the nabob-第70部分

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ocking　down　the　innumerable　toys　they　bore；　and　forcing　the　half…clad　Levantine　to　bound　to　her　feet　with　a　promptitude　amazing　in　so　massive　a　person。　She　roared　at　the　outrage；　drew　the　folds　of　her　dalmatic　against　her　bust；　pushed　her　cap　sideways　on　her　dishevelled　hair；　and　began　to　abuse　her　husband。

〃Never；　understand　me；　never！　You　may　drag　me　sooner　to　this〃

The　filth　flowed　from　her　heavy　lips　as　from　a　spout。　Jansoulet　could　have　imagined　himself　in　some　frightful　den　of　the　port　of　Marseilles；　at　some　quarrel　of　prostitutes　and　bullies；　or　again　at　some　open…air　dispute　between　Genoese；　Maltese；　and　Provencal　hags；　gleaning　on　the　quays　round　the　sacks　of　wheat；　and　abusing　each　other；　crouched　in　the　whirlwinds　of　golden　dust。　She　was　indeed　a　Levantine　of　a　seaport；　a　spoiled　child；　who；　in　the　evening；　left　alone；　had　heard　from　her　terrace　or　from　her　gondola　the　sailors　revile　each　other　in　every　tongue　of　the　Latin　seas；　and　had　remembered　it　all。　The　wretched　man　looked　at　her；　frightened；　terrified　at　what　she　forced　him　to　hear；　at　her　grotesque　figure；　foaming　and　gasping：

〃No；　I　will　not　gono；　I　will　not　go！〃

And　this　was　the　mother　of　his　children；　a　daughter　of　the　Afchins！　Suddenly；　at　the　thought　that　his　fate　was　in　the　hands　of　this　woman；　that　it　would　only　cost　her　a　dress　to　put　on　to　save　himand　that　time　was　flyingthat　soon　it　would　be　too　late；　a　criminal　feeling　rose　to　his　brain　and　distorted　his　features。　He　came　straight　to　her；　his　hands　contracted；　with　such　a　terrible　expression　that　the　daughter　of　the　Afchins；　frightened；　rushed；　calling　towards　the　door　by　which　the　/masseur/　had　just　gone　out：

〃Aristide！〃

This　cry；　the　words；　this　intimacy　of　his　wife　with　a　servant！　Jansoulet　stopped；　his　rage　suddenly　calmed；　then；　with　a　gesture　of　disgust；　he　flung　himself　out；　slamming　the　doors；　more　eager　to　fly　the　misfortune　and　the　horror　whose　presence　he　divined　in　his　own　home；　than　to　seek　elsewhere　the　help　he　had　been　promised。

A　quarter　of　an　hour　later　he　made　his　appearance　at　the　Hemerlingues'；　making　a　despairing　gesture　as　he　entered　to　the　banker；　and　approached　the　baroness　stammering　the　ready…made　phrase　he　had　heard　repeated　so　often　the　night　of　his　ball；　〃His　wife；　very　unwellmost　grieved　not　to　have　been　able　to　come〃　She　did　not　give　him　time　to　finish；　rose　slowly；　unwound　herself　like　a　long　and　slender　snake　from　the　pleated　folds　of　her　tight　dress；　and　said；　without　looking　at　him；　〃Oh；　I　knewI　knew！〃　then　changed　her　place　and　took　no　more　notice　of　him。　He　attempted　to　approach　Hemerlingue；　but　the　good　man　seemed　absorbed　in　his　conversation　with　Maurice　Trott。　Then　he　went　to　sit　down　near　Mme。　Jenkins；　whose　isolation　seemed　like　his　own。　But；　even　while　talking　to　the　poor　woman；　as　languid　as　he　was　preoccupied；　he　was　watching　the　baroness　doing　the　honours　of　this　drawing…room；　so　comfortable　when　compared　with　his　own　gilded　halls。

It　was　time　to　leave。　Mme。　Hemerlingue　went　to　the　door　with　some　of　the　ladies；　presented　her　forehead　to　the　old　princess；　bent　under　the　benediction　of　the　Armenian　bishop；　nodded　with　a　smile　to　the　young　men　with　the　canes；　found　for　each　the　fitting　adieu　with　perfect　ease；　and　the　wretched　man　could　not　prevent　himself　from　comparing　this　Eastern　slave；　so　Parisian；　so　distinguished　in　the　best　society　of　the　world；　with　the　other；　the　European　brutalized　by　the　East；　stupefied　with　Turkish　tobacco；　and　swollen　with　idleness。　His　ambitions；　his　pride　as　a　husband；　were　extinguished　and　humiliated　in　this　marriage　of　which　he　saw　the　danger　and　the　emptinessa　final　cruelty　of　fate　taking　from　him　even　the　refuge　of　personal　happiness　from　all　his　public　disasters。

