the muse of the department-第26章

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lover　appreciate　the　magnitude　of　your　sacrifice；　is　there　any
gratitude　in　his　affection？〃

〃Come　to　the　Rue　des　Martyrs　and　you　will　see！〃

〃Yes；　I　will　call；〃　he　replied。　〃I　have　already　passed　your　door
without　daring　to　inquire　for　you。You　do　not　yet　know　the　literary
world。　There　are　glorious　exceptions；　no　doubt；　but　these　men　of
letters　drag　terrible　evils　in　their　train；　among　these　I　account
publicity　as　one　of　the　greatest；　for　it　blights　everything。　A　woman
may　commit　herself　with〃

〃With　a　Public　Prosecutor？〃　the　Baronne　put　in　with　a　smile。

〃Well！and　then　after　a　rupture　there　is　still　something　to　fall　back
on；　the　world　has　known　nothing。　But　with　a　more　or　less　famous　man
the　public　is　thoroughly　informed。　Why　look　there！　What　an　example　you
have　close　at　hand！　You　are　sitting　back　to　back　with　the　Comtesse
Marie　Vandenesse；　who　was　within　an　ace　of　committing　the　utmost　folly
for　a　more　celebrated　man　than　Lousteaufor　Nathanand　now　they　do
not　even　recognize　each　other。　After　going　to　the　very　edge　of　the
precipice；　the　Countess　was　saved；　no　one　knows　how；　she　neither　left
her　husband　nor　her　house；　but　as　a　famous　man　was　scorned；　she　was
the　talk　of　the　town　for　a　whole　winter。　But　her　husband's　great
fortune；　great　name；　and　high　position；　but　for　the　admirable
management　of　that　true　statesmanwhose　conduct　to　his　wife；　they
say；　was　perfectshe　would　have　been　ruined；　in　her　position　no　other
woman　would　have　remained　respected　as　she　is。〃

〃And　how　was　Sancerre　when　you　came　away？〃　asked　Madame　de　la
Baudraye；　to　change　the　subject。

〃Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye　announced　that　your　expected　confinement
after　so　many　years　made　it　necessary　that　it　should　take　place　in
Paris；　and　that　he　had　insisted　on　your　going　to　be　attended　by　the
first　physicians；〃　replied　Monsieur　de　Clagny；　guessing　what　it　was
that　Dinah　most　wanted　to　know。　〃And　so；　in　spite　of　the　commotion　to
which　your　departure　gave　rise；　you　still　have　your　legal　status。〃

〃Why！〃　she　exclaimed；　〃can　Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye　still　hope〃

〃Your　husband；　madame；　did　what　he　always　doesmade　a　little
calculation。〃

The　lawyer　left　the　box　when　the　journalist　returned；　bowing　with
dignity。

〃You　are　a　greater　hit　than　the　piece；〃　said　Etienne　to　Dinah。

This　brief　triumph　brought　greater　happiness　to　the　poor　woman　than
she　had　ever　known　in　the　whole　of　her　provincial　existence；　still；　as
they　left　the　theatre　she　was　very　grave。

〃What　ails　you；　my　Didine？〃　asked　Lousteau。

〃I　am　wondering　how　a　woman　succeeds　in　conquering　the　world？〃

〃There　are　two　ways。　One　is　by　being　Madame　de　Stael；　the　other　is　by
having　two　hundred　thousand　francs　a　year。〃

〃Society；〃　said　she；　〃asserts　its　hold　on　us　by　appealing　to　our
vanity；　our　love　of　appearances。Pooh！　We　will　be　philosophers！〃



That　evening　was　the　last　gleam　of　the　delusive　well…being　in　which
Madame　de　la　Baudraye　had　lived　since　coming　to　Paris。　Three　days
later　she　observed　a　cloud　on　Lousteau's　brow　as　he　walked　round　the
little　garden…plot　smoking　a　cigar。　This　woman；　who　had　acquired　from
her　husband　the　habit　and　the　pleasure　of　never　owing　anybody　a　sou；
was　informed　that　the　household　was　penniless；　with　two　quarters'　rent
owing；　and　on　the　eve；　in　fact；　of　an　execution。

This　reality　of　Paris　life　pierced　Dinah's　heart　like　a　thorn；　she
repented　of　having　tempted　Etienne　into　the　extravagances　of　love。　It
is　so　difficult　to　pass　from　pleasure　to　work；　that　happiness　has
wrecked　more　poems　than　sorrows　ever　helped　to　flow　in　sparkling　jets。
Dinah；　happy　in　seeing　Etienne　taking　his　ease；　smoking　a　cigar　after
breakfast；　his　face　beaming　as　he　basked　like　a　lizard　in　the
sunshine；　could　not　summon　up　courage　enough　to　make　herself　the　bum…
bailiff　of　a　magazine。

