the magic skin-第53章

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gone　on　reading；　and　felt　for　the　sheet　he　no　longer　possessed。　Joyous

laughter　rang　out　like　the　song　of　a　bird；　one　peal　leading　to

another。



〃I　am　quite　jealous　of　the　paper；〃　she　said；　as　she　wiped　away　the

tears　that　her　childlike　merriment　had　brought　into　her　eyes。　〃Now；　is

it　not　a　heinous　offence；〃　she　went　on；　as　she　became　a　woman　all　at

once；　〃to　read　Russian　proclamations　in　my　presence；　and　to　attend　to

the　prosings　of　the　Emperor　Nicholas　rather　than　to　looks　and　words　of

love！〃



〃I　was　not　reading；　my　dear　angel；　I　was　looking　at　you。〃



Just　then　the　gravel　walk　outside　the　conservatory　rang　with　the　sound

of　the　gardener's　heavily　nailed　boots。



〃I　beg　your　pardon；　my　Lord　Marquisand　yours；　too；　madameif　I　am

intruding；　but　I　have　brought　you　a　curiosity　the　like　of　which　I

never　set　eyes　on。　Drawing　a　bucket　of　water　just　now；　with　due

respect；　I　got　out　this　strange　salt…water　plant。　Here　it　is。　It　must

be　thoroughly　used　to　water；　anyhow；　for　it　isn't　saturated　or　even

damp　at　all。　It　is　as　dry　as　a　piece　of　wood；　and　has　not　swelled　a

bit。　As　my　Lord　Marquis　certainly　knows　a　great　deal　more　about　things

than　I　do；　I　thought　I　ought　to　bring　it；　and　that　it　would　interest

him。〃



Therewith　the　gardener　showed　Raphael　the　inexorable　piece　of　skin；

there　were　barely　six　square　inches　of　it　left。



〃Thanks；　Vaniere；〃　Raphael　said。　〃The　thing　is　very　curious。〃



〃What　is　the　matter　with　you；　my　angel；　you　are　growing　quite　white！〃

Pauline　cried。



〃You　can　go；　Vaniere。〃



〃Your　voice　frightens　me；〃　the　girl　went　on；　〃it　is　so　strangely

altered。　What　is　it？　How　are　you　feeling？　Where　is　the　pain？　You　are

in　pain！Jonathan！　here！　call　a　doctor！〃　she　cried。



〃Hush；　my　Pauline；〃　Raphael　answered；　as　he　regained　composure。　〃Let

us　get　up　and　go。　Some　flower　here　has　a　scent　that　is　too　much　for

me。　It　is　that　verbena；　perhaps。〃



Pauline　flew　upon　the　innocent　plant；　seized　it　by　the　stalk；　and

flung　it　out　into　the　garden；　then；　with　all　the　might　of　the　love

between　them；　she　clasped　Raphael　in　a　close　embrace；　and　with

languishing　coquetry　raised　her　red　lips　to　his　for　a　kiss。



〃Dear　angel；〃　she　cried；　〃when　I　saw　you　turn　so　white；　I　understood

that　I　could　not　live　on　without　you；　your　life　is　my　life　too。　Lay

your　hand　on　my　back；　Raphael　mine；　I　feel　a　chill　like　death。　The

feeling　of　cold　is　there　yet。　Your　lips　are　burning。　How　is　your　hand？

Cold　as　ice；〃　she　added。



〃Mad　girl！〃　exclaimed　Raphael。



〃Why　that　tear？　Let　me　drink　it。〃



〃O　Pauline；　Pauline；　you　love　me　far　too　much！〃



〃There　is　something　very　extraordinary　going　on　in　your　mind；　Raphael！

Do　not　dissimulate。　I　shall　very　soon　find　out　your　secret。　Give　that

to　me；〃　she　went　on；　taking　the　Magic　Skin。



〃You　are　my　executioner！〃　the　young　man　exclaimed；　glancing　in　horror

at　the　talisman。



〃How　changed　your　voice　is！〃　cried　Pauline；　as　she　dropped　the　fatal

symbol　of　destiny。



〃Do　you　love　me？〃　he　asked。



〃Do　I　love　you？　Is　there　any　doubt？〃



〃Then；　leave　me；　go　away！〃



The　poor　child　went。



〃So！〃　cried　Raphael；　when　he　was　alone。　〃In　an　enlightened　age；　when

we　have　found　out　that　diamonds　are　a　crystallized　form　of　charcoal；

at　a　time　when　everything　is　made　clear；　when　the　police　would　hale　a

new　Messiah　before　the　magistrates；　and　submit　his　miracles　to　the

Academie　des　Sciencesin　an　epoch　when　we　no　longer　believe　in

anything　but　a　notary's　signaturethat　I；　forsooth；　should　believe　in

a　sort　of　Mene；　Tekel；　Upharsin！　No；　by　Heaven；　I　will　not　believe

that　the　Supreme　Being　would　take　pleasure　in　torturing　a　harmless

creature。Let　us　see　the　learned　about　it。〃



Between　the　Halle　des　Vins；　with　its　extensive　assembly　of　barrels；

and　the　Salpetriere；　that　extensive　seminary　of　drunkenness；　lies　a

small　pond；　which　Raphael　soon　reached。　All　sorts　of　ducks　of　rare

varieties　were　there　disporting　themselves；　their　colored　markings

