the muse of the department-第36章

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〃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
servants'　rooms；　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　wrote　a　few　lines　to　her
mother；　begging　her　to　send　her　some　linen　and　a　loan　of　a　thousand
francs。　She　received　two　trunks　full　of　linen；　some　plate；　and　two
thousand　francs；　sent　by　the　hand　of　an　honest　and　pious　cook
recommended　her　by　her　mother。

Ten　days　after　the　evening　at　the　theatre　when　they　had　met；　Monsieur
de　Clagny　came　to　call　at　four　o'clock；　after　coming　out　of　court；　and
found　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　making　a　little　cap。　The　sight　of　this
proud　and　ambitious　woman；　whose　mind　was　so　accomplished；　and　who　had
queened　it　so　well　at　the　Chateau　d'Anzy；　now　condescending　to
household　cares　and　sewing　for　the　coming　infant；　moved　the　poor
lawyer；　who　had　just　left　the　bench。　And　as　he　saw　the　pricks　on　one
of　the　taper　fingers　he　had　so　often　kissed；　he　understood　that　Madame
de　la　Baudraye　was　not　merely　playing　at　this　maternal　task。

In　the　course　of　this　first　interview　the　magistrate　saw　to　the　depths
of　Dinah's　soul。　This　perspicacity　in　a　man　so　much　in　love　was　a
superhuman　effort。　He　saw　that　Didine　meant　to　be　the　journalist's
guardian　spirit　and　lead　him　into　a　nobler　road；　she　had　seen　that　the
difficulties　of　his　practical　life　were　due　to　some　moral　defects。
Between　two　beings　united　by　lovein　one　so　genuine；　and　in　the　other
so　well　feignedmore　than　one　confidence　had　been　exchanged　in　the
course　of　four　months。　Notwithstanding　the　care　with　which　Etienne
wrapped　up　his　true　self；　a　word　now　and　then　had　not　failed　to
enlighten　Dinah　as　to　the　previous　life　of　a　man　whose　talents　were　so
hampered　by　poverty；　so　perverted　by　bad　examples；　so　thwarted　by
obstacles　beyond　his　courage　to　surmount。　〃He　will　be　a　greater　man　if
life　is　easy　to　him；〃　said　she　to　herself。　And　she　strove　to　make　him
happy；　to　give　him　the　sense　of　a　sheltered　home　by　dint　of　such
economy　and　method　as　are　familiar　to　provincial　folks。　Thus　Dinah
became　a　housekeeper；　as　she　had　become　a　poet；　by　the　soaring　of　her
soul　towards　the　heights。

〃His　happiness　will　be　my　absolution。〃

These　words；　wrung　from　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　by　her　friend　the
lawyer；　accounted　for　the　existing　state　of　things。　The　publicity　of
his　triumph；　flaunted　by　Etienne　on　the　evening　of　the　first
performance；　had　very　plainly　shown　the　lawyer　what　Lousteau's　purpose
was。　To　Etienne；　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　was；　to　use　his　own　phrase；　〃a
fine　feather　in　his　cap。〃　Far　from　preferring　the　joys　of　a　shy　and
mysterious　passion；　of　hiding　such　exquisite　happiness　from　the　eyes
of　the　world；　he　found　a　vulgar　satisfaction　in　displaying　the　first
woman　of　respectability　who　had　ever　honored　him　with　her　affection。

The　Judge；　however；　was　for　some　time　deceived　by　the　attentions　which
any　man　would　lavish　on　any　woman　in　Madame　de　la　Baudraye's
situation；　and　Lousteau　made　them　doubly　charming　by　the　ingratiating
ways　characteristic　of　men　whose　manners　are　naturally　attractive。
There　are；　in　fact；　men　who　have　something　of　the　monkey　in　them　by
nature；　and　to　whom　the　assumption　of　the　most　engaging　forms　of
sentiment　is　so　easy　that　the　actor　is　not　detected；　and　Lousteau's
natural　gifts　had　been　fully　developed　on　the　stage　on　which　he　had
hitherto　figured。

Between　the　months　of　April　and　July；　when　Dinah　expected　her
confinement；　she　discovered　why　it　was　that　Lousteau　had　not　triumphed
over　poverty；　he　was　idle　and　had　no　power　of　will。　The　brain；　to　be
sure；　must　obey　its　own　laws；　it　recognizes　neither　the　exigencies　of
life　nor　the　voice　of　honor；　a　man　cannot　write　a　great　book　because　a
woman　is　dying；　or　to　pay　a　discreditable　debt；　or　to　bring　up　a
family；　at　the　same　time；　there　is　no　great　talent　without　a　strong
will。　These　twin　forces　are　requisite　for　the　erection　of　the　vast
edifice　of　personal　glory。　A　distinguished　genius　keeps　his　brain　in　a
productive　condition；　just　as　the　knights　of　old　kept　their　weapons
always　ready　for　battle。　They　conquer　indolence；　they　deny　themselves
enervating　pleasures；　or　indulge　only　to　a　fixed　limit　proportioned　to
their　powers。　This　explains　the　life　of　such　men　as　Walter　Scott；
Cuvier；　Voltaire；　Newton；　Buffon；　Bayle；　Bossuet；　Leibnitz；　Lopez　de
Vega；　Calderon；　Boccacio；　Aretino；　Aristotlein　short；　every　man　who
delighted；　governed；　or　led　his　contemporaries。

