the collection of antiquities-第32章

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knew　how　to　assert　at　the　right　moment　like　a　man　of　spirit。　He　won　golden　opinions　by　the　manner　in　which　he　threw　himself　into　provincial　ways；　without　criticising　them；　and　for　these　reasons；　every　one　endeavored　to　make　his　time　of　exile　endurable。

The　public　prosecutor　was　a　lawyer　of　the　highest　ability；　he　had　taken　the　plunge　into　political　life；　and　was　one　of　the　most　distinguished　speakers　on　the　ministerialist　benches。　The　President　stood　in　awe　of　him；　if　he　had　not　been　away　in　Paris　at　the　time；　no　steps　would　have　been　taken　against　Victurnien；　his　dexterity；　his　experience　of　business；　would　have　prevented　the　whole　affair。　At　that　moment；　however；　he　was　in　the　Chamber　of　Deputies；　and　the　President　and　du　Croisier　had　taken　advantage　of　his　absence　to　weave　their　plot；　calculating；　with　a　certain　ingenuity；　that　if　once　the　law　stepped　in；　and　the　matter　was　noised　abroad；　things　would　have　gone　too　far　to　be　remedied。

As　a　matter　of　fact；　no　staff　of　prosecuting　counsel　in　any　Tribunal；　at　that　particular　time；　would　have　taken　up　a　charge　of　forgery　against　the　eldest　son　of　one　of　the　noblest　houses　in　France　without　going　into　the　case　at　great　length；　and　a　special　reference；　in　all　probability；　to　the　Attorney…General。　In　such　a　case　as　this；　the　authorities　and　the　Government　would　have　tried　endless　ways　of　compromising　and　hushing　up　an　affair　which　might　send　an　imprudent　young　man　to　the　hulks。　They　would　very　likely　have　done　the　same　for　a　Liberal　family　in　a　prominent　position；　so　long　as　the　Liberals　were　not　too　openly　hostile　to　the　throne　and　the　altar。　So　du　Croisier's　charge　and　the　young　Count's　arrest　had　not　been　very　easy　to　manage。　The　President　and　du　Croisier　had　compassed　their　ends　in　the　following　manner。

M。　Sauvager；　a　young　Royalist　barrister；　had　reached　the　position　of　deputy　public　prosecutor　by　dint　of　subservience　to　the　Ministry。　In　the　absence　of　his　chief　he　was　head　of　the　staff　of　counsel　for　prosecution；　and；　consequently；　it　fell　to　him　to　take　up　the　charge　made　by　du　Croisier。　Sauvager　was　a　self…made　man；　he　had　nothing　but　his　stipend；　and　for　that　reason　the　authorities　reckoned　upon　some　one　who　had　everything　to　gain　by　devotion。　The　President　now　exploited　the　position。　No　sooner　was　the　document　with　the　alleged　forgery　in　du　Croisier's　hands；　than　Mme。　la　Presidente　du　Ronceret；　prompted　by　her　spouse；　had　a　long　conversation　with　M。　Sauvager。　In　the　course　of　it　she　pointed　out　the　uncertainties　of　a　career　in　the　magistrature　debout　compared　with　the　magistrature　assise；　and　the　advantages　of　the　bench　over　the　bar；　she　showed　how　a　freak　on　the　part　of　some　official；　or　a　single　false　step；　might　ruin　a　man's　career。

〃If　you　are　conscientious　and　give　your　conclusions　against　the　powers　that　be；　you　are　lost；〃　continued　she。　〃Now；　at　this　moment；　you　might　turn　your　position　to　account　to　make　a　fine　match　that　would　put　you　above　unlucky　chances　for　the　rest　of　your　life；　you　may　marry　a　wife　with　fortune　sufficient　to　land　you　on　the　bench；　in　the　magistrature　assise。　There　is　a　fine　chance　for　you。　M。　du　Croisier　will　never　have　any　children；　everybody　knows　why。　His　money；　and　his　wife's　as　well；　will　go　to　his　niece；　Mlle。　Duval。　M。　Duval　is　an　ironmaster；　his　purse　is　tolerably　filled；　to　begin　with；　and　his　father　is　still　alive；　and　has　a　little　property　besides。　The　father　and　son　have　a　million　of　francs　between　them；　they　will　double　it　with　du　Croisier's　help；　for　du　Croisier　has　business　connections　among　great　capitalists　and　manufacturers　in　Paris。　M。　and　Mme。　Duval　the　younger　would　be　certain　to　give　their　daughter　to　a　suitor　brought　forward　by　du　Croisier；　for　he　is　sure　to　leave　two　fortunes　to　his　niece；　and；　in　all　probability；　he　will　settle　the　reversion　of　his　wife's　property　upon　Mlle。　Duval　in　the　marriage　contract；　for　Mme。　du　Croisier　has　no　kin。　You　know　how　du　Croisier　hates　the　d'Esgrignons。　Do　him　a　service；　be　his　man；　take　up　this　charge　of　forgery　which　he　is　going　to　make　against　young　d'Esgrignon；　and　follow　up　the　proceedings　at　once　without　consulting　the　public　prosecutor　at　Paris。　And；　then；　pray　Heaven　that　the　Ministry　dismisses　you　for　doing　your　office　impartially；　in　spite　of　the　powers　that　be；　for　if　they　do；　your　fortune　is　made！　You　will　have　a　charming　wife　and　thirty　thousand　francs　a　year　with　her；　to　say　nothing　of　four　millions　expectations　in　ten　years'　time。〃

