the deputy of arcis-第8章

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se　family；　she　paid　the　sum　to　Phileas　in　ready　money；advising　him　to　buy　out　the　business　of　his　employer；　Monsieur　Pigoult；　the　son　of　the　old　justice　of　the　peace；　whose　affairs　were　in　so　bad　a　way　that　his　death；　as　we　have　said；　was　thought　to　be　voluntary。

Phileas　Beauvisage；　a　virtuous　youth；　having　a　deep　respect　for　his　mother；　concluded　the　purchase　from　his　patron；　and　as　he　had　the　bump　of　what　phrenologists　term　〃acquisitiveness；〃　his　youthful　ardor　spent　itself　upon　this　business；　which　he　thought　magnificent　and　desired　to　increase　by　speculation。

The　name　of　Phileas；　which　may　seem　peculiar；　is　only　one　of　the　many　oddities　which　we　owe　to　the　Revolution。　Attached　to　the　Simeuse　family；　and　consequently；　good　Catholics；　the　Beauvisage　father　and　mother　desired　to　have　their　son　baptized。　The　rector　of　Cinq…Cygne；　the　Abbe　Goujet；　whom　they　consulted；　advised　them　to　give　their　son　for　patron　a　saint　whose　Greek　name　might　signify　the　municipality；　for　the　child　was　born　at　a　period　when　children　were　inscribed　on　the　civil　registers　under　the　fantastic　names　of　the　Republican　calendar。

In　1814；　hosiery；　a　stable　business　with　few　risks　in　ordinary　times；　was　subject　to　all　the　variations　in　the　price　of　cotton。　This　price　depended　at　that　time　on　the　triumph　or　the　defeat　of　the　Emperor　Napoleon；　whose　adversaries；　the　English　generals；　used　to　say　in　Spain：　〃The　town　is　taken；　now　get　out　your　bales。〃

Pigoult；　former　patron　of　young　Phileas；　furnished　the　raw　material　to　his　workmen；　who　were　scattered　all　over　the　country。　At　the　time　when　he　sold　the　business　to　Beauvisage　junior；　he　possessed　a　large　amount　of　raw　cotton　bought　at　a　high　price；　whereas　Lisbon　was　sending　enormous　quantities　into　the　Empire　at　six　sous　the　kilogramme；　in　virtue　of　the　Emperor's　celebrated　decree。　The　reaction　produced　in　France　by　the　introduction　of　the　Portuguese　cotton　caused　the　death　of　Pigoult；　Achille's　father；　and　began　the　fortune　of　Phileas；　who；　far　from　losing　his　head　like　his　master；　made　his　prices　moderate　by　buying　cotton　cheaply　and　in　doubling　the　quantity　ventured　upon　by　his　predecessor。　This　simple　system　enabled　Phileas　to　triple　the　manufacture　and　to　pose　as　the　benefactor　of　the　workingmen；　so　that　he　was　able　to　disperse　his　hosiery　in　Paris　and　all　over　France　at　a　profit；　when　the　luckiest　of　his　competitors　were　only　able　to　sell　their　goods　at　cost　price。

At　the　beginning　of　1814；　Phileas　had　emptied　his　warerooms。　The　prospect　of　a　war　on　French　soil；　the　hardships　of　which　were　likely　to　press　chiefly　on　Champagne；　made　him　cautious。　He　manufactured　nothing；　and　held　himself　ready　to　meet　all　events　with　his　capital　turned　into　gold。　At　this　period　the　custom…house　lines　were　no　longer　maintained。　Napoleon　could　not　do　without　his　thirty　thousand　custom…　house　officers　for　service　in　the　field。　Cotton；　then　introduced　through　a　thousand　loopholes；　slipped　into　the　markets　of　France。　No　one　can　imagine　how　sly　and　how　alert　cotton　had　become　at　this　epoch；　nor　with　what　eagerness　the　English　laid　hold　of　a　country　where　cotton　stockings　sold　for　six　francs　a　pair；　and　cambric　shirts　were　objects　of　luxury。

Manufacturers　from　the　second　class；　the　principal　workmen；　reckoning　on　the　genius　of　Napoleon；　had　bought　up　the　cottons　that　came　from　Spain。　They　worked　it　up　in　hopes　of　being　able　later　to　give　the　law　to　the　merchants　of　Paris。　Phileas　observed　these　facts。　When　the　war　ravaged　Champagne；　he　kept　himself　between　the　French　army　and　Paris。　After　each　lost　battle　he　went　among　the　workmen　who　had　buried　their　products　in　casks；a　sort　of　silo　of　hosiery；then；　gold　in　hand；　this　Cossack　of　weaving　bought　up；　from　village　to　village；　below　the　cost　of　fabrication；　tons　of　merchandise　which　might　otherwise　become　at　any　time　a　prey　to　an　enemy　whose　feet　were　as　much　in　need　of　being　/socked/　as　its　throat　of　being　moistened。

