the muse of the department-第5章

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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　expenses；　and　paid　Madame
Piedefer　twelve　hundred　francs　a　year　as　a　charge　on　the　lands　of　La
Hautoy；　and　that　this　was　two　hundred　francs　a　year　more　than　was
agreed　to　under　the　marriage　settlement。

〃I　say　nothing　of　the　cost　of　housekeeping；〃　he　said　in　conclusion。
〃You　may　give　your　friends　cake　and　tea　in　the　evening；　for　you　must
have　some　amusement。　But　I；　who　spent　but　fifteen　hundred　francs　a
year　as　a　bachelor；　now　spend　six　thousand；　including　rates　and
repairs；　and　this　is　rather　too　much　in　relation　to　the　nature　of　our
property。　A　winegrower　is　never　sure　of　what　his　expenses　may　bethe
making；　the　duty；　the　caskswhile　the　returns　depend　on　a　scorching
day　or　a　sudden　frost。　Small　owners；　like　us；　whose　income　is　far　from
being　fixed；　must　base　their　estimates　on　their　minimum；　for　they　have
no　means　of　making　up　a　deficit　or　a　loss。　What　would　become　of　us　if
a　wine　merchant　became　bankrupt？　In　my　opinion；　promissory　notes　are
so　many　cabbage…leaves。　To　live　as　we　are　living；　we　ought　always　to
have　a　year's　income　in　hand　and　count　on　no　more　than　two…thirds　of
our　returns。〃

Any　form　of　resistance　is　enough　to　make　a　woman　vow　to　subdue　it；
Dinah　flung　herself　against　a　will　of　iron　padded　round　with
gentleness。　She　tried　to　fill　the　little　man's　soul　with　jealousy　and
alarms；　but　it　was　stockaded　with　insolent　confidence。　He　left　Dinah；
when　he　went　to　Paris；　with　all　the　conviction　of　Medor　in　Angelique's
fidelity。　When　she　affected　cold　disdain；　to　nettle　this　changeling　by
the　scorn　a　courtesan　sometimes　shows　to　her　〃protector；〃　and　which
acts　on　him　with　the　certainty　of　the　screw　of　a　winepress；　Monsieur
de　la　Baudraye　gazed　at　his　wife　with　fixed　eyes；　like　those　of　a　cat
which；　in　the　midst　of　domestic　broils；　waits　till　a　blow　is
threatened　before　stirring　from　its　place。　The　strange；　speechless
uneasiness　that　was　perceptible　under　his　mute　indifference　almost
terrified　the　young　wife　of　twenty；　she　could　not　at　first　understand
the　selfish　quiescence　of　this　man；　who　might　be　compared　to　a　cracked
pot；　and　who；　in　order　to　live；　regulated　his　existence　with　the
unchangeable　regularity　which　a　clockmaker　requires　of　a　clock。　So　the
little　man　always　evaded　his　wife；　while　she　always　hit　out；　as　it
were；　ten　feet　above　his　head。

Dinah's　fits　of　fury　when　she　saw　herself　condemned　never　to　escape
from　La　Baudraye　and　Sancerre　are　more　easily　imagined　than　described
she　who　had　dreamed　of　handling　a　fortune　and　managing　the　dwarf
whom　she；　the　giant；　had　at　first　humored　in　order　to　command。　In　the
hope　of　some　day　making　her　appearance　on　the　greater　stage　of　Paris；
she　accepted　the　vulgar　incense　of　her　attendant　knights　with　a　view
to　seeing　Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye's　name　drawn　from　the　electoral　urn；
for　she　supposed　him　to　be　ambitious；　after　seeing　him　return　thrice
from　Paris；　each　time　a　step　higher　on　the　social　ladder。　But　when　she
struck　on　the　man's　heart；　it　was　as　though　she　had　tapped　on　marble！
The　man　who　had　been　Receiver…General　and　Referendary；　who　was　now
Master　of　Appeals；　Officer　of　the　Legion　of　Honor；　and　Royal
Commissioner；　was　but　a　mole　throwing　up　its　little　hills　round　and
round　a　vineyard！　Then　some　lamentations　were　poured　into　the　heart　of
the　Public　Prosecutor；　of　the　Sous…prefet；　even　of　Monsieur　Gravier；
and　they　all　increased　in　their　devotion　to　this　sublime　victim；　for；
like　all　women；　she　never　mentioned　her　speculative　schemes；　and
again　like　all　womenfinding　such　speculation　vain；　she　ceased　to
speculate。