shone　in　the　sun　like　the　glass　in　cathedral　windows。　Every　kind　of

duck　in　the　world　was　represented；　quacking；　dabbling；　and　moving

abouta　kind　of　parliament　of　ducks　assembled　against　its　will；　but

luckily　without　either　charter　or　political　principles；　living　in

complete　immunity　from　sportsmen；　under　the　eyes　of　any　naturalist

that　chanced　to　see　them。



〃That　is　M。　Lavrille；〃　said　one　of　the　keepers　to　Raphael；　who　had

asked　for　that　high　priest　of　zoology。



The　Marquis　saw　a　short　man　buried　in　profound　reflections；　caused　by

the　appearance　of　a　pair　of　ducks。　The　man　of　science　was　middle…aged；

he　had　a　pleasant　face；　made　pleasanter　still　by　a　kindly　expression；

but　an　absorption　in　scientific　ideas　engrossed　his　whole　person。　His

peruke　was　strangely　turned　up；　by　being　constantly　raised　to　scratch

his　head；　so　that　a　line　of　white　hair　was　left　plainly　visible；　a

witness　to　an　enthusiasm　for　investigation；　which；　like　every　other

strong　passion；　so　withdraws　us　from　mundane　considerations；　that　we

lose　all　consciousness　of　the　〃I〃　within　us。　Raphael；　the　student　and

man　of　science；　looked　respectfully　at　the　naturalist；　who　devoted　his

nights　to　enlarging　the　limits　of　human　knowledge；　and　whose　very

errors　reflected　glory　upon　France；　but　a　she…coxcomb　would　have

laughed；　no　doubt；　at　the　break　of　continuity　between　the　breeches　and

striped　waistcoat　worn　by　the　man　of　learning；　the　interval；　moreover；

was　modestly　filled　by　a　shirt　which　had　been　considerably　creased；

for　he　stooped　and　raised　himself　by　turns；　as　his　zoological

observations　required。



After　the　first　interchange　of　civilities；　Raphael　thought　it

necessary　to　pay　M。　Lavrille　a　banal　compliment　upon　his　ducks。



〃Oh；　we　are　well　off　for　ducks；〃　the　naturalist　replied。　〃The　genus；

moreover；　as　you　doubtless　know；　is　the　most　prolific　in　the　order　of

palmipeds。　It　begins　with　the　swan　and　ends　with　the　zin…zin　duck；

comprising　in　all　one　hundred　and　thirty…seven　very　distinct

varieties；　each　having　its　own　name；　habits；　country；　and　character；

and　every　one　no　more　like　another　than　a　white　man　is　like　a　negro。

Really；　sir；　when　we　dine　off　a　duck；　we　have　no　notion　for　the　most

part　of　the　vast　extent〃



He　interrupted　himself　as　he　saw　a　small　pretty　duck　come　up　to　the

surface　of　the　pond。



〃There　you　see　the　cravatted　swan；　a　poor　native　of　Canada；　he　has

come　a　very　long　way　to　show　us　his　brown　and　gray　plumage　and　his

little　black　cravat！　Look；　he　is　preening　himself。　That　one　is　the

famous　eider　duck　that　provides　the　down；　the　eider…down　under　which

our　fine　ladies　sleep；　isn't　it　pretty？　Who　would　not　admire　the

little　pinkish　white　breast　and　the　green　beak？　I　have　just　been　a

witness；　sir；〃　he　went　on；　〃to　a　marriage　that　I　had　long　despaired　of

bringing　about；　they　have　paired　rather　auspiciously；　and　I　shall

await　the　results　very　eagerly。　This　will　be　a　hundred　and　thirty…

eighth　species；　I　flatter　myself；　to　which；　perhaps；　my　name　will　be

given。　That　is　the　newly　matched　pair；〃　he　said；　pointing　out　two　of

the　ducks；　〃one　of　them　is　a　laughing　goose　（anas　albifrons）；　and　the

other　the　great　whistling　duck；　Buffon's　anas　ruffina。　I　have

hesitated　a　long　while　between　the　whistling　duck；　the　duck　with　white

eyebrows；　and　the　shoveler　duck　（anas　clypeata）。　Stay；　that　is　the

shovelerthat　fat；　brownish　black　rascal；　with　the　greenish　neck　and

that　coquettish　iridescence　on　it。　But　the　whistling　duck　was　a

crested　one；　sir；　and　you　will　understand　that　I　deliberated　no

longer。　We　only　lack　the　variegated　black…capped　duck　now。　These

gentlemen　here；　unanimously　claim　that　that　variety　of　duck　is　only　a

repetition　of　the　curve…beaked　teal；　but　for　my　own　part；〃and　the

gesture　he　made　was　worth　seeing。　It　expressed　at　once　the　modesty　and

pride　of　a　man　of　science；　the　pride　full　of　obstinacy；　and　the

modesty　well　tempered　with　assurance。



〃I　don't　think　it　is；〃　he　added。　〃You　s