the magic skin(驴皮记)-第31章

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shall　be　sure　of　having　my　manuscript　punctually。'

〃Rastignac　repeated　this　business　conversation　to　me　in　low　tones；　and
then；　without　giving　me　any　voice　in　the　matter；　he　replied：

〃　'We　agree　to　your　proposal。　When　can　we　call　upon　you　to　arrange　the
affair？'

〃　'Oh；　well！　Come　and　dine　here　to…morrow　at　seven　o'clock。'

〃We　rose。　Rastignac　flung　some　money　to　the　waiter；　put　the　bill　in
his　pocket；　and　we　went　out。　I　was　quite　stupified　by　the　flippancy
and　ease　with　which　he　had　sold　my　venerable　aunt；　la　Marquise　de
Montbauron。

〃　'I　would　sooner　take　ship　for　the　Brazils；　and　give　the　Indians
lessons　in　algebra；　though　I　don't　know　a　word　of　it；　than　tarnish　my
family　name。'

〃Rastignac　burst　out　laughing。

〃　'How　dense　you　are！　Take　the　fifty　crowns　in　the　first　instance；　and
write　the　memoirs。　When　you　have　finished　them；　you　will　decline　to
publish　them　in　your　aunt's　name；　imbecile！　Madame　de　Montbauron；　with
her　hooped　petticoat；　her　rank　and　beauty；　rouge　and　slippers；　and　her
death　upon　the　scaffold；　is　worth　a　great　deal　more　than　six　hundred
francs。　And　then；　if　the　trade　will　not　give　your　aunt　her　due；　some
old　adventurer；　or　some　shady　countess　or　other；　will　be　found　to　put
her　name　to　the　memoirs。'

〃　'Oh；'　I　groaned；　'why　did　I　quit　the　blameless　life　in　my　garret？
This　world　has　aspects　that　are　very　vilely　dishonorable。'

〃　'Yes；'　said　Rastignac；　'that　is　all　very　poetical；　but　this　is　a
matter　of　business。　What　a　child　you　are！　Now；　listen　to　me。　As　to
your　work；　the　public　will　decide　upon　it；　and　as　for　my　literary
middle…man；　hasn't　he　devoted　eight　years　of　his　life　to　obtaining　a
footing　in　the　book…trade；　and　paid　heavily　for　his　experience？　You
divide　the　money　and　the　labor　of　the　book　with　him　very　unequally；
but　isn't　yours　the　better　part？　Twenty…five　louis　means　as　much　to
you　as　a　thousand　francs　does　to　him。　Come；　you　can　write　historical
memoirs；　a　work　of　art　such　as　never　was；　since　Diderot　once　wrote　six
sermons　for　a　hundred　crowns！'

〃　'After　all；'　I　said；　in　agitation；　'I　cannot　choose　but　do　it。　So；
my　dear　friend；　my　thanks　are　due　to　you。　I　shall　be　quite　rich　with
twenty…five　louis。'

〃　'Richer　than　you　think；'　he　laughed。　'If　I　have　my　commission　from
Finot　in　this　matter；　it　goes　to　you；　can't　you　see？　Now　let　us　go　to
the　Bois　de　Boulogne；'　he　said；　'we　shall　see　your　countess　there；　and
I　will　show　you　the　pretty　little　widow　that　I　am　to　marrya　charming
woman；　an　Alsacienne；　rather　plump。　She　reads　Kant；　Schiller；　Jean
Paul；　and　a　host　of　lachrymose　books。　She　has　a　mania　for　continually
asking　my　opinion；　and　I　have　to　look　as　if　I　entered　into　all　this
German　sensibility；　and　to　know　a　pack　of　balladsdrugs；　all　of　them；
that　my　doctor　absolutely　prohibits。　As　yet　I　have　not　been　able　to
wean　her　from　her　literary　enthusiasms；　she　sheds　torrents　of　tears　as
she　reads　Goethe；　and　I　have　to　weep　a　little　myself　to　please　her；
for　she　has　an　income　of　fifty　thousand　livres；　my　dear　boy；　and　the
prettiest　little　hand　and　foot　in　the　world。　Oh；　if　she　would　only　say
mon　ange　and　brouiller　instead　of　mon　anche　and　prouiller；　she　would
be　perfection！'

〃We　saw　the　countess；　radiant　amid　the　splendors　of　her　equipage。　The
coquette　bowed　very　graciously　to　us　both；　and　the　smile　she　gave　me
seemed　to　me　to　be　divine　and　full　of　love。　I　was　very　happy；　I
fancied　myself　beloved；　I　had　money；　a　wealth　of　love　in　my　heart；　and
my　troubles　were　over。　I　was　light…hearted；　blithe；　and　content。　I
found　my　friend's　lady…love　charming。　Earth　and　air　and　heavenall
natureseemed　to　reflect　Foedora's　smile　for　me。

