the deputy of arcis-第76章

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〃Just　the　man　you　needed；〃　replied　Maxime；〃silly　to　the　last　degree；　and　capable　of　being　wound　round　anybody's　finger。　I'll　go　any　lengths　to　repair　that　loss。〃

〃Madame　Beauvisage；〃　continued　Vinet；　〃wished　to　speak　with　the　woman　herself；　and　she　ordered　Groslierthat's　the　commissary　of　policeto　fetch　her　with　a　threatening　air　to　the　mayor's　office；　so　as　to　give　her　an　idea　that　the　authorities　disapproved　of　her　conduct。〃

〃Did　Madame　Beauvisage　concoct　that　plan？〃　asked　Rastignac。

〃Yes；〃　replied　Maxime；　〃she　is　a　very　clever　woman。〃

〃Questioned　closely　by　the　mayoress；〃　continued　Vinet；　〃who　took　care　to　have　the　mayor　present；　the　peasant…woman　was　far　from　categorical。　Her　grounds　for　asserting　that　the　new　deputy　could　not　be　the　son　of　the　marquis；　and　the　assurance　with　which　she　stated　that　the　latter　had　long　been　dead　were　not；　as　it　appears；　very　clearly　established；　vague　rumors　and　the　deductions　drawn　by　the　village　practitioner　seem　to　be　all　there　was　to　them。〃

〃Then；〃　said　Rastignac；　〃what　does　all　this　lead　to？〃

〃Absolutely　nothing　from　a　legal　point　of　view；〃　replied　the　attorney…　general；　〃for　supposing　the　woman　were　able　to　establish　the　fact　that　this　recognition　of　the　said　Dorlange　was　a　mere　pretence；　she　has　no　status　on　which　to　proceed　farther。　By　Article　339　of　the　Civil　Code　direct　heirship　alone　has　the　right　to　attack　the　recognition　of　natural　children。〃

〃Your　balloon　is　collapsing　fast；〃　said　the　minister。

〃So　that　the　woman；〃　continued　Vinet；　〃has　no　object　in　proceeding；　for　she　can't　inherit；　it　belongs　to　the　government　to　pursue　the　case　of　supposition　of　person；　she　can　do　no　more　than　denounce　the　fact。〃

〃From　which　you　conclude？〃　said　Rastignac；　with　that　curtness　of　speech　which　to　a　prolix　speaker　is　a　warning　to　be　concise。

〃From　which　I　conclude；　judicially　speaking；　that　the　Romilly　peasant…　woman；　so　far　as　she　is　concerned；　will　have　her　trouble　for　her　pains；　but；　speaking　politically；　the　thing　takes　quite　another　aspect。〃

〃Let　us　see　the　political　side；〃　said　the　minister；　〃up　to　this　point；　I　see　nothing。〃

〃In　the　first　place；〃　replied　the　attorney…general；　〃you　will　admit　that　it　is　always　possible　to　bring　a　bad　case？〃

〃Certainly。〃

〃And　I　don't　suppose　it　would　signify　much　to　you　if　the　woman　did　embark　in　a　matter　in　which　she　can　lose　nothing　but　her　costs？〃

〃No；　I　assure　you　I　am　wholly　indifferent。〃

〃In　any　case；　I　should　have　advised　you　to　let　things　take　their　course。　The　Beauvisage　husband　and　wife　have　engaged　to　pay　the　costs　and　also　the　expense　of　keeping　the　peasant…woman　and　her　counsel　in　Paris　during　the　inquiry。〃

〃Then；〃　said　Rastignac；　still　pressing　for　a　conclusion；　〃the　case　is　really　begun。　What　will　be　the　result？〃

〃What　will　be　the　result？〃　cried　the　attorney…general；　getting　excited；　〃why；　anything　you　please　if；　/before　the　case　comes　for　trial/；　your　newspapers　comment　upon　it；　and　your　friends　spread　reports　and　insinuations。　What　will　result？　why；　an　immense　fall　in　public　estimation　for　our　adversary　suspected　of　stealing　a　name　which　does　not　belong　to　him！　What　will　result？　why；　the　opportunity　for　a　fierce　challenge　in　the　Chamber。〃

〃Which　you　will　take　upon　yourself　to　make？〃　asked　Rastignac。

〃Ah！　I　don't　know　about　that。　The　matter　would　have　to　be　rather　more　studied；　and　the　turn　the　case　might　take　more　certain；　if　I　had　anything　to　do　with　it。〃

〃So；　for　the　present；〃　remarked　the　minister；　〃the　whole　thing　amounts　to　an　application　of　Basile's　famous　theory　about　calumny：　'good　to　set　a…going；　because　some　of　it　will　always　stick。'〃

〃Calumny！〃　exclaimed　Vinet；　〃that　remains　to　be　seen。　Perhaps　a　good　round　of　gossip　is　all　that　can　be　made　of　it。　Monsieur　de　Trailles；　here；　knows　better　than　I　do　the　state　of　things　down　there。　He　can　tell　you　that　the　disappearance　of　the　father　immediately　after　the　recognition　had　a　bad　effect　upon　people's　minds；　and　every　one　in　Arcis　has　a　vague　impression　of　secret　plotting　in　this　affair　of　the　election。　You　don't　know；　my　dear　minister；　all　that　can　be　made　in　the　provinces　of　a　judicial　affair　when　adroitly　manipulated；cooked；　as　I　may　say。　In　my　long　and　laborious　career　at　the　bar　I　saw　plenty　of　that　kind　of　miracle。　But　a　parliamentary　debate　is　another　thing。　In　that　there's　no　need　of　proof；　one　can　kill　one's　man　with　probabilities　and　assertions；　if　hotly　maintained。〃

