the muse of the department-第6章

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Madame　de　la　Baudraye；　possessed　with　the　idea　of　waking　up　Sancerre；
tried　to　form　a　so…called　literary　circle。　The　Presiding　Judge；
Monsieur　Boirouge；　who　happened　to　have　a　house　and　garden　on　his
hands；　part　of　the　Popinot…Chandier　property；　favored　the　notion　of
this　/coterie/。　The　wily　Judge　talked　over　the　rules　of　the　society
with　Madame　de　la　Baudraye；　he　proposed　to　figure　as　one　of　the
founders；　and　to　let　the　house　for　fifteen　years　to　the　literary　club。
By　the　time　it　had　existed　a　year　the　members　were　playing　dominoes；
billiards；　and　bouillotte；　and　drinking　mulled　wine；　punch；　and
liqueurs。　A　few　elegant　little　suppers　were　then　given；　and　some
masked　balls　during　the　Carnival。　As　to　literaturethere　were　the
newspapers。　Politics　and　business　were　discussed。　Monsieur　de　la
Baudraye　was　constantly　thereon　his　wife's　account；　as　she　said
jestingly。

This　result　deeply　grieved　the　Superior　Woman；　who　despaired　of
Sancerre；　and　collected　the　wit　of　the　neighborhood　in　her　own
drawing…room。　Nevertheless；　and　in　spite　of　the　efforts　of　Messieurs
de　Chargeboeuf；　Gravier；　and　de　Clagny；　of　the　Abbe　Duret　and　the　two
chief　magistrates；　of　a　young　doctor；　and　a　young　Assistant　Judgeall
blind　admirers　of　Dinah'sthere　were　occasions　when；　weary　of
discussion；　they　allowed　themselves　an　excursion　into　the　domain　of
agreeable　frivolity　which　constitutes　the　common　basis　of　worldly
conversation。　Monsieur　Gravier　called　this　〃from　grave　to　gay。〃　The
Abbe　Duret's　rubber　made　another　pleasing　variety　on　the　monologues　of
the　oracle。　The　three　rivals；　tired　of　keeping　their　minds　up　to　the
level　of　the　〃high　range　of　discussion〃as　they　called　their
conversationbut　not　daring　to　confess　it；　would　sometimes　turn　with
ingratiating　hints　to　the　old　priest。

〃Monsieur　le　Cure　is　dying　for　his　game；〃　they　would　say。

The　wily　priest　lent　himself　very　readily　to　the　little　trick。　He
protested。

〃We　should　lose　too　much　by　ceasing　to　listen　to　our　inspired
hostess！〃　and　so　he　would　incite　Dinah's　magnanimity　to　take　pity　at
last　on　her　dear　Abbe。

This　bold　manoeuvre；　a　device　of　the　Sous…prefet's；　was　repeated　with
so　much　skill　that　Dinah　never　suspected　her　slaves　of　escaping　to　the
prison　yard；　so　to　speak；　of　the　cardtable；　and　they　would　leave　her
one　of　the　younger　functionaries　to　harry。

One　young　landowner；　and　the　dandy　of　Sancerre；　fell　away　from　Dinah's
good　graces　in　consequence　of　some　rash　demonstrations。　After
soliciting　the　honor　of　admission　to　this　little　circle；　where　he
flattered　himself　he　could　snatch　the　blossom　from　the　constituted
authorities　who　guarded　it；　he　was　so　unfortunate　as　to　yawn　in　the
middle　of　an　explanation　Dinah　was　favoring　him　withfor　the　fourth
time；　it　is　trueof　the　philosophy　of　Kant。　Monsieur　de　la
Thaumassiere；　the　grandson　of　the　historian　of　Le　Berry；　was
thenceforth　regarded　as　a　man　entirely　bereft　of　soul　and　brains。

The　three　devotees　/en　titre/　each　submitted　to　these　exorbitant
demands　on　their　mind　and　attention；　in　hope　of　a　crowning　triumph；
when　at　last　Dinah　should　become　human；　for　neither　of　them　was　so
bold　as　to　imagine　that　Dinah　would　give　up　her　innocence　as　a　wife
till　she　should　have　lost　all　her　illusions。　In　1826；　when　she　was
surrounded　by　adorers；　Dinah　completed　her　twentieth　year；　and　the
Abbe　Duret　kept　her　in　a　sort　of　fervid　Catholicism；　so　her　worshipers
had　to　be　content　to　overwhelm　her　with　little　attentions　and　small
services；　only　too　happy　to　be　taken　for　the　carpet…knights　of　this
sovereign　lady；　by　strangers　admitted　to　spend　an　evening　or　two　at　La
Baudraye。

〃Madame　de　la　Baudraye　is　a　fruit　that　must　be　left　to　ripen。〃　This
was　the　opinion　of　Monsieur　Gravier；　who　was　waiting。

As　to　the　lawyer；　he　wrote　letters　four　pages　long；　to　which　Dinah
replied　in　soothing　speech　as　she　walked；　leaning　on　his　arm；　round
and　round　the　lawn　after　dinner。

