the memoirs of victor hugo-第29部分

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ere　Lamartine；　Gamier…Pages；　and　Arago。　　There　was　some　doubt　about　Arago；　however。　It　was　said　that　he　was　rallying　to　Cavaignac。　　Meanwhile　Cavaignac　had　conferred　the　cross　of　the　Legion　of　Honour　upon　the　Bishop　of　Quimper；　the　Abbé　Legraverand；　who　had　accepted　it。

〃A　cross　for　a　vote；〃　was　the　remark　made　in　the　Chamber。　And　these　reversed　roles；　a　general　giving　a　cross　to　a　bishop；　caused　much　amusement。



In　reality　we　are　in　the　midst　of　a　quarrel　over　the　presidency。　　The　candidates　are　shaking　their　fists　at　each　other。　　The　Assembly　hoots；　growls；　murmurs；　stamps　its　feet；　crushes　one；　applauds　the　other。

This　poor　Assembly　is　a　veritable　~fille　a　soldats~；　in　love　with　a　trooper。　　For　the　time　being　it　is　Cavaignac。

Who　will　it　be　to…morrow？



General　Cavaignac　proved　himself　to　be　clever；　and　occasionally　even　eloquent。　　His　defence　partook　more　of　the　character　of　an　attack。　　Frequently　he　appeared　to　me　to　be　sincere　because　he　had　for　so　long　excited　my　suspicion。　The　Assembly　listened　to　him　for　nearly　three　hours　with　rapt　attention。　　Throughout　it　was　evident　that　he　possessed　its　confidence。　　Its　sympathy　was　shown　every　moment；　and　sometimes　it　manifested　a　sort　of　love　for　him。

Cavaignac；　tall　and　supple；　with　his　short　frock…coat；　his　military　collar；　his　heavy　moustache；　his　bent　brow；　his　brusque　language；　broken　up　by　parentheses；　and　his　rough　gestures；　was　at　times　at　once　as　fierce　as　a　soldier　and　as　passionate　as　a　tribune。　　Towards　the　middle　of　his　discourse　he　became　an　advocate；　which；　as　far　as　I　was　concerned；　spoiled　the　man；　the　harangue　became　a　speech　for　the　defence。　　But　at　its　conclusion　he　roused　himself　again　with　a　sort　of　real　indignation。　　He　pounded　on　the　desk　with　his　fist　and　overturned　the　glass　of　water；　much　to　the　consternation　of　the　ushers；　and　in　terminating　he　said：

〃I　have　been　speaking　for　I　know　not　how　long；　I　will　speak　again　all　the　evening；　all　night；　all　day　to…morrow；　if　necessary；　and　it　will　no　longer　be　as　an　advocate；　but　as　a　soldier；　and　you　will　listen　to　me！〃

The　whole　Assembly　applauded　him　enthusiastically。



M。　　Barthélemy　Saint　Hilaire；　who　attacked　Cavaignac；　was　an　orator　cold；　rigid；　somewhat　dry　and　by　no　means　equal　to　the　task；　his　anger　being　without　fierceness　and　his　hatred　without　passion。　　He　began　by　reading　a　memoir；　which　always　displeases　assemblies。　　The　Assembly；　which　was　secretly　ill…disposed　and　angry；　was　eager　to　crush　him。　　It　only　wanted　pretexts；　he　furnished　it　with　motives。　　The　grave　defect　in　his　memoir　was　that　serious　accusations　were　built　upon　petty　acts；　a　surcharge　that　caused　the　whole　system　to　bend。　　This　little　pallid　man　who　continually　raised　one　leg　behind　him　and　leaned　forward　with　his　two　hands　on　the　edge　of　the　tribune　as　though　he　were　gazing　down　into　a　well；　made　those　who　did　not　hiss　laugh。　　Amid　the　uproar　of　the　Assembly　he　affected　to　write　at　considerable　length　in　a　copybook；　to　dry　the　ink　by　sprinkling　powder　upon　it；　and　with　great　deliberation　to　pour　the　powder　back　into　the　powder…box；　thus　finding　means　to　increase　the　tumult　with　his　calmness。　　When　M。　Barthélemy　Saint　Hilaire　descended　from　the　tribune；　Cavaignac　had　only　been　attacked。　　He　had　not　then　replied；　yet　was　already　absolved。



