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M /.. /,, 'I /,... .,, / /..,. .:^^| '*•-# ON THE BANK OF THE AUBE •■\ It seemed to Hiht, I doubt not, that the poor child, having tnore good ivill than science, did not go about as she ought. ******* ** Certain it is that Mademoiselle Beauvtsage, happen- ing to cross the bridge with her mother, cried out like a genuine enfant terrible : "Look, there's papa talking with the Parisian lady!" xnw , WIT Th, Deputy From Arci: by ?l?oiiorc br ISaljac IN TWO VOLUMES yOL. // WITH TEN ILLUSTRATION; S BY ORESTE CORTAZZO iHontrcal HENRY T. THOMAS & COMPANY COPYRIGHT, 1898, BY (JEORGE BARRIE * SON THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS PART SECOND INSTRUCTIVE LETTERS ( Continued) a b tn C( SI m tic di; de Tr cor cor anc this wai tho; INSTRUCTIVE LETTERS (Continued) «AR,B.0ASTON TO «ADA«e u COWESSE r,E L'ESTORADE Madame, Arcis-sur-Aube, May 9, ,839. behalf Of Monlerde ;4s,: adrr,"' "l^ '" "^- "^ "««^^ Which ™„s, certainly rse/vfto'Te tr''*" consideration. I am free f„ =„ L '""^" ""° suggestions do not seem to me' ^""'"•' """ *°=^ ■"ight think, and, even beLT ^° '" ^" "^ -""^ tion, the difficulties r„^ff ^°"' °'^'^''" ""«««- disclosed to uwel™;:;?''"" '"' "^^^ '""^ dential mission entrusted ,„ m' """"'"'""^ ^°"«- Trailles, a mission wh h'he .rl'^^rt^ n"'"""' ^' conceal for some days unde^hl h '""^""ess to connected with manufact * «"'t "' " P^"°" and you, madame seem t^ h*' • ^"^"^ "'^o- this adroit agenH then, ^ ■^"°''"" "' ""'hat way to comb! ', 'e er™s?f™' "'^^ "^^ '°""'' " •hose of his private nil «cs m^'"""' P"""" *'"' «epoiihcs. Monsieur IMaxirae de 4 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS Trailles, if we are correctly informed, has recently been on the point of succumbing to a last and m i^ alarmmg attack of the chronic disease with wS he has long been afflicted. That disease is his de bt!^ Maw eT.i.f ''' '''''' '''''' '''''' ^--^"r land In th.?' '' ^' '^'^^ '^ '^' ^^t't of Eng. and n that extremity, my gentleman, being re- so ved to resort to the most desperate re-^edils P oX" %Th"'"* '' ^ "^^^''^^' -h-h 4"t properly be called a marriage in extremis, as the h fiftieth''"''"^" T ^PP^^^^'^^"^ -^--ly nea his fiftieth year, so I am told. Being very well known, which in his case means held Tn ve^yTow esteem in Paris, he did as tradesmen do with Lre" that are out of fashion, he shipped himself intrthe provinces and was unpacked at Arcis-sur-Aube just jn time for the electoral fair, judging shrew ly ha the always more or less tumultuous excitement o the'^nf i 5"^"'"^ ^°"'^ ^"* b^ f- -b^ to he si.ghtiy shady character of his operations. H s reckoning was accurate ; the sudden death of young Charles Keller, the candidate upon whose election the government had at first determined, had cast the w 0^ electorate of Arcis into a state of profound per- Maxime de Trailles succeeded in hooking a candidate BeauvLlI' '*h"'^^''"* °^ ^"^"^ ^^^'^^' Monsieur Beauvisage, whose name, madame, you remember very well, has the inestimable advantage of hatn^ ( < f f s^ C te dx re to tw giv the ■ecently id most I which ; debt— ■ onsieur of Eng- ing re- nedies, I might as the y near y well ry low wares to the )e just y that ^nt of ble to His -'oung action stthe I per- sieur I i date ieties sieur Tiber ving THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS assaulted with batterinp-r^mc . ^ ground the candidacy of a^tlT' ''"""^^ ^'^^ the Giguet. who, to the great r*^ ^f^^' "^'"ed Simon would have had ^leTudlr tt? °f ''" government, Left Centre. That shutt ^ 1° '''" ^'"^ '^'^^ '" the «tart of the const utiot"" '"^P^^tinent up- inestimable value t:rLTr'°" ^^^'"^^ ^^ sucli notorious and wel -defined nnf. '"*' *'^' ^'^^^^ ^'^^ visage, as well as the hou.ht f .?' '""^ ^^^"■ wiiich his election could not f - ""^''-■"'^ ^'^'^ si^ould lend their aidTn se ° in > T'' '^''' ^'^^ point of private affai s fir^ s. ^'^"^ '''' ^^^"d" 'es's,-Monsieur Beauvi^^ir' " .^"''""^ '' ^^^i'" - only daughter, pas a'Z^" I""'- °' '^^'"^ exaggeration of her moZrL ^' ^''' ^'^'^out any to her husband a dowTof / ""T ''^''y '' ^ring francs, amassed in thlLn f ! ^""'^^'^ ^'^ousand caps of Which my last letter ?'' '' '''''' <^otton ^0 little respect.^ Now^hl''"*^'^ *° ^P^^'^ with fair ^-P'ains' itself: to' arous^r?^"^ '' '^' -^■ tather, who never would h^ T '"^'"^^ '" ^^e ^e'f. the ambition and hone oVh°"^'' '' '' h''"- Chamber; to hint that he should. "' ''"' '' *'^- ter and her dowrv as "^ ' ^"'^>'ou his daugh- daughter by a remnant of n . /'^'^' *° ^^^^'e the -finement^ofmar::Xl/^^^^^^^ to begm very cleverlv h„ ./ ^ ^ of countess ; THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS all the most effective guarantees that the law affords against himself be inserted in the contract : there you have the game, and the truly herculean task performed by Monsieur de Trailles in less than two weeks. But, at that juncture, we intervene. By virtue of the name which fell down to us one morn- ing from the clouds, we are Champenois ; we make ourselves Champenois even more thoroughly by be- coming a landed proprietor in the province, and it happens that just at this time the province has deter- mmed to send to the Chamber at the approaching elec- tion no one but a child of its own vintage. "And for that very reason," you will say to me, " Beauvisage cannot fail to be given the preference ; he is a more direct and less equivocal local product." It seems so to you, madame, but we are not quite such an idiot as Beauvisage ; we do not invite people to laugh at us ; we do not make cotton caps, it is true, but we make statues, statues for which we have be<=n dec- orated with the Legion of Honor ; religious statues, which are dedicated with great ceremony, in pres- ence of Monseigneur the Bishop, who deigns to make a speech, and in presence of the constituted authori- ties ; statues which the whole population of the town— I mean that part of it that was unable to ob- tain admission to the ceremony— flocks to admire at the establishment of mesdames the Ursulines, who are so proud of the magnificent ornament added to their little jewel of a chapel, that they keep their con- vent and their oratory open for an entire day to all comers, and all this does not fail to make us popular isiis: 13 im: i:;iiii THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS j in some degree. And a fact that adds still more to our popularity is that we are not a stingy curmud- geon hke Beauvisage ; that we do not hoard up our income, sou by sou ; that we employ at our chateau th rty workmen, painters, masons, glaziers, garden- ers, trelhs-makers; and, whereas the may^ of the town goes about on foot, we suddenly appear in Arcis with an elegant caliche and two hlgh-sLpping horses, which our father, who is not in Heaven bu^ hght at a distance than at close quarters, has sent us by special messenger, for the purpose, I believe of outdoing Monsieur de Trailles's tiger and tilbury,^ our arr'iv'al .' """'" " tremendous sensation b;fore This evening, madame, to crown the ceremony of dedication of our Sainte Ursule, we give a banquet of fifty covers in our chateau, to which we have been s^ enough to invite, together with the leading men of rr.r^r r' ,1' *'" ^"'''^ °^'^'"^'^' ^^"^^vable and irremovable alike, inasmuch as our candidacy has been announced, we feel sure in advance that Jhe invlT"^'''lf '' of invited guests will not accept u invitation. So much the better, on my word I there f" ters" r' "°" "°" ''' ''' °^^-^' -d the ! fauters, whose names will be all known to-morrow will stand self-convicted of servility and dependenc^' which fact will, we hope, deal a terrible blow at thS influence on the population. Yesterday, madame we drove m our caliche to the Chateau de Cinq Cygne, where D'Arthez presented us first of all to II i I 8 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS the Prmcesse de Cadignan. That woman h realiv marvellousiy well preserved, and it .seems as if she must be embalmed by the happiness of her liaison with the great wnter.-See the Secrets of the PHmTse de Cadigmn.-- It is the sweetest happines™ tave ever seen," you once said, madame^'speak ng of Mons,eur and Madame de Portenduire that remark 1 must repeat with reference to D'A thez and the princess, modifying the epithet sweet, by the wav as that might seem a little young as applfed toS Samt-Martm's summer. From what I have heard of par"s"%ftH T "'^^ '°"« ^«°' "' Madame d4s sure that sh "Ih "'* 'r'°" ^^«^"' ' ™s quite Trailles on very mtimate terms at Cinq-Cygne • for mthe scene to which I refer, he put himsfif ou to be rnsultmg to D'Arthez, and D'Arthez, while con- tentmg h.mself with making him appea ridi ulcus co.,s,dered him beneath contempt ,■ now, tht .a fee hng that will never change in that nobi and I fty mmd Upon h,s first appearance in the district armed w,th a few letters of introduction, the .geTji the mm,ster,al policy began by receiving one or two courteous attentions at Cinq-Cygne ; but they weTe rnere floating planks, and D'Arthez soon sent the,^ to the bottom. Our man, who flattered himself tha^ he should find support for his intrigues at Cnq Cygne, ,s so far out in his reckoning to-day, that it was from the mouth of the Due de MaufHgneuse ^nfided ^ir^""" T"'''"' "^ "^"'"^^ impertinent y confided all his plans as a fellow-member of the THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS g tt'^ fJ'^K '^'* ^' '''^'^'''^ the information set cated to Monsieur de rEstnnrio if ■„ . . undertake that duty ' '^ ^°" ^"' '^'"^^'y Madame de Maufrigneuse and the old Marquise de Sallenauve, I mean, but I find it hard to accustom myself to it; as they have not your hur^ilitv "v aTr^rienV:' '"''^'' ''''''' .-"eur^of s^u^ as our friend may possess, and he, for his part behaved with perfect propriety on that ex erne v .^"Is'ThTarT'"- ,°"^ ^^""°^ undersTandT2 " that, after having lived so much alone he has h7 hnf T'^t ^''" " ^ *'■'' *<^ beauti/ul. which dLv ,rf ',.'" ''''■''""y ""'■'^rto, includes he at seLd H H °""'""' *^ ^''^""y' «"''=" ="e learned rargain ? But tliat cannot be, for I have seen verv eminent artists, especially sculptors, who were simp v unendurable when they were once oLt of tte s Joi^ I pause here, madame ; my supply of fact,?^ exhausted and 1 feel that I am dipping i to d e chatter; to-morrow I shall have to give you an account of our great banquet, which willbe 1™ :carot;ttC''''"*^""^™'^'-^p^''-p^ Tu J. May lo. The dinner took place, madame ; it was mairnifi cently served and will be talked about in aTcTs" a long time to come, I think. Sallenauve hash thaJ 10 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS gan.st-who, by the way, gave evidence yester- day, on the organ of the convent, at the deSron ceremony, of remarkable talent-a sort of steward and factotum who leaves all the Vatels in the wor d a long way behind. He's not a man to run his word through his body because the fresh fish is a ie late Lamps, colored glasses, garlands, and draperies to decorate the banquet hall ; even a pretty little assortment of fireworks, which we found packed fulness of that crabbed and invisible father, who has ome good ,n him, nevertheless-nothing ;as lack' •ng to make the fate a success : it was kept up until a 'ute hour ,n the chateau gardens, to whicli the common herd was admitted to dance and drink s fi I. Almost all those invited were present, excep those whom we wished simply to embarrass. As the n vitations were sent out on very short notice,-which the peculiar circumstances excused, by the wav -it was an amusing thing to see the notes of declination arrive, one after another, up to the time we sat down at the table, Sallenauve having ordered them to be brought to the salon as they arrived At each note that he opened he was careful to say aloud This ,s monsieur Ie sous-prefet, or monsieur Ie p ocureur du roi, or the deputy-attorney, who regrets his inability to accept my invitation;" All these dentals of assistance were greeted with smiles and whispered comments by those present ; but when Beauvisage's letter appeared, and D^rlange an- nounced that it was impossible for monsieur Ie maire '■im ester- cation jward world n his 1 is a , and retty icked jght- ) has laci<- until the ; its cept itlie liich —it tion sat lem ach Jd: le ets 2se :nd len m- ire THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS „ to correspond to his courtesy, the hilarity became cen- era and uproarious, on account of the substance as well as the form of the note, and it continued until suspended by the arrival of one Monsieur Martener exammmg magistrate, who performed an act of signal gallantry in coming to the dinner. We must observe however that an examining magistrate is. by the nature of his office, divisible. As a magistrate, he is irremovable, and there is nothing about him subject to change except his title, the trifling additional salary allotted to h.m. and the privilege of issuing sum- monses and examining thieves, superb rights, which may be withdrawn from him by the chancellor's office by a stroke of the pen. Well, let us say. at all events, that Monsieur Martener is half-courageous- he was welcomed, however, like a fuU moon. Not' withstanding the presence of the Due de Maufrign- euse, D Arthez, and, above all, Monseigneur the Bishop, who is at the Chateau de Cinq-Cygne for a few days, there was one man whose absence caused a profound sensation, although his excuse, having been sent that morning, was not read in public ; it was Grevm, the ex-notary. There was nothing to be said as to the Comte de Gondreville, who was also missing: the very recent death of his grandson Charles Keller, did not permit him to attend the function, and, in sending him a conditional invitation Saenauve took pains to anticipate a refusal on his part bu Grevm, the right arm of the Comte de Gondreville. for whom he has certainly made many more compromising and more difficult sacrifices than 13 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS merely dming out, Grevin. by remaini,.g ^wav seemed to give notice that his patron stili ciung to the now almost deserted standard of Beauvisage • and that influence which seemed to be fighting shy' as they say in sporting parlance, was certainly of very great importance to us. Maltre Achiile Pigoult Grevin s successor, tried to explain it by saying thai the old man lived in strict retirement, and could hardly be mduced to dine with liis son-in-law two or three times a year. But that argument was speedily quashed by somebody's ooseiving that Grevin ac- cepted an invitation to l;e i\v, sub-prefect's guest at a dinner-p,.rty r- .'n to bring the Beauvisage family and Monsieur Maxime de Trailles together. We sha I have therefore, some pulling in the direc- M°l ./ ^^^*'^" "^^ Gondreville, and I fancy that Mother Mane des Anges will have to make up her mind to use her secret thrust. As tne pretext for the dinner was the dedication of the Satnte Ursule, which could not be celebrated by a banquet at the establishment of the Ursuline nuns, Sallenauve had an excellent opportunity at dessert, to propose a toast : ' ''To the mother of the poor ! to the blessed and noble intellect, which, for fifty years, has shed its beams over all Champagne, and to which should be attributed the prodigious number of distinguished and accomplished women who adorn this beautiful province ! " If you knew as I do, madame, what sort of a place Champagne Pouilleuse is, you would say, as you read THE DEPUTY FROM ARQS 13 the sentiment which I reproduce in substan e, that Sallenauve is a great villas „ and that the passion to be chosen deputy may render a man capable of the most shocking enormities. Is it worth while, after all, for a man who ordinarily respects himself, to summon up courage ^or a lie of sufiFicient d, u^'nsions to be considered a crime, when a little thing of • hich he had not thought, w:„ch did not originate with ;nm and of which all the honor must be credited to f » capricious aggregation of mutually sympathci . my terious elements, was soon to commend him ■ the sympathetic consideration of the electors more *fect- ively than his infamous toast or than all the speechi-s in the world ? Yoi ■ yourself told me, madame, that your son Armand .-scovered in Sallenauve a str- ' resemblance to the portraits of Danton ; it se. that his judgment was accurate, for the same rem was made in my vicin-ty, not with reference to pm traits but to the mai himself, by several of th* guests who had known and conversed with the grea* revolutionist. Laurent Goussard, as the leader of a party was invited of course. Not only was he a friend of Danton, as I toM you the other day; he seems also to have been his brother-in-law to some extent, as Danton, who w s a good deal of a gallant courted a sister of the honest miller for some years' and as the ballad says. /, ^J seen the millefs wife. Well, the resemblance mu t be very striking, for whUe we were taking our :offee after dinner, the good man's brain being a lit !e heated by the fumes of the provincial vintage, w ich had been served 14 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS un panngly, as you can imagine, he approached Sallenauve and asked him bluntly if he might not be mistaken as to his father, and if he could assert positively that Danton had nothing to do with his Sallenauve took the thing good-naturedly, and simply made this calculation : "Danton died April 5. 1793. In order to be his TJ 7'^J^f ^''''" ^'"^ '" ^794 at the latest, so that I should be forty-five years old to-day. Now the civil register of births in which I am inscribed as having been born of an unknown father and mother and I hope my face as well, fix my birth in 1809 and give me just thirty years." " Youare right." replied Laurent Goussard. "the figures flatten out my idea ; but never mind, we'll elect you all the same." And I believe the man is right; this fancied resemblance will have an immense weight in the Section. You must not imagine, madame, that Danton. notwithstanding the shocking souvenirs that surround his memory, is an object of horror and execration to the people of Arcis. In the first place time has purified him ; and there have remained a great character and a powerful intellect of which people are proud to be compatriots ; at Arcis rari- ties and curiosities are few. and people talk of Danton there as they talk of Cannebi^re at Mar- seilles; a fortunate circumstance, therefore, the resemblance to that god whose worship is not con- fined to the limits of the town, but extends also to THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS ,5 its suburbs and neighborhood ! These electors extra tnurosare sometimes curiously ingenuous, and con- tradictions disturb them but little. Several agents despatched into the neighboring districts, have al' ready made the most of this far-off similarity of feature; and as the desideratum, in the rustic prop- aganda. .s not so much to strike true as to strike hard, Laurent Goussard's version, apocryphal as it IS, IS hawked about through the rural communes with an assurance that finds no contradictor. While this alleged revolutionary origin is helping on our friend's affairs, they are being furthered in anothe direction, by saying to the gallant electors whom we seek to entice something that is much truer and impresses them no less : "is tT.e nnr"fT''?''^'^' '''' ^^ain and again, «s the one who has bought the Chateau of Arcis " And as the Chateau of Arcis, which towers abo;e w r."' !! T" *h''°"g'^<^"t the district, it is a same il' r '', '''''' ^°°^ P^°P'^' ^"^ at the same time being always ready to return to their memories of the past, which are much less dead and buried than you would suppose, they say: "AM he s the setgneur of the chateau ! " giving a respect-' them.' "" *''"'''''" '' ^^^ ''^^ presented to And this, madame. with all respect, is the way cooket " '"'''" '^ '°"'"^*^^ -'^ - ^epu?y fv,m ■ x6 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS MARIE-GASTON TO MADAME DE L'ESTORADE MADAME, Arcis-sur-Aube, May ii, 1839. You do me the honor to tell me that my letters entertain you, and you urge me to have no fear of multiplymg them. Is it not decidedly humiliating to me, and can it be that I can ever, in the whole course of my life, appear in the guise of an enter- tammg man, after the terrible misfortune which was the first lien between us ? But, as I have told you, 1 am living in an atmosphere that intoxicates me! Somethmg lii.*r, rnote t 1 i ''!'l'^''°- T'.rfa. r«fo,rf ,■„ V„,X'! '"' *?' ^^'^nd francs, as the furniture mrtv:"7Ln™'"« """'suity, moiselle ChocardeTe'^he self so tl^rf K'^'''' answered that he Hid nof !; ' ^ '^" ^^^^hiers, selie Antont *cou,d have tl St"o nr"^ ?'^'""'- ™.e but that his e^pio^t "Kerer''Frer::r: -t he .ouid not pa;rjitiirr„^isr- - '** THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS jg "Very well. I will submit it to them myself " said Mademoiselle Antonia, who did not propose to let her claim be nonsuited. "^'^ Thereupon, just as she was considering the ex- pediency of setting out ror Arcis alone, thf govern- witi; :' ttaftTn^? '-''' '"^"'^-^ ^eUufo: us, eaitors hrveTt 1 "'°''' ^''''' *'^^" P'-^^'"^'^' eaitors have at their command, and the duty of instill- ."g gall into them was entrusted to a journalist of un ?h rlesTen"^":'^" ^^'^"^°-"^ ^"t-^n Charles Keller's absence, had bestowed her favors- I am going t. Arcis," the scribe and the damsel evident y said to each other in the same breX such coincidences happen in the most humdrum commonplace existences. Is it very Znd Z' to 7h '' T' '^^'"S ''^'''"^ t^g^ther"^ t^ey arHve together and alight at the same place./ And now madame, observe and admire the sequence of thin "i Having journeyed hither on a purely necu'Sj aTumedr' 'T'' ^^^-°-"e ChocaS '^^ assumed tremendous electoral importance' and von Z2 us'l^r *r "^ '' -t'calculatedtcoT pensate us for the stinging blows that her gallant companion came here to inflict upon us. In th'elfrs place, It appears that, upon learning of the presence "What ! he here, that beastly sot?" I blush '.?r'''r '' ^^ "° "^^""^ parliamentary, and er or r.t t ^'''l '*'■ ^"' '^ "^^ ^^"^^ ^^^th by an- tenor relations, business relations, mind you. which 20 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS m Mademoiselle Antonia had had with the illustrious confidant of the ministerial policy. Being ac u ! tomed .0 pay court to none but great ladfes. who would assist m the extinction of his debt rathe; than labor to mcrease it. Monsieur de Trailles had for once ,n h.s life, the whim of desiring not to be lived altogether on his own account, and to show himself >n the gu.se of a lover less costly than useful. Con- sequently, he purchased from Mademoiselle Antonia a read,ng-room on Rue Coquenard, where she had held sway or some time. But the enterprise was unsuccessful; a settlement with his creditors became necessary, and Monsieur Maxime de Trailles with 11.S m.nd still bent upon business, compli ated th settlement by purchasing the furniture o? the estab- hshrnent, which, through the manoeuvring of a ra c , rom hi^ r^ '"c"'"^ *'"" ^'' ^""PP^^ stealthily from his hands.-See ^ Man of Business. -ThZ Mademoiselle Antonia had the pleasure of seeing her furmture vanish, the vans being already at the door and another s.ren, one Hortense, also an annuitant and a mistress of old Lord Dudley, made twenty-five ouis at her expense. You will understand, madame that do not pretend to set forth all these details with absolute clearness, especially as they have come to us at second-hand through the hostess of the Poste to whom they were confided by Mademoiselle An^ tonia in much more coherent and lucid fashion I doub not. The fact remains that Monsieur de Trailles and Mademoiselle Chocardelle parted as enemies, and that the latter considers herself entitled I I a b F b f( ir tc I ruA- j'JMiiiit'K. i THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 2 1 at the present time to speak of him with the freedom and absolute lack of decorum which must have im- pressed you as it did me. Indeed, since Mademoi- selle Antonia's first explosion, matters seem to have reached a point where Monsieur de Trailles, as a re- sult of that remark or other similar ones, finding that h.s influence is seriously endangered, has requested the journalist, with whom he is naturally thrown much ,n contact, to discipline his indiscreet com- panion a little; but she pays no heed to him, and by an endless succession of remarks and anecdotes, she produces in our favor, I wi.i not say the effect of a countermine, but the continuous effect of a counter- Maxtme by means whereof the venomous activity of our formidable adversary is constantly paralyzed Nor IS that all: there is still another service for which we are indebted to Mademoiselle Chocardelle's pres- ence at Arcis. The affair of her note drags its slow length along; she has been twice to Gondreville; she has never been admitted there. The journalist has a grea deal to do: in the first place his articles, and secondly a considerable number of duties imposed upon him by Monsieur de Trailles, at whose disposal he has been placed. Mademoiselle Antonia is often alone therefore, and, in the idleness and ennui caused by her solitude as well as the absence of the Opera Ranelagh, and the Boulevard des Italiens, she has been driven to create for herself a truly desperate n It, T"°"' ^''^°"^^ ^* ^'^^t g'^"^^ ^'most ncredible, this pastime is by no means impossible to comprehend in the case of a Parisian woman of Iff, 22 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS the her species, banished t^/ ucr nusDand, but almost never usprl h./ +ho h.;^ u -^ ' ^"^ '^^^ persons who cross the bridge have the privileae dp<;nitp +h. . of thp «tiii ,,„^^ X . ^''"^^^^> aespite the variations the most enthusiastic Paris gamin ^ Thus far all is plain sailing, and our election does not eem particularly concerned with thi fisht but If you will recall, in the History of Don ^iZ', THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 21 Which you love, maJame, because of the jovial and that 'wLlT„7 '/''"" '" """""'''''' ^"^^"'"e that befell Rosinante with certain Yanguesan mule- dnvers, you will have, even before 1 htve Wd you 2'"'"TZ "' "" 8"^ '"'""= -I'-h we owe "<; tte sudden development of this passion in Mad - moiselle Antonia. Our rival Beauvisage i" not aimply an ex-hosier and an exemplary mayor he is dTvtoTs" 'r'";'' '"^'"« "'^"'^'"'^ i" h Bv^,er „,H l- *'™™ ''' ^'^^P^'^'^ ^d admires. By her oiders he goes to bed before ten o'clock every evening, while Madame Beauvisage and her cSf LT;r "'''''' '^p™p"'°-"'^™- ■ wa « th.v ' " "° "^""^ *^'" *an standing water, they say, even as no one could be less chaste and less well-behaved than the calm and plac d Ro^! ago Betaf '™/"" "'*'"^'' ' '^'^"^ ^ — ago. Be that as it may, Beauvisage, while walkini, about ,.,s town, as he has the praife^rthy haW of domg every day, spied from the bridge the fair Pa r-an mtent upon her favorite occupation witl, her arm s retched out in virile fashfon andTer LstLf of ^"™™ ''^*- '^ ^''8'" f"^™^' ns gesture of impatience, with which the pretty fislier- ma,d puned her line out of the water when the fish did not bite, may have been the electric shock thi magist-p.e. However, no one can say how or at stte \l:Tl T""""' *' """8 ^"^ d""^- ' should state that, between his retirement from the cotton II Si : 'II91H I 24 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS cap business and his elevation to tlie mavoraltv *- -t seeded ,0 h,:;, ^bl t tt ^pot mX Sd 17J"« '^ "°'^ '"<' ""Jge with her ■■ Look if " «'*"'""<' "'fi'" terrible: ^^^UoK there s papa talking with the Parisian rZlT'^f """ ^y ^ stance of the enormity of the crime, to descend the slone with hasty step to arr ve ni :;:i' "' "" '"'^^^"<' -^°™ s'he I'nd lang™ ing with the joyous exnrpQQmn r,-f „ u • '""«." +^ o* -I u- ■^ t^-^pression of a brows ng shppn to tnke h,m dumb with a (fto arejou Joljr!? ^U aTegTair,"*" "'"'' *""*<= -^"^^ -^ vvitn a regj air tu issue an order to retreat whil» te :tatr„^ ?°'"''"'- -^p-^" at firs 'divt d course adopted hy Madle CiVi^ge "^^ '^^ and although that course may be deemed tn h7 ' beer, justified it certainly was'not^uS,' or he L nd M "'"'„'" *' "tastrophe the same even! vkted of de'lf,''";? '''""■'^«^' """8 '"^"'^^l and con- victed of deplorable morals, found that his phalanx 4 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS ,5 new dLrtfl'"^'^*^"' ""^ '-'"" -duced by This was hnJth T ^""^ '^'* ""^"^P^^t also? 1 nis was how the phenomenon came to pass- Mother Mane des Anges wishrH tn h-. ^ 'viother +u ^ ""ft^^ wisnea to have an interview wifh to go about It; to ask for it did not seem to lier c.it,- proper. As she had some harsh things to av ,0 him, apparently, she did not wish to make the od rt"her\rch"a c" "" ""' '"'■■P°- »' '^''-in '"em. such a course seemed to her to bo tn^ unclrantable. Moreover, tirreatening words when discharged point-blank, provoke as ofZ .1 terrify; whereas, if insin'uatld ^ild^," s they a^ hey are much more sure of their effect. Meanlhile' toe was flying, for the election is ,0 be TeTd 1 to n ght. The poor dear lady really was in sad t,.r plex, y as to what she should do, wten she hearS"; something most flattering to her self-esl™ / pretty Ssher-lass, who had come tolrc f^/ the purpose of squeezing money out of Keller Gn Mother MariedesX:'i:r:Vd7aTrpre' said of her ,n the neighborhood of which she ^s He greatest curiosity, after Danton; and thi gi r^ getted nothing so much as that she did not da e to ask to be admitted to her presence. An hour at I; liiJl I! a6 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS the following note was delivered at the H«el de la " Mademoiselle, " I am told that you wish tn "u lo mmesl ''' ^"" '^""^ '"'" '■''"■^'^^"* ^* ^^'^ Car- retorld' ^.T'^''^'''!'!" ^^^y good place, old fellow." re^torted Anton.a, w.ttily. «. when you leave Louis These girls, even the most ignorant of them all knew the story of La Valli^re, whom they w^u d rir^n'f I "'"^^ncorae had been canonized. I P hid ri„ °: T"*" *"'= ''' '^"K^^ accom- plished It, but the Comte de Gondreville's carrii^e was seen at the Rate „f the convent this m„^ 'r the „,„cle te it understood, does not consist fn he efrd'ot ' ""^ '™" "'' '^*' '"^ »^ ^o he heard of a suggestion of ten thousand francs to be THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 2g paid, although the amount was not to come from his purse but from Keller-s, he was certain to oTe ime ,n answermg the summons; it is all in the am.ly; and then misers like hin. taKe a passionate in- e est ,n another's loss of funds, when they do not con- s.d:,«r them well spent. But Mother Marie des aZs was not content with enticin, the old man toT ahT o;; " '"^ ?''T'y '''^^''^' *« -- b-ine': frend Grevm; and, during the day. the latter sa,d to several persons that his son-in-law was really 00 stup,d. that he had compromised himself ag n e mat er of that Parisian woman, and ?h othmg could ever be made of him. At the same time ,t was announced that the cures of the two parish churches had received, through Mother Marie ^s Anges the sum of three thousand francs, to be distributed among their poor;-the gift of a benefac- r who did not wish to be knoun. Sallenauve is in a rage because some of our agents are going about el.ng everyone that he is the anonymous benefac- o the Keller note has become widely known, and the honor due to that generous act a.n readily be bestowed upon its true author. But when you have he wind astern you cannot distribute it with math- crnatical precision among the sails, and you must often take more of it than you want. MonsTur Maxime de Trailles's temper does not improve; there IS good reason to believe that the defeat, which he must now see to be inevitable, will bury his marriage m 30 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS with him. We must -,^,,^1 * l- i" fortune, Z tkeLTl '"™' "P™?"' "' h« authors: "He i a bXht ''' '"'"'''' •" ""'"*/ revenge." ^"^ """"• ^"^ -^"1 have his whTbir: the'Lr:; oT'^^- '' *'^ "«-'^'- sicians. Br,chetea"u,"':,ttug"h h Ts' Z'T. T'' him. No one rm.iri ^- , °* related to self-possession 1 d v'^ """' ^^'^^^ ">"- and there are not two tnTi """ '""='"«^"«. organ as he does If Z h "^^ ""^ P'^V *« ^««o.««. you'^houid^rr: rnrts'° "^ : him. There's a m^n u ^ lessons of music, anTheiri tl^Zr"' ''''' "" grandeur, for his modesty Ts ZZ to h"",*, "'' with Sallenauve he is like I T ^ *^'^"'' faithful, and I would ^ylulytZZ" "" w.th a kindly, open countenance Uke h s ' I-" considered handsome. ""S'^' ^e MARIB-GASTON TO LA COMTESSE DE L'ESTORADE Madame, '^'"'■'"'-''"b'- Sunday, May u, ,839. Last evening, the preliminary meeting tool< place a most absurd ceremony and especially disageea: endured 'wT"*""'.'"' ^°"^*'"8 that must be endured. When one is about to enter into an e„ gagement for four or five years with a representa he IS Is he a man of intellect ? does he reallv tlse wh!^! \ """'°"' ='"'' "PP'o^chable to nteresb, H^LT '° ''" "'' ""^""o" '» ^eir Ih . 1 . ''^ *'™"'=«^ °f character? will he be able to defend his ideas-if he has any J m a word, will the constituency be worthily, reliably and honestly represented by him? That i thf^dous and respectable side of the institution which no being written in the law. must certainly have a powerful reason for existence in order to be so tafftsltf'"";" '"'""'• «"' every medamon vour?ttJ„r I- ""' '™'" "'"'*" standpoint your attention may be directed to the elector puffed selling .t to h,m at as high a price as pos;ible. (31) 33 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS From the impertinent cliaracter of many of th^ ques ,ons addressed to the candidate, you would st I at no .ndiscreet curiosity will find its way and a y h,„g ,s possible in the way of ridiculous'^ques prefer rh '""*'"'''■ " ^"^ ""^ »e candidate prefer Champagne to Bordeaux wine'" A- Rnr deaux, where the vintage is a religion, such a prefe " ence would arouse a suspicion of lack of patrW 1" e7ect::'a!t";'°"'^ '"''"^" "'^ *ctLn' «; te riv , ^^ """">' '° '^W*^ embarrassraen'^ the* eivs with T"'""' ""^y "P^« '» ^™- inemselves with them, as a child amuses him«if w.ih h,s cockchafer, or the old judges of an earNe day and young physicians of to4y with tie torture of a cr,m,nal, an autopsy, or an operation Some enjoy the uproar, the confusion of voice., which are a most certam features of such an occa ion the e are those who see an opportunity for the exi ihTt^on some pleasant accomplishment: for insta e a one of the moments, unfortunately too freauint When as ,he reports of debates in tte ChaXr of Deputies express it, /fe tumult is at its heiM^ t no rare thing to hear a wonderfully a curTlmta t.on of the crowing of a cock, or a dog's cry of pair when some one treads on his paw. Intellert wS alone should be entitled to suffrage, h v ing^'ke THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 33 D;Aubigne, Madame de Mainlenon's brother re stupid people are met with among the electors and tTbe" enrdr'^ ^"^'^'^"^'^ nuLrous ^ ^Jci y' to De entitled to representation ? ^ sizrin™ which T ':" '" " """' °' "n^Merable size, m which a restaurateur of the town eives pies a small gallery, to which a few of the public who are not electors can be admitted ; I was one of lZ!':':!T '7- '^^^-' '^<"- hid t™:; he p aces n the front row: Madame Marion, aunt of the H M ^ G'8"<". »ne of the candidate • Madame and Mademoiselle Mollot, wife and daugh «""? the clerk the court, and some others whose nimes and rank have escaped me ; but Madame and Made Brutus and Cass.us, -they were resplendent bv the,r absence. Before Monsieur Beaivisage was brought forward as a candidate, Monsieur Simon Cguet seemed to have the best chance nw™* our friend Sallenauve, who in his turn has oit- stages. His father, a colonel under the Emoire is greatly esteemed in the province; as an expre sion tt mertinr ^ "'• *'^ """'' """ Chairman of fir!,T, H I ""I"'"™"*' """^ "y acclamation. The first candidate heard was the advocate Giguet • h s speech was long and full of commonplaces few questions were asked him that deserve fo be ™te^ Nli 1i 34 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS in the present report. You felt at once that he had no part in the real battle. Then Monsieur rJ^ visage was called for. Maltre Achil" P go ,t Te" notary, took the floor and said • ''Monsieur le Maire has been ill since yesterdav with a trouble, which—" yesterday J^''.nT\r" '"^^^'■"Pt^d by shouts of "ah! an ! and outbursts of laughter thf^tT I ?'^"^* '"'^"y '■^"g the bell with which hey had taken care to provide him, but was u^abe to .s^re silence. At the first paus;, Maitr^ Clt '' I had the honor to say to you, messieurs th;,f suffenn_gfrom an indisposition 'which, t^r^I'is't'; tha"' thetst" F T'7 '"*'""P^'°" ^ ''«'^ "°--^ than the fnst. Like all soldiers, Colonel Giguet is not of a very long-suffering disposition, nor verv parliamentary in his speech; he ros'e with C^ h^at^ "Messieurs, you are not at the Bal Fiappart "_ ' iTe'ou St ''' T' f ''' P^°P^'^*- «f the h 'll,- I request you, therefore, to behave more decent V otherwise I shall leave the chair " recently. We must believe that men, in a body, like to be driven roughly, for that little lecture was rece.Vej with rapturous applause, and silence appeared to be reestablished on a firm basis. ^^'^''^^ju to be " I regret to inform you, therefore," Maitre Achille 'me ' thT T "T' ^"^^"^ ^'^ exordium eh time, that, suffering from an indisposition which, r V 5 tl THB DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 35 "A disease of the larynx ' " rripH o • "Oi,^ I- ^ "'/"A. cried a voice '0 take part in twrl , "'P'"'"' " '^ ™^We this eve^^g^ec Lred ,;?" T' '° ^^ '^^'-'^ say to you that T^t I . *"'' '"='™rted me to declined the tnTr'^^rif" '""^'=^^<^ those among von wh. u ^^^'^S^^> requesting and good:nf "o trlsfe lerr;"" ^^'^P^*^' Giguet." *''^"' *° Monsieur Simon This Achiile Pieoult is a rr.ic ^ • I'aJ a well-defined pu pose "^'f'""'"' P"^"" *ho of Madame BeauvisaTl,,!. *=■'"« '" ""^ "^™« l>e thus asserted But' th '°"'"«" ^"P'^^acy oughly characterttic o th ""'""« *^^ '"o *or- little villainy ^L no '^"'™'' '" '^^^'' *is freely take part in aSf their ^'h' ^ *' ""'"'^" those least fitted em and tr'^'*'"' ^^^" cure's maid-servant wt,^' "''' '""y °f the don. say ma~that pric^'has *"^^'^^ "^^ would not attrart a^.V ' ^^ ^ ^^^O"* which AtlastSaner^eVtrclr an^r ™^" '"*"^- at the outset by the ease nT,: ™' '"pressed nity With which'he'aS d:dr"«r "ir "'«■ very comfortino omen m,^ , ^- " '^ a serious tests for iH! ™^' '"' °*er more •he qualiTy'^;/;! eL^rof Z"'' *'" '"' «"" Whom one speaks are of verv f,«e'^''°"' '*''"' aic or very little consequence. 36 To the THE DEPUTY FROM ARCFS orator with fear at his heels, great lords and porters are the same tiling. There are eyes that look at you and ears that listen to you ; you no longer have a number of individuals before you but one huge moral person, the meeting, whose presence you feel, en masse, without analyzing its elements — After enumerating in a few words the bonds by which he is connected with the province, and insinu- atmg a very adroit and very dignified allusion to his birth, which did not resemble that of most other Sallenauve set forth his political opinions. The republic seems to him the ideal form of government but he does not think it possible to establish a republic in France; consequently he does not desire It. He thinks that a truly parliamentary govern- ment, in which camarilla politics were so thoroughly muzzled that there would be nothing to fear from their incessant escapades and never-ending enter- prises, might contribute largely to the dignity and prosperity of a nation. Liberty and equality, those two great principles which triumphed in '89, receive all needful guaranties from such a government. As for the juggling tricks which the royal power may attempt to play upon them, it is not the part of the institutions of the country to ward them off. Under such circumstances men and morals are to be looked to, rather than laws, and he, Sallenauve, will be one of those living obstacles. He declares himself a warm partisan of liberty of instruction, believes that still further saving is possible in the Budget, and that there are too many office-holders in the Chamber THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 37 chateai and especially that 1 sented there. To retain his independence." he" has decided to accept no office, no favor from the govern- ment. Nor are they who shall have elected him to expect that he will ever undertake to do anything in their interest which is not fully sanctioned by reason and justice. It has been said that the word impossible is not a French word. There is, however so far as he is concerned, one impossibility which he recognizes, and before which he will always consider that he honors himself by pausing-the impossibility of doing an injustice or of encroaching, even in the remotest degree, upon any lawful right. (Uproarious applause). ^ When silence was restored: "Monsieur," said one of the electors, after obtain- ing the floor from the chairman, " you have said that you would accept no office from the government Is that not, by implication, a condemnation of those who hold office? My name is Godivet, 1 am recorder of mortgages, and I do not think that I ought for that reason, to incur the contempt of my honorable fellow-citizens." Sallenauve's reply; " I am very glad, monsieur, to learn that the gov- ernment has clothed you with functions which you perform, I am sure, with absolute uprightness and the greatest skill ; but I will venture to ask you if you were appointed to the office you now hold at one leap? " ' "Certainly not, monsieur. I began by serving 11 38 THE DEPUTY FROM AkZIS ij three years as substitute; then 1 passed through all the grades, and I can assert that favor has nevef h,H anything ,„ do with my „„dest promottn." ' Very well, monsieur, what would you -av if w,th my title of deputy, assuming that robtat^he suffrages of this arrondissement, I who have nefer been a substitute, who have passed through „„ in er,o, grade, but may simply'have reZS ^ n i-" you sav irr"h " M™""« """ "-"-what would you say ,f I should suddenly be appointed-such .h^n,s have been done-general ma'nagerif 'yl'^ a vlJyTxcelleMThr""-'"^' '"""'''"'■ «"" " *as apZed yt .' "'"' """ *^ "'"« -""W have " No, monsieur, you would not say so, or, if you d'd say so aloud, which I do not think s possible you would say under your breath that t' as „' absurd and unjust choice. 'Where in the devil " you wouM ask, 'can this gentleman, while carvii; records > And you would do right not to iustif,, thf royal whim, for what becomes'of ac.li/ed Its long and honorable service, regular progress by mo mohon ,n this system of choice at the kTng's pi^ar ure? „ ,3 ,0 avoid making myself an accomplte 5 the crymg abuse which 1 denounce, it is beSuse VtTT: '* '"^' "' '^°"^^' <" f" *e T^o the State that one should be thus raised t„ thi highest public office, that ., who 1 cl m no frtn ss for any office, bind myself to accept none. Do you a al a an li hi; to I r THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS ,„ Still think tliat I despise those offices, monsieur -A. I no, rather seem Rreatly to honor thm°" '"^'' didtTpe'is';;''^" ''''"'' "--" -«»««<. and ^Zl"^^, ''"•'■''■ ""•"^i'■"^" cried another elector v" , ' ::rr .L't "™-" ■" ^ '™^*''»' ^i-- your cto if ,h^t ^°" *°"'* ''^'' ''">""i"S for ^3, ;, ^""^ ■ '' ""It S 50, what good will you do "That's all right." rejoined the elector "h„f Colonel Giguet, interrupting- " Well, well, I hope you are not going to tell n. The elector, resuming: a .lembTofthe%r'"*"'''' "^ """'"'■ <"' ' ^^ raemDer of the town council for six weeks in -a, and , know the law; but, to return to my business ask mons.eur, who's here to answer me and o he s his opinion about tobacco agencies " ' JoJat«rr;tXrZ;|nraS! ' '"'" '^y- "o*^^^^. that if certain informatio™ l' 40 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCFS ill have is accurate, they do not seem to me to be dis- trit)iited always with perfect fairness." " Well, you're a man, you are ! " cried the elec- tor, "and I give you my vote because no one will ever make you show false colors. Do they give out the agencies unfairly ! What about Jean Remy's daughter, and he a bad neighbor that never was good for anything except at his plough and fights all day with his wife." "y'is» an " But, my dear fellow " said the president, " you are abusing the patience of the meeting beyond measure," ^ ^^y^^^ aii;::;:.^°th;tr^^^^''"^^^^^'^^^-^^- The elector was entertaining, and Sallenauve him- self apparently gave the colonel to understand that he wanted to know what the man was driving at. The elector, continuing: "I vyill say then, with all respect to you, my dear colonel, that there's Jean Remy's daught;r.i 11 hunt h,m into hell, because my boundstone was m he r,ght place and the experts were mistaken! We I. what does tnat girl do? Leaves her father and mother and goes to Paris; what does she do in Paris ? I ve not been there to see her; but she scrapes acquaintance with a deputy, and at this minute she's got a tobacco agency on Rue Mouffetard, one of the ^ngest streets in Paris, and yet, if I was to turn up my toes to-morrow, you'd see how my wife, the widow of a lawful man, all tied up with rheumatism on account of sleeping in the woods in the ter o^ THE DEPUTY FRO.M ARCIS 4, ■• You're not dead yet ! •• several , ..es su^.ested m^re^ponse to these ..range ideas of ^erirorious And the colonel, to put an end to this burlesuue incident, g„e the floor to a little pastry^ok^ a well-known republican. This new interrl tor rro^ pounded to Sallenauve, in a falsetto voice thsn — Cfo:^^^'*' ^' ^'- ™'«''' ^-"'■^■^ ^ " What does monsieur think of Danton' " Monsieur Dauphin," said the chairman, " I have httor™" '" """"" ^°" "'»' Danton belongs to den7t1,at's ^T""" °^ "'"'"'• '^'"'''"'" " P'^s^ aent, that s his own expression " of hi!Ior"' "nf 1'" T' "'r "'"'"■ ■ " *■= P»"'h^ d?:r .s^reC""'^""'"''"^^'""^"'^"^'" "Allow me, Monsieur le President," said SallP nauve, " although the question does not seem to me to have any direct bearing on the object of tWs s^i i1nf with T ""■^' ''' ''^' JustVonounc d st.I fills with >ts renown, I could not neglect the od- Portumty which is afforded me to prove my imnar t.l.ty ^and independence by giving' my So; wi^'^'voS'^^^^'-^^^^^^^^-eting, almost "I am fi uiy convinced," continued Sallenauve, 43 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS "that, if Danton had been born in a calm ^n^ h^e rwr ;f ^ 7 "™' ■■'= --"^ '•»-'•- 1, ,Th!„ 1 ""^ ""'' " S»ocl father, a gooj hu tand, a warm-hearted, loyal friend, of corapS talent;,, he would not have failed to rise to an emi nent position i„ ,|,e state and in society." Ves! yes! bravo! very good ! " «rll^T'.°" "'^ "-"""trary. in troublous times and arn,d the empest caused by the unchainirof a|t the fiercest passions of manWnd, Danton was bette fitted than any other to apply the torch to th,t / n.osphere of flame. Danto" wa the t^ c , '„ „ Se? ha'; ;"f "f ' '^"' "-" -ly too X to scenes that I do not wisii to recall But \f u,L been said, it was necessary to preserve tife n.^- ^ -ndependence. to stri.e termor ^^ZZ^ and perfidious villains, to make, in a word a cruel but unavoidable sacrifice to the demands' of .^ public welfare. , do not accept thoe^utsUr Sin?.'"' """"^ P^"°^' ^-"^y times 'eweT that slau^^hter was a necessary part of the le^itimS defence of the country; to kill unarmed men wo^f and they who ordered, they who allowed t to be so far as I am concerned, in the same condemnation '' na v^'f acitr^'nd'^' ' '''''■ '^^'^ ^° ^^-^'^'^"'- that anathema Y T"'''''' '' ^' pronounced tnat anathema. You know how his face is trans- figured under the influence of intense emotion. T^,e i THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 43 ntau and we all know whetlier, when the d-.v nf exp.at.on came, he shrank from t! We m.v L messieurs, that in his death h-istened h^, T-^ ^' a.eous effort to stay the effusion "cod" 0:^'; face and figure were purged of the pr^. ? September had left upon them p *"" *'^'* into posteritv -.f Vh . ^'"'^'''^ ^^ o"^' step bequea h to i; t '^' "^ thirty-five, Danton will qualities in ,' ivate t of ^^ ; an^e "'"^"' or njs time. In a word, in dealing with men of thnt stamp, ,h. justice that should decltie to ten, e" i, e with mdulgence would be uniust- a,,,! „ better than you, better than t.te Ih^n iTtS ut™ Daron°'r ' ' ""™"" ''' ""^^'^ ^^ I gea uanton-the woman who, in an admirable •i '1 # lit. 44 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 111 outburst of charity, said to those who had no mercy upon h.m: ' He has gone to God ! let us pray for the repose of his soul.' " ^ nf M V^T ^!'"' ^''"'^"^ ^y ^^^ ^^'o\t reminder of Mother Marie des Anges, and the meeting bebg apparently satisfied, it might be supposed that hf candidate was at the end of his trial. Indeed the colonel was already on the point of suggest^g that that they wished to ask the candidate's views on ha't t '"ir^'"' '"'^J'''*^' Sallenauve had said i^at he would always be found in the path of any tr^on th/'^^'*"f :!"'' ''' •"^^'*"*-- 'f the coun^^ try on the part of the royal power. They wa ted to know what he meant by that. Did he mean armed resistance, emeutes, barricades? "Barricades," Sallenauve replied, " ha^'^ ^i^^,. always seemed to me to be machines wh ' , v their own action, turn upon and grind to . ^r those who set them up; we must believe that it is in the nature of emeutes also to serve the interests of the government on almost every occasion, for I have never known one that the police were not accused o? havmg organized. Such resistance as I shall oife h nrTf^'n . K^"' resistance, by lawful means, ti^e press, the tribune, and patience, that great force of the oppressed and vanquished " saf fo'ir'V'"'"'"f ^'''^ ^^*'"' "^^^^'"^' I ^-°"'d say to you: In cauda venenum, that is to say, the poison IS found in the serpent's tail, a remark o the ancients which modern science has not ratified if THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 45 Monsieur de I'Estorade was not mistaken, they were determined to ransack Sallenauve's private life Ind under the inspiration, doubtless, of the virtuous A^^axime de Traiiies, who had alre;dy caused elera allusions to be made to the subject by theTournal s who does his dirty work, our friind was a , s cati to account on the subject of the fair Italian, whom he ^shtdtng m his house at Paris. Sallenauve dis played no more embarrassment than before you and Monsieur de I'Estorade; he simply asked the que" .on whether the meeting desired that its time shou d be aken up listening to a romantic story which would seem to have been written for the front page vour l^TT' ^"'' ^^^^n^blages, madame, fs are no at !m T". 'f ^°"' ''' ^''^' '^'^'^^'^ ^ho are not at ail afraid of listening to stories- But here comes Sallenauve, and he tells me that the board of judges of the electoral college was constituted in a way that seems to po n 'to The success of his candidacy; I pass the pen to h m he W.11 himself undertake to tell you the story Z[ he cheated you of at the time of his last visit to you and this letter will be closed by him. ^ ' SALLENAUVE TO MADAME DE L'ESTORADE Madame, 7 p.m. The somewhat abrupt manner in which I took leave of you and Monsieur de I'Estorade on e ^v,n,ng of our visit to College Henri IV. h.s been 46 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCrS N explained to you doubtless ere now by the Dreom, patmns of every sort to which 1 was to aTet know that Marie-Gaston has told you o their result confess that in ray then anxious and d stu b^ frame of m,nd the sort of credit that Mon eu d1 I Estorade seemed to place in the scandal hat he ment,o„ed to rae caused .,e some pain andlme lur! of Monsieur de 'fiT"^:■ ' *°"«'"' "'"^t " ">an ot monsieur de ["'-♦orade's intelligence and moral opinions can, a /, . believe me to be guilty ofTuch dissolute condua, when he sees how careful 1 am to iive ray life m other respects with all the gav tv and TZZ ^r,-"' "'->" But fo? himrwi ^ tne Idea that he has of my extraordinary laxitv of 2'^K to admit me to his house and to'h s ,^fe°s presence on a raore or less intimate footing, wo^d be so imprudent that it must be that 1 am at ths moment at h^'hf n°ds' \r"™" """ P"™'°-' """y „n?, f u ^"^ '"^"""■y 0' ^ «ill recent service rendered by rae has made the pretence of gSl seem necessary, but they will break with rae^t th" first opportunity; " and it seemed to rae that evening madarae that the position in two hostile caraJ^^ soon' to be assigned us by our political opinions, might well be the pretext that Monsieur de I'Estorade would sdi to throw me back altogether upon what he called ray sharaeful liaison. An hour before I observed ttSe distressing symptoms, I had raade a confidentTat oramumcation to you which, I thought, ought a least to preserve me from the misfortune of dis covermg that Monsieur de I'Estorade's un ortunate »ccu- y; I suit. rbed r de : he sur- nan oral uch ito ind 'ith 'Of e's be ;nt sy ce 'ill he g, m ill je y ie il it THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS ^^ the same eveninrr spp^.^ . ^"^^ '°"g stones in your patienceTtoo reVtesT 'ill' '"m""''^" de I'Estorade I was i .1% ^^ ^°'" Monsieur but it accurately exposed a I' »'"°''' '°''"^' that I felt very keemV rI ^h T ' ™'""'°" electoral contest!, havrbeeniedtn'^? °' "'>' audience the first frnil! „7 ° «'™ '° ^ '^f«e had the pleasure of rt "'' J"^«ifetion, and I -e n,oret;rj: than i drvid^fl *f c^-pr^H: ^ undfr con^iti!: whfch werT'so*"*'"' "^'™^' unusual as to border vervrllt , ""''^P'^rted and •0 ten an asse^e ^ "os r°" '^^ '''- '°"^' elements certain thinos th»n . ™'>' '"'^^'"e perhaps Monstr de'lTstorad " -'"^ '""^""^' my auditors, and this is the storv i - "'"^ ^° to tell them: ^ ' "^^^ ^^"^d upon 81 ?! 48 THE DHPUTY FROM ARCIS Some months before my departure from Rome, we pupils of the Academy were favored almost every evening with the company of an Italian named Bene- detto, at the cafe where we were in the habit of as- sembling. Ostensibly, he was a musician, a very fair musician, too; but we had been warned that he was also a spy of the Roman police, which fact ex- plained his constant attendance at our meetings and his great liking for our society. However that may have been, he was a very amusing clown, and as we had extremely little dread of the Roman police, we did more than suffer the fellow's presence, we en- couraged him to come,— a not very difficult under- taking, by the way, in view of his well-known pas- sion for labajon, poncio spongato, and sptma di latte One evening, as he entered the room, one of my comrades hailed him by asking him who the woman was with whom he had met him that morning. " My wife, signore!" replied the Italian, bridling up. "What! Benedetto! you the husband of such a beauty!" "Yes, signore, by your leave." " Nonsense ! you're an ugly little sot. They say too, that you're a police spy ; she, on the other hand,' is as beautiful as the huntress Diana." " I fascinated her by my musical talent; she fairly pined away for me." " In that case, if she's your wife, you ought to let her pose for our friend Dorlange, who is at work on a Pandora at this moment. We shall never find another such magnificent model." 