the muse of the department-第13章

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Switzerland；　and　Germany；　but　in　France；　as　in　every　country　where
there　is　but　one　capital；　a　dead　level　of　manners　must　necessarily
result　from　centralization。〃

〃Then　you　would　say　that　manners　could　only　recover　their
individuality　and　native　distinction　by　the　formation　of　a　federation
of　French　states　into　one　empire？〃　said　Lousteau。

〃That　is　hardly　to　be　wished；　for　France　would　have　to　conquer　too
many　countries；〃　said　Bianchon。

〃This　misfortune　is　unknown　in　England；〃　exclaimed　Dinah。　〃London　does
not　exert　such　tyranny　as　that　by　which　Paris　oppresses　Francefor
which；　indeed；　French　ingenuity　will　at　last　find　a　remedy；　however；
it　has　a　worse　disease　in　its　vile　hypocrisy；　which　is　a　far　greater
evil！〃

〃The　English　aristocracy；〃　said　Lousteau；　hastening　to　put　a　word　in；
for　he　foresaw　a　Byronic　paragraph；　〃has　the　advantage　over　ours　of
assimilating　every　form　of　superiority；　it　lives　in　the　midst　of
magnificent　parks；　it　is　in　London　for　no　more　than　two　months。　It
lives　in　the　country；　flourishing　there；　and　making　it　flourish。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Madame　de　la　Baudraye；　〃London　is　the　capital　of　trade　and
speculation　and　the　centre　of　government。　The　aristocracy　hold　a
'mote'　there　for　sixty　days　only；　it　gives　and　takes　the　passwords　of
the　day；　looks　in　on　the　legislative　cookery；　reviews　the　girls　to
marry；　the　carriages　to　be　sold；　exchanges　greetings；　and　is　away
again；　and　is　so　far　from　amusing；　that　it　cannot　bear　itself　for　more
than　the　few　days　known　as　'the　season。'　〃

〃Hence；〃　said　Lousteau；　hoping　to　stop　this　nimble　tongue　by　an
epigram；　〃in　Perfidious　Albion；　as　the　/Constitutionnel/　has　it；　you
may　happen　to　meet　a　charming　woman　in　any　part　of　the　kingdom。〃

〃But　charming　/English/　women！〃　replied　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　with　a
smile。　〃Here　is　my　mother；　I　will　introduce　you；〃　said　she；　seeing
Madame　Piedefer　coming　towards　them。

Having　introduced　the　two　Paris　lions　to　the　ambitious　skeleton　that
called　itself　woman　under　the　name　of　Madame　Piedefera　tall；　lean
personage；　with　a　red　face；　teeth　that　were　doubtfully　genuine；　and
hair　that　was　undoubtedly　dyed；　Dinah　left　her　visitors　to　themselves
for　a　few　minutes。

〃Well；〃　said　Gatien　to　Lousteau；　〃what　do　you　think　of　her？〃

〃I　think　that　the　clever　woman　of　Sancerre　is　simply　the　greatest
chatterbox；〃　replied　the　journalist。

〃A　woman　who　wants　to　see　you　deputy！〃　cried　Gatien。　〃An　angel！〃

〃Forgive　me；　I　forgot　you　were　in　love　with　her；〃　said　Lousteau。
〃Forgive　the　cynicism　of　an　old　scamp。Ask　Bianchon；　I　have　no
illusions　left。　I　see　things　as　they　are。　The　woman　has　evidently
dried　up　her　mother　like　a　partridge　left　to　roast　at　too　fierce　a
fire。〃

Gatien　de　Boirouge　contrived　to　let　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　know　what
the　journalist　had　said　of　her　in　the　course　of　the　dinner；　which　was
copious；　not　to　say　splendid；　and　the　lady　took　care　not　to　talk　too
much　while　it　was　proceeding。　This　lack　of　conversation　betrayed
Gatien's　indiscretion。　Etienne　tried　to　regain　his　footing；　but　all
Dinah's　advances　were　directed　to　Bianchon。

However；　half…way　through　the　evening；　the　Baroness　was　gracious　to
Lousteau　again。　Have　you　never　observed　what　great　meanness　may　be
committed　for　small　ends？　Thus　the　haughty　Dinah；　who　would　not
sacrifice　herself　for　a　fool；　who　in　the　depths　of　the　country　led
such　a　wretched　life　of　struggles；　of　suppressed　rebellion；　of
unuttered　poetry；　who　to　get　away　from　Lousteau　had　climbed　the
highest　and　steepest　peak　of　her　scorn；　and　who　would　not　have　come
down　if　she　had　seen　the　sham　Byron　at　her　feet；　suddenly　stepped　off
it　as　she　recollected　her　album。

