the magic skin-第3节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



combat。　If　he　set　aside　for　a　moment　the　burdens　of　consciousness　and

of　memory；　to　watch　the　flower　heads　gently　swayed　by　the　breeze　among

the　green　thickets；　a　revulsion　came　over　him；　life　struggled　against

the　oppressive　thought　of　suicide；　and　his　eyes　rose　to　the　sky：　gray

clouds；　melancholy　gusts　of　the　wind；　the　stormy　atmosphere；　all

decreed　that　he　should　die。



He　bent　his　way　toward　the　Pont　Royal；　musing　over　the　last　fancies　of

others　who　had　gone　before　him。　He　smiled　to　himself　as　he　remembered

that　Lord　Castlereagh　had　satisfied　the　humblest　of　our　needs　before

he　cut　his　throat；　and　that　the　academician　Auger　had　sought　for　his

snuff…box　as　he　went　to　his　death。　He　analyzed　these　extravagances；

and　even　examined　himself；　for　as　he　stood　aside　against　the　parapet

to　allow　a　porter　to　pass；　his　coat　had　been　whitened　somewhat　by　the

contact；　and　he　carefully　brushed　the　dust　from　his　sleeve；　to　his　own

surprise。　He　reached　the　middle　of　the　arch；　and　looked　forebodingly

at　the　water。



〃Wretched　weather　for　drowning　yourself；〃　said　a　ragged　old　woman；　who

grinned　at　him；　〃isn't　the　Seine　cold　and　dirty？〃



His　answer　was　a　ready　smile；　which　showed　the　frenzied　nature　of　his

courage；　then　he　shivered　all　at　once　as　he　saw　at　a　distance；　by　the

door　of　the　Tuileries；　a　shed　with　an　inscription　above　it　in　letters

twelve　inches　high：　THE　ROYAL　HUMANE　SOCIETY'S　APPARATUS。



A　vision　of　M。　Dacheux　rose　before　him；　equipped　by　his　philanthropy；

calling　out　and　setting　in　motion　the　too　efficacious　oars　which　break

the　heads　of　drowning　men；　if　unluckily　they　should　rise　to　the

surface；　he　saw　a　curious　crowd　collecting；　running　for　a　doctor；

preparing　fumigations；　he　read　the　maundering　paragraph　in　the　papers；

put　between　notes　on　a　festivity　and　on　the　smiles　of　a　ballet…dancer；

he　heard　the　francs　counted　down　by　the　prefect　of　police　to　the

watermen。　As　a　corpse；　he　was　worth　fifteen　francs；　but　now　while　he

lived　he　was　only　a　man　of　talent　without　patrons；　without　friends；

without　a　mattress　to　lie　on；　or　any　one　to　speak　a　word　for　hima

perfect　social　cipher；　useless　to　a　State　which　gave　itself　no　trouble

about　him。



A　death　in　broad　daylight　seemed　degrading　to　him；　he　made　up　his　mind

to　die　at　night　so　as　to　bequeath　an　unrecognizable　corpse　to　a　world

which　had　disregarded　the　greatness　of　life。　He　began　his　wanderings

again；　turning　towards　the　Quai　Voltaire；　imitating　the　lagging　gait

of　an　idler　seeking　to　kill　time。　As　he　came　down　the　steps　at　the　end

of　the　bridge；　his　notice　was　attracted　by　the　second…hand　books

displayed　on　the　parapet；　and　he　was　on　the　point　of　bargaining　for

some。　He　smiled；　thrust　his　hands　philosophically　into　his　pockets；

and　fell　to　strolling　on　again　with　a　proud　disdain　in　his　manner；

when　he　heard　to　his　surprise　some　coin　rattling　fantastically　in　his

pocket。



A　smile　of　hope　lit　his　face；　and　slid　from　his　lips　over　his

features；　over　his　brow；　and　brought　a　joyful　light　to　his　eyes　and

his　dark　cheeks。　It　was　a　spark　of　happiness　like　one　of　the　red　dots

that　flit　over　the　remains　of　a　burnt　scrap　of　paper；　but　as　it　is

with　the　black　ashes；　so　it　was　with　his　face；　it　became　dull　again

when　the　stranger　quickly　drew　out　his　hand　and　perceived　three

pennies。　〃Ah；　kind　gentleman！　carita；　carita；　for　the　love　of　St。

Catherine！　only　a　halfpenny　to　buy　some　bread！〃



A　little　chimney　sweeper；　with　puffed　cheeks；　all　black　with　soot；　and

clad　in　tatters；　held　out　his　hand　to　beg　for　the　man's　last　pence。



Two　paces　from　the　little　Savoyard　stood　an　old　pauvre　honteux；　sickly

and　feeble；　in　wretched　garments　of　ragged　druggeting；　who　asked　in　a

thick；　muffled　voice：



〃Anything　you　like　to　give；　monsieur；　I　will　pray　to　God　for

you　。　。　。〃



But　the　young　man　turned　his　eyes　on　him；　and　the　old　beggar　stopped

without　another　word；　discerning　in　that　mournful　face　an　abandonment

of　wretchedness　more　bitter　than　his　own。



〃La　carita！　la　carita！〃



The　stranger　threw　the　coins　to　the　old　man　and　the　child；　left　the

footway；　and　turned　towards　the　houses；　the　harrowing　sight　of　the

Seine　fretted　him　beyond　endurance。



〃May　God　lengthen　your　days！〃　cried　the　two　beggars。



As　he　reached　the　shop　window　of　a　print…seller；　this　man　on　the　brink

of　death　met　a　young　woman　alighting　from　a　showy　carriage。　He　looked

in　delight　at　her　prettiness；　at　the　pale　face　appropriately　framed　by

