the nabob-第4节

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ce：　Alphonse　Daudet　is　one　of　those　rare　writers　who　combine　greatness　with　a　charm　so　intimate　and　appealing　that　some　of　us　would　not；　if　we　could；　have　their　greatness　increased。

W。　P。　TRENT。



BIOGRAPHICAL　NOTE

Alphonse　Daudet　was　born　at　Nimes　on　the　13th　of　May；　1840。　He　was　the　younger　son　of　a　rich　and　enthusiastically　Royalist　silk…manufacturer　of　that　town；　the　novelist；　Ernest　Daudet　（born　1837）；　being　his　elder　brother。　In　their　childhood；　the　father；　Vincent　Daudet；　suffered　reverses；　and　had　to　settle　with　his　family；　in　reduced　circumstances；　at　Lyons。　Alphonse；　in　1856；　obtained　a　post　as　usher　in　a　school　at　Alais；　in　the　Gard；　where　he　was　extremely　unhappy。　All　these　painful　early　experiences　are　told　very　pathetically　in　〃Le　Petit　Chose。〃　On　the　1st　of　November；　1857；　Alphonse　fled　from　the　horrors　of　his　life　at　Alais；　and　joined　his　brother　Ernest；　who　had　just　secured　a　post　in　the　service　of　the　Duc　de　Morny　in　Paris。　Alphonse　determined　to　live　by　his　pen；　and　presently　obtained　introductions　to　the　〃Figaro。〃　His　early　volumes　of　verse；　〃Les　Amoureuses〃　of　1858　and　〃La　Double　Conversion〃　of　1861；　attracted　some　favourable　notice。　In　this　latter　year　his　difficulties　ceased；　for　he　had　the　good　fortune　to　become　one　of　the　secretaries　of　the　Duc　de　Morny；　a　post　which　he　held　for　four　years；　until　the　popularity　of　his　writings　rendered　him　independent。　To　the　generosity　of　his　patron；　moreover；　he　owed　the　opportunity　of　visiting　Italy　and　the　East。　His　first　novel；　〃Le　Chaperon　Rouge；〃　1863；　was　not　very　remarkable；　and　Daudet　turned　to　the　stage。　His　principal　dramatic　efforts　of　this　period　were　〃Le　Dernier　Idole；〃　1862；　and　〃L'OEillet　Blanc；〃　1865。　Alphonse　Daudet's　earliest　important　work；　however；　was　〃Le　Petit　Chose；〃　1868；　a　very　pathetic　autobiography　of　the　first　eighteen　years　of　his　life；　over　which　he　cast　a　thin　veil　of　romance。　After　the　death　of　the　Duc　de　Morny；　Daudet　retired　to　Provence；　leasing　a　ruined　mill　at　Fortvielle；　in　the　valley　of　the　Rhone；　from　this　romantic　solitude；　among　the　pines　and　green　oaks；　he　sent　forth　those　exquisite　studies　of　Provencal　life；　the　〃Lettres　de　mon　Moulin。〃　After　the　war；　Daudet　reappeared　in　Paris；　greatly　strengthened　and　ripened　by　his　hermit…　existence　in　the　heart　of　Provence。　He　produced　one　masterpiece　after　another。　He　had　studied　with　laughter　and　joy　the　mirthful　side　of　southern　exaggeration；　and　he　created　a　figure　in　which　its　peculiar　qualities　should　be　displayed；　as　it　were；　in　excelsis。　This　study　resulted；　in　1872；　in　〃The　Prodigious　Feats　of　Tartarin　of　Tarascon；〃　one　of　the　most　purely　delightful　works　of　humour　in　the　French　language。　