the muse of the department-第8章

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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　Superior　Woman。The　words　Superior　Woman　had
superseded　the　absurd　nickname　of　/The　Sappho　of　Saint…Satur/。This
lady；　who　for　nine　years　had　led　the　opposition；　was　so　delighted　at
the　good　reception　accorded　to　her　son；　that　she　became　loud　in　her
praises　of　the　Muse　of　Sancerre。

〃After　all；〃　she　exclaimed；　in　reply　to　a　tirade　from　Madame　de
Clagny；　who　hated　her　husband's　supposed　mistress；　〃she　is　the
handsomest　and　cleverest　woman　in　the　whole　province！〃

After　scrambling　through　so　many　brambles　and　setting　off　on　so　many
different　roads；　after　dreaming　of　love　in　splendor　and　scenting　the
darkest　dramas；　thinking　such　terrible　joys　would　be　cheaply　purchased
so　weary　was　she　of　her　dreary　existence；　one　day　Dinah　fell　into　the
pit　she　had　sworn　to　avoid。　Seeing　Monsieur　de　Clagny　always
sacrificing　himself；　and　at　last　refusing　a　high　appointment　in　Paris；
where　his　family　wanted　to　see　him；　she　said　to　herself；　〃He　loves
me！〃　She　vanquished　her　repulsion；　and　seemed　willing　to　reward　so
much　constancy。

It　was　to　this　impulse　of　generosity　on　her　part　that　a　coalition　was
due；　formed　in　Sancerre　to　secure　the　return　of　Monsieur　de　Clagny　at
the　next　elections。　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　had　dreamed　of　going　to
Paris　in　the　wake　of　the　new　deputy。

But；　in　spite　of　the　most　solemn　promises；　the　hundred　and　fifty　votes
to　be　recorded　in　favor　of　this　adorer　of　the　lovely　Dinahwho　hoped
to　see　this　defender　of　the　widow　and　the　orphan　wearing　the　gown　of
the　Keeper　of　the　Sealsfigured　as　an　imposing　minority　of　fifty
votes。　The　jealousy　of　the　President　de　Boirouge；　and　Monsieur
Gravier's　hatred；　for　he　believed　in　the　candidate's　supremacy　in
Dinah's　heart；　had　been　worked　upon　by　a　young　Sous…prefet；　and　for
this　worthy　deed　the　allies　got　the　young　man　made　a　prefet　elsewhere。

〃I　shall　never　cease　to　regret；〃　said　he；　as　he　quitted　Sancerre；
〃that　I　did　not　succeed　in　pleasing　Madame　de　la　Baudraye；　that　would
have　made　my　triumph　complete！〃

The　household　that　was　thus　racked　by　domestic　troubles　was　calm　on
the　surface；　here　were　two　ill…assorted　but　resigned　beings；　and　the
indescribable　propriety；　the　lie　that　society　insists　on；　and　which　to
Dinah　was　an　unendurable　yoke。　Why　did　she　long　to　throw　off　the　mask
she　had　worn　for　twelve　years？　Whence　this　weariness　which；　every　day；
increased　her　hope　of　finding　herself　a　widow？

The　reader　who　has　noted　all　the　phases　of　her　existence　will　have
understood　the　various　illusions　by　which　Dinah；　like　many　another
woman；　had　been　deceived。　After　an　attempt　to　master　Monsieur　de　la
Baudraye；　she　had　indulged　the　hope　of　becoming　a　mother。　Between
those　miserable　disputes　over　household　matters　and　the　melancholy
conviction　as　to　her　fate；　quite　a　long　time　had　elapsed。　Then；　when
she　had　looked　for　consolation；　the　consoler；　Monsieur　de　Chargeboeuf
had　left　her。　Thus；　the　overwhelming　temptation　which　commonly　causes
women　to　sin　had　hitherto　been　absent。　For　if　there　are；　after　all；
some　women　who　make　straight　for　unfaithfulness；　are　there　not　many
more　who　cling　to　hope；　and　do　not　fall　till　they　have　wandered　long
in　a　labyrinth　of　secret　woes？

Such　was　Dinah。　She　had　so　little　impulse　to　fail　in　her　duty；　that
she　did　not　care　enough　for　Monsieur　de　Clagny　to　forgive　him　his
defeat。

