the nabob-第47章

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n　another　would　arrive；　and　the　same　question　call　forth　the　same　reply。

By　its　constant　repetition　this　phrase　〃All　alone？〃　had　eventually　become　a　jest　in　the　vestibule；　lackeys　and　footmen　threw　it　at　each　other　whenever　there　entered　a　new　guest　〃all　alone！〃　And　we　laughed　and　were　put　in　good…humour　by　it。　But　M。　Nicklauss；　with　his　great　experience　of　the　world；　deemed　this　almost　general　abstention　of　the　fair　sex　unnatural。

〃It　must　be　the　article　in　the　/Messenger/；〃　said　he。

Everybody　was　talking　about　it；　this　rascally　article；　and　before　the　mirror　garlanded　with　flowers；　at　which　each　guest　gave　a　finishing　touch　to　his　attire　before　entering；　I　surprised　fragments　of　whispered　conversation　such　as　this：

〃You　have　read　it？〃

〃It　is　horrible！〃

〃Do　you　think　the　thing　possible？〃

〃I　have　no　idea。　In　any　case；　I　preferred　not　to　bring　my　wife。〃

〃I　have　done　the　same。　A　man　can　go　everywhere　without　compromising　himself。〃

〃Certainly。　While　a　woman〃

Then　they　would　go　in；　opera　hat　under　arm；　with　that　conquering　air　of　married　men　when　they　are　unaccompanied　by　their　wives。

What；　then；　could　there　be　in　this　newspaper；　this　terrible　article；　to　menace　to　this　degree　the　influence　of　so　wealthy　a　man？　Unfortunately；　my　duties　took　up　the　whole　of　my　time。　I　could　go　down　neither　to　the　pantry　nor　to　the　cloak…room　to　obtain　information；　to　chat　with　the　coachmen　and　valets　and　lackeys　whom　I　could　see　standing　at　the　foot　of　the　staircase；　amusing　themselves　by　jests　upon　the　people　who　were　going　up。　What　will　you？　Masters　give　themselves　great　airs　also。　How　not　laugh　to　see　go　by　with　an　insolent　manner　and　an　empty　stomach　the　Marquis　and　the　Marquise　de　Bois　l'Hery；　after　all　that　we　have　been　told　about　the　traffickings　of　Monsieur　and　the　toilettes　of　Madame？　And　the　Jenkins　couple；　so　tender；　so　united；　the　doctor　carefully　putting　a　lace　shawl　over　his　lady's　shoulders　for　fear　she　should　take　cold　on　the　staircase；　she　herself　smiling　and　in　full　dress；　all　in　velvet；　with　a　great　long　train；　leaning　on　her　husband's　arm　with　an　air　that　seems　to　say；　〃How　happy　I　am！〃　when　I　happened　to　know　that；　in　fact；　since　the　death　of　the　Irishwoman；　his　real；　legitimate　wife；　the　doctor　is　thinking　of　getting　rid　of　the　old　woman　who　clings　to　him；　in　order　to　be　able　to　marry　a　chit　of　a　girl；　and　that　the　old　woman　passes　her　nights　in　lamentation；　and　in　spoiling　with　tears　whatever　beauty　she　has　left。

The　humorous　thing　is　that　not　one　of　these　people　had　the　least　suspicion　of　the　rich　jests　and　jeers　that　were　spat　over　their　backs　as　they　passed；　not　a　notion　of　the　filth　which　those　long　trains　drew　after　them　as　they　crossed　the　carpet　of　the　antechamber；　and　they　all　would　look　at　you　so　disdainfully　that　it　was　enough　to　make　you　die　of　laughing。

The　two　ladies　whom　I　have　just　named；　the　wife　of　the　governor；　a　little　Corsican；　to　whom　her　bushy　eyebrows；　her　white　teeth；　and　her　shining　cheeks；　dark　beneath　the　skin；　give　the　appearance　of　a　woman　of　Auvergne　with　a　washed　face；　a　good　sort；　for　the　rest；　and　laughing　all　the　time　except　when　her　husband　is　looking　at　other　women；　in　addition；　a　few　Levantines　with　tiaras　of　gold　or　pearls；　less　perfect　specimens　of　the　type　than　our　own；　but　still　in　a　similar　style；　wives　of　upholsterers；　jewellers；　regular　tradesmen　of　the　establishment；　with　shoulders　as　large　as　shop…fronts；　and　expensive　toilettes；　finally；　sundry　ladies；　wives　of　officials　of　the　Territorial；　in　sorry；　badly　creased　dresses；　these　constituted　the　sole　representation　of　the　fair　sex　in　the　assembly；　some　thirty　ladies　lost　among　a　thousand　black　coatsthat　is　to　say；　practically　none　at　all。　From　time　to　time　Cassagne；　Laporte；　Grandvarlet；　who　were　serving　the　refreshments　in　trays；　stopped　to　inform　us　of　what　was　passing　in　the　drawing…rooms。

