the crime of sylvestre bonnard-第7章

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l；　because　I　am　no　longer　myself。　　I　have　been　travelling　in　a　condition　of　perpetual　fright；　and　I　think　that　I　must　have　looked　awhile　ago　in　this　bright　city　like　an　owl　bewildered　by　sunshine。　　To…night　it　is　much　worse！　　Wishing　to　obtain　a　glimpse　of　popular　manners；　I　went　to　the　Strada　di　Porto；　where　I　now　am。　　All　about　me　animated　throngs　of　people　crowd　and　press　before　the　eating…places；　and　I　float　like　a　waif　among　these　living　surges；　which；　even　while　they　submerge　you；　still　caress。　　For　this　Neopolitan　people　has；　in　its　very　vivacity；　something　indescribably　gentle　and　polite。　　I　am　not　roughly　jostled；　I　am　merely　swayed　about；　and　I　think　that　by　dint　of　thus　rocking　me　to　and　fro；　these　good　folks　want　to　lull　me　asleep　on　my　feet。　　I　admire；　as　I　tread　the　lava　pavements　of　the　strada；　those　porters　and　fishermen　who　move　by　me　chatting；　singing；　smoking；　gesticulating；　quarrelling；　and　embracing　each　other　the　next　moment　with　astonishing　versatility　of　mood。　　They　live　through　all　their　sense　at　the　same　time；　and；　being　philosophers　without　knowing　it；　keep　the　measure　of　their　desires　in　accordance　with　the　brevity　of　life。　　I　approach　a　much…patronised　tavern；　and　see　inscribed　above　the　entrance　this　quatrain　in　Neopolitan　patois：


　　　　　　　　　　　〃Amice；　alliegre　magnammo　e　bevimmo　　　　　　　　　　　　　N　fin　che　n'ce　stace　noglio　a　la　lucerna：　　　　　　　　　　　　　Chi　sa　s'a　l'autro　munno　n'ce　verdimmo？　　　　　　　　　　　　　Chi　sa　s'a　l'autro　munno　n'ce　taverna？〃　　　　　　　　　　＇〃Friends；　let　us　merrily　eat　and　drink　　　　　　　　　　　　as　long　as　oil　remains　in　the　lamp：　　　　　　　　　　　　Who　knows　if　we　shall　meet　again　in　another　world？　　　　　　　　　　　　Who　knows　if　in　the　other　world　there　will　be　a　tavern？〃＇


Even　such　counsels　was　Horace　wont　to　give　to　his　friends。　　You　received　them；　Posthumus；　you　heard　them　also；　Leuconoe；　perverse　beauty　who　wished　to　know　the　secrets　of　the　future。　　That　future　is　now　the　past；　and　we　know　it　well。　　Of　a　truth　you　were　foolish　to　worry　yourselves　about　so　small　a　matter；　and　your　friend　showed　his　good　sense　when　he　told　you　to　take　life　wisely　and　to　filter　your　Greek　wines〃Sapias；　vina　liques。〃　　Even　thus　the　sight　of　a　fair　land　under　a　spotless　sky　urges　to　the　pursuit　of　quiet　pleasures。　　but　there　are　souls　for　ever　harassed　by　some　sublime　discontent；　those　are　the　noblest。　　You　were　of　such；　Leuconoe；　and　I；　visiting　for　the　first　time；　in　my　declining　years；　that　city　where　your　beauty　was　famed　of　old；　I　salute　with　deep　respect　your　melancholy　memory。　　Those　souls　of　kin　to　your　own　who　appeared　in　the　age　of　Chrisitianity　were　souls　of　saints；　and　the　〃Golden　Legend〃　is　full　of　the　miracles　they　wrought。　　Your　friend　Horace　left　a　less　noble　posterity；　and　I　see　one　of　his　descendants　in　the　person　of　that　tavern　poet；　who　at　this　moment　is　serving　out　wine　in　cups　under　the　epicurean　motto　of　his　sign。

And　yet　life　decides　in　favour　of　friend　Flaccus；　and　his　philosophy　is　the　only　one　which　adapts　itself　to　the　course　of　events。　　There　is　a　fellow　leaning　against　that　trellis…work　covered　with　vine…　leaves；　and　eating　an　ice；　while　watching　the　stars。　　He　would　not　stoop　even　to　pick　up　the　old　manuscript　I　am　going　to　seek　with　so　much　trouble　and　fatigue。　　And　in　truth　man　is　made　rather　to　eat　ices　than　to　pore　over　old　texts。

I　continued　to　wander　about　among　the　drinkers　and　the　singers。　　There　were　lovers　biting　into　beautiful　fruit；　each　with　an　arm　about　the　other's　waist。　　Man　must　be　naturally　bad；　for　all　this　strange　joy　only　evoked　in　me　a　feeling　of　uttermost　despondency。　That　thronging　populace　displayed　such　artless　delight　in　the　simple　act　of　living；　that　all　the　shynesses　begotten　by　my　old　habits　as　an　author　awoke　and　intensified　into　something　like　fright。　Furthermore；　I　found　myself　much　discouraged　by　my　inability　to　understand　a　word　of　all　the　storm　of　chatter　about　me。　　It　was　a　humiliating　experience　for　a　philologist。　　Thus　I　had　begun　to　feel　quite　sulky；　when　I　was　startled　to　hear　someone　behind　me　observe：