M。　Garnier…Pagès；　tried　Republican　and　honest　man；　but　with　a　substratum　of　vanity　and　an　emphatic　manner；　succeeded　M。　Barthélemy　Saint　Hilaire。　　The　Assembly　tried　to　crush　him；　too；　but　he　rose　again　amid　murmurs。　He　reminded　his　hearers　of　his　past；　invoked　recollections　of　the　Salle　Voisin；　compared　the　henchmen　of　Cavaignac　to　the　henchmen　of　Guizot；　bared　his　breast　〃which　had　braved　the　poignards　of　the　Red　Republic；〃　and　ended　by　resolutely　attacking　the　general；　with　too　few　facts　and　too　many　words；　but　fairly　and　squarely；　taking　him；　so　to　speak；　as　the　Bible　urges　that　the　bull　be　taken；　by　the　horns。

Garnier…Pages　propped　up　the　accusation　that　had　almost　been　laid　low。　　He　brought　the　personal　pronoun　much　too　frequently　into　the　discussion；　he　acted　ill…advisedly；　for　everybody's　personality　ought　to　have　been　effaced　in　view　of　the　seriousness　of　the　debate　and　the　anxiety　of　the　country。　　He　turned　to　all　sides　with　a　sort　of　disconsolate　fury；　he　summoned　Arago　to　intervene；　Ledru…Rollin　to　speak；　Lamartine　to　explain。　　All　three　remained　silent；　thus　failing　in　their　duty　and　destiny。

The　Assembly；　however；　pursued　Garnier…Pages　with　its　hooting；　and　when　he　said　to　Cavaignac：　〃You　wanted　to　throw　us　down；〃　it　burst　into　a　laugh；　at　the　sentiment　as　well　as　at　the　expression。　　Garnier…Pages　gazed　at　the　laughing　house　with　an　air　of　despair。

From　all　sides　came　shouts　of：　〃The　closure！〃

The　Assembly　had　reached　a　state　in　which　it　would　not　listen　and　could　no　longer　hear。

M。　Ledru…Rollin　appeared　in　the　tribune。

From　every　bench　the　cry　arose：　〃At　last！〃

Silence　ensued。

Ledru…Rollin's　speech　had　a　physical　effect　as　it　were；　it　was　coarse；　but　powerful。　　Garnier…Pages　had　pointed　out　the　General's　political　shortcomings；　Ledru…Rollin　pointed　out　his　military　shortcomings。　　With　the　vehemence　of　the　tribune　he　mingled　all　the　skill　of　the　advocate。　He　concluded　with　an　appeal　for　mercy　for　the　offender。　　He　shook　Cavaignac's　position。

When　he　resumed　his　seat　between　Pierre　Leroux　and　de　Lamennais；　a　man　with　long　grey　hair；　and　attired　in　a　white　frock…coat；　crossed　the　Chamber　and　shook　Ledru…Rollin's　hand。　　He　was　Lagrange。



Cavaignac　for　the　fourth　time　ascended　the　tribune。　　It　was　half　past　10　o'clock　at　night。　　The　noise　of　the　crowd　and　the　evolutions　of　the　cavalry　on　the　Place　de　la　Concorde　could　be　heard。　　The　aspect　of　the　Assembly　was　becoming　sinister。

Cavaignac；　who　was　tired；　had　decided　to　assume　a　haughty　attitude。　　He　addressed　the　Mountain　and　defied　it；　declaring　to　the　mountaineers；　amid　the　cheers　of　the　majority　and　of　the　reactionaries；　that　he　at　all　times　preferred　〃their　abuse　to　their　praise。〃　This　appeared　to　be　violent　and　was　clever；　Cavaignac　lost　the　Rue　Taitbout；　which　represented　the　Socialists；　and　won　the　Rue　de　Poitiers；　which　represented　the　Conservatives。

After　this　apostrophe　he　remained　a　few　moments　motionless；　then　passed　his　hand　over　his　brow。

The　Assembly　shouted　to　him：

〃Enough！　　Enough！〃

He　turned　towards　Ledru…Rollin　and　exclaimed：

〃You　said　that　you　had　done　with　me。　　It　is　I　who　have　done　with　you。　　You　said：　'For　some　time。'　I　say　to　you：　'For　ever！'〃

It　was　all　over。　　The　Assembly　wanted　to　close　the　debate。



Lagrange　ascended　the　tribune　and　gesticulated　amid　hoots　and　hisses。　　Lagrange　was　at　once　a　popular　and　chivalrous　declaimer；　who　expressed　true　sentiments　in　a　forced　voice。