〃Ah；　my　boys；　if　you　could　see　it！　it　has　a　gloom；　a　melancholy。　The　men　don't　stir　from　the　buffets。　The　ladies　are　all　at　the　back；　seated　in　a　circle；　fanning　themselves　and　saying　nothing。　The　fat　old　lady　does　not　speak　to　a　soul。　I　fancy　she　is　sulking。　You　should　see　the　look　on　Monsieur！　Come；　/pere/　Passajon；　a　glass　of　Chateau…　Larose；　it　will　pick　you　up　a　bit。〃

They　were　charmingly　kind　to　me；　all　these　young　people；　and　took　a　mischievous　pleasure　in　doing　me　the　honours　of　the　cellar　so　often　and　so　copiously；　that　my　tongue　commenced　to　become　heavy；　uncertain；　and　as　the　young　folk　said　to　me；　in　their　somewhat　free　language。　〃Uncle；　you　are　babbling。〃　Happily　the　last　of　the　effendis　had　just　arrived；　and　there　was　nobody　else　to　announce；　for　it　was　in　vain　that　I　sought　to　shake　off　the　impression；　every　time　I　advanced　between　the　curtains　to　send　a　name　hurtling　through　the　air　at　random；　I　saw　the　chandeliers　of　the　drawing…rooms　revolving　with　hundreds　of　dazzling　lights；　and　the　floors　slipping　away　with　sharp　and　perpendicular　slopes　like　Russian　mountains。　I　was　bound　to　get　my　speech　mixed；　it　is　certain。

The　cool　night…air；　sundry　ablutions　at　the　pump　in　the　court…yard；　quickly　got　the　better　of　this　small　discomfort；　and　when　I　entered　the　cloak…room　nothing　of　it　was　any　longer　apparent。　I　found　a　numerous　and　gay　company　collected　round　a　/marquise　au　champagne/；　of　which　all　my　nieces；　wearing　their　best　dresses；　with　their　hair　puffed　out　and　cravats　of　pink　ribbon；　took　their　full　share　notwithstanding　exclamations　and　bewitching　little　grimaces　that　deceived　nobody。　Naturally；　the　conversation　turned　on　the　famous　article；　an　article　by　Moessard；　it　appears；　full　of　frightful　occupations　which　the　Nabob　was　alleged　to　have　followed　fifteen　or　twenty　years　ago；　at　the　time　of　his　first　sojourn　in　Paris。

It　was　the　third　attack　of　the　kind　which　the　/Messenger/　had　published　in　the　course　of　the　last　week；　and　that　rogue　of　a　Moessard　had　the　spite　to　send　the　number　each　time　done　up　in　a　packet　to　the　Place　Vendome。

M。　Jansoulet　received　it　in　the　morning　with　his　chocolate；　and　at　the　same　hour　his　friends　and　his　enemiesfor　a　man　like　the　Nabob　could　be　regarded　with　indifference　by　nonewould　be　reading；　commenting；　tracing　for　themselves　the　relation　to　him　a　line　of　conduct　designed　to　save　them　from　becoming　compromised。　Today's　article　must　be　supposed　to　have　struck　hard　all　the　same；　for　Jansoulet；　the　coachman；　recounted　to　us　a　few　hours　ago；　in　the　Bois；　his　master　had　not　exchanged　ten　greetings　in　the　course　of　ten　drives　round　the　lake；　while　ordinarily　his　hat　is　as　rarely　on　his　head　as　a　sovereign's　when　he　takes　the　air。　Then；　when　they　got　back；　there　was　another　trouble。　The　three　boys　had　just　arrived　at　the　house；　all　in　tears　and　dismay；　brought　home　from　the　College　Bourdaloue　by　a　worthy　father　in　the　interest　of　the　poor　little　fellows　themselves；　who　had　received　a　temporary　leave　of　absence　in　order　to　spare　them　from　hearing　in　the　parlour　or　the　playground　any　unkind　story　or　painful　allusion。　Thereupon　the　Nabob　flew　into　a　terrible　passion；　which　caused　him　to　destroy　a　service　of　porcelain；　and　it　appears　that；　had　it　not　been　for　M。　de　Gery；　he　would　have　rushed　off　at　once　to　punch　Moessard's　head。

〃And　he　would　have　done　very　well；〃　remarked　M。　Noel；　entering　at　these　last　words；　very　much　excited。　〃There　is　not　a　line　of　truth　in　that　rascal's　article。　My　master　had　never　been　in　Paris　before　last　year。　From　Tunis　to　Marseilles；　from　Marseilles　to　Tunis；　those　were　his　only　journeys。　But　this　knave　of　a　journalist　is　taking　his　revenge　because　we　refused　him　twenty　thousand　francs。〃

