the memoirs of victor hugo-第22部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


l　de　Ville。　　He　shakes　his　head　gloomily。

〃And　how　are　things　here？〃　I　question　in　turn。　　〃But　first　of　all　are　you　still　a　Minister？〃

〃I？　　Oh！　　I　am　nobody！　　Odilon　Barrot　is　President　of　the　Council　and　Minister　of　the　Interior。〃

〃And　Marshal　Bugeaud？〃

〃He　has　also　been　replaced　by　Marshal　Gerard。　　But　that　is　nothing。　　The　Chamber　has　been　dissolved；　the　King　has　abdicated　and　is　on　his　way　to　Saint　Cloud；　and　the　Duchess　d'Orleans　is　Regent。　　Ah！　the　tide　is　rising；　rising；　rising！〃

M。　Thiers　advises　us；　M。　Ernest　Moreau　and　me；　to　come　to　an　understanding　with　M。　Odilon　Barrot。　　Action　by　us　in　our　quarter；　which　is　such　an　important　one；　can　be　of　very　great　utility。　　We　therefore　set　out　for　the　Ministry　of　the　Interior。

The　people　have　invaded　the　Ministry　and　crowded　it　to　the　very　office　of　the　Minister；　where　a　not　over　respectful　crowd　comes　and　goes。　　At　a　large　table　in　the　middle　of　the　vast　room　secretaries　are　writing。　　M。　Odilon　Barrot　his　face　red；　his　lips　compressed　and　his　hands　behind　his　back；　is　leaning　against　the　mantelpiece。

〃You　know　what　is　going　on；　do　you　not？〃　he　says　when　he　sees　us；　〃the　King　has　abdicated　and　the　Duchess　d'Orleans　is　Regent。〃

〃If　the　people　so　wills；〃　says　a　man　in　a　blouse　who　is　passing。

The　Minister　leads　us　to　the　recess　of　a　window；　looking　uneasily　about　him　as　he　does　so。

〃What　are　you　going　to　do？　　What　are　you　doing？〃　I　query。

〃I　am　sending　telegrams　to　the　departments。〃

〃Is　this　very　urgent？〃

〃France　must　be　informed　of　events。〃

〃Yes；　but　meanwhile　Paris　is　making　events。　　Alas！　has　it　finished　making　them？　　The　Regency　is　all　very　well；　but　it　has　got　to　be　sanctioned。〃

〃Yes；　by　the　Chamber。　　The　Duchess　d'Orleans　ought　to　take　the　Count　de　Paris　to　the　Chamber。〃

〃No；　since　the　Chamber　has　been　dissolved。　　If　the　Duchess　ought　to　go　anywhere；　it　is　to　the　Hotel　de　Ville。〃

〃How　can　you　think　of　such　a　thing！　　What　about　the　danger？〃

〃There　is　no　danger。　　A　mother；　a　child！　　I　will　answer　for　the　people。　　They　will　respect　the　woman　in　the　princess。

〃Well；　then；　go　to　the　Tuileries；　see　the　Duchess　d'Orleans；　advise　her；　enlighten　her。〃

〃Why　do　you　not　go　yourself？〃

〃I　have　just　come　from　there。　　Nobody　knew　where　the　Duchess　was；　I　could　not　get　near　her。　　But　if　you　see　her　tell　her　that　I　am　at　her　disposal；　that　I　await　her　orders。　Ah！　Monsieur　Victor　Hugo；　I　would　give　my　life　for　that　woman　and　for　that　child！〃

Odilon　Barrot　is　the　most　honest　and　the　most　devoted　man　in　the　world；　but　he　is　the　opposite　of　a　man　of　action；　one　feels　trouble　and　indecision　in　his　words；　in　his　look；　in　his　whole　person。

〃Listen；〃　he　goes　on；　〃what　must　be　done；　what　is　urgent；　is　that　the　people　should　be　made　acquainted　with　these　grave　changes；　the　abdication　and　Regency。　　Promise　me　that　you　will　proclaim　them　at　your　mairie；　in　the　faubourg；　and　wherever　you　possibly　can。〃

〃I　promise。〃

I　go　off；　with　M。　Moreau；　towards　the　Tuileries。

In　the　Rue　Bellechasse　are　galloping　horses。　　A　squadron　of　dragoons　flashes　by　and　seems　to　be　fleeing　from　a　man　with　bare　arms　who　is　running　behind　them　and　brandishing　a　sword。