Madame　de　la　Baudraye；　thus　guarded　by　three　passions；　and　always
under　the　eye　of　her　pious　mother；　escaped　the　malignity　of　slander。
It　was　so　evident　to　all　Sancerre　that　no　two　of　these　three　men　would
ever　leave　the　third　alone　with　Madame　de　la　Baudraye；　that　their
jealousy　was　a　comedy　to　the　lookers…on。

To　reach　Saint…Thibault　from　Caesar's　Gate　there　is　a　way　much　shorter
than　that　by　the　ramparts；　down　what　is　known　in　mountainous　districts
as　a　/coursiere/；　called　at　Sancerre　/le　Casse…cou/；　or　Break…neck
Alley。　The　name　is　significant　as　applied　to　a　path　down　the　steepest
part　of　the　hillside；　thickly　strewn　with　stones；　and　shut　in　by　the
high　banks　of　the　vineyards　on　each　side。　By　way　of　the　Break…neck　the
distance　from　Sancerre　to　La　Baudraye　is　much　abridged。　The　ladies　of
the　place；　jealous　of　the　Sappho　of　Saint…Satur；　were　wont　to　walk　on
the　Mall；　looking　down　this　Longchamp　of　the　bigwigs；　whom　they　would
stop　and　engage　in　conversationsometimes　the　Sous…prefet　and
sometimes　the　Public　Prosecutorand　who　would　listen　with　every　sign
of　impatience　or　uncivil　absence　of　mind。　As　the　turrets　of　La
Baudraye　are　visible　from　the　Mall；　many　a　younger　man　came　to
contemplate　the　abode　of　Dinah　while　envying　the　ten　or　twelve
privileged　persons　who　might　spend　their　afternoons　with　the　Queen　of
the　neighborhood。

Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye　was　not　slow　to　discover　the　advantage　he；　as
Dinah's　　husband；　held　over　his　wife's　adorers；　and　he　made　use　of
them　without　any　disguise；　obtaining　a　remission　of　taxes；　and　gaining
two　lawsuits。　In　every　litigation　he　used　the　Public　Prosecutor's　name
with　such　good　effect　that　the　matter　was　carried　no　further；　and；
like　all　undersized　men；　he　was　contentious　and　litigious　in　business；
though　in　the　gentlest　manner。

At　the　same　time；　the　more　certainly　guiltless　she　was；　the　less
conceivable　did　Madame　de　la　Baudraye's　position　seem　to　the　prying
eyes　of　these　women。　Frequently；　at　the　house　of　the　Presidente　de
Boirouge；　the　ladies　of　a　certain　age　would　spend　a　whole　evening
discussing　the　La　Baudraye　household；　among　themselves　of　course。　They
all　had　suspicions　of　a　mystery；　a　secret　such　as　always　interests
women　who　have　had　some　experience　of　life。　And；　in　fact；　at　La
Baudraye　one　of　those　slow　and　monotonous　conjugal　tragedies　was　being
played　out　which　would　have　remained　for　ever　unknown　if　the　merciless
scalpel　of　the　nineteenth　century；　guided　by　the　insistent　demand　for
novelty；　had　not　dissected　the　darkest　corners　of　the　heart；　or　at　any
rate　those　which　the　decency　of　past　centuries　left　unopened。　And　that
domestic　drama　sufficiently　accounts　for　Dinah's　immaculate　virtue
during　her　early　married　life。



A　young　lady；　whose　triumphs　at　school　had　been　the　outcome　of　her
pride；　and　whose　first　scheme　in　life　had　been　rewarded　by　a　victory；
was　not　likely　to　pause　in　such　a　brilliant　career。　Frail　as　Monsieur
de　la　Baudraye　might　seem；　he　was　really　an　unhoped…for　good　match　for
Mademoiselle　Dinah　Piedefer。　But　what　was　the　hidden　motive　of　this
country　landowner　when；　at　forty…four；　he　married　a　girl　of　seventeen；
and　what　could　his　wife　make　out　of　the　bargain？　This　was　the　text　of
Dinah's　first　meditations。

The　little　man　never　behaved　quite　as　his　wife　expected。　To　begin
with；　he　allowed　her　to　take　the　five　precious　acres　now　wasted　in
pleasure　grounds　round　La　Baudraye；　and　paid；　almost　with　generosity；
the　seven　or　eight　thousand　francs　required　by　Dinah　for　improvements
in　the　house；　enabling　her　to　buy　the　furniture　at　the　Rougets'　sale
at　Issoudun；　and　to　redecorate　her　rooms　in　various　stylesMediaeval；
Louis　XIV。；　and　Pompadour。　The　young　wife　found　it　difficult　to
believe　that　Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye　was　so　miserly　as　he　was　reputed；
or　else　she　must　have　great　influence　with　him。　The　illusion　lasted　a
year　and　a　half。

After　Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye's　second　journey　to　Paris；　Dinah
discovered　in　him　the　Artic　coldness　of　a　provincial　miser　whenever
money　was　in　question。　The　first　time　she　asked　for　supplies　she
played　the　sweetest　of　the　comedies　of　which　Eve　invented　the　secret；
but　the　little　man　put　it　plainly　to　his　wife　that　he　gave　her　two
hundred　francs　a　month　for　her　personal　expe