the muse of the department-第7节

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people；　swamp　the　sublimer　essence　hidden　in　the　youthful　plant；　all
is　over；　it　falls　into　decay。　How　should　it　be　otherwise？　From　their
earliest　years　girls　bred　in　the　country　see　none　but　provincials；
they　cannot　imagine　anything　superior；　their　choice　lies　among
mediocrities；　provincial　fathers　marry　their　daughters　to　provincial
sons；　crossing　the　races　is　never　thought　of；　and　the　brain　inevitably
degenerates；　so　that　in　many　country　towns　intellect　is　as　rare　as　the
breed　is　hideous。　Mankind　becomes　dwarfed　in　mind　and　body；　for　the
fatal　principle　of　conformity　of　fortune　governs　every　matrimonial
alliance。　Men　of　talent；　artists；　superior　brainsevery　bird　of
brilliant　plumage　flies　to　Paris。　The　provincial　woman；　inferior　in
herself；　is　also　inferior　through　her　husband。　How　is　she　to　live
happy　under　this　crushing　twofold　consciousness？

But　there　is　a　third　and　terrible　element　besides　her　congenital　and
conjugal　inferiority　which　contributes　to　make　the　figure　arid　and
gloomy；　to　reduce　it；　narrow　it；　distort　it　fatally。　Is　not　one　of　the
most　flattering　unctions　a　woman　can　lay　to　her　soul　the　assurance　of
being　something　in　the　existence　of　a　superior　man；　chosen　by　herself；
wittingly；　as　if　to　have　some　revenge　on　marriage；　wherein　her　tastes
were　so　little　consulted？　But　if　in　the　country　the　husbands　are
inferior　beings；　the　bachelors　are　no　less　so。　When　a　provincial　wife
commits　her　〃little　sin；〃　she　falls　in　love　with　some　so…called
handsome　native；　some　indigenous　dandy；　a　youth　who　wears　gloves　and
is　supposed　to　ride　well；　but　she　knows　at　the　bottom　of　her　soul　that
her　fancy　is　in　pursuit　of　the　commonplace；　more　or　less　well　dressed。
Dinah　was　preserved　from　this　danger　by　the　idea　impressed　upon　her　of
her　own　superiority。　Even　if　she　had　not　been　as　carefully　guarded　in
her　early　married　life　as　she　was　by　her　mother；　whose　presence　never
weighed　upon　her　till　the　day　when　she　wanted　to　be　rid　of　it；　her
pride；　and　her　high　sense　of　her　own　destinies；　would　have　protected
her。　Flattered　as　she　was　to　find　herself　surrounded　by　admirers；　she
saw　no　lover　among　them。　No　man　here　realized　the　poetical　ideal　which
she　and　Anna　Grossetete　had　been　wont　to　sketch。　When；　stirred　by　the
involuntary　temptations　suggested　by　the　homage　she　received；　she
asked　herself；　〃If　I　had　to　make　a　choice；　who　should　it　be？〃　she
owned　to　a　preference　for　Monsieur　de　Chargeboeuf；　a　gentleman　of　good
family；　whose　appearance　and　manners　she　liked；　but　whose　cold　nature；
selfishness；　and　narrow　ambition；　never　rising　above　a　prefecture　and
a　good　marriage；　repelled　her。　At　a　word　from　his　family；　who　were
alarmed　lest　he　should　be　killed　for　an　intrigue；　the　Vicomte　had
already　deserted　a　woman　he　had　loved　in　the　town　where　he　previously
had　been　Sous…prefet。

Monsieur　de　Clagny；　on　the　other　hand；　the　only　man　whose　mind
appealed　to　hers；　whose　ambition　was　founded　on　love；　and　who　knew
what　love　means；　Dinah　thought　perfectly　odious。　When　Dinah　saw
herself　condemned　to　six　years'　residence　at　Sancerre　she　was　on　the
point　of　accepting　the　devotion　of　Monsieur　le　Vicomte　de　Chargeboeuf；
but　he　was　appointed　to　a　prefecture　and　left　the　district。　To
Monsieur　de　Clagny's　great　satisfaction；　the　new　Sous…prefet　was　a
married　man　whose　wife　made　friends　with　Dinah。　The　lawyer　had　now　no
rival　to　fear　but　Monsieur　Gravier。　Now　Monsieur　Gravier　was　the
typical　man　of　forty　of　whom　women　make　use　while　they　laugh　at　him；
whose　hopes　they　intentionally　and　remorselessly　encourage；　as　we　are
kind　to　a　beast　of　burden。　In　six　years；　among　all　the　men　who　were
introduced　to　her　from　twenty　leagues　round；　there　was　not　one　in
whose　presence　Dinah　was　conscious　of　the　excitement　caused　by
personal　beauty；　by　a　belief　in　promised　happiness；　by　the　impact　of　a
superior　soul；　or　the　anticipation　of　a　love　affair；　even　an　unhappy
one。

Thus　none　of　Dinah's　choicest　faculties　had　a　chance　of　developing；
she　swallowed　many　insults　to　her　pride；　which　was　constantly
suffering　under　the　husband　who　so　calmly　walked　the　stage　as
supernumerary　in　the　drama　of　her　life。　Compelled　to　bury　her　wealth
of　love；　she　showed　only　the　surface　to　the　world。　Now　and　then　she
would　try　to　rouse　herself；　try　to　form　some　manly　resolution；　but　she
was　kept　in　leading　strings　by　the　need　for　money。　And　so；　slowly　and
in　spite　of　the　ambitious　protests　and　grievous　recriminations　of　her
own　mind；　she　underwent　the　provincial　metamorphosis　here　described。
Each　day　took　with　it　a　fragment　of　her　spirited　determination。　She
had　laid　down　a　rule　for　the　care　of　her　person；　which　she　gradually
departed　from。　Though　at　first　she　kept　up　with　the　fashions　and　the
little　novelties　of　elegant　life；　she　was　obliged　to　limit　her
purchases　by　the　amount　of　her　allowance。　Instead　of　six　hats；　caps；
or　gowns；　she　resigned　herself　to　one　gown　each　season。　She　was　so
much　admired　in　a　certain　bonnet　that　she　made　it　do　duty　for　two
seasons。　So　it　was　in　everything。

