the muse of the department-第14章
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your heads so much about each other； you waste your time in
frivolities。〃
Horace Bianchon looked at Etienne Lousteau； as much as to say that
newspaper epigrams and the satire of the 〃funny column〃 were
incomprehensible at Sancerre。
On reaching a copse； Monsieur Gravier left the two great men and
Gatien； under the guidance of a keeper； to make their way through a
little ravine。
〃Well； we must wait for Monsieur Gravier；〃 said Bianchon； when they
had reached a clearing。
〃You may be a great physician；〃 said Gatien； 〃but you are ignorant of
provincial life。 You mean to wait for Monsieur Gravier？By this time
he is running like a hare； in spite of his little round stomach； he is
within twenty minutes of Anzy by now〃 Gatien looked at his watch。
〃Good！ he will be just in time。〃
〃Where？〃
〃At the chateau for breakfast；〃 replied Gatien。 〃Do you suppose I
could rest easy if Madame de la Baudraye were alone with Monsieur de
Clagny？ There are two of them now； they will keep an eye on each
other。 Dinah will be well guarded。〃
〃Ah； ha！ Then Madame de la Baudraye has not yet made up her mind？〃
said Lousteau。
〃So mamma thinks。 For my part； I am afraid that Monsieur de Clagny has
at last succeeded in bewitching Madame de la Baudraye。 If he has been
able to show her that he had any chance of putting on the robes of the
Keeper of the Seals； he may have hidden his moleskin complexion； his
terrible eyes； his touzled mane； his voice like a hoarse crier's； his
bony figure； like that of a starveling poet； and have assumed all the
charms of Adonis。 If Dinah sees Monsieur de Clagny as Attorney…
General； she may see him as a handsome youth。 Eloquence has great
privileges。Besides； Madame de la Baudraye is full of ambition。 She
does not like Sancerre； and dreams of the glories of Paris。〃
〃But what interest have you in all this？〃 said Lousteau。 〃If she is in
love with the Public Prosecutor！Ah！ you think she will not love him
for long； and you hope to succeed him。〃
〃You who live in Paris；〃 said Gatien； 〃meet as many different women as
there are days in the year。 But at Sancerre； where there are not half
a dozen； and where； of those six； five set up for the most extravagant
virtue； when the handsomest of them all keeps you at an infinite
distance by looks as scornful as though she were of the blood royal； a
young man of two…and…twenty may surely be allowed to make a guess at
her secrets； since she must then treat him with some consideration。〃
〃Consideration！ So that is what you call it in these parts？〃 said the
journalist with a smile。
〃I should suppose Madame de la Baudraye to have too much good taste to
trouble her head about that ugly ape；〃 said Bianchon。
〃Horace；〃 said Lousteau； 〃look here； O learned interpreter of human
nature； let us lay a trap for the Public Prosecutor； we shall be doing
our friend Gatien a service； and get a laugh out of it。 I do not love
Public Prosecutors。〃
〃You have a keen intuition of destiny；〃 said Horace。 〃But what can we
do？〃
〃Well； after dinner we will tell sundry little anecdotes of wives
caught out by their husbands； killed； murdered under the most terrible
circumstances。Then we shall see the faces that Madame de la Baudraye
and de Clagny will make。〃
〃Not amiss！〃 said Bianchon； 〃one or the other must surely； by look or
gesture〃
〃I know a newspaper editor；〃 Lousteau went on； addressing Gatien；
〃who； anxious to forefend a grievous fate； will take no stories but
such as tell the tale of lovers burned； hewn； pounded； or cut to
pieces； of wives boiled； fried； or baked； he takes them to his wife to
read； hoping that sheer fear will keep her faithfulsatisfied with
that humble alternative； poor man！ 'You see； my dear； to what the
smallest error may lead you！' says he； epitomizing Arnolfe's address
to Agnes。〃
〃Madame de la Baudraye is quite guiltless； this youth sees double；〃
said Bianchon。 〃Madame Piedefer seems to me far too pious to invite
her daughter's lover to the Chateau d'Anzy。 Madame de la Baudraye
