sarrasine-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！


betray　nothing；　and　represent　everything。　Provided　that　good　society
knows　the　amount　of　your　fortune；　you　are　classed　among　those　figures
which　equal　yours；　and　no　one　asks　to　see　your　credentials；　because
everybody　knows　how　little　they　cost。　In　a　city　where　social　problems
are　solved　by　algebraic　equations；　adventurers　have　many　chances　in
their　favor。　Even　if　this　family　were　of　gypsy　extraction；　it　was　so
wealthy；　so　attractive；　that　fashionable　society　could　well　afford　to
overlook　its　little　mysteries。　But；　unfortunately；　the　enigmatical
history　of　the　Lanty　family　offered　a　perpetual　subject　of　curiosity；
not　unlike　that　aroused　by　the　novels　of　Anne　Radcliffe。

People　of　an　observing　turn；　of　the　sort　who　are　bent　upon　finding　out
where　you　buy　your　candelabra；　or　who　ask　you　what　rent　you　pay　when
they　are　pleased　with　your　apartments；　had　noticed；　from　time　to　time；
the　appearance　of　an　extraordinary　personage　at　the　fetes；　concerts；
balls；　and　routs　given　by　the　countess。　It　was　a　man。　The　first　time
that　he　was　seen　in　the　house　was　at　a　concert；　when　he　seemed　to　have
been　drawn　to　the　salon　by　Marianina's　enchanting　voice。

〃I　have　been　cold　for　the　last　minute　or　two；〃　said　a　lady　near　the
door　to　her　neighbor。

The　stranger；　who　was　standing　near　the　speaker；　moved　away。

〃This　is　very　strange！　now　I　am　warm；〃　she　said；　after　his　departure。
〃Perhaps　you　will　call　me　mad；　but　I　cannot　help　thinking　that　my
neighbor；　the　gentleman　in　black　who　just　walked　away；　was　the　cause
of　my　feeling　cold。〃

Ere　long　the　exaggeration　to　which　people　in　society　are　naturally
inclined；　produced　a　large　and　growing　crop　of　the　most　amusing　ideas；
the　most　curious　expressions；　the　most　absurd　fables　concerning　this
mysterious　individual。　Without　being　precisely　a　vampire；　a　ghoul；　a
fictitious　man；　a　sort　of　Faust　or　Robin　des　Bois；　he　partook　of　the
nature　of　all　these　anthropomorphic　conceptions；　according　to　those
persons　who　were　addicted　to　the　fantastic。　Occasionally　some　German
would　take　for　realities　these　ingenious　jests　of　Parisian　evil…
speaking。　The　stranger　was　simply　/an　old　man/。　Some　young　men；　who
were　accustomed　to　decide　the　future　of　Europe　every　morning　in　a　few
fashionable　phrases；　chose　to　see　in　the　stranger　some　great　criminal；
the　possessor　of　enormous　wealth。　Novelists　described　the　old　man's
life　and　gave　some　really　interesting　details　of　the　atrocities
committed　by　him　while　he　was　in　the　service　of　the　Prince　of　Mysore。
Bankers；　men　of　a　more　positive　nature；　devised　a　specious　fable。

〃Bah！〃　they　would　say；　shrugging　their　broad　shoulders　pityingly；
〃that　little　old　fellow's　a　/Genoese　head/！〃

〃If　it　is　not　an　impertinent　question；　monsieur；　would　you　have　the
kindness　to　tell　me　what　you　mean　by　a　Genoese　head？〃

〃I　mean；　monsieur；　that　he　is　a　man　upon　whose　life　enormous　sums
depend；　and　whose　good　health　is　undoubtedly　essential　to　the
continuance　of　this　family's　income。　I　remember　that　I　once　heard　a
mesmerist；　at　Madame　d'Espard's；　undertake　to　prove　by　very　specious
historical　deductions；　that　this　old　man；　if　put　under　the　magnifying
glass；　would　turn　out　to　be　the　famous　Balsamo；　otherwise　called
Cagliostro。　According　to　this　modern　alchemist；　the　Sicilian　had
escaped　death；　and　amused　himself　making　gold　for　his　grandchildren。
And　the　Bailli　of　Ferette　declared　that　he　recognized　in　this
extraordinary　personage　the　Comte　de　Saint…Germain。〃

Such　nonsense　as　this；　put　forth　with　the　assumption　of　superior
cleverness；　with　the　air　of　raillery；　which　in　our　day　characterize　a
society　devoid　of　faith；　kept　alive　vague　suspicions　concerning　the
Lanty　family。　At　last；　by　a　strange　combination　of　circumstances；　the
members　of　that　family　justified　the　conjectures　of　society　by
adopting　a　decidedly　mysterious　course　of　conduct　with　this　old　man；
whose　life　was；　in　a　certain　sense；　kept　hidden　from　all
investigations。

