Anselme Raimondin, at his meetings, replied that he himself was honest, extremely honest, but his protestations, coming after the others, seemed tedious. Since he had already been a councillor and had experience of municipal affairs, the electors did not find it easy to believe in his honesty, whereas Joseph Lacrisse was dazzling in his innocence6.
Lacrisse was young, brisk, and had a soldierly appearance. Raimondin was short and stout7, and wore spectacles. This difference was remarked upon at a moment when Nationalism had breathed into municipal elections some of the enthusiasm and poetry which are inseparable from it, together with an ideal of beauty perceptible to the small shopkeeper.
Joseph Lacrisse was totally ignorant of all questions concerning civic8 affairs, even to the attributions of municipal councils. This ignorance was useful to him. His eloquence9 was thereby10 the freer and more stirring. Anselme Raimondin, on the contrary, lost himself in the mazes11 of detail. He was accustomed to the use of business expressions, and to technical discussions; he had a love of figures, and a passion for documents, and although he knew his public he laboured under certain illusions with regard to the intelligence of the electors who had nominated him. He had a certain amount of respect for them; he dared not lie too grossly, and did his best to enter into explanations. All this made him appear cold, obscure and tedious.
He was no simpleton. He knew where lay his interests, and he understood minor12 politics. For two years his district had been submerged by Nationalist newspapers, posters and pamphlets; and he told himself that when the moment came he, too, could pretend to be a Nationalist, that it wasn’t so difficult to demolish13 traitors14 and acclaim15 the National Army. He had not feared his enemies sufficiently16, thinking that he could always do as they did, in which he was mistaken. Joseph Lacrisse had an inimitable genius for expressing the Nationalist ideal. He had hit upon one special sentence which he frequently employed, and which always seemed new and beautiful. It was this: “Citizens, let us all rise to defend our admirable Army against a handful of cosmopolitans17 who have sworn to destroy it.” This was just the thing to say to the electors of the Grandes-écuries. Repeated nightly, the sentence aroused the whole meeting to great and formidable enthusiasm. Anselme Raimondin did not hit upon anything nearly so good; if patriotic18 phrases occurred to him he did not deliver them in the right tone, and they produced no effect.
Lacrisse covered the walls with tricolour posters. Anselme Raimondin also made use of tricolour posters, but either the colours were too washy or the sun faded them; at all events, his posters had a pallid19 appearance. Everything played him false, every one abandoned him. He lost his assurance; he humbled20 himself, showed himself prudent22 and humble21. He shrank from notice; he became almost imperceptible.
Again, when he stood up to speak in the dancing-hall of some third-rate drinking-house he seemed like a pale phantom23 from which proceeded a feeble voice drowned by pipe-smoke and the interruptions of the audience. He recalled his past. He had always been a fighter, he said. He stood up for the Republic; this remark, like the preceding one, caused no sensation, had no sonorous24 echo. The electors of the Grandes-écuries ward wanted the Republic to be defended by Joseph Lacrisse, who had conspired25 against her. That was what they wanted.
The meeting did not discuss both sides of the question. Only once was Raimondin invited to put in an appearance at a Nationalist meeting. He went; but he was not allowed to speak; and was utterly26 crushed by a resolution put and carried amid darkness and disorder27, for the landlord had cut off the gas as soon as the people started breaking up the benches. The meetings in the Grandes-écuries ward, as in all the other wards28 of Paris, were only moderately rowdy. The people now and then displayed the languid violence peculiar29 to their day, which is the most noticeable characteristic of our political manners. The Nationalists, according to their habit, hurled30 forth31 the same monotonous32 insults in which the expressions “Spy,” “Traitor” and “Rogue” had a feeble, exhausted33 sound. Their slogans told of an extreme physical and moral enervation34, a vague discontent combined with profound lethargy, and a definite inability to think out the simplest problems. There were many insults and few blows. It was unusual if more than two or three per night were wounded or knocked about, counting both parties. Lacrisse’s wounded were taken to the Nationalist chemist Delapierre, next door to the riding-school, and Raimondin’s to the Radical35 chemist Job, opposite the market-place, and by midnight there was not a soul left in the streets.
On Sunday, May the 6th, at six o’clock, Joseph Lacrisse, accompanied by his friends, was awaiting the result of the ballot36 in an empty shop decorated with flags and placards. This was their chief Committee Room. The pork-butcher, Monsieur Bonnaud, arrived, and announced that Lacrisse was elected by two thousand three hundred and nine votes against one thousand five hundred and fourteen for Monsieur Raimondin.
“Citizen,” said Bonnaud, “we are much gratified. It is a victory for the Republic.”
“And for honest men,” replied Lacrisse, adding with dignified37 benevolence38: “I thank you, Monsieur Bonnaud, and I beg you to thank in my name our valiant39 friends.” Then, turning to Henri Léon who stood beside him, he whispered, “Léon, do me a favour, will you? Wire our success at once to Monseigneur.”
Shouts were heard from the street.
“Long live Déroulède! Long live the Army! Long live the Republic! Down with the Jews!”
Lacrisse entered his carriage amid the cheers of the crowd that barred his passage. Baron40 Golsberg, the Jew, was standing41 at the carriage door; he seized the new councillor’s hand:
“I gave you my vote, Monsieur Lacrisse. You understand, I gave you my vote, because, I tell you, anti-Semitism is mere42 humbug43—you know it as well as I do—mere humbug, while Socialism is a serious matter.”
