the magic skin-第41节

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livery。



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

morsel　that　he　had　just　dipped　in　a　large　bowl　of　coffee。



〃There　is　his　carriage；〃　said　the　elderly　stranger；　pointing　to　a　fine

equipage　that　stood　under　the　wooden　canopy　that　sheltered　the　steps

before　the　house；　in　place　of　a　striped　linen　awning。　〃He　is　going

out；　I　will　wait　for　him。〃



〃Then　you　might　wait　here　till　to…morrow　morning；　old　boy；〃　said　the

Swiss。　〃A　carriage　is　always　waiting　for　monsieur。　Please　to　go　away。

If　I　were　to　let　any　stranger　come　into　the　house　without　orders；　I

should　lose　an　income　of　six　hundred　francs。〃



A　tall　old　man；　in　a　costume　not　unlike　that　of　a　subordinate　in　the

Civil　Service；　came　out　of　the　vestibule　and　hurried　part　of　the　way

down　the　steps；　while　he　made　a　survey　of　the　astonished　elderly

applicant　for　admission。



〃What　is　more；　here　is　M。　Jonathan；〃　the　Swiss　remarked；　〃speak　to

him。〃



Fellow…feeling　of　some　kind；　or　curiosity；　brought　the　two　old　men

together　in　a　central　space　in　the　great　entrance…court。　A　few　blades

of　grass　were　growing　in　the　crevices　of　the　pavement；　a　terrible

silence　reigned　in　that　great　house。　The　sight　of　Jonathan's　face

would　have　made　you　long　to　understand　the　mystery　that　brooded　over

it；　and　that　was　announced　by　the　smallest　trifles　about　the

melancholy　place。



When　Raphael　inherited　his　uncle's　vast　estate；　his　first　care　had

been　to　seek　out　the　old　and　devoted　servitor　of　whose　affection　he

knew　that　he　was　secure。　Jonathan　had　wept　tears　of　joy　at　the　sight

of　his　young　master；　of　whom　he　thought　he　had　taken　a　final　farewell；

and　when　the　marquis　exalted　him　to　the　high　office　of　steward；　his

happiness　could　not　be　surpassed。　So　old　Jonathan　became　an

intermediary　power　between　Raphael　and　the　world　at　large。　He　was　the

absolute　disposer　of　his　master's　fortune；　the　blind　instrument　of　an

unknown　will；　and　a　sixth　sense；　as　it　were；　by　which　the　emotions　of

life　were　communicated　to　Raphael。



〃I　should　like　to　speak　with　M。　Raphael；　sir；〃　said　the　elderly　person

to　Jonathan；　as　he　climbed　up　the　steps　some　way；　into　a　shelter　from

the　rain。



〃To　speak　with　my　Lord　the　Marquis？〃　the　steward　cried。　〃He　scarcely

speaks　even　to　me；　his　foster…father！〃



〃But　I　am　likewise　his　foster…father；〃　said　the　old　man。　〃If　your　wife

was　his　foster…mother；　I　fed　him　myself　with　the　milk　of　the　Muses。　He

is　my　nursling；　my　child；　carus　alumnus！　I　formed　his　mind；　cultivated

his　understanding；　developed　his　genius；　and；　I　venture　to　say　it；　to

my　own　honor　and　glory。　Is　he　not　one　of　the　most　remarkable　men　of

our　epoch？　He　was　one　of　my　pupils　in　two　lower　forms；　and　in

rhetoric。　I　am　his　professor。〃



〃Ah；　sir；　then　you　are　M。　Porriquet？〃



〃Exactly；　sir；　but〃



〃Hush！　hush！〃　Jonathan　called　to　two　underlings；　whose　voices　broke