It　struck　her　that　through　the　worthy　Migeon；　Pamela's　father；　she
might　pawn　the　few　jewels　she　possessed；　on　which　her　〃uncle；〃　for　she
was　learning　to　talk　the　slang　of　the　town；　advanced　her　nine　hundred
francs。　She　kept　three　hundred　for　her　baby…clothes　and　the　expenses
of　her　illness；　and　joyfully　presented　the　sum　due　to　Lousteau；　who
was　ploughing；　furrow　by　furrow；　or；　if　you　will；　line　by　line；
through　a　novel　for　a　periodical。

〃Dearest　heart；〃　said　she；　〃finish　your　novel　without　making　any
sacrifice　to　necessity；　polish　the　style；　work　up　the　subject。I　have
played　the　fine　lady　too　long；　I　am　going　to　be　the　housewife　and
attend　to　business。〃

For　the　last　four　months　Etienne　had　been　taking　Dinah　to　the　Cafe
Riche　to　dine　every　day；　a　corner　being　always　kept　for　them。　The
countrywoman　was　in　dismay　at　being　told　that　five　hundred　francs　were
owing　for　the　last　fortnight。

〃What！　we　have　been　drinking　wine　at　six　francs　a　bottle！　A　sole
/Normande/　costs　five　francs！and　twenty　centimes　for　a　roll？〃　she
exclaimed；　as　she　looked　through　the　bill　Lousteau　showed　her。

〃Well；　it　makes　very　little　difference　to　us　whether　we　are　robbed　at
a　restaurant　or　by　a　cook；〃　said　Lousteau。

〃Henceforth；　for　the　cost　of　your　dinner；　you　shall　live　like　a
prince。〃

Having　induced　the　landlord　to　let　her　have　a　kitchen　and　two
servants'　rooms；　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　wrote　a　few　lines　to　her
mother；　begging　her　to　send　her　some　linen　and　a　loan　of　a　thousand
francs。　She　received　two　trunks　full　of　linen；　some　plate；　and　two
thousand　francs；　sent　by　the　hand　of　an　honest　and　pious　cook
recommended　her　by　her　mother。

Ten　days　after　the　evening　at　the　theatre　when　they　had　met；　Monsieur
de　Clagny　came　to　call　at　four　o'clock；　after　coming　out　of　court；　and
found　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　making　a　little　cap。　The　sight　of　this
proud　and　ambitious　woman；　whose　mind　was　so　accomplished；　and　who　had
queened　it　so　well　at　the　Chateau　d'Anzy；　now　condescending　to
household　cares　and　sewing　for　the　coming　infant；　moved　the　poor
lawyer；　who　had　just　left　the　bench。　And　as　he　saw　the　pricks　on　one
of　the　taper　fingers　he　had　so　often　kissed；　he　understood　that　Madame
de　la　Baudraye　was　not　merely　playing　at　this　maternal　task。

In　the　course　of　this　first　interview　the　magistrate　saw　to　the　depths
of　Dinah's　soul。　This　perspicacity　in　a　man　so　much　in　love　was　a
superhuman　effort。　He　saw　that　Didine　meant　to　be　the　journalist's
guardian　spirit　and　lead　him　into　a　nobler　road；　she　had　seen　that　the
difficulties　of　his　practical　life　were　due　to　some　moral　defects。
Between　two　beings　united　by　lovein　one　so　genuine；　and　in　the　other
so　well　feignedmore　than　one　confidence　had　been　exchanged　in　the
course　of　four　months。　Notwithstanding　the　care　with　which　Etienne
wrapped　up　his　true　self；　a　word　now　and　then　had　not　failed　to
enlighten　Dinah　as　to　the　previous　life　of　a　man　whose　talents　were　so
hampered　by　poverty；　so　perverted　by　bad　examples；　so　thwarted　by
obstacles　beyond　his　courage　to　surmount。　〃He　will　be　a　greater　man　if
life　is　easy　to　him；〃　said　she　to　herself。　And　she　strove　to　make　him
happy；　to　give　him　the　sense　of　a　sheltered　home　by　dint　of　such
economy　and　method　as　are　familiar　to　provincial　folks。　Thus　Dinah
became　a　housekeeper；　as　she　had　become　a　poet；　by　the　soaring　of　her
soul　towards　the　heights。

