Chapter 6. The Deputy Procureur du Roi (4) Capítulo 6. El Subprocurador del Rey (4)

"Just the person we require at a time like the present," said a second. "What a splendid business that last case of yours was, my dear Villefort!" remarked a third; "I mean the trial of the man for murdering his father. Upon my word, you killed him ere the executioner had laid his hand upon him." Sur ma parole, vous l'avez tué avant que le bourreau n'ait mis la main sur lui." "Oh, as for parricides, and such dreadful people as that," interposed Renee, "it matters very little what is done to them; but as regards poor unfortunate creatures whose only crime consists in having mixed themselves up in political intrigues"-- "Why, that is the very worst offence they could possibly commit; for, don't you see, Renee, the king is the father of his people, and he who shall plot or contrive aught against the life and safety of the parent of thirty-two millions of souls, is a parricide upon a fearfully great scale?" "I don't know anything about that," replied Renee; "but, M. de Villefort, you have promised me--have you not?--always to show mercy to those I plead for." — Je n'en sais rien, répondit Renée ; mais, monsieur de Villefort, vous m'avez promis, n'est-ce pas ?, de toujours faire miséricorde à ceux pour qui je plaide. "Make yourself quite easy on that point," answered Villefort, with one of his sweetest smiles; "you and I will always consult upon our verdicts." "My love," said the marquise, "attend to your doves, your lap-dogs, and embroidery, but do not meddle with what you do not understand. « Mon amour, dit la marquise, soignez vos colombes, vos chiens de compagnie et vos broderies, mais ne vous mêlez pas de ce que vous ne comprenez pas. Nowadays the military profession is in abeyance and the magisterial robe is the badge of honor. De nos jours, la profession militaire est en suspens et la robe de magistrat est l'insigne d'honneur. There is a wise Latin proverb that is very much in point." "Cedant arma togae," said Villefort with a bow. "I cannot speak Latin," responded the marquise. "Well," said Renee, "I cannot help regretting you had not chosen some other profession than your own--a physician, for instance. Do you know I always felt a shudder at the idea of even a destroying angel?" "Dear, good Renee," whispered Villefort, as he gazed with unutterable tenderness on the lovely speaker. "Let us hope, my child," cried the marquis, "that M. de Villefort may prove the moral and political physician of this province; if so, he will have achieved a noble work." — Espérons, mon enfant, s'écria le marquis, que M. de Villefort se révélera le médecin moral et politique de cette province ; s'il en est ainsi, il aura accompli une noble œuvre. "And one which will go far to efface the recollection of his father's conduct," added the incorrigible marquise. — Et qui ira loin pour effacer le souvenir de la conduite de son père, ajouta l'incorrigible marquise. "Madame," replied Villefort, with a mournful smile, "I have already had the honor to observe that my father has--at least, I hope so--abjured his past errors, and that he is, at the present moment, a firm and zealous friend to religion and order--a better royalist, possibly, than his son; for he has to atone for past dereliction, while I have no other impulse than warm, decided preference and conviction." - Madame, répondit Villefort avec un sourire triste, j'ai déjà eu l'honneur de constater que mon père a, du moins, je l'espère, abjuré ses erreurs passées, et qu'il est, en ce moment, un ami ferme et zélé de la religion et de l'ordre, un meilleur royaliste, peut-être, que son fils, car il doit expier les manquements passés, alors que je n'ai d'autre impulsion qu'une préférence et une conviction chaleureuses et décidées." Having made this well-turned speech, Villefort looked carefully around to mark the effect of his oratory, much as he would have done had he been addressing the bench in open court.

"Do you know, my dear Villefort," cried the Comte de Salvieux, "that is exactly what I myself said the other day at the Tuileries, when questioned by his majesty's principal chamberlain touching the singularity of an alliance between the son of a Girondin and the daughter of an officer of the Duc de Conde; and I assure you he seemed fully to comprehend that this mode of reconciling political differences was based upon sound and excellent principles. Then the king, who, without our suspecting it, had overheard our conversation, interrupted us by saying, 'Villefort'--observe that the king did not pronounce the word Noirtier, but, on the contrary, placed considerable emphasis on that of Villefort--'Villefort,' said his majesty, 'is a young man of great judgment and discretion, who will be sure to make a figure in his profession; I like him much, and it gave me great pleasure to hear that he was about to become the son-in-law of the Marquis and Marquise de Saint-Meran. I should myself have recommended the match, had not the noble marquis anticipated my wishes by requesting my consent to it. J'aurais moi-même recommandé le mariage, si le noble marquis n'avait anticipé mes vœux en me demandant mon consentement. ' " "Is it possible the king could have condescended so far as to express himself so favorably of me?" asked the enraptured Villefort. demanda le Villefort ravi.

"I give you his very words; and if the marquis chooses to be candid, he will confess that they perfectly agree with what his majesty said to him, when he went six months ago to consult him upon the subject of your espousing his daughter." « Je vous donne ses paroles mêmes ; et si le marquis veut être franc, il avouera qu'elles sont parfaitement d'accord avec ce que Sa Majesté lui a dit, lorsqu'il est allé il y a six mois le consulter au sujet de votre mariage avec sa fille. " "That is true," answered the marquis. "How much do I owe this gracious prince! « Que dois-je à ce gracieux prince ! What is there I would not do to evince my earnest gratitude!" Qu'est-ce que je ne ferais pas pour témoigner ma sincère gratitude ! » "That is right," cried the marquise. "I love to see you thus. Now, then, were a conspirator to fall into your hands, he would be most welcome." Maintenant, donc, si un conspirateur tombait entre vos mains, il serait le bienvenu. » "For my part, dear mother." interposed Renee, "I trust your wishes will not prosper, and that Providence will only permit petty offenders, poor debtors, and miserable cheats to fall into M. de Villefort's hands,--then I shall be contented." » Renée interposé, « j'espère que vos souhaits ne prospéreront pas, et que la Providence permettra seulement aux petits contrevenants, aux débiteurs pauvres, et aux tricheurs misérables de tomber dans les mains de M. de Villefort,, alors je serai content.