the magic skin-第57章

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machine　had　broken　the　chamber；　and　now　spouted　out　in　a　jet　of

incalculable　force；　luckily　it　went　in　the　direction　of　an　old

furnace；　which　was　overthrown；　enveloped　and　carried　away　by　a


waterspout。



〃Ha！〃　remarked　Planchette　serenely；　〃the　piece　of　skin　is　as　safe　and

sound　as　my　eye。　There　was　a　flaw　in　your　reservoir　somewhere；　or　a

crevice　in　the　large　tube〃



〃No；　no；　I　know　my　reservoir。　The　devil　is　in　your　contrivance；　sir；

you　can　take　it　away；〃　and　the　German　pounced　upon　a　smith's　hammer；

flung　the　skin　down　on　an　anvil；　and；　with　all　the　strength　that　rage

gives；　dealt　the　talisman　the　most　formidable　blow　that　had　ever

resounded　through　his　workshops。



〃There　is　not　so　much　as　a　mark　on　it！〃　said　Planchette；　stroking　the

perverse　bit　of　skin。



The　workmen　hurried　in。　The　foreman　took　the　skin　and　buried　it　in　the

glowing　coal　of　a　forge；　while；　in　a　semi…circle　round　the　fire；　they

all　awaited　the　action　of　a　huge　pair　of　bellows。　Raphael；

Spieghalter；　and　Professor　Planchette　stood　in　the　midst　of　the　grimy

expectant　crowd。　Raphael；　looking　round　on　faces　dusted　over　with　iron

filings；　white　eyes；　greasy　blackened　clothing；　and　hairy　chests；

could　have　fancied　himself　transported　into　the　wild　nocturnal　world

of　German　ballad　poetry。　After　the　skin　had　been　in　the　fire　for　ten

minutes；　the　foreman　pulled　it　out　with　a　pair　of　pincers。



〃Hand　it　over　to　me；〃　said　Raphael。



The　foreman　held　it　out　by　way　of　a　joke。　The　Marquis　readily　handled

it；　it　was　cool　and　flexible　between　his　fingers。　An　exclamation　of

alarm　went　up；　the　workmen　fled　in　terror。　Valentin　was　left　alone

with　Planchette　in　the　empty　workshop。



〃There　is　certainly　something　infernal　in　the　thing！〃　cried　Raphael；

in　desperation。　〃Is　no　human　power　able　to　give　me　one　more　day　of

existence？〃



〃I　made　a　mistake；　sir；〃　said　the　mathematician；　with　a　penitent

expression；　〃we　ought　to　have　subjected　that　peculiar　skin　to　the

action　of　a　rolling　machine。　Where　could　my　eyes　have　been　when　I

suggested　compression！〃



〃It　was　I　that　asked　for　it；〃　Raphael　answered。



The　mathematician　heaved　a　sigh　of　relief；　like　a　culprit　acquitted　by

a　dozen　jurors。　Still；　the　strange　problem　afforded　by　the　skin

interested　him；　he　meditated　a　moment；　and　then　remarked：



〃This　unknown　material　ought　to　be　treated　chemically　by　re…agents。

Let　us　call　on　Japhetperhaps　the　chemist　may　have　better　luck　than

the　mechanic。〃



Valentin　urged　his　horse　into　a　rapid　trot；　hoping　to　find　the

chemist；　the　celebrated　Japhet；　in　his　laboratory。



〃Well；　old　friend；〃　Planchette　began；　seeing　Japhet　in　his　armchair；

examining　a　precipitate；　〃how　goes　chemistry？〃



〃Gone　to　sleep。　Nothing　new　at　all。　The　Academie；　however；　has

recognized　the　existence　of　salicine；　but　salicine；　asparagine；

vauqueline；　and　digitaline　are　not　really　discoveries〃



〃Since　you　cannot　invent　substances；〃　said　Raphael；　〃you　are　obliged

to　fall　back　on　inventing　names。〃



〃Most　emphatically　true；　young　man。〃



〃Here；〃　said　Planchette；　addressing　the　chemist；　〃try　to　analyze　this

composition；　if　you　can　extract　any　element　whatever　from　it；　I

christen　it　diaboline　beforehand；　for　we　have　just　smashed　a　hydraulic

press　in　trying　to　compress　it。〃



〃Let's　see！　let's　have　a　look　at　it！〃　cried　the　delighted　chemist；　〃it

may；　perhaps；　be　a　fresh　element。〃



〃It　is　simply　a　piece　of　the　skin　of　an　ass；　sir；〃　said　Raphael。



〃Sir！〃　said　the　illustrious　chemist　sternly。



〃I　am　not　joking；〃　the　Marquis　answered；　laying　the　piece　of　skin

before　him。



Baron　Japhet　applied　the　nervous　fibres　of　his　tongue　to　the　skin；　he

had　skill　in　thus　detecting　salts；　acids；　alkalis；　and　gases。　After

several　experiments；　he　remarked：



〃No　taste　whatever！　Come；　we　will　give　it　a　little　fluoric　acid　to

drink。〃



Subjected　to　the　influence　of　this　ready　solvent　of　animal　tissue；　the

