the girl with the golden eyes-第9节

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before　you？〃

〃How　absurd！〃

〃We　take　so　many　things　from　the　English　just　now　that　we　might　well
become　as　great　prudes　and　hypocrites　as　themselves；〃　said　Henri。

Laurent　had　set　before　his　master　such　a　quantity　of　utensils；　so　many
different　articles　of　such　elegance；　that　Paul　could　not　refrain　from
saying：

〃But　you　will　take　a　couple　of　hours　over　that？〃

〃No！〃　said　Henri；　〃two　hours　and　a　half。〃

〃Well；　then；　since　we　are　by　ourselves；　and　can　say　what　we　like；
explain　to　me　why　a　man　as　superior　as　yourselffor　you　are　superior
should　affect　to　exaggerate　a　foppery　which　cannot　be　natural。　Why
spend　two　hours　and　a　half　in　adorning　yourself；　when　it　is　sufficient
to　spend　a　quarter　of　an　hour　in　your　bath；　to　do　your　hair　in　two
minutes；　and　to　dress！　There；　tell　me　your　system。〃

〃I　must　be　very　fond　of　you；　my　good　dunce；　to　confide　such　high
thoughts　to　you；〃　said　the　young　man；　who　was　at　that　moment　having
his　feet　rubbed　with　a　soft　brush　lathered　with　English　soap。

〃Have　I　not　the　most　devoted　attachment　to　you；〃　replied　Paul　de
Manerville；　〃and　do　I　not　like　you　because　I　know　your
superiority？　。　。　。〃

〃You　must　have　noticed；　if　you　are　in　the　least　capable　of　observing
any　moral　fact；　that　women　love　fops；〃　went　on　De　Marsay；　without
replying　in　any　way　to　Paul's　declaration　except　by　a　look。　〃Do　you
know　why　women　love　fops？　My　friend；　fops　are　the　only　men　who　take
care　of　themselves。　Now；　to　take　excessive　care　of　oneself；　does　it
not　imply　that　one　takes　care　in　oneself　of　what　belongs　to　another？
The　man　who　does　not　belong　to　himself　is　precisely　the　man　on　whom
women　are　keen。　Love　is　essentially　a　thief。　I　say　nothing　about　that
excess　of　niceness　to　which　they　are　so　devoted。　Do　you　know　of　any
woman　who　has　had　a　passion　for　a　sloven；　even　if　he　were　a　remarkable
man？　If　such　a　fact　has　occurred；　we　must　put　it　to　the　account　of
those　morbid　affections　of　the　breeding　woman；　mad　fancies　which　float
through　the　minds　of　everybody。　On　the　other　hand；　I　have　seen　most
remarkable　people　left　in　the　lurch　because　of　their　carelessness。　A
fop；　who　is　concerned　about　his　person；　is　concerned　with　folly；　with
petty　things。　And　what　is　a　woman？　A　petty　thing；　a　bundle　of　follies。
With　two　words　said　to　the　winds；　can　you　not　make　her　busy　for　four
hours？　She　is　sure　that　the　fop　will　be　occupied　with　her；　seeing　that
he　has　no　mind　for　great　things。　She　will　never　be　neglected　for
glory；　ambition；　politics；　artthose　prostitutes　who　for　her　are
rivals。　Then　fops　have　the　courage　to　cover　themselves　with　ridicule
in　order　to　please　a　woman；　and　her　heart　is　full　of　gratitude　towards
the　man　who　is　ridiculous　for　love。　In　fine；　a　fop　can　be　no　fop
unless　he　is　right　in　being　one。　It　is　women　who　bestow　that　rank。　The
fop　is　love's　colonel；　he　has　his　victories；　his　regiment　of　women　at
his　command。　My　dear　fellow；　in　Paris　everything　is　known；　and　a　man
cannot　be　a　fop　there　/gratis/。　You；　who　have　only　one　woman；　and　who；
perhaps；　are　right　to　have　but　one；　try　to　act　the　fop！　。　。　。　You　will
not　even　become　ridiculous；　you　will　be　dead。　You　will　become　a
foregone　conclusion；　one　of　those　men　condemned　inevitably　to　do　one
and　the　same　thing。　You　will　come　to　signify　/folly/　as　inseparably　as
M。　de　La　Fayette　signifies　/America/；　M。　de　Talleyrand；　/diplomacy/；
Desaugiers；　/song/；　M。　de　Segur；　/romance/。　If　they　once　forsake　their
own　line　people　no　longer　attach　any　value　to　what　they　do。　So；
foppery；　my　friend　Paul；　is　the　sign　of　an　incontestable　power　over
the　female　folk。　A　man　who　is　loved　by　many　women　passes　for　having
superior　qualities；　and　then；　poor　fellow；　it　is　a　question　who　shall
have　him！　But　do　you　think　it　is　nothing　to　have　the　right　of　going
into　a　drawing…room；　of　looking　down　at　people　from　over　your　cravat；
or　through　your　eye…glass；　and　of　despising　the　most　superior　of　men
should　he　wear　an　old…fashioned　waistcoat？　。　。　。　Laurent；　you　are
hurting　me！　After　breakfast；　Paul；　we　will　go　to　the　Tuileries　and　see
the　adorable　girl　with　the　golden　eyes。〃