Alphonse　Daudet　now；　armed　with　his　cahiers；　his　little　green…backed　books　of　notes；　set　out　to　be　a　great　historian　of　French　manners　in　the　second　half　of　the　nineteenth　century。　His　first　important　novel；　〃Fromont　Jeune　et　Risler　Aine；〃　1874；　enjoyed　a　notable　success；　it　was　followed　in　1876　by　〃Jack；〃　in　1878　by　〃Le　Nabob；〃　in　1879　by　〃Les　Rois　en　Exil；〃　in　1881　by　〃Numa　Roumestan；〃　in　1883　by　〃L'Evangeliste；〃　and　in　1884　by　〃Sapho。〃　These　are　the　seven　great　romances　of　modern　French　life　on　which　the　reputation　of　Alphonse　Daudet　as　a　novelist　is　mainly　built。　They　placed　him；　for　the　moment　at　all　events；　near　the　head　of　contemporary　European　literature。　By　this　time；　however；　a　physical　malady；　which　Charcot　was　the　first　to　locate　in　the　spinal　cord；　had　begun　to　exhaust　the　novelist's　powers。　This　disease；　which　took　the　form　of　what　was　supposed　to　be　neuralgia　in　1881；　racked　him　with　pain　during　the　sixteen　remaining　years　of　his　life；　and　gradually　destroyed　his　powers　of　locomotion。　It　spared　the　functions　of　the　brain；　but　it　cannot　be　denied　that　after　1884　something　of　force　and　spontaneous　charm　was　lacking　in　Daudet's　books。　He　continued；　however；　the　adventures　of　Tartarin；　first　with　unabated　gusto　in　the　Alps；　then　less　happily　as　a　colonist　in　the　South　Seas。　He　wrote；　in　the　form　of　a　novel；　a　bitter　satire　on　the　French　Academy；　of　which　he　was　never　a　member；　this　was　〃L'Immortel〃　of　1888。　He　wrote　romances；　of　little　power；　the　best　being　〃Rose　et　Ninette〃　of　1892；　but　his　imaginative　work　steadily　declined　in　value。　He　published　in　1887　his　reminiscences；　〃Trente　Ans　de　Paris；〃　and　later　on　his　〃Souvenirs　d'un　Homme　de　Lettres。〃　He　suffered　more　and　more　from　his　complaint；　from　the　insomnia　it　caused；　and　from　the　abuse　of　chloral。　He　was　able；　however；　to　the　last；　to　enjoy　the　summer　at　his　country…house；　at　Champrosay；　and　even　to　travel　in　an　invalid's　chair；　in　1896　he　visited　for　the　first　time　London　and　Oxford；　and　saw　Mr。　George　Meredith。　In　Paris　he　had　long　occupied　rooms　in　the　Rue　de　Bellechasse；　where　Madame　Alphonse　Daudet　was　accustomed　to　entertain　a　brilliant　company。　But　in　1897　it　became　impossible　for　him　to　mount　five　flights　of　stairs　any　longer；　and　he　moved　to　the　first　floor　of　No。　41　Rue　de　l'Universite。　Here　on　the　16th　of　December；　1897；　as　he　was　chatting　gaily　at　the　dinner…table；　he　uttered　a　cry；　fell　back　in　his　chair；　and　was　dead。　The　personal　appearance　of　Alphonse　Daudet；　in　his　prime；　was　very　striking；　he　had　clearly　cut　features；　large　brilliant　eyes；　and　an　amazing　exuberance　of　curled　hair　and　forked　beard。

