the girl with the golden eyes-第12节

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the　same　sound　in　a　thousand　different　forms。

〃It　is　the　same　voice！〃　said　Paquita；　in　a　melancholy　voice；　which　De
Marsay　could　not　overhear；　〃and　the　same　ardor；〃　she　added。　〃So　be
ityes；〃　she　said；　with　an　abandonment　of　passion　which　no　words　can
describe。　〃Yes；　but　not　to…night。　To…night　Adolphe；　I　gave　too　little
opium　to　La　Concha。　She　might　wake　up；　and　I　should　be　lost。　At　this
moment　the　whole　household　believes　me　to　be　asleep　in　my　room。　In　two
days　be　at　the　same　spot；　say　the　same　word　to　the　same　man。　That　man
is　my　foster…father。　Cristemio　worships　me；　and　would　die　in　torments
for　me　before　they　could　extract　one　word　against　me　from　him。
Farewell；〃　she　said　seizing　Henri　by　the　waist　and　twining　round　him
like　a　serpent。

She　pressed　him　on　every　side　at　once；　lifted　her　head　to　his；　and
offered　him　her　lips；　then　snatched　a　kiss　which　filled　them　both　with
such　a　dizziness　that　it　seemed　to　Henri　as　though　the　earth　opened；
and　Paquita　cried：　〃Enough；　depart！〃　in　a　voice　which　told　how　little
she　was　mistress　of　herself。　But　she　clung　to　him　still；　still　crying
〃Depart！〃　and　brought　him　slowly　to　the　staircase。　There　the　mulatto；
whose　white　eyes　lit　up　at　the　sight　of　Paquita；　took　the　torch　from
the　hands　of　his　idol；　and　conducted　Henri　to　the　street。　He　left　the
light　under　the　arch；　opened　the　door；　put　Henri　into　the　carriage；
and　set　him　down　on　the　Boulevard　des　Italiens　with　marvelous
rapidity。　It　was　as　though　the　horses　had　hell…fire　in　their　veins。

The　scene　was　like　a　dream　to　De　Marsay；　but　one　of　those　dreams
which；　even　when　they　fade　away；　leave　a　feeling　of　supernatural
voluptuousness；　which　a　man　runs　after　for　the　remainder　of　his　life。
A　single　kiss　had　been　enough。　Never　had　/rendezvous/　been　spent　in　a
manner　more　decorous　or　chaste；　or；　perhaps；　more　coldly；　in　a　spot　of
which　the　surroundings　were　more　gruesome；　in　presence　of　a　more
hideous　divinity；　for　the　mother　had　remained　in　Henri's　imagination
like　some　infernal；　cowering　thing；　cadaverous；　monstrous；　savagely
ferocious；　which　the　imagination　of　poets　and　painters　had　not　yet
conceived。　In　effect；　no　/rendezvous/　had　ever　irritated　his　senses
more；　revealed　more　audacious　pleasures；　or　better　aroused　love　from
its　centre　to　shed　itself　round　him　like　an　atmosphere。　There　was
something　sombre；　mysterious；　sweet；　tender；　constrained；　and
expansive；　an　intermingling　of　the　awful　and　the　celestial；　of
paradise　and　hell；　which　made　De　Marsay　like　a　drunken　man。

He　was　no　longer　himself；　and　he　was；　withal；　great　enough　to　be　able
to　resist　the　intoxication　of　pleasure。

In　order　to　render　his　conduct　intelligible　in　the　catastrophe　of　this
story；　it　is　needful　to　explain　how　his　soul　had　broadened　at　an　age
when　young　men　generally　belittle　themselves　in　their　relations　with
women；　or　in　too　much　occupation　with　them。　Its　growth　was　due　to　a
concurrence　of　secret　circumstances；　which　invested　him　with　a　vast
and　unsuspected　power。

This　young　man　held　in　his　hand　a　sceptre　more　powerful　than　that　of
modern　kings；　almost　all　of　whom　are　curbed　in　their　least　wishes　by
the　laws。　De　Marsay　exercised　the　autocratic　power　of　an　Oriental
despot。　But　this　power；　so　stupidly　put　into　execution　in　Asia　by
brutish　men；　was　increased　tenfold　by　its　conjunction　with　European
intelligence；　with　French　witthe　most　subtle；　the　keenest　of　all
intellectual　instruments。　Henri　could　do　what　he　would　in　the　interest
of　his　pleasures　and　vanities。　This　invisible　action　upon　the　social
world　had　invested　him　with　a　real；　but　secret；　majesty；　without
emphasis　and　deriving　from　himself。　He　had　not　the　opinion　which　Louis
XIV。　could　have　of　himself；　but　that　which　the　proudest　of　the
Caliphs；　the　Pharoahs；　the　Xerxes；　who　held　themselves　to　be　of　divine
origin；　had　of　themselves　when　they　imitated　God；　and　veiled
themselves　from　their　subjects　under　the　pretext　that　their　looks
dealt　forth　death。　Thus；　without　any　remorse　at　being　at　once　the
judge　and　the　accuser；　De　Marsay　coldly　condemned　to　death　the　man　or
the　woman　who　had　seriously　offended　him。　Although　often　pronounced
almost　lightly；　the　verdict　was　irrevocable。　An　error　was　a　misfortune
similar　to　that　which　a　thunderbolt　causes　when　it　falls　upon　a
smiling　Parisienne　in　some　hackney　coach；　instead　of　crushing　the　old
coachman　who　is　driving　her　to　a　/rendezvous/。　Thus　the　bitter　and
profound　sarcasm　which　distinguished　the　young　man's　conversation
usually　tended　to　frighten　people；　no　one　was　anxious　to　put　him　out。
Women　are　prodigiously　fond　of　those　persons　who　call　themselves
pashas；　and　who　are；　as　it　were　accompanied　by　lions　and　executioners；
and　who　walk　in　a　panoply　of　terror。　The　result；　in　the　case　of　such
men；　is　a　security　of　action；　a　certitude　of　power；　a　pride　of　gaze；　a
leonine　consciousness；　which　makes　women　realize　the　type　of　strength
of　which　they　all　dream。　Such　was　De　Marsay。

