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It has every right to intervene as the police; but in equity it knows nothing of the heart of the matter." "The victim has in many cases been for so long the tormentor," said Madame de la Baudraye guilelessly, "that the crime would sometimes seem almost excusable if the accused could tell all."
On discovering this baseness, Madame de la Baudraye went through fearful tortures of jealousy.
A few days before the end of July, Dinah crumbled up in her wrath the letter from her mother containing Monsieur de la Baudraye's ultimatum: "Madame de la Baudraye cannot need an allowance in Paris when she can live in perfect luxury at her Chateau of Anzy: she may return." Lousteau picked up this letter and read it.
"Why he told us that he was obliged to sit to-day; the minor cases are before the Court," replied the other. "And did you believe that?" cried Gatien. "Well, my papa said to me, 'Monsieur Lebas will not join you early, for Monsieur de Clagny has begged him as his deputy to sit for him!" "Indeed!" said Gravier, changing countenance. "And Monsieur de la Baudraye is gone to La Charite!"
"'I lost it in the war of independence, said she." "Spain is a strange country," said Madame de la Baudraye. "It still shows traces of Arab manners." "Oh!" said the journalist, laughing, "the mania for cutting off arms is an old one there. It turns up every now and then like some of our newspaper hoaxes, for the subject has given plots for plays on the Spanish stage so early as 1570 "
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.
All through dinner, and for the rest of the evening, Etienne was in the most delightful spirits, inexhaustibly cheerful; but while thus giving vent to his intoxication, he now and then fell into the dreamy abstraction of a man who seems rapt in his own happiness. After coffee had been served, Madame de la Baudraye and her mother left the men to wander about the gardens.
These little things, which lead to such great catastrophes having been seen in a mass by Bianchon, he pronounced the verdict he had come to as to Madame de la Baudraye in a few words to Lousteau, to the journalist's great amazement.
At five o'clock, Monsieur de Clagny who had been promoted to the post of Attorney-General enlightened Madame de la Baudraye as to her position; still, he undertook to arrange everything by a bargain with the old fellow, whose visit had been prompted by avarice alone.
Women cannot forgive so much superiority." Men said to Monsieur de la Baudraye: "You who have such a Superior Woman for a wife are very fortunate " And at last he himself would say: "I who have a Superior Woman for a wife, am very fortunate," etc.
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