paz-第8节

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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