The Muse of the Department
THE MUSE OF THE DEPARTMENT BY HONORE DE BALZAC Translated by James Waring DEDICATION To Monsieur le Comte Ferdinand de Gramont. MY DEAR FERDINAND,--If the chances of the world of literature --_habent sua fata libelli_--should allow these lines to be an
"Very well," submitted Monte. "But you might tell me what she said."
"She said she was not sleepy," answered the nurse.
"I'm glad she's awake," said Monte.
Just because he was awake. In a sense, it gave them this city for
themselves. It was as if this immediately became their city. That was
not good arithmetic. Assuming that the city contained a population of
three millions,--he did not have his Baedeker at hand,--then clearly he
could consider only one three millionth part of the city as his. With
her awake in the next room, that made only two of them, so that taken
collectively they had a right to claim only two three-millionths parts
as belonging to them. Yet that was not the way it worked out. As far
as he was concerned, the other two millions nine hundred and
ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-eight did not exist.
There was nothing sentimental about this conclusion. He did not think
of it as it affected her--merely as it affected him. It gave him
rather a comfortable, completed feeling, as if he now had within
himself the means for peacefully enjoying life, wherever he might be,
even at thirty-two. Under the influence of this soothing thought, he
fell asleep again.
After the doctors were through with Monte the next morning, they
THE MUSE OF THE DEPARTMENT BY HONORE DE BALZAC Translated by James Waring DEDICATION To Monsieur le Comte Ferdinand de Gramont. MY DEAR FERDINAND,--If the chances of the world of literature --_habent sua fata libelli_--should allow these lines to be an