the deputy of arcis-第78章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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

〃As　for　the　criminal　case；　you　could；　no　doubt；　compel　it　by　giving　information　to　the　police　authorities　of　this　alleged　imposture〃

〃Vinet；〃　interrupted　Maxime；　〃inclined　to　the　criminal　proceeding。〃

〃Yes；　but　there　are　a　great　many　objections　to　it。　In　the　first　place；　in　order　that　the　complaint　be　received　at　all；　you　must　produce　a　certain　amount　of　proof；　then；　supposing　it　is　received；　and　the　authorities　are　determined　to　pursue　the　case；　you　must　have　more　evidence　of　criminality　than　you　have　now；　and；　moreover；　supposing　that　you　can　show　that　the　so…called　Marquis　de　Sallenauve　committed　a　fraud；　how　will　you　prove　that　the　so…called　son　was　privy　to　it？　He　might　have　been　the　dupe　of　some　political　schemer。〃

〃But　what　interest　could　such　a　schemer　have　in　giving　Dorlange　the　many　advantages　he　has　derived　from　the　recognition？〃

〃Ah！　my　dear　fellow；　in　political　manners　all　queer　proceedings　are　possible；　there　is　no　such　fertile　source　for　compilers　of　/causes　celebres/　and　novelists。　In　the　eyes　of　the　law；　you　must　remember；　the　counterfeiting　of　a　person　is　not　always　a　crime。〃

〃How　so？〃　asked　Maxime。

〃Here；〃　said　Desroches；　taking　up　the　Five　Codes；　〃do　me　the　favor　to　read　Article　5　of　the　Penal　Code；　the　only　one　which　gives　an　opening　to　the　case　you　have　in　mind。〃

Maxime　read　aloud　the　article；　which　was　as　follows：

〃'Any　functionary　or　public　officer　who；　in　the　exercise　of　his　function；　shall　commit　forgeryeither　by　false　signatures；　by　alterations　of　deeds；　writings；　or　signatures；　or　by　counterfeiting　persons'　There；　you　see；〃　said　Maxime；　interrupting　himself；〃'by　counterfeiting　persons'〃

〃Go　on；〃　insisted　Desroches。

〃'by　counterfeiting　persons；'〃　resumed　de　Trailles；　〃'either　by　writings　made　or　intercalated　in　the　public　records　or　other　documents；　shall　be　punished　by　imprisonment　at　hard　labor　for　life。'〃

Maxime　lingered　lovingly　over　the　last　words；　which　gave　his　revenge　a　foretaste　of　the　fate　that　awaited　Sallenauve。

〃My　dear　count；〃　said　Desroches；　〃you　do　as　the　barristers　do；　they　read　to　the　jury　only　so　much　of　a　legal　document　as　suits　their　point　of　view。　You　pay　no　attention　to　the　fact　that　the　only　persons　affected　by　this　article　are　/functionaries/　or　/public　officers/。〃

Maxime　re…read　the　article；　and　convinced　himself　of　the　truth　of　that　remark。

〃But；〃　he　objected；　〃there　must　be　something　elsewhere　about　such　a　crime　when　committed　by　private　individuals。〃

〃No；　there　is　not；　you　can　trust　my　knowledge　of　jurisprudence；the　Code　is　absolutely　silent　in　that　direction。〃

〃Then　the　crime　we　wish　to　denounce　can　be　committed　with　impunity？〃

〃Its　repression　is　always　doubtful；〃　replied　Desroches。　〃Judges　do　sometimes　make　up　for　the　deficiency　of　the　Code　in　this　respect。　Here；〃　he　added；　turning　over　the　leaves　of　a　book　of　reference；　〃here　are　two　decisions　of　the　court　of　assizes；　reported　in　Carnot's　Commentary　on　the　Penal　Code：　one　of　July　7；　1814；　the　other　April　24；　1818；both　confirmed　by　the　court　of　appeals；　which　condemn　for　forgery；　by　'counterfeiting　persons；'　individuals　who　were　neither　functionaries　nor　public　officers：　but　these　decisions；　unique　in　law；　rest　on　the　authority　of　an　article　in　which　the　crime　they　punish　is　not　even　mentioned；　and　it　is　only　by　elaborate　reasoning　that　they　contrived　to　make　this　irregular　application　of　it。　You　can　understand；　therefore；　how　very　doubtful　the　issue　of　such　a　case　would　be；　because　in　the　absence　of　a　positive　rule　you　can　never　tell　how　the　magistrates　might　decide。〃

〃Consequently；　your　opinion；　like　Rastignac's；　is　that　we　had　better　send　our　peasant…woman　back　to　Romilly　and　drop　the　whole　matter？〃

〃There　is　always　something　to　be　done　if　one　knows　how　to　set　about　it；〃　replied　Desroches。　〃There　is　a　point　that　neither　you　nor　Rastignac　nor　Vinet　seems　to　have　thought　of；　and　that　is；　to　proceed　in　a　criminal　case　against　a　member　of　the　national　representation；　except　for　flagrant　crime；　requires　the　consent　and　authority　of　the　Chamber。〃

〃True；〃　said　Maxime；　〃but　I　don't　see　how　a　new　difficulty　is　going　to　help　us。〃

〃You　wouldn't　be　sorry　to　send　your　adversary　with　the　galleys；〃　said　Desroches；　laughing。

