a daughter of eve-第14章

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could　hold　them　fixed；　casting　out　their　vivid　fire　without　moving　her

head；　without　taking　from　her　face　its　absolute　immovability　（a

manoeuvre　learned　upon　the　stage）；　and　the　vivacity　of　their　glance；

as　she　looked　about　a　theatre　in　search　of　a　friend；　made　her　eyes　the

most　terrible；　also　the　softest；　in　short；　the　most　extraordinary　eyes

in　the　world。　Rouge　had　destroyed　by　this　time　the　diaphanous　tints　of

her　cheeks；　the　flesh　of　which　was　still　delicate；　but　although　she

could　no　longer　blush　or　turn　pale；　she　had　a　thin　nose　with　rosy；

passionate　nostrils；　made　to　express　irony；the　mocking　irony　of

Moliere's　women…servants。　Her　sensual　mouth；　expressive　of　sarcasm　and

love　of　dissipation；　was　adorned　with　a　deep　furrow　that　united　the

upper　lip　with　the　nose。　Her　chin；　white　and　rather　fat；　betrayed　the

violence　of　passion。　Her　hands　and　arms　were　worthy　of　a　sovereign。



But　she　had　one　ineradicable　sign　of　low　birth；her　foot　was　short

and　fat。　No　inherited　quality　ever　caused　greater　distress。　Florine

had　tried　everything；　short　of　amputation；　to　get　rid　of　it。　The　feet

were　obstinate；　like　the　Breton　race　from　which　she　came；　they

resisted　all　treatment。　Florine　now　wore　long　boots　stuffed　with

cotton；　to　give　length；　and　the　semblance　of　an　instep。　Her　figure　was

of　medium　height；　threatened　with　corpulence；　but　still　well…balanced；

and　well…made。



Morally；　she　was　an　adept　in　all　the　attitudinizing；　quarrelling；

alluring；　and　cajoling　of　her　business；　and　she　gave　to　those　actions

a　savor　of　their　own　by　playing　childlike　innocence；　and　slipping　in

among　her　artless　speeches　philosophical　malignities。　Apparently

ignorant　and　giddy；　she　was　very　strong　on　money…matters　and

commercial　law；for　the　reason　that　she　had　gone　through　so　much

misery　before　attaining　to　her　present　precarious　success。　She　had

come　down；　story　by　story；　from　the　garret　to　the　first　floor；　through

so　many　vicissitudes！　She　knew　life；　from　that　which　begins　in　Brie

cheese　and　ends　at　pineapples；　from　that　which　cooks　and　washes　in　the

corner　of　a　garret　on　an　earthenware　stove；　to　that　which　convokes　the

tribes　of　pot…bellied　chefs　and　saucemakers。　She　had　lived　on　credit

and　not　killed　it；　she　was　ignorant　of　nothing　that　honest　women

ignore；　she　spoke　all　languages：　she　was　one　of　the　populace　by

experience；　she　was　noble　by　beauty　and　physical　distinction。

Suspicious　as　a　spy；　or　a　judge；　or　an　old　statesman；　she　was

difficult　to　impose　upon；　and　therefore　the　more　able　to　see　clearly

into　most　matters。　She　knew　the　ways　of　managing　tradespeople；　and　how

to　evade　their　snares；　and　she　was　quite　as　well　versed　in　the　prices

of　things　as　a　public　appraiser。　To　see　her　lying　on　her　sofa；　like　a

young　bride；　fresh　and　white；　holding　her　part　in　her　hand　and

learning　it；　you　would　have　thought　her　a　child　of　sixteen；　ingenuous；

ignorant；　and　weak；　with　no　other　artifice　about　her　but　her

innocence。　Let　a　creditor　contrive　to　enter；　and　she　was　up　like　a

startled　fawn；　and　swearing　a　good　round　oath。



〃Hey！　my　good　fellow；　your　insolence　is　too　dear　an　interest　on　the

money　I　owe　you；〃　she　would　say。　〃I　am　sick　of　seeing　you。　Send　the

sheriff　here；　I'd　prefer　him　to　your　silly　face。〃



Florine　gave　charming　dinners；　concerts；　and　well…attended　soirees；

where　play　ran　high。　Her　female　friends　were　all　handsome；　no　old

woman　had　ever　appeared　within　her　precincts。　She　was　not　jealous；　in

fact；　she　would　have　thought　jealousy　an　admission　of　inferiority。　She

had　known　Coralie　and　La　Torpille　in　their　lifetimes；　and　now　knew

Tullia；　Euphrasie；　Aquilina；　Madame　du　Val…Noble；　Mariette；those

women　who　pass　through　Paris　like　gossamer　through　the　atmosphere；

without　our　knowing　where　they　go　nor　whence　they　came；　to…day　queens；

to…morrow　slaves。　She　also　knew　the　actresses；　her　rivals；　and　all　the

prima…donnas；　in　short；　that　whole　exceptional　feminine　society；　so