〃There　you　acted　very　unwisely；〃　observed　M。　Francis　upon　this　Monpavon's　Francis；　Monpavon　the　old　beau　whose　solitary　tooth　shakes　about　in　the　centre　of　his　mouth　at　every　word　he　says；　but　whom　the　young　ladies　regard　with　a　favourable　eye　all　the　same　on　account　of　his　fine　manners。　〃Yes；　you　were　unwise。　One　must　know　how　to　conciliate　people；　so　long　as　they　are　in　a　position　to　be　useful　to　us　or　to　injure　us。　Your　Nabob　has　turned　his　back　too　quickly　upon　his　friends　after　his　success；　and　between　you　and　me；　/mon　cher/；　he　is　not　sufficiently　firmly　established　to　be　able　to　disregard　attacks　of　this　kind。〃

I　thought　myself　able　here　to　put　in　a　word　in　my　turn：

〃That　is　true　enough；　M。　Noel；　your　governor　is　no　longer　the　same　since　his　election。　He　has　adopted　a　tone　and　manners　which　I　can　hardly　but　describe　as　reprehensible。　The　day　before　yesterday；　at　the　Territorial；　he　raised　a　commotion　which　you　can　hardly　imagine。　He　was　heard　to　exclaim　before　the　whole　board：　'You　have　lied　to　me；　you　have　robbed　me；　and　made　me　a　robber　as　much　as　yourselves。　Show　me　your　books；　you　set　of　rogues！'　If　he　has　treated　Moessard　in　the　same　sort　of　fashion；　I　am　not　surprised　any　longer　that　the　latter　should　be　taking　his　revenge　in　his　newspaper。〃

〃But　what　does　this　article　say？〃　asked　M。　Barreau。　〃Who　is　present　that　has　read　it？〃

Nobody　answered。　Several　had　tried　to　buy　it；　but　in　Paris　scandal　sells　like　bread。　At　ten　o'clock　in　the　morning　there　was　not　a　single　copy　of　the　/Messenger/　left　in　the　office。　Then　it　occurred　to　one　of　my　niecesa　sharp　girl；　if　ever　there　was　oneto　look　in　the　pocket　of　one　of　the　numerous　overcoats　in　the　cloak…room；　folded　carefully　in　large　pigeon…holes。　At　the　first　which　she　examined：

〃Here　it　is！〃　exclaimed　the　charming　child　with　an　air　of　triumph；　as　she　drew　out　a　/Messenger/　crumpled　in　the　folding　like　a　paper　that　has　just　been　read。

〃Here　is　another！〃　cried　Tom　Bois　l'Hery；　who　was　making　a　search　on　his　own　account。　A　third　overcoat；　a　third　/Messenger/。　And　in　every　one　the　same　thing：　pushed　down　to　the　bottom　of　a　pocket；　or　with　its　titlepage　protruding；　the　newspaper　was　everywhere；　just　as　its　article　must　have　been　in　every　memory；　and　one　could　imagine　the　Nabob　up　above　exchanging　polite　phrases　with　his　guests；　while　they　could　have　reeled　off　by　heart　the　atrocious　things　that　had　been　printed　about　him。　We　all　laughed　much　at　this　idea；　but　we　were　anxious　to　make　acquaintance　in　our　own　turn　with　this　curious　article。

〃Come；　/pere/　Passajon；　read　it　aloud　to　us。〃

It　was　the　general　desire；　and　I　assented。

I　don't　know　if　you　are　like　me；　but　when　I　read　aloud　I　gargle　my　throat　with　my　voice；　I　introduce　modulations　and　flourishes　to　such　an　extent　that　I　understand　nothing　of　what　I　am　saying；　like　those　singers　to　whom　the　sense　of　the　words　matters　little；　provided　the　notes　be　true。　The　thing　was　entitled　〃The　Boat　of　Flowers〃a　sufficiently　complicated　story；　with　Chinese　names；　about　a　very　rich　mandarin；　who　had　at　one　time　in　the　past　kept　a　〃boat　of　flowers〃　moored　quite　at　the　far　end　of　the　town　near　a　barrier　frequented　by　the　soldiers。　At　the　end　of　the　article　we　were　not　farther　on　than　at　the　beginning。　We　tried　certainly　to　wink　at　each　other；　to　pretend　to　be　clever；　but；　frankly；　we　had　no　reason。　A　veritable　puzzle　without　solution；　and　we　should　still　be　stuck　fast　at　it　if　old　Francis；　a　regular　rascal　who　knows　everything；　had　not　explained　to　us　that　this　meeting　place　of　the　soldiers　must　stand　for　the　Military　School；　and　that　the　〃boat　of　flowers〃　did　not　bear　so　pretty　a　name　as　that　in　good　French。　And　this　name；　he　said　it　aloud