When；　after　making　an　excellent　meal；　the　two　young　men　had　traversed
the　Terrasse　de　Feuillants　and　the　broad　walk　of　the　Tuileries；　they
nowhere　discovered　the　sublime　Paquita　Valdes；　on　whose　account　some
fifty　of　the　most　elegant　young　men　in　Paris　where　to　be　seen；　all
scented；　with　their　high　scarfs；　spurred　and　booted；　riding；　walking；
talking；　laughing；　and　damning　themselves　mightily。

〃It's　a　white　Mass；〃　said　Henri；　〃but　I　have　the　most　excellent　idea
in　the　world。　This　girl　receives　letters　from　London。　The　postman　must
be　bought　or　made　drunk；　a　letter　opened；　read　of　course；　and　a　love…
letter　slipped　in　before　it　is　sealed　up　again。　The　old　tyrant；
/crudel　tirano/；　is　certain　to　know　the　person　who　writes　the　letters
from　London；　and　has　ceased　to　be　suspicious　of　them。〃

The　day　after；　De　Marsay　came　again　to　walk　on　the　Terrasse　des
Feuillants；　and　saw　Paquita　Valdes；　already　passion　had　embellished
her　for　him。　Seriously；　he　was　wild　for　those　eyes；　whose　rays　seemed
akin　to　those　which　the　sun　emits；　and　whose　ardor　set　the　seal　upon
that　of　her　perfect　body；　in　which　all　was　delight。　De　Marsay　was　on
fire　to　brush　the　dress　of　this　enchanting　girl　as　they　passed　one
another　in　their　walk；　but　his　attempts　were　always　vain。　But　at　one
moment；　when　he　had　repassed　Paquita　and　the　duenna；　in　order　to　find
himself　on　the　same　side　as　the　girl　of　the　golden　eyes；　when　he
returned；　Paquita；　no　less　impatient；　came　forward　hurriedly；　and　De
Marsay　felt　his　hand　pressed　by　her　in　a　fashion　at　once　so　swift　and
so　passionately　significant　that　it　was　as　though　he　had　received　the
emotions　surged　up　in　his　heart。　When　the　two　lovers　glanced　at　one
another；　Paquita　seemed　ashamed；　she　dropped　her　eyes　lest　she　should
meet　the　eyes　of　Henri；　but　her　gaze　sank　lower　to　fasten　on　the　feet
and　form　of　him　whom　women；　before　the　Revolution；　called　/their
conqueror/。

