the muse of the department-第31章

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green　gauze；　all　the　furniture　wore　holland　covers。　Though　it　was
impossible　to　feel　a　shade　of　uneasiness　as　to　the　wealth　of　the
inhabitants；　at　the　end　of　half　an　hour　no　one　could　suppress　a　yawn。
Boredom　perched　in　every　nook；　the　curtains　hung　dolefully；　the
dining…room　was　like　Harpagon's。　Even　if　Lousteau　had　not　known　all
about　Malaga；　he　could　have　guessed　that　the　notary's　real　life　was
spent　elsewhere。

The　journalist　saw　a　tall；　fair　girl　with　blue　eyes；　at　once　shy　and
languishing。　The　elder　brother　took　a　fancy　to　him；　he　was　the　fourth
clerk　in　the　office；　but　strongly　attracted　by　the　snares　of　literary
fame；　though　destined　to　succeed　his　father。　The　younger　sister　was
twelve　years　old。　Lousteau；　assuming　a　little　Jesuitical　air；　played
the　Monarchist　and　Churchman　for　the　benefit　of　the　mother；　was　quite
smooth；　deliberate；　and　complimentary。

Within　three　weeks　of　their　introduction；　at　his　fourth　dinner　there；
Felicie　Cardot；　who　had　been　watching　Lousteau　out　of　the　corner　of
her　eye；　carried　him　a　cup　of　coffee　where　he　stood　in　the　window
recess；　and　said　in　a　low　voice；　with　tears　in　her　eyes：

〃I　will　devote　my　whole　life；　monsieur；　to　thanking　you　for　your
sacrifice　in　favor　of　a　poor　girl〃

Lousteau　was　touched；　there　was　so　much　expression　in　her　look；　her
accent；　her　attitude。　〃She　would　make　a　good　man　happy；〃　thought　he；
pressing　her　hand　in　reply。

Madame　Cardot　looked　upon　her　son…in…law　as　a　man　with　a　future　before
him；　but；　above　all　the　fine　qualities　she　ascribed　to　him；　she　was
most　delighted　by　his　high　tone　of　morals。　Etienne；　prompted　by　the
wily　notary；　had　pledged　his　word　that　he　had　no　natural　children；　no
tie　that　could　endanger　the　happiness　of　her　dear　Felicie。

〃You　may　perhaps　think　I　go　rather　too　far；〃　said　the　bigot　to　the
journalist；　〃but　in　giving　such　a　jewel　as　my　Felicie　to　any　man；　one
must　think　of　the　future。　I　am　not　one　of　those　mothers　who　want　to　be
rid　of　their　daughters。　Monsieur　Cardot　hurries　matters　on；　urges
forward　his　daughter's　marriage；　he　wishes　it　over。　This　is　the　only
point　on　which　we　differ。Though　with　a　man　like　you；　monsieur；　a
literary　man　whose　youth　has　been　preserved　by　hard　work　from　the
moral　shipwreck　now　so　prevalent；　we　may　feel　quite　safe；　still；　you
would　be　the　first　to　laugh　at　me　if　I　looked　for　a　husband　for　my
daughter　with　my　eyes　shut。　I　know　you　are　not　an　innocent；　and　I
should　be　very　sorry　for　my　Felicie　if　you　were〃　（this　was　said　in　a
whisper）；　〃but　if　you　had　any　/liaison/For　instance；　monsieur；　you
have　heard　of　Madame　Roguin；　the　wife　of　a　notary　who；　unhappily　for
our　faculty；　was　sadly　notorious。　Madame　Roguin　has；　ever　since　1820；
been　kept　by　a　banker〃

〃Yes；　du　Tillet；〃　replied　Etienne；　but　he　bit　his　tongue　as　he
recollected　how　rash　it　was　to　confess　to　an　acquaintance　with　du
Tillet。

〃Yes。Well；　monsieur；　if　you　were　a　mother；　would　you　not　quake　at
the　thought　that　Madame　du　Tillet's　fate　might　be　your　child's？　At　her
age；　and　/nee/　de　Granville！　To　have　as　a　rival　a　woman　of　fifty　and
more。　Sooner　would　I　see　my　daughter　dead　than　give　her　to　a　man　who
had　such　a　connection　with　a　married　woman。　A　grisette；　an　actress；
you　take　her　and　leave　her。There　is　no　danger；　in　my　opinion；　from
women　of　that　stamp；　love　is　their　trade；　they　care　for　no　one；　one
down　and　another　to　come　on！But　a　woman　who　has　sinned　against　duty
must　hug　her　sin；　her　only　excuse　is　constancy；　if　such　a　crime　can
ever　have　an　excuse。　At　least；　that　is　the　view　I　hold　of　a
respectable　woman's　fall；　and　that　is　what　makes　it　so　terrible〃

Instead　of　looking　for　the　meaning　of　these　speeches；　Etienne　made　a
jest　of　them　at　Malaga's；　whither　he　went　with　his　father…in…law
elect；　for　the　notary　and　the　journalist　were　the　best　of　friends。