Little　by　little　the　room　was　emptied。　The　Levantines　disappeared　one　after　another；　leaving　each　time　an　immense　void　in　their　place。　Mme。　Jenkins　was　gone；　and　only　two　or　three　ladies　remained　whom　Jansoulet　did　not　know；　and　behind　whom　the　mistress　of　the　house　seemed　to　shelter　herself　from　him。　But　Hemerlingue　was　free；　and　the　Nabob　rejoined　him　at　the　moment　when　he　was　furtively　escaping　to　his　offices　on　the　same　floor　opposite　his　rooms。　Jansoulet　went　out　with　him；　forgetting　in　his　trouble　to　salute　the　baroness；　and　once　on　the　antechamber　staircase；　Hemerlingue；　cold　and　reserved　while　he　was　under　his　wife's　eye；　expanded　a　little。

〃It　is　very　annoying；〃　said　he　in　a　low　voice；　as　if　he　feared　to　be　overheard；　〃that　Mme。　Jansoulet　has　not　been　willing　to　come。〃

Jansoulet　answered　him　by　a　movement　of　despair　and　savage　helplessness。

〃Annoying；　annoying；〃　repeated　the　other　in　a　whisper；　and　feeling　for　his　key　in　his　pocket。

〃Come；　old　fellow；〃　said　the　Nabob；　taking　his　hand；　〃there's　no　reason；　because　our　wives　don't　agree　That　doesn't　hinder　us　from　remaining　friends。　What　a　good　chat　the　other　day；　eh？〃

〃No　doubt〃　said　the　baron；　disengaging　himself；　as　he　opened　the　door　noiselessly；　showing　the　deep　workroom；　whose　lamp　burned　solitarily　before　the　enormous　empty　chair。　〃Come；　good…bye；　I　must　go；　I　have　my　mail　to　despatch。〃

〃/Ya　didon；　monci/〃　（But　look　here；　sir）　said　the　poor　Nabob；　trying　to　joke；　and　using　the　/patois/　of　the　south　to　recall　to　his　old　chum　all　the　pleasant　memories　stirred　up　the　other　evening。　〃Our　visit　to　Le　Merquier　still　holds　good。　The　picture　we　were　going　to　present　to　him；　you　know。　What　day？〃

〃Ah；　yes；　Le　Merquiertrueehwell；　soon。　I　will　write　to　you。〃

〃Really？　You　know　it　is　very　important。〃

〃Yes；　yes。　I　will　write　to　you。　Good…bye。〃

And　the　big　man　shut　his　door　in　a　hurry；　as　if　he　were　afraid　of　his　wife　coming。

Two　days　after；　the　Nabob　received　a　note　from　Hemerlingue；　almost　unreadable　on　account　of　the　complicated　scrawls；　of　abbreviations　more　or　less　commercial；　under　which　the　ex…sutler　hid　his　entire　want　of　spelling：

　　MY　DEAR　OLD　COM/I　cannot　accom/　you　to　Le　Mer/。　Too　bus/　just　　　now。　Besid/　y/　will　be　bet/　alone　to　tal/。　Go　th/　bold/。　You　are　　　exp/。　A/　Cassette；　ev/　morn/　8　to　10。

Yours　faith/

HEM。


Below　as　a　postscript；　a　very　small　hand　had　written　very　legibly：

　　〃A　religious　picture；　as　good　as　possible。〃

What　was　he　to　think　of　this　letter？　Was　there　real　good…will　in　it；　or　polite　evasion？　In　any　case　hesitation　was　no　longer　possible。　Time　pressed。　Jansoulet　made　a　bold　effort；　thenfor　he　was　very　frightened　of　Le　Merquierand　called　on　him　one　morning。

