the muse of the department-第4节

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playing　at　sight；　without　making　the　smallest　demur　before　seating
herself　at　the　piano；　the　idea　they　conceived　of　her　superiority
assumed　vast　proportions。　That　she　might　never　allow　herself　to　become
careless　or　the　victim　of　bad　taste；　Dinah　had　determined　to　keep
herself　up　to　the　mark　as　to　the　fashions　and　latest　developments　of
luxury　by　an　active　correspondence　with　Anna　Grossetete；　her　bosom
friend　at　Mademoiselle　Chamarolles'　school。

Anna；　thanks　to　a　fine　fortune；　had　married　the　Comte　de　Fontaine's
third　son。　Thus　those　ladies　who　visited　at　La　Baudraye　were
perpetually　piqued　by　Dinah's　success　in　leading　the　fashion；　do　what
they　would；　they　were　always　behind；　or；　as　they　say　on　the　turf；
distanced。

While　all　these　trifles　gave　rise　to　malignant　envy　in　the　ladies　of
Sancerre；　Dinah's　conversation　and　wit　engendered　absolute　aversion。
In　her　ambition　to　keep　her　mind　on　the　level　of　Parisian　brilliancy；
Madame　de　la　Baudraye　allowed　no　vacuous　small　talk　in　her　presence；
no　old…fashioned　compliments；　no　pointless　remarks；　she　would　never
endure　the　yelping　of　tittle…tattle；　the　backstairs　slander　which
forms　the　staple　of　talk　in　the　country。　She　liked　to　hear　of
discoveries　in　science　or　art；　or　the　latest　pieces　at　the　theatres；
the　newest　poems；　and　by　airing　the　cant　words　of　the　day　she　made　a
show　of　uttering　thoughts。

The　Abbe　Duret；　Cure　of　Sancerre；　an　old　man　of　a　lost　type　of　clergy
in　France；　a　man　of　the　world　with　a　liking　for　cards；　had　not　dared
to　indulge　this　taste　in　so　liberal　a　district　as　Sancerre；　he；
therefore；　was　delighted　at　Madame　de　la　Baudraye's　coming；　and　they
got　on　together　to　admiration。　The　/sous…prefet/；　one　Vicomte　de
Chargeboeuf；　was　delighted　to　find　in　Madame　de　la　Baudraye's　drawing…
room　a　sort　of　oasis　where　there　was　a　truce　to　provincial　life。　As　to
Monsieur　de　Clagny；　the　Public　Prosecutor；　his　admiration　for　the　fair
Dinah　kept　him　bound　to　Sancerre。　The　enthusiastic　lawyer　refused　all
promotion；　and　became　a　quite　pious　adorer　of　this　angel　of　grace　and
beauty。　He　was　a　tall；　lean　man；　with　a　minatory　countenance　set　off
by　terrible　eyes　in　deep　black　circles；　under　enormous　eyebrows；　and
his　eloquence；　very　unlike　his　love…making；　could　be　incisive。

Monsieur　Gravier　was　a　little；　round　man；　who　in　the　days　of　the
Empire　had　been　a　charming　ballad…singer；　it　was　this　accomplishment
that　had　won　him　the　high　position　of　Paymaster…General　of　the　forces。
Having　mixed　himself　up　in　certain　important　matters　in　Spain　with
generals　at　that　time　in　opposition；　he　had　made　the　most　of　these
connections　to　the　Minister；　who；　in　consideration　of　the　place　he　had
lost；　promised　him　the　Receivership　at　Sancerre；　and　then　allowed　him
to　pay　for　the　appointment。　The　frivolous　spirit　and　light　tone　of　the
Empire　had　become　ponderous　in　Monsieur　Gravier；　he　did　not；　or　would
not；　understand　the　wide　difference　between　manners　under　the
Restoration　and　under　the　Empire。　Still；　he　conceived　of　himself　as
far　superior　to　Monsieur　de　Clagny；　his　style　was　in　better　taste；　he
followed　the　fashion；　was　to　be　seen　in　a　buff　waistcoat；　gray
trousers；　and　neat；　tightly…fitting　coats；　he　wore　a　fashionable　silk
tie　slipped　through　a　diamond　ring；　while　the　lawyer　never　dressed　in
anything　but　blackcoat；　trousers；　and　waistcoat　alike；　and　those
often　shabby。

