the muse of the department-第25节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



After　coffee　had　been　served；　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　and　her　mother
left　the　men　to　wander　about　the　gardens。　Monsieur　Gravier　then
remarked　to　Monsieur　de　Clagny：

〃Did　you　observe　that　Madame　de　la　Baudraye；　after　going　out　in　a
muslin　gown　came　home　in　a　velvet？〃

〃As　she　got　into　the　carriage　at　Cosne；　the　muslin　dress　caught　on　a
brass　nail　and　was　torn　all　the　way　down；〃　replied　Lousteau。

〃Oh！〃　exclaimed　Gatien；　stricken　to　the　heart　by　hearing　two　such
different　explanations。

The　journalist；　who　understood；　took　Gatien　by　the　arm　and　pressed　it
as　a　hint　to　him　to　be　silent。　A　few　minutes　later　Etienne　left
Dinah's　three　adorers　and　took　possession　of　little　La　Baudraye。　Then
Gatien　was　cross…questioned　as　to　the　events　of　the　day。　Monsieur
Gravier　and　Monsieur　de　Clagny　were　dismayed　to　hear　that　on　the
return　from　Cosne　Lousteau　had　been　alone　with　Dinah；　and　even　more　so
on　hearing　the　two　versions　explaining　the　lady's　change　of　dress。　And
the　three　discomfited　gentlemen　were　in　a　very　awkward　position　for
the　rest　of　the　evening。

Next　day　each；　on　various　business；　was　obliged　to　leave　Anzy；　Dinah
remained　with　her　mother；　Lousteau；　and　her　husband。　The　annoyance
vented　by　the　three　victims　gave　rise　to　an　organized　rebellion　in
Sancerre。　The　surrender　of　the　Muse　of　Le　Berry；　of　the　Nivernais；　and
of　Morvan　was　the　cause　of　a　perfect　hue　and　cry　of　slander；　evil
report；　and　various　guesses　in　which　the　story　of　the　muslin　gown　held
a　prominent　place。　No　dress　Dinah　had　ever　worn　had　been　so　much
commented　on；　or　was　half　as　interesting　to　the　girls；　who　could　not
conceive　what　the　connection　might　be；　that　made　the　married　women
laugh；　between　love　and　a　muslin　gown。

The　Presidente　Boirouge；　furious　at　her　son's　discomfiture；　forgot　the
praise　she　had　lavished　on　the　poem　of　/Paquita/；　and　fulminated
terrific　condemnation　on　the　woman　who　could　publish　such　a
disgraceful　work。

〃The　wretched　woman　commits　every　crime　she　writes　about；〃　said　she。
〃Perhaps　she　will　come　to　the　same　end　as　her　heroine！〃

Dinah's　fate　among　the　good　folks　of　Sancerre　was　like　that　of
Marechal　Soult　in　the　opposition　newspapers；　as　long　as　he　is　minister
he　lost　the　battle　of　Toulouse；　whenever　he　is　out　of　the　Government
he　won　it！　While　she　was　virtuous；　Dinah　was　a　match　for　Camille　de
Maupin；　a　rival　of　the　most　famous　women；　but　as　soon　as　she　was
happy；　she　was　an　/unhappy　creature/。

Monsieur　de　Clagny　was　her　valiant　champion；　he　went　several　times　to
the　Chateau　d'Anzy　to　acquire　the　right　to　contradict　the　rumors
current　as　to　the　woman　he　still　faithfully　adored；　even　in　her　fall；
and　he　maintained　that　she　and　Lousteau　were　engaged　together　on　some
great　work。　But　the　lawyer　was　laughed　to　scorn。