Madame　de　la　Baudraye　had　caught　the　mania　for　autographs；　she
possessed　an　oblong　volume　which　deserved　the　name　of　album　better
than　most；　as　two…thirds　of　the　pages　were　still　blank。　The　Baronne　de
Fontaine；　who　had　kept　it　for　three　months；　had　with　great　difficulty
obtained　a　line　from　Rossini；　six　bars　written　by　Meyerbeer；　the　four
lines　that　Victor　Hugo　writes　in　every　album；　a　verse　from　Lamartine；
a　few　words　from　Beranger；　/Calypso　ne　pouvait　se　consoler　du　depart
d'Ulysse/　（the　first　words　of　/Telemaque/）　written　by　George　Sand；
Scribe's　famous　lines　on　the　Umbrella；　a　sentence　from　Charles　Nodier；
an　outline　of　distance　by　Jules　Dupre；　the　signature　of　David
d'Angers；　and　three　notes　written　by　Hector　Berlioz。　Monsieur　de
Clagny；　during　a　visit　to　Paris；　added　a　song　by　Lacenairea　much
coveted　autograph；　two　lines　from　Fieschi；　and　an　extremely　short　note
from　Napoleon；　which　were　pasted　on　to　pages　of　the　album。　Then
Monsieur　Gravier；　in　the　course　of　a　tour；　had　persuaded　Mademoiselle
Mars　to　write　her　name　on　this　album；　with　Mademoiselles　Georges；
Taglioni；　and　Grisi；　and　some　distinguished　actors；　such　as　Frederick
Lemaitre；　Monrose；　Bouffe；　Rubini；　Lablache；　Nourrit；　and　Arnal；　for
he　knew　a　set　of　old　fellows　brought　up　in　the　seraglio；　as　they
phrased　it；　who　did　him　this　favor。

This　beginning　of　a　collection　was　all　the　more　precious　to　Dinah
because　she　was　the　only　person　for　ten　leagues　round　who　owned　an
album。　Within　the　last　two　years；　however；　several　young　ladies　had
acquired　such　books；　in　which　they　made　their　friends　and
acquaintances　write　more　or　less　absurd　quotations　or　sentiments。　You
who　spend　your　lives　in　collecting　autographs；　simple　and　happy　souls；
like　Dutch　tulip　fanciers；　you　will　excuse　Dinah　when；　in　her　fear　of
not　keeping　her　guests　more　than　two　days；　she　begged　Bianchon　to
enrich　the　volume　she　handed　to　him　with　a　few　lines　of　his　writing。

The　doctor　made　Lousteau　smile　by　showing　him　this　sentence　on　the
first　page：

　　〃What　makes　the　populace　dangerous　is　that　it　has　in　its　pocket　an
　　absolution　for　every　crime。

J。　B。　DE　CLAGNY。〃


〃We　will　second　the　man　who　is　brave　enough　to　plead　in　favor　of　the
Monarchy；〃　Desplein's　great　pupil　whispered　to　Lousteau；　and　he　wrote
below：

　　〃The　distinction　between　Napoleon　and　a　water…carrier　is　evident
　　only　to　Society；　Nature　takes　no　account　of　it。　Thus　Democracy；
　　which　resists　inequality；　constantly　appeals　to　Nature。

H。　BIANCHON。〃


〃Ah！〃　cried　Dinah；　amazed；　〃you　rich　men　take　a　gold　piece　out　of　your
purse　as　poor　men　bring　out　a　farthing。　。　。　。　I　do　not　know；〃　she　went
on；　turning　to　Lousteau；　〃whether　it　is　taking　an　unfair　advantage　of
a　guest　to　hope　for　a　few　lines〃

〃Nay；　madame；　you　flatter　me。　Bianchon　is　a　great　man；　but　I　am　too
insignificant！Twenty　years　hence　my　name　will　be　more　difficult　to
identify　than　that　of　the　Public　Prosecutor　whose　axiom；　written　in
your　album；　will　designate　him　as　an　obscurer　Montesquieu。　And　I
should　want　at　least　twenty…four　hours　to　improvise　some　sufficiently
bitter　reflections；　for　I　could　only　describe　what　I　feel。〃

〃I　wish　you　needed　a　fortnight；〃　said　Madame　de　la　Baudraye
graciously；　as　she　handed　him　the　book。　〃I　should　keep　you　here　all
the　longer。〃



At　five　next　morning　all　the　party　in　the　Chateau　d'Anzy　were　astir；
little　La　Baudraye　having　arranged　a　day's　sport　for　the　Parisians
less　for　their　pleasure　than　to　gratify　his　own　conceit。　He　was
delighted　to　make　them　walk　over　the　twelve　hundred　acres　of　waste
land　that　he　was　intending　to　reclaim；　an　undertaking　that　would　cost
some　hundred　thousand　francs；　but　which　might　yield　an　increase　of
thirty　to　sixty　thousand　francs　a　year　in　the　returns　of　the　estate　of
Anzy。

〃Do　you　know　why　the　Public　Prosecutor　has　not　come　out　with　us？〃
asked　Gatien　Boirouge　of　Monsieur　Gravier。

〃Why　he　told　us　that　he　was　obliged　to　sit　to…day；　the　minor　cases　are
before　the　Court；〃　replied　the　other。

〃And　did　you　believe　that？〃　cried　Gatien。　〃Well；　my　papa　said　to　me；
'Monsieur　Lebas　will　not　join　you　early；　for　Monsieur　de　Clagny　has
begged　him　as　his　deputy　to　sit　for　him！'　〃

〃Indeed！〃　said　Gravier；　changing　countenance。　〃And　Monsieur　de　la
Baudraye　is　gone　to　La　Charite！〃

〃But　why　do　you　meddle　in　such　matters？〃　said　Bianchon　to　Gatien。

〃Horace　is　right；　said　Lousteau。　〃I　cannot　imagine　why　you　trouble
your　heads　so　much　about　each　other；　you　waste　your　time　in
frivolities。〃

Horace　Bianchon　looked