the muse of the department-第33章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


consider　your　position。　For　fifteen　years　you　have　been　tossing　in　the
literary　world；　you　are　no　longer　young；　you　have　padded　the　hoof　till
your　soles　are　worn　through！Yes；　my　boy；　you　turn　your　socks　under
like　a　street　urchin　to　hide　the　holes；　so　that　the　legs　cover　the
heels！　In　short；　the　joke　is　too　stale。　Your　excuses　are　more　familiar
than　a　patent　medicine〃

〃I　may　say　to　you；　like　the　Regent　to　Cardinal　Dubois；　'That　is
kicking　enough！'　〃　said　Lousteau；　laughing。

〃Oh；　venerable　young　man；〃　replied　Bixiou；　〃the　iron　has　touched　the
sore　to　the　quick。　You　are　worn　out；　aren't　you？　Well；　then；　in　the
heyday　of　youth；　under　the　pressure　of　penury；　what　have　you　done？　You
are　not　in　the　front　rank；　and　you　have　not　a　thousand　francs　of　your
own。　That　is　the　sum…total　of　the　situation。　Can　you；　in　the　decline
of　your　powers；　support　a　family　by　your　pen；　when　your　wife；　if　she
is　an　honest　woman；　will　not　have　at　her　command　the　resources　of　the
woman　of　the　streets；　who　can　extract　her　thousand…franc　note　from　the
depths　where　milord　keeps　it　safe？　You　are　rushing　into　the　lowest
depths　of　the　social　theatre。

〃And　this　is　only　the　financial　side。　Now；　consider　the　political
position。　We　are　struggling　in　an　essentially　/bourgeois/　age；　in
which　honor；　virtue；　high…mindedness；　talent；　learninggenius；　in
short；　is　summed　up　in　paying　your　way；　owing　nobody　anything；　and
conducting　your　affairs　with　judgment。　Be　steady；　be　respectable；　have
a　wife；　and　children；　pay　your　rent　and　taxes；　serve　in　the　National
Guard；　and　be　on　the　same　pattern　as　all　the　men　of　your　companythen
you　may　indulge　in　the　loftiest　pretensions；　rise　to　the　Ministry！
and　you　have　the　best　chances　possible；　since　you　are　no　Montmorency。
You　were　preparing　to　fulfil　all　the　conditions　insisted　on　for
turning　out　a　political　personage；　you　are　capable　of　every　mean　trick
that　is　necessary　in　office；　even　of　pretending　to　be　commonplaceyou
would　have　acted　it　to　the　life。　And　just　for　a　woman；　who　will　leave
you　in　the　lurchthe　end　of　every　eternal　passionin　three；　five；　or
seven　yearsafter　exhausting　your　last　physical　and　intellectual
powers；　you　turn　your　back　on　the　sacred　Hearth；　on　the　Rue　des
Lombards；　on　a　political　career；　on　thirty　thousand　francs　per　annum；
on　respectability　and　respect！Ought　that　to　be　the　end　of　a　man　who
has　done　with　illusions？

〃If　you　had　kept　a　pot　boiling　for　some　actress　who　gave　you　your　fun
for　itwell；　that　is　what　you　may　call　a　cabinet　matter。　But　to　live
with　another　man's　wife？　It　is　a　draft　at　sight　on　disaster；　it　is
bolting　the　bitter　pills　of　vice　with　none　of　the　gilding。〃

〃That　will　do。　One　word　answers　it　all；　I　love　Madame　de　la　Baudraye；
and　prefer　her　to　every　fortune；　to　every　position　the　world　can
offer。I　may　have　been　carried　away　by　a　gust　of　ambition；　but
everything　must　give　way　to　the　joy　of　being　a　father。〃

〃Ah；　ha！　you　have　a　fancy　for　paternity？　But；　wretched　man；　we　are　the
fathers　only　of　our　legitimate　children。　What　is　a　brat　that　does　not
bear　your　name？　The　last　chapter　of　the　romance。Your　child　will　be
taken　from　you！　We　have　seen　that　story　in　twenty　plays　these　ten
years　past。

〃Society；　my　dear　boy；　will　drop　upon　you　sooner　or　later。　Read
/Adolphe/　once　more。Dear　me！　I　fancy　I　can　see　you　when　you　and　she
are　used　to　each　other；I　see　you　dejected；　hang…dog；　bereft　of
position　and　fortune；　and　fighting　like　the　shareholders　of　a　bogus
company　when　they　are　tricked　by　a　director！Your　director　is
happiness。〃

〃Say　no　more；　Bixiou。〃

〃But　I　have　only　just　begun；〃　said　Bixiou。　〃Listen；　my　dear　boy。
Marriage　has　been　out　of　favor　for　some　time　past；　but；　apart　from　the
advantages　it　offers　in　being　the　only　recognized　way　of　certifying
heredity；　as　it　affords　a　good…looking　young　man；　though　penniless；
the　opportunity　of　making　his　fortune　in　two　months；　it　survives　in
spite　of　disadvantages。　And　there　is　not　the　man　living　who　would　not
repent；　sooner　or　later；　of　having；　by　his　own　fault；　lost　the　chance
of　marrying　thirty　thousand　francs　a　year。〃

〃You　won't　understand　me；〃　cried　Lousteau；　in　a　voice　of　exasperation。
〃Go　awayshe　is　there〃

