the muse of the department-第9节

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fully　enjoyed　the　intoxicating　delights　of　success；　Dinah　dreaded　the
malignity　of　provincial　society；　where　more　than　one　woman；　if　the
secret　should　slip　out；　would　certainly　find　points　of　resemblance
between　the　writer　and　Paquita。　Reflection　came　too　late；　Dinah
shuddered　with　shame　at　having　made　〃copy〃　of　some　of　her　woes。

〃Write　no　more；〃　said　the　Abbe　Duret。　〃You　will　cease　to　be　a　woman；
you　will　be　a　poet。〃

Moulins；　Nevers；　Bourges　were　searched　to　find　Jan　Diaz；　but　Dinah　was
impenetrable。　To　remove　any　evil　impression；　in　case　any　unforeseen
chance　should　betray　her　name；　she　wrote　a　charming　poem　in　two　cantos
on　/The　Mass…Oak/；　a　legend　of　the　Nivernais：

〃Once　upon　a　time　the　folks　of　Nevers　and　the　folks　of　Saint…Saulge；
at　war　with　each　other；　came　at　daybreak　to　fight　a　battle；　in　which
one　or　other　should　perish；　and　met　in　the　forest　of　Faye。　And　then
there　stood　between　them；　under　an　oak；　a　priest　whose　aspect　in　the
morning　sun　was　so　commanding　that　the　foes　at　his　bidding　heard　Mass
as　he　performed　it　under　the　oak；　and　at　the　words　of　the　Gospel　they
made　friends。〃The　oak　is　still　shown　in　the　forest　of　Faye。

This　poem；　immeasurably　superior　to　/Paquita　la　Sevillane/；　was　far
less　admired。

After　these　two　attempts　Madame　de　la　Baudraye；　feeling　herself　a
poet；　had　a　light　on　her　brow　and　a　flash　in　her　eyes　that　made　her
handsomer　than　ever。　She　cast　longing　looks　at　Paris；　aspiring　to　fame
and　fell　back　into　her　den　of　La　Baudraye；　her　daily　squabbles　with
her　husband；　and　her　little　circle；　where　everybody's　character；
intentions；　and　remarks　were　too　well　known　not　to　have　become　a　bore。
Though　she　found　relief　from　her　dreary　life　in　literary　work；　and
poetry　echoed　loudly　in　her　empty　life；　though　she　thus　found　an
outlet　for　her　energies；　literature　increased　her　hatred　of　the　gray
and　ponderous　provincial　atmosphere。



When；　after　the　Revolution　of　1830；　the　glory　of　George　Sand　was
reflected　on　Le　Berry；　many　a　town　envied　La　Chatre　the　privilege　of
having　given　birth　to　this　rival　of　Madame　de　Stael　and　Camille
Maupin；　and　were　ready　to　do　homage　to　minor　feminine　talent。　Thus
there　arose　in　France　a　vast　number　of　tenth　Muses；　young　girls　or
young　wives　tempted　from　a　silent　life　by　the　bait　of　glory。　Very
strange　doctrines　were　proclaimed　as　to　the　part　women　should　play　in
society。　Though　the　sound　common　sense　which　lies　at　the　root　of　the
French　nature　was　not　perverted；　women　were　suffered　to　express　ideas
and　profess　opinions　which　they　would　not　have　owned　to　a　few　years
previously。

Monsieur　de　Clagny　took　advantage　of　this　outbreak　of　freedom　to
collect　the　works　of　Jan　Diaz　in　a　small　volume　printed　by　Desroziers
at　Moulins。　He　wrote　a　little　notice　of　the　author；　too　early　snatched
from　the　world　of　letters；　which　was　amusing　to　those　who　were　in　the
secret；　but　which　even　then　had　not　the　merit　of　novelty。　Such
practical　jokes；　capital　so　long　as　the　author　remains　unknown；　fall
rather　flat　if　subsequently　the　poet　stands　confessed。

