the nabob-第8章

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nd　rapine。　Fortunately　the　lower　part　of　the　face；　the　fleshy　and　strong　lip　which　was　lightened　now　and　then　by　a　smile　adorable　in　its　kindness；　quite　redeemed；　by　an　expression　like　that　of　a　St。　Vincent　de　Paul；　this　fierce　ugliness；　this　physiognomy　so　original　that　it　was　no　longer　vulgar。　An　inferior　extraction；　however；　betrayed　itself　yet　again　by　the　voice；　the　voice　of　a　Rhone　waterman；　raucous　and　thick；　in　which　the　southern　accent　became　rather　uncouth　than　hard；　and　by　two　broad　and　short　hands；　hairy　at　the　back；　square　and　nailless　fingers　which；　laid　on　the　whiteness　of　the　table…cloth；　spoke　of　their　past　with　an　embarrassing　eloquence。　Opposite　him；　on　the　other　side　of　the　table　at　which　he　was　one　of　the　habitual　guests；　was　seated　the　Marquis　de　Monpavon；　but　a　Monpavon　presenting　no　resemblance　to　the　painted　spectre　of　whom　we　had　a　glimpse　in　the　last　chapter。　He　was　now　a　haughty　man　of　no　particular　age；　fine　majestic　nose；　a　lordly　bearing；　displaying　a　large　shirt…front　of　immaculate　linen　crackling　beneath　the　continual　effort　of　the　chest　to　throw　itself　forward；　and　bulging　itself　out　each　time　with　a　noise　like　that　made　by　a　white　turkey　when　it　struts　in　anger；　or　by　a　peacock　when　he　spreads　his　tail。　His　name　of　Monpavon　suited　him　well。

Of　great　family　and　of　a　wealthy　stock；　but　ruined　by　gambling　and　speculation；　the　friendship　of　the　Duc　de　Mora　had　secured　him　an　appointment　as　receiver…general　in　the　first　class。　Unfortunately　his　health　had　not　permitted　him　to　retain　this　handsome　positionwell…　informed　people　said　his　health　had　nothing　to　do　with　itand　for　the　last　year　he　had　been　living　in　Paris；　awaiting　his　restoration　to　health；　according　to　his　own　account　of　the　matter；　before　resuming　his　post。　The　same　people　were　confident　that　he　would　never　regain　it；　and　that　even　were　it　not　for　certain　exalted　influencesHowever；　he　was　the　important　personage　of　the　luncheon；　that　was　clear　from　the　manner　in　which　the　servants　waited　upon　him；　and　the　Nabob　consulted　him；　calling　him　〃Monsieur　le　Marquis；〃　as　at　the　Comedie…　Francaise；　less　almost　out　of　deference　than　from　pride；　by　reason　of　the　honour　which　it　reflected　upon　himself。　Full　of　disdain　for　the　people　around　him；　M。　le　Marquis　spoke　little；　in　a　very　high　voice；　and　as　though　he　were　stooping　towards　those　whom　he　was　honouring　with　his　conversation。　From　time　to　time　he　would　throw　to　the　Nabob　across　the　table　a　few　words　enigmatical　for　all。

〃I　saw　the　duke　yesterday。　He　was　talking　a　great　deal　about　you　in　connection　with　that　matter。　You　know；　that　thingthat　business。　What　was　the　name　of　it？〃

〃You　really　mean　it？　He　spoke　of　me　to　you？〃　And　the　good　Nabob；　quite　proud；　would　look　around　him　with　movements　of　the　head　that　were　supremely　laughable；　or　perhaps　assume　the　contemplative　air　of　a　devotee　who　should　hear　the　name　of　Our　Lord　pronounced。

〃His　excellency　would　have　pleasure　in　seeing　you　take　up　theps；　ps；　psthe　thing。〃