3l I THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS ^g •;That can be arranged." the Italian replied. Thereupon he started upon one of his entertaining which he had shown so little interest. The next dav \oT 17 f ""'''' ^''^ "^^-' painters and sculp- tors, my fellow-pupils, when Benedetto appeared accon,pan,ed by an exquisitely beautiful w man ItaL^^host-ltlt"* '' ^"^°"^^ '''''^' ''^ ^-Ecco la Pandora! Well, what do you think of " Wonderfully lovely ; but is she willing to pose ? " Pli d .7 M •' ''"^'^^^°' '" ' tone'whfch im. ^ ' . R 1 7"''^ J"'* ''•^^ to see her refuse ! " A..r,\ observed, " I shall have to pay verv dear to have such beauty for a model " ^ J'No.perl'onore; but you must make a bust of me, a simple terra-cotta, and make her a present of "Well, messieurs," I said to my friends "sun- pose you leave us alone." ' ^ h.^H ''"l'^^^''^ "^e' Judging the wife by the hus- band all the greedy youngsters were crowding about the fair Italian, who, blushing hotly amt^tL Zj offende, by all those bold glf nces,'had'Smeth " P asantsTr"''. ^V- ''^'' P^"^^-' ^-^^d by peasants at a country fair. Benedetto went to her led her aside, and told her in Italian that the French gentleman wished to make her portrait from head to foot, and that she would have to remove her clothe so THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS The woman cast a withering glance at him and made for the door. Benedetto darted forward to detain her, and my companions, a typical studio crew, has- tened to intercept her. Thereupon a struggle ensued between the husband and wife; but. as 1 saw that Benedetto supported his demands with the utmost brutahty. anger got the better of me. I pushed the vii am back with my hand, which luckily is reason- ably powerful, and at the same time I said to my companions, in an authoritative tone : " Come, let her pass ! " And I myself escorted the fair Italian, still trem- bling with excitement, to the door. She said a few words of thanks in Italian, and disappeared without rurther opposition from any quarter. Returning to Benedetto, who was waving his arms about in a threatening way, I told him to leave the studio, that his conduct was infamous, and that if I should learn that he maltreated his wife, he would have an account to settle with me He went away, followed by the same shout that had greeted him on his arrival. Several days passed ; we saw no more of Bene- detto, and at first we were somewhat disturbed • we even went so far as to look for him in the Transtev^re where we knew that he lived; but it is not an easy matter to find a person in that quarter; the pupils of the Academy are not in good odor with the Trans- teverines. who always suspect them of seeking to THE DEPUTY FROM arqS „ debauch their daughters or their wives, and the fel- lows are very ready with their knives. After a week we had ceased to think of the down, as lu ^n ,™ag,ne Three days before my departure fror^ fZl 0^,7^1 '"'"'' my studio/ She spoke bad rrencn on that occasion. "You are going to France," she said; "I have come here to have you take me " "Take you with me! what about your husband?" Dead, she replied, calmly. An idea came into my mind tevlr^ne.*"'""^ ^'""^ ^'"^ ^°" "°*^ " ' ^'^'^ ^^e Trans- She nodded her head in assent, adding: out I tried to die myself, too " "How so.?" I asked. "After he put that affront on me " reniiM fh. talian, ''he returned home, beat me'as us' al ^ then went away for the whole day. He came ba k at mght and threatened me with a p" to'which I snatched away from him; he was drunk; I threw the W«._scoundreI-on his bed where he went to sleep. Then I stuffed the cracks in the doors and wmdows, piled a brazier full of charcoal and ghtel . I felt very bad in my head and didn't know anv thing until the next day, being taken care oL'S^" neighbors who had smelt the charcoal and burst in the door, but he was dead before." "And the law.?" " The law knows all about it; also that he tried to sell me to an Englishman; why did he try to d^le i '1 ' -s-i m I ja i 3 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS f^M 1 ! . ^^ P°'"^^ "'^ 't ^as all right and told me to go; I confessed and I got absolution " But what will you do in France, cara mia? 1 am not rich like an Englishman " ^ tiful tf "^"' '""'" ^'"''"^ '"■"'' '^' '*^''^"'^ l^«"- con't/a7v"l'lii.'! ^'" ^"y*^'"^'" ^he said; "on the contrary, I will save you a great deal." "In ^/hat way?" " I a^n be a model for your statues, if I do it of mv own free 'vill. Benedetto said that I was very wSn If Benedetto had chosen, we could have made a haoDv household, for I have talent, too." ^^^ She ran and took down a guitar that hung on the wall in a corner of my studio, and began to sL a I will take lessons in France and go on the staae nnisned, "that was Benedetto's idea " "But why not go on the stage in Italy? " wJntJr ^'"''^'"° ^''^' ' ^^^^'- *he Englishman wants to carry me off. I decide to go to France I irtirrrb^r'^^^-^^'^-^-^^'^here,!^^^^^ I feared that by abandoning to her own resources a woman of such a character-rather awe-inspTrina I should be responsible for some catastrophe so f consented that Signora Luigia should accompany me THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS „ to Paris. She keeps house for me with rare skill and economy; She herself offered to pose for ZZa and you w.ll believe me, madarae, when I tenTj i»l^'"1t"° ^ """ """y "^^ ""^on'ly hehveen teache m s.nging for my housekeeper, and she is preparmg to-day to make her debut. Nitwith tend .ng her projects in connection with the stage be"n„ truly devout like all Italian women, she has becoraf a inember of the sisterhood of the Virgin, at Saw! Sulp,ce, our parish church, and duringThel„«t Man.. wh,ch began a few days since the renteTof ec'eir'st"""" "" '°^^'y^°'^^ to increase he receipts She is a constant attendant at all the ser- vices, goes to confession and frequently attends rs7cTm"e,r' '" ""'""'• "" "'ta^'We c?d priest, came to me recently to obtain a promise from me that she should not pose for any more statues ?o" me saymg that she would never listen to him on tha subject, ,n regard to which she considered hersel bound m honor to me. I yielded the more readHy to the excellent priest's urgent request, because it is mv mtenton, if I am elected, which ^ow seem ve"v probable, to part from this woman; as I sha?l S occupy a position more in the public eye, she would b^ her future as to my own standing. ■ must expect som opposition on her part, for she seems to have fo m^ a genuine attachment for me, of which she gTvl abundant proof in connection with the wound f re- ceived in that duel. Nothing could prevent her \m 54 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCFS saTd hat no7 ''' '' '"^^ ""''''''' ^"^ '^' doctor had h. : '""" ''^^"S the sisters at the hospital, had he ever met a more skilful nurse or one o warmer sympathies. ' I have talked with Marie-Gaston concerning the difficulty I apprehend in effecting a separation.' He Par 'toThT ""^ ■'" ' ''' '' '^y^' ^^^^ "' .ZV ^ ^T ^"■' ' "''"^' *^^^ "^e^nt my house, and the Idea of being cast adrift, alone, upon tha ocean, of which she has not even had a glimpse is GasVn h" '° f ^" '" '^y^^' measurf. Tar'ie! Gaston has made a suggestion on this subject- he does not believe that the intervention of the^confes^ sorw.II serve any useful purpose; he says that the pen.tent will cry out against this sacrifice, that she s iH^ng .mposed upon b, the harsh demands o a devotee ,n a mrlter upon which he had a much clearer nght to speak firmly and with authority, tl e holy man made a compromise, and she refused to pay any heed to his representations unless she were released by me from the strange pledge of her W as she called it. Marie-Gast . Ts idea is that the^i ervenfon and advice of one of her own sex. a per- son of exalted reputation for virtue and intelligence declares that I know a person who answers those en?r"er'"''',;"' "'°' '" "^^^"^^ *« -^ Join entreaty, would consent to undertake that delicate negotiation. But. madame. where. I ask you i the probability of the realization of that plan./ Th per- son to whom Marie-Gaston refers is to me only an THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS » acqua ntance of yesterday, and one would hardly undertake such a mission even for an ,/,: f„end I well remember that you did me tl,e honor to say ,o ^itT^M n^°' *•■" "^ m^'Manas ripen qmkly Mar,e-Gaston say. further that the person n question ,s extremely pious, extremely kind ex" reme y charitable, and that there „,ay very 7e | te something attractive to her in this idea of beaming he patroness of a poor abandoned creature: ow' sur^oT T' "" ""' "■■'"'" *" •""" "<= * I con- n e ™n' ,H^°" "■" *'" "' '' "" '"^""""te assist- ance can with propriety be requested. In any event in h^ I? I.'' '° '"^ '° """ """ ' »*e pleasure * sir I L ""''" '*'*'^'^" "'• " ' ^"^ ^'ected, ' t f in opposite .a,.,ps, I know, but, as it is uppoMtion, on many questions we shall find our- selves on common ground, and I do not believe that hrstrrrootir'""^^'^^^*^'^^'"^-"' sus^^SefeTtS^ni'^^Sr^^^^^^^^^^ ™y artistic labors, or I shall have started upon a raS;:"-, ^\t ■ t r '''' '"^ *-8i>t ^ke Tk^r , . J "^"^^ "' '•""'"« fo™ard into the unknown, 1 doubt not. 1 had almost forgotten to tell you some great news which makes you secu e against all chances from projectiles on tIereZZ I confided ,0 Mother Marie des Anges ofthot ti 56 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS miracles Marie-Gaston has told you, my susDidon, concer„,ng the violent measures'^takerw^h M?de S ;t'-«,7' ""' '''■ '' "'"'"'"' "< ^'—8 The exceni ^"""T '" *'"'^'' ^"^ !'■= '^^ained I he excellent woman, if she sets about it in earnest reason fn,*^ *' °"»"^l. '^e copy should have less reason to fear any transgression on my part I am not at all satisfied with IWarie-Gaston • he seems o me to be in a state of feverish excitemen "„'" by the immense interest that his friendship takes in my success. He is like an honest debtor who na sionately expending all his energies to etteaZ payment of a sacred debt, holds eVrything "su Bufrar", "m 'r'' ""'" •"= ^'»" '"ve paid But I am afraid that a relapse will follow „n the back aft" '""'■• '" «*'' "h'^" "^ - o"c S ihstinVn ""'"""'■ ""' '" "'"'"y "•'' ""thing of It ''■, ™ y°" ""' ^^^ impressed by the ■ght, mocking tone of his letters, o which he has read me some passages? That is not hs nature when he was happy all the time, he had no such paroxysms of tumultuous gayety This is 1 /. qiured animation, due to ,h^ p'ecLr d umst ce T sTded w:?"*' ""^" *^ '"'""'' *'•"" "as ^b! u Hr,f,T''"°""'" ^0'"^" -nd he will escape arnvalin p! ""''f "^ '" «° '" "'>' """^^ on L arriva in Pans, and not to visit Ville d'Avrav until whichTa"sk:d' T^ '" "" """""y- ™- P" Zt is urb ° H™ "'*' "'""'' ™ ^"^ "' ""tain^ mg It, disturbs and worries me. Evidently he fears I THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 57 the memories that await him there, and will my presence be sufficient to deaden their shock? Old Philippe, whom he would not take with him to Italy has orders to change nothing at the chalet, and judg- |ng h,m from what I know of him, he is too punctH- lous a servant not to have executed that order to he letter; so the poor fellow, surrounded by all ^ose objects which will speak so loud to him. will be carried back to the day following his wife's d^ath And rnore alarming still ! he has not once men- .oned her to me. nor has he allowed me to lead him up to t,.. subject. Let us hope, however, that he wil have simply one critical period to pass through. and that, by uniting all our energies, we shall suc^ ceed in soothing him anew. We shall meet soon, madame; until then, victor or vanquished, I am always your most devoted and respectful servant. MARIE-GASTON TO MADAME DE L'ESTORADE Arcis-sur-Aube, May 13, 1839. We have had a narrow escape, while we slept, madame I And those stupid rioters, of whose incredible, blun- dermg enterprise the telegraph informed us this morn- ing, endangered our success for a moment. The news of the attempted insurrection, of which Paris was yesterday the theatre, being placarded through tur'nln?' / "'f'' '^ '^' sub-prefect, was skilfully turned to adva.itage by all the agents of the ministry. Elect a Democrat, by all means," they went m '■M ki 58 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS Phetic in his rep ; Itt u hT' .'°"""""« P™" method of resistan e one of o'r . h'^;^'!''^ '"'^ ^^^^P^^^^^ Sallenauve, at the verv hn../ >, ""^"^^tes, Monsieur de answered,-; these words:'' ^''" *'' '""^^^ ^^^« ^ing. Here followed a few sentences fmn, c i. ■ng off the masl< altogether pas edhT, h T" result was announced. WhoS num^r T"^ *"' Sa„e:au'v?.„";:S-«^J ^^^r ""'""' '' PART THIRD THE COMTE DE SALLENAUVE 1 59 J THE COMTE DE SALLENAUVB hi ni !, i ^^"^'^'"S the election in which he had played a r6Ie so humiliating to his self-esteem, Maxime de TraiHes returned to Paris. Upon ob- servmg that he made a hasty toilet, and at once ordered his carriage, one might have thought that he iS'nf p'°Hr"'j''r '^' ^'"^^^ ^^ R^^t'g"^^' Min- ister of Pubhc Works, to make report of his mission, and explain ,ts ill-success ; but other and more urgent business seemed to demand his attention. lo Colonel Franchessini's," he said to his coachman. Stopping at the door of one of the most attractive mansions in the Breda Quarter, Monsieur de Trailles passed the concierge, nodding a good-day, and re- ea^ed from him the affirmative signal which mea^ : 'Monsieur IS at home." At the same time a bel announced his presence to a servant, who came and opened the door of the peristyle. "May I see the colonel.?" he asked. " He has just gone to madame's apartment. Does monsieur wish me to speak to him ?" " Never mind. I will wait for him in his study " And like a habitue of the house, not requiring the servant's assistance in finding the way, he ushered (6i) 62 THE DEPUTY FROM ARQS Bologna lute, mcu'ded i„ the I'l*' "''■ ""^ "^^ in other words -■" ih, J, ""^'' '^ "^'''J' all; desk, bookcase, maps i J, '^f"""' '"* ==■ 'he a pass.o„a.e s'ports^ n,' ' J' „t„?T ^ ""!' "^'"^ 'members of the Jockey Club C , *,^ ""ost active his sraoking-roon, ht fen" „' ""'"" '""' """"^l room to ovLw ','/;"; '^;'°<'.™;-nd his harness- "f toil and learning, so thl'-'""'^' '^"'tuary •■very shape and e"L proved to be one of the™ " """""• There he Of swashbu^Me^s Vn'd "byl ^ 'tftr" "'''""' connections ./hich his wealth I 21 ** Powerful «on secured for him hTh^d ^f *;'P""''=8ed posi- -.ed,forcedhiswayintott;Sero;2 ik THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 65 MaxirnlVr T "^''^'"^ '''y' "'^^ ^is friend Max.me de Tra.lles. Colonel Franchessini still had Ji«s active, military bearing seemed likely to eke out to m^^^K • ^'^'^^^^'^ ^^ '^^'^ ^"-"y concluded JctioVh: ''' "^ g-zly hair, whose silvery reflection he was content to subdue by keeping it always cut very close, he was less resfgned 'to 'he cur Tat'th ""'T^'^'^'' "'^'^^ '^^ -'- i-n i y color hvth '""^'i '"^ '^'^^ *° ^^t^i" its original color by the use of a Hungarian cosmetic. But he who seeks to prove too much proves nothing and in the dye that he used the ar^f.cial and thf super" natural were betrayed by an intensity of color and His w" t'?"^ ''' ''''''' "«^ *° ^ -P-bable His face, which was very dark and most unmistaka n meT'''rf '^' '^^''^" °^'^'" -^'-^ed y h s name, derived from his moustache an extraordinarily rigid expression, to which features that had become ofT^ y""'"^ ^'^"^^ ''' ^ '-g -e like tha of a bird of prey, were far from affording the desir- able tempering and corrective element "Well! Maxime," he said, . .king hands with the guest who awaited him, "where the devi7do you come from? It's more than a fortnight s nee anybody has seen you at the club." "Where do I come from? " replied Monsieur de Trailles; "I will tell you directly; but, first of aH let me congratulate you." ' "Yes," said the colonel, carelessly, "it occurred to tkem to elect me ! Faith ! , give^you ^yZr, I 66 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS did-" " ^"y ■""« "«^'-«' in it than I ro;?n^r„;:d£;t:T/„;r:r;rrr for a few days " '"'''^ '"^ '' ^' ^«^n there " Arcis-sur-Aube ' Wh„ «, j member ,ig«,y an\;,ir.',;r,Va?:„r:o " ' "" one of those rascally papers thev hid , /"'"« '" a detestable choice there is„.f\h f '" ™'<' propose to send us a 1st r.V , T""" '"^^ images? " Plasterer, a maker of poor ha^cole to ^f "ai'r ""T '^ '"^' *'^'" ' about it b, fore anyhM "I'si T^ll*" '^'L^ '» y»" than two hours aeo », ri,\ ,, '' '" '^""^ '«s until I leave y™,-? ' " ' '"'" "" ^^' R'-^tignac The little minister is doing veiv well 1- j ., rr;trrj:rdt" -'^"'"^ '- S^:i;lV: ry~ ^^^^^^^^^ tney re very .ell pleased with him at the THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 67 " Yes, I see a good deal of Rastiynac; he's a very old acquaintance of mine." ^ "She's a pretty little thing." continued the colo- nel, very pretty, and. nov. that the first year of marriage is dead and buried. 1 bc-Leve that a fei 0^ who ventured on a charge in that direction TZ hope not to be too cruelly received " acter^Z'' '°"^^' ". f ^ Maxime, "a serious char- acter like you, a legislator ! Why. look at me- just from having stirred up the electoral puddle for some- bociy^else's benefit. I have come back a staid old "So you say you went to Arcis-sur-Aube to ore- vent the election of this stone-cutter >" ^ "Pah! I don't know that I wouldn'i prefer a member of the pure Left. But take a cigar! I hive some very good ones, the kind that princes smoke '' Maxime would have made nothing by refusing for the colonel had already risen to ring' for kTy7ei whom he said simply: ' " A light ! " f. ^I"? i^^ ''^'"■^ ^^'^ "^'^^ '^' Monsieur de Trailles forestalled another interruption, by declaring, before he was questioned on the subject, that he had nevir •n his life smoked anything so exquisite. Comfort- to L^ifT'L^ '" ^'' easy-chair. and ballasted, so to speak, by th Mace with which he had provided : ' !:) 6S THE DEPUTY FROM ARCJS sumed : '"-'supoii Monsieur de Trailles re- try was J°Z'S"' '"' """"^^'^ *' ">i^'«- the wo,s, Wd of;':^,^" fr.'^' y- Xnow, mayor of the i.Zn i ""^'•'thed an ex-hosier, persuaded t o^"; or'^rd "xh """^'r' *"'»" ' firmly convinced «t.t heTetigldVoTetsT" T compet tor tn +ho A .. ** ' " '^^^ "lan his had to say no more t , n h """''"' ^^"''^ »^^ve he would have had hk f^^^^^°''^^ ^o him before inside out Hke one ot h. .."""* ^^P^"^"* *"^"^d to make, and then thel 'uT '''''''''^' ^^ "^^^ Chose with him '• ^ ''"''^ ^'"' ^°"^ ^^^t they colZ^^TecoUz?m^M^ ^^"^•" ^^''^ the " Yo . Jill y ^^''""^ '" that." tens yo^uCrrnd h" '^^" '^«^^ ^^^^ he combination J^thorche^Lrh''"'' ^^'^ '" ''' order to instil aTttll n. f ^ ^^ employers. In this bumpkin ihJdo tr'"''"''^>' ^"''^'t'^" '"to place to hs wife 1 T "'^ •'"'"*'°" '" ^^e first -o.hsh is^sj.rc^:-:^':—. THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS ,<« ••'9 •• You haven't hit it, my dear follow. There's an only daughter in the family, a .spoiled child of n ne- T2r, " :"y/8rccable face and something like a million for her dowry." '• Why, I passed your carriage-maker's and your tailor's last night, my dear Maxime. and I assure you that I noticed no illumination-" " Unluckily it would have been a little premature However that may be. there were the two women frantic with longing to emigrate to Paris; heTe gratitude beyond measure to the man who pr m sed to escort them through the doorway of the Palais Bourbon; the little one. crazy over the title countess the mother transported with joy at the idea of having a political salon;-you see all the readily negotiable features of the situation, and you noTir; ' ''"'^' "'" ^"^"^^ '' ^^'-- that I'^ld not fail to grasp any of the possibilities which at once became manifest." "I have no uneasiness about you," replied the colonel, rising and opening a window o g ve egr ss to some of the smoke with which the two cSs were beginning to fill the room. ^ M "!*''" ^°']*'""^^ Maxime. "I was in a fair way to cap rnyself with the girl and her dowry, as s^on as had fully made up my mind to jump\ ih n^^ feet together into that mesalliance, when this gentTe^ man with the double name, of whom the aIw peaks this morning, suddenly appeared in the p ot nee dropping from the clouds, or, more properly speaking, commg up out of the earth.'» ^ ^ ^ pSi'i 70 THn mPVV,' FROM ARCIS before?" ^ '^ ''''''' '•^'•'^^' of thoday living in tl„. MidJU. A, . ,!^"''""; '.■ " *'' »"'■• ■"V .-.nKlid,.,. ' . 'ii'""";'"'" '""""»"'« •" i-^ •! >..n,|.„.h,.„MN, ,7;, ,'""'"'• ''"''■'•''• " '^.-n::.,;;':;;!,: ;' r :•;:-:;,-" " »"• ^Ijom she sent for »m k *. *"^«'""' d.nvn („ h. r '"''' ''*' ''"^' ""ne of •-'"•' tai:: hi ^tX^^ He '<""^v.s hy Jh t -r^ ^ ^•^'M,s,deral>le o.slate. G,>d y ^^I'. of prdivJuK tlH! dislriol, from vvliidi I ahsiMU I SChfllllT iH'f KMll. 71 >n iill«';;i\l noNtMnan of '" "'^'"y yt'iiis. picsoMis I 11' ilaiinoj lo have |>« ""' i« riolaiy, :u kno\vk\lj.o.s I liinsril Willi tl en lis p;is his son, anJ t.lisapp,.;,,s (I without lotting aiiyhoJv I liin on |lu» u' lollou inji |,i^|,( '•'•^ «"iu'. Tlu' iridv doiu'. the U iHile de camp put him f lP"n, ri'pul>lio»ns, Ifj-iiimisi nol>ility, hoiMnooisio oiwanl as a laiuliilato; tlu 'IC- s, consorvativi's, dv\yy , fvi'iylKKlv, as ii ^''^''> '■■'M upon tlio Jis|,i;t, vs.;.„t u spi-il lukl min-fahy's favoiito; aiul "vi'r to this olj "inointoj battalion of oti,a«-hoM: my eye, kept to tlu« ranks aiHl Jul . it it haJij't ivon f or tlio It'rs, who, Ivinj^ unJor was no roason why his .'lodion. lil not JishanJ, thori havo hoon unanimous." . iiKc yours, shoukjn't In that (.!( iwry cast', my p,)or boy, j^ooj-l Not t'XiUdy; hut at all I'lu' father whines Ix van ^y to the vonts it's all postpone, liis life has been JisturbeJ, aiul I ^t' the beatific plaeiUiiy of viaiise he has In'en le |ioor man was reOMu-ileJ t„ the shipwreek o| | aiul CkkI knows how far I shall I Notation with her ! burtl by the netessitv of (i IT r isn't ovt'rwlielme.1 with riJieul,.. when (I ^<' rich in that o.mnioj.ty h,,.„,. , :,.,ie d luvlit '>'" '<-«^ to be a countess, but the mot^.: ■!!; >'"!■ political salon, lave to carry coii- ' am haiuliiappfd "Jin«a solution to mv problem lermori very soon; I believed that I had ni :«iTy, I woulil take n loimd it; I wouK tlu-n, at the end o( the next year to settle mv aff, II rs; .•*es.sioii, I would make i Y \m 72 THE DEPUTY FROM ARQS my worthy father-in-law resign, and myself fill his .::s;:rrj^;;^'~----i^e,y. anZhn ^Z^ l^f"' "'^'^''^ '■" *hat direction, over and above the delay. My friends will soon be m Pans. After the humiliation they have undergone nfe .n Arcs is unendurable to them. Beauvislge in particular-excuse the name, it is that of my do^t d amily-Beauvisage, like Coriolanus. is ready to de- ver over h.s ungrateful country to fire and^rd f he knew how. Moreover, in transplanting them selves to the capital the ill-fated exiles know wheTe lay their heads, for they are to be proprTetrs n^ the H6tel Beauseant, if you please " ^ ^''^^^'^ °^ " Proprietors of the H6tel Beauseant ! " cried the colonel, m blank amazement. "Yes, to be sure: Beauseant, Beauvisaee- it's -i change of termination only. Ah ! my d f 'fe oV you have no idea of these provincial fortunes ecu! mulated sou by sou, especially when the talent for avmg ,s combined with the never-ceasing av d 'y of the leech called commerce ! We must make up our minds to it: the bourgeoisie is const^nt^ n.ng higher and higher like a 'flood, and iTv^^ affable on ,ts part to buy our chateaux and ou^ estates, mstead of guillotining us. as in 'o' in order to get them for hothing." ^" °''^^' "But you have pu* vour estates ?,nd your chateaux •n good order, my deu. Maxime ! " ^ ^ f THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 73 " You see that I have not, my friend, as I am at ''ThTH5te,"R"'"^°" reorganizing my'self"" The H6tel Beauseant." said the colonel, revert- 2^ ?h TaslTir ' " ' l;^^^ "°* ''''^^' ^^ owner on h. ^"''" ^^ *^" viscountess, its love made her 27 ""'' "''" ' disappointment in 'ove made her determme to go and burv hpr<;pif ^ 1 "^s there with poor Lady Brandon, and we made " Lucklv r' T"''' ''■' = '^Sal residence." - tft^eT^-rw^^r^rCTln^- hat .3 to be another promise, and I need you assist •■ YoTd ';; '"'?• '° ^"^"^ "' "> Keep ." You don t want me to ask for a tobacco aeencv or a stamped-paper agency for her, do you"'^ '^• No .t s something less difficult than that The,P rei,™rfo; "'^" '''' "^ '"^p-*^y h' e" or .ne tr irst for vengeance, display a trulv marvel "e a'r,r:; r "^'^"^ B-"vLge,?hrZs "Ke a oull at the mere mention of this Hnri^nrr^' na-ne, has t.ken it info her head t atX"t ,e r^e^.TLttin-tt^i'^'-^-^^- " IS certain that the appearance and 74 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS posed also to have the whole secret of hifh !,'"'" might perhaps fall in with some mos?u„r' *' revelations In +hof . 'J>"fne most unforeseen With whom yo hav Z""'':* ' fl''"^'" °' » ■""" and Who Juid d us ICllvlrih'- 'n'^'r'- to. You remember that h ^ of ^7^' pap and „K an^in'' ^"^'"' ^°" -"^^ f- Which yeu dla" ,ed t^'"" M *° ^ ^'"8'" ""^ Est^ve, at three oV^l !"' '"°"'''="^ '^^ Saint- wentt;::*;:::r/oo:;r;orttTthe;'?°"- :err„^i-*^'-'-ec:rd*h:trt:: im;ntLrwrt;r-;:;:rednrr^''^ you that if my blood had T! , '^' "'^ "=" Shouldn't have ^etd' Monliet^ e^S ^£37' "' ' crr;^;.. "^'^ ^ -- *° ^ appr:a!hr w-rmr youTetedl''b"l':„^;wrh°a",t''*^°^^ <'-*" of the veneration hat Freschierfr'"™^"""^ protectors?" ^" '■"■ »"« of his " ''"hat is true: JHonsieur de Siint p«m •■, . . predecesinr Rihi i • . =>aint-hsteve, like h s P edecessor, Bib.-Lupin, has bcm mjortumh; but he "•■'•WWUMB^WtMMm THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 75 IS to-day at the head of the sprr^t „«)• t.- . matter of which you speak is a very delicate nZ abount." *'" ""^^"' *° "^'k -i* you and c^TeVuf satr "'"'"'^"^ ^' ^°" ^^^ any difficulty •■ ^ " ""' "'""" " '' here's '• The greatest difficulty is tliat I never see hin,. naturally , can't write him on such a subTect t S I asslr?/h'' "f '^""^ *'" '"-^^'^^ "^ wry coolly I assured him of a triumph in advance and I h,, J old friendship exclusively " *^ 'isinr''lwilfd!l' "°1'''' ^""'"^"''^ »^ "lonel, have^ime " ""^ "' '° =''"^f>' >"''^' ""' ' "usj upo'n'' hif as Itf t' ' 'T """" *'-™^ '""^ed leave Z t '"' " "^"f'' ""d h<^ took his i:w^crh:xf;?dii[ti"s-"-"'-er I ! f i i a. sm 7^ THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS As soon as Monsieur de Trailles had gone Fran, chessm. took a knave of spades and crthe card .^^^t' Tnt/dT " ^° '^'^^ ''' printed fig e ^^ Pieces oth,vr'' ''''''' '' ''^^°S'>'P'^ ^^t-^-n TWO pieces of thick paper, and put the whole in an envelope. On the outside of the envelope the colonel wrote this superscription in a disguised hand whTct'he "hLh ' 'T' f ^' ''^''' '^^' h'^ ^^"-n-age. rnniH K ^ ^''^^''^'^ ^^^^""^ ^axime's arrival should be sent back to the stable, and, going o" on foot, dropped his strange missive in the fir!t letter- box that he passed. He was careful first to see f he had sealed it firmly. ^^ " As a result of the elections just concluded the mmistry, contrary to its expectation eSd ! majority in the Chamber-a p^oblematfca and tem' porary majority, which promised it no more than a tamed the material success with which state.;™,^ are content when they are determin d , c L to power forever at any price. In the ministeria "ajp a tZlTIV'?^'"^ *^ ''' "'"'" »hich serves as well to celebrate questionable defeats as unques- tionable vrtories. During the evening of the day on Which Colonel Franchessini had had the conver- sation we have recorded with Maxime de TraiUes he general result of the elections became known so that the minh^ters on the left bank, who received that day, found their salons filled to overflowing I J 1 1 1 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCrS 77 and the crowd was especially large in the salon of the Minister of Public Works, the Comte de Ras- tignac. Although he was not, strictly speaking, an orator, that diminutive statesman, by virtue of his dexterity, his elegant manners, his marvellous re' sources, and above all his absolute devotion to the system of personal politics, was likely to play a r61e of first-rate importance in a cabinet destined to e:dst from hand to mouth. Madame de I'Estorade, whose mind was too en- grossed with her children to permit her to be very punctual m the performance of her social duties, had long owed Madame de Rastignac a call. She had not returned the visit she received from the minister's wife on the evening when the sculptor, now a deputy had been invited to dine with her, in acknowledg^ ment of the famous statuette-an occasion here- tofore described to Madame Octave de Camps Monsieur de I'Estorade, a zealous conservative, as we know, had insisted that his wife should pay her debt, already of long standing, on an occasion when IsZ! 'm ' '^' '"^' "^ ''""''^'y ^"d politics as well. Having arrived early, in order to be the sooner relieved from her penance, Madame de I'Es- torade found herself at the upper end of the circle formed by the ladies, who were seated, while the men stood about talking. Her chair was beside Madame de Rastignac, who was seated next to the fireplace; in official salons that is a sort of sign for the benefit of new arrivals, who know exactly where to go to salute the hostess. In hoping to make her ij 78 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS "*^ i>ession that was about t' becrin t« oh *u interpellations the president ofthrrr^' 7 f *^^'^ himself the cent" of a ^rou' "h "'"^ "' """'"^ through all his evolutions, and, whenever h" 2- --„y so coudies's i::ziX7x after the.r marriage. Monsieur de I'Estorade who had redpir^rj^fd^-^:^^^^^ "mpiishing miracles of resig„atf™.t had ;o„' ."e" THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 7^ shelalasllf, ^f'' '^ ^^"^°'^^^' ^"^ ^'though he on th/ ^H k'' "°'^'"^ °^ ^'' ^P'^ndid beauty he, on the other hand, had aged considerablv Tul wenty years' difference between h fifty t^; yea^^ and Madame de I'EstoradP^ +h;.t * ^ ^wo years ningto^e an the n^rnl^^el&lrev^f a"! pressurVoA? ^^P^ession, less sensitive to the him give way, had no other cause than the dnM n ent?X 7L""i ""'/■ ' '"''" "'"'■ ~™POsed aroundhk • '? '"""*' '■™^i"<^<). grouped who were of «„«.;* ^ ^'^^^^ visitors lu were ot sufficient importance to merit +hnf 80 THE DEPUTT lOM ARCIS the dangerous grasp ci a species or Wurtemberg baron, the secret agent of one of the N them powers, who, with the aid of his broken lai guage and his decorations, could always extort a litr- more in'orn .ition concerning the object of ministerial ma- noeuvres than his interlocutor intended to divulge Taking tie artless Monsieur de I'Estoradc familiarly by the arm, as he was listening complacently to the insidious trans-Rhine tirades in which the chestnut- colored diplomatist took care to wr ip the curiosity which he dared not exhibit without a cloak: "Thit man is nobody at ail, you know," said Rastignac, after the stranger had bestowed a most humble and obsequious salute upon him. "He does not talk badly, however," said Monsieur de 1 Estorade, "and if it weren't for his infernal accent — " "On the contrary," rejoined the mir-ster, "his accent is his strength, like Nucingen's m> father-in- law. These Germans, with their way of murdering French and always s- eming to be soaring among the clouds, are the cleverest of all pilferers of secrets." When they had joined the group that surrounded his wife, Rastignac, who still retained the husband's arm, said : "I bring back Monsieur de I'Estorade to you, madame; I have just caught him in criminal conver- sation with a statesman of the Zollverein, who prob- ably would not have restored him to you before morning, but for me." " Why, I was just thinking of asking Madame de i/^urtenberg i N ihern n la I guage I lit^' 'more sterial ma- to divulge. 1 familiarly titly to the : chestnut- 2 curiosity k: ow," said ed a most i Monsieur is infernal ster, "his father-in- fnurdering imong the secrets." jrrounded lusband's to you, il ccnver- vho prob- )u before adame de r/i£ RASTKNAC SALON I' MICROCOPY RESOLUTION TEST CHART (ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) A ^F^F^LIED IIVHGE Inc ^r-i 1653 East Main Street ~-a Rochester, New York 14609 USA '-^ (716) t82 -OJOO- Phone ^S ("6) 283-5989 -Fox ,VA\' '^'"^'^ him the door w h some heat as the result of his persistence. To tell the truth, .t was a visit which could but be un- pleasant to me, in every way; but when, after I had reminded h.m that he occupied a positio^ for wh ch formed 'T'""^ '''''' '''' '"*''^^ '' ^^ich he per- formed w.th remarkable ability, and which should nn.H^H'> n ""' '"^'^ °^ ^'' ^"^^'*'°"' the maniac re- plied that France would plunge headlong over a preC ip.ce unless his services were accepted^-then you understand, there was but one thing f r me ti say iJSI ir 92 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS i i to him, and that was that we had strong hopes of saving France without him." " Well, that can't be undone ! " said the colonel. " Now, if you will allow me to enter into some ex- planation — " The minister, who was sitting at his desk with his back to the fireplace, turned his head to look at the clock. "Look you, my dear fellow," he said, after he had seen what time it was, " I suspect that you will be long-winded, and I have a thirsty pack waiting out yonder; even if I gave you a long time, I should be a bad listener ; do me the favor to go out and take a walk until noon and return at lunch-time; I will present you to Madame de Rastignac, whom you do not know, I believe, and when we leave the table we will take a turn or two around the garden; then I shall be entirely at your service, and for as long a time as is necessary." " That arrangement is satisfactory to me," said the colonel, rising. " I have not been very long, messieurs, I think ! " he said, as he passed through the reception-room; and, having distributed two or three grasps of the hand, he went out. Three hours later, when the colonel entered the salon, where he was presented to Madame de Ras- tignac, he found there Nucingen, the minister's father-in-law, who came to breakfast with his son- in-law almost every morning before going to the Bourse, Emile Blondet of the Debats, Messieurs THE DEPUTY FROM AR S g^ Moreau,-de l'Oise,-Dionis, and Camusot, three deputies who were ferocious conservatives, and two newly-elected men whose names it could not safely be asserted that Rastignac himself knew. Fran- chessmi also recognized Martial de la Roche-Hugon he mmister's brother-in-law, and the inevitable Des Lupeaulx, peer of France; as for a third figure, who talked for a long while with the minister in a win- dow-recess, the colonel was obliged to have recourse to Emile Blondet to learn that he was an ex-func- tionary of the secret police, who continued his former trade as an amateur, and paid a visit every mornmg to each minister, under all ministries, with as much zeal and regularity as if he still had duties to perform. After the somewhat audacious sugges- tion that the colonel had made to Maxime de Trailles touching iVladame de Rastignac's inclinations when her husband had aged a little, he was likely to pay some attention to the fourteenth and last guest a fresh, rosy-cheeked young man, who was said to be the minister's private secretary. Everybody knows that these private secretaries, especially young men chosen with a view to securing unquestioning and zealous services, have sometimes replaced the late aides de camp. But as soon as he heard Madame de Rastignac use the familiar form of address to the young man and talk to him about his mother. Madame de Restaud, he paid no further heed to him: It was evidently some distant cousin, a by no means dangerous rival, whatever the comedies may say, when one is paying court to a young wife who is 94 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS has any sense of dignity. Monsieur de Rastignac had taken for h.s private secretary Felix Restaud the second son of his mother-in-L, Madame de Nucmgen's sister; Ernest, the oldest on, was on the contrary, a warm adherent of the leTk m^t party through his marriage with Cam e d Sd lieu daughter of the viscountess, who must no^be confused with the duchess of the same name Seen near at hand. Madame de Rastignac seemed to the colonel not to belong to the languorous type of blondes She bore a striking resemblance to he mother, but with the more marked shade of distinc- tion, which the descendants of parvenus aiauire rom generation to generation as ^hey recede frm he parent stock. Almost the last drcp of the J^^ veins of that lovely young woman, who was partic- ularly remarkable for the delicate formation o? the extrem,t.es, which denotes race, and the absence which from Madame de Nucingen's charms had always betrayed, with such lament! ble certaiX the vermicelh-maker's daughter. With the manne^of a man who might have projects of his own later the colonel exhibited toward Madame de Rastignac a re- strained ardor, and at the same time that gallantrv now somewhat out of date, which gives the imp es' " sion of being addressed to the woman rather than to ^v-oman ; amid the brutality of our constitutional manners, idlers, and more especially military men alone retain a sort of reflection of^hat tradi«on' The colonel, who had had much boudoir success* THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 95 knew that this method of beginning to prepare his approaches a long distance away from TbeTeged P^ce .s an excellent one strategLlly. A sh w of devotion and adoration is ne.er displeasing t^ a hTsTne bv"'^'''/"^°" °^ "^^^'"^ -^'^ -h- are fnlln ^' ft ' ^' '^'^^P* ^ ^^^ ^^^^^n who are followers of Voltaire in the matter of love and lookmg upon that sentiment as s:mple good-fdfow: sh.p, are disposed to laugh at the' res'pect whi^h P events a man from accosting them with a cigar n h mouth, so to speak, almost all women are ^rate- treatr;r°'''l'' '''' "°' ^'^^ '"^^ Celadon, for treatmg them with pious veneration and some thmg after the manner of consecrated relics As he wished to come to the house again, the colonel was careful to speak of his wife " Ihl jved ;' he said, «« much aft'er the old English fashion n her own home; but he should be very happy to induce her to lay aside her tendency to seclusion n Mad^Tf '" '' '' '-^^-^--^e, a woman Is Madame de Rastignac, assuming that it would be agreeable to the latter. Notwithstanding Te grea difference in age between his wife and his friend the minister's he had discovered one point at wh ch work Indeed, Franchessini had hardly entered the house before he was obliged to purchase from Madame de Rastignac a ticket to a ball of which she was. one of the patronesses, and which was to Lr'1 ', '!}' •"'"'^'^ '^ '^' ^^^^^ ^/ ^^e recent earthquake at Martinique. It was the fashion among T 96 'THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS I ! women, in those days, to exhibit an effrontery in good deeds which passed all bounds: now, it hap- pened that Madame Franchessini was an Irish woman, a devout creature, who devoted to charitable objects the greater part of the time not employed in keeping her house in order, and a very large propor- tion of the funds of which she retained the right to dispose, free from the sovereign control of her hus- band. To offer the bait of an intimacy with a woman who, in all questions of creches, shelters, and cholera orphans, would be so willing to contribute money and personal effort, was very shrewd diplo- macy, therefore, and we can see that devotion to sport had not destroyed all the colonel's keen foresight. When the breakfast was at an end, and the guests had dispersed or returned to the salon, Fran- chessini, who had sat at Madame de Rastignac's right at table, continued his chat with her. While, emu- lating Hercules at the feet of Omphale, he scrutin- ized with the greatest interest a piece of embroidery which the countess was making with her own fair hands, always for the benefit of the poor, the min- ister, in deference to the proverb: " Honor to whom honor is due," took the arm of Emile Blondet of the Debats, and walked with him twice up and down the" lawn in front of the salon windows. Then he left him with this parting injunction : "You understand.? we don't want to declare the bargain off; but still we have a majority.— Now, I am at your service, my master," he said to the colonel, and they walked into the garden. THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 97 "Being less fortunate than you," said Fran- chiessini, taking up the conversation where he had left it some hours earlier, " I have maintained, I will not say constant relations with the man, but a sort of straggling intermittent connection with him. In order to avoid receiving him at my house, I have agreed with him that, when he has anything to say to me, he is to write to me without signing the letter, and make an appointment with me at some place. If th*^ impossible should happen, and I should have occasion myself to seek an interview, I send a figure cut from a card to his lair on Rue Sainte-Anne; and he indicates a place where we can talk safely. I can trust his skill to choose a suitable retreat, as no one knows his Paris and the methods of subterranean travelling better than he." "High-toned diplomacy!" said Rastignac, with a suggestion of sarcasm. " I tell you everything, you see," rejoined the colonel, " in order to prove to you that, in my judg- ment, that man is to be handled with care, and so that you may not think that I am dangling spectres before your eyes with a view of inducing you to do something that you did not originally intend." " Go on," said Rastignac, stopping to pluck a full- blown Bengal rose; it was done perhaps by way of demonstrating his absolute peace of mind. • " During the evening of the same day on which you accorded him such a frigid reception," continued the colonel, "my election to the Chamber being already known by telegraph and announced in the 7 ' i i 98 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS H I evening paper. I received a note from him-some- thing that had not happened for eighteen months-a very brief note and to the point: To-morrow mornim, SIX clock, Clignancourt redoubt r " A sort of challenge," observed Rastignac. "It was at all events a reminder; for it was at Montmartre. you remember, that young Taillefer fell-by my hands-in that wretched duel-about 1 820 -See Old Goriot.-" Sometimes, about dusk, I think of the poor devil, although the thrust was given fairly, as you know." "One of those unpleasant incidents," said Ras- tignac "that prevent a man from regretting his youthful days, during which they took place " " The man you have styled a fanatic," resumed Franchessini, " was sitting on a knoll when I arrived with his head in his hands. As soon as he heard me beside him, he became greatly excited, took my hand led me to the very spot-it has changed hardly at ail-where the duel took place, and demanded, in the startling voice that you have heard: ' What did you do there, twenty-five years ago? '-' Something for which I am very sorry, on my word.'— 'So am I and for whom.? '-As I did not answer, he went on' For a man whose fortune I wanted to make; you" killed the brother so that the sister should become a wealthy heiress and the other might marry her '— " "But all that was done without my consent " in- terrupted Rastignac, hastily, "and I did everything that I possibly could to prevent it." " That is what I remarked to him," continued the THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS ^ colonel; " but he, paying no heed to the suggestion became t,,l n.ore excited, and exclaimed: ' Anfw en I go to that man. not to ask a favor but to offer him my ser,„es. he turns me out-of-doors; and he think^ that It will rest so ! '" H J'^w'" ''l'^ ''"''**''^'" ^^'^ Rastignac, coolly; " I boasting and his extravagant talk a little abruptly " Thereupon," continued the colonel, " he told m'^ of the interview he had had with you thenlZ before; the offer he had made you to exchange hi unctions as an official of the judicial police, for the duty of spying upon political malefactors, which in h.s view IS more useful: 'I am tired,' he said to ml that auTff 'T i"' '''"'''' '""'y'"' ^"^h stupid game that all their tricks are liko an open book to me. How intensely interesting it is, too, to hunt people who steal a silver thimble or a few bank-notes, when others are all prepared to hide the crown a^d filch the monarchy at the first chance ' ' " "True " replied Rastignac, with a smile, "if it weren't for the National Guard, the army, the Chambers, and a king who knows how to ride • " "He added," pursued Franchessini, " that' you didn t understand him, that you ttred Mm out with remarks that were pure nonsense; that he knew his own worth, that he is possessed of emi- nent qualities calculated to manifest themselves in a more exalted sphere; that he had even schooled I must see you, because, being a deputy now, I had a |i1 100 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCrS IM right to be heard and could make you understand the possible consequence of your refusal." "My dear fellow," rejoined Rastignac, warmly "I will tell you again, as I told you at the beginning of this conversation, he's a madman, and madmen never frighten me, neither the cheerful nor the rabid kind." " I confess that I myself saw many objections to his proposition. Trying to calm him, however, I promised to see you for him, simply impressing upon him that it was a matter which did not need to be rushed through; and it is a fact that I might not have mentioned the subject to you for a long time to come, were it not that something has happened." "And that something.? " queried the minister. "Maxime called on me yesterday morning, on his return from Arcis-sur-Aube." "I know," Rastignac interrupted him; "he men- tioned that idea of his to me, but there's no sense in It. Either the man upon whom he wants to set your bull-dog is of some account, or he is not. If he is not, it is perfectly absurd to employ a dangerous and suspicious instrument to neutralize something that does not exist. If, on the other hand, we have to do with an orator, he has, first in the tribune and secondly in the newspapers, all that he needs not only to parry the secret thrusts we may aim at him but to turn them against us. This is the general rule: in a country of unbridled publicity like ours wherever the hand of the police appears, even though It be to unveil the most shameful of crimes THE DEPUTY FRC /i ARCS lOI it Is certain that public opinion will start a hue and cry against the government. It is like the man before whom someone sang an air by Mozart to prove that Mozart was a great musician. ' It is possi- ble that Mozart's a great musician,' he said at last, vanquished by the evidence: ' but you can flatter yourself, my dear fellow, that you have a horrible cold ! ' " " Mon Dieu!" rejoined Franchessini, "there's a good deal of truth in what you say ; but the man Maxime wanted to unmask may be only an honest mediocrity, who, although incapable of defending himself as effectively as you imagine, may never- theless annoy you a great deal ; your most danger- ous adversaries aren't all giants of speech." "The real value of your new colleague, I hope to know very soon," replied Rastignac, "from a source upon which 1 can depend, I think, for more certain information than from Monsieur de Trailles. On this occasion he has allowed the wool to be pulled over his eyes, and he is trying to make up by pas- sion what he lacked in adroitness. As for your nightmare, whom I would not, in any event, em- ploy in this dream of Maxime's,— as it would seem to be well to make him some answer, from the special point of view of your relations with him at least, I would say to him — " " Well? " said Franchessini, with redoubled atten- tion. "Well, I would say to him that, aside from his criminal record, which, as soon as he made his Ill Mi I ' lEPUTY FP'JM ARCIS appf*f*flce in the i^ljtfcfll hreach, would e xpose him to ntTDcious abuse which would inevitably "bound upon us, he has certain deplorable memories in his life-" " memones only," rejoined Franchessini ; "you must k/KJw u,fit he would not make his npearance before you except with an entirely new skin." "I know all about him," replied Rastignac; "you cannot suppose that he's the only man in Paris who does police duty. I made inquiries after his call, and I learned that, since 1830, when he was placed at the head of the secret police, he has led a genuine bourgeois life, as to which I should have but one reproach to make, that he disguised it too much." "But—" the colonel began. "He is rich," continued Rastignac; "he has a salary of twelve thousand francs and the three hundred thousand francs bequeathed him by Lucien de Rubempre, in addition to the profits of a patent- leather factory, wiiich he has started out toward Gentilly, and which pays him handsomely. His aunt, Jacqueline Collin, with whom he keeps house, still gives her attention to matters that are rather unsavory, in which she necessarily picks up very handsome fees, and I have strong reasons for be- lieving that both of them have gambled on the Bourse, and have been lucky. What the devil ! with all that, my dear fellow, a man is whitewashed and purged of his contumacy. In the age in which we live, luxurious living is a power, a man wins neither consideration nor respect thereby, I agree, THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS loj but he saves appearances, whi h is much the same thing. Just take certain statesmen or financiers whom I could name to you, out of their cam. '^es and put them in a garret : why, the riffraff would run after them in the streets, and treat them like drunken men or Turks in the carnival ! Very well, your man, who would need to place his life on a pedestal, in order not to be trampled in the mud, could think of nothing better to do than to veer sud- denly around U) the opposite pole. Every evening, in a cafe nen, the prefecture, below Pont Saint- Michel, ho plays his game of dominoes, like an honest Ouurgeois, and, on Sunday, he goes philo- sophically, with a party of retired petty tradesmen, to pass the day at a cabin he has bought not far from Romainville forest, in the Saint-Gervais meadows ; there he hunts for blue dahlias, and he talked last year of awarding the rose to the village maiden who won it by good conduct ! All that business, my dear colonel, is too bucolic to lead to the control of the political police. Let this virtuous Germeuil be- stir himself a little ! let him throw money around, let him give dinner-parties ! Even the headsman would have guests at dinner, if the fancy seized him!" " I agree with you," said Franchessini. *' I think that he keeps altogether too much to himself for fear of attracting attention." "Let him show himself, on the other hand, and, as he is anxious to take a hand in public affairs, let him find some honest method of getting himself talked about. Does iie think that the press won't II ■SBb 104 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS Ui ■B hunt him out, no matter what corner he hides in? Let him do as the negroes do: they don't try to make themselves white ; but they have a passion for bright colors, they wear red coats with gold thread on all the seams. If I were in his place, I know how I would go to work : in order to cleanse myself thoroughly, I would find some actress, very notorious, very prominent, very much in the public eye. 1 don't say that I would ruin myself, but T would make a show of ruining myself for her, thus causing people to think that I was possessed by one of the frantic passions to which the public is always mdulgent, even when it shows no sympathy for them. I would display all my magnificence for the benefit of my idol ; I would not entertain at my house, but at hers. Thanks to my mistress, I would compel people to tolerate my presence at my own table, and I would gradually form connections among my guests. All the people who speak with authority m our social circle inevitably flutter around a re- nowned actress like moths around a candle, and they can make, unmake, and remake a reputation— which latter is the climax of art. Politicians, finan- ciers, newspaper men, artists, men of letters— I would harness them all together to pull me out of the mud-hole, giving them plenty to drink and being always ready to render them countless little services with my heart, and especially with my purse. Of course a man doesn't become a Saint Vincent de Paul in that way, my dear fellow, although he had been at the galleys too, but he may win a place THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 105 among illustrious men of the third or fourth order, and make himself a possibility. I do not say that Monsieur de Saint-Est^ve may not fail, even after fol- lowing this course, and then, if he should come to me again and I were still in power, I might listen to him." " There is certainly something in that plan," said Franchessini. But he said to himself that, since the days at the Vauquer boarding-house, his friend the minister had travelled far, and that he and the quon- dam Vautrin seemed to have exchanged rSIes. " However," Rastignac added, as they aJcended the steps to the salon, "be sure and make him understand that he placed a wrong construction on my manner of receiving him ; that I was naturally very much preoccupied that evening." "Never fear," replied Franchessini, "I will say all that is necessary, because, I tell you again, he is not a man to be driven to extremities ; there are such things in life as old ties which will still have existed, whatever one may do." As the minister made no reply to that remark, was not his silence a sufficient admission that he realized its truth .i* " Will you be here for the royal session.? we must have a little enthusiasm," said Rastignac to the colo- nel. The latter, before taking his leave, asked Madame de Rastignac on what day he might have the honor of presenting his wife to her, " Oh ! any day," Augusta replied, " and Fridays particularly." ,lj I* ly ti h h e; m C( in h( at tic tic ab at thi tio an dai nu vir of for tioi ver chc mo: i At the hour when Rastignac. in accordance with the information given him by his wife, believed that he was certain to find Madame de I'Estorade at home he did not fail to call. Like all those who were pres- ent at the scene caused by Monsieur de Ronquerolles's paradox, the minister had been struck by the emotion manifested by the countess, and although he did not concern himself with the nature or depth of the feel- ing she might entertain for her daughter's rescuer he was satisfied that she felt a lively interest in him' at least. Saiienauve caused the ministry much vexa- tion of spirit because of the surprise caused by his elec- tion and the tour deforce by which it had been brought about, especially as his candidacy had not been taken at all seriously when first proposed. It was known that, at the preliminary meeting preceding the elec- tion, he had given proof of talent. He might become an eloquent and influential mouthpiece of a restless dangerous party which had only an infinitesimal number of representatives in the Chamber By virtue of his financial position, whatever the source of his wealth, he was so situated as to care nothing for favors from the government, and all the informa- tion obtainable concerning him indicated that it was very difficult to turn him aside from the path he had chosen, because of his gravity of character and morals. On the other hand, the mist that hovered (107) m - "^1H ^ r i^^H i^ ImI^I 1 ' ^^1 1 f' : it • io8 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS II over his life might, at any moment, serve to neu- tralize his influence, and, while pretending to repudi- ate with much heat the idea of attacking him on that side, Rastignac, in his own mind, did not renounce a method which presented no other obstacle than that It was difficult to handle; he did not intend to resort to it until the necessity for so doing should become apparent. In that condition of affairs, Madame de I'Estorade might serve two purposes: it seemed that it would be easy to arrange through her an accidental meetmg with the new deputy, at which he could study him at his leisure and make up his mind whether he was susceptible, at any point, to a sug- gestion of a bargain. If that plan should prove too impracticable, it would at all events be an easy matter, by making a friendly, official revelation to Madame de I'Estorad? of the underhand plots that seemed to be under way against Sallenauve, to in- duce him to be more circumspect and consequently less aggressive. All this would come about naturally enough as a result of the step the minister was now taking. Pretending to have come to apologize for Monsieur de Ronquerolles's discourteous words, he would lead the conversation, without the slightest'ap- pearance of premeditation, to the man who had been the occasion and the subject of those words, and when the conversation was once upon that track, he must needs be very awkward if he could not obtain one or the other, or perhaps both, of the desired results. But Monsieur de Rastignac's plan was destined to undergo some modification. The servant, who THE DEPUTY FROM ARCFS 109 answered the call of the concierge, was on the point of replying that Madame de I'Estorade was not at home, when Monsieur de I'Estorade, who was re- turnmg home on foot, saw the minister's carriage and rushed to the door. However high one's posi- tion m society, to lose a visit of such value always seems a little cruel, and the president of the Cour des Comptes was not the man to submit to such a catastrophe without strugglin^^ against it. " But my wife will be at home very soon," he in- sisted, upon learning of the good fortune of which his house threatened to be deprived; "she has gone Ville-d'Avray with her daughter and Monsieur and Madame Octave de Camps. Monsieur Marie-Gaston one of our dear friends, you know, the handsome poet who married Louise de Chaulieu, has a coun- try house there, in which his wife died; this is the first time he has set foot in the house since the catastrophe. The ladies were charitable enough to go with him in order to deaden the first shock of his recollections, and also, to some extent, from curios- ity, for that villa is said to be one of the loveliest hermitages imaginable." "In that case," said Rastignac, "Madame de 1 Estorade s absence is likely to be prolonged, it was to her, not to you, my dear count, that I desire to present my apologies for the scene of last evening which seemed to affect her keenly. Will you kindlv say to her from me—" _ " I would stake my head, my dear minister," Mon- sieur de I'Estorade eagerly interrupted hhn, " that < . ! ii H" J'-J. ..I ■^■■•rrr??