the deputy of arcis-第75章

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Nais　looked　at　her　mother　to　obtain　a　ratification；　which　her　knowledge　of　the　hierarchy　of　power　in　that　establishment　made　her　judge　to　be　necessary。

〃You　can　come；〃　said　her　mother；　〃if　your　father　wishes　it。〃

While　they　waited　in　the　antechamber　for　the　child；　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade　noticed　that　Lucas　was　standing　up　beside　a　half…finished　letter。

〃Whom　are　you　writing　to？〃　he　said　to　his　old　servant。

〃To　my　son；〃　replied　Lucas；　〃who　is　very　impatient　to　get　his　sergeant's　stripes。　I　am　telling　him　that　Monsieur　le　comte　has　promised　to　speak　to　his　colonel　for　him。〃

〃True；　true；〃　said　the　peer　of　France；　〃it　slipped　my　memory。　Remind　me　of　it　to…morrow　morning；　and　I'll　do　it　the　first　thing　after　I　am　up。〃

〃Monsieur　le　comte　is　very　good〃

〃And　here；〃　continued　his　master；　feeling　in　his　waistcoat　pocket；　and　producing　three　gold　pieces；　〃send　that　to　the　corporal；　and　tell　him　to　drink　a　welcome　to　the　stripes。〃

Lucas　was　stupefied。　Never　had　he　seen　his　master　so　expansive　or　so　generous。

When　Nais　returned；　Madame　de　l'Estorade；　who　had　been　admiring　herself　for　her　courage　in　showing　displeasure　to　her　daughter　for　half　an　hour；　embraced　her　as　if　they　were　meeting　after　an　absence　of　two　years；　after　which　they　started　for　the　Luxembourg；　where　in　those　days　the　Horticultural　Society　held　its　exhibitions。



VII

THE　WAY　TO　MANAGE　POLITICAL　INTRIGUES

Toward　the　close　of　the　audience　given　by　the　minister　of　Public　Works　to　Monsieur　Octave　de　Camps；　who　was　presented　by　the　Comte　de　l'Estorade；　an　usher　entered　the　room；　and　gave　the　minister　the　card　of　the　attorney…general；　Monsieur　Vinet；　and　that　of　Monsieur　Maxime　de　Trailles。

〃Very　good；〃　said　Rastignac；　〃say　to　those　gentlemen　that　I　will　receive　them　in　a　few　moments。〃

Shortly　after；　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade　and　Monsieur　de　Camps　rose　to　take　leave；　and　it　was　then　that　Rastignac　very　succinctly　let　the　peer　know　of　the　danger　looming　on　the　horizon　of　his　friend　Sallenauve。　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade　exclaimed　against　the　word　/friend/。

〃I　don't　know；　my　dear　minister；〃　he　said；　〃why　you　insist　on　giving　that　title　to　a　man　who　is；　really　and　truly；　a　mere　acquaintance；　and；　I　may　add；　a　passing　acquaintance；　if　the　rumors　you　have　just　mentioned　to　us　take　actual　shape。〃

〃I　am　glad　to　hear　you　say　that；〃　said　the　minister；　〃because　the　friendly　relations　which　I　supposed　you　to　hold　towards　him　would　have　embarrassed　me　a　good　deal　in　the　hostilities　which　I　foresee　must　break　out　between　him　and　the　government。〃

〃Most　grateful；　I　am　sure；　for　that　sentiment；〃　replied　the　peer　of　France；　〃but　be　kind　enough　to　remember　that　I　give　you　/carte　blanche/。　You　are　free　to　handle　Monsieur　de　Sallenauve　as　your　political　enemy；　without　a　moment's　fear　of　troubling　me。〃

Thereupon　they　parted；　and　Messieurs　Vinet　and　de　Trailles　were　introduced。

The　attorney…general；　Vinet；　was　the　most　devoted　and　the　most　consulted　champion　of　the　government　among　its　various　officials。　In　a　possible　reconstitution　of　the　ministry　he　was　obviously　the　candidate　for　the　portfolio　of　justice。　Being　thoroughly　initiated　into　all　the　business　of　that　position；　and　versed　in　its　secret　dealings；　nothing　was　hatched　in　that　department　on　which　he　was　not　consulted；　if　not　actually　engaged。　The　electoral　matters　of　Arcis…sur…Aube　had　a　double　claim　to　his　interest；　partly　on　account　of　his　wife；　a　Chargeboeuf　of　Brie；　and　a　relative　of　the　Cinq…Cygnes；　but　chiefly　because　of　the　office　held　by　his　son　in　the　local　administration。　So　that　when；　earlier　in　the　morning；　Monsieur　de　Trailles　carried　to　Rastignac　a　letter　from　Madame　Beauvisage；　wife　of　the　defeated　governmental　candidate；　full　of　statements　injurious　to　the　new　deputy；　the　minister　had　replied；　without　listening　to　any　explanations；

〃See　Vinet　about　it；　and　tell　him；　from　me；　to　come　here　with　you。〃

Notified　by　de　Trailles；　who　offered　to　fetch　him　in　his　carriage；　Vinet　was　ready　enough　to　go　to　the　minister；　and　now　that　we　find　the　three　together　in　Rastignac's　study；　we　shall　be　likely　to　obtain　some　better　knowledge　of　the　sort　of　danger　hanging　over　Sallenauve's　head　than　we　gained　from　Jacques　Bricheteau's　or　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade's　very　insufficient　information。