The　month　of　October　was　lovely；　autumn　is　the　finest　season　in　the
valley　of　the　Loire；　but　in　1836　it　was　unusually　glorious。　Nature
seemed　to　aid　and　abet　Dinah；　who；　as　Bianchon　had　predicted；
gradually　developed　a　heart…felt　passion。　In　one　month　she　was　an
altered　woman。　She　was　surprised　to　find　in　herself　so　many　inert　and
dormant　qualities；　hitherto　in　abeyance。　To　her　Lousteau　seemed　an
angel；　for　heart…love；　the　crowning　need　of　a　great　nature；　had　made　a
new　woman　of　her。　Dinah　was　alive！　She　had　found　an　outlet　for　her
powers；　she　saw　undreamed…of　vistas　in　the　futurein　short；　she　was
happy；　happy　without　alarms　or　hindrances。　The　vast　castle；　the
gardens；　the　park；　the　forest；　favored　love。

Lousteau　found　in　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　an　artlessness；　nay；　if　you
will；　an　innocence　of　mind　which　made　her　very　original；　there　was
much　more　of　the　unexpected　and　winning　in　her　than　in　a　girl。
Lousteau　was　quite　alive　to　a　form　of　flattery　which　in　most　women　is
assumed；　but　which　in　Dinah　was　genuine；　she　really　learned　from　him
the　ways　of　love；　he　really　was　the　first　to　reign　in　her　heart。　And；
indeed；　he　took　the　trouble　to　be　exceedingly　amiable。

Men；　like　women；　have　a　stock　in　hand　of　recitatives；　of　/cantabile/；
of　/nocturnes/；　airs　and　refrainsshall　we　say　of　recipes；　although
we　speak　of　lovewhich　each　one　believes　to　be　exclusively　his　own。
Men　who　have　reached　Lousteau's　age　try　to　distribute　the　〃movements〃
of　this　repertoire　through　the　whole　opera　of　a　passion。　Lousteau；
regarding　this　adventure　with　Dinah　as　a　mere　temporary　connection；
was　eager　to　stamp　himself　on　her　memory　in　indelible　lines；　and
during　that　beautiful　October　he　was　prodigal　of　his　most　entrancing
melodies　and　most　elaborate　/barcarolles/。　In　fact；　he　exhausted　every
resource　of　the　stage　management　of　love；　to　use　an　expression
borrowed　from　the　theatrical　dictionary；　and　admirably　descriptive　of
his　manoeuvres。

〃If　that　woman　ever　forgets　me！〃　he　would　sometimes　say　to　himself　as
they　returned　together　from　a　long　walk　in　the　woods；　〃I　will　owe　her
no　grudgeshe　will　have　found　something　better。〃

When　two　beings　have　sung　together　all　the　duets　of　that　enchanting
score；　and　still　love　each　other；　it　may　be　said　that　they　love　truly。

Lousteau；　however；　had　not　time　to　repeat　himself；　for　he　was　to　leave
Anzy　in　the　early　days　of　November。　His　paper　required　his　presence　in
Paris。　Before　breakfast；　on　the　day　before　he　was　to　leave；　the
journalist　and　Dinah　saw　the　master　of　the　house　come　in　with　an
artist　from　Nevers；　who　restored　carvings　of　all　kinds。

〃What　are　you　going　to　do？〃　asked　Lousteau。　〃What　is　to　be　done　to　the
chateau？〃

〃This　is　what　I　am　going　to　do；〃　said　the　little　man；　leading
Lousteau；　the　local　artist；　and　Dinah　out　on　the　terrace。

He　pointed　out；　on　the　front　of　the　building；　a　shield　supported　by
two　sirens；　not　unlike　that　which　may　be　seen　on　the　arcade；　now
closed；　through　which　there　used　to　be　a　passage　from　the　Quai　des
Tuileries　to　the　courtyard　of　the　old　Louvre；　and　over　which　the　words
may　still　be　seen；　〃/Bibliotheque　du　Cabinet　du　Roi/。〃　This　shield
bore　the　arms　of　the　noble　House　of　Uxelles；　namely；　Or　and　gules
party　per　fess；　with　two　lions　or；　dexter　and　sinister　as　supporters。
Above；　a　knight's　helm；　mantled　of　the　tincture　of　the　shield；　and
surmounted　by　a　ducal　coronet。　Motto；　/Cy　paroist！/　A　proud　and
sonorous　device。

