cousin betty-第110部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


Carabine。

〃A　fortune。〃

〃What　are　you　going　to　do　with　her？〃

〃WellMadame　Combabus！〃

〃And　what　are　you　to　get　for　such　a　job？〃

〃Guess。〃

〃A　service　of　plate？〃

〃I　have　three。〃

〃Diamonds？〃

〃I　am　selling　them。〃

〃A　green　monkey？〃

〃No。　A　picture　by　Raphael。〃

〃What　maggot　is　that　in　your　brain？〃

〃Josepha　makes　me　sick　with　her　pictures；〃　said　Carabine。　〃I　want　some
better　than　hers。〃

Du　Tillet　came　with　the　Brazilian；　the　hero　of　the　feast；　the　Duc
d'Herouville　followed　with　Josepha。　The　singer　wore　a　plain　velvet
gown；　but　she　had　on　a　necklace　worth　a　hundred　and　twenty　thousand
francs；　pearls　hardly　distinguishable　from　her　skin　like　white
camellia　petals。　She　had　stuck　one　scarlet　camellia　in　her　black　hair
a　patchthe　effect　was　dazzling；　and　she　had　amused　herself　by
putting　eleven　rows　of　pearls　on　each　arm。　As　she　shook　hands　with
Jenny　Cadine；　the　actress　said；　〃Lend　me　your　mittens！〃

Josepha　unclasped　them　one　by　one　and　handed　them　to　her　friend　on　a
plate。

〃There's　style！〃　said　Carabine。　〃Quite　the　Duchess！　You　have　robbed
the　ocean　to　dress　the　nymph；　Monsieur　le　Duc；〃　she　added　turning　to
the　little　Duc　d'Herouville。

The　actress　took　two　of　the　bracelets；　she　clasped　the　other　twenty　on
the　singer's　beautiful　arms；　which　she　kissed。

Lousteau；　the　literary　cadger；　la　Palferine　and　Malaga；　Massol；
Vauvinet；　and　Theodore　Gaillard；　a　proprietor　of　one　of　the　most
important　political　newspapers；　completed　the　party。　The　Duc
d'Herouville；　polite　to　everybody；　as　a　fine　gentleman　knows　how　to
be；　greeted　the　Comte　de　la　Palferine　with　the　particular　nod　which；
while　it　does　not　imply　either　esteem　or　intimacy；　conveys　to　all　the
world；　〃We　are　of　the　same　race；　the　same　bloodequals！〃And　this
greeting；　the　shibboleth　of　the　aristocracy；　was　invented　to　be　the
despair　of　the　upper　citizen　class。

Carabine　placed　Combabus　on　her　left；　and　the　Duc　d'Herouville　on　her
right。　Cydalise　was　next　to　the　Brazilian；　and　beyond　her　was　Bixiou。
Malaga　sat　by　the　Duke。

Oysters　appeared　at　seven　o'clock；　at　eight　they　were　drinking　iced
punch。　Every　one　is　familiar　with　the　bill　of　fare　of　such　a　banquet。
By　nine　o'clock　they　were　talking　as　people　talk　after　forty…two
bottles　of　various　wines；　drunk　by　fourteen　persons。　Dessert　was　on
the　table；　the　odious　dessert　of　the　month　of　April。　Of　all　the　party；
the　only　one　affected　by　the　heady　atmosphere　was　Cydalise；　who　was
humming　a　tune。　None　of　the　party；　with　the　exception　of　the　poor
country　girl；　had　lost　their　reason；　the　drinkers　and　the　women　were
the　experienced　/elite/　of　the　society　that　sups。　Their　wits　were
bright；　their　eyes　glistened；　but　with　no　loss　of　intelligence；　though
the　talk　drifted　into　satire；　anecdote；　and　gossip。　Conversation；
hitherto　confined　to　the　inevitable　circle　of　racing；　horses；
hammerings　on　the　Bourse；　the　different　occupations　of　the　/lions/
themselves；　and　the　scandals　of　the　town；　showed　a　tendency　to　break
up　into　intimate　/tete…a…tete/；　the　dialogues　of　two　hearts。

And　at　this　stage；　at　a　signal　from　Carabine　to　Leon　de　Lora；　Bixiou；
la　Palferine；　and　du　Tillet；　love　came　under　discussion。

〃A　doctor　in　good　society　never　talks　of　medicine；　true　nobles　never
speak　of　their　ancestors；　men　of　genius　do　not　discuss　their　works；〃
said　Josepha；　〃why　should　we　talk　business？　If　I　got　the　opera　put　off
in　order　to　dine　here；　it　was　assuredly　not　to　work。So　let　us　change
the　subject；　dear　children。〃