Happy；　for　the　moment；　with　his　future；　he　grew　young　and　pliable；　and
thought　of　nothing　but　love　as　he　went　to　bed。　He　dreamed　of　the　girl
with　the　golden　eyes；　as　the　young　and　passionate　can　dream。　His
dreams　were　monstrous　images；　unattainable　extravagancesfull　of
light；　revealing　invisible　worlds；　yet　in　a　manner　always　incomplete；
for　an　intervening　veil　changes　the　conditions　of　vision。

For　the　next　and　succeeding　day　Henri　disappeared　and　no　one　knew　what
had　become　of　him。　His　power　only　belonged　to　him　under　certain
conditions；　and；　happily　for　him；　during　those　two　days　he　was　a
private　soldier　in　the　service　of　the　demon　to　whom　he　owed　his
talismanic　existence。　But　at　the　appointed　time；　in　the　evening；　he
was　waitingand　he　had　not　long　to　waitfor　the　carriage。　The
mulatto　approached　Henri；　in　order　to　repeat　to　him　in　French　a　phrase
which　he　seemed　to　have　learned　by　heart。

〃If　you　wish　to　come；　she　told　me；　you　must　consent　to　have　your　eyes
bandaged。〃

And　Cristemio　produced　a　white　silk　handkerchief。

〃No！〃　said　Henri；　whose　omnipotence　revolted　suddenly。

He　tried　to　leap　in。　The　mulatto　made　a　sign；　and　the　carriage　drove
off。

〃Yes！〃　cried　De　Marsay；　furious　at　the　thought　of　losing　a　piece　of
good　fortune　which　had　been　promised　him。

He　saw；　moreover；　the　impossibility　of　making　terms　with　a　slave　whose
obedience　was　as　blind　as　the　hangman's。　Nor　was　it　this　passive
instrument　upon　whom　his　anger　could　fall。

The　mulatto　whistled；　the　carriage　returned。　Henri　got　in　hastily。
Already　a　few　curious　onlookers　had　assembled　like　sheep　on　the
boulevard。　Henri　was　strong；　he　tried　to　play　the　mulatto。　When　the
carriage　started　at　a　gallop　he　seized　his　hands；　in　order　to　master
him；　and　retain；　by　subduing　his　attendant；　the　possession　of　his
faculties；　so　that　he　might　know　whither　he　was　going。　It　was　a　vain
attempt。　The　eyes　of　the　mulatto　flashed　from　the　darkness。　The　fellow
uttered　a　cry　which　his　fury　stifled　in　his　throat；　released　himself；
threw　back　De　Marsay　with　a　hand　like　iron；　and　nailed　him；　so　to
speak；　to　the　bottom　of　the　carriage；　then　with　his　free　hand；　he　drew
a　triangular　dagger；　and　whistled。　The　coachman　heard　the　whistle　and
stopped。　Henri　was　unarmed；　he　was　forced　to　yield。　He　moved　his　head
towards　the　handkerchief。　The　gesture　of　submission　calmed　Cristemio；
and　he　bound　his　eyes　with　a　respect　and　care　which　manifested　a　sort
of　veneration　for　the　person　of　the　man　whom　his　idol　loved。　But；
before　taking　this　course；　he　had　placed　his　dagger　distrustfully　in
his　side　pocket；　and　buttoned　himself　up　to　the　chin。

〃That　nigger　would　have　killed　me！〃　said　De　Marsay　to　himself。

Once　more　the　carriage　moved　on　rapidly。　There　was　one　resource　still
open　to　a　young　man　who　knew　Paris　as　well　as　Henri。　To　know　whither
he　was　going；　he　had　but　to　collect　himself　and　count；　by　the　number
of　gutters　crossed；　the　streets　leading　from　the　boulevards　by　which
the　carriage　passed；　so　long　as　it　continued　straight　along。　He　could
thus　discover　into　which　lateral　street　it　would　turn；　either　towards
the　Seine　or　towards　the　heights　of　Montmartre；　and　guess　the　name　or
position　of　the　street　in　which　his　guide　should　bring　him　to　a　halt。
But　the　violent　emotion　which　his　struggle　had　caused　him；　the　rage
into　which　his　compromised　dignity　had　thrown　him；　the　ideas　of
vengeance　to　which　he　abandoned　himself；　the　suppositions　suggested　to
him　by　the　circumstantial　care　which　this　girl　had　taken　in　order　to
bring　him　to　her；　all　hindered　him　from　the　attention；　which　the　blind
have；　necessary　for　the　concentration　of　his　intelligence　and　the
perfect　lucidity　of　his　recollection。　The　journey　lasted　half　an　hour。
When　the　carriage　stopped；　it　was　no　longer　on　the　street。　The　mulatto
and　the　coachman　took　Henri　in　their　arms；　lifted　him　out；　and；
putting　him　into　a　sort　of　litter；　conveyed　him　across　a　garden。　He
could　smell　its　flowers　and　the　perfume　peculiar　to　trees　and　grass。

The　silence　which　reigned　there　was　so　profound　that　he　could
distinguish　the　noise　made　by　the　drops　of　water　falling　from　the
moist　leaves。　The　two　men　took　him　to　a　staircase；　set　him　on　his
feet；　led　him　by　his　hands　through　several　apartme