〃I　want　to　put　my　own　coat　of　arms　in　the　place　of　that　of　the
Uxelles；　and　as　they　are　repeated　six　times　on　the　two　fronts　and　the
two　wings；　it　is　not　a　trifling　affair。〃

〃Your　arms；　so　new；　and　since　1830！〃　exclaimed　Dinah。

〃Have　I　not　created　an　entail？〃

〃I　could　understand　it　if　you　had　children；〃　said　the　journalist。

〃Oh！〃　said　the　old　man；　〃Madame　de　la　Baudraye　is　still　young；　there
is　no　time　lost。〃

This　allusion　made　Lousteau　smile；　he　did　not　understand　Monsieur　de
la　Baudraye。

〃There；　Didine！〃　said　he　in　Dinah's　ear；　〃what　a　waste　of　remorse！〃

Dinah　begged　him　to　give　her　one　day　more；　and　the　lovers　parted　after
the　manner　of　certain　theatres；　which　give　ten　last　performances　of　a
piece　that　is　paying。　And　how　many　promises　they　made！　How　many　solemn
pledges　did　not　Dinah　exact　and　the　unblushing　journalist　give　her！

Dinah；　with　superiority　of　the　Superior　Woman；　accompanied　Lousteau；
in　the　face　of　all　the　world；　as　far　as　Cosne；　with　her　mother　and
little　La　Baudraye。　When；　ten　days　later；　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　saw　in
her　drawing…room　at　La　Baudraye；　Monsieur　de　Clagny；　Gatien；　and
Gravier；　she　found　an　opportunity　of　saying　to　each　in　turn：

〃I　owe　it　to　Monsieur　Lousteau　that　I　discovered　that　I　had　not　been
loved　for　my　own　sake。〃

And　what　noble　speeches　she　uttered；　on　man；　on　the　nature　of　his
feelings；　on　the　end　of　his　base　passions；　and　so　forth。　Of　Dinah's
three　worshipers；　Monsieur　de　Clagny　only　said　to　her：　〃I　love　you；
come　what　may〃and　Dinah　accepted　him　as　her　confidant；　lavished　on
him　all　the　marks　of　friendship　which　women　can　devise　for　the　Gurths
who　are　ready　thus　to　wear　the　collar　of　gilded　slavery。



In　Paris　once　more；　Lousteau　had；　in　a　few　weeks；　lost　the　impression
of　the　happy　time　he　had　spent　at　the　Chateau　d'Anzy。　This　is　why：
Lousteau　lived　by　his　pen。

In　this　century；　especially　since　the　triumph　of　the　/bourgeoisie/
the　commonplace；　money…saving　citizenwho　takes　good　care　not　to
imitate　Francis　I。　or　Louis　XIV。to　live　by　the　pen　is　a　form　of
penal　servitude　to　which　a　galley…slave　would　prefer　death。　To　live　by
the　pen　means　to　createto　create　to…day；　and　to…morrow；　and
incessantlyor　to　seem　to　create；　and　the　imitation　costs　as　dear　as
the　reality。　So；　besides　his　daily　contribution　to　a　newspaper；　which
was　like　the　stone　of　Sisyphus；　and　which　came　every　Monday；　crashing
down　on　to　the　feather　of　his　pen；　Etienne　worked　for　three　or　four
literary　magazines。　Still；　do　not　be　alarmed；　he　put　no　artistic
conscientiousness　into　his　work。　This　man　of　Sancerre　had　a　facility；
a　carelessness；　if　you　call　it　so；　which　ranked　him　with　those　writers
who　are　mere　scriveners；　literary　hacks。　In　Paris；　in　our　day；　hack…
work　cuts　a　man　off　from　every　pretension　to　a　literary　position。　When
he　can　do　no　more；　or　no　longer　cares　for　advancement；　the　man　who　can
write　becomes　a　journalist　and　a　hack。

The　life　he　leads　is　not　unpleasing。　Blue…stockings；　b