the magic skin-第12章

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Few　words　were　spoken。　Neighbors　exchanged　glances　as　the　Maderia

circulated。　Then　the　first　course　appeared　in　all　its　glory；　it　would

have　done　honor　to　the　late　Cambaceres；　Brillat…Savarin　would　have

celebrated　it。　The　wines　of　Bordeaux　and　Burgundy；　white　and　red；　were

royally　lavished。　This　first　part　of　the　banquet　might　been　compared

in　every　way　to　a　rendering　of　some　classical　tragedy。　The　second　act

grew　a　trifle　noisier。　Every　guest　had　had　a　fair　amount　to　drink；　and

had　tried　various　crus　at　this　pleasure；　so　that　as　the　remains　of　the

magnificent　first　course　were　removed；　tumultuous　discussions　began；　a

pale　brow　here　and　there　began　to　flush；　sundry　noses　took　a　purpler

hue；　faces　lit　up；　and　eyes　sparkled。



While　intoxication　was　only　dawning；　the　conversation　did　not　overstep

the　bounds　of　civility；　but　banter　and　bon　mots　slipped　by　degrees

from　every　tongue；　and　then　slander　began　to　rear　its　little　snake's

heard；　and　spoke　in　dulcet　tones；　a　few　shrewd　ones　here　and　there

gave　heed　to　it；　hoping　to　keep　their　heads。　So　the　second　course

found　their　minds　somewhat　heated。　Every　one　ate　as　he　spoke；　spoke

while　he　ate；　and　drank　without　heeding　the　quantity　of　the　liquor；

the　wine　was　so　biting；　the　bouquet　so　fragrant；　the　example　around　so

infectious。　Taillefer　made　a　point　of　stimulating　his　guests；　and

plied　them　with　the　formidable　wines　of　the　Rhone；　with　fierce　Tokay；

and　heady　old　Roussillon。



The　champagne；　impatiently　expected　and　lavishly　poured　out；　was　a

scourge　of　fiery　sparks　to　these　men；　released　like　post…horses　from

some　mail…coach　by　a　relay；　they　let　their　spirits　gallop　away　into

the　wilds　of　argument　to　which　no　one　listened；　began　to　tell　stories

which　had　no　auditors；　and　repeatedly　asked　questions　to　which　no

answer　was　made。　Only　the　loud　voice　of　wassail　could　be　heard；　a

voice　made　up　of　a　hundred　confused　clamors；　which　rose　and　grew　like

a　crescendo　of　Rossini's。　Insidious　toasts；　swagger；　and　challenges

followed。



Each　renounced　any　pride　in　his　own　intellectual　capacity；　in　order　to

vindicate　that　of　hogsheads；　casks；　and　vats；　and　each　made　noise

enough　for　two。　A　time　came　when　the　footmen　smiled；　while　their

masters　all　talked　at　once。　A　philosopher　would　have　been　interested；

doubtless；　by　the　singularity　of　the　thoughts　expressed；　a　politician

would　have　been　amazed　by　the　incongruity　of　the　methods　discussed　in

the　melee　of　words　or　doubtfully　luminous　paradoxes；　where　truths；

grotesquely　caparisoned；　met　in　conflict　across　the　uproar　of　brawling

judgments；　of　arbitrary　decisions　and　folly；　much　as　bullets；　shells；

and　grapeshot　are　hurled　across　a　battlefield。



It　was　at　once　a　volume　and　a　picture。　Every　philosophy；　religion；　and

moral　code　differing　so　greatly　in　every　latitude；　every　government；

every　great　achievement　of　the　human　intellect；　fell　before　a　scythe

as　long　as　Time's　own；　and　you　might　have　found　it　hard　to　decide

whether　it　was　wielded　by　Gravity　intoxicated；　or　by　Inebriation　grown

sober　and　clear…sighted。　Borne　away　by　a　kind　of　tempest；　their　minds；

like　the　sea　raging　against　the　cliffs；　seemed　ready　to　shake　the　laws

which　confine　the　ebb　and　flow　of　civilization；　unconsciously

fulfilling　the　will　of　God；　who　has　suffered　evil　and　good　to　abide　in

nature；　and　reserved　the　secret　of　their　continual　strife　to　Himself。

A　frantic　travesty　of　debate　ensued；　a　Walpurgis…revel　of　intellects。

Between　the　dreary　jests　of　these　children　of　the　Revolution　over　the

inauguration　of　a　newspaper；　and　the　talk　of　the　joyous　gossips　at

Gargantua's　birth；　stretched　the　gulf　that　divides　the　nineteenth

century　from　the　sixteenth。　Laughingly　they　had　begun　the　work　of

destruction；　and　our　journalists　laughed　amid　the　ruins。



〃What　is　the　name　of　that　young　man　over　there？〃　said　the　notary；

indicating　Raphael。　〃I　thought　I　heard　some　one　call　him　Valentin。〃



