the deputy of arcis-第68章

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〃Ah！　monsieur；　but　suppose　we　are　the　ablest　politician　in　the　country。〃

〃If　we　are；　it　does　not　follow　that　our　kingdom　ought　not　to　have　the　chance　of　becoming　as　able　as　ourselves。〃

〃/Parbleu/！〃　cried　Rastignac；　in　the　tone　of　a　man　who　comes　to　the　climax　of　a　conversation；　〃I　wish　I　had　power　to　realize　a　wish〃

〃And　that　is？〃

〃To　see　you　grappling　with　that　ability　which　you　call　meddlesome。〃

〃Well；　you　know；　Monsieur　le　ministre；　that　we　all　spend　three　fourths　of　life　in　wishing　for　the　impossible。〃

〃Why　impossible？　Would　you　be　the　first　man　of　the　Opposition　to　be　seen　at　the　Tuileries？　An　invitation　to　dinner　given　publicly；　openly；　which　would；　by　bringing　you　into　contact　with　one　whom　you　misjudge　at　a　distance〃

〃I　should　have　the　honor　to　refuse。〃

And　he　emphasized　the　words　/have　the　honor/　in　a　way　to　show　the　meaning　he　attached　to　them。

〃You　are　all　alike；　you　men　of　the　Opposition！〃　cried　the　minister；　〃you　won't　let　yourselves　be　enlightened　when　the　opportunity　presents　itself；　or；　to　put　it　better；　you〃

〃Do　you　call　the　rays　of　those　gigantic　red　bottles　in　a　chemist's　shop　/light/；　when　they　flash　into　your　eyes　as　you　pass　them　after　dark？　Don't　they；　on　the　contrary；　seem　to　blind　you？〃

〃It　is　not　our　rays　that　frighten　you；〃　said　Rastignac；　〃it　is　the　dark　lantern　of　your　party　watchmen　on　their　rounds。〃

〃There　may　be　some　truth　in　what　you　say；　a　party　and　the　man　who　undertakes　to　represent　it　are　in　some　degree　a　married　couple；　who　in　order　to　live　peaceably　together　must　be　mutually　courteous；　frank；　and　faithful　in　heart　as　well　as　in　principle。〃

〃Well；　try　to　be　moderate。　Your　dream　is　far　more　impossible　to　realize　than　mine；　the　day　will　come　when　you　will　have　more　to　say　about　the　courtesy　of　your　chaste　better　half。〃

〃If　there　is　an　evil　for　which　I　ought　to　be　prepared；　it　is　that。〃

〃Do　you　think　so？　With　the　lofty　and　generous　sentiments　so　apparent　in　your　nature；　shall　you　remain　impassive　under　political　attack；　under　calumny；　for　instance？〃

〃You　yourself；　Monsieur　le　ministre；　have　not　escaped　its　venom；　but　it　did　not；　I　think；　deter　you　from　your　course。〃

〃But；〃　said　Rastignac；　lowering　his　voice；　〃suppose　I　were　to　tell　you　that　I　have　already　sternly　refused　to　listen　to　a　proposal　to　search　into　your　private　life　on　a　certain　side　which；　being　more　in　the　shade　than　the　rest；　seems　to　offer　your　enemies　a　chance　to　entrap　you。〃

〃I　do　not　thank　you　for　the　honor　you　have　done　yourself　in　rejecting　with　contempt　the　proposals　of　men　who　can　be　neither　of　my　party　nor　of　yours；　they　belong　to　the　party　of　base　appetites　and　selfish　passions。　But；　supposing　the　impossible；　had　they　found　some　acceptance　from　you；　pray　believe　that　my　course；　which　follows　the　dictates　of　my　conscience；　could　not　be　affected　thereby。〃

〃But　your　party；consider　for　a　moment　its　elements：　a　jumble　of　foiled　ambitions；　brutal　greed；　plagiarists　of　'93；　despots　disguising　themselves　as　lovers　of　liberty。〃

〃My　party　has　nothing；　and　seeks　to　gain　something。　Yours　calls　itself　conservative；　and　it　is　right；　its　chief　concern　is　how　to　preserve　its　power；　offices；　and　wealth；in　short；　all　it　now　monopolizes。〃

〃But；　monsieur；　we　are　not　a　closed　way；　we　open　our　way；　on　the　contrary；　to　all　ambitions。　But　the　higher　you　are　in　character　and　intellect；　the　less　we　can　allow　you　to　pass；　dragging　after　you　your　train　of　democrats；　for　the　day　when　that　crew　gains　the　upper　hand　it　will　not　be　a　change　of　policy；　but　a　revolution。〃

〃But　what　makes　you　think　I　want　an　opening　of　any　kind？〃

〃What！　follow　a　course　without　an　aim？a　course　that　leads　nowhere？　A　certain　development　of　a　man's　faculties　not　only　gives　him　the　right　but　makes　it　his　duty　to　seek　to　govern。〃

〃To　watch　the　governing　power　is　a　useful　career；　and；　I　may　add；　a　very　busy　one。〃

〃You　can　fancy；　monsieur；〃　said　Rastignac；　good…humoredly；　〃that　if　Beauvisage　were　in　your　place　I　should　not　have　taken　the　trouble　to　argue　with　him；　I　may　say；　however；　that　he　would　have　made　my　effort　less　difficult。〃

