tartarin of tarascon-第12章

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e　operation　took　rather　long。　　When　he　did　straighten　up；　with　the　jessamine　garland　upon　his　heart；　the　donatrix　had　vanished。



VIII。　Ye　Lions　of　the　Atlas；　repose　in　peace！


LIONS　of　the　Atlas；　sleep！　　sleep　tranquilly　at　the　back　of　your　lairs　amid　the　aloes　and　cacti。　　For　a　few　days　to　come；　any　way；　Tartarin　of　Tarascon　will　not　massacre　you。　For　the　time　being；　all　his　warlike　paraphernalia；　gun…cases；　medicine　chest；　alimentary　preserves；　dwelt　peacefully　under　cover　in　a　corner　of　room　36　in　the　Hotel　de　l'Europe。

Sleep　with　no　fear；　great　red　lions；　the　Tarasconian　is　engaged　in　looking　up　that　Moorish　charmer。　　Since　the　adventure　in　the　omnibus；　the　unfortunate　swain　perpetually　fancied　he　felt　the　fidgeting　of　that　pretty　red　mouse　upon　his　huge　backwoods　trapper's　foot；　and　the　sea…breeze　fanning　his　lips　was　ever　scented；　do　what　he　would；　with　a　love…exciting　odour　of　sweet　cakes　and　patchouli。

He　hungered　for　his　indispensable　light　of　the　harem！　and　he　meant　to　behold　her　anew。

But　it　was　no　joke　of　a　task。　　To　find　one　certain　person　in　a　city　of　a　hundred　thousand　souls；　only　known　by　the　eyes；　breath；　and　slipper；　　none　but　a　son　of　Tarascon；　panoplied　by　love；　would　be　capable　of　attempting　such　an　adventure。

The　plague　is　that；　under　their　broad　white　mufflers；　all　the　Moorish　women　resemble　one　another；　besides；　they　do　not　go　about　much；　and　to　see　them；　a　man　has　to　climb　up　into　the　native　or　upper　town；　the　city　of　the　〃Turks；〃　and　that　is　a　regular　cut…throat's　den。

Little　black　alleys；　very　narrow；　climbing　perpendicularly　up　between　mysterious　house…walls；　whose　roofs　lean　to　touching　and　form　a　tunnel；　low　doors；　and　sad；　silent　little　casements　well　barred　and　grated。　　Moreover；　on　both　hands；　stacks　of　darksome　stalls；　wherein　ferocious　〃Turks〃　smoked　long　pipes　stuck　between　glittering　teeth　in　piratical　heads　with　white　eyes；　and　mumbled　in　undertones　as　if　hatching　wicked　attacks。

To　say　that　Tartarin　traversed　this　grisly　place　without　any　emotion　would　be　putting　forth　falsehood。　　On　the　contrary；　he　was　much　affected；　and　the　stout　fellow　only　went　up　the　obscure　lanes；　where　his　corporation　took　up　all　the　width；　with　the　utmost　precaution；　his　eye　skinned；　and　his　finger　on　his　revolver　trigger；　in　the　same　manner　as　he　went　to　the　clubhouse　at　Tarascon。　　At　any　moment　he　expected　to　have　a　whole　gang　of　eunuchs　and　janissaries　drop　upon　his　back；　yet　the　longing　to　behold　that　dark　damsel　again　gave　him　a　giant's　strength　and　boldness。

For　a　full　week　the　undaunted　Tartarin　never　quitted　the　high　town。　Yes；　for　all　that　period　he　might　have　been　seen　cooling　his　heels　before　the　Turkish　bath…houses；　awaiting　the　hour　when　the　ladies　came　forth　in　troops；　shivering　and　still　redolent　of　soap　and　hot　water；　or　squatting　at　the　doorways　of　mosques；　puffing　and　melting　in　trying　to　get　out　of　his　big　boots　in　order　to　enter　the　temples。

Betimes　at　nightfall；　when　he　was　returning　heart…broken　at　not　having　discovered　anything　at　either　bagnio　or　mosque；　our　man　from　Tarascon；　in　passing　mansions；　would　hear　monotonous　songs；　smothered　twanging　of　guitars；　thumping　of　tambourines；　and　feminine　laughter…peals；　which　would　make　his　heart　beat。

〃Haply　she　is　there！〃　he　would　say　to　himself。

Thereupon；　granting　the　street　was　unpeopled；　he　would　go　up　to　one　of　these　dwellings；　lift　the　heavy　knocker　of　the　low　postern；　and　timidly　rap。　　The　songs　and　merriment　would　instantly　cease。　There　would　be　audible　behind　the　wall　nothing　excepting　low；　dull　flutterings　as　in　a　slumbering　aviary。

〃Let's　stick　to　it；　old　boy；〃　our　hero　would　think。　　〃Something　will　befall　us　yet。　〃

What　most　often　befell　him　was　the　contents　of　the　cold…water　jug　on　the　head；　or　else　peel　of　oranges　and　Barbary　figs；　never　anything　more　serious。

Well　might　the　lions　of　the　Atlas　Mountains　doze　in　peace。



IX。　Prince　Gregory　of　Montenegro。


IT　was　two　long　weeks　that　the　unfortunate　Tartarin　had　been　seeking　his　Algerian　flame；　and　most　likely　he　would　have　been　seeking　after　her　to　this　day　if　the　little　god　kind　to　lovers　had　not　come　to　his　help　under　the　shape　of　a　Montenegrin　nobleman。

