the deputy of arcis- 第3部分

Colonel　Giguet　had　had；　between　1806　and　1813；　by　his　wife　who　died　in　1814；　three　children；　the　eldest　of　whom；　Simon；　alone　survived。　Until　he　became　an　only　child；　Simon　was　brought　up　as　a　youth　to　whom　the　exercise　of　a　profession　would　be　necessary。　And　about　the　time　he　became　by　the　death　of　his　brothers　the　family　heir；　the　young　man　met　with　a　serious　disappointment。　Madame　Marion　had　counted　much；　for　her　nephew；　on　the　inheritance　of　his　grandfather　the　banker　of　Hamburg。　But　when　that　old　German　died　in　1826；　he　left　his　grandson　Giguet　a　paltry　two　thousand　francs　a　year。　The　worthy　banker；　endowed　with　great　procreative　powers；　having　soothed　the　worries　of　business　by　the　pleasures　of　paternity；　favored　the　families　of　eleven　other　children　who　surrounded　him；　and　who　made　him　believe；　with　some　appearance　of　justice；　that　Simon　Giguet　was　already　a　rich　man。

Besides　all　this；　the　colonel　was　bent　on　giving　his　son　an　independent　position；　and　for　this　reason：　the　Giguets　could　not　expect　any　government　favors　under　the　Restoration。　Even　if　Simon　had　not　been　the　son　of　an　ardent　Bonapartist；　he　belonged　to　a　family　whose　members　had　justly　incurred　the　animosity　of　the　Cinq…Cygne　family；　owing　to　the　part　which　Giguet；　the　colonel　of　gendarmerie；　and　the　Marions；　including　Madame　Marion；　had　taken　as　witnesses　on　the　famous　trial　of　the　Messieurs　de　Simeuse；　unjustly　condemned　in　1805　for　the　abduction　of　the　Comte　de　Gondreville；　then　senator；　and　formerly　representative　of　the　people；　who　had　despoiled　the　Cinq…　Cygne　family　of　their　property。　＇See　〃An　Historical　Mystery。〃＇

Grevin　was　not　only　one　of　the　most　important　witnesses　at　that　trial；　but　he　was　one　of　the　chief　promoters　of　the　prosecution。　That　affair　divides　to　this　day　the　arrondissement　of　Arcis　into　two　parties；　one　of　which　declares　the　innocence　of　the　condemned；　the　other　standing　by　the　Comte　de　Gondreville　and　his　adherents。　Though；　under　the　Restoration；　the　Comtesse　de　Cinq…Cygne　used　all　the　influence　the　return　of　the　Bourbons　gave　her　to　arrange　things　as　she　wished　in　the　department　of　the　Aube；　the　Comte　de　Gondreville　contrived　to　counterbalance　this　Cinq…Cygne　royalty　by　the　secret　authority　he　wielded　over　the　liberals　of　the　town　through　the　notary　Grevin；　Colonel　Giguet；　his　son…in…law　Keller　（always　elected　deputy　in　spite　of　the　Cinq…Cygnes）；　and　also　by　the　credit　he　maintained；　as　long　as　Louis　XVIII。　lived；　in　the　counsels　of　the　crown。　It　was　not　until　after　the　death　of　that　king　that　the　Comtesse　de　Cinq…Cygne　was　able　to　get　Michu　appointed　judge　of　the　court　of　assizes　in　Arcis。　She　desired　of　all　things　to　obtain　this　place　for　the　son　of　the　steward　who　had　perished　on　the　scaffold　at　Troyes；　the　victim　of　his　devotion　to　the　Simeuse　family；　whose　full…length　portrait　always　hung　in　her　salon；　whether　in　Paris　or　at　Cinq…Cygne。　Until　1823　the　Comte　de　Gondreville　had　possessed　sufficient　power　over　Louis　XVIII。　to　prevent　this　appointment　of　Michu。

It　was　by　the　advice　of　the　Comte　de　Gondreville　that　Colonel　Giguet　made　his　son　a　lawyer。　Simon　had　all　the　more　opportunity　of　shining　at　the　bar　in　the　arrondissement　of　Arcis　because　he　was　the　only　barrister；　solicitors　pleading　their　own　cases　in　these　petty　localities。　The　young　man　had　really　secured　certain　triumphs　in　the　court　of　assizes　of　the　Aube；　but　he　was　none　the　less　an　object　of　derision　to　Frederic　Marest；　/procureur…du…roi/；　Olivier　Vinet；　the　substitute　/procureur/；　and　the　judge；　Michu；the　three　best　minds　in　the　court。

