paz-第7章

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Thaddeus　took　her　hand；　kissed　it；　leaving　a　hot　tear　upon　it；　and

went　out。



Having　invented　this　passion　for　a　circus…rider；　he　bethought　him　that

he　must　give　it　some　reality。　The　only　truth　in　his　tale　was　the

momentary　attention　he　had　given　to　Malaga　at　Saint…Cloud；　and　he　had

since　seen　her　name　on　the　posters　of　the　Circus；　where　the　clown；　for

a　tip　of　five　francs；　had　told　him　that　the　girl　was　a　foundling；

stolen　perhaps。　Thaddeus　now　went　to　the　Circus　and　saw　her　again。　For

ten　francs　one　of　the　grooms　（who　take　the　place　in　circuses　of　the

dressers　at　a　theatre）　informed　him　that　Malaga　was　named　Marguerite

Turquet；　and　lived　on　the　fifth　story　of　a　house　in　the　rue　des

Fosses…du…Temple。



The　following　day　Paz　went　to　the　faubourg　du　Temple；　found　the　house；

and　asked　to　see　Mademoiselle　Turquet；　who　during　the　summer　was

substituting　for　the　leading　horsewoman　at　the　Cirque…Olympique；　and　a

supernumerary　at　a　boulevard　theatre　in　winter。



〃Malaga！〃　cried　the　portress；　rushing　into　the　attic；　〃there's　a　fine

gentleman　wanting　you。　He　is　getting　information　from　Chapuzot；　who　is

playing　him　off　to　give　me　time　to　tell　you。〃



〃Thank　you；　M'ame　Chapuzot；　but　what　will　he　think　of　me　if　he　finds

me　ironing　my　gown？〃



〃Pooh！　when　a　man's　in　love　he　loves　everything　about　us。〃



〃Is　he　an　Englishman？　they　are　fond　of　horses。〃



〃No；　he　looks　to　me　Spanish。〃



〃That's　a　pity；　they　say　Spaniards　are　always　poor。　Stay　here　with　me；

M'ame　Chapuzot；　I　don't　want　him　to　think　I'm　deserted。〃



〃Who　is　it　you　are　looking　for；　monsieur？〃　asked　Madame　Chapuzot；

opening　the　door　for　Thaddeus；　who　had　now　come　upstairs。



〃Mademoiselle　Turquet。〃



〃My　dear；〃　said　the　portress；　with　an　air　of　importance；　〃here　is　some

one　to　see　you。〃



A　line　on　which　the　clothes　were　drying　caught　the　captain's　hat　and

knocked　it　off。



〃What　is　it　you　wish；　monsieur？〃　said　Malaga；　picking　up　the　hat　and

giving　it　to　him。



〃I　saw　you　at　the　Circus；〃　said　Thaddeus；　〃and　you　reminded　me　of　a

daughter　whom　I　have　lost；　mademoiselle；　and　out　of　affection　for　my

Heloise；　whom　you　resemble　in　a　most　striking　manner；　I　should　like　to

be　of　some　service　to　you；　if　you　will　permit　me。〃



〃Why；　certainly；　pray　sit　down；　general；〃　said　Madame　Chapuzot；

〃nothing　could　be　more　straightforward；　more　gallant。〃



〃But　I　am　not　gallant；　my　good　lady；〃　exclaimed　Paz。　〃I　am　an

unfortunate　father　who　tries　to　deceive　himself　by　a　resemblance。〃



〃Then　am　I　to　pass　for　your　daughter？〃　said　Malaga；　slyly；　and　not　in

the　least　suspecting　the　perfect　sincerity　of　his　proposal。



〃Yes；〃　said　Paz；　〃and　I'll　come　and　see　you　sometimes。　But　you　shall

be　lodged　in　better　rooms；　comfortably　furnished。〃



〃I　shall　have　furniture！〃　cried　Malaga；　looking　at　Madame　Chapuzot。



〃And　servants；〃　said　Paz；　〃and　all　you　want。〃



Malaga　looked　at　the　stranger　suspiciously。



〃What　countryman　is　monsieur？〃



〃I　am　a　Pole。〃



〃Oh！　then　I　accept；〃　she　said。



Paz　departed；　promising　to　return。



〃Well；　that's　a　stiff　one！〃　said　Marguerite　Turquet；　looking　at　Madame

Chapuzot；　〃I'm　half　afraid　he　is　wheedling　me；　to　carry　out　some　fancy

of　his　ownPooh！　I'll　risk　it。〃



A　month　after　this　eccentric　interview　the　circus…rider　was　living　in

a　comfortable　apartment　furnished　by　Comte　Adam's　own　upholsterer；　Paz

having　judged　it　desirable　to　have　his　folly　talked　about　at　the　hotel

Laginski。　Malaga；　to　whom　this　adventure　was　like　a　leaf　out　of　the

Arabian　Nights；　was　served　by　Monsieur　and　Madame　Chapuzot　in　the

