the magic skin-第40章

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drowning　on　a　small　scale？　If　we　are　picked　up　by　the　police　and

stretched　out　on　those　chilly　benches　of　theirs　at　the　police…station；

do　we　not　enjoy　all　the　pleasures　of　the　Morgue？　For　though　we　are　not

blue　and　green；　muddy　and　swollen　corpses；　on　the　other　hand　we　have

the　consciousness　of　the　climax。



〃　'Ah；'　he　went　on；　'this　protracted　suicide　has　nothing　in　common

with　the　bankrupt　grocer's　demise。　Tradespeople　have　brought　the　river

into　disrepute；　they　fling　themselves　in　to　soften　their　creditors'

hearts。　In　your　place　I　should　endeavor　to　die　gracefully；　and　if　you

wish　to　invent　a　novel　way　of　doing　it；　by　struggling　with　life　after

this　manner；　I　will　be　your　second。　I　am　disappointed　and　sick　of

everything。　The　Alsacienne；　whom　it　was　proposed　that　I　should　marry；

had　six　toes　on　her　left　foot；　I　cannot　possibly　live　with　a　woman　who

has　six　toes！　It　would　get　about　to　a　certainty；　and　then　I　should　be

ridiculous。　Her　income　was　only　eighteen　thousand　francs；　her　fortune

diminished　in　quantity　as　her　toes　increased。　The　devil　take　it；　if　we

begin　an　outrageous　sort　of　life；　we　may　come　on　some　bit　of　luck；

perhaps！'



〃Rastignac's　eloquence　carried　me　away。　The　attractions　of　the　plan

shone　too　temptingly；　hopes　were　kindled；　the　poetical　aspects　of　the

matter　appealed　to　a　poet。



〃　'How　about　money？'　I　said。



〃　'Haven't　you　four　hundred　and　fifty　francs？'



〃　'Yes；　but　debts　to　my　landlady　and　the　tailor'



〃　'You　would　pay　your　tailor？　You　will　never　be　anything　whatever；　not

so　much　as　a　minister。'



〃　'But　what　can　one　do　with　twenty　louis？'



〃　'Go　to　the　gaming…table。'



〃I　shuddered。



〃　'You　are　going　to　launch　out　into　what　I　call　systematic

dissipation；'　said　he；　noticing　my　scruples；　'and　yet　you　are　afraid

of　a　green　table…cloth。'



〃　'Listen　to　me；'　I　answered。　'I　promised　my　father　never　to　set　foot

in　a　gaming…house。　Not　only　is　that　a　sacred　promise；　but　I　still　feel

an　unconquerable　disgust　whenever　I　pass　a　gambling…hell；　take　the

money　and　go　without　me。　While　our　fortune　is　at　stake；　I　will　set　my

own　affairs　straight；　and　then　I　will　go　to　your　lodgings　and　wait　for

you。'



〃That　was　the　way　I　went　to　perdition。　A　young　man　has　only　to　come

across　a　woman　who　will　not　love　him；　or　a　woman　who　loves　him　too

well；　and　his　whole　life　becomes　a　chaos。　Prosperity　swallows　up　our

energy　just　as　adversity　obscures　our　virtues。　Back　once　more　in　my

Hotel　de　Saint…Quentin；　I　gazed　about　me　a　long　while　in　the　garret

where　I　had　led　my　scholar's　temperate　life；　a　life　which　would

perhaps　have　been　a　long　and　honorable　one；　and　that　I　ought　not　to

have　quitted　for　the　fevered　existence　which　had　urged　me　to　the　brink

of　a　precipice。　Pauline　surprised　me　in　this　dejected　attitude。



〃　'Why；　what　is　the　matter　with　you？'　she　asked。



〃I　rose　and　quietly　counted　out　the　money　owing　to　her　mother；　and

added　to　it　sufficient　to　pay　for　six　months'　rent　in　advance。　She

watched　me　in　some　alarm。



〃　'I　am　going　to　leave　you；　dear　Pauline。'



〃　'I　knew　it！'　she　exclaimed。



〃　'Listen；　my　child。　I　have　not　given　up　the　idea　of　coming　back。　Keep

my　room　for　me　for　six　months。　If　I　do　not　return　by　the　fifteenth　of

November；　you　will　come　into　possession　of　my　things。　This　sealed

packet　of　manuscript　is　the　fair　copy　of　my　great　work　on　〃The

Will；〃　'　I　went　on；　pointing　to　a　package。　'Will　you　deposit　it　in　the

King's　Library？　And　you　may　do　as　you　wish　with　everything　that　is

left　here。'



〃Her　look　weighed　heavily　on　my　heart；　Pauline　was　an　embodiment　of

conscience　there　before　me。



〃　'I　shall　have　no　more　lessons；'　she　said；　pointing　to　the　piano。



〃I　did　not　answer　that。



〃　'Will　you　write　to　me？'



〃　'Good…bye；　Pauline。'