Simon　Giguet；　like　other　men；　paid　goodly　tribute　to　the　mighty　power　of　ridicule　that　pursued　him。　He　liked　to　hear　himself　talk；　and　he　talked　on　all　occasions；　he　solemnly　delivered　himself　of　dry　and　long…winded　sentences　which　passed　for　eloquence　among　the　upper　bourgeoisie　of　Arcis。　The　poor　fellow　belonged　to　that　species　of　bore　which　desires　to　explain　everything；　even　the　simplest　thing。　He　explained　rain；　he　explained　the　revolution　of　July；　he　explained　things　impenetrable；　he　explained　Louis…Philippe；　Odilon　Barrot；　Monsieur　Thiers；　the　Eastern　Question；　he　explained　Champagne；　he　explained　1788；　he　explained　the　tariff　of　custom　houses　and　humanitarians；　magnetism　and　the　economy　of　the　civil　list。

This　lean　young　man；　with　a　bilious　skin；　tall　enough　to　justify　his　sonorous　nullity　（for　it　is　rare　that　a　tall　man　does　not　have　eminent　faculties　of　some　kind）　outdid　the　puritanism　of　the　votaries　of　the　extreme　Left；　all　of　them　so　sensitive；　after　the　manner　of　prudes　who　have　their　intrigues　to　hide。　Dressed　invariably　in　black；　he　wore　a　white　cravat　which　came　down　low　on　his　chest；　so　that　his　face　seemed　to　issue　from　a　horn　of　white　paper；　for　the　collar　of　his　shirt　was　high　and　stiff　after　a　fashion　now；　fortunately；　exploded。　His　trousers　and　his　coats　were　always　too　large　for　him。　He　had　what　is　called　in　the　provinces　dignity；　that　is　to　say；　he　was　stiffly　erect　and　pompously　dull　in　manner。　His　friend；　Antonin　Goulard；　accused　him　of　imitating　Monsieur　Dupin。　And　in　truth；　the　young　barrister　was　apt　to　wear　shoes　and　stout　socks　of　black　filoselle。

Protected　by　the　respect　that　every　one　bore　to　his　father；　and　by　the　influence　exercised　by　his　aunt　over　a　little　town　whose　principal　inhabitants　had　frequented　her　salon　for　many　years；　Simon　Giguet；　possessing　already　ten　thousand　francs　a　year；　not　counting　the　fees　of　his　profession　and　the　fortune　his　aunt　would　not　fail　to　leave　him；　felt　no　doubt　of　his　election。　Nevertheless；　the　first　sound　of　the　bell　announcing　the　arrival　of　the　most　influential　electors　echoed　in　the　heart　of　the　ambitious　aspirant　and　filled　it　with　vague　fears。　Simon　did　not　conceal　from　himself　the　cleverness　and　the　immense　resources　of　old　Grevin；　nor　the　prestige　attending　the　means　that　would　surely　be　employed　by　the　ministry　to　promote　the　candidacy　of　a　young　and　dashing　officer　then　in　Africa；　attached　to　the　staff　of　the　prince…royal。

〃I　think；〃　he　said　to　his　father；　〃that　I　have　the　colic；　I　feel　a　warmth　at　the　pit　of　my　stomach　that　makes　me　very　uneasy。〃

〃Old　soldiers；〃　replied　the　colonel；　〃have　the　same　feeling　when　they　hear　the　cannon　beginning　to　growl　at　the　opening　of　a　battle。〃

〃What　will　it　be　in　the　Chamber！〃　said　the　barrister。

〃The　Comte　de　Gondreville　told　me；〃　said　the　old　colonel；　〃that　he　has　known　more　than　one　orator　affected　with　the　qualms　which　precede；　even　with　us　old　fire…eaters；　the　opening　of　a　battle。　But　all　this　is　idle　talk。　You　want　to　be　a　deputy；〃　added　the　old　man；　shrugging　his　shoulders；　〃then　be　one！〃

〃Father；　the　real　triumph　will　be　Cecile！　Cecile　has　an　immense　fortune。　Now…a…days　an　immense　fortune　means　power。〃

