the deputy of arcis-第53章

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〃Not　now；〃　replied　the　admirer　and　probably　the　echo　of　Mother　Marie…　des…Anges；　but　using　her　own　language；　〃I　don't　blackmail　a　family　in　affliction。　I　should　remember　it　on　my　death…bed；　and　doubt　God's　mercy。〃

〃Why　don't　you　make　yourself　an　Ursuline；　now　that　we　are　here？〃

〃Ha；　if　I　only　had　the　courage！　I　might　be　happier　if　I　did。　But；　in　any　case；　I　am　not　going　to　Gondreville；　Mother　Marie…des…Anges　has　undertaken　to　arrange　that　matter　for　me。〃

〃Foolish　girl！　Have　you　given　her　that　note？〃

〃I　wanted　to　tear　it　up；　but　she　prevented　me；　and　told　me　to　give　it　to　her　and　she　would　arrange　it　honestly　for　my　interests。〃

〃Very　fine！　You　were　a　creditor；　and　now　you　are　a　beggar。〃

〃No；　for　I　have　given　the　money　in　alms。　I　told　madame　to　keep　it　for　her　poor。〃

〃Oh！　if　you　add　the　vice　of　patronizing　convents　to　your　other　vice　of　fishing　in　rivers；　you　will　be　a　pleasant　girl　to　frequent。〃

〃You　won't　frequent　me　much　longer；　for　I　go　to…night；　and　leave　you　to　your　dirty　work。〃

〃Bless　me！　so　you　retire　to　the　Carmelites？〃

〃The　Carmelites！〃　replied　Antonia；　wittily；　〃no；　my　old　fellow；　we　don't　retire　to　the　Carmelites　unless　we　leave　a　king。〃

Such　women；　even　the　most　ignorant；　all　know　the　story　of　La　Valliere；　whom　they　would　assuredly　have　made　their　patroness　if　Sister　Louise…　of…the…Sacred…Mercy　had　been　canonized。

I　don't　know　how　Mother　Marie…des…Anges　managed　it；　but　early　this　morning　the　carriage　of　the　old　Comte　de　Gondreville　stopped　before　the　gate　of　the　convent；　and　when　the　count　again　entered　it　he　was　driven　to　the　office　of　his　friend　Grevin；　and　later　in　the　day　the　latter　said　to　several　friends　that　certainly　his　son…in…law　was　too　much　of　a　fool；　he　had　compromised　himself　with　that　Parisian　woman；　and　would　undoubtedly　lose　his　election。

I　am　told　that　the　rectors　of　the　two　parishes　in　Arcis　have　each　received　a　thousand　crowns　for　their　poor　from　Mother　Marie…des…Anges；　who　informed　them　that　it　came　from　a　benefactor　who　did　not　wish　his　name　known。　Sallenauve　is　furious　because　our　partisans　are　going　about　saying　that　the　money　came　from　him。　But　when　you　are　running　before　the　wind　you　can't　mathematically　measure　each　sail；　and　you　sometimes　get　more　of　a　breeze　than　you　really　want。

Monsieur　Maxime　de　Trailles　makes　no　sign；　but　there　is　every　reason　to　suppose　that　this　failure　of　his　candidate；　which　he　must　see　is　now　inevitable；　will　bury　both　him　and　his　marriage。　But；　at　any　rate；　he　is　a　clever　fellow；　who　will　manage　to　get　his　revenge。

What　a　curious　man；　madame；　this　organist　is！　His　name　is　that　of　one　of　our　greatest　physicians；though　they　are　not　related　to　each　other；Bricheteau。　No　one　ever　showed　more　activity；　more　presence　of　mind；　more　devotion；　more　intelligence；　and　there　are　not　two　men　in　all　Europe　who　can　play　the　organ　as　he　does。　You　say　you　do　not　want　Nais　to　be　a　mere　piano　/strummer/；　then　I　advise　you　to　let　this　Bricheteau　teach　her。　He　is　a　man　who　would　show　her　what　music　really　is；　he　will　not　give　himself　airs；　for　I　assure　you　he　is　as　modest　as　he　is　gifted。　To　Sallenauve　he　is　like　a　little　terrier；　as　watchful；　as　faithful；　and　I　may　add　as　ugly；if　so　good　and　frank　a　countenance　as　his　can　ever　be　thought　anything　but　handsome！



XVII

MARIE…GASTON　TO　MADAME　LA　COMTESSE　DE　L'ESTORADE

Arcis…sur…Aube；　May　16；　1839。

Madame；Last　evening　the　preparatory　meeting　took　place；a　ridiculous　ceremony；　very　annoying　to　the　candidates；　which　cannot；　however；　be　avoided。

Perhaps　it　is　natural　that　before　pledging　themselves　to　a　man　who　is　to　represent　them　for　four　or　five　years；　voters　should　want　to　question　him；　and　discover；　if　possible；　what　he　really　is。　Is　he　a　man　of　intelligence？　Does　he　really　sustain　the　ideas　put　forth　about　him？　Will　he　be　cordial　and　affable　to　the　various　interests　which　may　claim　his　support？　Is　he　firm　in　character？　Can　he　defend　his　ideas　if　he　has　any？　In　a　word；　will　the　constituency　be　worthily；　faithfully；　and　honestly　represented？　That　is　the　serious　and　respectable　aspect　of　this　institution；　which；　not　being　a　part　of　the　law；　must；　in　order　to　be　so　firmly　fixed　in　our　customs；　have　a　sound　reason　for　its　existence。

