the deputy of arcis-第1章

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The　Deputy　of　Arcis

by　Honore　de　Balzac

Translated　by　Katharine　Prescott　Wormeley





PART　I

THE　ELECTION



I

ALL　ELECTIONS　BEGIN　WITH　A　BUSTLE

Before　beginning　to　describe　an　election　in　the　provinces；　it　is　proper　to　state　that　the　town　of　Arcis…sur…Aube　was　not　the　theatre　of　the　events　here　related。

The　arrondissement　of　Arcis　votes　at　Bar…sur…Aube；　which　is　forty　miles　from　Arcis；　consequently　there　is　no　deputy　from　Arcis　in　the　Chamber。

Discretion；　required　in　a　history　of　contemporaneous　manners　and　morals；　dictates　this　precautionary　word。　It　is　rather　an　ingenious　contrivance　to　make　the　description　of　one　town　the　frame　for　events　which　happened　in　another；　and　several　times　already　in　the　course　of　the　Comedy　of　Human　Life；　this　means　has　been　employed　in　spite　of　its　disadvantages；　which　consist　chiefly　in　making　the　frame　of　as　much　importance　as　the　canvas。

Toward　the　end　of　the　month　of　April；　1839；　about　ten　o'clock　in　the　morning；　the　salon　of　Madame　Marion；　widow　of　a　former　receiver…　general　of　the　department　of　the　Aube；　presented　a　singular　appearance。　All　the　furniture　had　been　removed　except　the　curtains　to　the　windows；　the　ornaments　on　the　fireplace；　the　chandelier；　and　the　tea…table。　An　Aubusson　carpet；　taken　up　two　weeks　before　the　usual　time；　obstructed　the　steps　of　the　portico；　and　the　floor　had　been　violently　rubbed　and　polished；　though　without　increasing　its　usual　brightness。　All　this　was　a　species　of　domestic　premonition　concerning　the　result　of　the　elections　which　were　about　to　take　place　over　the　whole　surface　of　France。　Often　things　are　as　spiritually　intelligent　as　men；an　argument　in　favor　of　the　occult　sciences。

The　old　man…servant　of　Colonel　Giguet；　Madame　Marion's　older　brother；　had　just　finished　dusting　the　room；　the　chamber…maid　and　the　cook　were　carrying；　with　an　alacrity　that　denoted　an　enthusiasm　equal　to　their　attachment；　all　the　chairs　of　the　house；　and　piling　them　up　in　the　garden；　where　the　trees　were　already　unfolding　their　leaves；　through　which　the　cloudless　blue　of　the　sky　was　visible。　The　springlike　atmosphere　and　sun　of　May　allowed　the　glass　door　and　the　two　windows　of　the　oblong　salon　to　be　kept　open。

An　old　lady；　Madame　Marion　herself；　now　ordered　the　two　maids　to　place　the　chairs　at　one　end　of　the　salon；　four　rows　deep；　leaving　between　the　rows　a　space　of　about　three　feet。　When　this　was　done；　each　row　presented　a　front　of　ten　chairs；　all　of　divers　species。　A　line　of　chairs　was　also　placed　along　the　wall；　under　the　windows　and　before　the　glass　door。　At　the　other　end　of　the　salon；　facing　the　forty　chairs；　Madame　Marion　placed　three　arm…chairs　behind　the　tea…table；　which　was　covered　with　a　green　cloth；　on　which　she　placed　a　bell。

Old　Colonel　Giguet　arrived　on　this　battle…field　at　the　moment　when　his　sister　bethought　herself　of　filling　the　empty　spaces　on　either　side　of　the　fireplace　with　benches　from　the　antechamber；　disregarding　the　baldness　of　their　velvet　covers　which　had　done　good　service　for　twenty…four　years。

〃We　can　seat　seventy　persons；〃　she　said　to　her　brother　triumphantly。

〃God　grant　that　we　may　have　seventy　friends！〃　replied　the　colonel。

〃If；　after　receiving　every　night；　for　twenty…four　years；　the　whole　society　of　Arcis…sur…Aube；　a　single　one　of　my　regular　visitors　fails　us　on　this　occasion〃　began　the　old　lady；　in　a　threatening　manner。

〃Pooh；　pooh！〃　replied　the　colonel；　interrupting　his　sister；　〃I'll　name　you　ten　who　cannot　and　ought　not　to　come。　First；〃　he　said；　beginning　to　count　on　his　fingers；　〃Antonin　Goulard；　sub…prefect；　for　one；　Frederic　Marest；　/procureur…du…roi/；　there's　two；　Monsieur　Olivier　Vinet；　his　substitute；　three；　Monsieur　Martener；　examining…judge；　four；　the　justice　of　peace〃

