the magic skin-第39节

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〃Regard　for　you！　You　shall　have　Havana　cigars；　with　this　bit　of

shagreen：　always　with　this　skin；　this　supreme　bit　of　shagreen。　It　is　a

cure　for　corns；　and　efficacious　remedy。　Do　you　suffer？　I　will　remove

them。〃



〃Never　have　I　known　you　so　senseless〃



〃Senseless；　my　friend？　Not　at　all。　This　skin　contracts　whenever　I　form

a　wish'tis　a　paradox。　There　is　a　Brahmin　underneath　it！　The　Brahmin

must　be　a　droll　fellow；　for　our　desires；　look　you；　are　bound　to

expand〃



〃Yes；　yes〃



〃I　tell　you〃



〃Yes；　yes；　very　true；　I　am　quite　of　your　opinionour　desires

expand〃



〃The　skin；　I　tell　you。〃



〃Yes。〃



〃You　don't　believe　me。　I　know　you；　my　friend；　you　are　as　full　of　lies

as　a　new…made　king。〃



〃How　can　you　expect　me　to　follow　your　drunken　maunderings？〃



〃I　will　bet　you　I　can　prove　it。　Let　us　measure　it〃



〃Goodness！　he　will　never　get　off　to　sleep；〃　exclaimed　Emile；　as　he

watched　Raphael　rummaging　busily　in　the　dining…room。



Thanks　to　the　peculiar　clearness　with　which　external　objects　are

sometimes　projected　on　an　inebriated　brain；　in　sharp　contrast　to　its

own　obscure　imaginings；　Valentin　found　an　inkstand　and　a　table…napkin；

with　the　quickness　of　a　monkey；　repeating　all　the　time：



〃Let　us　measure　it！　Let　us　measure　it！〃



〃All　right；〃　said　Emile；　〃let　us　measure　it！〃



The　two　friends　spread　out　the　table…napkin　and　laid　the　Magic　Skin

upon　it。　As　Emile's　hand　appeared　to　be　steadier　than　Raphael's；　he

drew　a　line　with　pen　and　ink　round　the　talisman；　while　his　friend

said：



〃I　wished　for　an　income　of　two　hundred　thousand　livres；　didn't　I？

Well；　when　that　comes；　you　will　observe　a　mighty　diminution　of　my

chagrin。〃



〃Yesnow　go　to　sleep。　Shall　I　make　you　comfortable　on　that　sofa？　Now

then；　are　you　all　right？〃



〃Yes；　my　nursling　of　the　press。　You　shall　amuse　me；　you　shall　drive

the　flies　away　from　me。　The　friend　of　adversity　should　be　the　friend

of　prosperity。　So　I　will　give　you　some　Havanacig〃



〃Come；　now；　sleep。　Sleep　off　your　gold；　you　millionaire！〃



〃You！　sleep　off　your　paragraphs！　Good…night！　Say　good…night　to

Nebuchadnezzar！Love！　Wine！　France！glory　and　trtreas〃



Very　soon　the　snorings　of　the　two　friends　were　added　to　the　music　with

which　the　rooms　resoundedan　ineffectual　concert！　The　lights　went　out

one　by　one；　their　crystal　sconces　cracking　in　the　final　flare。　Night

threw　dark　shadows　over　this　prolonged　revelry；　in　which　Raphael's

narrative　had　been　a　second　orgy　of　speech；　of　words　without　ideas；　of

ideas　for　which　words　had　often　been　lacking。



Towards　noon；　next　day；　the　fair　Aquilina　bestirred　herself。　She

yawned　wearily。　She　had　slept　with　her　head　upon　a　painted　velvet

footstool；　and　her　cheeks　were　mottled　over　by　contact　with　the

surface。　Her　movement　awoke　Euphrasia；　who　suddenly　sprang　up　with　a

hoarse　cry；　her　pretty　face；　that　had　been　so　fresh　and　fair　in　the

evening；　was　sallow　now　and　pallid；　she　looked　like　a　candidate　for

the　hospital。　The　rest　awoke　also　by　degrees；　with　portentous

groanings；　to　feel　themselves　over　in　every　stiffened　limb；　and　to

experience　the　infinite　varieties　of　weariness　that　weighed　upon　them。



A　servant　came　in　to　throw　back　the　shutters　and　open　the　windows。

There　they　all　stood；　brought　back　to　consciousness　by　the　warm　rays

of　sunlight　that　shone　upon　the　sleepers'　heads。　Their　movements

during　slumber　had　disordered　the　elaborately　arranged　hair　and

toilettes　of　the　women。　They　presented　a　ghastly　spectacle　in　the

bright　daylight。　Their　hair　fell　ungracefully　about　them；　their　eyes；

lately　so　brilliant；　were　heavy　and　dim；　the　expression　of　their　faces

was　entirely　changed。　The　sickly　hues；　which　daylight　brings　out　so

strongly；　were　frightful。　An　olive　tint　had　crept　over　the　lymphatic

faces；　so　fair　and　soft　when　in　repose；　the　dainty　red　lips　were　grown

pale　and　dry；　and　bore　tokens　of　the　degradation　of　excess。　Each

disowned　his　mistress　of　the　night　before；　the　women　looked　wan　and

discolored；　like　flowers　trampled　under　foot　by　a　passing　procession。



The　men　who　scorned　them　looked　even　more　horrible。　Those　human　faces

would　have　made　you　shudder。　The　hollow　eyes　with　the　dark　circles

round　them　seemed　to　see　nothing；　they　were　dull　with　wine　and

stupefied　with　heavy　slumbers　that　had　been　exhausting　rather　than

refreshing。　There　was　an　indescribable　ferocious　and　stolid　bestiality

about　these　haggard　faces；　where　bare　physical　appetite　appeared　shorn

