the magic skin-第40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！



Cursy。



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

indicating　the　breakfast；　〃you　can　jot　down　the　numbers；　and　initial

off　all　the　dishes。〃



〃There　is　no　will　to　make　here；　but　contracts　of　marriage　there　may

be；　perhaps；〃　said　the　scholar；　who　had　made　a　satisfactory

arrangement　for　the　first　time　in　twelve　months。



〃Oh！　Oh！〃



〃Ah！　Ah！〃



〃One　moment；〃　cried　Cardot；　fairly　deafened　by　a　chorus　of　wretched

jokes。　〃I　came　here　on　serious　business。　I　am　bringing　six　millions

for　one　of　you。〃　（Dead　silence。）　〃Monsieur；〃　he　went　on；　turning　to

Raphael；　who　at　the　moment　was　unceremoniously　wiping　his　eyes　on　a

corner　of　the　table…napkin；　〃was　not　your　mother　a　Mlle。　O'Flaharty？〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Raphael　mechanically　enough；　〃Barbara　Marie。〃



〃Have　you　your　certificate　of　birth　about　you；〃　Cardot　went　on；　〃and

Mme。　de　Valentin's　as　well？〃



〃I　believe　so。〃



〃Very　well　then；　monsieur；　you　are　the　sole　heir　of　Major　O'Flaharty；

who　died　in　August　1828　at　Calcutta。〃



〃An　incalcuttable　fortune；〃　said　the　critic。



〃The　Major　having　bequeathed　several　amounts　to　public　institutions　in

his　will；　the　French　Government　sent　in　a　claim　for　the　remainder　to

the　East　India　Company；〃　the　notary　continued。　〃The　estate　is　clear

and　ready　to　be　transferred　at　this　moment。　I　have　been　looking　in

vain　for　the　heirs　and　assigns　of　Mlle。　Barbara　Marie　O'Flaharty　for　a

fortnight　past；　when　yesterday　at　dinner〃



Just　then　Raphael　suddenly　staggered　to　his　feet；　he　looked　like　a　man

who　has　just　received　a　blow。　Acclamation　took　the　form　of　silence；

for　stifled　envy　had　been　the　first　feeling　in　every　breast；　and　all

eyes　devoured　him　like　flames。　Then　a　murmur　rose；　and　grew　like　the

voice　of　a　discontented　audience；　or　the　first　mutterings　of　a　riot；

as　everybody　made　some　comment　on　this　news　of　great　wealth　brought　by

the　notary。



This　abrupt　subservience　of　fate　brought　Raphael　thoroughly　to　his

senses。　He　immediately　spread　out　the　table…napkin　with　which　he　had

lately　taken　the　measure　of　the　piece　of　shagreen。　He　heeded　nothing

as　he　laid　the　talisman　upon　it；　and　shuddered　involuntarily　at　the

sight　of　a　slight　difference　between　the　present　size　of　the　skin　and

the　outline　traced　upon　the　linen。



〃Why；　what　is　the　matter　with　him？'　Taillefer　cried。　〃He　comes　by　his

fortune　very　cheaply。〃



〃Soutiens…le　Chatillon！〃　said　Bixiou　to　Emile。　〃The　joy　will　kill

him。〃



A　ghastly　white　hue　overspread　every　line　of　the　wan　features　of　the

heir…at…law。　His　face　was　drawn；　every　outline　grew　haggard；　the

hollows　in　his　livid　countenance　grew　deeper；　and　his　eyes　were　fixed

and　staring。　He　was　facing　Death。



The　opulent　banker；　surrounded　by　faded　women；　and　faces　with　satiety

written　on　them；　the　enjoyment　that　had　reached　the　pitch　of　agony；

was　a　living　illustration　of　his　own　life。