〃This　meeting；　which　/chance/　has　brought　about　between　us；〃　said　Sallenauve；　〃will　have　one　beneficial　result；　we　understand　each　other　henceforth；　and　our　future　meetings　will　always　therefore　be　courteous　which　will　not　lessen　the　strength　of　our　convictions。〃

〃Then　I　must　say　to　the　kingfor　I　had　his　royal　commands　to〃

Rastignac　did　not　end　the　sentence　in　which　he　was；　so　to　speak；　firing　his　last　gun；　for　the　orchestra　began　to　play　a　quadrille；　and　Nais；　running　up；　made　him　a　coquettish　courtesy；　saying；

〃Monsieur　le　ministre；　I　am　very　sorry；　but　you　have　taken　my　partner；　and　you　must　give　him　up。　He　is　down　for　my　eleventh　quadrille；　and　if　I　miss　it　my　list　gets　into　terrible　confusion。〃

〃You　permit　me；　monsieur？〃　said　Sallenauve；　laughing。　〃As　you　see；　I　am　not　a　very　savage　republican。〃　So　saying；　he　followed　Nais；　who　led　him　along　by　the　hand。

Madame　de　l'Estorade；　comprehending　that　this　fancy　of　Nais　was　rather　compromising　to　the　dignity　of　the　new　deputy；　had　arranged　that　several　papas　and　mammas　should　figure　in　the　same　quadrille；　and　she　herself　with　the　Scottish　lad　danced　/vis…a…vis/　to　her　daughter；　who　beamed　with　pride　and　joy。　In　the　evolutions　of　the　last　figure；　where　Nais　had　to　take　her　mother's　hand；　she　said；　pressing　it　passionately；

〃Poor　mamma！　if　it　hadn't　been　for　/him/；　you　wouldn't　have　me　now。〃

This　sudden　reminder　so　agitated　Madame　de　l'Estorade；　coming　as　it　did　unexpectedly；　that　she　was　seized　with　a　return　of　the　nervous　trembling　her　daughter's　danger　had　originally　caused；　and　was　forced　to　sit　down。　Seeing　her　change　color；　Sallenauve；　Nais；　and　Madame　Octave　de　Camps　ran　to　her　to　know　if　she　were　ill。

〃It　is　nothing；〃　she　answered；　addressing　Sallenauve；　〃only　that　my　little　girl　reminded　me　suddenly　of　the　utmost　obligation　we　are　under　to　you；　monsieur。　'Without　/him/；'　she　said；　'you　would　not　have　me。'　Ah！　monsieur；　without　your　generous　courage　where　would　my　child　be　now？〃

〃Come；　come；　don't　excite　yourself；〃　interposed　Madame　Octave　de　Camps；　observing　the　convulsive　and　almost　gasping　tone　of　her　friend's　voice。　〃It　is　not　reasonable　to　put　yourself　in　such　a　state　for　a　child's　speech。〃

〃She　is　better　than　the　rest　of　us；〃　replied　Madame　de　l'Estorade；　taking　Nais　in　her　arms。

〃Come；　mamma；　be　reasonable；〃　said　that　young　lady。

〃She　puts　nothing　in　the　world；〃　continued　Madame　de　l'Estorade；　〃before　her　gratitude　to　her　preserver；　whereas　her　father　and　I　have　scarcely　shown　him　any。〃

〃But；　madame；〃　said　Sallenauve；　〃you　have　courteously〃

〃Courteously！〃　interrupted　Nais；　shaking　her　pretty　head　with　an　air　of　disapproval；　〃if　any　one　had　saved　my　daughter；　I　should　be　different　to　him　from　that。〃

〃Nais；〃　said　Madame　de　Camps；　sternly；　〃children　should　be　silent　when　their　opinion　is　not　asked。〃

〃What　is　the　matter；〃　said　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade；　joining　the　group。

〃Nothing；〃　said　Madame　de　Camps；　〃only　a　giddiness　Renee　had　in　dancing。〃

〃Is　it　over？〃

〃Yes；　I　am　quite　well　again；〃　said　Madame　de　l'Estorade。

〃Then　come　and　say　good…night　to　Madame　de　Rastignac；　who　is　preparing　to　take　leave。〃

In　his　eagerness　to　get　to　the　minister's　wife；　he　forgot　to　give　his　own　wife　his　arm。　Sallenauve　was　more　thoughtful。　As　they　walked　together　in　the　wake　of　her　husband；　Madame　de　l'Estorade　said；

〃I　saw　you　talking　for　a　long　time　with　Monsieur　de　Rastignac；　did　he　practise　his　well…known　seductions　upon　you？〃

〃Do　you　think　he　succeeded？〃　replied　Sallenauve。

〃No；　but　such　attempts　to　capture　are　always　disagreeable；　and　I　beg　you　to　believe　that　I　was　not　a　party　to　the　plot。　I　am　not　so　violently　ministerial　as　my　husband。〃

〃Nor　I　as　violently　revolutionary　as　they　think。〃

〃I　trust　that　these　annoying　politics；　which　have　already　produced　a　jar　between　you　and　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade；　may　not　disgust　you　with　the　idea　of　being　counted　among　our　friends。〃

〃That　is　an　honor；　madame；　for　which　I　can　only　be　grateful。〃

〃It　is　not　an　honor　but　a　pleasure　that　I　hoped　you　would　find　in　it；〃　said　Madame　de　l'Estorade；　quickly。　〃I　say；　with　Nais；　if　I