the muse of the department-第30节

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I　was　loving　you　at　Sancerre；　they　were　engaging　me　to　be　married
here；　but　I　refused。Oh！　I　was　extremely　distressed〃

〃I　am　going；〃　cried　Dinah；　starting　wildly　to　her　feet　and　turning　to
the　door。

〃You　will　stay　here；　my　Didine。　All　is　at　an　end。　And　is　this　fortune
so　lightly　earned　after　all？　Must　I　not　marry　a　gawky；　tow…haired
creature；　with　a　red　nose；　the　daughter　of　a　notary；　and　saddle　myself
with　a　stepmother　who　could　give　Madame　de　Piedefer　points　on　the
score　of　bigotry〃

Pamela　flew　in；　and　whispered　in　Lousteau's　ear：

〃Madame　Schontz！〃

Lousteau　rose；　leaving　Dinah　on　the　sofa；　and　went　out。

〃It　is　all　over　with　you；　my　dear；〃　said　the　woman。　〃Cardot　does　not
mean　to　quarrel　with　his　wife　for　the　sake　of　a　son…in…law。　The　lady
made　a　scenesomething　like　a　scene；　I　can　tell　you！　So；　to　conclude；
the　head…clerk；　who　was　the　late　head…clerk's　deputy　for　two　years；
agrees　to　take　the　girl　with　the　business。〃

〃Mean　wretch！〃　exclaimed　Lousteau。　〃What！　in　two　hours　he　has　made　up
his　mind？〃

〃Bless　me；　that　is　simple　enough。　The　rascal；　who　knew　all　the　dead
man's　little　secrets；　guessed　what　a　fix　his　master　was　in　from
overhearing　a　few　words　of　the　squabble　with　Madame　Cardot。　The　notary
relies　on　your　honor　and　good　feeling；　for　the　affair　is　settled。　The
clerk；　whose　conduct　has　been　admirable；　went　so　far　as　to　attend
mass！　A　finished　hypocrite；　I　sayjust　suits　the　mamma。　You　and
Cardot　will　still　be　friends。　He　is　to　be　a　director　in　an　immense
financial　concern；　and　he　may　be　of　use　to　you。So　you　have　been
waked　from　a　sweet　dream。〃

〃I　have　lost　a　fortune；　a　wife；　and〃

〃And　a　mistress；〃　said　Madame　Schontz；　smiling。　〃Here　you　are；　more
than　married；　you　will　be　insufferable；　you　will　be　always　wanting　to
get　home；　there　will　be　nothing　loose　about　you；　neither　your　clothes
nor　your　habits。　And；　after　all；　my　Arthur　does　things　in　style。　I
will　be　faithful　to　him　and　cut　Malaga's　acquaintance。

〃Let　me　peep　at　her　through　the　dooryour　Sancerre　Muse；〃　she　went
on。　〃Is　there　no　finer　bird　than　that　to　be　found　in　the　desert？〃　she
exclaimed。　〃You　are　cheated！　She　is　dignified；　lean；　lachrymose；　she
only　needs　Lady　Dudley's　turban！〃

〃What　is　it　now？〃　asked　Madame　de　la　Baudraye；　who　had　heard　the
rustle　of　a　silk　dress　and　the　murmur　of　a　woman's　voice。

〃It　is；　my　darling；　that　we　are　now　indissolubly　united。I　have　just
had　an　answer　to　the　letter　you　saw　me　write；　which　was　to　break　off
my　marriage〃

〃So　that　was　the　party　which　you　gave　up？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Oh；　I　will　be　more　than　your　wifeI　am　your　slave；　I　give　you　my
life；〃　said　the　poor　deluded　creature。　〃I　did　not　believe　I　could　love
you　more　than　I　did！Now　I　shall　not　be　a　mere　incident；　but　your
whole　life？〃