〃Dear　me！　how　times　have　changed！　Under　the　Emperor　men　had　to　be　brave。〃

〃Each　epoch　is　summed　up　in　a　phrase；〃　said　Simon；　recalling　an　observation　of　the　Comte　de　Gondreville；　which　paints　that　personage　well。　He　remarked：　〃Under　the　Empire；　when　it　was　desirable　to　destroy　a　man；　people　said；　'He　is　a　coward。'　To…day　we　say；　'He　is　a　cheat。'〃

〃Poor　France！　where　are　they　leading　you？〃　cried　the　colonel；　〃I　shall　go　back　to　my　roses。〃

〃Oh；　stay；　father！　You　are　the　keystone　of　the　arch。〃



III

OPPOSITION　DEFINES　ITSELF

The　mayor；　Monsieur　Phileas　Beauvisage；　was　the　first　to　present　himself；　accompanied　by　the　successor　of　his　father…in…law；　the　busiest　notary　in　town；　Achille　Pigoult；　grandson　of　an　old　man　who　had　continued　justice　of　the　peace　in　Arcis　during　the　Revolution；　the　Empire；　and　the　Restoration。　Achille　Pigoult；　thirty…two　years　of　age；　had　been　eighteen　years　a　clerk　in　Grevin's　office　with　no　means　of　becoming　himself　a　notary。　His　father；　son　of　the　justice　of　peace；　had　died　of　a　so…called　apoplexy；　having　gone　wrong　in　business。

The　Comte　de　Gondreville；　however；　with　whom　old　Pigoult　had　relations　dating　back　to　1793；　lent　money　for　the　necessary　security；　and　thus　enabled　the　grandson　of　the　judge　who　made　the　first　examination　in　the　Simeuse　case　to　buy　the　practice　of　his　master；　Grevin。　Achille　had　set　up　his　office　in　the　Place　de　l'Eglise；　in　a　house　belonging　to　the　Comte　de　Gondreville；　which　the　latter　had　leased　to　him　at　so　low　a　price　that　any　one　could　see　how　desirous　that　crafty　politician　was　to　hold　the　leading　notary　of　Arcis　in　the　hollow　of　his　hand。

Young　Pigoult；　a　short；　skinny　man；　whose　eyes　seemed　to　pierce　the　green　spectacles　which　could　not　modify　the　spitefulness　of　his　glance；　well…informed　as　to　all　the　interests　of　the　neighborhood；　owing　his　aptitude　in　managing　affairs　to　a　certain　facility　of　speech；　passed　for　what　is　called　a　/quizzer/；　saying　things　plainly　and　with　more　cleverness　than　the　aborigines　could　put　into　their　conversations。　Still　a　bachelor；　he　was　awaiting　a　rich　marriage　through　the　offices　of　his　two　protectors；　Grevin　and　the　Comte　de　Gondreville。　Consequently；　barrister　Giguet　was　not　a　little　surprised　on　seeing　Achille　appear　at　the　meeting　in　company　with　Monsieur　Phileas　Beauvisage。

The　notary；　whose　face　was　so　seamed　by　the　smallpox　that　it　seemed　to　be　covered　with　a　white　net；　formed　a　perfect　contrast　to　the　rotund　person　of　the　mayor；　whose　face　resembled　a　full　moon；　but　a　warm　and　lively　moon；　its　tones　of　lily　and　of　rose　being　still　further　brightened　by　a　gracious　smile；　the　result　not　so　much　of　a　disposition　of　the　soul　as　of　that　formation　of　the　lips　for　which　the　word　〃simpering〃　seems　to　have　been　created。　Phileas　Beauvisage　was　endowed　with　so　great　a　contentment　with　himself　that　he　smiled　on　all　the　world　and　under　all　circumstances。　Those　simpering　lips　smiled　at　a　funeral。　The　liveliness　that　abounded　in　his　infantine　blue　eyes　did　not　contradict　that　perpetual　and　well…nigh　intolerable　smile。

This　internal　satisfaction　passed　all　the　more　readily　for　benevolence　and　affability；　because　Phileas　had　made　himself　a　language　of　his　own；　remarkable　for　its　immoderate　use　of　the　formulas　of　politeness。　He　always　〃had　the　honor〃；　to　all　his　inquiries　as　to　the　health　of　absent　persons　he　added　the　adjectives　〃dear；〃　〃good；〃　〃excellent。〃　He　lavished　condoling　or　congratulatory　phrases　apropos　of　all　the　petty　miseries　and　all　the　little　felicities　of　life。