the girl with the golden eyes-第2章

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sickness　nor　vice　blocks　his　wayif　he　has　prosperedthere　is　the
sketch　of　this　normal　life。

And；　in　the　first　place；　hail　to　that　king　of　Parisian　activity；　to
whom　time　and　space　give　way。　Yes；　hail　to　that　being；　composed　of
saltpetre　and　gas；　who　makes　children　for　France　during　his　laborious
nights；　and　in　the　day　multiplies　his　personality　for　the　service；
glory；　and　pleasure　of　his　fellow…citizens。　This　man　solves　the
problem　of　sufficing　at　once　to　his　amiable　wife；　to　his　hearth；　to
the　/Constitutionnel/；　to　his　office；　to　the　National　Guard；　to　the
opera；　and　to　God；　but；　only　in　order　that　the　/Constitutionnel/；　his
office；　the　National　Guard；　the　opera；　his　wife；　and　God　may　be
changed　into　coin。　In　fine；　hail　to　an　irreproachable　pluralist。　Up
every　day　at　five　o'clock；　he　traverses　like　a　bird　the　space　which
separates　his　dwelling　from　the　Rue　Montmartre。　Let　it　blow　or
thunder；　rain　or　snow；　he　is　at　the　/Constitutionnel/；　and　waits　there
for　the　load　of　newspapers　which　he　has　undertaken　to　distribute。　He
receives　this　political　bread　with　eagerness；　takes　it；　bears　it　away。
At　nine　o'clock　he　is　in　the　bosom　of　his　family；　flings　a　jest　to　his
wife；　snatches　a　loud　kiss　from　her；　gulps　down　a　cup　of　coffee；　or
scolds　his　children。　At　a　quarter　to　ten　he　puts　in　an　appearance　at
the　/Mairie/。　There；　stuck　upon　a　stool；　like　a　parrot　on　its　perch；
warmed　by　Paris　town；　he　registers　until　four　o'clock；　with　never　a
tear　or　a　smile；　the　deaths　and　births　of　an　entire　district。　The
sorrow；　the　happiness；　of　the　parish　flow　beneath　his　penas　the
essence　of　the　/Constitutionnel/　traveled　before　upon　his　shoulders。
Nothing　weighs　upon　him！　He　goes　always　straight　before　him；　takes　his
patriotism　ready　made　from　the　newspaper；　contradicts　no　one；　shouts
or　applauds　with　the　world；　and　lives　like　a　bird。　Two　yards　from　his
parish；　in　the　event　of　an　important　ceremony；　he　can　yield　his　place
to　an　assistant；　and　betake　himself　to　chant　a　requiem　from　a　stall　in
the　church　of　which　on　Sundays　he　is　the　fairest　ornament；　where　his
is　the　most　imposing　voice；　where　he　distorts　his　huge　mouth　with
energy　to　thunder　out　a　joyous　/Amen/。　So　is　he　chorister。　At　four
o'clock；　freed　from　his　official　servitude；　he　reappears　to　shed　joy
and　gaiety　upon　the　most　famous　shop　in　the　city。　Happy　is　his　wife；
he　has　no　time　to　be　jealous：　he　is　a　man　of　action　rather　than　of
sentiment。　His　mere　arrival　spurs　the　young　ladies　at　the　counter；
their　bright　eyes　storm　the　customers；　he　expands　in　the　midst　of　all
the　finery；　the　lace　and　muslin　kerchiefs；　that　their　cunning　hands
have　wrought。　Or；　again；　more　often　still；　before　his　dinner　he　waits
on　a　client；　copies　the　page　of　a　newspaper；　or　carries　to　the
doorkeeper　some　goods　that　have　been　delayed。　Every　other　day；　at　six；
he　is　faithful　to　his　post。　A　permanent　bass　for　the　chorus；　he
betakes　himself　to　the　opera；　prepared　to　become　a　soldier　or　an　arab；
prisoner；　savage；　peasant；　spirit；　camel's　leg　or　lion；　a　devil　or　a
genie；　a　slave　or　a　eunuch；　black　or　white；　always　ready　to　feign　joy
or　sorrow；　pity　or　astonishment；　to　utter　cries　that　never　vary；　to
hold　his　tongue；　to　hunt；　or　fight　for　Rome　or　Egypt；　but　always　at
hearta　huckster　still。

At　midnight　he　returnsa　man；　the　good　husband；　the　tender　father；　he
slips　into　the　conjugal　bed；　his　imagination　still　afire　with　the
illusive　forms　of　the　operatic　nymphs；　and　so　turns　to　the　profit　of
conjugal　love　the　world's　depravities；　the　voluptuous　curves　of
Taglioni's　leg。　And　finally；　if　he　sleeps；　he　sleeps　apace；　and
hurries　through　his　slumber　as　he　does　his　life。