From　this　point　of　view；　however；　the　memoir　of　Jan　Diaz；　born　at
Bourges　in　1807；　the　son　of　a　Spanish　prisoner；　may　very　likely　some
day　deceive　the　compiler　of　some　/Universal　Biography/。　Nothing　is
overlooked；　neither　the　names　of　the　professors　at　the　Bourges
College；　nor　those　of　his　deceased　schoolfellows；　such　as　Lousteau；
Bianchon；　and　other　famous　natives　of　the　province；　who；　it　is　said；
knew　the　dreamy；　melancholy　boy；　and　his　precocious　bent　towards
poetry。　An　elegy　called　/Tristesse/　（Melancholy）；　written　at　school；
the　two　poems　/Paquita　la　Sevillane/　and　/Le　Chene　de　la　Messe/；　three
sonnets；　a　description　of　the　Cathedral　and　the　House　of　Jacques　Coeur
at　Bourges；　with　a　tale　called　/Carola/；　published　as　the　work　he　was
engaged　on　at　the　time　of　his　death；　constituted　the　whole　of　these
literary　remains；　and　the　poet's　last　hours；　full　of　misery　and
despair；　could　not　fail　to　wring　the　hearts　of　the　feeling　public　of
the　Nievre；　the　Bourbonnais；　the　Cher；　and　the　Morvan；　where　he　died
near　Chateau…Chinon；　unknown　to　all；　even　to　the　woman　he　had　loved！

Of　this　little　yellow　paper　volume　two　hundred　copies　were　printed；
one　hundred　and　fifty　were　soldabout　fifty　in　each　department。　This
average　of　tender　and　poetic　souls　in　three　departments　of　France　is
enough　to　revive　the　enthusiasm　of　writers　as　to　the　/Furia　Francese/；
which　nowadays　is　more　apt　to　expend　itself　in　business　than　in　books。

When　Monsieur　de　Clagny　had　given　away　a　certain　number　of　copies；
Dinah　still　had　seven　or　eight；　wrapped　up　in　the　newspapers　which　had
published　notices　of　the　work。　Twenty　copies　forwarded　to　the　Paris
papers　were　swamped　in　the　editors'　offices。　Nathan　was　taken　in　as
well　as　several　of　his　fellow…countrymen　of　Le　Berry；　and　wrote　an
article　on　the　great　man；　in　which　he　credited　him　with　all　the　fine
qualities　we　discover　in　those　who　are　dead　and　buried。

Lousteau；　warned　by　his　fellow…schoolfellows；　who　could　not　remember
Jan　Diaz；　waited　for　information　from　Sancerre；　and　learned　that　Jan
Diaz　was　a　pseudonym　assumed　by　a　woman。

Then；　in　and　around　Sancerre；　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　became　the　rage；
she　was　the　future　rival　of　George　Sand。　From　Sancerre　to　Bourges　a
poem　was　praised　which；　at　any　other　time；　would　certainly　have　been
hooted。　The　provincial　publiclike　every　French　public；　perhapsdoes
not　share　the　love　of　the　King　of　the　French　for　the　happy　medium：　it
lifts　you　to　the　skies　or　drags　you　in　the　mud。

By　this　time　the　good　Abbe；　Madame　de　la　Baudraye's　counselor；　was
dead；　he　would　certainly　have　prevented　her　rushing　into　public　life。
But　three　years　of　work　without　recognition　weighed　on　Dinah's　soul；
and　she　accepted　the　clatter　of　fame　as　a　substitute　for　her
disappointed　ambitions。　Poetry　and　dreams　of　celebrity；　which　had
lulled　her　grief　since　her　meeting　with　Anna　Grossetete；　no　longer
sufficed　to　exhaust　the　activity　of　her　morbid　heart。　The　Abbe　Duret；
who　had　talked　of　the　world　when　the　voice　of　religion　was　impotent；
who　understood　Dinah；　and　promised　her　a　happy　future　by　assuring　her
that　God　would　compensate　her　for　her　sufferings　bravely　endured；
this　good　old　man　could　no　longer　stand　between　the　opening　to　sin　and
the　handsome　young　woman　he　had　called　his　daughter。