*? *■.■■*" - jupjiy ii. 110 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCfS li! Hi you will not have turned the corner of the street before my wife is here; she is the very soul of punctuahty in everything that she does, and it is really a most extraordinary thing to me when she is even a few minutes behindhand." Finding his host so determined not to allow him to go. Rastignac feared to be discourteous, and so he decided-considering that loyal votes have often been lost . less-to allow himself to be unpacked from his urnage and set down in the countess's salon pending her return. "So Madame Octave de Camps is in Paris?" he asked, to say something. "Yes, she arrived unexpectedly, without sending word to my wife, although they correspond quite regularly. Her husband has something to ask you. I believe; you have not seen him?" "No; but I have an idea, now that you mention It, that 1 have received his card." "It is a mining concession that he has in view and as I have you in my power, allow me to sav a word to you about it." "Parhleul" thought Rastignac, " it's a great joke If have come here only to be met with a point-blank volley of recommendations!" So he cut short the explanation upon which the count had already entered; and as he saw no obiec- tion to asking the husband, without preparation, for one of the favors he had planned to obtain from the wife, he said: " I beg your pardon for interrupting you, we will THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS ,„ "How SO?" ''The election of your friend Sallenauve is making a dev,l of a noise ; the king mentioned it to me thif mornmg and I did not relieve his mind much by tellng h,m the opinion you expressed last evening of this newly-nsen adversary of ours " terribly dangerous reef for reputations built up in advance ; but I am sorry that you represented Sallenauve to the king as an intimat^e friend' of ou^s I don't run the elections ; the Minister of the Inter L; .s the man to be called to account. I know that Jor rlv own part I used a thousand arguments with the an^ noying fellow to prevent him from coming forward. '' vou f "'' y;".""^^''^t^"d that the king cannot blame you for knowing a man who has been elected deputv so unexpectedly—" "cpuiy "No; but last evening, in your salon, you said to my wife that she was much interested I'n^him I did not choose to contradict you before witnesses for after all one cannot deny a man to whom one .s under such great obligations. But my w7e es- pecially, since the day he left Paris to look afte; h s e ection has seemed to be annoyed by our burden of gratitude. Although she takes no part in politics she Ikes the people who are in our waters" and he must see that intimate relations with a m^n who i fnTnl? ':; "'5 '^''' ^'y' ^•" b^ embarrassing and only moderately agreeable. Indeed, she told wn t i* 113 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS me the other day that it was an acquaintance to be allowed to die out — " "Not altogether, I trust," Rastignac interrupted, " until you have rendered me a service I mean to ask at your hand." "Always and in everything at your service, my dear minister." " To put my feet in the platter, without ceremony, I would like an opportunity to gauge our man before I see him in the Chamber, ard for that purpose I would like to meet him. To send him an invitation to dinner would be quite useless; with the eyes of his party upon him, he would not dare to accept, even if he should want to; and, moreover, he would be on his guard and I should not see him as he really is. Whereas, if I happen to fall in his way, I shall see him en deshabille, and shall be better able to feel him and see if he has any vulnerable side." " To ask you to dine with him at my house would be open to the same objections. Suppose that I should arrange to know that he was likely to come here some evening, and should send word to you during the day.?" "Then there would be only a few of us," ob- served Rastignac; "to carry on a private conversa- tion under such circumstances is very difficult; people are so close together that the aggravating circumstance of premeditation is at once apparent as soon as one seeks to arrange an aside—" "Stay!" cried Monsieur de I'Estorade, "a happy thought has just occurred to me-" THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 113 " If It proves to be really a happy thought," said the minister to himself, "I shall have done better not to have met the wife, who would never have entered into my plan with such warmth as this " "In a few days." continued the president of the Cour des Comptes, "we are to have a little party a children's ball; it is a fancy of our daughter's, which Madame de I'Estorade, weary of the struggle has consented to gratify, to celebrate our good for- tune in having her still with us. You will see that the rescuer is an integral and essential factor ; I think that I can promise you such an uproar that you can corner your man at your ease, and premedi- tation certainly will not be suspected on an occasion of that sort." "That is indeed a most excellent scheme, except in the matter of probability." " What do you say? probability.?" "To be sure: you forget that I have been married hardly a year, and that I have no youthful contingent to bring, to justify my presence here at that func- tion." "True, I didn't think of that." "But let us see," said the minister; "are the little La Roche-Hugons included among your pro- posed guests?" ^ "There is no doubt of that; the daughters of one of the men for whom I should have the highest esteem, even if he had not the honor to be so closely connected with you." Well, then it is all right; my wife comes with her 111' J IP li 114 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS II J sister-in-law, Madame de la Roche-Hugon, to see her nieces dance; nothing could be more acceptable, on such an occasion, than the impropriety of appearing without an invitation; and then I, without informing my wife of my purpose, pay her the delicate atten- tion of coming to fetch her." "Excellent!" said Monsieur de I'Estorade; "and think of us who, by virtue of this comedy, obtain the delightful privilege of the presence of you both!" "You are too kind!" said Rastignac, grasping the hand of the peer of France with much warmth; " but I think you had better not mention our plan to Madame de I'Estorade; our puritan, if he should get wind of it, would be just the man not to come; it will be much better for me to pounce on him unex- pectedly, like a tiger on his prey." "Very good. A complete surprise for every- body!" " I will run away then," said Rastignac, "lest we should say something before Madame de I'Estorade. I shall amuse the king mightily to-morrow by telling him of our little plot, and how children are raised to the condition of a political expedient." "Oh! bless my soul!" replied Monsieur de I'Es- torade philosophically, " is not that the general rule in life, great effects from small causes!" Rastignac had hardly gone when Madame de I'Es- torade, her daughter NaTs and her friend Madame Octave de Camps and her husband entered the salon, where the plot had just been formed against the independence of the new deputy, — a plot which THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS "5 we have described at considerable length, as a specimen of the thousand and one petty details with which the intellect of a constitutional minister is often called upon to deal, "Don't you notice anything like a ministerial odor here?" queried Monsieur de I'Estorade, with a laugh. " That is not a particularly pleasant odor," replied Monsieur de Camps, who was a legitimist and there- fore in opposition. "That's a matter of taste," retorted the peer of France.—" My dear love," he added, turning to his wife, " you come too late, you have just missed a very pleasant call." "Who was it?" asked the countess, indifferently. "The Minister of Public Works, who came to offer you his excuses. He noticed with regret the disagreeable impression that the theories of that scamp de Ronqucrolles seemed to make upon you." " He makes a great deal of a very little," replied Madame de I'Estorade, failing to share her husband's enthusiasm. " None the less," said the president, " it was very gracious of him to make that observation." Madame de I'Estorade, to avoid seeming to attach any importance to the matter, inquired what was said during the visit. "We talked on indifferent subjects," said Mon- sieur de I'Estorade, cunningly, "except for a word which I took occasion to say as to Monsieur de Camps's matter." 11 tSJI i tj mi^^T ii6 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 1 i] "Much obliged." said that gentleman, bowing; " if you had simply obtained leave for me to speak with his private secretary, who is quite as invisible as himself, perhaps they would succeed between them in procuring me an audience." "You must not take it ill of them," rejoined Monsieur de I'Estorade; "although Rastignac's is not a political department, he cannot fail to be deeply interested in the electoral question; now that he is more at liberty, we will go together and see him some morning, if you wish." " I dislike to disturb you concerning a matter that ought to go through of itself, for I am not asking a favor. I shall never ask one at the hands of your government ; but, as Monsieur de Rastignac is the dragon stationed to keep watch over the metallic treasures of our soil, I must beard him in his den." " We will arrange all that, and I have already given the affair a good start," said Monsieur de I'Estorade. Then, to change the subject, he turned to Madame de Camps. "Well," he said, "is the chateau really such a marvellous place?" "Oh! it is an enchanting spot," said Madame Octave; " you cannot conceive such exquisite taste and such perfect comfort." "And Marie-Gaston.?" asked Monsieur de I'Esto- rade, about as Orgon asks: "And Tartuffe.?" but with much less eager interest. "He was, I will not say very calm," replied THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 117 Madame de I'Estorade, " but at all events perfectly self-controlled; his attitude was all the more gratify- ing to me because the day began wuh a serious dis- appointment." "What was that, pray?" asked Monsieur de TEstorade. " Monsieur de Sallenauve wasn't able to go with him," said NaTs, taking it upon herself to reply. She was one of those children brought up under glass, who take part in conversation that is carried on in their presence a little more frequently than they ought. " NaTs," said Madame de I'Estorade, "go and tell Mary to comb your hair." The child understood perfectly well that she was sent away to her English maid for talking at an unseasonable time, and she left the room with a pout. "This morning," said Madame de I'Estorade, as soon as NaTs had closed the door behind her, " Mon- sieur Marie-Gaston and Monsieur de Sallenauve were to have gone to Ville-d'Avray together, in order to be there to receive us, as had been agreed upon. Last evening the organist, who was so active in the matter of Monsieur de Sallenauve's election, called upon them; he came to hear the lovely Italian house- keeper sing, and decide whether she were sufficient'y advanced to appear on the stage." "Ah! yes," said Monsieur de I'Estorade, "we should like to find a place for her somewhere, now that we no longer make statues." 'n ill. ti , ij ii8 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS "As you say," rejoined Madame de I'Estorade, with a suspicion of sarcasm, "to cut short ail cal- umny, Monsieur de Sallenauve intended to put her in a way to carry out her idea of going on the stage, but he desired, first of all, to have the opinion of a judge who was said to be perfectly competent. Ac- companied by the organist. Messieurs Marie-Gaston and de Sallenauve went to Saint-Sulpice, where the fair Italian sings every evening, during the services appropriate to the month of Marie. After listening to her, the organist said: " She's a contralto, who has, at the lowest estimate, sixty thousand francs in her »» 1 1 voice "Just the income from my furnaces!" observed Monsieur Octave de Camps. "On her return from the church," continued Madame de I'Estorade, "Monsieur de Sallenauve in- formed the fair housekeeper of the opinion that had been expressed concerning her talent, and, with all possible caution, hinted to her that she must soon begin to think about supporting herself as she had always intended to do. ' Yes, 1 think that the time has come,' said Signora Luigia. Then she changed the subject, saying: 'We will talk of this again.' This morning, at the breakfast hour, they were greatly surprised at the non-appearance of the signora, who is a very early riser. Thinking that she must be ill. Monsieur de Sallenauve sent a woman who comes in to do the heavy work of the house, to knock at her door. No reply. With in- creasing anxiety. Messieurs Marie-Gaston and de THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 119 Sallenauve went themselves to ascertain what the trouble was. After knocking and calling to no purpose, they decided to make use of the key, which was in the door. In the room, no house- keeper, but in her stead and place a letter addressed to Monsieur de Sallenauve. In the letter the Italian told him that, knowing that she was a burden to him, she had gone to live with one of her friends, and that she thanked him for all his kindness to her." "The bird found that it had wings," said Mon- sieur de I'Estorade, " it has taken flight." "That was not Monsieur de Sallenauve's idea," rejoined the countess; "he believes that she is a thousand leagues from any such contemptible exhibi- tion of ingratitude. But, before divulging to his con- stituents the nature of their relations, Monsieur de Sallenauve, having become convinced that he would be questioned upon that subject, had the delicacy to write to her to ascertain if such a public announce- ment would be very offensive to her. She replied that she gave him carteblamhe. But, upon his return to Paris, he noticed that she seemed sad and treated him with more ceremony than usual, whence he con- cluded that, feeling that she had become a burden to him, in obedience to one of the rash impulses to which she is more subject than most people, she had decided that she was in duty bound to leave his house and that he must not be allowed to concern himself in any way with the ordering of her future." " Well, good luck to her! " said Monsieur de I'Es- torade, "good riddance!" 1^ ,ni -, 120 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS Neither Monsieur de Sallenauve nor Monsieur Mar.e-Gaston took the matter so stoically. In view of the woman's wilful, determined character, they ear some attempt to commit violence upon herself, TUet', . 'f ^"'''''' '^^^ ' P^^^'°"^ occurrence They dread, too, the influence of bad advice This charwoman, of whom 1 spoke just now, noticed, dur- ing the absence of the gentlemen, that Signora Luigia received two or three mysterious visits from a middL aged woman, richly dressed, who came in a carriage but whose general appearance was unusual, and who was very careful that their interviews should be enveloped in se'crecy." ch'^^lT'^ have been some lady connected with a ' r.Ih ^ 'T"^*°"'" '-'^'^ ^^"^i^"'- ^e I'Estorade, as the fugitive is a very pious person." " At all events, it is necessary to find out who she was, and Monsieur de Sallenauve, by Marie-Gaston's advice, has employed the day in endeavoring to as- certam what has become of the unfortunate creature instead of going with him to Ville-d'Avray " dJ'vpT H ""^f^ ' ^'^' '''^'" rejoined Monsieur virtue, I say that he is very fond of her " "At all events, it would not seem that she is very fond of him," observed Madame de I'Estorade, un- derlining the word by her accent. '' I do not agree with you," said Madame Octave de Camps; "to avoid a person is often the surest proof of love." Madame de I'Estorade glanced at her friend with a THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS lai vexed expression, and her cheeks flushed slightly. But no one had an opportunity to notice it, as a domestic threw open the folding-doors of the salon, and announced: "Madame is served." After dinner, the subject of going to the theatre was discussed; that is one of the amusements which are especially missed in the provinces, and Monsieur Octave de Camps, who, through the instrumentality of his miserable furnaces, as Madame de I'Estorade called them, had become a sort of backwoodsman, was very thirsty for that diversion when he came to Paris; whereas his wife, who was of a serious, sedate turn, was far from feeling the same inclina- tion for it. So that, when Monsieur de Camps sug- gested going to the Porte Saint-Martin to see a fairy play which was then attracting all Paris, Madame Octave replied: "Neither Madame de I'Estorade nor I have the slightest desire to go out; we are thoroughly ex- hausted by our excursion, and we will give our seats to Rene and Nais, who will enjoy the miracles of La Fie aux Roses much more than we." The two children awaited with an anxiety that can readily be imagined the ratification of this ar- rangement, to which Madame de I'Estorade made no objection; so that, a few moments later, the two friends, who had had no opportunity to arrange a a real t§te-a-t&te since Madame de Camps's arrival in Paris, found themselves at last with a long even- ing's chat before them. f\\ 122 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS " I am at home to no one," said Madame de I'Esto- rade to Lucas, as soon as her flock had flown. Thereupon, taking as a starting-point for the seri- ous conversation which was to ensue the last remark made by Madame Octave before dinner, she said to her: " You have some charming well-sharpened axioms that fly as straight to those at whom they are aimed as pretty little arrows!" "Now that we are alone," rejoined Madame de Camps, " I propose to pursue my argument with a club, for I have not, as you may imagine, travelled two hundred leagues, and left all our interests to take care of themselves after Monsieur de Camps has trained me to replace him when he is absent, for the purpose of telling you the truth wrapped in cotton- wool." " I am ready to listen to anything from you " said Madame de I'Estorade, pressing the hand of her whom she called her dear directress." "Your last letter simply horrified me!" "Why so? because I myself told you that that man frightened me and that I should exert my wits tc find some way of keeping him at a distance? " " Yes. Up to that time I had had some doubt as to what advice I ought to give you; but at that mo- ment I began to be so anxious about you, that, not- withstanding all Monsieur de Camps's objections to my taking the journey, I insisted upon coming, and here I am!" " But really I fail to understand." THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS Z23 "Let us see; suppose Monsieur de Camps, Mon- sieur Marie-Gaston, or even Monsieur de Rastignac, in spite of the ecstasy which his visits cause Mon- sieur de I'Estorade, should threaten to become a constant visitor here, would you be so terribly alarmed?" •' Certainly not; because no one of them would have such an advantage over me as this man of whom I am afraid." " Tell me, do you believe that Monsieur de Salle- nauve is in love with you?" " No; I believe that I am sure now of the contrary; but I believe, too, so far as I am concerned—" " We will come to that question directly. I ask you now if you have any desire that Monsieur de Sallenauve should fall in love with you? " "God forbid!" "Very well; a charming way of setting him on your heels is to wound his self-esteem, to make your- self appear unjust and ungrateful to him, in a word, to force him to think about you all the time." " But is not that rather a far-fetched conclusion, my dear?" " Why, my dear love, have you never noticed that men, because they have little seLjibility, are attracted much more by harsh treatment at our hands than by our caresses; that, by dealing harshly with them, we establish ourselves more firmly in their thoughts; and that they are much like those little parlor dogs who are never so anxious to bite as when you pull your hand quickly away? " i 124 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS if 1 1 " On that theory, all the men whom one disdains, of whom one does not think enough to give them a glance, become so many suitors." "Oh! my dear, don't put idiotic remarks in my mouth. It goes without saying that, in order to take fire, matter must have a tendency to combustibility; that, in order to go to a man's head in the way I de- scribe, we must first have had some sort of acquaint- ance with him; and it seems to me that there has been a very effectual beginning as between you and Monsi-r de Sallenauve. If he does not love you, he lovea your face and figure, and as you yourself wittily said one day, who can say that, if the other person should prove to be definitively lost to him, he may not rebound toward you?" " On the contrary, he has stronger hopes than ever of finding her, with the assistance of a very skilful searcher, who is on her track." " Very good; but, if he does not find her, or if he does not find her for a very long time, ought you to employ the interval in attracting him to your arms?" "I do not assent to your theory by any means, my dear moralist, at least, so far as Monsieur de Sallenauve is concerned; he is going to be very busy, the Chamber will arouse his interest much more powerfully than my face; he is a man, too, abound- ing in self-esteem, who will be disgusted by my spite- ful behavior, which will seem to him immeasurably unfair and ungrateful; and if I attempt to place an interval of two feet between us, he will make it four; you can rely upon it." J ;,! s ir THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 125 "And what of yourself, my dear?" queried Ma- dame de Camps. "What do you mean?" "Yes, you, who are not busy, who have not the distraction of the Chamber; who have, 1 am very glad to agree, much self-esteem, but whose knowl- edge of matters relating to the heart is about equal to that of a boarding-school miss or a nurse,— what will become of you under the hazardous regime that you propose to inflict upon yourself?" " Why, if I do not love him at close quarters, I shall certainly love him much less at a dis- tance." " So that, if you find that he submits with appa- rent indifference to his ostracism, your womanly self- esteem will not be in the least surprised?" " Why, no; for it will be the precise result I de- sire." "And if you hear, on the other hand, that he com- plains of you, or that, w;thout complaining, he suffers keenly on account of your action, your conscience will have absolutely nothing to say?" " It will tell me that I have done right, that I could not have acted otherwise." "And if he achieves a success, whose echo reaches your ears, if his name fills the hundred mouths of renown, you will not even remember his exist- ence?" " I shall think of him as I think of Monsieur Thiers or Monsieur Berryer." "And what about NaTs, who thinks of nothing but 126 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS him, and who will say to you even more enthusiasti- caly than on the first day he dined with you 'How well he speak;, mamma!' " ''If you take a little girl's prattle into account!" And how about Monsieur de I'Estorade. who irri- ates you already, when, beginning from this time on to offer up sacrifices to party spirit, he lets drop some unkind msinuation concerning Monsieur de Salle- nauve;-you will impose silence on him when he con- stantly mentions this man to you. only to deny him any talent or elevation of mind; you know the'^udg ment^we always form of people who do not think as I'E'ZLn.r.? *' ''^'" '"^"'^^^ Madame de lvTu\J^^^ ^ "'^"^ '^^" ^' '^ much inclined to S^of^isionr^^-^- " That very thing has already happened to you once my dear friend, when he used to follow you a out he streets and his abandonment of that pr'ac" tice taking you by surprise, caused the same effect produced by a drum suddenly ceasing its uproa after deafening you for an hour." ^ ' " There was a reason for that; his non-appearance upset my whole plan." ''Fpearance ''Listen to me, my dear love," rejoined Madame de Camps, with a shade of seriousness in her tone 'I have read your letters again and again; you were and l"athe T '"' '"^'"^' *° ^^"^ '^^'-^n ^^er^ and I gathered one impression which I still retain- It was that Monsieur de Sallenauve had at leasi \m. THE DEPUTY F.70M ARCS 127 grazed your heart, even if he had not found his w > in." At a gesture of denial iwm Madame de I'Estorade, her zealous directress continued: " I know that you will bristle up at that idea. How could you admit to me something that you have always carefully concealed from yourself? But what is, is: one does not feel a sort of magnetic current flowing from a man, o e is not con- scious of his glance even without meeting his eyes one does not cry out : ' Is it not true, madame,' that I am invulnerable so far as love is con- cerned?' unless one has already received some severe blow!" " But so many things have happened since I wrote those absurdities!" " To be sure, he was only a sculptor, and yet, in a short time,— I do not say like Monsieur de Rasti- gnac, which would be saying very little, but like Canalis, our great poet,— perhaps he will be a minister!" "I like sermons that come to an end," said Madame de I'Estorade, with a suggestion of im- patience. "You say to me," rejoined Madame de Camps, "whatVergniaud cried to Robespierre on the 31st of May, for, in my leisure hours in our woods, I have read the history of the French Revolution; and I answer, as Robespierre did: 'Yes, I am coming to an end;' and my conclusion is adverse to your self-esteem, the self-esteem of a woman who, having 128 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS I It be th.rty-two years old without suspecting ZttL'TV" '" ""'^S^' cannot Isen? at th,s ate day to submit to tlie common law of manl' ™Pl'asized Iwillmt! will triumph over an impulse complicated by a combi- nation of circumstances from which the cleveTe t woman-my cousin, the Princesse de Cadignan fo m^ance-would have difficulty in extricating her^ VE^fJ^'VT''^' "'"""''^"'■' said Madame de p'tlrhands "''*'"" "'"" '-■<"--* her JlI^l^J^ ">' '^™cl"sion," Madame Octave re- e ou.h to : "!"'f'"'^"^ '' ^™ ^- ™' '-'''> of vfur J ^ f " """ '""<="«• ' '^^ "0 danger of your beng submerged. You are strong vou are high-principled and devout, you adore voiir chndren and you love Monsieur derEstorade t^ father, m them, the man who has been your I fe companion for fifteen years; with all that ballast a^esseMoesn, sinic, but is staunch and seaworthy! THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 129 " In that case, there ib no need to resort to violent means, tlie success of which I consider very problem- atical, to preserve an impassibiMty which is impos- sible under certain circumstances, and which one has already three-quarters lost. You are convinced that Monsieur de Sallenauve is not the man to think of ever making you take another step toward him- you yourself agree that he is a thousand leagues from' thinking of such a thing. So remain where you are- do not throw up barricades when no one attacks you; do not work yourself up over a purposeless defence, in which you can arouse violent tempests m your heart and conscience, while believing that you are bringing peace to your conscience and soothing your heart, which is simply ruffled by a gentle zephyr. It is doubtless true that, between man and woman, the sentimmt of friendship as- sumes something of the nature of the usual warmer relation between the sexes, but it is neither an im- possible illusion nor an ever-yawning abyss. Is it not true that, if Louise de Chaulieu and her excel- lent first husband, Monsieur de Macumer, had lived, your relations with him would have been ere this upon a footing of familiarity and confidence which had never existed between you and any other man? Is It not true that you are upon exceptionally inti- mate terms with her second husband. Monsieur Mane-Gaston, in memory of the friend you have lost.? and tell me, would you have made the chari- table visit we decided to make to-day, even in the company of my husband and myself and your m il 130 I THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS daughter, to any stranger whom you had not known something about beforehand?" "Then I am to make a friend of Monsieur de Salknauve?" said Madame de I'Estorade in a musing ''Yes. my love, in order that he may not become a fixed Idea, a source of regret or of remorse, three thmgs which poison life." " But society, that is always on the watch! and my husband, who has already had a fit of jealousy!" "You compromise yourself as much and more in the eyes of society, my dear, by trying to throw it off the scent than by any liberties you take openly Do you suppose, for example, that your sudden de- parture from Madame de Rastignac's last night in order to avoid listening to what might be said of your obligation to Monsieur de Sallenauve, was not noticed ? And would not a more tranquil bearing have served much better to disguise your gratitude, which you betrayed, after all, by exhibiting such emotion?" "You are right in that; but the impudence of some people seems to have the faculty of irritating one beyond endurance — " "As for your husband, he seems to me somewhat changed, and not to his advantage; I used to admire his absolute respect, his unlimited deference for your wnole personality, all your ideas, all your feelings; that sort of canine submission exalted him more than he imagines, because it is one form of grandeur to know how to obey and admire. I may be mis- taken, but It seems to me that politics has spoiled THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS IJI him so far as you are concerned; as you cannot take his place on the benches of the Chamber of Peers, he has begun to suspect that he might properly so arrange matters as to have an exist- ence of his own. If I were in your place, I would look out for these litile essays at independence, and I would bring forward the cabinet question, as that question happens to be in the order of the day with regard to the case of this same Monsieur de Salle- nauve." "Do you know, my dear love," laughed Madame de I'Estorade, "that you are a very agreeable pest, and that you advise me to lay waste everything with fire and sword?" " Not at all, my dear; I am a woman of forty-five, who has always looked at things on their positive side ; I did not marry my husband, whom I loved passionately, until I had satisfied myself, by subject- ing him to a very severe test, that he deserved my esteem. I do not make life, I take it as it is; trying to bring order into all the conditions it may present and to make them tolerable. I have neither the frantic passion of Louise de Chaulieu, nor ' nerce common sense of Renee de I'Estorade; 1 am a sort of Jesuit in petticoats, convinced that rather full sleeves are more becoming than sleeves tight at the wrist, and I have never been attacked by the thirst for the absolute." At that moment Lucas opened the door of the salon and announced Monsieur de Sallenauve. As his mis- tress looked at him with an expression that asKed him ffc'i 132 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS HI •!' the meaning of such slight attention to her orders, Lucas replied with a gesture that seemed to say that the visitor was an article not included in the decree of prohibition as he understood it. While Sallenauve took possession of the armchair that was brought for- ward for him, Madame de Camps whispered to her friend: "You see! even the servants have an instinctive feeling that he is no common visitor." Madame de Camps, who had never before met the new deputy, devoted her whole attention to watching him, and she did not repent having preached agaiiist the advisability of putting any affront upon him. Sallenauve explained his call by alleging his great curiosity to learn how affairs had passed off at Ville- d'Avray; if he had learned that Marie-Gaston had seemed too deeply affected, he would have gone at once to join him, despite the lateness of the hour. As for the search in which his day had been passed. It had as yet been rewarded with no sort of success Availing himself of his title of Deputy, a sort of uni^ versal passport, he had seen the prefect of police, who had referred him to Monsieur de Saint-Est^ve' the head of the secret police. Being cognizant, as all Pans was, of the man's past, he had been greatly surprised to find him a man of very agreeable man- ners; but that great detective had given him no hope. " A woman in hiding in Paris," he had said, " is like an eel hidden in the darkest of its holes." He himself, with the assistance of Jacques Briche- teau, proposed to continue his search through the U THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 133 IS following day; but if, when night came, neither he nor the great inquisitor of the police had discovered anything, he had decided to start at once for Ville- d'Avray to join Marie-Gaston, concerning whom he did not share Madame de I'Estorade's feeling of se- curity. As he was taking his leave, prior to the return of Monsieur de I'Estorade and Monsieur Octave de Camps, who had promised to come back for his wife, Madame de I'Estorade said to him: " Do not forget that Nals's ball is to come off on the day after to-morrow in the evening. You will have a terrible account to settle with her, if you do not appear. Try to induce Marie-Gaston to cop;e with you; it will be something to distract his mind.*' When he returned from the theatre, Monsieur Octave de Camps declared that it would be a \ iJl i 138 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS I Vm ': and newspaper novels to read; and the girls the pleasure of playing at being mistress of the house, of giving afternoon dances and evening parties with the real Guigml from the Champs-EIysees, and Robert Houdin announced upon the cards of invita- tion: and those worthies are not like Lambert and Moli^re; when they have once allowed their names to be prined on the programme, you are sure of them. And sometimes these little sovereigns obtain permission, as NaTs de I'Estorade had done, to give a party of sufficient importance to require a few policemen to be stationed at the door, and to let De- lisle and Nattier and Prevost know what was about to happen from the quantities of silks and artificial flowers and bouquets sold for the occasion. No one was more capable than NaTs, blessed as she was with the character of which we have caught a glimpse, to carry out the part and perform the duties about to devolve upon her by her mother's abdication in her favor of all her power and all her authority. This abdication dated farther back than the actual beginning of the party, for Mademoiselle NaYs de I'Estorade had, in her own name, invited her guests to do her the honor of coming to pass the evening with her; and as Madame de I'Estorade did not choose to carry the parody so far as to allow the cards to be printed, Nals had passed several days in writing her notes of invitation, taking care to place in bold relief the sacramental formula: tliere wiU be dancing. Nothing could be more amusing, or, as Madame Octave de Camps, judging from the remark THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 139 we have heard her make, would say, nothing could be more alarming than the self-possession of that child of thirteen, standing, as she had seen her mother stand on similar occasions, at the door of the salon, and, as her guests arrived, shading her greet- ings with the nicest discrimination, from the most affectionate warmth to a coldness that bordered on disdam. Upon her dear friends she bestowed an effusive grasp of the hand, in the English fashion; for the others she had a supply of smiles, graded, so to speak, according to the degree of intimccy; and simple inclinations of the head for those who were indifferent to her and for strangers; a word or two from time to time and delicious motherly airs for the little tots who are perforce included in the personnel of these childish routs, dangerous and difficult as it is to handle them. As a general rule, with the fathers and mothers of her guests, as the fete was not given for them and was founded entirely upon the words of the Gospel- Suffer little children to come unto me, NaTs de I'Esto- rade was careful not to overstep the limits of cold but respectful courtesy. But when Lucas, following the instructions he had received, reversed the usual order of precedence and announced; "Mesdemoi- selles de la Roche-Hugon, Madame la Baronne de Roche-Hugon, and Madame la Comtesse de Ras- tignac," the little schemer laid aside her reserve- she ran to meet the minister's wife, and, with the prettiest grace imaginable, seized her hand and raised it gallantly to her lips. On their part m m 140 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS i # Madame de I'Estorade, and her husband more par- ticularly, hastened to greet their unexpected guest, and, refusing to allow her to enter into any apologies for the liberty she had taken in coming under her sister-in-law's auspices and over and above the bar- gain, so to speak, they escorted her to a place of honor from which she could see at a glance the whole Ute, which had already attained a high degree of animation. NaTs could not accept all the invita- tions which the most elegant young lions vied with one another in pouring upon her, and so she de- parted from the order of her engagements to some extent. Notwithstanding the famous entente cordiale between the two nations, her fickleness came very near reviving the eternal rivalry between perfidious Albion and France. A contra-dance promised twice over was on the verge of leading to unpleasant com- plications between a young peer of England, aged ten, and a pupil of a naval preparatory school, — Pension Barniol, see Les /Innomes,— and the young heir to the peerage had put himself in an attitude to bdoxer. When this dispute was adjusted, another incident occurred. A little urchin, spying a platter laden with syrups and pastry, just after a polka in which he had become drenched with perspiration, endeav- ored to refresh himself; but as he was not tall enough to reach the objects of his greed conve- niently, at the height at which they were held by the servant, he conceived the lamentable idea of pulling on the edge of the platter until its contents should be within his reach: thereupon the platter THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 141 tipped, lost its equilibrium, and discharged at one corner, which formed a spout like thxt of the urn representing a mythological river, a sort of cascade of orgeat, gooseberry syrup, and capillaire, formed by the contents of the glasses as they overturned. Fortunate had it been had the imprudent youth been the only one to suffer from the sudden inundation of that saccharine torrent; but, amid the confusion caused by that disastrous incident, ten innocent victims were splashed and spattered, and among them were five or six young Bacchantes who, in their rage at the damage inflicted upon their dresses, seemed inclined to make another Orpheus of the awkward imp. He was at last, but with great diffi- culty, rescued from their hands and turned over to those of a German governess, who had run to the spot when she heard the uproar. "What an idea it was of NaTs," said a charming little blonde to a young Scotchman with whom she had danced throughout the evening, " to invite little boys of that age!" "I can understand it," replied the Scotchman; " he's the son of somebody at the Cour des Comptes; NaTs was obliged to have him on account of his parents; it's a matter of policy." He took the arm of one of his young friends. " I say, Ernest," he said, " I would like to smoke a cigar! Suppose, while all this row is going on, we try to find some quiet place?" " I can't, my dear fellow," replied Ernest, mysteri- ously; •' you know Leontine always makes a scene 143 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCFS When she notices that I've been smoking. She is charming to me to-night. Here, see what she has just given me!" " Bah! a horsehair ring, with two burning hearts'" said the Scotchman, scornfully. "All schoolboys do that sort of thing." " What could you show, yourself? " replied Ernest in an offended tone. . " Oh! " said the Scotchman, knowingly, " we have something better than that." He took from the game-bag, which was an essen- tial part of his costume, a note upon perfumed sky- blue paper. ' " There," he added, putting it under Ernest's nose, "just smell that." Ernest, not a very honorable friend, pounced upon the note and got possession of it; the Scotchman, in a rage, rushed at him to recover it. Thereupon Monsieur de I'Estorade intervened, having not the remotest suspicion of the cause of the quarrel and separated the adversaries, so that the thief was at liberty to retire to a corner and gloat over his plunder The note contained no writing. The young rascal had taken that odoriferous sheet, which his mamma would probably have transformed into something less immaculate, from her blotting-case that morning A little later Ernest went up to the young Scotchman again: ^^ "Here's your note," he said, in a bantering tone; it s rather compromising." "Keep it, monsieur," replied the Scotchman. "I THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS Ui will call upon you for it to-morrow, under the chest- nut-trees at the Tuileries; meanwhile, understand that all is over between us!" Ernest was less chivalrous; he contented himself with putting the thumb of his outspread right hand to hjs nose, for all reply, and insolently made the hand revolve upon that axis; a disdainful gesture which he had learned from his mother's coachman; then he ran to take his partner for a quadrille that was just beginning. But on what petty details we are wasting our time when we know that interests of the most exalted order are moving beneath this infantile surface. Sallenauve, arriving about four o'clock from Ville- d'Avray, where he had passed two days, was unable to give Madame de I'Estorade any encouraging news of his friend. Beneath an appearance of cold resig- nation, Marie-Gaston was terribly depressed, and furthermore— a truly alarming fact, because it was entirely unnatural— he had not yet been to visit his wife's tomb, as if he realized the probability of an emotion which he did not feel brave enough to face That mental condition seemed to Sallenauve so dis- quieting, that had it not been for his fear of angering Nats by not going to her ball, he would have hesitated to leave his friend, who could not be induced to go with him. It seemed that Marie-Gaston had ex- hausted the remnant of his strength in the morbid state of excitement and gayety which he had reached during the election at Arcis, and now prostration of the most serious kind succeeded the feverish animation ' . r li'' li 144 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS which was only partially reflected in his letters to Madame de I'Estorade. One thing had happened, however, to setSallenauve's mind at rest for the few hours during which he left his patient: he was still hesitating as to his duty in the premises, when Marie-Gas^ ni was informed thai he had a visitor, — a gentleman whom he had known at Florence and whose visit he seemed to welcome with joy. Some good effect .night be anticipated from that unforeseen incident. In order to divert Sallenauve's mind from his apprehensions, which seemed to her exaggerated, Madame de I'Estorade made haste to present him to Monsieur Octave de Camps. That gentleman hud expressed a great desire to know him, and the deputy had not talked a quarter of an hour with the iron- master before he had found his way to his heart by virtue "f the extensive metallurgical knowledge mani- fested in his conversation. The reader will remember that one of Bixiou's principal grievances against the former Dorlange was his pretension, perhaps not to know everything, but to understand everything. For a year past, since he had been giving his attention particularly to prepar- ing for parliamentary life, Sallenauve, having taken no time for his art save what was necessary for his Sainte Ursule, had devoted much time to acquiring all sorts of practical knowledge, which justify the orator in taking the floor when he has such knowl- edge at his tongue's end, to support and corroborate his views upon general politics. And so, although in replying to Monsieur Godivet, the recorder of THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS M5 tters to ppened, the few vas still , when sitor, — ice and Some oreseen id from ;erated, : him to lan had deputy le iron- eart by e mani- Jixiou's ige was ng, but ince he prepar- ; taken for his quiring ify the knowl- Dborate though rder of Arcis, he had modestly represented himself as know- ing nothing of the various matters comprised in his department, he had given his attention, while study- ing the great questions of the budget and tariff, to all the elements of which they are composed: the customs service, the tax on conveyances of real es- tate, the stamp tax, and direct and indirect contribu- tion. In like manner, on approaching that science, so problematical and yet so self-confident, known as political economy, Sallenauve had also made himself familiar with all the springs that contribute to form the great stream of national wealth, and theref.io the question of mines, with wliich Monsie' r de Camps 's thoughts were occupied at that mc n^rAi, had of course not been neglected by him. Wo can imagine the admiration of the iron-master, who N. i devoted himself too exclusively to the question of iron to have learned much in the other branches of metallurgy, when the young deputy told him a sort of Arabian Nights' tale concerning the wealth con- tained in the soil, but a tale which, when subjected to the verification of science, would prove to be ab- solutely true. "What, monsieur," cried Monsieur de Camps, "do you believe that we possess copper and lead and even silver mines, in addition to our coal and iron?" "If you will consult certain specialists, mon- sieur," replied Sallenauve, "they will tell you that neither the boasted lodes of Bohemia and Saxony, nor those of Russia or Hungary, are to be compared 10 w 146 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS ?■ i ^< with those to be found in French territory, in the Pyrenees, the Alps from Brianfon to Is^re, the Cevennes, especially about Loz^re, the Puy-de- Dame, Bretagne, and the Vosges. In the Vosges, near the town of Saint-Die, I can tell you of a single vein of silver, which varies from fifty to eighty metres in depth and is thirteen kilometres long." "But how is it that all this great metallic wealth has never been exploited?" "It has been," replied Sallenauve, "very many years ago, especially during the period of Roman domination among the Gauls. The mines were abandoned at the time of the fall of the Roman Em- pire, but were worked again during the Middle Ages by the nobles and the clergy; then, during the strug- gle of feudalism against the royal power and during the long civil wars that brought France to the verge of destruction, they were abandoned once more, and since then no attention has been paid to them." "You are sure of what you say?" "The ancient authors, Strabo and the rest, all speak of these mines, the tradition of their having been worked still lives in the provinces in which they are located; the decrees of the emperors and the ordinances of our kings demonstrate their exist- ence and the importance of their output; in certain places, still more convincing proofs are to be met with in the shape of excavations of considerable su- perficial extent and depth, of galleries and chambers cut in the living rock, and lastly in the multiplied •^.^> THE DEPUTY FROM ARCFS i^. recent investig'ations T «e„ „ S'^sctcf! *^ everywhere rnnfirm^^ fc-'^^'u^icai science have ciywiiere connrmed and comnlementpri thoc^ impeachable indications " "^'"-"'^'ited these un- ™ne to induce h^U^^^e^^,^ IZ:;Z^ Z to appear in the guise of a solicitor nfT . of taking in hand the development of tL*' Which had been so strangelyTeg e^ted wTen^h "• comcdence, which wil, lo' sufpr f't ' ^ader" Lucas, throwing open both wings of the Wdfnl' door, announced, in his, oudes.