the works of edgar allan poe-3-第58节

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place　it　upon　my　　upon　my　nose；　　and　there　wear　it　ever
afterward；　in　the　less　romantic；　and　less　fashionable；　but　certainly
in　the　more　serviceable；　form　which　you　desire。'　These　were　the　exact
words；　my　beloved　husband；　were　they　not？〃

〃They　were；〃　I　said；　〃you　have　an　excellent　memory；　and　assuredly；　my
beautiful　Eugenie；　there　is　no　disposition　on　my　part　to　evade　the
performance　of　the　trivial　promise　they　imply。　See！　Behold！　they　are
becoming　　rather　　are　they　not？〃　And　here；　having　arranged　the
glasses　in　the　ordinary　form　of　spectacles；　I　applied　them　gingerly
in　their　proper　position；　while　Madame　Simpson；　adjusting　her　cap；
and　folding　her　arms；　sat　bolt　upright　in　her　chair；　in　a　somewhat
stiff　and　prim；　and　indeed；　in　a　somewhat　undignified　position。

〃Goodness　gracious　me！〃　I　exclaimed；　almost　at　the　very　instant　that
the　rim　of　the　spectacles　had　settled　upon　my　nose　　〃My　goodness
gracious　me！　　why；　what　can　be　the　matter　with　these　glasses？〃　and
taking　them　quickly　off；　I　wiped　them　carefully　with　a　silk
handkerchief；　and　adjusted　them　again。

But　if；　in　the　first　instance；　there　had　occurred　something　which
occasioned　me　surprise；　in　the　second；　this　surprise　became　elevated
into　astonishment；　and　this　astonishment　was　profound　　was　extreme…
indeed　I　may　say　it　was　horrific。　What；　in　the　name　of　everything
hideous；　did　this　mean？　Could　I　believe　my　eyes？　　could　I？　　that
was　the　question。　Was　that　　was　that　　was　that　rouge？　And　were
those…　and　were　those　　were　those　wrinkles；　upon　the　visage　of
Eugenie　Lalande？　And　oh！　Jupiter；　and　every　one　of　the　gods　and
goddesses；　little　and　big！　what　　what　　what　　what　had　become　of
her　teeth？　I　dashed　the　spectacles　violently　to　the　ground；　and；
leaping　to　my　feet；　stood　erect　in　the　middle　of　the　floor；
confronting　Mrs。　Simpson；　with　my　arms　set　a…kimbo；　and　grinning　and
foaming；　but；　at　the　same　time；　utterly　speechless　with　terror　and
with　rage。

Now　I　have　already　said　that　Madame　Eugenie　Lalande　　that　is　to
say；　Simpson　　spoke　the　English　language　but　very　little　better
than　she　wrote　it；　and　for　this　reason　she　very　properly　never
attempted　to　speak　it　upon　ordinary　occasions。　But　rage　will　carry　a
lady　to　any　extreme；　and　in　the　present　care　it　carried　Mrs。　Simpson
to　the　very　extraordinary　extreme　of　attempting　to　hold　a
conversation　in　a　tongue　that　she　did　not　altogether　understand。

〃Vell；　Monsieur；〃　said　she；　after　surveying　me；　in　great　apparent
astonishment；　for　some　moments　　〃Vell；　Monsieur？　　and　vat　den？　
vat　de　matter　now？　Is　it　de　dance　of　de　Saint　itusse　dat　you　ave？　If
not　like　me；　vat　for　vy　buy　de　pig　in　the　poke？〃

〃You　wretch！〃　said　I；　catching　my　breath　　〃you　　you　　you
villainous　old　hag！〃

〃Ag？　　ole？　　me　not　so　ver　ole；　after　all！　Me　not　one　single　day
more　dan　de　eighty…doo。〃

〃Eighty…two！〃　I　ejaculated；　staggering　to　the　wall　　〃eighty…two
hundred　thousand　baboons！　The　miniature　said　twenty…seven　years　and
seven　months！〃