The　wise　old　priest　had　more　than　once　endeavored　to　enlighten　Dinah
as　to　her　husband's　character；　telling　her　that　the　man　could　hate；
but　women　are　not　ready　to　believe　in　such　force　in　weak　natures；　and
hatred　is　too　constantly　in　action　not　to　be　a　vital　force。　Dinah；
finding　her　husband　incapable　of　love；　denied　him　the　power　to　hate。

〃Do　not　confound　hatred　and　vengeance；〃　said　the　Abbe。　〃They　are　two
different　sentiments。　One　is　the　instinct　of　small　minds；　the　other　is
the　outcome　of　law　which　great　souls　obey。　God　is　avenged；　but　He　does
not　hate。　Hatred　is　a　vice　of　narrow　souls；　they　feed　it　with　all
their　meanness；　and　make　it　a　pretext　for　sordid　tyranny。　So　beware　of
offending　Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye；　he　would　forgive　an　infidelity；
because　he　could　make　capital　of　it；　but　he　would　be　doubly　implacable
if　you　should　touch　him　on　the　spot　so　cruelly　wounded　by　Monsieur
Milaud　of　Nevers；　and　would　make　your　life　unendurable。〃

Now；　at　the　time　when　the　whole　countrysideNevers　and　Sancerre；　Le
Morvan　and　Le　Berrywas　priding　itself　on　Madame　de　la　Baudraye；　and
lauding　her　under　the　name　of　Jan　Diaz；　〃little　La　Baudraye〃　felt　her
glory　a　mortal　blow。　He　alone　knew　the　secret　source　of　/Paquita　la
Sevillane/。　When　this　terrible　work　was　spoken　of；　everybody　said　of
Dinah〃Poor　woman！　Poor　soul！〃

The　women　rejoiced　in　being　able　to　pity　her　who　had　so　long　oppressed
them；　never　had　Dinah　seemed　to　stand　higher　in　the　eyes　of　the
neighborhood。

The　shriveled　old　man；　more　wrinkled；　yellower；　feebler　than　ever；
gave　no　sign；　but　Dinah　sometimes　detected　in　his　eyes；　as　he　looked
at　her；　a　sort　of　icy　venom　which　gave　the　lie　to　his　increased
politeness　and　gentleness。　She　understood　at　last　that　this　was　not；
as　she　had　supposed；　a　mere　domestic　squabble；　but　when　she　forced　an
explanation　with　her　〃insect；〃　as　Monsieur　Gravier　called　him；　she
found　the　cold；　hard　impassibility　of　steel。　She　flew　into　a　passion；
she　reproached　him　for　her　life　these　eleven　years　past；　she　made
intentionallywhat　women　call　a　scene。　But　〃little　La　Baudraye〃　sat
in　an　armchair　with　his　eyes　shut；　and　listened　phlegmatically　to　the
storm。　And；　as　usual；　the　dwarf　got　the　better　of　his　wife。　Dinah　saw
that　she　had　done　wrong　in　writing；　she　vowed　never　to　write　another
line；　and　she　kept　her　vow。

Then　was　there　desolation　in　the　Sancerrois。

〃Why　did　not　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　compose　any　more　verses？〃　was　the
universal　cry。

At　this　time　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　had　no　enemies；　every　one　rushed　to
see　her；　not　a　week　passed　without　fresh　introductions。　The　wife　of
the　presiding　judge；　an　august　/bourgeoise/；　/nee/　Popinot…Chandier；
desired　her　son；　a　youth　of　two…and…twenty；　to　pay　his　humble　respects
to　La　Baudraye；　and　flattered　herself　that　she　might　see　her　Gatien　in
the　good　graces　of　this　Super