〃But；　to　come　to　the　point；〃　said　Rastignac；　〃how　do　you　think　the　affair　ought　to　be　managed？〃

〃In　the　first　place；〃　replied　Vinet；　〃I　should　leave　the　Beauvisage　people　to　pay　all　costs　of　whatever　kind；　inasmuch　as　they　propose　to　do　so。〃

〃Do　I　oppose　that？〃　said　the　minister。　〃Have　I　the　right　or　the　means　to　do　so？〃

〃The　affair；〃　continued　Vinet；　〃should　be　placed　in　the　hands　of　some　capable　and　wily　solicitor；　like　Desroches；　for　example；　Monsieur　de　Trailles'　lawyer。　He'll　know　how　to　put　flesh　on　the　bones　of　a　case　you　justly　consider　rather　thin。〃

〃Well；　it　is　certainly　not　my　place　to　say　to　Monsieur　de　Trailles　or　any　other　man；　'I　forbid　you　to　employ　whom　you　will　as　your　solicitor。'〃

〃Then　we　need　some　pleader　who　can　talk　in　a　moving　way　about　that　sacred　thing　the　Family；　and　put　himself　into　a　state　of　indignation　about　these　surreptitious　and　furtive　ways　of　entering　its　honored　enclosure。〃

〃Desroches　can　point　out　some　such　person　to　you。　The　government　cannot　prevent　a　man　from　saying　what　he　pleases。〃

〃But；〃　interposed　Maxime；　who　was　forced　out　of　his　passive　role　by　the　minister's　coldness；　〃is　/not　preventing/　all　the　help　we　are　to　expect　in　this　affair　from　the　government？〃

〃You　don't　expect　us；　I　hope；　to　take　this　matter　upon　ourselves？〃

〃No；　of　course　not；　but　we　have　certainly　supposed　that　you　would　take　some　interest　in　the　matter。〃

〃But　how？in　what　way？〃

〃Well；　as　Monsieur　le　procureur　said　just　now；　by　giving　a　hint　to　the　subsidized　newspapers；　by　stirring　up　your　friends　to　spread　the　news；　by　using　a　certain　influence　which　power　always　exerts　on　the　minds　of　magistrates。〃

〃Thank　you；　no！〃　replied　Rastignac。　〃When　you　want　the　government　for　an　accomplice；　my　dear　Maxime；　you　must　provide　a　better…laid　plot　than　that。　From　your　manner　this　morning　I　supposed　there　was　really　something　in　all　this；　and　so　I　ventured　to　disturb　our　excellent　attorney…general；　who　knows　how　I　value　his　advice。　But　really；　your　scheme　seems　to　me　too　transparent　and　also　too　narrow　not　to　be　doomed　to　inevitable　defeat。　If　I　were　not　married；　and　could　pretend　to　the　hand　of　Mademoiselle　Beauvisage；　perhaps　I　should　feel　differently；　of　course　you　will　do　as　you　think　best。　I　do　not　say　that　the　government　will　not　wish　you　well　in　your　attempt；　but　it　certainly　cannot　descend　to　make　it　with　you。〃

〃But　see；〃　said　Vinet；　interposing　to　cut　off　Maxime's　reply；　which　would　doubtless　have　been　bitter；　〃suppose　we　send　the　affair　to　the　criminal　courts；　and　the　peasant…woman；　instigated　by　the　Beauvisage　couple；　should　denounce　the　man　who　had　sworn　before　a　notary；　and　offered　himself　for　election　falsely；　as　a　Sallenauve：　the　question　is　one　for　the　court　of　assizes。〃

〃But　proofs？　I　return　to　that；　you　must　have　proof；〃　said　Rastignac。　〃Have　you　even　a　shadow　of　it？〃

〃You　said　yourself；　just　now；〃　remarked　Maxime；　〃that　it　was　always　possible　to　bring　a　bad　case。〃

〃A　civil　case；　yes；　but　to　fail　in　a　criminal　case　is　a　far　more　serious　matter。　It　would　be　a　pretty　thing　if　you　were　shown　not　to　have　a　leg　to　stand　on；　and　the　case　ended　in　a　decision　of　/non…　lieu/。　You　couldn't　find　a　better　way　to　put　our　enemy　on　a　pedestal　as　high　as　the　column　of　July。〃

〃So；〃　said　Maxime；　〃you　see　absolutely　nothing　that　can　be　done？〃

〃For　us；　no。　For　you；　my　dear　Maxime；　who　have　no　official　character；　and　who；　if　need　be；　can　support　the　attack　on　Monsieur　de　Sallenauve　pistol　in　hand；　as　it　were；　nothing　hinders　you　from　proceeding　in　the　matter。〃

〃Oh；　yes！〃　said　Maxime；　bitterly；　〃I'm　a　sort　of　free　lance。〃

〃Not　at　all；　you　are　a　man　intuitively　convinced　of　facts　impossible　to　prove　legally；　and　you　do　not　give　way　before　the　judgment　of　God　or　man。〃

Monsieur　de　Trailles　rose　angril