It　happened　as　follows。

Every　Saturday　night　in　winter　there　is　a　masked　ball　at　the　Grand　Theatre　of　Algiers；　just　as　at　the　Paris　Opera…House。　　It　is　the　undying　and　ever…tasteless　county　fancy　dress　ball　　very　few　people　on　the　floor；　several　castaways　from　the　Parisian　students'　ballrooms　or　midnight　dance…houses；　Joins　of　Arc　following　the　army；　faded　characters　out　of　the　Java　costume…book　of　1840；　and　half…a…dozen　laundress's　underlings　who　are　aiming　to　make　loftier　conquests；　but　still　preserve　a　faint　perfume　of　their　former　life　　garlic　and　saffron　sauce。　　The　real　spectacle　is　not　there；　but　in　the　green…room；　transformed　for　the　nonce　into　a　hall　of　green　cloth　or　gaming　saloon。

An　enfevered　and　motley　mob　hustle　one　another　around　the　long　green　table…covers：　Turcos　out　for　the　day　and　staking　their　double　halfpence；　Moorish　traders　from　the　native　town；　Negroes；　Maltese；　colonists　from　the　inland；　who　have　come　forty　leagues　in　order　to　risk　on　a　turning　card　the　price　of　a　plough　or　of　a　yoke　of　oxen；　all　a…quivering；　pale；　clenching　their　teeth；　and　with　that　singular；　wavering；　sidelong　look　of　the　gamester；　become　a　squint　from　always　staring　at　the　same　card　in　the　lay…out。

A　little　apart　are　the　tribes　of　Algerian　Jews；　playing　among　acquaintances。　　The　men　are　in　the　Oriental　costume；　hideously　varied　with　blue　stockings　and　velvet　caps。　The　puffy　and　flabby　women　sit　up　stiffly　in　tight　golden　bodices。　Grouped　around　the　tables；　the　whole　tribe　wail；　squeal；　combine；　reckon　on　the　fingers；　and　play　but　little。　Now　and　anon；　however；　after　long　conferences；　some　old　patriarch；　with　a　beard　like　those　of　saints　by　the　Old　Masters；　detaches　himself　from　the　party　and　goes　to　risk　the　family　duro。　　As　long　as　the　game　lasted　there　would　be　a　scintillation　of　Hebraic　eyes　directed　on　the　board　　dreadful　black　diamonds；　which　made　the　gold　pieces　shiver；　and　ended　by　gently　attracting　them；　as　if　drawn　by　a　thread。　　Then　arose　wrangles；　quarrels；　battles；　oaths　of　every　land；　mad　outcries　in　all　tongues；　knives　flashing　out；　the　guard　marching　in；　and　the　money　disappearing。

It　was　into　the　thick　of　this　saturnalia　that　the　great　Tartarin　came　straying　one　evening　to　find　oblivion　and　heart's　ease。

He　was　roving　alone　through　the　gathering；　brooding　about　his　Moorish　beauty；　when　two　angered　voices　arose　suddenly　from　a　gaming…table　above　all　the　clamour　and　chink　of　coin。

〃I　tell　you；　M'sieu；　that　I　am　twenty　francs　short！〃

〃Stuff；　M'sieu！〃

〃Stuff　yourself；　M'sieu！〃

〃You　shall　learn　whom　you　are　addressing；　M'sieu！〃

〃I　am　dying　to　do　that；　M'sieu！〃

〃I　am　Prince　Gregory　of　Montenegro；　M'sieu。〃

Upon　this　title　Tartarin；　much　excited；　cleft　the　throng　and　placed　himself　in　the　foremost　rank；　proud　and　happy　to　find　his　prince　again；　the　Montenegrin　noble　of　such　politeness　whose　acquaintance　he　had　begun　on　board　of　the　mail　steamer。　Unfortunately　the　title　of　Highness；　which　had　so　dazzled　the　worthy　Tarasconian；　did　not　produce　the　slightest　impression　upon　the　Chasseurs　officer　with　whom　the　noble　had　his　dispute。

〃I　am　much　the　wiser！〃　observed　the　military　gentleman　sneeringly　；　and　turning　to　the　bystanders　he　added：　〃'Prince　Gregory　of　Montenegro'　　who　knows　any　such　a　person？　Nobody！〃

The　indignant　Tartarin　took　one　step　forward。

〃Allow　me。　　I　know　the　prance；〃　said　he；　in　a　very　firm　voice；　and　with　his　finest　Tarasconian　accent。

The　light　cavalry　officer　eyed　him　hard　for　a　moment；　and　then；　shrugging　his　shoulders；　returned：

〃Come；　that　is　good！　Just　you　two　share　the　twenty　francs　lacking　between　you；　and　let　us　talk　no　more　on　the　score。〃

Whereupon　he　turned　his　back　upon　them　and　mixed　with　the　crowd。　　The　stormy　Tartarin　was　going　to　rush　after　him；　but　the　prince　prevented　that。

〃Let　him　go。　　I　can　manage　my　own　affairs。〃

Taking　the　interventionist　by　the　arm；　he　drew　him　rapidly　out　of　doors。　　When　they　were　upon　the　square；　Prince　Gregory　of　Montenegro　lifted　his　hat　off；　extended　his　hand　t