Raphael　looked　thrice　at　the　talisman；　which　lay　passively　within　the

merciless　outlines　on　the　table…napkin；　he　tried　not　to　believe　it；

but　his　incredulity　vanished　utterly　before　the　light　of　an　inner

presentiment。　The　whole　world　was　his；　he　could　have　all　things；　but

the　will　to　possess　them　was　utterly　extinct。　Like　a　traveler　in　the

midst　of　the　desert；　with　but　a　little　water　left　to　quench　his

thirst；　he　must　measure　his　life　by　the　draughts　he　took　of　it。　He　saw

what　every　desire　of　his　must　cost　him　in　the　days　of　his　life。　He

believed　in　the　powers　of　the　Magic　Skin　at　last；　he　listened　to　every

breath　he　drew；　he　felt　ill　already；　he　asked　himself：




〃Am　I　not　consumptive？　Did　not　my　mother　die　of　a　lung　complaint？〃



〃Aha；　Raphael！　what　fun　you　will　have！　What　will　you　give　me？〃　asked

Aquilina。



〃Here's　to　the　death　of　his　uncle；　Major　O'Flaharty！　There　is　a　man

for　you。〃



〃He　will　be　a　peer　of　France。〃



〃Pooh！　what　is　a　peer　of　France　since　July？〃　said　the　amateur　critic。



〃Are　you　going　to　take　a　box　at　the　Bouffons？〃



〃You　are　going　to　treat　us　all；　I　hope？〃　put　in　Bixiou。



〃A　man　of　his　sort　will　be　sure　to　do　things　in　style；〃　said　Emile。



The　hurrah　set　up　by　the　jovial　assembly　rang　in　Valentin's　ears；　but

he　could　not　grasp　the　sense　of　a　single　word。　Vague　thoughts　crossed

him　of　the　Breton　peasant's　life　of　mechanical　labor；　without　a　wish

of　any　kind；　he　pictured　him　burdened　with　a　family；　tilling　the　soil；

living　on　buckwheat　meal；　drinking　cider　out　of　a　pitcher；　believing

in　the　Virgin　and　the　King；　taking　the　sacrament　at　Easter；　dancing　of

a　Sunday　on　the　green　sward；　and　understanding　never　a　word　of　the

rector's　sermon。　The　actual　scene　that　lay　before　him；　the　gilded

furniture；　the　courtesans；　the　feast　itself；　and　the　surrounding

splendors；　seemed　to　catch　him　by　the　throat　and　made　him　cough。



〃Do　you　wish　for　some　asparagus？〃　the　banker　cried。



〃I　WISH　FOR　NOTHING！〃　thundered　Raphael。



〃Bravo！〃　Taillefer　exclaimed；　〃you　understand　your　position；　a　fortune

confers　the　privilege　of　being　impertinent。　You　are　one　of　us。

Gentlemen；　let　us　drink　to　the　might　of　gold！　M。　Valentin　here；　six

times　a　millionaire；　has　become　a　power。　He　is　a　king；　like　all　the

rich；　everything　is　at　his　disposal；　everything　lies　under　his　feet。

From　this　time　forth　the　axiom　that　'all　Frenchmen　are　alike　in　the

eyes　of　the　law；'　is　for　him　a　fib　at　the　head　of　the　Constitutional

Charter。　He　is　not　going　to　obey　the　lawthe　law　is　going　to　obey

him。　There　are　neither　scaffolds　nor　executioners　for　millionaires。〃



〃Yes；　there　are；〃　said　Raphael；　〃they　are　their　own　executioners。〃



〃Here　is　another　victim　of　prejudices！〃　cried　the　banker。



〃Let　us　drink！〃　Raphael　said；　putting　the　talisman　into　his　pocket。



〃What　are　you　doing？〃　said　Emile；　checking　his　movement。　〃Gentlemen；〃

he　added；　addressing　the　company；　who　were　rather　taken　aback　by

Raphael's　behavior；　〃you　must　know　that　our　friend　Valentin　herewhat

