the muse of the department-第30章

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avoided　all　the　bitterness　so　cleverly　described　by　the　critic　to　whom
we　owe　an　analysis　of　this　striking　work；　whose　comments　indeed　seemed
to　Dinah　almost　superior　to　the　book。　And　she　read　again　and　again
this　fine　essay　by　the　only　real　critic　who　has　written　in　the　/Revue
des　Deux　Mondes/；　an　article　now　printed　at　the　beginning　of　the　new
edition　of　/Adolphe/。

〃No；〃　she　would　say　to　herself；　as　she　repeated　the　author's　fateful
words；　〃no；　I　will　not　'give　my　requests　the　form　of　an　order；'　I　will
not　'fly　to　tears　as　a　means　of　revenge；'　I　will　not　'condemn　the
things　I　once　approved　without　reservation；'　I　will　not　'dog　his
footsteps　with　a　prying　eye'；　if　he　plays　truant；　he　shall　not　on　his
return　'see　a　scornful　lip；　whose　kiss　is　an　unanswerable　command。'
No；　'my　silence　shall　not　be　a　reproach　nor　my　first　word　a　quarrel。'
I　will　not　be　like　every　other　woman！〃　she　went　on；　laying　on　her
table　the　little　yellow　paper　volume　which　had　already　attracted
Lousteau's　remark；　〃What！　are　you　studying　/Adolphe/？〃〃If　for　one
day　only　he　should　recognize　my　merits　and　say；　'That　victim　never
uttered　a　cry！'it　will　be　all　I　ask。　And　besides；　the　others　only
have　him　for　an　hour；　I　have　him　for　life！〃

Thinking　himself　justified　by　his　private　tribunal　in　punishing　his
wife；　Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye　robbed　her　to　achieve　his　cherished
enterprise　of　reclaiming　three　thousand　acres　of　moorland；　to　which　he
had　devoted　himself　ever　since　1836；　living　like　a　mouse。　He
manipulated　the　property　left　by　Monsieur　Silas　Piedefer　so
ingeniously；　that　he　contrived　to　reduce　the　proved　value　to　eight
hundred　thousand　francs；　while　pocketing　twelve　hundred　thousand。　He
did　not　announce　his　return；　but　while　his　wife　was　enduring
unspeakable　woes；　he　was　building　farms；　digging　trenches；　and
ploughing　rough　ground　with　a　courage　that　ranked　him　among　the　most
remarkable　agriculturists　of　the　province。

The　four　hundred　thousand　francs　he　had　filched　from　his　wife　were
spent　in　three　years　on　this　undertaking；　and　the　estate　of　Anzy　was
expected　to　return　seventy…two　thousand　francs　a　year　of　net　profits
after　the　taxes　were　paid。　The　eight　hundred　thousand　he　invested　at
four　and　a　half　per　cent　in　the　funds；　buying　at　eighty　francs；　at　the
time　of　the　financial　crisis　brought　about　by　the　Ministry　of　the
First　of　March；　as　it　was　called。　By　thus　securing　to　his　wife　an
income　of　forty…eight　thousand　francs　he　considered　himself　no　longer
in　her　debt。　Could　he　not　restore　the　odd　twelve　hundred　thousand　as
soon　as　the　four　and　a　half　per　cents　had　risen　above　a　hundred？　He
was　now　the　greatest　man　in　Sancerre；　with　the　exception　of　onethe
richest　proprietor　in　Francewhose　rival　he　considered　himself。　He
saw　himself　with　an　income　of　a　hundred　and　forty　thousand　francs；　of
which　ninety　thousand　formed　the　revenue　from　the　lands　he　had
entailed。　Having　calculated　that　besides　this　net　income　he　paid　ten
thousand　francs　in　taxes；　three　thousand　in　working　expenses；　ten
thousand　to　his　wife；　and　twelve　hundred　to　his　mother…in…law；　he
would　say　in　the　literary　circles　of　Sancerre：

〃I　am　reputed　miserly；　and　said　to　spend　nothing；　but　my　outlay
amounts　to　twenty…six　thousand　five　hundred　francs　a　year。　And　I　have
still　to　pay　for　the　education　of　my　two　children！　I　daresay　it　is　not
a　pleasing　fact　to　the　Milauds　of　Nevers；　but　the　second　house　of　La
Baudraye　may　yet　have　as　noble　a　center　as　the　first。I　shall　most
likely　go　to　Paris　and　petition　the　King　of　the　French　to　grant　me　the
title　of　CountMonsieur　Roy　is　a　Countand　my　wife　would　be　pleased
to　be　Madame　la　Comtesse。〃

And　this　was　said　with　such　splendid　coolness　that　no　one　would　have
dared　to　laugh　at　the　little　man。　Only　Monsieur　Boirouge；　the
Presiding　Judge；　remarked：

〃In　your　place；　I　should　not　be　happy　unless　I　had　a　daughter。〃

〃Well；　I　shall　go　to　Paris　before　long〃　said　the　Baron。

In　the　early　part　of　1842　Madame　de　la　Baudraye；　feeling　that　she　was
to　Lousteau　no　more　than　a　reserve　in　the　background；　had　again
sacrificed　herself　absolutely　to　secure　his　comfort；　she　had　resumed
her　black　raiment；　but　now　it　was　in　sign　of　mourning；　for　her
pleasure　was　turning　to　remorse。　She　was　too　often　put　to　shame　not　to
feel　the　weight　of　the　chain；　and　her　mother　found　her　sunk　in　those
moods　of　meditation　into　which　visions　of　the　future　cast　unhappy
souls　in　a　sort　of　torpor。

Madame　Piedefer；　by　the　advice　of　her　spiritual　director；　was　on　the
watch　for　the　moment　of　exhaustion；　which　the　priest　told　her　would
inevitably　supervene；　and　then　she　pleaded　in　behalf　of　the　children。
She　restricted　herself　to　urging　that　Dinah　and　Lousteau　should　live
apart；　not　asking　her　to　give　him　up。　In　real　life　these　violent
situations　are　not　closed　as　they　are　in　books；　by　death　or　cleverly
contrived　catastrophes；　they　end　far　less　poeticallyin　disgust；　in
the　blighting　of　every　flower　of　the　soul；　in　the　commonplace　of
habit；　and　very　often　too　in　another　passion；　which　robs　a　wife　of　the
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