the muse of the department-第3节

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presence　was　required　there　by　the　sitting　of　the　Chambers。

This　is　how　the　Duc　de　Navarreins；　the　principal　debtor　threatened　by
Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye；　got　out　of　the　scrape。

The　country　gentleman；　lodging　at　the　Hotel　de　Mayence；　Rue　Saint…
Honore；　near　the　Place　Vendome；　one　morning　received　a　visit　from　a
confidential　agent　of　the　Ministry；　who　was　an　expert　in　〃winding　up〃
business。　This　elegant　personage；　who　stepped　out　of　an　elegant　cab；
and　was　dressed　in　the　most　elegant　style；　was　requested　to　walk　up　to
No。　3that　is　to　say；　to　the　third　floor；　to　a　small　room　where　he
found　his　provincial　concocting　a　cup　of　coffee　over　his　bedroom　fire。

〃Is　it　to　Monsieur　Milaud　de　la　Baudraye　that　I　have　the　honor〃

〃Yes；〃　said　the　little　man；　draping　himself　in　his　dressing…gown。

After　examining　this　garment；　the　illicit　offspring　of　an　old　chine
wrapper　of　Madame　Piedefer's　and　a　gown　of　the　late　lamented　Madame　de
la　Baudraye；　the　emissary　considered　the　man；　the　dressing…gown；　and
the　little　stove　on　which　the　milk　was　boiling　in　a　tin　saucepan；　as
so　homogeneous　and　characteristic；　that　he　deemed　it　needless　to　beat
about　the　bush。

〃I　will　lay　a　wager；　monsieur；〃　said　he；　audaciously；　〃that　you　dine
for　forty　sous　at　Hurbain's　in　the　Palais　Royal。〃

〃Pray；　why？〃

〃Oh；　I　know　you；　having　seen　you　there；〃　replied　the　Parisian　with
perfect　gravity。　〃All　the　princes'　creditors　dine　there。　You　know　that
you　recover　scarcely　ten　per　cent　on　debts　from　these　fine　gentlemen。
I　would　not　give　you　five　per　cent　on　a　debt　to　be　recovered　from　the
estate　of　the　late　Duc　d'Orleansnor　even；〃　he　added　in　a　low　voice
〃from　MONSIEUR。〃

〃So　you　have　come　to　buy　up　the　bills？〃　said　La　Baudraye；　thinking
himself　very　clever。

〃Buy　them！〃　said　his　visitor。　〃Why；　what　do　you　take　me　for？　I　am
Monsieur　des　Lupeaulx；　Master　of　Appeals；　Secretary…General　to　the
Ministry；　and　I　have　come　to　propose　an　arrangement。〃

〃What　is　that？〃

〃Of　course；　monsieur；　you　know　the　position　of　your　debtor〃

〃Of　my　debtors〃

〃Well；　monsieur；　you　understand　the　position　of　your　debtors；　they
stand　high　in　the　King's　good　graces；　but　they　have　no　money；　and　are
obliged　to　make　a　good　show。Again；　you　know　the　difficulties　of　the
political　situation。　The　aristocracy　has　to　be　rehabilitated　in　the
face　of　a　very　strong　force　of　the　third　estate。　The　King's　ideaand
France　does　him　scant　justiceis　to　create　a　peerage　as　a　national
institution　analogous　to　the　English　peerage。　To　realize　this　grand
idea　we　need　yearsand　millions。/Noblesse　oblige/。　The　Duc　de
Navarreins；　who　is；　as　you　know；　first　gentleman　of　the　Bedchamber　to
the　King；　does　not　repudiate　his　debt；　but　he　cannotNow；　be
reasonable。Consider　the　state　of　politics。　We　are　emerging　from　the
pit　of　the　Revolution。and　you　yourself　are　nobleHe　simply　cannot
pay〃

