the girl with the golden eyes-第14节
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the golden eyes might be virgin； but innocent she was certainly not。
The fantastic union of the mysterious and the real； of darkness and
light； horror and beauty； pleasure and danger； paradise and hell；
which had already been met with in this adventure； was resumed in the
capricious and sublime being with which De Marsay dallied。 All the
utmost science or the most refined pleasure； all that Henri could know
of that poetry of the senses which is called love； was excelled by the
treasures poured forth by this girl； whose radiant eyes gave the lie
to none of the promises which they made。
She was an Oriental poem； in which shone the sun that Saadi； that
Hafiz； have set in their pulsing strophes。 Only； neither the rhythm of
Saadi； nor that of Pindar； could have expressed the ecstasyfull of
confusion and stupefactionwhich seized the delicious girl when the
error in which an iron hand had caused her to live was at an end。
〃Dead！〃 she said； 〃I am dead； Adolphe！ Take me away to the world's
end； to an island where no one knows us。 Let there be no traces of our
flight！ We should be followed to the gates of hell。 God！ here is the
day！ Escape！ Shall I ever see you again？ Yes； to…morrow I will see
you； if I have to deal death to all my warders to have that joy。 Till
to…morrow。〃
She pressed him in her arms with an embrace in which the terror of
death mingled。 Then she touched a spring； which must have been in
connection with a bell； and implored De Marsay to permit his eyes to
be bandaged。
〃And if I would notand if I wished to stay here？〃
〃You would be the death of me more speedily；〃 she said； 〃for now I
know I am certain to die on your account。〃
Henri submitted。 In the man who had just gorged himself with pleasure
there occurs a propensity to forgetfulness； I know not what
ingratitude； a desire for liberty； a whim to go elsewhere； a tinge of
contempt and； perhaps； of disgust for his idol； in fine； indescribable
sentiments which render him ignoble and ashamed。 The certainty of this
confused； but real； feeling in souls who are not illuminated by that
celestial light； nor perfumed with that holy essence from which the
performance of sentiment springs； doubtless suggested to Rousseau the
adventures of Lord Edward； which conclude the letters of the /Nouvelle
Heloise/。 If Rousseau is obviously inspired by the work of Richardson；
he departs from it in a thousand details； which leave his achievement
magnificently original； he has recommended it to posterity by great
ideas which it is difficult to liberate by analysis； when； in one's
youth； one reads this work with the object of finding in it the lurid
representation of the most physical of our feelings； whereas serious
and philosophical writers never employ its images except as the
consequence or the corollary of a vast thought； and the adventures of
Lord Edward are one of the most Europeanly delicate ideas of the whole
work。
Henri； therefore； found himself beneath the domination of that
confused sentiment which is unknown to true love。 There was needful；
in some sort； the persuasive grip of comparisons； and the irresistible
attraction of memories to lead him back to a woman。 True love rules
above all through recollection。 A woman who is not engraven upon the
soul by excess of pleasure or by strength of emotion； how can she ever
be loved？ In Henri's case； Paquita had established herself by both of
these reasons。 But at this moment； seized as he was by the satiety of
his happiness； that delicious melancholy of the body； he could hardly
analyze his heart； even by recalling to his lips the taste of the
liveliest gratifications that he had ever grasped。
He found himself on the Boulevard Montmartre at the break of day；
gazed stupidly at the retreating carriage； produced two cigars from
his pocket； lit one from the lantern of a good woman who sold brandy
and coffee to workmen and street arabs and chestnut vendersto all
the Parisian populace which begins its work before daybreak； then he
went off； smoking his cigar； and putting his hands in his trousers'
pockets with a devil…may…care air which did him small honor。
〃What a good thing a cigar is！ That's one thing a man will never tire
of；〃 he said to himself。
Of the girl with the golden eyes； over whom at that time all the
elegant youth of Paris was mad； he hardly thought。 The idea of death；
expressed in the midst of their pleasure； and the fear of which had
more than once darkened the brow of that beautiful creature； who held
to the houris of Asia by her mother； to Europe by her education； to
