the deputy of arcis- 第5部分

Pigoult　sprang　to　the　table；　stood　beside　it　with　his　fingers　resting　lightly　on　its　edge；　and　gave　proof　of　his　boldness　by　delivering　the　following　speech　without　the　slightest　embarrassment；　and　somewhat　after　the　manner　of　the　illustrious　Monsieur　Thiers。

〃Messieurs；　it　was　not　I　who　made　that　proposal　for　parliamentary　usage；　nevertheless　I　can　conceive　that　an　assemblage　of　some　sixty　notabilities　of　Champagne　needs　a　chairman　to　guide　it；　for　no　flock　can　get　on　without　a　shepherd。　If　we　had　voted　for　secret　balloting；　I　am　certain　that　the　name　of　our　excellent　mayor　would　have　been　returned　unanimously。　His　opposition　to　the　candidate　put　forward　by　his　relations　proves　to　us　that　he　possesses　civic　courage　in　the　highest　degree；　inasmuch　as　he　has　dared　to　free　himself　from　the　closest　tiesthose　of　family。　Patriotism　before　family！　that　is　indeed　so　great　an　effort　that；　to　make　it；　we　are　forced　to　believe　that　Brutus　from　his　realm　of　justice　still　contemplates　us　after　the　lapse　of　two　thousand；　five　hundred　and　some　years。　It　seemed　natural　to　Maitre　Giguet；　who　had　the　merit　of　divining　our　wishes　in　the　choice　of　a　chairman；　to　guide　us　still　further　in　electing　inspectors；　but；　if　I　am　not　mistaken；　you　think　with　me　that　once　is　enoughand　you　are　right。　Our　mutual　friend；　Simon　Giguet；　who　intends　to　offer　himself　as　candidate；　would　have　the　air　of　assuming　mastery；　and　he　might；　consequently；　lose　in　our　minds　the　good…will　we　should　otherwise　bestow　upon　a　modest　attitude　like　that　of　his　venerable　father。　Now　what　is　our　worthy　chairman　doing　at　this　moment　by　accepting　the　method　of　presiding　suggested　to　him　by　the　candidate？　He　is　depriving　us　of　our　liberty！　I　ask　you：　is　it　proper　that　the　chairman　of　our　choice　should　tell　us　to　nominate；　by　rising　or　sitting；　inspectors　of　the　ballot　thus　forced　upon　us？　Have　we　any　liberty　of　choice？　If　I　were　proposed；　I　believe　all　present　would　rise　out　of　politeness；　indeed；　we　should　all　feel　bound　to　rise　for　one　another；　and　I　say　there　can　be　no　choice　where　there　is　no　freedom　of　action。〃

〃He　is　right；〃　said　the　sixty　auditors。

〃Therefore；　let　us　each　write　two　names　on　a　ballot；　and　the　two　gentlemen　who　are　elected　will　then　feel　themselves　the　real　choice　of　this　assembly；　they　will　have　the　right；　conjointly　with　our　honorable　chairman；　to　pronounce　upon　the　majority　when　we　come　to　a　vote　on　the　resolutions　to　be　offered。　We　are　here；　I　think；　to　promise　to　a　candidate　the　fullest　support　that　each　can　give　at　the　coming　primary　meeting　of　all　the　electors　of　the　arrondissement。　This　act　is　therefore；　and　I　so　declare　it；　a　grave　one。　Does　it　not　concern　one　four…hundredth　part　of　the　governing　power；as　our　excellent　mayor　has　lately　said　with　the　ready　wit　that　characterizes　him　and　for　which　we　have　so　high　an　appreciation？〃

During　these　remarks　Colonel　Giguet　was　cutting　a　sheet　of　paper　into　strips；　and　Simon　had　sent　for　pens　and　ink。

This　preliminary　discussion　on　forms　had　already　made　Simon　extremely　uneasy；　and　had　also　aroused　the　attention　of　the　sixty　assembled　bourgeois。　Presently　they　began　to　write　their　ballots；　and　the　wily　Pigoult　contrived　to　obtain　a　majority　for　Monsieur　Mollot；　the　clerk　of　the　court；　and　Monsieur　Godivet；　the　registrar。　These　nominations　were　naturally　very　displeasing　to　Fromaget；　the　apothecary；　and　Marcelin　the　solicitor。

