the muse of the department-第4章

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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　Baudraye；　as　they　used　in
Switzerland；　to　be　introduced　to　Madame　de　Stael。　Those　who　only　once
heard　the　round　of　tunes　emitted　by　this　musical　snuff…box　went　away
amazed；　and　told　such　wonders　of　Dinah　as　made　all　the　women　jealous
for　ten　leagues　round。

There　is　an　indescribable　mental　headiness　in　the　admiration　we
inspire；　or　in　the　effect　of　playing　a　part；　which　fends　off　criticism
from　reaching　the　idol。　An　atmosphere；　produced　perhaps　by　unceasing
nervous　tension；　forms　a　sort　of　halo；　through　which　the　world　below
is　seen。　How　otherwise　can　we　account　for　the　perennial　good　faith
which　leads　to　so　many　repeated　presentments　of　the　same　effects；　and
the　constant　ignoring　of　warnings　given　by　children；　such　a　terror　to
their　parents；　or　by　husbands；　so　familiar　as　they　are　with　the
peacock　airs　of　their　wives？　Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye　had　the　frankness
of　a　man　who　opens　an　umbrella　at　the　first　drop　of　rain。　When　his
wife　was　started　on　the　subject　of　Negro　emancipation　or　the
improvement　of　convict　prisons；　he　would　take　up　his　little　blue　cap
and　vanish　without　a　sound；　in　the　certainty　of　being　able　to　get　to
Saint…Thibault　to　see　off　a　cargo　of　puncheons；　and　return　an　hour
later　to　find　the　discussion　approaching　a　close。　Or；　if　he　had　no
business　to　attend　to；　he　would　go　for　a　walk　on　the　Mall；　whence　he
commanded　the　lovely　panorama　of　the　Loire　valley；　and　take　a　draught
of　fresh　air　while　his　wife　was　performing　a　sonata　in　words；　or　a
dialectical　duet。

Once　fairly　established　as　a　Superior　Woman；　Dinah　was　eager　to　prove
her　devotion　to　the　most　remarkable　creations　of　art。　She　threw
herself　into　the　propaganda　of　the　romantic　school；　including；　under
Art；　poetry　and　painting；　literature　and　sculpture；　furniture　and　the
opera。　Thus　she　became　a　mediaevalist。　She　was　also　interested　in　any
treasures　that　dated　from　the　Renaissance；　and　employed　her　allies　as
so　many　devoted　commission　agents。　Soon　after　she　was　married；　she　had
become　possessed　of　the　Rougets'　furniture；　sold　at　Issoudun　early　in
1824。　She　purchased　some　very　good　things　at　Nivernais　and　the　Haute…
Loire。　At　the　New　Year　and　on　her　birthday　her　friends　never　failed　to
give　her　some　curiosities。　These　fancies　found　favor　in　the　eyes　of
Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye；　they　gave　him　an　appearance　of　sacrificing　a
few　crowns　to　his　wife's　taste。　In　point　of　fact；　his　land　mania
allowed　him　to　think　of　nothing　but　the　estate　of　Anzy。

These　〃antiquities〃　at　that　time　cost　much　less　than　modern　furniture。
By　the　end　of　five　or　six　years　the　ante…room；　the　dining…room；　the
two　drawing…rooms；　and　the　boudoir　which　Dinah　had　arranged　on　the
ground　floor　of　La　Baudraye；　every　spot　even　to　the　staircase；　were
crammed　with　masterpieces　collected　in　the　four　adjacent　departments。
These　surroundings；　which　were　called　/queer/　by　the　neighbors；　were
quite　in　harmony　with　Dinah。　All　these　Marvels；　so　soon　to　be　the
rage；　struck　the　imagination　of　the　strangers　introduced　to　her；　they
came　expecting　something　unusual；　and　they　found　their　expectations
surpassed　when；　behind　a　bower　of　flowers；　they　saw　these　catacombs
full　of　old　things；　piled　up　as　Sommerard　used　to　pile　themthat　〃Old
Mortality〃　of　furniture。　And　then　these　finds　served　as　so　many
springs　which；　turned　on　by　a　question；　played　off　an　essay　on　Jean
Goujon；　Michel　Columb；　Germain　Pilon；　Boulle；　Van　Huysum；　and　Boucher；
the　great　native　painter　of　Le　Berry；　on　Clodion；　the　carver　of　wood；
on　Venetian　mirrors；　on　Brustolone；　an　Italian　tenor　who　was　the
Michael…Angelo　of　boxwood　and　holm　oak；　on　the　thirteenth；　fourteenth；
fifteenth；　sixteenth；　and　seventeenth　centuries；　on　the　glazes　of
Bernard　de　Palissy；　the　enamels　of　Petitot；　the　engravings　of　Albrecht
Durerwhom　she　called　Dur；　on　illuminations　on　vellum；　on　Gothic
architecture；　early　decorated；　flamboyant　and　pureenough　to　turn　an
old　man's　brain　and　fire　a　young　man　with　enthusiasm。