skin　underwent　no　change　whatsoever。



〃It　is　not　shagreen　at　all！〃　the　chemist　cried。　〃We　will　treat　this

unknown　mystery　as　a　mineral；　and　try　its　mettle　by　dropping　it　in　a

crucible　where　I　have　at　this　moment　some　red　potash。〃



Japhet　went　out；　and　returned　almost　immediately。



〃Allow　me　to　cut　away　a　bit　of　this　strange　substance；　sir；〃　he　said

to　Raphael；　〃it　is　so　extraordinary〃



〃A　bit！〃　exclaimed　Raphael；　〃not　so　much　as　a　hair's…breadth。　You　may

try；　though；〃　he　added；　half　banteringly；　half　sadly。



The　chemist　broke　a　razor　in　his　desire　to　cut　the　skin；　he　tried　to

break　it　by　a　powerful　electric　shock；　next　he　submitted　it　to　the

influence　of　a　galvanic　battery；　but　all　the　thunderbolts　his　science

wotted　of　fell　harmless　on　the　dreadful　talisman。



It　was　seven　o'clock　in　the　evening。　Planchette；　Japhet；　and　Raphael；

unaware　of　the　flight　of　time；　were　awaiting　the　outcome　of　a　final

experiment。　The　Magic　Skin　emerged　triumphant　from　a　formidable

encounter　in　which　it　had　been　engaged　with　a　considerable　quantity　of

chloride　of　nitrogen。



〃It　is　all　over　with　me；〃　Raphael　wailed。　〃It　is　the　finger　of　God！　I

shall　die！〃　and　he　left　the　two　amazed　scientific　men。



〃We　must　be　very　careful　not　to　talk　about　this　affair　at　the

Academie；　our　colleagues　there　would　laugh　at　us；〃　Planchette　remarked

to　the　chemist；　after　a　long　pause；　in　which　they　looked　at　each　other

without　daring　to　communicate　their　thoughts。　The　learned　pair　looked

like　two　Christians　who　had　issued　from　their　tombs　to　find　no　God　in

the　heavens。　Science　had　been　powerless；　acids；　so　much　clear　water；

red　potash　had　been　discredited；　the　galvanic　battery　and　electric

shock　had　been　a　couple　of　playthings。



〃A　hydraulic　press　broken　like　a　biscuit！〃　commented　Planchette。



〃I　believe　in　the　devil；〃　said　the　Baron　Japhet；　after　a　moment's

silence。



〃And　I　in　God；〃　replied　Planchette。



Each　spoke　in　character。　The　universe　for　a　mechanician　is　a　machine

that　requires　an　operator；　for　chemistrythat　fiendish　employment　of

decomposing　all　thingsthe　world　is　a　gas　endowed　with　the　power　of

movement。



〃We　cannot　deny　the　fact；〃　the　chemist　replied。



〃Pshaw！　those　gentlemen　the　doctrinaires　have　invented　a　nebulous

aphorism　for　our　consolationStupid　as　a　fact。〃



〃Your　aphorism；〃　said　the　chemist；　〃seems　to　me　as　a　fact　very

stupid。〃



They　began　to　laugh；　and　went　off　to　dine　like　folk　for　whom　a　miracle

is　nothing　more　than　a　phenomenon。



Valentin　reached　his　own　house　shivering　with　rage　and　consumed　with

anger。　He　had　no　more　faith　in　anything。　Conflicting　thoughts　shifted

and　surged　to　and　fro　in　his　brain；　as　is　the　case　with　every　man

brought　face　to　face　with　an　inconceivable　fact。　He　had　readily

believed　in　some　hidden　flaw　in　Spieghalter's　apparatus；　he　had　not

been　surprised　by　the　incompetence　and　failure　of　science　and　of　fire；

but　the　flexibility　of　the　skin　as　he　handled　it；　taken　with　its

stubbornness　when　all　means　of　destruction　that　man　possesses　had　been

brought　to　bear　upon　it　in　vainthese　things　terrified　him。　The

incontrovertible　fact　made　him　dizzy。



〃I　am　mad；〃　he　muttered。　〃I　have　had　no　food　since　the　morning；　and

yet　I　am　neither　hungry　nor　thirsty；　and　there　is　a　fire　in　my　breast

that　burns　me。〃



He　put　back　the　skin　in　the　frame　where　it　had　been　enclosed　but

lately；　drew　a　line　in　red　ink　about　the　actual　configuration　of　the

talisman；　and　seated　himself　in　his　armchair。



〃Eight　o'clock　already！〃　he　exclaimed。　〃To…day　has　gone　like　a　dream。〃



He　leaned　his　elbow　on　the　arm　of　the　chair；　propped　his　head　with　his

left　hand；　and　so　remained；　lost　in　secret　dark　reflections　and

consuming　thoughts　that　men　condemned　to　die　bear　away　with　them。



〃O　Pauline！〃　he　cried。　〃Poor　child！　there　are　gulfs　that　love　can

never　traverse；　despite　the　strength　of　his　wings。〃



Just　then　he　very　distinctly　heard　a　smothered　sigh；　and　knew　by　one

of　the　most　tend