double　capacity　of　friends　and　servants。　The　Chapuzots　and　Marguerite

were　constantly　expecting　some　result　of　all　this；　but　at　the　end　of

three　months　none　of　them　were　able　to　make　out　the　meaning　of　the

Polish　count's　caprice。　Paz　arrived　duly　and　passed　about　an　hour

there　once　a　week；　during　which　time　he　sat　in　the　salon；　and　never

went　into　Malaga's　boudoir　nor　into　her　bedroom；　in　spite　of　the

clever　manoeuvring　of　the　Chapuzots　and　Malaga　to　get　him　there。　The

count　would　ask　questions　as　to　the　small　events　of　Marguerite's　life；

and　each　time　that　he　came　he　left　two　gold　pieces　of　forty　francs

each　on　the　mantel…piece。



〃He　looks　as　if　he　didn't　care　to　be　here；〃　said　Madame　Chapuzot。



〃Yes；〃　said　Malaga；　〃the　man's　as　cold　as　an　icicle。〃



〃But　he's　a　good　fellow　all　the　same；〃　cried　Chapuzot；　who　was　happy

in　a　new　suit　of　clothes　made　of　blue　cloth；　in　which　he　looked　like

the　servant　of　some　minister。



The　sum　which　Paz　deposited　weekly　on　the　mantel…piece；　joined　to

Malaga's　meagre　salary；　gave　her　the　means　of　sumptuous　living

compared　with　her　former　poverty。　Wonderful　stories　went　the　rounds　of

the　Circus　about　Malaga's　good…luck。　Her　vanity　increased　the　six

thousand　francs　which　Paz　had　spent　on　her　furniture　to　sixty

thousand。　According　to　the　clowns　and　the　supers；　Malaga　was

squandering　money；　and　she　now　appeared　at　the　Circus　wearing　burnous

and　shawls　and　elegant　scarfs。　The　Pole；　it　was　agreed　on　all　sides；

was　the　best　sort　of　man　a　circus…rider　had　ever　encountered；　not

fault…finding　nor　jealous；　and　willing　to　let　Malaga　do　just　what　she

liked。



〃Some　women　have　the　luck　of　it；〃　said　Malaga's　rival；　〃and　I'm　not

one　of　them；though　I　do　draw　a　third　of　the　receipts。〃



Malaga　wore　pretty　things；　and　occasionally　〃showed　her　head〃　（a　term

in　the　lexicon　of　such　characters）　in　the　Bois；　where　the　fashionable

young　men　of　the　day　began　to　remark　her。　In　fact；　before　long　Malaga

was　very　much　talked　about　in　the　questionable　world　of　equivocal

women；　who　presently　attacked　her　good　fortune　by　calumnies。　They　said

she　was　a　somnambulist；　and　the　Pole　was　a　magnetizer　who　was　using

her　to　discover　the　philosopher's　stone。　Some　even　more　envenomed

scandals　drove　her　to　a　curiosity　that　was　greater　than　Psyche's。　She

reported　them　in　tears　to　Paz。



〃When　I　want　to　injure　a　woman；〃　she　said　in　conclusion；　〃I　don't

calumniate　her；　I　don't　declare　that　some　one　magnetizes　her　to　get

stones　out　of　her；　but　I　say　plainly　that　she　is　humpbacked；　and　I

prove　it。　Why　do　you　compromise　me　in　this　way？〃



Paz　maintained　a　cruel　silence。　Madame　Chapuzot　was　not　long　in

discovering　the　name　and　title　of　Comte　Paz；　then　she　heard　certain

positive　facts　at　the　hotel　Laginski：　for　instance；　that　Paz　was　a

bachelor；　and　had　never　been　known　to　have　a　daughter；　alive　or　dead；

in　Poland　or　in　France。　After　that　Malaga　could　not　control　a　feeling

of　terror。



〃My　dear　child；〃　Madame　Chapuzot　would　say；　〃that　monster〃　（a　man

who　contented　himself　with　only　looking；　in　a　sly　way；not　daring　to

come　out　and　say　things；and　such　a　beautiful　creature　too；　as

Malaga；of　course　such　a　man　was　a　monster；　according　to　Madame

Chapuzot's　ideas）　〃that　monster　is　trying　to　get　a　hold　upon　you；

and　make　you　do　something　illegal　and　criminal。　Holy　Father；　if　you

should　get　into　the　police…courts！　it　makes　me　tremble　from　head　to

foot；　suppose　they　should　put　you　in　the　newspapers！　I'll　tell　you

what　I　should　do　in　your　place；　I'd　warn　the　police。〃



One　particular　day；　after　many　foolish　notions　had　fermented　for　some

time　in　Malaga's　mind；　Paz　having　laid　his　money　as　usual　on　the

