the memoirs of victor hugo-第18部分

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；　the　flowers；　and　the　fine　mornings　something　very　much　like　love　sprang　up　between　them。　　Adele　Protat　thought　she　had　to　do　with　a　captain　at　the　most。　　He　said　to　her：　〃Come　and　see　me　at　Courbevoie。〃　She　refused。　　Feebly。

One　evening　she　was　passing　near　Neuilly　in　a　boat。　Two　young　men　were　bathing。　　She　recognized　her　officer。

〃There　is　the　Duke　d'Aumale；〃　said　the　boatman。

〃Really！〃　said　she；　and　turned　pale。

The　next　day　she　had　ceased　to　love　him。　　She　had　seen　him　naked；　and　knew　that　he　was　a　prince。






IN　THE　CHAMBER　OF　PEERS。





IN　THE　CHAMBER　OF　PEERS。

1846。



Yesterday；　February　22；　I　went　to　the　Chamber　of　Peers。　　The　weather　was　fine　and　very　cold；　in　spite　of　the　noonday　sun。　　In　the　Rue　de　Tournon　I　met　a　man　in　the　custody　of　two　soldiers。　　The　man　was　fair；　pale；　thin；　haggard；　about　thirty　years　old；　he　wore　coarse　linen　trousers；　his　bare　and　lacerated　feet　were　visible　in　his　sabots；　and　blood…stained　bandages　round　his　ankles　took　the　place　of　stockings；　his　short　blouse　was　soiled　with　mud　in　the　back；　which　indicated　that　he　habitually　slept　on　the　ground；　his　head　was　bare；　his　hair　dishevelled。　Under　his　arm　was　a　loaf。　　The　people　who　surrounded　him　said　that　he　had　stolen　the　loaf；　and　it　was　for　this　that　he　had　been　arrested。

When　they　reached　the　gendarmerie　barracks　one　of　the　soldiers　entered；　and　the　man　stayed　at　the　door　guarded　by　the　other　soldier。

A　carriage　was　standing　at　the　door　of　the　barracks。　　It　was　decorated　with　a　coat　of　arms；　on　the　lanterns　was　a　ducal　coronet；　two　grey　horses　were　harnessed　to　it；　behind　it　were　two　lackeys。　　The　windows　were　raised；　but　the　interior；　upholstered　in　yellow　damask；　was　visible。　The　gaze　of　the　man　fixed　upon　this　carriage；　attracted　mine。　In　the　carriage　was　a　woman　in　a　pink　bonnet　and　costume　of　black　velvet；　fresh；　white；　beautiful；　dazzling；　who　was　laughing　and　playing　with　a　charming　child　of　sixteen　months；　buried　in　ribbons；　lace　and　furs。

This　woman　did　not　see　the　terrible　man　who　was　gazing　at　her。

I　became　pensive。

This　man　was　no　longer　a　man　for　me；　he　was　the　spectre　of　misery；　the　brusque；　deformed；　lugubrious　apparition　in　full　daylight；　in　full　sunlight；　of　a　revolution　that　is　still　plunged　in　darkness；　but　which　is　approaching。　In　former　times　the　poor　jostled　the　rich；　this　spectre　encountered　the　rich　man　in　all　his　glory；　but　they　did　not　look　at　each　other；　they　passed　on。　　This　condition　of　things　could　thus　last　for　some　time。　　The　moment　this　man　perceives　that　this　woman　exists；　while　this　woman　does　not　see　that　this　man　is　there；　the　catastrophe　is　inevitable。




GENERAL　FABVIER



Fabvier　had　fought　valiantly　in　the　wars　of　the　Empire；　he　fell　out　with　the　Restoration　over　the　obscure　affair　of　Grenoble。　　He　expatriated　himself　about　1816。　　It　was　the　period　of　the　departure　of　the　eagles。　　Lallemand　went　to　America；　Allard　and　Vannova　to　India；　Fabvier　to　Greece。