\nd™:trZ" "Monsieur tlie Minister of Public Works " I he effect produced upon the •,«»««„ ' electrical, that the shock was f^re'et bf thT L" gentlemen in their corner. ^ *^^ ^'^^ "Just let me get a look at the face of that little Rastignac, now he's become a minister '' s.i^M s.eur de Camps carelessly, leavrng hif c'hai"" """■ But m h,s heart he thought that it was an excel m 148 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS the deputy looked upon a ministerial overture as in- evitable; it seemed to him impossible that so zealous a conservative as Monsieur de I'Estorade should not try to arrange it. Now, what would his friends of the opposition say to the news, which would be circulated the next morning, that a representative of the Advanced Left had had a conference, in a ministe- rial salon, with that one of the ministers most famous for his zeal and his adroitness in effecting political conversions? Already, at the offices of the National, Sallenauve had had a foretaste of the tolerant spirit of his party, when he heard an insinuation that the promises of moderation in his parliamentary conduct contained in his electoral profession of faith should not be taken too literally, and that he would soon find himself entirely alone if he should undertake to follow out his theories in practice. Moreover, he was desirous to return at once to Ville-d'Avray after appearing for a moment at Nalfs's ball, on account of his intense anxiety concerning Marie-Gaston! for all these reasons, he determined to avail himself of the general excitement to beat a retreat; and by a shrewd manoeuvre, cleverly executed, he had already reached the door of the salon, and thought that he could escape unseen. But he had reckoned without NaUs, with whom he had rashly promised to dance a contra-dance. The child began to sound the alarm just as he was turning the knob of the door, and Monsieur de I'Estorade, with the utmost eager- ness, as may be imagined, took it upon himself to prevent his desertion. Seeing that his plan had THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS J49 failed, Sallenauve was afraid that to retire wlien all eyes were upon him would have a puritanrcal 00k wh.chrn.ght be considered in bad taste ; t L ng e k, therefore, of whatever might happen he allowed h.s name to be restored to the list of NaTsl partners and decided to remain Monsieur de I'Estorade was too well aware of deceive h.m as to any ruse he might employ to brin^r about h.s meeting with the minister He w^t s ra.ght forward to his goal, therefore, and,a qurr e y^orTlZ,'"- ^"''°^"'' '''' ^''^'''^ °f Public batt e to n Tr *° ^' P-"^^^"^^^' before the ba le, to one of the generals of the hostile army " replied SalTe" "'"^'" '''' "^^ *°° ^^^^ honor,"" a general, I am only one of the humblest and least known common soldiers." thai"tr'" f'i *"' '^'"'■'^"'■' "^"t I should say tliat the contest at Arcis-sur-Aube was no smaH v.ctory and that you bowled our men over in an extraordinary way there, monsieur'" "There is nothing very su.-prising in thaf you ha^.e_ probably been informed that a faint fought':: "However," rejoined Rastignac, "I prefer that result to the result that seems to have been sough by a person whom we sent down there, and whom f 11 '0 1 ' ti ISO THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS i supposed to be a more skilful manager. It seems that that Beauvisage was decidedly unfitted for the place; he would have reacted on us if we had secured his election, and, after all, he was of the Left Centre, like Giguet the advocate: now the Left Centre is our real enemy, because its attacks on our policy are really aimed at our portfolios." " Oh!" said Monsieur de I'Estorade, "from what you were told about the fellow, he would have been whatever anyone wanted him to be." " Oh! no, my dear friend, don't you believe that; fools often cling much more closely than one would suppose to the flag under which they have enlisted. To go over to the enemy implies making a choice and that implies a rather complicated mental opera- tion; it is much simpler to be pig-headed." "I agree with monsieur le ministre," said Salle- nauve: "extreme innocence and extreme rascality defend themselves with equal success against seduc- tion." "You kill your man with gentleness," said Mon- sieur de I'Estorade to Sallenauve, tapping him on the shoulder. Then, seeing or pretending to see, in the mirror over a mantel in front of which they were standing, a sign that somebody made to him: "1 must go," he said, over his shoulder; and, leaving the two opponents thus confronting each other, he walked away, as if he had been sum- moned to perform some one of his duties as master of the house. THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS ,,, ing'schoTmi f;°' "°T '" "PP^- ""^ ^ board, "ig bcnooi miss, dismayed at the iHp-, o^ u^- , r succeeded It ""■ """'"" *^ P'^" "ad finally comneMt; ''^"'^ ""'■ institutional duty to brco n^irr in":.?"'' '^^^°" -"^ ^-'^ napping" ™^ '' "^" ""'"' i^ «ugh, us the'endV^woHd"" '"""' ^'■o '""^^^ »at worth thL'tr,r«efr'"J;dire ™* """^ '' a laugh. ' Sallenauve, with "our°retirl°e;,™f'"*''>'' "^''l""'- """estly, wor" ."wr,: , ™;°X - -t the end of th"^ rHi *'-*=' f tl< «■ 152 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS the question is now fairly stated b;'tween what is called the chateau, personal influence, and the doc- trine of parliamentary supremacy. This question will naturally arise on the vote for the secret-service fund. When it has been decided in one way or another, when the Budget and some laws of sec- ondary interest have been voted, Parliament uiil have done its work well; for it will liave put an end to a disastrous struggle, and the country wi:; know, once tor oii, to which of the two powers it can most surely look fc' Ihe deveK)pment of its pros- perity." "And do you believe," <\&ktd Sallenauve, "that that question is a usefci ou<: to bring up in a well- balanced government?" "But we are not the ones who have brought it up," said Rastignac; "it is born of circumstances, perhaps, and in large measure of the impatience of some ambitious men, and also of party tactics," '■ So that, in your opinion, monsieur le ministre, one of the opposing parties is guilty of nothing and has nothing whatever to reproach itself with?" "You are a republican," replied Rastignac, "and consequently an a priori enemy of the dynasty; I should waste my time, I fancy, in trying to rearrange your ideas on the subject of the policy for which you blame it." " You are mistaken," said the deputy, "a repub- lican in theory, by accident, in futuro, I have no hatred for the reigning dynasty; indeed, I think that, in its beplumed past, if I may so express myself, THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 153 represent those extreme ideas on H u °^' "°* tions. " ^" ^' ^""^ strongest institu- x^n',!?''" "l"^ Rastignac, ironically, "and vou deputy from Sancerrf -TK ^"'°"' '"'^''^ ^^ ^^^ not govern^? ^^' '''"^ ""^'^"^ ^"^ does ■•You mean Louis XVIII.,- said Rastignac "or Chlrter^*^'""'"^ -y- ' the iilustrious auS 'of the i 154 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS P f: (( tt ■ Exactly," was the reply; " would you do me the honor to tell me where he died?" "fizrW^«/ at the Tuileries." "And his successor?" ;; In exile!-Oh! I see what you are coming at!" in truth, my conclusion is not hard to guess: but monsieur le ministre, have you considered the logical deduction from that royal existence, for which, in mv heart i entertain the most absolute respect? Louis Charter, but did not consent to it; born nearer the crown than the prince to whose deplorable tendency I have adverted, he was likely to share more fully the Ideas, the prejudices, the infatuations of the court; in his personal appearance he was ridiculous, which IS a fatal defect in France; he had to endure all the vexations of a new regime, he succeeded a government which had intoxicated the country with that seductive golden vapor called glory; and, even If he was not brought back by foreigners, he returned to the throne upon the heels of an invasion by armed Europe. Now shall I tell you why, notwithstanding all these original sins and notwithstanding the never- ending conspiracy against his government, he was allowed to die in peace under his canopy at the Tuilenes?" "Because he was constitutional?" queried Rasti- fr"e not?'"^ ^ '''^^* '^''"^' " ^"* ''" ^^" say that we "According to the letter, yes; in spirit, no. When Louis XVIII. gave his confidence to a minister, he I & THE DEPU-n- FROM ARCIS ,55 gooa sense not to des re [ nt^r ^ ^k to Dowpr Qiir.-^„*f 1 'c.Mure mat mm ster again* surreptitiously; and he never held office " For a man who does not hate us ■■ said p,=f certain respects to Monsieur Doublemain, the derk Jn Z^ Manage de Figaro^ " I should not wish to n^> r^;^- j ^ ,. "that+ho^ •. '^"'" ^° assert, rejoined Saenauve that the evil goes so deep or dates bark ^n for ;-e doing something! rhlf/CTe^e^ i I l^ 156 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS " But, monsieur, suppose we are the most adroit politician in the kingdom?" " It does not follow, monsieur ' ;'iat our kingdom, which is the whole T'-' ■<'■ , ' - not some- times have the good fortune to be as clever as we." " Parbleu ! " said Rastigna \ in the tone that seems to denote a culminatinji; point in a conversation, " 1 would like to see a dream of mine come true." " What is the dream.? " qutned Sallenauve " To see you in 'x hand-to-hand struggle with this so-called mischief-making adroitness, of which you seem to have so pcwi' an opinion." "You know, munsieur le ministre, that three- fourths of one's life are passed in dreaming of the impossible." " Impossible, why? would ynu be the first member of the opposition to be seen at the Tuileries? and a public invitation to dinner, with no attempt at con- cealment, which by giving you a closer viev of someone whom you judge unjustly at a distance — " " I should have the honor to decline," said Salle- nauve, interrupting him. And he emphasized his I should have the honor in such a way as to give the phrase its full significance. " That is the way with all you people of the oppo- sition!" cried the minister; "you do .lot v.'ant to inform yourselves when opportunity offers, or, • jr- haps I ought to say, you cannc " "Do you consider yourself very fully informed, monsieur le ministre, when you pass a drug-store at night, and your eyes are lazzleu b> a beam fr^ m THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 157 one of those enormous bottles wliich seem to ha\-c been invented to make people blind?" " It is not our beams that frighten you, but the dark lantern of your party making its rounds." "There may be some truth in what you say monsieur le ministre; a party and the man who has aspired to the honor of representing it are, after all, like a man and wife, who must be mutually consid- erate and frank and loyal, in fact as well as in form, in order to live happily together." "Well, try to be moderate; your dream is even more impossible of realization than mine, and you Will soon have news to tell me of the consideration snown by your better half." " If there is one misfortune which I ought to anticipate more than any other, it is surely that " "You think so! and that, with the exalted and generous sentiments which your whole personality indicates, you u ill remain indifferent even to calumny which may be ali eady sharpening its claws." " Have not yo-, ourself sometimes felt its venom monsieur le miniscre; and have you turned aside from your path on th. . account.?" ;' But," said Rast ^..ac corfidentially, lowering his voice, " suppose I . ould tei' -u thai I have already had to ward off some ofificiou., jus^hodies who offer to stir up certain matters in your p.ivate life which simply because they are not in so bright a light as the rt I, have seemed to them wonderfully well adapted for arranging an ambuscade!" "I do not thank you, monsieur le ministre, for M 158 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS ii h the honor you have done me in receiving with con- tempt the suggestions of these officious persons, who belong neither to my party nor ti) yours, who belong to no party save that of their shameless greed and their selfish interests; but, even if the impossible had happened and they had foui , some credit with you, pray believe that the compact 1 have made with my conscience could have been in no wise affected thereby." " But just consider the elements that go to make up your party: a cou^ilomeration of defeated ambi- tions, of brutal covetou'^ness, of imitators of '93, of despots disguised as lovers of liberty." " My party has nothing and seeks to obtain some- thing; yours is called the conservative party, and the name is appropriate, its principal care being to retain power, offices, wealth, in a word, everything that it now holds; but in reality, monsieur, the cook- ing is the same, and we must eat of it and not simply watch the process, for, as La Bruy^re has said: ' If you see the banquet elsewhere than upon a well- served table, what filth! What disgusting stuff!'" "At all events, monsieur, we are not a cul-de-sac, we lead to something. The more eminent you are in character and intelligence, the less likely you are to be allowed to rise, with your little band of demo- crats in your train, for its accession to power would not mean a change of politics, but a revolution," " But who has told you that I have any wish to attain power.?" "What! march with no goal in view! Why, THE DEPUTY FROAI ARCIS ,59 development of the faculties to a certain de^r.^ Hn not simply pWe a man ■• rirrhf f ^ ^ ''^^'^ finn r.f u, ., "^'^"^ ^0 aspire to the direc t.on of pubhc affairs, it makes it his duty.'' thPm ic f" '^"^ ^" ^>'^ "'^'^" t'^O'-'e who do direct lestd^c^ft '" '"'^' '^ "°""' "^-^ -'^e the ta's ,; wn. resul, that we st^^Tie Wnt:a ?^th" td hat our ruture meetings will necessarily be co'urte- strenTh f ' "^ *""^' ^'^''^'^ '" "° way impa ^s he strength o.,r respective convictions.'' ^ ' Then I shall say to the king, for I was snermiiv commissioned by his august-" specially anc^'and "?' i' '"™ '" *' ele'venth Tontra- lican, you s^ " ""' " ^"^ ""« '^P""- »i HV^^ _^^^\ 'W 160 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS I," si And he followed Na\'s, who led him away, clinging to his hand. Madame de I'Estorade had had a very considerate thought: realizing how much Sallenauve's good- natured compliance with Nal's's whim might cost his gravity, she had arranged to have several papas and mammas stand up with him in the contra-dance into which he had allowed himself to be lured; and she herself, with the young Scotchman with the blank paper, who was quite capable of compromising her, although she did not suspect it, was, to use the tech- nical term, her daughter's vis-d-vis. Nal's was radi- ant with pride and joy; when, in one of the figures of the quadrille, she was called upon to take her mother's hand, she said, as she pressed it passion- ately: " Poor mamma, except for him, you wouldn't have me here!" The suddenness and form of that reminder made such a deep impression on Madame de I'Estorade that she was seized with the same nervous trembling that she had exjjerienced at the time of the accident to her daughter, and she was obliged to sit down. Sallenauve, NaTs, and Madame de Camps, noticing her change of color, ran to her to ask if she were ill. " It is nothing," she replied, addressing her words to Sallenauve; " this child reminded me of our im- mense obligations to you: 'Except for him,' it occurred to her to say to me, ' you would not have me here, poor mamma!' And, in very truth, monsieur, but TOE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS ,6, Italy r "°"' "'""''■ "'•"'-■ ^'"'W the Child be ■■ Come, corae, be caira!" said Madame de Camps voice, li It sensible to aet into siirh ^ cf.,t account of what n little girl say "?■• '" "" "She is more consistent than we," reioined Ma- dame de |-Est„rade, holding out her arms on!" Who repeated: .. Come, mamma, becalra."l!?Ttre rescuer; while as for her father and myself we have Imrdly made him understand our gratit^ide ■• SalleLlTpSy""""'^'™^' '"'' "'"^^-'" «'^^ he:d°:r'r'd':ub:;it 'f ff?"'-'^ •>- ^-'^ NaTs,' said Madame de Camps sternlv '<,-hin ™s.e„ and say nothing, :hrrr;opr:^i^ ''What's the matter? "said Monsieur de I'Esto rade who joined the group at that moment ''" Nothing," said Madame de Camps, " Renee was a httle dizzy while dancing." ^^ "Has it passed off?" I'Estlnacie' "" "" '*"" '''''"" ""'"^ "^''""'^ d- Kastignac, who is ready to go." In his eagerness to return to the minister's wife Monsieur de I'Estorade did not think of offeri^J'.^t: fK l±ll'^ ■p^ 162 :he deputy from arcis 3 I i I i. '£ r 'if arm to his own wife. Sallenauve was more con- siderate. As they walked along together, preceded by her husband, who could not hear her, Madame de I'Estorade said: " You had a long talk with Monsieur de Rastignac; of course he tried to seduce you in some way?" "Do you imagine that he succeeded?" replied Sallenauve. "No, but such attempts at inveigling are always disagreeable ; 1 beg you to believe that I was not in the plot. I am not such a ferocious ministerialist as my husband." " Nor am I such a ferocious revolutionist as people seem to imagine." " I trust that these tiresome politics, which will place you at variance with Monsieur de I'Estorade more than once, will not cause you to loathe the idea of being numbered among our friends." " It is an honor, madame, in which 1 am only too fortunate." "Pleasure, not honor, is what you must find in it!" said Madame de I'Estorade, earnestly. "I will say with NaTs : ' If I had saved anyone's daughter, I would treat that person less ceremoniously.' " With that, and without awaiting a reply, she hastily drew her arm from Sallenauve's, and left him somewhat surprised at the tone in which she had spoken. Having seen how implicitly Madame de I'Estorade was accustomed to follow the advice, perhaps more witty than sagacious, of Madame Octave de Camps, our readers probably will not THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS .gj the;°shou,d noTf '• ■ '"''''■ " '^ ™P°^^'^le that •^ ^noLiu not long since have detectPd vhof +i unsusceptible countess was attrJedfl i c *''^ nauve, not onlv ««= ho 7 T ^ ^^^^''^ ^alle- -=, nuc only as her daughter's resm^r u,,*. the man who had fnrrpH u- L ^^escuer, but as under such stran J .n. "P°" '^''' "°*'^^ '" reality, Z,^:: ^''^'Zr'JZl'TT'''''''- one of those impassive creat- - ►, " ""'"« Of any deep a^io^ «sl"^%; " r^i'ir H '^ eTestrj,irh:rfir ^-^- ^^p-r^^e ;::d say in ies that thPv .""' '^'^ '^'"^""^'' "^d ^ looked aT hem hef^r"'' *' Peaches when sl,e tors call »„!">/ ["'f'^' *^^ "°* *hat the doc- Married foXf; r.! "V'^''"''-'^'' temperament, insuffidency we 4v» rr h° " ™" ^""^^ ™^"'^l famous o,2a7omi;i,e "f,^ T'?"; '''"''"« ^ ™tolove.'and, by vl tue'f aLr ?1 '":"'" P'*^ heart which Jk had smc!.! ^ u"' ^'™P''>' °^ *« self, . c had teen aH.t '" ''""«'"« "P°" her- Monsieur de ^B^tZ' the h"* ■""■""«■ '^ '"="<^ down to the crS W . .'Pf'"' "' ""='«"* To the sametr hTLd' :t^ ed" th'"^ T'"' 0' -ternity to an almost Sllf ^el^h^r 1 i ■ it !l iif 1 64 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS by that means had found a way to deceive other instinctive sentiments; but in the success witli which she had thus far accomplished her difficult task, we must not omit to mention as a most im- portant element the circumstance of Louise de Chau- lieu. To her the poor mad creature had been the drunken slave of whom the Spartans made a living lesson for their children, and a sort of wager had been tacitly entered into by the two friends. Louise de Chaulieu having assumed the r6!e of unbridled passion, Madame de I'Estorade took that of supe- rior wisdom, and, in order to win the wager, she achieved prodigies of common-sense and prudence, which, without that stimulus, would perhaps have cost her much more. At the age she had now attained, and with her long-standing habit of master- ing her emotions, it may be imagined that, if she had seen this love, against which she had preached so much, coming toward her on the high road, she would at once have recognized it and would have turned it pitilessly away; but a man who had no feeling for her, even though she fulfilled his ideal of beauty, and who perhaps loved elsewhere ; a man who had snatched her daughter from the jaws of death and claimed no reward ; who was grave and serious and engrossed by an absorbing enterprise- how could she look upon such a man as formidable, when he arrived thus, by a cross-road, and how could she refuse to bestow upon him, at the first impulse, the lukewarm sentiment of friendship.? Meanwhile, this is what was taking place on the in- l4ii THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 165 road to Ville-d'Avray, whither Sallenauve, guided by h>s anxiety concerning his friend, had determined to return, despite the lateness of the hour Upon going over in his mind the incidents of the evenmg the deputy, as may be imagined, was not likely to devote much attention either to Rastignac's overture or to NaVs's passionate expressions, which, at the worst, could do no more than make him ridicu- lous ; but It was not so with Madame de I'Estorade's outburst of heartfelt gratitude, and he gave much thought to that gratitude, which was so vvarmly ex- col;f T.y '" ''' '^^^^'>' '^^^ ^^^^on to compiam of the countess's manner toward him. Sallenauve had never considered that her regard fo h.m was particularly warm, and he had judged her m accordance with the generally received oj^nion of her d,spos,t,on and character. He had seen her therefore simply a woman of very superior intellect' but completely paralyzed so far as the heart was concerned thanks to the absorbing and exclusive love for her children that possessed her. "The ^W Madame de I'Estorade," he had written once to Marie-Gaston ; and it was doubtful if he had ever thought of making her his friend in the masculine acceptation of the word. Moreover, it was not s.rriply with reference to Madame de I'Estorade, but with reference to her husband as well, that Salle- nauve had conceived doubts concerning the future and ' Po^m^f -n "''?" °^ ^'' acquaintance with them. Politics will make trouble between us," le h^d often said to himself, and the reader may remember -, I m ' U, A 'f'frSf"'''' i66 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS another o h,s letters in which l,e l„„l V"r'^^ ^"^ contact-would thPu nTf u ^^^'^^ '" closer progress i„re1;:'-ieTtt:c^--;n-edls.lnct tation toward each other? rf ^?P^'^ S""^^'' solely in deferenc to Madame de"b' ^°^ ''''''' that Madame de I'Estorade ^ ee,f ed'^ ^h';'" her severe manner so completelv b. t > ^^' admit the existenrp nf c !, • ' *' ""'^^^ we sentiment at whi h %'' rien'd ^h ^'^^^'"'^""^ ^^^ believe that sZ^lidJ "'^ ^'"*"'^' ^^" ^^ been wrought up ,o such a state of tension blJ; harmless words from her daughter' ^ " For his part, even before he has tak^n n„. ■ of the privileged position which has been ZTT" him and offered tn him ^u " P"* ^^^ore monsieur iXt^s begu! n'^t' T" """"'-' r:rara£:^S~-^^^^^^ becomes a narrovv bridal ,h^'"^ ''"''""^"* "f^" -ent Without ;j"x:x%rba;rar;: ui uumafatj II 1 68 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS order to pass safely across, it is of the utmost im- portance that both parties should retain their self- possession, should have nerves less sensitive than Madame de I'Estorade's, and should not look to right or left as our statesman was doing. It seems, then, that there is a conclusion to be drawn from all these observations, subtle as they may appear, and the conclusion would seem to be an impending rise in temperature between those two sympathies, hitherto so negative and so slow to make themselves mani- fest. But, upon arriving at Ville-d'Avray, Salle- nauve was about to find himself confronted by a strange state of affairs; and who does not know how frequently events run counter to our wishes and defeat our plans, however far advanced? Sallenauve did not err in feeling grave anxiety concerning his friend's mental condition. When Marie-Gaston, almost immediately after his wife's death, suddenly left the spot where their cruel separation had taken place, he would, if he had been wise, have made himself a solemn promise never to look upon it again. Nature and the order- ing of Providence have decreed that, in presence of the stern reality of death, they whom it smites in the persons of those dear to them, when they accept their fate with the resignation which should be ex- pected from everybody in relation to the execution of every necessary law, do not long suffer the same intense anguish as at the beginning. Rousseau says, in his famous letter against suicide: "Sadness, ennui, regret, despair, are sorrows of brief duration, which THE DEPUTY FROM ARCFS 169 ever take roo ,n the heart, and experience Jvvays proves the falsity of the feeling of bitterness which makes us look upon our suffering as everlasting " But that ceases to be true in the case of those im- prudent ones who, wishing to escape the first pang try to avoid it by flight or by some violent distrac' tion All mental suffering is a species of disease, which, haying ti.ne for its specific remedy, runs its course and disappears of itself, like everything that is violent. On the other hand, if. instead of tllow- •ng It to consume itself slowly and on the spot, you quicken the flame by movement or by extreme rem- edies, you embarrass the action of nature ; you deprive yourself of the benefit of the partial f^rget- fulness promised to those who are content to endure their suffering, and you finally transform an acute disease, whose salutary paroxysms you have inter- rupted in o a chronic malady, whose ravages are none the less profound because they are disguised. The imagination thereupon takes a hand in the game with the heart, and as the action of the latter is by >ts nature limited, while the other is infinite, it is im- possible to calculate the vehemence of the emotions which may assail a man under its empire, soon, in Its trenzy, to become predominant. As he walked about the place where, after two years absence, he had fancied that he should find naught but the melancholy consequent upon his memories, Marie-Gaston was unable to take a step to rest his eyes upon a single object, that all his days of happiness and the sad catastrophe that had marked ( I . if] Hi 170 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS Wl ! their close did not come thronging all at once into his mind. In the flowers his wife had loved, in those smooth lawns, in the trees renewing their verdure in tiie mild May breeze, while she who had created all that loveliness lay beneath the cold ground, in all the beautiful things assembled with unsparing hand to adorn that marvellous nest of his love, there was, for the absent one who dared to return and defy its dangerous atmosphere, a sort of chorus of lamenta- tion, a long wail of grief. Alarmed half-way by the vertigo of sorrow that had attacked him, Marie- Gaston, as Sallenauve observed, had not dared to ascend the last step of his Calvary. In a distant country he had coldly busied himself in preparing designs for the monument which he had dreamed of erecting, with his friend's assistance, over the mortal remains of his beloved Louise, and now he could not make up his mind to go and Jo them reverent hom- age in the village cemetery \n svhich they had been laid. Anything therefor-^ tiiigW: be feared from a grief which, instead of bc;ng riiiuyed by the hand of time, grew more and more intense by its very dura- tion, in which it seemed to have dipped its point anew, so to speak. And so Sallenauve approached the gloomy house, ceasing to think of himself and of the joys or dis- appointments which the future might have in store for him, he felt more than ever oppressed by a vague feeling of uneasiness, and two or three times lie told the coachman to urge his horses and hasten his arrival. Ilfl THE DEPUTY FROM / CFS 17, The door was opr-^^^d by Philippe, the old servant who .as major-domo of the h<,use in the daylo Madame Marie-Gaston. ^ "How is your master?" Sallenauve asked him. Cione, monsieur!" "What! gone?" sieur^left wI'h"'"' ' "l "^' ^"g"^'^"^^" ^-^om mon- sieur left with him not long ago." "But without leaving any word for me or telling you where they were going?" ^ "After dinner, which passed off quietly monsieur sudden y gave orders to have a few cIotL p t n a trunk; e hin^.elf took a hand in the packi,^.'Mean- vh.ie t,e Englishman, after sa> „.g that he was go", mto the park to smoke a cigar, mysteriously askeS me wh re h. could go to write a letter, out of mon- ask him any questions as to where they were goL or I never saw anybody who seemed less commTnt cative or less approachable. When the letter was wordo ;"r'''l-"^"" '"''y-' thereupon, without a the En r;; ' '°" '' ""'' '''' t^« gentlemen entered he Englishman's carriage, and I heard him say to the coachman: ' To Paris!' " "But the letter?" said Sallenauve " It was addressed to you. monsieur, and the Eng- lishman handed it to me secretly, as h; wrote it '' ^ Give It to me, my dear man!" said Sallenauve eagerly; and without leaving the reception-r om where he had stopped to question Philippe, he began to read the letter with much agitation ^ 1 i MICROCOPY RESOLUTION TEST CHART (ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) 1.0 I.I 15.0 3.2 IS 3.6 4.0 2.5 2.2 2£ 1.8 ^ A PPLIED IIVMGE Inc ^r- '653 Eost Main Street S^S Rochester, New York 14609 USA '-^ (716) 482 - 0300 - Phone ^S (716) 288- 5989 -Fax Yf^ I'll 172 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS ii: When he had read it through, his face seemed to Philippe to denote intense anxiety. "Tell them not to unharness my horse," he said. And he read the letter a second time. " At what time did they start?" he asked, when the old servant returned after executing his order. " About nine o'clock." " Three hours* start," said the deputy to himself, glancing at his watch, which marked a few minutes after midnight. He went out to the carriage v/hich was waiting. As he stepped in, the major-domo mustered courage to ask: " Monsieur found no bad news in the letter.''" " No, but your master may be absent some time; be careful to keep the house in order." Then, imitating the two travellers who had pre- ceded him, he said to the coachman: "To Paris!" The next morning, at quite an early hour, Mon- sieur de I'Estorade was in his study engaged in a strange occupation. It will be remembered that, on the day that Sallenauve sent him the statuette of Madame de I'Estorade, he had been unable to find a place where it would be in a satisfactory light. As soon as Rastignac had hinted to him that his rela- tions with the sculptor-deputy might injure his stand- ing at court, he had discovered that he agreed with his son Armand that the artist had given Madame de I'Estorade a grisette air; but, now that Sallenauve, by his resistance to the ministerial allurements, had taken his stand as an implacable foe to the govern- ment, his statuette, whose freshness and general aspect the dust had unquestionably impaired, no longer seemed to the peer of France an object de- serving to be placed on exhibition, and the worthy man was now endeavoring to find some out-of-the- way corner, in which, without making himself ridiculous by banishing it altogether, he could place It out of the range of his visitors' vision, and thereby avoid the necessity of telling the artist's name, which everybody asked him. He was perched therefore on the highest step of a library ladder, with the sculp- tor's gift in his hands, preparing to place it on top of a closet. There the unhappy statue would be relegated to the companionship of a curlew and a (17?) i i> i ! 174 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS t ii ! '*- cormorant slain by Armand during his last vacation. They were the young collegian's first hunting tro- phies, and, as such, paternal gratification had be- stowed upon them the honor of being stuffed. At that juncture Lucas threw open the door of the study, and announced: "Monsieur Philippe." The old major-domo's advanced age and the confi- dential position he occupied in Marie-Gaston's house- hold seemed to the factotum of the L'Estorade establishment to justify the monsieur, a courtesy which he would be expected to reciprocate, of course. Descending from his elevation, the peer of France asked Philippe what brought him there, and whether there was anything new at Ville-d'Avray. The old servant told him of his master's strange departure, followed by the no less strange departure of Salle- nauve, as if he were on the track of a kidnapped girl. "This morning," he added, "as I was putting monsieur's room to rights, a letter addressed to madame la comtesse fell from a book. As it was sealed and all ready to be ient, I thought that mon- sieur, in the hurry of his preparations, had forgotten to give it to me to put in the mail. At all events, I have brought it; perhaps madame la comtesse may find in it some explanation of unexpected journey, which I dreamed about ..., ..ight long." Monsieur de I'Estorade took the lett ^ "Three black seals!" he s^.id, turning it over. "It isn't the color that surprises me," said THE DEPUTY FROM ARCFS 175 Philippe "Monsieur has never left off mourning since madame's death ; but I confess that the if seals seemed very peculiar to me " "Very well," said the peer of France,"! will hand the letter to my wife." •' If there should be anyt'hing in it that would set my mind at rest about monsieur," said Philippe ^would^mons,eur le comte be kind enough to Z:^ reJr'' ""'^ '"^ "^'" ''' '"^^ ^'''' ^eWow-au "I ask monsieur le comte's pardon for having an opn,on,'-contmued the major-domo, not accepting hi. dismissal, "but does not monsieur le comte hink that he would do better to ascertain "e contents of the letter so that he co.-d prepare '•What! do you suppose-?" Monsieur de I'Esto- rade began, but he did not finish the sentence. 1 do not know, but monsieur was very much de- pressed the last few days." "To break the seal of a letter that is not ad- dressed to you IS always a very serious matter " But this ,s even worse; this letter is addressed to my w.fe, but, in fact, it was never sent to her so thait ,s really a very embarrassing question-" ve/a1i:rr!"*'^'' '' ^^^^^"^ '''' ^'^ ^'^ P- " True; that is just what makes me hesitate." • l\ m 176 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCFS il I'li m1 Madame de I'Estorade solved the question by entering th»^ '•'^om. Lucas had advised her of Philippe's arrival. "What is the matter?" she asked, with anxious interest. The apprehension Sallenauve had exhibited the previous evening returned vividly to her mind. After the major-domo had repeated the story he had already told to Monsieur de I'Estorade, she did not hesitate to break the seals. " I know so much now," she said to her husband, who attempted to persuade her not to do It, "that the most painful of certainties would be preferable to remaining in doubt." Whatever may have been the contents of that ominous epistle, they cast no reflection on the count- ess's face. "You say," she asked Philippe, "that your master went away with this Englishman, without apparently yielding to any forcible measures.?" "Far from it, madame; he seemed, on the con- trary, to be rather cheerful." " Well, there is nothing that need alarm us. This letter was written a long time ago, and, notwith- standing its three black seals, it has no sort of significance to-day." Philippe bowed and left the room. "What does he say to you.?" asked Monsieur de I'Estorade, when he and his wife were alone. He put out his hand to take the letter which his wife still held. estion by :d her of th anxious libited the nind. I story he le, she did ■ husband, it, "that preferable ts of that the count- hat your I, without es?" the con- US. This notwith- 10 sort of THE BUST OF MME. DE VESTORADE W. pr,par,,^ ,0 pi„,, ,, „^ ,^^ ^^ ^ ^^^^^^ " "" '"""f/'^ '"•"" ^ouU be relegated to ,he c..np.„io„sMp of a curler ,,„ „ ^^,^^^^^ ^^^.^ ty Armand during the last vacation. If 5 ' li )nsieur de le. which his : II 'Aai-.T.' \f. AO 'Y^'VA w^, ; .W^JikV^.-iSAi \i, j ^ ^"' ''^ "i^ch more and whom you m^r^d Jlth rSr ""'° " """'"' '"-™= s.eur de i Estorade to look at himself in tlie mirror he would have realized, by the sudden distorto of h.s features ,:he terrible, deadly blow that hThad dealt himself by his ill-timed curiosity. His heart 1 ...'^il i i8o THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS ii his mind, his self-esteem, had undergone the same violent shock, and the very apparent insanity mani- fested in the sort of prophecy of which he was the subject, made it appear to him only the more re- doubtable. Persuading himself, like the Mussul- mans, that all madmen are endowed with a species of second sight, he looked upon himself as lost, he at once felt an excruciating pain in th i region of his diseased liver, and was seized with a paroxysm of jealous hatred of Sallenauve, his designated suc- cessor, which made any friendly relations between them impossible thenceforth. But, at the same time, as he was conscious that the feeling that had taken possession of him was utterly absurd and devoid of reason, he was afraid that its existence might be sus- pected, and with the instinct of secrecy which always leads invalids when struck to the heart to conceal their wound with great care, he gave his mind to the best method of concealing from his wife the indis- creet act which had cast a shadow over the rest of his days. It would have seemed most improbable that he should have failed to notice the ill-omened paper if it had fallen directly under his eye, and the transition from that thought to the suspicion that he had made himself acquainted with its contents was too simple. He left his seat, therefore, opened his study-door noiselessly, and, after making sure that there was nobody in the salon adjoining, he stole on tiptoe to the farther end of that room and dropped the letter, so that Madame de I'Estorade would suppose that she had let it fall there; then, like a schoolboy, THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS iSi Who has just done something wrong and seeks to to h.s books, he hastily scattered over his desk the documents composing a voluminous file f r m he Cour des Comptes, so that he might seem to ^e m' mersed m figures when his wife should return IHs needless to add that he listened intently to hea any other than Madame de I'Estorade entered the s^on where he had laid his snare; in that case e would have mtervened at once to prevent anv indis creet eyes from looking upon thatVpe^wI i^h "on tamed such strange secrets Madame de I'Estorade's voice, in conversation with some person, and her appearance soon after " ^e study w,th Monsieur Octave de Camps, ass" d ?orward.oVT''°^''' ''''''^'^' "^ ^^'Ked through the open door at the spot where he had placed the letter. Not only was it no longer there but he surpr,sed a gesture by which Madame deTfisto ade sat,sfied herself that she had bestowed it safety in her petgnotr, m the place where Louis XIII. did not dare to follow Mademoiselle d'Hautefort's secrets CaJn^y.VT' ""^ ^'^' ^'"°^'" ^^'^ Monsieur' de Camps, ''to ask you to go with me to Rastignac's as we agreed last e veni ng. ' ' ^ ' " Very good!" said the peer of France, arranging h.s papers with a feverish haste that did not indi^^tf a normal condition of the mind ral^'V/''' '^"'•" '"^"''■^^ M^d'-^^e de I'Esto- rade, who knew her husband too perfectly by heart ..Jii M 182 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS not to be impressed by the abnormal external stu- pidity which she observed in him at that moment; at the same time she looked in his face and noticed the great change that had taken place there. " Why, you don't seem to be in first-rate condi- tion, that's a fact," said Monsieur de Camps; "we will postpone this call, if you prefer?" "By no means," replied Monsieur de I'Estorade; " I have been very busy with this work, and I need a change. What made Rene shriek so.?" he added, addressing his wife, whose scrutiny he felt resting upon him, like a heavy weight. "A bobo," replied Madame de I'Estorade, without removing her eyes from his face. "Well, tpy dear fellow," said the peer of France, assuming the most unconcerned air he could com- mand, " I will go and change my coat, and then I am at your service." " Doesn't it seem to you that Monsieur de I'Esto- rade looks very sick this morning?" the countess asked Monsieur de Camps, when they were alone. "As I was saying just now, there is something strange about him. But his explanation is very plausible. We took him by surprise in the heat of his labors. This office life is a bad business; I have never been so well as since 1 bought the iron works against which you have such a grudge." "Ah! yes," said Madame de I'Estorade, with a deep sigh, " he ought to have more exercise, a more active life, for, there is no doubt about it, he has an incipient disease of the liver." THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 183 "Br,:: . . his skin is yellow? He has always Deen likt :,at since I have known him." " Oh! monsieur, I am not mistaken. There is somethmg very seriously wrong with him, and you can do me a great favor—" " Madame, I am always at your service " " When Monsieur de I'Estorade returns,'let us talk about the little bruise Rene has just given his finger. Tell me that such accidents, if neglected, may have serious results; that gangrene has been known to ensue, so that amputation has become necessary In that way I shall have an excuse for sending for Doctor Bianchon." '• I will gladly do it," replied Monsieur de Camps: It doesn't seem to me that a physician's advice is very necessary, but if it will set your mind at rest—" At that moment Monsieur de I'Estorade reappeared His face had almost recovered its usual aspect, but he exhaled a powerful odor of eau de melisse des Games, which indicated that he had been obliged to nave recourse to that cordial to straighten himself out. Monsieur de Camps played his r61e of Doctor Tant-Pis to perfection; as to Madame de I'Estorade she had no need to simulate a keen anxiety; her acting was entirely with reference to the object of that anxiety. "My dear," she said to her husband, after the iron-master's medical disquisition, " I beg you call to see Doctor Bianchon." ' " Nonsense!" said Monsieur de I'Estorade, shrug- ging his shoulders; "the idea of bothering a ma'n i-J I is m • ' i 184 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCJS as busy as he is for what you yourself called a bobo!" " If you will not go, I shall send Lucas. Monsieur de Camps has upset me completely." " If it is your pleasure to be ridiculous," said the peer of France, sharply, " I have no way of prevent- ing you; but I will remind you of one thing, and that is that, when you call doctors for trifles, you fail to get them in serious cases." " So you won't go to the doctor.?" " Indeed I will not; and, if I had the honor to be of any account in my own house, I would forbid your sending anybody in my place." " You are the master, my dear, and as you refuse my request with so much warmth, we will say no more about it; 1 will devour my anxiety." ^ "Are you coming, De Camps.?" said Monsieur de I'Estorade; "for, if this continues, she will tell me soon to go and order the child's funeral." " But, my dear," said the countess, taking his hand, " are you ill that you say such horrible things in cold blood .? I recognize neither your usual patience with my petty maternal troubles, nor the exquisite courtesy which you pride yourself upon showing to everybody, your wife included." " True," retorted Monsieur de I'Estorade, becom- ing more excited instead of more tranquil under this reproof, so just and at the same time so amiable; "but your maternal affection is turning to monoma- nia, and you make life unendurable to everybody except your children. What the devil! if they are THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS ill! 185 your children, 1 am thei^ father, and although I am not worshipped as they are, 1 have at least the right to demand that my house shall not be made unin- habitable!" While Monsieur de I'Estorade was pronouncing this tirade, striding up and down the room, the countess made a despairing gesture to Monsieur de Camps, as if to ask him if that outbreak did not impress him' as an alarming symptom. In order to cut short this unpleasant disagreement, of which he was the in- voluntary cause, he said to Monsieur de I'Estorade- "Shall we go?" "Come," was the reply; and the count left the room first, without bidding his wife adieu. "By the way, 1 had an errand that I am for- getting!" said the iron-master, retracing his steps. "Madame de Camps will call for you about two o'clock, dear madame, to go io Jean de Paris to look at materials for spring gowns; she has arranged that we shall all four go to the horticultural exhibition afterward. L'Estorade and I will come back here for you when we leave Rastignac; and we will wait for you if you have not returned." Madame de I'Estorade paid littie heed to this extended programme; a sudden light had shone in upon her mind. As soon as she was alone, she took Marie-Gaston's letter, and, finding it folded in the original folds, she cried: " There is no doubt about it! I put it back in the envelope folded so that the writing was on the out- side; the poor man must have read it!'" i>» m 186 THE DEPLTi' FROM ARCIS A few hours later Madame de I'Estorade and Madame de Camps were sitting together in the same salon where Sallenauve's cause had been so elo- quently pleaded two or three days before. " Why, what is the matter with you. in Heaven's name? said Madame de Camps, as she found her friend weeping over a letter she was writing Madame de I'Estorade told her all that had taken place, and read Marie-Gaston's letter to her At another moment the disaster foreshadowed by that letter would have made a deep impression upon Madame de Camps's mind; but the other disaster of which possibly she was the cause, engrossed all ner attention. "Are you very sure," she asked, "that your husband read that unlucky letter?" '' How can I doubt it?" replied Madame de I'Esto- rade; "the paper cannot have turned of its own motion ,n the envelope; moreover, upon thinking it all over, I have an idea that I felt something fall as norsto'"""'"^ to Rene; fate decreed that I should "Very often, by tormenting one's memory, one succeeds in obtaining misleading indications from it " "But, my dear madame. Monsieur de I'Estorade's sudden and marked change of countenance can be nothing less than the result of sudden emotion; you would have thought that he had been struck by lightning." ^ "Why, then, do you pretend to discover symp- toms or inflammation of the liver in a condition THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 187 Of things that is so readily accounted for by a disagreeable surprise?" "Oh! to-day isn't the first time that I have thought that he had some such trouble. But, when s.ck people do not complain, you forget that they are s.ck See, my dear," she added, pointing to a volume that lay open beside her, "just before you came I read in this medical dictionary that in the case of those whose livers are affected the disposi- tion becomes morose, restless, irritable. Well I have noticed just that change of disposition in m'y hus- band for some time past; you yourself called my attention to it the other day; and that scene of this morning, of which Monsieur de Camps was an eve- witness, and which was unprecedented in our family seems to me the most alarming of symptoms." My dear girl, you act like a person who has de- terrnined to torment herself. In the first place, you read medical books, which is the height of impru- dence. I defy you to read the description of a disease without believing that you can detect its sympton.s in yourself or in those who are dear to you; m the second place, you jumble everything to- gether, the effects of fright and the effects of a chronic disease, which are as different as possible." No, no, I do nothing of the sort, and I know per- fecly well what I am saying. Have you still to learn that, m our poor human mechanism, if there IS any organ that has been affected before, all the powerful emotions by which we may be assailed will concentrate their attacks upon that point?" i88 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS i-i *m& "Very well," said Madame de Camps, "let us drop the medical discussion for a moment; if this wretched madman's letter threatens to have any effect upon your husband's health, it threatens the peace of your household much more nearly, and that is what we must consider." "There is only one course to pursue," said Madame de I'Estorade; "Monsieur de Sallenauve must never set foot in this house again." " On that subject there is much to be said, and I should be glad to discuss it with you. Do you know that in your conduct yesterday I missed the modera- tion which has always been one of the most promi- nent traits of your character — " "When was that, pray.?" demanded Madame de I'Estorade. " Why, when you exhibited that outburst of grati- tude to Monsieur de Sallenauve. When I advised you not to run away from him, lest you should inspire in him a longing to run after you, I did not advise you to throw your kindly feeling at his head in such a way as to give him the vertigo; as the wife of so zealous an upholder of the dynasty as Monsieur de I'Estorade, you ought to have a better idea of the happy medium." " Ah! my dear, no witticisms on my poor husband I implore you." ' " It's not a question of your husband, but of you, dear love. Yesterday you amazed me to such a point, that I came to-day fully resolved to apologize for my first inspiration. I like to have my advice I ' 1 : THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 189 "' '"' ' '° "'' "'^ '' '''' '^ ^«"°-^ too At any other time I would ask you to explain your meaning wth reference to my having perverted you adv.ce so shamefully; but at a time when fatant/ha arranged everything, when it is absolutely ne eLry that Monsieur de Sallenauve should dis.^ppea Trom our path, what is the use of discussing the degree of kmdness to which one ought to go with him?'' in- i J^!!'^ ^^" ^°" ^" *^^t '^ o" my mind." re- joined Madame de Camps. '. it seems to me that that dTct'L'.' '"'''°"' ^'^'l^^i^tance for you in another "What do you mean?" '' I refer to NaTs. That child, with her passion for anxiely.""' " '''"""^ '' ^^"^^ "^^ ' ^^^^ ^-1 oJ " isn^t^ih f ''^^^^.^^""t^ss. with a melancholy smile. chndlV:L1'"''"^^^^-*^^^'^^^-P-*--to " Nars is a child, of course, but a child who will very soon be a woman. Did not you yourself wHe seemS to V' '""^'^'' ""^ *^^ '"*"'*'«" ^^at she yeZV '" """"" ""'''''' ^^' ^^y^"^ her "That is true. But. in what you call her passion for Monsieur de Sallenauve. to say nothingTthe fact that It IS no more than natural, the child exhibits an ingenuousness and a freedom from concealment ntimem '" """'"^ '''"'^' ^'^"^^^^ '' ^^e ' 1 51-1 t.i r. 190 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS ff* III ' m ^ \i i- ill - uk ' lim. : 11 S: ^ ■ -an i VHil ' .■ij' ^'^B j || !^H < ■V 1 1 ' ■ ' ^B i " Nevertheless, take my advice, and do not trust her, even after you have turned your vexatious friend away! Just imagine that, when the time for marrymg your daughter arrives, this inclination of hers has developed; a pretty kettle of fish that will be! " Oh! between now and then, great Heaven!—" exclaimed Madame de I'Estorade, incredulously "Between now and then," rejoined Madame de Camps, " Monsieur de Sallenauve may have achieved triumphs which will cause his name to be in every- body's mouth; and with her vivid imagination Nafs IS more susceptible than most to the attractions of such splendor." "But, my dear love, the mere difference in age—" " Monsieur de Sallenauve is thirty, NaTs will soon be thirteen: that is just the difference that there was between your age and Monsieur de I'Estorade's when you married him." ' "Well, you may be right." said the countess, "and what I have done by design NaTs might do foolishly; but never fear, I will ruin this idol of hers in her mind." " That again, like the comedy of hatred you pro- pose to play for Monsieur de I'Estorade's benefit re- quires to be handled carefully; you might fail of your purpose for lack of a certain natural transition. You must not give him any ground to suspect the inspira- tion of circumstance, where he should see simply a spontaneous impulse." "But," said Madame de I'Estorade, excitedly. «( THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS jg, _ o you think that there is likely to be much simu- ated aversion m my conduct ? Why. I hate the mui for he IS our evil genius!" ' should not know you, you who were always the personification of cold common-sense'" if fh *^'* r""'"* ^"'^' ""^^^^'^' to ask his mistress f she would receive one Monsieur Jacques Br che teau Ma ame de I'Estorade looked at her frfe d t If to consult her, saying: "It is that organist who did Monsieur de Salle- nauve such good service in his election; I don't kn w what he can want of me." "No matter," said Madame de Camps, "receive h.m. Before beginning hostilities, it is well to find out what is going on in the enemy's camp " " Show him in," said the countess Jacques Bricheteau was introduced He had reckoned so surely upon finding himself on •end y territory, that he had not thought it ne es- sa y to pay any special attention to his toilet A full-skirted, chestnut-colored frock-coat, which one would have tried in vain to identify with the style n vogue at any epoch; a waistcoat of green and era v paid buttoned to the neck and sufmounted b'; a black cravat, twisted into a rope, which afforded a glimpse of a shirt of very questionable cleanliness no co„ yellowish trowsers. gray stockings and aced shoes:-such was the more than neglige cos- tume in which the organist saluted the elegant count- : I ' ii Itti 192 THB DEPUTY FROM ARCIS t:-il' .i;i " lHsi^t;»me," he said, when he had received an ungracious invitation to be seated, "I presume too far, perhaps, m railing upon you when I have not the honor of your acquaititance; but Monsieur Marie- Gaiiton told me of (lie desire you once expressed that I should give lessons to mademoiselle your daughter. My ply was that it would be a difficult matter to arrange, as all my hours were occupied; but monsieur le prefet de police has provided me with some leisure time by dismissing me from a position that I held in his department, so that 1 am fortunate enough to be able to place myself alto- gether at your disposal." "Was the cause of your dismissal, monsieur," inquired Madame de Camps, "the part that you took in Monsieur de Sallenauve's election.?" "As no reason was given me, that seems very probable, especially as I have never before had any sort of trouble with my superiors in twenty years." " It is impossible to close our eyes to the fact that you seriously interfered with the plans of the gov- ernment on that occasion," said Madame de I'Esto- rade, sharply. " For that reason, madame, I accepted my dis- charge as a catastrophe 1 had foreseen; indeed, why should 1 have cared to retain my paltry place, at the price of Monsieur de Sallenauve's defeat?" " I am truly grieved," said Madame de I'Estorade, " that I cannot better requite the desire to serve me which you are kind enough to manifest; but I must tell you frankly that I have not as yet come to any ii THE DL/'UTY FROM ARCIS 193 decision on the siibjc t of a teacher for my daughter, and I am a little aliaiJ, notwithstanding the 'very great talent with which you are universally accred- ited, of the seriousnL.s of your instruction for a girl of tliirteen." "On the contrary, madaiTie," rejoined Jacques Bricheteau, " no one accredits me witii any talent at all; Monsieur de Sallenauve and Monsieur Marie- Gaston have heard me once or twice; but, aside from that, I am the most obscure and, perhaps you are ri^ht, the most tiresome professor that can be im- a;;ined; so let us lay aside the question of lessons to l)e given mademoiselle your daughter, and let us come to the subject of more vital interest that brings me here; I refer to Monsieur de Sallenauve." " Has Monsieur de Sallenauve entrusted you with any message for my husband?" demanded Madam de I'Estorade, with marked coolness. " No, madame," replied Jacques Bricheteau; " un- fortunately, he has entrusted me with nothing. 