sarrasine-第3章

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and　stood　before　me　personified；　living；　it　had　come　forth　like
Minerva　from　Jupiter's　brain；　tall　and　strong；　it　was　at　once　a
hundred　years　old　and　twenty…two；　it　was　alive　and　dead。　Escaped　from
his　chamber；　like　a　madman　from　his　cell；　the　little　old　man　had
evidently　crept　behind　a　long　line　of　people　who　were　listening
attentively　to　Marianina's　voice　as　she　finished　the　cavatina　from
/Tancred/。　He　seemed　to　have　come　up　through　the　floor；　impelled　by
some　stage　mechanism。　He　stood　for　a　moment　motionless　and　sombre；
watching　the　festivities；　a　murmur　of　which　had　perhaps　reached　his
ears。　His　almost　somnambulistic　preoccupation　was　so　concentrated　upon
things　that；　although　he　was　in　the　midst　of　many　people；　he　saw
nobody。　He　had　taken　his　place　unceremoniously　beside　one　of　the　most
fascinating　women　in　Paris；　a　young　and　graceful　dancer；　with　slender
figure；　a　face　as　fresh　as　a　child's；　all　pink　and　white；　and　so
fragile；　so　transparent；　that　it　seemed　that　a　man's　glance　must　pass
through　her　as　the　sun's　rays　pass　through　flawless　glass。　They　stood
there　before　me；　side　by　side；　so　close　together；　that　the　stranger
rubbed　against　the　gauze　dress；　and　the　wreaths　of　flowers；　and　the
hair；　slightly　crimped；　and　the　floating　ends　of　the　sash。

I　had　brought　that　young　woman　to　Madame　de　Lanty's　ball。　As　it　was
her　first　visit　to　that　house；　I　forgave　her　her　stifled　laugh；　but　I
hastily　made　an　imperious　sign　which　abashed　her　and　inspired　respect
for　her　neighbor。　She　sat　down　beside　me。　The　old　man　did　not　choose
to　leave　the　charming　creature；　to　whom　he　clung　capriciously　with　the
silent　and　apparently　causeless　obstinacy　to　which　very　old　persons
are　subject；　and　which　makes　them　resemble　children。　In　order　to　sit
down　beside　the　young　lady　he　needed　a　folding…chair。　His　slightest
movements　were　marked　by　the　inert　heaviness；　the　stupid　hesitancy；
which　characterize　the　movements　of　a　paralytic。　He　sat　slowly　down
upon　his　chair　with　great　caution；　mumbling　some　unintelligible　words。
His　cracked　voice　resembled　the　noise　made　by　a　stone　falling　into　a
well。　The　young　woman　nervously　pressed　my　hand；　as　if　she　were　trying
to　avoid　a　precipice；　and　shivered　when　that　man；　at　whom　she　happened
to　be　looking；　turned　upon　her　two　lifeless；　sea…green　eyes；　which
could　be　compared　to　nothing　save　tarnished　mother…of…pearl。

〃I　am　afraid；〃　she　said；　putting　her　lips　to　my　ear。

〃You　can　speak；〃　I　replied；　〃he　hears　with　great　difficulty。〃

〃You　know　him；　then？〃

〃Yes。〃

Thereupon　she　summoned　courage　to　scrutinize　for　a　moment　that
creature　for　which　no　human　language　has　a　name；　form　without
substance；　a　being　without　life；　or　life　without　action。　She　was　under
the　spell　of　that　timid　curiosity　which　impels　women　to　seek　perilous
excitement；　to　gaze　at　chained　tigers　and　boa…constrictors；　shuddering
all　the　while　because　the　barriers　between　them　are　so　weak。　Although
the　little　old　man's　back　was　bent　like　a　day…laborer's；　it　was　easy
to　see　that　he　must　formerly　have　been　of　medium　height。　His　excessive
thinness；　the　slenderness　of　his　limbs；　proved　that　he　had　always　been
of　slight　build。　He　wore　black　silk　breeches　which　hung　about　his
fleshless　thighs　in　folds；　like　a　lowered　veil。　An　anatomist　would
instinctively　have　recognized　the　symptoms　of　consumption　in　its
advanced　stages；　at　sight　of　the　tiny　legs　which　served　to　support
that　strange　frame。　You　would　have　said　that　they　were　a　pair　of
cross…bones　on　a　gravestone。　A　feeling　of　profound　horror　seized　the
heart　when　a　close　scrutiny　revealed　the　marks　made　by　decrepitude
upon　that　frail　machine。

