penguin island-第41节

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s；　and　from　which　it　will　send　no　clouds　of　poisonous　dust　into　human　lungs。　We　ought　not　to　allow　slower　vehicles　or　mere　animals　to　go　upon　those　roads；　and　we　should　establish　garages　upon　them　and　foot…bridges　over　them；　and　so　create　order　and　harmony　among　the　means　of　communication　of　the　future。　That　is　the　wish　of　every　good　citizen。〃

Madame　Clarence　led　the　conversation　back　to　the　improvements　in　M。　Ceres'　constituency。　M。　Ceres　showed　his　enthusiasm　for　demolitions；　tunnelings；　constructions；　reconstructions；　and　all　other　fruitful　operations。

〃We　build　to…day　in　an　admirable　style；〃　said　he；　〃everywhere　majestic　avenues　are　being　reared。　Was　ever　anything　as　fine　as　our　arcaded　bridges　and　our　domed　hotels！〃

〃You　are　forgetting　that　big　palace　surmounted　an　immense　melon…shaped　dome；〃　grumbled　by　M。　Daniset；　an　old　art　amateur；　in　a　voice　of　restrained　rage。　〃I　am　amazed　at　the　degree　of　ugliness　which　a　modern　city　can　attain。　Alca　is　becoming　Americanised。　Everywhere　we　are　destroying　all　that　is　free；　unexpected；　measured；　restrained；　human；　or　traditional　among　the　things　that　are　left　us。　Everywhere　we　are　destroying　that　charming　object；　a　piece　of　an　old　wall　that　bears　up　the　branches　of　a　tree。　Everywhere　we　are　suppressing　some　fragment　of　light　and　air；　some　fragment　of　nature；　some　fragment　of　the　associations　that　still　remain　with　us；　some　fragment　of　our　fathers；　some　fragment　of　ourselves。　And　we　are　putting　up　frightful；　enormous；　infamous　houses；　surmounted　in　Viennese　style　by　ridiculous　domes；　or　fashioned　after　the　models　of　the　'new　art'　without　mouldings；　or　having　profiles　with　sinister　corbels　and　burlesque　pinnacles；　and　such　monsters　as　these　shamelessly　peer　over　the　surrounding　buildings。　We　see　bulbous　protuberances　stuck　on　the　fronts　of　buildings　and　we　are　told　they　are　'new　art'　motives。　I　have　seen　the　'new　art'　in　other　countries；　but　it　is　not　so　ugly　as　with　us；　it　has　fancy　and　it　has　simplicity。　It　is　only　in　our　own　country　that　by　a　sad　privilege　we　may　behold　the　newest　and　most　diverse　styles　of　architectural　ugliness。　Not　an　enviable　privilege！〃

〃Are　you　not　afraid；〃　asked　M。　Ceres　severely；　〃are　you　not　afraid　that　these　bitter　criticisms　tend　to　keep　out　of　our　capital　the　foreigners　who　flow　into　it　from　all　arts　of　the　world　and　who　leave　millions　behind　them？〃

〃You　may　set　your　mind　at　rest　about　that；〃　answered　M。　Daniset。　〃Foreigners　do　not　come　to　admire　our　buildings；　they　come　to　see　our　courtesans；　our　dressmakers；　and　our　dancing　saloons。〃

〃We　have　one　bad　habit；〃　sighed　M。　Ceres；　〃it　is　that　we　calumniate　ourselves。〃

Madame　Clarence　as　an　accomplished　hostess　thought　it　was　time　to　return　to　the　subject　of　love　and　asked　M。　Jumel　his　opinion　of　M。　Leon　Blum's　recent　book　in　which　the　author　complained。　。　。　。

