the deputy of arcis-第77章

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e　the　judgment　of　God　or　man。〃

Monsieur　de　Trailles　rose　angrily。　Vinet　rose　also；　and；　shaking　hands　with　Rastignac　as　he　took　leave　of　him；　he　said；

〃I　don't　deny　that　your　course　is　a　prudent　one；　and　I　don't　say　that　in　your　place　I　should　not　do　the　same　thing。〃

〃Adieu；　Maxime；　without　bitterness；　I　hope；〃　said　Rastignac　to　Monsieur　de　Trailles；　who　bowed　coldly　and　with　dignity。

When　the　two　conspirators　were　alone　in　the　antechamber；　Maxime　turned　to　his　companion。

〃Do　you　understand　such　squeamishness？〃　he　asked。

〃Perfectly；〃　replied　Vinet；　〃and　I　wonder　to　see　a　clever　man　like　you　so　duped。〃

〃Yes；　duped　to　make　you　lose　your　time　and　I　mine　by　coming　here　to　listen　to　a　lecture　on　virtue！〃

〃That's　not　it；　but　I　do　think　you　guileless　to　be　taken　in　by　that　refusal　to　co…operate。〃

〃What！　do　you　think〃

〃I　think　that　this　affair　is　risky；　if　it　succeeds；　the　government；　arms　folded；　will　reap　the　benefit。　But　if　on　the　contrary　we　fail；　it　will　not　take　a　share　in　the　defeat。　But　you　may　be　sure　of　this；　for　I　know　Rastignac　well：　without　seeming　to　know　anything；　and　without　compromising　himself　in　any　way；　he　will　help　us；　and　perhaps　more　usefully　than　by　open　connivance。　Think！　did　he　say　a　single　word　on　the　morality　of　the　affair？　Didn't　he　say；　again　and　again；　'I　don't　opposeI　have　no　right　to　prevent'？　And　as　to　the　venom　of　the　case；　the　only　fault　he　found　was　that　it　wasn't　sure　to　kill。　But　in　truth；　my　dear　monsieur；　this　is　going　to　be　a　hard　pull；　and　we　shall　want　all　the　cleverness　of　that　fellow　Desroches　to　get　us　through。〃

〃Then　you　think　I　had　better　see　him？〃

〃Better　see　him！　why；　my　good　friend；　you　ought　to　go　to　him　at　once。〃

〃Wouldn't　it　be　better　if　he　talked　with　you？〃

〃Oh！　no；　no！〃　exclaimed　Vinet。　〃I　may　be　the　man　to　put　the　question　in　the　Chamber；　and　if　Desroches　were　seen　with　me；　I　should　lose　my　virginity。〃

So　saying；　he　took　leave　of　Maxime　with　some　haste；　on　the　ground　that　he　ought　then　to　be　at　the　Chamber。

〃But　I；〃　said　Maxime；　running　after　him；〃suppose　I　want　to　consult　you　in　the　matter？〃

〃I　leave　to…night　for　my　district；　to　get　things　into　order　before　the　opening　of　the　new　session。〃

〃But　about　bringing　up　the　question　which　you　say　may　devolve　on　you？〃

〃I　or　another。　I　will　hasten　back　as　soon　as　I　can；　but　you　understand；　I　must　put　my　department　in　order　for　a　six　months'　absence。〃

〃A　good　journey　to　you；　then；　Monsieur　le　procureur…general；〃　replied　Maxime；　sarcastically。

Left　to　himself；　Monsieur　de　Trailles　had　a　period　of　discouragement；　resulting　from　the　discovery　that　these　two　political　Bertrands　meant　that　his　paw　should　pull　the　chestnuts　from　the　fire。　Rastignac's　behavior　particularly　galled　him。　His　mind　went　back　to　their　first　interview　at　Madame　Restaud's；　twenty　years　earlier；　when　he　himself　held　the　sceptre　of　fashion；　and　Rastignac；　a　poor　student；　neither　knew　how　to　come　into　a　room　nor　how　to　leave　it。　＇See　〃Pere　Goriot。＇　And　now　Rastignac　was　peer　of　France　and　minister；　while　he；　Maxime；　become　his　agent；　was　obliged　with　folded　arms　to　hear　himself　told　that　his　plot　was　weak　and　he　must　carry　it　out　alone；　if　at　all。

But　this　discouragement　did　not　last。

〃Yes！〃　he　cried　to　himself；　〃I　/will/　carry　it　out；　my　instinct　tells　me　there　is　something　in　it。　What　nonsense！a　Dorlange；　a　nobody；　to　attempt　to　checkmate　Maxime　de　Trailles　and　make　a　stepping…stone　of　my　defeat！　To　my　solicitor's；〃　he　said　to　the　coachman；　opening　the　door　of　the　carriage　himself。

Desroches　was　at　home；　and　Monsieur　de　Trailles　was　immediately　admitted　into　his　study。

