the magic skin(驴皮记)-第10章

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the　god　Mephistopheles；　have　engaged　to　whitewash　the　public　mind；　to
give　fresh　costumes　to　the　actors；　to　put　a　new　plank　or　two　in　the
government　booth；　to　doctor　doctrinaires；　and　warm　up　old　Republicans；
to　touch　up　the　Bonapartists　a　bit；　and　revictual　the　Centre；　provided
that　we　are　allowed　to　laugh　in　petto　at　both　kings　and　peoples；　to
think　one　thing　in　the　morning　and　another　at　night；　and　to　lead　a
merry　life　a　la　Panurge；　or　to　recline　upon　soft　cushions；　more
orientali。

〃The　sceptre　of　this　burlesque　and　macaronic　kingdom；〃　he　went　on；　〃we
have　reserved　for　you；　so　we　are　taking　you　straightway　to　a　dinner
given　by　the　founder　of　the　said　newspaper；　a　retired　banker；　who；　at
a　loss　to　know　what　to　do　with　his　money；　is　going　to　buy　some　brains
with　it。　You　will　be　welcomed　as　a　brother；　we　shall　hail　you　as　king
of　these　free　lances　who　will　undertake　anything；　whose　perspicacity
discovers　the　intentions　of　Austria；　England；　or　Russia　before　either
Russia；　Austria　or　England　have　formed　any。　Yes；　we　will　invest　you
with　the　sovereignty　of　those　puissant　intellects　which　give　to　the
world　its　Mirabeaus；　Talleyrands；　Pitts；　and　Metternichsall　the
clever　Crispins　who　treat　the　destinies　of　a　kingdom　as　gamblers'
stakes；　just　as　ordinary　men　play　dominoes　for　Kirschenwasser。　We　have
given　you　out　to　be　the　most　undaunted　champion　who　ever　wrestled　in　a
drinking…bout　at　close　quarters　with　the　monster　called　Carousal；　whom
all　bold　spirits　wish　to　try　a　fall　with；　we　have　gone　so　far　as　to
say　that　you　have　never　yet　been　worsted。　I　hope　you　will　not　make
liars　of　us。　Taillefer；　our　amphitryon；　has　undertaken　to　surpass　the
circumscribed　saturnalias　of　the　petty　modern　Lucullus。　He　is　rich
enough　to　infuse　pomp　into　trifles；　and　style　and　charm　into
dissipation　。　。　。　Are　you　listening；　Raphael？〃　asked　the　orator；
interrupting　himself。

〃Yes；〃　answered　the　young　man；　less　surprised　by　the　accomplishment　of
his　wishes　than　by　the　natural　manner　in　which　the　events　had　come
about。

He　could　not　bring　himself　to　believe　in　magic；　but　he　marveled　at　the
accidents　of　human　fate。

〃Yes；　you　say；　just　as　if　you　were　thinking　of　your　grandfather's
demise；〃　remarked　one　of　his　neighbors。

〃Ah！〃　cried　Raphael；　〃I　was　thinking；　my　friends；　that　we　are　in　a
fair　way　to　become　very　great　scoundrels；〃　and　there　was　an
ingenuousness　in　his　tones　that　set　these　writers；　the　hope　of　young
France；　in　a　roar。　〃So　far　our　blasphemies　have　been　uttered　over　our
cups；　we　have　passed　our　judgments　on　life　while　drunk；　and　taken　men
and　affairs　in　an　after…dinner　frame　of　mind。　We　were　innocent　of
action；　we　were　bold　in　words。　But　now　we　are　to　be　branded　with　the
hot　iron　of　politics；　we　are　going　to　enter　the　convict's　prison　and
to　drop　our　illusions。　Although　one　has　no　belief　left；　except　in　the
devil；　one　may　regret　the　paradise　of　one's　youth　and　the　age　of
innocence；　when　we　devoutly　offered　the　tip　of　our　tongue　to　some　good
priest　for　the　consecrated　wafer　of　the　sacrament。　Ah；　my　good
friends；　our　first　peccadilloes　gave　us　so　much　pleasure　because　the
consequent　remorse　set　them　off　and　lent　a　keen　relish　to　them；　but
nowadays〃

〃Oh！　now；〃　said　the　first　speaker；　〃there　is　still　left〃

〃What？〃　asked　another。

〃Crime〃

〃There　is　a　word　as　high　as　the　gallows　and　deeper　than　the　Seine；〃
said　Raphael。

〃Oh；　you　don't　understand　me；　I　mean　political　crime。　Since　this
morning；　a　conspirator's　life　is　the　only　one　I　covet。　I　don't　know
that　the　fancy　will　last　over　to…morrow；　but　to…night　at　least　my
gorge　rises　at　the　anaemic　life　of　our　civilization　and　its　railroad
evenness。　I　am　seized　with　a　passion　for　the　miseries　of　retreat　from
Moscow；　for　the　excitements　of　the　Red　Corsair；　or　for　a　smuggler's
life。　I　should　like　to　go　to　Botany　Bay；　as　we　have　no　Chartreaux　left
us　here　in　France；　it　is　a　sort　of　infirmary　reserved　for　little　Lord
Byrons　who；　having　crumpled　up　their　lives　like　a　serviette　after
dinner；　have　nothing　left　to　do　but　to　set　their　country　ablaze；　blow
their　own　brains　out；　plot　for　a　republic　or　clamor　for　a　war〃