〃To　be　sure！　　dat　is　so！　　ver　true！　but　den　de　portraite　has　been
take　for　dese　fifty…five　year。　Ven　I　go　marry　my　segonde　usbande；
Monsieur　Lalande；　at　dat　time　I　had　de　portraite　take　for　my　daughter
by　my　first　usbande；　Monsieur　Moissart！〃

〃Moissart！〃　said　I。

〃Yes；　Moissart；〃　said　she；　mimicking　my　pronunciation；　which；　to
speak　the　truth；　was　none　of　the　best；　　〃and　vat　den？　Vat　you　know
about　de　Moissart？〃

〃Nothing；　you　old　fright！　　I　know　nothing　about　him　at　all；　only　I
had　an　ancestor　of　that　name；　once　upon　a　time。〃

〃Dat　name！　and　vat　you　ave　for　say　to　dat　name？　'Tis　ver　goot　name；
and　so　is　Voissart　　dat　is　ver　goot　name　too。　My　daughter；
Mademoiselle　Moissart；　she　marry　von　Monsieur　Voissart；　　and　de
name　is　bot　ver　respectaable　name。〃

〃Moissart？〃　I　exclaimed；　〃and　Voissart！　Why；　what　is　it　you　mean？〃

〃Vat　I　mean？　　I　mean　Moissart　and　Voissart；　and　for　de　matter　of
dat；　I　mean　Croissart　and　Froisart；　too；　if　I　only　tink　proper　to
mean　it。　My　daughter's　daughter；　Mademoiselle　Voissart；　she　marry　von
Monsieur　Croissart；　and　den　again；　my　daughter's　grande　daughter；
Mademoiselle　Croissart；　she　marry　von　Monsieur　Froissart；　and　I
suppose　you　say　dat　dat　is　not　von　ver　respectaable　name。…〃

〃Froissart！〃　said　I；　beginning　to　faint；　〃why；　surely　you　don't　say
Moissart；　and　Voissart；　and　Croissart；　and　Froissart？〃

〃Yes；〃　she　replied；　leaning　fully　back　in　her　chair；　and　stretching
out　her　lower　limbs　at　great　length；　〃yes；　Moissart；　and　Voissart；
and　Croissart；　and　Froissart。　But　Monsieur　Froissart；　he　vas　von　ver
big　vat　you　call　fool　　he　vas　von　ver　great　big　donce　like　yourself
　for　he　lef　la　belle　France　for　come　to　dis　stupide　Amerique…　and
ven　he　get　here　he　went　and　ave　von　ver　stupide；　von　ver；　ver　stupide
sonn；　so　I　hear；　dough　I　not　yet　av　ad　de　plaisir　to　meet　vid　him　
neither　me　nor　my　companion；　de　Madame　Stephanie　Lalande。　He　is　name
de　Napoleon　Bonaparte　Froissart；　and　I　suppose　you　say　dat　dat；　too；
is　not　von　ver　respectable　name。〃

Either　the　length　or　the　nature　of　this　speech；　had　the　effect　of
working　up　Mrs。　Simpson　into　a　very　extraordinary　passion　indeed；　and
as　she　made　an　end　of　it；　with　great　labor；　she　lumped　up　from　her
chair　like　somebody　bewitched；　dropping　upon　the　floor　an　entire
universe　of　bustle　as　she　lumped。　Once　upon　her　feet；　she　gnashed　her
gums；　brandished　her　arms；　rolled　up　her　sleeves；　shook　her　fist　in
my　face；　and　concluded　the　performance　by　tearing　the　cap　from　her
head；　and　with　it　an　immense　wig　of　the　most　valuable　and　beautiful
black　hair；　the　whole　of　which　she　dashed　upon　the　ground　with　a
yell；　and　there　trammpled　and　danced　a　fandango　upon　it；　in　an
absolute　ecstasy　and　agony　of　rage。

