the purse-第2节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



she　suffered；　at　the　cost　of　her　heart　and　her　sweet　illusions；

the　disenchantment　which　falls　on　us　so　slowly　and　yet　so

quicklyfor　we　try　to　postpone　as　long　as　possible　our　belief　in

evil；　and　it　seems　to　come　too　soonthat　day　was　a　whole　age　of

reflection；　and　it　was　also　a　day　of　religious　thought　and

resignation。　She　refused　the　alms　of　the　man　who　had　betrayed

her；　renounced　the　world；　and　made　a　glory　of　her　shame。　She　gave

herself　up　entirely　to　her　motherly　love；　seeking　in　it　all　her

joys　in　exchange　for　the　social　pleasures　to　which　she　bid

farewell。　She　lived　by　work；　saving　up　a　treasure　for　her　son。

And；　in　after　years；　a　day；　an　hour　repaid　her　amply　for　the　long

and　weary　sacrifices　of　her　indigence。　



At　the　last　exhibition　her　son　had　received　the　Cross　of　the

Legion　of　Honor。　The　newspapers；　unanimous　in　hailing　an　unknown

genius；　still　rang　with　sincere　praises。　Artists　themselves

acknowledged　Schinner　as　a　master；　and　dealers　covered　his

canvases　with　gold　pieces。　At　five…and…twenty　Hippolyte　Schinner；

to　whom　his　mother　had　transmitted　her　woman's　soul；　understood

more　clearly　than　ever　his　position　in　the　world。　Anxious　to

restore　to　his　mother　the　pleasures　of　which　society　had　so　long

robbed　her；　he　lived　for　her；　hoping　by　the　aid　of　fame　and

fortune　to　see　her　one　day　happy；　rich；　respected；　and　surrounded

by　men　of　mark。　Schinner　had　therefore　chosen　his　friends　among

the　most　honorable　and　distinguished　men。　Fastidious　in　the

selection　of　his　intimates；　he　desired　to　raise　still　further　a

position　which　his　talent　had　placed　high。　The　work　to　which　he

had　devoted　himself　from　boyhood；　by　compelling　him　to　dwell　in

solitudethe　mother　of　great　thoughtshad　left　him　the

beautiful　beliefs　which　grace　the　early　days　of　life。　His

adolescent　soul　was　not　closed　to　any　of　the　thousand　bashful

emotions　by　which　a　young　man　is　a　being　apart；　whose　heart

abounds　in　joys；　in　poetry；　in　virginal　hopes；　puerile　in　the

eyes　of　men　of　the　world；　but　deep　because　they　are　single…

hearted。



He　was　endowed　with　the　gentle　and　polite　manners　which　speak　to

the　soul；　and　fascinate　even　those　who　do　not　understand　them。　He

was　well　made。　His　voice；　coming　from　his　heart；　stirred　that　of

others　to　noble　sentiments；　and　bore　witness　to　his　true　modesty

by　a　certain　ingenuousness　of　tone。　Those　who　saw　him　felt　drawn

to　him　by　that　attraction　of　the　moral　nature　which　men　of

science　are　happily　unable　to　analyze；　they　would　detect　in　it

some　phenomenon　of　galvanism；　or　the　current　of　I　know　not　what

fluid；　and　express　our　sentiments　in　a　formula　of　ratios　of

oxygen　and　electricity。



These　details　will　perhaps　explain　to　strong…minded　persons　and

to　men　of　fashion　why；　in　the　absence　of　the　porter　whom　he　had

sent　to　the　end　of　the　Rue　de　la　Madeleine　to　call　him　a　coach；

Hippolyte　Schinner　did　not　ask　the　man's　wife　any　questions

concerning　the　two　women　whose　kindness　of　heart　had　shown　itself

in　his　behalf。　But　though　he　replied　Yes　or　No　to　the　inquiries；

natural　under　the　circumstances；　which　the　good　woman　made　as　to

his　accident；　and　the　friendly　intervention　of　the　tenants

occupying　the　fourth　floor；　he　could　not　hinder　her　from

following　the　instinct　of　her　kind；　she　mentioned　the　two

strangers；　speaking　of　them　as　prompted　by　the　interests　of　her

policy　and　the　subterranean　opinions　of　the　porter's　lodge。



〃Ah；〃　said　she；　〃they　were；　no　doubt；　Mademoiselle　Leseigneur　and

her　mother；　who　have　lived　here　these　four　years。　We　do　not　know

exactly　what　these　ladies　do；　in　the　morning；　only　till　the　hour

of　noon；　an　old　woman　who　is　half　deaf；　and　who　never　speaks　any

more　than　a　wall；　comes　in　to　help　them；　in　the　evening；　two　or

three　old　gentlemen；　with　loops　of　ribbon；　like　you；　monsieur；

come　to　see　them；　and　often　stay　very　late。　One　of　them　comes　in

a　carriage　with　servants；　and　is　said　to　have　sixty　thousand

francs　a　year。　However；　they　are　very　quiet　tenants；　as　you　are；

monsieur；　and　economical！　they　live　on　nothing；　and　as　soon　as　a

letter　is　brought　they　pay　for　it。　It　is　a　queer　thing；　monsieur；

the　mother's　name　is　not　the　same　as　the　daughter's。　Ah；　but　when

they　go　for　a　walk　in　the　Tuileries；　mademoiselle　is　very　smart；

and　she　never　goes　out　but　she　is　followed　by　a　lot　of　young　men；

but　she　shuts　the　door　in　their　face；　and　she　is　quite　right。　The

proprietor　would　never　allow〃