the tropics by her birth； seemed to him merely one of those deceptions
by which women seek to make themselves interesting。
〃She is from Havanathe most Spanish region to be found in the New
World。 So she preferred to feign terror rather than cast in my teeth
indisposition or difficulty； coquetry or duty； like a Parisian woman。
By her golden eyes； how glad I shall be to sleep。〃
He saw a hackney coach standing at the corner of Frascati's waiting
for some gambler； he awoke the driver； was driven home； went to bed；
and slept the sleep of the dissipated； which for some queer reasonof
which no rhymer has yet taken advantageis as profound as that of
innocence。 Perhaps it is an instance of the proverbial axiom；
/extremes meet/。
About noon De Marsay awoke and stretched himself； he felt the grip of
that sort of voracious hunger which old soldiers can remember having
experienced on the morrow of victory。 He was delighted； therefore； to
see Paul de Manerville standing in front of him； for at such a time
nothing is more agreeable than to eat in company。
〃Well；〃 his friend remarked； 〃we all imagined that you had been shut
up for the last ten days with the girl of the golden eyes。〃
〃The girl of the golden eyes！ I have forgotten her。 Faith！ I have
other fish to fry！〃
〃Ah！ you are playing at discretion。〃
〃Why not？〃 asked De Marsay； with a laugh。 〃My dear fellow； discretion
is the best form of calculation。 Listenhowever； no！ I will not say a
word。 You never teach me anything； I am not disposed to make you a
gratuitous present of the treasures of my policy。 Life is a river
which is of use for the promotion of commerce。 In the name of all that
is most sacred in lifeof cigars！ I am no professor of social economy
for the instruction of fools。 Let us breakfast！ It costs less to give
you a tunny omelette than to lavish the resources of my brain on you。〃
〃Do you bargain with your friends？〃
〃My dear fellow；〃 said Henri； who rarely denied himself a sarcasm；
〃since all the same； you may some day need； like anybody else； to use
discretion； and since I have much love for youyes； I like you！ Upon
my word； if you only wanted a thousand…franc note to keep you from
blowing your brains out； you would find it here； for we haven't yet
done any business of that sort； eh； Paul？ If you had to fight
to…morrow； I would measure the ground and load the pistols； so that
you might be killed according to rule。 In short； if anybody besides
myself took it into his head to say ill of you in your absence； he
would have to deal with the somewhat nasty gentleman who walks in my
shoesthere's what I call a friendship beyond question。 Well； my good
fellow； if you should ever have need of discretion； understand that
there are two sorts of discretionthe active and the negative。
Negative discretion is that of fools who make use of silence；
negation； an air of refusal； the discretion of locked doorsmere
impotence！ Active discretion proceeds by affirmation。 Suppose at the
club this evening I were to say： 'Upon my word of honor the golden…
eyed was not worth all she cost me！' Everybody would exclaim when I
was gone： 'Did you hear that fop De Marsay； who tried to make us
believe that he has already had the girl of the golden eyes？ It's his
way of trying to disembarrass himself of his rivals： he's no
simpleton。' But such a ruse is vulgar and dangerous。 However gross a
folly one utters； there are always idiots to be found who will believe
it。 The best form of discretion is that of women when they want to
take the change out of their husbands。 It consists in compromising a
woman with whom we are not concerned； or whom we do not love； in order
to save the honor of the one whom we love well enough to respect。 It
is what is called the /woman…screen/。 。 。 。 Ah！ here is Laurent。 What
have you got for us？〃
〃Some Ostend oysters； Monsieur le Comte。〃
〃You will know some day； Paul； how amusing it is to make a fool of the
world by depriving it of the secret of one's affections。 I derive an
immense pleasure in escaping from the stupid jurisdiction of the
crowd； which knows neither what it wants； nor what one wants of it；
which takes the means for the end； and by turns curses and adores；
elevates and destroys！ What a delight to impose emotions on it and
receive none from it； to tame it； never to obey it。 If one may ever be
proud of anything； is it not a self…acquired power； of which one is at
once the cause and effect； the principle and the result？ Well； no man
knows what I love； nor what I wish。 Perhaps what I have loved； or what
I may have wished will be known； as a drama whi
