the deputy of arcis-第55章

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ng　for　the　floor；　a　well…　known　Republican。　The　new　questioner；　in　a　falsetto　voice；　put　the　following　insidious　question　to　the　candidate；a　question　which　might；　by　the　way；　be　called　national　in　Arcis；

〃What　does　Monsieur　think　of　Danton？〃

〃Monsieur　Dauphin；〃　said　the　chairman；　〃I　have　the　honor　to　remind　you　that　Danton　belongs　to　history。〃

〃To　the　Pantheon　of　history；　monsieur；　that　is　the　proper　expression。〃

〃Well；　history；　or　the　Pantheon　of　history；　as　you　please；　but　Danton　is　irrelevant　here。〃

〃Permit　me；　Mr。　Chairman；〃　said　Sallenauve；　〃though　the　question　does　not　seem　to　have　much　purpose　on　the　bearing　of　this　meeting；　I　cannot　forego　the　opportunity　thus　given　me　to　give　proof　of　the　impartiality　and　independence　with　which　I　can　judge　that　great　memory；　the　fame　of　which　still　echoes　in　this　town。〃

〃Hear！　hear！〃　cried　the　assembly；　almost　unanimously。

〃I　am　firmly　convinced；〃　resumed　Sallenauve；　〃that　if　Danton　had　been　born　in　a　calm　and　peaceful　epoch　like　our　own；　he　would　have　shown　himself；　what　in　fact　he　was；　a　good　father；　a　good　husband；　a　warm　and　faithful　friend；　a　man　of　kindly　temper；　who；　by　the　force　of　his　great　talents；　would　have　risen　to　some　eminent　place　in　the　State　and　in　society。〃

〃Yes；　yes！　bravo！　very　good！〃

〃Born；　on　the　contrary；　in　troublesome　times；　and　amid　the　storm　of　unchained　passions；　Danton　was　better　constituted　than　others　to　kindle　the　flame　of　that　atmosphere　of　fire。　Danton　was　the　torch　that　fired；　his　scarlet　glare　lent　itself　only　too　readily　to　scenes　of　blood　and　horror　which　I　must　not　recall。　But；　they　said；　the　national　independence　was　at　stake；　traitors　and　dissemblers　must　be　awed；in　a　word；　a　cruel　and　awful　sacrifice　was　necessary　for　the　public　weal。　Messieurs；　I　do　not　accept　that　theory。　To　kill；　without　the　necessity　demonstrated　a　score　of　times　of　legitimate　defence；　to　kill　women；　children；　prisoners；　unarmed　men；　was　a　crime；a　crime；　look　at　it　how　you　will；　that　was　execrable；　those　who　ordered　it；　those　who　consented　to　it；　those　who　executed　it　are；　to　my　mind；　deserving　of　the　same　reprobation。〃

I　wish　I　could　give　you　an　idea；　madame；　of　the　tone　and　expression　of　Sallenauve　as　he　uttered　this　anathema。　You　know　how　his　face　is　transfigured　when　an　ardent　thought　comes　into　his　mind。　The　assemblage　was　mute　and　gloomy。　Evidently　he　had　wounded　their　sensibilities；　but；　under　the　curb　of　his　powerful　hand；　it　dared　not　throw　up　its　head。

〃But；〃　he　continued；　〃to　all　consummated　and　irreparable　crimes　there　are　two　issues；repentance　and　expiation。　His　repentance　Danton　did　not　utter；he　was　too　proud　a　man；but　he　/acted/　it。　He　was　the　first；　to　the　sound　of　that　axe　falling　without　pity　and　without　respite；the　first；　at　the　risk　of　his　own　head　being　the　next　victim；to　call　for　a　'committee　of　mercy。'　It　was　the　sure；　the　infallible　means　of　bringing　him　to　expiation；　and　you　all　know　whether；　when　that　day　of　expiation　came；　he　quailed　before　it。　Passing　through　death；won　by　his　courageous　effort　to　stop　the　effusion　of　blood；it　may　be　truly　said　that　the　face　and　the　memory　of　Danton　have　washed　off　the　bloody　stain　which　September　put　upon　them。　Committed；　at　the　age　of　thirty…five；　to　the　judgment　of　posterity；　Danton　has　left　us　the　memory　of　a　great　intellect；　a　strong　and　powerful　character；　noble　private　qualities；　more　than　one　generous　action；all　derived　from　his　own　being；　whereas　the　bloody　errors　he　committed　were　the　contagion　of　his　epoch。　In　a　word；　with　men　of　his　quality；　unjust　would　be　the　justice　which　does　not　temper　itself　with　mercy。　And　here；　messieurs；　you　have　in　your　midstbetter　than　you；　better　than　I；　better　than　all　orators　and　historiansa　woman　who　has　weighed　and　understood　Danton；　and　who　says　to　the　pitiless；　with　the　impulse　of　her　charity；　'He　has　gone　to　God；　let　us　pray　for　him。'〃

