the magic skin-第34章

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〃But　is　the　Marquis　ill；　sir？〃　the　professor　continued。



〃My　dear　sir；〃　Jonathan　replied；　〃Heaven　only　knows　what　is　the　matter

with　my　master。　You　see；　there　are　not　a　couple　of　houses　like　ours

anywhere　in　Paris。　Do　you　understand？　Not　two　houses。　Faith；　that

there　are　not。　My　Lord　the　Marquis　had　this　hotel　purchased　for　him；

it　formerly　belonged　to　a　duke　and　a　peer　of　France；　then　he　spent

three　hundred　thousand　francs　over　furnishing　it。　That's　a　good　deal；

you　know；　three　hundred　thousand　francs！　But　every　room　in　the　house

is　a　perfect　wonder。　'Good；'　said　I　to　myself　when　I　saw　this

magnificence；　'it　is　just　like　it　used　to　be　in　the　time　of　my　lord；

his　late　grandfather；　and　the　young　marquis　is　going　to　entertain　all

Paris　and　the　Court！'　Nothing　of　the　kind！　My　lord　refused　to　see　any

one　whatever。　'Tis　a　funny　life　that　he　leads；　M。　Porriquet；　you

understand。　An　inconciliable　life。　He　rises　every　day　at　the　same

time。　I　am　the　only　person；　you　see；　that　may　enter　his　room。　I　open

all　the　shutters　at　seven　o'clock；　summer　or　winter。　It　is　all

arranged　very　oddly。　As　I　come　in　I　say　to　him：



〃　'You　must　get　up　and　dress；　my　Lord　Marquis。'



〃Then　he　rises　and　dresses　himself。　I　have　to　give　him　his　dressing…

gown；　and　it　is　always　after　the　same　pattern；　and　of　the　same

material。　I　am　obliged　to　replace　it　when　it　can　be　used　no　longer；

simply　to　save　him　the　trouble　of　asking　for　a　new　one。　A　queer　fancy！

As　a　matter　of　fact；　he　has　a　thousand　francs　to　spend　every　day；　and

he　does　as　he　pleases；　the　dear　child。　And　besides；　I　am　so　fond　of

him　that　if　he　gave　me　a　box　on　the　ear　on　one　side；　I　should　hold　out

the　other　to　him！　The　most　difficult　things　he　will　tell　me　to　do；　and

yet　I　do　them；　you　know！　He　gives　me　a　lot　of　trifles　to　attend　to；

that　I　am　well　set　to　work！　He　reads　the　newspapers；　doesn't　he？　Well；

my　instructions　are　to　put　them　always　in　the　same　place；　on　the　same

table。　I　always　go　at　the　same　hour　and　shave　him　myself；　and　don't　I

tremble！　The　cook　would　forfeit　the　annuity　of　a　thousand　crowns　that

he　is　to　come　into　after　my　lord's　death；　if　breakfast　is　not　served

inconciliably　at　ten　o'clock　precisely。　The　menus　are　drawn　up　for　the

whole　year　round；　day　after　day。　My　Lord　the　Marquis　has　not　a　thing

to　wish　for。　He　has　strawberries　whenever　there　are　any；　and　he　has

the　earliest　mackerel　to　be　had　in　Paris。　The　programme　is　printed

every　morning。　He　knows　his　dinner　by　rote。　In　the　next　place；　he

dresses　himself　at　the　same　hour；　in　the　same　clothes；　the　same　linen；

that　I　always　put　on　the　same　chair；　you　understand？　I　have　to　see

that　he　always　has　the　same　cloth；　and　if　it　should　happen　that　his

coat　came　to　grief　（a　mere　supposition）；　I　should　have　to　replace　it

by　another　without　saying　a　word　about　it　to　him。　If　it　is　fine；　I　go

in　and　say　to　my　master：



〃　'You　ought　to　go　out；　sir。'