These　four　men　were　the　first　to　go　into　ecstasies　over　Dinah's
cultivation；　good　taste；　and　refinement；　and　pronounced　her　a　woman　of
most　superior　mind。　Then　the　women　said　to　each　other；　〃Madame　de　la
Baudraye　must　laugh　at　us　behind　our　back。〃

This　view；　which　was　more　or　less　correct；　kept　them　from　visiting　at
La　Baudraye。　Dinah；　attainted　and　convicted　of　pedantry；　because　she
spoke　grammatically；　was　nicknamed　the　Sappho　of　Saint…Satur。　At　last
everybody　made　insolent　game　of　the　great　qualities　of　the　woman　who
had　thus　roused　the　enmity　of　the　ladies　of　Sancerre。　And　they　ended
by　denying　a　superiorityafter　all；　merely　comparative！which
emphasized　their　ignorance；　and　did　not　forgive　it。　Where　the　whole
population　is　hunch…backed；　a　straight　shape　is　the　monstrosity；　Dinah
was　regarded　as　monstrous　and　dangerous；　and　she　found　herself　in　a
desert。

Astonished　at　seeing　the　women　of　the　neighborhood　only　at　long
intervals；　and　for　visits　of　a　few　minutes；　Dinah　asked　Monsieur　de
Clagny　the　reason　of　this　state　of　things。

〃You　are　too　superior　a　woman　to　be　liked　by　other　women；〃　said　the
lawyer。

Monsieur　Gravier；　when　questioned　by　the　forlorn　fair；　only；　after
much　entreaty；　replied：

〃Well；　lady　fair；　you　are　not　satisfied　to　be　merely　charming。　You　are
clever　and　well　educated；　you　know　every　book　that　comes　out；　you　love
poetry；　you　are　a　musician；　and　you　talk　delightfully。　Women　cannot
forgive　so　much　superiority。〃

Men　said　to　Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye：

〃You　who　have　such　a　Superior　Woman　for　a　wife　are　very　fortunate〃
And　at　last　he　himself　would　say：

〃I　who　have　a　Superior　Woman　for　a　wife；　am　very　fortunate；〃　etc。

Madame　Piedefer；　flattered　through　her　daughter；　also　allowed　herself
to　say　such　things〃My　daughter；　who　is　a　very　Superior　Woman；　was
writing　yesterday　to　Madame　de　Fontaine　such　and　such　a　thing。〃

Those　who　know　the　worldFrance；　Parisknow　how　true　it　is　that　many
celebrities　are　thus　created。



Two　years　later；　by　the　end　of　the　year　1825；　Dinah　de　la　Baudraye　was
accused　of　not　choosing　to　have　any　visitors　but　men；　then　it　was　said
that　she　did　not　care　for　womenand　that　was　a　crime。　Not　a　thing
could　she　do；　not　her　most　trifling　action；　could　escape　criticism　and
misrepresentation。　After　making　every　sacrifice　that　a　well…bred　woman
can　make；　and　placing　herself　entirely　in　the　right；　Madame　de　la
Baudraye　was　so　rash　as　to　say　to　a　false　friend　who　condoled　with　her
on　her　isolation：