Phileas　displayed　under　these　unfortunate　circumstances　an　activity　nearly　equal　to　that　of　the　Emperor。　This　general　of　hosiery　made　a　commercial　campaign　of　1814　with　splendid　but　ignored　courage。　A　league　or　two　behind　where　the　army　advanced　he　bought　up　caps　and　socks　as　the　Emperor　gathered　immortal　palms　by　his　very　reverses。　The　genius　was　equal　on　both　sides；　though　exercised　in　different　spheres；　one　aimed　at　covering　heads；　the　other　at　mowing　them　down。　Obliged　to　create　some　means　of　transportation　in　order　to　save　his　tons　of　hosiery；　which　he　stored　in　a　suburb　of　Paris；　Phileas　often　put　in　requisition　horses　and　army…waggons；　as　if　the　safety　of　the　empire　were　concerned。　But　the　majesty　of　commerce　was　surely　as　precious　as　that　of　Napoleon。　The　English　merchants；　in　buying　out　the　European　markets；　certainly　got　the　better　of　the　colossus　who　threatened　their　trade。

By　the　time　the　Emperor　abdicated　at　Fontainebleau；　Phileas；　triumphant；　was　master　of　the　situation。　He　maintained；　by　clever　manoeuvring；　the　depreciation　in　cottons；　and　doubled　his　fortune　at　the　moment　when　his　luckiest　competitors　were　getting　rid　of　their　merchandise　at　a　loss　of　fifty　per　cent。　He　returned　to　Arcis　with　a　fortune　of　three　hundred　thousand　francs；　half　of　which；　invested　on　the　Grand…Livre　at　sixty；　returned　him　an　income　of　fifteen　thousand　francs　a　year。　He　employed　the　remainder　in　building；　furnishing；　and　adorning　a　handsome　house　on　the　Place　du　Pont　in　Arcis。

On　the　return　of　the　successful　hosier；　Monsieur　Grevin　was　naturally　his　confidant。　The　notary　had　an　only　daughter　to　marry；　then　twenty　years　of　age。　Grevin；　a　widower；　knew　the　fortune　of　Madame　Beauvisage；　the　mother；　and　he　believed　in　the　energy　and　capacity　of　a　young　man　bold　enough　to　have　turned　the　campaign　of　1814　to　his　profit。　Severine　Grevin　had　her　mother's　fortune　of　sixty　thousand　francs　for　her　dower。　Grevin　was　then　over　fifty；　he　feared　to　die；　and　saw　no　chance　of　marrying　his　daughter　as　he　wished　under　the　Restorationfor　her；　he　had　had　ambition。　Under　these　circumstances　he　was　shrewd　enough　to　make　Phileas　ask　her　in　marriage。

Severine　Grevin；　a　well…trained　young　lady　and　handsome；　was　considered　at　that　time　the　best　match　in　Arcis。　In　fact；　an　alliance　with　the　intimate　friend　of　the　senator　Comte　de　Gondreville；　peer　of　France；　was　certainly　a　great　honor　for　the　son　of　a　Gondreville　tenant…farmer。　The　widow　Beauvisage；　his　mother；　would　have　made　any　sacrifice　to　obtain　it；　but　on　learning　the　success　of　her　son；　she　dispensed　with　the　duty　of　giving　him　a　/dot/；a　wise　economy　which　was　imitated　by　the　notary。

Thus　was　consummated　the　union　of　the　son　of　a　farmer　formerly　so　faithful　to　the　Simeuse　family　with　the　daughter　of　its　most　cruel　enemy。　It　was；　perhaps；　the　only　application　made　of　the　famous　saying　of　Louis　XVIII。：　〃Union　and　Oblivion。〃

On　the　second　return　of　the　Bourbons；　Grevin's　father…in…law；　old　Doctor　Varlet；　died　at　the　age　of　seventy…six；　leaving　two　hundred　thousand　francs　in　gold　in　his　cellar；　besides　other　property　valued　at　an　equal　sum。　Thus　Phileas　and　his　wife　had；　outside　of　their　business；　an　assured　income　of　thirty　thousand　francs　a　year。

