the deputy of arcis-第16章

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leave　Cecile　perfectly　free　to　make　her　choice。　Besides　which；　Madame　Beauvisage　said　that；　as　for　herself；　she　saw　no　objection　to　an　alliance　by　which　she　should　feel　herself　honored；　although　she　postponed　all　answer　until　after　my　election；　and　possibly　my　first　appearance　in　the　Chamber。　Old　Grevin　said　he　should　consult　the　Comte　de　Gondreville；　without　whose　advice　he　never　took　any　important　step。〃

〃All　of　which　means；〃　said　Goulard；　point…blank；　〃that　you　will　never　marry　Cecile；　my　old　fellow。〃

〃Why　not？〃　said　Giguet；　ironically。

〃My　dear　friend；　Madame　Beauvisage　and　her　daughter　spend　four　evenings　every　week　in　the　salon　of　your　aunt；　your　aunt　is　the　most　distinguished　woman　in　Arcis；　and　she　is；　though　twenty　years　the　elder；　an　object　of　envy　to　Madame　Beauvisage；　don't　you　see；　therefore；　that　they　wished　to　wrap　up　their　refusal　in　certain　civilities？〃

〃Not　to　say　entire　yes　or　no　in　such　cases；〃　said　Vinet；　〃is　to　say　/no/；　with　due　regard　to　the　intimacy　of　the　two　families。　Though　Madame　Beauvisage　has　the　largest　fortune　in　Arcis；　Madame　Marion　is　the　most　esteemed　woman　in　the　place；　for；　with　the　exception　of　our　chief…justice's　wife；　who　sees　no　one　now；　she　is　the　only　woman　who　knows　how　to　hold　a　salon；　she　is　the　queen　of　Arcis。　Madame　Beauvisage　has　tried　to　make　her　refusal　polite；　that's　all。〃

〃I　think　that　old　Grevin　was　fooling　your　mother；〃　said　Frederic　Marest。

〃Yesterday　you　attacked　the　Comte　de　Gondreville；　you　insulted　and　grievously　affronted　him；　and　he　is　to　be　consulted　about　your　marriage　to　Cecile！〃

〃Pere　Grevin　is　a　sly　old　dog；〃　said　Vinet。

〃Madame　Beauvisage　is　very　ambitious；〃　pursued　Antonin　Goulard。　〃She　knows　very　well　her　daughter　is　to　have　two　millions；　she　means　to　be　mother…in…law　of　a　minister；　or　an　ambassador；　in　order　to　play　the　great　lady　in　Paris。〃

〃Well；　why　not？〃　said　Simon　Giguet。

〃I　wish　you　may　get　it！〃　replied　the　sub…prefect　looking　at　Vinet；　with　whom　he　went　off　into　a　hearty　laugh　as　soon　as　they　were　out　of　hearing。　〃He　won't　even　be　deputy；〃　added　Antonin；　addressing　Vinet；　〃the　ministry　have　other　views。　You　will　find　a　letter　from　your　father　when　you　get　home；　enjoining　you　to　make　sure　of　the　votes　of　all　the　persons　in　your　department；　and　see　that　they　go　for　the　ministerial　candidate。　Your　own　promotion　depends　on　this；　and　he　requests　you　to　be　very　discreet。〃

〃But　who　is　the　candidate　for　whom　our　ushers　and　sheriffs　and　clerks；　and　solicitors　and　notaries　are　to　vote？〃　asked　Vinet。

〃The　one　I　shall　name　to　you。〃

〃How　do　you　know　my　father　has　written　to　me；　and　what　he　wrote？〃

〃The　stranger　told　me〃

〃The　man　after　water？〃

〃My　dear　Vinet；　you　and　I　are　not　to　know；　we　must　treat　him　as　a　stranger。　He　saw　your　father　at　Provins　as　he　came　through。　Just　now　this　same　man　gave　me　a　note　from　the　prefect　instructing　me　to　follow　in　every　particular　the　instructions　of　Comte　Maxime　about　this　election。　I　knew　very　well　I　should　have　a　battle　to　fight！　Come　and　dine　somewhere　and　we　will　get　out　our　batteries。　You　are　to　be　/procureur…du…roi/　at　Mantes；　and　I　am　to　be　prefect；　but　we　must　/seem/　to　have　nothing　to　do　with　the　election；　for　don't　you　see；　we　are　between　the　hammer　and　the　anvil。　Simon　is　the　candidate　of　a　party　which　wants　to　overturn　the　present　ministry　and　may　succeed；　but　for　men　as　intelligent　as　you　and　I　there　is　but　one　course　to　take。〃

〃What　is　that？〃

〃To　serve　those　who　make　and　unmake　ministers。　A　letter　was　shown　to　me　from　one　of　those　personages　who　represent　the　stable　and　immovable　thought　of　the　State。〃

