the muse of the department-第37节

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interest　which　is　traditionally　ascribed　to　women。　So；　when　common
sense；　the　law　of　social　proprieties；　family　interestall　the　mixed
elements　which；　since　the　Restoration；　have　been　dignified　by　the　mane
of　Public　Morals；　out　of　sheer　aversion　to　the　name　of　the　Catholic
religionwhere　this　is　seconded　by　a　sense　of　insults　a　little　too
offensive；　when　the　fatigue　of　constant　self…sacrifice　has　almost
reached　the　point　of　exhaustion；　and　when；　under　these　circumstances；
a　too　cruel　blowone　of　those　mean　acts　which　a　man　never　lets　a
woman　know　of　unless　he　believes　himself　to　be　her　assured　master
puts　the　crowning　touch　to　her　revulsion　and　disenchantment；　the
moment　has　come　for　the　intervention　of　the　friend　who　undertakes　the
cure。　Madame　Piedefer　had　no　great　difficulty　now　in　removing　the　film
from　her　daughter's　eyes。

She　sent　for　Monsieur　de　Clagny；　who　completed　the　work　by　assuring
Madame　de　la　Baudraye　that　if　she　would　give　up　Etienne；　her　husband
would　allow　her　to　keep　the　children　and　to　live　in　Paris；　and　would
restore　her　to　the　command　of　her　own　fortune。

〃And　what　a　life　you　are　leading！〃　said　he。　〃With　care　and　judgment；
and　the　support　of　some　pious　and　charitable　persons；　you　may　have　a
salon　and　conquer　a　position。　Paris　is　not　Sancerre。〃

Dinah　left　it　to　Monsieur　de　Clagny　to　negotiate　a　reconciliation　with
the　old　man。

Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye　had　sold　his　wine　well；　he　had　sold　his　wool；
he　had　felled　his　timber；　and；　without　telling　his　wife；　he　had　come
to　Paris　to　invest　two　hundred　thousand　francs　in　the　purchase　of　a
delightful　residence　in　the　Rue　de　l'Arcade；　that　was　being　sold　in
liquidation　of　an　aristocratic　House　that　was　in　difficulties。　He　had
been　a　member　of　the　Council　for　the　Department　since　1826；　and　now；
paying　ten　thousand　francs　in　taxes；　he　was　doubly　qualified　for　a
peerage　under　the　conditions　of　the　new　legislation。

Some　time　before　the　elections　of　1842　he　had　put　himself　forward　as
candidate　unless　he　were　meanwhile　called　to　the　Upper　House　as　Peer
of　France。　At　the　same　time；　he　asked　for　the　title　of　Count；　and　for
promotion　to　the　higher　grade　of　the　Legion　of　Honor。　In　the　matter　of
the　elections；　the　dynastic　nominations；　now；　in　the　event　of　Monsieur
de　la　Baudraye　being　won　over　to　the　Government；　Sancerre　would　be
more　than　ever　a　rotten　borough　of　royalism。　Monsieur　de　Clagny；　whose
talents　and　modesty　were　more　and　more　highly　appreciated　by　the
authorities；　gave　Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye　his　support；　he　pointed　out
that　by　raising　this　enterprising　agriculturist　to　the　peerage；　a
guarantee　would　be　offered　to　such　important　undertakings。

Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye；　then；　a　Count；　a　Peer　of　France；　and
Commander　of　the　Legion　of　Honor；　was　vain　enough　to　wish　to　cut　a
figure　with　a　wife　and　handsomely　appointed　house。〃He　wanted　to
enjoy　life；〃　he　said。

