unconscious comedians-第10节

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signification　of　things　to　one　another；　and　by　their　special　language。

A　hundred　years　hence　this　earth　will　be　much　larger　than　it　is　now。〃



〃And　how　will　that；　monsieur；　come　to　pass？〃　said　Gazonal；　stupefied

at　hearing　a　man　outside　of　a　lunatic　asylum　talk　in　this　way。



〃Through　the　extending　of　production。　If　men　will　apply　The　System；　it

will　not　be　impossible　to　act　upon　the　stars。〃



〃What　would　become　of　painting　in　that　case？〃　asked　Gazonal。



〃It　would　be　magnified。〃



〃Would　our　eyes　be　magnified　too？〃　said　Gazonal；　looking　at　his　two

friends　significantly。



〃Man　will　return　to　what　he　was　before　he　became　degenerate；　our　six…

feet　men　will　then　be　dwarfs。〃



〃Is　your　picture　finished？〃　asked　Leon。



〃Entirely　finished；〃　replied　Dubourdieu。　〃I　have　tried　to　see　Hiclar；

and　get　him　to　compose　a　symphony　for　it；　I　wish　that　while　viewing　my

picture　the　public　should　hear　music　a　la　Beethoven　to　develop　its

ideas　and　bring　them　within　range　of　the　intellect　by　two　arts。　Ah！　if

the　government　would　only　lend　me　one　of　the　galleries　of　the　Louvre！〃



〃I'll　mention　it；　if　you　want　me　to　do　so；　you　should　never　neglect　an

opportunity　to　strike　minds。〃



〃Ah！　my　friends　are　preparing　articles；　but　I　am　afraid　they'll　go　too

far。〃



〃Pooh！〃　said　Bixiou；　〃they　can't　go　as　far　as　the　future。〃



Dubourdieu　looked　askance　at　Bixiou；　and　continued　his　way。



〃Why；　he's　mad；〃　said　Gazonal；　〃he　is　following　the　moon　in　her

courses。〃



〃His　skill　is　masterly；〃　said　Leon；　〃and　he　knows　his　art；　but

Fourierism　has　killed　him。　You　have　just　seen；　cousin；　one　of　the

effects　of　ambition　upon　artists。　Too　often；　in　Paris；　from　a　desire

to　reach　more　rapidly　than　by　natural　ways　the　celebrity　which　to　them

is　fortune；　artists　borrow　the　wings　of　circumstance；　they　think　they

make　themselves　of　more　importance　as　men　of　a　specialty；　the

supporters　of　some　'system'；　and　they　fancy　they　can　transform　a

clique　into　the　public。　One　is　a　republican；　another　Saint…Simonian；

this　one　aristocrat；　that　one　Catholic；　others　juste…milieu；　middle

ages；　or　German；　as　they　choose　for　their　purpose。　Now；　though

opinions　do　not　give　talent；　they　always　spoil　what　talent　there　is；

and　the　poor　fellow　whom　you　have　just　seen　is　a　proof　thereof。　An

artist's　opinion　ought　to　be：　Faith　in　his　art；　in　his　work；　and　his

only　way　of　success　is　toil　when　nature　has　given　him　the　sacred

fire。〃



〃Let　us　get　away；〃　said　Bixiou。　〃Leon　is　beginning　to　moralize。〃



〃But　that　man　was　sincere；〃　said　Gazonal；　still　stupefied。



〃Perfectly　sincere；〃　replied　Bixiou；　〃as　sincere　as　the　king　of

barbers　just　now。〃



〃He　is　mad！〃　repeated　Gazonal。



〃And　he　is　not　the　first　man　driven　man　by　Fourier's　ideas；〃　said

Bixiou。　〃You　don't　know　anything　about　Paris。　Ask　it　for　a　hundred

thousand　francs　to　realize　an　idea　that　will　be　useful　to　humanity；

the　steam…engine　for　instance；and　you'll　die；　like　Salomon　de　Caux；

at　Bicetre；　but　if　the　money　is　wanted　for　some　paradoxical　absurdity；

Parisians　will　annihilate　themselves　and　their　fortune　for　it。　It　is

the　same　with　systems　as　it　is　with　material　things。　Utterly

impracticable　newspapers　have　consumed　millions　within　the　last

fifteen　years。　What　makes　your　lawsuit　so　hard　to　win；　is　that　you

have　right　on　your　side；　and　on　that　of　the　prefect　there　are　（so　you

suppose）　secret　motives。〃



〃Do　you　think　that　a　man　of　intellect　having　once　understood　the

nature　of　Paris　could　live　elsewhere？〃　said　Leon　to　his　cousin。



〃Suppose　we　take　Gazonal　to　old　Mere　Fontaine？〃　said　Bixiou；　making　a

sign　to　the　driver　of　a　citadine　to　draw　up；　〃it　will　be　a　step　from

the　real　to　the　fantastic。　Driver；　Vieille　rue　du　Temple。〃



And　all　three　were　presently　rolling　in　the　direction　of　the　Marais。



〃What　are　you　taking　me　to　see　now？〃　asked　Gazonal。



〃The　proof　of　what　Bixiou　told　you；〃　replied　Leon；　〃we　shall　show　you

a　woman　who　makes　twenty　thousand　francs　a　year　by　working　a　fantastic

idea。〃



〃A　fortune…teller；〃　said　Bixiou；　interpreting　the　look　of　the

Southerner　as　a　question。　〃Madame　Fontaine　is　thought；　by　those　who

seek　to　pry　into　the　future；　to　be　wiser　in　her　wisdom　than

Mademoiselle　Lenormand。〃



〃She　must　be　very　rich；〃　remarked　Gazonal。



〃She　was　the　victim　of　her　own　idea；　as　long　as　lotteries　existed；〃

said　Bixiou；　〃for　in　Paris　there　are　no　great　gains　without

