing　to　do　a　man　some　harm　in　my　estimation；　gave　him　the　opportunity　to　appear　to　the　utmost　advantage？　Forthere　was　no　mistaking　itthe　sort　of　emotion　with　which　Monsieur　Dorlange　repelled　the　charge　was　the　cry　of　a　conscience　at　peace　with　itself；　and　which　knows　itself　able　to　confound　a　calumny。



XII

DORLANGE　TO　MARIE…GASTON

Paris；　May；　1839。

On　my　return　this　evening　from　the　Estorades；　on　whom　I　had　paid　my　parting　call；　I　found　your　letter；　my　dear　friend；　in　which　you　announce　your　coming　arrival。　I　shall　await　you　to…morrow　during　the　day；　but　in　the　evening　I　must；　without　further　delay；　start　for　Arcis…sur…Aube；　where；　in　the　course　of　the　next　week　my　political　matters　will　come　to　a　head。　What　particular　hold　I　may　have　on　that　town；　which；　as　it　appears；　I　have　the　ambition　to　represent；　and　on　what　co…operation　and　assistance　I　may　rely；in　a　word；　/who/　is　making　my　electoral　bed；all　that　I　know　as　little　about　as　I　did　last　year　when　I　was　told　for　the　first　time　that　I　must　enter　political　life。

A　few　days　ago　I　received　a　second　letter　from　my　father；　postmarked　Paris　this　time；　and　not　Stockholm。　Judging　by　the　style　of　the　document；　it　would　not　surprise　me　if　the　〃eminent　services〃　rendered　in　a　Northern　court　by　the　mysterious　author　of　my　days　turned　out　to　be　those　of　a　Prussian　corporal。　It　would　be　impossible　to　issue　orders　in　a　more　imperative　tone；　or　to　dwell　more　minutely　on　trifling　particulars。

The　note　or　memorandum　was　headed　thus：　/What　my　son　is　to　do/。

On　receipt　of　these　instructions　I　am　to　send　to　its　destination　the　Saint…Ursula；　to　superintend　the　packing　and　boxing　of　it　myself；　and　to　despatch　it　by　the　fastest　carrier；　to　Mother　Marie…des…Anges；　superior　of　the　convent　of　the　Ursulines　at　Arcis…sur…Aube。

The　order　went　on　to　say　that　I　was　to　follow　the　statue　in　a　few　days；　so　as　to　arrive　at　the　said　Arcis…sur…Aube　not　later　than　the　3rd　of　May。　Even　the　inn　at　which　I　was　to　put　up　was　dictated。　I　would　find　myself　expected　at　the　Hotel　de　la　Poste；　so　that　if　I　happen　to　prefer　any　of　the　others　I　must　resign　that　fancy。　I　am　also　enjoined　to　publish　in　the　newspapers　on　the　day　of　my　departure　the　fact　that　I　present　myself　as　candidate　in　the　electoral　arrondissement　of　Arcis…sur…Aube；　avoiding；　however；　to　make　any　profession　of　political　faith；　which　would　be　both　useless　and　premature。　The　document　ended　with　an　injunction　which；　while　it　humiliated　me　somewhat；　gave　me　a　certain　faith　in　what　was　happening。　The　Mongenod　Brothers；　and　draw　for　another　sum　of　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　francs；　which　/is　to　be/　deposited　in　my　name；　〃taking　the　utmost　care；〃　continued　my　instructions；　〃when　transporting　this　money　from　Paris　to　Arcis…sur…Aube　that　it　be　not　lost　or　stolen。〃

What　do　you　think　of　that　last　clause；　dear　friend？　That　sum　/is　to　be/　deposited；　then　it　is　not　already　there；　and　suppose　it　is　not　there？Besides；　what　am　I　to　do　with　it　in　Arcis？　Am　I　to　stand　my　election　on　English　principles？　if　so；　a　profession　of　political　faith　would　certainly　be　useless　and　premature。　As　to　the　advice　not　to　lose　or　allow　to　be　stolen　the　money　in　my　possession；　do　you　not　think　that　that　is　making　me　rather　juvenile？　I　feel　an　inclination　to　suck　my　thumb　and　cry　for　a　rattle。　However；　I　shall　let　myself　go　with　the　current　that　is　bearing　me　along；　and；　notwithstanding　the　news　of　your　coming　arrival；　after　paying　a　visit　to　the　Brothers　Mongenod；　I　shall　valiantly　start；　imagining　the　stupefaction　of　the　good　people　of　Arcis　on　seeing　another　candidate　pop　up　in　their　midst　like　a　Jack…in…the…box。

