the deputy of arcis-第62章

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mething　about　the　pretended　parentage　of　this　sculptor　by　which　to　oust　him〃

〃I　know；〃　interrupted　Rastignac；　〃he　spoke　to　me　about　that　idea；　and　there's　neither　rhyme　nor　reason　in　it。　Either　this　Sallenauve　has　some　value；　or　he　is　a　mere　cipher。　If　the　latter；　it　is　useless　to　employ　such　a　dangerous　instrument　as　the　man　Maxime　proposes　to　neutralize　a　power　that　does　not　exist。　If；　on　the　other　hand；　this　new　deputy　proves　really　an　orator；　we　can　deal　with　him　in　the　tribune　and　in　the　newspapers　without　the　help　of　such　underground　measures。　General　rule：　in　a　land　of　unbridled　publicity　like　ours；　wherever　the　hand　of　the　police　appears；　if　even　to　lay　bare　the　most　shameful　villany；　there's　always　a　hue　and　cry　against　the　government。　Public　opinion　behaves　like　the　man　to　whom　another　man　sang　an　air　of　Mozart　to　prove　that　Mozart　was　a　great　musician。　Was　he　vanquished　by　evidence？　'Mozart；'　he　replied　to　the　singer；　'may　have　been　a　great　musician；　but　you；　my　dear　fellow；　have　a　cold　in　your　head。'〃

〃There's　a　great　deal　of　truth　in　what　you　say；〃　replied　Franchessini；　〃but　the　man　whom　Maxime　wants　to　unmask　may　be　one　of　those　honest　mediocrities　who　make　themselves　a　thorn　in　the　side　of　all　administrations；　your　most　dangerous　adversaries　are　not　the　giants　of　oratory。〃

〃I　expect　to　find　out　the　real　weight　of　the　man　before　long；〃　replied　Rastignac；　〃from　a　source　I　have　more　confidence　in　than　I　have　in　Monsieur　de　Trailles。　On　this　very　occasion　he　has　allowed　himself　to　be　tripped　up；　and　now　wants　to　compensate　by　heroic　measures　for　his　own　lack　of　ability。　As　for　your　other　man；　I　shall　not　employ　him　for　the　purpose　Maxime　suggests；　but　you　may　tell　him　from　me〃

〃Yes！〃　said　Franchessini；　with　redoubled　attention。

〃that　if　he　meddles　in　politics；　as　he　shows　an　inclination　to　do；　there　are　certain　deplorable　memories　in　his　life〃

〃But　they　are　only　memories　now；　he　has　made　himself　a　new　skin。〃

〃I　know　all　about　him；〃　replied　Rastignac；　〃do　you　suppose　there　are　no　other　detectives　in　Paris？　I　know　that　since　1830；　when　he　took　Bibi…Lupin's　place　as　chief　of　the　detective　police；　he　has　given　his　life　a　most　respectable　bourgeois　character；　the　only　fault　I　find　is　that　he　overdoes　it。〃

〃And　yet〃　said　the　colonel。

〃He　is　rich；〃　continued　Rastignac；　not　heeding　the　interruption。　〃His　salary　is　twelve　thousand　francs；　and　he　has　the　three　hundred　thousand　Lucien　de　Rubempre　left　him；also　the　proceeds　of　a　manufactory　of　varnished　leather　which　he　started　at　Gentilly；　it　pays　him　a　large　profit。　His　aunt；　Jacqueline　Collin；　who　lives　with　him；　still　does　a　shady　business　secretly；　which　of　course　brings　in　large　fees；　and　I　have　the　best　of　reasons　for　believing　that　they　both　gamble　at　the　Bourse。　He　is　so　anxious　to　keep　out　of　the　mud　that　he　has　gone　to　the　other　extreme。　Every　evening　he　plays　dominoes；　like　any　bourgeois；　in　a　cafe　near　the　Prefecture；　and　Sundays　he　goes　out　to　a　little　box　of　a　place　he　has　bought　near　the　forest　of　Romainville；　in　the　Saint…Gervais　meadows；　there　he　cultivates　blue　dahlias；　and　talked；　last　year；　of　crowning　a　Rosiere。　All　that；　my　dear　colonel；　is　too　bucolic　to　allow　of　my　employing　him　on　any　political　police…work。〃

〃I　think　myself；〃　said　Franchessini；　〃that　in　order　not　to　attract　attention；　he　rolls　himself　too　much　into　a　ball。〃

〃Make　him　unwind；　and　then；　if　he　wants　to　return　to　active　life　and　take　a　hand　in　politics；　he　may　find　some　honest　way　of　doing　so。　He'll　never　make　a　Saint　Vincent　de　Paul；though　the　saint　was　at　the　galleys　once　upon　a　time；　but　there　are　plenty　of　ways　in　which　he　could　get　a　third　or　fourth　class　reputation。　If　Monsieur　de　Saint…　Esteve；　as　he　now　calls　himself；　takes　that　course；　and　I　am　still　in　power；　tell　him　to　come　and　see　me；　I　might　employ　him　then。〃

〃That　is　something；　certainly；〃　said　Franchessini；　aloud；　but　he　thought　to　himself　that　since　the　days　of　the　pension　Vauquer　the　minister　had　taken　long　strides　and　that　roles　had　changed　between　himself　and　Vautrin。

