the muse of the department-第35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！


intimate　friends　did　not　even　bow；　neither　chose　to　acknowledge　the
other。　At　the　end　of　the　first　act　Lousteau　left　his　seat；　abandoning
Dinah　to　the　fire　of　eyes；　the　glare　of　opera…glasses；　while　the
Baronne　de　Fontaine　and　the　Comtesse　Marie　de　Vandenesse；　who
accompanied　her；　received　some　of　the　most　distinguished　men　of
fashion。

Dinah's　solitude　was　all　the　more　distressing　because　she　had　not　the
art　of　putting　a　good　face　to　the　matter　by　examining　the　company
through　her　opera…glass。　In　vain　did　she　try　to　assume　a　dignified　and
thoughtful　attitude；　and　fix　her　eyes　on　vacancy；　she　was
overpoweringly　conscious　of　being　the　object　of　general　attention；　she
could　not　disguise　her　discomfort；　and　lapsed　a　little　into
provincialism；　displaying　her　handkerchief　and　making　involuntary
movements　of　which　she　had　almost　cured　herself。　At　last；　between　the
second　and　third　acts；　a　man　had　himself　admitted　to　Dinah's　box！　It
was　Monsieur　de　Clagny。

〃I　am　happy　to　see　you；　to　tell　you　how　much　I　am　pleased　by　your
promotion；〃　said　she。

〃Oh！　Madame；　for　whom　should　I　come　to　Paris？〃

〃What！〃　said　she。　〃Have　I　anything　to　do　with　your　appointment？〃

〃Everything；〃　said　he。　〃Since　you　left　Sancerre；　it　had　become
intolerable　to　me；　I　was　dying〃

〃Your　sincere　friendship　does　me　good；〃　replied　she；　holding　out　her
hand。　〃I　am　in　a　position　to　make　much　of　my　true　friends；　I　now　know
their　value。I　feared　I　must　have　lost　your　esteem；　but　the　proof　you
have　given　me　by　this　visit　touches　me　more　deeply　than　your　ten
years'　attachment。〃

〃You　are　an　object　of　curiosity　to　the　whole　house；〃　said　the　lawyer。
〃Oh！　my　dear；　is　this　a　part　for　you　to　be　playing？　Could　you　not　be
happy　and　yet　remain　honored？I　have　just　heard　that　you　are　Monsieur
Etienne　Lousteau's　mistress；　that　you　live　together　as　man　and　wife！
You　have　broken　for　ever　with　society；　even　if　you　should　some　day
marry　your　lover；　the　time　will　come　when　you　will　feel　the　want　of
the　respectability　you　now　despise。　Ought　you　not　to　be　in　a　home　of
your　own　with　your　mother；　who　loves　you　well　enough　to　protect　you
with　her　aegis？Appearances　at　least　would　be　saved。〃

〃I　am　in　the　wrong　to　have　come　here；〃　replied　she；　〃that　is　all。I
have　bid　farewell　to　all　the　advantages　which　the　world　confers　on
women　who　know　how　to　reconcile　happiness　and　the　proprieties。　My
abnegation　is　so　complete　that　I　only　wish　I　could　clear　a　vast　space
about　me　to　make　a　desert　of　my　love；　full　of　God；　of　/him/；　and　of
myself。We　have　made　too　many　sacrifices　on　both　sides　not　to　be
unitedunited　by　disgrace　if　you　will；　but　indissolubly　one。　I　am
happy；　so　happy　that　I　can　love　freely；　my　friend；　and　confide　in　you
more　than　of　oldfor　I　need　a　friend。〃

The　lawyer　was　magnanimous；　nay；　truly　great。　To　this　declaration；　in
which　Dinah's　soul　thrilled；　he　replied　in　heartrending　tones：

〃I　wanted　to　go　to　see　you；　to　be　sure　that　you　were　loved：　I　shall
now　be　easy　and　no　longer　alarmed　as　to　your　future。But　will　your
lover　appreciate　the　magnitude　of　your　sacrifice；　is　there　any
gratitude　in　his　affection？〃

〃Come　to　the　Rue　des　Martyrs　and　you　will　see！〃

〃Yes；　I　will　call；〃　he　replied。　〃I　have　already　passed　your　door
without　daring　to　inquire　for　you。You　do　not　yet　know　the　literary
world。　There　are　glorious　exceptions；　no　doubt；　but　these　men　of
letters　drag　terrible　evils　in　their　train；　among　these　I　account
publicity　as　one　of　the　greatest；　for　it　blights　everything。　A　woman
may　commit　herself　with〃

〃With　a　Public　Prosecutor？〃　the　Baronne　put　in　with　a　smile。

〃Well！and　then　after　a　rupture　there　is　still　something　to　fall　back
on；　the　world　has　known　nothing。　But　with　a　more　or　less　famous　man
the　public　is　thoroughly　informed。　Why　look　there！　What　an　example　you
have　close　at　hand！　You　are　sitting　back　to　back　with　the　Comtesse
Marie　Vandenesse；　who　was　within　an　ace　of　committing　the　utmost　folly
for　a　more　celebrated　man　than　Lousteaufor　Nathanand　now　they　do
not　even　recognize　each　other。　After　going　to　the　very　edge　of　the
precipice；　the　Countess　was　saved；　no　one　knows　how；　she　neither　left
her　husband　nor　her　house；　but　as　a　famous　man　was　scorned；　she　was
the　talk　of　the　town　for　a　whole　winter。　But　her　husband's　great
fortune；　great　name；　and　high　position；　but　for　the　admirable
management　of　that　true　statesmanwhose　conduct　to　his　wife；　they
say；　was　perfectshe　would　have　been　ruined；　in　her　position　no　other
woman　would　have　remained　respected　as　she　is。〃

