the muse of the department-第28节

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age；　and　/nee/　de　Granville！　To　have　as　a　rival　a　woman　of　fifty　and
more。　Sooner　would　I　see　my　daughter　dead　than　give　her　to　a　man　who
had　such　a　connection　with　a　married　woman。　A　grisette；　an　actress；
you　take　her　and　leave　her。There　is　no　danger；　in　my　opinion；　from
women　of　that　stamp；　love　is　their　trade；　they　care　for　no　one；　one
down　and　another　to　come　on！But　a　woman　who　has　sinned　against　duty
must　hug　her　sin；　her　only　excuse　is　constancy；　if　such　a　crime　can
ever　have　an　excuse。　At　least；　that　is　the　view　I　hold　of　a
respectable　woman's　fall；　and　that　is　what　makes　it　so　terrible〃

Instead　of　looking　for　the　meaning　of　these　speeches；　Etienne　made　a
jest　of　them　at　Malaga's；　whither　he　went　with　his　father…in…law
elect；　for　the　notary　and　the　journalist　were　the　best　of　friends。

Lousteau　had　already　given　himself　the　airs　of　a　person　of　importance；
his　life　at　last　was　to　have　a　purpose；　he　was　in　luck's　way；　and　in　a
few　days　would　be　the　owner　of　a　delightful　little　house　in　the　Rue
Saint…Lazare；　he　was　going　to　be　married　to　a　charming　woman；　he　would
have　about　twenty　thousand　francs　a　year；　and　could　give　the　reins　to
his　ambition；　the　young　lady　loved　him；　and　he　would　be　connected　with
several　respectable　families。　In　short；　he　was　in　full　sail　on　the
blue　waters　of　hope。



Madame　Cardot　had　expressed　a　wish　to　see　the　prints　for　/Gil　Blas/；
one　of　the　illustrated　volumes　which　the　French　publishers　were　at
that　time　bringing　out；　and　Lousteau　had　taken　the　first　numbers　for
the　lady's　inspection。　The　lawyer's　wife　had　a　scheme　of　her　own；　she
had　borrowed　the　book　merely　to　return　it；　she　wanted　an　excuse　for
walking　in　on　her　future　son…in…law　quite　unexpectedly。　The　sight　of
those　bachelor　rooms；　which　her　husband　had　described　as　charming；
would　tell　her　more；　she　thought；　as　to　Lousteau's　habits　of　life　than
any　information　she　could　pick　up。　Her　sister…in…law；　Madame　Camusot；
who　knew　nothing　of　the　fateful　secret；　was　terrified　at　such　a
marriage　for　her　niece。　Monsieur　Camusot；　a　Councillor　of　the　Supreme
Court；　old　Camusot's　son　by　his　first　marriage；　had　given　his　step…
mother；　who　was　Cardot's　sister；　a　far　from　flattering　account　of　the
journalist。

Lousteau；　clever　as　he　was；　did　not　think　it　strange　that　the　wife　of
a　rich　notary　should　wish　to　inspect　a　volume　costing　fifteen　francs
before　deciding　on　the　purchase。　Your　clever　man　never　condescends　to
study　the　middle…class；　who　escape　his　ken　by　this　want　of　attention；
and　while　he　is　making　game　of　them；　they　are　at　leisure　to　throttle
him。

So　one　day　early　in　January　1837；　Madame　Cardot　and　her　daughter　took
a　hackney　coach　and　went　to　the　Rue　des　Martyrs　to　return　the　parts　of
/Gil　Blas/　to　Felicie's　betrothed；　both　delighted　at　the　thought　of
seeing　Lousteau's　rooms。　These　domiciliary　visitations　are　not　unusual
in　the　old　citizen　class。　The　porter　at　the　front　gate　was　not　in；　but
his　daughter；　on　being　informed　by　the　worthy　lady　that　she　was　in　the
presence　of　Monsieur　Lousteau's　future　mother…in…law　and　bride；　handed
over　the　key　of　the　apartmentall　the　more　readily　because　Madame
Cardot　placed　a　gold　piece　in　her　hand。

