the muse of the department-第32章

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〃At　last；　Etienne；　my　dearest；　I　am　yours　for　life！〃　cried　Dinah；
throwing　her　arms　round　his　neck；　and　clasping　him　closely；　while　he
took　the　key　from　the　outside　of　the　door。　〃Life　is　a　perpetual
anguish　to　me　in　that　house　at　Anzy。　I　could　bear　it　no　longer；　and
when　the　time　came　for　me　to　proclaim　my　happinesswell；　I　had　not
the　courage。Here　I　am；　your　wife　with　your　child！　And　you　have　not
written　to　me；　you　have　left　me　two　months　without　a　line。〃

〃But；　Dinah；　you　place　me　in　the　greatest　difficulty〃

〃Do　you　love　me？〃

〃How　can　I　do　otherwise　than　love　you？But　would　you　not　have　been
wiser　to　remain　at　Sancerre？I　am　in　the　most　abject　poverty；　and　I
fear　to　drag　you　into　it〃

〃Your　misery　will　be　paradise　to　me。　I　only　ask　to　live　here；　never　to
go　out〃

〃Good　God！　that　is　all　very　fine　in　words；　but〃　Dinah　sat　down　and
melted　into　tears　as　she　heard　this　speech；　roughly　spoken。

Lousteau　could　not　resist　this　distress。　He　clasped　the　Baroness　in
his　arms　and　kissed　her。

〃Do　not　cry；　Didine！〃　said　he；　and；　as　he　uttered　the　words；　he　saw　in
the　mirror　the　figure　of　Madame　Cardot；　looking　at　him　from　the
further　end　of　the　rooms。　〃Come；　Didine；　go　with　Pamela　and　get　your
trunks　unloaded；〃　said　he　in　her　ear。　〃Go；　do　not　cry；　we　will　be
happy！〃

He　led　her　to　the　door；　and　then　came　back　to　divert　the　storm。

〃Monsieur；〃　said　Madame　Cardot；　〃I　congratulate　myself　on　having
resolved　to　see　for　myself　the　home　of　the　man　who　was　to　have　been　my
son…in…law。　If　my　daughter　were　to　die　of　it；　she　should　never　be　the
wife　of　such　a　man　as　you。　You　must　devote　yourself　to　making　your
Didine　happy；　monsieur。〃

And　the　virtuous　lady　walked　out；　followed　by　Felicie；　who　was　crying
too；　for　she　had　become　accustomed　to　Etienne。　The　dreadful　Madame
Cardot　got　into　her　hackney…coach　again；　staring　insolently　at　the
hapless　Dinah；　in　whose　heart　the　sting　still　rankled　of　〃that　is　all
very　fine　in　words〃；　but　who；　nevertheless；　like　every　woman　in　love；
believed　in　the　murmured；　〃Do　not　cry；　Didine！〃

Lousteau；　who　was　not　lacking　in　the　sort　of　decision　which　grows　out
of　the　vicissitudes　of　a　storm…tossed　life；　reflected　thus：

〃Didine　is　high…minded；　when　once　she　knows　of　my　proposed　marriage；
she　will　sacrifice　herself　for　my　future　prospects；　and　I　know　how　I
can　manage　to　let　her　know。〃　Delighted　at　having　hit　on　a　trick　of
which　the　success　seemed　certain；　he　danced　round　to　a　familiar　tune：

〃/Larifla；　fla；　fla！/And　Didine　once　out　of　the　way；〃　he　went　on；
talking　to　himself；　〃I　will　treat　Maman　Cardot　to　a　call　and　a
novelette：　I　have　seduced　her　Felicie　at　Saint…EustacheFelicie；
guilty　through　passion；　bears　in　her　bosom　the　pledge　of　our　affection
and　/larifla；　fla；　fla！/　the　father　/Ergo/；　the　notary；　his　wife；
and　his　daughter　are　caught；　nabbed〃

And；　to　her　great　amazement；　Dinah　discovered　Etienne　performing　a
prohibited　dance。

〃Your　arrival　and　our　happiness　have　turned　my　head　with　joy；〃　said
he；　to　explain　this　crazy　mood。

〃And　I　had　fancied　you　had　ceased　to　love　me！〃　exclaimed　the　poor
woman；　dropping　the　handbag　she　was　carrying；　and　weeping　with　joy　as
she　sank　into　a　chair。

〃Make　yourself　at　home；　my　darling；〃　said　Etienne；　laughing　in　his
sleeve；　〃I　must　write　two　lines　to　excuse　myself　from　a　bachelor
party；　for　I　mean　to　devote　myself　to　you。　Give　your　orders；　you　are
at　home。〃

Etienne　wrote　to　Bixiou：

　　〃MY　DEAR　BOY；My　Baroness　has　dropped　into　my　arms；　and　will　be
　　fatal　to　my　marriage　unless　we　perform　one　of　the　most　familiar
　　stratagems　of　the　thousand　and　one　comedies　at　the　Gymnase。　I　rely
　　on　you　to　come　here；　like　one　of　Moliere's　old　men；　to　scold　your
　　nephew　Leandre　for　his　folly；　while　the　Tenth　Muse　lies　hidden　in
　　my　bedroom；　you　must　work　on　her　feelings；　strike　hard；　be　brutal；
　　offensive。　I；　you　understand；　shall　express　my　blind　devotion；　and
　　shall　seem　to　be　deaf；　so　that　you　may　have　to　shout　at　me。

