the muse of the department-第30章

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Paris！And　here；　and　here！　A　hare；　partridges；　half　a　roebuck！We
will　ask　your　friends　and　have　a　famous　dinner；　for　Athalie　has　a
special　talent　for　dressing　venison。〃

Lousteau　wrote　to　Dinah；　but　instead　of　writing　from　the　heart；　he　was
clever。　The　letter　was　all　the　more　insidious；　it　was　like　one　of
Mirabeau's　letters　to　Sophie。　The　style　of　a　true　lover　is
transparent。　It　is　a　clear　stream　which　allows　the　bottom　of　the　heart
to　be　seen　between　two　banks；　bright　with　the　trifles　of　existence；
and　covered　with　the　flowers　of　the　soul　that　blossom　afresh　every
day；　full　of　intoxicating　beautybut　only　for　two　beings。　As　soon　as
a　love　letter　has　any　charm　for　a　third　reader；　it　is　beyond　doubt　the
product　of　the　head；　not　of　the　heart。　But　a　woman　will　always　be
beguiled；　she　always　believes　herself　to　be　the　determining　cause　of
this　flow　of　wit。

By　the　end　of　December　Lousteau　had　ceased　to　read　Dinah's　letters；
they　lay　in　a　heap　in　a　drawer　of　his　chest　that　was　never　locked；
under　his　shirts；　which　they　scented。

Then　one　of　those　chances　came　to　Lousteau　which　such　bohemians　ought
to　clutch　by　every　hair。　In　the　middle　of　December；　Madame　Schontz；
who　took　a　real　interest　in　Etienne；　sent　to　beg　him　to　call　on　her
one　morning　on　business。

〃My　dear　fellow；　you　have　a　chance　of　marrying。〃

〃I　can　marry　very　often；　happily；　my　dear。〃

〃When　I　say　marrying；　I　mean　marrying　well。　You　have　no　prejudices：　I
need　not　mince　matters。　This　is　the　position：　A　young　lady　has　got
into　trouble；　her　mother　knows　nothing　of　even　a　kiss。　Her　father　is
an　honest　notary；　a　man　of　honor；　he　has　been　wise　enough　to　keep　it
dark。　He　wants　to　get　his　daughter　married　within　a　fortnight；　and　he
will　give　her　a　fortune　of　a　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　francsfor　he
has　three　other　children；　butand　it　is　not　a　bad　ideahe　will　add　a
hundred　thousand　francs；　under　the　rose；　hand　to　hand；　to　cover　the
damages。　They　are　an　old　family　of　Paris　citizens；　Rue　des
Lombards〃

〃Well；　then；　why　does　not　the　lover　marry　her？〃

〃Dead。〃

〃What　a　romance！　Such　things　are　nowhere　to　be　heard　of　but　in　the　Rue
des　Lombards。〃

〃But　do　not　take　it　into　your　head　that　a　jealous　brother　murdered　the
seducer。　The　young　man　died　in　the　most　commonplace　way　of　a　pleurisy
caught　as　he　came　out　of　the　theatre。　A　head…clerk　and　penniless；　the
man　entrapped　the　daughter　in　order　to　marry　into　the　businessA
judgment　from　heaven；　I　call　it！〃

〃Where　did　you　hear　the　story？〃

〃From　Malaga；　the　notary　is　her　/milord/。〃

〃What；　Cardot；　the　son　of　that　little　old　man　in　hair…powder；
Florentine's　first　friend？〃

〃Just　so。　Malaga；　whose　'fancy'　is　a　little　tomtit　of　a　fiddler　of
eighteen；　cannot　in　conscience　make　such　a　boy　marry　the　girl。
Besides；　she　has　no　cause　to　do　him　an　ill　turn。Indeed；　Monsieur
Cardot　wants　a　man　of　thirty　at　least。　Our　notary；　I　feel　sure；　will
be　proud　to　have　a　famous　man　for　his　son…in…law。　So　just　feel
yourself　all　over。You　will　pay　your　debts；　you　will　have　twelve
thousand　francs　a　year；　and　be　a　father　without　any　trouble　on　your
part；　what　do　you　say　to　that　to　the　good？　And；　after　all；　you　only
marry　a　very　consolable　widow。　There　is　an　income　of　fifty　thousand
francs　in　the　house；　and　the　value　of　the　connection；　so　in　due　time
you　may　look　forward　to　not　less　than　fifteen　thousand　francs　a　year
more　for　your　share；　and　you　will　enter　a　family　holding　a　fine
political　position；　Cardot　is　the　brother…in…law　of　old　Camusot；　the
depute　who　lived　so　long　with　Fanny　Beaupre。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Lousteau；　〃old　Camusot　married　little　Daddy　Cardot's
eldest　daughter；　and　they　had　high　times　together！〃

〃Well！〃　Madame　Schontz　went　on；　〃and　Madame　Cardot；　the　notary's　wife；
was　a　Chiffrevillemanufacturers　of　chemical　products；　the
aristocracy　of　these　days！　Potash；　I　tell　you！　Still；　this　is　the
unpleasant　side　of　the　matter。　You　will　have　a　terrible　mother…in…law；
a　woman　capable　of　killing　her　daughter　if　she　knew！　This　Cardot
woman　is　a　bigot；　she　has　lips　like　two　faded　narrow　pink　ribbons。

