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第8节

paz-第8节

小说: paz 字数: 每页4000字

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compared; to my mind; with Malaga; who can jump on or off a horse at

full gallop; or stand on the point of one foot and fall easily into

the saddle; and knit stockings; break eggs; and make an omelette with

the horse at full speed; to the admiration of the people;the real

people; peasants and soldiers。 Malaga; madame; is dexterity

personified; her little wrist or her little foot can rid her of three

or four men。 She is the goddess of gymnastics。〃



〃She must be stupid〃



〃Oh; no;〃 said Paz; 〃I find her as amusing as the heroine of 'Peveril

of the Peak。' Thoughtless as a Bohemian; she says everything that

comes into her head; she thinks no more about the future than you do

of the sous you fling to the poor。 She says grand things sometimes。

You couldn't make her believe that an old diplomatist was a handsome

young man; not if you offered her a million of francs。 Such love as

hers is perpetual flattery to a man。 Her health is positively

insolent; and she has thirty…two oriental pearls in lips of coral。 Her

muzzlethat's what she calls the lower part of her facehas; as

Shakespeare expresses it; the savor of a heifer's nose。 She can make a

man unhappy。 She likes handsome men; strong men; Alexanders; gymnasts;

clowns。 Her trainer; a horrible brute; used to beat her to make her

supple; and graceful; and intrepid〃



〃You are positively intoxicated with Malaga。〃



〃Oh; she is called Malaga only on the posters;〃 said Paz; with a

piqued air。 〃She lives in the rue Saint…Lazare; in a pretty apartment

on the third story; all velvet and silk; like a princess。 She has two

lives; her circus life and the life of a pretty woman。〃



〃Does she love you?〃



〃She loves menow you will laughsolely because I'm a Pole。 She saw

an engraving of Poles rushing with Poniatowski into the Elster;for

all France persists in thinking that the Elster; where it is

impossible to get drowned; is an impetuous flood; in which Poniatowski

and his followers were engulfed。 But in the midst of all this I am

very unhappy; madame。〃



A tear of rage fell from his eyes and affected the countess。



〃You men have such a passion for singularity。〃



〃And you?〃 said Thaddeus。



〃I know Adam so well that I am certain he could forget me for some

mountebank like your Malaga。 Where did you first see her?〃



〃At Saint…Cloud; last September; on the fete…day。 She was at a corner

of a booth covered with flags; where the shows are given。 Her

comrades; all in Polish costumes; were making a horrible racket。 I

watched her standing there; silent and dumb; and I thought I saw a

melancholy expression in her face; in truth there was enough about her

to sadden a girl of twenty。 That touched me。〃



The countess was sitting in a delicious attitude; pensive and rather

melancholy。



〃Poor; poor Thaddeus!〃 she exclaimed。 Then; with the kindliness of a

true great lady she added; not without a malicious smile; 〃Well go; go

to your Circus。〃



Thaddeus took her hand; kissed it; leaving a hot tear upon it; and

went out。



Having invented this passion for a circus…rider; he bethought him that

he must give it some reality。 The only truth in his tale was the

momentary attention he had given to Malaga at Saint…Cloud; and he had

since seen her name on the posters of the Circus; where the clown; for

a tip of five francs; had told him that the girl was a foundling;

stolen perhaps。 Thaddeus now went to the Circus and saw her again。 For

ten francs one of the grooms (who take the place in circuses of the

dressers at a theatre) informed him that Malaga was named Marguerite

Turquet; and lived on the fifth story of a house in the rue des

Fosses…du…Temple。



The following day Paz went to the faubourg du Temple; found the house;

and asked to see Mademoiselle Turquet; who during the summer was

substituting for the leading horsewoman at the Cirque…Olympique; and a

supernumerary at a boulevard theatre in winter。



〃Malaga!〃 cried the portress; rushing into the attic; 〃there's a fine

gentleman wanting you。 He is getting information from Chapuzot; who is

playing him off to give me time to tell you。〃



〃Thank you; M'ame Chapuzot; but what will he think of me if he finds

me ironing my gown?〃



〃Pooh! when a man's in love he loves everything about us。〃



〃Is he an Englishman? they are fond of horses。〃



〃No; he looks to me Spanish。〃



〃That's a pity; they say Spaniards are always poor。 Stay here with me;