In　Paris　I　have　already　fired　my　gun。　The　〃National〃　has　announced　my　candidacy　in　the　warmest　terms；　and　it　seems　that　this　evening；　in　the　house　of　the　Minister　of　the　Interior；　where　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade　was　dining；　I　was　discussed　at　some　length。　I　ought　to　add　that；　according　to　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade；　the　general　impression　is　that　I　shall　certainly　fail　of　election。　The　ministry　might　possibly　fear　a　candidate　from　the　Left　centre；　but　as　for　the　democratic　party　to　which　I　am　supposed　to　belong；　they　do　not　even　allow　that　it　exists。　The　Left　centre　candidate　has；　however；　been　disposed　of　by　a　ministerial　envoy　of　the　ablest　and　most　active　description；　and　at　this　moment；　when　I　set　off　my　small　balloon；　the　election　of　the　Conservative　candidate　is　pretty　well　assured。

Among　the　elements　of　my　inevitable　defeat；　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade　condescended　to　mention　a　matter　about　which；　dear　friend；　I　am　rather　surprised　that　you　have　not　already　lectured　me。　It　is　one　of　those　agreeable　calumnies　put　in　circulation　in　the　salon　Montcornet　by　the　honored　and　honorable　Monsieur　Bixiou。　The　scandal　concerns　a　handsome　Italian　woman　whom　I　brought　back　from　Italy　and　with　whom　I　am　said　to　be　living　in　a　manner　not　canonical。　Come；　tell　me；　what　hindered　you　from　asking　me　to　explain　this　important　matter？　Did　you　think　the　charge　so　shameful　that　you　feared　to　offend　me　by　alluding　to　it？　Or　have　you　such　confidence　in　my　morality　that　you　felt　no　need　of　being　strengthened　therein？　I　did　not　have　time　to　enter　upon　the　necessary　explanations　to　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade；　neither　have　I　the　leisure　to　write　them　to　you　now。　If　I　speak　of　the　incident　it　is　for　the　purpose　of　telling　you　of　an　observation　I　think　I　have　made；　into　the　truth　of　which　I　want　you　to　examine　after　you　get　here。　It　is　this：

I　have　an　idea　that　it　would　not　be　agreeable　to　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade　to　see　me　successful　in　my　electoral　campaign。　He　never　gave　much　approbation　to　the　plan；　in　fact　he　tried　to　dissuade　me；　but　always　from　the　point　of　view　of　my　own　interests。　But　to…day；　when　he　finds　that　the　plan　has　taken　shape；　and　is　actually　discussed　in　the　ministerial　salon；　my　gentleman　turns　bitter；　and　he　seems　to　feel　a　malignant　pleasure　in　prophesying　my　defeat　and　in　producing　this　charming　little　infamy　under　which　he　expects　to　bury　our　friendship。

Why　so！　I　will　tell　you：　while　feeling　some　gratitude　for　the　service　I　did　him；　the　worthy　man　also　felt　from　the　height　of　his　social　position　a　superiority　over　me　of　which　my　entrance　to　the　Chamber　will　now　dispossess　him；　and　it　is　not　agreeable　to　him　to　renounce　that　sense　of　superiority。　After　all；　what　is　an　artist；　even　though　he　may　be　a　man　of　genius；　compared　to　a　peer　of　France；　a　personage　who　puts　his　hand　to　the　tiller　and　steers　the　great　political　and　social　system；　a　man　who　has　access　to　kings　and　ministers；　and　who　would　have　the　right　if；　by　impossibility；　such　audacity　should　seize　upon　his　mind；　of　depositing　a　black　ball　against　the　budget。　Well；　this　privileged　being　does　not　like　that　I；　and　others　like　me；　should　assume　the　importance　and　authority　of　that　insolent　elective　Chamber。

But　that　is　not　all。　Hereditary　statesmen　have　a　foolish　pretension：　that　of　being　initiated　by　long　study　into　a　certain　science　represented　as　arduous；　which　they　call　the　science　of　public　affairs　and　which　they　（like　physicians　with　medical　science）　alone　have　the　right　to　practise。　They　are　not　willing　that　an　underling；　a　journalist　for　instance；　or　lower　than　that；　an　artist；　a　cutter　of　images；　should　presume　to　slip　into　their　domain　and　speak　out　beside　them。　A　poet；　an　artist；　a　writer　may　be　endowed　with　eminent　faculties；　they　will　agree