〃You　enable　us；〃　said　Achille　Pigoult；　〃to　manifest　our　independence。　Therefore　you　may　feel　more　pride　in　being　rejected　than　you　could　have　felt　in　being　chosen。〃

Everybody　laughed。

Simon　Giguet　then　produced　silence　by　demanding　speech　of　the　chairman；　whose　shirt　was　already　wet　and　became　still　wetter　as　he　mustered　all　his　courage　to　say：

〃Monsieur　Simon　Giguet　has　the　floor。〃



IV

THE　FIRST　PARLIAMENTARY　TEMPEST

〃Messieurs；〃　said　Simon　Giguet；　〃I　ask　permission　to　thank　Monsieur　Achille　Pigoult；　who；　although　our　meeting　is　altogether　friendly〃

〃It　is　a　meeting　preparatory　to　the　great　primary　meeting；〃　said　the　solicitor　Marcelin。

〃That　is　what　I　was　about　to　explain；〃　resumed　Simon；　〃I　thank　Monsieur　Achille　Pigoult　for　having　insisted　on　the　strictness　of　parliamentary　forms。　This　is　the　first　time　that　the　arrondissement　of　Arcis　has　been　at　liberty　to　use〃

〃At　liberty！〃　said　Pigoult；　interrupting　the　orator。

〃At　liberty！〃　cried　the　assembly。

〃At　liberty；〃　continued　Simon　Giguet；　〃to　use　its　rights　in　the　great　battle　of　a　general　election　to　the　Chamber　of　Deputies；　and　as；　in　a　few　days；　we　shall　have　a　meeting；　at　which　all　electors　will　be　present；　to　judge　of　the　merits　of　the　candidates；　we　ought　to　feel　ourselves　most　fortunate　in　becoming　accustomed　here；　in　this　limited　meeting；　to　the　usages　of　great　assemblies。　We　shall　be　all　the　more　able　to　decide　the　political　future　of　the　town　of　Arcis；　for　the　question　now　is　to　substitute　a　town's　interests　for　family　interests；　a　whole　region　for　a　man。〃

Simon　then　reviewed　the　history　of　the　Arcis　elections　for　the　last　twenty　years。　While　approving　the　constant　election　of　Francois　Keller；　he　said　the　moment　had　now　come　to　shake　off　the　yoke　of　the　house　of　Gondreville。　Arcis　ought　to　be　no　more　a　fief　of　the　liberals　than　a　fief　of　the　Cinq…Cygnes。　Advanced　opinions　were　arising　in　France　of　which　the　Kellers　were　not　the　exponents。　Charles　Keller；　having　become　a　viscount；　belonged　to　the　court；　he　could　have　no　independence；　because；　in　presenting　him　as　candidate；　his　family　thought　much　more　of　making　him　succeed　to　his　father's　peerage　than　of　benefiting　his　constituency　as　deputy；　etc。；　etc。　And；　finally；　Simon　presented　himself　to　the　choice　of　his　fellow…citizens；　pledging　his　word　to　sit　on　the　same　bench　with　the　illustrious　Odilon　Barrot；　and　never　to　desert　the　glorious　flag　of　Progress。

/Progress/！　one　of　those　words　behind　which　more　flimsy　ambitions　than　ideas　were　trying　to　group　themselves；　for；　after　1830；　it　represented　only　the　pretensions　of　a　few　hungry　democrats。　Nevertheless；　this　word　had　still　a　great　effect　upon　Arcis；　and　gave　stability　to　whosoever　might　inscribe　it　on　his　banner。　To　call　himself　a　man　of　progress　was　to　declare　himself　a　philosopher　in　all　things　and　a　puritan　in　politics；　it　declared　him　in　favor　of　railroads；　mackintoshes；　penitentiaries；　wooden　pavements；　Negro　freedom；　savings…banks；　seamless　shoes；　lighting　by　gas；　asphalt　pavements；　universal　suffrage；　and　reduction　of　the　civil　list。　In　short；　it　meant　pronouncing　himself　against　the　treaties　of　1815；　against　the　Eldest　Branch；　against　the　colossus　of　the　North；　perfidious　Albion；　against　all　enterprises；　good　or　bad；　of　the　government。　Thus　we　see　that　the　word　/progress/　might　signify　〃No；〃　as　well　as　〃Yes。〃　It　was　gilding　put　upon　the　word　/liberalism/；　a　new　pass…word　for　new　ambitions。

