to　La　Baudraye；　and　flattered　herself　that　she　might　see　her　Gatien　in
  the　good　graces　of　this　Superior　Woman。The　words　Superior　Woman　had
  superseded　the　absurd　nickname　of　/The　Sappho　of　Saint…Satur/。This
  lady；　who　for　nine　years　had　led　the　opposition；　was　so　delighted　at
  the　good　reception　accorded　to　her　son；　that　she　became　loud　in　her
  praises　of　the　Muse　of　Sancerre。
  〃After　all；〃　she　exclaimed；　in　reply　to　a　tirade　from　Madame　de
  Clagny；　who　hated　her　husband's　supposed　mistress；　〃she　is　the
  handsomest　and　cleverest　woman　in　the　whole　province！〃
  After　scrambling　through　so　many　brambles　and　setting　off　on　so　many
  different　roads；　after　dreaming　of　love　in　splendor　and　scenting　the
  darkest　dramas；　thinking　such　terrible　joys　would　be　cheaply　purchased
  so　weary　was　she　of　her　dreary　existence；　one　day　Dinah　fell　into　the
  pit　she　had　sworn　to　avoid。　Seeing　Monsieur　de　Clagny　always
  sacrificing　himself；　and　at　last　refusing　a　high　appointment　in　Paris；
  where　his　family　wanted　to　see　him；　she　said　to　herself；　〃He　loves
  me！〃　She　vanquished　her　repulsion；　and　seemed　willing　to　reward　so
  much　constancy。
  It　was　to　this　impulse　of　generosity　on　her　part　that　a　coalition　was
  due；　formed　in　Sancerre　to　secure　the　return　of　Monsieur　de　Clagny　at
  the　next　elections。　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　had　dreamed　of　going　to
  Paris　in　the　wake　of　the　new　deputy。
  But；　in　spite　of　the　most　solemn　promises；　the　hundred　and　fifty　votes
  to　be　recorded　in　favor　of　this　adorer　of　the　lovely　Dinahwho　hoped
  to　see　this　defender　of　the　widow　and　the　orphan　wearing　the　gown　of
  the　Keeper　of　the　Sealsfigured　as　an　imposing　minority　of　fifty
  votes。　The　jealousy　of　the　President　de　Boirouge；　and　Monsieur
  Gravier's　hatred；　for　he　believed　in　the　candidate's　supremacy　in
  Dinah's　heart；　had　been　worked　upon　by　a　young　Sous…prefet；　and　for
  this　worthy　deed　the　allies　got　the　young　man　made　a　prefet　elsewhere。
  〃I　shall　never　cease　to　regret；〃　said　he；　as　he　quitted　Sancerre；
  〃that　I　did　not　succeed　in　pleasing　Madame　de　la　Baudraye；　that　would
  have　made　my　triumph　complete！〃
  The　household　that　was　thus　racked　by　domestic　troubles　was　calm　on
  the　surface；　here　were　two　ill…assorted　but　resigned　beings；　and　the
  indescribable　propriety；　the　lie　that　society　insists　on；　and　which　to
  Dinah　was　an　unendurable　yoke。　Why　did　she　long　to　throw　off　the　mask
  she　had　worn　for　twelve　years？　Whence　this　weariness　which；　every　day；
  increased　her　hope　of　finding　herself　a　widow？
  The　reader　who　has　noted　all　the　phases　of　her　existence　will　have
  understood　the　various　illusions　by　which　Dinah；　like　many　another
  woman；　had　been　deceived。　After　an　attempt　to　master　Monsieur　de　la
  Baudraye；　she　had　indulged　the　hope　of　becoming　a　mother。　Between
  those　miserable　disputes　over　household　matters　and　the　melancholy
  conviction　as　to　her　fate；　quite　a　long　time　had　elapsed。　Then；　when
  she　had　looked　for　consolation；　the　consoler；　Monsieur　de　Chargeboeuf
  had　left　her。　Thus；　the　overwhelming　temptation　which　commonly　causes
  women　to　sin　had　hitherto　been　absent。　For　if　there　are；　after　all；