“Yes, yes. Good-bye, Monsieur Golsberg.”
But the Baron still held on.
“Socialism is the danger. Monsieur Raimondin favoured concessions44 to the Collectivists. That’s why I voted for you, Monsieur Lacrisse.”
And still the crowd yelled:
“Hurrah45 for Déroulède! Hurrah for the Army! Down with the Dreyfusards! Down with Raimondin! Death to the Jews!”
The coachman succeeded in making a way through the mass of electors.
Joseph Lacrisse found Madame de Bonmont at home, alone. She was excited and triumphant46, having already heard the news.
“Elected!” she cried, her arms extended and her gaze directed heavenward.
She put her beautiful arms around him and drew him to her.
“What makes me happiest is that you owe your election to me.”
She had contributed nothing to his expenses. It is true that money had not been wanting, and Joseph Lacrisse had drawn48 upon more than one banking49 account; but the gentle Elisabeth had given nothing, and Joseph Lacrisse could not understand what she meant. She explained herself:
“I had a candle burnt every day before St. Anthony; that is why you got in. St. Anthony grants all requests. Father Adéodat told me so, and I have proved it several times.”
She covered his face with kisses, and a beautiful idea occurred to her, which reminded her of the customs of chivalry50.
“My dear,” she asked him, “do not municipal councillors wear a scarf? an embroidered52 scarf, isn’t it? I’ll embroider51 one for you.”
He was very tired and fell exhausted into a chair, but kneeling at his feet she murmured:
“I love you.”
And only the darkness heard the rest.
The same evening, in his modest apartments—the apartments of “a child of the quarter,” as he called them—Anselme Raimondin heard the result of the election. There were some dozen bottles of wine and a cold paté on the dining-room table. His failure amazed him.
“It was only what I expected,” he said.
And he swung round in a pirouette, but he was clumsy and twisted his ankle.
“It’s your own fault,” said Dr. Maufle, by way of consolation53. The Doctor was president of his Committee, an old Radical, with the face of a Silenus. “You allowed the Nationalists to poison the whole ward; you hadn’t the pluck to stand up against them. You made no attempt to unmask their falsehoods. On the contrary, like them, with them, you told every lie you could think of. You knew the truth, and you dared not undeceive the electors while there was still time. You’ve funked it, and you are beaten, and it serves you right!”
“You are a silly old fool, Maufle. You don’t understand the ins and outs of this election. Yet it’s clear enough. My failure was due to one thing only: the discontent of the small shopkeepers who are being crushed out of existence between the big shops and the co-operative societies. They are suffering and they made me pay for it. That’s all.”
Then, with a faint smile, he added:
“They’ll find themselves nicely taken in.”
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1
ward
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| n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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profusely
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| ad.abundantly | |
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scarcity
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| n.缺乏，不足，萧条 | |
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simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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civic
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| adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的 | |
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eloquence
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| n.雄辩；口才，修辞 | |
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thereby
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| adv.因此，从而 | |
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mazes
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| 迷宫( maze的名词复数 )； 纷繁复杂的规则； 复杂难懂的细节； 迷宫图 | |
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minor
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| adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修 | |
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demolish
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| v.拆毁(建筑物等)，推翻(计划、制度等) | |
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14
traitors
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| 卖国贼( traitor的名词复数 )； 叛徒； 背叛者； 背信弃义的人 | |
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acclaim
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| v.向…欢呼，公认；n.欢呼，喝彩，称赞 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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cosmopolitans
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| 世界性的( cosmopolitan的名词复数 )； 全球各国的； 有各国人的； 受各国文化影响的 | |
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patriotic
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| adj.爱国的，有爱国心的 | |
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pallid
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| adj.苍白的，呆板的 | |
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humbled
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| adj. 卑下的，谦逊的，粗陋的 vt. 使 ... 卑下，贬低 | |
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humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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phantom
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| n.幻影，虚位，幽灵；adj.错觉的，幻影的，幽灵的 | |
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sonorous
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| adj.响亮的，回响的；adv.圆润低沉地；感人地；n.感人，堂皇 | |
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conspired
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| 密谋( conspire的过去式和过去分词 )； 搞阴谋； （事件等）巧合； 共同导致 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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disorder
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| n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调 | |
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wards
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| 区( ward的名词复数 )； 病房； 受监护的未成年者； 被人照顾或控制的状态 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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monotonous
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| adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的 | |
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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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enervation
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| n.无活力，衰弱 | |
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radical
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| n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的 | |
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ballot
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| n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票 | |
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37
dignified
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| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
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38
benevolence
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| n.慈悲，捐助 | |
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39
valiant
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| adj.勇敢的，英勇的；n.勇士，勇敢的人 | |
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40
baron
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| n.男爵；(商业界等)巨头，大王 | |
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41
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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42
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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43
humbug
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| n.花招，谎话，欺骗 | |
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44
concessions
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| n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权 | |
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45
hurrah
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| int.好哇，万岁，乌拉 | |
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46
triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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pious
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| adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的 | |
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48
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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49
banking
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| n.银行业，银行学，金融业 | |
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50
chivalry
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| n.骑士气概，侠义；（男人）对女人彬彬有礼，献殷勤 | |
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51
embroider
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| v.刺绣于(布)上；给…添枝加叶，润饰 | |
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52
embroidered
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| adj．绣花的 | |
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53
consolation
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| n.安慰，慰问 | |
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54
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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