The　trap　thus　avoided　by　this　happy　allusion　to　Mother　Marie…des…　Anges；　and　the　assembly　evidently　satisfied；　it　might　be　supposed　that　the　candidate　had　come　to　the　end　of　his　baiting。　The　colonel　was　even　preparing　to　pass　to　the　vote；　when　several　electors　sprang　up；　declaring　that　two　important　explanations　were　still　required　from　the　candidate。　He　had　said　that　he　should　ever　be　found　an　obstacle　to　all　attempts　of　the　royal　power　to　subvert　our　institutions。　What　did　he　mean　by　such　resistance？　Was　it　armed　resistance；　the　resistance　of　riots　and　barricades？

〃Barricades；〃　replied　Sallenauve；　〃have　nearly　always　seemed　to　me　machines　which　turned　of　themselves　and　crushed　the　men　who　raised　them。　We　must　believe　that　in　the　nature　of　riots　there　is　something　which　serves　the　interests　of　the　government；　for　I　have　invariably　heard　the　police　accused　of　inciting　them。　My　resistance；　that　which　I　spoke　of；　will　ever　be　a　legal　resistance；　pursued　by　legal　means；　by　the　press；　by　the　tribune；　and　with　patience；that　great　force　granted　to　the　oppressed　and　to　the　vanquished。〃

If　you　knew　Latin；　madame；　I　should　say　to　you；　/In　cauda　venenum/；　which　means；　〃In　the　tail　of　the　serpent　is　its　venom；〃a　remark　of　antiquity　which　modern　science　does　not　admit。　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade　was　not　mistaken；　Sallenauve's　private　life　was　destined　to　be　ransacked；　and；　no　doubt　under　the　inspiration　of　the　virtuous　Maxime　de　Trailles；　the　second　question　put　to　our　friend　was　about　the　handsome　Italian　woman　said　to　be　/hidden/　by　him　in　his　house　in　Paris。

Sallenauve　showed　no　embarrassment　at　being　thus　interpellated。　He　merely　asked　whether　the　assembly　would　think　proper　to　spend　its　time　in　listening　to　a　romantic　story　in　which　there　was　no　scandal。

But　here　comes　Sallenauve　himself；　he　tells　me　that　the　electoral　college　is　formed　in　a　manner　that　leaves　little　doubt　of　his　election。　I　leave　my　pen　to　him；　to　tell　you　the　romantic　tale；　already；　I　believe；　interrupted　on　several　occasions。　He　will　close　this　letter。



XVIII

CHARLES　DE　SALLENAUVE　TO　THE　COMTESSE　DE　L'ESTORADE


7　P。M。

Madame；The　rather　abrupt　manner　in　which　I　parted　from　you　and　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade　the　evening　of　our　visit　to　Armand's　school；　has　been　explained　to　you　by　the　preoccupations　of　all　sorts　to　which　at　that　moment　I　was　a　victim。　Marie…Gaston　tells　me　that　he　has　kept　you　informed　of　the　subsequent　events。

I　acknowledge　that　in　the　restless　and　agitated　state　of　mind　in　which　I　then　was；　the　sort　of　belief　which　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade　appeared　to　give　to　the　scandal　which　he　mentioned　caused　me　great　displeasure　and　some　surprise。　How；　thought　I；　is　it　possible　that　a　man　of　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade's　morality　and　intellect　can　/a　priori/　suppose　me　capable　of　such　disorder；　when　he　sees　me　anxious　to　give　to　my　life　all　the　weight　and　consideration　which　the　respect　of　others　alone　can　bestow？　Only　a　few　moments　before　this　painful　conversation　I　had　been　on　the　point　of　making　you　a　confidence　which　would；　I　presume；　have　protected　me　against　the　unfortunate　impression　which　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade　conveyed　to　your　mind。　As　for　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade　himself；　I　was；　I　confess；　so　annoyed　at　seeing　the　careless　manner　in　which　he　made　himself　the　echo　of　a　calumny　against　which　I　felt　he　ought　rather　to　have　defended　me　that　I　did　not　/deign/　to　make　any　explanation　to　him。　I　now　withdraw　that　word；　but　it　was　then　the　true　expression　of　a　displeasure　keenly　felt。

In　the　course　of　my　electoral　contest；　I　have　been　obliged　to　make　public　the　justification　I　did　not　make　to　you；　and　I　have　had　the　satisfaction　of　finding　that　men　in　masses　are　more　capable　than　individuals　of　understanding　generous　impulses　and　of　distinguishing　the　honest　language　of　truth。　Here　are　the　facts　which　I　related；　but　more　briefly　and　with　less　detail；　to　my　electors。

A　few　months　before　my　departure　from　Rome；　I　was　in　a　cafe　frequented　by　the　pupils　of　the　Academy；　when　an　Italian　musician；　named　Benedetto；　came　in；　as　he　usually　did　every　evening。　Nominally　he　was　a　musician　and　a　tolerable　one；　but　we　had　been　warned　that　he　was　also　a　spy　of　the　Roman　police。　However　that　might　be；　he　was　very　amusing；　and　as　we　cared　nothing　for　the　police；　we　not　only　endured　but　we　encouraged　his　visits；which　was　not　hard　to　do