The　first　two　years　of　this　marriage　sufficed　to　show　Madame　Severine　and　her　father；　Monsieur　Grevin　the　absolute　silliness　of　Phileas　Beauvisage。　His　one　gleam　of　commercial　rapacity　had　seemed　to　the　notary　the　result　of　superior　powers；　the　shrewd　old　man　had　mistaken　youth　for　strength；　and　luck　for　genius　in　business。　Phileas　certainly　knew　how　to　read　and　write　and　cipher　well；　but　he　had　read　nothing。　Of　crass　ignorance；　it　was　quite　impossible　to　keep　up　even　a　slight　conversation　with　him；　he　replied　to　all　remarks　with　a　deluge　of　commonplaces　pleasantly　uttered。　As　the　son　of　a　farmer；　however；　Phileas　was　not　without　a　certain　commercial　good　sense；　and　he　was　also　kind　and　tender；　and　would　often　weep　at　a　moving　tale。　It　was　this　native　goodness　of　heart　which　made　him　respect　his　wife；　whose　superiority　had　always　caused　him　the　deepest　admiration。

Severine；　a　woman　of　ideas；　knew　all　things；　so　Phileas　believed。　And　she　knew　them　the　more　correctly　because　she　consulted　her　father　on　all　subjects。　She　was　gifted　with　great　firmness；　which　made　her　the　absolute　mistress　in　her　own　home。　As　soon　as　the　latter　result　was　attained；　the　old　notary　felt　less　regret　in　seeing　that　his　daughter's　only　domestic　happiness　lay　in　the　autocracy　which　usually　satisfies　all　women　of　her　nature。　But　what　of　the　woman　herself？　Here　follows　what　she　was　said　to　have　found　in　life。



VII

THE　BEAUVISAGE　FAMILY

During　the　reaction　of　1815；　a　Vicomte　de　Chargeboeuf　（of　the　poorer　branch　of　the　family）　was　sent　to　Arcis　as　sub…prefect　through　the　influence　of　the　Marquise　de　Cinq…Cygne；　to　whose　family　he　was　allied。　This　young　man　remained　sub…prefect　for　five　years。　The　beautiful　Madame　Beauvisage　was　not；　it　was　said；　a　stranger　to　the　reasons　that　kept　him　in　this　office　for　a　period　far　too　prolonged　for　his　own　advancement。　We　ought　to　say；　however；　that　these　remarks　were　not　justified　by　any　of　the　scandals　which　in　the　provinces　betray　those　passions　that　are　difficult　to　conceal　from　the　Argus…　eyes　of　a　little　town。　If　Severine　loved　the　Vicomte　de　Chargeboeuf　and　was　beloved　by　him；　it　was　in　all　honor　and　propriety；　said　the　friends　of　the　Grevins　and　the　Marions；　and　that　double　coterie　imposed　its　opinion　on　the　whole　arrondissement；　but　the　Marions　and　the　Grevins　had　no　influence　on　the　royalists；　and　the　royalists　regarded　the　sub…prefect　as　fortunate　in　love。

As　soon　as　the　Marquise　de　Cinq…Cygne　heard　what　was　said　in　the　chateaux　about　her　relation；　she　sent　for　him；　and　such　was　her　horror　for　all　who　were　connected；　near　or　far；　with　the　actors　in　the　judicial　drama　so　fatal　to　her　family；　that　she　strictly　enjoined　him　to　change　his　residence。　Not　only　that；　but　she　obtained　his　appointment　as　sub…prefect　of　Sancerre　with　the　promise　of　advancement　to　the　prefecture。

Some　shrewd　observers　declared　that　the　viscount　pretended　this　passion　for　the　purpose　of　being　made　prefect；　for　he　well　knew　the　hatred　felt　by　the　marquise　for　the　name　of　Grevin。　Others　remarked　on　the　coincidence　of　the　viscount's　apparitions　in　Paris　with　the　visits　made　by　Madame　Beauvisage　to　the　capital　on　frivolous　pretexts。　An　impartial　historian　would　be　puzzled　to　form　a　just　opinion　on　the　facts　of　this　matter；　which　are　buried　in　the　mysteries　of　private　life。　One　circumstance　alone　seems　to　give　color　to　the　reports。

Cecile…Renee　Beauvisage　was　born　in　1820；　just　as　Monsieur　de　Chargeboeuf　left　Arcis；　and　among　his　various　names　was　that　of　Rene。　This　name　was　given　by　the　Comte　de　Gondreville　as　godfather　of　the　child。　Had　the　mother　objected　to　the　name；　she　would　in　some　degree　have　given　color　to　the　rumor。　As　gossip　always　endeavors　to　justify　itself；　the　giving　of　this　name　was　said　to　be　a　bit　of　maliciousness　on　the　part　of　the　old　count。　Madame　Keller；　the　count's　daughter；　who　was　named　Cecile；　was　the　godmother。　As　for　the　resemblance　shown　in　the　person　of　Cecile…Renee　Beauvisage；　it　was　striking。　This　young　girl　was　like　neither　father　nor　mother；　in　course　of　time　she　had　become　the　living　image　of　the　Vicomte　de　Chargeboeuf；　whose　aristocratic　manner