〃Emile；〃　Raphael's　neighbor　called　eagerly　to　the　speaker；　〃on　my
honor；　but　for　the　revolution　of　July　I　would　have　taken　orders；　and
gone　off　down　into　the　country　somewhere　to　lead　the　life　of　an
animal；　and〃

〃And　you　would　have　read　your　breviary　through　every　day。〃

〃Yes。〃

〃You　are　a　coxcomb！〃

〃Why；　we　read　the　newspapers　as　it　is！〃

〃Not　bad　that；　for　a　journalist！　But　hold　your　tongue；　we　are　going
through　a　crowd　of　subscribers。　Journalism；　look　you；　is　the　religion
of　modern　society；　and　has　even　gone　a　little　further。〃

〃What　do　you　mean？〃

〃Its　pontiffs　are　not　obliged　to　believe　in　it　any　more　than　the
people　are。〃

Chatting　thus；　like　good　fellows　who　have　known　their　De　Viris
illustribus　for　years　past；　they　reached　a　mansion　in　the　Rue　Joubert。

Emile　was　a　journalist　who　had　acquired　more　reputation　by　dint　of
doing　nothing　than　others　had　derived　from　their　achievements。　A　bold；
caustic；　and　powerful　critic；　he　possessed　all　the　qualities　that　his
defects　permitted。　An　outspoken　giber；　he　made　numberless　epigrams　on
a　friend　to　his　face；　but　would　defend　him；　if　absent；　with　courage
and　loyalty。　He　laughed　at　everything；　even　at　his　own　career。　Always
impecunious；　he　yet　lived；　like　all　men　of　his　calibre；　plunged　in
unspeakable　indolence。　He　would　fling　some　word　containing　volumes　in
the　teeth　of　folk　who　could　not　put　a　syllable　of　sense　into　their
books。　He　lavished　promises　that　he　never　fulfilled；　he　made　a　pillow
of　his　luck　and　reputation；　on　which　he　slept；　and　ran　the　risk　of
waking　up　to　old　age　in　a　workhouse。　A　steadfast　friend　to　the　gallows
foot；　a　cynical　swaggerer　with　a　child's　simplicity；　a　worker　only
from　necessity　or　caprice。

〃In　the　language　of　Maitre　Alcofribas；　we　are　about　to　make　a　famous
troncon　de　chiere　lie；〃　he　remarked　to　Raphael　as　he　pointed　out　the
flower…stands　that　made　a　perfumed　forest　of　the　staircase。

〃I　like　a　vestibule　to　be　well　warmed　and　richly　carpeted；〃　Raphael
said。　〃Luxury　in　the　peristyle　is　not　common　in　France。　I　feel　as　if
life　had　begun　anew　here。〃

〃And　up　above　we　are　going　to　drink　and　make　merry　once　more；　my　dear
Raphael。　Ah！　yes；〃　he　went　on；　〃and　I　hope　we　are　going　to　come　off
conquerors；　too；　and　walk　over　everybody　else's　head。〃

As　he　spoke；　he　jestingly　pointed　to　the　guests。　They　were　entering　a
large　room　which　shone　with　gilding　and　lights；　and　there　all　the
younger　men　of　note　in　Paris　welcomed　them。　Here　was　one　who　had　just
revealed　fresh　powers；　his　first　picture　vied　with　the　glories　of
Imperial　art。　There；　another；　who　but　yesterday　had　launched　forth　a
volume；　an　acrid　book　filled　with　a　sort　of　literary　arrogance；　which
opened　up　new　ways　to　the　modern　school。　A　sculptor；　not　far　away；
with　vigorous　power　visible　in　his　rough　features；　was　chatting　with
one　of　those　unenthusiastic　scoffers　who　can　either　see　excellence
anywhere　or　nowhere；　as　it　happens。　Here；　the　cleverest　of　our
caricaturists；　with　mischievous　eyes　and　bitter　tongue；　lay　in　wait
for　epigrams　to　translate　into　pencil　strokes；　there；　stood　the　young
and　audacious　writer；　who　distilled　the　quintessence　of　political
ideas　better　than　any　other　man；　or　compressed　the　work　of　some
prolific　writer　as　he　held　him　up　to　ridicule；　he　was　talking　with　the
poet　whose　works　would　have　eclipsed　all　the　writings　of　the　time　if
his　ability　had　been　as　strenuous　as　his　hatreds。　Both　were　trying　not
to　say　the　truth　while　they　kept　clear　of　lies；　as　they　exchanged
flattering　speeches。　A　famous　musician　administered　soothing
consolation　in　a　rallying　fashion；　to　a　young　politician　who　had　just
fallen　quite　unhurt；　from　his　rostrum。　Young　writers　who　lacked　style
stood　beside　other　young　writers　who　lacked　ideas；　and　authors　of
poetical　prose　by　prosaic　poets。

At　the　sight　of　all　these　incomplete　beings；　a　simple　Saint　Simonian；
ingenuous　enough　to　believe　in　his　own　doctrine；　charitably　paired
them　off；　designing；　no　doubt；　to　convert　them　into　monks　of　his
order。　A　few　men　of　science　mingled　in　the　conve