1 went to his house this morning, but did not find him. On my arrival at Ville-d'Avray, where I was told that 1 should find him, I learned that he had gone on 3 journey with Monsieur Marie-Gaston. Thinking, then, that the object and probable duration of that journey might be known to you — " "Not at all," Madame de I'Estorade interrupted him, curtly. Even then failing to understand ihat the step he had taken was ill-advised, and that no explanation was necessary, he continued: 13 194 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS I . , ■ ! ' I. J- Aube My aunt. Mother Marie des Anges sends word to me by Monsieur de Salienauve's'notery o a Vile plot that is being hatched there, and that may be ser,ousIy comphcated by our friend's absen e ^ cannot understand his idea in disappearing without a word to those vvho may take some interest! him!-" de I'Ltorad! T "'''^^ >'°"'" '"^J'^'"^'^ Madame de 1 tstorade, m the same tone, " may perhaos sur- pnse you; but, as to my husband and'm'y |^^^^^^^^^^^^ IS no occasion for very much surprise " The significance of that unkind distinction was too dear for Jacques Bricheteau not to be struck bvTt b t \T'i ? ''^ ^^""^^^^' -'- '-ere her eye ' cold as the north wind, confirmed the meaning which .t was hardly possible to avoid giving to her" beg your pardon, madame," he said, rising I did not know I could not suspect that Monsieu were f"o nt f "'"" '"' ''^ ^^^"^'"^ '" ^^e world were of so little consequence to you. Onlv a mn ment ago. in the reception-room, as your servant was hes tating as to whether he should announce me mademoiselle your daughter, hearing me say that i was Monsieur de Sallenauve's friend, took my par the fai^-^""""' ''''''''' '''' ^^--' -"timent of .fftH'' '^'^ Ti"? ^^'' '^'^^'"'^tion, which was quite as her back m her own coin, Jacques Bricheteau bowed lift THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS ,95 ceremoniously and prepared to take his leave Ma- dame de Camps and her friend exchanged I^lan^e as .f to ask each other whether they oufht to tt this r, s;^ ' Butthe' "'"^^'^ '''-' ^''^'^ -^'^ KM * *^^ comedy of indifference olaveH The countess's face turned a reddish-purple, wild d "Th^ '^h"V° ""^ '"'" ""= ™°"'. like a «"ld girl? she said, sternly, to her daughter- " and how do you know that the letter is from the per on you have named?" "' "le person woun?'" h'""!" '^"''' '"™'"« "«^ "nife in the wound, ■• when he wrote to you from Arcis-sur-Aube I noticed the handwriting." ' SI'"/'" " ^"'^' i"' Phenomenl ' tJuT^' p> ^ 'l'^'"^ *''' ^«"versation back to their former talks at Florence, Lord Lewin had no difficulty in el cS rom the patient the secret of his contemplated suicide Be heving that he saw his wife every night, the poor fetw had deuded to go and join his beloved Louise on the evenL of your little ball ; so you see that my fears were not at ail ev aggerated and that they were rafher the sufof nsLct" Sfnto it"''^"'"' "•^' ''' P'^"' "-^'^ ^-- P-tended to " ' B"t such men as we are,' he said, ' should not die like bourgeois ; there is a way of putting an end to one's 1 fe which I had thought of adopting in my own case, and wh hTsug- gest that we adopt together. In South Am;rica, no far from Patagonia, there is one of the most tremendous waterfals in he world, called the Saut de Gayra. The vapors that dse from It can be seen several leagues away and form seven ra nbow^ above It. An immense volume of water, spreading over a surface more than twelve thousand feet wide, is suddenly on- fmed between the banks of a narrow canal and plung s nto the abyss with a more deafening roar than that of a hundred tlSt:'die,'"'" """■"'• ' '^^^^ ^'^^^^ intended to go 198 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCFS :i: I 1:1 I'i \ ^^* "^ «° ' ' said Marie-Gaston, eagerly. Instantly,' replied Lord Lewin ; ' make your preparations- we will go to England and take passage from there and !n a few weeks we shall have reached our destinaSon ' In this way, madame, the ingenious Englishman succeed- ed m postpomng the execution of our friend's sinister purpose and you will understand that he is taking him to England to put him m the hands of Doctor Ellis, who. in his view, has no? his equal m Europe in the treatment of the painful maladv ^h'ch is to be entrusted to his care. Had I be^n present 1 should have acceded to this arrangement which has ths ad vantage that our friend's illness wHl neve; b known herel; he should be cured. Being advised by a letter that Lord Lewin eft for me at Ville-d'Avray, I at once started in puS ofThe travellers, and I overtook them at Beauvais, where I am now wn mg to you at a hotel at which Lord Lewin had stopped^ orde to obtain the full benefit of a fit of drowsiness whih weeks of almost unbroken insomnia. Lord Lewin regards this as a most encouraging symptom, and he says, toS being taken ,n hand, as it is to be, at the outset, the unfortu! nate^boy's mental trouble has a most excellent chance of .be?ng "I shall accompany them to Hanwell, taking care not to show myself to Marie-Gaston, as Lord Lewin thinks thafmy presence might disturb the comparative peace of mfnd whkh he owes to the thought of the grandiose death thaThe is s^p' posed to have started in search of. When we reach the asylum, I shall wait to learn Doctor Ellis's opiln As th session is to open very soon, I fear that I may not return in int rtH^'rf * ?"'"^'' "^"^ ' P^«P«^« to write to the pre i- dent of the Chamber, and, in case there should be any difficult abou the leave of absence for which I shall ask himf I venture l^flcTI ^^"r"'' '^ J'Estorade's kindness to tes Sy o the fact that my absence is absolutely necessary. I beg him to remember, however, that I cannot, under any consideration authorize him to explain the nature of the business wh h has THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS ,99 Deign to accept, madame, etc. ' ' '»"'»tion. As Madame de Camps finirhed reading the letter th wheels of a carriage were heard in the^our yard shall I show th,s letter to Monsieur d. i'Estorade p'' Camis ' TH '' ^t'^^^^'-^e," replied Madame de ,^amps There would be too much reason to feZ indiscreton on Navs's nor+ d -j ' ' ^"^^^^n 'O rear Sallenanvp oH^ ^ ** ^^^ides, Monsieur de ^a^enauve addresses you in the most espectful wav and there .s nothing in the letter to give yourZ' band's suspicions anything to feed upon' ' "^ When the peer of France entered the room Madame de I'Estorade noticed that his face Td recovered its usual aspect, and she was prepar n2 to congratulate him upon it, when he spokeTrst ' ' "whl,r T- "'■'^^'^'"^ '"-'"he der^anded ^ jhom I found just now talking with Nals on the As Madame de I'Estorade did not seem to know what he was talking about, he added- "A man very much marked with the sm^iii n« w. ^Shabby Hatand a C^tnu^.JorXZZ^,^'. Oh! It must have been our late visitor " ..-.a Madame de Camps to her friend '' Na conlH 1 -s the opportunity to have a little traSh:: "But who is the man?" " His name is Jacques Bricheteau, is it not?" said I • > i r 2CX) THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS fM ; niL Madame de Camps; " he's a friend of Monsieur de Sallenauve." Seeing tiiat a cloud passed at once over her hus- band's features, Madame de i'Estorade made haste to explain the twofold object of the organist's visit, and she handed Monsieur de I'Estorade the deputy's letter. "You think him better, do you not?" she asked Monsieur de Camps, while the count was reading the letter. " Oh! there's not a trace of what we noticed this morning," the iron-master replied. " He had de- voted himself too closely to his work; the exercise did him good; and yet he had a very unpleasant surprise just now at the minister's." "Why, what happened.?" inquired Madame de I'Estorade. " It seems that your friend Monsieur de Salle- nauve's affairs are in rather a bad way." "I am much obliged for the commission," said Monsieur de I'Estorade, returning the letter to his wife; " I shall certainly do nothing of what he asks me to do." "Why, have you learned anything unpleasant about him.?" said Madame de I'Estorade, trying to ask her questions in a most indifferent tone. "Yes, Rastignac told me of letters from Arcis, where some very compromising discoveries have been made." "Well, what did I tell you.?" cried Madame de I'Estorade. i THE DEPUTY FROM ARQS 201 "What did you tell me?" "To be sure, didn't I suggest to you some time ago that Monsieur de Sallenauve was an acquaint- ance to be dropped? That is the very expression I remember using." "Do you mean to say that it was I who attracted nimr " You certainly don't claim that it was I; for, only a moment ago, even before I knew of the deplorable complication you mention, I spoke to Madame de Camps of another reason why we should desire a speedy termination of this acquaintance " " That is true," said Madame de Camps. " your wife was expressing some anxiety just now concern- ing NaTs s frantic adoration of her rescuer, and she futuf'^'''^''^ g'-sat possible annoyance from it in the "From every point of view," rejoined Monsieur de I Estorade, " it is an undesirable connection " " It seems to me," said Monsieur de Camps, who a one was not in the secret, " that you are going a nttle fast. Some compromising discoveries have been made concerning Monsieur de Sallenauve, you say, but what do they amount to? Wait at least until sentence is pronounced, before you hang him " "My husband may do what he pleases," said Madame de I'Estorade, " but, for my own part, I should not hesitate to break with him from this moment; I want my friends to be, like Cesar's wife, absolutely above suspicion." "The unfortunate part of it is this wretched ii'lK ■irl ;J is : tl 202 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS M "Why, monsieur," cried the countess, "if a f ;:rst::p?^" ^^^^ "^^ ''^^' -^^ « ^- '^i- " Oh! my dear," said Madame de Camps, "you go very far — " ^ ^ " At all events," said the peer of France. " there's no need of making a scandal; we must let the ac- quamtance die out quietly; the dear fellow's out of Jet'urn'^' ^ "°^' ^^° ^^" '^V that he will ever " Do you mean to say that he went away because of mere rumors?" asked Monsieur de Camps " Not precisely that; he invented a pretexi," said Monsieur de I'Estorade; " but once out of France-" "As for any such ending as that," r^=d Madame de 1 Estorade. " 1 do not place the least confidence^' It; his pretext may well be considered a very good reason for his absence, and I believe that, as soon as he IS notified by his friend the organist, he will hasten n hfr^' "?' ""^ '^^^'' y°" "^"'t *^^^ yo"^ courage in both hands and cut short this friendship, if you do not^propose that it shall continue." "So that is really your opinion, is it?" said Mon- sieur de I'Estorade, looking closely at his wife "I would stand on no ceremony, but would write him that he would oblige us very much by not coming here again; however, as it would be rather a difficult letter to compose, we might write it together, if you THE DEPUTY FROM ARCfS 303 " We will see," said Monsieur de I'Estorade. whose good humor this proposition had entirely restored- there s no objection to a delay. The most im- portant thing at present is this exhibition of the horticultural society, which we have arranged to attend; it closes at four o'clock, I believe, so that we have just an hour." Madame de I'Estorade, who had dressed before Madame de Camps's arrival, rang for her maid to brmg her hat and shawl. "You do love me, Renee, don't you?" said her husband, m a low voice, as she stood in front of the mirror. "How foolish you are to ask me such a ques- tion! she replied, looking up at him with her most affectionate expression. .. '! lu^." ' """'* ""^^^ ^ confession: I read the letter that Philippe brought." " I am no longer astonished at the change I noticed in you; but I also have a confession to make to you. This letter of dismissal to Monsieur de Sallenauve which I proposed that we should write together I wrote myself just after you went out; you will find It in my blotting-case, and, if you are satisfied with It, send it." Beside himself with delight at this swift sacrifice Of his alleged successor. Monsieur de I'Estorade was unable to restrain his joy; he took his wife in his arms and kissed her effusively. " Well, well!' cried Monsieur de Camps, " matters seem to be going rather better than this mor-: ,g." i !:gv< 204 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCFS tR ' I " This morninf]: I was a fool," replied the peer of France, rummaging his wife's blotter for the draft of the letter, as to which he might well have taken her word. " Hush!" whispered Madame de Camps to h^r husband, preventing him from replying, " 1 will ex- plain all this to you later." The peer of France, younger by ten years, offered Madame de Camps his arm, while the iron-mastpr offered his to the countess. " How about Nars?" said Monsieur de I'Estorade as he noticed his daughter gazing mournfully at the little procession, " aren't we going to take her.?" "No," said the countess; " I am not plea.sed with her." J "Nonsense!" said the father, "I grant vn am- nesty. Go and put on your hat," he added, address- ing his daughter. Nal-s looked at her mother to obtain a ratification of the permission, which her previous knowledge of the established division of authority in the house led her to consider necessary. "Go," said the countess, '■.:<^. it is your father's wish." While they were awaiting the child's return, the count said to his old servant, who was standing beside a table on which lay an unfinished letter: " Whom are you writing to, Lucas.?" "To my son, who is very impatient to obtain his sergeant's chevrons. I am telling him that monsieur le comte has promised me a line for his colonel. »» THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 205 "Faith, so I have," said the count; "it had en- tirely slipped my memory. Remind me of it to- morrow morning; it is the first thing I will do when 1 rise. " Monsieur le comte is very kind." " Here," said Monsieur de I'Estorade, feeling in his waistcoat pocket and taking out three gold pieces; send these to the corporal from me and tell him they are to christen his chevrons." Lucas was stupefied; he had never seen his master so affable and so generous. When Nals returned, Madame de I'Estorade, mar- vellmg at herself for the courage she had shown in being stern to her for half an hour, embraced her as . she had not seen her for two years; thereupon they s arted for the Luxembourg, where the horti- cultural society exhibited its products in those days Toward the close of the audience which Monsieur Octave de Camps, escorted by Monsieur de I'Esto- rade, had at last succeeded in obtaining from Rasti- gnac, that functionary's usher entered and handed hini the cards of Mon^iieur le Procureur-General Vinet and Monsieur Maxime de Trailles. " Very well," the minister replied, "say to these gentlemen that I shall be at their service in a mo- ment." In a very few moments the iron-master and Mon- sieur de I'Estorade rose, and it was at that time that Rastignac gave the peer of France to under- stand very distinctly what the danger was that was rising above the parliamentary horizon of nis friend ill ao6 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS In f'i m Sallenauve. At the word friend, Monsieur de I'Esto- rade cried out: "I do not know, my dear minister," he said, " why you persist in giving that title to a man who is merely an acquaintance of ours, and, I may add, a very transient acquaintance, if the reports of which you have just told me prove to be well- founded." "I am delighted to hear you speak so," the minister replied; "for I confess thac, in reflecting upon the hostilities which seem probable between that gentleman and ourselves, I have been consider- ably embarrassed by the great regard which 1 sup- posed that you entertained for him." " I am very grateful for the feeling," the peer of France replied, "but please remember that I give you carte blanche. You are at liberty to treat Mon- sieur de Sallenauve as a political foe, without the slightest apprehension that the blows you may deal him will react on me." Thereupon they parted, and Messieurs Vinet and Maxima de Trailles were introduced. Proctir ur-General Vinet, father of the Olivier Vinet whom we already know, was one of the warmest and most frequently consulted of all the champions of personal government. In every minis- terial scheme that was looked upon as possible he was assigned to the portfolio of the department of ^% lu"^ -7' ^''"■"^"'■^ thoroughly acquainted with all the intricacies of the situation, and nothing was cooked up in the way of secret intrigues that he was not concerned in it as an adviser, even if he had no active share in carrying it out. The electoral affairs of Arcis-sur-Aube were within his cognizance for a twofold reason: in the first place, his son was employed in the prosecuting attorney's office in that town; and secondly, being connected through his wife with the Chargeboeufs of Brie, of which family the Cinq-Cygnes of Champagne are a younger branch, he considered himself in honor bound by that exalted connection to display his importance in both provinces by never losing an opportunity to meddle m their affairs. And so, when, during the morning, Monsieur de Trailles called upon the min- ister and told him of a letter from Madame Beauvi- sage. full of matters tending to comprom..e the reputatiori of the new deputy from Arcis, the minis- ter replied, without listening to anything in the way of comment; ^ (207) 208 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS « I I ' Hi I , .1 ', u " See Vinet for me and try to bring him here at once." When notified by Maxime de Trailles, who had offered to call for him with his carriage, Vinet had willingly complied with Rastignac's wish; and now that we have him in the minister's cabinet, we shall soon know a little more concerning the danger hang- ing over Sallenauve's head, of which Jacques Briche- teau and Monsieur de I'Estorade have given us a very insufficient hint. " So you say, my good friends," said the minister, as soon as the conference was opened, "that we may have a hold upon this puritan, whom I met last night at Madame de I'Estorade's, and who seemed to me to be uncompromisingly hostile to us?" As he was present in no official capacity, Maxime knew his place too well to undertake to answer that question. Vinet, on the other hand, having an over- weening idea of his political importance since he had become procureur-general, still had too much of the lawyer in him to miss an opportunity of taking the floor. " When monsieur did me the honor to show me a letter from Madame Beau visage this morning," he hastened to reply, indicating Maxime, " I had just re- ceived one from my son, in which he gave me almost precisely the same information. 1 agree with mon- sieur that it may prove to be a serious matter for our adversary, but only on condition that it is care- fully handled." "As yet I have only a very imperfect idea of the THE DEPUTY FROM ARCfS 209 matter," observed the minister; "as I was very de- sirous to have your opinion, my dear Vinet, in order to avoid doing the thing twice over. I requested Monsieur de Trailles to postpone the details until we should all be together." This was a direct authorization to Maxime to take It upon himself to tell the story, but V^net purloined this second opportunity to speak. " This," said he, " is what my son Olivier writes me, and it is confirmed by the letter of madame la mairesse. in whom, by the way, you would have had an excellent deputy, my dear minister. It seems that, or. a recent market-day, Pigoult, the notary, who still has charge of all monsieur le depute's business, having powerfully assisted in his election received a visit from a peasant-woman of Romilly' a large village in the immediate neighborhood of Arcis. According to the claim of the Marquis de ballenauve, who reappeared in the province very recently, he is the only descendant to-day in ex- istence of the Sallenauve family, whereas this woman exhibits documents in perfectly proper form which go to prove that she also is a living Salle- nauve, in the direct line, and a kinswoman in an mhentable degree of everyone who bears that name." " But was she as ignorant of the marquis's exist- ence as he was of hers?" queried Rastignac. " That point is not made clear by her statements " the procureur-general replied; " but that very con- fusion pleases me more than anything, for you H I mm I U ' III M fi 210 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS !i ! i ! ^ ill lil i understand that great difficulties may readily arise between relatives thus situated." " Be kind enough to go on," said the minister. *' Before drawing conclusions, we must know the facts; a course that is not always pursued in the Chamber of Deputies, by the way, as you are in a position to know." "And that is not always disagreeable for minis- ters," laughed Maxime. " Monsieur is right," said Vinet; " hail to the sower of discord! But, to return to our peasant-woman, who has fallen into poverty and a condition very much below her birth as a result of the degeneration of the Sallenauves: sheappearedin forma pauperis, and we may well believe that a little well-timed generosity would have silenced her at once. But we may be- lieve also that she was not extremely pleased with the manner in which her petition was received by Maitre Achille Pigoult; for, upon leaving his office, she went at once to the market-place, and with the support of a village attorney, who had come to town with her, she indulged in some very uncomplimentary allusions to my beloved colleague in the Chamber: saying, at one time, that it was not true that the Marquis de Sallenauve was his father, and again, that it was not even true that there is a Marquis de Sallenauve now living. Her conclusion was always the same, that this Sallenauve of recent date is a heartless wretch, who did not know his own flesh and blood; but she added that she knew a way to make him disgorge, and that, with the assistance of the THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 211 able man who had come with her to give her the benefit of his advice, she would make monsieur le depute dance, he might rest assured of that." " I have no objection," Rastignac replied"; " but I suppose, of course, that this woman is supplied with proofs m support of her assertions?" "That is the weak part of the aifair," Vinet re- plied; " but let me go on. The government has in the commissioner of police at Arcis an official as de- voted as he is intelligent. As he walked around among the different groups, as his custom is on market days, he overheard some of the peasant- woman's unkmd remarks, and went at once to the mayor's door, where he asked, not for Monsieur but for Ma- dame Beauvisage, to whom he narrated what had taken place." " So he's a mere nobody, eh, this candidate whom you represented to us as such a treasure.?" said Rastignac to Maxime. " Just the man you wanted," was the reply " in- capable to the last degree. That is why there is nothmg that I would not do to make up for our de- plorable defeat." "Madame Beauvisage," continued Vinet "at once felt that she must talk with this woman whose tongue is hung so loosely, and, in order to pro- cure an mterview with her, it occurred to her— and a very good idea it was-to bid Groslier, the com- missioner of police, go to the woman and with a threatening air, as if the authorities disapproved of the rash statement in which she ventured to indulge f r;iI II J] 212 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCI3 concerning a member of the national legislature, to order her to appear at once before monsieur le maire." " Did Madame Beauvisage invent that method of procedure?" "Yes, she really did," replied Maxime; "she's a very superior woman." " Being closely pressed by the mayoress, who was careful to fortify herself with her husband's presence before proceeding to the examination, the peasant was far from categorical in her replies: the way in which she had satisfied herself that the deputy could not be the marquis's son, and, on the other hand, her pretended certainty of the non-existence of the marquis himself, were not very triumphantly estab- lished; hearsay, vague rumors, conclusions drawn by the village attorney, those were about all that could be drawn from her." "In that case, what does all this amount to?" queried the minister. " To absolutely nothing, from the standpoint of the Palais de Justice," replied the procureur-general; "for, even if this woman were prepared to prove that the acknowledgment of Dorlange was a mere whim of the Marquis de Sallenauve, she would have no standing in court to take steps to annul it. By the terms of Article 339 of the Civil Code, a present interest by descent, nothing less, entitles a person to attack the acknowledgment of a natural child; in other words, a person, to be so entitled, must have some claim to the inheritance in the distribution of which THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 213 the child whose birth is contested would be entitled to share." " Your balloon intlates well!" said the minister. " On the other hand," continued Vinet, still pur- suing his theme, " if the good woman decides to deny the existence of the Marquis de Sallenauve, in the first place she disinherits herself, for she certainly could make no claim to a share of the fortune of a man who was not her kinsman; and in the second place, it is for the Department of Justice, not for her, to prosecute in the matter of a substitution of per- sons, which she would be competent, at the utmost, to denounce to the authorities." " Whence you conclude?" said Rastignac, in the abrupt tone that warns a too prolix speaker to be more concise. " Whence I conclude that, legally speaking, the Romilly peasant would make a wretched speculation by pursuing either of these claims, for one of the two would certainly be lost by her, and she could gain absolutely nothing by the other, which she cannot even institute; but, politically speaking, the affair takes on an entirely different aspect." "Let us look at the political side, then," said the minister, "for thus far 1 can see nothing in it." "In the first place," continued the procureur- general, " you agree with me, do you not, that there is no objection to bringing a groundless lawsuit.?" " I agree with you perfectly." "In the second place, 1 fancy that you will not care particularly if our litigant embarks upon an 214 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCFS 'I action to annul the acknowledgment of Dorlange in which she will get nothing in return for her disburse- ments?" '' No; I assure you that it is a matter of entire in- difference to me." " In any event, even if you had felt any compunc tions on her account, I would still have advised you to let things take their course, as the Beauvisages have cos'r f Th?° '^''Z '" '" ^^P^"^^^' '-'"' -g *he "eXl ad^s^r "^"" '" '''' ^"^ ''^'^ ^' " sZni'''l,'"'^ Rastignac, still urging a conclusion, suppose the suit begun; what will come of that?" ^ What will come of it?' echoed the procureur- general, wit|i increasing animation, " why, whatever you choose to make come of it, if, before the cause IS heard, your newspapers intervene with their com- rnents, and your friends with their oral insinuations. What will come of it? Why, the greatest loss of prestige tor our adversary, suspected of having oundled himself up in a name that does not belong toh,ni! What will come of it? Why. an opportu- nity for a crushing interpellation from the tribune " "Which you will undertake to hurl at him?" queried Rastignac. "Oh! I don't know about that; I must look into take"^'^**^' ^ ''"'^ ""'"^ '^^ '^''''^ *"'" '* ^' ^'''^'>' *° ^ "For the present, then," rejoined the minister, the whole business comes down to an application of Basile s theory concerning slander,-that it is THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 215 sli^kf""^^" *"" '*'■' '* "^ ^^'^"'^ something always ^ "Slander! slander!" rejoined the procureur-gen- eral; " that's to be seen, and perhaps it would turn out to be nothing more than true evil-speakincr Monsieur de Trailles here knows much better tha'^n we how affairs were managed. He will tell you that the d-sappearance of the father immediately after the consummation of the acknowledgment made a deep impression throughout the province- that everybody had a vague idea of mysterious combmations tending to favor the election of the man of whom we are speaking. You do not know my dear fellow, all that may be made of a legal discussion scientifically handled; in my long and laboi'ious career as advocate I have seen miracles performed in that direction. But a parliamentary discussion is another affair. There you have no need of proofs, you can kill your man with nothing bu probabilities and assertions, supported with a little show of self-assurance." "But, to resume," interposed Rastignac, like an exact and careful man of business, " let us see how you propose that the affair shall be handled " "In the first place," Vinet replied, " I would allow the Beauvisages to pay all the travelling and hotel expenses of the peasant and her counsel, as they choose to do it, and all the expenses of the suit when the time comes." ' "Do I object to that.?" said the minister; "have I the right or the power to object.?" I' I ; I i 2l6 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS !; !■■ i " The case will be put in tlie hands of a shrewd and able solicitor, Desroches, for example, whom Monsieur de Trailles employs. He would know how to put a little flesh on a lawsuit whose gauntness you have very justly commented upon." "I certainly shall not be the man," rejoined the mmister, "to say to Monsieur de Trailles: ' I forbid you to advise anybody you please to avail him- self of the services of your solicitor!' " "Then we must have an advocate who can talk with the proper amount of feeling of that holy and sacred thing, the family; who can assume an air of righteous indignation at the thought of the surrepti- tious manoeuvres whereby interlopers may endeavor to make their way by stealth into its sacred circle " " Desroches wiil direct you to the man you need and the governn^ent will never prevent an advocate from speaking, and beinj carried away with indis- nation." ^ " But, monsieur le ministre," said Maxime, whom Kastignac's lack of warmth impelled to lay aside his r61e, which had thus far been a passive one "is non-interference all the assistance we can expect from the government in this matter.?" "You did not anticipate, I imagine, that we would undertake the lawsuit on our own account.?" "No, of course not; but we were justified in assuming that you would show some interest in it " " But how.? in what way.?" "What can 1 say.? As monsieur le procureur- general said a moment ago. by ringing the changes THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 217 on it in your newspapers, by instructing your friends to hawk It about, by using tiie great influence that those in authority alw.ys possess over the minds of the magistrates." "Many thanks!" retorted Rastignac. "When you want the government for an accomplice, my dear Max.me, you must bring forward plots a little more deft y woven; from your business-like air this morn- ing I believed that there was something in what you had to tell me, and I disturbed our excellent pro- cureur-£ ,.neral, who knows how highly I esteem his counsel and his knowledge; but really your scheme seems to me so transparent and so loosely knit th-it one can easily look through it to inevitable defeat It I were not married and aspired to marry Made- moiselle Beauvisage, I should be more audacious perhaps; it is for you therefore to push the affair as you think best; I do not say that you will not have the good wishes of the government in your career but It certainly will not descend with you." _ "But let us see a moment," said Vinet, forestall- ing Maxime, who would undoubtedly have made a sharp retort; " suppose we treat it as a criminal matter; suppose the peasant woman, at the insti- gation of the Beauvisages, denounces the man who appeared before the notary as a fictitious Sallenauve- in that case the deputy is a confederate, and he will have the court of assize to deal with." " But again, where are your proofs.?" said Rasti- gnac; " have you a shadow of proof.?" "Just now you yourself agreed," observed Maxime, 1 ^ Hr 5 t I. i • '"I ElksiJ k, 3I8 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS " that there is no objection to instituting a ground- less suit." "In the civil courts, yes; but on the criminal side. It you fail, it is a much more serious matter; and you would fail, for you would undertake, without one iota of proof, to attack the genuineness of a docu- ment drawn by a public officer. That would be a sweet task! the affair would necessaril> .e termi- nated by a nonsuit, even before the public hearing. If we wanted to furnish our adversary with a pedestal like the Column of July, we could go about it in no better way." " So that you see absolutely nothing to be done?" said Maxime. "By us, no. As for you, my dear Maxime, who have no official position, and who could, at need maintain the attack on Monsieur de Sallenauve's character, pistol in hand, there is nothing to prevent you from trying your hand at this prosecution." "Yes," said Maxime, bitterly, " I am a sort of condottiere." " Not at all; you are a man with an instinctive conviction of the existence of certain facts which it is impossible to prove in a court of law, and you do not fear to submit to the judgment of God." Monsieur de Trailles rose in a decidedly ill-humor Vinet also rose, and said, as he offered his hand to Rastignac: " I cannot deny that your conduct is dictated by great prudence, and I do not say that I would not do the same if I were in your place." m f? 1 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 219 " No hard feeling, Maxime," said the minister to Mons^ur de Trailles. who bowed to hir. with cold •'Can you understand such prudery?" said Max- me, when the conspirators were alone in the recep. tion-room. ^ " Perfectly." said Vinet, " and you seem to me to be very easily taken in for a bright man " " Oh! of course, to make you lose you Jme and throw away my own for the pleasure of seeing the foundations laid of a prize for virtue'" ''That is not the point; I consider" you very inno- cent to beheve seriously in the refusal of assistance that makes you so wrathful," "What, do you think—?" " I think that it's a very risky affair; that, if the plot succeeds, the government will gather in all the benefit accruing from it with folded arms; and that on the other hand, if we fail of success, it will be just as delighted to have no share in the defeat. But I know Rastignac. and you may be sure of this; with- out seemmg to taKe any interest in what we do, and without compromising himself, he will help us more materially perhaps, than by declared connivance Just consider! Did he say a single word as to the morality of the attack? Did he not say again and again: I make no objection; I haven't the right to mterfere with anything?' And what fault had he to find with the poison of slander? that it is not certain enough of killing its man. The truth is, my dear monsieur, there is hard work to be done, and all It .'■ B f'S' t i ll! P 220 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS Desroches's cunninR will be none too much to give a favorable turn to the affair." " It is your opinion, then, that I had better see him?" "What! is it my opinion? Why, instantly, as soon as you leave me." " Wouldn't it be advisable for him to come and talk the matter over with you?" "Oh! no, no," replied Vinet. "I may be the man to make the interpellation in the Chamber- Desroches might be seen at my office, and I must not be deprived of my disinterestedness." Thereupon he bowed to Maxime, and seemed in haste to leave him. on the pretext that he must go to the Chamber to find out what was being said in the Salle des Conferences. " But," said Maxime, running after him, " suppose that I should have occasion to ask your advice?" " I leave Paris this evening to look over my de- partment before the opening of the session," " But what about this interpellation that it may fall to you to make?" " Oh! I or somebody else will make it; I will use all possible diligence; but, you understand, I must see that my shop is in order before leaving it for at least five or six months." "A pleasant journey to you, Monsieur le Procu- reur-General!" sa-d Maxime, ironically, taking leave of him for the last time. Monsieur de Trailles, when he was alone, had a few moments of discouragement, fancying that he THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 221 could see that those two political Bertranc!s intended 1^'s c nd f-t " ^'"'"^'^ "'^ °^ ''' ''^- '<-ti- he thou "h nM,''''/'P'-^'''''>' ^'^^"'"^ ^° "i"^' vvhcn he thought of the.r first meeting at Madame de Res- taud s just twenty years before. He. a man with a fixed pos,fon. holding at that momen the seep" e of oaety, and Rastignac. a poor student, utter v igno- rant of socal forms, and refused admission to Madtme de Restaud's house, immediately after his first caT dunng Which he had succeeded L committingtwo r e rTFr^'^'f '"' ^'' now Rastignac wa come hk . '"^ '"'"'''''■' ^"^ '^^' Maxime. be- come his agent, was obliged to stand, with lowered weapon and be told that his schemes v^ere too appar- i-ked! But this discouragement was only momen- " Very good!" he cried, " I will start alone upon this lawsuit, for my instinct tells me that there is something in it. How now! a Dorlange. a nobody liold in check Comte Maxime de Trailles d make a stepping-stone of his defeat! There a- ,o many secret passages in that man's life that I cannolT sooner or later, to unc .er one of them -To mv sohcitor," he said M ,,, ,,,,hman. opening the cTr"^ r.age door for himself.-*. After all.'" he add'e as Te sank luxuriously back upon the cushions. " if I can- no succeed ,n ruining the vile cre.aure's fortune I wil compel him to put some outrageous affrcnt up;n fire 1 sT f ''^K ''' ''°'^^ '' --P^-' ' -i'' fire first,_I am a better shot than the Due de 222 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCfS you, Rhetore, my insolent friend, and I will kill never fear!" de Trailles had become very much excited simply at the Idea of being taken for a condottiere Desroches was at home, and Monsieur de Trailles was immediately admitted to his study. Desroches was a solicitor who, like Raphael, had had his ups and downs. In the first place, possessed of the bare title of solictor, without clients, he had taken any sor of cause, and had been by no means satisfied with his standing before the court. But he was a hard worker, thoroughly at home in all the tricks of pettifoggery, an inquisitive observer and diligent reader o the impulses of the human heart; he had eventually succeeded therefore in making a good ZT' /^. '^''^''' ' ^'^"^ "'^^' ^"^ had seriously abandoned he tortuous path as soon as he had found that he could afford to walk straight. In 18^0 Des- roches had become an honest and shrewd solicitor; that „ to say, he espoused the interests of his clients with warmth and skill, he would never have advised an openly dishonorable act, and still less would he have lent his hand to it. As for the fine flower o? sc upu osity which was a noticeable trait in the char- acter of Derville and some other members of his pro- fession, aside from the fact that it is very difficult wh h^ M '^^P^^^i'^" '" this world of business of which Monsieur de Talleyrand said: "Business means somebody's else property!" it can never be the second stage of an existence. The loss of that THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 223 soft down of the mind, like the loss of all forms of virgm.ty, is irreparable; Desroches therefore had never aspired to regain it; he would no longer ven- ture upon anything base or dishonorable; but to the shrewd tricks permitted by the Code of Procedure he surprises and sharp practice with which one may legally combat an adversary, he did not hesitate to resort. Desroches was an intellectual man; he loved the pleasures of the table, too, and like most persons who are subjected to the brutal domination of impe- rious toil, he felt the need of powerful distractions highly seasoned and taken on the wing Thus' while taking wholesome recreation from profes- sional labors, he had become the favorite solici- nLl"''^/^ "*'"■'' ^'^'''''' ^t^ge-girls, famous lorettes and fashionable Bohemians after the style of Maxime, because he enjoyed living their lives and because all those clas.es of people were congenial to him. as he was much liked by them. Their wittv slang, their somewhat relaxed morals, their slightly picaresque adventures, their clever expedients, their courageous and honorable toil, in a word, their splen- dors and their miseries.-all of these he understood perfectly, and. like an ever-indulgent providence, he lent them aid and counsel whenever he was called upon. But. in order to conceal from his more serious and profitable clienme his somewhat unconven- tional intimacy with these clients of his heart inas- much ar he was married and had children. DesJoches had h.s days for being the husband and paterfamilias, notably Sundays. It rarely happened that he did 224 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS not appear on that day in the Bois de Boulogne in a modest caliche, accompanied by his wife, in whose uglmess was written the handsome figure oTher marriage portion. On the front seat of the carriage was a group of three children who had the misfor' tune to resemble their mother. This family pTc J bath dal" 0^"' °' ''' ''''' °^ '^^^P'"^ *'^ Sab! bath-day holy, were so unlike the week-day Des- roches dmmg at all sorts of restaurants with all the noted h,gh-Iivers of both sexes, that one of them Malaga, a c.rcus-rider, famous for her bright and racy remarks, observed that solicitors ought not to be allowed to disguise themselves so, and to deceive the pubhc by taking pasteboard children out to d^e! com^ n '" ' P'"^'*^' ^°"^'^"'- ^' Trailles had come to seek counsel, which he never failed to do whenever any perplexing question arose in his life In accordance with his usual excellent custom, Des^ roches hstened without interruption to t^e long statement of the case submitted to him, includ ng hf interv,ew that had just taken place at Rastignac's As Maxime had no secrets from this confess^ he disclosed his reasons for wishing ill to SaMenauvr usurped the name under which he was to sit in the Chamber. His hatred served him in the stead of convmcmg evidence of a crime that was at he u most possible or probable. In reality, Desroches had no des.re to undertake a case in wh ch he cou d not see tl.e slightest chance of success; but ht lax probity showed itself in this, that he discussed he THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 225 matter with his client as if it were an ordinary case, and did not tell him distinctly his opinion concern- ing this trumped-up lawsuit which was, in reality u mere mtrigue. The amount of verbal connivance in the domam of evil, which does not go so far as actual complicity in action, is truly incalculable. "What difference does it make to me? let them fight! Whv should I pose as the cold-blood. ! knight-errant of virtue? -that is what men of Desroches's temper- ament say to one another, and it would be hard to compute the number of such men produced by our advanced civilization. ^^ " In the first place, my friend." said the solicitor a civil proceeding is not to be thought of; even if your Romilly peasant had her hands full of proofs she would be declared incompetent to prosecute he^ claim, because, so far as at present appears, she has no interest which entitles her to attack the acknowl- edgment of her opponent." • Y,-3, that is what Procureur-General Vinet said Hbv ;vjw." "As for the criminal prosecution, you can un- questionably start it by complaining to the authori- ties of the substitution." " Vinet seemed to favor the criminal prosecution " said Maxime, interrupting him. ''Very good, but there are numerous objections to that method. In the first place, there must be a perceptible amount of proof before the complaint will even be received; in the second place, when the complaint has been received and the Crown Office IS I Uii 151 f fii I If ' .i ! : i| .1 i4 ■J • 226 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS has decided to prosecute, a much more positive appearance of guilt is necessary to secure a convic- tion; and then, suppose the crime to be proved against the soi-disant Marquis de Sallenauve, how are you to establish the complicity of his soi-disant son, who may have been deceived by a schemer?" ''But what interest could a schemer have had in bestowing on this Dorlange all the advantage favor?'' '^^^^'^ '''''" *'"'" acknowledgment in his " Oh! my dear monsieur," replied Desroche? questions of birth all sorts of curious perforn es are possible; there is no other class of cases that has furnished so much material for compilers of causes celebres and novelists; but, in addition to that, in the eyes of the law, substitution of persons is not directly a crime." sibler"^ '*'■" ^''"^'"'^'^ M^^'"^^' "that is impos- "Look you, my friend," said Desroches, taking down his Five Codes, "be kind enough to read Article 145 of the Penal Code, the only article which seems to provide for the proceeding you have in mind and see if the crime we are discussing is pro- vided for there." ^ ^ Maxime readaloud Article 145, in these words: Every public functionary or officer who, in the performance of his functions, shall have committed a forgery-whether by false signatures-or by alter- ation of documents, writings, or signatures-or bv subsMutwn of persons—- '" THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 227 I' Go on to the end," said Desroches. Monsi^u'r d^ Sefr, ;'>:--' ' " -«"-'' .. uaiiici), or by writing or ntercal-i. jons upon records or other public do'cument^ er their completion or deposit in the record-office shall be punished by penal servitude for life ' " Monsieur de Trailles dwelt fondly on the last words, which seemed to give him a foretaste of the fate in store for Sallenauve. "My dear count," said Desroches, "you do as all litigants do,_read the law in the sense tLt favo your claim: but you do not notice that the only per! sons mentioned in the article we are considering'are Publtc functonarus or officers, and that there is no P ovision for the crime of substitution of persons when committed by others." P^rJ-ons, Maxime reread the article and convinced himself of the accuracy of Desroches's comment whlr'^i-^'rSrgTd:' '^ '^^^ -^^ P-vision some- nf 'th^r'n '"' ^u """^ '"^"'y ^^"^* "^y knowledge thafslS:c^«^"'^ '''-'' ''^' ^' ^^ -^^-'y -te L " In that case, the crime that we propose to de- nounce has the privilege of impunity?" "That is to say," replied Desroches, "that its punishment is always problematical. Sorietimes the judges^supplement the silence of the law by lit 14 ; wl 228 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCFS The solicitor interrupted his sentence to turn over the pages of a law-book. "And here," he continued. " are two judgments of Penal Code: one of July 7, 1814, and the other of April 24, 1818. both confirmed by the Court of An- pea . by which certain persons who were neither public functionaries nor ofificers were convicted of the crime of forgery by substitution of persons; but those two judgments, which stand alone, are based upon an article m which the crime they assume to punish JL7 vT". r"*'°"^^' ^"d the argument by which that distorted application of the law is supported IS very labored. You will understand, therefore. doubtful, fbr, m the absence of a positive pro- ZZl'^^ ''" ""''"■ *'" ''^^ '^' niagistrates will "And so your conclusion, like Rastignac's. is that we^ must send our peasant-woman back to Romilly ana that there is absolutely nothing to be done?" " There is always something to be done." replied Desroches. "when you know how to go about it 1 here is one complication that does not seem to have occurred to you or Rastignac or Monsieur Vinet - that IS that an authorization by the Chamber is essen- tial to a criminal prosecution of a member of that body except in the case of a person taken in fla- grante delicto." ^ " True," said Maxime, " but how can an additional complication relieve us from our embarrassment?" THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 229 "You would not be sorry to send your adversary to the galleys, I suppose?" queried the solicitor, with a laugh. "A knave who will perhaps make me lose the chance of a rich marriage," exclaimed Maxime, with comical earnestness; " who poses as a man of strict virtue, and who resorts to such impudent schemes as this!" " You must make up your mind, however, to a less brilliant result. To raise a pretty little scandal about your man, to cause him to lose caste entirely, would effect a part of your object, I should say?" " To be sure; when you can't have pheasants, you eat veal." ^ " Your aspirations thus reduced, this is what 1 would advise: Do not instruct your peasant to make a criminal complaint against this gentleman who stands in your way, but let her place in the hands of the President of the Chamber of Deputies a simple request that she be authorized to prosecute. Very probably the authorization will be denied, and the prosecution will not go beyond that stage; but the fact of its being asked will make a sensation in the Chamber, none the less; the newspapers will have the right to take it up, and the ministry will be at liberty, surreptitiously, to cause this vague accusa- tion to be repeated with envenomed exaggeration by its friends." " Peste! my dear fellow," said Maxime, overjoyed to find at last an opening for his instinct of hatred, " you are a great man, greater than all these alleged II il I i. ti llffl 230 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS jHi' statesmen; but who will draw up this petition for leave to prosecute?" " Oh! not I," replied Desroches, who did not choose to involve himself more deeply in the mire; " it isn't a legal document, it's a weapon of war, and I have nothing to do with that game; but there are quanti- ties of briefless lawyers always ready to take a hand in a political shindy; Massol, for instance, will draw It up for you in admirable shape. I shall be obliged to you, by the way, if you will not say that I suc- gested the idea." " Not I !" said Maxime, " I'll take the credit of it to myself, and perhaps Rastignac will bite at my scheme in this shape." " Very good, but take care not to make an enemy of Vinet, who will consider it very impertinent of you to have had an idea which ought naturally to have occurred to the mind of such a great parliamentary tactician as he is." "Oh! before long," said Maxime, rising, " I hope that the Vinets, the Rastignacs, and others will find that they cannot reckon without me. Where do you dine to-night?" he added. That is a question that viveurs freely ask one another. " In a cavern," replied Desroches, " with a band." " Where might that be?" " You must at some time or other, in the course of your erotic existence, have had recourse to the kind offices of a dealer in toilet articles named Madame de Saint-Est^ve?" THE DEPUTY FROM ARCFS 231 " No," said Maxime, " I have always looked after my own business." « »'icr ^^ " True. I didn't think of that," said the solicitor- you are a conquering hero of the best society' where, as a jreneral rule, they have no use for go- Sa nTEst? '•''' T\ ^'' *'^ "^"^^ °f Madame de baint-bsteve is not unknown to you?" " Certainly not; her place is on Rue Neuve-Saint- Marc; it was she who, a long while ago. put Nucin- gen in communication with little Esther, who cost him somethmg hke five hundred thousand francs sZ seems to be connected in some way with a villain of her own sort, who has the same name, and who is now at the head of the secret police." "That is something I know nothing about " re- plied Desroches; "but what I can say is th;t the excellent woman made a fortune in her trade of t>ro- curess asthey used to say in the days when, under a less high-necked moral code than ours, that Indus- try had a name; and to-day, without modifying her former occupation to any great extent, she lives in magnificent style on Rue de Provence, where-she is at tne head of a matrimonial agency." "And that is where you are to dine.?" asked Maxime. ^a^cu " Yes my dear monsieur, with the manager of the Italian heatre in London, Emile Blondet, Andoche Finot Lousteau, Felicien Vernou, Theodore Gail- iard, Hector Merlin, and Bixiou, who was told to in- vite me because they would need the aid of my experience and my very great business ability " 232 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS i : i > i' ''^' si % ,■ '• if " Aha! so there's some financial business under this dinner?" " There is, my dear monsieur, a matter of a silent partnership, also a theatrical engagement, and it is proposed to entrust to me the preparation of the necessary documents; you understand that the hon- orable guests who are invited with me will undertake to act as trumpeters of the second of these two mat- ters, as soon as it is signed." " What is this engagement that is to be made with so much display?" "Oh! of a ^far destined, it seems, to make a European success; an Italian girl whom a great Swedish nobleman. Count Halphertius, discovered throughtheministrjtioi ., of Madame deSawit-Est^ve. The illustrious foreigner furnishes the impresario three hundred thousand francs to enable her to make her debut in London at the Opera." "Does this great nobleman propose to marry her?" " Hum!" said Desroches. " Thus far nothing has been said to me about drawing the marriage con- tract. You see Madame de Saint-Est^ve is likely to have kept a little of the thirteenth arrondissement in the management of her agency." " Well, my dear fellow, I wish you much pleasure," said Maxime, taking his leave at last. " If your star makes a success in London, we shall probably see her in Paris next winter; for my own part, I propose to go and do my best to block the rising of the sun of Arcis. By the way, where does Massol live?" THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 233 "Faith, I can't tell you; I never gave him any briefs, tor I never employ advocates who meddle With politics; but y,;u can send for his address to the Gamete des Tribunaiix, of which lie is one of the editors. ' Maxime went himself to the office of the news- paper to procure Massol's address; but, probably be- cause of creditors, the offke-boy had express orders to leave all inquirers in ignorance of the advocate's place of abode, and Monsieur de Trailles, despite his imperious and haughty airs, had his trouble for his pains and was unable to obtain the information he sought. Luckily he remembered that Massol rarely missed a performance at the Opera, and he was almost certain of meeting hir. in the lobLy that evening Before he dined, he went to a small furnished lodging-house on Rue Montmartre, where he had installed the peasant and her legal adviser who had already arrived in Paris. He found them at table, feasting bountifully at the expense of the Beauvisages. He ordered them to be at his rooms between eleven and twelve the next forenoon, and not to breakfast first. He found Massol at the Opera that evening, as he had expected. Accosting him with the courtesy tinctured with impertinence which was character- istic of him, he said: "Monsieur. 