the muse of the department-第15章

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are　red　and　black；　like　Robin　Goodfellow。　If　ever　I　marry；　I　only　hope
that　twelve　years　after；　my　wife's　embroidered　baskets　may　still　be
for　me。〃

〃And　why　should　they　not　be　for　you？〃　said　the　lady；　fixing　her　fine
gray　eyes；　full　of　invitation；　on　Etienne's　face。

〃Parisians　believe　in　nothing；〃　said　the　lawyer　bitterly。　〃The　virtue
of　women　is　doubted　above　all　things　with　terrible　insolence。　Yes；　for
some　time　past　the　books　you　have　written；　you　Paris　authors；　your
farces；　your　dramas；　all　your　atrocious　literature；　turn　on
adultery〃

〃Come；　come；　Monsieur　the　Public　Prosecutor；〃　retorted　Etienne；
laughing；　〃I　left　you　to　play　your　game　in　peace；　I　did　not　attack
you；　and　here　you　are　bringing　an　indictment　against　me。　On　my　honor
as　a　journalist；　I　have　launched　above　a　hundred　articles　against　the
writers　you　speak　of；　but　I　confess　that　in　attacking　them　it　was　to
attempt　something　like　criticism。　Be　just；　if　you　condemn　them；　you
must　condemn　Homer；　whose　/Iliad/　turns　on　Helen　of　Troy；　you　must
condemn　Milton's　/Paradise　Lost/。　Eve　and　her　serpent　seem　to　me　a
pretty　little　case　of　symbolical　adultery；　you　must　suppress　the
Psalms　of　David；　inspired　by　the　highly　adulterous　love　affairs　of
that　Louis　XIV。　of　Judah；　you　must　make　a　bonfire　of　/Mithridate；　le
Tartuffe；　l'Ecole　des　Femmes；　Phedre；　Andromaque；　le　Mariage　de
Figaro/；　Dante's　/Inferno/；　Petrarch's　Sonnets；　all　the　works　of　Jean…
Jacques　Rousseau；　the　romances　of　the　Middle　Ages；　the　History　of
France；　and　of　Rome；　etc。；　etc。　Excepting　Bossuet's　/Histoire　des
Variations/　and　Pascal's　/Provinciales/；　I　do　not　think　there　are　many
books　left　to　read　if　you　insist　on　eliminating　all　those　in　which
illicit　love　is　mentioned。〃

〃Much　loss　that　would　be！〃　said　Monsieur　de　Clagny。

Etienne；　nettled　by　the　superior　air　assumed　by　Monsieur　de　Clagny；
wanted　to　infuriate　him　by　one　of　those　cold…drawn　jests　which　consist
in　defending　an　opinion　in　which　we　have　no　belief；　simply　to　rouse
the　wrath　of　a　poor　man　who　argues　in　good　faith；　a　regular
journalist's　pleasantry。

〃If　we　take　up　the　political　attitude　into　which　you　would　force
yourself；〃　he　went　on；　without　heeding　the　lawyer's　remark；　〃and
assume　the　part　of　Public　Prosecutor　of　all　the　agesfor　every
Government　has　its　public　ministrywell；　the　Catholic　religion　is
infected　at　its　fountain…head　by　a　startling　instance　of　illegal
union。　In　the　opinion　of　King　Herod；　and　of　Pilate　as　representing　the
Roman　Empire；　Joseph's　wife　figured　as　an　adulteress；　since；　by　her
avowal；　Joseph　was　not　the　father　of　Jesus。　The　heathen　judge　could　no
more　recognize　the　Immaculate　Conception　than　you　yourself　would　admit
the　possibility　of　such　a　miracle　if　a　new　religion　should　nowadays　be
preached　as　based　on　a　similar　mystery。　Do　you　suppose　that　a　judge
and　jury　in　a　police　court　would　give　credence　to　the　operation　of　the
Holy　Ghost！　And　yet　who　can　venture　to　assert　that　God　will　never
again　redeem　mankind？　Is　it　any　better　now　than　it　was　under
Tiberius？〃

〃Your　argument　is　blasphemy；〃　said　Monsieur　de　Clagny。

〃I　grant　it；〃　said　the　journalist；　〃but　not　with　malicious　intent。　You
cannot　suppress　historical　fact。　In　my　opinion；　Pilate；　when　he
sentenced　Jesus；　and　Anytuswho　spoke　for　the　aristocratic　party　at
Athenswhen　he　insisted　on　the　death　of　Socrates；　both　represented
established　social　interests　which　held　themselves　legitimate；
invested　with　co…operative　powers；　and　obliged　to　defend　themselves。
Pilate　and　Anytus　in　their　time　were　not　less　logical　than　the　public
prosecutors　who　demanded　the　heads　of　the　sergeants　of　La　Rochelle；
who；　at　this　day；　are　guillotining　the　republicans　who　take　up　arms
against　the　throne　as　established　by　the　revolution　of　July；　and　the
innovators　who　aim　at　upsetting　society　for　their　own　advantage　under
pretence　of　organizing　it　on　a　better　footing。　In　the　eyes　of　the
great　families　of　Greece　and　Rome；　Socrates　and　Jesus　were　criminals；
to　those　ancient　aristocracies　their　opinions　were　akin　to　those　of
the　Mountain；　and　if　their　followers　had　been　victorious；　they　would
have　produced　a　little　'ninety…three'　in　the　Roman　Empire　or　in
Attica。〃