〃Monsieur〃

〃You　are　hasty；〃　said　des　Lupeaulx。　〃Listen。　He　cannot　pay　in　money。
Well；　then；　you；　a　clever　man；　can　take　payment　in　favorsRoyal　or
Ministerial。〃

〃What！　When　in　1793　my　father　put　down　one　hundred　thousand〃

〃My　dear　sir；　recrimination　is　useless。　Listen　to　a　simple　statement
in　political　arithmetic：　The　collectorship　at　Sancerre　is　vacant；　a
certain　paymaster…general　of　the　forces　has　a　claim　on　it；　but　he　has
no　chance　of　getting　it；　you　have　the　chanceand　no　claim。　You　will
get　the　place。　You　will　hold　it　for　three　months；　you　will　then
resign；　and　Monsieur　Gravier　will　give　twenty　thousand　francs　for　it。
In　addition；　the　Order　of　the　Legion　of　Honor　will　be　conferred　on
you。〃

〃Well；　that　is　something；〃　said　the　wine…grower；　tempted　by　the　money
rather　than　by　the　red　ribbon。

〃But　then；〃　said　des　Lupeaulx；　〃you　must　show　your　gratitude　to　His
Excellency　by　restoring　to　Monseigneur　the　Duc　de　Navarreins　all　your
claims　on　him。〃

La　Baudraye　returned　to　Sancerre　as　Collector　of　Taxes。　Six　months
later　he　was　superseded　by　Monsieur　Gravier；　regarded　as　one　of　the
most　agreeable　financiers　who　had　served　under　the　Empire；　and　who　was
of　course　presented　by　Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye　to　his　wife。

As　soon　as　he　was　released　from　his　functions；　Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye
returned　to　Paris　to　come　to　an　understanding　with　some　other　debtors。
This　time　he　was　made　a　Referendary　under　the　Great　Seal；　Baron；　and
Officer　of　the　Legion　of　Honor。　He　sold　the　appointment　as
Referendary；　and　then　the　Baron　de　la　Baudraye　called　on　his　last
remaining　debtors；　and　reappeared　at　Sancerre　as　Master　of　Appeals；
with　an　appointment　as　Royal　Commissioner　to　a　commercial　association
established　in　the　Nivernais；　at　a　salary　of　six　thousand　francs；　an
absolute　sinecure。　So　the　worthy　La　Baudraye；　who　was　supposed　to　have
committed　a　financial　blunder；　had；　in　fact；　done　very　good　business
in　the　choice　of　a　wife。

Thanks　to　sordid　economy　and　an　indemnity　paid　him　for　the　estate
belonging　to　his　father；　nationalized　and　sold　in　1793；　by　the　year
1827　the　little　man　could　realize　the　dream　of　his　whole　life。　By
paying　four　hundred　thousand　francs　down；　and　binding　himself　to
further　instalments；　which　compelled　him　to　live　for　six　years　on　the
air　as　it　came；　to　use　his　own　expression；　he　was　able　to　purchase　the
estate　of　Anzy　on　the　banks　of　the　Loire；　about　two　leagues　above
Sancerre；　and　its　magnificent　castle　built　by　Philibert　de　l'Orme；　the
admiration　of　every　connoisseur；　and　for　five　centuries　the　property
of　the　Uxelles　family。　At　last　he　was　one　of　the　great　landowners　of
the　province！　It　is　not　absolutely　certain　that　the　satisfaction　of
knowing　that　an　entail　had　been　created；　by　letters　patent　dated　back
to　December　1820；　including　the　estates　of　Anzy；　of　La　Baudraye；　and
of　La　Hautoy；　was　any　compensation　to　Dinah　on　finding　herself　reduced
to　unconfessed　penuriousness　till　1835。

