the magic skin(驴皮记)-第12章

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like　the　sea　raging　against　the　cliffs；　seemed　ready　to　shake　the　laws
which　confine　the　ebb　and　flow　of　civilization；　unconsciously
fulfilling　the　will　of　God；　who　has　suffered　evil　and　good　to　abide　in
nature；　and　reserved　the　secret　of　their　continual　strife　to　Himself。
A　frantic　travesty　of　debate　ensued；　a　Walpurgis…revel　of　intellects。
Between　the　dreary　jests　of　these　children　of　the　Revolution　over　the
inauguration　of　a　newspaper；　and　the　talk　of　the　joyous　gossips　at
Gargantua's　birth；　stretched　the　gulf　that　divides　the　nineteenth
century　from　the　sixteenth。　Laughingly　they　had　begun　the　work　of
destruction；　and　our　journalists　laughed　amid　the　ruins。

〃What　is　the　name　of　that　young　man　over　there？〃　said　the　notary；
indicating　Raphael。　〃I　thought　I　heard　some　one　call　him　Valentin。〃

〃What　stuff　is　this？〃　said　Emile；　laughing；　〃plain　Valentin；　say　you？
Raphael　DE　Valentin；　if　you　please。　We　bear　an　eagle　or；　on　a　field
sable；　with　a　silver　crown；　beak　and　claws　gules；　and　a　fine　motto：
NON　CECIDIT　ANIMUS。　We　are　no　foundling　child；　but　a　descendant　of　the
Emperor　Valens；　of　the　stock　of　the　Valentinois；　founders　of　the
cities　of　Valence　in　France；　and　Valencia　in　Spain；　rightful　heirs　to
the　Empire　of　the　East。　If　we　suffer　Mahmoud　on　the　throne　of
Byzantium；　it　is　out　of　pure　condescension；　and　for　lack　of　funds　and
soldiers。〃

With　a　fork　flourished　above　Raphael's　head；　Emile　outlined　a　crown
upon　it。　The　notary　bethought　himself　a　moment；　but　soon　fell　to
drinking　again；　with　a　gesture　peculiar　to　himself；　it　was　quite
impossible；　it　seemed　to　say　to　secure　in　his　clientele　the　cities　of
Valence　and　Byzantium；　the　Emperor　Valens；　Mahmoud；　and　the　house　of
Valentinois。

〃Should　not　the　destruction　of　those　ant…hills；　Babylon；　Tyre；
Carthage；　and　Venice；　each　crushed　beneath　the　foot　of　a　passing
giant；　serve　as　a　warning　to　man；　vouchsafed　by　some　mocking　power？〃
said　Claude　Vignon；　who　must　play　the　Bossuet；　as　a　sort　of　purchased
slave；　at　the　rate　of　fivepence　a　line。

〃Perhaps　Moses；　Sylla；　Louis　XI。；　Richelieu；　Robespierre；　and　Napoleon
were　but　the　same　man　who　crosses　our　civilizations　now　and　again；
like　a　comet　across　the　sky；〃　said　a　disciple　of　Ballanche。

〃Why　try　to　fathom　the　designs　of　Providence？〃　said　Canalis；　maker　of
ballads。

〃Come；　now；〃　said　the　man　who　set　up　for　a　critic；　〃there　is　nothing
more　elastic　in　the　world　than　your　Providence。〃

〃Well；　sir；　Louis　XIV。　sacrificed　more　lives　over　digging　the
foundations　of　the　Maintenon's　aqueducts；　than　the　Convention　expended
in　order　to　assess　the　taxes　justly；　to　make　one　law　for　everybody；
and　one　nation　of　France；　and　to　establish　the　rule　of　equal
inheritance；〃　said　Massol；　whom　the　lack　of　a　syllable　before　his　name
had　made　a　Republican。

〃Are　you　going　to　leave　our　heads　on　our　shoulders？〃　asked　Moreau　（of
the　Oise）；　a　substantial　farmer。　〃You；　sir；　who　took　blood　for　wine
just　now？〃

〃Where　is　the　use？　Aren't　the　principles　of　social　order　worth　some
sacrifices；　sir？〃

〃Hi！　Bixiou！　What's…his…name；　the　Republican；　considers　a　landowner's
head　a　sacrifice！〃　said　a　young　man　to　his　neighbor。

〃Men　and　events　count　for　nothing；〃　said　the　Republican；　following　out
his　theory　in　spite　of　hiccoughs；　〃in　politics；　as　in　philosophy；
there　are　only　principles　and　ideas。〃

〃What　an　abomination！　Then　you　would　ruthlessly　put　your　friends　to
death　for　a　shibboleth？〃

〃Eh；　sir！　the　man　who　feels　compunction　is　your　thorough　scoundrel；
for　he　has　some　notion　of　virtue；　while　Peter　the　Great　and　the　Duke
of　Alva　were　embodied　systems；　and　the　pirate　Monbard　an
organization。〃

〃But　can't　society　rid　itself　of　your　systems　and　organizations？〃　said
Canalis。

〃Oh；　granted！〃　cried　the　Republican。

〃That　stupid　Republic　of　yours　makes　me　feel　queasy。　We　sha'n't　be
able　to　carve　a　capon　in　peace；　because　we　shall　find　the　agrarian　law
inside　it。〃

〃Ah；　my　little　Brutus；　stuffed　with　truffles；　your　principles　are　all
right　enough。　But　you　are　like　my　valet；　the　rogue　is　so　frightfully
possessed　with　a　mania　for　property　that　if　I　left　him　to　clean　my
clothes　after　his　fashion；　he　would　soon　clean　me　out。〃

