the muse of the department-第14节

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take　the　side　of　the　luckless　husbands。　I；　who　have　seen　many　things；
and　strange　things　too；　know　that　among　the　ranks　of　deceived　husbands
there　are　some　whose　attitude　is　not　devoid　of　energy；　men　who；　at　a
crisis；　can　be　very　dramatic；　to　use　one　of　your　words；　monsieur；〃　he
said；　addressing　Etienne。

〃You　are　very　right；　my　dear　Monsieur　Gravier；〃　said　Lousteau。　〃I
never　thought　that　deceived　husbands　were　ridiculous；　on　the　contrary；
I　think　highly　of　them〃

〃Do　you　not　think　a　husband's　confidence　a　sublime　thing？〃　said
Bianchon。　〃He　believes　in　his　wife；　he　does　not　suspect　her；　he　trusts
her　implicitly。　But　if　he　is　so　weak　as　to　trust　her；　you　make　game　of
him；　if　he　is　jealous　and　suspicious；　you　hate　him；　what；　then；　I　ask
you；　is　the　happy　medium　for　a　man　of　spirit？〃

〃If　Monsieur　de　Clagny　had　not　just　expressed　such　vehement
disapproval　of　the　immorality　of　stories　in　which　the　matrimonial
compact　is　violated；　I　could　tell　you　of　a　husband's　revenge；〃　said
Lousteau。

Monsieur　de　Clagny　threw　the　dice　with　a　convulsive　jerk；　and　dared
not　look　up　at　the　journalist。

〃A　story；　from　you！〃　cried　Madame　de　la　Baudraye。　〃I　should　hardly
have　dared　to　hope　for　such　a　treat〃

〃It　is　not　my　story；　madame；　I　am　not　clever　enough　to　invent　such　a
tragedy。　It　was　told　meand　how　delightfully！by　one　of　our　greatest
writers；　the　finest　literary　musician　of　our　day；　Charles　Nodier。〃

〃Well；　tell　it；〃　said　Dinah。　〃I　never　met　Monsieur　Nodier；　so　you　have
no　comparison　to　fear。〃

〃Not　long　after　the　18th　Brumaire；〃　Etienne　began；　〃there　was；　as　you
know；　a　call　to　arms　in　Brittany　and　la　Vendee。　The　First　Consul；
anxious　before　all　things　for　peace　in　France；　opened　negotiations
with　the　rebel　chiefs；　and　took　energetic　military　measures；　but；
while　combining　his　plans　of　campaign　with　the　insinuating　charm　of
Italian　diplomacy；　he　also　set　the　Machiavelian　springs　of　the　police
in　movement；　Fouche　then　being　at　its　head。　And　none　of　these　means
were　superfluous　to　stifle　the　fire　of　war　then　blaring　in　the　West。

〃At　this　time　a　young　man　of　the　Maille　family　was　despatched　by　the
Chouans　from　Brittany　to　Saumur；　to　open　communications　between
certain　magnates　of　that　town　and　its　environs　and　the　leaders　of　the
Royalist　party。　The　envoy　was；　in　fact；　arrested　on　the　very　day　he
landedfor　he　traveled　by　boat；　disguised　as　a　master　mariner。
However；　as　a　man　of　practical　intelligence；　he　had　calculated　all　the
risks　of　the　undertaking；　his　passport　and　papers　were　all　in　order；
and　the　men　told　off　to　take　him　were　afraid　of　blundering。