Not　unfrequently　her　artistic　sense　led　her　to　sacrifice　the
requirements　of　her　person　to　secure　some　bit　of　Gothic　furniture。　By
the　seventh　year　she　had　come　so　low　as　to　think　it　convenient　to　have
her　morning　dresses　made　at　home　by　the　best　needlewoman　in　the
neighborhood；　and　her　mother；　her　husband；　and　her　friends　pronounced
her　charming　in　these　inexpensive　costumes　which　did　credit　to　her
taste。　Her　ideas　were　imitated！　As　she　had　no　standard　of　comparison；
Dinah　fell　into　the　snares　that　surround　the　provincial　woman。　If　a
Parisian　woman's　hips　are　too　narrow　or　too　full；　her　inventive　wit
and　the　desire　to　please　help　to　find　some　heroic　remedy；　if　she　has
some　defect；　some　ugly　spot；　or　small　disfigurement；　she　is　capable　of
making　it　an　adornment；　this　is　often　seen；　but　the　provincial　woman
never！　If　her　waist　is　too　short　and　her　figure　ill　balanced；　well；
she　makes　up　her　mind　to　the　worst；　and　her　adorersor　they　do　not
adore　hermust　take　her　as　she　is；　while　the　Parisian　always　insists
on　being　taken　for　what　she　is　not。　Hence　the　preposterous　bustles；
the　audacious　flatness；　the　ridiculous　fulness；　the　hideous　outlines
ingeniously　displayed；　to　which　a　whole　town　will　become　accustomed；
but　which　are　so　astounding　when　a　provincial　woman　makes　her
appearance　in　Paris　or　among　Parisians。　Dinah；　who　was　extremely　slim；
showed　it　off　to　excess；　and　never　knew　a　dull　moment　when　it　became
ridiculous；　when；　reduced　by　the　dull　weariness　of　her　life；　she
looked　like　a　skeleton　in　clothes；　and　her　friends；　seeing　her　every
day；　did　not　observe　the　gradual　change　in　her　appearance。

This　is　one　of　the　natural　results　of　a　provincial　life。　In　spite　of
marriage；　a　young　woman　preserves　her　beauty　for　some　time；　and　the
town　is　proud　of　her；　but　everybody　sees　her　every　day；　and　when
people　meet　every　day　their　perception　is　dulled。　If；　like　Madame　de
la　Baudraye；　she　loses　her　color；　it　is　scarcely　noticed；　or；　again；
if　she　flushes　a　little；　that　is　intelligible　and　interesting。　A
little　neglect　is　thought　charming；　and　her　face　is　so　carefully
studied；　so　well　known；　that　slight　changes　are　scarcely　noticed；　and
regarded　at　last　as　〃beauty　spots。〃　When　Dinah　ceased　to　have　a　new
dress　with　a　new　season；　she　seemed　to　have　made　a　concession　to　the
philosophy　of　the　place。

It　is　the　same　with　matters　of　speech；　choice　of　words　and　ideas；　as
it　is　with　matters　of　feeling。　The　mind　can　rust　as　well　as　the　body
if　it　is　not　rubbed　up　in　Paris；　but　the　thing　on　which　provincialism
most　sets　its　stamp　is　gesture；　gait；　and　movement；　these　soon　lose
the　briskness　which　Paris　constantly　keeps　alive。　The　provincial　is
used　to　walk　and　move　in　a　world　devoid　of　accident　or　change；　there
is　nothing　to　be　avoided；　so　in　Paris　she　walks　on　as　raw　recruits　do；
never　remembering　that　there　may　be　hindrances；　for　there　are　none　in
her　way　in　her　native　place；　where　she　is　known；　where　she　is　always
in　her　place；　and　every　one　makes　way　for　her。　Thus　she　loses　all　the
charm　of　the　unforeseen。

And　have　you　ever　noticed　the　effect　on　human　beings　of　a　life　in
common？　By　the　ineffaceable　instinct　of　simian　mimicry　they　all　tend
to　copy　each　other。　Each　one；　without　knowing　it；　acquires　the
gestures；　the　tone　of　voice；　the　manner；　the　attitudes；　the　very
countenance　of　others。　In　six　years　Dinah　had　sunk　to　the　pitch　of　the
society　she　lived　in。　As　she　acquired　Monsieur　de　Clagny's　ideas　she
assumed　his　tone　of　voice；　she　unconsciously　fell　into　masculine
manners　from　seeing　none　but　men；　she　fancied　that　by　laughing　at　what
was　ridiculous　in　them　she　was　safe　from　catching　it；　but；　as　often
happens；　some　hue　of　what　she　laughed　at　remained　in　the　grain。

A　Parisian　woman　sees　so　many　examples　of　good　taste　that　a　contrary
result　ensues。　In　Paris　women　learn　to　seize　the　hour　and　moment　when
they　may　appear　to　advantage；　while　Madame　de　la　Baudraye；　accustomed
to　take　the　stage；　acquired　an　indefinable　theatrical　and　domineering
manner；　the　air　of　a　/prima　donna/　coming　forward　on　the　boards；　of
which　ironical　smiles　would　soon　have　cured　her　in　the　capital。

But　after　she　had　acquired　t