kindly；　so　graceful　in　its　easy　〃sans…souci；〃　which　absorbs　into　its

own　Bohemian　life　all　who　allow　themselves　to　be　caught　in　the　frantic

whirl　of　its　gay　spirits；　its　eager　abandonment；　and　its　contemptuous

indifference　to　the　future。



Though　this　Bohemian　life　displayed　itself　in　her　house　in　tumultuous

disorder；　amid　the　laughter　of　artists　of　every　description；　the　queen

of　the　revels　had　ten　fingers　on　which　she　knew　better　how　to　count

than　any　of　her　guests。　In　that　house　secret　saturnalias　of　literature

and　art；　politics　and　finance　were　carried　on；　there；　desire　reigned　a

sovereign；　there；　caprice　and　fancy　were　as　sacred　as　honor　and　virtue

to　a　bourgeoise；　thither　came　Blondet；　Finot；　Etienne　Lousteau；　Vernou

the　feuilletonist；　Couture；　Bixiou；　Rastignac　in　his　earlier　days；

Claude　Vignon　the　critic；　Nucingen　the　banker；　du　Tillet；　Conti　the

composer；in　short；　that　whole　devil…may…care　legion　of　selfish

materialists　of　all　kinds；　friends　of　Florine　and　of　the　singers；

actresses　and　〃danseuses〃　collected　about　her。　They　all　hated　or　liked

one　another　according　to　circumstances。



This　Bohemian　resort；　to　which　celebrity　was　the　only　ticket　of

admission；　was　a　Hades　of　the　mind；　the　galleys　of　the　intellect。　No

one　could　enter　there　without　having　legally　conquered　fortune；　done

ten　years　of　misery；　strangled　two　or　three　passions；　acquired　some

celebrity；　either　by　books　or　waistcoats；　by　dramas　or　fine　equipages；

plots　were　hatched　there；　means　of　making　fortune　scrutinized；　all

things　were　discussed　and　weighed。　But　every　man；　on　leaving　it；

resumed　the　livery　of　his　own　opinions；　there　he　could；　without

compromising　himself；　criticise　his　own　party；　admit　the　knowledge　and

good　play　of　his　adversaries；　formulate　thoughts　that　no　one　admits

thinking；in　short；　say　all；　as　if　ready　to　do　all。　Paris　is　the　only

place　in　the　world　where　such　eclectic　houses　exist；　where　all　tastes；

all　vices；　all　opinions　are　received　under　decent　guise。　Therefore　it

is　not　yet　certain　that　Florine　will　remain　to　the　end　of　her　career　a

second…class　actress。



Florine's　life　was　by　no　means　an　idle　one；　or　a　life　to　be　envied。

Many　persons；　misled　by　the　magnificent　pedestal　that　the　stage　gives

to　a　woman；　suppose　her　in　the　midst　of　a　perpetual　carnival。　In　the

dark　recesses　of　a　porter's　lodge；　beneath　the　tiles　of　an　attic　roof；

many　a　poor　girl　dreams；　on　returning　from　the　theatre；　of　pearls　and

diamonds；　gold…embroidered　gowns　and　sumptuous　girdles；　she　fancies

herself　adored；　applauded；　courted；　but　little　she　knows　of　that

treadmill　life；　in　which　the　actress　is　forced　to　rehearsals　under

pain　of　fines；　to　the　reading　of　new　pieces；　to　the　constant　study　of

new　roles。　At　each　representation　Florine　changes　her　dress　at　least

two　or　three　times；　often　she　comes　home　exhausted　and　half…dead；　but

before　she　can　rest；　she　must　wash　off　with　various　cosmetics　the

white　and　the　red　she　has　applied；　and　clean　all　the　powder　from　her

hair；　if　she　has　played　a　part　from　the　eighteenth　century。　She

scarcely　has　time　for　food。　When　she　plays；　an　actress　can　live　no

life　of　her　own；　she　can　neither　dress；　nor　eat；　nor　talk。　Florine

often　has　no　time　to　sup。　On　returning　from　a　play；　which　lasts；　in

these　days；　till　after　midnight；　she　does　not　get　to　bed　before　two　in

the　morning；　but　she　must　rise　early　to　study　her　part；　order　her

dresses；　try　them　on；　breakfast；　read　her　love…letters；　answer　them；

discuss　with　the　leader　of　the　〃claque〃　the　place　for　the　plaudits；

pay　for　the　triumphs　of　the　last　month　in　solid　cash；　and　bespeak

those　of　the　month　ahead。　In　the　days　of　Saint…Genest；　the　canonized

comedian　who　fulfilled　his　duties　in　a　pious　manner　and　wore　a　hair

shirt；　we　must　suppose　that　an　actor's　life　did　not　demand　this

incessant　activity。　Sometimes　Florine；　seized　with　a　bourgeois　desire

to　get　out　into　the　country　and　gather　flowers；　pretends　to　the

manager　that　she　is　ill。



But　even　these　mechanical　operations　are　nothing　in