the deputy of arcis-第66章

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〃I　can't；　my　dear　fellow；〃　replied　Ernest；　in　a　whisper；　〃you　know　Leontine　always　makes　me　a　scene　when　she　smells　I've　been　smoking；　and　she　is　charming　to　me　to…night。　See；　look　at　what　she　has　given　me！〃

〃A　horse…hair　ring！〃　exclaimed　the　Scot；　disdainfully；　〃with　two　locked　hearts；　all　the　boys　at　school　have　them。〃

〃What　have　you　to　show　that's　better？〃　replied　Ernest；　in　a　piqued　tone。

〃Oh！〃　said　the　Scot；　with　a　superior　air；　〃something　much　better。〃

And　drawing　from　the　pouch　which　formed　an　integral　part　of　his　costume　a　note　on　violet　paper　highly　perfumed；

〃There；〃　he　said；　putting　it　under　Ernest's　nose；　〃smell　that！〃

Indelicate　friend　that　he　was；　Ernest　pounced　upon　the　note　and　took　possession　of　it。　The　Scottish　youth；　furious；　flung　himself　upon　the　treacherous　French　boy；　on　which　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade；　a　thousand　leagues　from　imagining　the　subject　of　the　quarrel；　intervened　and　parted　the　combatants；　which　enabled　the　ravisher　to　escape　into　a　corner　of　the　salon　to　enjoy　his　booty。　The　note　contained　no　writing。　The　young　scamp　had　probably　taken　the　paper　out　of　his　mother's　blotting…book。　A　moment　after；　returning　to　his　adversary　and　giving　him　the　note；　he　said　in　a　jeering　tone；

〃There's　your　note；　it　is　awfully　compromising。〃

〃Keep　it；　monsieur；〃　replied　the　Scot。　〃I　shall　ask　for　it　to…morrow　in　the　Tuileries；　under　the　horse…chestnuts；　meantime；　you　will　please　understand　that　all　intercourse　is　at　an　end　between　us。〃

Ernest　was　less　knightly；　he　contented　himself　with　putting　the　thumb　of　his　right　hand　to　his　nose　and　spreading　the　fingers；an　ironical　gesture　he　had　acquired　from　his　mother's　coachman；　after　which　he　ran　to　find　his　partner　for　the　next　quadrille。

But　what　details　are　these　on　which　we　are　wasting　time；　when　we　know　that　interests　of　the　highest　order　are　moving；　subterraneously；　beneath　the　surface　of　the　children's　ball。

Arriving　from　Ville　d'Avray　late　in　the　afternoon；　Sallenauve　had　brought　Madame　de　l'Estorade　ill　news　of　Marie…Gaston。　Under　an　appearance　of　resignation；　he　was　gloomy；　and；　singular　to　say；　he　had　not　visited　the　grave　of　his　wife；as　if　he　feared　an　emotion　he　might　not　have　the　power　to　master。　It　seemed　to　Sallenauve　that　his　friend　had　come　to　the　end　of　his　strength；　and　that　a　mental　prostration　of　the　worst　character　was　succeeding　the　over…excitement　he　had　shown　at　his　election。　One　thing　reassured　the　new　deputy；　and　enabled　him　to　come　to　Paris　for；　at　any　rate；　a　few　hours。　A　friend　of　Marie…Gaston；　an　English　nobleman　with　whom　he　had　been　intimate　in　Florence；　came　out　to　see　him；　and　the　sad　man　greeted　the　new…comer　with　apparent　joy。

In　order　to　distract　Sallenauve's　thoughts　from　this　anxiety；　Madame　de　l'Estorade　introduced　him　to　Monsieur　Octave　de　Camps；　the　latter　having　expressed　a　great　desire　to　know　him。　The　deputy　had　not　talked　ten　minutes　with　the　iron…master　before　he　reached　his　heart　by　the　magnitude　of　the　metallurgical　knowledge　his　conversation　indicated。

During　the　year　in　which　he　had　been　preparing　for　a　parliamentary　life；　Sallenauve　had　busied　himself　by　acquiring　the　practical　knowledge　which　enables　an　orator　of　the　Chamber　to　take　part　in　all　discussions　and　have　reasons　to　give　for　his　general　views。　He　had　turned　his　attention　more　especially　to　matters　connected　with　the　great　question　of　the　revenue　and　taxation；　such；　for　instance；　as　the　custom…house；　laws　of　exchange；　stamp　duties；　and　taxation；　direct　and　indirect。　Approaching　in　this　manner　that　problematical　sciencewhich　is；　nevertheless；　so　sure　of　itself！called　political　economy；　Sallenauve　had　also　studied　the　sources　which　contribute　to　form　the　great　current　of　national　prosperity；　and　in　this　connection　the　subject　of　mines；　the　topic　at　this　moment　most　interesting　to　Monsieur　de　Camps；　had　not　been　neglected　by　him。　We　can　imagine　the　admiration　of　the　iron…master；　who　had　studied　too　exclusively　the　subject　of　iron　ore　to　know　much　about　the　other　branches　of　metallurgy；　when　the　young　deputy　told　him；　apropos　of　the　wealth　of　our　soil；　a　sort　of　Arabian　Nights　tale；　which；　if　science　would　only　take　hold　of　it；　might　become　a　reality。