〃But　I　am　not　so　silly；〃　said　the　old　lady；　interrupting　her　brother　in　her　turn；　〃as　to　expect　office…holders　to　come　to　a　meeting　the　object　of　which　is　to　give　another　deputy　to　the　Opposition。　For　all　that；　Antonin　Goulard；　Simon's　comrade　and　schoolmate；　would　be　very　well　pleased　to　see　him　a　deputy　because〃

〃Come；　sister；　leave　our　own　business　of　politics　to　us　men。　Where　is　Simon？〃

〃He　is　dressing；〃　she　answered。　〃He　was　wise　not　to　breakfast；　for　he　is　very　nervous。　It　is　queer　that；　though　he　is　in　the　habit　of　speaking　in　court；　he　dreads　this　meeting　as　if　he　were　certain　to　meet　enemies。〃

〃Faith！　I　have　often　had　to　face　masked　batteries；　and　my　soulI　won't　say　my　bodynever　quailed；　but　if　I　had　to　stand　there；〃　said　the　old　soldier；　pointing　to　the　tea…table；　〃and　face　forty　bourgeois　gaping　at　me；　their　eyes　fixed　on　mine；　and　expecting　sonorous　and　correct　phrases；　my　shirt　would　be　wringing　wet　before　I　could　get　out　a　word。〃

〃And　yet；　my　dear　father；〃　said　Simon　Giguet；　entering　from　the　smaller　salon；　〃you　really　must　make　that　effort　for　me；　for　if　there　is　a　man　in　the　department　of　the　Aube　whose　voice　is　all…powerful　it　is　assuredly　you。　In　1815〃

〃In　1815；〃　said　the　little　old　man；　who　was　wonderfully　well　preserved；　〃I　did　not　have　to　speak；　I　simply　wrote　out　a　little　proclamation　which　brought　us　two　thousand　men　in　twenty…four　hours。　But　it　is　a　very　different　thing　putting　my　name　to　a　paper　which　is　read　by　a　department；　and　standing　up　before　a　meeting　to　make　a　speech。　Napoleon　himself　failed　there；　at　the　18th　Brumaire　he　talked　nothing　but　nonsense　to　the　Five　Hundred。〃

〃But；　my　dear　father；〃　urged　Simon；　〃it　concerns　my　life；　my　fortune；　my　happiness。　Fix　your　eyes　on　some　one　person　and　think　you　are　talking　to　him；　and　you'll　get　through　all　right。〃

〃Heavens！〃　cried　Madame　Marion；　〃I　am　only　an　old　woman；　but　under　such　circumstances　and　knowing　what　depends　on　it；　Ioh！　I　should　be　eloquent！〃

〃Too　eloquent；　perhaps；〃　said　the　colonel。　〃To　go　beyond　the　mark　is　not　attaining　it。　But　why　make　so　much　of　all　this？〃　he　added；　looking　at　his　son。　〃It　is　only　within　the　last　two　days　you　have　taken　up　this　candidacy　of　ideas；　well；　suppose　you　are　not　nominated；so　much　the　worse　for　Arcis；　that's　all。〃

These　words　were　in　keeping　with　the　whole　life　of　him　who　said　them。　Colonel　Giguet　was　one　of　the　most　respected　officers　in　the　Grand　Army；　the　foundation　of　his　character　being　absolute　integrity　joined　to　extreme　delicacy。　Never　did　he　put　himself　forward；　favors；　such　as　he　received；　sought　him。　For　this　reason　he　remained　eleven　years　a　mere　captain　of　the　artillery　of　the　Guard；　not　receiving　the　rank　of　major　until　1814。　His　almost　fanatical　attachment　to　Napoleon　forbade　his　taking　service　under　the　Bourbons　after　the　first　abdication。　In　fact；　his　devotion　in　1815　was　such　that　he　would　have　been　banished　with　so　many　others　if　the　Comte　de　Gondreville　had　not　contrived　to　have　his　name　effaced　from　the　ordinance　and　put　on　the　retired　list　with　a　pension；　and　the　rank　of　colonel。

Madame　Marion；　/nee/　Giguet；　had　another　brother　who　was　colonel　of　gendarmerie　at　Troyes；　whom　she　followed　to　that　town　at　an　earlier　period。　It　was　there　that　she　married　Monsieur　Marion；　receiver…　general　of　the　Aube；　who　also　had　had　a　brother；　the　chief…justice　of　an　imperial　court。　While　a　mere　barrister　at　Arcis　this　young　man　had　lent　his　name　during　the　Terror　to　the　famous　Malin　de　l'Aube；　the　representative　of　the　people；　in　order　to　hold　possession　of　the　estate　of　Gondreville。　＇See　〃An　Historical　Mystery。〃＇　Consequently；　all　the　support　and　influence　of　Malin；　now　become　count　and　senator；　was　at　the　service　of　the　Marion　family。　The　barrister's　brother　was　made　receiver…general　of　the　department；　at　a　period　when；　far　from　having　forty　applicants　for　one　place；　the　government　was　fortunate　in　getting　any　one　to　accept　such　a　slippery　office。

