some reminiscences-第29节
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seamanship I had an opportunity of observing was the boarding of
ships at sea； at all times； in all states of the weather。 They
gave it to me to the full。 And I have been invited to sit in
more than one tall； dark house of the old town at their
hospitable board； had the bouillabaisse ladled out into a thick
plate by their high…voiced； broad…browed wives； talked to their
daughtersthick…set girls； with pure profiles； glorious masses
of black hair arranged with complicated art； dark eyes； and
dazzlingly white teeth。
I had also other acquaintances of quite a different sort。 One of
them； Madame Delestang； an imperious； handsome lady in a
statuesque style； would carry me off now and then on the front
seat of her carriage to the Prado； at the hour of fashionable
airing。 She belonged to one of the old aristocratic families in
the south。 In her haughty weariness she used to make me think of
Lady Dedlock in Dickens's 〃Bleak House；〃 a work of the master for
which I have such an admiration； or rather such an intense and
unreasoning affection； dating from the days of my childhood； that
its very weaknesses are more precious to me than the strength of
other men's work。 I have read it innumerable times； both in
Polish and in English； I have read it only the other day； and； by
a not very surprising inversion； the Lady Dedlock of the book
reminded me strongly of the belle Madame Delestang。
Her husband （as I sat facing them both）； with his thin bony nose；
and a perfectly bloodless； narrow physiognomy clamped together as
it were by short formal side…whiskers； had nothing of Sir
Leicester Dedlock's 〃grand air〃 and courtly solemnity。 He
belonged to the haute bourgeoisie only； and was a banker； with
whom a modest credit had been opened for my needs。 He was such an
ardentno； such a frozen…up； mummified Royalist that he used in
current conversation turns of speech contemporary； I should say；
with the good Henri Quatre； and when talking of money matters
reckoned not in francs； like the common； godless herd of post…
Revolutionary Frenchmen； but in obsolete and forgotten ecusecus
of all money units in the world！as though Louis Quatorze were
still promenading in royal splendour the gardens of Versailles；
and Monsieur de Colbert busy with the direction of maritime
affairs。 You must admit that in a banker of the nineteenth
century it was a quaint idiosyncrasy。 Luckily in the counting…
house （it occupied part of the ground floor of the Delestang town
residence； in a silent； shady street） the accounts were kept in
modern money； so that I never had any difficulty in making my
wants known to the grave； low…voiced； decorous； Legitimist （I
suppose） clerks； sitting in the perpetual gloom of heavily barred
windows behind the sombre； ancient counters； beneath lofty
ceilings with heavily moulded cornices。 I always felt on going
out as though I had been in the temple of some very dignified but
completely temporal religion。 And it was generally on these
occasions that under the great carriage gateway Lady Ded I mean
Madame Delestang； catching sight of my raised hat； would beckon
me with an amiable imperiousness to the side of the carriage； and
suggest with an air of amused nonchalance； 〃Venez donc faire un
tour avec nous；〃 to which the husband would add an encouraging
〃C'est ca。 Allons； montez； jeune homme。〃 He questioned me
sometimes； significantly but with perfect tact and delicacy； as
to the way I employed my time； and never failed to express the
hope that I wrote regularly to my 〃honoured uncle。〃 I made no
secret of the way I employed my time； and I rather fancy that my
artless tales of the pilots and so on entertained Madame
Delestang； so far as that ineffable woman could be entertained by
the prattle of a youngster very full of his new experience
amongst strange men and strange sensations。 She expressed no
opinions； and talked to me very little； yet her portrait hangs in
the gallery of my intimate memories； fixed there by a short and
fleeting episode。 One day； after putting me down at the corner
of a street； she offered me her hand； and detained me by a slight
pressure； for a moment。 While the husband sat motionless and
looking straight before him； she leaned forward in the carriage
to say； with just a shade of warning in her leisurely tone： 〃Il
faut； cependant； faire attention a ne pas gater sa vie。〃 I had
never seen her face so close to mine before。 She made my heart
beat； and caused me to remain thoughtful for a whole evening。
Certainly one must； after all； take care not to spoil one's life。
But she did not knownobody could knowhow impossible that
danger seemed to me。
Chapter VII。
Can the transports of first love be calmed； checked； turned to a
cold suspicion of the future by a grave quotation from a work on
Political Economy？ I askis it conceivable？ Is it possible？
Would it be right？ With my feet on the very shores of the sea
and about to embrace my blue…eyed dream； what could a good…
natured warning as to spoiling one's life mean to my youthful
passion？ It was the most unexpected and the last too of the many
warnings I had received。 It sounded to me very bizarreand；
uttered as it was in the very presence of my enchantress； like
the voice of folly； the voice of ignorance。 But I was not so
callous or so stupid as not to recognise there also the voice of
kindness。 And then the vagueness of the warningbecause what
can be the meaning of the phrase： to spoil one's life？arrested
one's attention by its air of wise profundity。 At any rate； as I
have said before； the words of la belle Madame Delestang made me
thoughtful for a whole evening。 I tried to understand and tried
in vain； not having any notion of life as an enterprise that
could be mismanaged。 But I left off being thoughtful shortly
before midnight； at which hour； haunted by no ghosts of the past
and by no visions of the future； I walked down the quay of the
Vieux Port to join the pilot…boat of my friends。 I knew where
she would be waiting for her crew； in the little bit of a canal
behind the Fort at the entrance of the harbour。 The deserted
quays looked very white and dry in the moonlight and as if frost…
bound in the sharp air of that December night。 A prowler or two
slunk by noiselessly； a custom…house guard； soldier…like； a sword
by his side； paced close under the bowsprits of the long row of
ships moored bows on opposite the long； slightly curved；
continuous flat wall of the tall houses that seemed to be one
immense abandoned building with innumerable windows shuttered
closely。 Only here and there a small dingy cafe for sailors cast
a yellow gleam on the bluish sheen of the flagstones。 Passing
by； one heard a deep murmur of voices insidenothing more。 How
quiet everything was at the end of the quays on the last night on
which I went out for a service cruise as a guest of the
Marseilles pilots！ Not a footstep； except my own； not a sigh；
not a whispering echo of the usual revelry going on in the narrow
unspeakable lanes of the Old Town reached my earand suddenly；
with a terrific jingling rattle of iron and glass； the omnibus of
the Jolliette on its last journey swung round the corner of the
dead wall which faces across the paved road the characteristic
angular mass of the Fort St。 Jean。 Three horses trotted abreast
with the clatter of hoofs on the granite setts； and the yellow；
uproarious machine jolted violently behind them； fantastic；
lighted up； perfectly empty and with the driver apparently asleep
on his swaying perch above that amazing racket。 I flattened
myself against the wall and gasped。 It was a stunning
experience。 Then after staggering on a few paces in the shadow
of the Fort casting a darkness more intense than that of a
clouded night upon the canal； I saw the tiny light of a lantern
standing on the quay； and became aware of muffled figures making
towards it from various directions。 Pilots of the Third Company
hastening to embark。 Too sleepy to be talkative they step on
board in silence。 But a few low grunts and an enormous yawn are
heard。 Somebody even ejaculates： 〃Ah！ Coquin de sort！〃 and
sighs wearily at his hard fate。
The patron of the Third Company （there were five companies of
pilots at that time； I believe） is the brother…in…law of my
friend Solary （Baptistin）； a broad…shouldered；
