the magic skin-第3章

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of　wretchedness　more　bitter　than　his　own。



〃La　carita！　la　carita！〃



The　stranger　threw　the　coins　to　the　old　man　and　the　child；　left　the

footway；　and　turned　towards　the　houses；　the　harrowing　sight　of　the

Seine　fretted　him　beyond　endurance。



〃May　God　lengthen　your　days！〃　cried　the　two　beggars。



As　he　reached　the　shop　window　of　a　print…seller；　this　man　on　the　brink

of　death　met　a　young　woman　alighting　from　a　showy　carriage。　He　looked

in　delight　at　her　prettiness；　at　the　pale　face　appropriately　framed　by

the　satin　of　her　fashionable　bonnet。　Her　slender　form　and　graceful

movements　entranced　him。　Her　skirt　had　been　slightly　raised　as　she

stepped　to　the　pavement；　disclosing　a　daintily　fitting　white　stocking

over　the　delicate　outlines　beneath。　The　young　lady　went　into　the　shop；

purchased　albums　and　sets　of　lithographs；　giving　several　gold　coins

for　them；　which　glittered　and　rang　upon　the　counter。　The　young　man；

seemingly　occupied　with　the　prints　in　the　window；　fixed　upon　the　fair

stranger　a　gaze　as　eager　as　man　can　give；　to　receive　in　exchange　an

indifferent　glance；　such　as　lights　by　accident　on　a　passer…by。　For　him

it　was　a　leave…taking　of　love　and　of　woman；　but　his　final　and

strenuous　questioning　glance　was　neither　understood　nor　felt　by　the

slight…natured　woman　there；　her　color　did　not　rise；　her　eyes　did　not

droop。　What　was　it　to　her？　one　more　piece　of　adulation；　yet　another

sigh　only　prompted　the　delightful　thought　at　night；　〃I　looked　rather

well　to…day。〃



The　young　man　quickly　turned　to　another　picture；　and　only　left　it　when

she　returned　to　her　carriage。　The　horses　started　off；　the　final　vision

of　luxury　and　refinement　went　under　an　eclipse；　just　as　that　life　of

his　would　soon　do　also。　Slowly　and　sadly　he　followed　the　line　of　the

shops；　listlessly　examining　the　specimens　on　view。　When　the　shops　came

to　an　end；　he　reviewed　the　Louvre；　the　Institute；　the　towers　of　Notre

Dame；　of　the　Palais；　the　Pont　des　Arts；　all　these　public　monuments

seemed　to　have　taken　their　tone　from　the　heavy　gray　sky。



Fitful　gleams　of　light　gave　a　foreboding　look　to　Paris；　like　a　pretty

woman；　the　city　has　mysterious　fits　of　ugliness　or　beauty。　So　the

outer　world　seemed　to　be　in　a　plot　to　steep　this　man　about　to　die　in　a

painful　trance。　A　prey　to　the　maleficent　power　which　acts　relaxingly

upon　us　by　the　fluid　circulating　through　our　nerves；　his　whole　frame

seemed　gradually　to　experience　a　dissolving　process。　He　felt　the

anguish　of　these　throes　passing　through　him　in　waves；　and　the　houses

and　the　crowd　seemed　to　surge　to　and　fro　in　a　mist　before　his　eyes。　He

tried　to　escape　the　agitation　wrought　in　his　mind　by　the　revulsions　of

his　physical　nature；　and　went　toward　the　shop　of　a　dealer　in

antiquities；　thinking　to　give　a　treat　to　his　senses；　and　to　spend　the

interval　till　nightfall　in　bargaining　over　curiosities。



He　sought；　one　might　say；　to　regain　courage　and　to　find　a　stimulant；

like　a　criminal　who　doubts　his　power　to　reach　the　scaffold。　The

consciousness　of　approaching　death　gave　him；　for　the　time　being；　the

intrepidity　of　a　duchess　with　a　couple　of　lovers；　so　that　he　entered

the　place　with　an　abstracted　look；　while　his　lips　displayed　a　set

smile　like　a　drunkard's。　Had　not　life；　or　rather　had　not　death；

intoxicated　him？　Dizziness　soon　overcame　him　again。　Things　appeared　to

him　in　strange　colors；　or　as　making　slight　movements；　his　irregular

pulse　was　no　doubt　the　cause；　the　blood　that　sometimes　rushed　like　a

burning　torrent　through　his　veins；　and　sometimes　lay　torpid　and

stagnant　as　tepid　water。　He　merely　asked　leave　to　see　if　the　shop

