the magic skin-第13节

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Dessert　was　served　as　if　by　magic。　A　huge　epergne　of　gilded　bronze

from　Thomire's　studio　overshadowed　the　table。　Tall　statuettes；　which　a

celebrated　artist　had　endued　with　ideal　beauty　according　to

conventional　European　notions；　sustained　and　carried　pyramids　of

strawberries；　pines；　fresh　dates；　golden　grapes；　clear…skinned

peaches；　oranges　brought　from　Setubal　by　steamer；　pomegranates；

Chinese　fruit；　in　short；　all　the　surprises　of　luxury；　miracles　of

confectionery；　the　most　tempting　dainties；　and　choicest　delicacies。

The　coloring　of　this　epicurean　work　of　art　was　enhanced　by　the

splendors　of　porcelain；　by　sparkling　outlines　of　gold；　by　the　chasing

of　the　vases。　Poussin's　landscapes；　copied　on　Sevres　ware；　were

crowned　with　graceful　fringes　of　moss；　green；　translucent；　and　fragile

as　ocean　weeds。



The　revenue　of　a　German　prince　would　not　have　defrayed　the　cost　of

this　arrogant　display。　Silver　and　mother…of…pearl；　gold　and　crystal；

were　lavished　afresh　in　new　forms；　but　scarcely　a　vague　idea　of　this

almost　Oriental　fairyland　penetrated　eyes　now　heavy　with　wine；　or

crossed　the　delirium　of　intoxication。　The　fire　and　fragrance　of　the

wines　acted　like　potent　philters　and　magical　fumes；　producing　a　kind

of　mirage　in　the　brain；　binding　feet；　and　weighing　down　hands。　The

clamor　increased。　Words　were　no　longer　distinct；　glasses　flew　in

pieces；　senseless　peals　of　laughter　broke　out。　Cursy　snatched　up　a

horn　and　struck　up　a　flourish　on　it。　It　acted　like　a　signal　given　by

the　devil。　Yells；　hisses；　songs；　cries；　and　groans　went　up　from　the

maddened　crew。　You　might　have　smiled　to　see　men；　light…hearted　by

nature；　grow　tragical　as　Crebillon's　dramas；　and　pensive　as　a　sailor

in　a　coach。　Hard…headed　men　blabbed　secrets　to　the　inquisitive；　who

were　long　past　heeding　them。　Saturnine　faces　were　wreathed　in　smiles

worthy　of　a　pirouetting　dancer。　Claude　Vignon　shuffled　about　like　a

bear　in　a　cage。　Intimate　friends　began　to　fight。



Animal　likenesses；　so　curiously　traced　by　physiologists　in　human

faces；　came　out　in　gestures　and　behavior。　A　book　lay　open　for　a　Bichat

if　he　had　repaired　thither　fasting　and　collected。　The　master　of　the

house；　knowing　his　condition；　did　not　dare　stir；　but　encouraged　his

guests'　extravangances　with　a　fixed　grimacing　smile；　meant　to　be

hospitable　and　appropriate。　His　large　face；　turning　from　blue　and　red

to　a　purple　shade　terrible　to　see；　partook　of　the　general　commotion　by

movements　like　the　heaving　and　pitching　of　a　brig。



〃Now；　did　you　murder　them？〃　Emile　asked　him。



〃Capital　punishment　is　going　to　be　abolished；　they　say；　in　favor　of

the　Revolution　of　July；〃　answered　Taillefer；　raising　his　eyebrows　with


drunken　sagacity。



〃Don't　they　rise　up　before　you　in　dreams　at　times？〃　Raphael　persisted。



〃There's　a　statute　of　limitations；〃　said　the　murderer…Croesus。



〃And　on　his　tombstone；〃　Emile　began；　with　a　sardonic　laugh；　〃the

stonemason　will　carve　'Passer…by；　accord　a　tear；　in　memory　of　one

that's　here！'　Oh；〃　he　continued；　〃I　would　cheerfully　pay　a　hundred

sous　to　any　mathematician　who　would　prove　the　existence　of　hell　to　me

by　an　algebraical　equation。〃



He　flung　up　a　coin　and　cried：



〃Heads　for　the　existence　of　God！〃



〃Don't　look！〃　Raphael　cried；　pouncing　upon　it。　〃Who　knows？　Suspense　is

so　pleasant。〃



〃Unluckily；〃　Emile　said；　with　burlesque　melancholy；　〃I　can　see　no

halting…place　between　the　unbeliever's　arithmetic　and　the　papal　Pater

noster。　Pshaw！　let　us　drink。　Trinq　was；　I　believe；　the　oracular　answer

of　the　dive　bouteille　and　the　final　conclusion　of　Pantagruel。〃



〃We　owe　our　arts　and　monuments　to　the　Pater　noster；　and　our　knowledge；

too；　perhaps；　and　a　still　greater　benefitmodern　governmentwhereby

a　vast　and　teeming　society　is　wondrously　represented　by　some　five

hundred　intellects。　It　neutralizes　opposing　forces　and　gives　free　play

to　CIVILIZATION；　that　Titan　queen　who　has　succeeded　the　ancient

terrible　figure　of　the　KING；　that　sham　Providence；　reared　by　man

between　himself　and　heaven。　In　the　face　of　such　achievements；　atheism

seems　like　a　barren　skeleton。　What　do　you　say？〃



〃I　am　thinking　of　the　seas　of　blood　shed　by　Catholicism。〃　Emile

replied；　quite　unimpressed。　〃It　has　drained　our　hearts　and　veins　dry

to　make　a　mimic　deluge。　No　matter！　Every　man　who　thinks　must　range

himself　beneath　the　banner　of　Christ；　for　He　alone　has　consummated　the

triumph　of　spirit　over　matter；　He　alone　has　revealed　to　us；　like　a