M'ame Chapuzot; I don't want him to think I'm deserted。〃



〃Who is it you are looking for; monsieur?〃 asked Madame Chapuzot;

opening the door for Thaddeus; who had now come upstairs。



〃Mademoiselle Turquet。〃



〃My dear;〃 said the portress; with an air of importance; 〃here is some

one to see you。〃



A line on which the clothes were drying caught the captain's hat and

knocked it off。



〃What is it you wish; monsieur?〃 said Malaga; picking up the hat and

giving it to him。



〃I saw you at the Circus;〃 said Thaddeus; 〃and you reminded me of a

daughter whom I have lost; mademoiselle; and out of affection for my

Heloise; whom you resemble in a most striking manner; I should like to

be of some service to you; if you will permit me。〃



〃Why; certainly; pray sit down; general;〃 said Madame Chapuzot;

〃nothing could be more straightforward; more gallant。〃



〃But I am not gallant; my good lady;〃 exclaimed Paz。 〃I am an

unfortunate father who tries to deceive himself by a resemblance。〃



〃Then am I to pass for your daughter?〃 said Malaga; slyly; and not in

the least suspecting the perfect sincerity of his proposal。



〃Yes;〃 said Paz; 〃and I'll come and see you sometimes。 But you shall

be lodged in better rooms; comfortably furnished。〃



〃I shall have furniture!〃 cried Malaga; looking at Madame Chapuzot。



〃And servants;〃 said Paz; 〃and all you want。〃



Malaga looked at the stranger suspiciously。



〃What countryman is monsieur?〃



〃I am a Pole。〃



〃Oh! then I accept;〃 she said。



Paz departed; promising to return。



〃Well; that's a stiff one!〃 said Marguerite Turquet; looking at Madame

Chapuzot; 〃I'm half afraid he is wheedling me; to carry out some fancy

of his ownPooh! I'll risk it。〃



A month after this eccentric interview the circus…rider was living in

a comfortable apartment furnished by Comte Adam's own upholsterer; Paz

having judged it desirable to have his folly talked about at the hotel

Laginski。 Malaga; to whom this adventure was like a leaf out of the

Arabian Nights; was served by Monsieur and Madame Chapuzot in the

double capacity of friends and servants。 The Chapuzots and Marguerite

were constantly expecting some result of all this; but at the end of

three months none of them were able to make out the meaning of the

Polish count's caprice。 Paz arrived duly and passed about an hour

there once a week; during which time he sat in the salon; and never

went into Malaga's boudoir nor into her bedroom; in spite of the

clever manoeuvring of the Chapuzots and Malaga to get him there。 The

count would ask questions as to the small events of Marguerite's life;

and each time that he came he left two gold pieces of forty francs

each on the mantel…piece。



〃He looks as if he didn't care to be here;〃 said Madame Chapuzot。



〃Yes;〃 said Malaga; 〃the man's as cold as an icicle。〃



〃But he's a good fellow all the same;〃 cried Chapuzot; who was happy

in a new suit of clothes made of blue cloth; in which he looked like

the servant of some minister。



The sum which Paz deposited weekly on the mantel…piece; joined to

Malaga's meagre salary; gave her the means of sumptuous living

compared with her former poverty。 Wonderful stories went the rounds of

the Circus about Malaga's good…luck。 Her vanity increased the six

thousand francs which Paz had spent on her furniture to sixty

thousand。 According to the clowns and the supers; Malaga was

squandering money; and she now appeared at the Circus wearing burnous

and shawls and elegant scarfs。 The Pole; it was agreed on all sides;

was the best sort of man a circus…rider had ever encountered; not

fault…finding nor jealous; and willing to let Malaga do just what she

liked。



〃Some women have the luck of it;〃 said Malaga's rival; 〃and I'm not

one of them;though I do draw a third of the receipts。〃



Malaga wore pretty things; and occasionally 〃showed her head〃 (a term

in the lexicon of such characters) in the Bois; where the fashionable

young men of the day began to remark her。 In fact; before long Malaga

was very much talked about in the questionable world of equivocal

women; who presently attacked her good fortune by calumnies。 They said

she was a somnambulist; and the Pole was a magnetizer who was using

her to discover the philosopher's stone。 Some even more envenomed

scandals drove her to a curiosity that was greater than Psyche's。 She

reported them in tears to Paz。



〃When I want to injure a woman

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