the muse of the department-第29章

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Lousteau　lived　by　his　pen。

In　this　century；　especially　since　the　triumph　of　the　/bourgeoisie/
the　commonplace；　money…saving　citizenwho　takes　good　care　not　to
imitate　Francis　I。　or　Louis　XIV。to　live　by　the　pen　is　a　form　of
penal　servitude　to　which　a　galley…slave　would　prefer　death。　To　live　by
the　pen　means　to　createto　create　to…day；　and　to…morrow；　and
incessantlyor　to　seem　to　create；　and　the　imitation　costs　as　dear　as
the　reality。　So；　besides　his　daily　contribution　to　a　newspaper；　which
was　like　the　stone　of　Sisyphus；　and　which　came　every　Monday；　crashing
down　on　to　the　feather　of　his　pen；　Etienne　worked　for　three　or　four
literary　magazines。　Still；　do　not　be　alarmed；　he　put　no　artistic
conscientiousness　into　his　work。　This　man　of　Sancerre　had　a　facility；
a　carelessness；　if　you　call　it　so；　which　ranked　him　with　those　writers
who　are　mere　scriveners；　literary　hacks。　In　Paris；　in　our　day；　hack…
work　cuts　a　man　off　from　every　pretension　to　a　literary　position。　When
he　can　do　no　more；　or　no　longer　cares　for　advancement；　the　man　who　can
write　becomes　a　journalist　and　a　hack。

The　life　he　leads　is　not　unpleasing。　Blue…stockings；　beginners　in
every　walk　of　life；　actresses　at　the　outset　or　the　close　of　a　career；
publishers　and　authors；　all　make　much　of　these　writers　of　the　ready
pen。　Lousteau；　a　thorough　man　about　town；　lived　at　scarcely　any
expense　beyond　paying　his　rent。　He　had　boxes　at　all　the　theatres；　the
sale　of　the　books　he　reviewed　or　left　unreviewed　paid　for　his　gloves；
and　he　would　say　to　those　authors　who　published　at　their　own　expense；
〃I　have　your　book　always　in　my　hands！〃　He　took　toll　from　vanity　in　the
form　of　drawings　or　pictures。　Every　day　had　its　engagements　to　dinner；
every　night　its　theatre；　every　morning　was　filled　up　with　callers；
visits；　and　lounging。　His　serial　in　the　paper；　two　novels　a　year　for
weekly　magazines；　and　his　miscellaneous　articles　were　the　tax　he　paid
for　this　easy…going　life。　And　yet；　to　reach　this　position；　Etienne　had
struggled　for　ten　years。

At　the　present　time；　known　to　the　literary　world；　liked　for　the　good
or　the　mischief　he　did　with　equally　facile　good　humor；　he　let　himself
float　with　the　stream；　never　caring　for　the　future。　He　ruled　a　little
set　of　newcomers；　he　had　friendshipsor　rather；　habits　of　fifteen
years'　standing；　and　men　with　whom　he　supped；　and　dined；　and　indulged
his　wit。　He　earned　from　seven　to　eight　hundred　francs　a　month；　a　sum
which　he　found　quite　insufficient　for　the　prodigality　peculiar　to　the
impecunious。　Indeed；　Lousteau　found　himself　now　just　as　hard　up　as
when；　on　first　appearing　in　Paris；　he　had　said　to　himself；　〃If　I　had
but　five　hundred　francs　a　month；　I　should　be　rich！〃

The　cause　of　this　phenomenon　was　as　follows：　Lousteau　lived　in　the　Rue
des　Martyrs　in　pretty　ground…floor　rooms　with　a　garden；　and　splendidly
furnished。　When　he　settled　there　in　1833　he　had　come　to　an　agreement
with　an　upholsterer　that　kept　his　pocket　money　low　for　a　long　time。
These　rooms　were　let　for　twelve　hundred　francs。　The　months　of　January；
April；　July；　and　October　were；　as　he　phrased　it；　his　indigent　months。
The　rent　and　the　porter's　account　cleaned　him　out。　Lousteau　took　no
fewer　hackney　cabs；　spend　a　hundred　francs　in　breakfasts　all　the　same；
smoked　thirty　francs'　worth　of　cigars；　and　could　never　refuse　the
mistress　of　a　day　a　dinner　or　a　new　dress。　He　thus　dipped　so　deeply
into　the　fluctuating　earnings　of　the　following　months；　that　he　could
no　more　find　a　hundred　francs　on　his　chimney…piece　now；　when　he　was
making　seven　or　eight　hundred　francs　a　month；　than　he　could　in　1822；
when　he　was　hardly　getting　two　hundred。

Tired；　sometimes；　by　the　incessant　vicissitudes　of　a　literary　life；
and　as　much　bored　by　amusement　as　a　courtesan；　Lousteau　would　get　out
of　the　tideway　and　sit　on　the　bank；　and　say　to　one　and　another　of　his
intimate　alliesNathan　or　Bixiou；　as　they　sat　smoking　in　his　scrap　of
garden；　looking　out　on　an　evergreen　lawn　as　big　as　a　dinner…table：

〃What　will　be　the　end　of　us？　White　hairs　are　giving　us　respectful
hints！〃

〃Lord！　we　shall　marry　when　we　choose　to　give　as　much　thought　to　the
matter　as　we　give　to　a　drama　or　a　novel；〃　said　Nathan。