Dinah；　tossed　by　mental　storms；　was　still　undecided　when；　in　the
autumn　of　1827；　the　news　was　told　of　the　purchase　by　the　Baron　de　la
Baudraye　of　the　estate　of　Anzy。　Then　the　little　old　man　showed　an
impulsion　of　pride　and　glee　which　for　a　few　months　changed　the　current
of　his　wife's　ideas；　she　fancied　there　was　a　hidden　vein　of　greatness
in　the　man　when　she　found　him　applying　for　a　patent　of　entail。　In　his
triumph　the　Baron　exclaimed：

〃Dinah；　you　shall　be　a　countess　yet！〃

There　was　then　a　patched…up　reunion　between　the　husband　and　wife；　such
as　can　never　endure；　and　which　only　humiliated　and　fatigued　a　woman
whose　apparent　superiority　was　unreal；　while　her　unseen　superiority
was　genuine。　This　whimsical　medley　is　commoner　than　people　think。
Dinah；　who　was　ridiculous　from　the　perversity　of　her　cleverness；　had
really　great　qualities　of　soul；　but　circumstances　did　not　bring　these
rarer　powers　to　light；　while　a　provincial　life　debased　the　small
change　of　her　wit　from　day　to　day。　Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye；　on　the
contrary；　devoid　of　soul；　of　strength；　and　of　wit；　was　fated　to　figure
as　a　man　of　character；　simply　by　pursuing　a　plan　of　conduct　which　he
was　too　feeble　to　change。



There　was　in　their　lives　a　first　phase；　lasting　six　years；　during
which　Dinah；　alas！　became　utterly　provincial。　In　Paris　there　are
several　kinds　of　women：　the　duchess　and　the　financier's　wife；　the
ambassadress　and　the　consul's　wife；　the　wife　of　the　minister　who　is　a
minister；　and　of　him　who　is　no　longer　a　minister；　then　there　is　the
ladyquite　the　ladyof　the　right　bank　of　the　Seine　and　of　the　left。
But　in　the　country　there　is　but　one　kind　of　woman；　and　she；　poor
thing；　is　the　provincial　woman。

This　remark　points　to　one　of　the　sores　of　modern　society。　It　must　be
clearly　understood：　France　in　the　nineteenth　century　is　divided　into
two　broad　zonesParis；　and　the　provinces。　The　provinces　jealous　of
Paris；　Paris　never　thinking　of　the　provinces　but　to　demand　money。　Of
old；　Paris　was　the　Capital　of　the　provinces；　and　the　court　ruled　the
Capital；　now；　all　Paris　is　the　Court；　and　all　the　country　is　the　town。

However　lofty；　beautiful；　and　clever　a　girl　born　in　any　department　of
France　may　be　on　entering　life；　if；　like　Dinah　Piedefer；　she　marries
in　the　country　and　remains　there；　she　inevitably　becomes　the
provincial　woman。　In　spite　of　every　determination；　the　commonplace　of
second…rate　ideas；　indifference　to　dress；　the　culture　of　vulgar
people；　swamp　the　sublimer　essence　hidden　in　the　youthful　plant；　all
is　over；　it　falls　into　decay。　How　should　it　be　otherwise？　From　their
earliest　years　girls　bred　in　the　country　see　none　but　provincials；
they　cannot　imagine　anything　superior；　their　choice　lies　among
mediocrities；　provincial　fathers　marry　their　daughters　to　provincial
sons；　crossing　the　races　is　never　thought　of；　and　the　brain　inevitably
degenerates；　so　that　in　many　country　towns　intellect　is　as　rare　as　the
breed　is　hideous。　Mankind　becomes　dwarfed　in　mind　and　body；　for　the
fatal　principle　of　conformity　of　fortune　governs　every　matrimonial
alliance。　Men　of　talent；　artists；　superior　brainsevery　bird　of
brilliant　plumage　flies　to　Paris。　The　provincial　woman；　inferior　in
herself；　is　also　inferior　through　her　husband。　How　is　she　to　live
happy　under　this　crushing　twofold　consciousness？

But　there　is　a　third　and　terrible　element　besides　her　congenital　and
conjugal　inferiority　which　contributes　to　make　the　figure　arid　and
gloomy；　to　reduce　it；　narrow　it；　distort　it　fatally。　Is　not　one　of　the
most　flattering