paz-第2章

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！



the　Polish　exiles　of　distinction　lived　in　Paris　in　the　Biblical

solitude　of　〃super　flumina　Babylonis；〃　or　else　they　haunted　a　few

salons　which　were　the　neutral　ground　of　all　opinions。　In　a　city　of

pleasure；　like　Paris；　where　amusements　abound　on　all　sides；　the

heedless　gayety　of　a　Pole　finds　twice　as　many　encouragements　as　it

needs　to　a　life　of　dissipation。



It　must　be　said；　however；　that　Adam　had　two　points　against　him；his

appearance；　and　his　mental　equipment。　There　are　two　species　of　Pole；

as　there　are　two　species　of　Englishwoman。　When　an　Englishwoman　is　not

very　handsome　she　is　horribly　ugly。　Comte　Adam　belonged　in　the　second

category　of　human　beings。　His　small　face；　rather　sharp　in　expression；

looked　as　if　it　had　been　pressed　in　a　vise。　His　short　nose；　and　fair

hair；　and　reddish　beard　and　moustache　made　him　look　all　the　more　like

a　goat　because　he　was　small　and　thin；　and　his　tarnished　yellow　eyes

caught　you　with　that　oblique　look　which　Virgil　celebrates。　How　came

he；　in　spite　of　such　obvious　disadvantages；　to　possess　really

exquisite　manners　and　a　distinguished　air？　The　problem　is　solved

partly　by　the　care　and　elegance　of　his　dress；　and　partly　by　the

training　given　him　by　his　mother；　a　Radziwill。　His　courage　amounted　to

daring；　but　his　mind　was　not　more　than　was　needed　for　the　ephemeral

talk　and　pleasantry　of　Parisian　conversation。　And　yet　it　would　have

been　difficult　to　find　among　the　young　men　of　fashion　in　Paris　a

single　one　who　was　his　superior。　Young　men　talk　a　great　deal　too　much

in　these　days　of　horses；　money；　taxes；　deputies；　French　CONVERSATION

is　no　longer　what　it　was。　Brilliancy　of　mind　needs　leisure　and　certain

social　inequalities　to　bring　it　out。　There　is；　probably；　more　real

conversation　in　Vienna　or　St。　Petersburg　than　in　Paris。　Equals　do　not

need　to　employ　delicacy　or　shrewdness　in　speech；　they　blurt　out　things

as　they　are。　Consequently　the　dandies　of　Paris　did　not　discover　the

great　seigneur　in　the　rather　heedless　young　fellow　who；　in　their

talks；　would　flit　from　one　subject　to　another；　all　the　more　intent

upon　amusement　because　he　had　just　escaped　from　a　great　peril；　and；

finding　himself　in　a　city　where　his　family　was　unknown；　felt　at

liberty　to　lead　a　loose　life　without　the　risk　of　disgracing　his　name。



But　one　fine　day　in　1834　Adam　suddenly　bought　a　house　in　the　rue　de　la

Pepiniere。　Six　months　later　his　style　of　living　was　second　to　none　in

Paris。　About　the　time　when　he　thus　began　to　take　himself　seriously　he

had　seen　Clementine　du　Rouvre　at　the　Opera　and　had　fallen　in　love　with

her。　A　year　later　the　marriage　took　place。　The　salon　of　Madame

d'Espard　was　the　first　to　sound　his　praises。　Mothers　of　daughters　then

learned　too　late　that　as　far　back　as　the　year　900　the　family　of　the

Laginski　was　among　the　most　illustrious　of　the　North。　By　an　act　of

prudence　which　was　very　unPolish；　the　mother　of　the　young　count　had

mortgaged　her　entire　property　on　the　breaking　out　of　the　insurrection

for　an　immense　sum　lent　by　two　Jewish　bankers　in　Paris。　Comte　Adam　was

now　in　possession　of　eighty　thousand　francs　a　year。　When　this　was

discovered　society　ceased　to　be　surprised　at　the　imprudence　which　had

been　laid　to　the　charge　of　Madame　de　Serizy；　the　Marquis　de

Ronquerolles；　and　the　Chevalier　du　Rouvre　in　yielding　to　the　foolish

passion　of　their　niece。　People　jumped；　as　usual；　from　one　extreme　of

judgment　to　the　other。



During　the　winter　of　1836　Comte　Adam　was　the　fashion；　and　Clementine

Laginska　one　of　the　queens　of　Paris。　Madame　Laginska　is　now　a　member

of　that　charming　circle　of　young　women　represented　by　Mesdames　de

Lestorade；　de　Portenduere；　Marie　de　Vandenesse；　du　Guenic；　and　de

Maufrigneuse；　the　flowers　of　our　present　Paris；　who　live　at　such

immeasurable　distance　from　the　parvenus；　the　vulgarians；　and　the

speculators　of　the　new　regime。



This　preamble　is　necessary　to　show　the　sphere　in　which　was　done　one　of

those　noble　actions；　less　rare　than　the　calumniators　of　our　time

