He appeared to be speaking sincerely, and, when she had taken a long breath of relief, she said to him:
"I believe you," with a beautiful smile. Then she hung down her head, and, without looking at him:
"Besides, n.o.body has any claim on you!"
So then she had divined nothing; and she despised him, seeing that she did not think he could love her well enough to remain faithful to her!
Frederick, forgetting his overtures while with the other, looked on the permission accorded to him as an insult to himself.
After this she suggested that he ought now and then to pay Rosanette a visit, to get a little glimpse of what she was like.
Arnoux presently made his appearance, and, five minutes later, wished to carry him off to Rosanette"s abode.
The situation was becoming intolerable.
His attention was diverted by a letter from a notary, who was going to send him fifteen thousand francs the following day; and, in order to make up for his neglect of Deslauriers, he went forthwith to tell him this good news.
The advocate was lodging in the Rue des Trois-Maries, on the fifth floor, over a courtyard. His study, a little tiled apartment, chilly, and with a grey paper on the walls, had as its princ.i.p.al decoration a gold medal, the prize awarded him on the occasion of taking out his degree as a Doctor of Laws, which was fixed in an ebony frame near the mirror. A mahogany bookcase enclosed under its gla.s.s front a hundred volumes, more or less. The writing-desk, covered with sheep-leather, occupied the centre of the apartment. Four old armchairs upholstered in green velvet were placed in the corners; and a heap of shavings made a blaze in the fireplace, where there was always a bundle of sticks ready to be lighted as soon as he rang the bell. It was his consultation-hour, and the advocate had on a white cravat.
The announcement as to the fifteen thousand francs (he had, no doubt, given up all hope of getting the amount) made him chuckle with delight.
"That"s right, old fellow, that"s right--that"s quite right!"
He threw some wood into the fire, sat down again, and immediately began talking about the journal. The first thing to do was to get rid of Hussonnet.
"I"m quite tired of that idiot! As for officially professing opinions, my own notion is that the most equitable and forcible position is to have no opinions at all."
Frederick appeared astonished.
"Why, the thing is perfectly plain. It is time that politics should be dealt with scientifically. The old men of the eighteenth century began it when Rousseau and the men of letters introduced into the political sphere philanthropy, poetry, and other fudge, to the great delight of the Catholics--a natural alliance, however, since the modern reformers (I can prove it) all believe in Revelation. But, if you sing high ma.s.ses for Poland, if, in place of the G.o.d of the Dominicans, who was an executioner, you take the G.o.d of the Romanticists, who is an upholsterer, if, in fact, you have not a wider conception of the Absolute than your ancestors, Monarchy will penetrate underneath your Republican forms, and your red cap will never be more than the headpiece of a priest. The only difference will be that the cell system will take the place of torture, the outrageous treatment of Religion that of sacrilege, and the European Concert that of the Holy Alliance; and in this beautiful order which we admire, composed of the wreckage of the followers of Louis XIV., the last remains of the Voltaireans, with some Imperial white-wash on top, and some fragments of the British Const.i.tution, you will see the munic.i.p.al councils trying to give annoyance to the Mayor, the general councils to their Prefect, the Chambers to the King, the Press to Power, and the Administration to everybody. But simple-minded people get enraptured about the Civil Code, a work fabricated--let them say what they like--in a mean and tyrannical spirit, for the legislator, in place of doing his duty to the State, which simply means to observe customs in a regular fashion, claims to model society like another Lycurgus. Why does the law impede fathers of families with regard to the making of wills? Why does it place shackles on the compulsory sale of real estate? Why does it punish as a misdemeanour vagrancy, which ought not even to be regarded as a technical contravention of the Code. And there are other things! I know all about them! and so I am going to write a little novel, ent.i.tled "The History of the Idea of Justice," which will be amusing. But I am infernally thirsty! And you?"
He leaned out through the window, and called to the porter to go and fetch them two gla.s.ses of grog from the public-house over the way.
