the girl with the golden eyes-第12章

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pockets　with　a　devil…may…care　air　which　did　him　small　honor。

〃What　a　good　thing　a　cigar　is！　That's　one　thing　a　man　will　never　tire
of；〃　he　said　to　himself。

Of　the　girl　with　the　golden　eyes；　over　whom　at　that　time　all　the
elegant　youth　of　Paris　was　mad；　he　hardly　thought。　The　idea　of　death；
expressed　in　the　midst　of　their　pleasure；　and　the　fear　of　which　had
more　than　once　darkened　the　brow　of　that　beautiful　creature；　who　held
to　the　houris　of　Asia　by　her　mother；　to　Europe　by　her　education；　to
the　tropics　by　her　birth；　seemed　to　him　merely　one　of　those　deceptions
by　which　women　seek　to　make　themselves　interesting。

〃She　is　from　Havanathe　most　Spanish　region　to　be　found　in　the　New
World。　So　she　preferred　to　feign　terror　rather　than　cast　in　my　teeth
indisposition　or　difficulty；　coquetry　or　duty；　like　a　Parisian　woman。
By　her　golden　eyes；　how　glad　I　shall　be　to　sleep。〃

He　saw　a　hackney　coach　standing　at　the　corner　of　Frascati's　waiting
for　some　gambler；　he　awoke　the　driver；　was　driven　home；　went　to　bed；
and　slept　the　sleep　of　the　dissipated；　which　for　some　queer　reasonof
which　no　rhymer　has　yet　taken　advantageis　as　profound　as　that　of
innocence。　Perhaps　it　is　an　instance　of　the　proverbial　axiom；
/extremes　meet/。

About　noon　De　Marsay　awoke　and　stretched　himself；　he　felt　the　grip　of
that　sort　of　voracious　hunger　which　old　soldiers　can　remember　having
experienced　on　the　morrow　of　victory。　He　was　delighted；　therefore；　to
see　Paul　de　Manerville　standing　in　front　of　him；　for　at　such　a　time
nothing　is　more　agreeable　than　to　eat　in　company。

〃Well；〃　his　friend　remarked；　〃we　all　imagined　that　you　had　been　shut
up　for　the　last　ten　days　with　the　girl　of　the　golden　eyes。〃

〃The　girl　of　the　golden　eyes！　I　have　forgotten　her。　Faith！　I　have
other　fish　to　fry！〃

〃Ah！　you　are　playing　at　discretion。〃

〃Why　not？〃　asked　De　Marsay；　with　a　laugh。　〃My　dear　fellow；　discretion
is　the　best　form　of　calculation。　Listenhowever；　no！　I　will　not　say　a
word。　You　never　teach　me　anything；　I　am　not　disposed　to　make　you　a
gratuitous　present　of　the　treasures　of　my　policy。　Life　is　a　river
which　is　of　use　for　the　promotion　of　commerce。　In　the　name　of　all　that
is　most　sacred　in　lifeof　cigars！　I　am　no　professor　of　social　economy
for　the　instruction　of　fools。　Let　us　breakfast！　It　costs　less　to　give
you　a　tunny　omelette　than　to　lavish　the　resources　of　my　brain　on　you。〃

〃Do　you　bargain　with　your　friends？〃

〃My　dear　fellow；〃　said　Henri；　who　rarely　denied　himself　a　sarcasm；
〃since　all　the　same；　you　may　some　day　need；　like　anybody　else；　to　use
discretion；　and　since　I　have　much　love　for　youyes；　I　like　you！　Upon
my　word；　if　you　only　wanted　a　thousand…franc　note　to　keep　you　from
blowing　your　brains　out；　you　would　find　it　here；　for　we　haven't　yet
done　any　business　of　that　sort；　eh；　Paul？　If　you　had　to　fight
to…morrow；　I　would　measure　the　ground　and　load　the　pistols；　so　that
you　might　be　killed　according　to　rule。　In　short；　if　anybody　besides
myself　took　it　into　his　head　to　say　ill　of　you　in　your　absence；　he
would　have　to　deal　with　the　somewhat　nasty　gentleman　who　walks　in　my
shoesthere's　what　I　call　a　friendship　beyond　question。　Well；　my　good
fellow；　if　you　should　ever　have　need　of　discretion；　understand　that
there　are　two　sorts　of　discretionthe　active　and　the　negative。
Negative　discretion　is　that　of　fools　who　make　use　of　silence；
negation；　an　air　of　refusal；　the　discretion　of　locked　doorsmere
impotence！　Active　discretion　proceeds　by　affirmation。　Suppose　at　the
club　this　evening　I　were　to　say：　'Upon　my　word　of　honor　the　golden…
eyed　was　not　worth　all　she　cost　me！'　Everybody　would　exclaim　when　I
was　gone：　'Did　you　hear　that　fop　De　Marsay；　who　tried　to　make　us
believe　that　he　has　already　had　the　girl　of　the　golden　eyes？　It's　his
way　of　trying　to　disembarrass　himself　of　his　rivals：　he's　no
simpleton。'　But　such　a　ruse　is　vulgar　and　dangerous。　However　gross　a
folly　one　utters；　there　are　always　idiots　to　be　found　who　will　believe
it。　The　best　form　of　discretion　is　that　of　women　when　they　want　to
take　the　change　out　of　their　husbands。　It　consists　in　compromising　a
woman　with　whom　we　are　not　concerned；　or　whom　we　do　not　love；　in　order
to　save　the　honor　of　the　one　whom　we　love　well　enough　to　respect。　It
is　what　is　called　the　/woman…screen/。　。　。　。　Ah！　here　is　Laurent。　What
have　you　got　for　us？〃

