the muse of the department-第3章

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coiffe/；　as　they　say　in　Le　Berry。　And　if　the　Cardinal　was　delighted　to
receive　Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye；　Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye　was　even
better　pleased　to　receive　a　wife　from　the　hands　of　the　Cardinal。　The
little　gentleman　only　demanded　of　His　Eminence　a　formal　promise　to
support　his　claims　with　the　President　of　the　Council　to　enable　him　to
recover　his　debts　from　the　Duc　de　Navarreins　〃and　others〃　by　a　lien　on
their　indemnities。　This　method；　however；　seemed　to　the　able　Minister
then　occupying　the　Pavillon　Marsan　rather　too　sharp　practice；　and　he
gave　the　vine…owner　to　understand　that　his　business　should　be　attended
to　all　in　good　time。

It　is　easy　to　imagine　the　excitement　produced　in　the　Sancerre　district
by　the　news　of　Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye's　imprudent　marriage。

〃It　is　quite　intelligible；〃　said　President　Boirouge；　〃the　little　man
was　very　much　startled；　as　I　am　told；　at　hearing　that　handsome　young
Milaud；　the　Attorney…General's　deputy　at　Nevers；　say　to　Monsieur　de
Clagny　as　they　were　looking　at　the　turrets　of　La　Baudraye；　'That　will
be　mine　some　day。''But；'　says　Clagny；　'he　may　marry　and　have
children。''Impossible！'So　you　may　imagine　how　such　a　changeling　as
little　La　Baudraye　must　hate　that　colossal　Milaud。〃

There　was　at　Nevers　a　plebeian　branch　of　the　Milauds；　which　had　grown
so　rich　in　the　cutlery　trade　that　the　present　representative　of　that
branch　had　been　brought　up　to　the　civil　service；　in　which　he　had
enjoyed　the　patronage　of　Marchangy；　now　dead。

It　will　be　as　well　to　eliminate　from　this　story；　in　which　moral
developments　play　the　principal　part；　the　baser　material　interests
which　alone　occupied　Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye；　by　briefly　relating　the
results　of　his　negotiations　in　Paris。　This　will　also　throw　light　on
certain　mysterious　phenomena　of　contemporary　history；　and　the
underground　difficulties　in　matters　of　politics　which　hampered　the
Ministry　at　the　time　of　the　Restoration。



The　promises　of　Ministers　were　so　illusory　that　Monsieur　de　la
Baudraye　determined　on　going　to　Paris　at　the　time　when　the　Cardinal's
presence　was　required　there　by　the　sitting　of　the　Chambers。

This　is　how　the　Duc　de　Navarreins；　the　principal　debtor　threatened　by
Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye；　got　out　of　the　scrape。

The　country　gentleman；　lodging　at　the　Hotel　de　Mayence；　Rue　Saint…
Honore；　near　the　Place　Vendome；　one　morning　received　a　visit　from　a
confidential　agent　of　the　Ministry；　who　was　an　expert　in　〃winding　up〃
business。　This　elegant　personage；　who　stepped　out　of　an　elegant　cab；
and　was　dressed　in　the　most　elegant　style；　was　requested　to　walk　up　to
No。　3that　is　to　say；　to　the　third　floor；　to　a　small　room　where　he
found　his　provincial　concocting　a　cup　of　coffee　over　his　bedroom　fire。

〃Is　it　to　Monsieur　Milaud　de　la　Baudraye　that　I　have　the　honor〃

〃Yes；〃　said　the　little　man；　draping　himself　in　his　dressing…gown。

After　examining　this　garment；　the　illicit　offspring　of　an　old　chine
wrapper　of　Madame　Piedefer's　and　a　gown　of　the　late　lamented　Madame　de
la　Baudraye；　the　emissary　considered　the　man；　the　dressing…gown；　and
the　little　stove　on　which　the　milk　was　boiling　in　a　tin　saucepan；　as
so　homogeneous　and　characteristic；　that　he　deemed　it　needless　to　beat
about　the　bush。

〃I　will　lay　a　wager；　monsieur；〃　said　he；　audaciously；　〃that　you　dine
for　forty　sous　at　Hurbain's　in　the　Palais　Royal。〃

〃Pray；　why？〃

〃Oh；　I　know　you；　having　seen　you　there；〃　replied　the　Parisian　with
perfect　gravity。　〃All　the　princes'　creditors　dine　there。　You　know　that
you　recover　scarcely　ten　per　cent　on　debts　from　these　fine　gentlemen。
I　would　not　give　you　five　per　cent　on　a　debt　to　be　recovered　from　the
estate　of　the　late　Duc　d'Orleansnor　even；〃　he　added　in　a　low　voice
〃from　MONSIEUR。〃

〃So　you　have　come　to　buy　up　the　bills？〃　said　La　Baudraye；　thinking
himself　very　clever。

〃Buy　them！〃　said　his　visitor。　〃Why；　what　do　you　take　me　for？　I　am
Monsieur　des　Lupeaulx；　Master　of　Appeals；　Secretary…General　to　the
Ministry；　and　I　have　come　to　propose　an　arrangement。〃