〃You　say；　my　dear　friends；〃　said　the　minister；　〃that　we　can　win　a　game　against　that　puritan；　who　seemed　to　me；　when　I　met　him　at　l'Estorade's　last　evening；　to　be　an　out…and…out　enemy　to　the　government？〃

Admitted　to　this　interview　without　official　character；　Maxime　de　Trailles　knew　life　too　well　to　take　upon　himself　to　answer　this　query。　The　attorney…general；　on　the　contrary；　having　a　most　exalted　sense　of　his　own　political　importance；　did　not　miss　the　opportunity　to　put　himself　forward。

〃When　Monsieur　de　Trailles　communicated　to　me　this　morning　a　letter　from　Madame　Beauvisage；〃　he　hastened　to　say；　〃I　had　just　received　one　from　my　son；　conveying　to　me　very　much　the　same　information。　I　am　of　Monsieur　de　Trailles'　opinion；　that　the　affair　may　become　very　serious　for　our　adversary；　provided；　however；　that　it　is　well　managed。〃

〃I　know；　as　yet；　very　little　about　the　affair；〃　remarked　the　minister。　〃As　I　wished　for　your　opinion　in　the　first　place；　my　dear　Vinet；　I　requested　Monsieur　de　Trailles　to　postpone　his　explanation　of　its　details　until　you　could　be　present　at　the　discussion。〃

This　time　Maxime　was　plainly　authorized　and　even　required　to　speak；　but　again　Vinet　stole　the　opportunity。

〃Here　is　what　my　son　Olivier　writes　me；　and　it　is　confirmed　by　the　letter　of　Madame　Beauvisage；　in　whom；　be　it　said　in　passing；　my　dear　minister；　you　have　lost　a　most　excellent　deputy。　It　appears　that　on　the　last　market…day　Maitre　Achille　Pigoult；　who　is　left　in　charge　of　the　affairs　of　the　new　deputy；　received　a　visit　from　a　peasant…woman　of　Romilly；　a　large　village　in　the　neighborhood　of　Arcis。　The　mysterious　father　of　the　deputy；　the　so…called　Marquis　de　Sallenauve；　declared　himself　to　be　the　last　remaining　scion　of　the　family；　but　it　seems　that　this　woman　produced　papers　in　due　form；　which　show　her　to　be　a　Sallenauve　in　the　direct　line；　and　within　the　degree　of　parentage　required　to　constitute　her　an　heir。〃

〃Was　she　as　ignorant　of　the　existence　of　the　Marquis　de　Sallenauve　as　the　marquis　seems　to　have　been　of　hers？〃　asked　Rastignac。

〃That　does　not　clearly　appear　from　what　she　says；〃　replied　the　attorney…general；　〃but　it　might　so　happen　among　relations　so　curiously　placed。〃

〃Go　on；　if　you　please；〃　said　Rastignac；　〃before　we　draw　conclusions　we　must　know　the　facts；　which；　as　you　are　aware；　is　not　always　done　in　the　Chamber　of　deputies。〃

〃Fortunately；　sometimes；　for　the　ministers；〃　remarked　Maxime；　laughing。

〃Monsieur　is　right；〃　said　Vinet；　〃hail　to　the　man　who　can　muddle　questions。　But　to　return　to　our　peasant…woman。　Not　being　satisfied；　naturally；　with　Maitre　Pigoult's　reception　of　her　news；　she　went　into　the　market…square；　and　there　by　the　help　of　a　legal　practitioner　from　her　village；　who　seems　to　have　accompanied　her；　she　spread　about　reports　which　are　very　damaging　to　my　worthy　colleague　in　the　Chamber。　She　said；　for　instance；　that　it　was　not　true　that　the　Marquis　de　Sallenauve　was　his　father；　that　it　was　not　even　true　that　the　Marquis　de　Sallenauve　was　still　living；　and　moreover　that　the　spurious　Sallenauve　was　a　man　of　no　heart；　who　had　repudiated　his　real　parents；　adding　that　she　could；　by　the　help　of　the　able　man　who　accompanied　her；　compel　him　to　disgorge　the　Sallenauve　property　and　'clear　out'　of　the　place。〃

〃I　have　no　objection　to　that；〃　said　Rastignac；　〃but　this　woman　must；　of　course；　have　papers　to　prove　her　allegations？〃

〃That　is　the　weak　point　of　the　matter；〃　replied　Vinet。　〃But　let　me　go　on　with　my　story。　The　government　has　at　Arcis　a　most　intelligent　and　devoted　functionary　in　the　commissary　of　police。　Circulating　among　the　groups；　as　he　usually　does　on　market　days；　he　heard　these　statements　of　the　peasant…woman；　and　reported　them　at　once；　not　to　the　mayor；　who　might　not　have　heeded　them；　but　to　Madame　Beauvisage。〃

〃/Ah　ca/！〃　said　Rastignac；　addressing　Maxime；　〃was　the　candidate　you　gave　us　such　a　dolt　as　that？〃

〃Just　the　man　you　needed；〃　replied　Maxime；〃silly　to　the　l