He　wore　a　white　waistcoat　embroidered　with　gold；　in　the　old　style；　and
his　linen　was　of　dazzling　whiteness。　A　shirt…frill　of　English　lace；
yellow　with　age；　the　magnificence　of　which　a　queen　might　have　envied；
formed　a　series　of　yellow　ruffles　on　his　breast；　but　upon　him　the　lace
seemed　rather　a　worthless　rag　than　an　ornament。　In　the　centre　of　the
frill　a　diamond　of　inestimable　value　gleamed　like　a　sun。　That
superannuated　splendor；　that　display　of　treasure；　of　great　intrinsic
worth；　but　utterly　without　taste；　served　to　bring　out　in　still　bolder
relief　the　strange　creature's　face。　The　frame　was　worthy　of　the
portrait。　That　dark　face　was　full　of　angles　and　furrowed　deep　in　every
direction；　the　chin　was　furrowed；　there　were　great　hollows　at　the
temples；　the　eyes　were　sunken　in　yellow　orbits。　The　maxillary　bones；
which　his　indescribable　gauntness　caused　to　protrude；　formed　deep
cavities　in　the　centre　of　both　cheeks。　These　protuberances；　as　the
light　fell　upon　them；　caused　curious　effects　of　light　and　shadow　which
deprived　that　face　of　its　last　vestige　of　resemblance　to　the　human
countenance。　And　then；　too；　the　lapse　of　years　had　drawn　the　fine；
yellow　skin　so　close　to　the　bones　that　it　described　a　multitude　of
wrinkles　everywhere；　either　circular　like　the　ripples　in　the　water
caused　by　a　stone　which　a　child　throws　in；　or　star…shaped　like　a　pane
of　glass　cracked　by　a　blow；　but　everywhere　very　deep；　and　as　close
together　as　the　leaves　of　a　closed　book。　We　often　see　more　hideous　old
men；　but　what　contributed　more　than　aught　else　to　give　to　the　spectre
that　rose　before　us　the　aspect　of　an　artificial　creation　was　the　red
and　white　paint　with　which　he　glistened。　The　eyebrows　shone　in　the
light　with　a　lustre　which　disclosed　a　very　well　executed　bit　of
painting。　Luckily　for　the　eye；　saddened　by　such　a　mass　of　ruins；　his
corpse…like　skull　was　concealed　beneath　a　light　wig；　with　innumerable
curls　which　indicated　extraordinary　pretensions　to　elegance。　Indeed；
the　feminine　coquettishness　of　this　fantastic　apparition　was
emphatically　asserted　by　the　gold　ear…rings　which　hung　at　his　ears；　by
the　rings　containing　stones　of　marvelous　beauty　which　sparkled　on　his
fingers；　like　the　brilliants　in　a　river　of　gems　around　a　woman's　neck。
Lastly；　this　species　of　Japanese　idol　had　constantly　upon　his　blue
lips；　a　fixed；　unchanging　smile；　the　shadow　of　an　implacable　and
sneering　laugh；　like　that　of　a　death's　head。　As　silent　and　motionless
as　a　statue；　he　exhaled　the　musk…like　odor　of　the　old　dresses　which　a
duchess'　heirs　exhume　from　her　wardrobe　during　the　inventory。　If　the
old　man　turned　his　eyes　toward　the　company；　it　seemed　that　the
movements　of　those　globes；　no　longer　capable　of　reflecting　a　gleam；
were　accomplished　by　an　almost　imperceptible　effort；　and；　when　the
eyes　stopped；　he　who　was　watching　them　was　not　certain　finally　that
they　had　moved　at　all。　As　I　saw；　beside　that　human　ruin；　a　young　woman
whose　bare　neck　and　arms　and　breast　were　white　as　snow；　whose　figure
was　well…rounded　and　beautiful　in　its　youthful　grace；　whose　hair；
charmingly　arranged　above　an　alabaster　forehead；　inspired　love；　whose
eyes　did　not　receive　but　gave　forth　light；　who　was　sweet　and　fresh；
and　whose　fluffy　curls；　whose　fragrant　breath；　seemed　too　heavy；　too
harsh；　too　overpowering　for　that　shadow；　for　that　man　of　dustah！　the
thought　that　came　into　my　mind　was　of　death　and　life；　an　imaginary
arabesque；　a　half…hideous　chimera；　divinely　feminine　from　the　waist
up。

〃And　yet　such　marriages　are　often　made　in　society！〃　I　said　to　myself。

〃He　smells　of　the　cemetery！〃　cried　the　terrified　young　woman；　grasping
my　arm　as　if　to　make　sure　of　my　protection；　and　moving　about　in　a
restless；　excited　way；　which　convinced　me　that　she　was　very　much
frightened。　〃It's　a　horrible　vision；〃　she　continued；　〃I　cannot　stay
here　any　longer。　If　I　look　at　him　again　I　shall　believe　that　Death
himself　has　come　in　search　of　me。　But　is　he　alive？〃

She　placed　her　hand　on　the　phenomenon；　with　the　boldness　which　women
derive　from　the　violence　of　their　wishes；　but　a　cold　sweat　burst　from
her　pores；　for；　the　instant　she　touched　the　old　man；　she　heard　a　cry
like　the　noise　made　by　a　rattle。　That　shrill　voice；　if　indeed　it　were
a　voice；　escaped　from　a　throat　almost　entirely　dry。　It　was　at　once
succeeded　by　a　convulsive　little　cough　like　a　child's；　of　a　peculiar
resonance。　At　that　sound；　Marianina；　Filippo；　and　Madame　de　Lanty
looked　toward　us；　and　their　glances　were　like　lightning　flashes。　The
young　woman　wished　that　she　were　at　t