contained　any　curiosities　which　he　required。



A　plump…faced　young　shopman　with　red　hair；　in　an　otter…skin　cap；　left

an　old　peasant　woman　in　charge　of　the　shopa　sort　of　feminine

Caliban；　employed　in　cleaning　a　stove　made　marvelous　by　Bernard

Palissy's　work。　This　youth　remarked　carelessly：



〃Look　round；　monsieur！　We　have　nothing　very　remarkable　here

downstairs；　but　if　I　may　trouble　you　to　go　up　to　the　first　floor；　I

will　show　you　some　very　fine　mummies　from　Cairo；　some　inlaid　pottery；

and　some　carved　ebonygenuine　Renaissance　work；　just　come　in；　and　of

perfect　beauty。〃



In　the　stranger's　fearful　position　this　cicerone's　prattle　and

shopman's　empty　talk　seemed　like　the　petty　vexations　by　which　narrow

minds　destroy　a　man　of　genius。　But　as　he　must　even　go　through　with　it；

he　appeared　to　listen　to　his　guide；　answering　him　by　gestures　or

monosyllables；　but　imperceptibly　he　arrogated　the　privilege　of　saying

nothing；　and　gave　himself　up　without　hindrance　to　his　closing

meditations；　which　were　appalling。　He　had　a　poet's　temperament；　his

mind　had　entered　by　chance　on　a　vast　field；　and　he　must　see　perforce

the　dry　bones　of　twenty　future　worlds。



At　a　first　glance　the　place　presented　a　confused　picture　in　which

every　achievement；　human　and　divine；　was　mingled。　Crocodiles；　monkeys；

and　serpents　stuffed　with　straw　grinned　at　glass　from　church　windows；

seemed　to　wish　to　bite　sculptured　heads；　to　chase　lacquered　work；　or

to　scramble　up　chandeliers。　A　Sevres　vase；　bearing　Napoleon's　portrait

by　Mme。　Jacotot；　stood　beside　a　sphinx　dedicated　to　Sesostris。　The

beginnings　of　the　world　and　the　events　of　yesterday　were　mingled　with

grotesque　cheerfulness。　A　kitchen　jack　leaned　against　a　pyx；　a

republican　sabre　on　a　mediaeval　hackbut。　Mme。　du　Barry；　with　a　star

above　her　head；　naked；　and　surrounded　by　a　cloud；　seemed　to　look

longingly　out　of　Latour's　pastel　at　an　Indian　chibook；　while　she　tried

to　guess　the　purpose　of　the　spiral　curves　that　wound　towards　her。

Instruments　of　death；　poniards；　curious　pistols；　and　disguised　weapons

had　been　flung　down　pell…mell　among　the　paraphernalia　of　daily　life；

porcelain　tureens；　Dresden　plates；　translucent　cups　from　china；　old

salt…cellars；　comfit…boxes　belonging　to　feudal　times。　A　carved　ivory

ship　sped　full　sail　on　the　back　of　a　motionless　tortoise。



The　Emperor　Augustus　remained　unmoved　and　imperial　with　an　air…pump

thrust　into　one　eye。　Portraits　of　French　sheriffs　and　Dutch

burgomasters；　phlegmatic　now　as　when　in　life；　looked　down　pallid　and

unconcerned　on　the　chaos　of　past　ages　below　them。



Every　land　of　earth　seemed　to　have　contributed　some　stray　fragment　of

its　learning；　some　example　of　its　art。　Nothing　seemed　lacking　to　this

philosophical　kitchen…midden；　from　a　redskin's　calumet；　a　green　and

golden　slipper　from　the　seraglio；　a　Moorish　yataghan；　a　Tartar　idol；

to　the　soldier's　tobacco　pouch；　to　the　priest's　ciborium；　and　the

plumes　that　once　adorned　a　throne。　This　extraordinary　combination　was

rendered　yet　more　bizarre　by　the　accidents　of　lighting；　by　a　multitude

of　confused　reflections　of　various　hues；　by　the　sharp　contrast　of

blacks　and　whites。　Broken　cries　seemed　to　reach　the　ear；　unfinished

dramas　seized　upon　the　imagination；　smothered　lights　caught　the　eye。　A

thin　coating　of　inevitable　dust　covered　all　the　multitudinous　corners

and　convolutions　of　these　objects　of　various　shapes　which　gave　highly

picturesque　effects。



First　of　all；　the　stranger　compared　the　three　galleries　which

civilization；　cults；　divinities；　masterpieces；　dominions；　carousals；

sanity；　and　madness　had　filled　to　repletion；　to　a　mirror　with　numerous