〃Crass　idiots！〃　replied　the　Republican；　〃you　are　for　setting　a　nation
straight　with　toothpicks。　To　your　way　of　thinking；　justice　is　more
dangerous　than　thieves。〃

〃Oh；　dear！〃　cried　the　attorney　Deroches。

〃Aren't　they　a　bore　with　their　politics！〃　said　the　notary　Cardot。
〃Shut　up。　That's　enough　of　it。　There　is　no　knowledge　nor　virtue　worth
shedding　a　drop　of　blood　for。　If　Truth　were　brought　into　liquidation；
we　might　find　her　insolvent。〃

〃It　would　be　much　less　trouble；　no　doubt；　to　amuse　ourselves　with
evil；　rather　than　dispute　about　good。　Moreover；　I　would　give　all　the
speeches　made　for　forty　years　past　at　the　Tribune　for　a　trout；　for　one
of　Perrault's　tales　or　Charlet's　sketches。〃

〃Quite　right！　。　。　。　Hand　me　the　asparagus。　Because；　after　all；　liberty
begets　anarchy；　anarchy　leads　to　despotism；　and　despotism　back　again
to　liberty。　Millions　have　died　without　securing　a　triumph　for　any　one
system。　Is　not　that　the　vicious　circle　in　which　the　whole　moral　world
revolves？　Man　believes　that　he　has　reached　perfection；　when　in　fact　he
has　but　rearranged　matters。〃

〃Oh！　oh！〃　cried　Cursy；　the　vaudevilliste；　〃in　that　case；　gentlemen；
here's　to　Charles　X。；　the　father　of　liberty。〃

〃Why　not？〃　asked　Emile。　〃When　law　becomes　despotic；　morals　are
relaxed；　and　vice　versa。

〃Let　us　drink　to　the　imbecility　of　authority；　which　gives　us　such　an
authority　over　imbeciles！〃　said　the　good　banker。

〃Napoleon　left　us　glory；　at　any　rate；　my　good　friend！〃　exclaimed　a
naval　officer　who　had　never　left　Brest。

〃Glory　is　a　poor　bargain；　you　buy　it　dear；　and　it　will　not　keep。　Does
not　the　egotism　of　the　great　take　the　form　of　glory；　just　as　for
nobodies　it　is　their　own　well…being？〃

〃You　are　very　fortunate；　sir〃

〃The　first　inventor　of　ditches　must　have　been　a　weakling；　for　society
is　only　useful　to　the　puny。　The　savage　and　the　philosopher；　at　either
extreme　of　the　moral　scale；　hold　property　in　equal　horror。〃

〃All　very　fine！〃　said　Cardot；　〃but　if　there　were　no　property；　there
would　be　no　documents　to　draw　up。〃

〃These　green　peas　are　excessively　delicious！〃

〃And　the　cure　was　found　dead　in　his　bed　in　the　morning。　。　。　。〃

〃Who　is　talking　about　death？　Pray　don't　trifle；　I　have　an　uncle。〃

〃Could　you　bear　his　loss　with　resignation？〃

〃No　question。〃

〃Gentlemen；　listen　to　me！　HOW　TO　KILL　AN　UNCLE。　Silence！　（Cries　of
〃Hush！　hush！〃）　In　the　first　place；　take　an　uncle；　large　and　stout；
seventy　years　old　at　least；　they　are　the　best　uncles。　（Sensation。）　Get
him　to　eat　a　pate　de　foie　gras；　any　pretext　will　do。〃

〃Ah；　but　my　uncle　is　a　thin；　tall　man；　and　very　niggardly　and
abstemious。〃

〃That　sort　of　uncle　is　a　monster；　he　misappropriates　existence。〃

〃Then；〃　the　speaker　on　uncles　went　on；　〃tell　him；　while　he　is
digesting　it；　that　his　banker　has　failed。〃

〃How　if　he　bears　up？〃

〃Let　loose　a　pretty　girl　on　him。〃

〃And　if？〃　asked　the　other；　with　a　shake　of　the　head。

〃Then　he　wouldn't　be　an　unclean　uncle　is　a　gay　dog　by　nature。〃

〃Malibran　has　lost　two　notes　in　her　voice。〃

〃No；　sir；　she　has　not。〃

〃Yes；　sir；　she　has。〃

〃Oh；　ho！　No　and　yes；　is　not　that　the　sum…up　of　all　religious；
political；　or　literary　dissertations？　Man　is　a　clown　dancing　on　the
edge　of　an　abyss。〃

〃You　would　make　out　that　I　am　a　fool。〃

〃On　the　contrary；　you　cannot　make　me　out。〃

〃Education；　there's　a　pretty　piece　of　tomfoolery。　M。　Heineffettermach
estimates　the　number　of　printed　volumes　at　more　than　a　thousand
millions；　and　a　man　cannot　read　more　than　a　hundred　and　fifty　thousand
in　his　lifetime。　So；　just　tell　me　what　that　word　education　means。　For
some　it　consists　in　knowing　the　name　of　Alexander's　horse；　of　the　dog
Berecillo；　of　the　Seigneur　d'Accords；　and　in　ignorance　of　the　man　to
whom　we　owe　the　discovery　of　rafting　and　the　manufacture　of　porcelain。
For　others　it　is　the　knowledge　how　to　burn　a　will　and　live　respected；
be　looked　up　to　and　popular；　instead　of　stealing　a　watch　with　half…a…
dozen　aggravating　circumstances；　after　a　previous　conviction；