of　all　the　poetical　illusion　with　which　the　intellect　invests　it。　Even

these　fearless　champions；　accustomed　to　measure　themselves　with

excess；　were　struck　with　horror　at　this　awakening　of　vice；　stripped　of

its　disguises；　at　being　confronted　thus　with　sin；　the　skeleton　in

rags；　lifeless　and　hollow；　bereft　of　the　sophistries　of　the　intellect

and　the　enchantments　of　luxury。　Artists　and　courtesans　scrutinized　in

silence　and　with　haggard　glances　the　surrounding　disorder；　the　rooms

where　everything　had　been　laid　waste；　at　the　havoc　wrought　by　heated

passions。



Demoniac　laughter　broke　out　when　Taillefer；　catching　the　smothered

murmurs　of　his　guests；　tried　to　greet　them　with　a　grin。　His　darkly

flushed；　perspiring　countenance　loomed　upon　this　pandemonium；　like　the

image　of　a　crime　that　knows　no　remorse　（see　L'Auberge　Rouge）。　The

picture　was　complete。　A　picture　of　a　foul　life　in　the　midst　of　luxury；

a　hideous　mixture　of　the　pomp　and　squalor　of　humanity；　an　awakening

after　the　frenzy　of　Debauch　has　crushed　and　squeezed　all　the　fruits　of

life　in　her　strong　hands；　till　nothing　but　unsightly　refuse　is　left　to

her；　and　lies　in　which　she　believes　no　longer。　You　might　have　thought

of　Death　gloating　over　a　family　stricken　with　the　plague。



The　sweet　scents　and　dazzling　lights；　the　mirth　and　the　excitement

were　all　no　more；　disgust　with　its　nauseous　sensations　and　searching

philosophy　was　there　instead。　The　sun　shone　in　like　truth；　the　pure

outer　air　was　like　virtue；　in　contrast　with　the　heated　atmosphere；

heavy　with　the　fumes　of　the　previous　night　of　revelry。



Accustomed　as　they　were　to　their　life；　many　of　the　girls　thought　of

other　days　and　other　wakings；　pure　and　innocent　days　when　they　looked

out　and　saw　the　roses　and　honeysuckle　about　the　casement；　and　the

fresh　countryside　without　enraptured　by　the　glad　music　of　the　skylark；

while　earth　lay　in　mists；　lighted　by　the　dawn；　and　in　all　the

glittering　radiance　of　dew。　Others　imagined　the　family　breakfast；　the

father　and　children　round　the　table；　the　innocent　laughter；　the

unspeakable　charm　that　pervaded　it　all；　the　simple　hearts　and　their

meal　as　simple。



An　artist　mused　upon　his　quiet　studio；　on　his　statue　in　its　severe

beauty；　and　the　graceful　model　who　was　waiting　for　him。　A　young　man

recollected　a　lawsuit　on　which　the　fortunes　of　a　family　hung；　and　an

important　transaction　that　needed　his　presence。　The　scholar　regretted

his　study　and　that　noble　work　that　called　for　him。　Emile　appeared　just

then　as　smiling；　blooming；　and　fresh　as　the　smartest　assistant　in　a

fashionable　shop。



〃You　are　all　as　ugly　as　bailiffs。　You　won't　be　fit　for　anything

to…day；　so　this　day　is　lost；　and　I　vote　for　breakfast。〃



At　this　Taillefer　went　out　to　give　some　orders。　The　women　went

languidly　up　to　the　mirrors　to　set　their　toilettes　in　order。　Each　one

shook　herself。　The　wilder　sort　lectured　the　steadier　ones。　The

courtesans　made　fun　of　those　who　looked　unable　to　continue　the

boisterous　festivity；　but　these　wan　forms　revived　all　at　once；　stood

in　groups；　and　talked　and　smiled。　Some　servants　quickly　and　adroitly

set　the　furniture　and　everything　else　in　its　place；　and　a　magnificent

breakfast　was　got　ready。



The　guests　hurried　into　the　dining…room。　Everything　there　bore

indelible　marks　of　yesterday's　excess；　it　is　true；　but　there　were　at

any　rate　some　traces　of　ordinary；　rational　existence；　such　traces　as

may　be　found　in　a　sick　man's　dying　struggles。　And　so　the　revelry　was

laid　away　and　buried；　like　carnival　of　a　Shrove　Tuesday；　by　masks

wearied　out　with　dancing；　drunk　with　drunkenness；　and　quite　ready　to

be　persuaded　of　the　pleasures　of　lassitude；　lest　they　should　be　forced

to　admit　their　exhaustion。



As　soon　as　these　bold　spirits　surrounded　the　capitalist's　breakfast…

table；　Cardot　appeared。　He　had　left　the　rest　to　make　a　night　of　it

after　the　dinner；　and　finished　the　evening　after　his　own　fashion　in

the　retirement　of　domestic　life。　Just　now　a　sweet　smile　wandered　over

his　features。　He　seemed　to　have　a　presentiment　that　there　would　be

some　inheritance　to　sample　and　divide；　involving　inventories　and

engrossing；　an　inheritance　rich　in　fees　and　deeds　to　draw　up；　and

something　as　juicy　as　the　trembling　fillet　of　beef　in　which　their　host

had　just　plunged　his　knife。



〃Oh；　ho！　we　are　to　have　breakfast　in　the　presence　of　a　notary；〃　cried

Cursy。



〃You　have　come　here　just　at　the　right　time；〃　said　the　banker；

indicating　the　br