the magic skin-第54章

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modesty　well　tempered　with　assurance。



〃I　don't　think　it　is；〃　he　added。　〃You　see；　my　dear　sir；　that　we　are

not　amusing　ourselves　here。　I　am　engaged　at　this　moment　upon　a

monograph　on　the　genus　duck。　But　I　am　at　your　disposal。〃



While　they　went　towards　a　rather　pleasant　house　in　the　Rue　du　Buffon；

Raphael　submitted　the　skin　to　M。　Lavrille's　inspection。



〃I　know　the　product；〃　said　the　man　of　science；　when　he　had　turned　his

magnifying　glass　upon　the　talisman。　〃It　used　to　be　used　for　covering

boxes。　The　shagreen　is　very　old。　They　prefer　to　use　skate's　skin

nowadays　for　making　sheaths。　This；　as　you　are　doubtless　aware；　is　the

hide　of　the　raja　sephen；　a　Red　Sea　fish。〃



〃But　this；　sir；　since　you　are　so　exceedingly　good〃



〃This；〃　the　man　of　science　interrupted；　as　he　resumed；　〃this　is　quite

another　thing；　between　these　two　shagreens；　sir；　there　is　a　difference

just　as　wide　as　between　sea　and　land；　or　fish　and　flesh。　The　fish's

skin　is　harder；　however；　than　the　skin　of　the　land　animal。　This；〃　he

said；　as　he　indicated　the　talisman；　〃is；　as　you　doubtless　know；　one　of

the　most　curious　of　zoological　products。〃



〃But　to　proceed〃　said　Raphael。



〃This；〃　replied　the　man　of　science；　as　he　flung　himself　down　into　his

armchair；　〃is　an　ass'　skin；　sir。〃



〃Yes；　I　know；〃　said　the　young　man。



〃A　very　rare　variety　of　ass　found　in　Persia；〃　the　naturalist

continued；　〃the　onager　of　the　ancients；　equus　asinus；　the　koulan　of

the　Tartars；　Pallas　went　out　there　to　observe　it；　and　has　made　it

known　to　science；　for　as　a　matter　of　fact　the　animal　for　a　long　time

was　believed　to　be　mythical。　It　is　mentioned；　as　you　know；　in　Holy

Scripture；　Moses　forbade　that　it　should　be　coupled　with　its　own

species；　and　the　onager　is　yet　more　famous　for　the　prostitutions　of

which　it　was　the　object；　and　which　are　often　mentioned　by　the　prophets

of　the　Bible。　Pallas；　as　you　know　doubtless；　states　in　his　Act。

Petrop。　tome　II。；　that　these　bizarre　excesses　are　still　devoutly

believed　in　among　the　Persians　and　the　Nogais　as　a　sovereign　remedy

for　lumbago　and　sciatic　gout。　We　poor　Parisians　scarcely　believe　that。

The　Museum　has　no　example　of　the　onager。



〃What　a　magnificent　animal！〃　he　continued。　〃It　is　full　of　mystery；　its

eyes　are　provided　with　a　sort　of　burnished　covering；　to　which　the

Orientals　attribute　the　powers　of　fascination；　it　has　a　glossier　and

finer　coat　than　our　handsomest　horses　possess；　striped　with　more　or

less　tawny　bands；　very　much　like　the　zebra's　hide。　There　is　something

pliant　and　silky　about　its　hair；　which　is　sleek　to　the　touch。　Its

powers　of　sight　vie　in　precision　and　accuracy　with　those　of　man；　it　is

rather　larger　than　our　largest　domestic　donkeys；　and　is　possessed　of

extraordinary　courage。　If　it　is　surprised　by　any　chance；　it　defends

itself　against　the　most　dangerous　wild　beasts　with　remarkable　success；

the　rapidity　of　its　movements　can　only　be　compared　with　the　flight　of

birds；　an　onager；　sir；　would　run　the　best　Arab　or　Persian　horses　to

death。　According　to　the　father　of　the　conscientious　Doctor　Niebuhr；

whose　recent　loss　we　are　deploring；　as　you　doubtless　know；　the

ordinary　average　pace　of　one　of　these　wonderful　creatures　would　be

seven　thousand　geometric　feet　per　hour。　Our　own　degenerate　race　of

donkeys　can　give　no　idea　of　the　ass　in　his　pride　and　independence。　He

is　active　and　spirited　in　his　demeanor；　he　is　cunning　and　sagacious；

there　is　grace　about　the　outlines　of　his　head；　every　movement　is　full

of　attractive　charm。　In　the　East　he　is　the　king　of　beasts。　Turkish　and

Persian　superstition　even　credits　him　with　a　mysterious　origin；　and

when　stories　of　the　prowess　attributed　to　him　are　told　in　Thibet　or　in

Tartary；　the　speakers　mingle　Solomon's　name　with　that　of　this　noble

animal。　A　tame　onager；　in　short；　is　worth　an　enormous　amount；　it　is

well…nigh　impossible　to　catch　them　among　the　mountains；　where　they

leap　like　roebucks；　and　seem　as　if　they　could　fly　like　birds。　Our　myth