〃His　happiness　will　be　my　absolution。〃

These　words；　wrung　from　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　by　her　friend　the
lawyer；　accounted　for　the　existing　state　of　things。　The　publicity　of
his　triumph；　flaunted　by　Etienne　on　the　evening　of　the　first
performance；　had　very　plainly　shown　the　lawyer　what　Lousteau's　purpose
was。　To　Etienne；　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　was；　to　use　his　own　phrase；　〃a
fine　feather　in　his　cap。〃　Far　from　preferring　the　joys　of　a　shy　and
mysterious　passion；　of　hiding　such　exquisite　happiness　from　the　eyes
of　the　world；　he　found　a　vulgar　satisfaction　in　displaying　the　first
woman　of　respectability　who　had　ever　honored　him　with　her　affection。

The　Judge；　however；　was　for　some　time　deceived　by　the　attentions　which
any　man　would　lavish　on　any　woman　in　Madame　de　la　Baudraye's
situation；　and　Lousteau　made　them　doubly　charming　by　the　ingratiating
ways　characteristic　of　men　whose　manners　are　naturally　attractive。
There　are；　in　fact；　men　who　have　something　of　the　monkey　in　them　by
nature；　and　to　whom　the　assumption　of　the　most　engaging　forms　of
sentiment　is　so　easy　that　the　actor　is　not　detected；　and　Lousteau's
natural　gifts　had　been　fully　developed　on　the　stage　on　which　he　had
hitherto　figured。

Between　the　months　of　April　and　July；　when　Dinah　expected　her
confinement；　she　discovered　why　it　was　that　Lousteau　had　not　triumphed
over　poverty；　he　was　idle　and　had　no　power　of　will。　The　brain；　to　be
sure；　must　obey　its　own　laws；　it　recognizes　neither　the　exigencies　of
life　nor　the　voice　of　honor；　a　man　cannot　write　a　great　book　because　a
woman　is　dying；　or　to　pay　a　discreditable　debt；　or　to　bring　up　a
family；　at　the　same　time；　there　is　no　great　talent　without　a　strong
will。　These　twin　forces　are　requisite　for　the　erection　of　the　vast
edifice　of　personal　glory。　A　distinguished　genius　keeps　his　brain　in　a
productive　condition；　just　as　the　knights　of　old　kept　their　weapons
always　ready　for　battle。　They　conquer　indolence；　they　deny　themselves
enervating　pleasures；　or　indulge　only　to　a　fixed　limit　proportioned　to
their　powers。　This　explains　the　life　of　such　men　as　Walter　Scott；
Cuvier；　Voltaire；　Newton；　Buffon；　Bayle；　Bossuet；　Leibnitz；　Lopez　de
Vega；　Calderon；　Boccacio；　Aretino；　Aristotlein　short；　every　man　who
delighted；　governed；　or　led　his　contemporaries。

A　man　may　and　ought　to　pride　himself　more　on　his　will　than　on　his
talent。　Though　Talent　has　its　germ　in　a　cultivated　gift；　Will　means
the　incessant　conquest　of　his　instincts；　of　proclivities　subdued　and
mortified；　and　difficulties　of　every　kind　heroically　defeated。　The
abuse　of　smoking　encouraged　Lousteau's　indolence。　Tobacco；　which　can
lull　grief；　inevitably　numbs　a　man's　energy。

Then；　while　the　cigar　deteriorated　him　physically；　criticism　as　a
profession　morally　stultified　a　man　so　easily　tempted　by　pleasure。
Criticism　is　as　fatal　to　the　critic　as　seeing　two　sides　to　a　question
is　to　a　pleader。　In　these　professions　the　judgment　is　undermined；　the
mind　loses　its　lucid　rectitude。　The　writer　lives　by　taking　sides。
Thus；　we　may　distinguish　two　kinds　of　criticism；　as　in　painting　we　may
distinguish　art　from　practical　dexterity。　Criticism；　after　the　pattern
of　most　contemporary　leader…writers；　is　the　expression　of　judgments
formed　at　random　in　a　more　or　less　witty　way；　just　as　an　advocate
pleads　in　court　on　the　most　contradictory　briefs。　The　newspaper　critic
always　finds　a　subject　to　work　up　in　the　book　he　is　discussing。　Done
after　this　fashion；　the　business　is　well　adapted　to　indolent　brains；
to　men　devoid　of　the　sublime　faculty　of　imagination；　or；　possessed　of
it　indeed；　but　lacking　courage　to　cultivate　it。　Every　play；　every　book
comes　to　their　pen　as　a　subject；　making　no　demand　on　their
imagination；　and　of　which　they　simply　write　a　report；　seriously　or　in
irony；　according　to　the　mood　of　the　moment。　As　to　an　opinion；　whatever
it　may　be；　French　wit　can　always　justify　it；　being　admirably　ready　to
defend　either　side　of　any　case。　And　conscience　counts　for　so　little；
these　/bravi/　have　so　little　value　for　their　own