〃I　am　determined　to　make　this　girl　my　mistress；〃　said　Henri　to
himself。

As　he　followed　her　along　the　terrace；　in　the　direction　of　the　Place
Louis　XV。；　he　caught　sight　of　the　aged　Marquis　de　San…Real；　who　was
walking　on　the　arm　of　his　valet；　stepping　with　all　the　precautions　due
to　gout　and　decrepitude。　Dona　Concha；　who　distrusted　Henri；　made
Paquita　pass　between　herself　and　the　old　man。

〃Oh；　for　you；〃　said　De　Marsay　to　himself；　casting　a　glance　of　disdain
upon　the　duenna；　〃if　one　cannot　make　you　capitulate；　with　a　little
opium　one　can　make　you　sleep。　We　know　mythology　and　the　fable　of
Argus。〃

Before　entering　the　carriage；　the　golden…eyed　girl　exchanged　certain
glances　with　her　lover；　of　which　the　meaning　was　unmistakable　and
which　enchanted　Henri；　but　one　of　them　was　surprised　by　the　duenna；
she　said　a　few　rapid　words　to　Paquita；　who　threw　herself　into　the
/coupe/　with　an　air　of　desperation。　For　some　days　Paquita　did　not
appear　in　the　Tuileries。　Laurent；　who　by　his　master's　orders　was　on
watch　by　the　hotel；　learned　from　the　neighbors　that　neither　the　two
women　nor　the　aged　marquis　had　been　abroad　since　the　day　upon　which
the　duenna　had　surprised　a　glance　between　the　young　girl　in　her　charge
and　Henri。　The　bond；　so　flimsy　withal；　which　united　the　two　lovers　was
already　severed。

Some　days　later；　none　knew　by　what　means；　De　Marsay　had　attained　his
end；　he　had　a　seal　and　wax；　exactly　resembling　the　seal　and　wax
affixed　to　the　letters　sent　to　Mademoiselle　Valdes　from　London；　paper
similar　to　that　which　her　correspondent　used；　moreover；　all　the
implements　and　stamps　necessary　to　affix　the　French　and　English
postmarks。

He　wrote　the　following　letter；　to　which　he　gave　all　the　appearances　of
a　letter　sent　from　London：

　　〃MY　DEAR　PAQUITA；I　shall　not　try　to　paint　to　you　in　words　the
　　passion　with　which　you　have　inspired　me。　If；　to　my　happiness；　you
　　reciprocate　it；　understand　that　I　have　found　a　means　of
　　corresponding　with　you。　My　name　is　Adolphe　de　Gouges；　and　I　live
　　at　No。　54　Rue　de　l'Universite。　If　you　are　too　closely　watched　to
　　be　able　to　write　to　me；　if　you　have　neither　pen　nor　paper；　I　shall
　　understand　it　by　your　silence。　If　then；　to…morrow；　you　have　not；
　　between　eight　o'clock　in　the　morning　and　ten　o'clock　in　the
　　evening；　thrown　a　letter　over　the　wall　of　your　garden　into　that　of
　　the　Baron　de　Nucingen；　where　it　will　be　waited　for　during　the
　　whole　of　the　day；　a　man；　who　is　entirely　devoted　to　me；　will　let
　　down　two　flasks　by　a　string　over　your　wall　at　ten　o'clock　the　next
　　morning。　Be　walking　there　at　that　hour。　One　of　the　two　flasks　will
　　contain　opium　to　send　your　Argus　to　sleep；　it　will　be　sufficient
　　to　employ　six　drops；　the　other　will　contain　ink。　The　flask　of　ink
　　is　of　cut　glass；　the　other　is　plain。　Both　are　of　such　a　size　as
　　can　easily　be　concealed　within　your　bosom。　All　that　I　have　already
　　done；　in　order　to　be　able　to　correspond　with　you；　should　tell　you
　　how　greatly　I　love　you。　Should　you　have　any　doubt　of　it；　I　will
　　confess　to　you；　that　to　obtain　an　interview　of　one　hour　with　you　I
　　would　give　my　life。〃

〃At　least　they　believe　that；　poor　creatures！〃　said　De　Marsay；　〃but
they　are　right。