  some　women　who　make　straight　for　unfaithfulness；　are　there　not　many
  more　who　cling　to　hope；　and　do　not　fall　till　they　have　wandered　long
  in　a　labyrinth　of　secret　woes？
  Such　was　Dinah。　She　had　so　little　impulse　to　fail　in　her　duty；　that
  she　did　not　care　enough　for　Monsieur　de　Clagny　to　forgive　him　his
  defeat。
  Then　the　move　to　the　Chateau　d'Anzy；　the　rearrangement　of　her
  collected　treasures　and　curiosities；　which　derived　added　value　from
  the　splendid　setting　which　Philibert　de　Lorme　seemed　to　have　planned
  on　purpose　for　this　museum；　occupied　her　for　several　months；　giving
  her　leisure　to　meditate　one　of　those　decisive　steps　that　startle　the
  public；　ignorant　of　the　motives　which；　however；　it　sometimes　discovers
  by　dint　of　gossip　and　suppositions。
  Madame　de　la　Baudraye　had　been　greatly　struck　by　the　reputation　of
  Lousteau；　who　was　regarded　as　a　lady's　man　of　the　first　water　in
  consequence　of　his　intimacies　among　actresses；　she　was　anxious　to　know
  him；　she　read　his　books；　and　was　fired　with　enthusiasm；　less　perhaps
  for　his　talents　than　for　his　successes　with　women；　and　to　attract　him
  to　the　country；　she　started　the　notion　that　it　was　obligatory　on
  Sancerre　to　return　one　of　its　great　men　at　the　elections。　She　made
  Gatien　Boirouge　write　to　the　great　physician　Bianchon；　whom　he　claimed
  as　a　cousin　through　the　Popinots。　Then　she　persuaded　an　old　friend　of
  the　departed　Madame　Lousteau　to　stir　up　the　journalist's　ambitions　by
  letting　him　know　that　certain　persons　in　Sancerre　were　firmly　bent　on
  electing　a　deputy　from　among　the　distinguished　men　in　Paris。
  Tired　of　her　commonplace　neighbors；　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　would　thus
  at　last　meet　really　illustrious　men；　and　might　give　her　fall　the
  lustre　of　fame。
  Neither　Lousteau　nor　Bianchon　replied；　they　were　waiting　perhaps　till
  the　holidays。　Bianchon；　who　had　won　his　professor's　chair　the　year
  before　after　a　brilliant　contest；　could　not　leave　his　lectures。
  In　the　month　of　September；　when　the　vintage　was　at　its　height；　the　two
  Parisians　arrived　in　their　native　province；　and　found　it　absorbed　in
  the　unremitting　toil　of　the　wine…crop　of　1836；　there　could　therefore
  be　no　public　demonstration　in　their　favor。　〃We　have　fallen　flat；〃　said
  Lousteau　to　his　companion；　in　the　slang　of　the　stage。
  In　1836；　Lousteau；　worn　by　sixteen　years　of　struggle　in　the　Capital；
  and　aged　quite　as　much　by　pleasure　as　by　penury；　hard　work；　and
  disappointments；　looked　eight…and…forty；　though　he　was　no　more　than
  thirty…seven。　He　was　already　bald；　and　had　assumed　a　Byronic　air　in
  harmony　with　his　early　decay　and　the　lines　furrowed　in　his　face　by
  over…indulgence　in　champagne。　He　ascribed　these　signs…manual　of
  dissipation　to　the　severities　of　a　literary　life；　declaring　that　the
  Press　was　murderous；　and　he　gave　it　to　be　understood　that　it　consumed
  superior　talents；　so　as　to　lend　a　grace　to　his　exhaustion。　In　his
  native　town　he　thought　proper　to　exaggerate　his　affected　contempt　of
  life　and　his　spurious　misanthropy。　Still；　his　eyes　could　flash　with
