the girl with the golden eyes-第7节

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wore　his　boots；　gilded　himself　with　his　rays。　When　he　posed　in　Henri's
company　or　walked　at　his　side；　he　had　the　air　of　saying：　〃Don't　insult
us；　we　are　real　dogs。〃　He　often　permitted　himself　to　remark　fatuously：
〃If　I　were　to　ask　Henri　for　such　and　such　a　thing；　he　is　a　good　enough
friend　of　mine　to　do　it。〃　But　he　was　careful　never　to　ask　anything　of
him。　He　feared　him；　and　his　fear；　although　imperceptible；　reacted　upon
the　others；　and　was　of　use　to　De　Marsay。

〃De　Marsay　is　a　man　of　a　thousand；〃　said　Paul。　〃Ah；　you　will　see；　he
will　be　what　he　likes。　I　should　not　be　surprised　to　find　him　one　of
these　days　Minister　of　Foreign　Affairs。　Nothing　can　withstand　him。〃

He　made　of　De　Marsay　what　Corporal　Trim　made　of　his　cap；　a　perpetual
instance。

〃Ask　De　Marsay　and　you　will　see！〃

Or　again：

〃The　other　day　we　were　hunting；　De　Marsay　and　I；　He　would　not　believe
me；　but　I　jumped　a　hedge　without　moving　on　my　horse！〃

Or　again：

〃We　were　with　some　women；　De　Marsay　and　I；　and　upon　my　word　of　honor；
I　was〃　etc。

Thus　Paul　de　Manerville　could　not　be　classed　amongst　the　great；
illustrious；　and　powerful　family　of　fools　who　succeed。　He　would　one
day　be　a　deputy。　For　the　time　he　was　not　even　a　young　man。　His　friend；
De　Marsay；　defined　him　thus：　〃You　ask　me　what　is　Paul？　Paul？　Why；　Paul
de　Manerville！〃

〃I　am　surprised；　my　dear　fellow；〃　he　said　to　De　Marsay；　〃to　see　you
here　on　a　Sunday。〃

〃I　was　going　to　ask　you　the　same　question。〃

〃Is　it　an　intrigue？〃

〃An　intrigue。〃

〃Bah！〃

〃I　can　mention　it　to　you　without　compromising　my　passion。　Besides；　a
woman　who　comes　to　the　Tuileries　on　Sundays　is　of　no　account；
aristocratically　speaking。〃

〃Ah！　ah！〃

〃Hold　your　tongue　then；　or　I　shall　tell　you　nothing。　Your　laugh　is　too
loud；　you　will　make　people　think　that　we　have　lunched　too　well。　Last
Thursday；　here　on　the　Terrasse　des　Feuillants；　I　was　walking　along；
thinking　of　nothing　at　all；　but　when　I　got　to　the　gate　of　the　Rue　de
Castiglione；　by　which　I　intended　to　leave；　I　came　face　to　face　with　a
woman；　or　rather　a　young　girl；　who；　if　she　did　not　throw　herself　at　my
head；　stopped　short；　less　I　think；　from　human　respect；　than　from　one
of　those　movements　of　profound　surprise　which　affect　the　limbs；　creep
down　the　length　of　the　spine；　and　cease　only　in　the　sole　of　the　feet；
to　nail　you　to　the　ground。　I　have　often　produced　effects　of　this
nature；　a　sort　of　animal　magnetism　which　becomes　enormously　powerful
when　the　relations　are　reciprocally　precise。　But；　my　dear　fellow；　this
was　not　stupefaction；　nor　was　she　a　common　girl。　Morally　speaking；　her
face　seemed　to　say：　'What；　is　it　you；　my　ideal！　The　creation　of　my
thoughts；　of　my　morning　and　evening　dreams！　What；　are　you　there？　Why
this　morning？　Why　not　yesterday？　Take　me；　I　am　thine；　/et　cetera/！'
Good；　I　said　to　myself；　another　one！　Then　I　scrutinize　her。　Ah；　my
dear　fellow；　speaking　physically；　my　incognita　is　the　most　adorable
feminine　person　whom　I　ever　met。　She　belongs　to　that　feminine　variety
which　the　Romans　call　/fulva；　flava/the　woman　of　fire。　And　in　chief；
what　struck　me　the　most；　what　I　am　still　taken　with；　are　her　two
yellow　eyes；　like　a　tiger's；　a　golden　yellow　that　gleams；　living　gold；
gold　which　thinks；　gold　which　loves；　and　is　determined　to　take　refuge
in　your　pocket。〃

