the magic skin-第24节

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paintings　on　the　walls　in　odd　but　pleasant　contrast。



〃　'You　would　not　be　so　badly　lodged；'　was　Rastignac's　slightly

sarcastic　comment。　'It　is　captivating；　isn't　it？'　he　added；　smiling　as

he　sat　down。　Then　suddenly　he　rose；　and　led　me　by　the　hand　into　a

bedroom；　where　the　softened　light　fell　upon　the　bed　under　its　canopy

of　muslin　and　white　watered　silka　couch　for　a　young　fairy　betrothed

to　one　of　the　genii。



〃　'Isn't　it　wantonly　bad　taste；　insolent　and　unbounded　coquetry；'　he

said；　lowering　his　voice；　'that　allows　us　to　see　this　throne　of　love？

She　gives　herself　to　no　one；　and　anybody　may　leave　his　card　here。　If　I

were　not　committed；　I　should　like　to　see　her　at　my　feet　all　tears　and

submission。'



〃　'Are　you　so　certain　of　her　virtue？'



〃　'The　boldest　and　even　the　cleverest　adventurers　among　us；

acknowledge　themselves　defeated；　and　continue　to　be　her　lovers　and

devoted　friends。　Isn't　that　woman　a　puzzle？'



〃His　words　seemed　to　intoxicate　me；　I　had　jealous　fears　already　of　the

past。　I　leapt　for　joy；　and　hurried　back　to　the　countess；　whom　I　had

seen　in　the　gothic　boudoir。　She　stopped　me　by　a　smile；　made　me　sit

beside　her；　and　talked　about　my　work；　seeming　to　take　the　greatest

interest　in　it；　and　all　the　more　when　I　set　forth　my　theories

amusingly；　instead　of　adopting　the　formal　language　of　a　professor　for

their　explanation。　It　seemed　to　divert　her　to　be　told　that　the　human

will　was　a　material　force　like　steam；　that　in　the　moral　world　nothing

could　resist　its　power　if　a　man　taught　himself　to　concentrate　it；　to

economize　it；　and　to　project　continually　its　fluid　mass　in　given

directions　upon　other　souls。　Such　a　man；　I　said；　could　modify　all

things　relatively　to　man；　even　the　peremptory　laws　of　nature。　The

questions　Foedora　raised　showed　a　certain　keenness　of　intellect。　I

took　a　pleasure　in　deciding　some　of　them　in　her　favor；　in　order　to

flatter　her；　then　I　confuted　her　feminine　reasoning　with　a　word；　and

roused　her　curiosity　by　drawing　her　attention　to　an　everyday　matter

to　sleep；　a　thing　so　apparently　commonplace；　that　in　reality　is　an

insoluble　problem　for　science。　The　countess　sat　in　silence　for　a

moment　when　I　told　her　that　our　ideas　were　complete　organic　beings；

existing　in　an　invisible　world；　and　influencing　our　destinies；　and　for

witnesses　I　cited　the　opinions　of　Descartes；　Diderot；　and　Napoleon；

who　had　directed；　and　still　directed；　all　the　currents　of　the　age。



〃So　I　had　the　honor　of　amusing　this　woman；　who　asked　me　to　come　to　see

her　when　she　left　me；　giving　me　les　grande　entrees；　in　the　language　of

the　court。　Whether　it　was　by　dint　of　substituting　polite　formulas　for

genuine　expressions　of　feeling；　a　commendable　habit　of　mine；　or

because　Foedora　hailed　in　me　a　coming　celebrity；　an　addition　to　her

learned　menagerie；　for　some　reason　I　thought　that　I　had　pleased　her。　I

called　all　my　previous　physiological　studies　and　knowledge　of　woman　to

my　aid；　and　minutely　scrutinized　this　singular　person　and　her　ways　all

evening。　I　concealed　myself　in　the　embrasure　of　a　window；　and　sought

to　discover　her　thoughts　from　her　bearing。　I　studied　the　tactics　of

the　mistress　of　the　house；　as　she　came　and　went；　sat　and　chatted；

beckoned　to　this　one　or　that；　asked　questions；　listened　to　the

answers；　as　she　leaned　against　the　frame　of　the　door；　I　detected　a

languid　charm　in　her　movements；　a　grace　in　the　flutterings　of　her

dress；　remarked　the　nature　of　the　feelings　she　so　powerfully　excited；

and　became　very　incredulous　as　to　her　virtue。　If　Foedora　would　none　of

love　to…day；　she　had　had　strong　passions　at　some　time；　past　experience

of　pleasure　showed　itself　in　the　attitudes　she　chose　in　conversation；

in　her　coquettish　way　of　leaning　against　the　panel　behind　her；　she

seemed　scarcely　able　to　stand　alone；　and　yet　ready　for　flight　from　too

bold　a　glance。　There　was　a　kind　of　eloquence　about　her　lightly　folded

arms；　which；　even　for　benevolent　eyes；　breathed　sentiment。　Her　fresh

red　lips　sharply　contrasted　with　her　brilliantly　pale　complexion。　Her

brown　hair　brought　out　all　the　golden　color　in　her　eyes；　in　which　blue

streaks　mingled　as　in　Florentine　marble；　their　expression　seemed　to

increase　the　significance　of　her　words。　A　studied　grace　lay　in　the

charms　of　her　bodice。　Perhaps　a　rival　might　have　found　the　lines　of

the　thick　eyebrows；　which　almost　met；　a　little　hard；　or　found　a　fault

in　the　almost　invisible　down　that　covered　her　features。　I　saw　the