〃What　is　that？〃

〃Of　course；　monsieur；　you　know　the　position　of　your　debtor〃

〃Of　my　debtors〃

〃Well；　monsieur；　you　understand　the　position　of　your　debtors；　they
stand　high　in　the　King's　good　graces；　but　they　have　no　money；　and　are
obliged　to　make　a　good　show。Again；　you　know　the　difficulties　of　the
political　situation。　The　aristocracy　has　to　be　rehabilitated　in　the
face　of　a　very　strong　force　of　the　third　estate。　The　King's　ideaand
France　does　him　scant　justiceis　to　create　a　peerage　as　a　national
institution　analogous　to　the　English　peerage。　To　realize　this　grand
idea　we　need　yearsand　millions。/Noblesse　oblige/。　The　Duc　de
Navarreins；　who　is；　as　you　know；　first　gentleman　of　the　Bedchamber　to
the　King；　does　not　repudiate　his　debt；　but　he　cannotNow；　be
reasonable。Consider　the　state　of　politics。　We　are　emerging　from　the
pit　of　the　Revolution。and　you　yourself　are　nobleHe　simply　cannot
pay〃

〃Monsieur〃

〃You　are　hasty；〃　said　des　Lupeaulx。　〃Listen。　He　cannot　pay　in　money。
Well；　then；　you；　a　clever　man；　can　take　payment　in　favorsRoyal　or
Ministerial。〃

〃What！　When　in　1793　my　father　put　down　one　hundred　thousand〃

〃My　dear　sir；　recrimination　is　useless。　Listen　to　a　simple　statement
in　political　arithmetic：　The　collectorship　at　Sancerre　is　vacant；　a
certain　paymaster…general　of　the　forces　has　a　claim　on　it；　but　he　has
no　chance　of　getting　it；　you　have　the　chanceand　no　claim。　You　will
get　the　place。　You　will　hold　it　for　three　months；　you　will　then
resign；　and　Monsieur　Gravier　will　give　twenty　thousand　francs　for　it。
In　addition；　the　Order　of　the　Legion　of　Honor　will　be　conferred　on
you。〃

〃Well；　that　is　something；〃　said　the　wine…grower；　tempted　by　the　money
rather　than　by　the　red　ribbon。

〃But　then；〃　said　des　Lupeaulx；　〃you　must　show　your　gratitude　to　His
Excellency　by　restoring　to　Monseigneur　the　Duc　de　Navarreins　all　your
claims　on　him。〃

La　Baudraye　returned　to　Sancerre　as　Collector　of　Taxes。　Six　months
later　he　was　superseded　by　Monsieur　Gravier；　regarded　as　one　of　the
most　agreeable　financiers　who　had　served　under　the　Empire；　and　who　was
of　course　presented　by　Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye　to　his　wife。

As　soon　as　he　was　released　from　his　functions；　Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye
returned　to　Paris　to　come　to　an　understanding　with　some　other　debtors。
This　time　he　was　made　a　Referendary　under　the　Great　Seal；　Baron；　and
Officer　of　the　Legion　of　Honor。　He　sold　the　appointment　as
Referendary；　and　then　the　Baron　de　la　Baudraye　called　on　his　last
remaining　debtors；　and　reappeared　at　Sancerre　as　Master　of　Appeals；
with　an　appointment　as　Royal　Commissioner　to　a　commercial　association
established　in　the　Nivernais；　at　a　salary　of　six　thousand　francs；　an
absolute　sinecure。　So　the　worthy　La　Baudraye；　who　was　supposed　to　have
committed　a　financial　blunder；　had；　in　fact；　done　very　good　business
in　the　choice　of　a　wife。

Thanks　to　sordid　economy　and　an　indemnity　paid　him　for　the　estate
belonging　to　his　father；　nationalized　and　sold　in　1793；　by　the　year
1827　the　little　man　could　realize　the　dream　of　his　whole　life。　By
paying　four　hundred　thousand　francs　down；　and　binding　himself　to
further　instalments；　which　compelled　him　to　live　for　six　years　on　the
air　as　it　came；　to　use　his　own　expression；　he　was　able　to　purchase　the
estate　of　Anzy　on　the　banks　of　the　Loire；　about　two　leagues　above
Sancerre；　and　its　magnificent　castle　built　by　Philibert　de　l'Orme；　the
admiration　of　every　connoisseur；　and　for　five　centuries　the　property
of　the　Uxelles　family。　At　last　he　was　one　of　the　great　landowners　of
the　province！　It　is　not　absolutely　certain　that　the　satisfaction　of
knowing　that　an　entail　had　been　created；　by　letters　patent　dated　back
to　December　1820；　including　the　estates　of　Anzy；　of　La　Baudraye；　and
of　La　Hautoy；　was　any　compensation　to　Dinah　on　finding　herself　reduced
to　unconfessed　penuriousness　till　1835。

This　sketch　of　the　financial　policy　of　the　first　Baron　de　la　Baudraye
explains　the　man　completely。　Those　who　are　familiar　with　the　manias　of
country　folks　will　recognize　in　him　the　/land…hunger/　which　becomes
such　a　consuming　passion　to　the　exclusion　of　every　other；　a　sort　of
avarice　displayed　i