a prince of bohemia-第5节

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　　pretty；　I　looked　a　lovelier　woman　for　you　than　that　beautiful
　　German　princess　whom　you　gave　me　for　an　example；　whom　I　have
　　studied　at　the　Opera。　And　yetyou　might　have　thought　that　I　had
　　overstepped　the　limits　of　my　nature。　You　have　left　me　no
　　confidence　in　myself；　perhaps　I　am　plain　after　all。　Oh！　I　loathe
　　myself；　I　dream　of　my　radiant　Charles　Edward；　and　my　brain　turns。
　　I　shall　go　mad；　I　know　I　shall。　Do　not　laugh；　do　not　talk　to　me　of
　　the　fickleness　of　women。　If　we　are　inconstant；　/you/　are　strangely
　　capricious。　You　take　away　the　hours　of　love　that　made　a　poor
　　creature's　happiness　for　ten　whole　days；　the　hours　on　which　she
　　drew　to　be　charming　and　kind　to　all　that　came　to　see　her！　After
　　all；　you　were　the　source　of　my　kindness　to　/him/；　you　do　not　know
　　what　pain　you　give　him。　I　wonder　what　I　must　do　to　keep　you；　or
　　simply　to　keep　the　right　to　be　yours　sometimes。　。　。　。　When　I　think
　　that　you　never　would　come　here　to　me！　。　。　。　With　what　delicious
　　emotion　I　would　wait　upon　you！There　are　other　women　more　favored
　　than　I。　There　are　women　to　whom　you　say；　'I　love　you。'　To　me　you
　　have　never　said　more　than　'You　are　a　good　girl。'　Certain　speeches
　　of　yours；　though　you　do　not　know　it；　gnaw　at　my　heart。　Clever　men
　　sometimes　ask　me　what　I　am　thinking。　。　。　。　I　am　thinking　of　my
　　self…abasementthe　prostration　of　the　poorest　outcast　in　the
　　presence　of　the　Saviour。

〃There　are　still　three　more　pages；　you　see。　La　Palferine　allowed　me　to
take　the　letter；　with　the　traces　of　tears　that　still　seemed　hot　upon
it！　Here　was　proof　of　the　truth　of　his　story。　Marcas；　a　shy　man　enough
with　women；　was　in　ecstacies　over　a　second　which　he　read　in　his　corner
before　lighting　his　pipe　with　it。

〃　'Why；　any　woman　in　love　will　write　that　sort　of　thing！'　cried　La
Palferine。　'Love　gives　all　women　intelligence　and　style；　which　proves
that　here　in　France　style　proceeds　from　the　matter　and　not　from　the
words。　See　now　how　well　this　is　thought　out；　how　clear…headed
sentiment　is'and　with　that　he　reads　us　another　letter；　far　superior
to　the　artificial　and　labored　productions　which　we　novelists　write。

〃One　day　poor　Claudine　heard　that　La　Palferine　was　in　a　critical
position；　it　was　a　question　of　meeting　a　bill　of　exchange。　An　unlucky
idea　occurred　to　her；　she　put　a　tolerably　large　sum　in　gold　into　an
exquisitely　embroidered　purse　and　went　to　him。

〃　'Who　has　taught　you　as　to　be　so　bold　as　to　meddle　with　my　household
affairs？'　La　Palferine　cried　angrily。　'Mend　my　socks　and　work　slippers
for　me；　if　it　amuses　you。　So！you　will　play　the　duchess；　and　you　turn
the　story　of　Danae　against　the　aristocracy。'

〃He　emptied　the　purse　into　his　hand　as　he　spoke；　and　made　as　though　he
would　fling　the　money　in　her　face。　Claudine；　in　her　terror；　did　not
guess　that　he　was　joking；　she　shrank　back；　stumbled　over　a　chair；　and
fell　with　her　head　against　the　corner　of　the　marble　chimney…piece。　She
thought　she　should　have　died。　When　she　could　speak；　poor　woman；　as　she
lay　on　the　bed；　all　that　she　said　was；　'I　deserved　it；　Charles！'

