Publisher's Synopsis
Excerpt from The Works of Honore De Balzac, Vol. 15: The Deputy of Arcis; An Historical Mystery; Episode Under the Terror
Before beginning to describe an election in the provinces, it is proper to state that the town of Arcis sur-aube was not the theatre of the events here related.
The arrondissement Of Arcis votes at bar-sur-aube, which is forty miles from Arcis; consequently there is no deputy from Arcis in the Chamber.
Discretion, required in a history of contemporaneous manners and morals, dictates this precautionary word. It is rather an ingenious contrivance to make the description of one town the frame for events which happened in another; and several times already in the course of the Comedy of Human Life, this means has been employed in Spite Of its disadvantages, which consist chie?y in making the frame of as much impor tance as the canvas.
Toward the end of the month Of April, 1839, about ten O'clock in the morning, the salon of Madame Marion, widow Of a former receiver-general Of the department Of the Aube, presented a singular appearance. All the furniture had been removed except the curtains to the windows, the ornaments on the fireplace, the chan delier, and the tea-table. An Aubusson carpet, taken up two weeks before the usual time, Obstructed the steps of the portico, and the ?oor had been violently rubbed and polished, though without increasing its usual brightness. All this was a Species of domestic premonition concerning the result Of the elections which were about to take place over the whole surface Of France. Often things are as spiritually intelligent as men, an argument in favor of the Occult Sciences.
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