An apothecary, chairman of the deputation, proceeded to address Thuillier in the following terms:--"We have come, monsieur, after taking cognizance of an article inserted this morning in the 'Echo de la Bievre,' to inquire of you what may be precisely the origin and bearing of that article; thinking it incredible that, having solicited our suffrages, you should, on the eve of this election, and from a most mistaken puritanism, have cast disorder and disunion into our ranks, and probably have caused the triumph of the ministerial candidate. A candidate does not belong to himself; he belongs to the electors who have promised to honor him with their votes. But," continued the orator, casting his eye at Minard, "the presence in these precincts of the candidate whom you have gone out of your way to recommend to us, indicates that between you and him there is connivance; and I have no need to ask who is being here deceived.""No, messieurs, no," said Thuillier; "I have not renounced my candidacy. That article was written and printed without my knowledge or consent. To-morrow you will see the denial of it in the same paper, and you will also learn that the infamous person who has betrayed my confidence is no longer the editor of this journal.""Then," said the orator of the deputation, "in spite of your declaration to the contrary, you do continue to be the candidate of the Opposition?""Yes, messieurs, until death; and I beg you to use your utmost influence in the quarter to neutralize the effect of this deliberate falsehood until I am able to officially present the most formal disavowal.""Hear! hear!" said the electors.
"And, as for the presence of Monsieur Minard, my competitor, in these precincts, I have not invited it; and at the moment when you entered this room, I was engaged in a very sharp and decided explanation with him.""Hear! hear!" said the electors again.
Then, after cordially shaking the hand of the apothecary, Thuillier conducted the deputation to the outer door of the apartment; after which, returning to the editorial sanctum, he said:--"My dear Minard, I withdraw the words which wounded you; but you can see now what justification I had for my indignation."Here Coffinet again opened the door and announced:--"Messieurs the electors of the eleventh arrondissement."The arrondissement was represented this time by seven persons. Alinen-draper, chairman of the delegation, addressed Thuillier in the following speech:--"Monsieur, it is with sincere admiration that we have learned this morning from the columns of your paper, the great civic act by which you have touched all hearts. You have shown, in thus retiring, a most unusual disinterestedness, and the esteem of your fellow-citizens--""Excuse me," said Thuillier, interrupting him, "I cannot allow you to continue; the article about which you are so good as to congratulate me, was inserted by mistake.""What!" said the linen-draper; "then do you not retire? Can you suppose that in opposition to the candidacy of Monsieur Minard (whose presence in these precincts seems to me rather singular) you have the slightest chance of success?""Monsieur," said Thuillier, "have the goodness to request the electors of your arrondissement to await the issue of to-morrow's paper, in which I shall furnish categorical explanations of the most distinct character. The article to-day is the result of a misunderstanding.""It will be a sad pity, monsieur," said the linen-draper, "if you lose this occasion to place yourself in the eyes of your fellow-citizens beside the Washingtons and other great men of antiquity.""I say again, TO-MORROW, messieurs," said Thuillier. "I am none the less sensible to the honor you do me, and I trust that when you know the whole truth, I shall not suffer in your esteem.""A pretty queer mess this seems to be," said the voice of an elector.
"Yes," said another; "it looks as if they meant to bamboozle us.""Messieurs, messieurs!" cried the chairman, putting a stop to the outbreak; "to-morrow--we will wait until to-morrow for the promised explanations."Whereupon, the deputation retired.
It is not likely that Thuillier would have accompanied them beyond the door of the sanctum, but in any case he was prevented by the sudden entrance of la Peyrade.
"I have just come from your house, my dear fellow," said the Provencal; "they told me I should find you here.""You have come, doubtless, for the purpose of explaining to me the strange article you allowed yourself to insert in my name.""Precisely," said la Peyrade. "The remarkable man whom you know, and whose powerful influence you have already felt, confided to me yesterday, in your interests, the plans of the government, and I saw at once that your defeat was inevitable. I wished therefore to secure to you an honorable and dignified retreat. There was no time to lose;you were absent from Paris, and therefore--"
"Very good, monsieur," said Thuillier; "but you will take notice that from the present moment you are no longer the editor of this paper.""That is what I came to tell you."
"Perhaps you also came to settle the little account we have together.""Messieurs," said Minard, "I see that this is a business interview; Ishall therefore take leave of you."
As soon as Minard had left the room, la Peyrade pulled out his pocket-book.
"Here are ten thousand francs," he said, "which I will beg you to remit to Mademoiselle Brigitte; and here, also, is the bond by which you secured the payment of twenty-five thousand francs to Madame Lambert; that sum I have now paid in full, and here is the receipt.""Very good, monsieur," said Thuillier.
La Peyrade bowed and went away.
"Serpent!" said Thuillier as he watched him go.
"Cerizet said the right thing," thought la Peyrade,--"a pompous imbecile!"The blow struck at Thuillier's candidacy was mortal, but Minard did not profit by it. While the pair were contending for votes, a government man, an aide-de-camp to the king, arrived with his hands full of tobacco licenses and other electoral small change, and, like the third thief, he slipped between the two who were thumping each other, and carried off the booty.
It is needless to say that Brigitte did not get her farm in Beauce.
That was only a mirage, by help of which Thuillier was enticed out of Paris long enough for la Peyrade to deal his blow,--a service rendered to the government on the one hand, but also a precious vengeance for the many humiliations he had undergone.
Thuillier had certainly some suspicions as to the complicity of Cerizet, but that worthy managed to justify himself; and by manoeuvring the sale of the "Echo de la Bievre," now become a nightmare to the luckless owner, he ended by appearing as white as snow.
The paper was secretly bought up by Corentin, and the late opposition sheet became a "canard" sold on Sundays in the wine-shops and concocted in the dens of the police.