The Deputy of Arcis [155]
law, rest on the authority of an article in which the crime they punish is not even mentioned; and it is only by elaborate reasoning that they contrived to make this irregular application of it. You can understand, therefore, how very doubtful the issue of such a case would be, because in the absence of a positive rule you can never tell how the magistrates might decide."
"Consequently, your opinion, like Rastignac's, is that we had better send our peasant-woman back to Romilly and drop the whole matter?"
"There is always something to be done if one knows how to set about it," replied Desroches. "There is a point that neither you nor Rastignac nor Vinet seems to have thought of; and that is, to proceed in a criminal case against a member of the national representation, except for flagrant crime, requires the consent and authority of the Chamber."
"True," said Maxime, "but I don't see how a new difficulty is going to help us."
"You wouldn't be sorry to send your adversary with the galleys," said Desroches, laughing.
"A villain," added Maxime, "who may make me lose a rich marriage; a fellow who poses for stern virtue, and then proceeds to trickery of this kind!"
"Well, you must resign yourself to a less glorious result; but you can make a pretty scandal, and destroy the reputation of your man; and that ought, it seems to me, to serve your ends."
"Of course,--better that than nothing."
"Well, then, here's what I advise. Don't let your peasant-woman lodge her complaint before the criminal court, but make her place in the hands of the president of the Chamber of deputies a simple request for permission to proceed. Probably the permission will not be granted, and the affair will have to stop at that stage; but the matter being once made known will circulate through the Chambers, the newspapers will get hold of it and make a stir, and the ministry, /sub rosa/, can envenom the vague accusation through its friends."
"/Parbleu/! my dear fellow," cried Maxime, delighted to find a way open to his hatred, "you've a strong head,--stronger than that of these so-called statesmen. But this request for permission addressed to the president of the Chamber, who is to draw it up?"
"Oh! not I," said Desroches, who did not wish to mix himself up any farther in this low intrigue. "It isn't legal assistance that you want; this is simply firing your first gun, and I don't undertake that business. But you can find plenty of briefless barristers always ready to put their finger in the political pie. Massol, for instance, can draw it up admirably. But you must not tell him that the idea came from me."
"Oh! as for that," said Maxime, "I'll take it all on my own shoulders. Perhaps in this form Rastignac may come round to the project."
"Yes, but take care you don't make an enemy of Vinet, who will think you very impertinent to have an idea which ought, naturally, to have come into the head of so great a parliamentary tactician as himself."
"Well, before long," said Maxime, rising, "I hope to bring the Vinets and Rastignacs, and others like them, to heel. Where do you dine this evening?" he added.
"In a cave," replied Desroches, "with a band."
"Where's that?"
"I suppose, in the course of your erotic existence, you have had recourse to the good offices of a certain Madame de Saint-Esteve?"
"No," replied Maxime, "I have always done my own business in that line."
"True," said Desroches, "you conquer in the upper ranks, where, as a general thing, they don't use go-betweens. But, at any rate, you have heard of Madame de Saint-Esteve?"
"Of course; her establishment is in the rue Neuve-Saint-Marc, and it was she who got that pot of money out of Nucingen for La Torpille. Isn't she some relation to the chief of detective police, who bears the same name, and used to be one of the same kind as herself?"
"I don't know about that," said Desroches, "but what I can tell you is that in her business as procuress--as it was called in days less decorous than our own--the worthy woman has made a fortune, and now,
"Consequently, your opinion, like Rastignac's, is that we had better send our peasant-woman back to Romilly and drop the whole matter?"
"There is always something to be done if one knows how to set about it," replied Desroches. "There is a point that neither you nor Rastignac nor Vinet seems to have thought of; and that is, to proceed in a criminal case against a member of the national representation, except for flagrant crime, requires the consent and authority of the Chamber."
"True," said Maxime, "but I don't see how a new difficulty is going to help us."
"You wouldn't be sorry to send your adversary with the galleys," said Desroches, laughing.
"A villain," added Maxime, "who may make me lose a rich marriage; a fellow who poses for stern virtue, and then proceeds to trickery of this kind!"
"Well, you must resign yourself to a less glorious result; but you can make a pretty scandal, and destroy the reputation of your man; and that ought, it seems to me, to serve your ends."
"Of course,--better that than nothing."
"Well, then, here's what I advise. Don't let your peasant-woman lodge her complaint before the criminal court, but make her place in the hands of the president of the Chamber of deputies a simple request for permission to proceed. Probably the permission will not be granted, and the affair will have to stop at that stage; but the matter being once made known will circulate through the Chambers, the newspapers will get hold of it and make a stir, and the ministry, /sub rosa/, can envenom the vague accusation through its friends."
"/Parbleu/! my dear fellow," cried Maxime, delighted to find a way open to his hatred, "you've a strong head,--stronger than that of these so-called statesmen. But this request for permission addressed to the president of the Chamber, who is to draw it up?"
"Oh! not I," said Desroches, who did not wish to mix himself up any farther in this low intrigue. "It isn't legal assistance that you want; this is simply firing your first gun, and I don't undertake that business. But you can find plenty of briefless barristers always ready to put their finger in the political pie. Massol, for instance, can draw it up admirably. But you must not tell him that the idea came from me."
"Oh! as for that," said Maxime, "I'll take it all on my own shoulders. Perhaps in this form Rastignac may come round to the project."
"Yes, but take care you don't make an enemy of Vinet, who will think you very impertinent to have an idea which ought, naturally, to have come into the head of so great a parliamentary tactician as himself."
"Well, before long," said Maxime, rising, "I hope to bring the Vinets and Rastignacs, and others like them, to heel. Where do you dine this evening?" he added.
"In a cave," replied Desroches, "with a band."
"Where's that?"
"I suppose, in the course of your erotic existence, you have had recourse to the good offices of a certain Madame de Saint-Esteve?"
"No," replied Maxime, "I have always done my own business in that line."
"True," said Desroches, "you conquer in the upper ranks, where, as a general thing, they don't use go-betweens. But, at any rate, you have heard of Madame de Saint-Esteve?"
"Of course; her establishment is in the rue Neuve-Saint-Marc, and it was she who got that pot of money out of Nucingen for La Torpille. Isn't she some relation to the chief of detective police, who bears the same name, and used to be one of the same kind as herself?"
"I don't know about that," said Desroches, "but what I can tell you is that in her business as procuress--as it was called in days less decorous than our own--the worthy woman has made a fortune, and now,