〃For　a　moment　La　Palferine　was　in　despair；　his　anguish　revived
Claudine。　She　rejoiced　in　the　mishap；　she　took　advantage　of　her
suffering　to　compel　La　Palferine　to　take　the　money　and　release　him
from　an　awkward　position。　Then　followed　a　variation　on　La　Fontaine's
fable；　in　which　a　man　blesses　the　thieves　that　brought　him　a　sudden
impulse　of　tenderness　from　his　wife。　And　while　we　are　upon　this
subject；　another　saying　will　paint　the　man　for　you。

〃Claudine　went　home　again；　made　up　some　kind　of　tale　as　best　she　could
to　account　for　her　bruised　forehead；　and　fell　dangerously　ill。　An
abscess　formed　in　the　head。　The　doctorBianchon；　I　believeyes；　it
was　Bianchonwanted　to　cut　off　her　hair。　The　Duchesse　de　Berri's　hair
is　not　more　beautiful　than　Claudine's；　she　would　not　hear　of　it；　she
told　Bianchon　in　confidence　that　she　could　not　allow　it　to　be　cut
without　leave　from　the　Comte　de　Palferine。　Bianchon　went　to　Charles
Edward。　Charles　Edward　heard　him　with　much　seriousness。　The　doctor　had
explained　the　case　at　length；　and　showed　that　it　was　absolutely
necessary　to　sacrifice　the　hair　to　insure　the　success　of　the
operation。

〃　'Cut　off　Claudine's　hair！'　cried　he　in　peremptory　tones。　'No。　I
would　sooner　lose　her。'

〃Even　now；　after　a　lapse　of　four　years；　Bianchon　still　quotes　that
speech；　we　have　laughed　over　it　for　half　an　hour　together。　Claudine；
informed　of　the　verdict；　saw　in　it　a　proof　of　affections；　she　felt
sure　that　she　was　loved。　In　the　face　of　her　weeping　family；　with　her
husband　on　his　knees；　she　was　inexorable。　She　kept　the　hair。　The
strength　that　came　with　the　belief　that　she　was　loved　came　to　her　aid；
the　operation　succeeded　perfectly。　There　are　stirrings　of　the　inner
life　which　throw　all　the　calculations　of　surgery　into　disorder　and
baffle　the　laws　of　medical　science。

〃Claudine　wrote　a　delicious　letter　to　La　Palferine；　a　letter　in　which
the　orthography　was　doubtful　and　the　punctuation　all　to　seek；　to　tell
him　of　the　happy　result　of　the　operation；　and　to　add　that　Love　was
wiser　than　all　the　sciences。

〃　'Now；'　said　La　Palferine　one　day；　'what　am　I　to　do　to　get　rid　of
Claudine？'

〃　'Why；　she　is　not　at　all　troublesome；　she　leaves　you　master　of　your
actions；'　objected　we。

〃　'That　is　true；'　returned　La　Palferine；　'but　I　do　not　choose　that
anything　shall　slip　into　my　life　without　my　consent。'

〃From　that　day　he　set　himself　to　torment　Claudine。　It　seemed　that　he
held　the　bourgeoise；　the　nobody；　in　utter　horror；　nothing　would
satisfy　him　but　a　woman　with　a　title。　Claudine；　it　was　true；　had　made
progress；　she　had　learned　to　dress　as　well　as　the　best…dressed　woman
of　the　Faubourg　Saint…Germain；　she　had　freed　her　bearing　of　the
unhallowed　traces；　she　walked　with　a　chastened；　inimitable　grace；　but
this　was　not　enough。　This　praise　of　her　enabled　Claudine　to　swallow
down　the　rest。