〃And　how　was　Sancerre　when　you　came　away？〃　asked　Madame　de　la
Baudraye；　to　change　the　subject。

〃Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye　announced　that　your　expected　confinement
after　so　many　years　made　it　necessary　that　it　should　take　place　in
Paris；　and　that　he　had　insisted　on　your　going　to　be　attended　by　the
first　physicians；〃　replied　Monsieur　de　Clagny；　guessing　what　it　was
that　Dinah　most　wanted　to　know。　〃And　so；　in　spite　of　the　commotion　to
which　your　departure　gave　rise；　you　still　have　your　legal　status。〃

〃Why！〃　she　exclaimed；　〃can　Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye　still　hope〃

〃Your　husband；　madame；　did　what　he　always　doesmade　a　little
calculation。〃

The　lawyer　left　the　box　when　the　journalist　returned；　bowing　with
dignity。

〃You　are　a　greater　hit　than　the　piece；〃　said　Etienne　to　Dinah。

This　brief　triumph　brought　greater　happiness　to　the　poor　woman　than
she　had　ever　known　in　the　whole　of　her　provincial　existence；　still；　as
they　left　the　theatre　she　was　very　grave。

〃What　ails　you；　my　Didine？〃　asked　Lousteau。

〃I　am　wondering　how　a　woman　succeeds　in　conquering　the　world？〃

〃There　are　two　ways。　One　is　by　being　Madame　de　Stael；　the　other　is　by
having　two　hundred　thousand　francs　a　year。〃

〃Society；〃　said　she；　〃asserts　its　hold　on　us　by　appealing　to　our
vanity；　our　love　of　appearances。Pooh！　We　will　be　philosophers！〃



That　evening　was　the　last　gleam　of　the　delusive　well…being　in　which
Madame　de　la　Baudraye　had　lived　since　coming　to　Paris。　Three　days
later　she　observed　a　cloud　on　Lousteau's　brow　as　he　walked　round　the
little　garden…plot　smoking　a　cigar。　This　woman；　who　had　acquired　from
her　husband　the　habit　and　the　pleasure　of　never　owing　anybody　a　sou；
was　informed　that　the　household　was　penniless；　with　two　quarters'　rent
owing；　and　on　the　eve；　in　fact；　of　an　execution。

This　reality　of　Paris　life　pierced　Dinah's　heart　like　a　thorn；　she
repented　of　having　tempted　Etienne　into　the　extravagances　of　love。　It
is　so　difficult　to　pass　from　pleasure　to　work；　that　happiness　has
wrecked　more　poems　than　sorrows　ever　helped　to　flow　in　sparkling　jets。
Dinah；　happy　in　seeing　Etienne　taking　his　ease；　smoking　a　cigar　after
breakfast；　his　face　beaming　as　he　basked　like　a　lizard　in　the
sunshine；　could　not　summon　up　courage　enough　to　make　herself　the　bum…
bailiff　of　a　magazine。

It　struck　her　that　through　the　worthy　Migeon；　Pamela's　father；　she
might　pawn　the　few　jewels　she　possessed；　on　which　her　〃uncle；〃　for　she
was　learning　to　talk　the　slang　of　the　town；　advanced　her　nine　hundred
francs。　She　kept　three　hundred　for　her　baby…clothes　and　the　expenses
of　her　illness；　and　joyfully　presented　the　sum　due　to　Lousteau；　who
was　ploughing；　furrow　by　furrow；　or；　if　you　will；　line　by　line；
through　a　novel　for　a　periodical。

〃Dearest　heart；〃　said　she；　〃finish　your　novel　without　making　any
sacrifice　to　necessity；　polish　the　style；　work　up　the　subject。I　have
played　the　fine　lady　too　long；　I　am　going　to　be　the　housewife　and
attend　to　business。〃

For　the　last　four　months　Etienne　had　been　taking　Dinah　to　the　Cafe
Riche　to　dine　every　day；　a　corner　being　always　kept　for　them。　The
countrywoman　was　in　dismay　at　being　told　that　five　hundred　francs　were
owing　for　the　last　fortnight。

〃What！　we　have　been　drinking　wine　at　six　francs　a　bottle！　A　sole
/Normande/　costs　five　francs！and　twenty　centimes　for　a　roll？〃　she
exclaimed；　as　she　looked　through　the　bill　Lousteau　showed　her。

〃Well；　it　makes　very　little　difference　to　us　whether　we　are　robbed　at
a　restaurant　or　by　a　cook；〃　said　Lousteau。

〃Henceforth；　for　the　cost　of　your　dinner；　you　shall　live　like　a
prince。〃

Having　induced　the　landlord　to　let　her　have　a　kitchen　and　two