the muse of the department-第11节

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the　arid　soil　in　which　our　existence　is　rooted；　and　on　which　a
thousand　stagnant　ideas　fall；　they　cannot　fertilize　the　ground；　but
they　supply　food　for　the　etiolated　flowers　of　our　desert　souls。　Never
believe　in　indifference！　Indifference　is　either　despair　or
resignation。　Then　each　woman　takes　up　the　pursuit　which；　according　to
her　character；　seems　to　promise　some　amusement。　Some　rush　into　jam…
making　and　washing；　household　management；　the　rural　joys　of　the
vintage　or　the　harvest；　bottling　fruit；　embroidering　handkerchiefs；
the　cares　of　motherhood；　the　intrigues　of　a　country　town。　Others
torment　a　much…enduring　piano；　which；　at　the　end　of　seven　years；
sounds　like　an　old　kettle；　and　ends　its　asthmatic　life　at　the　Chateau
d'Anzy。　Some　pious　dames　talk　over　the　different　brands　of　the　Word　of
Godthe　Abbe　Fritaud　as　compared　with　the　Abbe　Guinard。　They　play
cards　in　the　evening；　dance　with　the　same　partners　for　twelve　years
running；　in　the　same　rooms；　at　the　same　dates。　This　delightful　life　is
varied　by　solemn　walks　on　the　Mall；　visits　of　politeness　among　the
women；　who　ask　each　other　where　they　bought　their　gowns。

〃Conversation　is　bounded　on　the　south　by　remarks　on　the　intrigues
lying　hidden　under　the　stagnant　water　of　provincial　life；　on　the　north
by　proposed　marriages；　on　the　west　by　jealousies；　and　on　the　east　by
sour　remarks。

〃And　so；〃　she　went　on；　striking　an　attitude；　〃you　see　a　woman　wrinkled
at　nine…and…twenty；　ten　years　before　the　time　fixed　by　the　rules　of
Doctor　Bianchon；　a　woman　whose　skin　is　ruined　at　an　early　age；　who
turns　as　yellow　as　a　quince　when　she　is　yellow　at　allwe　have　seen
some　turn　green。　When　we　have　reached　that　point；　we　try　to　justify
our　normal　condition；　then　we　turn　and　rend　the　terrible　passion　of
Paris　with　teeth　as　sharp　as　rat's　teeth。　We　have　Puritan　women　here；
sour　enough　to　tear　the　laces　of　Parisian　finery；　and　eat　out　all　the
poetry　of　your　Parisian　beauties；　who　undermine　the　happiness　of
others　while　they　cry　up　their　walnuts　and　rancid　bacon；　glorify　this
squalid　mouse…hole；　and　the　dingy　color　and　conventual　small　of　our
delightful　life　at　Sancerre。〃

〃I　admire　such　courage；　madame；〃　said　Bianchon。　〃When　we　have　to
endure　such　misfortunes；　it　is　well　to　have　the　wit　to　make　a　virtue
of　necessity。〃

Amazed　at　the　brilliant　move　by　which　Dinah　thus　placed　provincial
life　at　the　mercy　of　her　guests；　in　anticipation　of　their　sarcasms；
Gatien　Boirouge　nudged　Lousteau's　elbow；　with　a　glance　and　a　smile；
which　said：

〃Well！　did　I　say　too　much？〃

〃But；　madame；〃　said　Lousteau；　〃you　are　proving　that　we　are　still　in
Paris。　I　shall　steal　this　gem　of　description；　it　will　be　worth　ten
thousand　francs　to　me　in　an　article。〃

〃Oh；　monsieur；〃　she　retorted；　〃never　trust　provincial　women。〃

〃And　why　not？〃　said　Lousteau。

Madame　de　la　Baudraye　was　wily　enoughan　innocent　form　of　cunning；　to
be　sureto　show　the　two　Parisians；　one　of　whom　she　would　choose　to　be
her　conquerer；　the　snare　into　which　he　would　fall；　reflecting　that　she
would　have　the　upper　hand　at　the　moment　when　he　should　cease　to　see
it。