"To sum up, I see three parties--no! three groups--in none of which do I take the slightest interest: those who have, those who have nothing, and those who are trying to have. But all agree in their idiotic worship of Authority! For example, Mably recommends that the philosophers should be prevented from publishing their doctrines; M. Wronsky, the geometrician, describes the censorship as the "critical expression of speculative spontaneity"; Pere Enfantin gives his blessing to the Hapsburgs for having pa.s.sed a hand across the Alps in order to keep Italy down; Pierre Leroux wishes people to be compelled to listen to an orator; and Louis Blanc inclines towards a State religion--so much rage for government have these va.s.sals whom we call the people! Nevertheless, there is not a single legitimate government, in spite of their sempiternal principles.
But "principle" signifies "origin." It is always necessary to go back to a revolution, to an act of violence, to a transitory fact. Thus, our principle is the national sovereignty embodied in the Parliamentary form, though the Parliament does not a.s.sent to this! But in what way could the sovereignty of the people be more sacred than the Divine Right? They are both fictions. Enough of metaphysics; no more phantoms!
There is no need of dogmas in order to get the streets swept! It will be said that I am turning society upside down. Well, after all, where would be the harm of that? It is, indeed, a nice thing--this society of yours."
Frederick could have given many answers. But, seeing that his theories were far less advanced than those of Senecal, he was full of indulgence towards Deslauriers. He contented himself with arguing that such a system would make them generally hated.
"On the contrary, as we should have given to each party a pledge of hatred against his neighbour, all will reckon on us. You are about to enter into it yourself, and to furnish us with some transcendent criticism!"
It was necessary to attack accepted ideas--the Academy, the Normal School, the Conservatoire, the Comedie Francaise, everything that resembled an inst.i.tution. It was in that way that they would give uniformity to the doctrines taught in their review. Then, as soon as it had been thoroughly well-established, the journal would suddenly be converted into a daily publication. Thereupon they could find fault with individuals.
"And they will respect us, you may be sure!"
Deslauriers touched upon that old dream of his--the position of editor-in-chief, so that he might have the unutterable happiness of directing others, of entirely cutting down their articles, of ordering them to be written or declining them. His eyes twinkled under his goggles; he got into a state of excitement, and drank a few gla.s.ses of brandy, one after the other, in an automatic fashion.
"You"ll have to stand me a dinner once a week. That"s indispensable, even though you should have to squander half your income on it. People would feel pleasure in going to it; it would be a centre for the others, a lever for yourself; and by manipulating public opinion at its two ends--literature and politics--you will see how, before six months have pa.s.sed, we shall occupy the first rank in Paris."
Frederick, as he listened to Deslauriers, experienced a sensation of rejuvenescence, like a man who, after having been confined in a room for a long time, is suddenly transported into the open air. The enthusiasm of his friend had a contagious effect upon him.
"Yes, I have been an idler, an imbecile--you are right!"
"All in good time," said Deslauriers. "I have found my Frederick again!"
And, holding up his jaw with closed fingers:
"Ah! you have made me suffer! Never mind, I am fond of you all the same."
They stood there gazing into each other"s faces, both deeply affected, and were on the point of embracing each other.
A woman"s cap appeared on the threshold of the anteroom.
"What brings you here?" said Deslauriers.
It was Mademoiselle Clemence, his mistress.
She replied that, as she happened to be pa.s.sing, she could not resist the desire to go in to see him, and in order that they might have a little repast together, she had brought some cakes, which she laid on the table.
"Take care of my papers!" said the advocate, sharply. "Besides, this is the third time that I have forbidden you to come at my consultation-hours."
She wished to embrace him.
"All right! Go away! Cut your stick!"
He repelled her; she heaved a great sigh.
"Ah! you are plaguing me again!"
""Tis because I love you!"
"I don"t ask you to love me, but to oblige me!"
This harsh remark stopped Clemence"s tears. She took up her station before the window, and remained there motionless, with her forehead against the pane.
Her att.i.tude and her silence had an irritating effect on Deslauriers.
"When you have finished, you will order your carriage, will you not?"
She turned round with a start.
"You are sending me away?"
"Exactly."
She fixed on him her large blue eyes, no doubt as a last appeal, then drew the two ends of her tartan across each other, lingered for a minute or two, and went away.
"You ought to call her back," said Frederick.
"Come, now!"