am　I　saying？I　mean　my　Lord　Marquis　de　Valentinis　in　the　possession

of　a　secret　for　obtaining　wealth。　His　wishes　are　fulfilled　as　soon　as

he　knows　them。　He　will　make　us　all　rich　together；　or　he　is　a　flunkey；

and　devoid　of　all　decent　feeling。〃



〃Oh；　Raphael　dear；　I　should　like　a　set　of　pearl　ornaments！〃　Euphrasia

exclaimed。



〃If　he　has　any　gratitude　in　him；　he　will　give　me　a　couple　of　carriages

with　fast　steppers；〃　said　Aquilina。



〃Wish　for　a　hundred　thousand　a　year　for　me！〃



〃Indian　shawls！〃



〃Pay　my　debts！〃



〃Send　an　apoplexy　to　my　uncle；　the　old　stick！〃



〃Ten　thousand　a　year　in　the　funds；　and　I'll　cry　quits　with　you；

Raphael！〃



〃Deeds　of　gift　and　no　mistake；〃　was　the　notary's　comment。



〃He　ought；　at　least；　to　rid　me　of　the　gout！〃



〃Lower　the　funds！〃　shouted　the　banker。



These　phrases　flew　about　like　the　last　discharge　of　rockets　at　the　end

of　a　display　of　fireworks；　and　were　uttered；　perhaps；　more　in　earnest

than　in　jest。



〃My　good　friend；〃　Emile　said　solemnly；　〃I　shall　be　quite　satisfied

with　an　income　of　two　hundred　thousand　livres。　Please　to　set　about　it

at　once。〃



〃Do　you　not　know　the　cost；　Emile？〃　asked　Raphael。



〃A　nice　excuse！〃　the　poet　cried；　〃ought　we　not　to　sacrifice　ourselves

for　our　friends？〃



〃I　have　almost　a　mind　to　wish　that　you　all　were　dead；〃　Valentin　made

answer；　with　a　dark；　inscrutable　look　at　his　boon　companions。



〃Dying　people　are　frightfully　cruel；〃　said　Emile；　laughing。　〃You　are

rich　now；〃　he　went　on　gravely；　〃very　well；　I　will　give　you　two　months

at　most　before　you　grow　vilely　selfish。　You　are　so　dense　already　that

you　cannot　understand　a　joke。　You　have　only　to　go　a　little　further　to

believe　in　your　Magic　Skin。〃



Raphael　kept　silent；　fearing　the　banter　of　the　company；　but　he　drank

immoderately；　trying　to　drown　in　intoxication　the　recollection　of　his

fatal　power。







III



THE　AGONY



In　the　early　days　of　December　an　old　man　of　some　seventy　years　of　age

pursued　his　way　along　the　Rue　de　Varenne；　in　spite　of　the　falling

rain。　He　peered　up　at　the　door　of　each　house；　trying　to　discover　the

address　of　the　Marquis　Raphael　de　Valentin；　in　a　simple；　childlike

fashion；　and　with　the　abstracted　look　peculiar　to　philosophers。　His

face　plainly　showed　traces　of　a　struggle　between　a　heavy　mortification

and　an　authoritative　nature；　his　long；　gray　hair　hung　in　disorder

about　a　face　like　a　piece　of　parchment　shriveling　in　the　fire。　If　a

painter　had　come　upon　this　curious　character；　he　would；　no　doubt；　have

transferred　him　to　his　sketchbook　on　his　return；　a　thin；　bony　figure；

clad　in　black；　and　have　inscribed　beneath　it：　〃Classical　poet　in

search　of　a　rhyme。〃　When　he　had　identified　the　number　that　had　been

given　to　him；　this　reincarnation　of　Rollin　knocked　meekly　at　the　door

of　a　splendid　mansion。



〃Is　Monsieur　Raphael　in？〃　the　worthy　man　inquired　of　the　Swiss　in

livery。



〃My　Lord　the　Marquis　sees　nobody；〃　said　the　servant；　swallowing　a　huge