In　two　evenings　Sauvager　was　talked　over。　Both　he　and　the　President　kept　the　affair　a　secret　from　old　Blondet；　from　Michu；　and　from　the　second　member　of　the　staff　of　prosecuting　counsel。　Feeling　sure　of　Blondet's　impartiality　on　a　question　of　fact；　the　President　made　certain　of　a　majority　without　counting　Camusot。　And　now　Camusot's　unexpected　defection　had　thrown　everything　out。　What　the　President　wanted　was　a　committal　for　trial　before　the　public　prosecutor　got　warning。　How　if　Camusot　or　the　second　counsel　for　the　prosecution　should　send　word　to　Paris？

And　here　some　portion　of　Camusot's　private　history　may　perhaps　explain　how　it　came　to　pass　that　Chesnel　took　it　for　granted　that　the　examining　magistrate　would　be　on　the　d'Esgrignons'　side；　and　how　he　had　the　boldness　to　tamper　in　the　open　street　with　that　representative　of　justice。

Camusot's　father；　a　well…known　silk　mercer　in　the　Rue　des　Bourdonnais；　was　ambitious　for　the　only　son　of　his　first　marriage；　and　brought　him　up　to　the　law。　When　Camusot　junior　took　a　wife；　he　gained　with　her　the　influence　of　an　usher　of　the　Royal　cabinet；　backstairs　influence；　it　is　true；　but　still　sufficient；　since　it　had　brought　him　his　first　appointment　as　justice　of　the　peace；　and　the　second　as　examining　magistrate。　At　the　time　of　his　marriage；　his　father　only　settled　an　income　of　six　thousand　francs　upon　him　（the　amount　of　his　mother's　fortune；　which　he　could　legally　claim）；　and　as　Mlle。　Thirion　brought　him　no　more　than　twenty　thousand　francs　as　her　portion；　the　young　couple　knew　the　hardships　of　hidden　poverty。　The　salary　of　a　provincial　justice　of　the　peace　does　not　exceed　fifteen　hundred　francs；　while　an　examining　magistrate's　stipend　is　augmented　by　something　like　a　thousand　francs；　because　his　position　entails　expenses　and　extra　work。　The　post；　therefore；　is　much　coveted；　though　it　is　not　permanent；　and　the　work　is　heavy；　and　that　was　why　Mme。　Camusot　had　just　scolded　her　husband　for　allowing　the　President　to　read　his　thoughts。

Marie　Cecile　Amelie　Thirion；　after　three　years　of　marriage；　perceived　the　blessing　of　Heaven　upon　it　in　the　regularity　of　two　auspicious　eventsthe　births　of　a　girl　and　a　boy；　but　she　prayed　to　be　less　blessed　in　the　future。　A　few　more　of　such　blessings　would　turn　straitened　means　into　distress。　M。　Camusot's　father's　money　was　not　likely　to　come　to　them　for　a　long　time；　and；　rich　as　he　was；　he　would　scarcely　leave　more　than　eight　or　ten　thousand　francs　a　year　to　each　of　his　children；　four　in　number；　for　he　had　been　married　twice。　And　besides；　by　the　time　that　all　〃expectations；〃　as　matchmakers　call　them；　were　realized；　would　not　the　magistrate　have　children　of　his　own　to　settle　in　life？　Any　one　can　imagine　the　situation　for　a　little　woman　with　plenty　of　sense　and　determination；　and　Mme。　Camusot　was　such　a　woman。　She　did　not　refrain　from　meddling　in　matters　judicial。　She　had　far　too　strong　a　sense　of　the　gravity　of　a　false　step　in　her　husband's　career。

She　was　the　only　child　of　an　old　servant　of　Louis　XVIII。；　a　valet　who　had　followed　his　master　in　his　wanderings　in　Italy；　Courland；　and　England；　till　after　the　Restoration　the　King　awarded　him　with　the　one　place　that　he　could　fill　at　Court；　and　made　him　usher　by　rotation　to　the　royal　cabinet。　So　in　Amelie's　home　there　had　been；　as　it　were；　a　sort　of　reflection　of　the　Court。　Thirion　used　to　tell　her　about　the　lords；　and　ministers；　and　great　men　whom　he　announced　and　introduced　and　saw　passing　to　and　fro。　The　girl；　brought　up　at　the　gates　of　the　Tuileries；　had　caught　some　tincture　of　the　maxims　practised　there；　and　adopted　the　dogma　of　passive　obedience　to　authority。　She　had　sagely　judged　that　her　husband；　by　ranging　himself　on　the　side　of　the　d'Esgrignons；　would　find　favor　with　Mme。　la　Duchesse　de　Maufrigneuse；　and