the muse of the department-第39章

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Baudraye；　〃to　take　my　children　from　you〃

〃Your　children！〃　exclaimed　Dinah。　〃Your　children；　to　whom　you　have　not
sent　a　sou！　/Your/　children！〃　She　burst　into　a　loud　shout　of　laughter；
but　Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye's　unmoved　coolness　threw　ice　on　the
explosion。

〃Your　mother　has　just　brought　them　to　show　me；〃　he　went　on。　〃They　are
charming　boys。　I　do　not　intend　to　part　from　them。　I　shall　take　them　to
our　house　at　Anzy；　if　it　were　only　to　save　them　from　seeing　their
mother　disguised　like　a〃

〃Silence！〃　said　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　imperatively。　〃What　do　you　want
of　me　that　brought　you　here？〃

〃A　power　of　attorney　to　receive　our　Uncle　Silas'　property。〃

Dinah　took　a　pen；　wrote　two　lines　to　Monsieur　de　Clagny；　and　desired
her　husband　to　call　again　in　the　afternoon。

At　five　o'clock；　Monsieur　de　Clagnywho　had　been　promoted　to　the　post
of　Attorney…Generalenlightened　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　as　to　her
position；　still；　he　undertook　to　arrange　everything　by　a　bargain　with
the　old　fellow；　whose　visit　had　been　prompted　by　avarice　alone。
Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye；　to　whom　his　wife's　power　of　attorney　was
indispensable　to　enable　him　to　deal　with　the　business　as　he　wished；
purchased　it　by　certain　concessions。　In　the　first　place；　he　undertook
to　allow　her　ten　thousand　francs　a　year　so　long　as　she　found　it
convenientso　the　document　was　wordedto　reside　in　Paris；　the
children；　each　on　attaining　the　age　of　six；　were　to　be　placed　in
Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye's　keeping。　Finally；　the　lawyer　extracted　the
payment　of　the　allowance　in　advance。

Little　La　Baudraye；　who　came　jauntily　enough　to　say　good…bye　to　his
wife　and　/his/　children；　appeared　in　a　white　india…rubber　overcoat。　He
was　so　firm　on　his　feet；　and　so　exactly　like　the　La　Baudraye　of　1836；
that　Dinah　despaired　of　ever　burying　the　dreadful　little　dwarf。　From
the　garden；　where　he　was　smoking　a　cigar；　the　journalist　could　watch
Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye　for　so　long　as　it　took　the　little　reptile　to
cross　the　forecourt；　but　that　was　enough　for　Lousteau；　it　was　plain　to
him　that　the　little　man　had　intended　to　wreck　every　hope　of　his　dying
that　his　wife　might　have　conceived。

This　short　scene　made　a　considerable　change　in　the　writer's　secret
scheming。　As　he　smoked　a　second　cigar；　he　seriously　reviewed　the
position。

His　life　with　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　had　hitherto　cost　him　quite　as
much　as　it　had　cost　her。　To　use　the　language　of　business；　the　two
sides　of　the　account　balanced；　and　they　could；　if　necessary；　cry
quits。　Considering　how　small　his　income　was；　and　how　hardly　he　earned
it；　Lousteau　regarded　himself；　morally　speaking；　as　the　creditor。　It
was；　no　doubt；　a　favorable　moment　for　throwing　the　woman　over。　Tired
at　the　end　of　three　years　of　playing　a　comedy　which　never　can　become　a
habit；　he　was　perpetually　concealing　his　weariness；　and　this　fellow；
who　was　accustomed　to　disguise　none　of　his　feelings；　compelled　himself
to　wear　a　smile　at　home　like　that　of　a　debtor　in　the　presence　of　his
creditor。　This　compulsion　was　every　day　more　intolerable。

Hitherto　the　immense　advantages　he　foresaw　in　the　future　had　given　him
strength；　but　when　he　saw　Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye　embark　for　the
United　States；　as　briskly　as　if　it　were　to　go　down　to　Rouen　in　a
steamboat；　he　ceased　to　believe　in　the　future。

He　went　in　from　the　garden　to　the　pretty　drawing…room；　where　Dinah　had
just　taken　leave　of　her　husband。

〃Etienne；〃　said　Madame　de　la　Baudraye；　〃do　you　know　what　my　lord　and
master　has　proposed　to　me？　In　the　event　of　my　wishing　to　return　to
live　at　Anzy　during　his　absence；　he　has　left　his　orders；　and　he　hopes
that　my　mother's　good　advice　will　weigh　with　me；　and　that　I　shall　go
back　there　with　my　children。〃

〃It　is　very　good　advice；〃　replied　Lousteau　drily；　knowing　the
passionate　disclaimer　that　Dinah　expected；　and　indeed　begged　for　with
her　eyes。

The　tone；　the　words；　the　cold　look；　all　hit　the　hapless　woman　so　hard；
who　lived　only　in　her　love；　that　two　large　tears　trickled　slowly　down
her　cheeks；　while　she　did　not　speak　a　word；　and　Lousteau　only　saw　them
when　she　took　out　her　handkerchief　to　wipe　away　these　two　beads　of
anguish。

〃What　is　it；　Didine？〃　he　asked；　touched　to　the　heart　by　this　excessive
sensibility。