〃But　we　are　speaking　of　real　love；　my　beauty；〃　said　Malaga；　〃of　the
love　that　makes　a　man　fling　all　to　the　dogsfather；　mother；　wife；
childrenand　retire　to　Clichy。〃

〃Talk　away；　then；　'don't　know　yer；'　〃　said　the　singer。

The　slang　words；　borrowed　from　the　Street　Arab；　and　spoken　by　these
women；　may　be　a　poem　on　their　lips；　helped　by　the　expression　of　the
eyes　and　face。

〃What；　do　not　I　love　you；　Josepha？〃　said　the　Duke　in　a　low　voice。

〃You；　perhaps；　may　love　me　truly；〃　said　she　in　his　ear；　and　she
smiled。　〃But　I　do　not　love　you　in　the　way　they　describe；　with　such
love　as　makes　the　world　dark　in　the　absence　of　the　man　beloved。　You
are　delightful　to　me；　usefulbut　not　indispensable；　and　if　you　were
to　throw　me　over　to…morrow；　I　could　have　three　dukes　for　one。〃

〃Is　true　love　to　be　found　in　Paris？〃　asked　Leon　de　Lora。　〃Men　have　not
even　time　to　make　a　fortune；　how　can　they　give　themselves　over　to　true
love；　which　swamps　a　man　as　water　melts　sugar？　A　man　must　be
enormously　rich　to　indulge　in　it；　for　love　annihilates　himfor
instance；　like　our　Brazilian　friend　over　there。　As　I　said　long　ago；
'Extremes　defeatthemselves。'　A　true　lover　is　like　an　eunuch；　women
have　ceased　to　exist　for　him。　He　is　mystical；　he　is　like　the　true
Christian；　an　anchorite　of　the　desert！See　our　noble　Brazilian。〃

Every　one　at　table　looked　at　Henri　Montes　de　Montejanos；　who　was　shy
at　finding　every　eye　centred　on　him。

〃He　has　been　feeding　there　for　an　hour　without　discovering；　any　more
than　an　ox　at　pasture；　that　he　is　sitting　next　toI　will　not　say；　in
such　company；　the　loveliestbut　the　freshest　woman　in　all　Paris。〃

〃Everything　is　fresh　here；　even　the　fish；　it　is　what　the　house　is
famous　for；〃　said　Carabine。

Baron　Montes　looked　good…naturedly　at　the　painter；　and　said：

〃Very　good！　I　drink　to　your　very　good　health；〃　and　bowing　to　Leon　de
Lora；　he　lifted　his　glass　of　port　wine　and　drank　it　with　much　dignity。

〃Are　you　then　truly　in　love？〃　asked　Malaga　of　her　neighbor；　thus
interpreting　his　toast。

The　Brazilian　refilled　his　glass；　bowed　to　Carabine；　and　drank　again。

〃To　the　lady's　health　then！〃　said　the　courtesan；　in　such　a　droll　tone
that　Lora；　du　Tillet；　and　Bixiou　burst　out　laughing。

The　Brazilian　sat　like　a　bronze　statue。　This　impassibility　provoked
Carabine。　She　knew　perfectly　well　that　Montes　was　devoted　to　Madame
Marneffe；　but　she　had　not　expected　this　dogged　fidelity；　this
obstinate　silence　of　conviction。

A　woman　is　as　often　gauged　by　the　attitude　of　her　lover　as　a　man　is
judged　from　the　tone　of　his　mistress。　The　Baron　was　proud　of　his
attachment　to　Valerie；　and　of　hers　to　him；　his　smile　had；　to　these
experienced　connoisseurs；　a　touch　of　irony；　he　was　really　grand　to
look　upon；　wine　had　not　flushed　him；　and　his　eyes；　with　their　peculiar
lustre　as　of　tarnished　gold；　kept　the　secrets　of　his　soul。　Even
Carabine　said　to　herself：

〃What　a　woman　she　must　be！　How　she　has　sealed　up　that　heart！〃

〃He　is　a　rock！〃　said　Bixiou　in　an　undertone；　imagining　that　the　whole
thing　was　a　practical　joke；　and　never　suspecting　the　importance　to
Carabine　of　reducing　this　fortress。

While　this　conversation；　apparently　so　frivolous；　was　going　on　at
Carabine's　right；　the　discussion　of　love　was　continued　on　her　left
between　the　Duc　d'Herouville；　Lousteau；　Josepha；　Jenny　Cadine；　and
Massol。　They　were　wondering　whether　such　rare　phenomena　were　the
result　of　passion；　obstinacy；　or　affection。　Josepha；　bored　to　death　by
it　all；　tried　to　change　the　subject。

〃You　are　talking　of　what　you　know　nothing　about。　Is　there　a　man　among
you　who　ever　loved　a　womana　woman　beneath　himenough　to　squander
his　fortune　and　his　children's；　to　sacrifice　his　futu