the nabob-第3节

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　was　as　much　at　liberty　to　make　free　with　the　character　of　his　benefactor　Morny　is　another　matter。　He　himself　thought　that　he　was；　and　he　was　a　man　of　delicate　sensitiveness。　Probably　he　was　right　in　claiming　that　the　natural　son　of　Queen　Hortense；　the　intrepid　soldier；　the　author　of　the　/Coup　d'Etat/　that　set　his　weaker　half…brother　on　the　throne；　the　dandy；　the　libertine；　the　leader　of　fashion；　the　cynical　statesmanin　short；　the　〃Richelieu…Brummel〃　who　drew　the　eyes　of　all　Europe　upon　himself；　would　not　have　been　in　the　least　disconcerted　could　he　have　known　that　thirteen　years　after　his　death　the　public　would　be　discussing　him　as　the　prototype　of　the　Mora　of　his　young　/protege's/　masterpiece。　In　fact；　it　is　easy　to　agree　with　those　critics　who　think　that　Daudet's　kindly　nature　caused　him　to　soften　many　features　of　Morny's　unlovely　character。　Mora　does　not；　indeed；　win　our　love　or　our　esteem；　but　we　confess　him　to　have　been　in　every　respect　an　exceptional　man；　and　there　is　not　a　page　in　which　he　appears　that　is　not　intensely　interesting。　He　must　be　an　unimpressionable　reader　who　soon　forgets　the　death…room　scenes；　the　destruction　of　the　compromising　letters；　the　spectacular　funeral。

Of　the　other　characters　there　is　little　space　to　speak　here。　Nearly　all　have　their　good　points；　as　might　be　expected　of　the　creator　of　his　two　fellow　Provencals；　Numa　and　Tartarin；　the　latter　being　probably　the　only　really　cosmopolitan　figure　in　recent　literature；　but　some；　like　the　Hemerlingues；　verge　upon　mere　sketches；　others；　like　Jansoulet's　obese　wife；　upon　caricatures。　The　old　mother　is　excellently　done；　however；　and　Monpavon；　especially　in　his　suicide；　is　nothing　short　of　a　triumph　of　art。　It　is　the　more　or　less　romantic　or　sentimental　personages　that　give　the　critic　most　qualms。　Daudet　seems　to　have　introduced　themDe　Gery；　the　Joyeuse　family；　and　the　restas　a　concession　to　popular　taste；　and　on　this　score　was　probably　justified。　A　fair　case　may　also　be　made　out　for　the　use　of　idyllic　scenes　as　a　foil　to　the　tragical；　for　the　Shakespearian　critics　have　no　monopoly　of　the　overworked　plea；　〃justification　by　contrast。〃　Nor　could　a　French　analogue　of　Dickens　easily　resist　the　temptation　to　give　us　a　fatuous　Passajon；　an　ebullient　Pere　Joyeusewho　seems　to　have　been　partly　modelled　on　a　real　personan　exemplary　〃Bonne　Maman；〃　a　struggling　but　eventually　triumphant　Andre　Maranne。　The　home…lover　Daudet　also　felt　the　necessity　of　showing　that　Paris　could　set　the　Joyeuse　household；　sunny　in　its　poverty；　over　against　the　stately　elegance　of　the　Mora　palace；　the　walls　of　which　listened　at　one　and　the　same　moment　to　the　music　of　a　ball　and　the　death…rattle　of　its　haughty　owner。　But　when　all　is　said；　it　remains　clear　that　/The　Nabob/　is　open　to　the　charge　that　applies　to　all　the　greater　novels　save　/Sapho/the　charge　that　it　exhibits　a　somewhat　inharmonious　mixture　of　sentimentalism　and　naturalism。　Against　this　charge；　which　perhaps　applies　most　forcibly　to　that　otherwise　almost　perfect　work　of　art；　/Numa　Roumestan/；　Daudet　defended　himself；　but　rather　weakly。　Nor　does　Mr。　Henry　James；　who　in　the　case　of　the　last…named　novel　comes　to　his　help　against　Zola；　much　mend　matters。　But　the　fault；　if　fault　it　be；　is　venial；　especially　in　a　friend；　though　not　strictly　a　coworker；　of　Zola's。