〃A　villain；〃　added　Maxime；　〃who　may　make　me　lose　a　rich　marriage；　a　fellow　who　poses　for　stern　virtue；　and　then　proceeds　to　trickery　of　this　kind！〃

〃Well；　you　must　resign　yourself　to　a　less　glorious　result；　but　you　can　make　a　pretty　scandal；　and　destroy　the　reputation　of　your　man；　and　that　ought；　it　seems　to　me；　to　serve　your　ends。〃

〃Of　course；better　that　than　nothing。〃

〃Well；　then；　here's　what　I　advise。　Don't　let　your　peasant…woman　lodge　her　complaint　before　the　criminal　court；　but　make　her　place　in　the　hands　of　the　president　of　the　Chamber　of　deputies　a　simple　request　for　permission　to　proceed。　Probably　the　permission　will　not　be　granted；　and　the　affair　will　have　to　stop　at　that　stage；　but　the　matter　being　once　made　known　will　circulate　through　the　Chambers；　the　newspapers　will　get　hold　of　it　and　make　a　stir；　and　the　ministry；　/sub　rosa/；　can　envenom　the　vague　accusation　through　its　friends。〃

〃/Parbleu/！　my　dear　fellow；〃　cried　Maxime；　delighted　to　find　a　way　open　to　his　hatred；　〃you've　a　strong　head；stronger　than　that　of　these　so…called　statesmen。　But　this　request　for　permission　addressed　to　the　president　of　the　Chamber；　who　is　to　draw　it　up？〃

〃Oh！　not　I；〃　said　Desroches；　who　did　not　wish　to　mix　himself　up　any　farther　in　this　low　intrigue。　〃It　isn't　legal　assistance　that　you　want；　this　is　simply　firing　your　first　gun；　and　I　don't　undertake　that　business。　But　you　can　find　plenty　of　briefless　barristers　always　ready　to　put　their　finger　in　the　political　pie。　Massol；　for　instance；　can　draw　it　up　admirably。　But　you　must　not　tell　him　that　the　idea　came　from　me。〃

〃Oh！　as　for　that；〃　said　Maxime；　〃I'll　take　it　all　on　my　own　shoulders。　Perhaps　in　this　form　Rastignac　may　come　round　to　the　project。〃

〃Yes；　but　take　care　you　don't　make　an　enemy　of　Vinet；　who　will　think　you　very　impertinent　to　have　an　idea　which　ought；　naturally；　to　have　come　into　the　head　of　so　great　a　parliamentary　tactician　as　himself。〃

〃Well；　before　long；〃　said　Maxime；　rising；　〃I　hope　to　bring　the　Vinets　and　Rastignacs；　and　others　like　them；　to　heel。　Where　do　you　dine　this　evening？〃　he　added。

〃In　a　cave；〃　replied　Desroches；　〃with　a　band。〃

〃Where's　that？〃

〃I　suppose；　in　the　course　of　your　erotic　existence；　you　have　had　recourse　to　the　good　offices　of　a　certain　Madame　de　Saint…Esteve？〃

〃No；〃　replied　Maxime；　〃I　have　always　done　my　own　business　in　that　line。〃

〃True；〃　said　Desroches；　〃you　conquer　in　the　upper　ranks；　where；　as　a　general　thing；　they　don't　use　go…betweens。　But；　at　any　rate；　you　have　heard　of　Madame　de　Saint…Esteve？〃

〃Of　course；　her　establishment　is　in　the　rue　Neuve…Saint…Marc；　and　it　was　she　who　got　that　pot　of　money　out　of　Nucingen　for　La　Torpille。　Isn't　she　some　relation　to　the　chief　of　detective　police；　who　bears　the　same　name；　and　used　to　be　one　of　the　same　kind　as　herself？〃

〃I　don't　know　about　that；〃　said　Desroches；　〃but　what　I　can　tell　you　is　that　in　her　business　as　procuressas　it　was　called　in　days　less　decorous　than　our　ownthe　worthy　woman　has　made　a　fortune；　and　now；　without　any　serious　change　of　occupation；　she　lives　magnificently　in　the　rue　de　Provence；　where　she　carries　on　the　business　of　a　matrimonial　agency。〃

〃Is　that　where　you　are　going　to　dine？〃　asked　Maxime。

〃Yes；　with　the　director　of　the　London　opera…house；　Emile　Blondet；　Finot；　Lousteau；　Felicien　Vernon；　Theodore　Gaillard；　Hector　Merlin；　and　Bixiou；　who　was　commissioned　to　invite　me；　as　it　seems　they　are　in　want　of　my　/experience/　and　/capacity　for　business/！〃

〃/Ah　ca/！　then　there's　some　financial　object　in　this　dinner？〃

〃No；　it　merely　concerns　a　theatrical　venture；the　engagement　of　a　prima　donna；　and　they　want　to　submit　the　terms　of　the　contract　to　my　judgment。　You　understand　that　the　rest　of　the　guests　are　invited　to　trumpet　the　affair　as　soon　as　the　papers　are　signed。〃

〃Who　is　the　object　of　all　this　preparation？〃

〃Oh！　a　/star/；destined；　they　say；　to　European　success；　an　Italian；　discovered　by　a　Swedish　noblema