the magic skin-第14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！



is　made　up　for　by　the　gout；　and　justice　is　likewise　tempered　by　red…

tape；　and　colds　accompany　cashmere　shawls。〃



〃Wretch！〃　Emile　broke　in　upon　the　misanthrope；　〃how　can　you　slander

civilization　here　at　table；　up　to　the　eyes　in　wines　and　exquisite

dishes？　Eat　away　at　that　roebuck　with　the　gilded　horns　and　feet；　and

do　not　carp　at　your　mother。　。　。〃



〃Is　it　any　fault　of　mine　if　Catholicism　puts　a　million　deities　in　a

sack　of　flour；　that　Republics　will　end　in　a　Napoleon；　that　monarchy

dwells　between　the　assassination　of　Henry　IV。　and　the　trial　of　Louis

XVI。；　and　Liberalism　produces　Lafayettes？〃



〃Didn't　you　embrace　him　in　July？〃



〃No。〃



〃Then　hold　your　tongue；　you　sceptic。〃



〃Sceptics　are　the　most　conscientious　of　men。〃



〃They　have　no　conscience。〃



〃What　are　you　saying？　They　have　two　apiece　at　least！〃



〃So　you　want　to　discount　heaven；　a　thoroughly　commercial　notion。

Ancient　religions　were　but　the　unchecked　development　of　physical

pleasure；　but　we　have　developed　a　soul　and　expectations；　some　advance

has　been　made。〃



〃What　can　you　expect；　my　friends；　of　a　century　filled　with　politics　to

repletion？〃　asked　Nathan。　〃What　befell　The　History　of　the　King　of

Bohemia　and　his　Seven　Castles；　a　most　entrancing　conception？　。　。　。〃



〃I　say；〃　the　would…be　critic　cried　down　the　whole　length　of　the　table。

〃The　phrases　might　have　been　drawn　at　hap…hazard　from　a　hat；　'twas　a

work　written　'down　to　Charenton。'　〃



〃You　are　a　fool！〃



〃And　you　are　a　rogue！〃



〃Oh！　oh！〃



〃Ah！　ah！〃



〃They　are　going　to　fight。〃



〃No；　they　aren't。〃



〃You　will　find　me　to…morrow；　sir。〃



〃This　very　moment；〃　Nathan　answered。



〃Come；　come；　you　pair　of　fire…eaters！〃



〃You　are　another！〃　said　the　prime　mover　in　the　quarrel。



〃Ah；　I　can't　stand　upright；　perhaps？〃　asked　the　pugnacious　Nathan；

straightening　himself　up　like　a　stag…beetle　about　to　fly。



He　stared　stupidly　round　the　table；　then；　completely　exhausted　by　the

effort；　sank　back　into　his　chair；　and　mutely　hung　his　head。



〃Would　it　not　have　been　nice；〃　the　critic　said　to　his　neighbor；　〃to

fight　about　a　book　I　have　neither　read　nor　seen？〃



〃Emile；　look　out　for　your　coat；　your　neighbor　is　growing　pale；〃　said

Bixiou。



〃Kant？　Yet　another　ball　flung　out　for　fools　to　sport　with；　sir！

Materialism　and　spiritualism　are　a　fine　pair　of　battledores　with　which

charlatans　in　long　gowns　keep　a　shuttlecock　a…going。　Suppose　that　God

is　everywhere；　as　Spinoza　says；　or　that　all　things　proceed　from　God；

as　says　St。　Paul　。　。　。　the　nincompoops；　the　door　shuts　or　opens；　but

isn't　the　movement　the　same？　Does　the　fowl　come　from　the　egg；　or　the

egg　from　the　fowl？　。　。　。　Just　hand　me　some　duck　。　。　。　and　there；　you

have　all　science。〃



〃Simpleton！〃　cried　the　man　of　science；　〃your　problem　is　settled　by

fact！〃



〃What　fact？〃



〃Professors'　chairs　were　not　made　for　philosophy；　but　philosophy　for

the　professors'　chairs。　Put　on　a　pair　of　spectacles　and　read　the

budget。〃



〃Thieves！〃



〃Nincompoops！〃



〃Knaves！〃



〃Gulls！〃



〃Where　but　in　Paris　will　you　find　such　a　ready　and　rapid　exchange　of

thought？〃　cried　Bixiou　in　a　deep；　bass　voice。



〃Bixiou！　Act　a　classical　farce　for　us！　Come　now。〃



〃Would　you　like　me　to　depict　the　nineteenth　century？〃



〃Silence。〃



〃Pay　attention。〃



〃Clap　a　muffle　on　your　trumpets。〃



〃Shut　up；　you　Turk！〃



〃Give　him　some　wine；　and　let　that　fellow　keep　quiet。〃



〃Now；　then；　Bixiou！〃



The　artist　buttoned　his　black　coat　to　the　collar；　put　on　yellow

gloves；　and　began　to　burlesque　the　Revue　des　Deux　Mondes　by　acting　a

squinting　old　lady；　but　the　uproar　drowned　his　voice；　and　no　one　heard

a　word　of　the　satire。　Still；　if　he　did　not　catch　the　spirit　of　the

century；　he　represented　the　Revue　at　any　rate；　for　his　own　intentions

were　not　very　clear　to　him。



Dessert　was　served　as　if　by　magic。　A　huge　epergne　of　gilded　bronze

