the muse of the department-第25章

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puts　into　a　cage；　and　to　whom　she　shows　herself　every　night　in　the
arms　of　her　lover；　will　kill　herand　do　you　call　that　revenge？Our
laws　and　our　society　are　far　more　cruel。〃

〃Why；　little　La　Baudraye　is　talking！〃　said　Monsieur　Boirouge　to　his
wife。

〃Why；　the　woman　is　left　to　live　on　a　small　allowance；　the　world　turns
its　back　on　her；　she　has　no　more　finery；　and　no　respect　paid　herthe
two　things　which；　in　my　opinion；　are　the　sum…total　of　woman；〃　said　the
little　old　man。

〃But　she　has　happiness！〃　said　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　sententiously。

〃No；〃　said　the　master　of　the　house；　lighting　his　candle　to　go　to　bed；
〃for　she　has　a　lover。〃

〃For　a　man　who　thinks　of　nothing　but　his　vine…stocks　and　poles；　he　has
some　spunk；〃　said　Lousteau。

〃Well；　he　must　have　something！〃　replied　Bianchon。

Madame　de　la　Baudraye；　the　only　person　who　could　hear　Bianchon's
remark；　laughed　so　knowingly；　and　at　the　same　time　so　bitterly；　that
the　physician　could　guess　the　mystery　of　this　woman's　life；　her
premature　wrinkles　had　been　puzzling　him　all　day。

But　Dinah　did　not　guess；　on　her　part；　the　ominous　prophecy　contained
for　her　in　her　husband's　little　speech；　which　her　kind　old　Abbe　Duret；
if　he　had　been　alive；　would　not　have　failed　to　elucidate。　Little　La
Baudraye　had　detected　in　Dinah's　eyes；　when　she　glanced　at　the
journalist　returning　the　ball　of　his　jests；　that　swift　and　luminous
flash　of　tenderness　which　gilds　the　gleam　of　a　woman's　eye　when
prudence　is　cast　to　the　winds；　and　she　is　fairly　carried　away。　Dinah
paid　no　more　heed　to　her　husband's　hint　to　her　to　observe　the
proprieties　than　Lousteau　had　done　to　Dinah's　significant　warnings　on
the　day　of　his　arrival。

Any　other　man　than　Bianchon　would　have　been　surprised　at　Lousteau's
immediate　success；　but　he　was　so　much　the　doctor；　that　he　was　not　even
nettled　at　Dinah's　marked　preference　for　the　newspaper…rather　than　the
prescription…writer！　In　fact；　Dinah；　herself　famous；　was　naturally
more　alive　to　wit　than　to　fame。　Love　generally　prefers　contrast　to
similitude。　Everything　was　against　the　physicianhis　frankness；　his
simplicity；　and　his　profession。　And　this　is　why：　Women　who　want　to
loveand　Dinah　wanted　to　love　as　much　as　to　be　lovedhave　an
instinctive　aversion　for　men　who　are　devoted　to　an　absorbing
occupation；　in　spite　of　superiority；　they　are　all　women　in　the　matter
of　encroachment。　Lousteau；　a　poet　and　journalist；　and　a　libertine　with
a　veneer　of　misanthropy；　had　that　tinsel　of　the　intellect；　and　led　the
half…idle　life　that　attracts　women。　The　blunt　good　sense　and　keen
insight　of　the　really　great　man　weighed　upon　Dinah；　who　would　not
confess　her　own　smallness　even　to　herself。　She　said　in　her　mind〃The
doctor　is　perhaps　the　better　man；　but　I　do　not　like　him。〃

Then；　again；　she　reflected　on　his　professional　duties；　wondering
whether　a　woman　could　ever　be　anything　but　a　/subject/　to　a　medical
man；　who　saw　so　many　subjects　in　the　course　of　a　day's　work。　The　first
sentence　of　the　aphorism　written　by　Bianchon　in　her　album　was　a
medical　observation　striking　so　directly　at　woman；　that　Dinah　could
not　fail　to　be　hit　by　it。　And　then　Bianchon　was　leaving　on　the　morrow；
his　practice　required　his　return。　What　woman；　short　of　having　Cupid's
mythological　dart　in　her　heart；　could　decide　in　so　short　a　time？

These　little　things；　which　lead　to　such　great　catastropheshaving
been　seen　in　a　mass　by　Bianchon；　he　pronounced　the　verdict　he　had　come
to　as　to　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　in　a　few　words　to　Lousteau；　to　the
journalist's　great　amazement。

While　the　two　friends　stood　talking　together；　a　storm　was　gathering　in
the　Sancerre　circle；　who　could　not　in　the　least　understand　Lousteau's
paraphrases　and　commentaries；　and　who　vented　it　on　their　hostess。　Far
from　finding　in　his　talk　the　romance　which　the　Public　Prosecutor；　the
Sous…prefet；　the　Presiding　Judge；　and　his　deputy；　Lebas；　had
discovered　thereto　say　nothing　of　Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye　and　Dinah
the　ladies　now　gathered　round　the　tea…table；　took　the　matter　as　a
practical　joke；　and　accused　the　Muse　of　Sancerre　of　having　a　finger　in
it。　They　had　all　looked　forward　to　a　delightful　evening；　and　had　all
strained　in　vain　every　faculty　of　their　mind。　Nothing　makes　provincial
folks　so　angry　as　the　notion　of　having　been　a　laughing…stock　for　Paris
folks。