Naturally　an　elaborate　novel　like　/The　Nabob/　lends　itself　indefinitely　to　minute　comment；　but　we　must　be　sparing　of　it。　Still　it　is　worth　while　to　call　attention　to　the　skill　with　which；　from　the　opening　page；　the　interest　of　the　reader　is　controlled；　indeed；　to　the　remarkable　art　displayed　in　the　whole　first　chapter　devoted　to　the　morning　rounds　of　Dr。　Jenkins。　The　note　of　romantic　extravagance　is　on　the　whole　avoided　until　the　Nabob　brings　out　his　check…book；　when　the　money　flies　with　a　speed　for　which；　one　fancies；　Daudet　could　have　found　little　justification　this　side　of　Timon　of　Athens。　In　the　description　of　the　/Caisse　Territoriale/　given　by　Passajon　this　note　is　relieved　by　a　delicate　irony；　but　seems　still　somewhat　incongruous。　One　turns　more　willingly　to　the　description　of　Jansoulet's　sitting　down　to　play　/ecarte/　with　Mora；　to　the　story　of　how　he　gorged　himself　with　the　duke's　putative　mushrooms；　and　to　similar　episodes　and　touches。　In　the　matter　of　effective　and　ironically　turned　situations　few　novels　can　compare　with　this；　indeed；　it　almost　seems　as　if　Daudet　made　an　inordinate　use　of　them。　Think　of　the　poor　Nabob　reading　the　announcement　of　the　cross　bestowed　on　Jenkins；　and　of　the　absurd　populace　mistaking　him　for　the　ungrateful　Bey！　As　for　great　dramatic　moments；　there　is　at　least　one　that　no　reader　can　forgetthe　moment　when　Jansoulet；　in　the　midst　of　the　speech　on　which　his　fate　depends；　catches　sight　of　his　old　mother's　face　and　forbears　to　clear　himself　of　calumny　at　the　expense　of　his　wretched　elder　brother。　The　situation　may　not　bear　close　analysis；　but　who　wishes　to　analyze？　Or　who；　indeed；　wishes　to　indulge　in　further　comment　after　the　scene　has　risen　to　his　mind？