〃I　beg　your　pardon；　why　did　you　not　tell　me　sooner？You　are　of　age；
and　so　is　she；〃　he　added　in　a　lower　voice；　but　loud　enough　to　be　heard
by　Dinah。　〃She　will　make　you　repent　bitterly　of　your　happiness！〃

〃If　it　is　a　folly；　I　intend　to　commit　it。Good…bye。〃

〃A　man　gone　overboard！〃　cried　Bixiou。

〃Devil　take　those　friends　who　think　they　have　a　right　to　preach　to
you；〃　said　Lousteau；　opening　the　door　of　the　bedroom；　where　he　found
Madame　de　la　Baudraye　sunk　in　an　armchair　and　dabbing　her　eyes　with　an
embroidered　handkerchief。

〃Oh；　why　did　I　come　here？〃　sobbed　she。　〃Good　Heavens；　why　indeed？
Etienne；　I　am　not　so　provincial　as　you　think　me。You　are　making　a
fool　of　me。〃

〃Darling　angel；〃　replied　Lousteau；　taking　Dinah　in　his　arms；　lifting
her　from　her　chair；　and　dragging　her　half　dead　into　the　drawing…room；
〃we　have　both　pledged　our　future；　it　is　sacrifice　for　sacrifice。　While
I　was　loving　you　at　Sancerre；　they　were　engaging　me　to　be　married
here；　but　I　refused。Oh！　I　was　extremely　distressed〃

〃I　am　going；〃　cried　Dinah；　starting　wildly　to　her　feet　and　turning　to
the　door。

〃You　will　stay　here；　my　Didine。　All　is　at　an　end。　And　is　this　fortune
so　lightly　earned　after　all？　Must　I　not　marry　a　gawky；　tow…haired
creature；　with　a　red　nose；　the　daughter　of　a　notary；　and　saddle　myself
with　a　stepmother　who　could　give　Madame　de　Piedefer　points　on　the
score　of　bigotry〃

Pamela　flew　in；　and　whispered　in　Lousteau's　ear：

〃Madame　Schontz！〃

Lousteau　rose；　leaving　Dinah　on　the　sofa；　and　went　out。

〃It　is　all　over　with　you；　my　dear；〃　said　the　woman。　〃Cardot　does　not
mean　to　quarrel　with　his　wife　for　the　sake　of　a　son…in…law。　The　lady
made　a　scenesomething　like　a　scene；　I　can　tell　you！　So；　to　conclude；
the　head…clerk；　who　was　the　late　head…clerk's　deputy　for　two　years；
agrees　to　take　the　girl　with　the　business。〃

〃Mean　wretch！〃　exclaimed　Lousteau。　〃What！　in　two　hours　he　has　made　up
his　mind？〃

〃Bless　me；　that　is　simple　enough。　The　rascal；　who　knew　all　the　dead
man's　little　secrets；　guessed　what　a　fix　his　master　was　in　from
overhearing　a　few　words　of　the　squabble　with　Madame　Cardot。　The　notary
relies　on　your　honor　and　good　feeling；　for　the　affair　is　settled。　The
clerk；　whose　conduct　has　been　admirable；　went　so　far　as　to　attend
mass！　A　finished　hypocrite；　I　sayjust　suits　the　mamma。　You　and
Cardot　will　still　be　friends。　He　is　to　be　a　director　in　an　immense
financial　concern；　and　he　may　be　of　use　to　you。So　you　have　been
waked　from　a　sweet　dream。〃

〃I　have　lost　a　fortune；　a　wife；　and〃

〃And　a　mistress；〃　said　Madame　Schontz；　smiling。　〃Here　you　are；　more
than　married；　you　will　be　insufferable；　you　will　be　always　wanting　to
get　home；　there　will　be　nothing　loose　about　you；　neither　your　clothes
nor　your　habits。　And；　after　all；　my　Arthur　does　things　in　style。　I
will　be　faithful　to　him　and　cut　Malaga's　acquaintance。

〃Let　me　peep　at　her　through　the　dooryour　Sancerre　Muse；〃　she　went
on。　〃Is　there　no　finer　bird　than　that　to　be　found　in　the　desert？〃　she
exclaimed。　〃You　are　cheated！　She　is　dignified；　lean；　lachrymose；　she
only　needs　Lady　Dudley's　turban！〃

〃What　is　it　now？〃　asked　Madame　de　la　Baudraye；　who　had　heard　the
rustle　of　a　silk　dress　and　the　murmur　of　a　woman's　voice。

〃It　is；　my　darling；　that　we　are　now　indissolubly　united。I　have　just
had　an　answer　to　the　letter　you　saw　me　write；　which　was　to　break　off
my　marriage〃

〃So　that　was　the　party　which　you　gave　up？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Oh；　I　will　be　more　than　your　wifeI　am　your　slave；　I　give　you　my
life；〃　said　the　poor　deluded　creature。　〃I　did　not　believe　I　could　love
you　more　than　I　did！Now　I　shall　not　be　a　mere　incident；　but　your
whole　life？〃

〃Yes；　my　beautiful；　my　generous　Didine。〃

〃Swear　to　me；〃　said　she；　〃that　only　death　shall　divide　us。〃

Lousteau　was　ready　to　sweeten　his　vows　with　the　most　fascinating
prettinesses。　And　this　was　why。　Between　the　door　of　the　apartment
where　he　had　taken　the　lorette's　farewell　kiss；　and　that　of　the
drawing…room；　where　the　Muse　was　reclini