classic mystery and detective stories-第39章

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preacher　just　as　well　as　a　hero；　I　generally　make　my　sermon　out　of

them；　and　for　the　text；　〃Cappadocia；　Pontus　and　Asia；　Phrygia　and

Pamphilia；〃　is　as　good　as　anyone　in　the　Bible。



There　is　a　long；　dark　passage　issuing　out　from　the　Opera　Comique

into　a　narrow　street。　　It　is　trod　by　a　few　who　humbly　wait　for　a

fiacre*　or　wish　to　get　off　quietly　o'　foot　when　the　opera　is　done。

At　the　end　of　it；　toward　the　theater；　'tis　lighted　by　a　small

candle；　the　light　of　which　is　almost　lost　before　you　get　halfway

down；　but　near　the　doorit　is　more　for　ornament　than　useyou　see

it　as　a　fixed　star　of　the　least　magnitude；　it　burns；　but　does

little　good　to　the　world　that　we　know　of。





*Hackney　coach。





In　returning　＇from　the　opera＇　along　this　passage；　I　discerned；　as　I

approached　within　five　or　six　paces　of　the　door；　two　ladies

standing　arm　in　arm　with　their　backs　against　the　wall；　waiting；　as

I　imagined；　for　a　fiacre。　　As　they　were　next　the　door；　I　thought

they　had　a　prior　right；　so　I　edged　myself　up　within　a　yard　or

little　more　of　them；　and　quietly　took　my　stand。　　I　was　in　black　and

scarce　seen。



The　lady　next　me　was　a　tall；　lean　figure　of　a　woman　of　about

thirty…six；　the　other；　of　the　same　size　and　make　of　about　forty。

There　was　no　mark　of　wife　or　widow　in　any　one　part　of　either　of

them。　　They　seemed　to　be　two　upright　vestal　sisters；　unsapped　by

caresses；　unbroke　in　upon　by　tender　salutations。　　I　could　have

wished　to　have　made　them　happy。　　Their　happiness　was　destined；　that

night；　to　come　from　another　quarter。



A　low　voice　with　a　good　turn　of　expression　and　sweet　cadence　at　the

end　of　it；　begged　for　a　twelve…sous　piece　between　them　for　the　love

of　heaven。　　I　thought　it　singular　that　a　beggar　should　fix　the

quota　of　an　alms；　and　that　the　sum　should　be　twelve　times　as　much

as　what　is　usually　given　in　the　dark。　　They　both　seemed　astonished

at　it　as　much　as　myself。　　〃Twelve　sous；〃　said　one。　　〃A　twelve…sous

piece；〃　said　the　other；　and　made　no　reply。



The　poor　man　said　he　knew　not　how　to　ask　less　of　ladies　of　their

rank；　and　bowed　down　his　head　to　the　ground。



〃Pooh！〃　said　they；　〃we　have　no　money。〃



The　beggar　remained　silent　for　a　moment　or　two；　and　renewed　his

supplication。



〃Do　not；　my　fair　young　ladies；〃　said　he；　〃stop　your　good　ears

against　me。〃



〃Upon　my　word；　honest　man；〃　said　the　younger；　〃we　have　no　change。〃



〃Then　God　bless　you；〃　said　the　poor　man；　〃and　multiply　those　joys

which　you　can　give　to　others　without　change。〃



I　observed　the　older　sister　put　her　hand　into　her　pocket。　　〃I　will

see；〃　said　she；　〃if　I　have　a　sous。〃



〃A　sous！　　Give　twelve；〃　said　the　suppliant。　　〃Nature　has　been

bountiful　to　you；　be　bountiful　to　a　poor　man。〃



〃I　would；　friend；　with　all　my　heart；〃　said　the　younger；　〃if　I　had

it。〃



〃My　fair　charitable；〃　said　he；　addressing　himself　to　the　elder；

〃what　is　it　but　your　goodness　and　humanity　which　make　your　bright

eyes　so　sweet　that　they　outshine　the　morning　even　in　this　dark

passage？　　And　what　was　it　which　made　the　Marquis　de　Santerre　and

his　brother　say　so　much　of　you　both；　as　they　just　passed　by？〃



The　two　ladies　seemed　much　affected；　and　impulsively　at　the　same

time　they　put　their　hands　into　their　pockets　and　each　took　out　a

twelve…sous　piece。



The　contest　between　them　and　the　poor　suppliant　was　no　more。　　It

was　continued　between　themselves　which　of　the　two　should　give　the

twelve…sous　piece　in　charity；　and；　to　end　the　dispute；　they　both

gave　it　together；　and　the　man　went　away。





SOLUTION