〃What　are　you　trying　to　come　to；　monsieur？〃　asked　the　lawyer。

〃To　adultery！For　thus；　monsieur；　a　Buddhist　as　he　smokes　his　pipe
may　very　well　assert　that　the　Christian　religion　is　founded　in
adultery；　as　we　believe　that　Mahomet　is　an　impostor；　that　his　Koran　is
an　epitome　of　the　Old　Testament　and　the　Gospels；　and　that　God　never
had　the　least　intention　of　constituting　that　camel…driver　His
Prophet。〃

〃If　there　were　many　men　like　you　in　Franceand　there　are　more　than
enough；　unfortunatelyall　government　would　be　impossible。〃

〃And　there　would　be　no　religion　at　all；〃　said　Madame　Piedefer；　who　had
been　making　strangely　wry　faces　all　through　this　discussion。

〃You　are　paining　them　very　much；〃　said　Bianchon　to　Lousteau　in　an
undertone。　〃Do　not　talk　of　religion；　you　are　saying　things　that　are
enough　to　upset　them。〃

〃If　I　were　a　writer　or　a　romancer；〃　said　Monsieur　Gravier；　〃I　should
take　the　side　of　the　luckless　husbands。　I；　who　have　seen　many　things；
and　strange　things　too；　know　that　among　the　ranks　of　deceived　husbands
there　are　some　whose　attitude　is　not　devoid　of　energy；　men　who；　at　a
crisis；　can　be　very　dramatic；　to　use　one　of　your　words；　monsieur；〃　he
said；　addressing　Etienne。

〃You　are　very　right；　my　dear　Monsieur　Gravier；〃　said　Lousteau。　〃I
never　thought　that　deceived　husbands　were　ridiculous；　on　the　contrary；
I　think　highly　of　them〃

〃Do　you　not　think　a　husband's　confidence　a　sublime　thing？〃　said
Bianchon。　〃He　believes　in　his　wife；　he　does　not　suspect　her；　he　trusts
her　implicitly。　But　if　he　is　so　weak　as　to　trust　her；　you　make　game　of
him；　if　he　is　jealous　and　suspicious；　you　hate　him；　what；　then；　I　ask
you；　is　the　happy　medium　for　a　man　of　spirit？〃

〃If　Monsieur　de　Clagny　had　not　just　expressed　such　vehement
disapproval　of　the　immorality　of　stories　in　which　the　matrimonial
compact　is　violated；　I　could　tell　you　of　a　husband's　revenge；〃　said
Lousteau。

Monsieur　de　Clagny　threw　the　dice　with　a　convulsive　jerk；　and　dared
not　look　up　at　the　journalist。

〃A　story；　from　you！〃　cried　Madame　de　la　Baudraye。　〃I　should　hardly
have　dared　to　hope　for　such　a　treat〃

〃It　is　not　my　story；　madame；　I　am　not　clever　enough　to　invent　such　a
tragedy。　It　was　told　meand　how　delightfully！by　one　of　our　greatest
writers；　the　finest　literary　musician　of　our　day；　Charles　Nodier。〃

〃Well；　tell　it；〃　said　Dinah。　〃I　never　met　Monsieur　Nodier；　so　you　have
no　comparison　to　fear。〃

〃Not　long　after　the　18th　Brumaire；〃　Etienne　began；　〃there　was；　as　you
know；　a　call　to　arms　in　Brittany　and　la　Vendee。　The　First　Consul；
anxious　before　all　things　for　peace　in　France；　opened　negotiations
with　the　rebel　chiefs；　and　took　energetic　military　measures；　but；
while　combining　his　plans　of　campaign　with　the　insinuating　charm　of
Italian　diplomacy；　he　also　set　the　Machiavelian　springs　of　the　police
in　movement；　Fouche　then　being　at　its　head。　And　none　of　these　means
were　superfluous　to　stifle　the　fire　of　war　then　blaring　in　the　West。

〃At　this　time　a　young　man　of　the　Maille　family　was　despatched　by　the
Chouans　from　Brittany　to　Saumur；　to　open　communications　between
certain　magnates　of　that　town　and　its　environs　and　the　leaders　of　the
Royalist　party。　The　envoy　was；　in　fact；　arrested　on　the　very　day　he
landedfor　he　traveled　by　boat；　disguised　as　a　master　mariner。
However；　as　a　man　of　practical　intelligence；　he　had　calculated　all　the
risks　of　the　undertaking；　his　passport　and　papers　were　all　in　order；
and　the　men　told　off　to　take　him　were　afraid　of　blundering。

〃The　Chevalier　de　BeauvoirI　now　remember　his　namehad　studied　his
part　well；　he　appealed　to　the　family　whose　name　he　had　borrowed；
persisted　in　his　false　address；　and　stood　his　examination　so　boldly
that　he　would　have　been　set　at　large　but　for　the　blind　belief　that　the
spies　had　in　their　instructions；　which　were　unfortunately　only　too
minute。　In　this　dilemma　the　authorities　were　more　ready　to　risk　an
arbitrary　act　than　to　let　a　man　escape　to　whose　capture　the　Minister
attached　great　importanc