the　monastic　silence　that　shrouded　the　house。



〃But　is　the　Marquis　ill；　sir？〃　the　professor　continued。



〃My　dear　sir；〃　Jonathan　replied；　〃Heaven　only　knows　what　is　the　matter

with　my　master。　You　see；　there　are　not　a　couple　of　houses　like　ours

anywhere　in　Paris。　Do　you　understand？　Not　two　houses。　Faith；　that

there　are　not。　My　Lord　the　Marquis　had　this　hotel　purchased　for　him；

it　formerly　belonged　to　a　duke　and　a　peer　of　France；　then　he　spent

three　hundred　thousand　francs　over　furnishing　it。　That's　a　good　deal；

you　know；　three　hundred　thousand　francs！　But　every　room　in　the　house

is　a　perfect　wonder。　'Good；'　said　I　to　myself　when　I　saw　this

magnificence；　'it　is　just　like　it　used　to　be　in　the　time　of　my　lord；

his　late　grandfather；　and　the　young　marquis　is　going　to　entertain　all

Paris　and　the　Court！'　Nothing　of　the　kind！　My　lord　refused　to　see　any

one　whatever。　'Tis　a　funny　life　that　he　leads；　M。　Porriquet；　you

understand。　An　inconciliable　life。　He　rises　every　day　at　the　same

time。　I　am　the　only　person；　you　see；　that　may　enter　his　room。　I　open

all　the　shutters　at　seven　o'clock；　summer　or　winter。　It　is　all

arranged　very　oddly。　As　I　come　in　I　say　to　him：



〃　'You　must　get　up　and　dress；　my　Lord　Marquis。'



〃Then　he　rises　and　dresses　himself。　I　have　to　give　him　his　dressing…

gown；　and　it　is　always　after　the　same　pattern；　and　of　the　same

material。　I　am　obliged　to　replace　it　when　it　can　be　used　no　longer；

simply　to　save　him　the　trouble　of　asking　for　a　new　one。　A　queer　fancy！

As　a　matter　of　fact；　he　has　a　thousand　francs　to　spend　every　day；　and

he　does　as　he　pleases；　the　dear　child。　And　besides；　I　am　so　fond　of

him　that　if　he　gave　me　a　box　on　the　ear　on　one　side；　I　should　hold　out

the　other　to　him！　The　most　difficult　things　he　will　tell　me　to　do；　and

yet　I　do　them；　you　know！　He　gives　me　a　lot　of　trifles　to　attend　to；

that　I　am　well　set　to　work！　He　reads　the　newspapers；　doesn't　he？　Well；

my　instructions　are　to　put　them　always　in　the　same　place；　on　the　same

table。　I　always　go　at　the　same　hour　and　shave　him　myself；　and　don't　I

tremble！　The　cook　would　forfeit　the　annuity　of　a　thousand　crowns　that

he　is　to　come　into　after　my　lord's　death；　if　breakfast　is　not　served

inconciliably　at　ten　o'clock　precisely。　The　menus　are　drawn　up　for　the

whole　year　round；　day　after　day。　My　Lord　the　Marquis　has　not　a　thing

to　wish　for。　He　has　strawberries　whenever　there　are　any；　and　he　has

the　earliest　mackerel　to　be　had　in　Paris。　The　programme　is　printed

every　morning。　He　knows　his　dinner　by　rote。　In　the　next　place；　he

dresses　himself　at　the　same　hour；　in　the　same　clothes；　the　same　linen；

that　I　always　put　on　the　same　chair；　you　understand？　I　have　to　see

that　he　always　has　the　same　cloth；　and　if　it　should　happen　that　his

coat　came　to　grief　（a　mere　supposition）；　I　should　have　to　replace　it

by　another　without　saying　a　word　about　it　to　him。　If　it　is　fine；　I　go

in　and　say　to　my　master：



〃　'You　ought　to　go　out；　sir。'