Meantime　I　sank　aghast　into　the　chair　which　she　had　vacated。
〃Moissart　and　Voissart！〃　I　repeated；　thoughtfully；　as　she　cut　one　of
her　pigeon…wings；　and　〃Croissart　and　Froissart！〃　as　she　completed
another　　〃Moissart　and　Voissart　and　Croissart　and　Napoleon
Bonaparte　Froissart！　　why；　you　ineffable　old　serpent；　that's　me　
that's　me　　d'ye　hear？　that's　me〃　　here　I　screamed　at　the　top　of
my　voice　　〃that's　me…e…e！　I　am　Napoleon　Bonaparte　Froissart！　and　if
I　havn't　married　my　great；　great；　grandmother；　I　wish　I　may　be
everlastingly　confounded！〃

Madame　Eugenie　Lalande；　quasi　Simpson　　formerly　Moissart　　was；　in
sober　fact；　my　great；　great；　grandmother。　In　her　youth　she　had　been
beautiful；　and　even　at　eighty…two；　retained　the　majestic　height；　the
sculptural　contour　of　head；　the　fine　eyes　and　the　Grecian　nose　of　her
girlhood。　By　the　aid　of　these；　of　pearl…powder；　of　rouge；　of　false
hair；　false　teeth；　and　false　tournure；　as　well　as　of　the　most　skilful
modistes　of　Paris；　she　contrived　to　hold　a　respectable　footing　among
the　beauties　en　peu　passees　of　the　French　metropolis。　In　this
respect；　indeed；　she　might　have　been　regarded　as　little　less　than　the
equal　of　the　celebrated　Ninon　De　L'Enclos。

She　was　immensely　wealthy；　and　being　left；　for　the　second　time；　a
widow　without　children；　she　bethought　herself　of　my　existence　in
America；　and　for　the　purpose　of　making　me　her　heir；　paid　a　visit　to
the　United　States；　in　company　with　a　distant　and　exceedingly　lovely
relative　of　her　second　husband's　　a　Madame　Stephanie　Lalande。

At　the　opera；　my　great；　great；　grandmother's　attention　was　arrested
by　my　notice；　and；　upon　surveying　me　through　her　eye…glass；　she　was
struck　with　a　certain　family　resemblance　to　herself。　Thus　interested；
and　knowing　that　the　heir　she　sought　was　actually　in　the　city；　she
made　inquiries　of　her　party　respecting　me。　The　gentleman　who　attended
her　knew　my　person；　and　told　her　who　I　was。　The　information　thus
obtained　induced　her　to　renew　her　scrutiny；　and　this　scrutiny　it　was
which　so　emboldened　me　that　I　behaved　in　the　absurd　manner　already
detailed。　She　returned　my　bow；　however；　under　the　impression　that；　by
some　odd　accident；　I　had　discovered　her　identity。　When；　deceived　by
my　weakness　of　vision；　and　the　arts　of　the　toilet；　in　respect　to　the
age　and　charms　of　the　strange　lady；　I　demanded　so　enthusiastically　of
Talbot　who　she　was；　he　concluded　that　I　meant　the　younger　beauty；　as
a　matter　of　course；　and　so　informed　me；　with　perfect　truth；　that　she
was　〃the　celebrated　widow；　Madame　Lalande。〃

In　the　street；　next　morning；　my　great；　great；　grandmother　encountered
Talbot；　an　old　Parisian　acquaintance；　and　the　conversation；　very
naturally　turned　upon　myself。　My　deficiencies　of　vision　were　then
explained；　for　these　were　notorious；　although　I　was　entirely　ignorant
of　their　notoriety；　and　my　good　old　relative　discovered；　much　to　her
chagrin；　that　she　had　been　deceived　in　supposing　me　aware　of　her
identity；　and　that　I　had　been　merely　making　a　fool　of　myself　in
making　open　love；　in　a　theatre；　to　an　old　woman　unknown。　By　way　of
punishing　me　for　this　imprudence；　she　concocted　with　Talbot　a　plot。
He　purposely　kept　out　of　my　way　to　avoid　giving　me　the　introduction。
My　street　inquiries　about　〃the　lovely　widow；　Madame　Lalande；〃　were
supposed　to　refer　to　the　younger　lady；　of　course；　and　thus　the
conversation　with　the　three　gentlemen　whom　I　encountered　shortly
after　leaving　Talbot's　hotel　will　be　easily　explained；　as　also　their
allusion　to　Ninon　De