The　coach　having　come；　Hippolyte　heard　no　more；　and　went　home。

His　mother；　to　whom　he　related　his　adventure；　dressed　his　wound

afresh；　and　would　not　allow　him　to　go　to　the　studio　next　day。

After　taking　advice；　various　treatments　were　prescribed；　and

Hippolyte　remained　at　home　three　days。　During　this　retirement　his

idle　fancy　recalled　vividly；　bit　by　bit；　the　details　of　the　scene

that　had　ensued　on　his　fainting　fit。　The　young　girl's　profile　was

clearly　projected　against　the　darkness　of　his　inward　vision；　he

saw　once　more　the　mother's　faded　features；　or　he　felt　the　touch

of　Adelaide's　hands。　He　remembered　some　gesture　which　at　first

had　not　greatly　struck　him；　but　whose　exquisite　grace　was　thrown

into　relief　by　memory；　then　an　attitude；　or　the　tones　of　a

melodious　voice；　enhanced　by　the　distance　of　remembrance；

suddenly　rose　before　him；　as　objects　plunging　to　the　bottom　of

deep　waters　come　back　to　the　surface。



So；　on　the　day　when　he　could　resume　work；　he　went　early　to　his

studio；　but　the　visit　he　undoubtedly　had　a　right　to　pay　to　his

neighbors　was　the　true　cause　of　his　haste；　he　had　already

forgotten　the　pictures　he　had　begun。　At　the　moment　when　a　passion

throws　off　its　swaddling　clothes；　inexplicable　pleasures　are

felt；　known　to　those　who　have　loved。　So　some　readers　will

understand　why　the　painter　mounted　the　stairs　to　the　fourth　floor

but　slowly；　and　will　be　in　the　secret　of　the　throbs　that　followed

each　other　so　rapidly　in　his　heart　at　the　moment　when　he　saw　the

humble　brown　door　of　the　rooms　inhabited　by　Mademoiselle

Leseigneur。　This　girl；　whose　name　was　not　the　same　as　her

mother's；　had　aroused　the　young　painter's　deepest　sympathies；　he

chose　to　fancy　some　similarity　between　himself　and　her　as　to

their　position；　and　attributed　to　her　misfortunes　of　birth　akin

to　his　own。　All　the　time　he　worked　Hippolyte　gave　himself　very

willingly　to　thoughts　of　love；　and　made　a　great　deal　of　noise　to

compel　the　two　ladies　to　think　of　him；　as　he　was　thinking　of

them。　He　stayed　late　at　the　studio　and　dined　there；　then；　at

about　seven　o'clock；　he　went　down　to　call　on　his　neighbors。



No　painter　of　manners　has　ventured　to　initiate　usperhaps　out　of

modestyinto　the　really　curious　privacy　of　certain　Parisian

existences；　into　the　secret　of　the　dwellings　whence　emerge　such

fresh　and　elegant　toilets；　such　brilliant　women；　who　rich　on　the

surface；　allow　the　signs　of　very　doubtful　comfort　to　peep　out　in

every　part　of　their　home。　If；　here；　the　picture　is　too　boldly

drawn；　if　you　find　it　tedious　in　places；　do　not　blame　the

description；　which　is；　indeed；　part　and　parcel　of　my　story；　for

the　appearance　of　the　rooms　inhabited　by　his　two　neighbors　had　a

great　influence　on　the　feelings　and　hopes　of　Hippolyte　Schinner。



The　house　belonged　to　one　of　those　proprietors　in　whom　there　is　a

foregone　and　profound　horror　of　repairs　and　decoration；　one　of

the　men　who　regard　their　position　as　Paris　house…owners　as　a

business。　In　the　vast　chain　of　moral　species；　these　people　hold　a

middle　place　between　the　miser　and　the　usurer。　Optimists　in　their

own　interests；　they　are　all　faithful　to　the　Austrian　status　quo。

If　you　speak　of　moving　a　cupboard　or　a　door；　of　opening　the　most

indispensable　air…hole；　their　eyes　flash；　their　bile　rises；　they

rear　like　a　frightened　horse。　When　the　wind　blows　down　a　few

chimney…pots　they　are　quite　ill；　and　deprive　themselves　of　an　

evening　at　the　Gymnase　or　the　Porte…Saint…Martin　Theatre；　〃on

account　of　repairs。〃　Hippolyte；　who　had　seen　the　performance

gratis　of　a　comical　scene　with　Monsieur　Molineux　as　concerning

certain　decorative　repairs　in　his　studio；　was　not　surprised　to

see　the　dark　greasy　paint；　the　oily　stains；　spots；　and　other

disagreeable　accessories　that　varied　the　woodwork。　And　these

stigmata　of　poverty　are　not　altogether　devoid　of　poetry　in　an

artist's　eyes。



Mademoiselle　Leseigneur　herself　opened　the　door。　On　recognizing

the　young　artist　she　bowed；　and　at　the　same　time；　with　Parisian

adroitness；　and　with　the　presence　of　mind　that　pride　can　lend；

she　turned　round　to　shut　the　door　in　a　glass　partition　through

which　Hippolyte　might　have　caught　sight　of　some　linen　hung　by

lines　over　patent　ironing　stoves；　an　old　camp…bed；　some　wood…

embers；　charcoal；　irons；　a　filter；　the　household　crockery；　and

all　the　utensils　familiar　to　a　small　household。　Muslin　curtains；

fairly　white；　carefully　screened　this　lumber…rooma　capharnaum；

as　the　French　call　such　a　domestic　laboratory；which　was　lighted

by　windows