〃I　gently　drew　her　towards　me；　and　set　a　kiss　on　that　innocent　fair

brow　of　hers；　like　snow　that　has　not　yet　touched　the　eartha　father's

or　a　brother's　kiss。　She　fled。　I　would　not　see　Madame　Gaudin；　hung　my

key　in　its　wonted　place；　and　departed。　I　was　almost　at　the　end　of　the

Rue　de　Cluny　when　I　heard　a　woman's　light　footstep　behind　me。



〃　'I　have　embroidered　this　purse　for　you；'　Pauline　said；　'will　you

refuse　even　that？'



〃By　the　light　of　the　street　lamp　I　thought　I　saw　tears　in　Pauline's

eyes；　and　I　groaned。　Moved　perhaps　by　a　common　impulse；　we　parted　in

haste　like　people　who　fear　the　contagion　of　the　plague。



〃As　I　waited　with　dignified　calmness　for　Rastignac's　return；　his　room

seemed　a　grotesque　interpretation　of　the　sort　of　life　I　was　about　to

enter　upon。　The　clock　on　the　chimney…piece　was　surmounted　by　a　Venus

resting　on　her　tortoise；　a　half…smoked　cigar　lay　in　her　arms。　Costly

furniture　of　various　kindslove　tokens；　very　likelywas　scattered

about。　Old　shoes　lay　on　a　luxurious　sofa。　The　comfortable　armchair

into　which　I　had　thrown　myself　bore　as　many　scars　as　a　veteran；　the

arms　were　gnashed；　the　back　was　overlaid　with　a　thick；　stale　deposit

of　pomade　and　hair…oil　from　the　heads　of　all　his　visitors。　Splendor

and　squalor　were　oddly　mingled；　on　the　walls；　the　bed；　and　everywhere。

You　might　have　thought　of　a　Neapolitan　palace　and　the　groups　of

lazzaroni　about　it。　It　was　the　room　of　a　gambler　or　a　mauvais　sujet；

where　the　luxury　exists　for　one　individual；　who　leads　the　life　of　the

senses　and　does　not　trouble　himself　over　inconsistencies。



〃There　was　a　certain　imaginative　element　about　the　picture　it

presented。　Life　was　suddenly　revealed　there　in　its　rags　and　spangles

as　the　incomplete　thing　it　really　is；　of　course；　but　so　vividly　and

picturesquely；　it　was　like　a　den　where　a　brigand　has　heaped　up　all　the

plunder　in　which　he　delights。　Some　pages　were　missing　from　a　copy　of

Byron's　poems：　they　had　gone　to　light　a　fire　of　a　few　sticks　for　this

young　person；　who　played　for　stakes　of　a　thousand　francs；　and　had　not

a　faggot；　he　kept　a　tilbury；　and　had　not　a　whole　shirt　to　his　back。

Any　day　a　countess　or　an　actress　or　a　run　of　luck　at　ecarte　might　set

him　up　with　an　outfit　worthy　of　a　king。　A　candle　had　been　stuck　into

the　green　bronze　sheath　of　a　vestaholder；　a　woman's　portrait　lay

yonder；　torn　out　of　its　carved　gold　setting。　How　was　it　possible　that

a　young　man；　whose　nature　craved　excitement；　could　renounce　a　life　so

attractive　by　reason　of　its　contradictions；　a　life　that　afforded　all

the　delights　of　war　in　the　midst　of　peace？　I　was　growing　drowsy　when

Rastignac　kicked　the　door　open　and　shouted：



〃　'Victory！　Now　we　can　take　our　time　about　dying。'



〃He　held　out　his　hat　filled　with　gold　to　me；　and　put　it　down　on　the

table；　then　we　pranced　round　it　like　a　pair　of　cannibals　about　to　eat

a　victim；　we　stamped；　and　danced；　and　yelled；　and　sang；　we　gave　each

other　blows　fit　to　kill　an　elephant；　at　sight　of　all　the　pleasures　of

the　world　contained　in　that　hat。



〃　'Twenty…seven　thousand　francs；'　said　Rastignac；　adding　a　few　bank…

notes　to　the　pile　of　gold。　'That　would　be　enough　for　other　folk　to

live　upon；　will　it　be　sufficient　for　us　to　die　on？　Yes！　we　will

breathe　our　last　in　a　bath　of　goldhurrah！'　and　we　capered　afresh。



〃We　divided　the　windfall。　We　began　with　double…napoleons；　and　came

down　to　the　smaller　coins；　one　by　one。　'This　for　you；　this　for　me；'　we

kept　saying；　distilling　our　joy　drop　by　drop。



〃　'We　won't　go　to　sleep；'　cried　Rastignac。　'Joseph！　some　punch！'



〃He　threw　gold　to　his　faithful　attendant。



〃　'There　is　your　share；'　he　said；　'go　and　bury　yourself　if　you　can。'



〃Next　day　I　went　to　Lesage　and　chose　my　furniture；　took　the　rooms　that

you　know　in　the　Rue　Taitbout；　and　left　the　decoration　to　one　of　the

best　upholsterers。　I　bought　horses。　I　plunged　into　a　vortex　of

pleasures；　at　once　hollow　and　real。　I　went　in　for　play；　gaining　and

losing　enormous　sums；　but　only　at　friends'　houses　and　in　ballrooms；

never　in　gaming…houses；　for　which　I　still　retained　the　holy　horror　of

my　early　days。　Without　meaning　it；　I　made　some　friends；　either