the magic skin-第19章

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evening；　by　way　of　a　beginning。　I　will　introduce　you　to　a　house　where

all　Paris　goes；　all　OUR　Paris；　that　isthe　Paris　of　exquisites；

millionaires；　celebrities；　all　the　folk　who　talk　gold　like　Chrysostom。

When　they　have　taken　up　a　book；　that　book　becomes　the　fashion；　and

if　it　is　something　really　good　for　once；　they　will　have　declared　it

to　be　a　work　of　genius　without　knowing　it。　If　you　have　any　sense；　my

dear　fellow；　you　will　ensure　the　success　of　your　〃Theory；〃　by　a

better　understanding　of　the　theory　of　success。　To…morrow　evening　you

shall　go　to　see　that　queen　of　the　momentthe　beautiful　Countess

Foedora。　。　。　。'



〃　'I　have　never　heard　of　her。　。　。　。'



〃　'You　Hottentot！'　laughed　Rastignac；　'you　do　not　know　Foedora？　A

great　match　with　an　income　of　nearly　eighty　thousand　livres；　who　has

taken　a　fancy　to　nobody；　or　else　no　one　has　taken　a　fancy　to　her。　A

sort　of　feminine　enigma；　a　half　Russian　Parisienne；　or　a　half　Parisian

Russian。　All　the　romantic　productions　that　never　get　published　are

brought　out　at　her　house；　she　is　the　handsomest　woman　in　Paris；　and

the　most　gracious！　You　are　not　even　a　Hottentot；　you　are　something

between　the　Hottentot　and　the　beast。　。　。　。　Good…bye　till　to…morrow。'



