the muse of the department-第20章

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She　had　killed　her　husband；　as　Fualdes　was　murdered；　by　bleeding　him；
she　had　salted　the　body　and　packed　it　in　pieces　into　old　casks；
exactly　as　if　it　have　been　pork；　and　for　a　long　time　she　had　taken　a
piece　every　morning　and　thrown　it　into　the　Loire。　Her　confessor
consulted　his　superiors；　and　told　her　that　it　would　be　his　duty　to
inform　the　public　prosecutor。　The　woman　awaited　the　action　of　the　Law。
The　public　prosecutor　and　the　examining　judge；　on　examining　the
cellar；　found　the　husband's　head　still　in　pickle　in　one　of　the　casks。
'Wretched　woman；'　said　the　judge　to　the　accused；　'since　you　were　so
barbarous　as　to　throw　your　husband's　body　into　the　river；　why　did　you
not　get　rid　of　the　head？　Then　there　would　have　been　no　proof。'

〃　'I　often　tried；　monsieur；'　said　she；　'but　it　was　too　heavy。'　〃

〃Well；　and　what　became　of　the　woman？〃　asked　the　two　Parisians。

〃She　was　sentenced　and　executed　at　Tours；〃　replied　the　lawyer；　〃but
her　repentance　and　piety　had　attracted　interest　in　spite　of　her
monstrous　crime。〃

〃And　do　you　suppose；　said　Bianchon；　〃that　we　know　all　the　tragedies
that　are　played　out　behind　the　curtain　of　private　life　that　the　public
never　lifts？It　seems　to　me　that　human　justice　is　ill　adapted　to
judge　of　crimes　as　between　husband　and　wife。　It　has　every　right　to
intervene　as　the　police；　but　in　equity　it　knows　nothing　of　the　heart
of　the　matter。〃

〃The　victim　has　in　many　cases　been　for　so　long　the　tormentor；〃　said
Madame　de　la　Baudraye　guilelessly；　〃that　the　crime　would　sometimes
seem　almost　excusable　if　the　accused　could　tell　all。〃

This　reply；　led　up　to　by　Bianchon　and　by　the　story　which　Clagny　had
told；　left　the　two　Parisians　excessively　puzzled　as　to　Dinah's
position。

At　bedtime　council　was　held；　one　of　those　discussions　which　take　place
in　the　passages　of　old　country…houses　where　the　bachelors　linger；
candle　in　hand；　for　mysterious　conversations。

Monsieur　Gravier　was　now　informed　of　the　object　in　view　during　this
entertaining　evening　which　had　brought　Madame　de　la　Baudraye's
innocence　to　light。

〃But；　after　all；〃　said　Lousteau；　〃our　hostess'　serenity　may　indicate
deep　depravity　instead　of　the　most　child…like　innocence。　The　Public
Prosecutor　looks　to　me　quite　capable　of　suggesting　that　little　La
Baudraye　should　be　put　in　pickle〃

〃He　is　not　to　return　till　to…morrow；　who　knows　what　may　happen　in　the
course　of　the　night？〃　said　Gatien。

〃We　will　know！〃　cried　Monsieur　Gravier。

In　the　life　of　a　country　house　a　number　of　practical　jokes　are
considered　admissible；　some　of　them　odiously　treacherous。　Monsieur
Gravier；　who　had　seen　so　much　of　the　world；　proposed　setting　seals　on
the　door　of　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　and　of　the　Public　Prosecutor。　The
ducks　that　denounced　the　poet　Ibycus　are　as　nothing　in　comparison　with
the　single　hair　that　these　country　spies　fasten　across　the　opening　of
a　door　by　means　of　two　little　flattened　pills　of　wax；　fixed　so　high
up；　or　so　low　down；　that　the　trick　is　never　suspected。　If　the　gallant
comes　out　of　his　own　door　and　opens　the　other；　the　broken　hair　tells
the　tale。

When　everybody　was　supposed　to　be　asleep；　the　doctor；　the　journalist；
the　receiver　of　taxes；　and　Gatien　came　barefoot；　like　robbers；　and
silently　fastened　up　the　two　doors；　agreeing　to　come　again　at　five　in
the　morning　to　examine　the　state　of　the　fastenings。　Imagine　their
astonishment　and　Gatien's　delight　when　all　four；　candle　in　hand；　and
with　hardly　any　clothes　on；　came　to　look　at　the　hairs；　and　found　them
in　perfect　preservation　on　both　doors。

〃Is　it　the　same　wax？〃　asked　Monsieur　Gravier。

〃Are　they　the　same　hairs？〃　asked　Lousteau。

〃Yes；〃　replied　Gatien。

〃This　quite　alters　the　matter！〃　cried　Lousteau。　〃You　have　been　beating
the　bush　for　a　will…o'…the…wisp。〃

Monsieur　Gravier　and　Gatien　exchanged　questioning　glances　which　were
meant　to　convey；　〃Is　there　not　something　offensive　to　us　in　that
speech？　Ought　we　to　laugh　or　to　be　angry？〃

〃If　Dinah　is　virtuous；〃　said　the　journalist　in　a　whisper　to　Bianchon；
〃she　is　worth　an　effort　on　my　part　to　pluck　the　fruit　of　her　first
love。〃