But　every　medal　has　its　reverse；　as　may　be　seen　in　these　meetings　of　candidates　with　electors　puffed　up　by　their　own　self…importance；　eager　to　exercise　for　a　moment　the　sovereignty　they　are　about　to　delegate　to　their　deputy；　and　selling　it　as　dearly　as　they　can　to　him。　Considering　the　impertinence　of　certain　questions　addressed　to　a　candidate；　it　would　really　seem　as　if　the　latter　were　a　serf　over　whom　each　elector　had　rights　of　life　and　death。　Not　a　corner　of　his　private　life　where　the　unhappy　man　is　safe　from　prying　curiosity。　All　things　are　possible　in　the　line　of　preposterous　questioning；　for　instance：　Why　does　the　candidate　prefer　the　wine　of　Champagne　to　the　wine　of　Bordeaux？　At　Bordeaux；　where　wine　is　a　religion；　this　preference　implies　an　idea　of　non…patriotism　and　may　seriously　affect　the　election。　Many　voters　go　to　these　meetings　solely　to　enjoy　the　embarrassment　of　the　candidates。　Holding　them　as　it　were　in　the　pillory；　they　play　with　them　like　a　child　with　a　beetle；　an　old　judge　with　the　criminal　he　examines；　or　a　young　surgeon　at　an　autopsy。

Others　have　not　such　elevated　tastes；　they　come　merely　to　enjoy　the　racket；　the　confusion　of　tongues　which　is　certain　to　take　place　on　such　occasions。　Some　see　their　opportunity　to　exhibit　a　choice　talent；　for　（as　they　say　in　the　reports　of　the　Chamber）　when　〃the　tumult　is　at　its　height；〃　a　cock　is　heard　to　crow　or　a　dog　to　howl　as　if　his　paw　were　trodden　upon；noises　that　are　imitated　with　marvellous　accuracy。　But　truly；　are　not　fools　and　stupid　beings　a　majority　in　the　world；　and　ought　they　not　to　have　their　representative？

The　meeting　took　place　in　a　large　dance…hall；　the　loft　for　the　orchestra　forming　a　sort　of　private　box　to　which　non…voters　were　admitted；　I　among　the　number。　Some　ladies　had　already　taken　the　front　seats；　Madame　Marion；　aunt　of　Simon　Giguet；　the　Left　centre　candidate；　Madame　and　Mademoiselle　Mollot；　wife　and　daughter　of　the　clerk　of　the　court；　and　some　others　whose　names　and　position　I　did　not　catch。　Madame　and　Mademoiselle　Beauvisage　shone　conspicuously；　like　Brutus　and　Cassius；　by　their　absence。

Before　the　candidacy　of　Monsieur　Beauvisage　was　brought　forward　on　the　ministerial　side　after　the　death　of　Charles　Keller；　that　of　Monsieur　Simon　Giguet　was　thought　to　be　certain　of　success。　Now；　in　consequence　of　that　of　our　friend　Sallenauve；　who　has　in　turn　distanced　Beauvisage；　Giguet　has　fallen　a　step　lower　still。　His　father；　a　former　colonel　of　the　Empire；　is　greatly　respected　throughout　this　region。　As　an　expression　of　regret　for　not　electing　his　son　（according　to　all　probabilities）；　the　electors　made　him；　by　acclamation；　chairman　of　the　meeting。

The　first　candidate　who　was　called　upon　to　speak　was　Simon　Giguet；　he　made　a　long…winded　address；　full　of　commonplaces。　Few　questions　were　asked　him　which　deserve　a　place　in　the　present　report。　The　audience　felt　that　the　tug　of　war　was　elsewhere。

Monsieur　Beauvisage　was　then　summoned；　whereupon　Maitre　Achille　Pigoult　the　notary　rose；　and　asked　leave　to　make　a　statement。

〃Monsieur　le　maire；〃　he　said；　〃has；　since　yesterday；　been　attacked　by〃

〃Ha！　ha！〃　derisive　laughter　on　the　part　of　the　electors。

Colonel　Giguet　rang　his　bell　repeatedly；　without　being　able　to　enforce　silence。　At　the　first　lull　Maitre　Pigoult　resumed；

〃I　have　the　honor　to　inform　you；　gentlemen；　that；　attacked　by　an　indisposition　which；　not　serious　in　itself〃

Fresh　interruption；　noisier　than　the　first。

Like　all　military　men；　Colonel　Giguet　is　not　patient　nor　parliamentary；　he　therefore　rose　and　called　out　vehemently；

〃Messieurs；　we　are　not　at　a　circus。　I　request　you　to　behave　in　a　more　seemly　manner；　if　not；　I　leave　the　chair。〃

It　is　to　be　supposed　that　men　in　masses　like　to　be　handled　roughly；　for　this　lesson　was　greeted　with　merry　applause；　after　which　silence　appeared　to　be　firmly　re…established。

〃I　regret　to　inform　you；〃　began　Maitre　Achille　Pigoult；　varying　his　formula　for　the　third　time；　〃that；　attacked　by　an　indisposition　happil