The　revolution　of　1820　broke　out。　　He　took　an　heroic　part　in　it。　　He　raised　a　corps　of　four　thousand　palikars；　to　whom　he　was　not　a　chief；　but　a　god。　　He　gave　them　civilization　and　taught　them　barbarity。　　He　was　rough　and　brave　above　all　of　them；　and　almost　ferocious；　but　with　that　grand；　Homeric　ferocity。　　One　might　have　thought　that　he　had　come　from　a　tent　of　the　camp　of　Achilles　rather　than　from　the　camp　of　Napoleon。　　He　invited　the　English　Ambassador　to　dinner　at　his　bivouac；　the　Ambassador　found　him　seated　by　a　big　fire　at　which　a　whole　sheep　was　roasting；　when　the　animal　was　cooked　and　unskewered；　Fabvier　placed　the　heel　of　his　bare　foot　upon　the　neck　of　the　smoking　and　bleeding　sheep　and　tore　off　a　quarter；　which　he　offered　to　the　Ambassador。　　In　bad　times　nothing　daunted　him。　　He　was　indifferent　alike　to　cold；　heat；　fatigue　and　hunger；　he　never　spared　himself。　　The　palikars　used　to　say：　〃When　the　soldier　eats　cooked　grass　Fabvier　eats　it　green。〃

I　knew　his　history；　but　I　had　not　seen　him　when；　in　1846；　General　Fabvier　was　made　a　peer　of　France。　　One　day　he　had　a　speech　to　make；　and　the　Chancellor　announced：　〃Baron　Fabvier　has　the　tribune。〃　　I　expected　to　hear　a　lion；　I　thought　an　old　woman　was　speaking。

Yet　his　face　was　a　truly　masculine　one；　heroic　and　formidable；　that　one　might　have　fancied　had　been　moulded　by　the　hand　of　a　giant　and　which　seemed　to　have　preserved　a　savage　and　terrible　grimace。　　What　was　so　strange　was　the　gentle；　slow；　grave；　contained；　caressing　voice　that　was　allied　to　this　magnificent　ferocity。　　A　child's　voice　issued　from　this　tiger's　mouth。

General　Fabvier　delivered　from　the　tribune　speeches　learned　by　heart；　graceful；　flowery；　full　of　allusions　to　the　woods　and　countryveritable　idylls。　　In　the　tribune　this　Ajax　became　a　Némorin。

He　spoke　in　low　tones　like　a　diplomat；　he　smiled　like　a　courtier。　　He　was　not　averse　to　making　himself　agreeable　to　princes。　　This　is　what　the　peerage　had　done　for　him。　　He　was　only　a　hero　after　all。



August　22；　1846。

The　Marquis　de　Boissy　has　assurance；　coolness；　self…possession；　a　voice　that　is　peculiar　to　himself；　facility　of　speech；　wit　occasionally；　the　quality　of　imperturbability；　all　the　accessories　of　a　great　orator。　　The　only　thing　he　lacks　is　talent。　　He　wearies　the　Chamber；　wherefore　the　Ministers　do　not　consider　themselves　bound　to　answer　him。　　He　talks　as　long　as　everybody　keeps　quiet。　　He　fences　with　the　Chancellor　as　with　his　particular　enemy。

Yesterday；　after　the　session　which　Boissy　had　entirely　occupied　with　a　very　poor　speech；　M。　Guizot　said　to　me：

〃It　is　an　affliction。　　The　Chamber　of　Deputies　would　not　stand　him　for　ten　minutes　after　the　first　two　times。　The　Chamber　of　Peers　extends　its　high　politeness　to　him；　and　it　does　wrong。　　Boissy　will　not　be　suppressed　until　the　day　the　whole　Chamber　rises　and　walks　out　when　he　asks　permission　to　speak。〃

〃You　cannot　think　of　such　a　thing；〃　said　I。　　〃Only　he　and　the　Chancellor　would　be　left。　　It　would　be　a　duel　without　seconds。〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　


It　is　the　custom　of　the　Chamber　of　Peers　never　to　repeat　in　its　reply　to　the　speech　from　the　throne　the　titles　that　the　King　gives　to　his　children。　　It　is　also　the　custom　never　to　give　the　princes　the　title　of　Royal　Highness　when　speaking　of　them　to　the　King。　　There　is　no　Highness　in　presence　of　his　Majesty。

To…day；　January　18；　the　address　in　reply　to　the　speech　from　the　throne　was　debated。　　Occasionally　there　are　flashes　of　keen　and　happy　wit　in　M。　de　Boissy's　nonsense。　He　remarked　to…day：　〃I　am　not　of　those　who　are　grateful　to　the　government　for　the　blessings　of　providence。〃

As　usual　he　quarrelled　with　the　Chancellor。　　He　was　making　some　more　than　usually　roving　excursion　from　the　straight　path。　　The　Chamber　murmured　and　cried：　〃Confine　yourself　to　the　question。〃　The　Chancellor　rose：

