the girl with the golden eyes-第16章

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in　some　sort；　the　persuasive　grip　of　comparisons；　and　the　irresistible
attraction　of　memories　to　lead　him　back　to　a　woman。　True　love　rules
above　all　through　recollection。　A　woman　who　is　not　engraven　upon　the
soul　by　excess　of　pleasure　or　by　strength　of　emotion；　how　can　she　ever
be　loved？　In　Henri's　case；　Paquita　had　established　herself　by　both　of
these　reasons。　But　at　this　moment；　seized　as　he　was　by　the　satiety　of
his　happiness；　that　delicious　melancholy　of　the　body；　he　could　hardly
analyze　his　heart；　even　by　recalling　to　his　lips　the　taste　of　the
liveliest　gratifications　that　he　had　ever　grasped。

He　found　himself　on　the　Boulevard　Montmartre　at　the　break　of　day；
gazed　stupidly　at　the　retreating　carriage；　produced　two　cigars　from
his　pocket；　lit　one　from　the　lantern　of　a　good　woman　who　sold　brandy
and　coffee　to　workmen　and　street　arabs　and　chestnut　vendersto　all
the　Parisian　populace　which　begins　its　work　before　daybreak；　then　he
went　off；　smoking　his　cigar；　and　putting　his　hands　in　his　trousers'
pockets　with　a　devil…may…care　air　which　did　him　small　honor。

〃What　a　good　thing　a　cigar　is！　That's　one　thing　a　man　will　never　tire
of；〃　he　said　to　himself。

Of　the　girl　with　the　golden　eyes；　over　whom　at　that　time　all　the
elegant　youth　of　Paris　was　mad；　he　hardly　thought。　The　idea　of　death；
expressed　in　the　midst　of　their　pleasure；　and　the　fear　of　which　had
more　than　once　darkened　the　brow　of　that　beautiful　creature；　who　held
to　the　houris　of　Asia　by　her　mother；　to　Europe　by　her　education；　to
the　tropics　by　her　birth；　seemed　to　him　merely　one　of　those　deceptions
by　which　women　seek　to　make　themselves　interesting。

〃She　is　from　Havanathe　most　Spanish　region　to　be　found　in　the　New
World。　So　she　preferred　to　feign　terror　rather　than　cast　in　my　teeth
indisposition　or　difficulty；　coquetry　or　duty；　like　a　Parisian　woman。
By　her　golden　eyes；　how　glad　I　shall　be　to　sleep。〃

He　saw　a　hackney　coach　standing　at　the　corner　of　Frascati's　waiting
for　some　gambler；　he　awoke　the　driver；　was　driven　home；　went　to　bed；
and　slept　the　sleep　of　the　dissipated；　which　for　some　queer　reasonof
which　no　rhymer　has　yet　taken　advantageis　as　profound　as　that　of
innocence。　Perhaps　it　is　an　instance　of　the　proverbial　axiom；
/extremes　meet/。

About　noon　De　Marsay　awoke　and　stretched　himself；　he　felt　the　grip　of
that　sort　of　voracious　hunger　which　old　soldiers　can　remember　having
experienced　on　the　morrow　of　victory。　He　was　delighted；　therefore；　to
see　Paul　de　Manerville　standing　in　front　of　him；　for　at　such　a　time
nothing　is　more　agreeable　than　to　eat　in　company。

〃Well；〃　his　friend　remarked；　〃we　all　imagined　that　you　had　been　shut
up　for　the　last　ten　days　with　the　girl　of　the　golden　eyes。〃

〃The　girl　of　the　golden　eyes！　I　have　forgotten　her。　Faith！　I　have
other　fish　to　fry！〃

〃Ah！　you　are　playing　at　discretion。〃

〃Why　not？〃　asked　De　Marsay；　with　a　laugh。　〃My　dear　fellow；　discretion
is　the　best　form　of　calculation。　Listenhowever；　no！　I　will　not　say　a
word。　You　never　teach　me　anything；　I　am　not　disposed　to　make　you　a
gratuitous　present　of　the　treasures　of　my　policy。　Life　is　a　river
which　is　of　use　for　the　promotion　of　commerce。　In　the　name　of　all　that
is　most　sacred　in　lifeof　cigars！　I　am　no　professor　of　social　economy
for　the　instruction　of　fools。　Let　us　breakfast！　It　costs　less　to　give
you　a　tunny　omelette　than　to　lavish　the　resources　of　my　brain　on　you。〃