〃And　Florine？〃　retorted　Bixiou。

〃Oh；　we　all　have　a　Florine；〃　said　Etienne；　flinging　away　the　end　of
his　cigar　and　thinking　of　Madame　Schontz。

Madame　Schontz　was　a　pretty　enough　woman　to　put　a　very　high　price　on
the　interest　on　her　beauty；　while　reserving　absolute　ownership　for
Lousteau；　the　man　of　her　heart。　Like　all　those　women　who　get　the　name
in　Paris　of　/Lorettes/；　from　the　Church　of　Notre　Dame　de　Lorette；
round　about　which　they　dwell；　she　lived　in　the　Rue　Flechier；　a　stone's
throw　from　Lousteau。　This　lady　took　a　pride　and　delight　in　teasing　her
friends　by　boasting　of　having　a　Wit　for　her　lover。

These　details　of　Lousteau's　life　and　fortune　are　indispensable；　for
this　penury　and　this　bohemian　existence　of　a　man　to　whom　Parisian
luxury　had　become　a　necessity；　were　fated　to　have　a　cruel　influence　on
Dinah's　life。　Those　to　whom　the　bohemia　of　Paris　is　familiar　will　now
understand　how　it　was　that；　by　the　end　of　a　fortnight；　the　journalist；
up　to　his　ears　in　the　literary　environment；　could　laugh　about　his
Baroness　with　his　friends　and　even　with　Madame　Schontz。　To　such
readers　as　regard　such　things　as　utterly　mean；　it　is　almost　useless　to
make　excuses　which　they　will　not　accept。

〃What　did　you　do　at　Sancerre？〃　asked　Bixiou　the　first　time　he　met
Lousteau。

〃I　did　good　service　to　three　worthy　provincialsa　Receiver…General　of
Taxes；　a　little　cousin　of　his；　and　a　Public　Prosecutor；　who　for　ten
years　had　been　dancing　round　and　round　one　of　the　hundred　'Tenth
Muses'　who　adorn　the　Departments；〃　said　he。　〃But　they　had　no　more
dared　to　touch　her　than　we　touch　a　decorated　cream　at　dessert　till
some　strong…minded　person　has　made　a　hole　in　it。〃

〃Poor　boy！〃　said　Bixiou。　〃I　said　you　had　gone　to　Sancerre　to　turn
Pegasus　out　to　grass。〃

〃Your　joke　is　as　stupid　as　my　Muse　is　handsome；〃　retorted　Lousteau。
〃Ask　Bianchon；　my　dear　fellow。〃

〃A　Muse　and　a　Poet！　A　homoeopathic　cure　then！〃　said　Bixiou。

On　the　tenth　day　Lousteau　received　a　letter　with　the　Sancerre　post…
mark。

〃Good！　very　good！〃　said　Lousteau。

〃　'Beloved　friend；　idol　of　my　heart　and　soul'　twenty　pages　of　it！
all　at　one　sitting；　and　dated　midnight！　She　writes　when　she　finds
herself　alone。　Poor　woman！　Ah；　ha！　And　a　postscript

〃　'I　dare　not　ask　you　to　write　to　me　as　I　write；　every　day；　still；　I
hope　to　have　a　few　lines　from　my　dear　one　every　week；　to　relieve　my
mind。'What　a　pity　to　burn　it　all！　it　is　really　well　written；〃　said
Lousteau　to　himself；　as　he　threw　the　ten　sheets　of　paper　into　the　fire
after　having　read　them。　〃That　woman　was　born　to　reel　off　copy！〃

Lousteau　was　not　much　afraid　of　Madame　Schontz；　who　really　loved　him
for　himself；　but　he　had　supplanted　a　friend　in　the　heart　of　a
Marquise。　This　Marquise；　a　lady　nowise　coy；　sometimes　dropped　in
unexpectedly　at　his　rooms　in　the　evening；　arriving　veiled　in　a　hackney
coach；　and　she；　as　a　literary　woman；　allowed　herself　to　hunt　through
all　his　drawers。

A　week　later；　Lousteau；　who　hardly　remembered　Dinah；　was　startled　by
another　budget　from　Sancerreeight　leaves；　sixteen　pages！　He　heard　a
woman's　step；　he　thought　it　announced　a　search　from　the　Marquise；　and
tossed　these　rapturous　and　entrancing　proofs　of　affections　into　the
fireunread！

〃A　woman's　letter！〃　exclaimed　Madame　Schontz；　as　she　came　in。　〃The
paper；　the　wax；　are　scented〃

〃Here　you　are；　sir；〃　said　a　porter　from　the　coach　office；　setting　down
two　huge　hampers　in　the　ante…room。　〃Carriage　paid。　Please　to　sign　my
book。〃

〃Carriage　paid！〃　cried　Madame　Schontz。　〃It　must　have　come　from
Sancerre。〃

〃Yes；　madame；〃　said　the　porter。

〃Your　Tenth　Muse　is　a　remarkably　intelligent　woman；〃　said　the
courtesan；　opening　one　of　the　hampers；　while　Lousteau　was　writing　his
name。　〃I　like　a　Muse　who　understands　housekeeping；　and　who　can　make
game　pies　as　well　as　blots。　And；　oh！　what　beautiful　flowers！〃　she　went
on；　opening　the　second　hamper。　〃Why；　you　could　get　none　finer　in
Paris！And　here；　and　here！　A　hare；　partridges；　half　a　roebuck！We
will　ask　your　friends　a