〃Yes；　my　beautiful；　my　generous　Didine。〃

〃Swear　to　me；〃　said　she；　〃that　only　death　shall　divide　us。〃

Lousteau　was　ready　to　sweeten　his　vows　with　the　most　fascinating
prettinesses。　And　this　was　why。　Between　the　door　of　the　apartment
where　he　had　taken　the　lorette's　farewell　kiss；　and　that　of　the
drawing…room；　where　the　Muse　was　reclining；　bewildered　by　such　a
succession　of　shocks；　Lousteau　had　remembered　little　De　la　Baudraye's
precarious　health；　his　fine　fortune；　and　Bianchon's　remark　about
Dinah；　〃She　will　be　a　rich　widow！〃　and　he　said　to　himself；　〃I　would　a
hundred　times　rather　have　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　for　a　wife　than
Felicie！〃

His　plan　of　action　was　quickly　decided　on；　he　determined　to　play　the
farce　of　passion　once　more；　and　to　perfection。　His　mean　self…
interestedness　and　his　false　vehemence　of　passion　had　disastrous
results。　Madame　de　la　Baudraye；　when　she　set　out　from　Sancerre　for
Paris；　had　intended　to　live　in　rooms　of　her　own　quite　near　to
Lousteau；　but　the　proofs　of　devotion　her　lover　had　given　her　by　giving
up　such　brilliant　prospects；　and　yet　more　the　perfect　happiness　of　the
first　days　of　their　illicit　union；　kept　her　from　mentioning　such　a
parting。　The　second　day　was　to　beand　indeed　wasa　high　festival；　in
which　such　a　suggestion　proposed　to　〃her　angel〃　would　have　been　a
discordant　note。

Lousteau；　on　his　part；　anxious　to　make　Dinah　feel　herself　dependent　on
him；　kept　her　in　a　state　of　constant　intoxication　by　incessant
amusement。　These　circumstances　hindered　two　persons　so　clever　as　these
were　from　avoiding　the　slough　into　which　they　fellthat　of　a　life　in
common；　a　piece　of　folly　of　which；　unfortunately；　many　instances　may
be　seen　in　Paris　in　literary　circles。

And　thus　was　the　whole　programme　played　out　of　a　provincial　amour；　so
satirically　described　by　Lousteau　to　Madame　de　la　Baudrayea　fact
which　neither　he　nor　she　remembered。　Passion　is　born　a　deaf…mute。



This　winter　in　Paris　was　to　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　all　that　the　month
of　October　had　been　at　Sancerre。　Etienne；　to　initiate　〃his　wife〃　into
Paris　life；　varied　this　honeymoon　by　evenings　at　the　play；　where　Dinah
would　only　go　to　the　stage　box。　At　first　Madame　de　la　Baudraye
preserved　some　remnants　of　her　countrified　modesty；　she　was　afraid　of
being　seen；　she　hid　her　happiness。　She　would　say：

〃Monsieur　de　Clagny　or　Monsieur　Gravier　may　have　followed　me　to
Paris。〃　She　was　afraid　on　Sancerre　even　in　Paris。

Lousteau；　who　was　excessively　vain；　educated　Dinah；　took　her　to　the
best　dressmakers；　and　pointed　out　to　her　the　most　fashionable　women；
advising　her　to　take　them　as　models　for　imitation。　And　Madame　de　la
Baudraye's　provincial　appearance　was　soon　a　thing　of　the　past。
Lousteau；　when　his　friends　met　him；　was　congratulated　on　his　conquest。

All　through　that　season　Etienne　wrote　little　and　got　very　much　into
debt；　though　Dinah；　who　was　proud；　bought　all　her　clothes　out　of　her
savings；　and　fancied　she　had　not　been　the　smallest　expense　to　her
beloved。　By　the　end　of　three　months　Dinah　was　acclimatized；　she　had
reveled　in　the　music　at　the　Italian　opera；　she　knew　the　pieces　〃on〃　at
all　theatres；　and　the　actors　and　jests　of　the　day；　she　had　become
inured　to　this　life　of　perpetual　excitement；　this　rapid　torrent　in
which　everything　is　forgotten。　She　no　longer　craned　her　neck　or　stood
with　her　nose　in　the　air；　like　an　image　of　Amazement；　at　the　constant
surprises　that　Paris　has　for　a　stranger。　She　had　learned　to　breathe
that　witty；　vitalizing；　teeming　atmosphere　where　clever　people　feel
themselves　in　their　element；　and　which　they　can　no　longer　bear　to
quit。