〃As　we　returned　through　the　Champs…Elysees；　we　paid　a　visit　to
Rastignac's　hatter　and　tailor。　Thanks　to　the　'Necklace；'　my
insignificant　peace…footing　was　to　end；　and　I　made　formidable
preparations　for　a　campaign。　Henceforward　I　need　not　shrink　from　a
contest　with　the　spruce　and　fashionable　young　men　who　made　Foedora's
circle。　I　went　home；　locked　myself　in；　and　stood　by　my　dormer　window；
outwardly　calm　enough；　but　in　reality　I　bade　a　last　good…bye　to　the
roofs　without。　I　began　to　live　in　the　future；　rehearsed　my　life　drama；
and　discounted　love　and　its　happiness。　Ah；　how　stormy　life　can　grow　to
be　within　the　four　walls　of　a　garret！　The　soul　within　us　is　like　a
fairy；　she　turns　straw　into　diamonds　for　us；　and　for　us；　at　a　touch　of
her　wand；　enchanted　palaces　arise；　as　flowers　in　the　meadows　spring　up
towards　the　sun。

〃Towards　noon；　next　day；　Pauline　knocked　gently　at　my　door；　and
brought　mewho　could　guess　it？a　note　from　Foedora。　The　countess
asked　me　to　take　her　to　the　Luxembourg；　and　to　go　thence　to　see　with
her　the　Museum　and　Jardin　des　Plantes。

〃　'The　man　is　waiting　for　an　answer；'　said　Pauline；　after　quietly
waiting　for　a　moment。

〃I　hastily　scrawled　my　acknowledgements；　and　Pauline　took　the　note。　I
changed　my　dress。　When　my　toilette　was　ended；　and　I　looked　at　myself
with　some　complaisance；　an　icy　shiver　ran　through　me　as　I　thought：

〃　'Will　Foedora　walk　or　drive？　Will　it　rain　or　shine？No　matter；
though；'　I　said　to　myself；　'whichever　it　is；　can　one　ever　reckon　with
feminine　caprice？　She　will　have　no　money　about　her；　and　will　want　to
give　a　dozen　francs　to　some　little　Savoyard　because　his　rags　are
picturesque。'

〃I　had　not　a　brass　farthing；　and　should　have　no　money　till　the　evening
came。　How　dearly　a　poet　pays　for　the　intellectual　prowess　that　method
and　toil　have　brought　him；　at　such　crises　of　our　youth！　Innumerable
painfully　vivid　thoughts　pierced　me　like　barbs。　I　looked　out　of　my
window；　the　weather　was　very　unsettled。　If　things　fell　out　badly；　I
might　easily　hire　a　cab　for　the　day；　but　would　not　the　fear　lie　on　me
every　moment　that　I　might　not　meet　Finot　in　the　evening？　I　felt　too
weak　to　endure　such　fears　in　the　midst　of　my　felicity。　Though　I　felt
sure　that　I　should　find　nothing；　I　began　a　grand　search　through　my
room；　I　looked　for　imaginary　coins　in　the　recesses　of　my　mattress；　I
hunted　about　everywhereI　even　shook　out　my　old　boots。　A　nervous
fever　seized　me；　I　looked　with　wild　eyes　at　the　furniture　when　I　had
ransacked　it　all。　Will　you　understand；　I　wonder；　the　excitement　that
possessed　me　when；　plunged　deep　in　the　listlessness　of　despair；　I
opened　my　writing…table　drawer；　and　found　a　fair　and　splendid　ten…
franc　piece　that　shone　like　a　rising　star；　new　and　sparkling；　and
slily　hiding　in　a　cranny　between　two　boards？　I　did　not　try　to　account
for　its　previous　reserve　and　the　cruelty　of　which　it　had　been　guilty
in　thus　lying　hidden；　I　kissed　it　for　a　friend　faithful　in　adversity；
and　hailed　it　with　a　cry　that　found　an　echo；　and　made　me　turn　sharply；
to　find　Pauline　with　a　face　grown　white。

〃　'I　thought；'　she　faltered；　'that　you　had　hurt　yourself！　The　man　who
brought　the　letter'　（she　broke　off　as　if　something　smothered　her
voice）。　'But　mother　has　paid　him；'　she　added；　and　flitted　away　like　a
wayward；　capricious　child。　Poor　little　one！　I　wanted　her　to　share　in
my　happiness。　I　seemed　to　have　all　the　happiness　in　the　world　within
me　just　then；　and　I　would　fain　have　returned　to　the　unhappy；　all　that
I　felt　as　if　I　had　stolen　from　them。

〃The　intuitive　perception　of　adversity　is　sound　for　the　most　part；　the
countess　had　sent　away　her　carriage。　One　of　those　freaks　that　pretty
women　can　scarcely　explain　to　themselves　had　determined　her　to　go　on
foot；　by　way　of　the　boulevards；　to　the　Jardin　des　Plantes。

〃　'It　will　rain；'　I　told　her；　and　it　pleased　her　to　contradict　me。

〃As　it　fell　out；　the　weather　was　fine　while　we　went　through　the
Luxembourg；　when　we　came　out；　some　drops　fell　from　a　great　cloud；
whose　progress　I　had　watched　uneasily；　and　we　took　a　cab。　At　the
Museum　I　was　about　to　dismiss　the　vehicle；　and　Foedora　（what　agonies！）
asked　me　not　to　do　so。　But　it　was　like　a　dream　in　broad　daylight　for
me；　to　chat　with　her；　to　wander　in　the　Jardin　des　Plantes；　to　stray
down　the　shady　alleys；　to　feel　her　hand　upon　my　arm；　the　secret
transports　repressed　in　me　were　reduced；　no　doubt；　to　a　fixed　and
foolish　smile　upon　my　lips；　there　was　something　unreal　about　it　all。
Yet　in　all　her　movements；　however　alluring；　whether　we　stood　or
whether　we　walked；