the muse of the department-第13节

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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　more　reason　because　her　husband　never　'quits　her；'　〃　said
Gatien；　laughing　at　his　own　wit。

〃We　can　easily　remember　two　or　three　stories　that　will　make　Dinah
quake；〃　said　Lousteau。　〃Young　manand　you　too；　Bianchonlet　me　beg
you　to　maintain　a　stern　demeanor；　be　thorough　diplomatists；　an　easy
manner　without　exaggeration；　and　watch　the　faces　of　the　two　criminals；
you　know；　without　seeming　to　do　soout　of　the　corner　of　your　eye；　or
in　a　glass；　on　the　sly。　This　morning　we　will　hunt　the　hare；　this
evening　we　will　hunt　the　Public　Prosecutor。〃

The　evening　began　with　a　triumph　for　Lousteau；　who　returned　the　album
to　the　lady　with　this　elegy　written　in　it：


SPLEEN

　　You　ask　for　verse　from　me；　the　feeble　prey
　　Of　this　self…seeking　world；　a　waif　and　stray
　　　　With　none　to　whom　to　cling；
　　From　meunhappy；　purblind；　hopeless　devil！
　　Who　e'en　in　what　is　good　see　only　evil
　　　　In　any　earthly　thing！

　　This　page；　the　pastime　of　a　dame　so　fair；
　　May　not　reflect　the　shadow　of　my　care；
　　　　For　all　things　have　their　place。
　　Of　love；　to　ladies　bright；　the　poet　sings；
　　Of　joy；　and　balls；　and　dress；　and　dainty　things
　　　　Nay；　or　of　God　and　Grace。

　　It　were　a　bitter　jest　to　bid　the　pen
　　Of　one　so　worn　with　life；　so　hating　men；
　　　　Depict　a　scene　of　joy。
　　Would　you　exult　in　sight　to　one　born　blind；
　　Orcruel！　of　a　mother's　love　remind
　　　　Some　hapless　orphan　boy？

　　When　cold　despair　has　gripped　a　heart　still　fond；
　　When　there　is　no　young　heart　that　will　respond
　　　　To　it　in　love；　the　future　is　a　lie。
　　If　there　is　none　to　weep　when　he　is　sad；
　　And　share　his　woe；　a　man　were　better　dead！
　　　　And　so　I　soon　must　die。

　　Give　me　your　pity！　often　I　blaspheme
　　The　sacred　name　of　God。　Does　it　not　seem
　　　　That　I　was　born　in　vain？
　　Why　should　I　bless　him？　Or　why　thank　Him；　since
　　He　might　have　made　me　handsome；　rich；　a　prince
　　　　And　I　am　poor　and　plain？

ETIENNE　LOUSTEAU。
　　September　1836；　Chateau　d'Anzy。


〃And　you　have　written　those　verses　since　yesterday？〃　cried　Clagny　in　a
suspicious　tone。

〃Dear　me；　yes；　as　I　was　following　the　game；　it　is　only　too　evident！　I
would　gladly　have　done　something　better　for　madame。〃

〃The　verses　are　exquisite！〃　cried　Dinah；　casting　up　her　eyes　to
heaven。

〃They　are；　alas！　the　expression　of　a　too　genuine　feeling；〃　replied
Lousteau；　in　a　tone　of　deep　dejection。

The　reader　will；　of　course；　have　guessed　that　the　journalist　had
stored　these　lines　in　his　memory　for　ten　years　at　least；　for　he　had
written　them　at　the　time　of　the　Restoration　in　disgust　at　being　unable
to　get　on。　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　gazed　at　him　with　such　pity　as　the
woes　of　genius　inspire；　and　Monsieur　de　Clagny；　who　caught　her
expression；　turned　in　hatred　against　this　sham　/Jeune　Malade/　（the
name　of　an　Elegy　written　by　Millevoye）。　He　sat　down　to　backgammon　with
the　cure　of　Sancerre。　The　Presiding　Judge's　son　was　so　extremely
obliging　as　to　place　a　lamp　near　the　two　players　in　such　a　way　as　that
the　light　fell　full　on　Madame　de　la　Baudraye；　who　took　up　her　work；
she　was　embroidering　in　coarse　wool　a　wicker…plait　paper…basket。　The
three　conspirators　sat　close　at　hand。