It　was　by　this　time　about　noon；　the　hour　at　which　the　journalist　would
return　from　breakfasting　at　the　Cafe　Anglais。　As　he　crossed　the　open
space　between　the　Church　of　Notre…Dame　de　Lorette　and　the　Rue　des
Martyrs；　Lousteau　happened　to　look　at　a　hired　coach　that　was　toiling
up　the　Rue　du　Faubourg…Montmartre；　and　he　fancied　it　was　a　dream　when
he　saw　the　face　of　Dinah！　He　stood　frozen　to　the　spot　when；　on
reaching　his　house；　he　beheld　his　Didine　at　the　coach　door。

〃What　has　brought　you　here？〃　he　inquired。He　adopted　the　familiar
/tu/。　The　formality　of　/vous/　was　out　of　the　question　to　a　woman　he
must　get　rid　of。

〃Why；　my　love；〃　cried　she；　〃have　you　not　read　my　letters？〃

〃Certainly　I　have；〃　said　Lousteau。

〃Well；　then？〃

〃Well；　then？〃

〃You　are　a　father；〃　replied　the　country　lady。

〃Faugh！〃　cried　he；　disregarding　the　barbarity　of　such　an　exclamation。
〃Well；〃　thought　he　to　himself；　〃she　must　be　prepared　for　the　blow。〃

He　signed　to　the　coachman　to　wait；　gave　his　hand　to　Madame　de　la
Baudraye；　and　left　the　man　with　the　chaise　full　of　trunks；　vowing　that
he　would　send　away　/illico/；　as　he　said　to　himself；　the　woman　and　her
luggage；　back　to　the　place　she　had　come　from。

〃Monsieur；　monsieur；〃　called　out　little　Pamela。

The　child　had　some　sense；　and　felt　that　three　women　must　not　be
allowed　to　meet　in　a　bachelor's　rooms。

〃Well；　well！〃　said　Lousteau；　dragging　Dinah　along。

Pamela　concluded　that　the　lady　must　be　some　relation；　however；　she
added：

〃The　key　is　in　the　door；　your　mother…in…law　is　there。〃

In　his　agitation；　while　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　was　pouring　out　a　flood
of　words；　Etienne　understood　the　child　to　say；　〃Mother　is　there；〃　the
only　circumstance　that　suggested　itself　as　possible；　and　he　went　in。

Felicie　and　her　mother；　who　were　by　this　time　in　the　bed…room；　crept
into　a　corner　on　seeing　Etienne　enter　with　a　woman。

〃At　last；　Etienne；　my　dearest；　I　am　yours　for　life！〃　cried　Dinah；
throwing　her　arms　round　his　neck；　and　clasping　him　closely；　while　he
took　the　key　from　the　outside　of　the　door。　〃Life　is　a　perpetual
anguish　to　me　in　that　house　at　Anzy。　I　could　bear　it　no　longer；　and
when　the　time　came　for　me　to　proclaim　my　happinesswell；　I　had　not
the　courage。Here　I　am；　your　wife　with　your　child！　And　you　have　not
written　to　me；　you　have　left　me　two　months　without　a　line。〃

〃But；　Dinah；　you　place　me　in　the　greatest　difficulty〃

〃Do　you　love　me？〃

〃How　can　I　do　otherwise　than　love　you？But　would　you　not　have　been
wiser　to　remain　at　Sancerre？I　am　in　the　most　abject　poverty；　and　I
fear　to　drag　you　into　it〃

〃Your　misery　will　be　paradise　to　me。　I　only　ask　to　live　here；　never　to
go　out〃

〃Good　God！　that　is　all　very　fine　in　words；　but〃　Dinah　sat　down　and
melted　into　tears　as　she　heard　this　speech；　roughly　spoken。

Lousteau　could　not　resist　this　distress。　He　clasped　the　Baroness　in
his　arms　and　kissed　her。

〃Do　not　cry；　Didine！〃　said　he；　and；　as　he　uttered　the　words；　he　saw　in
the　mirror　the　figure　of　Madame　Cardot；　looking　at　him　from　the
further　end　of　the　rooms。　〃Come；　Didine；　go　with　Pamela　and　get　your
trunks　unloaded；〃　said　he　in　her　ear。　〃Go；　do　not　cry；　we　will　be
happy！〃

