a daughter of eve-第7章

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lemon。　Some　of　his　cofeuilletonists　declare　that　purifying　waters

seldom　touch　their　calcined　skin。



In　short；　the　terrible　Raoul　is　grotesque。　His　movements　are　jerky；　as

if　produced　by　imperfect　machinery；　his　gait　rejects　all　idea　of

order；　and　proceeds　by　spasmodic　zig…zags　and　sudden　stoppages；　which

knock　him　violently　against　peaceable　citizens　on　the　streets　and

boulevards　of　Paris。　His　conversation；　full　of　caustic　humor；　of

bitter　satire；　follows　the　gait　of　his　body；　suddenly　it　abandons　its

tone　of　vengeance　and　turns　sweet；　poetic；　consoling；　gentle；　without

apparent　reason；　he　falls　into　inexplicable　silences；　or　turns

somersets　of　wit；　which　at　times　are　somewhat　wearying。　In　society；　he

is　boldly　awkward；　and　exhibits　a　contempt　for　conventions　and　a

critical　air　about　things　respected　which　makes　him　unpleasant　to

narrow　minds；　and　also　to　those　who　strive　to　preserve　the　doctrines

of　old…fashioned；　gentlemanly　politeness；　but　for　all　that　there　is　a

sort　of　lawless　originality　about　him　which　women　do　not　dislike。

Besides；　to　them；　he　is　often　most　amiably　courteous；　he　seems　to　take

pleasure　in　making　them　forget　his　personal　singularities；　and　thus

obtains　a　victory　over　antipathies　which　flatters　either　his　vanity；

his　self…love；　or　his　pride。



〃Why　do　you　present　yourself　like　that？〃　said　the　Marquise　de

Vandenesse　one　day。



〃Pearls　live　in　oyster…shells；〃　he　answered；　conceitedly。



To　another　who　asked　him　somewhat　the　same　question；　he　replied；



〃If　I　were　charming　to　all　the　world；　how　could　I　seem　better　still　to

the　one　woman　I　wish　to　please？〃



Raoul　Nathan　imports　this　same　natural　disorder　（which　he　uses　as　a

banner）　into　his　intellectual　life；　and　the　attribute　is　not

misleading。　his　talent　is　very　much　that　of　the　poor　girls　who　go

about　in　bourgeois　families　to　work　by　the　day。　He　was　first　a　critic；

and　a　great　critic；　but　he　felt　himself　cheated　in　that　vocation。　His

articles　were　equal　to　books；　he　said。　The　profits　of　theatrical　work

then　allured　him；　but；　incapable　of　the　slow　and　steady　application

required　for　stage　arrangement；　he　was　forced　to　associate　with

himself　a　vaudevillist；　du　Bruel；　who　took　his　ideas；　worked　them

over；　and　reduced　them　into　those　productive　little　pieces；　full　of

wit；　which　are　written　expressly　for　actors　and　actresses。　Between

them；　they　had　invented　Florine；　an　actress　now　in　vogue。



Humiliated　by　this　association；　which　was　that　of　the　Siamese　twins；

Nathan　had　produced　alone；　at　the　Theatre…Francais；　a　serious　drama；

which　fell　with　all　the　honors　of　war　amid　salvos　of　thundering

articles。　In　his　youth　he　had　once　before　appeared　at　the　great　and

noble　Theatre…Francais　in　a　splendid　romantic　play　of　the　style　of

〃Pinto；〃a　period　when　the　classic　reigned　supreme。　The　Odeon　was　so

violently　agitated　for　three　nights　that　the　play　was　forbidden　by　the

censor。　This　second　piece　was　considered　by　many　a　masterpiece；　and

won　him　more　real　reputation　than　all　his　productive　little　pieces

done　with　collaborators；but　only　among　a　class　to　whom　little

attention　is　paid；　that　of　connoisseurs　and　persons　of　true　taste。



〃Make　another　failure　like　that；〃　said　Emile　Blondet；　〃and　you'll　be

immortal。〃



But　instead　of　continuing　in　that　difficult　path；　Nathan　had　fallen；

out　of　sheer　necessity；　into　the　powder　and　patches　of　eighteenth…

century　vaudeville；　costume　plays；　and　the　reproduction；　scenically；

of　successful　novels。



Nevertheless；　he　passed　for　a　great　mind　which　had　not　said　its　last