〃A　man　of　the　town　like　you　would　never　pass　muster　with　that　woman；
who；　in　her　well…meaning　way；　will　spy　out　your　bachelor　life　and　know
every　fact　of　the　past。　However；　Cardot　says　he　means　to　exert　his
paternal　authority。　The　poor　man　will　be　obliged　to　do　the　civil　to
his　wife　for　some　days；　a　woman　made　of　wood；　my　dear　fellow；　Malaga；
who　has　seen　her；　calls　her　a　penitential　scrubber。　Cardot　is　a　man　of
forty；　he　will　be　mayor　of　his　district；　and　perhaps　be　elected
deputy。　He　is　prepared　to　give　in　lieu　of　the　hundred　thousand　francs
a　nice　little　house　in　the　Rue　Saint…Lazare；　with　a　forecourt　and　a
garden；　which　cost　him　no　more　than　sixty　thousand　at　the　time　of　the
July　overthrow；　he　would　sell；　and　that　would　be　an　opportunity　for
you　to　go　and　come　at　the　house；　to　see　the　daughter；　and　be　civil　to
the　mother。And　it　would　give　you　a　look　of　property　in　Madame
Cardot's　eyes。　You　would　be　housed　like　a　prince　in　that　little
mansion。　Then；　by　Camusot's　interest；　you　may　get　an　appointment　as
librarian　to　some　public　office　where　there　is　no　library。Well；　and
then　if　you　invest　your　money　in　backing　up　a　newspaper；　you　will　get
ten　thousand　francs　a　year　on　it；　you　can　earn　six；　your　librarianship
will　bring　you　in　four。Can　you　do　better　for　yourself？

〃If　you　were　to　marry　a　lamb　without　spot；　it　might　be　a　light　woman
by　the　end　of　two　years。　What　is　the　damage？an　anticipated　dividend！
It　is　quite　the　fashion。

〃Take　my　word　for　it；　you　can　do　no　better　than　come　to　dine　with
Malaga　to…morrow。　You　will　meet　your　father…in…law；　he　will　know　the
secret　has　been　let　outby　Malaga；　with　whom　he　cannot　be　angryand
then　you　are　master　of　the　situation。　As　to　your　wife！Why　her
misconduct　leaves　you　as　free　as　a　bachelor〃

〃Your　language　is　as　blunt　as　a　cannon　ball。〃

〃I　love　you　for　your　own　sake；　that　is　alland　I　can　reason。　Well！
why　do　you　stand　there　like　a　wax　image　of　Abd…el…Kader？　There　is
nothing　to　meditate　over。　Marriage　is　heads　or　tailswell；　you　have
tossed　heads　up。〃

〃You　shall　have　my　reply　to…morrow；〃　said　Lousteau。

〃I　would　sooner　have　it　at　once；　Malaga　will　write　you　up　to…night。〃

〃Well；　then；　yes。〃

Lousteau　spent　the　evening　in　writing　a　long　letter　to　the　Marquise；
giving　her　the　reasons　which　compelled　him　to　marry；　his　constant
poverty；　the　torpor　of　his　imagination；　his　white　hairs；　his　moral　and
physical　exhaustionin　short；　four　pages　of　arguments。〃As　to　Dinah；
I　will　send　her　a　circular　announcing　the　marriage；〃　said　he　to
himself。　〃As　Bixiou　says；　I　have　not　my　match　for　knowing　how　to　dock
the　tail　of　a　passion。〃

Lousteau；　who　at　first　had　been　on　some　ceremony　with　himself；　by　next
day　had　come　to　the　point　of　dreading　lest　the　marriage　should　not
come　off。　He　was　pressingly　civil　to　the　notary。

〃I　knew　monsieur　your　father；〃　said　he；　〃at　Florentine's；　so　I　may
well　know　you　here；　at　Mademoiselle　Turquet's。　Like　father；　like　son。
A　very　good　fellow　and　a　philosopher；　was　little　Daddy　Cardotexcuse
me；　we　always　called　him　so。　At　that　time；　Florine；　Florentine；
Tullia；　Coralie；　and　Mariette　were　the　five　fingers　of　your　hand；　so
to　speakit　is　fifteen　years　ago。　My　follies；　as　you　may　suppose；　are
a　thing　of　the　past。In　those　days　it　was　pleasure　that　ran　away　with
me；　now　I　am　ambitious；　but；　in　our　day；　to　get　on　at　all　a　man　must
be　free　from　debt；　have　a　good　income；　a　wife；　and　a　family。　If　I　pay
taxes　enough　to　qualify　me；　I　may　be　a　deputy　yet；　like　any　other
man。〃

Maitre　Cardot　appreciated　this　profession　of　faith。　Lousteau　had　laid
himself　out　to　please　and　the　notary　liked　him；　feeling　himself　more
at　his　ease；　as　may　be　easily　imagined；　with　a　man　who　had　known　his
father's　secrets　than　he　would　have　been　with　another。　On　the
following　day　Lousteau　was　introduced　to　the　Cardot　family　as　the
purchaser　of　the　house　in　the　Rue　Saint…Lazare；　and　three　days　later
he　dined　there。

Cardot　lived　in　an　old　house　near　the　Place　du　Chatelet。　In　this　house
everything　was　〃good。〃　Economy　covered　every　scrap　of　gilding　with
green　gauze；　all　the　furniture　wore　holland　covers。　Though