〃Representatives；〃　said　he；　〃all　this　amuses　you；　well；　it　doesn't　amuse　me！〃

The　Assembly　roared　with　laughter；　and　the　roar　of　laughter　continued　throughout　the　remainder　of　his　discourse。　　He　called　M。　Landrin　M。　Flandrin；　and　the　gaiety　became　delirious。

I　was　among　those　whom　this　gaiety　made　heavy　at　heart；　for　I　seemed　to　hear　the　sobs　of　the　people　above　these　bursts　of　hilarity。



During　this　uproar　a　list　which　was　being　covered　with　signatures　and　which　bore　an　order　of　the　day　proposed　by　M。　Dupont　de　l'Eure；　was　passed　round　the　benches。

Dupont　de　l'Eure；　bent　and　tottering；　read　from　the　tribune；　with　the　authority　of　his　eighty　years；　his　own　order　of　the　day；　amid　a　deep　silence　that　was　broken　at　intervals　by　cheers。

The　order　of　the　day；　which　was　purely　and　simply　a　reiteration　of　the　declaration　of　June　28：　〃General　Cavaignac　has　merited　well　of　the　fatherland；〃　was　adopted　by　503　votes　to　34。



Mine　was　among　the　thirty…four。　　While　the　votes　were　being　counted；　Napoleon　Bonaparte；　son　of　Jerome；　came　up　to　me　and　said：

〃I　suppose　you　abstained？〃

〃From　speaking；　yes；　from　voting；　no；〃　I　replied。

〃Ah！〃　　he　went　on。　　〃We　ourselves　abstained　from　voting。　　The　Rue　de　Poitiers　also　abstained。〃

I　took　his　hand　and　said：

〃You　are　free　to　do　as　you　like。　　For　my　part　I　am　not　abstaining。　　I　am　judging　Cavaignac；　and　the　country　is　judging　me。　　I　want　the　fullest　light　thrown　upon　my　actions；　and　my　votes　are　my　actions。〃






1849。

I。　　　THE　JARDIN　D'HIVER。　II。　　GENERAL　BREA'S　MURDERERS。　III。　THE　SUICIDE　OF　ANTONIN　MOYNE。　IV。　　A　VISIT　TO　THE　OLD　CHAMBER　OF　PEERS。





THE　JARDIN　D'HIVER。

FEBRUARY；　1849。



In　February；　1849；　in　the　midst　of　the　prevailing　sorrow　and　terror；　fetes　were　given。　　People　danced　to　help　the　poor。　　While　the　cannon　with　which　the　rioters　were　threatened　on　January　29；　were；　so　to　speak；　still　trained　ready　for　firing；　a　charity　ball　attracted　all　Paris　to　the　Jardin　d'Hiver。

This　is　what　the　Jardin　d'Hiver　was　like：

A　poet　had　pictured　it　in　a　word：　〃They　have　put　summer　under　a　glass　case！〃　　It　was　an　immense　iron　cage　with　two　naves　forming　a　cross；　as　large　as　four　or　five　cathedrals　and　covered　with　glass。　　Entrance　to　it　was　through　a　gallery　of　wood　decorated　with　carpets　and　tapestry。

On　entering；　the　eyes　were　at　first　dazzled　by　a　flood　of　light。　　In　the　light　all　sorts　of　magnificent　flowers；　and　strange　trees　with　the　foliage　and　altitudes　of　the　tropics；　could　be　seen。　　Banana　trees；　palm　trees；　cedars；　great　leaves；　enormous　thorns；　and　queer　branches　twisted　and　mingled　as　in　a　virgin　forest。　　The　forest　alone　was　virgin　there；　however。　　The　prettiest　women　and　the　most　beautiful　girls　of　Paris　whirled　in　this　illumination　~a　giorno~　like　a　swarm　of　bees　in　a　ray　of　sunshine。

Above　this　gaily　dressed　throng　was　an　immense　resplendent　chandelier　of　brass；　or　rather　a　great　tree　of　gold　and　flame　turned　upside　down　which　seemed　to　have　its　roots　in　the　glass　roof；　and　whose　sparkling　leaves　hung　over　the　crowd。　　A　vast　ring　of　candelabra；　torch…holders　and　girandoles　shone　round　the　chandelier；　like　the　constellations　round　the　sun。　　A　resounding　orchestra　perched　high　in　a　gallery　made　the　glass　panes　rattle　harmoniously。

But　what　made　the　Jardin　d'Hiver　unique　was　that　beyond　this　vestibule　of　light　and　music　and　noise；　through　which　one　gazed　as　through　a　vague　and　dazzling　veil；　a　sort　of　immense　and　tenebrous　arch；　a　grott