would have to hoodwink her mother； her husband； her maid； and her
mother's maid； that is too much to do。 I acquit her。〃
〃Well with more reason because her husband never 'quits her；' 〃 said
Gatien； laughing at his own wit。
〃We can easily remember two or three stories that will make Dinah
quake；〃 said Lousteau。 〃Young manand you too； Bianchonlet me beg
you to maintain a stern demeanor； be thorough diplomatists； an easy
manner without exaggeration； and watch the faces of the two criminals；
you know； without seeming to do soout of the corner of your eye； or
in a glass； on the sly。 This morning we will hunt the hare； this
evening we will hunt the Public Prosecutor。〃
The evening began with a triumph for Lousteau； who returned the album
to the lady with this elegy written in it：
SPLEEN
You ask for verse from me； the feeble prey
Of this self…seeking world； a waif and stray
With none to whom to cling；
From meunhappy； purblind； hopeless devil！
Who e'en in what is good see only evil
In any earthly thing！
This page； the pastime of a dame so fair；
May not reflect the shadow of my care；
For all things have their place。
Of love； to ladies bright； the poet sings；
Of joy； and balls； and dress； and dainty things
Nay； or of God and Grace。
It were a bitter jest to bid the pen
Of one so worn with life； so hating men；
Depict a scene of joy。
Would you exult in sight to one born blind；
Orcruel！ of a mother's love remind
Some hapless orphan boy？
When cold despair has gripped a heart still fond；
When there is no young heart that will respond
To it in love； the future is a lie。
If there is none to weep when he is sad；
And share his woe； a man were better dead！
And so I soon must die。
Give me your pity！ often I blaspheme
The sacred name of God。 Does it not seem
That I was born in vain？
Why should I bless him？ Or why thank Him； since
He might have made me handsome； rich； a prince
And I am poor and plain？
ETIENNE LOUSTEAU。
September 1836； Chateau d'Anzy。
〃And you have written those verses since yesterday？〃 cried Clagny in a
suspicious tone。
〃Dear me； yes； as I was following the game； it is only too evident！ I
would gladly have done something better for madame。〃
〃The verses are exquisite！〃 cried Dinah； casting up her eyes to
heaven。
〃They are； alas！ the expression of a too genuine feeling；〃 replied
Lousteau； in a tone of deep dejection。
The reader will； of course； have guessed that the journalist had
stored these lines in his memory for ten years at least； for he had
written them at the time of the Restoration in disgust at being unable
to get on。 Madame de la Baudraye gazed at him with such pity as the
woes of genius inspire； and Monsieur de Clagny； who caught her
expression； turned in hatred against this sham /Jeune Malade/ （the
name of an Elegy written by Millevoye）。 He sat down to backgammon with
the cure of Sancerre。 The Presiding Judge's son was so extremely
obliging as to place a lamp near the two players in such a way as that
the light fell full on Madame de la Baudraye； who took up her work；
she was embroidering in coarse wool a wicker…plait paper…basket。 The
three conspirators sat close at hand。
〃For whom are you decorating that pretty basket； madame？〃 said
Lousteau。 〃For some charity lottery； perhaps？〃
〃No；〃 she said； 〃I think there is too much display in charity done to
the sound of a trumpet。〃
〃You are very indiscreet；〃 said Monsieur Gravier。
〃Can there be any indiscretion；〃 said Lousteau； 〃in inquiring who the
happy mortal may be in whose room that basket is to stand？〃
〃There is no happy mortal in the case；〃 said Dinah； 〃it is for
Monsieur de la Baudraye。〃
The Public Prosecutor looked slily at Madame de la Baudraye and her
work； as if he had said to himself； 〃I have lost my paper…basket！〃
〃Why； madame； may we not think him happy in having a lovely wife；
happy in her decorating his paper…baskets so charmingly？ The colors
are red and black； like Robin Goodfellow。 If ever I marry； I only hope
that twelve years after； my wife's embroidered baskets may s