The　Tuileries　are　still　guarded　by　troops。　　The　Mayor　shows　his　sash　and　they　let　us　pass。　　At　the　gate　the　concierge；　to　whom　I　make　myself　known；　apprises　us　that　the　Duchess　d'Orleans；　accompanied　by　the　Duke　de　Nemours；　has　just　left　the　chateau　with　the　Count　de　Paris；　no　doubt　to　go　to　the　Chamber　of　Deputies。　　We　have；　therefore；　no　other　course　than　to　continue　on　our　way。

At　the　entrance　to　the　Carrousel　Bridge　bullets　whistle　by　our　ears。　　Insurgents　in　the　Place　du　Carrousel　are　firing　upon　the　court　carriages　leaving　the　stables。　　One　of　the　coachmen　has　been　killed　on　his　box。

〃It　would　be　too　stupid　of　us　to　stay　here　looking　on　and　get　ourselves　killed；〃　says　M。　Ernest　Moreau。　　〃Let　us　cross　the　bridge。〃

We　skirt　the　Institute　and　the　Quai　de　la　Monnaie。　　At　the　Pont　Neuf　we　pass　a　band　of　men　armed　with　pikes；　axes　and　rifles；　headed　by　a　drummer；　and　led　by　a　man　brandishing　a　sabre　and　wearing　a　long　coat　of　the　King's　livery。　　It　is　the　coat　of　the　coachman　who　has　just　been　killed　in　the　Rue　Saint　Thomas　du　Louvre。

When　we　arrive；　M。　Moreau　and　I；　at　the　Place　Royale　we　find　it　filled　with　an　anxious　crowd。　　We　are　immediately　surrounded　and　questioned；　and　it　is　not　without　some　difficulty　that　we　reach　the　Mairie。　　The　mass　of　people　is　too　compact　to　admit　of　our　addressing　them　in　the　Place。　　I　ascend；　with　the　Mayor；　a　few　officers　of　the　National　Guard　and　two　students　of　the　Ecole　Polytechnique；　to　the　balcony　of　the　Mairie。　　I　raise　my　hand；　the　crowd　becomes　silent　as　though　by　magic；　and　I　say：

〃My　friends；　you　are　waiting　for　news。　　This　is　what　we　know：　M。　Thiers　is　no　longer　Minister　and　Marshal　Bugeaud　is　no　longer　in　command　（applause）。　　They　have　been　replaced　by　Marshal　Gerard　and　M。　Odilon　Barrot　（applause；　but　less　general）。　　The　Chamber　has　been　dissolved。　　The　King　has　abdicated　（general　cheering）。　　The　Duchess　d'Orleans　is　Regent。〃　（A　few　isolated　bravos；　mingled　with　low　murmurs。）

I　continue：

〃The　name　of　Odilon　Barrot　is　a　guarantee　that　the　widest　and　most　open　appeal　will　be　made　to　the　nation；　and　that　you　will　have　in　all　sincerity　a　representative　government。〃

My　declaration　is　responded　to　with　applause　from　several　points；　but　it　appears　evident　that　the　great　bulk　of　the　crowd　is　uncertain　as　to　what　view　of　the　situation　they　ought　to　take；　and　are　not　satisfied。

We　re…enter　the　hall　of　the　Mairie。

〃Now；〃　I　say　to　M。　Ernest　Moreau；　〃I　must　go　and　proclaim　the　news　in　the　Place　de　la　Bastille。〃

But　the　Mayor　is　discouraged。

〃You　can　very　well　see　that　it　is　useless；〃　he　says　sadly。　〃The　Regency　is　not　accepted。　　And　you　have　spoken　here　in　a　quarter　where　you　are　known　and　loved。　　At　the　Bastille　your　audience　will　be　the　revolutionary　people　of　the　faubourg；　who　will　perhaps　harm　you。〃

I　will　go；〃　I　say；　〃I　promised　Odilon　Barrot　that　I　would。〃

〃I　have　changed　my　hat；〃　the　Mayor　goes　on；　〃but　remember　my　hat　of　this　morning。〃

〃This　morning　the　army　and　the　people　were　face　to　face；　and　there　was　danger　of　a　conflict；　now；　however；　the　people　are　alone；　the　people　are　the　masters。〃

〃Mastersand　hostile；　have　a　care！〃

〃No　matter；　I　have　promised；　and　I　will　keep　my　promise。

I　tell　the　Mayor　that　his　place　is　at　the　Mairie　and　that　he　ought　to　stay　there。　　But　several　National　Guard　officers　present　themselves　spontaneously　and　offer　to　accompany　me；　among　them　the　excellent　M。　Launaye；　my　former　captain。　　I　accept　their　friendly　offer；　and　we　form　a　little　procession　　and　proceed　by　the　Rue　du　Pas　de　la　Mule　and　the　Boulevard　Beaumarchais　towards　the　Place　de　la　Bastille。