Desroches　was　a　lawyer　who　had　had；　like　Raffaelle；　several　manners。　First；　possessor　of　a　practice　without　clients；　he　had　made　fish　of　every　case　that　came　into　his　net；　and　he　felt　himself；　in　consequence；　little　respected　by　the　court。　But　he　was　a　hard　worker；　well　versed　in　all　the　ins　and　outs　of　chicanery；　a　keen　observer；　and　an　intelligent　reader　of　the　movements　of　the　human　heart。　Consequently　he　had　made　for　himself；　in　course　of　time；　a　very　good　practice；　he　had　married　a　rich　woman；　and　the　moment　that　he　thought　himself　able　to　do　without　crooked　ways　he　had　seriously　renounced　them。　In　1839　Desroches　had　become　an　honest　and　skilful　solicitor：　that　is　to　say；　he　assumed　the　interests　of　his　clients　with　warmth　and　ability；　he　never　counselled　an　openly　dishonorable　proceeding；　still　less　would　he　have　lent　a　hand　to　it。　As　to　that　fine　flower　of　delicacy　to　be　met　with　in　Derville　and　some　others　like　him；　besides　the　sad　fact　that　it　is　difficult　to　keep　its　fragrance　from　evaporating　in　this　business　world　of　which　Monsieur　de　Talleyrand　says；　〃Business　means　getting　the　property　of　others；〃　it　is　certain　that　it　can　never　be　added　to　any　second　state　of　existence。　The　loss　of　that　bloom　of　the　soul；　like　that　of　other　virginities；　is　irreparable。　Desroches　had　not　aspired　to　restore　it　to　himself。　He　no　longer　risked　anything　ignoble　or　dishonest；　but　the　good　tricks　admitted　the　code　of　procedure；　the　good　traps；　the　good　treacheries　which　could　be　legitimately　played　off　upon　an　adversary；　he　was　very　ready　to　undertake。

Desroches　was　moreover　a　man　of　parts　and　witty；　loving　the　pleasures　of　the　table；　and　like　all　men　perpetually　the　slaves　of　imperious　toil；　he　felt　the　need　of　vigorous　amusement；　taken　on　the　wing　and　highly　spiced。　While　purifying　after　a　fashion　his　judicial　life；　he　still　continued　the　legal　adviser　of　artists；　men　of　letters；　actresses；　courtesans；　and　elegant　bohemians　like　Maxime　de　Trailles；　because　he　liked　to　live　their　life；　they　were　sympathetic　to　him　as　he　to　them。　Their　witty　/argot/；　their　easy　morals；　their　rather　loose　adventures；　their　expedients；　their　brave　and　honorable　toil；　in　a　word；　their　greatness　and　their　weakness；he　understood　it　all　marvellously　well；　and；　like　an　ever…indulgent　providence；　he　lent　them　his　aid　whenever　they　asked　for　it。　But　in　order　to　conceal　from　his　dignified　and　more　valuable　clients　whatever　might　be　compromising　in　the　/clientele/　he　really　preferred；　Desroches　had　his　days　of　domesticity　when　he　was　husband　and　father；　especially　on　Sundays。　He　appeared　in　the　Bois　de　Boulogne　in　a　modest　caleche　beside　his　wife　（whose　ugliness　revealed　the　size　of　her　/dot/）；　with　three　children　on　the　front　seat；　who　were　luckless　enough　to　resemble　their　mother。　This　family　picture；　these　virtuous　Dominical　habits；　recalled　so　little　the　week…day　Desroches；　dining　in　cafes　with　all　the　male　and　female　/viveurs/　of　renown；　that　one　of　them；　Malaga；　a　circus…rider；　famous　for　her　wit　and　vim；　remarked　that　lawyers　ought　not　to　be　allowed　to　masquerade　in　that　way　and　deceive　the　public　with　fictitious　family　joys。

It　was　to　this　relative　integrity　that　de　Trailles　now　went　for　counsel；　as　he　never　failed　to　do　in　all　the　many　difficulties　he　encountered　in　life。　Following　a　good　habit；　Desroches　listened；　without　interrupting；　to　the　long　explanation　of　the　case　submitted　to　him。　As　Maxime　hid　nothing　from　this　species　of　confessor；　he　gave　his　reasons　for　wishing　to　injure　Sallenauve；　representing　him；　in　all　good　faith；　as　having　usurped　the　name　under　which　he　was　elected　to　the　Chamber；his　hatred　making　him　take　the　possibility　for　positive　evidence。

In　his　heart；　Desroches　did　not　want　to　take　charge　of　an　affair　in　which　he　saw　not　the　slightest　chance　of　success；　but　he　showed　his　lax　integrity　by　talking　over　the　affair　with　his　client　as　if　it　were　an　ordinary　case　of　legal　practice；　instead　of　telling　him　frankly　his　opinion　that　this　pretended　〃case〃　was　a　mere　intrigue。　The　number　of　things　done　in　the　domain　of　evil　by　connivance　in　speech；　without　proceeding　to　the　actual　collusion　of　action；　are　incalculable。

〃In　the　first　place；〃　said　Desroches；　when　the　matter　was　all　explained；　〃a　civil　suit　is　not　to　be　thought　of。　Your　Romilly　peasant…woman　might　have　her　hands　full　of　proofs；　but　she　has　no　ground　herself　to　stand　upon；　she　has　no　legal　interest　in　contesting　the　rights　of　this　recognized　natural　son。〃

〃Yes；　that　is　what　Vinet　said　just　now。〃

〃As　for　the　criminal　case；　you　could；　no　doubt；　compel　it　by　giving　informati