I　stepped　hastily　after　him；　it　was　the　very　man　whose　success　in

asking　charity　of　the　woman　before　the　door　of　the　hotel　had　so

puzzled　me；　and　I　found　at　once　his　secret；　or　at　least　the　basis

of　it：　it　was　flattery。



Delicious　essence！　how　refreshing　art　thou　to　Nature！　　How　strongly

are　all　its　powers　and　all　its　weaknesses　on　thy　side！　　How　sweetly

dost　thou　mix　with　the　blood；　and　help　it　through　the　most

difficult　and　tortuous　passages　to　the　heart！



The　poor　man；　as　he　was　not　straitened　for　time；　had　given　it　here

in　a　larger　dose。　　It　is　certain　he　had　a　way　of　bringing　it　into

less　form　for　the　many　sudden　causes　he　had　to　do　with　in　the

streets；　but　how　he　contrived　to　correct；　sweeten；　concenter；　and

qualify　itI　vex　not　my　spirit　with　the　inquiry。　　It　is　enough；

the　beggar　gained　two　twelve…sous　pieces；　and　they　can　best　tell

the　rest　who　have　gained　much　greater　matters　by　it。





APPLICATION





We　get　forward　in　the　world　not　so　much　by　doing　services　as

receiving　them。　　You　take　a　withering　twig　and　put　it　in　the

ground；　and　then　you　water　it　because　you　have　planted　it。



Monsieur　le　Comte　de　B；　merely　because　he　had　done　me　one

kindness　in　the　affair　of　my　passport；　would　go　on　and　do　me

another　the　few　days　he　was　at　Paris；　in　making　me　known　to　a　few

people　of　rank；　and　they　were　to　present　me　to　others；　and　so　on。



I　had　got　master　of　my　SECRET　just　in　time　to　turn　these　honors　to

some　little　account；　otherwise；　as　is　commonly　the　case；　I　should

have　dined　or　supped　a　single　time　or　two　round；　and　then　by

TRANSLATING　French　looks　and　attitudes　into　plain　English；　I　should

presently　have　seen　that　I　had　got　hold　of　the　couvert*　of　some

more　entertaining　guest；　and　in　course　of　time　should　have　resigned

all　my　places　one　after　another；　merely　upon　the　principle　that　I

could　not　keep　them。　　As　it　was；　things　did　not　go　much　amiss。





*　Plate；　napkin；　knife；　fork；　and　spoon。





I　had　the　honor　of　being　introduced　to　the　old　Marquis　de　B。

In　days　of　yore　he　had　signalized　himself　by　some　small　feats　of

chivalry　in　the　Cour　d'Amour；　and　had　dressed　himself　out　to　the

idea　of　tilts　and　tournaments　ever　since。　　The　Marquis　de　B

wished　to　have　it　thought　the　affair　was　somewhere　else　than　in　his

brain。　　〃He　could　like　to　take　a　trip　to　England；〃　and　asked　much

of　the　English　ladies。　　〃Stay　where　you　are；　I　beseech　you；

Monsieur　le　Marquis；〃　said　I。　　〃Les　Messieurs　Anglais　can　scarce

get　a　kind　look　from　them　as　it　is。〃　　The　marquis　invited　me　to

supper。



M。　P；　the　farmer…general；　was　just　as　inquisitive　about　our

taxes。　　They　were　very　considerable；　he　heard。　　〃If　we　knew　but　how

to　collect　them；〃　said　I；　making　him　a　low　bow。



I　could　never　have　been　invited　to　M。　P's　concerts　upon　any

other　terms。



I　had　been　misrepresented　to　Mme。　de　Q　as　an　espritMme。　de　Q

was　an　esprit　herself；　she　burned　with　impatience　to　see　me　and

hear　me　talk。　　I　had　not　taken　my　seat　before　I　saw　she　did　not

care　a　sou　whether　I　had　any　wit　or　no。　　I　was　let　in　to　be

convinced　she　had。　　I　call　Heaven　to　witness　I　never　once　opened

the　door　of　my　lips。



Mme。　de　V　vowed　to　every　creature　she　met；　〃She　had　never　had　a

more　improving　conversation　with　a　man　in　her　life。〃



There　are　three　epochs　in　the　empire　of　a　Frenchwomanshe　is

coquette；　then　deist；　then　devote。　　The　empire　during　these　is

never　lostshe　only　changes　her　subjects。　　When　thirty…five　years

and　more　have　unpeopled　her　dominion　of　the　slaves　of　love　she

repeoples　it　with　slaves　of　infidelity；　and；　then　with　the　slaves

of　the　church。



Mme。　de　V　was　vibrating　between　the　first　of　these　epochs；　the