〃When　you　first　come；〃　said　she；　〃you　laugh　at　us。　Then　when　you　have
forgotten　the　impression　of　Paris　brilliancy；　and　see　us　in　our　own
sphere；　you　pay　court　to　us；　if　only　as　a　pastime。　And　you；　who　are
famous　for　your　past　passions；　will　be　the　object　of　attentions　which
will　flatter　you。　Then　take　care！〃　cried　Dinah；　with　a　coquettish
gesture；　raising　herself　above　provincial　absurdities　and　Lousteau's
irony　by　her　own　sarcastic　speech。　〃When　a　poor　little　country…bred
woman　has　an　eccentric　passion　for　some　superior　man；　some　Parisian
who　has　wandered　into　the　provinces；　it　is　to　her　something　more　than
a　sentiment；　she　makes　it　her　occupation　and　part　of　all　her　life。
There　is　nothing　more　dangerous　than　the　attachment　of　such　a　woman；
she　compares；　she　studies；　she　reflects；　she　dreams；　and　she　will　not
give　up　her　dream；　she　thinks　still　of　the　man　she　loves　when　he　has
ceased　to　think　of　her。

〃Now　one　of　the　catastrophes　that　weigh　most　heavily　on　a　woman　in　the
provinces　is　that　abrupt　termination　of　her　passion　which　is　so　often
seen　in　England。　In　the　country；　a　life　under　minute　observation　as
keen　as　an　Indian's　compels　a　woman　either　to　keep　on　the　rails　or　to
start　aside　like　a　steam　engine　wrecked　by　an　obstacle。　The　strategies
of　love；　the　coquetting　which　form　half　the　composition　of　a　Parisian
woman；　are　utterly　unknown　here。〃

〃That　is　true；〃　said　Lousteau。　〃There　is　in　a　country…bred　woman's
heart　a　store　of　surprises；　as　in　some　toys。〃

〃Dear　me！〃　Dinah　went　on；　〃a　woman　will　have　spoken　to　you　three　times
in　the　course　of　a　winter；　and　without　your　knowing　it；　you　will　be
lodged　in　her　heart。　Then　comes　a　picnic；　an　excursion；　what　not；　and
all　is　saidor；　if　you　prefer　it；　all　is　done！　This　conduct；　which
seems　odd　to　unobserving　persons；　is　really　very　natural。　A　poet；　such
as　you　are；　or　a　philosopher；　an　observer；　like　Doctor　Bianchon；
instead　of　vilifying　the　provincial　woman　and　believing　her　depraved；
would　be　able　to　guess　the　wonderful　unrevealed　poetry；　every　chapter；
in　short；　of　the　sweet　romance　of　which　the　last　phrase　falls　to　the
benefit　of　some　happy　sub…lieutenant　or　some　provincial　bigwig。〃

〃The　provincial　women　I　have　met　in　Paris；〃　said　Lousteau；　〃were；　in
fact；　rapid　in　their　proceedings〃

〃My　word；　they　are　strange；〃　said　the　lady；　giving　a　significant　shrug
of　her　shoulders。

〃They　are　like　the　playgoers　who　book　for　the　second　performance；
feeling　sure　that　the　piece　will　not　fail；〃　replied　the　journalist。

〃And　what　is　the　cause　of　all　these　woes？〃　asked　Bianchon。

〃Paris　is　the　monster　that　brings　us　grief；〃　replied　the　Superior
Woman。　〃The　evil　is　seven　leagues　round；　and　devastates　the　whole
land。　Provincial　life　is　not　self…existent。　It　is　only　when　a　nation
is　divided　into　fifty　minor　states　that　each　can　have　a　physiognomy　of
its　own；　and　then　a　woman　reflects　the　glory　of　the　sphere　where　she
reigns。　This　social　phenomenon；　I　am　told；　may　be　seen　in　Italy；
Switzerland；　and　Germany；　but　in　France；　as　in　every　country　where
there　is　but　one　capital；　a　dead　level　of　manners　must　necessarily
result　from　centralization。〃

