the deputy of arcis-第46章

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nsent；　and　for　more　than　two　hours　they　spread　before　me　parchments；　genealogical　trees；　contracts；　patents；　documents　of　all　kinds；　from　which　it　appeared　that　the　family　of　Sallenauve　is；　after　that　of　Cinq…Cygne；　the　most　ancient　family　in　the　department　of　the　Aube。　I　ought　to　add　that　the　exhibition　of　these　archives　was　accompanied　by　an　infinite　number　of　spoken　details　which　seemed　to　make　the　identity　of　the　Marquis　de　Sallenauve　indisputable。　On　all　other　subjects　my　father　is　laconic；　his　mental　capacity　does　not　seem　to　me　remarkable；　and　he　willingly　allowed　his　/mouthpiece/　to　talk　for　him。　But　here；　in　the　matter　of　his　parchments；　he　was　loquaciously　full　of　anecdotes；　recollections；　heraldic　knowledge；　in　short；　he　was　exactly　the　old　noble；　ignorant　and　superficial　in　all　things；　but　possessed　of　Benedictine　erudition　where　the　genealogy　of　his　family　was　concerned。

The　/session/　would；　I　believe；　be　still　going　on；　if　Jacques　Bricheteau　had　not　intervened。　As　the　marquis　was　preparing　to　read　a　voluminous　memorandum　refuting　a　chapter　in　Tallemant　des　Reaux'　〃Historiettes〃　which　did　not　redound　to　the　credit　of　the　great　house　of　Sallenauve；　the　wise　organist　remarked　that　it　was　time　we　dined；　if　we　intended　to　keep　an　appointment　already　made　for　seven　o'clock　at　the　office　of　Maitre　Achille　Pigoult　the　notary。

We　dined；　not　at　the　table…d'hote；　but　in　private；　and　the　dinner　seemed　very　long　on　account　of　the　silent　preoccupation　of　the　marquis；　and　the　slowness　with　which；　owing　to　his　loss　of　teeth；　he　swallowed　his　food。

At　seven　o'clock　we　went　to　the　notary's　office；　but　as　it　is　now　two　o'clock　in　the　morning；　and　I　am　heavy　with　sleep；　I　shall　put　off　till　to…morrow　an　account　of　what　happened　there。


May　4；　5　A。M。

I　reckoned　on　peaceful　slumbers；　embellished　by　dreams。　On　the　contrary；　I　did　not　sleep　an　hour；　and　I　have　waked　up　stung　to　the　heart　by　an　odious　thought。　But　before　I　transmit　that　thought　to　you；　I　must　tell　you　what　happened　at　the　notary's。

Maitre　Achille　Pigoult；　a　puny　little　man；　horribly　pitted　with　the　small…pox；　and　afflicted　with　green　spectacles；　above　which　he　darts　glances　of　vivacious　intelligence；　asked　us　if　we　felt　warm　enough；　the　room　having　no　fire。　Politeness　required　us　to　say　yes；　although　he　had　already　given　signs　of　incendiarism　by　striking　a　match；　when；　from　a　distant　and　dark　corner　of　the　room；　a　broken；　feeble　voice；　the　owner　of　which　we　had　not　as　yet　perceived；　interposed　to　prevent　the　prodigality。

〃No；　Achille；　no；　don't　make　a　fire；〃　said　an　old　man。　〃There　are　five　in　the　room；　and　the　lamp　gives　out　a　good　heat；　before　long　the　room　would　be　too　hot　to　bear。〃

Hearing　these　words；　the　marquis　exclaimed：

〃Ah！　this　is　the　good　Monsieur　Pigoult；　formerly　justice　of　the　peace。〃

Thus　recognized；　the　old　man　rose　and　went　up　to　my　father；　into　whose　face　he　peered。

〃/Parbleu/！〃　he　cried；　〃I　recognize　you　for　a　Champagnard　of　the　/vieille　roche/。　Achille　did　not　deceive　me　in　declaring　that　I　should　see　two　of　my　former　acquaintances。　You；〃　he　said；　addressing　the　organist；　〃you　are　little　Bricheteau；　the　nephew　of　our　good　abbess；　Mother　Marie…des…Anges；　but　as　for　that　tall　skeleton；　looking　like　a　duke　and　peer；　I　can't　recall　his　name。　However；　I　don't　blame　my　memory；　after　eighty…six　years'　service　it　may　well　be　rusty。〃

〃Come；　grandfather；〃　said　Achille　Pigoult；　〃brush　up　your　memory；　and　you；　gentlemen；　not　a　word；　not　a　gesture。　I　want　to　be　clear　in　my　own　mind。　I　have　not　the　honor　to　know　the　client　for　whom　I　am　asked　to　draw　certain　deeds；　and　I　must；　as　a　matter　of　legal　regularity；　have　him　identified。〃

While　his　son　spoke；　the　old　man　was　evidently　straining　his　memory。　My　father；　fortunately；　has　a　nervous　twitching　of　the　face；　which　increased　under　the　fixed　gaze　his　/certifier/　fastened　upon　him。

〃Hey！　/parbleu/！　I　have　it！〃　he　cried。　〃Monsieur　is　the　Marquise　de　Sallenauve；　whom　we　used　to　call　the　'Grimacer；'　and　who　would　now　be　the　owner　of　the　Chateau　d'Arcis　if；　instead　of　wandering　off；　like　the　other　fools；　into　emigration；　he　had　stayed　at　home　and　married　his　pretty　cousin。〃