the　satin　of　her　fashionable　bonnet。　Her　slender　form　and　graceful

movements　entranced　him。　Her　skirt　had　been　slightly　raised　as　she

stepped　to　the　pavement；　disclosing　a　daintily　fitting　white　stocking

over　the　delicate　outlines　beneath。　The　young　lady　went　into　the　shop；

purchased　albums　and　sets　of　lithographs；　giving　several　gold　coins

for　them；　which　glittered　and　rang　upon　the　counter。　The　young　man；

seemingly　occupied　with　the　prints　in　the　window；　fixed　upon　the　fair

stranger　a　gaze　as　eager　as　man　can　give；　to　receive　in　exchange　an

indifferent　glance；　such　as　lights　by　accident　on　a　passer…by。　For　him

it　was　a　leave…taking　of　love　and　of　woman；　but　his　final　and

strenuous　questioning　glance　was　neither　understood　nor　felt　by　the

slight…natured　woman　there；　her　color　did　not　rise；　her　eyes　did　not

droop。　What　was　it　to　her？　one　more　piece　of　adulation；　yet　another

sigh　only　prompted　the　delightful　thought　at　night；　〃I　looked　rather

well　to…day。〃



The　young　man　quickly　turned　to　another　picture；　and　only　left　it　when

she　returned　to　her　carriage。　The　horses　started　off；　the　final　vision

of　luxury　and　refinement　went　under　an　eclipse；　just　as　that　life　of

his　would　soon　do　also。　Slowly　and　sadly　he　followed　the　line　of　the

shops；　listlessly　examining　the　specimens　on　view。　When　the　shops　came

to　an　end；　he　reviewed　the　Louvre；　the　Institute；　the　towers　of　Notre

Dame；　of　the　Palais；　the　Pont　des　Arts；　all　these　public　monuments

seemed　to　have　taken　their　tone　from　the　heavy　gray　sky。



Fitful　gleams　of　light　gave　a　foreboding　look　to　Paris；　like　a　pretty

woman；　the　city　has　mysterious　fits　of　ugliness　or　beauty。　So　the

outer　world　seemed　to　be　in　a　plot　to　steep　this　man　about　to　die　in　a

painful　trance。　A　prey　to　the　maleficent　power　which　acts　relaxingly

upon　us　by　the　fluid　circulating　through　our　nerves；　his　whole　frame

seemed　gradually　to　experience　a　dissolving　process。　He　felt　the

anguish　of　these　throes　passing　through　him　in　waves；　and　the　houses

and　the　crowd　seemed　to　surge　to　and　fro　in　a　mist　before　his　eyes。　He

tried　to　escape　the　agitation　wrought　in　his　mind　by　the　revulsions　of

his　physical　nature；　and　went　toward　the　shop　of　a　dealer　in

antiquities；　thinking　to　give　a　treat　to　his　senses；　and　to　spend　the

interval　till　nightfall　in　bargaining　over　curiosities。



He　sought；　one　might　say；　to　regain　courage　and　to　find　a　stimulant；

like　a　criminal　who　doubts　his　power　to　reach　the　scaffold。　The

consciousness　of　approaching　death　gave　him；　for　the　time　being；　the

intrepidity　of　a　duchess　with　a　couple　of　lovers；　so　that　he　entered

the　place　with　an　abstracted　look；　while　his　lips　displayed　a　set

smile　like　a　drunkard's。　Had　not　life；　or　rather　had　not　death；

intoxicated　him？　Dizziness　soon　overcame　him　again。　Things　appeared　to

him　in　strange　colors；　or　as　making　slight　movements；　his　irregular

pulse　was　no　doubt　the　cause；　the　blood　that　sometimes　rushed　like　a

burning　torrent　through　his　veins；　and　sometimes　lay　torpid　and

stagnant　as　tepid　water。　He　merely　asked　leave　to　see　if　the　shop

contained　any　curiosities　which　he　required。



A　plump…faced　young　shopman　with　red　hair；　in　an　otter…skin　cap；　left

an　old　peasant　woman　in　charge　of　the　shopa　sort　of　feminine

Caliban；　employed　in　cleaning　a　stove　made　marvelous　by　Bernard

Palissy's　work。　This　youth　remarked　carelessly：



〃Look　round；　monsieur！　We　have　nothing　very　remarkable　here

downstairs；　but　if　I　may　trouble　you　to　go　up　to　the　first　floor；　I

will　show　you　some　very　fine　mummies　from　Cairo；　some　inlaid　pottery；

and　some　carved　ebonygenuine　Renaissance　work；　just　come　in；　and　of

perfect　beauty。〃



In　the　stranger's　fearful　position　this　cicerone's　prattle　and

shopman's　empty　talk　seemed　like　the　petty　vexations　by　which　narrow

minds　destroy　a　man　of　genius。　But　as　he　must　even　go　through　with　it；

he　appeared　to　listen　to　his　guide；　answering　him　by　gestures　or

monosyllables；　but　imperceptibly　he　arrogated　the　privilege　of　saying

nothing；　and　gave　himself　up　without　hindrance　to　his　closing

meditations；　which　were　appalling。　He　had　a　poet's　temperament；　his

mind　had　entered　by　chance　on　a　vast　field；　and　he　must　see　perforce

the　dry　bones　of　twenty　future　worlds。



At　a　first　glance　the　place　presented　a　confused　picture　in　which

every　achievement；　human　and　divine；　was　mingled。　Crocodiles；　monkeys；

and　serpents　stuffed　with　straw　grinned　at　glass　from　church　windows；

seemed