the muse of the department-第29节

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〃Yours；
〃E。　LOUSTEAU。〃


Having　sent　this　letter　by　a　commissionaire　to　the　man　who；　in　all
Paris；　most　delighted　in　such　practical　jokesin　the　slang　of
artists；　a　/〃charge〃/Lousteau　made　a　great　show　of　settling　the　Muse
of　Sancerre　in　his　apartment。　He　busied　himself　in　arranging　the
luggage　she　had　brought；　and　informed　her　as　to　the　persons　and　ways
of　the　house　with　such　perfect　good　faith；　and　a　glee　which　overflowed
in　kind　words　and　caresses；　that　Dinah　believed　herself　the　best…
beloved　woman　in　the　world。　These　rooms；　where　everything　bore　the
stamp　of　fashion；　pleased　her　far　better　than　her　old　chateau。

Pamela　Migeon；　the　intelligent　damsel　of　fourteen；　was　questioned　by
the　journalist　as　to　whether　she　would　like　to　be　waiting…maid　to　the
imposing　Baroness。　Pamela；　perfectly　enchanted；　entered　on　her　duties
at　once；　by　going　off　to　order　dinner　from　a　restaurant　on　the
boulevard。　Dinah　was　able　to　judge　of　the　extreme　poverty　that　lay
hidden　under　the　purely　superficial　elegance　of　this　bachelor　home
when　she　found　none　of　the　necessaries　of　life。　As　she　took　possession
of　the　closets　and　drawers；　she　indulged　in　the　fondest　dreams；　she
would　alter　Etienne's　habits；　she　would　make　him　home…keeping；　she
would　fill　his　cup　of　domestic　happiness。

The　novelty　of　the　position　hid　its　disastrous　side；　Dinah　regarded
reciprocated　love　as　the　absolution　of　her　sin；　she　did　not　yet　look
beyond　the　walls　of　these　rooms。　Pamela；　whose　wits　were　as　sharp　as
those　of　a　/lorette/；　went　straight　to　Madame　Schontz　to　beg　the　loan
of　some　plate；　telling　her　what　had　happened　to　Lousteau。　After　making
the　child　welcome　to　all　she　had；　Madame　Schontz　went　off　to　her
friend　Malaga；　that　Cardot　might　be　warned　of　the　catastrophe　that　had
befallen　his　future　son…in…law。

The　journalist；　not　in　the　least　uneasy　about　the　crisis　as　affecting
his　marriage；　was　more　and　more　charming　to　the　lady　from　the
provinces。　The　dinner　was　the　occasion　of　the　delightful　child's…play
of　lovers　set　at　liberty；　and　happy　to　be　free。　When　they　had　had
their　coffee；　and　Lousteau　was　sitting　in　front　of　the　fire；　Dinah　on
his　knee；　Pamela　ran　in　with　a　scared　face。

〃Here　is　Monsieur　Bixiou！〃　said　she。

〃Go　into　the　bedroom；〃　said　the　journalist　to　his　mistress；　〃I　will
soon　get　rid　of　him。　He　is　one　of　my　most　intimate　friends；　and　I
shall　have　to　explain　to　him　my　new　start　in　life。〃

〃Oh；　ho！　dinner　for　two；　and　a　blue　velvet　bonnet！〃　cried　Bixiou。　〃I
am　off。Ah！　that　is　what　comes　of　marryingone　must　go　through　some
partings。　How　rich　one　feels　when　one　begins　to　move　one's　sticks；
heh？〃

〃Who　talks　of　marrying？〃　said　Lousteau。

〃What！　are　you　not　going　to　be　married；　then？〃　cried　Bixiou。

〃No！〃

〃No？　My　word；　what　next？　Are　you　making　a　fool　of　yourself；　if　you
please？What！You；　who；　by　the　mercy　of　Heaven；　have　come　across
twenty　thousand　francs　a　year；　and　a　house；　and　a　wife　connected　with
all　the　first　families　of　the　better　middle　classa　wife；　in　short；
out　of　the　Rue　des　Lombards〃