facets；　each　depicting　a　world。　After　this　first　hazy　idea　he　would

fain　have　selected　his　pleasures；　but　by　dint　of　using　his　eyes；

thinking　and　musing；　a　fever　began　to　possess　him；　caused　perhaps　by

the　gnawing　pain　of　hunger。　The　spectacle　of　so　much　existence；

individual　or　national；　to　which　these　pledges　bore　witness；　ended　by

numbing　his　sensesthe　purpose　with　which　he　entered　the　shop　was

fulfilled。　He　had　left　the　real　behind；　and　had　climbed　gradually　up

to　an　ideal　world；　he　had　attained　to　the　enchanted　palace　of　ecstasy；

whence　the　universe　appeared　to　him　by　fragments　and　in　shapes　of

flame；　as　once　the　future　blazed　out　before　the　eyes　of　St。　John　in

Patmos。



A　crowd　of　sorrowing　faces；　beneficent　and　appalling；　dark　and

luminous；　far　and　near；　gathered　in　numbers；　in　myriads；　in　whole

generations。　Egypt；　rigid　and　mysterious；　arose　from　her　sands　in　the

form　of　a　mummy　swathed　in　black　bandages；　then　the　Pharaohs　swallowed

up　nations；　that　they　might　build　themselves　a　tomb；　and　he　beheld

Moses　and　the　Hebrews　and　the　desert；　and　a　solemn　antique　world。

Fresh　and　joyous；　a　marble　statue　spoke　to　him　from　a　twisted　column

of　the　pleasure…loving　myths　of　Greece　and　Ionia。　Ah！　who　would　not

have　smiled　with　him　to　see；　against　the　earthen　red　background；　the

brown…faced　maiden　dancing　with　gleeful　reverence　before　the　god

Priapus；　wrought　in　the　fine　clay　of　an　Etruscan　vase？　The　Latin　queen

caressed　her　chimera。



The　whims　of　Imperial　Rome　were　there　in　life；　the　bath　was　disclosed；

the　toilette　of　a　languid　Julia；　dreaming；　waiting　for　her　Tibullus。

Strong　with　the　might　of　Arabic　spells；　the　head　of　Cicero　evoked

memories　of　a　free　Rome；　and　unrolled　before　him　the　scrolls　of　Titus

Livius。　The　young　man　beheld　Senatus　Populusque　Romanus；　consuls；

lictors；　togas　with　purple　fringes；　the　fighting　in　the　Forum；　the

angry　people；　passed　in　review　before　him　like　the　cloudy　faces　of　a

dream。



Then　Christian　Rome　predominated　in　his　vision。　A　painter　had　laid

heaven　open；　he　beheld　the　Virgin　Mary　wrapped　in　a　golden　cloud　among

the　angels；　shining　more　brightly　than　the　sun；　receiving　the　prayers

of　sufferers；　on　whom　this　second　Eve　Regenerate　smiles　pityingly。　At

the　touch　of　a　mosaic；　made　of　various　lavas　from　Vesuvius　and　Etna；

his　fancy　fled　to　the　hot　tawny　south　of　Italy。　He　was　present　at

Borgia's　orgies；　he　roved　among　the　Abruzzi；　sought　for　Italian　love

intrigues；　grew　ardent　over　pale　faces　and　dark；　almond…shaped　eyes。

He　shivered　over　midnight　adventures；　cut　short　by　the　cool　thrust　of

a　jealous　blade；　as　he　saw　a　mediaeval　dagger　with　a　hilt　wrought　like

lace；　and　spots　of　rust　like　splashes　of　blood　upon　it。



India　and　its　religions　took　the　shape　of　the　idol　with　his　peaked　cap

of　fantastic　form；　with　little　bells；　clad　in　silk　and　gold。　Close　by；

a　mat；　as　pretty　as　the　bayadere　who　once　lay　upon　it；　still　gave　out

a　faint　scent　of　sandal　wood。　His　fancy　was　stirred　by　a　goggle…eyed

Chinese　monster；　with　mouth　awry　and　twisted　limbs；　the　invention　of　a

people　who；　grown　weary　of　the　monotony　of　beauty；　found　an

indescribable　pleasure　in　an　infinite　variety　of　ugliness。　A　salt…

cellar　from　Benvenuto　Cellini's　workshop　carried　him　back　to　the

Renaissance　at　its　height；　to　the　time　when　there　was　no　restraint　on

art　or　morals；　when　torture　was　the　sport　of　sovereigns；　and　from

their　councils；　churchmen　with　courtesans'　arms　about　them　issued

decrees　of　chastity　for　simple　priests。



On　a　cameo　he　saw　the　conquests　of　Alexander；　the　massacres　of　Pizarro

in　a　matchbox；　and　religious　wars　disorderly；　fanatical；　and　cruel；　in

the　shadows