Here　are　a　restless；　eager　crowd　in　which　workingmen　predominate；　many　of　them　armed　with　rifles　taken　from　the　barracks　or　given　up　to　them　by　the　soldiers；　shouts　and　the　song　of　the　Girondins：　〃Die　for　the　fatherland！〃　numerous　groups　debating　and　disputing　passionately。　They　turn　round；　they　look　at　us；　they　interrogate　us：

〃What's　the　news？　　What　is　going　on？〃　And　they　follow　us。　　I　hear　my　name　mentioned　coupled　with　various　sentiments：　〃Victor　Hugo！　　It's　Victor　Hugo！〃　　A　few　salute　me。　　When　we　reach　the　Column　of　July　we　are　surrounded　by　a　considerable　gathering。　　In　order　that　I　may　be　heard　I　mount　upon　the　base　of　the　column。

I　will　only　repeat　the　words　which　it　was　possible　for　me　to　make　my　turbulent　audience　hear。　　It　was　much　less　a　speech　than　a　dialogue；　but　the　dialogue　of　one　voice　with　ten；　twenty；　a　hundred　voices　more　or　less　hostile。

I　began　by　announcing　at　once　the　abdication　of　Louis　Philippe；　and；　as　in　the　Place　Royale；　applause　that　was　practically　unanimous　greeted　the　news。　　There　were　also；　however；　cries　of　〃No！　no　abdication；　deposition！　deposition！〃　Decidedly；　I　was　going　to　have　my　hands　full。

When　I　announced　the　Regency　violent　protests　arose：

〃No！　no！　No　Regency！　　Down　with　the　Bourbons！　　Neither　King　nor　Queen！　　No　masters！〃

I　repeated：　〃No　masters！　　I　don't　want　them　any　more　than　you　do。　　I　have　defended　liberty　all　my　life。〃

〃Then　why　do　you　proclaim　the　Regency？〃

〃Because　a　Queen…Regent　is　not　a　master。　　Besides；　I　have　no　right　whatever　to　proclaim　the　Regency；　I　merely　announce　it。〃

〃No！　no！　　No　Regency！〃

A　man　in　a　blouse　shouted：　〃Let　the　peer　of　France　be　silent。　　Down　with　the　peer　of　France！〃　And　he　levelled　his　rifle　at　me。　　I　gazed　at　him　steadily；　and　raised　my　voice　so　loudly　that　the　crowd　became　silent：　〃Yes；　I　am　a　peer　of　France；　and　I　speak　as　a　peer　of　France。　I　swore　fidelity；　not　to　a　royal　personage；　but　to　the　Constitutional　Monarchy。　　As　long　as　no　other　government　is　established　it　is　my　duty　to　be　faithful　to　this　one。　　And　I　have　always　thought　that　the　people　approved　of　a　man　who　did　his　duty；　whatever　that　duty　might　be。〃

There　was　a　murmur　of　approbation　and　here　and　there　a　few　bravos。　　But　when　I　endeavoured　to　continue：　〃If　the　Regency〃　the　protests　redoubled。　　I　was　permitted　to　take　up　only　one　of　these　protests。　　A　workman　had　shouted：　〃We　will　not　be　governed　by　a　woman。〃　I　retorted　quickly：

〃Well；　neither　will　I　be　governed　by　a　woman；　nor　even　by　a　man。　　It　was　because　Louis　Philippe　wanted　to　govern　that　his　abdication　is　to…day　necessary　and　just。　　But　a　woman　who　reigns　in　the　name　of　a　child！　　Is　that　not　a　guarantee　against　all　thought　of　personal　government？　Look　at　Queen　Victoria　in　England〃

〃We　are　French；　we　are！〃　shouted　several　voices。　　〃No　Regency！〃

〃No　Regency？　　Then；　what？　　Nothing　is　ready；　nothing！　It　means　a　total　upheaval；　ruin；　distress；　civil　war；　perhaps；　in　any　case；　it　is　the　unknown。〃

One　voice；　a　single　voice；　cried：　〃Long　live　the　Republic！〃

No　other　voice　echoed　it。　　Poor；　great　people；　irresponsible　and　blind！　　They　know　what　they　do　not　want；　but　they　do　not　know　what　they　do　want。

From　this　moment　the　noise；　the　shouts；　the　menaces　became　such　that　I　gave　up　the　attempt　to　get　myself　heard。　　My　brave　Launaye　said：　〃You　have　done　what　you　wanted　to；　what　you　promised　to　do；　the　only　thing　that　remains　for　us　to　do　is　to　withdraw。〃

The　crowd　opened　before　us；　c