Then　the　move　to　the　Chateau　d'Anzy；　the　rearrangement　of　her
collected　treasures　and　curiosities；　which　derived　added　value　from
the　splendid　setting　which　Philibert　de　Lorme　seemed　to　have　planned
on　purpose　for　this　museum；　occupied　her　for　several　months；　giving
her　leisure　to　meditate　one　of　those　decisive　steps　that　startle　the
public；　ignorant　of　the　motives　which；　however；　it　sometimes　discovers
by　dint　of　gossip　and　suppositions。

Madame　de　la　Baudraye　had　been　greatly　struck　by　the　reputation　of
Lousteau；　who　was　regarded　as　a　lady's　man　of　the　first　water　in
consequence　of　his　intimacies　among　actresses；　she　was　anxious　to　know
him；　she　read　his　books；　and　was　fired　with　enthusiasm；　less　perhaps
for　his　talents　than　for　his　successes　with　women；　and　to　attract　him
to　the　country；　she　started　the　notion　that　it　was　obligatory　on
Sancerre　to　return　one　of　its　great　men　at　the　elections。　She　made
Gatien　Boirouge　write　to　the　great　physician　Bianchon；　whom　he　claimed
as　a　cousin　through　the　Popinots。　Then　she　persuaded　an　old　friend　of
the　departed　Madame　Lousteau　to　stir　up　the　journalist's　ambitions　by
letting　him　know　that　certain　persons　in　Sancerre　were　firmly　bent　on
electing　a　deputy　from　among　the　distinguished　men　in　Paris。

Tired　of　her　commonplace　neighbors；　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　would　thus
at　last　meet　really　illustrious　men；　and　might　give　her　fall　the
lustre　of　fame。

Neither　Lousteau　nor　Bianchon　replied；　they　were　waiting　perhaps　till
the　holidays。　Bianchon；　who　had　won　his　professor's　chair　the　year
before　after　a　brilliant　contest；　could　not　leave　his　lectures。

In　the　month　of　September；　when　the　vintage　was　at　its　height；　the　two
Parisians　arrived　in　their　native　province；　and　found　it　absorbed　in
the　unremitting　toil　of　the　wine…crop　of　1836；　there　could　therefore
be　no　public　demonstration　in　their　favor。　〃We　have　fallen　flat；〃　said
Lousteau　to　his　companion；　in　the　slang　of　the　stage。

In　1836；　Lousteau；　worn　by　sixteen　years　of　struggle　in　the　Capital；
and　aged　quite　as　much　by　pleasure　as　by　penury；　hard　work；　and
disappointments；　looked　eight…and…forty；　though　he　was　no　more　than
thirty…seven。　He　was　already　bald；　and　had　assumed　a　Byronic　air　in
harmony　with　his　early　decay　and　the　lines　furrowed　in　his　face　by
over…indulgence　in　champagne。　He　ascribed　these　signs…manual　of
dissipation　to　the　severities　of　a　literary　life；　declaring　that　the
Press　was　murderous；　and　he　gave　it　to　be　understood　that　it　consumed
superior　talents；　so　as　to　lend　a　grace　to　his　exhaustion。　In　his
native　town　he　thought　proper　to　exaggerate　his　affected　contempt　of
life　and　his　spurious　misanthropy。　Still；　his　eyes　could　flash　with
fire　like　a　volcano　supposed　to　be　extinct；　and　he　endeavored；　by
dressing　fashionably；　to　make　up　for　the　lack　of　youth　that　might
strike　a　woman's　eye。

Horace　Bianchon；　who　wore　the　ribbon　of　the　Legion　of　Honor；　was　fat
and　burly；　as　beseems　a　fashionable　physician；　with　a　patriarchal　air；
his　hair　thick　and　long；　a　prominent　brow；　the　frame　of　a　hard　worker；
and　the　calm　expression　of　a　philosopher。　This　somewhat　prosaic
personality　set　off　his　more　frivolous　companion　to　advantage。



The　two　great　men　remained　unrecognized　during　a　whole　morning　at　the
inn　where　they　had　put　up；　and　it　was　only　by　chance　that　Monsieur　de
Clagny　heard　of　their　arrival。　Madame　de　la　Baudraye；　in　despair　at
this；　despatched　Gatien　Boirouge；　who　had　no　vineyards；　to　beg　the　two
gentlemen　to　spend　a　few　days　at　the　Chateau　d'Anzy。　For　the　last　year
Dinah　had　played　the　chatelaine；　and　spent　the　winter　only　at　La
Baudraye。　Monsieur　Gravier；　the　Public　Prosecutor；　the　Presiding
Judge；　and　Gatien　Boirouge　combined　to　give　a　banquet　to　the