Marion；　the　receiver…general；　inherited　the　fortune　of　his　brother　the　chief…justice；　and　Madame　Marion　that　of　her　brother　the　colonel　of　gendarmerie。　In　1814；　the　receiver…general　met　with　reverses。　He　died　when　the　Empire　died；　but　his　widow　managed　to　gather　fifteen　thousand　francs　a　year　from　the　wreck　of　his　accumulated　fortunes。　The　colonel　of　gendarmerie　had　left　his　property　to　his　sister　on　learning　the　marriage　of　his　brother　the　artillery　officer　to　the　daughter　of　a　rich　banker　of　Hamburg。　It　is　well　known　what　a　fancy　all　Europe　had　for　the　splendid　troopers　of　Napoleon！

In　1814；　Madame　Marion；　half…ruined；　returned　to　Arcis；　her　native　place；　where　she　bought；　on　the　Grande…Place；　one　of　the　finest　houses　in　the　town。　Accustomed　to　receive　much　company　at　Troyes；　where　the　receiver…general　reigned　supreme；　she　now　opened　her　salon　to　the　notabilities　of　the　liberal　party　in　Arcis。　A　woman　accustomed　to　the　advantages　of　salon　royalty　does　not　easily　renounce　them。　Vanity　is　the　most　tenacious　of　all　habits。

Bonapartist；　and　afterwards　a　liberalfor；　by　the　strangest　of　metamorphoses；　the　soldiers　of　Napoleon　became　almost　to　a　man　enamoured　of　the　constitutional　systemColonel　Giguet　was；　during　the　Restoration；　the　natural　president　of　the　governing　committee　of　Arcis；　which　consisted　of　the　notary　Grevin；　his　son…in…law　Beauvisage；　and　Varlet　junior；　the　chief　physician　of　Arcis；　brother…　in…law　of　Grevin；　and　a　few　other　liberals。

〃If　our　dear　boy　is　not　nominated；〃　said　Madame　Marion；　having　first　looked　into　the　antechamber　and　garden　to　make　sure　that　no　one　overheard　her；　〃he　cannot　have　Mademoiselle　Beauvisage；　his　success　in　this　election　means　a　marriage　with　Cecile。〃

〃Cecile！〃　exclaimed　the　old　man；　opening　his　eyes　very　wide　and　looking　at　his　sister　in　stupefaction。

〃There　is　no　one　but　you　in　the　whole　department　who　would　forget　the　/dot/　and　the　expectations　of　Mademoiselle　Beauvisage；〃　said　his　sister。

〃She　is　the　richest　heiress　in　the　department　of　the　Aube；〃　said　Simon　Giguet。

〃But　it　seems　to　me；〃　said　the　old　soldier；　〃that　my　son　is　not　to　be　despised　as　a　match；　he　is　your　heir；　he　already　has　something　from　his　mother；　and　I　expect　to　leave　him　something　better　than　a　dry　name。〃

〃All　that　put　together　won't　make　thirty　thousand　a　year；　and　suitors　are　already　coming　forward　who　have　as　much　as　that；　not　counting　their　position；〃　returned　Madame　Marion。

〃And？〃　asked　the　colonel。

〃They　have　been　refused。〃

〃Then　what　do　the　Beauvisage　family　want？〃　said　the　colonel；　looking　alternately　at　his　son　and　sister。

It　may　seem　extraordinary　that　Colonel　Giguet；　the　brother　of　Madame　Marion　in　whose　house　the　society　of　Arcis　had　met　for　twenty…four　years；　and　whose　salon　was　the　echo　of　all　reports；　all　scandals；　and　all　the　gossip　of　the　department　of　the　Aube；a　good　deal　of　it　being　there　manufactured；should　be　ignorant　of　facts　of　this　nature。　But　his　ignorance　will　seem　natural　when　we　mention　that　this　noble　relic　of　the　Napoleonic　legions　went　to　bed　at　night　and　rose　in　the　morning　with　the　chickens；　as　all　old　persons　should　do　if　they　wish　to　live　out　their　lives。　He　was　never　present　at　the　intimate　conversations　which　went　on　in　the　salon。　In　the　provinces　there　are　two　sorts　of　intimate　conversation；one；　which　is　held　officially　when　all　the　company　are　gathered　together；　playing　at　cards　or　conversing；　the　other；　which　/simmers/；　like　a　well　made　soup；　when　three　or　four　friends　remain　around　the　fireplace；　friends　who　can　be　trusted　to　repeat　nothing　o