from　Thomire's　studio　overshadowed　the　table。　Tall　statuettes；　which　a

celebrated　artist　had　endued　with　ideal　beauty　according　to

conventional　European　notions；　sustained　and　carried　pyramids　of

strawberries；　pines；　fresh　dates；　golden　grapes；　clear…skinned

peaches；　oranges　brought　from　Setubal　by　steamer；　pomegranates；

Chinese　fruit；　in　short；　all　the　surprises　of　luxury；　miracles　of

confectionery；　the　most　tempting　dainties；　and　choicest　delicacies。

The　coloring　of　this　epicurean　work　of　art　was　enhanced　by　the

splendors　of　porcelain；　by　sparkling　outlines　of　gold；　by　the　chasing

of　the　vases。　Poussin's　landscapes；　copied　on　Sevres　ware；　were

crowned　with　graceful　fringes　of　moss；　green；　translucent；　and　fragile

as　ocean　weeds。



The　revenue　of　a　German　prince　would　not　have　defrayed　the　cost　of

this　arrogant　display。　Silver　and　mother…of…pearl；　gold　and　crystal；

were　lavished　afresh　in　new　forms；　but　scarcely　a　vague　idea　of　this

almost　Oriental　fairyland　penetrated　eyes　now　heavy　with　wine；　or

crossed　the　delirium　of　intoxication。　The　fire　and　fragrance　of　the

wines　acted　like　potent　philters　and　magical　fumes；　producing　a　kind

of　mirage　in　the　brain；　binding　feet；　and　weighing　down　hands。　The

clamor　increased。　Words　were　no　longer　distinct；　glasses　flew　in

pieces；　senseless　peals　of　laughter　broke　out。　Cursy　snatched　up　a

horn　and　struck　up　a　flourish　on　it。　It　acted　like　a　signal　given　by

the　devil。　Yells；　hisses；　songs；　cries；　and　groans　went　up　from　the

maddened　crew。　You　might　have　smiled　to　see　men；　light…hearted　by

nature；　grow　tragical　as　Crebillon's　dramas；　and　pensive　as　a　sailor

in　a　coach。　Hard…headed　men　blabbed　secrets　to　the　inquisitive；　who

were　long　past　heeding　them。　Saturnine　faces　were　wreathed　in　smiles

worthy　of　a　pirouetting　dancer。　Claude　Vignon　shuffled　about　like　a

bear　in　a　cage。　Intimate　friends　began　to　fight。



Animal　likenesses；　so　curiously　traced　by　physiologists　in　human

faces；　came　out　in　gestures　and　behavior。　A　book　lay　open　for　a　Bichat

if　he　had　repaired　thither　fasting　and　collected。　The　master　of　the

house；　knowing　his　condition；　did　not　dare　stir；　but　encouraged　his

guests'　extravangances　with　a　fixed　grimacing　smile；　meant　to　be

hospitable　and　appropriate。　His　large　face；　turning　from　blue　and　red

to　a　purple　shade　terrible　to　see；　partook　of　the　general　commotion　by

movements　like　the　heaving　and　pitching　of　a　brig。



〃Now；　did　you　murder　them？〃　Emile　asked　him。



〃Capital　punishment　is　going　to　be　abolished；　they　say；　in　favor　of

the　Revolution　of　July；〃　answered　Taillefer；　raising　his　eyebrows　with


drunken　sagacity。



〃Don't　they　rise　up　before　you　in　dreams　at　times？〃　Raphael　persisted。



〃There's　a　statute　of　limitations；〃　said　the　murderer…Croesus。



〃And　on　his　tombstone；〃　Emile　began；　with　a　sardonic　laugh；　〃the

stonemason　will　carve　'Passer…by；　accord　a　tear；　in　memory　of　one

that's　here！'　Oh；〃　he　continued；　〃I　would　cheerfully　pay　a　hundred

sous　to　any　mathematician　who　would　prove　the　existence　of　hell　to　me

by　an　algebraical　equation。〃



He　flung　up　a　coin　and　cried：



〃Heads　for　the　existence　of　God！〃



〃Don't　look！〃　Raphael　cried；　pouncing　upon　it。　〃Who　knows？　Suspense　is

so　pleasant。〃



〃Unluckily；〃　Emile　said；　with　burlesque　melancholy；　〃I　can　see　no

halting…place　between　the　unbeliever's　arithmetic　and　the　papal　Pater

noster。　Pshaw！　let　us　drink。　Trinq　was；　I　believe；　the　oracular　answer

of　the　dive　bouteille　and　the　final　conclusion　of　Pantagruel。〃



〃We　owe　our　arts　and　monuments　to　the　Pater　noster；　and　our　knowledge；

too；　perhaps；　and　a　still　greater　benefitmodern　governmentwhereby

a　vast　and　teeming　society　is　wondrously　represented　by　some　five

hundred　intellects。　It　neutralizes　opposing　forces　and　gives　free　play

to　CIVILIZATION；　that　Titan　queen　who　has　succeeded　the　ancient

terrible　figure　of　the　KING；　that　sham　Providence；　reared　by　man

between　himself　and　heaven。　In　the　face　of　such　achievements；　atheism