〃Monsieur　the　Marquis　de　Boissy；〃　he　said；　〃the　Chamber　requests　that　you　will　confine　yourself　to　the　question　under　discussion。　　It　has　saved　me　the　trouble　of　asking　you　to　do　so。〃　（〃Our　colleague　might　as　well　have　said　'spared　me！'〃　　I　whispered　to　Lebrun。）

〃I　am　delighted　on　your　account；　Monsieur　the　Chancellor；〃　replied　M。　de　Boissy；　and　the　Chamber　laughed。

A　few　minutes　later；　however；　the　Chancellor　took　his　revenge。　　M。　de　Boissy　had　floundered　into　some　quibble　about　the　rules。　　It　was　late。　　The　Chamber　was　becoming　impatient。

〃Had　you　not　raised　an　unnecessary　incident；〃　observed　the　Chancellor；　〃you　would　have　finished　your　speech　a　long　time　ago；　to　your　own　satisfaction　and　that　of　everybody　else。〃

Whereat　everybody　laughed。

〃Don't　laugh！〃　exclaimed　the　Duke　de　Mortemart。　〃Laughter　diminishes　the　prestige　of　a　constituted　body。〃

M。　de　Pontécoulant　said：　〃M。　de　Boissy　teases　Monsieur　the　Chancellor；　Monsieur　the　Chancellor　torments　M。　de　Boissy。　　There　is　a　lack　of　dignity　on　both　sides！〃

During　the　session　the　Duke　de　Mortemart　came　to　my　bench　and　we　spoke　about　the　Emperor。　　M。　de　Mortemart　went　through　all　the　great　wars。　　He　speaks　nobly　of　him。　He　was　one　of　the　Emperor's　orderlies　in　the　Campaign　of　1812。

〃It　was　during　that　campaign　that　I　learned　to　know　the　Emperor；〃　he　said。　　〃I　was　near　him　night　and　day。　　I　saw　him　shave　himself　in　the　morning；　sponge　his　chin；　pull　on　his　boots；　pinch　his　valet's　ear；　chat　with　the　grenadier　mounting　guard　over　his　tent；　laugh；　gossip；　make　trivial　remarks；　and　amid　all　this　issue　orders；　trace　plans；　interrogate　prisoners；　decree；　determine；　decide；　in　a　sovereign　manner；　simply；　unerringly；　in　a　few　minutes；　without　missing　anything；　without　losing　a　useful　detail　or　a　second　of　necessary　time。　　In　this　intimate　and　familiar　life　of　the　bivouac　flashes　of　his　intellect　were　seen　every　moment。　　You　can　believe　me　when　I　say　that　he　belied　the　proverb：　'No　man　is　great　in　the　eyes　of　his　valet。'〃

〃Monsieur　the　Duke；〃　said　I；　〃that　proverb　is　wrong。　Every　great　man　is　a　great　man　in　the　eyes　of　his　valet。〃

At　this　session　the　Duke　d'Aumale；　having　attained　his　twenty…fifth　birthday；　took　his　seat　for　the　first　time。　　The　Duke　de　Nemours　and　the　Prince　de　Joinville　were　seated　near　him　in　their　usual　places　behind　the　ministerial　bench。　They　were　not　among　those　who　laughed　the　least。

The　Duke　de　Nemours；　being　the　youngest　member　of　his　committee；　fulfilled　the　functions　of　secretary；　as　is　customary。　　M。　de　Montalembert　wanted　to　spare　him　the　trouble。　　〃No；〃　said　the　prince；　〃it　is　my　duty。〃　　He　took　the　urn　and；　as　secretary；　went　the　round　of　the　table　to　collect　the　votes。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　


At　the　close　of　the　session　of　January　21；　1847；　at　which　the　Chamber　of　Peers　discussed　Cracow　and　kept　silent　concerning　the　frontier　of　the　Rhine；　I　descended　the　grand　staircase　of　the　Chamber　in　company　with　M。　de　Chastellux。　　M。　Decazes　stopped　me　and　asked：

〃Well；　what　have　you　been　doing　during　the　session？〃

〃I　have　been　writing　to　Mme。　Dorval。〃　（I　held　the　letter　in　my　hand。）

〃What　a　fine　disdain！　　Why　did　you　not　speak？〃

〃On　account　of　the　old　proverb：　'He　whose　opinion　is　not　shared　by　anybody　else　should　think；　and　say　nothing。'

〃Did　your　opinion；　then；　differ　from　that　of　the　others？〃

〃Yes；　from　that　of　the　whole　Chamber。〃

〃What　did　you　want　then？〃

〃The　Rhine。〃

〃Whew！　th