1 should be glad to talk with you about a matter of business, partly legal, partly political. Were it not that it requires to be dis- cussed with absolute secrecy, I should have had the "1 4 !j I 234 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS f n 14 honor of calling at your office, but I thought that we could talk in more security at my rooms, where I desire, by the way, to put you in communication with two other persons. May I hope, therefore that you will do me the honor to come and take a cup of tea with me to-morrow morning, about eleven?" It Massol had had an office, it may be that, for the sake ot the dignity of his cloth, he would not have consented thus to overturn the usual order of things by calhng upon his client instead of compelling his client to call upon him. But, as he lived on a perch rather than in lodgings, he was delighted with an arrangement which left the secret of his domicile unimpaired. " I shall have the honor, monsie^ ■ ," he hastened to reply, "to call upon you to-morrow at the hour you name." " You know. Rue Pigalle?" said Maxime, as he left him. "Perfectly well," replied Massol, "two steps from Rue de la Rochefoucauld." I* On the evening that Sallenauve. Marie-Gaston and Jacques Bricheteau went to Saint-Sulpice to hear S.gnora Luigia, that church was the scene of an incident which passed almost unnoticed. Through the seldom-used door that opens on Rue Palatine opposite Rue Servandoni, a fair-haired young man suddenly entered the building. He was so excited and in such haste that he did not think even to remove a glazed leather cap of the shape of those worn by the students ir. Gern .n universities As he hurried toward a sp l where t le crowd was most dense, he felt a grasp up,,, his .rm. and instantly his face, which was fluslu ? and ,ager, changed to a ivid p^^llor; but, when he I., ned, he saw that he had taken fright at nothing. Hefounc^ - 'f confronted by the verger, who said, in an im- •„. yg tone: " Is your cap nailed to your head, young man?" " 1 beg your pardon, monsieur." replied tlie person thus^apostrophized. "I was thinking of something Having profited by the lesson in divine and human courtesy that he had received, he plunged into the densest part of the throng, which lie forced his way through with an air of authority, breaking out a path with his elbows, not without receiving some rebuffs to which he paid no heed. Having by this means reached an empty space, he turned and cast a rapid (235) ' !36 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 111 anxious glance on all sides; then, hastening to the door opening on Rue Garanci^re, almost directly opposite that by which he had entered, he walked swiftly away and soon disappeared in one of the unfrequented streets in the neighborhood of the Saint-Germain market. A few seconds after the irruption of this strange worshipper, the same door gave access to a man with a terribly scarred face surrounded by a broad fringe of white whiskers; thick hair of the same color, but with a somewhat rusty look, fell over his shoulders, giving him the aspect of an old ex-member of the Convention or of Bernardin do Saint-Pierre after an attack of small- pox. His face and his hair made him appear well beyond sycty, but his robust figure, the energy and decision of his movements, and especially the pene- trating keenness of a glance which he flashed about the church as soon as he entered, denoted a power- ful constitution upon which the march of years had had little effect. He was evidently desirous to over- take the fair-haired youth, but he did not make the mistake of plunging after him into the thick of the throng massed about the altar, in which he suspected that the fugitive had tried to lose himself: making the circuit of the nave in the opposite direction, he had every chance, by passing rapidly through that much less crowded portion of the church, of reaching one of the issues on the other side as soon as his quarry; but, as has happened to many others than he, his too keen wit served him ill. As he passed a con- fessional he spied a kneeling form which reminded THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 237 him of the person he was hunting. Attributing to another the shrewdness which he might per- haps have exhibited himself under similar circum- stances, he fancied that his game, to throw him off the scent, had conceived the idea of presenting him- self ex ahrupto at the tribunal of penitence. During the time that he occupied in assuring himself of a mistaken identity, which a closer scrutiny did not confirm, he was distanced in the chase; that being the case, such an experienced hunter as he was knew better than to waste time in a useless pur- suit; he realized that he had missed his opporiunity and that the game was postponed. He was on the point of leaving the church when after a brief prelude on the organ, Signora Luigia's contralto, emitting some of its deepest no' s filled the air with the magnificent melody to which the Litames of the Virgin are sung. The beauty of the voice, the beauty of the music, the beauty of the words of the sacred hymn, which the singer enun- ciated with perfect distinctness, seemed to make a profound impression on the stranger. Instpad of holding to his purpose to withdraw, he went and took his station in the shadow of a pillar, where at first he remained on his feet; but, as the last notes of the canticle died away, he knelt, and he who had then glanced at his face would have noticed two great tears gliding down his cheeks. When the benediction had been pronounced and the greater part of the congregation had gone away, the unknown rose and wiped his eyes. {';i":-'( \i.\ I if " iJl 238 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS I;;.; " What an idiot I am!" he said to himself. Going out by the same door by which he had entered, he went up Rue Servandoni, stopped a moment in front of a closed shop, went on to Place Saint-Sulpice, entered one of the cabs standing there, and said to the driver: " Rue de Provence, my good man, in a hurry: there's a good pourboire to be earned." Arrived at the house to which ne had given orders to be driven, he walked quickly by the concierge's box, with the manner of one who does not wish to be seen, and reached the servants' staircase; but the concierge, who did his duty conscientiously, came to his door and called out: "Where is monsieur going?" "To Madame de Saint-Est^ve's," replied the stranger, ill-humoredly. And a moment later he rang at a rear door, which was opened by a negro. " Is my aunt at home.'" he asked. "Oh! yes, missis at home!" replied the negro, embellishing his face with the most benignant smile at his command, which made him resemble a monkey shelling nuts. Guided through several corridors which conveyed an idea of the great extent of the suite, the unknown soon reached the door of a salon, which was opened by the negro, who, at the same moment, announced "Monsieur de Saint-Hest^ve," as if the initial E were preceded by an H aspirate. The salon into which the illustrious chie of the THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 239 secret police was ushered was noticeable by reason of the splendor and still more by reason of the ex- ecrably bad taste of its furnishing and decoration smXaT'" '' r"'""^ '^' -^- ''''-' about a small table, gravely engaged in a game of dominoes Three glasses, a silver bowl drained dry. Zdan a cohohc odor whereby the sense of smell was un- pleasant y assailed on entering the room, bore wit- ness to the fact that the cult of the double-six was not the only cult held in honor there. ';Hail. mesdames," said the great detective akmg a seat; "delighted to find you together' foM ^ have something to say to each of ^ou in Pcll^^'" !'"!? ^'^ ^°" '" ^ minute," said La Saint- l!nl '//.''. " fr"" ''' ^'^'' '* -"'* t-^e long. I play for four." ;; Blank everywhere!" said one of the old crones. " Dom.no!" cr.eu LaSaint-Est^ve, " and my game; you have four points between you, all the blanks are i.n^ fulu^^ P"* °"* ^^' ^""y h^"^ for the punch- adle to fill the empty glasses; but, finding nothing fn the bowl, mstead of rising and ringing the bell she played a tune with the ladle on the silver vessel 1 he negro answered the summons. " "a^^ something put in that," she said, passing h.m the bowl; " and bring a glass for monsieur." EstJe ' "^""'^ ^^^^ anything." said Saint- " I've had my allowance," said one of the women. Si r! L..I 240 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS "As for me," said the other, "the doctors have put me on a milk diet, on account of my gastripe." " You're a chicken-hearted lot!" exclaimed La Saint-Est^ve. "Come, take all this away," she added, addressing the negro, "and look out I don't catch you listening at the door! Do you remember the drubbing?" "Oh! me 'member very well!" said the negro, laughing with his shoulders; " me got no ears now!" He left the room. "Well, my puss, you have the floor," said La Saint-Est^ve to her nephew, after a stormy account- ing had taken place between the three hags. " Madame Fontaine," said the chief of the secret police, turning to one of the old women, whom, by reason of her inspired expression, her disordered gray hair, and her horribly threadbare green mantle, one would have been led to take for a blue-stocking at work on a fashion article, " you are neglecting us strangely; you make no reports to us nowadays, and, on the other hand, a good deal is coming to our ears about you. Monsieur le prefet is by no means inclined to allow your establishments to go on. I can only hold you up on the ground of the services you are supposed to render us, and although it isn't my trade to predict the future, as it is yours, I think 1 can promise you that, if you continue to be so chary of information, your fortune-telling shop will soon be closed." " There you are!" retorted the pythoness; " you prevented my taking Mademoiselle Lenormand's THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 241 apartment on Rue de Tournon. What sort of people does a body receive in the Rue Vieilie-du-Tempie quarter? Petty clerks, cooks, workmen, and gri- setces! and you want me to come and tattle every- thmg I learn from these people? You ought to have let me work on a large scale, then you'd have found out more." •' You mustn'tsay that. Madame Fontaine." inter- posed La Saint-Est^ve; " I send you some of my clients every day." ^ " Yes, just as 1 send you mine!" "And no longer ago than four days." continued the matrimonial agent, "you had a call from an Italian woman I sent you; she's no grisette, I tell you; and iivmg with a deputy who's against the government too!^ You could make a report on that. But you don t like to take up a pen, and, since you had a row with your little counter-jumper because he ordered too many waistcoats of his tailor, no writing IS done at your house." "There is one matter, especially," added Saint- Est^ve, "that is mentioned very often in the reports we get about you: that is that vile creature that you introduce in the operation of \hQ great game r~%t^ The Involuntary Comedians. "What, Astaroth?" queried Madame Fontaine. " Yes; that batrachian, that toad, if I must say the word, which you pretend to consult. It seems that, not long ago, a pregnant woman was so fright- ened by his hideous appearance—" " Very well," interposed the sorceress, hastily, m ' r 242 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS sn " if I've got to draw the cards now, without any other attraction, you might as well go ahead and ruin me at once, or guillotine me! Just because a fool of a woman gave birth to a dead child, must we do away with f.oads in nature ? Then wh:i t did Mse good Lord make 'em for?" "My dear madame," said Saint-EsfjH'e, "there was a time when you wouldn't li.ive been so anxious about that collaboration. Jn i6i; a scitutific man named Vanini w?i.s burned a I; Toulouse, just because they found a toaJ in a boitit in his house." " Very true; but we live in an age of light," re- joined La Fontaine, jestingly, ' and tl;e police courts ain't so severe as that." "As to you, Madame Nourrisscn," ;>aid the chief of u:e secret ;/)lice, addressing the other old woman, *' people complain that you pluck your fruit too gr-v . n; when a person has kept an eytablishment, as y .'u have, she must know the laws and regulations; I am surprised that I have to remind y>;i that, below the age of twenty-one, morality must be respected." Madame Nourrisson had been, under the Empire, what Parent du Chatelet, in the interesting work in which he has learnedly investigated the hideous plague-spot prostitution, euphemistically calls a dame de maison. Later, she had set up, on Rue Neuve- Saint-Marc, the establishment for the sale of toilet- articles where the Esther affair was brewed— the affair mentioned by Maxime de Trail les to Desroches as having cost the banker Nucingen more than five hundred thousand francs. But on that occasion ■^i THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 243 Madame Nourrisson had concealed herself bPhinH m dame de Saint-Est^vP u,hn T ^"'"^ ^^3- w^o are connected by me Ji^o^f ,rX",P»P',^ ui lamiiiarity. Consequent y we shall net h. prised to hear Madame Nourrisson reo Iv ," »^ ""' n>on addressed to her by Monsie: ^^^Z^^] CIO J ^nTorse^t tr;m1''"'' ^°"' ^^ '^^^ t:ii yuu sent that httle seventeen- v<^ar r^u Champenoise to me about 1809?" thirty years since I became a wise man for Zl m: ,'^:: '°'V ''" P^«»« sSed Lt r^ sTcht as" rL:rrmVi^%ivr goes wrong with you now voucZ^i' ? '^"""« you haven't been called thr^ti^es a?"" *'' «e aunt. What, have to1™^'oy:: rcS ™r„fsXof"S1nTZrtar-^''^-- -JsSa^rM:^r-----e No, mdeed," replied the prophetes-"" F'li „,om I've been advised to take exercise jIm . ' de^camp Madame Jamouillotrca.l J. me ^ '''' And you, Matne Nourrisson?" ml Nil [ 1 ! Ml Bl.|7 iii'^ u I/.. ,ti< i ii,; I 244 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS "Well, that is a good one!" said the dealer in toilet articles, " a cab to go from Rue de Provence to Rue Neuve-Saint-Marc! Why, I'm your neighbor " The fact was that Madame Nourrisson had come in her everyday costume: white cap with yellow rib- bons, tightly curled jet-black wig, silk apron, and calico dress with flowers on a dark-blue ground; and as she gayly observed, there was little probability that anyone would think of kidnapping her en route Before passing to the interview about to take place between Monsieur de Saint-Est^ve and his aunt it is necessary to say a few words by way of explana- tion. ^ In this pubiic savior, who offered his services to Rastignac on the evening of the emeute, no reader can have failed to recognize the famous Jacques Collin, called Vautrin, one of the best-known and most carefully drawn figures of the human comedy Shortly before the Revolution of 1830, that hero of the galleys, deeply wounded by the death of a person to whom he was attached, no longer felt the courage to continue the struggle he had waged against society for twenty-five years, and he had made his submission to De Granville, the procureur-general, under most dramatic circumstances, as narrated in the last part of Splendors and Miseries of Courtesans. Since then he had succeeded the illustrious Bibi-Lupin ;i the office of chief of the secret police, under the name of Monsieur de Saint-Est^ve; he had become the terror of the men who were once his confederates, and, by the ardor and energy with which he hunted them, had ■ ! THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS j^j Of the pone:™;.:? TJTt : r """"'^ to his former friend rl , ^ ^ '^'"' ''"Plained "Ke a too e^.perie ced glb^f hTh"^' '" "'J^'"' take any interest, becauferfthe absence TT '° and surprise in the game For ,1 ^""^ was able to endure his n „f ^"^"'^ '"= because of the rene.t!l "^^f' ™ *'* P"*"';'^. Which his fie^^f^rrtta^rr^^ discour4eTt^;",'s,:f-' ''is person; but, nary luck, which constantly sT'ed'h?™ ?"""''- dangerous aims of these consni,,. . " ''■°"' *"^ finally laid down e r IZ7 T ' ""' '"'^^'•^aries pation havingTost alft. r' ""^"P""' "is occu- thought of Chang ng s S":? !" '■"■' '« "'"' carrying into the snherl„, , ^"^"'^y^ ^"'^ °< instinctfor espionage InH 1''°'"" '"' """^^"""^ colonel FrancS^ha^Sirta LrSl.^'"'^'- man to underestoaTe he Ta :f ^^^^ "^ "°' 'he the master Hif 'n , P"'' " *"' «one ahead of eration^'Twilltint ^nt."''™'^ '''"'^ "-'^- 246 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS He had thought of it. an J he was still under the influence of a prolonged period of meditation, during which he had carefully scrutinized the plan that had been trani^mit^ed to him, when, as wr have seen, he called • » . a:. ,nt Jacqueline Collin, otherwise call.-.' MadrKc de Saint-Esti've, a mm de guerre adopfd by both, which, while serving the formid- abit couple as a mask for their past, left undisturbed the Idea of the near relationship by w!.; Ji they were united. While actively mnr^-ned in many of her nephew's enterprise . Jacqueline C.llin had also had a passably adventurous life of her own, and on the occasion of oneof Vautrin's numerous skirmishes with the law, an examining magistrate one day thus summed up the far from edifying antecedents of his honored aunt, on the authority of memoranda fur- nished by the police, which there is every reason to considtr accurate: " She is evidently a very clever receiver of stolen property, for there is no proof against her. Aft( r the death of Marat, w'lose mistress she was ^-le belonged to a chemist who was sentenced to aeath for counterfeiting in the year Vlll.— 179Q _She api^eared as a witness at hi^ trial. As a result of that cunnection she acquired a dangerous store of knowledge of toxicology. She dealt toilet articles from the year IX. to 1805. She was imprisoned fur two years, in 1807 and 1808, fo, debauching girls under a-e. At that timf you, Jaa ues Collin, were prosecu • for .jrgery; , ou had .eft the banking- house in which your aunt had found a place for you THE DEPUTY FRO.V. ARCIS as clerk, thanks to the ed.,rof: and the patronage she to ? T" '^'^ '"'''^^'^ whose depraved f^stes .h 7'^^ ^''"^ P^^^^'"^ to Since th'e time wh "that IT'''' ^'^^'"^^•" placed before her nephew' fvl^'^P '"^^^^^^ "^^"^ 'lad increased her means of ,^?: Jacqueline Collin again falling into the ctoe 'oMh^,' ""'^"^ '^'' Vautrin abdicated, she had L? '''^' '"^ ^'^^^" ;^te a robe of inn;ce:cet ^1 X^,- --- 'I'm, attained great wealth .h .' , u '^'''"^' "'^e her choice of .>./,n,adtn. ^^^" ^^'•^^^" '" distance from the Sna Co? ?^' "' ' '"^^P^^^ful Windows of an aW S ^^tal?''^ ^ had secretly carried on .fT'^ ^ occupation, she ranean industries to which h' "'°''^- "' '"'^ ^^'^ter- a l^y infernal inteHigt ce' :^%r ?;' " '^^^°^^ -^^^:ra^:x:^^n^^^^ to Madamu de Siint F^« '''"' ^"SBested itself P^vence, and tr^^^TarL'^r ""^'^"'"'^ upon a large scale th„ , ' ""^'"^ designed «rst floor !f one of tsfe^ "'"""" *^ *"* spring from the earth as if h" "f """"'^ *"'* th wand of the Paris an c„trc.r;;!™'"' "'"'' ''>=y are finished-on credit ?h. ^''"°** '"^''^e "P with nants oT^ne sort'^^, .t ^"""'^ '" '•""" With a vK,v „. finding ; 1 ""f^^'^t^nyPnce, ducedtobuvthe.n-iftL K ^ W^" "="" be in- u,»n a dupe' tl ey l*:'!''.'''',''" '° '"''^' '"'" "^n" if. on the contrlrv m^nTl " "'"^l a ^«^, „„^, -terial, they rsafefie'd" ^tlp th:"^ °' ''^'"'^ ^ recoup the money they 248 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS have spent, with a few thousand francs' profit, pro- vided always, that while the house is under con- struction, the speculation is not complicated by one ot those failures which are among the most frequent and least unexpected incidents ot the building trade Lorettes, brokers, still-born insurance companies' newspapers destined to perish in the prime of life' managii . boards of impossible railwa> s, banking- houses where money is borrowed instead of being lent, bureaux of public information which bardy attam for themselves the publicity in which they deal; m a word, every variety of business and under- takmg of doubtful character forms the temporary population of these republics. As they are built for immediate effect, it matters little that, at the end of a few months, as the result of a settling of the walls that mterferes with the play of the windows, of cracks betwe-n the panels of the doors, of yawning fissures in the floors, of leaks caused by the privies and by the pipes for rain-water and sink-water, these card palaces have become well-nigh uninhabitable' that IS the affair of the purchaser, who, after making thorough repairs, is at lU >'rty to make a better selec- tion of tenants and raise his rents. Having entered into possession of her apartment before that period of decadence, Madame de Saint- fcst^ve had procured comfortable quarters at a very low price; and her exertions and her adroit manage- ment soon produced handsome results, to say nothing of the profits of other secret affairs. It is hardly necessary to say that Madame de Saint-Est^ve THE DEPUTY FROM ARCrs ^g considering the charlatan's trick of advertising be- neath her dignity, left I, to her rivals and nev caused the advantages of her c.M,^t to be set forth on he ourth page of the newspapers. This disda „, wh ch showed commendable prndence on her part in v Ivv of the obscure passages of her past, had "uiJed heT to the d scovery of divers inge.Lus manures bv nshrnent m a less vulgar way. in the provinces and even m foreign countries, she had shrewd com mercial travellers, who distributed with due li, crt TlT^'T.*'"" "^ ">' Gaudissart, one of the most remarkable /.affislcs of modern times The vices of an exclusively commercial agency, which m consideration of a very moderate Jn^il, would undertake to select and pXe,Tn Pa":' tunes. Only ,n a humble Nota bine, after a list with trorer;- ^ts^-i"'.^ "«*^ *"* 8° " -^ ■^ asses ri';l'''"'° ""'■ '«»""• «"i"'. and fourth d Sa?n; e"2J ^''IV""'' ^' f""^''"'^' "id Madame de baint-Estive hmt that she was "able bv reason of her connections in the best society, to rrange on" portunities for meeting between unmarried pSs" ' took to'™' *':*'"'^ "^ Saint-EstJve herse'lf un er- took to appeal to public credulity, and her comb - nations were no less clever than varied. She had made a bargain with a liveryman by the terras of which she was to have two or three handsorarcar- r.ages standing at her door for several houTsa mo |i : ": I U -r ;m^t i 250 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS Ss of h H ^^'^^P^''^"-^-^'-' too. pretended clients of both sexes, elegantly dressed and ap- parently .mpatient for an audience, relieved one stant throng; and we can imagine whether, in the conversation of these trusty retainers of th; estab' .shment,who pretended not to know one ano he^ th Virtues and the eminent capacity of Madame de Sa,nt-Est^ve were sufficiently exalted. By means chaHtah."'' 'T'^^-'-^ons for the poor and^or he charitable work of Notre-Dame de Lorette. her to obtain Visits from several priests, who served as guarantors of her moral character and of thelmporf! ance of her matrimonial ramifications. Another shrewd device of hers was to obtain regularly from the market-women a list of all the fashfonable mT nages to be celebrated in Paris, and then to appear at the wedding ceremony, as if she were invUed nchly dressed, with a carriage and servants hus conveying the impression that she was not altogethe? ^r^se"?.' to the union which she honored witlf her • h.?"\'^,7; ''°^^^^''' «" unaccommodating family had rebelled at the idea of serving as a prospe^^ for her. and had treated her somewhat roughly whereupon she had become very cautious in the use of that method, for which she substituted L tr ck n^uch less hazardous and less open to interfere.Ke Haying an acquaintance of many years' standing With Madame Fontaine, for there is a'natural irni^y THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 251 upon pa.sia:^:„r;'a„rr ^rv; ziz s byls arranged matters. In at least eishU es ouJ of ten, where women consult a fortune teller th. --«^. question is at the bottom oT , " r Ssit'/ And 0, when the prophetess informed one Tl e; chents m accordance with the consecrated Lmu a that she would soon be s,n,«ht in marriage by a S or a dark youth, she was careful to add '• Bnt-fh marrrage cannot be brought atK,u. e^ept * ugh the med.um of Madame de Saint-EstJve a wom?„ c Tp" "' '"''""y '^■^"-'""'^ -":": de S inT-E:*/ t h ;Tu 7' ■ "' "''^" "'^"^"'^ r;o„^ ^=>i«-ve, in her turn, was arranmnc a mar- riage, she never failed to say, however little beltef accepted By the way, consult the celebrated Madame Fontaine, Rue Vieille-du-Temple con e n^ ?ds fs E ir' '"r*"'^ "" -Put^^tion w hX cards s European; she never makes a mistake- and If she tells you that ! am making a g J match for you, you can go ahead with perfect Xv - 1/ i^^correctly informed th^rreauntl'd^, 'tpt: rx^fat^rpi-^-^-oXf tions permitted, without calling upon his veneraWe Ml I i If 252 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS tt relative, shrouding his visits in secrecy as far as possible. For many years, whenever anything of serious importance occurred in his life, Jacqueline Collin had been within reach, to give counsel, and often to lend a hand as well. "My dear mother." said Vautrin, beginning the conversation for which he had come, "I have so many things to tell you that I don't know where to begin." "I believe you! it's almost a week since I saw you." " In the first place, it's as well that you should know that I just missed a magnificent stroke." " Of what sort.?" asked Jacqueline. "In the line of my beastly trade; but the game was worth the candle this time. You remember that httle Prussian engraver I sent you to Berlin for.?" "Who counterfeited Bank of Vienna notes so per- fectly.?" said La Saint-Est^ve, completing the de- scription. "Well, not an hour ago, as I was passing a fruit shop on Rue Servandoni, where I had been to see one of my agents who is sick, 1 thought that I recog- nized my man engaged in buying a piece of Brie cheese, which the woman was wrapping in paper for him." "It would seem," observed Jacqueline, "that knowing the banks so well hasn't made him rich." "My first impulse," continued Vautrin, "was to rush into the shop, the door of which was closed THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 253 ^uil vTet oTh;:C^ :- -"-^ ^"t, as , ,«d„. a take. He h h feyes on „ "" "' ™"''"« " ">- that somebody was TalZ" 'PP^I^''^' '« "oti>.ed and zest! he raHnto thJ 7 "" "'™"8h the glass, where I lost slghVof h?™'.'™'"™"^"'^ "-'' ^""P- that Iti:^n"^"r-™f^at long hair and at a hundred yards'" ' ^""^ '"^"ts you ne:^"disruisin'gC;' ,f ■;:"" " -"'"-' duces the most effecfl t, "^ """« '"'t pro- be mighty sure of tea-" Z '"""""'"'■ ' "'^ ™"^t the trfc Jof cos ume,' No hi?/ '^^' ' *° '^^^'^^ to make me popula?." ^ "'' """^ ^° ™"ch shop^'"'" ''" ■'''"i"^"'"'. '■ your man's in the back co:iinSrtr^';'''f-<-; ^-*e land lay,- *ith a passage on one si t! * .? "' P"' °' " "»"■"'« the gate of whi h Jas "l* '"' °' *^ P''^^''^^' which the back shr '^ ' "^ ^ '""»" yard on fellow didn't stav,n'^^h'"T'"'' "^^''^'^^ ^O' '' -"y guarded. A t^Z of a T' ' '"' '" *^ ""s that's a long whlTjl ^™' "'' ""'^ P^'^'^J: into the "hop bu, Tn m ^""'^ *"'«"«• ' looked three personT'ha ^r ''i/^nd^thr °' "'^ ™"'- on them without appearing' to u'^'X^ *"''" :' '" **" *<"*, my boy. one s an Italian, as beautiful a<: fhn ^^ » / "-uy. "«. he has still to say his first word of love to her!" 256 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 'I II (I He's a man who ought to rise high in his art " observed Jacques Collin, " with such contempt for women and such strength of character." "To prove it," replied Jacqueline, "he's just dropped his art to be elected a deputy: he's the man that I told La Fontaine just now that she could have written you something about. I sent my foreigner to her, and she consulted the cards for her about this frigid lover." " But how did you come to know her.? " "Through old Ronquerolles. He went to the sculptor's one day about a duel in which he was one of the seconds, and he saw this treasure of a woman and became all Nucingen over her." " Thereupon you undertook to negotiate for him " "You have it. The poor man had already been wastmg his time for over a month; when I took the attair in hand, I made inquiries: I learned that the beauty belongs to the sisterhood of the Virgin- on that I called on her in the character of a lady from one of the charitable societies ; and just see what uck I had to begin with! the sculptor was away from Pans looking after his election as deputy—" " I am not at all worried about you; and yet for a woman devoted to charity to procure a theatdcal engagement—" "After two visits." continued La Saint-Est^ve, I drew out all her little secrets; that she could not contain herself any longer with that man of marble- that she did not wish to owe him anything, and that' having studied for the stage, she would leave his THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 257 house at once if she had any way of getting an engagement. So one day 1 arrived all out of breaU and told her that one of my friends, a great noble^ man, venerable by reason of his virtues and his years, to whom 1 iiad spoken of her, would undertake to procure an engagement for her; and I asked per- mission to bring him to see her." II That was the proper order," said Collin. n.. f ..''"i ^''! "^^^ ^' suspicious as the devil and not so fully deeded as she said to leave her sculptor she put me off from day to day; at last, to m'ak he go forward, I had to hint to her that she'd better go and consult La Fontaine, which she was very ready to do; but, in spite of the cards, she is st.ll on her guard and the affair is dragging along because she has seen her Chinaman agafn; he'^ been elected and has come back to Paris There's If he should happen to be angry with me for enti- cing a woman away from him, whom he may want perhaps, as soon as he finds that she doesn't want h.m we should have a strong man to deal with; and that selfish old fool of a Ronquerolles, who is Noth- ing but a peer of France after all, wouldn't be the deputy'" ' '^'^'"'' '^"'"'^ *''" ^^^'^' '^ ^ Colli?'' "^'t' °^ ' Ronquerolles." said Jacques Colhn, "isn't the protector your protegee needs- she IS virtuous, and we must let her remain virtuous.' i myself know an eminently respectable man who will procure her an engagement in all seriousness 17 i: i 258 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS i and good faith, and, without any hidden motive, will assure her a glorious future." "You know such phenomenons as that? I shouldn't be sorry to know their addresses; I'd go and leave my card on them." "Very well, Petite Rue Saint-Anne, near Quai des Orfevres: there you'll find one of them whom you know already." " Are you quizzing me.?"» cried La Saint-Est^ve, her astonishment causing a relapse into thieves' slang, which she could speak with much fluency. "No, I am speaking seriously: that woman moved me deeply, I am interested in her, and then 1 have another reason — " Thereupon Vautrin described his overture to Ras- tignac, the intervention of Colonel Franchessini, the mmister's reply, and his transcendent theory con- cernmg his social reclassification. "See how that little hypocrite is trying to teach his grandam! " cried Jacqueline Collin. " He's in the right," replied Vautrin; " the woman was all we needed, and you supply her." " Yes, but it will cost the eyes out of your head." "What is our money for? We have no heirs; you don't feel, I fancy, as if you must found a hos- pital, or prizes for virtue? " "Not such a flat!" rejoined La Saint-Est^ve; "besides, my Jacques, you know very well that I never haggled with you; but there's one difficulty *Pla«cb,s-tu? The verb piancbcr is seldom used, except as a slang syno- nym TOT u moquer, • -j"" THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 259 that I think of; this woman's as proud as the Roman tnat she is, and your damned business—" "You see yourself " said Jacques Collin, ear- nestly . that I must, .1 any cost, get out of a life ^ which there are such insults to be anticipated. But never fear, I am in a position to ward off the one am authorized to make up in any costume I please, and I am a fair actor, as you remember. To-morroN^- 1 can put a rainbow of decorations in my button-hole and take up my quarters in a hotel under any aristo- cratic name that I choose to assume; for so far as the police are concerned the license of the carnival lasts the whole year. I have thought it over already. that Count Halphertius. a great Swedish nobleman fond of music and philanthropy, is interested in her future.- and I will, in fact, give her a house, 1 will hold strictly to the bargain of virtuous disinter- estedness for which you will be my surety; in short. I will become her avowed patron. As for the en- gagement she desires, and which I also desire for her. for my plans for the future require that she should be resplendent and renowned, we should cease to be Jacques and Jacqueline if, with her talent and with money and determination, we should fail to obtain it for her." •'Now we must find out if Rastignac will think that you have kept to the bargain; what he wanted was that Monsieur de Saint-Est^ve, chief of the secret police, should paint his face." 26o THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS Hi: li M Oh! no, old lady! There', n., Saint-E.st^ve anv more, no Jerques Col „o Vautrin, no Tr ImLTa^ Mort, no Carlos Herrera : there i,s a .s r„„, ^T, ^ powerful intellect that offers the governmenl ^n ass.tance: . bring it down from the'Ch b ,i It with a foreign name, and by so doin» f h. only the better fitted for th d'ut's of p'o, i^ral "You are getting on! you are getting on' it's r :w: thak"T t ^™ ™"^' «'* "--* ^ golher yet!" """^ '"" °"' '"" "^ haven't •• That's no difficulty; I have s^en you at work and when you will you can " ' ■• Co'm^'anr^ " """'•" '''" ^'•=0"'''"^. modestly. shSmTso:: ;:g";r" -'* ^'^^^^ - thrtrl """"'"""'" '"'"' '''"">"■ """"'t forget the fruit-woman on Rue Servandoni, Number f. where you are to go and find out somethinr Thf; captu... ,n Which a foreign government sintrested w II h„ve a political perfume which will help materi .lly ;r. b, „g,ng about the result I want to"' > 'I ■'.ve you agood account of the fruit-woman •■ rep hed La Sain.-EstJve; ■• but as to the ot eTmate Ju^Mh^gs^'"""'' ^' ""*" "^ -^'"' -"« "Cart, blanchl" said Vautrin; "I have never found you unequal to any mission, howeverdiS ■t might be; so good-night; I will see you to-mor ow THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 2f The next day Vai.trin : .ce.ved the following r ■ 'n his office Petite Rue Samte-Anne: ' "My Old boy, ; nl;in of nof^In— f 1 . *■ '1' ir ^,irl ich a er in .ccided her self- berg, who fever that here she is in my house begging me t commumcation with my venerable man, whom she to trust herself to, ,/ he's an honorabl ma«, becau esteem won't let her owe anything more'o that , " Your affectionate aunt, "J. C. DE SAINT-ESTEVE." Vautrin replied: " Your nephew and friend, "Saint-Esteve." MICROCOPY RESOIUTION TEST CHART (ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) ^ APPLIED IM/1GE 165J East Main Street (716) 482 - 0300 - Phone (716) 288 - 5989 - Tax I ft ■\ .,'■ i^:!; I ;!ii- Vautrin arrived at lis aunt's at the precise hour he had himself appointed. On this occasion he went up the main staircase and caused himself to be an- nounced as Count Halphertius by the negro, who did not recognize him. Prepared as she was for the metamorphosis, Jacqueline Collin was speechless with amazement in presence of that great actor, who had made himself over from head to foot. His wig a la Franklin had become a powdered Titus; his eye- brows and his whiskers, trimmed en cdtelette, in the style of the Empire, had been dyed a dark brown and formed a striking contrast to the snow on top of his head; and, with false moustaches of the same color, imparted to his naturally ignoble face some- thing imposing and unique, which might, in case of need, be taken for distinction. A high black satin stock gave stateliness to the carriage of his head. In the buttonhole of a blue coat, buttoned across his chest, blazed a ribbon in which the colors of all the famous orders of Europe were blended. A yellow pique waistcoat effected a harmonious transition from the aforesaid coat to a pair of pearl-gray trowsers; patent-leather boots and straw-colored gloves completed this costume, which aimed to be neglige in its elegance; the powder, whose last royal supporters could at that time be counted on one's fingers, denoted the old foreign diplomatist, and (263) 264 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCFS served well as a clever corrective in a costume which, but for that, might have seemed a little juvenile. After a few moments devoted to admiration of his disguise, Vautrin asked: "Is slie here?" " Yes." said La Saint-Est^ve; "the angel wen+ to her room half an hour ago to tell her beads— because she can no longer attend the service of the month of Marie. But she is waiting impatiently for you to call on account of the way I've been sipping your praises all day." • " And how does she feel in your hous^.? Doesn't she regret the course she has taken.?" " Even if she did, she has too much pride to show it; besides, ! have slyly wormed myself into her con- fidence, and then she's one of the determined char- acters that never look back when they've one started." "The best joke is," said Vautrin, "that her deputy, who is much worried about her, has been recommended to me by monsieur le prefet, to help him in his search." " He does care for her, then.?" " He hasn't any love for her, but he considers that he held her in trust, and he's afraid that she may have thought of killing herself or have falle. . the hands of some scheming woman. Do you k..ow, if it hadn't been for my fatherly intervention, he'd have put his finger on the sore.?" " What answer did you give the gull.?" 1 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 265 " Naturally, I gave him little hope; hut I was really sorry not to be able to do any part of what he aoked me; in the fust place, I felt sympathy for him: he's a man of agreeable manners, with an energetic and intelligent air, and 1 am inclined to think tliat messieurs the ministers will not have a very comfortable opponent in him." "So much the worse for him," said La Saint- Est^ve, "he needn't have driven the dear little creature to extremities. By the way! what about this engagement for which you told me that you had already put the irons in the tire?" " fou know what luck is, my old puss," replied Vautrin, unfolding a newspaper: "good or bad, it always comes in gusts. This morning, i)h^: receiv- ing your letter, which told me such excellent neo'S, I opened this theatrical newspaper and I read thesj words: ' The season at the Italian theatre in London, so unpromisingly inaugurated by the lawsuit which has brought to light the pecuniary embarrassment with which the management of Sir Francis Drake is struggling, seems to be very seriously imperilled by the severe indisposition of La Serboni, which is likely to keep her from the stage for an indefinite time. Sir Francis arrived yesterday at the H6tel des Princes, Rue de Richelieu, having come to Paris in search of the two things he needs; a prima-donna and funds. But is not the excellent impresario rc.-.Dning in a circle.'' No funds, no prima-donna; no prima-donna. no funds! Let us hope, however, that he will find a way to escape that dilemma; for In' 266 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS f Sir Francis Drake has the reputation of an honorable and intelligent man, and ail doors cannot remain closed to such a reputation.' " *• Those newspaper fellows know a lot about the world!" said La Saint-Est^ve, with a knowing look; "the idea of doors opening to a man because he is honorable and intelligent!" " Under the circumstances, the remark was not altogether misplaced," replied Vautrin; "for, as soon as I read the article, I fixed myself up as you see me, took a cab, and presented myself at the address mentioned." "'Sir Francis Drake.?' "'I don't know whether he can receive mon- sieur,' said a servant, coming forward as I knocked; a sort of French valet de chambre, who seemed to me to have been stationed there to make the same reply to all comers; 'he is with the Baron de Nucingen.' "I pretended to look through a wallet— in which I allowed him to see a goodly number of bank- notes—for a card which was not there." " ' Well,' I said, with a slight German accent and sprinkling my sentences with an occasional German idiom, ' I am Count Halphertius, of Sweden, Say to Sir Francis Drake that I came to talk to him on business. I am going to the Bourse to give some orders to my broker, and I will return in half an hour.' "That said, in a most aristocratic tone, I returned to my carriage. I had not put my foot on the step. THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 267 when the skirmisher came running after me to say that he had made a mistake, that the Baron de Nucingen had gone, and that his master could receive me at once." "They try to be smart with us!" exclaimed La Saint-Est^ve, shrugging her shoulders. "Sir Francis Drake," continued Vautrin, "is an Englishman, very bald, with a red nose and large, protruding, yellow teeth. He received me with cold politeness, asking me in good French what the business was concerning which I wished to talk with him. " ' As I was breakfasting at the Cafe de Paris a few moments ago,' I replied, ' I read this.' "And I handed him the paper, pointing to the article in que :ion. " ' It is inconceivable,' said the impresario, re- turning the paper, ' how these fellows take liberties with a man's credit!' " • Doesn't the reporter know what he is talking about? are you not in need of funds?' " ' You must understand, monsieur, that 1 should not, in any event, appeal to capital through the medium of a theatrical newspaper.' " ' Very well! In that case, we have nothing to say to each other. I came here to put some money into your enterprise.' " ' I should much prefer,' said the Englishman, ' to have you offer me a prima-donna.' "•I offer both,' I replied, resuming my seat; 'one depending on the other.' li 268 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS " ' A known artist?' inquired the manager " ' Absolutely unknown,' I replied, ' she has never appeared on any stage.' '"Hum! that's very risky,' said the manager, in a conceited tone; ' the patrons of talents in embryo are often sadly deceived.' '"I offer a contribution of a hundred thousand francs if you will simply take the trouble to listen to my nightingale.' •"That would be a great deal for the trouble 1 should take, and very little for the relief of my enterprise, assuming that I am as embarrassed as they say.' " ' Then listen to us for nothing, and if we suit you and you deal honorably with us, I will double the amount.' " ' You speak with a frankness that inspires con- fidence. Of what nationality is the young artist.?' "•Roman— from Rome, a pure-blooded Italian and very beautiful; you can judge my interest in her; I was mad over her just from hearing her sing at a distance in a church. I didn't see her till later.' "'But 1 had an idea that women didn't sing in churches in Italy,' said the impresario." " What of that.?"said La Saint-Est^ve, judiciously, "ain't there any churches anywhere but Italy?" "Exactly," replied Vautrin; "it seemed to me that, to give an air of probability to the character I had assumed and the step I was taking, it would be well for me to exhibit myself in an eccentric light; E a a lias never anager, In n embryo thousand listen to trouble I if of my rassed as f we suit ill double 'ires con- artist?' i Italian terest in her sing her till t sing in iciously, ily?" 1 to me iracter I vould be ■ic light; THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 269 SO I caught on the hound the opportunity to start a r-rman quarrel, in the full sense cf the phrase. •"I observe, monsieur,' I retorted, in a tone that was by no means reassuring, ' that you do me the honor to doubt my word,' "'What!' said the Englishman, in amazement, ' why, nothmg was farther from my thought.' " ' It is quite clear, however,' I replied; ' I say to you: "I heard the signora sing m a church;" you say to me: "Women don't sing in churches in Italy;" the plain implication being that I did not hear her.' " ' But you may have heard her in some other country!' '"You ought to have thought of that,' I contin- ued, m the same belligerent tone, ' before making your extraordinary remark. However, I see that we cannot ag.ee; the signora can wait till the opening of the Theatre-Italien here in Paris, in October; artists have a much better chance to make themselves known there; so I have the honor to salute you, Mon- sieur Drake.' "And that time I acted as if I really intended to go," "A pretty rCle prettily played!" said La Saint- Est^ve. In all the most hazardous enterprises that the aunt and nephew had undertaken in common, they had always paid special attention to the artistic side. " To cut the story short," said Vautrin, " my man being thus brought to book, we parted after agreeing IJO THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS •I ,' t to the following terms: Three hundred thousand francs to be put into the business, fifty thousand francs salary for the balance of the season, assuming that her voice is satisfactory; and, in order to give Sir Francis Drake an opportunity to form an opinion of her talent, 1 made an appointment for to-morrow at two o'clock, at Rape's, where he will be, with two or three friends whom I authorized him to bring. We shall seem to be there to buy a piano. 1 said, still for the sake of appearances, that the young woman might be frightened by the solemnity of an appointment made for the purpose, and that in that way we should be surer of hearing her at her best." "But look you, my boy," said Jacqueline, "a hundred thousand crowns is a lot of money!" " Just the amount I received from the estate of poor Lucien de Rubempre," rejoined Vautrin, in- differently. " Besides, 1 have thought it all over. With plenty of money Sir Francis Drake may have a very good season; my secretary, Theodore Calvi, — See The Last Ittcarnation of Vautrin, — who is devoted to me in life or death, is thoroughly at home in finan- cial matters; I have stipulated that he shall be treas- urer, and he'll keep an eye on my contribution. Now, there is only one thing that disturbs me: Sig- nora Luigia made a deep impression on ma, but I'm no connoisseur, and artists may perhaps form an en- tirely different opinion from mine." "Artists have passed judgment on her, my chicken, and her sculptor didn't think of letting her go till he had had one Jacques Bricheteau hear her sing — an I r\" THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 271 organist here in Paris and a musician through and through; they were at Saint-Sulpice with you the night of your chase, and the organist said-these are his very words-that the woman has sixty thousand francs in her voice, wiienever she chooses to take it " "Jacques Bricheteau!" said Vautrin, "why I know him: there's a man of that name employed in one of the departments at the prefecture," " In that case," said La Saint-Est^ve, " it's your nightingale's fate to be protected by the police!'' "No," said Vautrin, "1 remember; this Jacques Bricheteau is a health inspector who has just been thanked for meddling in politics. Well," he added "suppose we proceed to the presentation? The evening is getting on." Jacqueline Collin had no sooner left the room to summon Luigia, than there was a great uproar in the reception-room adjoining. Almost at the same mo- ment the door suddenly flew open, and, notwith- standing the desperate resistance of the negro, who had strict orders to admit no one that evening an individual entered, whose arrival was inopportune at least, if it was not altogether unexpected. Despite his insolently aristocratic bearing and expression the newcomer being surprised by a stranger in such violent behavior, was plainly embarrassed for a mo- ment, and Vautrin was charitable enough to make his situation even more humiliating by saying to him, with true Teutonic good-nature: " Is monsieur a great frier ' -f Madame de Saint- Est^ve.?" ^!q 27-2 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS f J i ! :! tM " I have something very important to say to her," replied the intruder, " and that servant's such a fool that he can't tell whether she's at home or not." " I can certify that she is not," rejoined the pre- tended Halphertius; " I have been waiting for her more than an hour past tlie time she appointed. She's a mad creature, and I think she's at the tiieatre, for the negro told me her nephew sent her a ticket." "Whenever she returns, I must speak to her," said the new arrival, taking an easy-chair and install- ing himself therein. " I shall not wait any longer," said Vautrin. He bowed and prepared to leave the room. At that moment La Saint-Est^ve appeared. Warned by the negro, she had put on a hat and ti.,:wn a shawl over her shoulders, to make it appear that she had just come in. " Well, upon my word!" said she, feigning aston- ishment, "Monsieur de Ronquerolles at my house, at this time of night!" "The devil take you for shouting my name like that!" said her client, in an undertone. Vautrin retraced his steps to take part in the comedy, and said, as he approached the marquis, with the most obsequious air; "Monsieur le Marquis de Ronquerolles, peer of France, and formerly an ambassador! I am charmed to have passed a moment with so well-known a statesman and so accomplished a diplomatist." He bowed respectfully, and again started for the door. i n li 712 DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 273 What, baron, are you goiiiR?" cried La Saint- Est^ve, trying to assume the tone and manner of a dowager of Faubourg Saint-Germain. "Yes; monsieur le marquis has much to say to you. I will return to-morrow at eleven o'clock, but be prompt." " Very well, to-morrow at eleven," said La Saint- Est^ve; " I can tell you, by the way, that your matters are progressing finely, you are altogether reconciled to your bride that is to be." Vautrin bowed again and left the room. "Who is that original.?" asked Ronquerolles. "A Prussian baron 1 have found a wife for " re- plied La Saint-Est^vc. "Well," she added', "is there anything new thu^ you are so determined to speak with me?" "Yes, and something you ought to know! The girl left the sculptor's house this morning." "Nonsense," said Jacqueline, "who told you " My valet, who has talked with the charwoman." " Aha! it seems that there are several of us at work," said La Saint-Est^ve, grasping the oppor- tunity to pick a quarrel. "Well, my dear woman, you don't make any progress; here it is nearly a month since the tlfinc was begun — " "You seem to think that such things are just tossed into a mould, and that Italian women are made of tinder like your Parisian lorettes; and you're so generous, too!" 18 274 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCfS iH m i ' i\ !1 r ' ( ! lii tious expenses!" "' you undertook to obtain ?" ^"fe^gement expressly tor that foolish creature? If she had h»„„ w ng to ™ake her debut at the Operar "" There's a Theatre-ltalien in London if th.r. doesn't happen to l« one in Paris at tl°is 1™^ an^^the manager is here now. ,„„,i„g ,Z ZX^ "I saw all that in the newspapers- but I shnniri My httle father, a man wants a woman or he doesn' want her. Esther had been onTe sLt tile Italian is as beautiful as she ever was TnH 1 . z:::rr''"r -"'-' «-r;o: h^ tt: thousand-franc ;iotes that you've treated ,.^ t„ T! are they to mal^e so much'^uss about '.' ' yes'orlV';''" ""'"'''"" *^ "^8°'-*" '" me, ^n'h^j'ru^TTsLrhJi^'yrhrrr^ overlooked by your valet Vd hi ! ,. ^^'"^ ■-y your vaiet, I d have told you to apply •i-HE DEPUTY FROM ARCrS 275 engagement somewhere else; I don't work on the double lay nni' ^fr^T ^"' '^'' ^°y' ^°"'^ y^" have found vanity?'' ' '"'' '°" ^°"' >"^" °"^ '^^g ^f "Did he tell you the rest?" ;' What do you mean by the rest?" said the mar- quis, quickly. " Why, who took the bird from its nest, and what cage IS t in at this present hour of this day?" "Why, do you know?" " If I don't know, I suspect." citl7^" "'^' ^^''"■"' ^''^'^ Ronquerolles, greatly ex- "You know ail the lions, youn/^ and old, of the Parisian menagerie, and you mu' ,ave heard of Count Halphertius, a Swedish nobleman, tremen- dously rich, who's just landed here." I' This is the first time I ever heard the name." " You must ask your valet about him, he'll tell "Nonsense! don't play cunning; you say that this Count Halphertius.?