〃My　dear　fellow；　we　are　full　of　her！〃　cried　Paul。　〃She　comes　here
sometimes/the　girl　with　the　golden　eyes/！　That　is　the　name　we　have
given　her。　She　is　a　young　creaturenot　more　than　twenty…two；　and　I
have　seen　her　here　in　the　time　of　the　Bourbons；　but　with　a　woman　who
was　worth　a　hundred　thousand　of　her。〃

〃Silence；　Paul！　It　is　impossible　for　any　woman　to　surpass　this　girl；
she　is　like　the　cat　who　rubs　herself　against　your　legs；　a　white　girl
with　ash…colored　hair；　delicate　in　appearance；　but　who　must　have　downy
threads　on　the　third　phalanx　of　her　fingers；　and　all　along　her　cheeks
a　white　down　whose　line；　luminous　on　fine　days；　begins　at　her　ears　and
loses　itself　on　her　neck。〃

〃Ah；　the　other；　my　dear　De　Marsay！　She　has　black　eyes　which　have　never
wept；　but　which　burn；　black　eyebrows　which　meet　and　give　her　an　air　of
hardness　contradicted　by　the　compact　curve　of　her　lips；　on　which　the
kisses　do　not　stay；　lips　burning　and　fresh；　a　Moorish　color　that　warms
a　man　like　the　sun。　Butupon　my　word　of　honor；　she　is　like　you！〃

〃You　flatter　her！〃

〃A　firm　figure；　the　tapering　figure　of　a　corvette　built　for　speed；
which　rushes　down　upon　the　merchant　vessel　with　French　impetuosity；
which　grapples　with　her　and　sinks　her　at　the　same　time。〃

〃After　all；　my　dear　fellow；〃　answered　De　Marsay；　〃what　has　that　got　to
do　with　me；　since　I　have　never　seen　her？　Ever　since　I　have　studied
women；　my　incognita　is　the　only　one　whose　virginal　bosom；　whose　ardent
and　voluptuous　forms；　have　realized　for　me　the　only　woman　of　my　dreams
of　my　dreams！　She　is　the　original　of　that　ravishing　picture　called
/La　Femme　Caressant　sa　Chimere/；　the　warmest；　the　most　infernal
inspiration　of　the　genius　of　antiquity；　a　holy　poem　prostituted　by
those　who　have　copied　it　for　frescoes　and　mosiacs；　for　a　heap　of
bourgeois　who　see　in　this　gem　nothing　more　than　a　gew…gaw　and　hang　it
on　their　watch…chainswhereas；　it　is　the　whole　woman；　an　abyss　of
pleasure　into　which　one　plunges　and　finds　no　end；　whereas；　it　is　the
ideal　woman；　to　be　seen　sometimes　in　reality　in　Spain　or　Italy；　almost
never　in　France。　Well；　I　have　again　seen　this　girl　of　the　gold　eyes；
this　woman　caressing　her　chimera。　I　saw　her　on　Friday。　I　had　a
presentiment　that　on　the　following　day　she　would　be　here　at　the　same
hour；　I　was　not　mistaken。　I　have　taken　a　pleasure　in　following　her
without　being　observed；　in　studying　her　indolent　walk；　the　walk　of　the
woman　without　occupation；　but　in　the　movements　of　which　one　devines
all　the　pleasure　that　lies　asleep。　Well；　she　turned　back　again；　she
saw　me；　once　more　she　adored　me；　once　more　trembled；　shivered。　It　was
then　I　noticed　the　genuine　Spanish　duenna　who　looked　after　her；　a
hyena　upon　whom　some　jealous　man　has　put　a　dress；　a　she…devil　well
paid；　no　doubt；　to　guard　this　delicious　creature。　。　。　。　Ah；　then　the
duenna　made　me　deeper　in　love。　I　grew　curious。　On　Saturday；　nobody。
And　here　I　am　to…day　waiting　for　this　girl　whose　chimera　I　am；　asking
nothing　better　than　to　pose　as　the　monster　in　the　fresco。〃