〃I　would　rather　have　my　bowl　empty　than　with　anything　in　it！〃

This　speech　produced　a　terrible　effect　on　Sancerre；　and　was　cruelly
retorted　on　the　Sappho　of　Saint…Satur　when；　seeing　her　childless　after
five　years　of　married　life；　/little/　de　la　Baudraye　became　a　byword
for　laughter。　To　understand　this　provincial　witticism；　readers　may　be
reminded　of　the　Bailli　de　Ferrettesome；　no　doubt；　having　known　him
of　whom　it　was　said　that　he　was　the　bravest　man　in　Europe　for　daring
to　walk　on　his　legs；　and　who　was　accused　of　putting　lead　in　his　shoes
to　save　himself　from　being　blown　away。　Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye；　a
sallow　and　almost　diaphanous　creature；　would　have　been　engaged　by　the
Bailli　de　Ferrette　as　first　gentleman…in…waiting　if　that　diplomatist
had　been　the　Grand　Duke　of　Baden　instead　of　being　merely　his　envoy。

Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye；　whose　legs　were　so　thin　that；　for　mere
decency；　he　wore　false　calves；　whose　thighs　were　like　the　arms　of　an
average　man；　whose　body　was　not　unlike　that　of　a　cockchafer；　would
have　been　an　advantageous　foil　to　the　Bailli　de　Ferrette。　As　he
walked；　the　little　vine…owner's　leg…pads　often　twisted　round　on　to　his
shins；　so　little　did　he　make　a　secret　of　them；　and　he　would　thank　any
one　who　warned　him　of　this　little　mishap。　He　wore　knee…breeches；　black
silk　stockings；　and　a　white　waistcoat　till　1824。　After　his　marriage　he
adopted　blue　trousers　and　boots　with　heels；　which　made　Sancerre
declare　that　he　had　added　two　inches　to　his　stature　that　he　might　come
up　to　his　wife's　chin。　For　ten　years　he　was　always　seen　in　the　same
little　bottle…green　coat　with　large　white…metal　buttons；　and　a　black
stock　that　accentuated　his　cold　stingy　face；　lighted　up　by　gray…blue
eyes　as　keen　and　passionless　as　a　cat's。　Being　very　gentle；　as　men　are
who　act　on　a　fixed　plan　of　conduct；　he　seemed　to　make　his　wife　happy
by　never　contradicting　her；　he　allowed　her　to　do　the　talking；　and　was
satisfied　to　move　with　the　deliberate　tenacity　of　an　insect。

Dinah；　adored　for　her　beauty；　in　which　she　had　no　rival；　and　admired
for　her　cleverness　by　the　most　gentlemanly　men　of　the　place；
encouraged　their　admiration　by　conversations；　for　which　it　was
subsequently　asserted；　she　prepared　herself　beforehand。　Finding
herself　listened　to　with　rapture；　she　soon　began　to　listen　to　herself；
enjoyed　haranguing　her　audience；　and　at　last　regarded　her　friends　as
the　chorus　in　a　tragedy；　there　only　to　give　her　her　cues。　In　fact；　she
had　a　very　fine　collection　of　phrases　and　ideas；　derived　either　from
books　or　by　assimilating　the　opinions　of　her　companions；　and　thus
became　a　sort　of　mechanical　instrument；　going　off　on　a　round　of
phrases　as　soon　as　some　chance　remark　released　the　spring。　To　do　her
justice；　Dinah　was　choke　full　of　knowledge；　and　read　everything；　even
medical　books；　statistics；　science；　and　jurisprudence；　for　she　did　not
know　how　to　spend　her　days　when　she　had　reviewed　her　flower…beds　and
given　her　orders　to　the　gardener。　Gifted　with　an　excellent　memory；　and
the　talent　which　some　women　have　for　hitting　on　the　right　word；　she
could　talk　on　any　subject　with　the　lucidity　of　a　studied　style。　And　so
men　came　from　Cosne；　from　la　Charite；　and　from　Nevers；　on　the　right
bank；　from　Lere；　Vailly；　Argent；　Blancafort；　and　Aubigny；　on　the　left
bank；　to　be　introduced　to　Madame　de　la　Baudra