If　he　crossed　the　threshold　of　the　apartment　he　was　supposed　to　occupy
in　the　Lanty　mansion；　his　appearance　always　caused　a　great　sensation
in　the　family。　One　would　have　supposed　that　it　was　an　event　of　the
greatest　importance。　Only　Filippo；　Marianina；　Madame　de　Lanty；　and　an
old　servant　enjoyed　the　privilege　of　assisting　the　unknown　to　walk；　to
rise；　to　sit　down。　Each　one　of　them　kept　a　close　watch　on　his
slightest　movements。　It　seemed　as　if　he　were　some　enchanted　person
upon　whom　the　happiness；　the　life；　or　the　fortune　of　all　depended。　Was
it　fear　or　affection？　Society　could　discover　no　indication　which
enabled　them　to　solve　this　problem。　Concealed　for　months　at　a　time　in
the　depths　of　an　unknown　sanctuary；　this　familiar　spirit　suddenly
emerged；　furtively　as　it　were；　unexpectedly；　and　appeared　in　the
salons　like　the　fairies　of　old；　who　alighted　from　their　winged　dragons
to　disturb　festivities　to　which　they　had　not　been　invited。　Only　the
most　experienced　observers　could　divine　the　anxiety；　at　such　times；　of
the　masters　of　the　house；　who　were　peculiarly　skilful　in　concealing
their　feelings。　But　sometimes；　while　dancing　a　quadrille；　the　too
ingenuous　Marianina　would　cast　a　terrified　glance　at　the　old　man；　whom
she　watched　closely　from　the　circle　of　dancers。　Or　perhaps　Filippo
would　leave　his　place　and　glide　through　the　crowd　to　where　he　stood；
and　remain　beside　him；　affectionate　and　watchful；　as　if　the　touch　of
man；　or　the　faintest　breath；　would　shatter　that　extraordinary
creature。　The　countess　would　try　to　draw　nearer　to　him　without
apparently　intending　to　join　him；　then；　assuming　a　manner　and　an
expression　in　which　servility　and　affection；　submissiveness　and
tyranny；　were　equally　noticeable；　she　would　say　two　or　three　words；　to
which　the　old　man　almost　always　deferred；　and　he　would　disappear；　led；
or　I　might　better　say　carried　away；　by　her。　If　Madame　de　Lanty　were
not　present；　the　Count　would　employ　a　thousand　ruses　to　reach　his
side；　but　it　always　seemed　as　if　he　found　difficulty　in　inducing　him
to　listen；　and　he　treated　him　like　a　spoiled　child；　whose　mother
gratifies　his　whims　and　at　the　same　time　suspects　mutiny。　Some　prying
persons　having　ventured　to　question　the　Comte　de　Lanty　indiscreetly；
that　cold　and　reserved　individual　seemed　not　to　understand　their
questions。　And　so；　after　many　attempts；　which　the　circumspection　of
all　the　members　of　the　family　rendered　fruitless；　no　one　sought　to
discover　a　secret　so　well　guarded。　Society　spies；　triflers；　and
politicians；　weary　of　the　strife；　ended　by　ceasing　to　concern
themselves　about　the　mystery。

But　at　that　moment；　it　may　be；　there　were　in　those　gorgeous　salons
philosophers　who　said　to　themselves；　as　they　discussed　an　ice　or　a
sherbet；　or　placed　their　empty　punch　glasses　on　a　tray：

〃I　should　not　be　surprised　to　learn　that　these　people　are　knaves。　That
old　fellow　who　keeps　out　of　sight　and　appears　only　at　the　equinoxes　or
solstices；　looks　to　me　exactly　like　an　assassin。〃

〃Or　a　bankrupt。〃

〃There's　very　little　difference。　To　destroy　a　man's　fortune　is　worse
than　to　kill　the　man　himself。〃

〃I　bet　twenty　louis；　monsieur；　there　are　forty　due　me。〃

〃Faith；　monsieur；　there　are　only　thirty　left　on　the　cloth。〃

〃Just　see　what　a　mixed　company　there　is！　One　can't　play　cards　in
peace。〃

〃Very　true。　But　it's　almost　six　months　since　we　saw　the　Spirit。　Do　you
think　he's　a　living　being？〃

〃Well；　barely。〃

These　last　remarks　were　made　in　my　neighborhood　by　persons　whom　I　did
not　know；　and　who　passed　out　of　hearing　just　as　I　was　summarizing　in
one　last　thought　my　reflections；　in　which　black　and　white；　life　and
death；　were　inextricably　mingled。　My　wandering　imagination；　like　my
eyes；　contemplated　alternately　the　festivities；　which　had　now　reached
the　climax　of　their　splendor；　and　the　gloomy　picture　presented　by　the
gardens。　I　have　no　idea　how　long　I　meditated　upon　those　two　faces　of
the　human　medal；　but　I　was　suddenly　aroused　by　the　stifled　laughter　of
a　young　woman。　I　was　stupefied　at　the　picture　presented　to　my　eyes。　By
virtue　of　one　of　the　strangest　of　nature's　freaks；　the　thought　half
draped　in　black；　which　was　tossing　about　in　my　brain；　emerged　from　it
and　stood　before　me　personified；　living；　it　had　c