Madame　Piedefer　left　the　table　to　say　to　her　daughter；　〃Do　go　and　talk
to　the　ladies；　they　are　quite　annoyed　by　your　behavior。〃

Lousteau　could　not　fail　to　see　Dinah's　great　superiority　over　the　best
women　of　Sancerre；　she　was　better　dressed；　her　movements　were
graceful；　her　complexion　was　exquisitely　white　by　candlelightin
short；　she　stood　out　against　this　background　of　old　faces；　shy　and
ill…dressed　girls；　like　a　queen　in　the　midst　of　her　court。　Visions　of
Paris　faded　from　his　brain；　Lousteau　was　accepting　the　provincial
surroundings；　and　while　he　had　too　much　imagination　to　remain
unimpressed　by　the　royal　splendor　of　this　chateau；　the　beautiful
carvings；　and　the　antique　beauty　of　the　rooms；　he　had　also　too　much
experience　to　overlook　the　value　of　the　personality　which　completed
this　gem　of　the　Renaissance。　So　by　the　time　the　visitors　from　Sancerre
had　taken　their　leave　one　by　onefor　they　had　an　hour's　drive　before
themwhen　no　one　remained　in　the　drawing…room　but　Monsieur　de　Clagny；
Monsieur　Lebas；　Gatien；　and　Monsieur　Gravier；　who　were　all　to　sleep　at
Anzythe　journalist　had　already　changed　his　mind　about　Dinah。　His
opinion　had　gone　through　the　evolution　that　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　had
so　audaciously　prophesied　at　their　first　meeting。

〃Ah；　what　things　they　will　say　about　us　on　the　drive　home！〃　cried　the
mistress　of　the　house；　as　she　returned　to　the　drawing…room　after
seeing　the　President　and　the　Presidente　to　their　carriage　with　Madame
and　Mademoiselle　Popinot…Chandier。

The　rest　of　the　evening　had　its　pleasant　side。　In　the　intimacy　of　a
small　party　each　one　brought　to　the　conversation　his　contribution　of
epigrams　on　the　figure　the　visitors　from　Sancerre　had　cut　during
Lousteau's　comments　on　the　paper　wrapped　round　the　proofs。

〃My　dear　fellow；〃　said　Bianchon　to　Lousteau　as　they　went　to　bedthey
had　an　enormous　room　with　two　beds　in　it〃you　will　be　the　happy　man
of　this　woman's　choice/nee/　Piedefer！〃

〃Do　you　think　so？〃

〃It　is　quite　natural。　You　are　supposed　here　to　have　had　many
mistresses　in　Paris；　and　to　a　woman　there　is　something　indescribably
inviting　in　a　man　whom　other　women　favorsomething　attractive　and
fascinating；　is　it　that　she　prides　herself　on　being　longer　remembered
than　all　the　rest？　that　she　appeals　to　his　experience；　as　a　sick　man
will　pay　more　to　a　famous　physician？　or　that　she　is　flattered　by　the
revival　of　a　world…worn　heart？〃

〃Vanity　and　the　senses　count　for　so　much　in　love　affairs；〃　said
Lousteau；　〃that　there　may　be　some　truth　in　all　those　hypotheses。
However；　if　I　remain；　it　will　be　in　consequence　of　the　certificate　of
innocence；　without　ignorance；　that　you　have　given　Dinah。　She　is
handsome；　is　she　not？〃

〃Love　will　make　her　beautiful；〃　said　the　doctor。　〃And；　after　all；　she
will　be　a　rich　widow　some　day　or　other！　And　a　child　would　secure　her
the　life…interest　in　the　Master　of　La　Baudraye's　fortune〃

〃Why；　it　is　quite　an　act　of　virtue　to　make　love　to　her；〃　said
Lousteau；　rolling　himself　up　in　the　bed…clothes；　〃and　to…morrow；　with
your　helpyes；　to…morrow；　Iwell；　good…night。〃

On　the　following　day；　Madame　de　la　Baudraye；　to　whom　her　husband　had
six　months　since　given　a　pair　of　horses；　which　he　also　used　in　the
fields；　and　an　old　carriage　that　rattled　on　the　road；　decided　that　she
would　take　Bianchon　so　far　on　his　way　as　Cosne；　where　he　would　get
into　the　Lyons　diligence　as　it　passed　through。　She　also　took　her
mother　and　Lousteau；　but　she　intended　to　drop　her　mother　at　La
Baudraye；　to　go　on　to　Cosne　with　the　two　Parisians；　and　return　alone
with　Etienne。　She　was　elegantly　dressed；　as　the　journalist　at　once
perceivedbronze　kid　boots；　gray　silk　stockings；　a　muslin　dress；　a
green　silk　scarf　with　shaded　fringe　at　the　ends；　and　a　pretty　black
lace　bonnet　with　flowers　in　it。　As　to　Lousteau；　the　wretch　had　assumed
his　war…paintpatent　leather　boots；　trousers　of　English　kerseymere