the muse of the department-第2章

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country…house　in　one；　within　ten　minutes　of　the　town；　and　in　the
village；　or；　if　you　will；　the　suburb　of　Saint…Satur。　The　La　Baudrayes
of　the　present　day　have；　as　is　frequently　the　case；　thrust　themselves
in；　and　are　but　a　substitute　for　those　La　Baudrayes　whose　name；
glorious　in　the　Crusades；　figured　in　the　chief　events　of　the　history
of　Le　Berry。

The　story　must　be　told。

In　the　time　of　Louis　XIV。　a　certain　sheriff　named　Milaud；　whose
forefathers　had　been　furious　Calvinists；　was　converted　at　the　time　of
the　Revocation　of　the　Edict　of　Nantes。　To　encourage　this　movement　in
one　of　the　strong…holds　of　Calvinism；　the　King　gave　said　Milaud　a　good
appointment　in　the　〃Waters　and　Forests；〃　granted　him　arms　and　the
title　of　Sire　（or　Lord）　de　la　Baudraye；　with　the　fief　of　the　old　and
genuine　La　Baudrayes。　The　descendants　of　the　famous　Captain　la
Baudraye　fell；　sad　to　say；　into　one　of　the　snares　laid　for　heretics　by
the　new　decrees；　and　were　hangedan　unworthy　deed　of　the　great
King's。

Under　Louis　XV。　Milaud　de　la　Baudraye；　from　being　a　mere　squire；　was
made　Chevalier；　and　had　influence　enough　to　obtain　for　his　son　a
cornet's　commission　in　the　Musketeers。　This　officer　perished　at
Fontenoy；　leaving　a　child；　to　whom　King　Louis　XVI。　subsequently
granted　the　privileges；　by　patent；　of　a　farmer…general；　in　remembrance
of　his　father's　death　on　the　field　of　battle。

This　financier；　a　fashionable　wit；　great　at　charades；　capping　verses；
and　posies　to　Chlora；　lived　in　society；　was　a　hanger…on　to　the　Duc　de
Nivernais；　and　fancied　himself　obliged　to　follow　the　nobility　into
exile；　but　he　took　care　to　carry　his　money　with　him。　Thus　the　rich
/emigre/　was　able　to　assist　more　than　one　family　of　high　rank。

In　1800；　tired　of　hoping；　and　perhaps　tired　of　lending；　he　returned　to
Sancerre；　bought　back　La　Baudraye　out　of　a　feeling　of　vanity　and
imaginary　pride；　quite　intelligible　in　a　sheriff's　grandson；　though
under　the　consulate　his　prospects　were　but　slender；　all　the　more　so；
indeed；　because　the　ex…farmer…general　had　small　hopes　of　his　heir's
perpetuating　the　new　race　of　La　Baudraye。

Jean　Athanase　Polydore　Milaud　de　la　Baudraye；　his　only　son；　more　than
delicate　from　his　birth；　was　very　evidently　the　child　of　a　man　whose
constitution　had　early　been　exhausted　by　the　excesses　in　which　rich
men　indulge；　who　then　marry　at　the　first　stage　of　premature　old　age；
and　thus　bring　degeneracy　into　the　highest　circles　of　society。　During
the　years　of　the　emigration　Madame　de　la　Baudraye；　a　girl　of　no
fortune；　chosen　for　her　noble　birth；　had　patiently　reared　this　sallow；
sickly　boy；　for　whom　she　had　the　devoted　love　mothers　feel　for　such
changeling　creatures。　Her　deathshe　was　a　Casteran　de　la　Tour
contributed　to　bring　about　Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye's　return　to　France。

This　Lucullus　of　the　Milauds；　when　he　died；　left　his　son　the　fief；
stripped　indeed　of　its　fines　and　dues；　but　graced　with　weathercocks
bearing　his　coat…of…arms；　a　thousand　louis…d'orin　1802　a
considerable　sum　of　moneyand　certain　receipts　for　claims　on　very
distinguished　/emigres/　enclosed　in　a　pocketbook　full　of　verses；　with
this　inscription　on　the　wrapper；　/Vanitas　vanitatum　et　omnia　vanitas/。

Young　La　Baudraye　did　not　die；　but　he　owed　his　life　to　habits　of
monastic　strictness；　to　the　economy　of　action　which　Fontenelle
preached　as　the　religion　of　the　invalid；　and；　above　all；　to　the　air　of
Sancerre　and　the　influence　of　its　fine　elevation；　whence　a　panorama
over　the　valley　of　the　Loire　may　be　seen　extending　for　forty　leagues。

From　1802　to　1815　young　La　Baudraye　added　several　plots　to　his
vineyards；　and　devoted　himself　to　the　culture　of　the　vine。　The
Restoration　seemed　to　him　at　first　so　insecure　that　he　dared　not　go　to
Paris　to　claim　his　debts；　but　after　Napoleon's　death　he　tried　to　turn
his　father's　collection　of　autographs　into　money；　though　not
understanding　the　deep　philosophy　which　had　thus　mixed　up　I　O　U's　and
copies　of　verses。　But　the　winegrower　lost　so　much　time　in　impressing
his　identity　on　the　Duke　of　Navarreins　〃and　others；〃　as　he　phrased　it；
that　he　came　back　to　Sancerre；　to　his　beloved　vintage；　without　having
obtained　anything　but　offers　of　service。

