the deputy of arcis-第58章

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　stated；　to　the　Chamber　of　deputies。　Approaching　the　fifties；　like　his　friend　de　Trailles；　Colonel　Franchessini　had　still　some　pretensions　to　the　after…glow　of　youth；　which　his　slim　figure　and　agile　military　bearing　seemed　likely　to　preserve　to　him　for　some　time　longer。　Although　he　had　conquered　the　difficulty　of　his　gray　hair；　reducing　its　silvery　reflections　by　keeping　it　cut　very　close；　he　was　less　resigned　to　the　scantiness　of　his　moustache；　which　he　wore　in　youthful　style；　twirled　to　a　sharp　point　by　means　of　a　Hungarian　cosmetic；　which　also　preserved　to　a　certain　degree　its　primitive　color。　But　whoso　wants　to　prove　too　much　proves　nothing；　and　in　the　black　which　the　colonel　used　there　was　noticeably　a　raw　tone；　and　an　equality　of　shade　too　perfect　for　truth　of　nature。　Hence　his　countenance；　swarthy　and　strongly　marked　with　the　Italian　origin　indicated　by　his　name；　had　an　expression　of　singular　rigidity；　to　which　his　features；　now　become　angular；　his　piercing　glance；　and　his　nose　like　the　beak　of　a　bird　of　prey；　did　not　afford　the　requisite　corrective。

〃Hey；　Maxime！〃　he　cried；　shaking　hands　with　his　visitor；　〃where　the　devil　do　you　come　from？　It　is　more　than　a　fortnight　since　I　have　seen　you　at　the　club。〃

〃Where　do　I　come　from？〃　replied　Monsieur　de　Trailles。　〃I'll　tell　you　presently；　but　first　let　me　congratulate　you　on　your　election。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　the　colonel；　with　apparent　indifference；　〃/they/　would　put　me　up；　but　I　assure　you；　upon　my　honor；　I　was　very　innocent　of　it　all；　and　if　no　one　had　done　more　than　I〃

〃But；　my　dear　fellow；　you　are　a　blessed　choice　for　that　arrondissement；　I　only　wish　that　the　electors　I　have　had　to　do　with　were　equally　intelligent。〃

〃What！　have　you　been　standing　for　election？　I　didn't　suppose；　taking　into　consideration　therather　troubled　state　of　your　finances；　that　you　could　manage　it。〃

〃True；　and　I　was　not　electioneering　on　my　own　account。　Rastignac　was　uneasy　about　the　arrondissement　of　Arcis…sur…Aube；　and　he　asked　me　to　go　down　there　for　a　few　days。〃

〃Arcis…sur…Aube？　Seems　to　me　I　read　an　article　about　that　this　morning　in　one　of　those　cabbage…leaves。　Horrid　choice；　isn't　it？some　plasterer　or　image…maker　they　propose　to　send　us？〃

〃Precisely；　and　it　is　about　that　very　thing　I　have　come　to　see　you　before　I　see　the　others。　I　have　just　arrived；　and　I　don't　want　to　go　to　Rastignac　until　after　I　have　talked　with　you。〃

〃How　is　he　getting　on；　that　little　minister？〃　said　the　colonel；　taking　no　notice　of　the　clever　steps　by　which　Maxime　was　gravitating　toward　the　object　of　his　visit。　〃They　seem　to　be　satisfied　with　him　at　the　palace。　Do　you　know　that　little　Nucingen　whom　he　married？〃

〃Yes；　I　often　see　Rastignac；　he　is　a　very　old　acquaintance　of　mine。〃

〃She　is　pretty；　that　little　thing；〃　continued　the　colonel；　〃very　pretty；　and　I　think；　the　first　year　of　marriage　well　buried；　one　might　risk　one's　self　in　that　direction　with　some　success。〃

〃Come；　come；〃　said　Maxime；　〃you　are　a　serious　man　now；　a　legislator！　As　for　me；　the　mere　meddling　in　electoral　matters　in　the　interests　of　other　people　has　sobered　me。〃

〃Did　you　say　you　went　to　Arcis…sur…Aube　to　hinder　the　election　of　that　stone…cutter？〃

〃Not　at　all；　I　went　there　to　throw　myself　in　the　way　of　the　election　of　a　Left…centre　candidate。〃

〃Pah！　the　Left；　pure　and　simple；　is　hardly　worse。　But　take　a　cigar；　these　are　excellent。　The　princes　smoke　them。〃

The　colonel　rose　and　rang　the　bell；　saying　to　the　servant　when　he　came；　〃A　light！〃

The　cigars　lighted；　Monsieur　de　Trailles　endeavored　to　prevent　another　interruption　by　declaring　before　he　was　questioned　that　he　had　never　smoked　anything　more　exquisite。　Comfortably　ensconced　in　his　arm…　chair；　the　colonel　seemed　to　offer　the　hope　of　a　less　fugacious　attention；　and　Monsieur　de　Trailles　resumed：

