The President of the Chamber rises and says: “The motion proposed by
Messrs. ------ and ------ is now put.”
The Prime Minister, without quitting his seat says: “The Government does
not assent to the motion.”
The President rings his bell and says: “A ballot has been demanded. A
ballot will therefore be taken. Those in favour of Messrs. ------ and
------‘s motion must place a white paper in the urn; those who are
against it, a blue paper.”
There was a great movement in the hall. The deputies poured out in a
disorderly mob into the corridors, while the ushers passed the white
metal urn along the tiers of seats. The corridors were full of the
sound of shuffling feet, and of shouting and gesticulating people. Grave
looking young men and excited old ones went passing by. The air was
pierced with the sound of voices calling out figures:
“Eleven votes.”
“No, nine.”
“They are being checked.”
“Eight against.”
“No, not at all; eight for.”
“What, the amendment is carried?”
“Yes.”
“The Government is beaten?”
“Yes.”
“Ah!”
The President’s bell is heard in the corridors.
Slowly the hall fills again.
The President standing up with a paper in his hand rings his bell for
the last time and says:
“The following is the result of the ballot on the motion proposed by
Messrs. ------ and ------. Number of votes 470; for the motion 239 ;
against 231. The motion is carried.”
There is an immense sensation. The Ministers get up and leave their
seats. Two or three friends shake them timidly by the hand. It’s all
over, they are beaten. They go under and I with them. I no longer count.
I make up my mind to it. To say that I am happy would be to go too
far. But it spells the end of my worries and bothers and toils. I have
regained my freedom, but not voluntarily. Repose and liberty, I’ve got
them back again, but it is to my defeat that I owe them. An honourable
defeat it is true, but painful all the same because our ideas suffer
with ourselves. How many things are involved in our fall, alas.
Economy, public security, tranquillity of conscience and that spirit of
prudence, that continuity of policy, which gives a nation its strength.
I hurried away to shake hands with the Chief of my department, proud of
having rendered faithful service to so upright a leader. Then, pushing
my way through the crowd that had gathered about the precincts of the
Palais Bourbon, I crossed the Seine and made my way slowly towards the
Madeleine. At the top of the boulevard there was a barrow of flowers
drawn up alongside the kerb. Between the two shafts was a young girl
making up bunches of violets. I went up to her and asked her for a
bunch. I then saw a little girl of four sitting on the barrow amid the
flowers. With her baby fingers she was trying to make bunches like her
mother. She raised her head at my approach and, with a smile, held out
all the flowers she had in her hands. When she had given them all to me,
she blew kisses.
[Illustration: 064]
I was extremely flattered. “I must have a kindly look about me,” I said
to myself, “for a child to smile a welcome at me like that. What is your
name?” I asked her.
“Marguerite,” replied her mother.
It was half-past six. There was a news-vendor’s hard by. I bought a
paper. As soon as I glanced at it I saw that I was in for a wigging. The
political editor, having referred to my Chief as an individual of ill
omen, spoke of me too, on the first page, as a sinister creature. But,
after Marguerite’s kisses, I could not believe it. I felt at once a
lightness and a sort of emptiness at heart; both glad and sorrowful.
A week later found me on my way, to ------ near Melun, where I had taken
a little house hard by the Château of Marguerite’s upbringing. In my
eyes it was the fairest region in the world.
As we approached the station I looked out of the carriage window.
The silver river flowed in graceful curves between willows, until it
vanished from the sight. But long after it was lost to view one could
divine its course by the rows of poplars which lined its banks. A
weathercock and two towers visible amid the trees marked the site of the
town. Then I exclaimed, “Here is the resting place for me, here will I
lay my head.”
[Illustration: 067]
[Illustration: 068]