Our　strange　Paris；　alike　in　its　population　and　its　aspects；　seems　a　specimen　map　of　the　whole　world。　In　the　Marais　there　are　narrow　streets；　with　old　sculptured　worm…eaten　doors；　with　overhanging　gables　and　balconies；　which　remind　you　of　old　Heidelberg。　The　Faubourg　Saint…　Honore；　lying　round　the　Russian　church　with　its　white　minarets　and　golden　domes；　seems　a　part　of　Moscow。　On　Montmartre　I　know　a　picturesque　and　crowded　corner　which　is　simply　Algiers。　Little；　low；　clean　houses；　each　with　its　brass　plate　and　little　front　garden；　are　English　streets　between　Neuilly　and　the　Champs…Elysees　while　all　behind　the　apse　of　Saint…Sulpice；　the　Rue　Feron；　the　Rue　Cassette；　lying　peaceably　in　the　shadow　of　its　great　towers；　roughly　paved；　their　doors　each　with　its　knocker；　seem　lifted　out　of　some　provincial　and　religious　townTours　or　Orleans；　for　examplein　the　district　of　the　cathedral　or　the　palace；　where　the　great　over…hanging　trees　in　the　gardens　rock　themselves　to　the　sound　of　the　bells　and　the　choir。

It　was　there；　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　Catholic　Clubof　which　he　had　just　been　made　honorary　presidentthat　M。　Le　Merquier　lived。　He　was　/avocat/；　deputy　for　Lyons；　business　man　of　all　the　great　communities　of　France；　and　Hemerlingue；　moved　by　a　deep…seated　instinct；　had　intrusted　him　with　the　affairs　of　his　firm。

He　arrived　before　nine　o'clock　at　an　old　mansion　of　which　the　ground　floor　was　occupied　by　a　religious　bookshop；　asleep　in　the　odour　of　the　sacristy；　and　of　the　thick　gray　paper　on　which　the　stories　of　miracles　are　printed　for　hawkers；　and　mounted　the　great　whitewashed　convent　stairway。　Jansoulet　was　touched　by　this　provincial　and　Catholic　atmosphere；　in　which　revived　the　souvenirs　of　his　past　in　the　south；　impressions　of　infancy　still　intact；　thanks　to　his　long　absence　from　home；　and　since　his　arrival　at　Paris　he　had　had　neither　the　time　nor　the　occasion　to　call　them　in　question。　Fashionable　hypocrisy　had　presented　itself　to　him　in　all　its　forms　save　that　of　religious　integrity；　and　he　refused　now　to　believe　in　the　venality　of　a　man　who　lived　in　such　surroundings。　Introduced　into　the　/avocat's/　waiting…　rooma　vast　parlour　with　fine　white　muslin　curtains；　having　for　its　sole　ornament　a　large　and　beautiful　copy　of　Tintoretto's　Dead　Christ　his　doubt　and　trouble　changed　into　indignant　conviction。　It　was　not　possible！　He　had　been　deceived　as　to　Le　Merquier。　There　was　surely　some　bold　slander　in　it；　such　as　so　easily　spreads　in　Parisor　perhaps　it　was　one　of　those　ferocious　snares　among　which　he　had　stumbled　for　six　months。　No；　this　stern　conscience；　so　well　known　in　Parliament　and　the　courts；　this　cold　and　austere　personage；　could　not　be　treated　like　those　great　swollen　pashas　with　loosened　waist…belts　and　floating　sleeves　open　to　conceal　the　bags　of　gold。　He　would　only　expose　himself　to　a　scandalous　refusal；　to　the　legitimate　revolt　of　outraged　honour；　if　he　attempted　such　means　of　corruption。

The　Nabob　told　himself　all　this；　as　he　sat　on　the　oak　bench　which　ran　round　the　room；　a　bench　polished　with　serge　dresses　and　the　rough　cloth　of　cassocks。　In　spite　of　the　early　hour　several　persons　were　waiting　there　with　him。　A　Dominican；　ascetic　and　serene；　walking　up　and　down　with　great　strides；　two　sisters　of　charity；　buried　under　their　caps；　counting　long　rosaries　which　measured　their　time　of　waiting；　priests　from　Lyons；　recognisable　by　the　shape　of　their　hats；　others　reserved　and　severe　in　air；　sitting　at　the　great　ebony　table　which　filled　the　middle　of　the　room；　and　turning　over　some　of　those　pious　journals　printed　at　Fouvieres；　just　above　Lyons；　the　/Echo　of　Purgatory/；　the　/Rose…bush　of　Mary/；　which　give　as　a　present　to　all　yearly　subscribers　pontifical　indulgences　and　remissions　of　future　sins。　Some　muttered　words；　a　stifled　cough；　the　light　whispered　prayers