〃Do　you　bargain　with　your　friends？〃

〃My　dear　fellow；〃　said　Henri；　who　rarely　denied　himself　a　sarcasm；
〃since　all　the　same；　you　may　some　day　need；　like　anybody　else；　to　use
discretion；　and　since　I　have　much　love　for　youyes；　I　like　you！　Upon
my　word；　if　you　only　wanted　a　thousand…franc　note　to　keep　you　from
blowing　your　brains　out；　you　would　find　it　here；　for　we　haven't　yet
done　any　business　of　that　sort；　eh；　Paul？　If　you　had　to　fight
to…morrow；　I　would　measure　the　ground　and　load　the　pistols；　so　that
you　might　be　killed　according　to　rule。　In　short；　if　anybody　besides
myself　took　it　into　his　head　to　say　ill　of　you　in　your　absence；　he
would　have　to　deal　with　the　somewhat　nasty　gentleman　who　walks　in　my
shoesthere's　what　I　call　a　friendship　beyond　question。　Well；　my　good
fellow；　if　you　should　ever　have　need　of　discretion；　understand　that
there　are　two　sorts　of　discretionthe　active　and　the　negative。
Negative　discretion　is　that　of　fools　who　make　use　of　silence；
negation；　an　air　of　refusal；　the　discretion　of　locked　doorsmere
impotence！　Active　discretion　proceeds　by　affirmation。　Suppose　at　the
club　this　evening　I　were　to　say：　'Upon　my　word　of　honor　the　golden…
eyed　was　not　worth　all　she　cost　me！'　Everybody　would　exclaim　when　I
was　gone：　'Did　you　hear　that　fop　De　Marsay；　who　tried　to　make　us
believe　that　he　has　already　had　the　girl　of　the　golden　eyes？　It's　his
way　of　trying　to　disembarrass　himself　of　his　rivals：　he's　no
simpleton。'　But　such　a　ruse　is　vulgar　and　dangerous。　However　gross　a
folly　one　utters；　there　are　always　idiots　to　be　found　who　will　believe
it。　The　best　form　of　discretion　is　that　of　women　when　they　want　to
take　the　change　out　of　their　husbands。　It　consists　in　compromising　a
woman　with　whom　we　are　not　concerned；　or　whom　we　do　not　love；　in　order
to　save　the　honor　of　the　one　whom　we　love　well　enough　to　respect。　It
is　what　is　called　the　/woman…screen/。　。　。　。　Ah！　here　is　Laurent。　What
have　you　got　for　us？〃

〃Some　Ostend　oysters；　Monsieur　le　Comte。〃

〃You　will　know　some　day；　Paul；　how　amusing　it　is　to　make　a　fool　of　the
world　by　depriving　it　of　the　secret　of　one's　affections。　I　derive　an
immense　pleasure　in　escaping　from　the　stupid　jurisdiction　of　the
crowd；　which　knows　neither　what　it　wants；　nor　what　one　wants　of　it；
which　takes　the　means　for　the　end；　and　by　turns　curses　and　adores；
elevates　and　destroys！　What　a　delight　to　impose　emotions　on　it　and
receive　none　from　it；　to　tame　it；　never　to　obey　it。　If　one　may　ever　be
proud　of　anything；　is　it　not　a　self…acquired　power；　of　which　one　is　at
once　the　cause　and　effect；　the　principle　and　the　result？　Well；　no　man
knows　what　I　love；　nor　what　I　wish。　Perhaps　what　I　have　loved；　or　what
I　may　have　wished　will　be　known；　as　a　drama　which　is　accomplished　is
known；　but　to　let　my　game　be　seenweakness；　mistake！　I　know　nothing
more　despicable　than　strength　outwitted　by　cunning。　Can　I　initiate
myself　with　a　laugh　into　the　ambassador's　part；　if　indeed　diplomacy　is
as　difficult　as　life？　I　doubt　it。　Have　you　any　ambition？　Would　you
like　to　become　something？〃

〃But；　Henri；　you　are　laughing　at　meas　though　I　were　not　sufficiently
mediocre　to　arrive　at　anything。〃

〃Good　Paul！　If　you　go　on　laughing　at　yourself；　you　will　soon　be　able
to　laugh　at　everybody　else。〃

At　breakfast；　by　the　time　he　had　started　his　cigars；　De　Marsay　began
to　see　the　events　of　the　night　in　a　singular　light。　Like　many　men　of
great　intelligence；　his　perspicuity　was　not　spontaneous；　as　it　did　not
at　once　penetrate　to　the　heart　of　things。　As　with　all　natures　endowed
with　the　faculty　of　living　greatly　in　the　present；　of　extracting；　so
to　speak；　the　essence　of　it　and　assimilating　it；　his　second…sight　had
need　of　a　sort　of　slumber　before　it　could　identify　itself　with　causes。
Cardinal　de　Richelieu　was　so　constituted；　and　it　did　not　debar　in　him
the　gift　of　foresight　necessary　to　the　conception　of　great　designs。

De　Marsay's　conditions　were　alike；　but　at　first　he　only　used　his
weapons　for　the　benefit　of　his　pleasures；　and　only　became　one　of　the
most　profound　politicians　of　his　day　when　he　had　saturated　himself
with　those　pleasures　to　which　a　young　man's　thoughtswhen　he　has
money　and　powerare　primarily　directed。　Man　hardens　himself　thus：　he
uses　woman　in　order　that　she　may　not　make　use　of　him。

At　this　moment；　then；　De　Marsay　perceived　that　he　had　been　fooled　by
the　girl　of　the　golden　eyes；　seeing；　as　he　did；　in　perspective；　all
that　night　of　which　the　delights　had　been　poured　upon　him　by　degrees
until　they　had　ended　by　flooding　him　in　torrents。　He　could　read；　at
last；　that　page　in　effect　so　brilliant；　divine　its　hidden　meaning。　The
purely　physical　innocence　of　Paquita；　the　bewilderment　of　her　joy；
certain　words；　obscure　at　first；　but　now　clear；　which　had　escaped　her
in　the　midst　of　th