He　therefore　addressed　a　letter　to　his　wife；　dictated　by　Monsieur　de
Clagny；　begging　her　to　live　under　his　roof　and　to　furnish　the　house；
giving　play　to　the　taste　of　which　the　evidences；　he　said；　had　charmed
him　at　the　Chateau　d'Anzy。　The　newly　made　Count　pointed　out　to　his
wife　that　while　the　interests　of　their　property　forbade　his　leaving
Sancerre；　the　education　of　their　boys　required　her　presence　in　Paris。
The　accommodating　husband　desired　Monsieur　de　Clagny　to　place　sixty
thousand　francs　at　the　disposal　of　Madame　la　Comtesse　for　the　interior
decoration　of　their　mansion；　requesting　that　she　would　have　a　marble
tablet　inserted　over　the　gateway　with　the　inscription：　/Hotel　de　la
Baudraye/。

He　then　accounted　to　his　wife　for　the　money　derived　from　the　estate　of
Silas　Piedefer；　told　her　of　the　investment　at　four　and　a　half　per　cent
of　the　eight　hundred　thousand　francs　he　had　brought　from　New　York；　and
allowed　her　that　income　for　her　expenses；　including　the　education　of
the　children。　As　he　would　be　compelled　to　stay　in　Paris　during　some
part　of　the　session　of　the　House　of　Peers；　he　requested　his　wife　to
reserve　for　him　a　little　suite　of　rooms　in　an　/entresol/　over　the
kitchens。

〃Bless　me！　why；　he　is　growing　young　againa　gentleman！a　magnifico！
What　will　he　become　next？　It　is　quite　alarming；〃　said　Madame　de　la
Baudraye。

〃He　now　fulfils　all　your　wishes　at　the　age　of　twenty；〃　replied　the
lawyer。

The　comparison　of　her　future　prospects　with　her　present　position　was
unendurable　to　Dinah。　Only　the　day　before；　Anna　de　Fontaine　had　turned
her　head　away　in　order　to　avoid　seeing　her　bosom　friend　at　the
Chamarolles'　school。

〃I　am　a　countess；〃　said　Dinah　to　herself。　〃I　shall　have　the　peer's
blue　hammer…cloth　on　my　carriage；　and　the　leaders　of　the　literary
world　in　my　drawing…roomand　I　will　look　at　her！〃And　it　was　this
little　triumph　that　told　with　all　its　weight　at　the　moment　of　her
rehabilitation；　as　the　world's　contempt　had　of　old　weighed　on　her
happiness。



One　fine　day；　in　May　1842；　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　paid　all　her　little
household　debts　and　left　a　thousand　crowns　on　top　of　the　packet　of
receipted　bills。　After　sending　her　mother　and　the　children　away　to　the
Hotel　de　la　Baudraye；　she　awaited　Lousteau；　dressed　ready　to　leave　the
house。　When　the　deposed　king　of　her　heart　came　into　dinner；　she　said：

〃I　have　upset　the　pot；　my　dear。　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　requests　the
pleasure　of　your　company　at　the　/Rocher　de　Cancale/。〃

She　carried　off　Lousteau；　quite　bewildered　by　the　light　and　easy
manners　assumed　by　the　woman　who　till　that　morning　has　been　the　slave
of　his　least　whim；　for　she　too　had　been　acting　a　farce　for　two　months
past。

〃Madame　de　la　Baudraye　is　figged　out　as　if　for　a　first　night；〃　said　he
/une　premiere/；　the　slang　abbreviation　for　a　first　performance。

〃Do　not　forget　the　respect　you　owe　to　Madame　de　la　Baudraye；〃　said
Dinah　gravely。　〃I　do　not　mean　to　understand　such　a　word　as　/figged
out/。〃

〃Didine　a　rebel！〃　said　he；　putting　his　arm　round　her　waist。

〃There　is　no　such　person　as　Didine；　you　have　killed　her；　my　dear；〃　she
replied；　releasing　herself。　〃I　am　taking　you　to　the　first　performance
of　/Madame　la　Comtesse　de　la　Baudraye/。〃