〃What　stuff　is　this？〃　said　Emile；　laughing；　〃plain　Valentin；　say　you？

Raphael　DE　Valentin；　if　you　please。　We　bear　an　eagle　or；　on　a　field

sable；　with　a　silver　crown；　beak　and　claws　gules；　and　a　fine　motto：

NON　CECIDIT　ANIMUS。　We　are　no　foundling　child；　but　a　descendant　of　the

Emperor　Valens；　of　the　stock　of　the　Valentinois；　founders　of　the

cities　of　Valence　in　France；　and　Valencia　in　Spain；　rightful　heirs　to

the　Empire　of　the　East。　If　we　suffer　Mahmoud　on　the　throne　of

Byzantium；　it　is　out　of　pure　condescension；　and　for　lack　of　funds　and

soldiers。〃



With　a　fork　flourished　above　Raphael's　head；　Emile　outlined　a　crown

upon　it。　The　notary　bethought　himself　a　moment；　but　soon　fell　to

drinking　again；　with　a　gesture　peculiar　to　himself；　it　was　quite

impossible；　it　seemed　to　say　to　secure　in　his　clientele　the　cities　of

Valence　and　Byzantium；　the　Emperor　Valens；　Mahmoud；　and　the　house　of

Valentinois。



〃Should　not　the　destruction　of　those　ant…hills；　Babylon；　Tyre；

Carthage；　and　Venice；　each　crushed　beneath　the　foot　of　a　passing

giant；　serve　as　a　warning　to　man；　vouchsafed　by　some　mocking　power？〃

said　Claude　Vignon；　who　must　play　the　Bossuet；　as　a　sort　of　purchased

slave；　at　the　rate　of　fivepence　a　line。



〃Perhaps　Moses；　Sylla；　Louis　XI。；　Richelieu；　Robespierre；　and　Napoleon

were　but　the　same　man　who　crosses　our　civilizations　now　and　again；

like　a　comet　across　the　sky；〃　said　a　disciple　of　Ballanche。



〃Why　try　to　fathom　the　designs　of　Providence？〃　said　Canalis；　maker　of

ballads。



〃Come；　now；〃　said　the　man　who　set　up　for　a　critic；　〃there　is　nothing

more　elastic　in　the　world　than　your　Providence。〃



〃Well；　sir；　Louis　XIV。　sacrificed　more　lives　over　digging　the

foundations　of　the　Maintenon's　aqueducts；　than　the　Convention　expended

in　order　to　assess　the　taxes　justly；　to　make　one　law　for　everybody；

and　one　nation　of　France；　and　to　establish　the　rule　of　equal

inheritance；〃　said　Massol；　whom　the　lack　of　a　syllable　before　his　name

had　made　a　Republican。



〃Are　you　going　to　leave　our　heads　on　our　shoulders？〃　asked　Moreau　（of

the　Oise）；　a　substantial　farmer。　〃You；　sir；　who　took　blood　for　wine

just　now？〃



〃Where　is　the　use？　Aren't　the　principles　of　social　order　worth　some

sacrifices；　sir？〃



〃Hi！　Bixiou！　What's…his…name；　the　Republican；　considers　a　landowner's

head　a　sacrifice！〃　said　a　young　man　to　his　neighbor。



〃Men　and　events　count　for　nothing；〃　said　the　Republican；　following　out

his　theory　in　spite　of　hiccoughs；　〃in　politics；　as　in　philosophy；

there　are　only　principles　and　ideas。〃



〃What　an　abomination！　Then　you　would　ruthlessly　put　your　friends　to

death　for　a　shibboleth？〃



〃Eh；　sir！　the　man　who　feels　compunction　is　your　thorough　scoundrel；

for　he　has　some　notion　of　virtue；　while　Peter　the　Great　and　the　Duke

of　Alva　were　embodied　systems；　and　the　pirate　Monbard　an

organization。〃



〃But　can't　society　rid　itself　of　your　systems　and　organizations？〃　said

Canalis。



〃Oh；　granted！〃　cried　the　Republican。



〃That　stupid　Republic　of　yours　makes　me　feel　queasy。　We　sha'n't　be

able　to　carve　a　capon　in　peace；　because　we　shall　find　the　agrarian　law

inside　it。〃



〃Ah；　my　little　Brutus；　stuffed　with　truffles；　your　principles　are　all

right　enough。　But　you　are　like　my　valet；　the　rogue　is　so　frightfully

possessed　with　a　mania　for　property　that　if　I　left　him　to　clean　my

clothes　after　his　fashion；　he　would　soon　clean　me　out。〃



〃Crass　idiots！〃　replied　the　Republican；　〃you　are　for　setting　a　nation

straight　with　toothpicks。　To　your　way　of　thinking；　justice　is　more

dangerous　than　thieves。〃



〃Oh；　dear！〃　cried　the　attorney　Deroches。



〃Aren't　they　a　bore　with　their　politics！〃　said　the　notary　Cardot。

〃Shut　up。　That's　enough　of　it。　There　is　no　knowledge　nor　virtue　worth

shedding　a　drop　of　blood　for。　If　Truth　were　brought　into　liquidation；

we　might　find　her　insolvent。〃



〃It　would　be　much　less　trouble；　no　doubt；　to　amuse　ourselves　with

evil；　rather　than　dispute　about　good。　Moreover；　I　would　give　all　the

speeches　made