the muse of the department-第12节

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Dinah's　advances　were　directed　to　Bianchon。

However；　half…way　through　the　evening；　the　Baroness　was　gracious　to
Lousteau　again。　Have　you　never　observed　what　great　meanness　may　be
committed　for　small　ends？　Thus　the　haughty　Dinah；　who　would　not
sacrifice　herself　for　a　fool；　who　in　the　depths　of　the　country　led
such　a　wretched　life　of　struggles；　of　suppressed　rebellion；　of
unuttered　poetry；　who　to　get　away　from　Lousteau　had　climbed　the
highest　and　steepest　peak　of　her　scorn；　and　who　would　not　have　come
down　if　she　had　seen　the　sham　Byron　at　her　feet；　suddenly　stepped　off
it　as　she　recollected　her　album。

Madame　de　la　Baudraye　had　caught　the　mania　for　autographs；　she
possessed　an　oblong　volume　which　deserved　the　name　of　album　better
than　most；　as　two…thirds　of　the　pages　were　still　blank。　The　Baronne　de
Fontaine；　who　had　kept　it　for　three　months；　had　with　great　difficulty
obtained　a　line　from　Rossini；　six　bars　written　by　Meyerbeer；　the　four
lines　that　Victor　Hugo　writes　in　every　album；　a　verse　from　Lamartine；
a　few　words　from　Beranger；　/Calypso　ne　pouvait　se　consoler　du　depart
d'Ulysse/　（the　first　words　of　/Telemaque/）　written　by　George　Sand；
Scribe's　famous　lines　on　the　Umbrella；　a　sentence　from　Charles　Nodier；
an　outline　of　distance　by　Jules　Dupre；　the　signature　of　David
d'Angers；　and　three　notes　written　by　Hector　Berlioz。　Monsieur　de
Clagny；　during　a　visit　to　Paris；　added　a　song　by　Lacenairea　much
coveted　autograph；　two　lines　from　Fieschi；　and　an　extremely　short　note
from　Napoleon；　which　were　pasted　on　to　pages　of　the　album。　Then
Monsieur　Gravier；　in　the　course　of　a　tour；　had　persuaded　Mademoiselle
Mars　to　write　her　name　on　this　album；　with　Mademoiselles　Georges；
Taglioni；　and　Grisi；　and　some　distinguished　actors；　such　as　Frederick
Lemaitre；　Monrose；　Bouffe；　Rubini；　Lablache；　Nourrit；　and　Arnal；　for
he　knew　a　set　of　old　fellows　brought　up　in　the　seraglio；　as　they
phrased　it；　who　did　him　this　favor。

This　beginning　of　a　collection　was　all　the　more　precious　to　Dinah
because　she　was　the　only　person　for　ten　leagues　round　who　owned　an
album。　Within　the　last　two　years；　however；　several　young　ladies　had
acquired　such　books；　in　which　they　made　their　friends　and
acquaintances　write　more　or　less　absurd　quotations　or　sentiments。　You
who　spend　your　lives　in　collecting　autographs；　simple　and　happy　souls；
like　Dutch　tulip　fanciers；　you　will　excuse　Dinah　when；　in　her　fear　of
not　keeping　her　guests　more　than　two　days；　she　begged　Bianchon　to
enrich　the　volume　she　handed　to　him　with　a　few　lines　of　his　writing。

The　doctor　made　Lousteau　smile　by　showing　him　this　sentence　on　the
first　page：

　　〃What　makes　the　populace　dangerous　is　that　it　has　in　its　pocket　an
　　absolution　for　every　crime。

J。　B。　DE　CLAGNY。〃


〃We　will　second　the　man　who　is　brave　enough　to　plead　in　favor　of　the
Monarchy；〃　Desplein's　great　pupil　whispered　to　Lousteau；　and　he　wrote
below：

　　〃The　distinction　between　Napoleon　and　a　water…carrier　is　evident
　　only　to　Society；　Nature　takes　no　account　of　it。　Thus　Democracy；
　　which　resists　inequality；　constantly　appeals　to　Nature。