The　Restoration　had　raised　the　nobility　to　such　a　degree　of　lustre　as
made　La　Baudraye　wish　to　justify　his　ambitions　by　having　an　heir。　This
happy　result　of　matrimony　he　considered　doubtful；　or　he　would　not　so
long　have　postponed　the　step；　however；　finding　himself　still　above
ground　in　1823；　at　the　age　of　forty…three；　a　length　of　years　which　no
doctor；　astrologer；　or　midwife　would　have　dared　to　promise　him；　he
hoped　to　earn　the　reward　of　his　sober　life。　And　yet　his　choice　showed
such　a　lack　of　prudence　in　regard　to　his　frail　constitution；　that　the
malicious　wit　of　a　country　town　could　not　help　thinking　it　must　be　the
result　of　some　deep　calculation。

Just　at　this　time　His　Eminence；　Monseigneur　the　Archbishop　of　Bourges；
had　converted　to　the　Catholic　faith　a　young　person；　the　daughter　of
one　of　the　citizen　families；　who　were　the　first　upholders　of
Calvinism；　and　who；　thanks　to　their　obscurity　or　to　some　compromise
with　Heaven；　had　escaped　from　the　persecutions　under　Louis　XIV。　The
Piedefersa　name　that　was　obviously　one　of　the　quaint　nicknames
assumed　by　the　champions　of　the　Reformationhad　set　up　as　highly
respectable　cloth　merchants。　But　in　the　reign　of　Louis　XVI。；　Abraham
Piedefer　fell　into　difficulties；　and　at　his　death　in　1786　left　his　two
children　in　extreme　poverty。　One　of　them；　Tobie　Piedefer；　went　out　to
the　Indies；　leaving　the　pittance　they　had　inherited　to　his　elder
brother。　During　the　Revolution　Moise　Piedefer　bought　up　the
nationalized　land；　pulled　down　abbeys　and　churches　with　all　the　zeal
of　his　ancestors；　oddly　enough；　and　married　a　Catholic；　the　only
daughter　of　a　member　of　the　Convention　who　had　perished　on　the
scaffold。　This　ambitious　Piedefer　died　in　1819；　leaving　a　little　girl
of　remarkable　beauty。　This　child；　brought　up　in　the　Calvinist　faith；
was　named　Dinah；　in　accordance　with　the　custom　in　use　among　the　sect；
of　taking　their　Christian　names　from　the　Bible；　so　as　to　have　nothing
in　common　with　the　Saints　of　the　Roman　Church。

Mademoiselle　Dinah　Piedefer　was　placed　by　her　mother　in　one　of　the
best　schools　in　Bourges；　that　kept　by　the　Demoiselles　Chamarolles；　and
was　soon　as　highly　distinguished　for　the　qualities　of　her　mind　as　for
her　beauty；　but　she　found　herself　snubbed　by　girls　of　birth　and
fortune；　destined　by…and…by　to　play　a　greater　part　in　the　world　than　a
mere　plebeian；　the　daughter　of　a　mother　who　was　dependent　on　the
settlement　of　Piedefer's　estate。　Dinah；　having　raised　herself　for　the
moment　above　her　companions；　now　aimed　at　remaining　on　a　level　with
them　for　the　rest　of　her　life。　She　determined；　therefore；　to　renounce
Calvinism；　in　the　hope　that　the　Cardinal　would　extend　his　favor　to　his
proselyte　and　interest　himself　in　her　prospects。　You　may　from　this
judge　of　Mademoiselle　Dinah's　superiority；　since　at　the　age　of
seventeen　she　was　a　convert　solely　from　ambition。

The　Archbishop；　possessed　with　the　idea　that　Dinah　Piedefer　would
adorn　society；　was　anxious　to　see　her　married。　But　every　family　to
whom　the　prelate　made　advances　took　fright　at　a　damsel　gifted　with　the
looks　of　a　princess；　who　was　reputed　to　be　the　cleverest　of
Mademoiselle　Chamarolles'　pupils　and　who；　at　the　somewhat　theatrical
ceremonial　of　prize…giving；　always　took　a　leading　part。　A　thousand
crowns　a　year；　which　was　as　much　as　she　could　hope　for　from　the　estate
of　La　Hautoy　when　divided　between　the　mother　and　daughter；　would　be　a
mere　trifle　in　comparison　with　the　expenses　into　which　a　husband　would
be　led　by　the　personal　advantages　of　so　brilliant　a　creature。

As　soon　as　all　these　facts　came　to　the　ears　of　little　Polydore　de　la
Baudrayefor　they　were　the　talk　of　every　circle　in　the　Department　of
the　Cherhe　went　to　Bourges　just　when　Madame　Piedefer；　a　devotee　at
high　services；　had　almost　made　up　her　own　mind　and　her　daughter's　to
take　the　first　comer　with　well…lined　pocketsthe　first　/chien
coiffe/；　as　they　say　in　Le　Berry。　And　if　the　Cardinal　was　delighted　to
receive　Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye；　Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye　was　ev