〃Some　Ostend　oysters；　Monsieur　le　Comte。〃

〃You　will　know　some　day；　Paul；　how　amusing　it　is　to　make　a　fool　of　the
world　by　depriving　it　of　the　secret　of　one's　affections。　I　derive　an
immense　pleasure　in　escaping　from　the　stupid　jurisdiction　of　the
crowd；　which　knows　neither　what　it　wants；　nor　what　one　wants　of　it；
which　takes　the　means　for　the　end；　and　by　turns　curses　and　adores；
elevates　and　destroys！　What　a　delight　to　impose　emotions　on　it　and
receive　none　from　it；　to　tame　it；　never　to　obey　it。　If　one　may　ever　be
proud　of　anything；　is　it　not　a　self…acquired　power；　of　which　one　is　at
once　the　cause　and　effect；　the　principle　and　the　result？　Well；　no　man
knows　what　I　love；　nor　what　I　wish。　Perhaps　what　I　have　loved；　or　what
I　may　have　wished　will　be　known；　as　a　drama　which　is　accomplished　is
known；　but　to　let　my　game　be　seenweakness；　mistake！　I　know　nothing
more　despicable　than　strength　outwitted　by　cunning。　Can　I　initiate
myself　with　a　laugh　into　the　ambassador's　part；　if　indeed　diplomacy　is
as　difficult　as　life？　I　doubt　it。　Have　you　any　ambition？　Would　you
like　to　become　something？〃

〃But；　Henri；　you　are　laughing　at　meas　though　I　were　not　sufficiently
mediocre　to　arrive　at　anything。〃

〃Good　Paul！　If　you　go　on　laughing　at　yourself；　you　will　soon　be　able
to　laugh　at　everybody　else。〃

At　breakfast；　by　the　time　he　had　started　his　cigars；　De　Marsay　began
to　see　the　events　of　the　night　in　a　singular　light。　Like　many　men　of
great　intelligence；　his　perspicuity　was　not　spontaneous；　as　it　did　not
at　once　penetrate　to　the　heart　of　things。　As　with　all　natures　endowed
with　the　faculty　of　living　greatly　in　the　present；　of　extracting；　so
to　speak；　the　essence　of　it　and　assimilating　it；　his　second…sight　had
need　of　a　sort　of　slumber　before　it　could　identify　itself　with　causes。
Cardinal　de　Richelieu　was　so　constituted；　and　it　did　not　debar　in　him
the　gift　of　foresight　necessary　to　the　conception　of　great　designs。

De　Marsay's　conditions　were　alike；　but　at　first　he　only　used　his
weapons　for　the　benefit　of　his　pleasures；　and　only　became　one　of　the
most　profound　politicians　of　his　day　when　he　had　saturated　himself
with　those　pleasures　to　which　a　young　man's　thoughtswhen　he　has
money　and　powerare　primarily　directed。　Man　hardens　himself　thus：　he
uses　woman　in　order　that　she　may　not　make　use　of　him。

At　this　moment；　then；　De　Marsay　perceived　that　he　had　been　fooled　by
the　girl　of　the　golden　eyes；　seeing；　as　he　did；　in　perspective；　all
that　night　of　which　the　delights　had　been　poured　upon　him　by　degrees
until　they　had　ended　by　flooding　him　in　torrents。　He　could　read；　at
last；　that　page　in　effect　so　brilliant；　divine　its　hidden　meaning。　The
purely　physical　innocence　of　Paquita；　the　bewilderment　of　her　joy；
certain　words；　obscure　at　first；　but　now　clear；　which　had　escaped　her
in　the　midst　of　that　joy；　all　proved　to　him　that　he　had　posed　for
another　person。　As　no　social　corruption　was　unknown　to　him；　as　he
professed　a　complete　indifference　towards　all　perversities；　and
believed　them　to　be　justified　on　the　simple　ground　that　they　were
capable　of　satisfaction；　he　was　not　startled　at　vice；　he　knew　it　as
one　knows　a　friend；　but　he　was　wounded　at　having　served　as　sustenance
for　it。　If　his　presumption　was　right；　he　had　been　outraged　in　the　most
sensitive　part　of　him。　The　mere　suspicion　filled　him　with　fury；　he
broke　out　with　the　roar　of　a　tiger　who　has　been　the　sport　of　a　deer；
the　cry　of　a　tiger　which　united　a　brute's　strength　with　the
intelligence　of　the　demon。