corresponding　outlays。　The　strongest　heads　are　liable　to　crack　there；

as　if　to　give　vent　to　their　steam。　Those　who　make　much　money　have

vices　or　fancies；no　doubt　to　establish　an　equilibrium。〃



〃And　now　that　the　lottery　is　abolished？〃　asked　Gazonal。



〃Oh！　now　she　has　a　nephew　for　whom　she　is　hoarding。〃



When　they　reached　the　Vieille　rue　du　Temple　the　three　friends　entered

one　of　the　oldest　houses　in　that　street　and　passed　up　a　shaking

staircase；　the　steps　of　which；　caked　with　mud；　led　them　in　semi…

darkness；　and　through　a　stench　peculiar　to　houses　on　an　alley；　to　the

third　story；　where　they　beheld　a　door　which　painting　alone　could

render；　literature　would　have　to　spend　too　many　nights　in　suitably

describing　it。



An　old　woman；　in　keeping　with　that　door；　and　who　might　have　been　that

door　in　human　guise；　ushered　the　three　friends　into　a　room　which

served　as　an　ante…chamber；　where；　in　spite　of　the　warm　atmosphere

which　fills　the　streets　of　Paris；　they　felt　the　icy　chill　of　crypts

about　them。　A　damp　air　came　from　an　inner　courtyard　which　resembled　a

huge　air…shaft；　the　light　that　entered　was　gray；　and　the　sill　of　the

window　was　filled　with　pots　of　sickly　plants。　In　this　room；　which　had

a　coating　of　some　greasy；　fuliginous　substance；　the　furniture；　the

chairs；　the　table；　were　all　most　abject。　The　floor　tiles　oozed　like　a

water…cooler。　In　short；　every　accessory　was　in　keeping　with　the

fearful　old　woman　of　the　hooked　nose；　ghastly　face；　and　decent　rags

who　directed　the　〃consulters〃　to　sit　down；　informing　them　that　only

one　at　a　time　could　be　admitted　to　Madame。



Gazonal；　who　played　the　intrepid；　entered　bravely；　and　found　himself

in　presence　of　one　of　those　women　forgotten　by　Death；　who　no　doubt

forgets　them　intentionally　in　order　to　leave　some　samples　of　Itself

among　the　living。　He　saw　before　him　a　withered　face　in　which　shone

fixed　gray　eyes　of　wearying　immobility；　a　flattened　nose；　smeared　with

snuff；　knuckle…bones　well　set　up　by　muscles　that；　under　pretence　of

being　hands；　played　nonchalantly　with　a　pack　of　cards；　like　some

machine　the　movement　of　which　is　about　to　run　down。　The　body；　a

species　of　broom…handle　decently　covered　with　clothes；　enjoyed　the

advantages　of　death　and　did　not　stir。　Above　the　forehead　rose　a　coif

of　black　velvet。　Madame　Fontaine；　for　it　was　really　a　woman；　had　a

black　hen　on　her　right　hand　and　a　huge　toad；　named　Astaroth；　on　her

left。　Gazonal　did　not　at　first　perceive　them。



The　toad；　of　surprising　dimensions；　was　less　alarming　in　himself　than

through　the　effect　of　two　topaz　eyes；　large　as　a　ten…sous　piece；　which

cast　forth　vivid　gleams。　It　was　impossible　to　endure　that　look。　The

toad　is　a　creature　as　yet　unexplained。　Perhaps　the　whole　animal

creation；　including　man；　is　comprised　in　it；　for；　as　Lassailly　said；

the　toad　exists　indefinitely；　and；　as　we　know；　it　is　of　all　created

animals　the　one　whose　marriage　lasts　the　longest。



The　black　hen　had　a　cage　about　two　feet　distant　from　the　table；

covered　with　a　green　cloth；　to　which　she　came　along　a　plank　which

formed　a　sort　of　drawbridge　between　the　cage　and　the　table。



When　the　woman；　the　least　real　of　the　creatures　in　this　Hoffmanesque

den；　said　to　Gazonal：　〃Cut！〃　the　worthy　provincial　shuddered

involuntarily。　That　which　renders　these　beings　so　formidable　is　the

importance　of　what　we　want　to　know。　People　go　to　them；　as　they　know

very　well；　to　buy　hope。



The　den　of　the　sibyl　was　much　darker　than　the　antechamber；　the　color

of　the　walls　could　scarcely　be　distinguished。　The　ceiling；　blackened

by　smoke；　far　from　reflecting　the　little　light　that　came　from　a　window

obstructed　by　pale　and　sickly　vegetations；　absorbed　the　greater　part

of　it；　but　the　table　where　the　sorceress　sat　received　what　there　was

of　this　half…light　fully。　The　table；　the　chair　of　the　woman；　and　that

on　which　Gazonal　was　seated；　formed　the　entire　furniture　of　the　little

room；　which　was　divided　at　one　end　by　a　sort　of　loft　where　Madame

Fontaine　probably　slept。　Gazonal　heard　through　a　half…opened　door　the

bubbling　murmur　of　a　soup…pot。　That　kitchen　sound；　accompanied　by　a

composite　odor　in　which　the　effluvia　of　a　sink　predominated；　mingled

incongruous　ideas　of　the　necessities　of　actual　life　with　those　of

supernatural　power。　Disgust　entered　into　curiosity。



Gazonal　observed　one　stair　of　pine　wood；　the　lowest　no　doubt　of　the

staircase　which　led　to　the　loft。　He　took　in　these　minor　details　at　a

glance；　with　a　sense　of　nausea。　It　was　all　quite　otherwise　alar