the magic skin-第9节

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that　reflected　the　lights　of　Paris。　Above　that　river；　in　which　but　now

he　had　thought　to　fling　himself；　the　old　man's　prediction　had　been

fulfilled；　the　hour　of　his　death　had　been　already　put　back　by　fate。



〃We　really　regretted　you；〃　said　his　friend；　still　pursuing　his　theme。

〃It　was　a　question　of　a　plan　in　which　we　included　you　as　a　superior

person；　that　is　to　say；　somebody　who　can　put　himself　above　other

people。　The　constitutional　thimble…rig　is　carried　on　to…day；　dear　boy；

more　seriously　than　ever。　The　infamous　monarchy；　displaced　by　the

heroism　of　the　people；　was　a　sort　of　drab；　you　could　laugh　and　revel

with　her；　but　La　Patrie　is　a　shrewish　and　virtuous　wife；　and　willy…

nilly　you　must　take　her　prescribed　endearments。　Then　besides；　as　you

know；　authority　passed　over　from　the　Tuileries　to　the　journalists；　at

the　time　when　the　Budget　changed　its　quarters　and　went　from　the

Faubourg　Saint…Germain　to　the　Chaussee　de　Antin。　But　this　you　may　not

know　perhaps。　The　Government；　that　is；　the　aristocracy　of　lawyers　and

bankers　who　represent　the　country　to…day；　just　as　the　priests　used　to

do　in　the　time　of　the　monarchy；　has　felt　the　necessity　of　mystifying

the　worthy　people　of　France　with　a　few　new　words　and　old　ideas；　like

philosophers　of　every　school；　and　all　strong　intellects　ever　since

time　began。　So　now　Royalist…national　ideas　must　be　inculcated；　by

proving　to　us　that　it　is　far　better　to　pay　twelve　million　francs；

thirty…three　centimes　to　La　Patrie；　represented　by　Messieurs　Such…and…

Such；　than　to　pay　eleven　hundred　million　francs；　nine　centimes　to　a

king　who　used　to　say　_I_　instead　of　WE。　In　a　word；　a　journal；　with　two

or　three　hundred　thousand　francs；　good；　at　the　back　of　it；　has　just

been　started；　with　a　view　to　making　an　opposition　paper　to　content　the

discontented；　without　prejudice　to　the　national　government　of　the

citizen…king。　We　scoff　at　liberty　as　at　despotism　now；　and　at　religion

or　incredulity　quite　impartially。　And　since；　for　us；　'our　country'

means　a　capital　where　ideas　circulate　and　are　sold　at　so　much　a　line；

a　succulent　dinner　every　day；　and　the　play　at　frequent　intervals；

where　profligate　women　swarm；　where　suppers　last　on　into　the　next　day；

and　light　loves　are　hired　by　the　hour　like　cabs；　and　since　Paris　will

always　be　the　most　adorable　of　all　countries；　the　country　of　joy；

liberty；　wit；　pretty　women；　mauvais　sujets；　and　good　wine；　where　the

truncheon　of　authority　never　makes　itself　disagreeably　felt；　because

one　is　so　close　to　those　who　wield　it；we；　therefore；　sectaries　of

the　god　Mephistopheles；　have　engaged　to　whitewash　the　public　mind；　to

give　fresh　costumes　to　the　actors；　to　put　a　new　plank　or　two　in　the

government　booth；　to　doctor　doctrinaires；　and　warm　up　old　Republicans；

to　touch　up　the　Bonapartists　a　bit；　and　revictual　the　Centre；　provided

that　we　are　allowed　to　laugh　in　petto　at　both　kings　and　peoples；　to

think　one　thing　in　the　morning　and　another　at　night；　and　to　lead　a

merry　life　a　la　Panurge；　or　to　recline　upon　soft　cushions；　more

orientali。



〃The　sceptre　of　this　burlesque　and　macaronic　kingdom；〃　he　went　on；　〃we

have　reserved　for　you；　so　we　are　taking　you　straightway　to　a　dinner

given　by　the　founder　of　the　said　newspaper；　a　retired　banker；　who；　at

a　loss　to　know　what　to　do　with　his　money；　is　going　to　buy　some　brains

with　it。　You　will　be　welcomed　as　a　brother；　we　shall　hail　you　as　king

of　these　free　lances　who　will　undertake　anything；　whose　perspicacity

discovers　the　intentions　of　Austria；　England；　or　Russia　before　either

Russia；　Austria　or　England　have　formed　any。　Yes；　we　will　invest　you

with　the　sovereignty　of　those　puissant　intellects　which　give　to　the

world　its　Mirabeaus；　Talleyrands；　Pitts；　and　Metternichsall　the

clever　Crispins　who　treat　the　destinies　of　a　kingdom　as　gamblers'