/The　Nabob/　was　followed　by　/Kings　in　Exile/；　then　came　/Numa　Roumestan/　and　/The　Evangelist/；　then；　on　the　eve　of　Daudet's　breakdown；　/Sapho/；　and　the　greatest　of　his　humorous　masterpieces；　/Tartarin　in　the　Alps/。　It　is　not　yet　certain　what　rank　is　to　be　given　to　these　books。　Perhaps　the　adventures　of　the　mountain…climbing　hero　of　the　Midi；　combined　with　his　previous　exploits　as　a　slayer　of　lions　his　experiences　as　a　colonist　in　/Port…Tarascon/　need　scarcely　be　consideredwill　prove；　in　the　lapse　of　years；　to　be　the　most　solid　foundation　of　that　fame　which　even　envious　Time　will　hardly　begrudge　Daudet。　As　for　/Kings　in　Exile/；　it　is　difficult　to　see　how　even　the　art　with　which　the　tragedy　of　Queen　Frederique's　life　is　unfolded　or　the　growing　power　of　characterization　displayed　in　her；　in　the　loyal　Merault；　in　the　facile；　decadent　Christian；　can　make　up　for　the　lack　of　broadly　human　appeal　in　the　general　subject…matter　of　a　book　which　was　so　sympathetically　written　as　to　appeal　alike　to　Legitimists　and　to　Republicans。　Good　as　/Kings　in　Exile/　is；　it　is　not　so　effective　a　book　as　/The　Nabob/；　nor　such　a　unique　and　marvellous　work　of　art　as　/Numa　Roumestan/；　due　allowance　being　made　for　the　intrusion　of　sentimentality　into　the　latter。　Daudet　thought　/Numa/　the　〃least　incomplete〃　of　his　works；　it　is　certainly　inclusive　enough；　since　some　critics　are　struck　by　the　tragic　relations　subsisting　between　the　virtuous　discreet　Northern　wife　and　the　peccable；　expansive　Southern　husband；　while　others　see　in　the　latter　the　hero　of　a　comedy　of　manners　almost　worthy　of　Moliere。　If　/Numa/　represents　the　highest　achievement　of　Daudet　in　dramatic　fiction　or　else　in　the　art　of　characterization；　/The　Evangelist/　proved　that　his　genius　was　not　at　home　in　those　fields。　Instead　of　marking　an　ordered　advance；　this　overwrought　study　of　Protestant　bigotry　marked　not　so　much　a　halt；　or　a　retreat；　as　a　violent　swerving　to　one　side。　Yet　in　a　way　this　swerving　into　the　devious　orbit　of　the　novel　of　intense　purpose　helped　Daudet　in　his　progress　towards　naturalism；　and　imparted　something　of　stability　to　his　methods　of　work。　/Sapho/；　which　appeared　next；　was　the　first　of　his　novels　that　left　little　to　be　desired　in　the　way　of　artistic　unity　and　cumulative　power。　If　such　a　study　of　the　/femme　collante/；　the　mistress　who　cannot　be　shaken　offor　rather　of　the　man　whom　she　ruins；　for　it　is　Gaussin；　not　Sapho；　that　is　the　main　subject　of　Daudet's　acute　analysiswas　to　be　written　at　all；　it　had　to　be　written　with　a　resolute　art　such　as　Daudet　applied　to　it。　It　is　not　then　surprising　that　Continental　critics　rank　/Sapho/　as　its　author's　greatest　production；　it　is　more　in　order　to　wonder　what　Daudet　might　not　have　done　in　this　line　of　work　had　his　health　remained　unimpaired。　The　later　novels；　in　which　he　came　near　to　joining　forces　with　the　naturalists　and　hence　to　losing　some　of　the　vogue　his　eclecticism　gave　him；　need　not　detain　us。

And　now；　in　conclusion；　how　can　we　best　characterize　briefly　this　fascinating；　versatile　genius；　the　most　delightful　humorist　of　his　time；　one　of　the　most　artistic　story…tellers；　one　of　the　greatest　novelists？　It　is　impossible　to　classify　him；　for　he　was　more　than　a　humorist；　he　nearly　outgrew　romance；　he　never　accepted　unreservedly　the　canons　of　naturalism。　He　obviously　does　not　belong　to　the　small　class　of　the　supreme　writers　of　fiction；　for　he　has　no　consistent　or　at　least　profound　philosophy　of　life。　He　is　a　true　poet；　yet　for　the　main　he　has　expressed　himself　not　in　verse；　but　in　prose；　and　in　a　form　of　prose　that　is　being　so　extensively　cultivated　that　its　permanence　is　daily　brought　more　and　more　into　question。　What　is　Daudet；　and　what　will　he　be　to　posterity？　Some　admirers　have　already　answered　the　first　question；　perhaps　as　satisfactorily　as　it　can　be　answered；　by　saying；　〃Daudet　is　simply　Daudet。〃　As　for　the　second　question；　a　whole　school　of　critics　is　inclined　to　answer　it　and　all　similar　queries　with　the　curt　statement；　〃That　concerns　posterity；　not　us。〃　If；　however；　less　evasive　answers　are　insisted　upon；　let　the　following　utterance；　which　might　conceivably　be　more　indefinite　and　oracular；　suffice：　Alphonse　Daudet　is　one　of　those　rare　writers　who　combine　greatness　with　a　charm　so　intimate　and