color　of　the　rose　was　fading　fast　away；　she　ought　to　have　been　a

deist　five　years　before　the　time　I　had　the　honor　to　pay　my　first

visit。



She　placed　me　upon　the　same　sofa　with　her　for　the　sake　of　disputing

the　point　of　religion　more　closely。　　In　short；　Mme。　de　V　told

me　she　believed　nothing。



I　told　Mme。　de　V　it　might　be　her　principle；　but　I　was　sure　it

could　not　be　her　interest；　to　level　the　outworks；　without　which　I

could　not　conceive　how　such　a　citadel　as　hers　could　be　defended；

that　there　was　not　a　more　dangerous　thing　in　the　world　than　for　a

beauty　to　be　a　deist；　that　it　was　a　debt　I　owed　my　creed　not　to

conceal　it　from　her；　that　I　had　not　been　five　minutes　upon　the　sofa

beside　her　before　I　had　begun　to　form　designs；　and　what　is　it　but

the　sentiments　of　religion；　and　the　persuasion　they　had　existed　in

her　breast；　which　could　have　checked　them　as　they　rose　up？



〃We　are　not　adamant；〃　said　I；　taking　hold　of　her　hand；　〃and　there

is　need　of　all　restraints　till　age　in　her　own　time　steals　in　and

lays　them　on　us；　but；　my　dear　lady；〃　said　I；　kissing　her　hand；　〃it

is　tootoo　soon。〃



I　declare　I　had　the　credit　all　over　Paris　of　unperverting　Mme。　de

V。　　She　affirmed　to　M。　D　and　the　Abbe　M　that　in　one

half　hour　I　had　said　more　for　revealed　religion　than　all　their

encyclopaedia　had　said　against　it。　　I　was　listed　directly　into　Mme。

de　Vo's　coterie；　and　she　put　off　the　epoch　of　deism　for　two

years。



I　remember　it　was　in　this　coterie；　in　the　middle　of　a　discourse；　in

which　I　was　showing　the　necessity　of　a　first　cause；　that　the　young

Count　de　Faineant　took　me　by　the　hand　to　the　farthest　corner　of　the

room；　to　tell　me　that　my　solitaire　was　pinned　too　strait　about　my

neck。　　〃It　should　be　plus　badinant；〃　said　the　count；　looking　down

upon　his　own；　〃but　a　word；　M。　Yorick；　to　the　wise〃



〃And　from　the　wise；　M。　le　Comte；〃　replied　I；　making　him　a　bow；　〃is

enough。〃



The　Count　de　Faineant　embraced　me　with　more　ardor　than　ever　I　was

embraced　by　mortal　man。



For　three　weeks　together　I　was　of　every　man's　opinion　I　met。

〃Pardi！　ce　M。　Yorick　a　autant　d'esprit　que　nous　autres。〃



〃Il　raisonne　bien；〃　said　another。



〃C'est　un　bon　enfant；〃　said　a　third。



And　at　this　price　I　could　have　eaten　and　drunk　and　been　merry　all

the　days　of　my　life　at　Paris；　but　it　was　a　dishonest　reckoning。　　I

grew　ashamed　of　it；　it　was　the　gain　of　a　slave；　every　sentiment　of

honor　revolted　against　it；　the　higher　I　got；　the　more　was　I　forced

upon　my　beggarly　system；　the　better　the　coterie；　the　more　children

of　Art；　I　languished　for　those　of　Nature。　　And　one　night；　after　a

most　vile　prostitution　of　myself　to　half　a　dozen　different　people；

I　grew　sick；　went　to　bed；　and　ordered　horses　in　the　morning　to　set

out　for　Italy。





CONTRAST





A　shoe　coming　loose　from　the　forefoot　of　the　thill　horse　at　the

beginning　of　the　ascent　of　Mount　Taurira；　the　postilion　dismounted；

twisted　the　shoe　off；　and　put　it　in　his　pocket；　as　the　ascent　was

of　five　or　six　miles；　and　that　horse　our　main　dependence　I　made　a

point　of　having　the　shoe　fastened　on　again　as　well　as　we　could；　but

the　postilion　had　thrown　away　the　nails；　and　the　hammer　in　the

chaise　box　being　of　no　great　use　without　them；　I　submitted　to　go

on。



He　had　not　mounted　half　a　mile　higher　when；　coming　to　a　flinty

piece　of　road；　the　poor　devil　lost　a　second　shoe；　and　from　off　his

other　forefoot。　　I　then　got　out　of　the　chaise　in　good　earnest；　and

seeing　a　house　about　a　quarter　of　a　mile　to　the　left　hand；　with　a

great　deal　to　do　I　prevailed　upon　the　postilion　to　turn　up　to　it。

The　look　of　the　house；　and　of　everything　about　it；　as　w