〃He　swung　round　on　his　heel　and　made　off　without　waiting　for　my

answer。　It　never　occurred　to　him　that　a　reasoning　being　could　refuse

an　introduction　to　Foedora。　How　can　the　fascination　of　a　name　be

explained？　FOEDORA　haunted　me　like　some　evil　thought；　with　which　you

seek　to　come　to　terms。　A　voice　said　in　me；　'You　are　going　to　see

Foedora！'　In　vain　I　reasoned　with　that　voice；　saying　that　it　lied　to

me；　all　my　arguments　were　defeated　by　the　name　'Foedora。'　Was　not　the

name；　and　even　the　woman　herself；　the　symbol　of　all　my　desires；　and

the　object　of　my　life？



〃The　name　called　up　recollections　of　the　conventional　glitter　of　the

world；　the　upper　world　of　Paris　with　its　brilliant　fetes　and　the

tinsel　of　its　vanities。　The　woman　brought　before　me　all　the　problems

of　passion　on　which　my　mind　continually　ran。　Perhaps　it　was　neither

the　woman　nor　the　name；　but　my　own　propensities；　that　sprang　up　within

me　and　tempted　me　afresh。　Here　was　the　Countess　Foedora；　rich　and

loveless；　proof　against　the　temptations　of　Paris；　was　not　this　woman

the　very　incarnation　of　my　hopes　and　visions？　I　fashioned　her　for

myself；　drew　her　in　fancy；　and　dreamed　of　her。　I　could　not　sleep　that

night；　I　became　her　lover；　I　overbrimmed　a　few　hours　with　a　whole

lifetimea　lover's　lifetime；　the　experience　of　its　prolific　delights

burned　me。



〃The　next　day　I　could　not　bear　the　tortures　of　delay；　I　borrowed　a

novel；　and　spent　the　whole　day　over　it；　so　that　I　could　not　possibly

think　nor　keep　account　of　the　time　till　night。　Foedora's　name　echoed

through　me　even　as　I　read；　but　only　as　a　distant　sound；　though　it

could　be　heard；　it　was　not　troublesome。　Fortunately；　I　owned　a　fairly

creditable　black　coat　and　a　white　waistcoat；　of　all　my　fortune　there

now　remained　abut　thirty　francs；　which　I　had　distributed　about　among

my　clothes　and　in　my　drawers；　so　as　to　erect　between　my　whims　and　the

spending　of　a　five…franc　piece　a　thorny　barrier　of　search；　and　an

adventurous　peregrination　round　my　room。　While　I　as　dressing；　I　dived

about　for　my　money　in　an　ocean　of　papers。　This　scarcity　of　specie　will

give　you　some　idea　of　the　value　of　that　squandered　upon　gloves　and

cab…hire；　a　month's　bread　disappeared　at　one　fell　swoop。　Alas！　money

is　always　forthcoming　for　our　caprices；　we　only　grudge　the　cost　of

things　that　are　useful　or　necessary。　We　recklessly　fling　gold　to　an

opera…dancer；　and　haggle　with　a　tradesman　whose　hungry　family　must

wait　for　the　settlement　of　our　bill。　How　many　men　are　there　that　wear

a　coat　that　cost　a　hundred　francs；　and　carry　a　diamond　in　the　head　of

their　cane；　and　dine　for　twenty…five　SOUS　for　all　that！　It　seems　as

though　we　could　never　pay　enough　for　the　pleasures　of　vanity。



〃Rastignac；　punctual　to　his　appointment；　smiled　at　the　transformation；

and　joked　about　it。　On　the　way　he　gave　me　benevolent　advice　as　to　my

conduct　with　the　countess；　he　described　her　as　mean；　vain；　and

suspicious；　but　though　mean；　she　was　ostentatious；　her　vanity　was

transparent；　and　her　mistrust　good…humored。



〃　'You　know　I　am　pledged；'　he　said；　'and　what　I　should　lose；　too；　if　I

tried　a　change　in　love。　So　my　observation　of　Foedora　has　been　quite

cool　and　disinterested；　and　my　remarks　must　have　some　truth　in　them。　I

was　looking　to　your　future　when　I　thought　of　introducing　you　to　her；

so　mind　very　carefully　what　I　am　about　to　say。　She　has　a　terrible

memory。　She　is　clever　enough　to　drive　a　diplomatist　wild；　she　would

know　it　at　once　if　he　spoke　the　truth。　Between　ourselves；　I　fancy　that

her　marriage　was　not　recognized　by　the　Emperor；　for　the　Russian

ambassador　began　to　smile　when　I　spoke　of　her；　he　does　not　receive　her

either；　and　only　bows　very　coolly　if　he　meets　her　in　the　Bois。　For　all

that；　she　is　in　Madame　de　Serizy's　set；　and　visits　Mesdames　de

Nucingen　and　de　Restaud。　There　is　no　cloud　over　her　here　in　France；

the　Duchesse　de　Carigliano；　the　most…strait…laced　marechale　in　the

whole　Bonapartist　coterie；　often　goes　to　spend　the　summer　with　her　at

her　country　house。　Plenty　of　young　fops；　sons　of　peers　of　France；　have

offered　her　a　title　in　exchange　for　her　fortune；　and　she　has　politely

declined　them　all。　Her　susceptibilities；　maybe；　are　not　to　be　touched

by　anything　less　than　a　count。　Aren't　you　a　marquis？　Go　ahead　if　you

fancy　her。　This　is　what　you　may　call　receiving　your　instructions。'



〃His　raillery　made　me　think　that　Rastignac　wished　to　joke　and　excite

my　curiosity；　so　that　I　was　in　a　paroxysm　of　my　extemporized　passion

by　the　time　that　we　stopped　before　a　peristyle　full　of　flowers。　My

heart　beat　and　my　color　rose　as　we　went　up　the　great　carpeted

staircase；　and　I　noticed　about　me　all　the　studied　refinements　of

English　comfort；　I　was　infatuatedly　bourgeois；　I　forgot　my　origin　and

all　my　personal　and　family　pride。　Alas！　I　had　but　just　left　a　garret；

after　three　years　of　poverty；　and　I　could　not　just　then　set　the

treasures　there　acquired　above　such　trifles　as　these。　Nor　could　I

rightly　estimate　the　worth　of　the　vast　intellectual　capital　which

turns　to　riches　at　the　moment　when　opportunity　comes　within　our　reach；

opportunity　that　does　not　overwhelm；　because　study　has　prepared　us　for

the　struggles　of　public　life。



〃I　found　a　woman　of　about　twenty…two　years　of　age；　she　was　of　average

height；　was　dressed　in　white；　and　held　a　feather　fire…screen　in　her

hand；　a　group　of　men　stood　around　her。　She　rose　at　the　sight　of

Rastignac；　and　came　towards　us　with　a　gracious　smile　and　a　musically…

uttered　compliment；　prepared　no　doubt　beforehand；　for　me。　Our　friend

had　spoken　of　me　as　a　rising　man；　and　his　clever　way　of　making　the

most　of　me　had　procured　me　this　flattering　reception。　I　was　confused

by　the　attention　that　every　one　paid　to　me；　but　Rastignac　had　luckily

mentioned　my　modesty。　I　was　brought　in　contact　with　scholars；　men　of

letters；　ex…ministers；　and　peers　of　France。　The　conversation；

interrupted　a　while　by　my　coming；　was　resumed。　I　took　courage；　feeling

that　I　had　a　reputation　to　maintain；　and　without　abusing　my　privilege；

I　spoke　when　it　fell　to　me　to　speak；　trying　to　state　the　questions　at

issue　in　words　more　or　less　profound；　witty　or　trenchant；　and　I　made　a

certain　sensation。　Rastignac　was　a　prophet　for　the　thousandth　time　in

his　life。　As　soon　as　the　gathering　was　large　enough　to　restore　freedom

to　individuals；　he　took　my　arm；　and　we　went　round　the　rooms。



〃　'Don't　look　as　if　you　were　too　much　struck　by　the　princess；'　he

said；　'or　she　will　guess　your　object　in　coming　to　visit　her。'