〃He　told　you　so？〃

〃Ask　the　governor　if　he　did　notheard　it　like　myself。〃

The　person　who　was　called　the　governorPaganetti；　to　give　him　his　real　namewas　a　little；　expressive　man；　constantly　gesticulating　and　fatiguing　to　behold；　so　many　were　the　different　expressions　which　his　face　would　assume　in　the　course　of　a　single　minute。　He　was　managing　director　of　the　Territorial　Bank　of　Corsica；　a　vast　financial　enterprise；　and　had　now　come　to　the　house　for　the　first　time；　introduced　by　Monpavon；　he　occupied　accordingly　a　place　of　honour。　On　the　other　side　of　the　Nabob　was　an　old　gentleman；　buttoned　up　to　the　chin　in　a　frock…coat　having　a　straight　collar　without　lapels；　like　an　Oriental　tunic；　his　face　slashed　by　a　thousand　little　bloodshot　veins　and　wearing　a　white　moustache　of　military　cut。　It　was　Brahim　Bey；　the　most　valiant　colonel　of　the　Regency　of　Tunis；　aide…de…camp　of　the　former　Bey　who　had　made　the　fortune　of　Jansoulet。　The　glorious　exploits　of　this　warrior　showed　themselves　written　in　wrinkles；　in　blemishes　wrought　by　debauchery　upon　the　nerveless　under…lip　that　hung　as　it　were　relaxed；　and　upon　his　eyes　without　lashes；　inflamed　and　red。　It　was　a　head　such　as　one　may　see　in　the　dock　at　certain　criminal　trials　that　are　held　with　closed　doors。　The　other　guests　were　seated　pell…mell；　just　as　they　had　happened　to　arrive　or　to　find　themselves；　for　the　house　was　open　to　everybody；　and　the　table　was　laid　every　morning　for　thirty　persons。

There　were　present　the　manager　of　the　theatre　financed　by　the　Nabob；　Cardailhac；　renowned　for　his　wit　almost　as　much　as　for　his　insolvencies；　a　marvellous　carver　who；　while　he　was　engaged　in　severing　the　limbs　of　a　partridge；　would　prepare　one　of　his　witticisms　and　deposit　it　with　a　wing　upon　the　plate　which　was　presented　to　him。　He　worked　up　his　witticisms　instead　of　improvising　them；　and　the　new　fashion　of　serving　meats；　/a　la　Russe/　and　carved　beforehand；　had　been　fatal　to　him　by　its　removal　of　all　excuse　for　a　preparatory　silence。　Consequently　it　was　the　general　remark　that　his　vogue　was　on　the　decline。　Parisian；　moreover；　a　dandy　to　the　finger　tips；　and；　as　he　himself　was　wont　to　boast；　〃with　not　one　particle　of　superstition　in　his　whole　body；〃　a　characteristic　which　permitted　him　to　give　very　piquant　details　concerning　the　ladies　of　his　theatre　to　Brahim　Bey　who　listened　to　him　as　one　turns　over　the　pages　of　a　naughty　bookand　to　talk　theology　to　the　young　priest　who　was　his　nearest　neighbour；　a　curate　of　some　little　southern　village；　lean　and　with　a　complexion　sunburnt　till　it　matched　the　cloth　of　his　cassock　in　colour；　with　fiery　patches　above　the　cheek…bones；　and　the　pointed；　forward…pushing　nose　of　the　ambitious　man；　who　would　remark　to　Cardailhac　very　loudly；　in　a　tone　of　protection　and　sacerdotal　authority：

〃We　are　quite　pleased　with　M。　Guizot。　He　is　doing　very　wellvery　well。　It　is　a　conquest　for　the　Church。〃

Seated　next　this　pontiff；　with　a　black　neck…band；　old　Schwalbach；　the　famous　picture…dealer；　displayed　his　prophet's　beard；　tawny　in　places　like　a　dirty　fleece；　his　three　overcoats　tinged　by　mildew；　all　that　loose　and　negligent　attire　for　which　he　was　excused　in　the　name　of　art；　and　because；　in　a　time　when　the　mania　for　picture　galleries　had　already　begun　to　cause　millions　to　change　hands；　it　was　the　proper　thing　to　entertain　the　man　who　was　the　best　placed　for　the　conduct　of　these　absurdly　vain　transactions。　Schwalbach　did　not　speak；　contenting　himself　with　gazing　around　him　through　his　enormous　monocle；　shaped　like　a　hand　magnifying…glass；　and　with　smiling　in　his　beard　over　the　singular　neighbours　made　by　this　unique　assembly。　Thus　it　happened　that　M。　de　Monpavon　had　quite　close　to　himand　it　was　a　sight　to　watch　how　the　disdainful　curve　of　his　nose　was　accentuated　at　each　glance　in　that　directionthe　singer　Garrigou；　a　fellow…countryman　of　Jansoulet；　a　distinguished　ventriloquist　who　sang　Figaro　in　the　dialect　of　the　south；　and　had　no　equal　in　his　imitations　of　animals。　Just　beyond；　Cabassu；　another　compatriot；　a　little　short　and　dumpy　man；　with　the　neck　of　a　bull　and　the　biceps　of　a　statue　by　Michel　Angelo；　who　suggested　at　once　a　Marseilles　hairdresser　and　the　strong　man　at　a　fair；　a　masseur；　pedicure；　manicure；　and　something　of　a　dentist；　sat　with　elbows　on　the　table　with　the　coolness　of　a　charlatan　whom　one　receives　in　the　morning　and　knows　the　little　infirmities；　the　intimate　distresses　of　the　abode　in　which　he　chances　to　find　himself。　M。　Bompain　completed　this　array　of　subordinates；　all　alike　in　one　respect　at　any　rate；　Bompain；　the　secretary；　the　steward；　the　confidential　agent；　through　whose　hands　the　entire　business　of　the　house　passed；　and　it　sufficed　to　observe　that　solemnly　stupid　attitude；　that　indefinite　manner；　the　Turkish　fez　placed　awkwardly　on　a　head　suggestive　of　a　village　school…master；　in　order　to　understand　to　what　manner　of　people　interests　like　those　of　the　Nabob　had　been　abandoned。