A　man　may　and　ought　to　pride　himself　more　on　his　will　than　on　his
talent。　Though　Talent　has　its　germ　in　a　cultivated　gift；　Will　means
the　incessant　conquest　of　his　instincts；　of　proclivities　subdued　and
mortified；　and　difficulties　of　every　kind　heroically　defeated。　The
abuse　of　smoking　encouraged　Lousteau's　indolence。　Tobacco；　which　can
lull　grief；　inevitably　numbs　a　man's　energy。

Then；　while　the　cigar　deteriorated　him　physically；　criticism　as　a
profession　morally　stultified　a　man　so　easily　tempted　by　pleasure。
Criticism　is　as　fatal　to　the　critic　as　seeing　two　sides　to　a　question
is　to　a　pleader。　In　these　professions　the　judgment　is　undermined；　the
mind　loses　its　lucid　rectitude。　The　writer　lives　by　taking　sides。
Thus；　we　may　distinguish　two　kinds　of　criticism；　as　in　painting　we　may
distinguish　art　from　practical　dexterity。　Criticism；　after　the　pattern
of　most　contemporary　leader…writers；　is　the　expression　of　judgments
formed　at　random　in　a　more　or　less　witty　way；　just　as　an　advocate
pleads　in　court　on　the　most　contradictory　briefs。　The　newspaper　critic
always　finds　a　subject　to　work　up　in　the　book　he　is　discussing。　Done
after　this　fashion；　the　business　is　well　adapted　to　indolent　brains；
to　men　devoid　of　the　sublime　faculty　of　imagination；　or；　possessed　of
it　indeed；　but　lacking　courage　to　cultivate　it。　Every　play；　every　book
comes　to　their　pen　as　a　subject；　making　no　demand　on　their
imagination；　and　of　which　they　simply　write　a　report；　seriously　or　in
irony；　according　to　the　mood　of　the　moment。　As　to　an　opinion；　whatever
it　may　be；　French　wit　can　always　justify　it；　being　admirably　ready　to
defend　either　side　of　any　case。　And　conscience　counts　for　so　little；
these　/bravi/　have　so　little　value　for　their　own　words；　that　they　will
loudly　praise　in　the　greenroom　the　work　they　tear　to　tatters　in　print。

Nay；　men　have　been　known　to　transfer　their　services　from　one　paper　to
another　without　being　at　the　pains　to　consider　that　the　opinions　of
the　new　sheet　must　be　diametrically　antagonistic　to　those　of　the　old。
Madame　de　la　Baudraye　could　smile　to　see　Lousteau　with　one　article　on
the　Legitimist　side　and　one　on　the　side　of　the　new　dynasty；　both　on
the　same　occasion。　She　admired　the　maxim　he　preached：

〃We　are　the　attorneys　of　public　opinion。〃

The　other　kind　of　criticism　is　a　science。　It　necessitates　a　thorough
comprehension　of　each　work；　a　lucid　insight　into　the　tendencies　of　the
age；　the　adoption　of　a　system；　and　faith　in　fixed　principlesthat　is
to　say；　a　scheme　of　jurisprudence；　a　summing…up；　and　a　verdict。　The
critic　is　then　a　magistrate　of　ideas；　the　censor　of　his　time；　he
fulfils　a　sacred　function；　while　in　the　former　case　he　is　but　an
acrobat　who　turns　somersaults　for　a　living　so　long　as　he　had　a　leg　to
stand　on。　Between　Claude　Vignon　and　Lousteau　lay　the　gulf　that　divides
mere　dexterity　from　art。

Dinah；　whose　mind　was　soon　freed　from　rust；　and　whose　intellect　was　by
no　means　narrow；　had　ere　long　taken　literary　measure　of　her　idol。　She
saw　Lousteau　working　up　to　the　last　minute　under　the　most
discreditable　compulsion；　and　scamping　his　work；　as　painters　say　of　a
picture　from　which　sound　technique　is　absent；　but　she　would　excuse　him
by　saying；　〃He　is　a　poet！〃　so　anxious　was　she　to　justify　him　in　her
own　eyes。　When　she　thus　guessed　the　secret　of　many　a　writer's
existence；　she　also　guessed　that　Lousteau's　pen　could　never　be　trusted
to　as　a　resource。

Then　her　love　for　him　led　her　to　take　a　step　she　would　never　had
thought　of　for　her　own　sake。　Through　her　mother　she　tried　to　negotiate
with　her　husband　for　an　allowance；　but　without　Etienne's　knowledge；
for；　as　she　thought；　it　would　be　an　offence　to　his　delicate　feelings；
which　must　be　considered。　A　few　da