〃There　she　is；〃　said　Paul。　〃Every　one　is　turning　round　to　look　at
her。〃

The　unknown　blushed；　her　eyes　shone；　she　saw　Henri；　she　shut　them　and
passed　by。

〃You　say　that　she　notices　you？〃　cried　Paul；　facetiously。

The　duenna　looked　fixedly　and　attentively　at　the　two　young　men。　When
the　unknown　and　Henri　passed　each　other　again；　the　young　girl　touched
him；　and　with　her　hand　pressed　the　hand　of　the　young　man。　Then　she
turned　her　head　and　smiled　with　passion；　but　the　duenna　led　her　away
very　quickly　to　the　gate　of　the　Rue　de　Castiglione。

The　two　friends　followed　the　young　girl；　admiring　the　magnificent
grace　of　the　neck　which　met　her　head　in　a　harmony　of　vigorous　lines；
and　upon　which　a　few　coils　of　hair　were　tightly　wound。　The　girl　with
the　golden　eyes　had　that　well…knitted；　arched；　slender　foot　which
presents　so　many　attractions　to　the　dainty　imagination。　Moreover；　she
was　shod　with　elegance；　and　wore　a　short　skirt。　During　her　course　she
turned　from　time　to　time　to　look　at　Henri；　and　appeared　to　follow　the
old　woman　regretfully；　seeming　to　be　at　once　her　mistress　and　her
slave；　she　could　break　her　with　blows；　but　could　not　dismiss　her。　All
that　was　perceptible。　The　two　friends　reached　the　gate。　Two　men　in
livery　let　down　the　step　of　a　tasteful　/coupe/　emblazoned　with
armorial　bearings。　The　girl　with　the　golden　eyes　was　the　first　to
enter　it；　took　her　seat　at　the　side　where　she　could　be　best　seen　when
the　carriage　turned；　put　her　hand　on　the　door；　and　waved　her
handkerchief　in　the　duennna's　despite。　In　contempt　of　what　might　be
said　by　the　curious；　her　handkerchief　cried　to　Henri　openly：　〃Follow
me！〃

〃Have　you　ever　seen　a　handkerchief　better　thrown？〃　said　Henri　to　Paul
de　Manerville。

Then；　observing　a　fiacre　on　the　point　of　departure；　having　just　set
down　a　fare；　he　made　a　sign　to　the　driver　to　wait。

〃Follow　that　carriage；　notice　the　house　and　the　street　where　it　stops
you　shall　have　ten　francs。　。　。　。　Paul；　adieu。〃

The　cab　followed　the　/coupe/。　The　/coupe/　stopped　in　the　Rue　Saint
Lazare　before　one　of　the　finest　houses　of　the　neighborhood。

De　Marsay　was　not　impulsive。　Any　other　young　man　would　have　obeyed　his
impulse　to　obtain　at　once　some　information　about　a　girl　who　realized
so　fully　the　most　luminous　ideas　ever　expressed　upon　women　in　the
poetry　of　the　East；　but；　too　experienced　to　compromise　his　good
fortune；　he　had　told　his　coachman　to　continue　along　the　Rue　Saint
Lazare　and　carry　him　back　to　his　house。　The　next　day；　his　confidential
valet；　Laurent　by　name；　as　cunning　a　fellow　as　the　Frontin　of　the　old
comedy；　waited　in　the　vicinity　of　the　house　inhabited　by　the　unknown
for　the　hour　at　which　letters　were　distributed。　In　order　to　be　able　to
spy　at　his　ease　and　hang　about　the　house；　he　had　followed　the　example
of　those　police　officers　who　seek　a　good　disguise；　and　bought　up　cast…
off　clothes　of　an　Auvergn