〃That　will　do；　Bixiou；　enough；　it　is　at　an　end。　Be　off！〃

〃Be　off？　I　have　a　friend's　privileges；　and　I　shall　take　every
advantage　of　them。What　has　come　over　you？〃

〃What　has　'come　over'　me　is　my　lady　from　Sancerre。　She　is　a　mother；
and　we　are　going　to　live　together　happily　to　the　end　of　our　days。You
would　have　heard　it　to…morrow；　so　you　may　as　well　be　told　it　now。〃

〃Many　chimney…pots　are　falling　on　my　head；　as　Arnal　says。　But　if　this
woman　really　loves　you；　my　dear　fellow；　she　will　go　back　to　the　place
she　came　from。　Did　any　provincial　woman　ever　yet　find　her　sea…legs　in
Paris？　She　will　wound　all　your　vanities。　Have　you　forgotten　what　a
provincial　is？　She　will　bore　you　as　much　when　she　is　happy　as　when　she
is　sad；　she　will　have　as　great　a　talent　for　escaping　grace　as　a
Parisian　has　in　inventing　it。

〃Lousteau；　listen　to　me。　That　a　passion　should　lead　you　to　forget　to
some　extent　the　times　in　which　we　live；　is　conceivable；　but　I；　my　dear
fellow；　have　not　the　mythological　bandage　over　my　eyes。Well；　then
consider　your　position。　For　fifteen　years　you　have　been　tossing　in　the
literary　world；　you　are　no　longer　young；　you　have　padded　the　hoof　till
your　soles　are　worn　through！Yes；　my　boy；　you　turn　your　socks　under
like　a　street　urchin　to　hide　the　holes；　so　that　the　legs　cover　the
heels！　In　short；　the　joke　is　too　stale。　Your　excuses　are　more　familiar
than　a　patent　medicine〃

〃I　may　say　to　you；　like　the　Regent　to　Cardinal　Dubois；　'That　is
kicking　enough！'　〃　said　Lousteau；　laughing。

〃Oh；　venerable　young　man；〃　replied　Bixiou；　〃the　iron　has　touched　the
sore　to　the　quick。　You　are　worn　out；　aren't　you？　Well；　then；　in　the
heyday　of　youth；　under　the　pressure　of　penury；　what　have　you　done？　You
are　not　in　the　front　rank；　and　you　have　not　a　thousand　francs　of　your
own。　That　is　the　sum…total　of　the　situation。　Can　you；　in　the　decline
of　your　powers；　support　a　family　by　your　pen；　when　your　wife；　if　she
is　an　honest　woman；　will　not　have　at　her　command　the　resources　of　the
woman　of　the　streets；　who　can　extract　her　thousand…franc　note　from　the
depths　where　milord　keeps　it　safe？　You　are　rushing　into　the　lowest
depths　of　the　social　theatre。

〃And　this　is　only　the　financial　side。　Now；　consider　the　political
position。　We　are　struggling　in　an　essentially　/bourgeois/　age；　in
which　honor；　virtue；　high…mindedness；　talent；　learninggenius；　in
short；　is　summed　up　in　paying　your　way；　owing　nobody　anything；　and
conducting　your　affairs　with　judgment。　Be　steady；　be　respectable；　have
a　wife；　and　children；　pay　your　rent　and　taxes；　serve　in　the　National
Guard；　and　be　on　the　same　pattern　as　all　the　men　of　your　companythen
you　may　indulge　in　the　loftiest　pretensions；　rise　to　the　Ministry！
and　you　have　the　best　chances　possible；　since　you　are　no　Montmorency。
You　were　preparing　to　fulfil　all　the　conditions　insisted　on　for
turning　out　a　political　personage；　you　are　capable　of　every　mean　trick
that　is　necessary　in　office；　even　of　pretending　to　be　commonplaceyou
would　have　acted　it　to　the　life。　And　just　for　a　woman；　who　will　leave
you　in　the　lurchthe　end　of　every　eternal　passionin　three；　five；　or
seven　yearsafter　exhausting　your　last　physical　and　intellectual
powers；　you　turn　your　back　on　the　sacred　Hearth；　on　the　Rue　des
Lombards；　on　a　political　career；　on　thirty　thousand　francs　per　annum；
on　respectability　and　respect！Ought　that　to　be　the　end　of　a　man　who
has　done　with　illusions？

