the magic skin(驴皮记)-第42章

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have　riches；　I　will　give　you　Havana　cigars！〃

〃I　am　listening；〃　the　poet　replied。　〃Death　or　Foedora！　On　with　you！
That　silky　Foedora　deceived　you。　Women　are　all　daughters　of　Eve。　There
is　nothing　dramatic　about　that　rigmarole　of　yours。〃

〃Ah；　but　you　were　sleeping；　slyboots。〃

〃No'Death　or　Foedora！'I　have　it！〃

〃Wake　up！〃　Raphael　shouted；　beating　Emile　with　the　piece　of　shagreen
as　if　he　meant　to　draw　electric　fluid　out　of　it。

〃TONNERRE！〃　said　Emile；　springing　up　and　flinging　his　arms　round
Raphael；　〃my　friend；　remember　the　sort　of　women　you　are　with。〃

〃I　am　a　millionaire！〃

〃If　you　are　not　a　millionaire；　you　are　most　certainly　drunk。〃

〃Drunk　with　power。　I　can　kill　you！Silence！　I　am　Nero！　I　am
Nebuchadnezzar！〃

〃But；　Raphael；　we　are　in　queer　company；　and　you　ought　to　keep　quiet
for　the　sake　of　your　own　dignity。〃

〃My　life　has　been　silent　too　long。　I　mean　to　have　my　revenge　now　on
the　world　at　large。　I　will　not　amuse　myself　by　squandering　paltry
five…franc　pieces；　I　will　reproduce　and　sum　up　my　epoch　by　absorbing
human　lives；　human　minds；　and　human　souls。　There　are　the　treasures　of
pestilencethat　is　no　paltry　kind　of　wealth；　is　it？　I　will　wrestle
with　feversyellow；　blue；　or　greenwith　whole　armies；　with　gibbets。
I　can　possess　FoedoraYet　no；　I　do　not　want　Foedora；　she　is　a
disease；　I　am　dying　of　Foedora。　I　want　to　forget　Foedora。〃

〃If　you　keep　on　calling　out　like　this；　I　shall　take　you　into　the
dining…room。〃

〃Do　you　see　this　skin？　It　is　Solomon's　will。　Solomon　belongs　to　mea
little　varlet　of　a　king！　Arabia　is　mine；　Arabia　Petraea　to　boot；　and
the　universe；　and　you　too；　if　I　choose。　If　I　choose　Ah！　be　careful。
I　can　buy　up　all　our　journalist's　shop；　you　shall　be　my　valet。　You
shall　be　my　valet；　you　shall　manage　my　newspaper。　Valet！　VALET；　that
is　to　say；　free　from　aches　and　pains；　because　he　has　no　brains。〃

At　the　word；　Emile　carried　Raphael　off　into　the　dining…room。

〃All　right；〃　he　remarked；　〃yes；　my　friend；　I　am　your　valet。　But　you
are　about　to　be　editor…in…chief　of　a　newspaper；　so　be　quiet；　and
behave　properly；　for　my　sake。　Have　you　no　regard　for　me？〃

〃Regard　for　you！　You　shall　have　Havana　cigars；　with　this　bit　of
shagreen：　always　with　this　skin；　this　supreme　bit　of　shagreen。　It　is　a
cure　for　corns；　and　efficacious　remedy。　Do　you　suffer？　I　will　remove
them。〃

〃Never　have　I　known　you　so　senseless〃

〃Senseless；　my　friend？　Not　at　all。　This　skin　contracts　whenever　I　form
a　wish'tis　a　paradox。　There　is　a　Brahmin　underneath　it！　The　Brahmin
must　be　a　droll　fellow；　for　our　desires；　look　you；　are　bound　to
expand〃

〃Yes；　yes〃

〃I　tell　you〃

〃Yes；　yes；　very　true；　I　am　quite　of　your　opinionour　desires
expand〃

〃The　skin；　I　tell　you。〃

〃Yes。〃

〃You　don't　believe　me。　I　know　you；　my　friend；　you　are　as　full　of　lies
as　a　new…made　king。〃

〃How　can　you　expect　me　to　follow　your　drunken　maunderings？〃

〃I　will　bet　you　I　can　prove　it。　Let　us　measure　it〃

〃Goodness！　he　will　never　get　off　to　sleep；〃　exclaimed　Emile；　as　he
watched　Raphael　rummaging　busily　in　the　dining…room。

Thanks　to　the　peculiar　clearness　with　which　external　objects　are
sometimes　projected　on　an　inebriated　brain；　in　sharp　contrast　to　its
own　obscure　imaginings；　Valentin　found　an　inkstand　and　a　table…napkin；
with　the　quickness　of　a　monkey；　repeating　all　the　time：

〃Let　us　measure　it！　Let　us　measure　it！〃

〃All　right；〃　said　Emile；　〃let　us　measure　it！〃

The　two　friends　spread　out　the　table…napkin　and　laid　the　Magic　Skin
upon　it。　As　Emile's　hand　appeared　to　be　steadier　than　Raphael's；　he
drew　a　line　with　pen　and　ink　round　the　talisman；　while　his　friend
said：

〃I　wished　for　an　income　of　two　hundred　thousand　livres；　didn't　I？
Well；　when　that　comes；　you　will　observe　a　mighty　diminution　of　my
chagrin。〃

〃Yesnow　go　to　sleep。　Shall　I　make　you　comfortable　on　that　sofa？　Now
then；　are　you　all　right？〃

