the deputy of arcis-第70章

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The　next　day；　quite　early　in　the　morning；　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade　was　in　his　study；　employed　in　a　rather　singular　manner。　It　will　be　remembered　that　on　the　day　when　Sallenauve；　then　Dorlange　the　sculptor；　had　sent　him　the　bust　of　Madame　de　l'Estorade；　he　had　not　found　a　place　where；　as　he　thought；　the　little　masterpiece　had　a　proper　light。　From　the　moment　that　Rastignac　hinted　to　him　that　his　intercourse　with　the　sculptor；　now　deputy；　might　injure　him　at　court；　he　had　agreed　with　his　son　Armand　that　the　artist　had　given　to　Madame　de　l'Estorade　the　air　of　a　grisette；　but　now　that　Sallenauve；　by　his　resistance　to　ministerial　blandishments；　had　taken　an　openly　hostile　attitude　to　the　government；　that　bust　seemed　to　the　peer　of　France　no　longer　worthy　of　exhibition；　and　the　worthy　man　was　now　engaged　in　finding　some　dark　corner　where；　without　recourse　to　the　absurdity　of　actually　hiding　it；　it　would　be　out　of　range　to　the　eyes　of　visitors；　whose　questions　as　to　its　maker　he　should　no　longer　be　forced　to　answer。　He　was　therefore　perched　on　the　highest　step　of　his　library　ladder；　holding　in　his　hands　the　gift　of　the　sculptor；　and　preparing　to　relegate　it　to　the　top　of　a　bookcase；　where　it　was　destined　to　keep　company　with　an　owl　and　a　cormorant　shot　by　Armand　during　the　recent　holidays　and　stuffed　by　paternal　pride；　when　the　door　of　the　study　opened　and　Lucas　announced；

〃Monsieur　Philippe。〃

The　age　of　the　old　majordomo　and　the　confidential　post　he　occupied　in　Marie…Gaston's　establishment　seemed　to　the　factotum　of　the　house　of　l'Estorade　to　authorize　the　designation　of　〃monsieur；〃a　civility　expectant　of　return；　be　it　understood。

Descending　from　his　eminence；　the　peer　of　France　asked　Philippe　what　brought　him；　and　whether　anything　had　happened　at　Ville　d'Avray。　The　old　servant　related　the　singular　departure　of　his　master；　and　the　no　less　singular　departure　of　Sallenauve　without　a　word　of　explanation；　then　he　added；

〃This　morning；　while　putting　monsieur's　room　in　order；　a　letter　addressed　to　Madame　le　comtesse　fell　out　of　a　book。　As　the　letter　was　sealed　and　all　ready　to　be　sent；　I　supposed　that　monsieur；　in　the　hurry　of　departure；　had　forgotten　to　tell　me　to　put　it　in　the　post。　I　thought　therefore　I　had　better　bring　it　here　myself。　Perhaps　Madame　la　comtesse　will　find　in　it　some　explanation　of　this　sudden　journey；　about　which　I　have　dreamed　all　night。〃

Monsieur　de　l'Estorade　took　the　letter。

〃Three　black　seals！〃　he　said。

〃The　color　doesn't　surprise　me；〃　replied　Philippe；　〃for　since　Madame's　death　monsieur　has　not　laid　off　his　mourning；　but　I　do　think　three　seals　are　rather　strange。〃

〃Very　well；〃　said　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade；　〃I　will　give　the　letter　to　my　wife。〃

〃If　there　should　be　anything　in　it　to　ease　my　mind　about　monsieur；　would　Monsieur　le　comte　be　so　kind　as　to　let　me　know？〃　said　Philippe。

〃You　can　rely　on　that；　my　good　fellow。　/Au　revoir/。〃

〃I　beg　Monsieur　le　comte's　pardon　for　offering　an　opinion；〃　said　the　majordomo；　not　accepting　the　leave　just　given　him　to　depart；　〃but　in　case　the　letter　contained　some　bad　news；　doesn't　Monsieur　le　comte　think　that　it　would　be　best　for　him　to　know　of　it；　in　order　to　prepare　Madame　la　comtesse　for　the　shock？〃

〃What！　Do　you　suppose〃　said　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade；　not　finishing　his　idea。

〃I　don't　know；　but　monsieur　has　been　very　gloomy　the　last　few　days。〃

〃To　break　the　seal　of　a　letter　not　addressed　to　us　is　always　a　serious　thing　to　do；〃　remarked　the　peer　of　France。　〃This　bears　my　wife's　address；　butin　point　of　factit　was　never　sent　to　her；　in　short；　it　is　most　embarrassing。〃

〃But　if　by　reading　it　some　misfortune　might　be　averted？〃

〃Yes；　yes；　that　is　just　what　keeps　me　in　doubt。〃

Here　Madame　de　l'Estorade　cut　the　matter　short　by　entering　the　room。　Lucas　had　told　her　of　the　unexpected　arrival　of　Philippe。

〃Is　anything　the　matter？〃　she　asked　with　anxious　curiosity。

The　apprehensions　Sallenauve　had　expressed　the　night　before　as　to　Marie…Gaston's　condition　returned　to　her　mind。　As　soon　as　Philippe　had　repeated　the　explanations　he　had　already　given　to　her　husband；　she　broke　the　seals　of　the　letter。