〃Dimitri；　that　old　man　is　certainly　a　Frenchman。　　He　looks　so　bewildered　that　I　really　fell　sorry　for　him。　　Shall　I　speak　to　him？　。。。He　has　such　a　goo…natured　look；　with　that　round　back　of　hisdo　you　not　think　so；　Dimitri？〃

It　was　said　in　French　by　a　woman's　voice。　　For　the　moment　it　was　disagreeable　to　hear　myself　spoken　of　as　an　old　man。　　Is　a　man　old　at　sixty…two？　　Only　the　other　day；　on　the　Pont　des　Arts；　my　colleague　Perrot　d'Avrignac　complimented　me　on　my　youthful　appearance；　and　I　should　think　him　a　better　authority　about　one's　age　than　that　young　chatterbox　who　has　taken　it　on　herself　to　make　remarks　about　my　back。　　My　back　is　round；　she　says。　　Ah！　ah！　　I　had　some　suspicion　myself　to　that　effect；　but　I　am　not　going　now　to　believe　it　at　all；　since　it　is　the　opinion　of　a　giddy…headed　young　woman。　　Certainly　I　will　not　turn　my　head　round　to　see　who　it　was　that　spoke；　but　I　am　sure　it　was　a　pretty　woman。　　Why？　　Because　she　talks　like　a　capricious　person　and　like　a　spoiled　child。　　Ugly　women　may　be　naturally　quite　as　capricious　as　pretty　ones；　but　as　they　are　never　petted　and　spoiled；　and　as　no　allowances　are　made　for　them；　they　soon　find　themselves　obliged　either　to　suppress　their　whims　or　to　hide　them。　　On　the　other　hand；　the　pretty　women　can　be　just　as　fantastical　as　they　please。　　My　neighbour　is　evidently　one　of　the　latter。。。。　　　But；　after　all；　coming　to　think　it　over；　she　really　did　nothing　worse　than　to　express；　in　her　own　way；　a　kindly　thought　about　me；　for　which　I　ought　to　feel　grateful。

These　reflectionsinclude　the　last　and　decisive　onepassed　through　my　mind　in　less　than　a　second；　and　if　I　have　taken　a　whole　minute　to　tell　them；　it　is　characteristic　of　most　philologists。　　In　less　than　a　second；　therefore；　after　the　voice　had　ceased；　I　did　turn　round；　and　saw　a　pretty　little　womana　sprightly　brunette。

〃Madame；〃　I　said；　with　a　bow；　〃excuse　my　involuntary　indiscretion。　I　could　not　help　overhearing　what　you　have　just　said。　　You　would　like　to　be　of　service　to　a　poor　old　man。　　And　the　wish；　Madame；　has　already　been　fulfilledthe　mere　sound　of　a　French　voice　has　given　me　such　pleasure　that　I　must　thank　you。〃

I　bowed　again；　and　turned　to　go　away；　but　my　foot　slipped　upon　a　melon…rind；　and　I　should　certainly　have　embraced　the　Parthenopean　soil　had　not　the　young　lady　put　out　her　hand　and　caught　me。

There　is　a　force　in　circumstanceseven　in　the　very　smallest　circumstancesagainst　which　resistance　is　vain。　　I　resigned　myself　to　remain　the　protege　of　the　fair　unknown。

〃It　is　late；〃　she　said；　〃do　you　not　wish　to　go　back　to　your　hotel；　which　must　be　quite　close　to　oursunless　it　be　the　same　one？〃

〃Madame；〃　I　replied；　〃I　do　not　know　what　time　it　is；　because　somebody　has　stolen　my　watch；　but　I　think；　as　you　say；　that　it　must　be　time　to　retire；　and　I　shall　be　very　glad　to　regain　my　hotel　in　the　company　of　such　courteous　compatriots。〃

So　saying；　I　bowed　once　more　to　the　young　lady；　and　also　saluted　her　companion；　a　silent　colossus　with　a　gentle　and　melancholy　face。

After　having　gone　a　little　way　with　them；　I　learned；　among　other　matters；　that　my　new　acquaintances　were　the　Prince　and　Princess　Trepof；　and　that　they　were　making　a　trip　round　the　world　for　the　purpose　of　finding　match…boxes；　of　which　they　were　making　a　collection。

We　proceeded　along　a　narrow；　tortuous　vicoletto；　lighted　only　by　a　single　lamp　burning　in　the　niche　of　a　Madonna。　　The　purity　and　transparency　of　the　air　gave　a　celestial　softness　and　clearness　to　the　very　darkness　itself；　and　one　could　find　one's　way　without　difficulty　under　such　a　limpid　night。　　But　in　a　little　while　we　began　to　pass　through　a　〃venella；〃　or；　in　Neopolitan　parlance；　a　sottoportico；　which　led　under　so　many　archways　and　so　many　far…　projecting　balconies　that　no　gleam　of　light　from　the　sky　could　reach　us。　　My　young　guide　had　made　us　take　this　route　as　a　short　cut；　she　assured　us；　but　I　think　she　did　so　quite　as　much　simply　in　order　to　show　that　she　felt　at　home　in　Naples；　and　knew　the　city　thoroughly。　　Indeed；　she　needed　to　know　it　very　thoroughly　to　venture　by　night　into　that　labyrinth　of　subterranean　alleys　and　flights　of　steps。　　If　ever　any　many　showed　absolute　docility　in　allowing　himself　to　be