word。　He　had；　moreover；　attempted　permanent　literature；　having

published　three　novels；　not　to　speak　of　several　others　which　he　kept

in　press　like　fish　in　a　tank。　One　of　these　three　books；　the　first

（like　that　of　many　writers　who　can　only　make　one　real　trip　into

literature）；　had　obtained　a　very　brilliant　success。　This　work；

imprudently　placed　in　the　front　rank；　this　really　artistic　work　he　was

never　weary　of　calling　the　finest　book　of　the　period；　the　novel　of　the

century。



Raoul　complained　bitterly　of　the　exigencies　of　art。　He　was　one　of

those　who　contributed　most　to　bring　all　created　work；　pictures；

statues；　books；　building　under　the　single　standard　of　Art。　He　had

begun　his　career　by　committing　a　volume　of　verse；　which　won　him　a

place　in　the　pleiades　of　living　poets；　among　these　verses　was　a

nebulous　poem　that　was　greatly　admired。　Forced　by　want　of　means　to

keep　on　producing；　he　went　from　the　theatre　to　the　press；　and　from　the

press　to　the　theatre；　dissipating　and　scattering　his　talent；　but

believing　always　in　his　vein。　His　fame　was　therefore　not　unpublished

like　that　of　so　many　great　minds　in　extremity；　who　sustain　themselves

only　by　the　thought　of　work　to　be　done。



Nathan　resembled　a　man　of　genius；　and　had　he　marched　to　the　scaffold；

as　he　sometimes　wished　he　could　have　done；　he　might　have　struck　his

brow　with　the　famous　action　of　Andre　Chenier。　Seized　with　political

ambition　on　seeing　the　rise　to　power　of　a　dozen　authors；　professors；

metaphysicians；　and　historians；　who　encrusted　themselves；　so　to　speak；

upon　the　machine　during　the　turmoils　of　1830　and　1833；　he　regretted

that　he　had　not　spent　his　time　on　political　instead　of　literary

articles。　He　thought　himself　superior　to　all　those　parvenus；　whose

success　inspired　him　with　consuming　jealousy。　He　belonged　to　the　class

of　minds　ambitious　of　everything；　capable　of　all　things；　from　whom

success　is；　as　it　were；　stolen；　who　go　their　way　dashing　at　a　hundred

luminous　points；　and　settling　upon　none；　exhausting　at　last　the　good…

will　of　others。



At　this　particular　time　he　was　going　from　Saint…Simonism　into

republicanism；　to　return；　very　likely；　to　ministerialism。　He　looked

for　a　bone　to　gnaw　in　all　corners；　searching　for　a　safe　place　where　he

could　bark　secure　from　kicks　and　make　himself　feared。　But　he　had　the

mortification　of　finding　he　was　held　to　be　of　no　account　by　de　Marsay；

then　at　the　head　of　the　government；　who　had　no　consideration　whatever

for　authors；　among　whom　he　did　not　find　what　Richelieu　called　a

consecutive　mind；　or　more　correctly；　continuity　of　ideas；　he　counted

as　any　minister　would　have　done　on　the　constant　embarrassment　of

Raoul's　business　affairs。　Sooner　or　later；　necessity　would　bring　him

to　accept　conditions　instead　of　imposing　them。



The　real；　but　carefully　concealed　character　of　Raoul　Nathan　is　of　a

piece　with　his　public　career。　He　is　a　comedian　in　good　faith；　selfish

as　if　the　State　were　himself；　and　a　very　clever　orator。　No　one　knows

better　how　to　play　off　sentiments；　glory　in　false　grandeurs；　deck

himself　with　moral　beauty；　do　honor　to　his　nature　in　language；　and

pose　like　Alceste　while　behaving　like　Philinte。　His　egotism　trots

along　protected　by　this　cardboard　armor；　and　often　almost　reaches　the

end　he　seeks。　Lazy　to　a　superlative　degree；　he　does　nothing；　however；

until　he　is　prodded　by　the　bayonets　of　need。　He　is　incapable　of

continued　labor　applied　to　the　creation　of　a　work；　but；　in　a　paroxysm

of　rage　caused　by　wounded　vanity；　or　in　a　crisis　brought　on　by

creditors；　he　leaps　the　Eurotas　and　attains　to　some　great　triumph　of

his　intellect。　After　which；　weary；　and　surprised　at　having　created