〃For　whom　are　you　decorating　that　pretty　basket；　madame？〃　said
Lousteau。　〃For　some　charity　lottery；　perhaps？〃

〃No；〃　she　said；　〃I　think　there　is　too　much　display　in　charity　done　to
the　sound　of　a　trumpet。〃

〃You　are　very　indiscreet；〃　said　Monsieur　Gravier。

〃Can　there　be　any　indiscretion；〃　said　Lousteau；　〃in　inquiring　who　the
happy　mortal　may　be　in　whose　room　that　basket　is　to　stand？〃

〃There　is　no　happy　mortal　in　the　case；〃　said　Dinah；　〃it　is　for
Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye。〃

The　Public　Prosecutor　looked　slily　at　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　and　her
work；　as　if　he　had　said　to　himself；　〃I　have　lost　my　paper…basket！〃

〃Why；　madame；　may　we　not　think　him　happy　in　having　a　lovely　wife；
happy　in　her　decorating　his　paper…baskets　so　charmingly？　The　colors
are　red　and　black；　like　Robin　Goodfellow。　If　ever　I　marry；　I　only　hope
that　twelve　years　after；　my　wife's　embroidered　baskets　may　still　be
for　me。〃

〃And　why　should　they　not　be　for　you？〃　said　the　lady；　fixing　her　fine
gray　eyes；　full　of　invitation；　on　Etienne's　face。

〃Parisians　believe　in　nothing；〃　said　the　lawyer　bitterly。　〃The　virtue
of　women　is　doubted　above　all　things　with　terrible　insolence。　Yes；　for
some　time　past　the　books　you　have　written；　you　Paris　authors；　your
farces；　your　dramas；　all　your　atrocious　literature；　turn　on
adultery〃

〃Come；　come；　Monsieur　the　Public　Prosecutor；〃　retorted　Etienne；
laughing；　〃I　left　you　to　play　your　game　in　peace；　I　did　not　attack
you；　and　here　you　are　bringing　an　indictment　against　me。　On　my　honor
as　a　journalist；　I　have　launched　above　a　hundred　articles　against　the
writers　you　speak　of；　but　I　confess　that　in　attacking　them　it　was　to
attempt　something　like　criticism。　Be　just；　if　you　condemn　them；　you
must　condemn　Homer；　whose　/Iliad/　turns　on　Helen　of　Troy；　you　must
condemn　Milton's　/Paradise　Lost/。　Eve　and　her　serpent　seem　to　me　a
pretty　little　case　of　symbolical　adultery；　you　must　suppress　the
Psalms　of　David；　inspired　by　the　highly　adulterous　love　affairs　of
that　Louis　XIV。　of　Judah；　you　must　make　a　bonfire　of　/Mithridate；　le
Tartuffe；　l'Ecole　des　Femmes；　Phedre；　Andromaque；　le　Mariage　de
Figaro/；　Dante's　/Inferno/；　Petrarch's　Sonnets；　all　the　works　of　Jean…
Jacques　Rousseau；　the　romances　of　the　Middle　Ages；　the　History　of
France；　and　of　Rome；　etc。；　etc。　Excepting　Bossuet's　/Histoire　des
Variations/　and　Pascal's　/Provinciales/；　I　do　not　think　there　are　many
books　left　to　read　if　you　insist　on　eliminating　all　those　in　which
illicit　love　is　mentioned。〃

〃Much　loss　that　would　be！〃　said　Monsieur　de　Clagny。

Etienne；　nettled　by　the　superior　air　assumed　by　Monsieur　de　Clagny；
wanted　to　infuriate　him　by　one　of　those　cold…drawn　jests　which　consist
in　defending　an　opinion　in　which　we　have　no　belief；　simply　to　rouse
the　wrath　of　a　poor　man　who　argues　in　good　faith；　a　regular
journalist's　pleasantry。