— " " Is music-mad, and woman-mad ^ la Nucingen " "And you think that Luigia has flown in that direction?" " I know he's been fluttering round her; he went so far as to make me some magnificent propositions, and if you hadn't had my word—" virtud" °^ ''°"''^' ^°" ^'^ ^ '^""^ °^ '"''' ^""^'^^^ 276 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 11 F.i7°"/^''' '^ *^^* ^^y' '^^ y^"'"' said La Saint- Est^ve, feelmg in her pocket and producing a wa let well filled with bank-notes; 'MM. give^ou b k your money, my boy. and beg you to clear out.'' ure.'^r^nr?;/'°"''"''' y'"" wrong-headed creat- ure- replied the marquis, as she handed him three thousand-franc notes; "you know very well that ! don't take back what I have given." " And I don't keep what 1 haven't earned You Count Halphertms; I am the one who carried off your beauty; indeed, she's concealed here in my with tr^' "T ''r°"°" '"^^"'"g ' ^-"d her off with the Swede to London, where I've got hold of a magnificent engagement for her." " Oh, no! oh, no! I don't think you are capable of deceivmg me," said Ronquerolles. mistaking fo sarcasrn the truth which was discharged at h m point-blank n that guise; -'we are old acquai ^ ances. you know. Come, take back these notes and ten me frankly what you think of the comDe: tition of this rich foreigner." ^ "Why I have told you: he's a man who's rich enough no to stick at any sacrifice, and I know he's had several talks with Madame Nourrisson." Then It was that old carcass from whom you learned all these details.?" ^ ''Madame Nourrisson is my friend," said La Saint- Est^ve, with dignity; "we may both be trying to fn?ii '. T' "^'^'''' ^"' ^^'''' "° •■^^^0" for speak- ing ill of her in my presence." 1 il THE D . TY FROM ARCIS 277 " But did shs te.l you where this Count Haloher- tius hves?" demanded the marquis, impatiently. No; but I know he was to start for London yes- terday; that's why I wall^^ '^ *° ^^^' ' ^"^ passionately devoted to art "t r s : "r "'' ""' ^°^^""' ^« ^^' ~ '• Tha; i J .r ''"■^ ^^'"* *^'^"*' "Madame!" That .s something to be ascertained later if F\,m fortunate enough to appear =n public.'' ' ' "" rou can appear whenever vou will i h. seen the manager of the Italian [heatre L r L. we have agreed that he is to he^ar' yoTrmor"; I am very grateful for all that you have been )f the apart- to the room I overheard id Vautrin. 'eak in the few days; 'ery nearly ?d to her." La Saint- 1 the beau- Halpher- vorkers to ctful tone, !s me that ffairs." -d you to latters of It facility 5d to art, vance its lame!" ', if I am I have London; orrovv." /e been THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 279 kind enough to do; but. before I accept your services It IS necessary that we should have a very frank understanding." "Frankness is most agreeable to me," replied Vautrin. ^ " I am a poor, deserted creature," continued Lui- gia; "people say that I am passably good-looking, and, at all events, I am young; I am obliged, there- fore, to respond with some distrust to all rhe kindly assiduities of which I may be the object. In France I am told, such assiduities are very rarely disinter- ested." " I can answer for the disinterestedness," said Vautrin; "but, as to keeping tongues from talking, that I won't answer for." " Oh! as to tongues wagging, we must make up our mmd to that," said La Saint-Est^ve; " monsieur le comte's age won't prevent gossip, for a younger man is more likely to be interested in a woman with- out having designs on her. In Paris the old fellows are all rascals." "I have no designs," said Vautrin; "if I have the good fortune to be useful to the signora, whose talent I esteem above all else, she will allow me to be her friend; but if I should fail in due respect, she Vill be independent, by reason of that very talent and she can turn me out of her house like a maid who steals from her." " Do I understand, Monsieur le Comte, that you have been kind enough already to interest yourself in obtaining an engagement for me?" 28o lai !■ ') ^ .(111 ' u THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS >» "It is as good as made," said Vautrin- " vou ar. to 5,ng to-morrow, and if your voice rteaLs Zl manager of the Italian theatr^e of Lon on'y .are o hav fifty «,„,, , ,„^ ,,,^ ^^^, ^^ ^ . y- a e to hapsl'^He^'^e^taT' If;?*'^''^''-^ ••''"«• per. tea;"\:ii",S;:^*,«-!;-/-.-^ BricHe- sixty thousand francs in y^ur voi e" yo^ .'vrbet robbed of ten thousand." ^ " " Oh! I am not at all worried about his aereeina in those and she can give her whole mind to her rWes " As Vautrm said: •■ but to make him pay the fifiv thousand francs promptly is another mat er •• he had found a way to touch his aunfs foot un™ iced She mstantly grasped his meaning "™«iced. "For my part, I believe that he will oav h.r w* us, ray dear count; it isn't every day he finds ftancs t:s°ecu:-a"* '" *" *"^ ^-^-d'thoufand rrancs to secure an engagement." ''What, monsieur," Luigia 'exclaimed, "such a sacrifice to make my engagement possible' could not thmk of allowing— " ^^^^ : "you are 3leases the . you are to le season." " but, per- 5s Briche- at you had )u've been agreeing to lave sung him pay say he is drawn by nt-Est^ve ' have to attend to Jrr61es." the fifty ter," he inoticed. pay her fail out he finds housand i I s TB£ FUTURE DIVA The success of the trial surpassed Fautrin's hopes, and all those who were present zvere unanimously in favor of Luigia's immediate engagement. Indeed, if Sir Francis Drake had had his way, the con- tract would ;.ave been signed on the spot, and the artist zvould have set out that very day for London. 'such a I could Pii"i«iww»-j»p'w a8o THE DEI to sing to-morrow, ;. :i8 ftaija nave liuy tnuusan' • " It is Hke a dr- haps, whet? - » h- * of tfje sea^ "; " bui^ per- gjvr K \\a iV^^riy-iV 'Mt""' "" agreeing tu ' ' but to uiv:in p;omp»v sorT)eshr^-d-i!,citorwho.u., ^ "^^ ■'rc/r my ran, I belw^'t; that he \v^ , pron,,.tly," ,s»id She; •■' ■: ,«',„, all out With U.S, rnv d*'!r rnnr.; i , ^ * y -'^ " '-'^' ".:-.y day he finds J. ounured thnu«'ir..i francs to sec : m "W '■ "such a - III pu,«iDie.» i cotild not think of ■:■■ ^ '■^'ou are - .i had J've been [reeing to ive sung him pay c. \\ her out H; Finds lousa nd i cauid Co/>y>-ishl. ,8gS, by lieors^ Bar He ^- Son^ !'■ I 1 1 nr th y< in fe; m THE DEPUTY FROM ARCS jj, trin ^'lou'Llff '"' ^lSaint-Est6ve." said Vau- trin. you talk too much; I take no risk. I have looked mto the affair, and at the end of the season r am sure of a profit; besides that. , am^Vr/ "h am a widower, with no children, and. even i i :e^trttr°^^^^"^°-^''-"'^"'i^-^ Itaiia?'* iTannnt"" "'^'''"''' "^^"'"^"^'" ^^'^ the Italian I cannot consent to such madness." afr^a,d of bemg compromised if I come to your assist- " In Italy monsieur le comte. cicisbm are a res- u r ,nst,tut.on. and so long as there is nothTng really wrong ,n the relation, not much heed is given to appearances; but I cannot accustom myself to the Jdea of your nskmg so large an amount of'^money for smalf thrr' '''"'"^ '*' ^""^ ^°"^' ^"t the risk is so small, that your engagement and the three hundred thousand francs are not necessarily connected in mv mmd. and I shall still advance L Zey oZ manager, even if you refuse." ^^ "Come my dear love,"'said La Saint-Estdve you rnust make up your mind to accept this obli- CVlt^lr' "^'P'"*'"^^ you unde^sta that if thought you would be carried beyond what you think right and proper. I wouldn't lift my fi^' m the matter. Go and talk it over with yo'^r on. fessor, and see what he says." "I would speak to him in Italy; but in France I If 1 5 2&2 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCrS » (• woMli not consult him about a theatrical engage- " Come, signora." said Vautrin. in a most benevo- lent to,u '. th nl< of your .„ tistic career; how fair an opening ,s before you! And when ail the news- papers m Europe m talking of the divine Luigia some people will be well served for having failed to appreciate so great an artist and to maintain friendly relations with her!" "^"uiy Vautrin was too keen a student of human nature not to have calculated the probabk effect of th s a us.on to the secret wound in the Italian's hea The^^poor g.rl's eyes sparkled, her breath came ''Monsieur le comte." she said, in a solemn tone. can 1 have confidence in you?" "The more surely, signora, because, if I am ex- pendmg so much money, I am not above seekm. certain little favors for myself." ^ "Which will be?" inquired'the Italian "That you will be a little kind to me," replied Vautrin. "that the wuMd shall deem me to be even more fortunate than I am. and that you wiH do no h,ng to deprive me of that gratifica'iion o my self-esteem, with which I will be content " "I do not understand very clearly," said Luigia with a contraction of the eyebrows ^ ' La Saint-Esteve; " my friend doesn't wish to be ndiculous. and if. while he had all the appearance of being your protector, you should make up w^t' vour THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 283 deputy or take it into your head to fall in love he ~:.f"^^-^yP-tty figure, as you c^^^^^^ "I shall be nothing more to monseur," said Lu.g,a. "than a grateful and devoted friend but to th" man" I "^ T'"'''' ^° ^"^^ '''^^' ^P^- X to f,e man to whom you refer ; I did not break w.ch^hnn, dear madame, without thinking cLetny S.!lJp^A^^'* i"' ^°" '^^' '"y P^t'" rejoined La Samt-Est^ve displaying her profound insight into the human heart, "that the man with whom a woman cnes out that it's all over is sometimes the most dangerous." "You speak from the French standpoint, ma- dame." said the Italian. ''You will allow me. then, to come to-morrow and nnnh/°" '" .*'' ''^^''-^^^ ^ith this manager.^ Doubtless you know several of the r6les in his list?" know all Malibran's rdles and Pasta's "' re- plied Luigia. who had been studying for two years with mtense earnestness. "years " And the night will not bring you evil counsel?" queried Vautrin, slyly. "There is my hand." said the Italian, with artless rankness; "I do not know if bargains are sanc- tioned so in France." ''Ah! diva J diva/" cried Vautrin, with the most grotesque imitation of the accent of a dilettante And he touched his lips to the lovely hand 'that was held out to him. ^ * 284 THE DFPUTY FROM ARCFS for Of LuiRia-s 'n,L'isr\:zz7ri:^ ': HerMm^<:fu\- -n * " ^ ^^^ London, where .n.o .he onager's financial positlcfl.llX'"' a"" iZsitr^^^^^^^^^^^^^ at one time determined to "lute l?" ',' "'' a condition of tl,e diva's AiZ "" '""^^ SafnU':.r;e: "" '"^ "'"* °' ^•^'«"«' -^^ -■« *» La vcnmg, I snail be in Pans once morp u/ith c- Franc s Draif*^ i« +u ^ ^'t" S r p™..eer :• .1- 1-r : -?---; lorette, but handsome things, in good taste and not tly past, we ve intended "ige turns, rin's hopes, limously in t- Indeed, fie contract i the artist ion, where P its doors ion. But, r, Vautrin he matter y^ his sec- 'esario, in 'f looking :loseIy. t to with- case the m favor- n he had 10 longer lid to La n in the vith Sir that our sensical g out a and not THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 28; Showy-things that won't offend the signora's sense of refinement; in a word, such things as you would get for your daughter, if you had one, and she was to be married. You will be sure and order dinner for fifteen at Chevet's, for the same 21st The guests, who will be enlisted by your client Bixiou, will be, m the first place, all the big men of the press; then yourself, that goes without saying as mistress of the house, but dress quietly. I beg you' wear nothing startling. We must also have an in- telligent solicitor to look after the form of the docu- ments before they are signed, and a pianist to accompany the diva, whom we will have sing some- thing after dinner; you must accustom her before- hand to the idea of giving all those dispensers of renown a taste of her powers. Sir Francis Drake and myself will make up the fifteen. 1 need not tell you that your friend. Count Halphertius, having no house m Paris, gives this dinner at your house, and everything must be of the best and daintiest, so that It will make much talk." Having given these instructions, Vautrin entered his post-chaise; he knew La Saint-Est^ve well enough to be sure that his orders would be executed intelligently and punctually. When Vautrin, in designating Bixiou to his aunt as the person who would enlist the guests for her dinner, referred to him as her client, this is what he meant by the title with which he distinguished him Among the hidden springs serving as feeders to the constantly increasing fortune which Rastignac had 286 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS not disdained While c^l*f "'""^Hending was merchandise the ^H^" *« ™ney is an article of '■y ia», thrpr'::iC : r e^j-'S"'^ "'-' *here are he foolfwh '^ '1""°' ** ^"^'''=''' "" be caught in thn 7'"'' """^ 'hemselves to ™n cafnnXd Sre^.Tl^--' '^ does not agree wifh a^.-^* 7»o"ere s /, ^^.^^-^ ^^ Always, Jm i:^'Ltt;^rTa.""' """^ "^^^ pose between the r T.™ 5' *''"'" P"'"^ '" '"'«- intermeddlgofthTlaw Thr" "k".*^ ^^»«™' of ago-betwfen, iHo^steur mZT "' ""'' ""^'^^ free and easy e„ZZT^ ^ ' "'"^^ extremely frequently to credt^!/"/''?™ "> l^^ve recourse business reiati^r^ith ttte'S '"^n'r '" monkey-like skill in .^ 1 "^ ^°"'"' and by his peciaily' those whih Stl"/ "^^^"'"' - amid the obscuHtv in l^u ^ °^ '"*^'"^^t to her he had La y vvle/hif.'^ One day, finirhtself naWe^o' '' "'^ ^"''*^^- was to be presLed on th. f ,^'^'"'*"^h'^^ resolutely v 'nturTd^to^h^og^^^^^^^^ '^ '^' effect the miracle of a renewal in h ' "^'"^ *° La Saint-Est^ve was W T ^" ^'^^ '"^^^^st. lis a' regime, it lending was ts have gone n article of operly fixed 'de offer no Vautrin's, vaded; but ?mselves to ons? The <4vare who urers have IS to inter- vexatious :ind offices extremely s recourse volved in md by his ^ries, es- st to her d herself, creditor. >te which ', he had loping to interest, md, Uke itleness. mself to fortune, THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 287 transaction"^, £twl ZZT,""nt°'"'' "'""''' acTPnf Ho, • ^^" ^"^ artist and the matrimonial of fh!' . K?^ "° <^onception of the real characte he made her laugh, and because, from t^me to t^. in his days of desneratinn h. ''""\^'"^e to time, her to the extPn/J f ' ""'^^^^'^ed in moving as to make h™ pay with his life ior his impertinen am,l,ar,t,es and the interest on his loans. ^pl^Z that conclusion, which hv fh^ „ „ cnumg probable, Jacqu'eiinfcol' dTo^VrirtoTlir the jovial Chatterer in the trade o fe t whi"h e practised in such superior fashion; and of te^ Jo wrthout h,s suspecting it, she gave him parte to' pTav iCtion^ t;^"S ^rthtr *^ '"^ caricaturist bec^e a^ondV^ly conventf to'^^ u'^ici^vluld^h" *^'' '^™«^ '™' ^'' -"- y publicity would be given to the appearance of ConnV sio? oTihr" *' '''"'""' ''°"™' -« to hi?p™: sion for the smger, as well as to the great sacrifices overtLrh '"' '" ""■ " ^'^°""' '^ -i "ho- over, that, by reason of his universal acquaintance HPi ^11 Hme 288 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS with writing, singing, drawing, eating hish-livina and swarming Paris, no one was so wel S Is h^ to muster the contingent of the trumpete rf fame whose presence Vautrin desired. ' On the 2ist, promptly at seven o'clock in the rlTf M *' «""'^ ''"'''''<'"<■ named by Des- roches to Maxima, pins Desroches himself were as embled m the salon on Rne de Provence when ,4 negro announced Sir Francis Drake and Hfs Excel lency Count Halphertius, who did not w^h his n'm- mentioned first. The Swedish noblemTnt costae was aultlessly correct: black coat and trowsers whrte the r X '". ""'*' "''''• ^8^'"^' *hich Jt^Z the ribbon of an imaginary Order of Nichan whkh ZLT^o h"' :T- "'-^ *^' decoSs w^r tad not d '^'^'^"«°"-h<'te by little chains, but he had not dared to nsk the star embroidered on the coat, vulgarly called a crachat. At the first glance he cast upon the assemblage Vautrin was disgusted to see that Madame de Saint' than hi, '"' f"' '"*'"^' '''' '''" mrep„we?u; than his special and express request, and a slcies green and yellow turban, in which she seem^S h vecaltedflfhr' '*"'°"^ ^PP--"-- woud thrtre'r:^,thr;:/r:rrdtr carried out obtained forgiveness foT the unseed v lal^t'-he'"'*':' "" '"^ o'"" hand, d es^d ^'^ Clack, as her custom was, and having had th» „J^ «nse to decline the services of a hair", w^ had tried in vain to meddle with what he calfed^h^ Lllj THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 289 disordered condition of her hair. Luigia was royally beautiful, and by a sort of melancholy gravity in which her whole presence was enveloped, impelled a sentiment of respect which greatly surprised the men to whom Bixiou had represented her as a pe son within their jurisdiction. The only guest specially introduced to Vautrin was Desroches, whom Bixiou words "^^ to him in these jocose but emphatic '' Maitre Desroches, the most knowing solicitor of modern times!" As for Sir Francis Drake, a fact that might lead us to suppose that he was really a little less contemptu- ous thari he wished t appear of the influence of theatrical newspapers, when employed in stimulat- ing capitalists, was that he proved to be acquainted with Fehcien Vernou and Lousteau, both of whom were connected with that secondary class of journals and with whom he shook hands warmly. Before dinner was announced. Count Halphertius felt called upon to make a little speech, and after talk- ing for a moment in an undertone with Signora Lui- gia, whom he had had the good taste not to approach until some time after his arrival, he said, apparently addressing his aunt, but raising his voice sufficiently to be heard by the whole party: " Dear Madame, you are really a marvellous crea- ture to introduce me, on my first appearance in a Parisian salon, to examples of all that is most dis- tinguished in literature, art, and business. I, who am a mere savage of the North.-although our country m II w 290 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS and confused, and T„ Ch ^;?""'^'-' ™ stashed press ™y i^^easu'rablertltid'e';""' ""' ""^ *° - ca; addition ext'e^Sd'-L'rlf^^tr' ""°" "'""'- soverli^tcClTiTiV--"'™' "*'" -' ^^^ed .h ".TooTsT/ 1,:";:: f„r '^ ^ '"""' *"■' °i--<' Lt ^o.-nfc If ^"'^ announced dinner ;'Are things fixed to suit you?" nght, S butlhlrdevi'li'sT"^*''"* ''""' '» "^ ^" yours Which Stet^'tSrr.^"^^" •"'^^" »' face?-;,::':::'" iff^"^"-^ ■•-'"> -y J^-ese something oriental suit^l" '" ■'"'-"'' ""'e La Safnt-Es ve se ,^^ S^p"""' Desroches at her rtohf V * """' '^'"'^^ and of the tabi: on the ''n„ ?'"•■ '"*'"2='* *^ «""« Emile Blondet of the /??, ^ ' '"'"' "''^ """"ed by had Theodofe Gail ard ™ H ■ T." "^ '^ ^"'8'^' ^^o five thousand subs h L™ rth?"!'^!/ *"^ '"^'y- that shrewd b.min^cc -^ ""^"^^ managed by THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 291 occasion to exhibit in the brilliant light of the triclin- .um the jovial boon-companions who were the e assembled; but on those occasions they were not all muzzled as they now were. On behalf of La Sa nt- Est^ve, B.xiou had requested all the guests to venture upon nothmg which could offend the chaste ears of the devout Italian. Being compelled to keep ose watch upon themselves, all those men of greater or ess w.t and brilliancy, as a famous critic faythad food and dr.nk, which was of the best, they talked to drft'lnroH "'"''""' " ^"°"^^ '^' ----^'•- to drift mto bourgeois commonplaces. Thus they ate and drank with deaf ears, so to speak; but they did not really d.ne. Unable to endure such a condition of affairs, Bixiou determined to provide himself at La" WE T>'"'^'' ^"^'^''^^ generaTtofpor La Saint-Estdve's intimacy with a great foreign nobleman had not failed to set his mind at work; he had also been impressed by a certain awkwardness self th 'r'/ '''"''" " ^'''' ^"^ ^^^ -'^ to hir^! se f that a true gentleman would have some way of infusing such a party with some life, at less expense Desiring to test his man, therefore, it occurred t^ him about the beginning of the second course, to put him to the question concerning Sweden. *' You are too young, monsieur le comte " he cried from the lower end of the table, "to 'have known Gustav III., whom Scribe and Auber have celeH^ated in opera, and who has given his glorious name to one of our galops?" lit Hi ■msS' S ; 1 Eli I! j n ii 292 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS " I beg your pardon," replied Vantrm • - opportunity thus afforded him ^TaZ' T^ '^' years old. which would mak^me th . '-'^ "^*>' when our beloved .nl *'^"'*^^" '" ^792, Of the .ssa^ttS r sTL?;- "^ *^ "^^ those days well." ' '^" remember Thereupon the chief of the serrrt n„i to avoid the ambuscade with the »"/'"'""''''' volume entitled C/Sar^SjJli^T"*""" "' ' of Sweden, published n„ """*'" "^ «" Court thus Bert and which he TT""*' '" "°«' "^ A'- book-stall since hi, S^.u P"'""^"* "' ^n old even better La Z . '"""■"""<"•■ He did started upon' a text wtth"r'K.'""P'^ *^»^ '» "^ hibit himself a hs*3t^f,''^'^'^™"-r, 'oex- open, he showed ,ch an 1 h" "' '"" ^P'«»* '^ information concerning le^"'."'' °' '^"'"'"' country, gave so manv T ^ '"""^^ of his - -anylnteresting 4 "Tnfn"? ' *'^"^' *"" 'elation to the famous ^IrfSt'K.r'"^ '" >"• emancipated his tS,e f '.'^f °"^'- accurate and so interestinc th . ' *^^ ^° table EmileBlondet'rd'rBS.^^ '"^^ '^^ *= this m fr a;:.cZractr^se'°"? """* P^"^""" ^X first; but, not only wis the H '"'"'"°"' '° ""^ "' but the man knows h r 'of"t[ ' .'""^^'^ ^*"' possible to learn it frl book' V'" "' " '^ ™- man of verv »ond f,„i _. "* '^ certainly a time, a mos' flrertfni'^atif .""^ ''' '"^ '"-- all he has told us.- ^ '^ "''""'* ""''' "' ^de of THE DEPUTY FROM ARCrS 293 Shortly after they had taken their coffee, Sir Francs Drake. Vautrin. and Desroches went Lo a Tides C't^ "" "'°"' ^'^'^ ''^ P-t-rship articles and the engagement of the prima donna were discussed. All the clauses being agreed upon Vautnn summoned the ./.. to affix he^r Jgnat-e ' He s a sly fox." said Desroches to Bixiou as he came from the conference. '-He must be enor' rnous.y rich, he counted out to the Englishman on the spot three hundred thousand francs in bank- notes; and when I suggested inserting in the eneaee- ment a rather stif. rticle relative to 'he payment'of the saary. for Sir Francis Drake has t'heTeputa tion of not paying just on the dot, as Leon de Lora says.-our gentleman objected to a written manifes- ta U3n of distrust, whence I conclude that he has ob- he won't hi"' ''/'t'"^ '*'^"^" ^' y^'' '-' that he won t be sorry to have her in his power, as a result of her pay being in arrears." ';Did he say anything about your fees?" said Bixiou " I told La Saint-Est^ve that men of bus ness of your stamp didn't put themselves out for the soup and boiled beef, but that there must be parsley round the dish." "Look!" said Desroches. taking from his pocket an oblong gold box very richly chased. " As I was .that had placed my snuff-box of Irish horn, worth about ten francs, on the table at my side, interrupted rne to ask me to pass it to him. When I had read the papers through. I turned to take a pinch, and ■i* »*t THE DEPUTY FROM aRCIS l;;re'i^^-^'^ - P'- of ., box, Which had dis- worth a nore^J::"!:,:'' .;^'^'"' ""'"' "'^' "'^ .i"ue?DL'och:s ™L?™r' '"^ "''■^'^•""■-•■' - am the «aine by'the c anl" TT"''' '""'"'■■ ' ' able relic the s„,,ff h ?'. " P°""' " ™lu- tors.' •' "'*"'""' "' 'he Napoleon of solici- Will cuitLt^thTa Vuli^:^^/;^ Whatf -'^'^^^ ' Suppose I do his picture fo7one'of ^ ," ''"" ''^■ oi Charivari?" '" °"^ "' ^e early numbers "You must find ouf fircf ■,( i French to enjoy seeing hil,f in ! " f "^'''■^"*'>' Desroches. ^ ^ ^ '" caricature." said At that moment, the notes nf c «; denth nf « ^ ^ romanza du Saule with a ^epth of expression that moved the u/hm. blage profoundly, although the tl n T f ^''''"• an areopagus of'critics Cg d n d ^t-W? H"^^^ of which no one of them had nar ^ ^ '''"""' Emile Blondet, who was Tooll 'P"''"^'>'' thinker rather than a m.l 1 "P°" "' " P^"'*''-'^' prised to find iSf bern^tr'-'T ""' ^'^ ^"^- to be sure, he bea it ?a slv burn " '"''"^'^^"^' none the less eviden Whin the n j'f '"'°''°" "'^ at an end, P.i.en Vernr^d^L^^^ ^^u^^^ THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 395 "You must be a great villain to engace such ;,n artiste tor fifty thousan.l fr.n • ''"*'^*^^ ^"^" an bread'" ^"ousand francs, a mere crust of "She frightened me' " s;iiH [^ c^- ^r-., Viiitrin ;.. , '^^ Saint-Est^ve to , Jh J , "^"""g™. '" which this terrible creat- ure had played the principal rSle; in which she had driven a wretched girl mad by causing he to ^ taken to a ho..,se „f prostitution in pursL.ancc of an c-rn^r^onrrK^^^^^^^ tmued to display amid the praise th^t was showered upon her from all sides. Accustomed as t y w e to the unreasoning conceit and impudent pretensTons sts were overpowered by the humility and simplici y of this empress, who seemed artlessly astounded by the effect she had produced. By [ few words lip m f n a ■■'i V. i1 1 1 i 296 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCfS adroitly addressed to each of fh^o heard cross the °hLf?"'"'? ^'""' *""" be equivalent .o:t,snutt.:x,t;;r with Si? Fr^nci ' D a,f " To T'T" f"'' '"' Madar.e de Saint-EsT^ve took 7' " '"''"*"'*'^' engage a lady's maid and ^o, / P'e"utio„ to custorn ^^en's,eZ%uT^r:Z::s "si"'"' careful to select a rpsnprt.M " ,^'^^"^^' she was tius furnished a pro?^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^""t Haipher- was keenly apprecild ,^ "'''■''*'^"^^^' ^'^''^h quite trnp fh;; ^ announced, and it was Pat. reTeV^^;"^^-- detained hLl^ enough to adjif list's L': wZ '' '"^"^^^ six weeks, to make a flyii ' "1 tT / """"^^ °^ to enjoy the triumph of whic^he no"fn'"' '" "'^^ tained any doubt and nf h- u . '°"^^'' ^"^^r- himself upon bein/th/"' ^' congratulated pon bemg the ong.nator and the instru- It men before ■hich he was le next day, < temporarily :fi would be I be almost leatre-Italien fixed for the - should go tete-^-t^te, ecaution to ' her usual i» she was It Halpher- less, which and it was led him at ■ fortunate month or i» in order ?er enter- gratulated le instru- A few days before Luigia's departure, the Bou- Jacques Bricheteau, as soon as he had ascertained he place at which he could forward to Sal enauve ertam mformation, which he considered of the utmost importance, had abandoned the idea of writ- ing to h.m; it had seemed to him a much surer ad s.mpler way to go and confer with him. When e t ha?Hanwell'°"' ''' 'T''' ^'^'^ ^"^^'-^ ^^ '-- tha Hanwe I was one of the most celebrated lunatic asylums m the three kingdoms. However, when e remembered the apprehensions that Marie:Gaston' mental condition had caused his friend, he could readUy have divined the truth; but he was com tttt.t nT "''" '^^^^ ^°'^' '" ^d'^'tion. that that establishment, at which patients were treated at the expense of the county, received only those of the poorer classes, and that no one was admitted for money. But Jacques Bricheteau. who has already given us more than one proof of his energetic and resolute character, did not waste h=s time in useless 7rlT ^f >'\^"^' ^' that place is only nine miles large building of attractive appearance; its facade which ,s no less than nine hundred and ninety-sf^ (297) 298 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS monotony „ tl e arc h h , ,,'"'" '^'"''' "'"^ «« melancholy n pose for' T. ^ ''^ '"'"'"''■ 'I'" oration. '' " ''™-'""'' «'^»' ^""^ty of dec- -'^u;:rtxiro^ftru„r''%%"'"'» and Middlesev hi ! counties of Surrey dens and t:r;_\:::';;-'';<;"*nances-gar^ Brent River and ■,.■^,7?, "'^'""^Sf' road, the -ai. Ni,;:.;;:d::;:d"r:;:«™'';./'-.i"n i" the treatme, of tl,„ "^ ™""""<' ^''iliaries wor.sh„psr::L::r;::'Ss2tirp?"r'"^ everything .ira't^Hr^^rk'u ^ ' T '"'■^' »"^ cate articles manufactured L sold tl T'* "'"■ bazaar where thev ^JT ^^"''^ '" visitors in a some revenue rLLpeC' T' ^"^'^ '' "-* working at a trade n^f ,^ r . ''° ""^ '"'^•'>P--'We of to a great extent; b'reaVI^dleta o'^re'td"''™ tlie premises; also all the necps^r, r ^^ °" being bleached by a machinr ^, "f"' **"' '"^* which heats all parK of ,h k m- °""^ '">' -"'"m, A chapel suppied Witt r """'""« ^' '"^ «me time, hall us'ed for'ctiT , e r T"' ^ '"'"y- '"' ' --'--"'--"ittC7e:?;^iSS I towers with 'Js; thus the relieved, the "'J'"g is de- riety of dec- the foot of a s of Surrey lances — gar- ge road, the nd Junction s can be ac- I recognized - auxih'aries im contains s, painters, ^read, also, ' hats, and most deli- sitors in a d a hand- capable of ingand on institution made on 1 this last y steam, imetime. fy, and a of music ablished, THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 299 bear witness that, side by side with intelligent atten- tion to physical suffering, the needs of the moral nature are neither forgotten nor neglected Lastly as Lord Lewin wrote to Sallenauve, at the head the establishment is Doctor Ellis, a distin- gmshed practitioner, to whom we are indebted fo a remarkable book on the causes and cure of me ta diseases. In the treatment of those diseases this skil ful ahenist d.d not disdain the learning and the aid of piHenolog,cal science. Having been admitted to hi named Sallenauve was residing temporarily at Han- well. There again Jacques Bricheteau paid the pen- alty of his unshorn and impoverished aspect, and the doctor, not deigning to enter into any explanat on h.m. After aH, that reply was altogether reasonable. So Jacques Bricheteau withdrew, greatly disaiv pointed; and reaching the conclusion that Madame de 1 bstorade had mispronounced or that he himself had misunderstood the name Hanwell, he passed several days scouring the county of Middlesex, visiting every place to u-hich the termination e/l attracted his atten- tion. "iicii As all his investigations were fruitless, Jacques Briche eau, whose persevering and resourceful mind was seldom defeated in any of his undertakings, de- termined to make another written assault upon Han- well. thinking with reason that a letter might find its way where a man would be intercepted; and so it 300 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCFS m^^ tj* uoctor Ellis s conduct was sufficiently explained tn t.on, one of the most assent a v^eVfC?"'" Once more at the asylum and introduced bySalle iay on which eceived a re- - to the asy- Jl reception, explained to ter that had eyond ques- the manager ition makes solving the the most in- :treme mel- /, was then known spy he secrecy ling a men- 1 as tempo- gered. d by Salle- Bricheteau ipologizing ly marvel- , from the le looked . and that ■ove to be "tunateiy, le serious d'Avray. aratively Lewin's THE DEPUTY FROM ARCFS 30I advice, so that one would have taken them for two friends travelling together for pleasure. But when mstead of yielding to the sick man's impatient wish to sail without delay for South America, Lord Lewin on the pretext that certain important business requi'red his presence at a place near London, asked Marie- Gaston to go with him, he began to suspect that his mama had been cajoled by some trick. However he finally allowed himself to be taken to Hanwell,' which Lord Lewin had represented to him as a royal castle, nor did he make any resistance even when he was asked to cross the threshold of his future prison; but when he was once in the presence of Doctor Ellis, who had been previously notified by Lord Lewin of their coming, a sort of instinct, which insane persons often display, seemed to reveal to Sallenauve's unfortunate friend the danger that threatened his liberty. "Monsieur's face is unpleasant to me," he said aloud to Lord Lewin; " let us go!" The doctor tried to turn this outburst aside as a jest; but Marie-Gaston, becoming more and more excited, cried: " Be quiet! your mirth is hateful to me, you look like an executioner." It may be that the profound attention with which alienists try to read what is written in the features of their patients, combined with the fixed stern glance with which they are often compelled to awe them into submission, eventually imparts to their faces a searching, inquisitorial expression calculated i 302 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS \li: V ; i. :fl to produce a most irritating effect on the nervous system, impressionable at the best, of the unfor tunate wretches subjected to their scrutiny me of" h/T'"' '" "°P'^ *"' yo" *i" "»t deprive ::;;Cd7„'x:i„i.^p^"«^°-°^'''-w^* vehementll'''",':;"'/""'" ^^P"^" M-i-Gaston, venemently, -so that you may poison me!" well, isn t poison what you want'" saM r ^rA Lew,n quickly. <^ Weren't /ou speaking the oth r day of akmg a dose of hydrocyanic acid ''' warnof '"^ ^'"'^ provoking question, Lord Lewin was not as one might be tempted to think euHtTlf .T '"^rtT '^^"'"S ^^"^'-d Headmen with much care, he had noticed that a most threatenrng feel n' Irrcastr"'-'';^^" "'""^ -^^ smouldi-g n' Marie-Gaston s mmd, and, as he was swift in thought and energetic in action, he managed to deflect to wa^ h.mself the storm-cloud thaf was a' reldy to' burst Affairs turned out as he had anticipated 'Ah! youv.le dog!" cried Marie-Gaston leaDin^ a 1.S throat, "you have an understanding with t^af other fe low, and you sell him my secrets^' self Trom'^'" ""^^ T' ^*^'^"'*>^ '" ^^tricating him- of wnT. ^°""'^"' ^'''P' '^^ '^^ interference of two keepers was necessary; the unfortunate man had become furiously insane. That paroxysm wWch asted several days, yielded at last to the ca're and treatment of the doctor, and now the patient had be come mnd and calm, and showed som^ symptoms of a probable cure; but there was still one last a si to THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 303 be passed, and Sir William Ellis was looking about h,m, and received witl, some excitement the news was really the Marquis de SailZve"' ' ""'' "Mother Marie des Anges and Achille Pigoult bv whom was mformed of this plot," replied' B^ht"; toau have no more doubt than I of the mamuis's Identity; and there is only a sinule f,rt in !^ tion with this idle gossip wL wWct ^4^ "re X: fnghten you, that seems to me at all serLs Z? "But the Chamber will not pass judgment without heanng me," rejoined the deputy; '•■ f have ^H ten to the president to ask for leave of absence and I nave requested L'Estorade, who knows the eXV toon of my presence here, to be my guaranto' iX sZdTdre'd."^^^^ *^' "^ '^'-- ^' '- orgln'jst. ^"^ ""'"' '" "''''"''■ *°°'" '"^"-"^ the tell'llrnflh™!,^ '° ""■" '"P'''" Sallenauve, "to tell her of the disaster that had overtaken om poo? |!i 304 THE DEPUTY FROM ARQS friend, and at the same time I asked her to inform her husband of the favor I wished him to do me " '' If that is the way of it," said Bricheteau. " do of the plot that IS brewing against you must have reached them at that time." Thereupon he described the reception he had met with, as well as Madame de I'Estorade's unkind re- marks whence he concluded that no assistance could be looked for from that quarter in the struggle that was about to begin. "1 have some right to be surprised by this turn of affairs," rejoined Sallenauve, "after the earnest assurance given me by Madame de I'Estorade of a friendship that would endure any test; but anything IS possible," he added, philosophically, " and calumny has very often undermined devoted attachments " ''Now you will understand." said the organist, that we must start at once for Paris, without a mo' ment s delay; everything considered, your presence here is not really necessary." "On the contrary." replied Sallenauve. "the doctor was congratulating himself only this morning because I had determined to come here, saying that my presence might become very useful at any mo- ment. Thus far he hasn't allowed me to see the stroke* "^"* ^^' ^^^^ ""^ '" '■^^^'■^efo'- some decisive ''Nevertheless, the utility of your presence is problematical, whereas, by staying on here, you unquestionably endanger your political future, your ) inform her me." eteau, " do ect; rumors must have he had met unkind re- tance could ruggle that ' this turn he earnest Drade of a t anything d calumny ments." organist, lout a mo- ■ presence ^e, "the 5 morning ying that any mo- > see the 2 decisive ssence is ere, you ire, your THE DEPUTY FROM ARQS 305 standing,-!,! a word, all that the most devoted friend- ship ,s not entitled to call upon you to sacrifice.'' Let us talk it over with the doctor," said Salle- nauve, at last forced to recognize the justice of Briche- teau's persistence. ""uie When asked whether Sallenauve's residence at "I think so. 1 have just seen our patient, and the cerebral irritation, which must necessarily have yielded the action of material remedies before we can think of resorting to any mora! remedies, seems teV^ty.'' '"^ '' ''°" ^'^"^ ^^ '"^^^-^^ -- "But you have not lost all hope of curing him doctor.?" said Sallenauve, eagerly. ^ ' "Far from it; I have absolute faith in a happy termination; but these painful mental affections ex^ h.bit frequent alternations of good and bad symp- toms, and m fact, I am beginning to think that the at firsT'' ^''*^°"''^ "'"''' '°"^'' ^^^"^ ' '"PP^^^d ru "u'''"^. 1^'^"*'^ ^^^" ^'"'^^^^ ^ "member of the Chamber of Deputies," said Sallenauve, "I am sum- moned to Paris by the opening of the session; at the same time my presence is demanded by matters of serious importance, concerning which, monsieur," he added, indicating Bricheteau, " came here ex- pressly to talk with me; if, therefore, I may believe that my presence here is not likely to be immedi- ately serviceable—" 20 3o6 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS " Go," said the doctor; " this may be a very slow business. If the patient's condition had not grown worse, I hoped, with monsieur's assistance on the organ, with you, and with the help of a young kins- woman of Madame Ellis, who has more than once, on similar occasions, seconded my efforts with much intelligence, I hoped, I say, to arrange some dramatic scene, from which I anticipated a good result. But our young kinswoman is absent, nor is it possible for the moment to attack the trouble except by physical remedies; so I say, go! The patient is one of those m whom it is impossible not to take a lively interest; you can leave him in my hands and Lord Lewin's with perfect security; I v ill even go so far as to say that I look upon his cure as a m ttter in which my self-esteem is involved: I know of no surer guaranty for your anxiety in the mouth of a physician." Sallenauve gratefully pressed the doctor's hand, seeing how earnestly he labored to set his mind at rest. He went to take leave of Madame Ellis, who was no less earnest than her husband in promising to watch over Marie-Gaston's welfare with all a mother's care. As for Lord Lewin, he had conceived the most friendly esteem for Sallenauve, and his past conduct was a sufficient guaranty of what might be expected of him in the present and the future Bricheteau had no difficulty therefore in persuading Sallenauve to start without further delay. Reaching London about five in the afternoon, the travellers would have continued their journey 'that same evening but for the surprise that awaited them I very slow not grown ice on the oung kins- than once, with much le dramatic :sult. But >ossible for y physical le of those y interest; d Lewin's r as to say which my ■ guaranty an." >r's hand, s mind at Ellis, who amising to I mother's eived the his past might be e future, srsuading noon, the ney that ted them THE DEPUTY FROM AP^ S 307 there. In the first place, their attention was attracted by enormous posters, of the sort that English puffisme alone can conceive, announcing at every streeicfrn^ A^^- "f?"^, appearance of Signora Lu.g.a at Her Majesty's Theatre, for that very evening. The u"Z alone was sufficient to attract the notice of the travel' lers, but the newspapers to which they resorted for tTpnTlf .'"!?'"''*'" '"PP"^^ *^^"'' according to the English fashion, with so many circumstantial de- tails concerning the dMante, that Sallenauve could no longer doubt the transformation of his former housekeeper into one of the most dazzling stars that had nsen above the Britannic horizon for a long while If he had listened to Jacques Bricheteau. he iTal^n'ftriumnhT 'T'' "'*' -luting the fair Italian s triumph from afar, and would have con- tinued his journey. But, having reflected that an evening passed in London would not materially delay him, the deputy determined to estimate with his own eyes and ears the value of the chorus of enthusiasm dlnna ^'""'^ ''" ^" '''^^' "'^ ^^^ '"''J^'* °^ *^^ P"'"^ Repairing at once to the box-office of the theatre, which he found closed. Sallenauve had no difficulty in detecting all the symptoms of a tremendous sue- cess: since two o'clock in the afternoon every seat in the hall had been sold, and he was only too glad to purchase two orchestra stalls from a speculator for five pounds-about one hundred and twenty-five francs. Never, perhaps, had Her Majesty's theatre seen a finer audience, and one cannot avoid being 3o8 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS impressed by the strange agencies at work in human affairs when one reflects that the starting-point of all this frantic excitement of the Enghsh aristocracy over the newly-risen great artiste was in reality the desire of Vautrin, the ex-galley-slave, to mount one step higher in the police hierarchy. By another coincidence, equally strange, the opera announced m the posters was Paisiello's La Pa^^a d'Amore, from which Luigia had sung an aria on the occa- sion of Madame de Saint-Est^ve's dinner-party. When the curtain rose, Sallenauve, who had been living nearly a week among a whole population of lunatics, was the better able to appreciate the pro- digious histrionic talent displayed by his former housekeeper in the role of Nina; and in presence of an excruciatingly truthful counterfeit of insanity he experienced anew all the emotion which the ghastly reality of Marie -Gaston's madness had caused him to feel. Bricheteau, despite the ill- humor due to what he called Sallenauve's loitering, also ended by falling under the spell of the singer's powerful acting, and, at the critical moment, when the whole audience was beside itself with enthusiasm, and the stage was inundated with bouquets, he said to the deputy: " Faith, I can only wish you on another stage a triumph approaching this." Then, yielding to an imprudent Impulse, he added: " But there are no such triumphs in politics; art alone is great — " THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 309 trJintl'^ '^"'r '' i*' P'-^P^^'^t!" ^JJt^J Sallenauve, trying to sm.Ie amid the tears that admiration forced jfom his eyes. At the dose of the performance, Bricheteau looked at h,s watch; ,t was a quarter to eleven, and by using the u.most dihgence it was possible for the travellers to take the steamer that started at eleven; but as the organist turned to make that suggestion to Salle- nauve who was behind him in the crowd, he could not find his man: the deputy had vanished. A quarter of an hour later La Luigia's maid entered the dressing-room where her mistress was receiving the homage of the greatest names in England, who were presented to her by Sir Francis Drake. The girl handed the signora a card. As she read the name, the Italian changed color and whispered a few words in the m.'d's ear. Thereafter she displayed such haste to be rid of the great throng attracted by her triumph, that several of her adorers in embryo could not avoid showing their amazement. But an artiste in vogue has unusual privileges, and the fatiguing nature of the r6Ie into which she had put so much soul seemed so valid an excuse for her ill- humor, that her court dispersed without overmuch murmuring; indeed, her conduct, which was taken tor caprice, became a very piquant source of attrac- tion to several budding fancies that were on the point of blossoming. The signora, when she was alone, quickly resumed her ordinary dress; in a very few minutes the manager's carriage set her down at the hotel where she had taken rooms on her arrival I! ir 510 THE DEPU-H' FROM ARCJS m in London; and a moment later she entered her salon and four,d Sallenauve there waiting for her dreal/" '^'^^' "^^'^^i^^^" -^'^^ said; " it is like a " Especially for me," rejoined Sallenauve, "who search to be made for you in Paris, to no pur- obj'ec^?'- ^'"^ ''"'" '^"' '''"^'^' ^"'^ ^'th what ••You left us in such an extraordinary way. your mpulses are so hasty, you knew so litJle of^Parj and so many perils lurk beneath the footsteps oj your mexpenence. that it seemed to me that an v catastrophe might be feared." ^ •' What harm would have happened to me? I was not your wife, nor your sister, nor your mistress was only your—" ^ •"is.tress, l ''I had thought," interrupted Sallenauve. hastily, that you were my friend." ^ •;i was your-debtor." said La Luigia- "I had noticed that 1 was becoming a burden to you in your new position. Was there anything else for me to do^^under those circumstances than to rid you S certXw ""^Jt^^T^ '' ^"^^ y^" '''■'' h^t^f"' i^Dlv it^ w ''"^ '"^''^'■"^ '' '^^"^ ^"ything to Zvfdinl f '* 'T'''^^' '' 'P'^^ '' y°" -bout providing for yoi,r future without wcunding your susceptibilities to that extent.?" ^ ^ " One feels as one feels." replied the Italian; "I entered lier ; for her. it is like a Jve, "who uch careful to no pur- with what way, your '■ of Paris, )otsteps of that any e? I was listress; I 3, hastily, ; "I had u in your or me to i you of t hateful ^thing to ou about ng your ilian; "I THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 3,1 had a feeling that you wished me to be somewhere else than m your house. You had shown me that 1 need have no anxiety about my future; and you see now that the outlook is not very alarming " " On the contrary, it seems to me so brilliant that 'f I were not afraid of seeming presumptuous, i woud venture to ask you from what more fortunate hand than mme you have received such prompt and effective assistance?" •• A great Swedish nobleman," Luigia replied with- out hesitation, " who spends a part of his enormous fortune in encouraging the arts, procured an engage- men for me at the Queen's theatre; the kindly indulgence of the public has done the rest " " You mean your talent; I was present at the per- lormance this evening." "Were you pleased ever so little with your hum- ble servant?" queried Luigia, with a coquettish reverence, m^ciush "Your superior musical ability did not surprise me; 1 was already aware of it. and it had been warranted by an infallible juuge; but your outbursts of dramatic passion, yow powerful and self-assured acting, 1 was lost in admiration of those." "You see I have suffered much,"' replied the Italian; " unhappine^s is a great teacher " "Suffered!" echoed Sallenauve; "in Italy of course.? For I like to assure myself that, since your arrival in France—" ^ Jrt ^'r '"^"'''^ '*'"•'" '"'^ ^"'g''^' '" ^ trembling voice, I was not born ur.der a lucky star." Iff I 312 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS "That stiU sounds to me like a reproach; it is very late to tell me of the wrongs I have inflicied on "You have done me no wrong in any way what- ever; the trouble was here!" said the Italian, Liking her breast; " it came from myself alone " "Probably some foolish fancy, like that you had when you imagined that you were bound in honor to leave my house." It.'lh?'':.'^ l7r ""* '^'•^^'^i"g>" exclaimed the ^^ahan, and ,f I could know what is really in your mmd! If only because of what you have done for me 1 must needs desire your esteem, and I was for- bidden forever to aspire to it." "Why, my dear Luigia, these are what I call Ideas for which there is no name. Have I ever fa. ed in regard and consideration for you? And was not your conduct always exemplary?" thinJ?' l!''^"^. *° '^'^ "°*'''"^ ^'^''^'^ ^0"'J "lake you th nk hardly of me; but was I any the less Bene- detto's widow for that?" » oeiie "What! you imagine that that misfortune, the sequel of a too just vengeance—" "Ah! that man's death could not lower me in your eyes I know-far from it; but I had been the wife of the clown, the police spy. the un worthy wretch, always ready to sell me to anyone who would agree to buy me." "While that condition of affairs lasted, I con- sidered that you were to be pitied, but not de- spised, no, no!" i^.. roach; it is inflicted on way vvhat- an, striking If It you had in honor to aimed tlie lly in your ? done for I was for- hat I call ve I ever And was make you 2ss Bene- tune, the er me in lad been the un- ) anyone i, I con- not de- THE DEPUTY FROM ARCFS 313 "But for nearly two years." said the Italian, earnestly "we lived alone, under the same roof.'' To be sure, and I had become accustomed to It and found it extremely pleasant." " Did you consider me ugly?" " You know very well that I did not. as I modelled my most beautiful statue after you " "Foolish?" "No one can be foolish who displays so much mtelligence m her rales." ^Jl Then you see that you must have despised Sallenauve seemed amazed at the earnestness with which this deduction was drawn, and he con- sidered that he was very clever in replying- " It seems to me that by a.ting in any other way I should have been much nearer to treatinc you with contempt." But he had to do with a woman who, in every- thing, in her friendships, in her hatreds, in her acts and in her speech, always went straight to her goal. '^ " To-day, monsieur," she rejoined, as if she were afraid of being misunderstood, "I can tell you everything, for I am speaking of the past, and the future no longer belongs to me. From the day when you were kind to me, and when, by your generous protection. 1 escaped an infimous out- rage, my whole heart was yours." Sallenauve. who had never suspected the existence of that sentiment, and who was entirely unable to 314 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS understand how it could have been avowed with such artless simplicity, was at a loss for a reply "I was not unaware," continued this extraor- dinary woman, "that I had much to do to raise myself from the degradation in which you saw me at our first meeting. If, from the moment that you consented to take me with you, I had seen any ,nd.cat.ons of love-making on your part, Vyou had revealed any purpose to take advantage of ^he dangerous position in which I had voluntarify placed myself, my heart would have shrunk back at onc^ you woud have seemed to me simply an ordmary man, and, to rise from the level to which Benedetto dragged me down, it was not enough-" ^'^"^''^"^ " So that to love you would have been to insult be cruel! What sort of woman are you, then and how can one avoid wounding you?" ' '"^"' ^"^ "You should not have loved me," replied the artiste " when you did not really know rne and when I had hardly risen out of my mir^^eVusf then your love would have been a love of the ey s and the head, which it is never prudent to trust But when, after I had passed two years at your s"de you were able to judge from my conduct whether I was an estimable woman; when, without ever accept- ng any p easure, devoting myself unreservedly to the care of your house, with no other relaxation than study which I depended upon to raise myse to the foT heT °' r "'^' '•'^^ ^°"' ' -"* -Tr pur ^ for the joy of seeing you produce a masterpiece, 1^ THE DEPUTY FROM ARCfS 315 to sacrifice to you the womanly modesty which you had seen me defend so vigorously at another time then you were cruel not to understand me. and youJ imagination will never tell you what I have suffered and all the tears you have made me shed'" h J h"^ ^ "^^^ ^°"'' ''°'*' "^^^^ ^"'g'^' ^"d even if I had had a suspicion of what you now tell me mv duty as an honorable man would bid me see nothing understand nothing, except upon the most convincing " Was not my constant melancholy an indication? f my heart had been free, should I not have been less reserved, more .amiliar? But the explanation is simple enough: you could not notice anything for your fancy turned in another direction." "And if t'- ■' were so?" •'It sho' :,ot have been so," replied the Italian, with anim^uon. "That woman was not free- she had a husband and children; and it was of no use for you to make a saint of her, for even if 1 had had no other advantage over her than that of youth-ridicu- lous as it is for me to say it-it seems to me that she was mferior to me!" Sallenauve could not restrain a smile; but he re- plied, in a serious tone: "You are altogether mistaken concerning your rival; Madame de I'Estorade was never anything more to me than a model, and a model whose only value consisted in her resemblance to another woman. That woman I knew at Rome, before I knew you- she had beauty and youth, an extraordinary taste for 316 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS art and to-day she is confined in a convent, paying tribute like you to misfortune; tlius. you see all your perfections—" "What! three love-stories, and not one that has reached a conclusion?" said Luigia. " Really, yours IS a strange star! I do not doubt that, when you failed so entirely to understand me, I was simply feeling the effects of its singular influence, and in that case I must forgive you." "As you deign to receive me into favor once more allow me to revert to my curiosity: you told me just now that your future no longer belonged to you I can but understand from the very great frankness of your avowal that some impregnable barrier must have arisen between us to give you the courage to make It. What IS this power, pray, by which you have been raised so high almost at a single bound? Can It be that you have made a compact with the devil?" " Perhaps so," said the Italian, with a laugh " Do not laugh," rejoined Sallenauve; " you chose to venture alone into that hell called Paris and I should not be astonished to find that vou made some dangerous acquaintance at the very beginning I know what tremendous difficulty the greatest artists often have in securing an engagement. Do you know who this foreign nobleman is, who has removed all the obstacles so speedily?" " I know that he risked a fabulous sum to assure my engagement, that my salary is fifty thousand francs, and that he did not even come to London with me." ?nt, paying )u see, all e that has ally, yours when you 'as simply ce, and in )nce more, Id me just to you. I :nkness of Tiust have i to make you have id? Can e devil?" ugh. .