He　led　her　to　the　door；　and　then　came　back　to　divert　the　storm。

〃Monsieur；〃　said　Madame　Cardot；　〃I　congratulate　myself　on　having
resolved　to　see　for　myself　the　home　of　the　man　who　was　to　have　been　my
son…in…law。　If　my　daughter　were　to　die　of　it；　she　should　never　be　the
wife　of　such　a　man　as　you。　You　must　devote　yourself　to　making　your
Didine　happy；　monsieur。〃

And　the　virtuous　lady　walked　out；　followed　by　Felicie；　who　was　crying
too；　for　she　had　become　accustomed　to　Etienne。　The　dreadful　Madame
Cardot　got　into　her　hackney…coach　again；　staring　insolently　at　the
hapless　Dinah；　in　whose　heart　the　sting　still　rankled　of　〃that　is　all
very　fine　in　words〃；　but　who；　nevertheless；　like　every　woman　in　love；
believed　in　the　murmured；　〃Do　not　cry；　Didine！〃

Lousteau；　who　was　not　lacking　in　the　sort　of　decision　which　grows　out
of　the　vicissitudes　of　a　storm…tossed　life；　reflected　thus：

〃Didine　is　high…minded；　when　once　she　knows　of　my　proposed　marriage；
she　will　sacrifice　herself　for　my　future　prospects；　and　I　know　how　I
can　manage　to　let　her　know。〃　Delighted　at　having　hit　on　a　trick　of
which　the　success　seemed　certain；　he　danced　round　to　a　familiar　tune：

〃/Larifla；　fla；　fla！/And　Didine　once　out　of　the　way；〃　he　went　on；
talking　to　himself；　〃I　will　treat　Maman　Cardot　to　a　call　and　a
novelette：　I　have　seduced　her　Felicie　at　Saint…EustacheFelicie；
guilty　through　passion；　bears　in　her　bosom　the　pledge　of　our　affection
and　/larifla；　fla；　fla！/　the　father　/Ergo/；　the　notary；　his　wife；
and　his　daughter　are　caught；　nabbed〃

And；　to　her　great　amazement；　Dinah　discovered　Etienne　performing　a
prohibited　dance。

〃Your　arrival　and　our　happiness　have　turned　my　head　with　joy；〃　said
he；　to　explain　this　crazy　mood。

〃And　I　had　fancied　you　had　ceased　to　love　me！〃　exclaimed　the　poor
woman；　dropping　the　handbag　she　was　carrying；　and　weeping　with　joy　as
she　sank　into　a　chair。

〃Make　yourself　at　home；　my　darling；〃　said　Etienne；　laughing　in　his
sleeve；　〃I　must　write　two　lines　to　excuse　myself　from　a　bachelor
party；　for　I　mean　to　devote　myself　to　you。　Give　your　orders；　you　are
at　home。〃

Etienne　wrote　to　Bixiou：

　　〃MY　DEAR　BOY；My　Baroness　has　dropped　into　my　arms；　and　will　be
　　fatal　to　my　marriage　unless　we　perform　one　of　the　most　familiar
　　stratagems　of　the　thousand　and　one　comedies　at　the　Gymnase。　I　rely
　　on　you　to　come　here；　like　one　of　Moliere's　old　men；　to　scold　your
　　nephew　Leandre　for　his　folly；　while　the　Tenth　Muse　lies　hidden　in
　　my　bedroom；　you　must　work　on　her　feelings；　strike　hard；　be　brutal；
　　offensive。　I；　you　understand；　shall　express　my　blind　devotion；　and
　　shall　seem　to　be　deaf；　so　that　you　may　have　to　shout　at　me。

　　〃Come；　if　you　can；　at　seven　o'clock。

〃Yours；
〃E。　LOUSTEAU。〃


Having　sent　this　letter　by　a　commissionaire　to　the　man　who；　in　all
Paris；　most　delighted　in