H。　BIANCHON。〃


〃Ah！〃　cried　Dinah；　amazed；　〃you　rich　men　take　a　gold　piece　out　of　your
purse　as　poor　men　bring　out　a　farthing。　。　。　。　I　do　not　know；〃　she　went
on；　turning　to　Lousteau；　〃whether　it　is　taking　an　unfair　advantage　of
a　guest　to　hope　for　a　few　lines〃

〃Nay；　madame；　you　flatter　me。　Bianchon　is　a　great　man；　but　I　am　too
insignificant！Twenty　years　hence　my　name　will　be　more　difficult　to
identify　than　that　of　the　Public　Prosecutor　whose　axiom；　written　in
your　album；　will　designate　him　as　an　obscurer　Montesquieu。　And　I
should　want　at　least　twenty…four　hours　to　improvise　some　sufficiently
bitter　reflections；　for　I　could　only　describe　what　I　feel。〃

〃I　wish　you　needed　a　fortnight；〃　said　Madame　de　la　Baudraye
graciously；　as　she　handed　him　the　book。　〃I　should　keep　you　here　all
the　longer。〃



At　five　next　morning　all　the　party　in　the　Chateau　d'Anzy　were　astir；
little　La　Baudraye　having　arranged　a　day's　sport　for　the　Parisians
less　for　their　pleasure　than　to　gratify　his　own　conceit。　He　was
delighted　to　make　them　walk　over　the　twelve　hundred　acres　of　waste
land　that　he　was　intending　to　reclaim；　an　undertaking　that　would　cost
some　hundred　thousand　francs；　but　which　might　yield　an　increase　of
thirty　to　sixty　thousand　francs　a　year　in　the　returns　of　the　estate　of
Anzy。

〃Do　you　know　why　the　Public　Prosecutor　has　not　come　out　with　us？〃
asked　Gatien　Boirouge　of　Monsieur　Gravier。

〃Why　he　told　us　that　he　was　obliged　to　sit　to…day；　the　minor　cases　are
before　the　Court；〃　replied　the　other。

〃And　did　you　believe　that？〃　cried　Gatien。　〃Well；　my　papa　said　to　me；
'Monsieur　Lebas　will　not　join　you　early；　for　Monsieur　de　Clagny　has
begged　him　as　his　deputy　to　sit　for　him！'　〃

〃Indeed！〃　said　Gravier；　changing　countenance。　〃And　Monsieur　de　la
Baudraye　is　gone　to　La　Charite！〃

〃But　why　do　you　meddle　in　such　matters？〃　said　Bianchon　to　Gatien。

〃Horace　is　right；　said　Lousteau。　〃I　cannot　imagine　why　you　trouble
your　heads　so　much　about　each　other；　you　waste　your　time　in
frivolities。〃

Horace　Bianchon　looked　at　Etienne　Lousteau；　as　much　as　to　say　that
newspaper　epigrams　and　the　satire　of　the　〃funny　column〃　were
incomprehensible　at　Sancerre。

On　reaching　a　copse；　Monsieur　Gravier　left　the　two　great　men　and
Gatien；　under　the　guidance　of　a　keeper；　to　make　their　way　through　a
little　ravine。

〃Well；　we　must　wait　for　Monsieur　Gravier；〃　said　Bianchon；　when　they
had　reached　a　clearing。

〃You　may　be　a　great　physician；〃　said　Gatien；　〃but　you　are　ignorant　of
provincial　life。　You　mean　to　wait　for　Monsieur　Gravier？By　this　time
he　is　running　like　a　hare；　in　spite　of　his　little　round　stomach；　he　is
within　twenty　minutes　of　Anzy　by　now〃　Gatien　looked　at　his　watch。
〃Good！　he　will　be　just　in　time。〃

〃Where？〃

〃At　the　chateau　for　breakfast；〃　replied　Gatien。　〃Do　you　suppose　I
could　rest　easy　if　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　were　alone　with　Monsieur　de
Clagny？　There　are　two　of　them　now；　they　will　keep　an　eye　on　each
other。　Dinah　will　be　well　guarded。〃

〃Ah；　ha！　Then　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　has　not　yet　made　up　her　mind？〃
said　Lousteau。