Lousteau　had　already　given　himself　the　airs　of　a　person　of　importance；
his　life　at　last　was　to　have　a　purpose；　he　was　in　luck's　way；　and　in　a
few　days　would　be　the　owner　of　a　delightful　little　house　in　the　Rue
Saint…Lazare；　he　was　going　to　be　married　to　a　charming　woman；　he　would
have　about　twenty　thousand　francs　a　year；　and　could　give　the　reins　to
his　ambition；　the　young　lady　loved　him；　and　he　would　be　connected　with
several　respectable　families。　In　short；　he　was　in　full　sail　on　the
blue　waters　of　hope。



Madame　Cardot　had　expressed　a　wish　to　see　the　prints　for　/Gil　Blas/；
one　of　the　illustrated　volumes　which　the　French　publishers　were　at
that　time　bringing　out；　and　Lousteau　had　taken　the　first　numbers　for
the　lady's　inspection。　The　lawyer's　wife　had　a　scheme　of　her　own；　she
had　borrowed　the　book　merely　to　return　it；　she　wanted　an　excuse　for
walking　in　on　her　future　son…in…law　quite　unexpectedly。　The　sight　of
those　bachelor　rooms；　which　her　husband　had　described　as　charming；
would　tell　her　more；　she　thought；　as　to　Lousteau's　habits　of　life　than
any　information　she　could　pick　up。　Her　sister…in…law；　Madame　Camusot；
who　knew　nothing　of　the　fateful　secret；　was　terrified　at　such　a
marriage　for　her　niece。　Monsieur　Camusot；　a　Councillor　of　the　Supreme
Court；　old　Camusot's　son　by　his　first　marriage；　had　given　his　step…
mother；　who　was　Cardot's　sister；　a　far　from　flattering　account　of　the
journalist。

Lousteau；　clever　as　he　was；　did　not　think　it　strange　that　the　wife　of
a　rich　notary　should　wish　to　inspect　a　volume　costing　fifteen　francs
before　deciding　on　the　purchase。　Your　clever　man　never　condescends　to
study　the　middle…class；　who　escape　his　ken　by　this　want　of　attention；
and　while　he　is　making　game　of　them；　they　are　at　leisure　to　throttle
him。

So　one　day　early　in　January　1837；　Madame　Cardot　and　her　daughter　took
a　hackney　coach　and　went　to　the　Rue　des　Martyrs　to　return　the　parts　of
/Gil　Blas/　to　Felicie's　betrothed；　both　delighted　at　the　thought　of
seeing　Lousteau's　rooms。　These　domiciliary　visitations　are　not　unusual
in　the　old　citizen　class。　The　porter　at　the　front　gate　was　not　in；　but
his　daughter；　on　being　informed　by　the　worthy　lady　that　she　was　in　the
presence　of　Monsieur　Lousteau's　future　mother…in…law　and　bride；　handed
over　the　key　of　the　apartmentall　the　more　readily　because　Madame
Cardot　placed　a　gold　piece　in　her　hand。

It　was　by　this　time　about　noon；　the　hour　at　which　the　journalist　would
return　from　breakfasting　at　the　Cafe　Anglais。　As　he　crossed　the　open
space　between　the　Church　of　Notre…Dame　de　Lorette　and　the　Rue　des
Martyrs；　Lousteau　happened　to　look　at　a　hired　coach　that　was　toiling
up　the　Rue　du　Faubourg…Montmartre；　and　he　fancied　it　was　a　dream　when
he　saw　the　face　of　Dinah！　He　stood　frozen　to　the　spot　when；　on
reaching　his　house；　he　beheld　his　Didine　at　the　coach　door。

〃What　has　brought　you　here？〃　he　inquired。He　adopted　the　familiar
/tu/。　The　formality　of　/vous/　was　out　of　the　question　to　a　woman　he
must　get　rid　of。

〃Why；　my　love；〃　cried　she；　〃have　you　not　read　my　letters？〃

〃Certainly　I　have；〃　said　Lousteau。

〃Well；　then？〃

〃Well；　then？〃

〃You　are　a　father；〃　replied　the　country　lady。

〃Faugh！〃　cried　he；　disregarding　the　barbarity　of　such　an　exclamation。
〃Well；〃　thought　he　to　himself；　〃she　must　be　prepared　for　the　blow。〃

He　signed　to　the　coachman　to　wait；　gave　his　hand　to　Madame　de　la
Baudraye；　and　left　the　man　with　the　chaise　full　of　trunks；　vowing　that
he　would　send　away　/illico/；　as　he　said　to　himself；　the　woman　and　her
luggage；　back　to　the　place　she　had　come　from。

〃Monsieur；　monsieur；〃　called　out　little　Pamela。

The　child　had　some　sense；　and　felt　that　three　women　must　not　be
allowed　to　meet　in　a　bachelor's　rooms。

〃Well；　well！〃　said　Lousteau；　dragging　Dinah　along。

Pamela　concluded　that　the　lady　must　be　some　relation；　however；　she
added：

〃The　key　is　in　the　door；　your　mother…in…law　is　there。〃

In　his　agitation；　while　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　was　pouring　out　a　flood
of　words；　Etienne　understood　the　child　to　say；　〃Mother　is　there；〃　the
only　circumstance　that　suggested　itself　as　possible；　and　he　went　in。

Felicie　and　her　mother；　who　were　by　this　time　in　the　bed…room；　crept
into　a　corner　on　seeing　Etienne　enter　with　a　woman。

〃At　last；　Etienne；　my　dearest；　I　am　yours　for　life！〃　cried　Dinah；
throwing　her　arms　round　his　neck；　and　clasp