〃He　says　Yes；　or　No。　If　he　has　a　notion　that　he　will　go　out；　he

doesn't　wait　for　his　horses；　they　are　always　ready　harnessed；　the

coachman　stops　there　inconciliably；　whip　in　hand；　just　as　you　see　him

out　there。　In　the　evening；　after　dinner；　my　master　goes　one　day　to　the

Opera；　the　other　to　the　Italno；　he　hasn't　yet　gone　to　the

Italiens；　though；　for　I　could　not　find　a　box　for　him　until　yesterday。

Then　he　comes　in　at　eleven　o'clock　precisely；　to　go　to　bed。　At　any

time　in　the　day　when　he　has　nothing　to　do；　he　readshe　is　always

reading；　you　seeit　is　a　notion　he　has。　My　instructions　are　to　read

the　Journal　de　la　Librairie　before　he　sees　it；　and　to　buy　new　books；

so　that　he　finds　them　on　his　chimney…piece　on　the　very　day　that　they

are　published。　I　have　orders　to　go　into　his　room　every　hour　or　so；　to

look　after　the　fire　and　everything　else；　and　to　see　that　he　wants

nothing。　He　gave　me　a　little　book；　sir；　to　learn　off　by　heart；　with

all　my　duties　written　in　ita　regular　catechism！　In　summer　I　have　to

keep　a　cool　and　even　temperature　with　blocks　of　ice　and　at　all　seasons

to　put　fresh　flowers　all　about。　He　is　rich！　He　has　a　thousand　francs

to　spend　every　day；　he　can　indulge　his　fancies！　And　he　hadn't　even

necessaries　for　so　long；　poor　child！　He　doesn't　annoy　anybody；　he　is

as　good　as　gold；　he　never　opens　his　mouth；　for　instance；　the　house　and

garden　are　absolutely　silent。　In　short；　my　master　has　not　a　single

wish　left；　everything　comes　in　the　twinkling　of　an　eye；　if　he　raises

his　hand；　and　INSTANTER。　Quite　right；　too。　If　servants　are　not　looked

after；　everything　falls　into　confusion。　You　would　never　believe　the

lengths　he　goes　about　things。　His　rooms　are　allwhat　do　you　call

it？ereren　suite。　Very　well；　just　suppose；　now；　that　he　opens　his

room　door　or　the　door　of　his　study；　presto！　all　the　other　doors　fly

open　of　themselves　by　a　patent　contrivance；　and　then　he　can　go　from

one　end　of　the　house　to　the　other　and　not　find　a　single　door　shut；

which　is　all　very　nice　and　pleasant　and　convenient　for　us　great　folk！

But；　on　my　word；　it　cost　us　a　lot　of　money！　And；　after　all；　M。

Porriquet；　he　said　to　me　at　last：



〃　'Jonathan；　you　will　look　after　me　as　if　I　were　a　baby　in　long

clothes；'　Yes；　sir；　'long　clothes！'　those　were　his　very　words。　'You

will　think　of　all　my　requirements　for　me。'　I　am　the　master；　so　to

speak；　and　he　is　the　servant；　you　understand？　The　reason　of　it？　Ah；　my

word；　that　is　just　what　nobody　on　earth　knows　but　himself　and　God

Almighty。　It　is　quite　inconciliable！〃



〃He　is　writing　a　poem！〃　exclaimed　the　old　professor。



〃You　think　he　is　writing　a　poem；　sir？　It's　a　very　absorbing　affair；

then！　But；　you　know；　I　don't　think　he　is。　He　wants　to　vergetate。　Only

yesterday　he　was　looking　at　a　tulip　while　he　was　dressing；　and　he　said

to　me：



〃　'There　is　my　own　lifeI　am　vergetating；　my　poor　Jonathan。'　Now；

some　of　them　insist　that　that　is　monomania。　It　is　inconciliable！〃



〃All　this　makes　it　very　clear　to　me；　Jonathan；〃　the　professor

answered；　with　a　magisterial　solemnity　that　greatly　impressed　the　old

servant；　〃that　your　ma