〃If　we　take　up　the　political　attitude　into　which　you　would　force
yourself；〃　he　went　on；　without　heeding　the　lawyer's　remark；　〃and
assume　the　part　of　Public　Prosecutor　of　all　the　agesfor　every
Government　has　its　public　ministrywell；　the　Catholic　religion　is
infected　at　its　fountain…head　by　a　startling　instance　of　illegal
union。　In　the　opinion　of　King　Herod；　and　of　Pilate　as　representing　the
Roman　Empire；　Joseph's　wife　figured　as　an　adulteress；　since；　by　her
avowal；　Joseph　was　not　the　father　of　Jesus。　The　heathen　judge　could　no
more　recognize　the　Immaculate　Conception　than　you　yourself　would　admit
the　possibility　of　such　a　miracle　if　a　new　religion　should　nowadays　be
preached　as　based　on　a　similar　mystery。　Do　you　suppose　that　a　judge
and　jury　in　a　police　court　would　give　credence　to　the　operation　of　the
Holy　Ghost！　And　yet　who　can　venture　to　assert　that　God　will　never
again　redeem　mankind？　Is　it　any　better　now　than　it　was　under
Tiberius？〃

〃Your　argument　is　blasphemy；〃　said　Monsieur　de　Clagny。

〃I　grant　it；〃　said　the　journalist；　〃but　not　with　malicious　intent。　You
cannot　suppress　historical　fact。　In　my　opinion；　Pilate；　when　he
sentenced　Jesus；　and　Anytuswho　spoke　for　the　aristocratic　party　at
Athenswhen　he　insisted　on　the　death　of　Socrates；　both　represented
established　social　interests　which　held　themselves　legitimate；
invested　with　co…operative　powers；　and　obliged　to　defend　themselves。
Pilate　and　Anytus　in　their　time　were　not　less　logical　than　the　public
prosecutors　who　demanded　the　heads　of　the　sergeants　of　La　Rochelle；
who；　at　this　day；　are　guillotining　the　republicans　who　take　up　arms
against　the　throne　as　established　by　the　revolution　of　July；　and　the
innovators　who　aim　at　upsetting　society　for　their　own　advantage　under
pretence　of　organizing　it　on　a　better　footing。　In　the　eyes　of　the
great　families　of　Greece　and　Rome；　Socrates　and　Jesus　were　criminals；
to　those　ancient　aristocracies　their　opinions　were　akin　to　those　of
the　Mountain；　and　if　their　followers　had　been　victorious；　they　would
have　produced　a　little　'ninety…three'　in　the　Roman　Empire　or　in
Attica。〃

〃What　are　you　trying　to　come　to；　monsieur？〃　asked　the　lawyer。

〃To　adultery！For　thus；　monsieur；　a　Buddhist　as　he　smokes　his　pipe
may　very　well　assert　that　the　Christian　religion　is　founded　in
adultery；　as　we　believe　that　Mahomet　is　an　impostor；　that　his　Koran　is
an　epitome　of　the　Old　Testament　and　the　Gospels；　and　that　God　never
had　the　least　intention　of　constituting　that　camel…driver　His
Prophet。〃

〃If　there　were　many　men　like　you　in　Franceand　there　are　more　than
enough；　unfortunatelyall　government　would　be　impossible。〃

〃And　there　would　be　no　religion　at　all；〃　said　Madame　Piedefer；　who　had
been　making　strangely　wry　faces　all　through　this　discussion。

〃You　are　paining　them　very　much；〃　said　Bianchon　to　Lousteau　in　an
undertone。　〃Do　not　talk　of　religion；　you　are　saying　things　that　are
enough　to　upset　them。〃

〃If　I　were　a　writer　or　a　romancer；〃　said　Monsieur　Gravier；　〃I　should
take　the　side　of　the　luckless　husbands。　I；　who　have　seen　many　things；
and　st