〃If　you　had　kept　a　pot　boiling　for　some　actress　who　gave　you　your　fun
for　itwell；　that　is　what　you　may　call　a　cabinet　matter。　But　to　live
with　another　man's　wife？　It　is　a　draft　at　sight　on　disaster；　it　is
bolting　the　bitter　pills　of　vice　with　none　of　the　gilding。〃

〃That　will　do。　One　word　answers　it　all；　I　love　Madame　de　la　Baudraye；
and　prefer　her　to　every　fortune；　to　every　position　the　world　can
offer。I　may　have　been　carried　away　by　a　gust　of　ambition；　but
everything　must　give　way　to　the　joy　of　being　a　father。〃

〃Ah；　ha！　you　have　a　fancy　for　paternity？　But；　wretched　man；　we　are　the
fathers　only　of　our　legitimate　children。　What　is　a　brat　that　does　not
bear　your　name？　The　last　chapter　of　the　romance。Your　child　will　be
taken　from　you！　We　have　seen　that　story　in　twenty　plays　these　ten
years　past。

〃Society；　my　dear　boy；　will　drop　upon　you　sooner　or　later。　Read
/Adolphe/　once　more。Dear　me！　I　fancy　I　can　see　you　when　you　and　she
are　used　to　each　other；I　see　you　dejected；　hang…dog；　bereft　of
position　and　fortune；　and　fighting　like　the　shareholders　of　a　bogus
company　when　they　are　tricked　by　a　director！Your　director　is
happiness。〃

〃Say　no　more；　Bixiou。〃

〃But　I　have　only　just　begun；〃　said　Bixiou。　〃Listen；　my　dear　boy。
Marriage　has　been　out　of　favor　for　some　time　past；　but；　apart　from　the
advantages　it　offers　in　being　the　only　recognized　way　of　certifying
heredity；　as　it　affords　a　good…looking　young　man；　though　penniless；
the　opportunity　of　making　his　fortune　in　two　months；　it　survives　in
spite　of　disadvantages。　And　there　is　not　the　man　living　who　would　not
repent；　sooner　or　later；　of　having；　by　his　own　fault；　lost　the　chance
of　marrying　thirty　thousand　francs　a　year。〃

〃You　won't　understand　me；〃　cried　Lousteau；　in　a　voice　of　exasperation。
〃Go　awayshe　is　there〃

〃I　beg　your　pardon；　why　did　you　not　tell　me　sooner？You　are　of　age；
and　so　is　she；〃　he　added　in　a　lower　voice；　but　loud　enough　to　be　heard
by　Dinah。　〃She　will　make　you　repent　bitterly　of　your　happiness！〃

〃If　it　is　a　folly；　I　intend　to　commit　it。Good…bye。〃

〃A　man　gone　overboard！〃　cried　Bixiou。

〃Devil　take　those　friends　who　think　they　have　a　right　to　preach　to
you；〃　said　Lousteau；　opening　the　door　of　the　bedroom；　where　he　found
Madame　de　la　Baudraye　sunk　in　an　armchair　and　dabbing　her　eyes　with　an
embroidered　handkerchief。

〃Oh；　why　did　I　come　here？〃　sobbed　she。　〃Good　Heavens；　why　indeed？
Etienne；　I　am　not　so　provincial　as　you　think　me。You　are　making　a
fool　of　me。〃

〃Darling　angel；〃　replied　Lousteau；　taking　Dinah　in　his　arms；　lifting
her　from　her　chair；　and　dragging　her　half　dead　into　the　drawing…room；
〃we　have　both　pledged　our　future；　it　is　sacrifice　for　sacrifice。　While
I　was　loving　you　at　Sancerre；　they　were　enga