The　idea　of　carrying　by　storm　a　fortress　that　had　for　nine　years　stood
out　against　the　besiegers　of　Sancerre　smiled　on　Lousteau。

With　this　notion　in　his　head；　he　was　the　first　to　go　down　and　into　the
garden；　hoping　to　meet　his　hostess。　And　this　chance　fell　out　all　the
more　easily　because　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　on　her　part　wished　to
converse　with　her　critic。　Half　such　chances　are　planned。

〃You　were　out　shooting　yesterday；　monsieur；〃　said　Madame　de　la
Baudraye。　〃This　morning　I　am　rather　puzzled　as　to　how　to　find　you　any
new　amusement；　unless　you　would　like　to　come　to　La　Baudraye；　where　you
may　study　more　of　our　provincial　life　than　you　can　see　here；　for　you
have　made　but　one　mouthful　of　my　absurdities。　However；　the　saying
about　the　handsomest　girl　in　the　world　is　not　less　true　of　the　poor
provincial　woman！〃

〃That　little　simpleton　Gatien　has；　I　suppose；　related　to　you　a　speech
I　made　simply　to　make　him　confess　that　he　adored　you；〃　said　Etienne。
〃Your　silence；　during　dinner　the　day　before　yesterday　and　throughout
the　evening；　was　enough　to　betray　one　of　those　indiscretions　which　we
never　commit　in　Paris。What　can　I　say？　I　do　not　flatter　myself　that
you　will　understand　me。　In　fact；　I　laid　a　plot　for　the　telling　of　all
those　stories　yesterday　solely　to　see　whether　I　could　rouse　you　and
Monsieur　de　Clagny　to　a　pang　of　remorse。Oh！　be　quite　easy；　your
innocence　is　fully　proved。

〃If　you　had　the　slightest　fancy　for　that　estimable　magistrate；　you
would　have　lost　all　your　value　in　my　eyes。I　love　perfection。

〃You　do　not；　you　cannot　love　that　cold；　dried…up；　taciturn　little
usurer　on　wine　casks　and　land；　who　would　leave　any　man　in　the　lurch
for　twenty…five　centimes　on　a　renewal。　Oh；　I　have　fully　recognized
Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye's　similarity　to　a　Parisian　bill…discounter；
their　nature　is　identical。At　eight…and…twenty；　handsome；　well
conducted；　and　childlessI　assure　you；　madame；　I　never　saw　the
problem　of　virtue　more　admirably　expressed。The　author　of　/Paquita　la
Sevillane/　must　have　dreamed　many　dreams！

〃I　can　speak　of　such　things　without　the　hypocritical　gloss　lent　them
by　young　men；　for　I　am　old　before　my　time。　I　have　no　illusions　left。
Can　a　man　have　any　illusions　in　the　trade　I　follow？〃

By　opening　the　game　in　this　tone；　Lousteau　cut　out　all　excursions　in
the　/Pays　de　Tendre/；　where　genuine　passion　beats　the　bush　so　long；　he
went　straight　to　the　point　and　placed　himself　in　a　position　to　force
the　offer　of　what　women　often　make　a　man　pray　for；　for　years；　witness
the　hapless　Public　Prosecutor；　to　whom　the　greatest　favor　had
consisted　in　clasping　Dinah's　hand　to　his　heart　more　tenderly　than
usual　as　they　walked；　happy　man！

And　Madame　de　la　Baudraye；　to　be　true　to　her　reputation　as　a　Superior
Woman；　tried　to　console　the　Manfred　of　the　Press　by　prophesying　such　a
future　of　love　as　he　had　not　had　in　his　mind。

〃You　have　sought　pleasure；〃　said　she；　〃but　you　have　never　loved。
Believe　me；　true　love　often　comes　late　in　life。　Remember　Monsieur　de
Gentz；　who　fell　in　love　in　his　old　age　with　Fanny　Ellsler；　and　left
the　Revolution　of　July　to　take　its　course　while　he　attended　the
dancer's　rehearsals。〃

〃It　seems　to　me　unlikely；〃　replied　Lousteau。　〃I　can　still　believe　in
love；　but　I　have　ceased　to　believe　in　woman。　There　are　in　me；　I
suppose；　certain　defects　which　hinder　me　from　being　loved；　for　I　have
often　been　thrown　over。　Perhaps　I　have　too　strong　a　feeling　for　the
ideallike　all　men　who　have　looked　too　closely　into　reality〃

Madame　de　la　Baudraye　at　last　heard　the　mind　of　a　man　who；　flung　into
the　wittiest　Parisian　circles；　represented　to　her　its　most　daring
axioms；　its　almost　artless　depravity；　its　advanced　convictions；　who；
if　he　were　not　really　superior；　acted　superiority　extremely　well。
Etienne；　performing　before　Dinah；　had　all　the　success　of　a　first
night。　/Paquita/　of　Sancerre　scented　the　storms；　the　atmosphere　of
Paris。　She　spent　one　of　the　most　delightful　days　of　her　life　with
Lousteau　and　Bianchon；　who　told　her　strange　tales　about　the　great　men
of　the　day；　the　anecdotes　which　will　some　day　form　the　/Ana/　of　o