THE PERPLEXITIES OF THE GOVERNMENT IN ARCISAt this moment several groups of bourgeois, electors and non-electors, were standing before the Chateau d'Arcis, the iron gates of which open on the square near to the door of Madame Marion's house.This square is a piece of open ground from which issue several roads and several streets.In it is a covered market.Opposite to the chateau, on the other side of the square, which is neither paved nor macadamized, and where the rain has made various little gutters, is a fine esplanade, called the Avenue of Sighs.Is that to the honor or to the blame of the leaders of the town? This singular ambibology is no doubt a stroke of native wit.
Two handsome side avenues, planted with lindens, lead from the square to a circular boulevard which forms another promenade, though usually deserted, where more dirt and rubbish than promenaders may commonly be seen.
At the height of the discussion which Achille Pigoult was dramatizing with a coolness and courage worthy of a member of a real parliament, four personages were walking down one of the linden avenues which led from the Avenue of Sighs.When they reached the square, they stopped as if by common consent, and looked at the inhabitants of Arcis, who were humming before the chateau like so many bees before returning to their hives at night.The four promenaders were the whole ministerial conclave of Arcis, namely: the sub-prefect, the procureur-du-roi, his substitute, and the examining-judge, Monsieur Martener.The judge of the court, Monsieur Michu, was, as we know already, a partisan of the Elder Branch and a devoted adherent of the house of Cinq-Cygne.
"No, I don't understand the action of the government," repeated the sub-prefect, Antonin Goulard, pointing to the groups which seemed to be thickening."At such an important crisis to leave me without instructions!""In that you are like the rest of us," said Olivier Vinet, the substitute, smiling.
"Why do you blame the government?" asked the procureur-du-roi, Frederic Marest.
"The ministry is much embarrassed," remarked young Martener."It knows that this arrondissement belongs, in a certain way, to the Kellers, and it is very desirous not to thwart them.It is forced to keep on good terms with the only man who is comparable to Monsieur de Talleyrand.It is not to the prefect, but to the Comte de Gondreville that you ought to send the commissary of police.""Meanwhile," said Frederic Marest, "the Opposition is bestirring itself; you see yourselves the influence of Monsieur Giguet.Our mayor, Monsieur Beauvisage, is presiding over that preparatory meeting.""After all," said Olivier Vinet slyly to the sub-prefect, "Simon Giguet is your friend and schoolmate; he will belong to the Thiers'
party; you risk nothing in supporting his election.""The present ministry could dismiss me before its fall," replied the sub-prefect, "and who knows when I should be reappointed?""Collinet, the grocer!--that makes the sixty-sixth elector who has entered the Giguet house," said Monsieur Martener, who was practising his trade as examining-judge by counting the electors.
"If Charles Keller is the ministerial candidate," resumed the sub-prefect, "I ought to have been told of it; the government makes a mistake in giving time for Simon Giguet to get hold of the electors."These four individuals had now reached, walking slowly, the spot where the avenue ceases and becomes an open square.
"There's Monsieur Groslier," said the judge, catching sight of a man on horseback.
This was the commissary of police; he saw the government of Arcis collected on the public square, and he rode up to the four gentlemen.
"Well, Monsieur Groslier?" said the sub-prefect, taking the commissary a little apart from his three colleagues.
"Monsieur," said the commissary of police in a low voice, "Monsieur la prefet has sent me to tell you some sad news; Monsieur le Vicomte Charles Keller is dead.The news reached Paris by telegram night before last, and the two Messieurs Keller, the Comte de Gondreville, the Marechale Carigliano, in fact the whole family are now at Gondreville.Abd-el-Kader has resumed the offensive in Africa; the war is being vigorously carried on.This poor young man was among the first victims of the renewal of hostilities.You will receive confidential instructions, so Monsieur le prefet told me, in relation to the coming election.""By whom?" asked the sub-prefect.
"If I knew that, the matter would not be confidential," replied the commissary."In fact, I think the prefect himself does not know.He told me that the matter would be a secret one between you and the ministry."Then he rode on, after seeing the sub-prefect lay his fingers on his lips as a warning to keep silence.
"Well, what news from the prefecture?" said the procureur-du-roi, when Goulard returned to the group of the three functionaries.
"Nothing satisfactory," replied Goulard, stepping quickly, as if he wanted to get away from the others, who now walked silently toward the middle of the square, somewhat piqued by the manner of the sub-prefect.There Monsieur Martener noticed old Madame Beauvisage, the mother of Phileas, surrounded by nearly all the bourgeois on the square, to whom she was apparently relating something.A solicitor, named Sinot, who numbered all the royalists of Arcis among his clients, and who had not gone to the Giguet meeting, now detached himself from the group, and running to the door of the Marion house rang the bell violently.
"What can be the matter?" said Frederic Marest, dropping his eyeglass, and calling the attention of his colleagues to this circumstance.