anything；　he　drops　back　into　the　marasmus　of　Parisian　dissipation；

wants　become　formidable；　he　has　no　strength　to　face　them；　and　then　he

comes　down　from　his　pedestal　and　compromises。



Influenced　by　a　false　idea　of　his　grandeur　and　of　his　future；the

measure　of　which　he　reckons　on　the　noble　success　of　one　of　his　former

comrades；　one　of　the　few　great　talents　brought　to　light　by　the

revolution　of　July；he　allows　himself；　in　order　to　get　out　of　his

embarrassments；　certain　laxities　of　principle　with　persons　who　are

friendly　to　him；laxities　which　never　come　to　the　surface；　but　are

buried　in　private　life；　where　no　one　ever　mentions　or　complains　of

them。　The　shallowness　of　his　heart；　the　impurity　of　his　hand；　which

clasps　that　of　all　vices；　all　evils；　all　treacheries；　all　opinions；

have　made　him　as　inviolable　as　a　constitutional　king。　Venial　sins；

which　excite　a　hue　and　cry　against　a　man　of　high　character；　are

thought　nothing　of　in　him；　the　world　hastens　to　excuse　them。　Men　who

might　otherwise　be　inclined　to　despise　him　shake　hands　with　him；

fearing　that　the　day　may　come　when　they　will　need　him。　He　has；　in

fact；　so　many　friends　that　he　wishes　for　enemies。



Judged　from　a　literary　point　of　view；　Nathan　lacks　style　and

cultivation。　Like　most　young　men；　ambitious　of　literary　fame；　he

disgorges　to…day　what　he　acquired　yesterday。　He　has　neither　the　time

nor　the　patience　to　write　carefully；　he　does　not　observe；　but　he

listens。　Incapable　of　constructing　a　vigorously　framed　plot；　he

sometimes　makes　up　for　it　by　the　impetuous　ardor　of　his　drawing。　He

〃does　passion；〃　to　use　a　term　of　the　literary　argot；　but　instead　of

awaking　ideas；　his　heroes　are　simply　enlarged　individualities；　who

excite　only　fugitive　sympathies；　they　are　not　connected　with　any　of

the　great　interests　of　life；　and　consequently　they　represent　nothing。

Nevertheless；　Nathan　maintains　his　ground　by　the　quickness　of　his

mind；　by　those　lucky　hits　which　billiard…players　call　a　〃good　stroke。〃

He　is　the　cleverest　shot　at　ideas　on　the　fly　in　all　Paris。　His

fecundity　is　not　his　own；　but　that　of　his　epoch；　he　lives　on　chance

events；　and　to　control　them　he　distorts　their　meaning。　In　short；　he　is

not　TRUE；　his　presentation　is　false；　in　him；　as　Comte　Felix　said；　is

the　born　juggler。　Moreover；　his　pen　gets　its　ink　in　the　boudoir　of　an

actress。



Raoul　Nathan　is　a　fair　type　of　the　Parisian　literary　youth　of　the　day；

with　its　false　grandeurs　and　its　real　misery。　He　represents　that　youth

by　his　incomplete　beauties　and　his　headlong　falls；　by　the　turbulent

torrent　of　his　existence；　with　its　sudden　reverses　and　its　unhoped…for

triumphs。　He　is　truly　the　child　of　a　century　consumed　with　envy；a

century　with　a　thousand　rivalries　lurking　under　many　a　system；　which

nourish　to　their　own　profit　that　hydra　of　anarchy　which　wants　wealth

without　toil；　fame　without　talent；　success　without　effort；　but　whose

vices　force　it；　after　much　rebellion　and　many　skirmishes；　to　accept

the　budget　under　the　powers　that　be。　When　so　many　young　ambitions；

starting　on　foot；　give　one　another　rendezvous　at　the　same　point；　there

is　always　contention　of　wills；　extreme　wretchedness；　bitter　struggles。

In　this　dreadful　battle；　selfishness；　the　most　overbearing　or　the　most

adroit　selfishness；　gains　the　victory；　and　it　is　envied　and　applauded

in　spite；　as　Moliere　said；　of　outcries；　and　we　all　know　it。



When；　in　his　capacity　as　enemy　to　the　new　dynasty；　Raoul　was

introduced　in　the　salon　of　Madame　de　Montcornet；　his　apparent

grandeurs　were　flourishing。　He　was　accepted　as　the　political　critic　of

the　de　Marsays；　the　Rastignacs；　and　the　Roche…Hugons；　who　had　stepped

into　power。　Emile　Blondet；　the　victim　of　incu