〃If　I　have　rightly　understood　what　this　meeting　is　for；〃　said　Jean　Violette；　a　stocking…maker；　who　had　recently　bought　the　Beauvisage　house；　〃it　is　to　pledge　ourselves　to　support；　by　employing　every　means　in　our　power；　Monsieur　Simon　Giguet　at　the　elections　as　deputy　in　place　of　Comte　Francois　Keller。　If　each　of　us　intends　to　coalesce　in　this　manner　we　have　only　to　say　plainly　Yes　or　No　on　that　point。〃

〃That　is　going　too　quickly　to　the　point！　Political　affairs　do　not　advance　in　that　way；　or　there　would　be　no　politics　at　all！〃　cried　Pigoult；　whose　old　grandfather；　eighty…six　years　old；　had　just　entered　the　room。　〃The　last　speaker　undertakes　to　decide　what　seems　to　me；　according　to　my　feeble　lights；　the　very　object　we　are　met　to　discuss。　I　demand　permission　to　speak。〃

〃Monsieur　Achille　Pigoult　has　the　floor；〃　said　Beauvisage；　at　last　able　to　pronounce　that　phrase　with　all　his　municipal　and　constitutional　dignity。

〃Messieurs；〃　said　the　notary；　〃if　there　is　a　house　in　Arcis　in　which　no　voice　should　be　raised　against　the　influence　of　the　Comte　de　Gondreville；　it　is　surely　the　one　we　are　now　in。　The　worthy　Colonel　Giguet　is　the　only　person　in　it　who　has　not　sought　the　benefits　of　the　senatorial　power；　he；　at　least；　has　never　asked　anything　of　the　Comte　de　Gondreville；　who　took　his　name　off　the　list　of　exiles　in　1815　and　caused　him　to　receive　the　pension　which　the　colonel　now　enjoys　without　lifting　a　finger　to　obtain　it。〃

A　murmur；　flattering　to　the　old　soldier；　greeted　this　observation。

〃But；〃　continued　the　orator；　〃the　Marions　are　covered　with　the　count's　benefits。　Without　that　influence；　the　late　Colonel　Giguet　would　not　have　commanded　the　gendarmerie　of　the　Aube。　The　late　Monsieur　Marion　would　not　have　been　chief…justice　of　the　Imperial　court　without　the　protection　of　the　count；　to　whom　I　myself　have　every　reason　to　be　thankful。　You　will　therefore　think　it　natural　that　I　should　be　his　advocate　within　these　walls。　There　are；　indeed；　few　persons　in　this　arrondissement　who　have　not　received　benefits　from　that　family。〃

＇Murmurs。＇

〃A　candidate　puts　himself　in　the　stocks；〃　continued　Achille　Pigoult；　warming　up。　〃I　have　the　right　to　scrutinize　his　life　before　I　invest　him　with　my　powers。　I　do　not　desire　ingratitude　in　the　delegate　I　may　help　to　send　to　the　Chamber；　for　ingratitude　is　like　misfortuneone　ingratitude　leads　to　others。　We　have　been；　he　tells　us；　the　stepping…　stone　of　the　Kellers；　well；　from　what　I　have　heard　here；　I　am　afraid　we　may　become　the　stepping…stone　of　the　Giguets。　We　live　in　a　practical　age；　do　we　not？　Well；　then；　let　us　examine　into　what　will　be　the　results　to　the　arrondissement　of　Arcis　if　Simon　Giguet　is　elected。　They　talk　to　you　of　independence！　Simon；　whom　I　thus　maltreat　as　candidate；　is　my　personal　friend；　as　he　is　that　of　all　who　hear　me；　and　I　should　myself　be　charmed　to　see　him　the　orator　of　the　Left；　seated　between　Garnier…Pages　and　Lafitte；　but　how　would　that　benefit　the　arrondissement？　The　arrondissement　would　lose　the　support　of　the　Comte　de　Gondreville　and　the　Kellers。　We　all；　in　the　course　of　five　years；　have　had　and　shall　have　need　of　the　one　and　of　the　others。　Some　have　gone　to　the　Marechale　de　Carigliano　to　obtain　the　release　of　a　young　fellow　who　had　drawn　a　bad　number。　Others　have　had　recourse　to　the　influence　of　the　Kellers　in　many　matters　which　are　decided　according　to　their　recommendation。　We　have　always　found　the　old　Comte　de　Go