EDMUND　GOSSE；　LL。D。




CONTENTS

Introduction　　　William　Peterfield　Trent

Life　of　Alphonse　Daudet　　　Edmund　Gosse

The　Nabob：　　　Dr。　Jenkins's　patients　　　A　luncheon　in　the　Place　Vendome　　　Memoirs　of　an　office　porterA　mere　glance　at　the　Territorial　Bank　　　A　debut　in　society　　　The　Joyeuse　family　　　Felicia　Ruys　　　Jansoulet　at　home　　　The　Bethlehem　Society　　　Bonne　Maman　　　Memoirs　of　an　office　porterServants　　　The　festivities　in　honour　of　the　Bey　　　A　Corsican　election　　　A　day　of　spleen　　　The　Exhibition　　　Memoirs　of　an　office　porterIn　the　antechamber　　　A　public　man　　　The　apparition　　　The　Jenkins　pearls　　　The　funeral　　　La　Baronne　Hemerlingue　　　The　sitting　　　Dramas　of　Paris　　　Memoirs　of　an　office　porterThe　last　leaves　　　At　Bordighera　　　The　first　night　of　〃Revolt〃




THE　NABOB

by　Alphonse　Daudet



DOCTOR　JENKIN'S　PATIENTS

Standing　on　the　steps　of　his　little　town…house　in　the　Rue　de　Lisbonne；　freshly　shaven；　with　sparkling　eyes；　and　lips　parted　in　easy　enjoyment；　his　long　hair　slightly　gray　flowing　over　a　huge　coat　collar；　square　shouldered；　strong　as　an　oak；　the　famous　Irish　doctor；　Robert　Jenkins；　Knight　of　the　Medjidjieh　and　of　the　distinguished　order　of　Charles　III　of　Spain；　President　and　Founder　of　the　Bethlehem　Society。　Jenkins　in　a　word；　the　Jenkins　of　the　Jenkins　Pills　with　an　arsenical　basethat　is　to　say；　the　fashionable　doctor　of　the　year　1864；　the　busiest　man　in　Paris；　was　preparing　to　step　into　his　carriage　when　a　casement　opened　on　the　first　floor　looking　over　the　inner　court…yard　of　the　house；　and　a　woman's　voice　asked　timidly：

〃Shall　you　be　home　for　luncheon；　Robert？〃

Oh；　how　good　and　loyal　was　the　smile　that　suddenly　illumined　the　fine　apostle…like　head　with　its　air　of　learning；　and　in　the　tender　〃good…　morning〃　which　his　eyes　threw　up　towards　the　warm；　white　dressing…gown　visible　behind　the　raised　curtains；　how　easy　it　was　to　divine　one　of　those　conjugal　passions；　tranquil　and　sure；　which　habit　re…enforces　and　with　supple　and　stable　bonds　binds　closer。

〃No；　Mrs。　Jenkins。〃　He　was　fond　of　thus　bestowing　upon　her　publicly　her　title　as　his　lawful　wife；　as　if　he　found　in　it　an　intimate　gratification；　a　sort　of　acquittal　of　conscience　towards　the　woman　who　made　life　so　bright　for　him。　〃No；　do　not　expect　me　this　morning。　I　lunch　in　the　Place　Vendome。〃

〃Ah！　yes；　the　Nabob；〃　said　the　handsome　Mrs。　Jenkins　with　a　very　marked　note　of　respect　for　this　personage　out　of　the　/Thousand　and　One　Nights/　of　whom　all　Paris　had　been　talking　for　the　last　month；　then；　after　a　little　hesitation；　very　tenderly；　in　a　quite　low　voice；　from　between　the　heavy　tapestries；　she　whispered　for　the　ears　of　the　doctor　only：

〃Be　sure　you　do　not　forget　what　you　promised　me。〃

Apparently　it　was　something　very　difficult　to　fulfil；　for　at　the　reminder　of　this　promise　the　eyebrows　of　the　apostle　contracted　into　a　frown；　his　smile　became　petrified；　his　whole　visage　assumed　an　expression　of　incredible　hardness；　but　it　was　only　for　an　instant。　At　the　bedside　of　their　patients　the　physiognomies　of　these　fashionable　doctors　become　expert　in　lying。　In　his　most　tender；　most　cordial　manner；　he　replied；　disclosing　a　row　of　dazzling　white　teeth：

〃What　I　promised　shall　be　done；　Mrs。　Jenkins。　And　now；　go　in　quickly　and　shut　your　window。　The　fog　is　cold　this　morning。〃

Yes；　the　fog　was　cold；　but　white　as　snow　mist；　and；　filling　the　air　outside　the　glasses　of　the　large　brougham；　it　brightened　with　soft　gleams　the　unfolded　newspaper　in　the　doctor's　hands。　Over　yonder；　in　the　populous　quarters；　confined　and　gloomy；　in　the　Paris　of　tradesman　and　mechanic；　that　charming　morning　haze　which　lingers　in　the　great　thoroughfares　is　not　known。　The　bustle　of　awakening；　the　going　and　coming　of　the　market…carts；　of　the　omnibuses；　of　the　heavy　trucks　rattling　their　old　iron；　have　early　and　quickly　cut　it　up；　unravelled　and　scattered　it。　Every　passer…by　carries　away　a　little　of　it　in　a　threadbare　overcoat；　a　muffler　which　shows　the