One　morning；　as　she　read　the　papers；　for　Lousteau　had　them　all；　two
lines　carried　her　back　to　Sancerre　and　the　past；　two　lines　that　seemed
not　unfamiliaras　follows：

〃Monsieur　le　Baron　de　Clagny；　Public　Prosecutor　to　the　Criminal　Court
at　Sancerre；　has　been　appointed　Deputy　Public　Prosecutor　to　the
Supreme　Court　in　Paris。〃

〃How　well　that　worthy　lawyer　loves　you！〃　said　the　journalist；　smiling。

〃Poor　man！　said　she。　〃What　did　I　tell　you？　He　is　following　me。〃

Etienne　and　Dinah　were　just　then　at　the　most　dazzling　and　fervid　stage
of　a　passion　when　each　is　perfectly　accustomed　to　the　other；　and　yet
love　has　not　lost　its　freshness　and　relish。　The　lovers　know　each　other
well；　but　all　is　not　yet　understood；　they　have　not　been　a　second　time
to　the　same　secret　haunts　of　the　soul；　they　have　not　studied　each
other　till　they　know；　as　they　must　later；　the　very　thought；　word；　and
gesture　that　responds　to　every　event；　the　greatest　and　the　smallest。
Enchantment　reigns；　there　are　no　collisions；　no　differences　of
opinion；　no　cold　looks。　Their　two　souls　are　always　on　the　same　side。
And　Dinah　would　speak　the　magical　words；　emphasized　by　the　yet　more
magical　expression　and　looks　which　every　woman　can　use　under　such
circumstances。

〃When　you　cease　to　love　me；　kill　me。If　you　should　cease　to　love　me；
I　believe　I　could　kill　you　first　and　myself　after。〃

To　this　sweet　exaggeration；　Lousteau　would　reply：

〃All　I　ask　of　God　is　to　see　you　as　constant　as　I　shall　be。　It　is　you
who　will　desert　me！〃

〃My　love　is　supreme。〃

〃Supreme；〃　echoed　Lousteau。　〃Come；　now？　Suppose　I　am　dragged　away　to　a
bachelor　party；　and　find　there　one　of　my　former　mistresses；　and　she
makes　fun　of　me；　I；　out　of　vanity；　behave　as　if　I　were　free；　and　do
not　come　in　here　till　next　morningwould　you　still　love　me？〃

〃A　woman　is　only　sure　of　being　loved　when　she　is　preferred；　and　if　you
came　back　to　me；　ifOh！　you　make　me　understand　what　the　happiness
would　be　of　forgiving　the　man　I　adore。〃

〃Well；　then；　I　am　truly　loved　for　the　first　time　in　my　life！〃　cried
Lousteau。

〃At　last　you　understand　that！〃　said　she。

Lousteau　proposed　that　they　should　each　write　a　letter　setting　forth
the　reasons　which　would　compel　them　to　end　by　suicide。　Once　in
possession　of　such　a　document；　each　might　kill　the　other　without
danger　in　case　of　infidelity。　But　in　spite　of　mutual　promises；　neither
wrote　the　letter。

The　journalist；　happy　for　the　moment；　promised　himself　that　he　would
deceive　Dinah　when　he　should　be　tired　of　her；　and　would　sacrifice
everything　to　the　requirements　of　that　deception。　To　him　Madame　de　la
Baudraye　was　a　fortune　in　herself。　At　the　same　time；　he　felt　the　yoke。

Dinah；　by　consenting　to　this　union；　showed　a　generous　mind　and　the
power　derived　from　self…respect。　In　this　absolute　intimacy；　in　which
both　lovers　put　of