poet；　an　intermediate　world　that　separates　us　from　the　Deity。〃



〃Believest　thou？〃　asked　Raphael　with　an　unaccountable　drunken　smile。

〃Very　good；　we　must　not　commit　ourselves；　so　we　will　drink　the

celebrated　toast；　Diis　ignotis！〃



And　they　drained　the　chalice　filled　up　with　science；　carbonic　acid

gas；　perfumes；　poetry；　and　incredulity。



〃If　the　gentlemen　will　go　to　the　drawing…room；　coffee　is　ready　for

them；〃　said　the　major…domo。



There　was　scarcely　one　of　those　present　whose　mind　was　not　floundering

by　this　time　in　the　delights　of　chaos；　where　every　spark　of

intelligence　is　quenched；　and　the　body；　set　free　from　its　tyranny；

gives　itself　up　to　the　frenetic　joys　of　liberty。　Some　who　had　arrived

at　the　apogee　of　intoxication　were　dejected；　as　they　painfully　tried

to　arrest　a　single　thought　which　might　assure　them　of　their　own

existence；　others；　deep　in　the　heavy　morasses　of　indigestion；　denied

the　possibility　of　movement。　The　noisy　and　the　silent　were　oddly

assorted。



For　all　that；　when　new　joys　were　announced　to　them　by　the　stentorian

tones　of　the　servant；　who　spoke　on　his　master's　behalf；　they　all　rose；

leaning　upon；　dragging　or　carrying　one　another。　But　on　the　threshold

of　the　room　the　entire　crew　paused　for　a　moment；　motionless；　as　if

fascinated。　The　intemperate　pleasures　of　the　banquet　seemed　to　fade

away　at　this　titillating　spectacle；　prepared　by　their　amphitryon　to

appeal　to　the　most　sensual　of　their　instincts。



Beneath　the　shining　wax…lights　in　a　golden　chandelier；　round　about　a

table　inlaid　with　gilded　metal；　a　group　of　women；　whose　eyes　shone

like　diamonds；　suddenly　met　the　stupefied　stare　of　the　revelers。　Their

toilettes　were　splendid；　but　less　magnificent　than　their　beauty；　which

eclipsed　the　other　marvels　of　this　palace。　A　light　shone　from　their

eyes；　bewitching　as　those　of　sirens；　more　brilliant　and　ardent　than

the　blaze　that　streamed　down　upon　the　snowy　marble；　the　delicately

carved　surfaces　of　bronze；　and　lit　up　the　satin　sheen　of　the　tapestry。

The　contrasts　of　their　attitudes　and　the　slight　movements　of　their

heads；　each　differing　in　character　and　nature　of　attraction；　set　the

heart　afire。　It　was　like　a　thicket；　where　blossoms　mingled　with

rubies；　sapphires；　and　coral；　a　combination　of　gossamer　scarves　that

flickered　like　beacon…lights；　of　black　ribbons　about　snowy　throats；　of

gorgeous　turbans　and　demurely　enticing　apparel。　It　was　a　seraglio　that

appealed　to　every　eye；　and　fulfilled　every　fancy。　Each　form　posed　to

admiration　was　scarcely　concealed　by　the　folds　of　cashmere；　and　half

hidden；　half　revealed　by　transparent　gauze　and　diaphanous　silk。　The

little　slender　feet　were　eloquent；　though　the　fresh　red　lips　uttered

no　sound。



Demure　and　fragile…looking　girls；　pictures　of　maidenly　innocence；　with

a　semblance　of　conventional　unction　about　their　heads；　were　there　like

apparitions　that　a　breath　might　dissipate。　Aristocratic　beauties　with

haughty　glances；　languid；　flexible；　slender；　and　complaisant；　bent

their　heads　as　though　there　were　royal　protectors　still　in　the　market。

An　English…woman　seemed　like　a　spirit　of　melancholysome　coy；　pale；

shadowy　form　among　Ossian's　mists；　or　a　type　of　remorse　flying　from

crime。　The　Parisienne　was　not　wanting　in　all　her　beauty　that　consists

in　an　indescribable　charm；　armed　with　her　irresistible　weakness；　vain

of　her　costume　and　her　wit；　pliant　and　hard；　a　heartless；　passionless

siren　that　yet　can　create　factitious　treasures　of　passion　and

counterfeit　emotion。



Italians　shone　in　the　throng；　serene　and　self…possessed　in　their

bliss；　handsome　Normans；　with　splendid　figures；　women　of　the　south；

with　black　hair　and　well…shaped　eyes。　Lebel　might　have　summoned

together　all　the　fair　women　of　Versailles；　who　since　morning　had

perfected　all　their　wiles；　and　now　came　like　a　troupe　of　Oriental

women；　bidden　by　the　slave　merchant　to　be　ready　to　set　out　at　dawn。

They　stood　disconcerted　and　confused　about　the　table；　huddled　together

in　a　murmuring　group　like　bees　in　a　hive。　The　combination　of　timid

embarrassment　with　coquettishness　and　a　sort　of　expostulation　was　the

result　either　of　calculated　effect　or　a　spontaneous　modesty。　Perhaps　a

sentiment　of　which　women　are　never　utterly　divested　prescribed　to　them

the　cloak　of　modesty　to　heighten　and　enhance　the　charms　of　wantonness。

So　the　venerable　Taillefer's　designs　seemed　on　the　point　of　collapse；

for　these　unbridled　natures　were　subdued　from　the　very　first　by　the

majesty　wit