〃He　says　Yes；　or　No。　If　he　has　a　notion　that　he　will　go　out；　he

doesn't　wait　for　his　horses；　they　are　always　ready　harnessed；　the

coachman　stops　there　inconciliably；　whip　in　hand；　just　as　you　see　him

out　there。　In　the　evening；　after　dinner；　my　master　goes　one　day　to　the

Opera；　the　other　to　the　Italno；　he　hasn't　yet　gone　to　the

Italiens；　though；　for　I　could　not　find　a　box　for　him　until　yesterday。

Then　he　comes　in　at　eleven　o'clock　precisely；　to　go　to　bed。　At　any

time　in　the　day　when　he　has　nothing　to　do；　he　readshe　is　always

reading；　you　seeit　is　a　notion　he　has。　My　instructions　are　to　read

the　Journal　de　la　Librairie　before　he　sees　it；　and　to　buy　new　books；

so　that　he　finds　them　on　his　chimney…piece　on　the　very　day　that　they

are　published。　I　have　orders　to　go　into　his　room　every　hour　or　so；　to

look　after　the　fire　and　everything　else；　and　to　see　that　he　wants

nothing。　He　gave　me　a　little　book；　sir；　to　learn　off　by　heart；　with

all　my　duties　written　in　ita　regular　catechism！　In　summer　I　have　to

keep　a　cool　and　even　temperature　with　blocks　of　ice　and　at　all　seasons

to　put　fresh　flowers　all　about。　He　is　rich！　He　has　a　thousand　francs

to　spend　every　day；　he　can　indulge　his　fancies！　And　he　hadn't　even

necessaries　for　so　long；　poor　child！　He　doesn't　annoy　anybody；　he　is

as　good　as　gold；　he　never　opens　his　mouth；　for　instance；　the　house　and

garden　are　absolutely　silent。　In　short；　my　master　has　not　a　single

wish　left；　everything　comes　in　the　twinkling　of　an　eye；　if　he　raises

his　hand；　and　INSTANTER。　Quite　right；　too。　If　servants　are　not　looked

after；　everything　falls　into　confusion。　You　would　never　believe　the

lengths　he　goes　about　things。　His　rooms　are　allwhat　do　you　call

it？ereren　suite。　Very　well；　just　suppose；　now；　that　he　opens　his

room　door　or　the　door　of　his　study；　presto！　all　the　other　doors　fly

open　of　themselves　by　a　patent　contrivance；　and　then　he　can　go　from

one　end　of　the　house　to　the　other　and　not　find　a　single　door　shut；

which　is　all　very　nice　and　pleasant　and　convenient　for　us　great　folk！

But；　on　my　word；　it　cost　us　a　lot　of　money！　And；　after　all；　M。

Porriquet；　he　said　to　me　at　last：



〃　'Jonathan；　you　will　look　after　me　as　if　I　were　a　baby　in　long

clothes；'　Yes；　sir；　'long　clothes！'　those　were　his　very　words。　'You

will　think　of　all　my　requirements　for　me。'　I　am　the　master；　so　to

speak；　and　he　is　the　servant；　you　understand？　The　reason　of　it？　Ah；　my

word；　that　is　just　what　nobody　on　earth　knows　but　himself　and　God

Almighty。　It　is　quite　inconciliable！〃



〃He　is　writing　a　poem！〃　exclaimed　the　old　professor。



〃You　think　he　is　writing　a　poem；　sir？　It's　a　very　absorbing　affair；

then！　But；　you　know；　I　don't　think　he　is。　He　wants　to　vergetate。　Only

yesterday　he　was　looking　at　a　tulip　while　he　was　dressing；　and　he　said

to　me：



〃　'There　is　my　own　lifeI　am　vergetating；　my　poor　Jonathan。'　Now；

some　of　them　insist　that　that　is　monomania。　It　is　inconciliable！〃



〃All　this　makes　it　very　clear　to　me；　Jonathan；〃　the　professor

answered；　with　a　magisterial　solemnity　that　greatly　impressed　the　old

servant；　〃that　your　master　is　absorbed　in　a　great　work。　He　is　deep　in

vast　meditations；　and　has　no　wish　to　be　distracted　by　the　petty

preoccupations　of　ordinary　life。　A　man　of　genius　forgets　everything

among　his　intellectual　labors。　One　day　the　famous　Newton〃



〃Newton？oh；　ah！　I　don't　know　the　name；〃　said　Jonathan。



〃Newton；　a　great　geometrician；〃　Porriquet　went　on；　〃once　sat　for

twenty…four　hours　leaning　his　elbow　on　the　table；　when　he　emerged　from

his　musings；　he　was　a　day　out　in　his　reckoning；　just　as　if　he　had　been

sleeping。　I　will　go　to　see　him；　dear　lad；　I　may　perhaps　be　of　some　use

to　him。〃



〃Not　for　a　moment！〃　Jonathan　cried。　〃Not　though　you　were　King　of

FranceI　mean　the　real　old　one。　You　could　not　go　in　unless　you　forced

the　doors　open　and　walked　over　my　body。　But　I　will　go　and　tell　him　you

are　here；　M。　Porriquet；　and　I　will　put　it　to　him　like　this；　'Ought　he

to　come　up？'　And　he　will　say　Yes　or　No。　I　never　say；　'Do　you　wish？'　or