^ou chose is, and I ade some ining. I St artists 'ou know noved all o assure housand London THE DEPUTY FROM ARCFS 317 " And do you mean to say that all this devotion is without conditions?" "No, indeed. My patron is at an age when passion has ceased to exist, but when a man has an abun- dance of self-esteem; therefore the fact that he is my patron must be publicly declared, and I have agreed to do nothing, to say nothing, which can cast a shadow upon his unsubstantial good fortune. How- ever, I have not thought that I owed this explanation to anyone but you, and I ask you most earnestly to mamtain absolute secrecy about it." " But is there nothing in your situation that makes It seem unlikely to last? How did you become acquainted with this man, whom you hope to feed always on smoke?" " Through a charitably-disposed lady, who came to see me during your absence. She had noticed my voice at Saint-Sulpice, during the services of the month of Marie, and she tried to bribe me to sing at Notre-Dame de Lorette, her parish." "And her name?" "Madame de Saint-Est^ve." Although he had never fathomed the depths of Jacqueline Collin, Sallenauve knew of Madame de Saint-Et^ve as a marriage-broker, and as one who managed all sorts of unsavory intrigues; he had sometimes heard Bixiou speak of her. " That woman," he said, " has a wretched reputa- tion in Pans; she's an intrigante of the worst sort " " I suspected as much," said Luigia, " but what does it matter to me?" 3i8 f .! U-;.J1 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS you--' '^ ^^^ ""'" *° ^^^"^ ^'^^ has introduced ''Should prove to be an intrigant like herself? frll\l7T''% ''' '^'^^ ^-^-d thou d have Dut tt th 'f" '"'° ^'^^ "^^"^g^^'^ ^^^h-box nave put the theatre on its feet." " He may be rich and at the same time have .^^postr'^"^^"''*^^^^^ dignity ''Lfhrr". •"'''' '^P''^' Luigia,with a'gnity. but he will not carry them out; between his designs and me there is myself." " But your reputation? " .Z !h "If '°'* ^^^"^ ' '"^* >'°"'' house. Everybody s Id that I was your mistress; you yourself had to ei^ Sicted tlut did """ *° ^°" ^'"*°^^'- y- -nt" dicted It but did you suppose that you had killed it?" tothrs:muct"'"^^^^^^'"^^-^^^'^^--^ "I no longer need it; you did not love me when F " Who knows?" said Sallenauve reDl'e^d'^fh! hV^" ''''°"' ^^y it cannot be so," replied the Italian: " in the first place, it is too late and ^en we are no longer on the same road." ' What do you mean by that ? " " I am an artist, and you have ceased to be one- I am ascending, you are descending " ' " You call it descending when I may perhaps rise to positions of the greatest dignity in the statS" introduced :e herself? I thousand ! cash-box time have make that ligia, with ; between verybody lad to ex- u contra- :illedit?" ^'ou used e when I n I don't be so," too late, be one; jps rise e?" THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 319 " No matter how high you may rise." said Luieia passionately, "you will still be below your past fnd the great future that was in store for you; and by the way, I believe 1 have not told you the r ?h; if^ u ha re^a.ned a sculptor, it seems to me that i s o'u d have had patience to endure your coldness and dis- dain for some time longer; I should at least have deciaed to wait until after I had made a trial of my t'h? r; '"/'' '"^^ *'^* '''' ^^'° that surrounds the heads of actresses might perhaps at last force upon your attention the fact '.hat I was there besSe rp.;, ?". ^^^ ^^^^ y°" h^^^"^^ ^n apostate I esolved to continue my humiliating sacrifice no longer, for our futures had ceased to have anything m common." ""yuimg " What! " said Sallenauve, holding out his hand Which the cantatrice did not take, '• a're we t even to remain friends?" "^ even ■'You have a friend." the Italian replied. " No everything is closed and at an end. We shall hel^x of each other, and as we pass at a distance w shal rolh^ng^e.^^^ '-'' ' -^^' '^ ^^^^ ^-^' ^- sal;tu:e^:v'' "^ °^ °"^ ^^-^^^^^^^ Luigia gazed at him for a moment, and a tear glis- tened in her eye. ^ "Listen!" she said, with a sincere and deter- mined accent, "this is what is possible. I have loved you and no one will take your place in the heart you have disdained. They will tell you that I 1 I-. 320 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS have lovers: this old man whose connection with me li 'h- ""^ '""'*' ^"^ others perhaps, but you will beheve nothing of it if you remember ^ha sort of woman I am. Who knows? it may be that here after, when your life has been swept clear of the have he^r 'n ''^^"^^"^^^ ^' ^^^ confession yoj have heard will recur to your memory, and in that case t would not be altogether rema^kat^e i , afte f "sLuld'h^'^" ''°r ^"'^ 'y '-^'"s ^- - irt at should happen, and. as the result of nainful U.s.llus,onment, you should be brought back bv your remorse, to the religion of art then if ^im^ meanwhile has not made ?he idea of 'love ab Ld" be ween us, remember this evening. Now we m u part, fo It ,s very late for a me-k-me, and the external appearance of loyalty to my old f;reign pa' With that, she took a candle and passed into an aojoinrng room, leaving the deputy in a frame o mmd which can be imagined after "ihe surprses o _ev.y description that had greeted him dur^t^al ,°" /^turning to the hotel at which he had f und R -T: '' ''' "^'^^^ ^-- H-we 1, h found Bricheteau awaiting him at the door. Where in the devil have you been? " cried the organist, besicie himself with impatience; "we are too late now for the night packet' " "Oh! well," said Sallenauve, carelessly, " I shall have a few hours more to play truant." on with me s, but you what sort that here- lear of the ■ay into it, jssion you id, in that le if, after ig for me. of painful back, by 1, if time absurd as we must and the reign pa- iintain." i into an frame of prises of ing that he had veil, he ried the we are THE DEPUTY FROM ARCFS 321 "But meanwhile your enemies are pushinc for- ward their mines!" "What do I care? Must one not be ready for anythmg in this cavern called political life?" "It's as 1 suspected." said Bricheteau. "you Have been to see Luigia; her triumph has gone to trdep'y!""' '" "^^" °^ '''''''' ^PP-^^ -^^- is greit ?"°^ ^°" ^""''"^ '"^ J"'* "°'" *'^"* ^'■t ^'°"^ " But the orator is an artist, too," rejoined Briche- teau and the greatest of all artists; for the others speak to the mind and the heart, he alone to the con- science and the will. However, it's of no use now to look back; a duel has begun between you and your adversaries. Are you an honorable man, or a villain who has succeeded in stealing a name? That >s the question to be answered, and perhaps to be discussed from the tribune in your absence " " I am very much afraid that you have led me astray; I had a treasure in my hands, which I tram- pled under foot." "Luckily," the organist replied, "that is a mere vapor which the night will dissipate. To-morrow you will remember your agreements with your father and the great future that is assured you " ' I shall 21 The opening session liad taken place Sallenauv^ had no. appeared, and his absence 'had ntulZZ party. At the office of the National, especially, there was „,ud, excitement. It seemed no more than T^'l' ,?"' '"" newly-elected deputy, who was a shareholder in the paper, who had b«n a freZnt v.s,tor at ,ts office before the election and had even consented to furnish several articles for its columns rtrsrir^^'°'--^---Heterg ''Can it be that the man intends to play the sneak with us, now that he's elected?" said^ome o he echtors, remarking upon the utter disappearance of he new deputy. 'Mfs quite the custom amon. the,r lordships of parliament to pay court to us mosf obsequiously while they are in the' candidate stTge and to hrow us aside like their old coats, after they have climbed the tree Rnf +h;. ""'•«^r tney hPffpr nnt I "^ ^"'^ gentleman had better not play any tricks on us, we have more than one way of squeeiing people " The editor-in-chief, being less inclined to lose his head had calmed this first ebullition; bu Sal' nauve's failure to appear at the opening session had seemed strange to him, none the less iJ^\ "^""^ ^7' '^'''" ^'^^ ^oxm^^^on of committees took place and the presidents and secretaries v^'re (323) ?24 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS u7^''r^" "P"^""" "f sorae importance because .tforeshadows ,he majority .-Sallenauve's abse ' had a p„s,t,ve bearing on tl,e result. In the comm t ee liate wa 'e,:ct;T''"'' '' '"'' '"^ ">i-'"i "^n! Ih. presence o 1/ r ""^T^ "' ""'>' ""'■' »" «'"' -sufed the dec to, :rr'™ ^"" *""'' "-» ConseauenVlv 1 ? , ."" °P''«'"°" candidate. i^ZZTrlJ:^ '^ ^'Satisfaction was manifest d Jnt K*^ .^ ''''"'■ *'''"'' *"">^ explaining their defeat by that unforeseen accident, did not "ttemn to conceal tl,e,r somewhat bitter astonishme ,t tZ d,d not as yet characterize the defaulter's conducT pTa n i7 M '""" """ ""^ '■' ""* '""'- how o" : Pla m It. Maxime, meanwhile, had his eves or^n officers of the Chamber to file the petition for Der- peasant. The document had been drawn ud bv Massol, and beneath his skilful pen the facts th», h^ was instructed to se, f„r,|, acqu red thit X^^o probab,l,ty which lawyers, even those m sffcrupu ous ,„ the matter of verity, know how to Zrt tound that Sallenauve's absence was prolonged an,l was beg,„„i„g ,„ „„3e scandal, he we'n Si: ' to Rasfgnac. and, taking to himself the credlHor roches h "'Tf "' '^"'^''"^ invented by Des that the time had come for him to lay aside the atti lude of pass.ve observation which he had «ms fa deemed it his duty to maintain. ice because -'s absence ■ committee sterial can- ne, so that 'oiild have candidate. 5 manifest ning their it attempt 'nt. They i conduct, low to fX- ^es open, ion of the T for per- ! Homilly n up by s that he iegree of : scrupu- impart Maxime iged and ice more redit for 3y Des- consider the atti- hus far THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 535 Rastignac on that occasion was much more ex- phcit; Sallenauve's ill-timed absence in foreign parts seemed to him to indicate that a troubled conscience liad turned his head. He therefore requested Mon- sieur de Trailles to present the petition the same day, and made no further difficulty about promising his assistance to assure the success of a scheme which had assumed a definite color, and from which a pretty result in the way of scanf!..u -MM reason- ably be anticipated. No later tha - the foJI.wing day the first trace of his underhan i i^terve, ion ap- peared. The order of the day in to the question the peti in t il' ''.'™''°" prosecute would be a downrWrt abu,eT''''°" '" they would In (i,^f '""""yit abuse of power, for discussion 'insist r1 *'' *'*™' ='">' Preliminary with which hraccus.J°"."?f °' "■'^ '"™^"«es cor^ply before b^ f' e ^ o'r '"" ""^' '"»""' "Pon.a.accusa.oA;:Sel::j--^^^ if^ .'/r 'o have been n of persons, d," continued ""eur de Salle- i to deny the 'lim, has ab- the Chamber een. Under be admitted? ^e could not, ostponement timist oppo- is, as being 3n, at once 5f the com- 1 mind what fi would be. IS the regu- suggested; 2 Chamber te, and to n of which To import lission to 3ower, for eliminary ormahties ed should d, confer privilege, THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 327 awarded. W^o ?«: tl f-'X^Z'^ ^^ to prejudge its value n the tr of'^LT' f'' " whereas the presu™p«„„ „f i^^^nc tltcfetrv accused person is entitled of right sho^ h, I 1 ne discussion was continued fnr «:nm^ +• The Dresident h,T' • / . complication arose, ine president, by virtue of age,— for thp Phomh had suddenly clothed him Th. ^"^^'"ff ^ ^f birth absence,tor;arderb;'s"l-|ie:atr:'rc,':^^i:;' the n,ght before, and if it had occurred to hi™ , communicate it to the Chamber at thetg „n ing ? a^^p^n^lerjditr^^^^^^ I 328 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCFS It IS perfectly plain," said all the friends of the mmistry, just as Rastignac had said, "he has gone to England, where all discomfited impostors go for refuge; he is afraid of prosecution, he feels that he IS unmasked." ^nai ul This view was held, entirely apart from any political feeling, by certain men of severe morals who could not understand his failure to appear to defend himself against such a damning charge. In short, after a very earnest and very adroit argument by Procureur-General Vinet, who had taken hear when he found that the accused was absent, the question of postponement, being put to vote was carried in the affirmative, although by a very'smal majority; at the same time the absent deputy was granted a week's leave of absence. ^ > '''' On the day following that vote, Maxime wrote to Madame Beauvisage: " Madame, ''The enemy suffered a terrible reverse yesterday, and it IS the opinion of my friend Rastignac, a very shre J and experienced judge of parliamentary feeling, tha Dortnee whatever happens, will never recover from the blow thS has been dea t him. If we do not succeed in procuring romenosT tive proof in support of the charges made by our rusti^friend h sLTdtpratV'" '"^^' T'"''"^ ^^^'^« ^-- to" 0- his head in France again, may, by sheer audacity, succeed in obtaining admission to the Chamber; but, after daggngoit an obscure and miserable existence there for some tImfTa dTubtT^M ""• '' T' '' "^'^"^ t'-" there ca be no doubt of Monsieur Beauvisage's election, for the electors ashamed to have allowed themselves to be fooled by th s schemer, will be only too happy to rehabilitate themselves by THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 329 lends of the he has gone stors go for eels that he from any sre morals, • appear to :harge. In t argument iken heart bsent, the vote, was very small eputy was s wrote to day, and it ihrewd and : Dorlange, 3w that has some posi- Jstic friend, res to show succeed in agging out !e time, he can be no e electors, -d by this nselves by an honorable choice, to which, moreover, they were instinct- ively inclined at first. This result will be due to your rare sagacity, madame, for, had it not been for that species of second sight which led you to divine at once the treasures contained in the disclosure of that peasant-woman, we should have left that admirable instrument lying by the roadside. 1 must say to you, madame, even at the risk of flattering your pride, that neither Rastignac nor Procureur-General Vinet, despite their lofty political intelligence, realized the value of your discovery; and even 1 myself, had it not been that by reason of my good fortune in knowing you, I was in a position to prejudge the merit of any idea emanating from you, should probably have shared the original lukewarm ness of those two statesmen with reference to the excellent weapon which you offered to place in our hands. But, as the gift came from you, I at once realized all its importance, and, by pointing out to Rastignac a means of making use of it, I succeeded in trans- forming my friend the minister into an ardent member of our conspiracy, as well as a sincere admirer of the shrewdness and perspicacity displayed by you urier the circumstances. So, madame, if it is ever my good fortune to be connected with you by the bond of which there has been mention between us, I shall not have to initiate you into political life, as you have succeeded so well in finding the way alone. We shai! have no news here for a week, which is the time for which leave of absence has been granted him. If, when the week has ex- pired, the defaulter does not make his appearance, I have no doubt that the election will be declared null and void, for yesterday's vote, which you will have seen in the newspapers, was practically a summons to him to repair to his post. You will understand that, between now and his return,— if he does return at all,— I shall not fail to see to it that the adverse dis- position of the Chamber is properly fanned both by the press and by private conversations. Rastignac also has given in- structions to the same effect, and it is probable that our adver- sary will find public opinion by no means prejudiced in his favor. 330 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS moisdle' r2nir""'* '"'' "'''^'"''' ^"^ '■^^^" "'yself to Made- moiselle Cecile's memory, and I beg that you, as well as Monsieur Beauv saee will arronf tvZ , ^ respectful homage!'' ^* ^^" "''"''""^^ °^ ""^ -"^^t The word had, in fact, been passed to the minis- erial organs which had begun to manufacture an atmosphere of discredit and ridicule around the name of Sallenauve, and by the most insulting insinua- tons h.s absence was given the color of a desertion n the face of the enemy. The result of these repeated attacks was the more inevitable because ballenauve was very feebly defended by his political ing m their lukewarmness. Being at a loss to explain hs conduct, the opposition newspapers, while feeling that they ought to uphold him. were afraid of involv- ing themselves too far for the benefit of a man ZlZ ^"*"^?^^^"^^ '^^^y day more problematical; might he not at any moment give the lie to the certificate of good morals with which thev had taken It upon themselves to provide him? On the day before that on which the leave of absence expired, Sallenauve being still absent a Tl ,"^'"'^^^^i^> sheet published, under the cap/ion aA VS"^: ' ""^ "'^y ^"'^ '■'"P^^tinent article, which made considerable noise. During the evening, Madame de I'Estorade called upon Madame de Camps, whom she found alone with her husband She was intensely excited, and exclaimed, as she entered the room: " Have you read that infamous article.? " -s THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 331 "No," replied Madame Octave, "but Monsieur de Camps has told me about it, and it is really an outrage that ministers should order, or, at least, encourage, such villainous things." "I am half mad," said Madame de I'Estorade, "for it all falls upon us." " That is carrying conscientious scruples very ■ far," said Madame de Camps. " Why, no; I agree with madame," said the iron- master; "all the poison there is in this business could be extracted by a word from I'Estorade, and by refusing to say it he makes himself an accessory to the scandal at all events, even if he does not become responsible as its author." " So madame has told you? " said the countess, in a reproachful tone. " Why, my dear love," replied Madame Octave, " although we have our little secrets, like all women, I could not avoid explaining to my husband the origin of the species of madness which has seized Monsieur de I'Estorade; that would have been to show a distrust of my other self which would have wounded him, and the explanations which I felt that I must give him do not, I think, place me in the position of an unfaithful depositary of a secret in which you have a personal inter- est." " Ah! yours is a united household! " said Madame de I'Estorade, with a sigh. "Well, I am not sorry that Monsieur de Camps has been taken into our con- fidence; when it comes to finding a way out of the 332 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS I . P ^'Ttlf'^T''' '" ""''"^ ' ""^ struggling, two heads i.;ie better than one." de'cYmps "^"'^ ^^' happened? "inquired Madame replied, "and I cannot find any trace nf a mo.^! sense in his behavior. Far from seeming to realire hat he ,s. as Monsieur de Camps .said just now. ^n' accomphce in the base warfare that .:, being car ied on at this moment, and tl.ut he has not, like those to take deught in -t: just now he brought m-. the v=Ie sheet w.th a triu:nphant air, and I found th.f h. was quite rvepared to be displeased because 1 did not a^v.: 1^ h:^. that it u-as infinitely amusing and "That .eiKr dea.'t him a terrible blow," said Madame Octave de Camps: "it literally woi.nded him in body and soul." "I admit that," cried the iron-master; "but deuce take it! a man's a man. and should take •( madman s words for what they are worth." ''it is very singular, however," said Madame Octave, "that Sallenauve does not return; for thai Jacques Bricheteau. to whom you gave his address must have written to him." '' What would you have.? " returned the countess; there is a fatality in the whole affair; to-morrow the question whether Monsieur de Sallenauve's election shall be confirmed or not is to be discussed m the Chamber, and in case he has not returned ?, two heads ed Madame he countess of a mo'RJ ig to realize jst flow, an 2ing carried , like those ', oe seems me tlit' vile h'dt he was i 1 did not lusing and ow," said ^ wouruJed er; "but, 4ld take a M Madame i; for that 3 address, countess; o-morrow lenauve's discussed returned, THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 333 the ministry is very confident of obtaining a majority in favor of annulling it." " Why, this is infamous," exclaimed Monsieur de Camps, " and, although my own position is by no means favorable to such a step, nothing si^all prevent my going to the president of the Chamber and telling him the facts as they really are." " I would have asked you to do it, even at the risk of arousing my husband's suspicions of my intervention, were it not for one consideration that holds us back: that we must not vex Monsieur de Sallenauve by making public the calamity that has befallen his friend." " This is very clear," said Madame Octave: "to defend him in that way would be to run counter to his plans, especially as he may arrive in time, after all, and, furthermore, the decision of the Chamber is uncertain, whereas, if Monsieur Marie-Gaston's insanity were ' nee noised abroad, he would never recover from the blow." " By the way," said Madame de I'Estorade, "all the odium with which my husband has thus far cov- ered himself in this horrible affair sinks into insignifi- cance before a genuinely satanic conception that he confided to me just now, before dinner." "What was that.?" asked Madame de Camps, with interest. " He says that I must go with him to-morrow to the gallery reserved for peers of France, and listen to the discussion that is to take place." " His head has certainly gone wrong! " said w Mil i r 334 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCfS Monsieur de Camps; " that is exactly the case of Dia- foirus the younger, offering to procure his betrothed the privilege of attending a dissection by way of amusement." ' Madame de Camps made her husband a sign as if to say: "Don't throw oil on the fire!" and asked the countess if she had not been able to make Mon- sieur de I'Estorade realize the impropriety of such a step. "At the first objection I made on that ground " she replied, " he lost his temper and said that I was evidently very glad to perpetuate the public belief in an intimacy with that man, as I made haste to decline an unsought opportunity of publicly declaring our rupture." ^ ''Well, my dear, you must go," said Madame Octave; " peace in the household before everything Indeed, take it all in all, your presence at the debate may quite as well be taken as a proof of kindly in- terest." ^ "For fifteen years," observed the iron-master "you have reigned supreme in your household, and now comes a revolution, which makes a sad change in the division of power!" "Ah! monsieur, I beg you to believe that I never made such a use as this of my sovereignty, which indeed, I always tried to hide." ' "As if I did not know it!" rejoined Monsieur de Camps, taking Madame de I'Estorade's hands affec- tionately in his own. "Nevertheless. I agree with my wife, you must drink this cup." THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 335 " But I shall die of shame when I hear all the in- famous things that the partisans of the ministry will say; it will seem to me as if they were murdering within two steps of me a man whom I might save by putting out my hand, and for whom I can do nothing." " That is it exactly," said the iron-master, " and you might add that the man has rendered you a sig- nal service; but do you prefer to install hell under your own roof and exasperate your husband's dis- eased mind?" " Look you, my dear girl," said Madame Octave " tell Monsieur de I'Estorade that I, too, would like to attend this sitting of the Chamber, that it will make less talk if you go there with a disinterested looker- on; and do not yield on that point; then I shall be there at all events to restrain your impulses and pro- tect you from yourself." "I should not have dared to ask it of you," re- plied Madame de I'Estorade, " for one does not invite people to witness a base action; but as you are kind enough to offer, I am so much the less miserable Now, adieu! for I want my husband to find me at home when he returns: he dined with Monsieur de Rastignac this evening, where, I doubt not, they laid their plans cunningly for to-morrow." Very well, go; and in an hour I will write you a line as if I had not seen you, asking you if you have no way of enabling me to attend the sitting to- morrow, which, I understand, is likely to be interest- ing." 336 THE DEPUTY FROM ARGS " To think of being reduced to all this petty con- spiracy!" said Madr ne ■> I'Estorade, as she embraced her friend. " My dea: [oyr ' ;,ji^ Madame de Camps, " it has been said that a Christian's life is a constant skir- mish, but the life of the married woman ( f a certain stamp is n genuine pitched battle. Have p^nence and courage." With that the friends se{ i.aied. The next day, about two o'clock, Madame de I'Esto- rade, accompanied by her husband and Madame Oc- tave de Camps, took her place in the gallery reserved fov members ofthe peerage; she seemed ill, and replied wit.i little warmth to the salutations that greeted her trom different parts of the hall. Madame de Camps, who then entered the p.-irliamentary precincts for the first time, noticed two things: she exclaimed at the careless dress of a large number of honorable members, and was impressed by the oxtni ndinary amount of baldness that met her astonished eyes, from the gal- lery which overlooked the whole as.semblage. Then she allowed Monsieur de I'Estorade 'o point out the notabilities of the Chamber; first, all the great men whom we will not pause to name because the! lames are in all the memoirs: then the poet Canalis, in whom she detected an Olympian -ir; D'Aithez, who pleased her by '^is modei^t beari 4; Vinet, of whom she said that ht oked like a viper with spectacles; and Victorin Hulot, one of the orators of the Left Centre. It was s-, 1.. time before he could a,- ustom herself to the hum of private cuuversation, which THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 337 5 petty con- le embraced ips, "it has nstant skir- < i' a certain ve prtLience ledel'Esto- adame Oc- ry reserved and replied greeted her de Camps, lets for the Tied at the le members, amount of >m the gal- ige. Then nt out the great men iei= lames >analis, in •tliez, who of whom spectacles; ■ the Left ac'iustom 3n, which might aptly be compared to tlie noise made by a swarm of bees buzzing around their hive; but the thing that perplexed her most was the genei ,1 aspect of the assemblage, which was characterized by a strangely free and easy manner and an utter absence of dignity that would have made it impossible to sus- pect that it was made up of the chosen representa- tives of a great people. It was written that Madame de I'Estorade should be spared no element of discomfort that day. As the session was about to open, the Marquise d'Espard, escorted by Monsieur de Renquerolles, entered the gallery and took a seat beside he- Althou-h they met constantly in society, the two women colild not tolerate each other. Madame de I'Estorade despised the mtriguing spirit, the absolute lack of principle, and the bitter, ill-humored disposition which the marchioness concealed beneath the most elegant ex- terior; and the marchioness held in even more pro- found contempt what she called the fireside virtues ol '>hdame Je I'Estorade. We must add that Ma- dame ^e I'Estorade uas thirty-two years old, and that t le had spared her beauty, while Madame d Espard was woman of forty-four, whose beauty, despite the . ng devices of the toilet, was a thins of the past. " Dn you come here often.'" she said to the count- ess, after the conventional phrases respecting their joy at meeting. " Never," replied Madame de i Hstorade. " I am very regular," rejoined Madame d'Espard; adding 22 *' 33S THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS i 4ii as if she had suddenly made a discovery: "Ah! but vou have a special interest in this session: an ac- quaintance of yours is to be trii'd, I believe." " Yes, Monsieur de Sallenauve has sometimes been a guest at my house." "It is a great pity," said the marchioness, "to see a man who, as Monsieur de Ronquerolles tells me really has talent, tending toward the police court m this way." "His principal crime thus far," observed Madame de^l Estorade, stifily, "seems to be his absence." "It appears, however," continued Madame d'Hs- pard, "that he is consumed hv ambition. Before his pari.amentary essay, he had made, as you doubt- less know, a matrimonial essay in the Lanty family which resulted in seclusion in a convent for the Mr heiress, into whose good graces he slyly insinuated himself." Madame de I'Estorade was not greatly astonished to find that that story, which Sallenauve had told her was known to very few, had reached Madame d Espard s ears; the marchioness was one of the best-informed women in Paris; her salon, as an old academician said mythologically, \, ,s the Palace of Renown. ■' "The session is about to begin, I believe," said the countess, who, being in constant dread of some scratch from the marchioness's claws, was not sorry to break off the conversation. The president had, in fact, rung his bell, the mem- bers were taking their places; the curtain was about THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS S59 to rise. In order to portray with due fidelity the scene which we propose th;it our readers shall wit- ness, we know no surer and more convenient way than to borrow, word for word, the account given in a newspaper of the period. CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES MONSIEUR COINTET— vice-president— in the chair. Sitting of May 28 Ih. At two o'clock Monsieur :e President takes the chair. Monsieur le Garde des Sceaux— Keeper of the Seals— Monsieur le Ministre de I'lnterieur, Monsieur le Ministre des Travaux Publics— Public Works— are on the ministerial benches. The journal of the last sitting is accepted without discussion. The order of the day is the verification of the cre- dentials of the deputy chosen by the arrondissement of Aicis-sur-Aube. MONSIEUR LE PRESIDENT— The Chairman of the Committee has the floor. MONSIEUR LE Rapporteur— Chairman of the Committee.— Messieurs, the strange and deplorable positiun which Monsieur de Sallenauve has thought fit to assume toward you has not been changed, as we might well have hoped. The leave of absence expired yesterday, and Monsieur de Sallenauve continues to absent himself from your sittings, nor has any letter been received by Monsieur le President, requesting 340 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS further delay. This indifference in the exercise of functions which Monsieur de Sallenauve seems to have solicited with unusual ardor— Slight commotion on the Left.— would be, under any circumstances, a serious failure of duty; but when it is placed beside the accusation which is brought against him, does it not assume a character most injurious to his good name?— Murmurs on the Left. Applause in the Centre.— Compelled to seek a solution for a difficulty which may safely be said to be without a parallel in parliamentary annals, your committee is sharply divided between two entirely contrary opin- ions as to the measures to be adopted. The minority, which I alone represent, the committee being com- posed of but three members, has deemed it to be its duty to submit to you a proposition which I will call a radical one, the object of which is to solve the diffi- culty by submitting it to its natural judges. To annul Monsieur de Sallenauve's election hie ct nunc, and to send him before the electors by whom he was chosen and whose unfaithful representative he is— such is one of the solutions which 1 have the honor to submit to you.— Excitement on the Left.— The majority, on the other hand, is of opinion that the verdict of the elec- tors cannot be respected too absolutely, and that the errors of a man honored with their commission should not be taken notice of unless they go beyond the ex- tremest limits of long-suffering and indulgence; con- sequently the committee instructs me to propose to you that Monsieur de Sallenauve be given further leave of absence for a fortnight,— Murmurs in the THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 341 Centre. Cries of Good! good ! from the Left -it being understood that, if Monsieur de Sailenauve has not appeared or ^Wen ar.y sign of existence be- fore the expiration of tiiat period, he shall be deemed to have res.jrned his seat, witiiout affordinjr any occa- sion for irritatincr and fruitless discussions in the Chamber—Expressions of approval and disapproval Monsieur le Colonel Franchessini, who had held an animated conversation with the Minister of Public Works during the remarks of the Chairman of the Committee, hastily addressed the chair MONSIEUR LE PRESIDENT.-Monsieu'r de Canalis has the floor. MONSIEUR DP CANALIS.-Messieurs. Monsieur de Sailenauve is one of those audacious creatures who hke myself, iiave persuaded themselves that politics IS not a fruit forbidden to any man of intelligence^, and that the stuff of which statesmen are madiJ maJ be found in the poet and the artist as well as in tlie magistrate, the administrator, the lawyer, the doctor and the landed proprietor. By virtue of our common origin, therefore, Monsieur de Salk-nauve has my full sympathy, and no one will be surprised to see me ascend this tribune in support of the conclusions of your committee. But I am unable to assent to their final recommendation, and th.e idea of our colleague being declared, without discussion, to have resigned his seat, simply because his absence is prolonged be- yond the leave accorded him. is repugnant at once to my conscience and my common sense. They t^ll you that Monsieur de Sallenauve's indifference to his 1 .1 i 342 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS j ! functions is the less pardonable, because a serious charge has been made against him; but suppose messieurs, that that charge were the cause of his absence?— Laughter in the Centre.— I beg your par- don, messieurs; I may not be so credulous as those gentlemen who laugh seem to believe. I am fortu- nate in this, that what is base does not come naturally to my mind, and Monsieur de Sallenauve, with the eminent position he held in the world of art, planning to effect an entrance to this place through the gate- way of crime, is not a supposition which I can admit a priori. Those two disgusting spiders known as chicanery and intrigue have abundant opportunity to spin their webs about such births as his, an^:, K from admitting that he has fled from the char^re'th^^ assails him, I ask myself whether, at this moment, he IS not engaged in assembling the elements of his defence in another country.?— Cries of Good! Thai 's it! on the Left. Ironical laughter in the Centre.— Upon that assumption, which is in my opinion a very reasonable one, should we not, instead of calling him strictly to account for his absence, look upon it rather as conduct most respectful to the Chamber, whose labors he does not deem himself worthy to share until he shall be in a position to confound his accusers.? A VOICE.— Give him leave of absence for ten years, to go and seek his father, like Telemachus!— General laughter. MONSIEUR DE Canalis.— I did not expect to en- counter so poetic an interrupter, but as an incident from the Odyssey has been brought forward, let us THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 343 remember that Ulysses, disguised as a beggar, after he had been overwiidmed with insults, stretrhed his bow at last, and made short work of messieurs the suitors.— Loud murmurs in the Centre.-I vote for leave of absence for a fortnight, the Chamber to be consulted anew after the expiration thereof MONSIEUR LE COLONEL FRANCHESSINF -1 do not know whether the last speaker intended to mtimidate the Chamber; but for my own part, such arguments have little effect upon me, and I am always ready to hurl them back whence they came.— Cries of Nonsense! tionsense! on the Left MONSIEUR LE PRESIDENT.-Abstain from person- alities, colonel! MONSIEUR LE COLONEL FRANCHESSINI.-I aL^ree however, with the speaker who preceded me in this tribune to this extent: I do not believe that the delmquent has fled from the accusation brought against him. Neither that accusation, nor its prob- able effect upon your minds and elsewhere, nor the annulling of his election, are in his thoughts at this moment. Do you wish to know what Monsieur de ballenauve is doing in England.? read the English nevvspipers; for several days they have been filled with eulogies of a prima donna who has recently made her debut at Her Majesty's Theatre-"-Loud murmurs and interruption. A VOICE.-Such calumny is unworthy of the Chamber! MONSfEUR LE COLONEL Franchessini. -Mes- sieurs, being more accustomed to the freedom of 344 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS liU I I camps than to the guarded speech of the tribune I may have committed the offence of thinking too loud. The honorable gentleman who spoke last said to you: " I believe that Monsieur de Sallenauve has gone m search of evidence for his defence- " but 1 do not say : " 1 believe; " I say : " I know that a rich foreigner has succeeded in substituting his protection for that with which the Phidias, our colleague, hon- ored a fair Italian.— Renewed interruption. Cries of Order ! order ! This is intolerable I A VOICE.— Monsieur le President, take the speaker from the floor. Colonel Franchessini folds his arms and waits until the uproar is allayed. MONSIEUR LE PRESIDENT.-I request the speaker to keep to the question. MONSIEUR LE COLONEL FRANCHESSINI.-I have not departed from the question; but as gentlemen refuse to listen to me, I declare that I agree with the opinion of the minority of the committee. It seems to me very proper to send Monsieur de Sallenauve back to his constituents to find out whether they mtended to elect a deputy or a lover .—Order I order' Long-continued commotion. The uproar is at its height. Monsieur de Canalis walks rapidly toward the tribune. MONSIEUR LE PRESIDENT.— Monsieur the Minister of Public Works claims the floor; as one of the king's ministers, he is entitled to be heard at any time MONSIEUR DE RASTlGNAC.-It was not my fault s, amum -n'-miitiiT- 'i-Jk .- THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 345 messieurs, that the Chamber was not spared the scandalous scene it has just witnessed. I endeav- ored, ,n the name of the friendship of Ion, st nZ between Colonel Franchessini and myself, to pe" which !Z "°' '° ^•'"' °" ^ ^^"-^' ^-'^' in which his inexperience of parliamentary affairs aggravated, ,f I n.ay so express it, by his^eadi e^s and sharp wit, was likely to lead L into some deplorable eccentricity. That, messieurs, was the meaning of the brief conversation that he ;nd I held ogether on my bench, before he took the floor, and myself have claimed it, after him, only to put s de any idea of complicity in the indiscretion of which in my opinion he has been guilty in descending to ihe confidential details which he has thought fit to d scuss m the house. But since I have ascended the tribune contrary to my purpose, and in a measure againsi my will, although no subject of special interest to the ministry is here involved, will the Chamber permit me to make a few brief observations ?-Go on > Go on ! from the Centre. th=,?th '^'"'f °?"^"' "^''^^ ^"^^^^^--^^ to show that the conduct of the absent deputy is particularly noteworthy for its suggestion of contempt for the Chamber. He treats his colleagues slightingly and cavalierly. He requests leave of absence; but how does he request it? by letter from another country- olid t" it n^' 'r ''''" '^ *^'^'"^ -^ ^"^ t^- solicits It. Does he even take the trouble, as the custom IS, to give reasons for his request? Not at all; he announces that he is compelled to absent 346 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS ^^H ^ 1 .--musamit 1 1 himself on account of urgent business: a most con- venient allegation, by means of which the Assembly might some day find itself minus half its members. But, assuming that Monsieur de Sallenauve's busi- ness was really urgent, and of such a nature that he did not think that it could properly be explained in a letter to be made public, could he not have written confidentially to the president, or even have re- quested some one of his friends, in sufficiently good standing to be believed upon his simple affirmation, to vouch for the necessity of his absence without explicitly stating its causes? At this point the minister's speech is interrupted by considerable commotion in the passageway at the right; several members leave their seats; others stand on their benches and crane their necks, apparently looking at something. The minister, having turned toward Monsieur le President, as if to ask for an ex- planation, steps down from the tribune and returns to his place, where he is at once surrounded by a large number of deputies, among whom Monsieur le Procureur-General Vinet is particularly prominent by reason of the vivacity of his pantomime. Groups form here and there in the semicircle; the sitting is practically suspended. After a few moments, Monsieur le President rings his bell. The Ushers.— Be seated, messieurs. Members hasten to their seats from all directions. MONSIEUR LE President.— Monsieur de Salle- nauve has the floor. THE DEPUTY FROM ARCFS 347 Monsieur de Sallenauve, who has been talking with Messieurs d'Arthez and Canalis ever since the siting was suspended by his entrance, appears in the tribune. His attitude is modest, but betrays no embarrassment. Everybody is struck by his re- semblance to the portraits of one of the most fiery ot the revolutionary orators. A VOICE.-It is Danton without the small-pox' MONSIEUR DE SALLENAUVE.-Profound silence - Messieurs, I am under no delusion as to my worth as a member of this Chamber, and I do not look upon this persecution as directed against myself personally It seems rather to be directed against the opinions which 1 have the honor to represent. However that may be, my election seems to have been a matter of sortie importance to the ministry. A special agent and special newspaper men were sent to Arcis to oppose It, and a humble clerk at fifteen hundred francs a year was discharged without warning from his post, after twenty years of honorable service, for the crime of contributing to my success.-Loud mur- murs in the Centre.-l can but thank the honorable gentlemen who interrupt me. for I must suppose that their noisy disapproval is called forth by that ex- traordinary action of the authorities, and not by any question as to the fact itself, which is not open to doubt.-Laughter on the Left.-As for my- self, messieurs, whom they could not discharge they attacked me with another weapon, and cal- umny enveloped in legal forms, combined with mv timely absence — " ' fffW \ki ! f i '.:, U% 348 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS MONSIEUR DE Rastignac— 1 suppose that the ministry banished you to England? MONSIEUR DE Sallenauve.— No, Monsieur le Ministre, neither to your influence nor to your sug- gestions do I attribute my absence, which, being forced upon me by an imperative sense of duty, was the result of no other inspiration than that; but as for the part you have taken in the charges made against me, I propose to state the facts, and the Chamber will form its own opinion.— Sensation.— - The law, which, in order to protect the independence of the deputy, has ordained that no criminal prose- cution may be instituted against a member of this body without the authorization of the Chamber first obtained, has been turned against me, I must say, with rare skill. The complaint of which I am the victim would not have been received at the office of the king's attorney, had it been presented there; for it is a naked accusation, entirely unaccompanied by any sort of proof, and I am not aware that the public prosecutor is in the habit of instituting proceedings on the unsupported allegation of the first comer. One must needs admire the rare cunning of the mind which realized that by applying to you they would reap all the benefit of a political accusation and would have to deal with none of the elements of a simple prosecution.— Sensation.— Now, to what adroit parliamentary tactician must we ascribe the honor of that conception.? You know, messieurs, that the complainant is a woman, a peasant-woman, who describes herself as one who labors with her lat the ieur le ur sug- , being :y, was but as 5 made nd the tion. — ndence prose- of this er first !t say, im the ffice of re; for ied by public edings :omer. 3f the i they isation ments I what )e the lieurs, Oman, ;h her THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 349 Of Champagne can boast of an intellectual superior- ity °f wh.ch, hitherto, yon have assuredly never dreamed Laughter.-It s:. .id be said, however that, before setting out for Paris to fil^ her com! plaint my accuser seems to have had a conference w.th he mayor of Arcis. my ministerial rival in ?i e ^e elecfon, from whom she may have derived so light, and I may add that the magistrate in question t:;: ins'ff:'.'""^^ '"^^"-^"'^^ '" ''' prosecuir :;: to be instituted against me, for he felt called upon to pay he travelling expenses of the complainant nd a village attorney who accompanies her to Paris - ^f^af on the Left.- When this superior person firTo? alir^'t' ^^'^' :''"' ^-^ she'commuS first of all? why, with the special agent sent by he government to Arcis to assure the triumph of the ministerial candidate. And who undertakes the preparation of the petition for leave to prose" not the special agent himself, but a lawyer inspired by him, and immediately after a breakfast to which the peasant and her rural adviser were invited to furms,.^^^^ MONSIEUR DE Rastignac, from his seat.-With- out discussing the truth of the facts stated, Ts which I personally have no knowledge. I decla'; upon my honor that the government hat had no onnec- tion whatever with the proceedings alleged to have taken place, and it disapproves and disavows them in the most explicit terms. 350 THE DEPUTY FK- >.\l ARCIS H'ii MONSIFHR DE SALLENAUVE.-Affer that formal declaration, which I luv'u had the honor to call forth I feel that it would ill become me, messieurs to in- sist upon attributing to the government the responsi- bility for this intrigue; but my error will perhaps not seem unnatural to you when you remember that, as I entered this hall, the Minister of Public Works was in the tribune, taking part in a most unusual way in the discussion of a question relating exclusively to the internal discipline of the Chamber, and trying to persuade you that I had acted most disrespectful I v toward you. Monsieur de Rastignac utters some words which are inaudible to us.— Prolonged confusion MONSIEUR VICTORIN HULOT.-Monsieur le Pres- ident, I pray you, warn the minister not to interrupt. He will have an opportunity to reply. MONSIEUR DE SALLENAUVE.-According to Mon- sieur le Comte de Rastignac, I showed an utter dis- regard of my duty to the Chamber by forwarding from another cour,--y a request for leave of absence which 1 thus pr. suKir d to take before receiving the assent which > r->et,}nded to solicit. But, in his intense desire h> put me in the wrong, Monsieur le Mimstre has lost s.ght of the fact that when I left Pans the session had not opened, and that, if I had addressed my request to Monsieur le President of the Chamber at that time, I should have addressed it to a pure abstraction.— Cries on the Left: That is so!— As for the insufficiency of the reasons given in sup- port of my request, I regret to inform the Chamber formal I forth, , to in- sponsi- aps not hat, as ks was way in /ely to /ing to ctfully which Pres- irrupt. Mon- ^r dis- arding ience, ig the n his eur le I left I had of the lit to so! — sup- mber THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 351 that it was imoossil ii' inr •, •iiipussu iL Tor Hi. ,) v more exDiirii- and that, by rev.ali „ ,he real caus. „f my abTe e' I sho, d have betrayed a secret that was no my own: i d,d not, however, fail to understand that by to day I exposed my conduct to th.< most unfavor- able interpretations, and that I must even expect to seeac„mh.ation of the burlesque and the C ? 1 ! "'''^""" '^Tlanations which it would be attempled to substitute for mine.-Sensa.i.,,, a matter of fact, I was so determined to neglect n of the duties of my position, that, in common Monsieur le Ministre, I conceived a plan by wh > , I fenced that I had made myself perfectly Secure edge of the se.-.-t cause of my absence was re quested by me .. vouch to Mon^eur le P isTd^nt o he Chamber for the imperative necessity to whic" Isacr, ced myself. But, calumny has don^i its w k that direction, 1 doubt not, and that honorable ■ vidijal evidently considered it compromisinf o accord to a man over whom a criminal prosecution was impending, the sanction of his name and hs word Although to-day the danger seems to have passed away, I shall not betray the prudent /IS mwh.h e has deemed it proper andadviSto envelop the commission with which I entrusted him. As I was very far from anticipating such self- ishness, as I am Justified in being surprised atd pam ul y shocked by it, . shall be the mo e care- ful that that breach of friendship remai... a sec et MICROCOPY RESOLUTION TEST CHART (ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) A APPLIED IIVHGE Ir '^—^ 1653 East Main Street Sr^ Rochester, New York 14609 USA •■^= (716) 482 - 0300 - Phone ^= (716) 288-5989 -Fax 352 THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS splrto Z"'' "' "^ '°"^^'^"^^' -h'^'^ ^'-^ Will i>peak to him in my name. At that moment there was great excitement in the gallery reserved for members of the peerage is occupants crowded about a lady who'was seiz d with a violent attack of hysteria' A large number of deputies hurried toward the gallery where tlie rXVtsSlr; ''T' P—^'y Physician': .^rntarry?usp':i^ ''' ''' '''^^ - veSr%h' ^^^^'^^^^-U^hers, open the ventilators. This regrettable incident was due to sie!r?a„'d ^ "' ^r'"*""'-* ™8'^ -'d. mes- sieurs, and I am done. The petition for leave f„ prosecute which has been addressed to you has doubt ess lost much of its importance in the'eTes o ray .olieagues, even of those least kindly dispied n mv r " '*'^ '™™ *^ Champe'i.ois'p ; ant, my kinswoman, withdrawing her comnlaint and corroborating all the statements I have had the honor to make to you. I might read this letter but prefer to place it in the hands of IHonsieurTe Prt dent._C<«rf/ ^»rf.,_with reference to ray u, au- and had I been present at the opening of the sitting rai'tf Of trrP""' ^' -yP-'*i*in the r ; limits of tlie leave of absence which the Chamber was kind enough to accord rae; but, as mSu de Canahs has said to you, I was determined noUo RCIS i which alone will excitement in the :he peerage; its who was seized A large number llery where the ably physicians, "he sitting was lers, open the -nt was due to lauve, continue ngle word, mes- >n for leave to id to you has ■ in the eyes of indly disposed, mpenois peas- ler complamt, I have had the this letter, but isieur le Pres- to my unau- this morning, of the sitting, thin the strict the Chamber as Monsieur rmined not to IN THE CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES At that moment there was great excitement in the gallery reserved for the members of the peerage; Us occupants crowded about a lady zvho was seized with a violent attack of hysteria. A large number of deputies hurried toward the gallery zvhere the scene took place. 1 ■ 1 , ■ 1 s i t . ■I :i i '^.'AXT^n-^Xn '1 J V>>V- ,'i^-)**' •sivviU'^ \fe^4fn^to '"^vm.'. THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS 353 appear in this presence until the cloud tliat had risen around my reputation was entirely dissipated. My morning was employed in that work. Now mes- sieurs, It IS for you to decide whether one of your colleagues should be sent back to his constituents because of a few hours' delay in taking his seat in this Chamber. After all, whether you decide to look upon me as a forger, a frantic lover, or simply a negligent deputy, I do not think that 1 need be alarmed about their verdict, and it seems extremely probable to me that I should return to you within a few weeks. From all Sides.— Vote! vote! On descending from the tribune, Monsieur de ballenauve receives numerous congratulations MONSIEUR LE PRESIDENT.-The question is as to the validity of the election of Monsieur de Salle- nauve by the arrondissement of Arcis. The Chamber votes almost unanimously in the affirmative; only a few deputies of the Centre abstain from taking part in the vote. Monsieur de Sallenauve is admitted and takes the oath. MONSIEUR LE PRESIDENT.-The order of the day called for the reading of the draft of the address but the chairman of the committee informs me that the draft cannot be submitted to the Chamber before to-morrow. There being nothing further in the order of the day, I declare the sitting at an end. The Chamber adjourned at half-past four.* *This^Scene was not compMei.-Publisiers' NoU to the Edition Difinitive. PUBLISHERS' NOTE TO THE DEPUTY FROM ARCIS Of the three divisions of this story, as published in the Edition Definitive, upon which this edition is based, only the first— 7//(f Election— \^ by Balzac. This part appeared for the first time in V Union Monarchiqtu, in April and May, 1847. All that follows is by Charles Rabon, who completed the work and published it first in Le Constitutionnel in 1853, and afterward in volumes, in three parts, as follows : I. Le Diputi d'/lrcis, 4 volumes, in 1854; II. Le Comte SalUnauve, 5 volumes, in 1855; III. La Famille Beauvisage, 4 volumes, in 1855, with the words Termini par Charles Rabon on the title-page. Much of the portion added by Rabon, including the whole of La Famille Beauvisage, is omitted in the Edition Definitive, as will appear by reference to the articles in Messrs. Cerfberr and Christophe's Repertory, relating to Dorlange-Sallenauve, Cecile Beauvisage, Phileas Beauvisage, Jacques Collin, Maxime de Trailles, and others of the characters who figure in these volumes. (354) UTY lished in the ed, only the appeared for i May, 1847. ted the work nd afterward ^puU d'/frcis, volumes, in I 1855, with 'age. the whole of definitive, as Cerf berr and iauve,Cecile , Maxime de ire in these LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE ON THE BANK OF THE AUBE Efc/,in^ . . J-hw/s. THE RASTIGNAC SALON So THE BUST OF MME. DE L'ESTORADE 176 THE FUTURE DIVA 280 IN THE CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES 352 Arcis 2, Library Edition 355