〃Yes；　my　nursling　of　the　press。　You　shall　amuse　me；　you　shall　drive
the　flies　away　from　me。　The　friend　of　adversity　should　be　the　friend
of　prosperity。　So　I　will　give　you　some　Havanacig〃

〃Come；　now；　sleep。　Sleep　off　your　gold；　you　millionaire！〃

〃You！　sleep　off　your　paragraphs！　Good…night！　Say　good…night　to
Nebuchadnezzar！Love！　Wine！　France！glory　and　trtreas〃

Very　soon　the　snorings　of　the　two　friends　were　added　to　the　music　with
which　the　rooms　resoundedan　ineffectual　concert！　The　lights　went　out
one　by　one；　their　crystal　sconces　cracking　in　the　final　flare。　Night
threw　dark　shadows　over　this　prolonged　revelry；　in　which　Raphael's
narrative　had　been　a　second　orgy　of　speech；　of　words　without　ideas；　of
ideas　for　which　words　had　often　been　lacking。

Towards　noon；　next　day；　the　fair　Aquilina　bestirred　herself。　She
yawned　wearily。　She　had　slept　with　her　head　upon　a　painted　velvet
footstool；　and　her　cheeks　were　mottled　over　by　contact　with　the
surface。　Her　movement　awoke　Euphrasia；　who　suddenly　sprang　up　with　a
hoarse　cry；　her　pretty　face；　that　had　been　so　fresh　and　fair　in　the
evening；　was　sallow　now　and　pallid；　she　looked　like　a　candidate　for
the　hospital。　The　rest　awoke　also　by　degrees；　with　portentous
groanings；　to　feel　themselves　over　in　every　stiffened　limb；　and　to
experience　the　infinite　varieties　of　weariness　that　weighed　upon　them。

A　servant　came　in　to　throw　back　the　shutters　and　open　the　windows。
There　they　all　stood；　brought　back　to　consciousness　by　the　warm　rays
of　sunlight　that　shone　upon　the　sleepers'　heads。　Their　movements
during　slumber　had　disordered　the　elaborately　arranged　hair　and
toilettes　of　the　women。　They　presented　a　ghastly　spectacle　in　the
bright　daylight。　Their　hair　fell　ungracefully　about　them；　their　eyes；
lately　so　brilliant；　were　heavy　and　dim；　the　expression　of　their　faces
was　entirely　changed。　The　sickly　hues；　which　daylight　brings　out　so
strongly；　were　frightful。　An　olive　tint　had　crept　over　the　lymphatic
faces；　so　fair　and　soft　when　in　repose；　the　dainty　red　lips　were　grown
pale　and　dry；　and　bore　tokens　of　the　degradation　of　excess。　Each
disowned　his　mistress　of　the　night　before；　the　women　looked　wan　and
discolored；　like　flowers　trampled　under　foot　by　a　passing　procession。

The　men　who　scorned　them　looked　even　more　horrible。　Those　human　faces
would　have　made　you　shudder。　The　hollow　eyes　with　the　dark　circles
round　them　seemed　to　see　nothing；　they　were　dull　with　wine　and
stupefied　with　heavy　slumbers　that　had　been　exhausting　rather　than
refreshing。　There　was　an　indescribable　ferocious　and　stolid　bestiality
about　these　haggard　faces；　where　bare　physical　appetite　appeared　shorn
of　all　the　poetical　illusion　with　which　the　intellect　invests　it。　Even
these　fearless　champions；　accustomed　to　measure　themselves　with
excess；　were　struck　with　horror　at　this　awakening　of　vice；　stripped　of
its　disguises；　at　being　confronted　thus　with　sin；　the　skeleton　in
rags；　lifeless　and　hollow；　bereft　of　the　sophistries　of　the　intellect
and　the　enchantments　of　luxury。　Artists　and　courtesans　scrutinized　in
silence　and　with　haggard　glances　the　surrounding　disorder；　the　rooms
where　everything　had　been　laid　waste；　at　the　havoc　wrought　by　heated
passions。

Demoniac　laughter　broke　out　when　Taillefer；　catching　the　smothered
murmurs　of　his　guests；　tried　to　greet　them　with　a　grin。　His　darkly
flushed；　perspiring　countenance　loomed　upon　this　pandemonium；　like　the
image　of　a　crime　that　knows　no　remorse　（see　L'Auberge　Rouge）。　The
picture　was　complete。　A　picture　of　a　foul　life　in　the　midst　of　luxury；
a　hideous　mixture　of　the　pomp　and　squalor　of　humanity；　an　awakening
after　the　frenzy　of　Debauch　has　crushed　and　squeezed　all　the　fruits　of
life　in　her　strong　hands；　till　nothing　but　unsightly　refuse　is　left　to
her；　and　lies　in　which　she　believes　no　longer。　You　might　have　thought
of　Death　gloating　over　a　family　stricken　with　the　plague。

The　sweet　scents　and　dazzling　lights；　the　mirth　and　the　excitement
were　all　no　more；　disgust　with　its　nauseous　sensations　and　searching
philosophy　was　there　instead。　The　sun　shone　in　like　truth；　the　pure
outer　air　was　like　virtue；　in　contrast　with　the　heated　atmosphere；
heavy　with　the　fumes　of　the　previous　night　of　revelry。

Accustomed　as　they　were　to　their　life；　many　of　the　girls　thought　of
other　days　and