'Will　you？'　or　'Do　you　want？'　Those　words　are　scratched　out　of　the

dictionary。　He　let　out　at　me　once　with　a　'Do　you　want　to　kill　me？'　he

was　so　very　angry。〃



Jonathan　left　the　old　schoolmaster　in　the　vestibule；　signing　to　him　to

come　no　further；　and　soon　returned　with　a　favorable　answer。　He　led　the

old　gentleman　through　one　magnificent　room　after　another；　where　every

door　stood　open。　At　last　Porriquet　beheld　his　pupil　at　some　distance

seated　beside　the　fire。



Raphael　was　reading　the　paper。　He　sat　in　an　armchair　wrapped　in　a

dressing…gown　with　some　large　pattern　on　it。　The　intense　melancholy

that　preyed　upon　him　could　be　discerned　in　his　languid　posture　and

feeble　frame；　it　was　depicted　on　his　brow　and　white　face；　he　looked

like　some　plant　bleached　by　darkness。　There　was　a　kind　of　effeminate

grace　about　him；　the　fancies　peculiar　to　wealthy　invalids　were　also

noticeable。　His　hands　were　soft　and　white；　like　a　pretty　woman's；　he

wore　his　fair　hair；　now　grown　scanty；　curled　about　his　temples　with　a

refinement　of　vanity。



The　Greek　cap　that　he　wore　was　pulled　to　one　side　by　the　weight　of　its

tassel；　too　heavy　for　the　light　material　of　which　it　was　made。　He　had

let　the　paper…knife　fall　at　his　feet；　a　malachite　blade　with　gold

mounting；　which　he　had　used　to　cut　the　leaves　of　the　book。　The　amber

mouthpiece　of　a　magnificent　Indian　hookah　lay　on　his　knee；　the

enameled　coils　lay　like　a　serpent　in　the　room；　but　he　had　forgotten　to

draw　out　its　fresh　perfume。　And　yet　there　was　a　complete　contradiction

between　the　general　feebleness　of　his　young　frame　and　the　blue　eyes；

where　all　his　vitality　seemed　to　dwell；　an　extraordinary　intelligence

seemed　to　look　out　from　them　and　to　grasp　everything　at　once。



That　expression　was　painful　to　see。　Some　would　have　read　despair　in

it；　and　others　some　inner　conflict　terrible　as　remorse。　It　was　the

inscrutable　glance　of　helplessness　that　must　perforce　consign　its

desires　to　the　depths　of　its　own　heart；　or　of　a　miser　enjoying　in

imagination　all　the　pleasures　that　his　money　could　procure　for　him；

while　he　declines　to　lessen　his　hoard；　the　look　of　a　bound　Prometheus；

of　the　fallen　Napoleon　of　1815；　when　he　learned　at　the　Elysee　the

strategical　blunder　that　his　enemies　had　made；　and　asked　for　twenty…

four　hours　of　command　in　vain；　or　rather　it　was　the　same　look　that

Raphael　had　turned　upon　the　Seine；　or　upon　his　last　piece　of　gold　at

the　gaming…table　only　a　few　months　ago。



He　was　submitting　his　intelligence　and　his　will　to　the　homely　common…

sense　of　an　old　peasant　whom　fifty　years　of　domestic　service　had

scarcely　civilized。　He　had　given　up　all　the　rights　of　life　in　order　to

live；　he　had　despoiled　his　soul　of　all　the　romance　that　lies　in　a

wish；　and　almost　rejoiced　at　thus　becoming　a　sort　of　automaton。　The

better　to　struggle　with　the　cruel　power　that　he　had　challenged；　he　had

followed　Origen's　example；　and　had　maimed　and　chastened　his

imagination。



The　day　after　he　had　seen　the　diminution　of　the　Magic　Skin；　at　his

sudden　accession　of　wealth；　he　happened　to　be　at　his　notary's　house。　A

well…known　physician　had　told　them　quite　seriously；　at　dessert；　how　a

Swiss　attacked　by　consumption　had　cured　himself。　The　man　had　never

spoken　a　word　for　ten　years；　and　had　compelled　himself　to　draw　six

breaths　only；　every　minute；　in　the　close　atmosphere　of　a　cow…house；

adhering　all　the　time　to　a　regimen　of　exceedingly　light　diet。　〃I　will

be　like　that　man；〃　thought　Raphael　to　himself。　He　wanted　life　at　any

price；　and　so　he　led　the　life　of　a　machine　in　the　midst　of　all　the

luxury　around　him。



The　old　professor　confronted　this　youthful　corpse　and　shuddered；　there

seemed　something　unnatural　about　the　meagre；　enfeebled　frame。　In　the

Marquis；　with　his　eager　eyes　and　careworn　forehead；　he　could　hardly

recognize　the　fresh…cheeked　and　rosy　pupil　with　the　active　limbs；　whom

he　remembered。　If　the　worthy　classicist；　sage　critic；　and　general

preserver　of　the　traditions　o