Whatever　may　have　been　the　contents　of　that　disquieting　epistle；　nothing　was　reflected　on　Madame　de　l'Estorade's　face。

〃You　say　that　your　master　left　Ville　d'Avray　in　company　with　an　English　gentleman；〃　she　said　to　Philippe。　〃Did　he　seem　to　go　unwillingly；　as　if　yielding　to　violence？〃

〃No；　far　from　that；　madame；　he　seemed　to　be　rather　cheerful。〃

〃Well；　there　is　nothing　that　need　make　us　uneasy。　This　letter　was　written　some　days　ago；　and；　in　spite　of　its　three　black　seals；　it　has　no　reference　to　anything　that　has　happened　since。〃

Philippe　bowed　and　went　away。　As　soon　as　husband　and　wife　were　alone　together；　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade　said；　stretching　out　his　hand　for　the　letter；

〃What　did　he　write　about？〃

〃No；　don't　read　it；〃　said　the　countess；　not　giving　him　the　letter。

〃Why　not？〃

〃It　would　pain　you。　It　is　enough　for　me　to　have　had　the　shock；　I　could　scarcely　control　myself　before　that　old　servant。〃

〃Does　it　refer　to　suicide？〃

Madame　de　l'Estorade　nodded　her　head　in　affirmation。

〃A　real；　immediate　intention？〃

〃The　letter　is　dated　yesterday　morning；　and　apparently；　if　it　had　not　been　for　the　providential　arrival　of　that　Englishman；　the　poor　fellow　would　have　taken　advantage　of　Monsieur　de　Sallenauve's　absence　last　night　to　kill　himself。〃

〃The　Englishman　must　have　suspected　his　intention；　and　carried　him　off　to　divert　him　from　it。　If　that　is　so；　he　won't　let　him　out　of　his　sight。〃

〃And　we　may　also　count　on　Monsieur　Sallenauve；　who　has　probably　joined　them　by　this　time。〃

〃Then　I　don't　see　that　there　is　anything　so　terrible　in　the　letter〃；　and　again　he　offered　to　take　it。

〃No；〃　said　Madame　de　l'Estorade；　drawing　back；　〃if　I　ask　you　not　to　read　it。　Why　give　yourself　painful　emotions？　The　letter　not　only　expresses　the　intention　of　suicide；　but　it　shows　that　our　poor　friend　is　completely　out　of　his　mind。〃

At　this　instant　piercing　screams　from　Rene；　her　youngest　child；　put　Madame　de　l'Estorade　into　one　of　those　material　agitations　which　she　less　than　any　other　woman　was　able　to　control。

〃My　God！〃　she　cried；　as　she　rushed　from　the　study；　〃what　has　happened？〃

Less　ready　to　be　alarmed；　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade　contented　himself　by　going　to　the　door　and　asking　a　servant　what　was　the　matter。

〃Oh；　nothing；　Monsieur　le　comte；〃　replied　the　man。　〃Monsieur　Rene　in　shutting　a　drawer　pinched　his　finger；　that　is　all。〃

The　peer　of　France　thought　it　unnecessary　to　convey　himself　to　the　scene　of　action；　he　knew；　by　experience　in　like　cases；　that　he　must　let　his　wife's　exaggerated　maternal　solicitude　have　free　course；　on　pain　of　being　sharply　snubbed　himself。　As　he　returned　to　his　desk；　he　noticed　lying　on　the　ground　the　famous　letter；　which　Madame　de　l'Estorade　had　evidently　dropped　in　her　hasty　flight。　Opportunity　and　a　certain　fatality　which　appears　to　preside　over　the　conduct　of　all　human　affairs；　impelled　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade；　who　thought　little　of　the　shock　his　wife　had　dreaded　for　him；　to　satisfy　his　curiosity　by　reading　the　letter。

Marie…Gaston　wrote　as　follows：

　　Madame；This　letter　will　seem　to　you　less　amusing　than　those　I　　　addressed　to　you　from　Arcis…sur…Aube。　But　I　trust　you　will　not　be　　　alarmed　by　the　decision　which　I　now　announce。　I　am　going　to　rejoin　　　my　wife；　from　whom　I　have　been　too　long　separated；　and　this　　　evening；　shortly　after　midnight；　I　shall　be　with　her；　never　to　　　part　again。

　　You　have；　no　doubt；　said　to　yourselvesyou　and　Sallenauvethat　I　　　was　acting　strangely　in　not　visiting　her　grave；　that　is　a　remark　　　that　two　of　my　servants　made　the　other　day；　not　being　aware　that　I　　　overheard　them。　I　should　certainly　be　a　great　fool　to　go　and　look　　　at　a　stone　in　the　cemetery　which　can　make　me　no　response；　when　　　every　night；　at　twelve　o'clock；　I　hear　a　little　rap　on　the　door　of　　　my　room；　and　our　dear　Louise　comes　in；　not　changed　at　all；　except；　　　as　I　think；　more　plump　and　beautiful。　She　has　had　great　trouble　in　　　obtaining　permission　from　Marie；　queen　of　angels；　to　withdraw　me　　　from　earth。　But　last　night　she　brought　me　formal　leave；　sealed　　　with　green　wax；　and　she　also　gave　me　a　tiny　v