mantel…piece；　she　seized　the　bits　of　gold　and　flung　them　in　his　face；

crying　out；　〃I　don't　want　stolen　money！〃



The　captain　gave　the　gold　to　Chapuzot；　went　away　without　a　word；　and

did　not　return。



Clementine　was　at　this　time　at　her　uncle's　place　in　Burgundy。



When　the　Circus　troop　discovered　that　Malaga　had　lost　her　Polish

count；　much　excitement　was　produced　among　them。　Malaga's　display　of

honor　was　considered　folly　by　some；　and　shrewdness　by　others。　The

conduct　of　the　Pole；　however；　even　when　discussed　by　the　cleverest　of

women；　seemed　inexplicable。　Thaddeus　received　in　the　course　of　the

next　week　thirty…seven　letters　from　women　of　their　kind。　Happily　for

him；　his　astonishing　reserve　did　not　excite　the　curiosity　of　the

fashionable　world；　and　was　only　discussed　in　the　demi…mondaine

regions。



Two　weeks　later　the　handsome　circus…rider；　crippled　by　debt；　wrote　the

following　letter　to　Comte　Paz；　which；　having　fallen　into　the　hands　of

Comte　Adam；　was　read　by　several　of　the　dandies　of　the　day；　who

pronounced　it　a　masterpiece：



　　〃You；　whom　I　still　dare　to　call　my　friend；　will　you　not　pity　me

　　after　all　that　has　passed；which　you　have　so　ill　understood？　My

　　heart　disavows　whatever　may　have　wounded　your　feelings。　If　I　was

　　fortunate　enough　to　charm　you　and　keep　you　beside　me　in　the　past；

　　return　to　me；　otherwise；　I　shall　fall　into　despair。　Poverty　has

　　overtaken　me；　and　you　do　not　know　what　HORRID　THINGS　it　brings

　　with　it。　Yesterday　I　lived　on　a　herring　at　two　sous；　and　one　sou

　　of　bread。　Is　that　a　breakfast　for　the　woman　you　loved？　The

　　Chapuzots　have　left　me；　though　they　seemed　so　devoted。　Your

　　desertion　has　caused　me　to　see　to　the　bottom　of　all　human

　　attachments。　The　dog　we　feed　does　not　leave　us；　but　the　Chapuzots

　　have　gone。　A　sheriff　has　seized　everything　on　behalf　of　the

　　landlord；　who　has　no　heart；　and　the　jeweller；　who　refused　to　wait

　　even　ten　days；for　when　we　lose　the　confidence　of　such　as　you；

　　credit　goes　too。　What　a　position　for　women　who　have　nothing　to

　　reproach　themselves　with　but　the　happiness　they　have　given！　My

　　friend；　I　have　taken　all　I　have　of　any　value　to　MY　UNCLE'S；　I　have

　　nothing　but　the　memory　of　you　left；　and　here　is　the　winter　coming

　　on。　I　shall　be　fireless　when　it　turns　cold；　for　the　boulevards　are

　　to　play　only　melodramas；　in　which　I　have　nothing　but　little　bits

　　of　parts　which　don't　POSE　a　woman。　How　could　you　misunderstand　the

　　nobleness　of　my　feelings　for　you？for　there　are　two　ways　of

　　expressing　gratitude。　You　who　seemed　so　happy　in　seeing　me　well…

　　off；　how　can　you　leave　me　in　poverty？　Oh；　my　sole　friend　on　earth；

　　before　I　go　back　to　the　country　fairs　with　Bouthor's　circus；　where

　　I　can　at　least　make　a　living；　forgive　me　if　I　wish　to　know　whether

　　I　have　lost　you　forever。　If　I　were　to　let　myself　think　of　you　when

　　I　jump　through　the　hoops；　I　should　be　sure　to　break　my　legs　by

　　losing　A　TIME。　Whatever　may　be　the　result；　I　am　yours　for　life。



〃Marguerite　Turquet。〃





〃That　letter；〃　thought　Thaddeus；　shouting　with　laughter；　〃is　worth　the

ten　thousand　francs　I　have　spent　upon　her。〃







III



Clementine　came　home　the　next　day；　and　the　day　after　that　Paz　beheld

her　again；　more　beautiful　and　graceful　than　ever。　After　dinner；　during

which　the　countess　treated　Paz　with　an　air　of　perfect　indifference；　a

little　scene　took　place　in　the　salon　between　the　count　and　his　wife

when　Thaddeus　had　left　them。　On　pretence　of　asking　Adam's　advice；

Thaddeus　had　left　Malaga's　letter　with　him；　as　if　by　mistake。



〃Poor　Thaddeus！〃　said　Adam；　as　Paz　disappeared；　〃wh