Before　going　farther；　it　is　necessary　to　explain　who　this　Unknown　person　was；　and　what　his　purpose　was　in　coming　to　Champagne。



XII

THE　SALON　OF　MADAME　D'ESPARD

About　two　months　before　the　nomination　of　Simon　Giguet；　at　eleven　o'clock　one　evening；　in　a　mansion　of　the　faubourg　Saint…Honore　belonging　to　the　Marquise　d'Espard；　while　tea　was　being　served　the　Chevalier　d'Espard；　brother…in…law　to　the　marquise；　put　down　his　tea…　cup；　and；　looking　round　the　circle；　remarked：

〃Maxime　was　very　melancholy　to…night；didn't　you　think　so？〃

〃Yes；〃　replied　Rastignac；　〃but　his　sadness　is　easily　accounted　for。　He　is　forty…eight　years　old；　at　that　age　a　man　makes　no　new　friends；　and　now　that　we　have　buried　de　Marsay；　Maxime　has　lost　the　only　man　capable　of　understanding　him；　of　being　useful　to　him；　and　of　using　him。〃

〃He　probably　has　pressing　debts。　Couldn't　you　put　him　in　the　way　of　paying　them？〃　said　the　marquise　to　Rastignac。

At　this　period　Rastignac　was；　for　the　second　time；　in　the　ministry；　he　had　just　been　made　count　almost　against　his　will。　His　father…in…law；　the　Baron　de　Nucingen；　was　peer　of　France；　his　younger　brother　a　bishop；　the　Comte　de　Roche…Hugon；　his　brother…in…law；　was　an　ambassador；　and　he　himself　was　thought　to　be　indispensable　in　all　future　combinations　of　the　ministry。

〃You　always　forget；　my　dear　marquise；〃　replied　Rastignac；　〃that　our　government　exchanges　its　silver　for　gold　only；　it　pays　no　heed　to　men。〃

〃Is　Maxime　a　man　who　would　blow　out　his　brains？〃　inquired　the　banker　du　Tillet。

〃Ha！　you　wish　I　were；　we　should　be　quits　then；〃　said　Comte　Maxime　de　Trailles；　whom　everybody　supposed　to　have　left　the　house。

The　count　rose　suddenly；　like　an　apparition；　from　the　depths　of　an　arm…chair　placed　exactly　behind　that　of　the　Chevalier　d'Espard。

Every　one　present　laughed。

〃Will　you　have　a　cup　of　tea？〃　said　the　young　Comtesse　de　Rastignac；　whom　the　marquise　had　asked　to　do　the　honors　in　her　place。

〃Gladly；〃　replied　the　count；　standing　before　the　fireplace。

This　man；　the　prince　of　fashionable　scoundrels；　had　managed　to　maintain　himself　until　now　in　the　high　and　mighty　position　of　a　dandy　in　Paris；　then　called　/Gants　Jaunes/　（lemon…kid…glovers）；　and　since；　〃lions。〃　It　is　useless　to　relate　the　history　of　his　youth；　full　of　questionable　adventures；　with　now　and　then　some　horrible　drama；　in　which　he　had　always　known　how　to　save　appearances。　To　this　man　women　were　never　anything　else　than　a　means；　he　believed　no　more　in　their　griefs　than　he　did　in　their　joys；　he　regarded　them；　like　the　late　de　Marsay；　as　naughty　children。　After　squandering　his　own　fortune；　he　had　spent　that　of　a　famous　courtesan；　La　Belle　Hollandaise；　the　mother　of　Esther　Gobseck。　He　had　caused　the　misery　of　Madame　Restaud；　sister　of　Madame　Delphine　de　Nucingen；　the　mother　of　the　young　Comtesse　de　Rastignac。

The　world　of　Paris　offers　many　unimaginable　situations。　The　Baronne　de　Nucingen　was　at　this　moment　in　Madame　d'Espard's　salon　in　presence　of　the　author　of　all　her　sister's　misery；　in　presence　of　a　murderer　who　killed　only　the　happiness　of　women。　That；　perhaps；　was　the　reason　why　he　was　there。　Madame　de　Nucingen　had　dined　at　Madame　d'Espard's　with　her　daughter；　married　a　few　months　earlier　to　the　Comte　de　Rastignac；　who　had　begun　his　political　career　by　occupying　the　post　of　under…　secretary　of　state　in　the　famous　ministry　of　the　late　de　Marsay；　the　only　real　statesman　produced　by　the　Revolution　of　July。