of　the　winged　horse；　our　Pegasus；　had　its　origin　doubtless　in　these

countries；　where　the　shepherds　could　see　the　onager　springing　from　one

rock　to　another。　In　Persia　they　breed　asses　for　the　saddle；　a　cross

between　a　tamed　onager　and　a　she…ass；　and　they　paint　them　red；

following　immemorial　tradition。　Perhaps　it　was　this　custom　that　gave

rise　to　our　own　proverb；　'Surely　as　a　red　donkey。'　At　some　period　when

natural　history　was　much　neglected　in　France；　I　think　a　traveler　must

have　brought　over　one　of　these　strange　beasts　that　endures　servitude

with　such　impatience。　Hence　the　adage。　The　skin　that　you　have　laid

before　me　is　the　skin　of　an　onager。　Opinions　differ　as　to　the　origin

of　the　name。　Some　claim　that　Chagri　is　a　Turkish　word；　others　insist

that　Chagri　must　be　the　name　of　the　place　where　this　animal　product

underwent　the　chemical　process　of　preparation　so　clearly　described　by

Pallas；　to　which　the　peculiar　graining　that　we　admire　is　due；

Martellens　has　written　to　me　saying　that　Chaagri　is　a　river〃



〃I　thank　you；　sir；　for　the　information　that　you　have　given　me；　it

would　furnish　an　admirable　footnote　for　some　Dom　Calmet　or　other；　if

such　erudite　hermits　yet　exist；　but　I　have　had　the　honor　of　pointing

out　to　you　that　this　scrap　was　in　the　first　instance　quite　as　large　as

that　map；〃　said　Raphael；　indicating　an　open　atlas　to　Lavrille；　〃but　it

has　shrunk　visibly　in　three　months'　time〃



〃Quite　so；〃　said　the　man　of　science。　〃I　understand。　The　remains　of　any

substance　primarily　organic　are　naturally　subject　to　a　process　of

decay。　It　is　quite　easy　to　understand；　and　its　progress　depends　upon

atmospherical　conditions。　Even　metals　contract　and　expand　appreciably；

for　engineers　have　remarked　somewhat　considerable　interstices　between

great　blocks　of　stone　originally　clamped　together　with　iron　bars。　The

field　of　science　is　boundless；　but　human　life　is　very　short；　so　that

we　do　not　claim　to　be　acquainted　with　all　the　phenomena　of　nature。〃



〃Pardon　the　question　that　I　am　about　to　ask　you；　sir；〃　Raphael　began；

half　embarrassed；　〃but　are　you　quite　sure　that　this　piece　of　skin　is

subject　to　the　ordinary　laws　of　zoology；　and　that　it　can　be

stretched？〃



〃Certainlyoh；　bother！〃　muttered　M。　Lavrille；　trying　to　stretch

the　talisman。　〃But　if　you；　sir；　will　go　to　see　Planchette；〃　he　added；

〃the　celebrated　professor　of　mechanics；　he　will　certainly　discover

some　method　of　acting　upon　this　skin；　of　softening　and　expanding　it。〃



〃Ah；　sir；　you　are　the　preserver　of　my　life；〃　and　Raphael　took　leave　of

the　learned　naturalist　and　hurried　off　to　Planchette；　leaving　the

worthy　Lavrille　in　his　study；　all　among　the　bottles　and　dried　plants

that　filled　it　up。



Quite　unconsciously　Raphael　brought　away　with　him　from　this　visit；　all

of　science　that　man　can　grasp；　a　terminology　to　wit。　Lavrille；　the

worthy　man；　was　very　much　like　Sancho　Panza　giving　to　Don　Quixote　the

history　of　the　goats；　he　was　entertaining　himself　by　making　out　a　list

of　animals　and　ticking　them　off。　Even　now　that　his　life　was　nearing

its　end；　he　was　scarcely　acquainted　with　a　mere　fraction　of　the

countless　numbers　of　the　great　tribes　that　God　has　scattered；　for　some

unknown　end；　throughout　the　ocean　of　worlds。



Raphael　was　well　pleased。　〃I　shall　keep　my　ass　well　in　hand；〃　cried

he。　Sterne　had　said　before　his　day；　〃Let　us　take　care　of　our　ass；　if

we　wish　to　live　to　old　age。〃　But　it　is　such　a　fantastic　brute！



Planchette　was　a　tall；　thin　man；　a　poet　of　a　surety；　lost　in　one

continual　thought；　and　always　employed　in　gazing　into　the　bottomless

abyss　of　Motion。　Commonplace　minds　accuse　these　lofty　intellects　of

madness；　they　form　a　misinterpreted　race　apart　that　lives　in　a

wonderful　carelessness　of　luxuries　or　other　people's　notions。　They

will　spend　whole　days　at　a　stretch；　smoking　a　cigar　that　has　gone　out；

and　enter　a　drawing…room　with　the　buttons　on　their　garments　not　in

every　case　formally　wedded　to　the　button…holes。　Some　day　or　other；

after　a　long　time　sp