  fire　like　a　volcano　supposed　to　be　extinct；　and　he　endeavored；　by
  dressing　fashionably；　to　make　up　for　the　lack　of　youth　that　might
  strike　a　woman's　eye。
  Horace　Bianchon；　who　wore　the　ribbon　of　the　Legion　of　Honor；　was　fat
  and　burly；　as　beseems　a　fashionable　physician；　with　a　patriarchal　air；
  his　hair　thick　and　long；　a　prominent　brow；　the　frame　of　a　hard　worker；
  and　the　calm　expression　of　a　philosopher。　This　somewhat　prosaic
  personality　set　off　his　more　frivolous　companion　to　advantage。
  The　two　great　men　remained　unrecognized　during　a　whole　morning　at　the
  inn　where　they　had　put　up；　and　it　was　only　by　chance　that　Monsieur　de
  Clagny　heard　of　their　arrival。　Madame　de　la　Baudraye；　in　despair　at
  this；　despatched　Gatien　Boirouge；　who　had　no　vineyards；　to　beg　the　two
  gentlemen　to　spend　a　few　days　at　the　Chateau　d'Anzy。　For　the　last　year
  Dinah　had　played　the　chatelaine；　and　spent　the　winter　only　at　La
  Baudraye。　Monsieur　Gravier；　the　Public　Prosecutor；　the　Presiding
  Judge；　and　Gatien　Boirouge　combined　to　give　a　banquet　to　the　great
  men；　to　meet　the　literary　personages　of　the　town。
  On　hearing　that　the　beautiful　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　was　Jan　Diaz；　the
  Parisians　went　to　spend　three　days　at　Anzy；　fetched　in　a　sort　of
  wagonette　driven　by　Gatien　himself。　The　young　man；　under　a　genuine
  illusion；　spoke　of　Madame　de　la　Baudraye　not　only　as　the　handsomest
  woman　in　those　parts；　a　woman　so　superior　that　she　might　give　George
  Sand　a　qualm；　but　as　a　woman　who　would　produce　a　great　sensation　in
  Paris。　Hence　the　extreme　though　suppressed　astonishment　of　Doctor
  Bianchon　and　the　waggish　journalist　when　they　beheld；　on　the　garden
  steps　of　Anzy；　a　lady　dressed　in　thin　black　cashmere　with　a　deep
  tucker；　in　effect　like　a　riding…habit　cut　short；　for　they　quite
  understood　the　pretentiousness　of　such　extreme　simplicity。　Dinah　also
  wore　a　black　velvet　cap；　like　that　in　the　portrait　of　Raphael；　and
  below　it　her　hair　fell　in　thick　curls。　This　attire　showed　off　a　rather
  pretty　figure；　fine　eyes；　and　handsome　eyelids　somewhat　faded　by　the
  weariful　life　that　has　been　described。　In　Le　Berry　the　singularity　of
  this　/artistic/　costume　was　a　cloak　for　the　romantic　affectations　of
  the　Superior　Woman。
  On　seeing　the　affectations　of　their　too　amiable　hostesswhich　were；
  indeed；　affectations　of　soul　and　mindthe　friends　glanced　at　each
  other；　and　put　on　a　deeply　serious　expression　to　listen　to　Madame　de
  la　Baudraye；　who　made　them　a　set　speech　of　thanks　for　coming　to　cheer
  the　monotony　of　her　days。　Dinah　walked　her　guests　round　and　round　the
  lawn；　ornamented　with　large　vases　of　flowers；　which　lay　in　front　of
  the　Chateau　d'Anzy。
  〃How　is　it；〃　said　Lousteau；　the　practical　joker；　〃that　so　handsome　a
  woman　as　you；　and　apparently　so　superior；　should　have　remained　buried
  in　the　country？　What　do　you　do　to　make　life　endurable？〃
  〃Ah！　that　is　the　crux；〃　said　the　lady。　〃It　is　unendurable。　Utter
  despair　or　dull　resignationthere　is　no　third　alternative；　that　is
  the　arid　soil　in　which　our　existence　is　rooted；　and　on　which　a
  thousand　stagnant　ideas　fall；　they　cannot　f