stakes；　just　as　ordinary　men　play　dominoes　for　Kirschenwasser。　We　have

given　you　out　to　be　the　most　undaunted　champion　who　ever　wrestled　in　a

drinking…bout　at　close　quarters　with　the　monster　called　Carousal；　whom

all　bold　spirits　wish　to　try　a　fall　with；　we　have　gone　so　far　as　to

say　that　you　have　never　yet　been　worsted。　I　hope　you　will　not　make

liars　of　us。　Taillefer；　our　amphitryon；　has　undertaken　to　surpass　the

circumscribed　saturnalias　of　the　petty　modern　Lucullus。　He　is　rich

enough　to　infuse　pomp　into　trifles；　and　style　and　charm　into

dissipation　。　。　。　Are　you　listening；　Raphael？〃　asked　the　orator；

interrupting　himself。



〃Yes；〃　answered　the　young　man；　less　surprised　by　the　accomplishment　of

his　wishes　than　by　the　natural　manner　in　which　the　events　had　come

about。



He　could　not　bring　himself　to　believe　in　magic；　but　he　marveled　at　the

accidents　of　human　fate。



〃Yes；　you　say；　just　as　if　you　were　thinking　of　your　grandfather's

demise；〃　remarked　one　of　his　neighbors。



〃Ah！〃　cried　Raphael；　〃I　was　thinking；　my　friends；　that　we　are　in　a

fair　way　to　become　very　great　scoundrels；〃　and　there　was　an

ingenuousness　in　his　tones　that　set　these　writers；　the　hope　of　young

France；　in　a　roar。　〃So　far　our　blasphemies　have　been　uttered　over　our

cups；　we　have　passed　our　judgments　on　life　while　drunk；　and　taken　men

and　affairs　in　an　after…dinner　frame　of　mind。　We　were　innocent　of

action；　we　were　bold　in　words。　But　now　we　are　to　be　branded　with　the

hot　iron　of　politics；　we　are　going　to　enter　the　convict's　prison　and

to　drop　our　illusions。　Although　one　has　no　belief　left；　except　in　the

devil；　one　may　regret　the　paradise　of　one's　youth　and　the　age　of

innocence；　when　we　devoutly　offered　the　tip　of　our　tongue　to　some　good

priest　for　the　consecrated　wafer　of　the　sacrament。　Ah；　my　good

friends；　our　first　peccadilloes　gave　us　so　much　pleasure　because　the

consequent　remorse　set　them　off　and　lent　a　keen　relish　to　them；　but

nowadays〃



〃Oh！　now；〃　said　the　first　speaker；　〃there　is　still　left〃



〃What？〃　asked　another。



〃Crime〃



〃There　is　a　word　as　high　as　the　gallows　and　deeper　than　the　Seine；〃

said　Raphael。



〃Oh；　you　don't　understand　me；　I　mean　political　crime。　Since　this

morning；　a　conspirator's　life　is　the　only　one　I　covet。　I　don't　know

that　the　fancy　will　last　over　to…morrow；　but　to…night　at　least　my

gorge　rises　at　the　anaemic　life　of　our　civilization　and　its　railroad

evenness。　I　am　seized　with　a　passion　for　the　miseries　of　retreat　from

Moscow；　for　the　excitements　of　the　Red　Corsair；　or　for　a　smuggler's

life。　I　should　like　to　go　to　Botany　Bay；　as　we　have　no　Chartreaux　left

us　here　in　France；　it　is　a　sort　of　infirmary　reserved　for　little　Lord

Byrons　who；　having　crumpled　up　their　lives　like　a　serviette　after

dinner；　have　nothing　left　to　do　but　to　set　their　country　ablaze；　blow

their　own　brains　out；　plot　for　a　republic　or　clamor　for　a　war〃



〃Emile；〃　Raphael's　neighbor　called　eagerly　to　the　speaker；　〃on　my

honor；　but　for　the　revolution　of　July　I　would　have　taken　orders；　and

gone　off　down　into　the　country　somewhere　to　lead　the　life　of　an

animal；　and〃



〃And　you　would　have　read　your　breviary　through　every　day。〃



〃Yes。〃



〃You　are　a　coxcomb！〃



〃Why；　we　read　the　newspapers　as　it　is！〃



〃Not　bad　that；　for　a　journalist！　But　hold　your　tongue；　we　are　going

through　a　crowd　of　subscribers。　Journalism；　look　you；　is　the　religion

of　modern　society；　and　has　even　gone　a　little　further。〃



〃What　do　you　mean？〃



〃Its　pontiffs　are　not　obliged　to　believe　in　it　any　more　than　the

people　are。〃



Chatting　thus；　like　good　fellows　who　have　known　their　De　Viris

illustribus　for　years　past；　they　reached　a　mansion　in　the　Rue　Joubert。



Emile　was　a　journalist　who　had　acquired　more　reputation　by　dint　of

doing　nothing　than　others　had　derived　from　their　achievements。　A　bold；

caustic；　and　powerful　critic；　he　possessed　all　the　qualities　that　his

defects　permitted。　An　outspoken　giber；　he　made　numberless　epigrams　on

a　friend　to　his　face；　but　would　defend　him；　if　absent；　with　courage

and　loyalty。　He　laughed　at　everything；　even　at　his　own　career。　Always

impecunious；　he　yet　lived；　like　all　men　of　his　calibre；　plunged　in

unspeakable　indolence。　He　would　fling　some　word　containing　volumes　in

the　teeth　of　folk　who　could　not　put　a　syllable　of　sense　into　their

books。　He　lavished　promises　that　he　never　fulfilled；　he　made　a　pillow

of　his　luck　and　reputation；　on　which　he　slept；　and　ran　the　risk　of

waking　up　to　old　age　in　a　workhouse。　A　steadfast　friend　to　the　gallows

foot；　a　cynical　swaggerer　with　a　child's　simplicity；　a　worker　only

from　necessity　or　caprice。



〃In　the　language　of　Maitre　Alcofribas；　we　are　about　to　make　a　famous

troncon　de　chiere　lie；〃　he　remarked　to　Raphael　as　he　pointed　out　the

flower…stands　that　made　a　perfumed　forest　of　the　staircase。



〃I　like　a　vestibule　to　be　well　warmed　and　richly　carpeted；〃　Raphael

said。　〃Luxury　in　the　peristyle　is　not　common　in　France。　I　feel　as　if

life　had　begun　anew　here。〃



〃And　up　above　we　are　going　to　drink　and　make　merry　once　more；　my　dear

Raphael。　Ah！　yes；〃　he　went　on；　〃and　I　hope　we　a