〃。　。　。　That　an　irrational　custom；〃　went　on　Professor　Haddock；　〃prevents　respectable　young　ladies　from　making　love；　a　thing　they　would　enjoy　doing；　whilst　mercenary　girls　do　it　too　much　and　without　getting　any　enjoyment　out　of　it。　It　is　indeed　deplorable。　But　M。　Leon　Blum　need　not　fret　too　much。　If　the　evil　exists；　as　he　says　it　does；　in　our　middle…class　society；　I　can　assure　him　that　everywhere　else　he　would　see　a　consoling　spectacle。　Among　the　people；　the　mass　of　the　people　through　town　and　country；　girls　do　not　deny　themselves　that　pleasure。〃

〃It　is　depravity！〃　said　Madame　Cremeur。

And　she　praised　the　innocence　of　young　girls　in　terms　full　of　modesty　and　grace。　It　was　charming　to　hear　her。

Professor　Haddock's　views　on　the　same　subject　were；　on　the　contrary；　painful　to　listen　to。

〃Respectable　young　girls；〃　said　he；　〃are　guarded　and　watched　over。　Besides；　men　do　not；　as　a　rule；　pursue　them　much；　either　through　probity；　or　from　a　fear　of　grave　responsibilities；　or　because　the　seduction　of　a　young　girl　would　not　be　to　their　credit。　Even　then　we　do　not　know　what　really　takes　place；　for　the　reason　that　what　is　hidden　is　not　seen。　This　is　a　condition　necessary　to　the　existence　of　all　society。　The　scruples　of　respectable　young　girls　could　be　more　easily　overcome　than　those　of　married　women　if　the　same　pressure　were　brought　to　bear　on　them；　and　for　this　there　are　two　reasons：　they　have　more　illusions；　and　their　curiosity　has　not　been　satisfied。　Women；　for　the　most　part；　have　been　so　disappointed　by　their　husbands　that　they　have　not　courage　enough　to　begin　again　with　somebody　else。　I　myself　have　been　met　by　this　obstacle　several　times　in　my　attempts　at　seduction。〃

At　the　moment　when　Professor　Haddock　ended　his　unpleasant　remarks；　Mademoiselle　Eveline　Clarence　entered　the　drawing…room　and　listlessly　handed　about　tea　with　that　expression　of　boredom　which　gave　an　oriental　charm　to　her　beauty。

〃For　my　part；〃　said　Hippolyte　Ceres；　looking　at　her；　〃I　declare　myself　the　young　ladies'　champion。〃

〃He　must　be　a　fool；〃　thought　the　girl。

Hippolyte　Ceres；　who　had　never　set　foot　outside　of　his　political　world　of　electors　and　elected；　thought　Madame　Clarence's　drawing…room　most　select；　its　mistress　exquisite；　and　her　daughter　amazingly　beautiful。　His　visits　became　frequent　and　he　paid　court　to　both　of　them。　Madame　Clarence；　who　now　liked　attention；　thought　him　agreeable。　Eveline　showed　no　friendliness　towards　him；　and　treated　him　with　a　hauteur　and　disdain　that　he　took　for　aristocratic　behaviour　and　fashionable　manners；　and　he　thought　all　the　more　of　her　on　that　account。　This　busy　man　taxed　his　ingenuity　to　please　them；　and　he　sometimes　succeeded。　He　got　them　cards　for　fashionable　functions　and　boxes　at　the　Opera。　He　furnished　Mademoiselle　Clarence　with　several　opportunities　of　appearing　to　great　advantage　and　in　particular　at　a　garden　party　which；　although　given　by　a　Minister；　was　regarded　as　really　fashionable；　and　gained　its　first　success　in　society　circles　for　the　Republic。

At　that　party　Eveline　had　been　much　noticed　and　had　attracted　the　special　attention　of　a　young　diplomat　called　Roger　Lambilly　who；　imagining　that　she　belonged　to　a　rather　fast　set；　invited　her　to　his　bachelor's　flat。　She　thought　him　handsome　and　believed　him　rich；　and　she　accepted。　A　little　moved；　almost　disquieted；　she　very　nearly　became　the　victim　of　her　daring；　and　only　avoided　defeat　by　an　offensive　measure　audaciously　carried　out。　This　was　the　most　foolish　escapade　in　her　unmarried　life。

