the magic skin(驴皮记)-第9章

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man；　〃I　wish　for　a　royal　banquet；　a　carouse　worthy　of　this　century；
which；　it　is　said；　has　brought　everything　to　perfection！　Let　me　have
young　boon　companions；　witty；　unwarped　by　prejudice；　merry　to　the
verge　of　madness！　Let　one　wine　succeed　another；　each　more　biting　and
perfumed　than　the　last；　and　strong　enough　to　bring　about　three　days　of
delirium！　Passionate　women's　forms　should　grace　that　night！　I　would　be
borne　away　to　unknown　regions　beyond　the　confines　of　this　world；　by
the　car　and　four…winged　steed　of　a　frantic　and　uproarious　orgy。　Let　us
ascend　to　the　skies；　or　plunge　ourselves　in　the　mire。　I　do　not　know　if
one　soars　or　sinks　at　such　moments；　and　I　do　not　care！　Next；　I　bid
this　enigmatical　power　to　concentrate　all　delights　for　me　in　one
single　joy。　Yes；　I　must　comprehend　every　pleasure　of　earth　and　heaven
in　the　final　embrace　that　is　to　kill　me。　Therefore；　after　the　wine；　I
wish　to　hold　high　festival　to　Priapus；　with　songs　that　might　rouse　the
dead；　and　kisses　without　end；　the　sound　of　them　should　pass　like　the
crackling　of　flame　through　Paris；　should　revive　the　heat　of　youth　and
passion　in　husband　and　wife；　even　in　hearts　of　seventy　years。〃

A　laugh　burst　from　the　little　old　man。　It　rang　in　the　young　man's　ears
like　an　echo　from　hell；　and　tyrannously　cut　him　short。　He　said　no
more。

〃Do　you　imagine　that　my　floors　are　going　to　open　suddenly；　so　that
luxuriously…appointed　tables　may　rise　through　them；　and　guests　from
another　world？　No；　no；　young　madcap。　You　have　entered　into　the　compact
now；　and　there　is　an　end　of　it。　Henceforward；　your　wishes　will　be
accurately　fulfilled；　but　at　the　expense　of　your　life。　The　compass　of
your　days；　visible　in　that　skin；　will　contract　according　to　the
strength　and　number　of　your　desires；　from　the　least　to　the　most
extravagant。　The　Brahmin　from　whom　I　had　this　skin　once　explained　to
me　that　it　would　bring　about　a　mysterious　connection　between　the
fortunes　and　wishes　of　its　possessor。　Your　first　wish　is　a　vulgar　one；
which　I　could　fulfil；　but　I　leave　that　to　the　issues　of　your　new
existence。　After　all；　you　were　wishing　to　die；　very　well；　your　suicide
is　only　put　off　for　a　time。〃

The　stranger　was　surprised　and　irritated　that　this　peculiar　old　man
persisted　in　not　taking　him　seriously。　A　half　philanthropic　intention
peeped　so　clearly　forth　from　his　last　jesting　observation；　that　he
exclaimed：

〃I　shall　soon　see；　sir；　if　any　change　comes　over　my　fortunes　in　the
time　it　will　take　to　cross　the　width　of　the　quay。　But　I　should　like　us
to　be　quits　for　such　a　momentous　service；　that　is；　if　you　are　not
laughing　at　an　unlucky　wretch；　so　I　wish　that　you　may　fall　in　love
with　an　opera…dancer。　You　would　understand　the　pleasures　of
intemperance　then；　and　might　perhaps　grow　lavish　of　the　wealth　that
you　have　husbanded　so　philosophically。〃

He　went　out　without　heeding　the　old　man's　heavy　sigh；　went　back
through　the　galleries　and　down　the　staircase；　followed　by　the　stout
assistant　who　vainly　tried　to　light　his　passage；　he　fled　with　the
haste　of　a　robber　caught　in　the　act。　Blinded　by　a　kind　of　delirium；　he
did　not　even　notice　the　unexpected　flexibility　of　the　piece　of
shagreen；　which　coiled　itself　up；　pliant　as　a　glove　in　his　excited
fingers；　till　it　would　go　into　the　pocket　of　his　coat；　where　he
mechanically　thrust　it。　As　he　rushed　out　of　the　door　into　the　street；
he　ran　up　against　three　young　men　who　were　passing　arm…in…arm。

〃Brute！〃

〃Idiot！〃

Such　were　the　gratifying　expressions　exchanged　between　them。

〃Why；　it　is　Raphael！〃

〃Good！　we　were　looking　for　you。〃

〃What！　it　is　you；　then？〃

These　three　friendly　exclamations　quickly　followed　the　insults；　as　the
light　of　a　street　lamp；　flickering　in　the　wind；　fell　upon　the
astonished　faces　of　the　group。

〃My　dear　fellow；　you　must　come　with　us！〃　said　the　young　man　that
Raphael　had　all　but　knocked　down。

〃What　is　all　this　about？〃

〃Come　along；　and　I　will　tell　you　the　history　of　it　as　we　go。〃

By　fair　means　or　foul；　Raphael　must　go　along　with　his　friends　towards
the　Pont　des　Arts；　they　surrounded　him；　and　linked　him　by　the　arm
among　their　merry　band。