　　〃Come；　if　you　can；　at　seven　o'clock。

〃Yours；
〃E。　LOUSTEAU。〃


Having　sent　this　letter　by　a　commissionaire　to　the　man　who；　in　all
Paris；　most　delighted　in　such　practical　jokesin　the　slang　of
artists；　a　/〃charge〃/Lousteau　made　a　great　show　of　settling　the　Muse
of　Sancerre　in　his　apartment。　He　busied　himself　in　arranging　the
luggage　she　had　brought；　and　informed　her　as　to　the　persons　and　ways
of　the　house　with　such　perfect　good　faith；　and　a　glee　which　overflowed
in　kind　words　and　caresses；　that　Dinah　believed　herself　the　best…
beloved　woman　in　the　world。　These　rooms；　where　everything　bore　the
stamp　of　fashion；　pleased　her　far　better　than　her　old　chateau。

Pamela　Migeon；　the　intelligent　damsel　of　fourteen；　was　questioned　by
the　journalist　as　to　whether　she　would　like　to　be　waiting…maid　to　the
imposing　Baroness。　Pamela；　perfectly　enchanted；　entered　on　her　duties
at　once；　by　going　off　to　order　dinner　from　a　restaurant　on　the
boulevard。　Dinah　was　able　to　judge　of　the　extreme　poverty　that　lay
hidden　under　the　purely　superficial　elegance　of　this　bachelor　home
when　she　found　none　of　the　necessaries　of　life。　As　she　took　possession
of　the　closets　and　drawers；　she　indulged　in　the　fondest　dreams；　she
would　alter　Etienne's　habits；　she　would　make　him　home…keeping；　she
would　fill　his　cup　of　domestic　happiness。

The　novelty　of　the　position　hid　its　disastrous　side；　Dinah　regarded
reciprocated　love　as　the　absolution　of　her　sin；　she　did　not　yet　look
beyond　the　walls　of　these　rooms。　Pamela；　whose　wits　were　as　sharp　as
those　of　a　/lorette/；　went　straight　to　Madame　Schontz　to　beg　the　loan
of　some　plate；　telling　her　what　had　happened　to　Lousteau。　After　making
the　child　welcome　to　all　she　had；　Madame　Schontz　went　off　to　her
friend　Malaga；　that　Cardot　might　be　warned　of　the　catastrophe　that　had
befallen　his　future　son…in…law。

The　journalist；　not　in　the　least　uneasy　about　the　crisis　as　affecting
his　marriage；　was　more　and　more　charming　to　the　lady　from　the
provinces。　The　dinner　was　the　occasion　of　the　delightful　child's…play
of　lovers　set　at　liberty；　and　happy　to　be　free。　When　they　had　had
their　coffee；　and　Lousteau　was　sitting　in　front　of　the　fire；　Dinah　on
his　knee；　Pamela　ran　in　with　a　scared　face。

〃Here　is　Monsieur　Bixiou！〃　said　she。

〃Go　into　the　bedroom；〃　said　the　journalist　to　his　mistress；　〃I　will
soon　get　rid　of　him。　He　is　one　of　my　most　intimate　friends；　and　I
shall　have　to　explain　to　him　my　new　start　in　life。〃

〃Oh；　ho！　dinner　for　two；　and　a　blue　velvet　bonnet！〃　cried　Bixiou。　〃I
am　off。Ah！　that　is　what　comes　of　marryingone　must　go　through　some
partings。　How　rich　one　feels　when　one　begins　to　move　one's　sticks；
heh？〃

〃Who　talks　of　marrying？〃　said　Lousteau。

〃What！　are　you　not　going　to　be　married；　then？〃　cried　Bixiou。

〃No！〃

〃No？　My　word；　what　next？　Are　you　making　a　fool　of　yourself；　if　you
please？What！You；　who；　by　the　mercy　of　Heaven；　have　come　across
twenty　thousand　francs　a　year；　and　a　house；　and　a　wife　connected　with
all　the　first　families　of　the　better　middle　classa　wife；　in　short；
out　of　the　Rue　des　Lombards〃

〃That　will　do；　Bixiou；　enough；　it　is　at　an　end。　Be　off！〃

〃Be　off？　I　have　a　friend's　privileges；　and　I　shall　take　every
advantage　of　them。What　has　come　over　you？〃

〃What　has　'come　over'　me　is　my　lady　from　Sancerre。　She　is　a　mother；
and　we　are　going　to　live　together　happily　to　the　end　of　our　days。You
would　have　heard　it　to…morrow；　so　you　may　as　well　be　told　it　now。〃

〃Many　chimney…pots　are　falling　on　my　head；　as　Arnal　says。　But　if　this
woman　really　loves　you；　my　dear　fellow；　she　will　go　back　to　the　place
she　came　from。　Did　any　provincial　woman　ever　yet　find　her　sea…legs　in
Paris？　She　will　wound　all　your　vanities。　Have　you　forgotten　what　a
provincial　is？　She　will　bore　you　as　much　when　she　is　happy　as　when　she
is　sad；　she　will　have　as　great　a　talent　for　escaping　grace　as　a
Parisian　has　in　inventing　it。

〃Lousteau；　listen　to　me。　That　a　passion　should　lead　you　to　forget　to
some　extent　the　times　in　which　we　live；　is　conceivable；　but　I；　my　dear
fellow；　have　not　the　mythological　bandage　over　my　eyes。Well；　then
consider　your　position。　For　fifteen　years　you　have　been　tossing　in　the
literary　world；　you　are　no　longer　youn