〃Then　you　would　say　that　manners　could　only　recover　their
individuality　and　native　distinction　by　the　formation　of　a　federation
of　French　states　into　one　empire？〃　said　Lousteau。

〃That　is　hardly　to　be　wished；　for　France　would　have　to　conquer　too
many　countries；〃　said　Bianchon。

〃This　misfortune　is　unknown　in　England；〃　exclaimed　Dinah。　〃London　does
not　exert　such　tyranny　as　that　by　which　Paris　oppresses　Francefor
which；　indeed；　French　ingenuity　will　at　last　find　a　remedy；　however；
it　has　a　worse　disease　in　its　vile　hypocrisy；　which　is　a　far　greater
evil！〃

〃The　English　aristocracy；〃　said　Lousteau；　hastening　to　put　a　word　in；
for　he　foresaw　a　Byronic　paragraph；　〃has　the　advantage　over　ours　of
assimilating　every　form　of　superiority；　it　lives　in　the　midst　of
magnificent　parks；　it　is　in　London　for　no　more　than　two　months。　It
lives　in　the　country；　flourishing　there；　and　making　it　flourish。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Madame　de　la　Baudraye；　〃London　is　the　capital　of　trade　and
speculation　and　the　centre　of　government。　The　aristocracy　hold　a
'mote'　there　for　sixty　days　only；　it　gives　and　takes　the　passwords　of
the　day；　looks　in　on　the　legislative　cookery；　reviews　the　girls　to
marry；　the　carriages　to　be　sold；　exchanges　greetings；　and　is　away
again；　and　is　so　far　from　amusing；　that　it　cannot　bear　itself　for　more
than　the　few　days　known　as　'the　season。'　〃

〃Hence；〃　said　Lousteau；　hoping　to　stop　this　nimble　tongue　by　an
epigram；　〃in　Perfidious　Albion；　as　the　/Constitutionnel/　has　it；　you
may　happen　to　meet　a　charming　woman　in　any　part　of　the　kingdom。〃

〃But　charming　/English/　women！〃　replied　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　with　a
smile。　〃Here　is　my　mother；　I　will　introduce　you；〃　said　she；　seeing
Madame　Piedefer　coming　towards　them。

Having　introduced　the　two　Paris　lions　to　the　ambitious　skeleton　that
called　itself　woman　under　the　name　of　Madame　Piedefera　tall；　lean
personage；　with　a　red　face；　teeth　that　were　doubtfully　genuine；　and
hair　that　was　undoubtedly　dyed；　Dinah　left　her　visitors　to　themselves
for　a　few　minutes。

〃Well；〃　said　Gatien　to　Lousteau；　〃what　do　you　think　of　her？〃

〃I　think　that　the　clever　woman　of　Sancerre　is　simply　the　greatest
chatterbox；〃　replied　the　journalist。

〃A　woman　who　wants　to　see　you　deputy！〃　cried　Gatien。　〃An　angel！〃

〃Forgive　me；　I　forgot　you　were　in　love　with　her；〃　said　Lousteau。
〃Forgive　the　cynicism　of　an　old　scamp。Ask　Bianchon；　I　have　no
illusions　left。　I　see　things　as　they　are。　The　woman　has　evidently
dried　up　her　mother　like　a　partridge　left　to　roast　at　too　fierce　a
fire。〃

Gatien　de　Boirouge　contrived　to　let　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　know　what
the　journalist　had　said　of　her　in　the　course　of　the　dinner；　which　was
copious；　not　to　say　splendid；　and　the　lady　took　care　not　to　talk　too
much　while　it　was　proceeding。　This　lack　of　conversation　betrayed
Gatien's　indiscretion。　Etienne　tried　to　regain　his　footing；　but　all
Dinah's　advances　were　directed　to　Bianchon。

However；　half…way　thro