〃The　Chevalier　de　BeauvoirI　now　remember　his　namehad　studied　his
part　well；　he　appealed　to　the　family　whose　name　he　had　borrowed；
persisted　in　his　false　address；　and　stood　his　examination　so　boldly
that　he　would　have　been　set　at　large　but　for　the　blind　belief　that　the
spies　had　in　their　instructions；　which　were　unfortunately　only　too
minute。　In　this　dilemma　the　authorities　were　more　ready　to　risk　an
arbitrary　act　than　to　let　a　man　escape　to　whose　capture　the　Minister
attached　great　importance。　In　those　days　of　liberty　the　agents　of　the
powers　in　authority　cared　little　enough　for　what　we　now　regard　as
/legal/。　The　Chevalier　was　therefore　imprisoned　provisionally；　until
the　superior　officials　should　come　to　some　decision　as　to　his
identity。　He　had　not　long　to　wait　for　it；　orders　were　given　to　guard
the　prisoner　closely　in　spite　of　his　denials。

〃The　Chevalier　de　Beauvoir　was　next　transferred；　in　obedience　to
further　orders；　to　the　Castle　of　l'Escarpe；　a　name　which　sufficiently
indicates　its　situation。　This　fortress；　perched　on　very　high　rocks；
has　precipices　for　its　trenches；　it　is　reached　on　all　sides　by　steep
and　dangerous　paths；　and；　like　every　ancient　castle；　its　principal
gate　has　a　drawbridge　over　a　wide　moat。　The　commandant　of　this　prison；
delighted　to　have　charge　of　a　man　of　family　whose　manners　were　most
agreeable；　who　expressed　himself　well；　and　seemed　highly　educated；
received　the　Chevalier　as　a　godsend；　he　offered　him　the　freedom　of　the
place　on　parole；　that　they　might　together　the　better　defy　its　dulness。
The　prisoner　was　more　than　content。

〃Beauvoir　was　a　loyal　gentleman；　but；　unfortunately；　he　was　also　a
very　handsome　youth。　He　had　attractive　features；　a　dashing　air；　a
pleasing　address；　and　extraordinary　strength。　Well　made；　active；　full
of　enterprise；　and　loving　danger；　he　would　have　made　an　admirable
leader　of　guerillas；　and　was　the　very　man　for　the　part。　The　commandant
gave　his　prisoner　the　most　comfortable　room；　entertained　him　at　his
table；　and　at　first　had　nothing　but　praise　for　the　Vendean。　This
officer　was　a　Corsican　and　married；　his　wife　was　pretty　and　charming；
and　he　thought　her；　perhaps；　not　to　be　trustedat　any　rate；　he　was　as
jealous　as　a　Corsican　and　a　rather　ill…looking　soldier　may　be。　The
lady　took　a　fancy　to　Beauvoir；　and　he　found　her　very　much　to　his
taste；　perhaps　they　loved！　Love　in　a　prison　is　quick　work。　Did　they
commit　some　imprudence？　Was　the　sentiment　they　entertained　something
warmer　than　the　superficial　gallantry　which　is　almost　a　duty　of　men
towards　women？

〃Beauvoir　never　fully　explained　this　rather　obscure　episode　of　the
story；　it　is　at　least　certain　that　the　commandant　thought　himself
justified　in　treating　his　prisoner　with　excessive　severity。　Beauvoir
was　placed　in　the　dungeon；　fed　on　black　bread　and　cold　water；　and
fettered　in　accordance　with　the　time…honored　traditions　of　the
treatment　lavished　on　captives。　His　cell；　under　the　fortress…yard；　was
vaulted　with　hard　stone；　the　walls　were　of　desperate　thickness；　the
tower　overlooked　the　precipice。

〃When　the　luckless　man　had　convinced　himself　of　the　impossibility　of
escape；　he　fell　into　those　day…dreams　which　are　at　once　the　comfort
and　the　crowning　despair　of　prisoners。　He　gave　himself　up　to　the
trifles　which　in　such　cases　seem　so　important；　he　counted　the　hours
and　the　days；　he　studied　the　melancholy　trade　of　being　prisoner；　he
became　absorbed　in　himself；　and　learned　the　value　of　air　and　sunshine；
then；　at　the　end　of　a　fortnight；　he　was　attacked　by　that　terrible
malady；　that　fever　for　liberty；　which　drives　prisoners　to　those　heroic
efforts　of　which　the　prodigious　achievements　seem　to　us　impossible；
though　true；　and　which　my　friend　the　doctor〃　（and　he　turned　to
Bianchon）　〃would　perhaps　ascribe　to　some　unknown　forces　too　recondite
for　his　physiological　analysis　to　detect；　some　mysteries　of　the　human
will　of　which　the　obscurity　baffles　science。〃