Madame　de　la　Baudraye；　possessed　with　the　idea　of　waking　up　Sancerre；
tried　to　form　a　so…called　literary　circle。　The　Presiding　Judge；
Monsieur　Boirouge；　who　happened　to　have　a　house　and　garden　on　his
hands；　part　of　the　Popinot…Chandier　property；　favored　the　notion　of
this　/coterie/。　The　wily　Judge　talked　over　the　rules　of　the　society
with　Madame　de　la　Baudraye；　he　proposed　to　figure　as　one　of　the
founders；　and　to　let　the　house　for　fifteen　years　to　the　literary　club。
By　the　time　it　had　existed　a　year　the　members　were　playing　dominoes；
billiards；　and　bouillotte；　and　drinking　mulled　wine；　punch；　and
liqueurs。　A　few　elegant　little　suppers　were　then　given；　and　some
masked　balls　during　the　Carnival。　As　to　literaturethere　were　the
newspapers。　Politics　and　business　were　discussed。　Monsieur　de　la
Baudraye　was　constantly　thereon　his　wife's　account；　as　she　said
jestingly。

This　result　deeply　grieved　the　Superior　Woman；　who　despaired　of
Sancerre；　and　collected　the　wit　of　the　neighborhood　in　her　own
drawing…room。　Nevertheless；　and　in　spite　of　the　efforts　of　Messieurs
de　Chargeboeuf；　Gravier；　and　de　Clagny；　of　the　Abbe　Duret　and　the　two
chief　magistrates；　of　a　young　doctor；　and　a　young　Assistant　Judgeall
blind　admirers　of　Dinah'sthere　were　occasions　when；　weary　of
discussion；　they　allowed　themselves　an　excursion　into　the　domain　of
agreeable　frivolity　which　constitutes　the　common　basis　of　worldly
conversation。　Monsieur　Gravier　called　this　〃from　grave　to　gay。〃　The
Abbe　Duret's　rubber　made　another　pleasing　variety　on　the　monologues　of
the　oracle。　The　three　rivals；　tired　of　keeping　their　minds　up　to　the
level　of　the　〃high　range　of　discussion〃as　they　called　their
conversationbut　not　daring　to　confess　it；　would　sometimes　turn　with
ingratiating　hints　to　the　old　priest。

〃Monsieur　le　Cure　is　dying　for　his　game；〃　they　would　say。

The　wily　priest　lent　himself　very　readily　to　the　little　trick。　He
protested。

〃We　should　lose　too　much　by　ceasing　to　listen　to　our　inspired
hostess！〃　and　so　he　would　incite　Dinah's　magnanimity　to　take　pity　at
last　on　her　dear　Abbe。

This　bold　manoeuvre；　a　device　of　the　Sous…prefet's；　was　repeated　with
so　much　skill　that　Dinah　never　suspected　her　slaves　of　escaping　to　the
prison　yard；　so　to　speak；　of　the　cardtable；　and　they　would　leave　her
one　of　the　younger　functionaries　to　harry。

One　young　landowner；　and　the　dandy　of　Sancerre；　fell　away　from　Dinah's
good　graces　in　consequence　of　some　rash　demonstrations。　After
soliciting　the　honor　of　admission　to　this　little　circle；　where　he
flattered　himself　he　could　snatch　the　blossom　from　the　constituted
authorities　who　guarded　it；　he　was　so　unfortunate　as　to　yawn　in　the
middle　of　an　explanation　Dinah　was　favoring　him　withfor　the　fourth
time；　it　is　trueof　the　philosophy　of　Kant。　Monsieur　de　la
Thaumassiere；　the　grandson　of　the　historian　of　Le　Berry；　was
thenceforth　regarded　as　a　man　entirely　bereft　of　soul　and　brains。

The　three　devotees　/en　titre/　each　submitted　to　these　exorbitant
demands　on　their　mind　and　attention；　in　hope　of　a　crowning　triumph；
when　at　last　Dinah　should　become　human；　for　neither　of　them　was　so
bold　as　to　imagine　that　Dinah　would　give　up　her　innocence　as　a　wife
till　she　should　have　lost　all　her　illusions。　In　1826；　when　she　was
surrounded　by　adorers；　Dinah　completed　her　twentieth　year；　and　the
Abbe　Duret　kept　her　in　a　sort　of　fervid　Catholicism；　so　her　worshipers
had　to　be　content　to　overwhelm　her　with　little　attentions　and　small
services；　only　too　happy　to　be　taken　for　the　carpet…knights　of　this
sovereign　lady；　by　strangers　admitted　to　spend　an　evening　or　two　at　La
Baudraye。

〃Madame　de　la　Baudraye　is　a　fruit　that　must　be　left　to　ripen。〃　This
was　the　opinion　of　Monsieur　Gravier；　who　was　waiting。

As　to　the　lawyer；　he　wrote　letters　four　pages　long；　to　which　Dinah
replied　in　soothing　speech　as　she　walked；　leaning　on　his　arm；　round
and　round　the　lawn　after　dinner。

Madame　de　la　Baudraye；　thus　guarded　by　three　passions；　and　always
under　the　eye　of　her　pious　mother；　escaped　the　malignity　of　slander。
It　was　so　evident　to　all　Sancerre　that　no　two　of　these　three　men　would
ever　leave　the　third　alo