the muse of the department-第42章
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reserve for him a little suite of rooms in an /entresol/ over the
kitchens。
〃Bless me！ why； he is growing young againa gentleman！a magnifico！
What will he become next？ It is quite alarming；〃 said Madame de la
Baudraye。
〃He now fulfils all your wishes at the age of twenty；〃 replied the
lawyer。
The comparison of her future prospects with her present position was
unendurable to Dinah。 Only the day before； Anna de Fontaine had turned
her head away in order to avoid seeing her bosom friend at the
Chamarolles' school。
〃I am a countess；〃 said Dinah to herself。 〃I shall have the peer's
blue hammer…cloth on my carriage； and the leaders of the literary
world in my drawing…roomand I will look at her！〃And it was this
little triumph that told with all its weight at the moment of her
rehabilitation； as the world's contempt had of old weighed on her
happiness。
One fine day； in May 1842； Madame de la Baudraye paid all her little
household debts and left a thousand crowns on top of the packet of
receipted bills。 After sending her mother and the children away to the
Hotel de la Baudraye； she awaited Lousteau； dressed ready to leave the
house。 When the deposed king of her heart came into dinner； she said：
〃I have upset the pot； my dear。 Madame de la Baudraye requests the
pleasure of your company at the /Rocher de Cancale/。〃
She carried off Lousteau； quite bewildered by the light and easy
manners assumed by the woman who till that morning has been the slave
of his least whim； for she too had been acting a farce for two months
past。
〃Madame de la Baudraye is figged out as if for a first night；〃 said he
/une premiere/； the slang abbreviation for a first performance。
〃Do not forget the respect you owe to Madame de la Baudraye；〃 said
Dinah gravely。 〃I do not mean to understand such a word as /figged
out/。〃
〃Didine a rebel！〃 said he； putting his arm round her waist。
〃There is no such person as Didine； you have killed her； my dear；〃 she
replied； releasing herself。 〃I am taking you to the first performance
of /Madame la Comtesse de la Baudraye/。〃
〃It is true； then； that our insect is a peer of France？〃
〃The nomination is to be gazetted in this evening's /Moniteur/； as I
am told by Monsieur de Clagny； who is promoted to the Court of
Appeal。〃
〃Well； it is quite right；〃 said the journalist。 〃The entomology of
society ought to be represented in the Upper House。〃
〃My friend； we are parting for ever；〃 said Madame de la Baudraye；
trying to control the trembling of her voice。 〃I have dismissed the
two servants。 When you go in； you will find the house in order； and no
debts。 I shall always feel a mother's affection for you； but in
secret。 Let us part calmly； without a fuss； like decent people。
〃Have you had a fault to find with my conduct during the past six
years？〃
〃None； but that you have spoiled my life； and wrecked my prospects；〃
said he in a hard tone。 〃You have read Benjamin Constant's book very
diligently； you have even studied the last critique on it； but you
have read with a woman's eyes。 Though you have one of those superior
intellects which would make a fortune of a poet； you have never dared
to take the man's point of view。
〃That book； my dear； is of both sexes。We agreed that books were male
or female； dark or fair。 In /Adolphe/ women see nothing but Ellenore；
young men see only Adolphe； men of experience see Ellenore and
Adolphe； political men see the whole of social existence。 You did not
think it necessary to read the soul of Adolpheany more than your
critic indeed； who saw only Ellenore。 What kills that poor fellow； my
dear； is that he has sacrificed his future for a woman； that he never
can be what he might have beenan ambassador； a minister； a
chamberlain； a poetand rich。 He gives up six years of his energy at
that stage of his life when a man is ready to submit to the hardships
of any apprenticeshipto a petticoat； which he outstrips in the
career of ingratitude； for the woman who has thrown over her first
lover is certain sooner or later to desert the second。 Adolphe is； in
fact； a tow…haired German； who has not spirit enough to be false to
Ellenore。 There are Adolphes who spare their Ellenores all ignominious
quarreling and reproaches； who say to themselves； 'I will not talk of
what I have sacrificed； I will not for ever be showing the stump of my
wrist to let that incarnate selfishness I have made my queen；' as
Ramorny does in /The Fair Maid of Perth/。 But men like that； my dear；
get cast aside。
〃Adolphe is a man of birth； an aristocratic nature； who wants to get
back into the highroad to honors and recover his social birthright；
his blighted position。You； at this moment； are playing both parts。
You are suffering from the pangs of having lost your position； and
think yourself justified in throwing over a hapless lover whose
misfortune it has been that he fancied you so far superior as to
understand that； though a man's heart ought to be true； his sex may be
allowed to indulge its caprices。〃
〃And do you suppose that I shall not make it my business to restore to
you all you have lost by me？ Be quite easy；〃 said Madame de la
Baudraye； astounded by this attack。 〃Your Ellenore is not dying； and
if God gives her life； if you amend your ways； if you give up
courtesans and actresses； we will find you a better match than a
Felicie Cardot。〃
The two lovers were sullen。 Lousteau affected dejection； he aimed at
appearing hard and cold； while Dinah； really distressed； listened to
the reproaches of her heart。
〃Why；〃 said Lousteau presently； 〃why not end as we ought to have begun
hide our love from all eyes； and see each other in secret？〃
〃Never！〃 cried the new…made Countess； with an icy look。 〃Do you not
comprehend that we are； after all； but finite creatures？ Our feelings
seem infinite by reason of our anticipation of heaven； but here on
earth they are limited by the strength of our physical being。 There
are some feeble； mean natures which may receive an endless number of
wounds and live on； but there are some more highly…tempered souls
which snap at last under repeated blows。 You have〃
〃Oh！ enough！〃 cried he。 〃No more copy！ Your dissertation is
unnecessary； since you can justify yourself by merely saying'I have
ceased to love！' 〃
〃What！〃 she exclaimed in bewilderment。 〃Is it I who have ceased to
love？〃
〃Certainly。 You have calculated that I gave you more trouble； more
vexation than pleasure； and you desert your partner〃
〃I desert！〃 cried she； clasping her hands。
〃Have not you yourself just said 'Never'？〃
〃Well； then； yes！ /Never/；〃 she repeated vehemently。
This final /Never/； spoken in the fear of falling once more under
Lousteau's influence； was interpreted by him as the death…warrant of
his power； since Dinah remained insensible to his sarcastic scorn。
The journalist could not suppress a tear。 He was losing a sincere and
unbounded affection。 He had found in Dinah the gentlest La Valliere；
the most delightful Pompadour that any egoist short of a king could
hope for； and； like a boy who has discovered that by dint of
tormenting a cockchafer he has killed it； Lousteau shed a tear。
Madame de la Baudraye rushed out of the private room where they had
been dining； paid the bill； and fled home to the Rue de l'Arcade；
scolding herself and thinking herself a brute。
Dinah； who had made her house a model of comfort； now metamorphosed
herself。 This double metamorphosis cost thirty thousand francs more
than her husband had anticipated。
The fatal accident which in 1842 deprived the House of Orleans of the
heir…presumptive having necessitated a meeting of the Chambers in
August of that year； little La Baudraye came to present his titles to
the Upper House sooner than he had expected； and then saw what his
wife had done。 He was so much delighted； that he paid the thirty
thousand francs without a word； just as he had formerly paid eight
thousand for decorating La Baudraye。
On his return from the Luxembourg； where he had been presented
according to custom by two of his peersthe Baron de Nucingen and the
Marquis de Montriveauthe new Count met the old Duc de Chaulieu； a
