ferragus-第2章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


would　be　out　of　place　here。　The　author　must；　however；　add　that　under
the　old　monarchy　it　was　not　an　unknown　thing　to　find　a　〃Trempe…la…
Soupe〃　enslaved　to　the　king　sentenced　for　a　hundred　and　one　years　to
the　galleys；　but　ruling　his　tribe　from　there；　religiously　consulted　by
it；　and　when　he　escaped　from　his　galley；　certain　of　help；　succor；　and
respect；　wherever　he　might　be。　To　see　its　grand　master　at　the　galleys
is；　to　the　faithful　tribe；　only　one　of　those　misfortunes　for　which
providence　is　responsible；　and　which　does　not　release　the　Devorants
from　obeying　a　power　created　by　them　to　be　above　them。　It　is　but　the
passing　exile　of　their　legitimate　king；　always　a　king　for　them。　Thus
we　see　the　romantic　prestige　attaching　to　the　name　of　Ferragus　and　to
that　of　the　Devorants　completely　dissipated。

As　for　the　THIRTEEN；　they　were　all　men　of　the　stamp　of　Trelawney；　Lord
Byron's　friend；　who　was；　they　say；　the　original　of　his　〃Corsair。〃　They
were　all　fatalists；　men　of　nerve　and　poesy；　weary　of　leading　flat　and
empty　lives；　driven　toward　Asiatic　enjoyments　by　forces　all　the　more
excessive　because；　long　dormant；　they　awoke　furious。　One　of　them；
after　re…reading　〃Venice　Preserved；〃　and　admiring　the　sublime　union　of
Pierre　and　Jaffier；　began　to　reflect　on　the　virtues　shown　by　men　who
are　outlawed　by　society；　on　the　honesty　of　galley…slaves；　the
faithfulness　of　thieves　among　each　other；　the　privileges　of　exorbitant
power　which　such　men　know　how　to　win　by　concentrating　all　ideas　into　a
single　will。　He　saw　that　Man　is　greater　than　men。　He　concluded　that
society　ought　to　belong　wholly　to　those　distinguished　beings　who；　to
natural　intelligence；　acquired　wisdom；　and　fortune；　add　a　fanaticism
hot　enough　to　fuse　into　one　casting　these　different　forces。　That　done；
their　occult　power；　vast　in　action　and　in　intensity；　against　which　the
social　order　would　be　helpless；　would　cast　down　all　obstacles；　blast
all　other　wills；　and　give　to　each　the　devilish　power　of　all。　This
world　apart　within　the　world；　hostile　to　the　world；　admitting　none　of
the　world's　ideas；　not　recognizing　any　law；　not　submitting　to　any
conscience　but　that　of　necessity；　obedient　to　a　devotion　only；　acting
with　every　faculty　for　a　single　associate　when　one　of　their　number
asked　for　the　assistance　of　all；this　life　of　filibusters　in　lemon
kid　gloves　and　cabriolets；　this　intimate　union　of　superior　beings；
cold　and　sarcastic；　smiling　and　cursing　in　the　midst　of　a　false　and
puerile　society；　this　certainty　of　forcing　all　things　to　serve　an　end；
of　plotting　a　vengeance　that　could　not　fail　of　living　in　thirteen
hearts；　this　happiness　of　nurturing　a　secret　hatred　in　the　face　of
men；　and　of　being　always　in　arms　against　this；　this　ability　to
withdraw　to　the　sanctuary　of　self　with　one　idea　more　than　even　the
most　remarkable　of　men　could　have；this　religion　of　pleasure　and
egotism　cast　so　strong　a　spell　over　Thirteen　men　that　they　revived　the
society　of　Jesuits　to　the　profit　of　the　devil。

It　was　horrible　and　stupendous；　but　the　compact　was　made；　and　it
lasted　precisely　because　it　appeared　to　be　so　impossible。

There　was；　therefore；　in　Paris　a　brotherhood　of　THIRTEEN；　who　belonged
to　each　other　absolutely；　but　ignored　themselves　as　absolutely　before
the　world。　At　night　they　met；　like　conspirators；　hiding　no　thought；
disposing　each　and　all　of　a　common　fortune；　like　that　of　the　Old　Man
of　the　Mountain；　having　their　feet　in　all　salons；　their　hands　in　all
money…boxes；　and　making　all　things　serve　their　purpose　or　their　fancy
without　scruple。　No　chief　commanded　them；　no　one　member　could　arrogate
to　himself　that　power。　The　most　eager　passion；　the　most　exacting
circumstance；　alone　had　the　right　to　pass　first。　They　were　Thirteen
unknown　kings；but　true　kings；　more　than　ordinary　kings　and　judges
and　executioners；men　who；　having　made　themselves　wings　to　roam
through　society　from　depth　to　height；　disdained　to　be　anything　in　the
social　sphere　because　they　could　be　all。　If　the　present　writer　ever
learns　the　reasons　of　their　abdication　of　this　power；　he　will　take
occasion　to　tell　them。＇*＇