signs　of　passion　everywhere；　written　on　those　Italian　eyelids；　on　the

splendid　shoulders　worthy　of　the　Venus　of　Milo；　on　her　features；　in

the　darker　shade　of　down　above　a　somewhat　thick　under…lip。　She　was　not

merely　a　woman；　but　a　romance。　The　whole　blended　harmony　of　lines；　the

feminine　luxuriance　of　her　frame；　and　its　passionate　promise；　were

subdued　by　a　constant　inexplicable　reserve　and　modesty　at　variance

with　everything　else　about　her。　It　needed　an　observation　as　keen　as　my

own　to　detect　such　signs　as　these　in　her　character。　To　explain　myself

more　clearly；　there　were　two　women　in　Foedora；　divided　perhaps　by　the

line　between　head　and　body：　the　one；　the　head　alone；　seemed　to　be

susceptible；　and　the　other　phlegmatic。　She　prepared　her　glance　before

she　looked　at　you；　something　unspeakably　mysterious；　some　inward

convulsion　seemed　revealed　by　her　glittering　eyes。



〃So；　to　be　brief；　either　my　imperfect　moral　science　had　left　me　a　good

deal　to　learn　in　the　moral　world；　or　a　lofty　soul　dwelt　in　the

countess；　lent　to　her　face　those　charms　that　fascinated　and　subdued

us；　and　gave　her　an　ascendency　only　the　more　complete　because　it

comprehended　a　sympathy　of　desire。



〃I　went　away　completely　enraptured　with　this　woman；　dazzled　by　the

luxury　around　her；　gratified　in　every　faculty　of　my　soulnoble　and

base；　good　and　evil。　When　I　felt　myself　so　excited；　eager；　and　elated；

I　thought　I　understood　the　attraction　that　drew　thither　those　artists；

diplomatists；　men　in　office；　those　stock…jobbers　encased　in　triple

brass。　They　came；　no　doubt；　to　find　in　her　society　the　delirious

emotion　that　now　thrilled　through　every　fibre　in　me；　throbbing　through

my　brain；　setting　the　blood　a…tingle　in　every　vein；　fretting　even　the

tiniest　nerve。　And　she　had　given　herself　to　none；　so　as　to　keep　them

all。　A　woman　is　a　coquette　so　long　as　she　knows　not　love。



〃　'Well；'　I　said　to　Rastignac；　'they　married　her；　or　sold　her　perhaps；

to　some　old　man；　and　recollections　of　her　first　marriage　have　caused

her　aversion　for　love。'



〃I　walked　home　from　the　Faubourg　St。　Honore；　where　Foedora　lived。

Almost　all　the　breadth　of　Paris　lies　between　her　mansion　and　the　Rue

des　Cordiers；　but　the　distance　seemed　short；　in　spite　of　the　cold。　And

I　was　to　lay　siege　to　Foedora's　heart；　in　winter；　and　a　bitter　winter；

with　only　thirty　francs　in　my　possession；　and　such　a　distance　as　that

lay　between　us！　Only　a　poor　man　knows　what　such　a　passion　costs　in

cab…hire；　gloves；　linen；　tailor's　bills；　and　the　like。　If　the　Platonic

stage　lasts　a　little　too　long；　the　affair　grows　ruinous。　As　a　matter

of　fact；　there　is　many　a　Lauzun　among　students　of　law；　who　finds　it

impossible　to　approach　a　ladylove　living　on　a　first　floor。　And　I；

sickly；　thin；　poorly　dressed；　wan　and　pale　as　any　artist　convalescent

after　a　work；　how　could　I　compete　with　other　young　men；　curled；

handsome；　smart；　outcravatting　Croatia；　wealthy　men；　equipped　with

tilburys；　and　armed　with　assurance？



〃　'Bah；　death　or　Foedora！'　I　cried；　as　I　went　round　by　a　bridge；　'my

fortune　lies　in　Foedora。'



〃That　gothic　boudoir　and　Louis　Quatorze　salon　came　before　my　eyes。　I

saw　the　countess　again　in　her　white　dress　with　its　large　graceful

sleeves；　and　all　the　fascinations　of　her　form　and　movements。　These

pictures　of　Foedora　and　her　luxurious　surroundings　haunted　me　even　in

my　bare；　cold　garret；　when　at　last　I　reached　it；　as　disheveled　as　any

naturalist's　wig。　The　contrast　suggested　evil　counsel；　in　such　a　way

crimes　are　conceived。　I　cursed　my　honest；　self…respecting　poverty；　my

garret　where　such　teeming　fancies　had　stirred　within　me。　I　trembled

with　fury；　I　reproached　God；　the　devil；　social　conditions；　my　own

father；　the　whole　universe；　indeed；　with　my　fate　and　my　misfortunes。　I

went　hungry　to　bed；　muttering　ludicrous　imprecations；　but　fully

determined　to　win　Foedora。　Her　heart　was　my　last　ticket　in　the

lottery；　my　fortune　depended　upon　it。



〃I　spare　you　the　history　of　my　earlier　visits；　to　reach　the　drama　the

sooner。　In　my　efforts　to　appeal　to　her；　I　essayed　to　engage　her

intellect　and　her　vanity　on　my　side；　in　order　to　secure　her　love；　I

gave　her　any　quantity　of　reasons　for　increasing　her　self…esteem；　I

never　left　her　in　a　state　of　indifference；　women　like　emotions　at　any

cost；　I　gave　them　to　her　in　plenty；　I　would　rather　have　had　her　angry

with　me　than　indifferent。



〃At　first；　urged　by　a　strong　will　and　a　desire　for　her　love；　I　assumed

a　little　authority；　but　my　own　feelings　grew　stronger　and　mast