Being　now　on　friendly　terms　with　Ministers　and　with　the　President；　Eveline　continued　to　wear　her　aristocratic　and　pious　affectations；　and　these　won　for　her　the　sympathy　of　the　chief　personages　in　the　anti…clerical　and　democratic　Republic。　M。　Hippolyte　Ceres；　seeing　that　she　was　succeeding　and　doing　him　credit；　liked　her　still　more。　He　even　went　so　far　as　to　fall　madly　in　love　with　her。

Henceforth；　in　spite　of　everything；　she　began　to　observe　him　with　interest；　being　curious　to　see　if　his　passion　would　increase。　He　appeared　to　her　without　elegance　or　grace；　and　not　well　bred；　but　active；　clear…sighted；　full　of　resource；　and　not　too　great　a　bore。　She　still　made　fun　of　him；　but　he　had　now　won　her　interest。

One　day　she　wished　to　test　him。　It　was　during　the　elections；　when　members　of　Parliament　were；　as　the　phrase　runs；　requesting　a　renewal　of　their　mandates。　He　had　an　opponent；　who；　though　not　dangerous　at　first　and　not　much　of　an　orator；　was　rich　and　was　reported　to　be　gaining　votes　every　day。　Hippolyte　Ceres；　banishing　both　dull　security　and　foolish　alarm　from　his　mind；　redoubled　his　care。　His　chief　method　of　action　was　by　public　meetings　at　which　he　spoke　vehemently　against　the　rival　candidate。　His　committee　held　huge　meetings　on　Saturday　evenings　and　at　three　o'clock　on　Sunday　afternoons。　One　Sunday；　as　he　called　on　the　Clarences；　he　found　Eveline　alone　in　the　drawing…room。　He　had　been　chatting　for　about　twenty　or　twenty…five　minutes；　when；　taking　out　his　watch；　he　saw　that　it　was　a　quarter　to　three。　The　young　girl　showed　herself　amiable；　engaging；　attractive；　and　full　of　promises。　Ceres　was　fascinated；　but　he　stood　up　to　go。

〃Stay　a　little　longer；〃　said　she　in　a　pressing　and　agreeable　voice　which　made　him　promptly　sit　down　again。

She　was　full　of　interest；　of　abandon；　curiosity；　and　weakness。　He　blushed；　turned　pale；　and　again　got　up。

Then；　in　order　to　keep　him　still　longer；　she　looked　at　him　out　of　two　grey　and　melting　eyes；　and　though　her　bosom　was　heaving；　she　did　not　say　another　word。　He　fell　at　her　feet　in　distraction；；　but　once　more　looking　at　his　watch；　he　jumped　up　with　a　terrible　oath。

〃D！　a　quarter　to　four！　I　must　be　off。〃

And　immediately　he　rushed　down　the　stairs。

From　that　time　onwards　she　had　a　certain　amount　of　esteem　for　him。



IV。　A　POLITICIAN'S　MARRIAGE

She　was　not　quite　in　love　with　him；　but　she　wished　him　to　be　in　love　with　her。　She　was；　moreover；　very　reserved　with　him；　and　that　not　solely　from　any　want　of　inclination　to　be　otherwise；　since　in　affairs　of　love　some　things　are　due　to　indifference；　to　inattention；　to　woman's　instinct；　to　traditional　custom　and　feeling；　to　a　desire　to　try　one's　power；　and　to　satisfaction　at　seeing　its　results。　The　reason　of　her　prudence　was　that　she　knew　him　to　be　very　much　infatuated　and　capable　of　taking　advantage　of　any　familiarities　she　allowed　as　well　as　of　reproaching　her　coarsely　after