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第23节

a daughter of eve-第23节

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bowing to you right across the house。〃



〃Look;〃 said Mme。 du Tillet to her sister; 〃they told us wrong。 See

how my husband fawns on M。 Nathan; and it is he who they declared was

trying to get him put in prison!〃



〃And men call us slanderers!〃 cried the Countess。 〃I will give him a

warning。〃



She rose; took the arm of Vandenesse; who was waiting in the passage;

and returned jubilant to her box; by and by she left the Opera and

ordered her carriage for the next morning before eight o'clock。



The next morning; by half…past eight; Marie had driven to the quai

Conti; stopping at the hotel du Mail on her way。 The carriage could

not enter the narrow rue de Nevers; but as Schmucke lived in a house

at the corner of the quai she was not obliged to walk up its muddy

pavement; but could jump from the step of her carriage to the broken

step of the dismal old house; mended like porter's crockery; with iron

rivets; and bulging out over the street in a way that was quite

alarming to pedestrians。 The old chapel…master lived on the fourth

floor; and enjoyed a fine view of the Seine from the pont Neuf to the

heights of Chaillot。



The good soul was so surprised when the countess's footman announced

the visit of his former scholar that in his stupefaction he let her

enter without going down to receive her。 Never did the countess

suspect or imagine such an existence as that which suddenly revealed

itself to her eyes; though she had long known Schmucke's contempt for

dress; and the little interest he held in the affairs of this world。

But who could have believed in such complete indifference; in the

utter laisser…aller of such a life? Schmucke was a musical Diogenes;

and he felt no shame whatever in his untidiness; in fact; he was so

accustomed to it that he would probably have denied its existence。 The

incessant smoking of a stout German pipe had spread upon the ceiling

and over a wretched wall…paper; scratched and defaced by the cat; a

yellowish tinge。 The cat; a magnificently long…furred; fluffy animal;

the envy of all portresses; presided there like the mistress of the

house; grave and sedate; and without anxieties。 On the top of an

excellent Viennese piano he sat majestically; and cast upon the

countess; as she entered; that coldly gracious look which a woman;

surprised by the beauty of another woman; might have given。 He did not

move; and merely waved the two silver threads of his right whisker as

he turned his golden eyes on Schmucke。



The piano; decrepit on its legs; though made of good wood painted

black and gilded; was dirty; defaced; and scratched; and its keys;

worn like the teeth of old horses; were yellowed with the fuliginous

colors of the pipe。 On the desk; a little heap of ashes showed that

the night before Schmucke had bestrode the old instrument to some

musical Walhalla。 The floor; covered with dried mud; torn papers;

tobacco…dust; fragments indescribable; was like that of a boy's

school…room; unswept for a week; on which a mound of things

accumulate; half rags; half filth。



A more practised eye than that of the countess would have seen certain

other revelations of Schmucke's mode of life;chestnut…peels; apple…

parings; egg…shells dyed red in broken dishes smeared with sauer…

kraut。 This German detritus formed a carpet of dusty filth which

crackled under foot; joining company near the hearth with a mass of

cinders and ashes descending majestically from the fireplace; where

lay a block of coal; before which two slender twigs made a show of

burning。 On the chimney…piece was a mirror in a painted frame; adorned

with figures dancing a saraband; on one side hung the glorious pipe;

on the other was a Chinese jar in which the musician kept his tobacco。

Two arm…chairs bought at auction; a thin and rickety cot; a worm…eaten

bureau without a top; a maimed table on which lay the remains of a

frugal breakfast; made up a set of household belongings as plain as

those of an Indian wigwam。 A shaving…glass; suspended to the fastening

of a curtainless window; and surmounted by a rag striped by many

wipings of a razor; indicated the only sacrifices paid by Schmucke to

the Graces and society。 The cat; being the feebler and protected

partner; had rather the best of the establishment; he enjoyed the

comforts of an old sofa…cushion; near which could be seen a white

china cup and plate。 But what no pen can describe was the state into

which Schmucke; the cat; and the pipe; that existing trinity; had

reduced these articles。 The pipe had burned the table。 The cat and

Schmucke's head had greased the green Utrecht velvet of the two arm…

chairs and reduced it to a slimy texture。 If it had not been for the

cat's magnificent tail; which played a useful part in the household;