〃But；　monsieur；　do　you　really　believe；〃　cried　Monsieur　de　Camps；　〃that；　besides　our　coal　and　iron　mines；　we　possess　mines　of　copper；　lead；　and；　possibly；　silver？〃

〃If　you　will　take　the　trouble　to　consult　certain　specialists；〃　replied　Sallenauve；　〃you　will　find　that　neither　the　boasted　strata　of　Bohemia　and　Saxony　nor　even　those　of　Russia　and　Hungary　can　be　compared　to　those　hidden　in　the　Pyrenees；　in　the　Alps　from　Briancon　to　the　Isere；　in　the　Cevennes　on　the　Lozere　side；　in　the　Puy…de…Dome；　Bretagne；　and　the　Vosges。　In　the　Vosges；　more　especially　about　the　town　of　Saint…　Die；　I　can　point　out　to　you　a　single　vein　of　the　mineral　of　silver　which　lies　to　the　depth　of　fifty　to　eighty　metres　with　a　length　of　thirteen　kilometres。〃

〃But；　monsieur；　why　has　such　untold　metallurgical　wealth　never　been　worked？〃

〃It　has　been；　in　former　days；〃　replied　Sallenauve；　〃especially　during　the　Roman　occupation　of　Gaul。　After　the　fall　of　the　Roman　Empire；　the　work　was　abandoned；　but　the　lords　of　the　soil　and　the　clergy　renewed　it　in　the　middle　ages；　after　that；　during　the　struggle　of　feudality　against　the　royal　power　and　the　long　civil　wars　which　devastated　France；　the　work　was　again　suspended；　and　has　never　since　been　taken　up。〃

〃Are　you　sure　of　what　you　say？〃

〃Ancient　authors；　Strabo　and　others；　all　mention　these　mines；　and　the　tradition　of　their　existence　still　lingers　in　the　regions　where　they　are　situated；　decrees　of　emperors　and　the　ordinances　of　certain　of　our　kings　bear　testimony　to　the　value　of　their　products；　in　certain　places　more　material　proof　may　be　found　in　excavations　of　considerable　depth　and　length；　in　galleries　and　halls　cut　in　the　solid　rock；in　short；　in　the　many　traces　still　existing　of　those　vast　works　which　have　immortalized　Roman　industry。　To　this　must　be　added　that　the　modern　study　of　geological　science　has　confirmed　and　developed　these　irrefutable　indications。〃

The　imagination　of　Monsieur　Octave　de　Camps；　hitherto　limited　to　the　development　of　a　single　iron…mine；　took　fire；　and　he　was　about　to　ask　his　instructor　to　give　him　his　ideas　on　the　manner　of　awakening　a　practical　interest　in　the　matter；　when　Lucas；　throwing　wide　open　the　double　doors　of　the　salon；　announced　in　his　loudest　and　most　pompous　voice；

〃Monsieur　the　minister　of　Public　Works。〃

The　effect　produced　on　the　elders　of　the　assembly　was　electric。

〃I　want　to　see　what　sort　of　figure　that　little　Rastignac　cuts　as　a　statesman；〃　said　Monsieur　de　Camps；　rising　from　his　seat；　but　in　his　heart　he　was　thinking　of　the　government　subsidy　he　wanted　for　his　iron…mine。　The　new　deputy；　on　his　side；　foresaw　an　inevitable　meeting　with　the　minister；　and　wondered　what　his　friends　in　the　Opposition　would　say　when　they　read　in　the　〃National〃　that　a　representative　of　the　Left　was　seen　to　have　an　interview　with　a　minister　celebrated　for　his　art　in　converting　political　opponents。　Anxious　also　to　return　to　Marie…Gaston；　he　resolved　to　profit　by　the　general　stir　created　by　the　minister's　arrival　to　slip　away；　and　by　a　masterly　manoeuvre　he　made　his　way　slyly　to　the　door　of　the　salon；　expecting　to　escape　without　being　seen。　But　he　reckoned　without　Nais；　to　whom　he　was　engaged　for　a　quadrille。　That　small　girl　sounded　the　alarm　at　the　moment　when　he　laid　his　hand　on　the　handle　of　the　door；　and　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade；　mindful　of　his　promise　to　Rastignac；　hastened　to　put　a　stop　to　the　desertion。　Finding　his　quiet　retreat　impossible；　Sallenauve　was　afraid　that　an　open　departure　after　the　arrival　of　the　minister　might　be　construed　as　an　act　of　puritanical　opposition　in　the　worst　taste；　he　therefore　accepted　the　situation　promptly；　and　decided　to　remain。

Monsieur　de　l'Estorade　knew　that　Sallenauve　was　far　too　wise　to　be　the　dupe　of　any　artifices　he　might　have　used　to　bring　about　his　introduction　to　the　minister。　He　therefore　went　straight　to　the　point；　and　soon　after　Rastignac's　arrival　he　slipped　his　arm　through　that　of　the　statesman；　and；　approaching　the　deputy；　said　to　him；

〃Monsieur　the　minister　of　Public　Works；