〃You　can　tell　him　what　I　say；〃　continued　Rastignac；　going　up　the　steps　of　the　portico；　〃but　be　cautious　how　you　word　it。〃

〃Don't　be　uneasy；〃　replied　the　colonel。　〃I　will　speak　to　him　judiciously；　for　he's　a　man　who　must　not　be　pushed　too　far；　there　are　some　old　scores　in　life　one　can't　wipe　out。〃

The　minister；　by　making　no　reply　to　this　remark；　seemed　to　admit　the　truth　of　it。

〃You　must　be　in　the　Chamber　when　the　king　opens　it；　we　shall　want　all　the　enthusiasm　we　can　muster；〃　said　Rastignac　to　the　colonel；　as　they　parted。

The　latter；　when　he　took　leave　of　Madame　de　Rastignac；　asked　on　what　day　he　might　have　the　honor　of　presenting　his　wife。

〃Why；　any　day；〃　replied　the　countess；　〃but　particularly　on　Fridays。〃



IV

A　CATECHISM

Rastignac　called　on　Madame　de　l'Estorade　the　next　day　at　the　hour　named　to　him　by　his　wife。　Like　all　those　present　at　the　scene　produced　by　Monsieur　de　Ronquerolles；　the　minister　had　been　struck　by　the　emotion　shown　by　the　countess；　and；　without　stopping　to　analyze　the　nature　of　the　sentiment　she　might　feel　for　the　man　who　had　saved　her　child；　he　was　convinced　of　her　serious　interest　in　him。

By　the　suddenness　and　the　masterly　stroke　of　his　election；　Sallenauve　had　become　an　object　of　strong　interest　to　the　minister；all　the　more　because　up　to　the　last　moment　his　candidacy　was　not　seriously　considered。　It　was　now　known　that　in　the　preparatory　meeting　he　had　given　proofs　of　talent。　To　his　active　and　dangerous　party；　which　had　but　few　representatives　in　the　Chamber；　he　might　become　an　organ　that　would　echo　far。　By　his　peculiar　position　of　birth　and　fortune；　whatever　might　be　the　truth　of　it；　he　was　one　who　could　do　without　the　favors　of　government；　and　all　information　obtained　about　him　went　to　show　that　he　was　a　man　of　grave　character　and　opinions；　who　could　not　be　turned　from　his　chosen　way。

On　the　other　hand；　the　cloud　upon　his　life　might　at　a　given　moment　serve　to　neutralize　his　honor；　and　Rastignac；　while　rejecting　the　proposal　of　de　Trailles　and　Franchessini　to　put　the　mystery　into　the　hands　of　the　police；　did　not　himself　renounce　a　means　which；　dangerous　as　it　seemed　to　him；　he　might　use　if　occasion　warranted。

In　this　situation　Madame　de　l'Estorade　could　be　useful　to　him　in　two　ways。　Through　her　he　could　meet　the　new　deputy　accidentally；　without　appearing　to　seek　him；　and　thus　study　him　at　his　ease；　in　order　to　know　if　he　had　a　vulnerable　point　accessible　to　persuasion。　And；　secondly；　if　he　found　him　unpersuadable；　he　could　let　Madame　de　l'Estorade　know　in　confidence　of　the　secret　inquiry　about　to　be　carried　on　into　Sallenauve's　antecedents；　which；　conveyed　by　her　to　the　deputy；　would　have　the　effect　of　making　him　cautious　and；　consequently；　less　aggressive。

However；　his　immediate　plan　suffered　some　modification；　for　Madame　de　l'Estorade　was　not　at　home；　and　he　was　just　leaving　the　house　when　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade　returned　on　foot。

〃My　wife　will　be　here　soon；〃　he　said；　〃she　has　gone　to　Ville　d'Avray　with　her　daughter；　and　Monsieur　and　Madame　Octave　de　Camps。　Monsieur　Marie…Gaston；　one　of　our　good　friends；you　know；　the　charming　poet　who　married　Louise　de　Chaulieu；has　a　country…house　in　that　neighborhood；　where　his　wife　died。　He　returned　there　to…day　for　the　first　time　since　his　misfortune；　and　these　ladies　have　had　the　charity　to　meet　him　there；　and　so　lessen　the　first　shock　of　his　recollections。〃

〃I　can　therefore　hardly　hope　to　see　her　to…day；　and　it　was　to　her；　and　not　to　you；　my　dear　count；　that　I　came　to　offer　my　excuses　for　the　scene　of　last　night　which　seemed　to　annoy　her　much。　Say　to　her；　if　you　please；　that　I　will　take　another　opportunity　of　doing　so；By　the　bye；〃　he　added；　〃the　election　of　your　friend　Sallenauve　is　making　a　devilish　talk；　the　king　spoke　to　me　about　it　this　morning；　and　I　did　not　please　him　by　repeating　the　favorable　opinion　you　expressed　of　the　new　deputy　last　night。〃

〃Well；　but　you　know　the　tribune　is　a　reef　on　which　reputations　are　often　wrecked。　I　am　sorry　you　represented　Sallenauve　to　the　king　as　being　on　intimate　terms　with　us。　I　have　nothing　to　do　with　elections；　but　I　may　say　that　I　did　all　I　could　to　dissuade　this　objection