Bianchon　shook　his　head　in　negation。

〃Beauvoir　was　eating　his　heart　out；　for　death　alone　could　set　him
free。　One　morning　the　turnkey；　whose　duty　it　was　to　bring　him　his
food；　instead　of　leaving　him　when　he　had　given　him　his　meagre
pittance；　stood　with　his　arms　folded；　looking　at　him　with　strange
meaning。　Conversation　between　them　was　brief；　and　the　warder　never
began　it。　The　Chevalier　was　therefore　greatly　surprised　when　the　man
said　to　him：　'Of　course；　monsieur；　you　know　your　own　business　when　you
insist　on　being　always　called　Monsieur　Lebrun；　or　citizen　Lebrun。　It
is　no　concern　of　mine；　ascertaining　your　name　is　no　part　of　my　duty。
It　is　all　the　same　to　me　whether　you　call　yourself　Peter　or　Paul。　If
every　man　minds　his　own　business；　the　cows　will　not　stray。　At　the　same
time；　/I/　know；'　said　he；　with　a　wink；　'that　you　are　Monsieur　Charles…
Felix…Theodore；　Chevalier　de　Beauvoir；　and　cousin　to　Madame　la
Duchesse　de　Maille。Heh？'　he　added　after　a　short　silence；　during
which　he　looked　at　his　prisoner。

〃Beauvoir；　seeing　that　he　was　safe　under　lock　and　key；　did　not　imagine
that　his　position　could　be　any　the　worse　if　his　real　name　were　known。

〃　'Well；　and　supposing　I　were　the　Chevalier　de　Beauvoir；　what　should　I
gain　by　that？'　said　he。

〃　'Oh；　there　is　everything　to　be　gained　by　it；'　replied　the　jailer　in
an　undertone。　'I　have　been　paid　to　help　you　to　get　away；　but　wait　a
minute！　If　I　were　suspected　in　the　smallest　degree；　I　should　be　shot
out　of　hand。　So　I　have　said　that　I　will　do　no　more　in　the　matter　than
will　just　earn　the　money。Look　here；'　said　he；　taking　a　small　file
out　of　his　pocket；　'this　is　your　key；　with　this　you　can　cut　through
one　of　your　bars。　By　the　Mass；　but　it　will　not　be　any　easy　job；'　he
went　on；　glancing　at　the　narrow　loophole　that　let　daylight　into　the
dungeon。

〃It　was　in　a　splayed　recess　under　the　deep　cornice　that　ran　round　the
top　of　the　tower；　between　the　brackets　that　supported　the　embrasures。

〃　'Monsieur；'　said　the　man；　'you　must　take　care　to　saw　through　the
iron　low　enough　to　get　your　body　through。'

〃　'I　will　get　through；　never　fear；'　said　the　prisoner。

〃　'But　high　enough　to　leave　a　stanchion　to　fasten　a　cord　to；'　the
warder　went　on。

〃　'And　where　is　the　cord？'　asked　Beauvoir。

〃　'Here；'　said　the　man；　throwing　down　a　knotted　rope。　'It　is　made　of
raveled　linen；　that　you　may　be　supposed　to　have　contrived　it　yourself；
and　it　is　long　enough。　When　you　have　got　to　the　bottom　knot；　let
yourself　drop　gently；　and　the　rest　you　must　manage　for　yourself。　You
will　probably　find　a　carriage　somewhere　in　the　neighborhood；　and
friends　looking　out　for　you。　But　I　know　nothing　about　that。I　need
not