＇*＇　See　Theophile　Gautier's　account　of　the　society　of　the　〃Cheval
　　　　Rouge。〃　Memoir　of　Balzac。　Roberts　Brothers；　Boston。

Now；　with　this　brief　explanation；　he　may　be　allowed　to　begin　the　tale
of　certain　episodes　in　the　history　of　the　THIRTEEN；　which　have　more
particularly　attracted　him　by　the　Parisian　flavor　of　their　details　and
the　whimsicality　of　their　contrasts。





FERRAGUS；
CHIEF　OF　THE　DEVORANTS



CHAPTER　I

MADAME　JULES

Certain　streets　in　Paris　are　as　degraded　as　a　man　covered　with　infamy；
also；　there　are　noble　streets；　streets　simply　respectable；　young
streets　on　the　morality　of　which　the　public　has　not　yet　formed　an
opinion；　also　cut…throat　streets；　streets　older　than　the　age　of　the
oldest　dowagers；　estimable　streets；　streets　always　clean；　streets
always　dirty；　working；　laboring；　and　mercantile　streets。　In　short；　the
streets　of　Paris　have　every　human　quality；　and　impress　us；　by　what　we
must　call　their　physiognomy；　with　certain　ideas　against　which　we　are
defenceless。　There　are；　for　instance；　streets　of　a　bad　neighborhood　in
which　you　could　not　be　induced　to　live；　and　streets　where　you　would
willingly　take　up　your　abode。　Some　streets；　like　the　rue　Montmartre；
have　a　charming　head；　and　end　in　a　fish's　tail。　The　rue　de　la　Paix　is
a　wide　street；　a　fine　street；　yet　it　wakens　none　of　those　gracefully
noble　thoughts　which　come　to　an　impressible　mind　in　the　middle　of　the
rue　Royale；　and　it　certainly　lacks　the　majesty　which　reigns　in　the
Place　Vendome。

If　you　walk　the　streets　of　the　Ile　Saint…Louis；　do　not　seek　the　reason
of　the　nervous　sadness　that　lays　hold　upon　you　save　in　the　solitude　of
the　spot；　the　gloomy　look　of　the　houses；　and　the　great　deserted
mansions。　This　island；　the　ghost　of　/fermiers…generaux/；　is　the　Venice
of　Paris。　The　Place　de　la　Bourse　is　voluble；　busy；　degraded；　it　is
never　fine　except　by　moonlight　at　two　in　the　morning。　By　day　it　is
Paris　epitomized；　by　night　it　is　a　dream　of　Greece。　The　rue
Traversiere…Saint…Honoreis　not　that　a　villainous　street？　Look　at　the
wretched　little　houses　with　two　windows　on　a　floor；　where　vice；　crime；
and　misery　abound。　The　narrow　streets　exposed　to　the　north；　where　the
sun　never　comes　more　than　three　or　four　times　a　year；　are　the
cut…throat　streets　which　murder　with　impunity；　the　authorities　of　the
present　day　do　not　meddle　with　them；　but　in　former　times　the
Parliament　might　perhaps　have　summoned　the　lieutenant　of　police　and
reprimanded　him　for　the　state　of　things；　and　it　would；　at　least；　have
issued　some　decree　against　such　streets；　as　it　once　did　against　the
wigs　of　the　Chapter　of　Beauvais。　And　yet　Monsieur　Benoiston　de
Chateauneuf　has　proved　that　the　mortality　of　these　streets　is　double
that　of　others！　To　sum　up　such　theories　by　a　single　example：　is　not
the　rue　Fromentin　both　murderous　and　profligate！

These　observations；　incomprehensible　out　of　Paris；　will　doubtless　be
understood　by　musing　men　of　thought　and　poesy　and　pleasure；　who　know；
while　rambling　about　Paris；　how　to　harvest　the　mass　of　floating
interests　which　may　be　gathered　at　all　hours　within　her　walls；　to　them
Paris　is　the　most　delightful　and　varied　of　monsters：　here；　a　pretty
woman；　farther　on；　a　haggard　pauper；　here；　new　as　the　coinage　of　a　new
reign；　there；　in　this　corner；　elegant　as　a　fashionable　woman。　A
monster；　moreover；　complete！　Its　garrets；　as　it　were；　a　head　full　of
knowledge　and　genius；　its　first　storeys　stomachs　repleted；　its　shops；
actual　feet；　where　the　busy　ambulating　crowds　are　moving。　Ah！　what　an
ever…active　life　the　monster　leads！　Hardly　has　the　last　vibration　of
the　last　carriage　coming　from　a　ball　ceased　at　its　heart　before　its
arms　are　moving　at　the　barriers　and　it　shakes　itself　slowly　into
motion。　Doors　open；　turning　on　their　hinges　like　the　membrane　of　some
huge　lobster；　invisibly　manipulated　by　thirty　thousand　men　or　women；
of　whom　each　individual　occupies　a　space　of　six　square　feet；　but　has　a
kitchen；　a　workshop；　a　bed；　children；　a　garden；　little　light　to　see
by；　but　must　see　all。　Imperceptibly；　the　articulations　begin　to　crack；
motion　communicates　itself