This　man　sums　up　all　thingshistory；　literature；　politics；
government；　religion；　military　science。　Is　he　not　a　living
encyclopaedia；　a　grotesque　Atlas；　ceaselessly　in　motion；　like　Paris
itself；　and　knowing　not　repose？　He　is　all　legs。　No　physiognomy　could
preserve　its　purity　amid　such　toils。　Perhaps　the　artisan　who　dies　at
thirty；　an　old　man；　his　stomach　tanned　by　repeated　doses　of　brandy；
will　be　held；　according　to　certain　leisured　philosophers；　to　be
happier　than　the　huckster　is。　The　one　perishes　in　a　breath；　and　the
other　by　degrees。　From　his　eight　industries；　from　the　labor　of　his
shoulders；　his　throat；　his　hands；　from　his　wife　and　his　business；　the
one　derivesas　from　so　many　farmschildren；　some　thousands　of
francs；　and　the　most　laborious　happiness　that　has　ever　diverted　the
heart　of　man。　This　fortune　and　these　children；　or　the　children　who　sum
up　everything　for　him；　become　the　prey　of　the　world　above；　to　which　he
brings　his　ducats　and　his　daughter　or　his　son；　reared　at　college；　who；
with　more　education　than　his　father；　raises　higher　his　ambitious　gaze。
Often　the　son　of　a　retail　tradesman　would　fain　be　something　in　the
State。

Ambition　of　that　sort　carries　on　our　thought　to　the　second　Parisian
sphere。　Go　up　one　story；　then；　and　descend　to　the　/entresol/：　or　climb
down　from　the　attic　and　remain　on　the　fourth　floor；　in　fine；　penetrate
into　the　world　which　has　possessions：　the　same　result！　Wholesale
merchants；　and　their　menpeople　with　small　banking　accounts　and　much
integrityrogues　and　catspaws；　clerks　old　and　young；　sheriffs'
clerks；　barristers'　clerks；　solicitors'　clerks；　in　fine；　all　the
working；　thinking；　and　speculating　members　of　that　lower　middle　class
which　honeycombs　the　interests　of　Paris　and　watches　over　its　granary；
accumulates　the　coin；　stores　the　products　that　the　proletariat　have
made；　preserves　the　fruits　of　the　South；　the　fishes；　the　wine　from
every　sun…favored　hill；　which　stretches　its　hands　over　the　Orient；　and
takes　from　it　the　shawls　that　the　Russ　and　the　Turk　despise；　which
harvests　even　from　the　Indies；　crouches　down　in　expectation　of　a　sale；
greedy　of　profit；　which　discounts　bills；　turns　over　and　collects　all
kinds　of　securities；　holds　all　Paris　in　its　hand；　watches　over　the
fantasies　of　children；　spies　out　the　caprices　and　the　vices　of　mature
age；　sucks　money　out　of　disease。　Even　so；　if　they　drink　no　brandy；
like　the　artisan；　nor　wallow　in　the　mire　of　debauch；　all　equally　abuse
their　strength；　immeasurably　strain　their　bodies　and　their　minds
alike；　are　burned　away　with　desires；　devastated　with　the　swiftness　of
the　pace。　In　their　case　the　physical　distortion　is　accomplished
beneath　the　whip　of　interests；　beneath　the　scourge　of　ambitions　which
torture　the　educated　portion　of　this　monstrous　city；　just　as　in　the
case　of　the　proletariat　it　is　brought　about　by　the　cruel　see…saw　of
the　material　elaborations　perpetually　required　from　the　despotism　of
the　aristocratic　〃/I　will/。〃　Here；　too；　then；　in　order　to　obey　that
universal　master；　pleasure　or　gold；　they　must　devour　time；　hasten
time；　find　more　than　four…and…twenty　hours　in　the　day　and　night；　waste
themselves；　slay　themselves；　and　purchase　two　years　of　unhealthy
repose　with　thirty　years　of　old　age。　Only；　the　working…man　dies　in
hospital　when　the　last　term　of　his　stunted　growth　expires；　whereas　the
man　of　the　middle　class　is　set　upon　living；　and　lives　on；　but　in　a
state　of　idiocy。　You　will　meet　him；　with　his　worn；　flat　old　face；　with
no　light　in　his　eyes；　with　no　strength　in　his　limbs；　dragging　himself
with　a　dazed　air　along　the　boulevardthe　belt　of　his　Venus；　of　his
beloved　city。　What　was　his　want？　The　sabre　of　the　National　Guard；　a
permanent　stock…pot；　a　decent　plot　in　Pere　Lachaise；　and；　for　his　old
age；　a　little　gold　honestly　earned。　/HIS/　Monday　is　on　Sunday；　his
rest　a　drive　in　a　hired　carriagea　country　excursion　during　which　his
wife　and　children　glut　themselves　merrily　with　dust　or　bask　in　the
sun；　his　dissipation　is　at　the　restaurateur's；　whose　poisonous　dinner
has　won　renown；　or　at　some　family　ball；　where　he　suffocates　till
midnight。　Some　fools　are　surprised　at　the　phantasmagoria　of　the　monads
which　they　see　with　the　aid　of　the　microscope　in　a　drop　of　water；　but
what　would　Rabelais'　Gargantua；that　misunderstood　figure　of　an
audacity　so　sublime；what　would　that　giant　say；　fallen　from　the
celestial　spheres；　if　he　amused　himself　by　contemplating　the　motions
of　this　secondary　life　of　Paris；　of　which　here　is　one　of　the　formulae？
Have　you　seen　one　of　those　little　construction