〃The　rooms　were　furnished　in　excellent　taste。　Each　apartment　had　a

character　of　its　own；　as　in　wealthy　English　houses；　and　the　silken

hangings；　the　style　of　the　furniture；　and　the　ornaments；　even　the　most

trifling；　were　all　subordinated　to　the　original　idea。　In　a　gothic

boudoir　the　doors　were　concealed　by　tapestried　curtains；　and　the

paneling　by　hangings；　the　clock　and　the　pattern　of　the　carpet　were

made　to　harmonize　with　the　gothic　surroundings。　The　ceiling；　with　its

carved　cross…beams　of　brown　wood；　was　full　of　charm　and　originality；

the　panels　were　beautifully　wrought；　nothing　disturbed　the　general

harmony　of　the　scheme　of　decoration；　not　even　the　windows　with　their

rich　colored　glass。　I　was　surprised　by　the　extensive　knowledge　of

decoration　that　some　artist　had　brought　to　bear　on　a　little　modern

room；　it　was　so　pleasant　and　fresh；　and　not　heavy；　but　subdued　with

its　dead　gold　hues。　It　had　all　the　vague　sentiment　of　a　German　ballad；

it　was　a　retreat　fit　for　some　romance　of　1827；　perfumed　by　the　exotic

flowers　set　in　their　stands。　Another　apartment　in　the　suite　was　a

gilded　reproduction　of　the　Louis　Quatorze　period；　with　modern

paintings　on　the　walls　in　odd　but　pleasant　contrast。



〃　'You　would　not　be　so　badly　lodged；'　was　Rastignac's　slightly

sarcastic　comment。　'It　is　captivating；　isn't　it？'　he　added；　smiling　as

he　sat　down。　Then　suddenly　he　rose；　and　led　me　by　the　hand　into　a

bedroom；　where　the　softened　light　fell　upon　the　bed　under　its　canopy

of　muslin　and　white　watered　silka　couch　for　a　young　fairy　betrothed

to　one　of　the　genii。



〃　'Isn't　it　wantonly　bad　taste；　insolent　and　unbounded　coquetry；'　he

said；　lowering　his　voice；　'that　allows　us　to　see　this　throne　of　love？

She　gives　herself　to　no　one；　and　anybody　may　leave　his　card　here。　If　I

were　not　committed；　I　should　like　to　see　her　at　my　feet　all　tears　and

submission。'



〃　'Are　you　so　certain　of　her　virtue？'



〃　'The　boldest　and　even　the　cleverest　adventurers　among　us；

acknowledge　themselves　defeated；　and　continue　to　be　her　lovers　and

devoted　friends。　Isn't　that　woman　a　puzzle？'



〃His　words　seemed　to　intoxicate　me；　I　had　jealous　fears　already　of　the

past。　I　leapt　for　joy；　and　hurried　back　to　the　countess；　whom　I　had

seen　in　the　gothic　boudoir。　She　stopped　me　by　a　smile；　made　me　sit

beside　her；　and　talked　about　my　work；　seeming　to　take　the　greatest

interest　in　it；　and　all　the　more　when　I　set　forth　my　theories

amusingly；　instead　of　adopting　the　formal　language　of　a　professor　for

their　explanation。　It　seemed　to　divert　her　to　be　told　that　the　human

will　was　a　material　force　like　steam；　that　in　the　moral　world　nothing

could　resist　its　power　if　a　man　taught　himself　to　concentrate　it；　to

economize　it；　and　to　project　continually　its　fluid　mass　in　given

directions　upon　other　souls。　Such　a　man；　I　said；　could　modify　all

things　relatively　to　man；　even　the　peremptory　laws　of　nature。　The

questions　Foedora　raised　showed　a　certain　keenness　of　intellect。　I

took　a　pleasure　in　deciding　some　of　them　in　her　favor；　in　order　to

flatter　her；　then　I　confuted　her　feminine　reasoning　with　a　word；　and

roused　her　curiosity　by　drawing　her　attention　to　an　everyday　matter

to　sleep；　a　thing　so　appa