〃Just　as　I　was　priding　myself　on　having　won　our　freedom；〃　said　she
〃at　the　cost　of　my　fortuneby　sellingwhat　is　most　precious　to　a
mother's　heartselling　my　children！for　he　is　to　have　them　from　the
age　of　sixand　I　cannot　see　them　without　going　to　Sancerre！and　that
is　torture！Ah；　dear　God！　What　have　I　done？〃

Lousteau　knelt　down　by　her　and　kissed　her　hands　with　a　lavish　display
of　coaxing　and　petting。

〃You　do　not　understand　me；〃　said　he。　〃I　blame　myself；　for　I　am　not
worth　such　sacrifices；　dear　angel。　I　am；　in　a　literary　sense；　a　quite
second…rate　man。　If　the　day　comes　when　I　can　no　longer　cut　a　figure　at
the　bottom　of　the　newspaper；　the　editors　will　let　me　lie；　like　an　old
shoe　flung　into　the　rubbish　heap。　Remember；　we　tight…rope　dancers　have
no　retiring　pension！　The　State　would　have　too　many　clever　men　on　its
hands　if　it　started　on　such　a　career　of　beneficence。　I　am　forty…two；
and　I　am　as　idle　as　a　marmot。　I　feel　itI　know　it〃and　he　took　her
by　the　hand〃my　love　can　only　be　fatal　to　you。

〃As　you　know；　at　two…and…twenty　I　lived　on　Florine；　but　what　is
excusable　in　a　youth；　what　then　seems　smart　and　charming；　is　a
disgrace　to　a　man　of　forty。　Hitherto　we　have　shared　the　burden　of
existence；　and　it　has　not　been　lovely　for　this　year　and　half。　Out　of
devotion　to　me　you　wear　nothing　but　black；　and　that　does　me　no
credit。〃Dinah　gave　one　of　those　magnanimous　shrugs　which　are　worth
all　the　words　ever　spoken。〃Yes；〃　Etienne　went　on；　〃I　know　you
sacrifice　everything　to　my　whims；　even　your　beauty。　And　I；　with　a
heart　worn　out　in　past　struggles；　a　soul　full　of　dark　presentiments　as
to　the　future；　I　cannot　repay　your　exquisite　love　with　an　equal
affection。　We　were　very　happywithout　a　cloudfor　a　long　time。
Well；　then；　I　cannot　bear　to　see　so　sweet　a　poem　end　badly。　Am　I
wrong？〃

Madame　de　la　Baudraye　loved　Etienne　so　truly；　that　this　prudence；
worthy　of　de　Clagny；　gratified　her　and　stanched　her　tears。

〃He　loves　me　for　myself　alone！〃　thought　she；　looking　at　him　with
smiling　eyes。

After　four　years　of　intimacy；　this　woman's　love　now　combined　every
shade　of　affection　which　our　powers　of　analysis　can　discern；　and　which
modern　society　has　created；　one　of　the　most　remarkable　men　of　our　age；
whose　death　is　a　recent　loss　to　the　world　of　letters；　Beyle
（Stendhal）；　was　the　first　to　delineate　them　to　perfection。

Lousteau　could　produce　in　Dinah　the　acute　agitation　which　may　be
compared　to　magnetism；　that　upsets　every　power　of　the　mind　and　body；
and　overcomes　every　instinct　of　resistance　in　a　woman。　A　look　from
him；　or　his　hand　laid　on　hers；　reduced　her　to　implicit　obedience。　A
kind　word　or　a　smile　wreathed　the　poor　woman's　soul　with　flowers；　a
fond　look　elated；　a　cold　look　depressed　her。　When　she　walked；　taking
his　arm　and　keeping　step　with　him　in　the　street　or　on　the　boulevard；
she　was　so　entirely　absorbed　in　him　that　she　lost　all　sense　of
herself。　Fascinated　by　this　fellow's　wit；　magnetized　by　his　airs；　his
vices　were　but　trivial　defects　in　her　eyes。　She　loved　the　puffs　of
cigar　smoke　that　the　wind　brought　into　her　room　from　the　garden；　she
went　to　inhale　them；　and　made　no　wry　faces；　hiding　herself　to　enjoy
them。　She　hated　the　publisher　or　the　newspaper　editor　who　refused
Lousteau　money　on　the　ground　of　the　enormous　advances　he　had　had
already。　She　deluded　herself　so　far　as　to　believe　that　her　bohemian
was　writing　a　novel；　for　which　the　payment　was　to　come；　instead　of
working　off　a　debt　long　since　incurred。

This；　no　doubt；　is　true　love；　and　includes　every　mode　of　loving；　the
love　of　the　heart　and　of　the　headpassion；　caprice；　and　tasteto
accept　Beyle's　definitions。　Didine　loved　him　so　wholly；　that　in
certain　moments　when　her　critical　judgment；　just　by　nature；　and
constantly　exercised　since　she　had　lived　in　Paris；　compelled　her　to
read　to　the　bottom　of　Lousteau's　soul；　sense　was　still　too　much　for
reason；　and　suggested　excuses。

〃And　what　am　I？〃　she　replied。　〃A　woman　who　has　put　herself　outside