Finally；　to　fill　the　gaps　among　these　figures　I　have　sketched；　the　Turkish　crowdTunisians；　Moors；　Egyptians；　Levantines；　and；　mingled　with　this　exotic　element；　a　whole　variegated　Parisian　Bohemia　of　ruined　nobleman；　doubtful　traders；　penniless　journalists；　inventors　of　strange　products；　people　arrived　from　the　south　without　a　farthing；　all　the　lost　ships　needing　revictualling；　or　flocks　of　birds　wandering　aimlessly　in　the　night；　which　were　drawn　by　this　great　fortune　as　by　the　light　of　a　beacon。　The　Nabob　admitted　this　miscellaneous　collection　of　individuals　to　his　table　out　of　kindness；　out　of　generosity；　out　of　weakness；　by　reason　of　his　easy…going　manners；　joined　to　an　absolute　ignorance　and　a　survival　of　that　loneliness　of　the　exile；　of　that　need　for　expansion　which；　down　yonder　in　Tunis；　in　his　splendid　palace　of　the　Bardo；　had　caused　him　to　welcome　everybody　who　hailed　from　France；　from　the　small　tradesman　exporting　Parisian　wares　to　the　famous　pianist　on　tour　and　the　consul…general　himself。

As　one　listened　to　those　various　accents；　those　foreign　intonations；　gruff　or　faltering；　as　one　gazed　upon　those　widely　different　physiognomies；　some　violent；　barbarous；　vulgar；　others　hyper…　civilized；　worn；　suggestive　only　of　the　Boulevard　and　as　it　were　flaccid；　one　noted　that　the　same　diversity　was　evident　also　among　the　servants　who；　some　apparently　lads　just　out　of　an　office；　insolent　in　manner；　with　heads　of　hair　like　a　dentist's　or　a　bath…attendant's；　busied　themselves　among　Ethiopians　standing　motionless　and　shining　like　candelabra　of　black　marble；　and　it　was　impossible　to　say　exactly　where　one　was；　in　any　case；　you　would　never　have　imagined　yourself　to　be　in　the　Place　Vendome；　right　in　the　beating　heart　and　very　centre　of　the　life　of　our　modern　Paris。　Upon　the　table　there　was　a　like　importation　of　exotic　dishes；　saffron　or　anchovy　sauces；　spices　mixed　up　with　Turkish　delicacies；　chickens　with　fried　almonds；　and　all　this　taken　together　with　the　banality　of　the　interior；　the　gilding　of　the　panels；　the　shrill　ringing　of　the　new　bells；　gave　the　impression　of　a　/table　d'hote/　in　some　big　hotel　in　Smyrna　or　Calcutta；　or　of　a　luxurious　dining…saloon　on　board　a　transatlantic　liner；　the　〃Pereire〃　or　the　〃Sinai。〃

It　might　seem　that　this　diversity　among　the　guestsI　was　about　to　say　among　the　passengersought　to　have　caused　the　meal　to　be　animated　and　noisy。　Far　otherwise。　They　all　ate　nervously；　watching　each　other　out　of　eye…corners；　and　even　those　most　accustomed　to　society；　those　who　appeared　the　most　at　their　ease；　had　in　their　glance　the　wandering　look　and　the　distraction　of　a　fixed　idea；　a　feverish　anxiety　which　caused　them　to　speak　without　relevance　and　to　listen　without　understanding　a　word　of　what　was　being　said　to　them。

Suddenly　the　door　of　the　dining…room　opened。

〃Ah；　here　comes　Jenkins！〃　exclaimed　the　Nabob　delightedly。　〃Welcome；　welcome；　doctor。　How　are　you；　my　friend？〃

A　smile　to　those　around；　a　hearty　shake　of　his　host's　hand；　and　Jenkins　sat　down　opposite　him；　next　to　Monpavon；　before　a　place　at　the　table　which　a　servant　had　just　prepared　in　all　haste　and　without　having　received　any　order；　exactly　as　at　a　/table　d'hote/。　Among　those　preoccupied　and　feverish　faces；　this　one　at　any　rate　stood　out　in　contrast　by　its　good　humour；　its　cheerfulness；　and　that　loquacious　and　flattering　benevolence　which　makes　the