〃All　went　well　at　first。　To　crush　the　candidate　the　ministry　wanted　to　be　rid　of；a　lawyer；　and　the　worst　sort　of　cad；I　unearthed　a　stocking…maker；　a　fearful　fool；　whom　I　persuaded　to　offer　himself　as　candidate。　The　worthy　man　was　convinced　that　he　belonged　to　the　dynastic　opposition。　That　is　the　opinion　which；　for　the　time　being；　prevails　in　that　region。　The　election；　thanks　to　me；　was　as　good　as　made；　and；　our　man　once　in　Paris；　the　great　Seducer　in　the　Tuileries　had　only　to　say　five　words　to　him；　and　this　dynastic　opposer　could　have　been　turned　inside　out　like　one　of　this　own　stockings；　and　made　to　do　whatever　was　wanted　of　him。〃

〃Pretty　well　played　that！〃　said　the　colonel。　〃I　recognize　my　Maxime。〃

〃You　will　recognize　him　still　farther　when　he　tells　you　that　he　was　able；　without　recourse　to　perquisites；　to　make　his　own　little　profit　out　of　the　affair。　In　order　to　graft　a　little　parliamentary　ambition　upon　my　vegetable；　I　addressed　myself　to　his　wife；a　rather　appetizing　provincial；　though　past　her　prime。〃

〃Yes；　yes；　I　see；　very　good！〃　said　Franchessini；　〃husband　made　deputy　satisfiedshut　his　mouth。〃

〃You　are　all　wrong；　my　dear　fellow；　the　pair　have　an　only　daughter；　a　spoilt　child；　nineteen　years　old；　very　agreeable　face；　and　something　like　a　million　in　her　pocket。〃

〃But；　my　dear　Maxime；　I　passed　your　tailor's　house　last　night；　and　it　was　not　illuminated。〃

〃No；　that　would　have　been　premature。　However；　here　was　the　situation：　two　women　frantic　to　get　to　Paris；　gratitude　to　the　skies　for　the　man　who　would　get　them　an　introduction　to　the　Palais…Bourbon；　the　little　one　crazy　for　the　title　of　countess；　the　mother　transported　at　the　idea；　carefully　insinuated　by　me；　of　holding　a　political　salon；you　must　see　all　that　such　a　situation　offers；　and　you　know　me　too　well；　I　fancy；　to　suppose　that　I　should　fall　below　any　of　its　opportunities。〃

〃Quite　easy　in　mind　as　to　that；〃　said　the　colonel；　getting　up　to　open　a　window　and　let　out　the　smoke　of　their　two　cigars。

〃I　was　on　the　point；〃　continued　Maxime；　〃of　pocketing　both　daughter　and　/dot/；　when　there　fell　from　the　skies；　or　rather　there　rose　from　the　nether　regions；　a　Left　candidate；　the　stone…cutter；　as　you　call　him；　a　man　with　two　names；in　short；　a　natural　son〃

〃Ha！〃　said　the　colonel；　〃those　fellows　do　have　lucky　stars；　to　be　sure。　I　am　not　surprised　if　one　of　them　mowed　the　grass　from　under　your　feet。〃

〃My　dear　friend；〃　said　Maxime；　〃if　we　were　in　the　middle　ages；　I　should　explain　by　magic　and　sorcery　the　utter　discomfiture　of　my　candidate；　and　the　election　of　the　stone…man；　whom　you　are　fated　to　have　for　your　colleague。　How　is　it　possible　to　believe；　what　is　however　the　fact；　that　an　old　/tricoteuse/；　a　former　friend　of　Danton；　and　now　the　abbess　of　a　convent　of　Ursulines；　should　actually；　by　the　help　of　her　nephew；　an　obscure　organist　in　Paris；　have　so　bewitched　the　whole　electoral　college　that　this　upstart　has　been　elected　by　a　large　majority？〃

〃But　I　suppose　he　had　some　friends　and　acquaintances　in　the　town？〃

〃Not　the　ghost　of　one；unless　it　might　be　that　nun。　Fortune；　relations；　father；　even　a　name；　he　never　had　until　the　day　of　his　arrival　at　Arcis　two　weeks　ago；　and　now；　if　you　please；　the　Comte　Charles　de　Sallenauve；　seigneur　of　the　chateau　of　Arcis；　is　elected　to　the　Chamber　of　deputies！　God　only　knows　how　it　was　done！　The　pretended　head　of　a　former　great　family；　representing　himself　as　absent　in　foreign　lands　for　many　years；　suddenly　appears　with　this　schemer　before　a　notary　in　Arcis；　recognizes　him　at　a　gallop　as　his　son；　buys　the　chateau　of　Arcis　and　presents　it　to　him；　and　is　off　during　the　night　before　any　one　could　even　know　what　road　he　took。　The　trick　thus　played；　the　abbess　and　her　aide…de…camp；　the　organist；　launched　the　candidate；　and　at　once　republicans；　legitimists；　conservatives；　clergy；　nobility；　bourgeoisie；　in　fact　everybody；　as　if　by　some　spell　cast　upon　that　region；　all　did　the　bidding　of　that　old　witch　of　a　nun；　and　without　the　stalwart　battalion　of　the　functionaries　（who　under　my　eye　stood　firm　and　did　not　flinch）；　his　election　would　have　been；　like　yours；　unanimous。〃

〃Then；　my　poor　friend；　good…bye　to　the　/dot/。〃

〃Not　precisely；　though　it　must　certainly　be　adjourned。　The　father　grumbles　because　the　blessed　tranquillity　of　his　life　was　disturbed　and　he　himself　covered　with　ridicule；　though　the　poor　dear　man　had　already　enough　of　that！　The　daughter　still　wants　to　b