Comte　Maxime　de　Trailles　alone　knew　how　many　disasters　he　had　caused；　but　he　had　always　taken　care　to　shelter　himself　from　blame　by　scrupulously　obeying　the　laws　of　the　Man…Code。　Though　he　had　squandered　in　the　course　of　his　life　more　money　than　the　four　galleys　of　France　could　have　stolen　in　the　same　time；　he　had　kept　clear　of　justice。　Never　had　he　lacked　in　honor；　his　gambling　debts　were　paid　scrupulously。　An　admirable　player；　his　partners　were　chiefly　the　great　seigneurs；　ministers；　and　ambassadors。　He　dined　habitually　with　all　the　members　of　the　diplomatic　body。　He　fought　duels；　and　had　killed　two　or　three　men　in　his　life；　in　fact；　he　had　half　murdered　them；　for　his　coolness　and　self…possession　were　unparalleled。　No　young　man　could　compare　with　him　in　dress；　in　the　distinction　of　his　manners；　the　elegance　of　his　witty　speech；　the　grace　of　his　easy　carriage；in　short；　what　was　called　in　those　days　〃the　grand　air。〃　In　his　capacity　of　page　to　the　Emperor；　trained　from　the　age　of　twelve　in　the　art　of　riding；　he　was　held　to　be　the　skilfulest　of　horsemen。　Having　always　fine　horses　in　his　stable；　he　raised　some；　and　ruled　the　fashion　in　equestrianism。　No　man　could　stand　a　supper　of　young　bloods　better　than　he；　he　drank　more　than　the　best…trained　toper；　but　he　came　out　fresh　and　cool；　and　ready　to　begin　again　as　if　orgy　were　his　element。　Maxime；　one　of　those　despised　men　who　know　how　to　repress　the　contempt　they　inspire　by　the　insolence　of　their　attitude　and　the　fear　they　cause；　never　deceived　himself　as　to　his　actual　position。　Hence　his　real　strength。　Strong　men　are　always　their　own　critics。

Under　the　Restoration　he　had　made　the　most　of　his　former　condition　of　page　to　the　Emperor。　He　attributed　to　his　pretended　Bonapartist　opinions　the　rebuffs　he　met　with　from　the　different　ministers　when　he　asked　for　an　office　under　the　Bourbons；　for；　in　spite　of　his　connections；　his　birth；　and　his　dangerous　aptitudes；　he　never　obtained　anything。　After　the　failure　of　these　attempts　he　entered　the　secret　cabal　which　led　in　time　to　the　fall　of　the　Elder　branch。

When　the　Younger　branch；　preceded　by　the　Parisian　populace；　had　trodden　down　the　Elder　branch　and　was　seated　on　the　throne；　Maxime　reproduced　his　attachment　to　Napoleon；　for　whom　he　cared　as　much　as　for　his　first　love。　He　then　did　great　services　to　the　newcomers；　who　soon　found　the　payment　for　them　onerous；　for　Maxime　too　often　demanded　payment　of　men　who　knew　how　to　reckon　those　services。　At　the　first　refusal；　Maxime　assumed　at　once　an　attitude　of　hostility；　threatening　to　reveal　unpleasant　details；　for　budding　dynasties；　like　infants；　have　much　soiled　linen。　De　Marsay；　during　his　ministry；　repaired　the　mistake　of　his　predecessors；　who　had　ignored　the　utility　of　this　man。　He　gave　him　those　secret　missions　which　require　a　conscience　made　malleable　by　the　hammer　of　necessity；　an　adroitness　which　recoils　before　no　methods；　impudence；　and；　above　all；　the　self…possession；　the　coolness；　the　embracing　glance　which　constitute　the　hired　/bravi/　of　thought　and　statesmanship。　Such　instruments　are　both　rare　and　necessary。

As　a　matter　of　calculation；　de　Marsay　maintained　Comte　Maxime　de　Trailles　in　the　highest　society；　he　described　him　as　a　man　ripened　by　passions；　taught　by　experience；　who　knew　men　and　things；　to　whom　travel　and　a　certain　faculty　for　observation　had　imparted　an　understanding　of　European　interests；　of　foreign　cabinets；　and　of　all　the　ramifications　of　the　great　continental　families。　De　Marsay　convinced　Maxime　of　the　necessity　of　doing　himself　credit；　he　taught　him　discretion；　less　as　a　virtue　than　a　speculation；　he　proved　to　him　that　the　governing　powers　would　never　abandon　a　solid；　safe；　elegant；　and　polished　instrument。

〃In　politics；〃　he　said；　blaming　Maxime　for　having　uttered　a　threat；　〃we　should　never　/blackmail/　but　once。〃

Maxime　was　a　man　who　could　sound　the　depths　of　that　saying。

De　Marsay　dead；　Comte　Maxime　de　Trailles　had　fallen　back　into　his　former　state　of　existence。　He　went　to　the　baths　every　year　and　gambled；　he　returned　to　Paris　for　the　winter；　but；　though　he　received　some　large　sums　from　the　depths　of　certain　niggardly　coffers；　that　sort　of　half…pay　to　a　daring　man　kept　for　use　at　any　moment　and　p