This　sketch　of　the　financial　policy　of　the　first　Baron　de　la　Baudraye
explains　the　man　completely。　Those　who　are　familiar　with　the　manias　of
country　folks　will　recognize　in　him　the　/land…hunger/　which　becomes
such　a　consuming　passion　to　the　exclusion　of　every　other；　a　sort　of
avarice　displayed　in　the　sight　of　the　sun；　which　often　leads　to　ruin
by　a　want　of　balance　between　the　interest　on　mortgages　and　the
products　of　the　soil。　Those　who；　from　1802　till　1827；　had　merely
laughed　at　the　little　man　as　they　saw　him　trotting　to　Saint…Thibault
and　attending　to　his　business；　like　a　merchant　living　on　his
vineyards；　found　the　answer　to　the　riddle　when　the　ant…lion　seized　his
prey；　after　waiting　for　the　day　when　the　extravagance　of　the　Duchesse
de　Maufrigneuse　culminated　in　the　sale　of　that　splendid　property。

Madame　Piedefer　came　to　live　with　her　daughter。　The　combined　fortunes
of　Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye　and　his　mother…in…law；　who　had　been　content
to　accept　an　annuity　of　twelve　hundred　francs　on　the　lands　of　La
Hautoy　which　she　handed　over　to　him；　amounted　to　an　acknowledged
income　of　about　fifteen　thousand　francs。

During　the　early　days　of　her　married　life；　Dinah　had　effected　some
alterations　which　had　made　the　house　at　La　Baudraye　a　very　pleasant
residence。　She　turned　a　spacious　forecourt　into　a　formal　garden；
pulling　down　wine…stores；　presses；　and　shabby　outhouses。　Behind　the
manor…house；　which；　though　small；　did　not　lack　style　with　its　turrets
and　gables；　she　laid　out　a　second　garden　with　shrubs；　flower…beds；　and
lawns；　and　divided　it　from　the　vineyards　by　a　wall　hidden　under
creepers。　She　also　made　everything　within　doors　as　comfortable　as
their　narrow　circumstances　allowed。

In　order　not　to　be　ruined　by　a　young　lady　so　very　superior　as　Dinah
seemed　to　be；　Monsieur　de　la　Baudraye　was　shrewd　enough　to　say　nothing
as　to　the　recovery　of　debts　in　Paris。　This　dead　secrecy　as　to　his
money　matters　gave　a　touch　of　mystery　to　his　character；　and　lent　him
dignity　in　his　wife's　eyes　during　the　first　years　of　their　married
lifeso　majestic　is　silence！

The　alterations　effected　at　La　Baudraye　made　everybody　eager　to　see
the　young　mistress；　all　the　more　so　because　Dinah　would　never　show
herself；　nor　receive　any　company；　before　she　felt　quite　settled　in　her
home　and　had　thoroughly　studied　the　inhabitants；　and；　above　all；　her
taciturn　husband。　When；　one　spring　morning　in　1825；　pretty　Madame　de
la　Baudraye　was　first　seen　walking　on　the　Mall　in　a　blue　velvet　dress；
with　her　mother　in　black　velvet；　there　was　quite　an　excitement　in
Sancerre。　This　dress　confirmed　the　young　woman's　reputation　for
superiority；　brought　up；　as　she　had　been；　in　the　capital　of　Le　Berry。
Every　one　was　afraid　lest　in　entertaining　this　phoenix　of　the
Department；　the　conversation　should　not　be　clever　enough；　and；　of
course；　everybody　was　constrained　in　the　presence　of　Madame　de　la
Baudraye；　who　produced　a　sort　of　terror　among　the　woman…folk。　As　they
admired　a　carpet　of　Indian　shawl…pattern　in　the　La　Baudraye　drawing…
room；　a　Pompadour　writing…table　carved　and　gilt；　brocade　window
curtains；　and　a　Japanese　bowl　full　of　flowers　on　the　round　table　among
a　selection　of　the　newest　books；　when　they　heard　the　fair　Dinah
playing　at　sight；　without　making　the　smallest　demur　before　seating
herself　at　the　piano；　the　idea　they　conceived　of　her　superiority
assumed　vast　propor