〃But　one　day　La　Palferine　said；　'If　you　wish　to　be　the　mistress　of　one
La　Palferine；　poor；　penniless；　and　without　prospects　as　he　is；　you
ought　at　least　to　represent　him　worthily。　You　should　have　a　carriage
and　liveried　servants　and　a　title。　Give　me　all　the　gratifications　of
vanity　that　will　never　be　mine　in　my　own　person。　The　woman　whom　I
honor　with　my　regard　ought　never　to　go　on　foot；　if　she　is　bespattered
with　mud；　I　suffer。　That　is　how　I　am　made。　If　she　is　mine；　she　must　be
admired　of　all　Paris。　All　Paris　shall　envy　me　my　good　fortune。　If　some
little　whipper…snapper　seeing　a　brilliant　countess　pass　in　her
brilliant　carriage　shall　say　to　himself；　〃Who　can　call　such　a　divinity
his？〃　and　grow　thoughtfulwhy；　it　will　double　my　pleasure。'

〃La　Palferine　owned　to　us　that　he　flung　this　programme　at　Claudine's
head　simply　to　rid　himself　of　her。　As　a　result　he　was　stupefied　with
astonishment　for　the　first　and　probably　the　only　time　in　his　life。

〃　'Dear；'　she　said；　and　there　was　a　ring　in　her　voice　that　betrayed
the　great　agitation　which　shook　her　whole　being；　'it　is　well。　All　this
shall　be　done；　or　I　will　die。'

〃She　let　fall　a　few　happy　tears　on　his　hand　as　she　kissed　it。

〃　'You　have　told　me　what　I　must　do　to　be　your　mistress　still；'　she
added；　'I　am　glad。'

〃　'And　then'　（La　Palferine　told　us）　'she　went　out　with　a　little
coquettish　gesture　like　a　woman　that　has　had　her　way。　As　she　stood　in
my　garrett　doorway；　tall　and　proud；　she　seemed　to　reach　the　stature　of
an　antique　sibyl。'

〃All　this　should　sufficiently　explain　the　manners　and　customs　of　the
Bohemia　in　which　the　young　/condottiere/　is　one　of　the　most　brilliant
figures；〃　Nathan　continued　after　a　pause。　〃Now　it　so　happened　that　I
discovered　Claudine's　identity；　and　could　understand　the　appalling
truth　of　one　line　which　you　perhaps　overlooked　in　that　letter　of　hers。
It　was　on　this　wise。〃

The　Marquise；　too　thoughtful　now　for　laughter；　bade　Nathan　〃Go　on；〃　in
a　tone　that　told　him　plainly　how　deeply　she　had　been　impressed　by
these　strange　things；　and　even　more　plainly　how　much　she　was
interested　in　La　Palferine。

〃In　1829；　one　of　the　most　influential；　steady；　and　clever　of　dramatic
writers　was　du　Bruel。　His　real　name　is　unknown　to　the　public；　on　the
play…bills　he　is　de　Cursy。　Under　the　Restoration　he　had　a　place　in　the
Civil　Service；　and　being　really　attached　to　the　elder　branch；　he　sent
in　his　resignation　bravely　in　1830；　and　ever　since　has　written　twice
as　many　plays　to　fill　the　deficit　in　his　budget　made　by　his　noble
conduct。　At　that　time　du　Bruel　was　forty　years　old；　you　know　the　story
of　his　life。　Like　many　of　his　brethren；　he　bore　a　stage　dancer　an
affection　hard　to　explain；　but　well　known　in　the　whole　world　of
letters。　The　woman；　as　you　know；　was　Tullia；　one　of　the　/premiers
sujets/　of　the　Academie　Royale　de　Musique。　Tullia　is　merely　a
pseudonym　like　du　Bruel's　name　of　de　Cursy。

〃For　the　ten　years　between　1817　and　1827　Tullia　was　in　her　glory　on
the　heights　of　the　stage　of　the　Opera。　With　more　beauty　than
education；　a　mediocre　dancer　with　rather　more　sense　than　most　of　her
class；　she　took　no　part　in　the　virtuous　reforms　which　ruined　the　corps
de　ballet；　she　continued　the　Guimard　dynasty。　She　owed　her　ascendency；
moreover；　to　various　well…known　protector