the uncovered places on the bureau and the piano would never have been

dusted。 In one corner of the room were a pile of shoes which need an

epic to describe them。 The top of the bureau and that of the piano

were encumbered by music…books with ragged backs and whitened corners;

through which the pasteboard showed its many layers。 Along the walls

the names and addresses of pupils written on scraps of paper were

stuck on by wafers;the number of wafers without paper indicating the

number of pupils no longer taught。 On the wall…papers were many

calculations written with chalk。 The bureau was decorated with beer…

mugs used the night before; their newness appearing very brilliant in

the midst of this rubbish of dirt and age。 Hygiene was represented by

a jug of water with a towel laid upon it; and a bit of common soap。

Two ancient hats hung to their respective nails; near which also hung

the self…same blue box…coat with three capes; in which the countess

had always seen Schmucke when he came to give his lessons。 On the

window…sill were three pots of flowers; German flowers; no doubt; and

near them a stout holly…wood stick。



Though Marie's sight and smell were disagreeably affected; Schmucke's

smile and glance disguised these abject miseries by rays of celestial

light which actually illuminated their smoky tones and vivified the

chaos。 The soul of this dear man; which saw and revealed so many

things divine; shone like the sun。 His laugh; so frank; so guileless

at seeing one of his Saint…Cecilias; shed sparkles of youth and gaiety

and innocence about him。 The treasures he poured from the inner to the

outer were like a mantle with which he covered his squalid life。 The

most supercilious parvenu would have felt it ignoble to care for the

frame in which this glorious old apostle of the musical religion lived

and moved and had his being。



〃Hey! by what good luck do I see you here; dear Madame la comtesse?〃

he said。 〃Must I sing the canticle of Simeon at my age?〃 (This idea so

tickled him that he laughed immoderately。) 〃Truly I'm 'en bonne

fortune。'〃 (And again he laughed like a merry child。) 〃But; ah!〃 he

said; changing to melancholy; 〃you come for the music; and not for a

poor old man like me。 Yes; I know that; but come for what you will; I

am yours; you know; body and soul and all I have!〃



This was said in his unspeakable German accent; a rendition of which

we spare the reader。



He took the countess's hand; kissed it and left a tear there; for the

worthy soul was always on the morrow of her benefit。 Then he seized a

bit of chalk; jumped on a chair in front of the piano; and wrote upon

the wall in big letters; with the rapidity of a young man; 〃February

17th; 1835。〃 This pretty; artless action; done in such a passion of

gratitude; touched the countess to tears。



〃My sister will come too;〃 she said。



〃The other; too! When? when? God grant it be before I die!〃



〃She will come to thank you for a great service I am now here to ask

of you。〃



〃Quick! quick! tell me what it is;〃 cried Schmucke。 〃What must I do?

go to the devil?〃



〃Nothing more than write the words 'Accepted for ten thousand francs;'

and sign your name on each of these papers;〃 she said; taking from her

muff four notes prepared for her by Nathan。



〃Hey! that's soon done;〃 replied the German; with the docility of a

lamb; 〃only I'm sure I don't know where my pens and ink are Get away

from there; Meinherr Mirr!〃 he cried to the cat; which looked

composedly at him。 〃That's my cat;〃 he said; showing him to the

countess。 〃That's the poor animal that lives with poor Schmucke。

Hasn't he fine fur?〃



〃Yes;〃 said the countess。



〃Will you have him?〃 he cried。



〃How can you think of such a thing?〃 she answered。 〃Why; he's your

friend!〃



The cat; who hid the inkstand behind him; divined that Schmucke wanted

it; and jumped to the bed。



〃He's as mischievous as a monkey;〃 said Schmucke。 〃I call him Mirr in

honor of our great Hoffman of Berlin; whom I knew well。〃



The good man signed the papers with the innocence of a child who does

what his mother orders without question; so sure is he that 

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