〃It　is　true；　then；　that　our　insect　is　a　peer　of　France？〃

〃The　nomination　is　to　be　gazetted　in　this　evening's　/Moniteur/；　as　I
am　told　by　Monsieur　de　Clagny；　who　is　promoted　to　the　Court　of
Appeal。〃

〃Well；　it　is　quite　right；〃　said　the　journalist。　〃The　entomology　of
society　ought　to　be　represented　in　the　Upper　House。〃

〃My　friend；　we　are　parting　for　ever；〃　said　Madame　de　la　Baudraye；
trying　to　control　the　trembling　of　her　voice。　〃I　have　dismissed　the
two　servants。　When　you　go　in；　you　will　find　the　house　in　order；　and　no
debts。　I　shall　always　feel　a　mother's　affection　for　you；　but　in
secret。　Let　us　part　calmly；　without　a　fuss；　like　decent　people。

〃Have　you　had　a　fault　to　find　with　my　conduct　during　the　past　six
years？〃

〃None；　but　that　you　have　spoiled　my　life；　and　wrecked　my　prospects；〃
said　he　in　a　hard　tone。　〃You　have　read　Benjamin　Constant's　book　very
diligently；　you　have　even　studied　the　last　critique　on　it；　but　you
have　read　with　a　woman's　eyes。　Though　you　have　one　of　those　superior
intellects　which　would　make　a　fortune　of　a　poet；　you　have　never　dared
to　take　the　man's　point　of　view。

〃That　book；　my　dear；　is　of　both　sexes。We　agreed　that　books　were　male
or　female；　dark　or　fair。　In　/Adolphe/　women　see　nothing　but　Ellenore；
young　men　see　only　Adolphe；　men　of　experience　see　Ellenore　and
Adolphe；　political　men　see　the　whole　of　social　existence。　You　did　not
think　it　necessary　to　read　the　soul　of　Adolpheany　more　than　your
critic　indeed；　who　saw　only　Ellenore。　What　kills　that　poor　fellow；　my
dear；　is　that　he　has　sacrificed　his　future　for　a　woman；　that　he　never
can　be　what　he　might　have　beenan　ambassador；　a　minister；　a
chamberlain；　a　poetand　rich。　He　gives　up　six　years　of　his　energy　at
that　stage　of　his　life　when　a　man　is　ready　to　submit　to　the　hardships
of　any　apprenticeshipto　a　petticoat；　which　he　outstrips　in　the
career　of　ingratitude；　for　the　woman　who　has　thrown　over　her　first
lover　is　certain　sooner　or　later　to　desert　the　second。　Adolphe　is；　in
fact；　a　tow…haired　German；　who　has　not　spirit　enough　to　be　false　to
Ellenore。　There　are　Adolphes　who　spare　their　Ellenores　all　ignominious
quarreling　and　reproaches；　who　say　to　themselves；　'I　will　not　talk　of
what　I　have　sacrificed；　I　will　not　for　ever　be　showing　the　stump　of　my
wrist　to　let　that　incarnate　selfishness　I　have　made　my　queen；'　as
Ramorny　does　in　/The　Fair　Maid　of　Perth/。　But　men　like　that；　my　dear；
get　cast　aside。

〃Adolphe　is　a　man　of　birth；　an　aristocratic　nature；　who　wants　to　get
back　into　the　highroad　to　honors　and　recover　his　social　birthright；
his　blighted　position。You；　at　this　moment；　are　playing　both　parts。
You　are　suffering　from　the　pangs　of　having　lost　your　position；　and
think　yourself　justified　in　throwing　over　a　hapless　lover　whose
misfortune　it　has　been　that　he　fancied　you　so　far　superior　as　to
understand　that；　though　a　man's　heart　ought　to　be　true；　his　sex　may　be
allowed　to　indulge　its　caprices。〃

〃And　do　you　suppose　that　I　shall　not　make　it　my　business　to　restore　to
you　all　you　have　lost　by　me？　Be　quite　easy；〃　said　Madame　de　la
Baudraye；　astounded　by　t