〃So　mamma　thinks。　For　my　part；　I　am　afraid　that　Monsieur　de　Clagny　has
at　last　succeeded　in　bewitching　Madame　de　la　Baudraye。　If　he　has　been
able　to　show　her　that　he　had　any　chance　of　putting　on　the　robes　of　the
Keeper　of　the　Seals；　he　may　have　hidden　his　moleskin　complexion；　his
terrible　eyes；　his　touzled　mane；　his　voice　like　a　hoarse　crier's；　his
bony　figure；　like　that　of　a　starveling　poet；　and　have　assumed　all　the
charms　of　Adonis。　If　Dinah　sees　Monsieur　de　Clagny　as　Attorney…
General；　she　may　see　him　as　a　handsome　youth。　Eloquence　has　great
privileges。Besides；　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　is　full　of　ambition。　She
does　not　like　Sancerre；　and　dreams　of　the　glories　of　Paris。〃

〃But　what　interest　have　you　in　all　this？〃　said　Lousteau。　〃If　she　is　in
love　with　the　Public　Prosecutor！Ah！　you　think　she　will　not　love　him
for　long；　and　you　hope　to　succeed　him。〃

〃You　who　live　in　Paris；〃　said　Gatien；　〃meet　as　many　different　women　as
there　are　days　in　the　year。　But　at　Sancerre；　where　there　are　not　half
a　dozen；　and　where；　of　those　six；　five　set　up　for　the　most　extravagant
virtue；　when　the　handsomest　of　them　all　keeps　you　at　an　infinite
distance　by　looks　as　scornful　as　though　she　were　of　the　blood　royal；　a
young　man　of　two…and…twenty　may　surely　be　allowed　to　make　a　guess　at
her　secrets；　since　she　must　then　treat　him　with　some　consideration。〃

〃Consideration！　So　that　is　what　you　call　it　in　these　parts？〃　said　the
journalist　with　a　smile。

〃I　should　suppose　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　to　have　too　much　good　taste　to
trouble　her　head　about　that　ugly　ape；〃　said　Bianchon。

〃Horace；〃　said　Lousteau；　〃look　here；　O　learned　interpreter　of　human
nature；　let　us　lay　a　trap　for　the　Public　Prosecutor；　we　shall　be　doing
our　friend　Gatien　a　service；　and　get　a　laugh　out　of　it。　I　do　not　love
Public　Prosecutors。〃

〃You　have　a　keen　intuition　of　destiny；〃　said　Horace。　〃But　what　can　we
do？〃

〃Well；　after　dinner　we　will　tell　sundry　little　anecdotes　of　wives
caught　out　by　their　husbands；　killed；　murdered　under　the　most　terrible
circumstances。Then　we　shall　see　the　faces　that　Madame　de　la　Baudraye
and　de　Clagny　will　make。〃

〃Not　amiss！〃　said　Bianchon；　〃one　or　the　other　must　surely；　by　look　or
gesture〃

〃I　know　a　newspaper　editor；〃　Lousteau　went　on；　addressing　Gatien；
〃who；　anxious　to　forefend　a　grievous　fate；　will　take　no　stories　but
such　as　tell　the　tale　of　lovers　burned；　hewn；　pounded；　or　cut　to
pieces；　of　wives　boiled；　fried；　or　baked；　he　takes　them　to　his　wife　to
read；　hoping　that　sheer　fear　will　keep　her　faithfulsatisfied　with
that　humble　alternative；　poor　man！　'You　see；　my　dear；　to　what　the
smallest　error　may　lead　you！'　says　he；　epitomizing　Arnolfe's　address
to　Agnes。〃

〃Madame　de　la　Baudraye　is　quite　guiltless；　this　youth　sees　double；〃
said　Bianchon。　〃Madame　Piedefer　seems　to　me　far　too　pious　to　invite
her　daughter's　lover　to　the　Chateau　d'Anzy。　Madame　de　la　Baudraye
would　have　to　hoodwink　her　mother；　her　husband；　her　maid；　and　her
mother's　maid；　that　is　too　much　to　do。　I　acquit　her。〃

〃Well　with