〃We　have　been　after　you　for　about　a　week；〃　the　speaker　went　on。　〃At
your　respectable　hotel　de　Saint　Quentin；　where；　by　the　way；　the　sign
with　the　alternate　black　and　red　letters　cannot　be　removed；　and　hangs
out　just　as　it　did　in　the　time　of　Jean　Jacques；　that　Leonarda　of　yours
told　us　that　you　were　off　into　the　country。　For　all　that；　we　certainly
did　not　look　like　duns；　creditors；　sheriff's　officers；　or　the　like。
But　no　matter！　Rastignac　had　seen　you　the　evening　before　at　the
Bouffons；　we　took　courage　again；　and　made　it　a　point　of　honor　to　find
out　whether　you　were　roosting　in　a　tree　in　the　Champs…Elysees；　or　in
one　of　those　philanthropic　abodes　where　the　beggars　sleep　on　a
twopenny　rope；　or　if；　more　luckily；　you　were　bivouacking　in　some
boudoir　or　other。　We　could　not　find　you　anywhere。　Your　name　was　not　in
the　jailers'　registers　at　the　St。　Pelagie　nor　at　La　Force！　Government
departments；　cafes；　libraries；　lists　of　prefects'　names；　newspaper
offices；　restaurants；　greenroomsto　cut　it　short；　every　lurking　place
in　Paris；　good　or　bad；　has　been　explored　in　the　most　expert　manner。　We
bewailed　the　loss　of　a　man　endowed　with　such　genius；　that　one　might
look　to　find　him　at　Court　or　in　the　common　jails。　We　talked　of
canonizing　you　as　a　hero　of　July；　and；　upon　my　word；　we　regretted
you！〃

As　he　spoke；　the　friends　were　crossing　the　Pont　des　Arts。　Without
listening　to　them；　Raphael　looked　at　the　Seine；　at　the　clamoring　waves
that　reflected　the　lights　of　Paris。　Above　that　river；　in　which　but　now
he　had　thought　to　fling　himself；　the　old　man's　prediction　had　been
fulfilled；　the　hour　of　his　death　had　been　already　put　back　by　fate。

〃We　really　regretted　you；〃　said　his　friend；　still　pursuing　his　theme。
〃It　was　a　question　of　a　plan　in　which　we　included　you　as　a　superior
person；　that　is　to　say；　somebody　who　can　put　himself　above　other
people。　The　constitutional　thimble…rig　is　carried　on　to…day；　dear　boy；
more　seriously　than　ever。　The　infamous　monarchy；　displaced　by　the
heroism　of　the　people；　was　a　sort　of　drab；　you　could　laugh　and　revel
with　her；　but　La　Patrie　is　a　shrewish　and　virtuous　wife；　and　willy…
nilly　you　must　take　her　prescribed　endearments。　Then　besides；　as　you
know；　authority　passed　over　from　the　Tuileries　to　the　journalists；　at
the　time　when　the　Budget　changed　its　quarters　and　went　from　the
Faubourg　Saint…Germain　to　the　Chaussee　de　Antin。　But　this　you　may　not
know　perhaps。　The　Government；　that　is；　the　aristocracy　of　lawyers　and
bankers　who　represent　the　country　to…day；　just　as　the　priests　used　to
do　in　the　time　of　the　monarchy；　has　felt　the　necessity　of　mystifying
the　worthy　people　of　France　with　a　few　new　words　and　old　ideas；　like
philosophers　of　every　school；　and　all　strong　intellects　ever　since
time　began。　So　now　Royalist…national　ideas　must　be　inculcated；　by
proving　to　us　that　it　is　far　better　to　pay　twelve　million　francs；
thirty…three　centimes　to　La　Patrie；　represented　by　Messieurs　Such…and…
Such；　than　to　pay　eleven　hundred　million　francs；　nine　centimes　to　a
king　who　used　to　say　_I_　instead　of　WE。　In　a　word；　a　journal；　with　two
or　three　hundred　thousand　francs；　good；　at　the　back　of　it；　has　just
been　started；　with　a　view　to　making　an　opposition　paper　to　content　the
discontented；　without　prejudice　to　the　national　government　of　the
citizen…king。　We　scoff　at　liberty　as　at　despotism　now；　and　at　religion
or　incredulity　quite　impartially。　And　since；　for　us；　'our　country'
means　a　capital　where　ideas　circulate　and　are　sold　at　so　much　a　line；
a　succulent　dinner　every　day；　and　the　play　at　frequent　intervals；
where　profligate　women　swarm；　where　suppers　last　on　into　the　next　day；
and　light　loves　are　hired　by　the　hour　like　cabs；　and　since　Paris　will
always　be　the　most　adorable　of　all　countries；　the　country　of　joy；
liberty；　wit；　pretty　women；　mauvais　sujets；　and　good　wine；　where　the
truncheon　of　authority　never　makes　itself　disagreeably　felt；　because
one　is　so　close　to　those　who　wield　it；we；　therefore；　sectaries　of
the　god　Mephistopheles；　have　engaged　to　whitewash　the　public　mind；　to
give　fresh　c