〃I　say；　what　is　the　matter　with　you？〃　asked　Paul。

〃Nothing！〃

〃I　should　be　sorry；　if　you　were　to　be　asked　whether　you　had　anything
against　me　and　were　to　reply　with　a　/nothing/　like　that！　It　would　be　a
sure　case　of　fighting　the　next　day。〃

〃I　fight　no　more　duels；〃　said　De　Marsay。

〃That　seems　to　me　even　more　tragical。　Do　you　assassinate；　then？〃

〃You　travesty　words。　I　execute。〃

〃My　dear　friend；〃　said　Paul；　〃your　jokes　are　of　a　very　sombre　color
this　morning。〃

〃What　would　you　have？　Pleasure　ends　in　cruelty。　Why？　I　don't　know；　and
am　not　sufficiently　curious　to　try　and　find　out。　。　。　。　These　cigars
are　excellent。　Give　your　friend　some　tea。　Do　you　know；　Paul；　I　live　a
brute's　life？　It　should　be　time　to　choose　oneself　a　destiny；　to　employ
one's　powers　on　something　which　makes　life　worth　living。　Life　is　a
singular　comedy。　I　am　frightened；　I　laugh　at　the　inconsequence　of　our
social　order。　The　Government　cuts　off　the　heads　of　poor　devils　who　may
have　killed　a　man　and　licenses　creatures　who　despatch；　medically
speaking；　a　dozen　young　folks　in　a　season。　Morality　is　powerless
against　a　dozen　vices　which　destroy　society　and　which　nothing　can
punish。Another　cup！Upon　my　word　of　honor！　man　is　a　jester　dancing
upon　a　precipice。　They　talk　to　us　about　the　immorality　of　the
/Liaisons　Dangereuses/；　and　any　other　book　you　like　with　a　vulgar
reputation；　but　there　exists　a　book；　horrible；　filthy；　fearful；
corrupting；　which　is　always　open　and　will　never　be　shut；　the　great
book　of　the　world；　not　to　mention　another　book；　a　thousand　times　more
dangerous；　which　is　composed　of　all　that　men　whisper　into　each　other's
ears；　or　women　murmur　behind　their　fans；　of　an　evening　in　society。〃

〃Henri；　there　is　certainly　something　extraordinary　the　matter　with
you；　that　is　obvious　in　spite　of　your　active　discretion。〃

〃Yes！　。　。　。　Come；　I　must　kill　the　time　until　this　evening。　Let's　to
the　tables。　。　。　。　Perhaps　I　shall　have　the　good　luck　to　lose。〃

De　Marsay　rose；　took　a　handful　of　banknotes　and　folded　them　into　his
cigar…case；　dressed　himself；　and　took　advantage　of　Paul's　carriage　to
repair　to　the　Salon　des　Etrangers；　where　until　dinner　he　consumed　the
time　in　those　exciting　alternations　of　loss　and　gain　which　are　the
last　resource　of　powerful　organizations　when　they　are　compelled　to
exercise　themselves　in　the　void。　In　the　evening　he　repaired　to　the
trysting…place　and　submitted　complacently　to　having　his　eyes　bandaged。
Then；　with　that　firm　will　which　only　really　strong　men　have　the
faculty　of　concentrating；　he　devoted　his　attention　and　applied　his
intelligence　to　the　task　of　divining　through　what　streets　the　carriage
passed。　He　had　a　sort　of　certitude　of　being　taken　to　the　Rue　Saint…
Lazare；　and　being　brought　to　a　halt　at　the　little　gate　in　the　garden
of　the　Hotel　San…Real。　When　he　passed；　as　on　the　first　occasion；
through　this　gate；　and　was　put　in　a　litter；　carried；　doubtless　by　the
mulatto　and　the　coachman；　he　understood；　as　he　heard　the　gravel　grate
beneath　their　feet；　why　they　took　such　minute　precautions。　He　would
have　been　able；　had　he　been　free；　or　if　he　had　walked；　to　pluck　a　twig
of　laurel；　to　observe　the　nature　of　the　soil　which　clung　to　his　boots；
whereas；　transported；　so　to　speak；　ethereally　into　an　inaccessible
mansion；　his　good　fortune　must　remain　what　it　had　been　hitherto；　a
dream。　But　it　is　man's　despair　that　a