第27章

"Ah! Monsieur Antonin," said the handsome Ernestine, "you who promised my mother to find out all about the stranger, what have you heard about him?""The events of to-day, Mademoiselle, are so much more important," said Antonin, taking a seat beside Cecile, like a diplomat delighted to escape general attention by conversing with two girls."All my career as sub-prefect or prefect is at stake.""What! I thought you allowed your friend Simon to be nominated unanimously.""Simon is my friend, but the government is my master, and I expect to do my best to prevent Simon from being elected.And here comes Madame Mollot, who owes me her concurrence as the wife of a man whose functions attach him to the government.""I am sure we ask nothing better than to be on your side," replied the sheriff's wife."Mollot has told me," she continued in a low voice, "what took place here to-day--it is pitiable! Only one man showed talent, and that was Achille Pigoult.Everybody agrees that he would make a fine orator in the Chamber; and therefore, though he has nothing, and my daughter has a dot of sixty thousand francs, not to speak of what, as an only child, she will inherit from us and also from her uncle at Mollot and from my aunt Lambert at Troyes,--well, Ideclare to you that if Monsieur Achille Pigoult did us the honor to ask her to wife, I should give her to him; yes, I should--provided always she liked him.But the silly little goose wants to marry as she pleases; it is Mademoiselle Beauvisage who puts such notions into her head."The sub-prefect received this double broadside like a man who knows he has thirty thousand francs a year, and expects a prefecture.

"Mademoiselle is right," he said, looking at Cecile; "she is rich enough to make a marriage of love.""Don't let us talk about marriage," said Ernestine; "it saddens my poor dear Cecile, who was owning to me just now that in order not to be married for her money, but for herself, she should like an affair with some stranger who knew nothing of Arcis and her future expectations as Lady Croesus, and would spin her a romance to end in true love and a marriage.""That's a very pretty idea!" cried Olivier Vinet, joining the group of young ladies in order to get away from the partisans of Simon, the idol of the day."I always knew that Mademoiselle had as much sense as money.""And," continued Ernestine, "she has selected for the hero of her romance--""Oh!" interrupted Madame Mollot, "an old man of fifty!--fie!""How do you know he is fifty?" asked Olivier Vinet, laughing.

"How?" replied Madame Mollot."Why, this morning I was so puzzled that I got out my opera-glass--""Bravo!" cried the superintendent of ponts et chaussees, who was paying court to the mother to obtain the daughter.

"And so," continued Madame Mollot, "I was able to see him shaving;with such elegant razors!--mounted in gold, or silver-gilt!""Gold! gold, of course!" said Vinet."When things are unknown they should always be imagined of the finest quality.Consequently I, not having seen this gentleman, am perfectly sure that he is at least a count."This speech created a laugh; and the laughing group excited the jealousy of a group of dowagers and the attention of a troop of men in black who surrounded Simon Giguet.As for the latter, he was chafing in despair at not being able to lay his fortune and his future at the feet of the rich Cecile.

"Yes," continued Vinet, "a man distinguished for his birth, for his manners, his fortune, his equipages,--a lion, a dandy, a yellow-kid-glover!"

"Monsieur Olivier," said Ernestine, "he drives the prettiest tilbury you ever saw.""What? Antonin, you never told me he had a tilbury when we were talking about that conspirator this morning.A tilbury! Why, that's an extenuating circumstance; he can't be a republican.""Mesdemoiselles, there is nothing that I will not do in the interests of your amusement," said Antonin Goulard."I will instantly proceed to ascertain if this individual is a count, and if he is, what kind of count.""You can make a report upon him," said the superintendent of bridges.

"For the use of all future sub-prefects," added Olivier Vinet.

"How can you do it?" asked Madame Mollot.

"Oh!" replied the sub-prefect, "ask Mademoiselle Beauvisage whom she would accept as her husband among all of us here present; she will not answer.Allow me the same discretion.Mesdemoiselles, restrain your anxiety; in ten minutes you shall know whether the Unknown is a count or a commercial traveller."