〃You　are　still　/sans…culotte/；　it　seems；〃　said　the　marquis；　laughing。

〃Messieurs；〃　said　the　notary；　gravely；　〃the　proof　I　had　arranged　for　myself　is　conclusive。　This　proof；　together　with　the　title…deeds　and　documents　Monsieur　le　marquis　has　shown　to　me；　and　which　he　deposits　in　my　hands；　together　with　the　certificate　of　identity　sent　to　me　by　Mother　Marie…des…Anges；　who　cannot；　under　the　rules　of　her　Order；　come　to　my　office；　are　sufficient　for　the　execution　of　the　deeds　which　I　have　herealready　prepared。　The　presence　of　two　witnesses　is　required　for　one　of　them。　Monsieur　Bricheteau　will；　of　course；　be　the　witness　on　your　side　and　on　the　other　my　father；　if　agreeable　to　you；　it　is　an　honor　that；　as　I　think；　belongs　to　him　of　right；　for；　as　one　may　say；　this　matter　has　revived　his　memory。〃

〃Very　good；　messieurs；　let　us　proceed；〃　said　Jacques　Bricheteau；　heartily。

The　notary　sat　down　at　his　desk；　the　rest　of　us　sat　in　a　circle　around　him；　and　the　reading　of　the　first　document　began。　Its　purport　was　to　establish；　authentically；　the　recognition　made　by　Francois…Henri…　Pantaleon　Dumirail；　Marquis　de　Sallenauve；　of　me；　his　son。　But　in　the　course　of　the　reading　a　difficulty　came　up。　Notarial　deeds　must；　under　pain　of　being　null　and　void；　state　the　domicile　of　all　contracting　parties。　Now；　where　was　my　father's　domicile？　This　part　had　been　left　in　blank　by　the　notary；　who　now　insisted　on　filling　it　before　proceeding　farther。

〃As　for　this　domicile；〃　said　Achille　Pigoult；　〃Monsieur　le　marquis　appears　to　have　none　in　France；　as　he　does　not　reside　in　this　country；　and　has　owned　no　property　here　for　a　long　time。〃

〃It　is　true；〃　said　the　marquis；　seeming　to　put　more　meaning　into　his　words　than　they　naturally　carried；　〃I　am　a　mere　vagabond　in　France。〃

〃Ah！〃　said　Jacques　Bricheteau；　〃vagabonds　like　you；　who　can　present　their　sons　with　the　necessary　sums　to　buy　estates；　are　not　to　be　pitied。　Still；　the　remark　is　a　just　one；　not　only　as　to　France；　but　as　to　your　residence　in　foreign　countries。　With　your　eternal　mania　for　roving；　it　is　really　very　difficult　to　assign　you　a　domicile。〃

〃Well；〃　said　Achille　Pigoult；　〃it　does　not　seem　worth　while　to　let　so　small　a　matter　stop　us。　Monsieur；〃　he　continued；　motioning　to　me；　〃is　now　the　owner　of　the　Chateau　d'Arcis；　for　an　engagement　to　sell　is　as　good　as　the　sale　itself。　What　more　natural；　therefore；　than　that　the　father's　domicile　should　be　stated　as　being　on　his　son's　estate；　especially　as　this　is　really　the　family　property　now　returned　into　the　hands　of　the　family；　being　purchased　by　the　father　for　the　son；　particularly　as　that　father　is　known　and　recognized　by　some　of　the　oldest　and　most　important　inhabitants　of　the　place？〃

〃Yes；　that　is　true；〃　said　old　Pigoult；　adopting　his　son's　opinion　without　hesitation。

〃In　short；〃　said　Jacques　Bricheteau；　〃you　think　the　matter　can　go　on。〃

〃You　see　that　my　father；　a　man　of　great　experience；　did　not　hesitate　to　agree　with　me。　We　say；　therefore；〃　continued　the　notary；　taking　up　his　pen；　〃Francois…Henri…Pantaleon　Dumirail；　Marquis　de　Sallenauve；　domiciled　with　Monsieur　Charles　de　Sallenauve；　his　natural　son；　by　him　legally　recognized；　in　the　house　known　as　the　Chateau　d'Arcis；　arrondissement　of　Arcis…sur…Aube；　department　of　the　Aube。〃

The　rest　of　the　deed　was　read　and　executed　without　comment。

Then　followed　a　rather　ridiculous　scene。

〃Now；　Monsieur　le　comte；〃　said　Jacques　Bricheteau；　〃embrace　your　father。〃

The　marquis　opened　his　arms　rather　indifferently；　and　I　coldly　fell　into　them；　vexed　with　myself　for　not　being　deeply　moved　and　for　not　hearing　in　my　heart　the　voice　of　kindred。　Was　this　barrenness　of　emotion　the　result　of　my　sudden　accession　to　wealth？　A　moment　later　a　second　deed　made　me　possessor；　on　payment　of　one　hundred　and　eighty　thousand　francs　in　ready　money；　of　the　Chateau　d'Arcis；a　grand　edifice　which　had　caught　my　eye；　on　my　first　arrival　in　the　town；　by　its　lordly　and　feudal　air。

〃You　may　congratulate　yourselves；〃　said　Achille　Pigoult；　〃that　you　have　got　that　estate　for　a　song。〃

〃Come；　com