admit；actions　which；　like　pearls；　the　fruit　of　pain　and　suffering；

are　hidden　within　rough　shells；　lost　in　the　gulf；　the　sea；　the　tossing

waves　of　what　we　call　society；　the　century；　Paris；　London；　St。

Petersburg；or　what　you　will。



If　the　axiom　that　architecture　is　the　expression　of　manner　and　morals

was　ever　proved；　it　was　certainly　after　the　insurrection　of　1830；

during　the　present　reign　of　the　house　of　Orleans。　As　all　the　old

fortunes　are　diminishing　in　France；　the　majestic　mansions　of　our

ancestors　are　constantly　being　demolished　and　replaced　by　species　of

phalansteries；　in　which　the　peers　of　July　occupy　the　third　floor　above

some　newly　enriched　empirics　on　the　lower　floors。　A　mixture　of　styles

is　confusedly　employed。　As　there　is　no　longer　a　real　court　or　nobility

to　give　the　tone；　there　is　no　harmony　in　the　production　of　art。　Never；

on　the　other　hand；　has　architecture　discovered　so　many　economical　ways

of　imitating　the　real　and　the　solid；　or　displayed　more　resources；　more

talent；　in　distributing　them。　Propose　to　an　architect　to　build　upon

the　garden　at　the　back　of　an　old　mansion；　and　he　will　run　you　up　a

little　Louvre　overloaded　with　ornament。　He　will　manage　to　get　in　a

courtyard；　stables；　and　if　you　care　for　it；　a　garden。　Inside　the　house

he　will　accommodate　a　quantity　of　little　rooms　and　passages。　He　is　so

clever　in　deceiving　the　eye　that　you　think　you　will　have　plenty　of

space；　but　it　is　only　a　nest　of　small　rooms；　after　all；　in　which　a

ducal　family　has　to　turn　itself　about　in　the　space　that　its　own

bakehouse　formerly　occupied。



The　hotel　of　the　Comtesse　Laginska；　rue　de　la　Pepiniere；　is　one　of

these　creations；　and　stands　between　court　and　garden。　On　the　right；　in

the　court；　are　the　kitchens　and　offices；　to　the　left　the　coachhouse

and　stables。　The　porter's　lodge　is　between　two　charming　portes…

cocheres。　The　chief　luxury　of　the　house　is　a　delightful　greenhouse

contrived　at　the　end　of　a　boudoir　on　the　ground…floor　which　opens　upon

an　admirable　suite　of　reception　rooms。　An　English　philanthropist　had

built　this　architectural　bijou；　designed　the　garden；　added　the

greenhouse；　polished　the　doors；　bricked　the　courtyard；　painted　the

window…frames　green；　and　realized；　in　short；　a　dream　which　resembled

（proportions　excepted）　George　the　Fourth's　Pavilion　at　Brighton。　The

inventive　and　industrious　Parisian　workmen　had　moulded　the　doors　and

window…frames；　the　ceilings　were　imitated　from　the　middle…ages　or

those　of　a　Venetian　palace；　marble　veneering　abounded　on　the　outer

walls。　Steinbock　and　Francois　Souchet　had　designed　the　mantel…pieces

and　the　panels　above　the　doors；　Schinner　had　painted　the　ceilings　in

his　masterly　manner。　The　beauties　of　the　staircase；　white　as　a　woman's

arm；　defied　those　of　the　hotel　Rothschild。　On　account　of　the　riots　and

the　unsettled　times；　the　cost　of　this　folly　was　only　about　eleven

hundred　thousand　francs；to　an　Englishman　a　mere　nothing。　All　this

luxury；　called　princely　by　persons　who　do　not　know　what　real　princes

are；　was　built　in　the　garden　of　the　house　of　a　purveyor　made　a　Croesus

by　the　Revolution；　who　had　escaped　to　Brussels　and　died　there　after

going　into　bankruptcy。　The　Englishman　died　in　Paris；　of　Paris；　for　to

many　persons　Paris　is　a　disease；sometimes　several　diseases。　His

widow；　a　Methodist；　had　a　horror　of　the　little　nabob　establishment；

and　ordered　it　to　be　sold。　Comte　Adam　bought　it　at　a　bargain；　and　how

he　came　to　do　so　shall　presently　be　made　known；　for　bargains　were　not

at　all　in　his　line　as　a　grand　seigneur。



Behind　the　house　lay　the　verdant　velvet　of　an　English　lawn　shaded　at

the　lower　end　by　a　clump　of　exotic　trees；　in　the　midst　of　which　stood

a　Chinese　pagoda　with　soundless　belfries　and　motionless　golden　eggs。

The　greenhouse　concealed　the　garden　wall　on　the　northern　side；　the

opposite　wall　was　covered　with　climbing　plants　trained　upon　poles

painted　green　and　connected　with　crossway　trellises。　This　lawn；　this

world　of　flowers；　the　gravelled　paths；