a daughter of eve-第9章

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clings　to　those　bones　as　if　dried　there　by　inward　fires；　it

nevertheless　covers　a　most　powerful　structure。　He　is　thin　and　tall。

His　long　hair；　always　in　disorder；　is　worn　so　for　effect。　This　ill…

combed；　ill…made　Byron　has　heron　legs　and　stiffened　knee…joints；　an

exaggerated　stoop；　hands　with　knotty　muscles；　firm　as　a　crab's　claws；

and　long；　thin；　wiry　fingers。　Raoul's　eyes　are　Napoleonic；　blue　eyes；

which　pierce　to　the　soul；　his　nose　is　crooked　and　very　shrewd；　his

mouth　charming；　embellished　with　the　whitest　teeth　that　any　woman

could　desire。　There　is　fire　and　movement　in　the　head；　and　genius　on

that　brow。　Raoul　belongs　to　the　small　number　of　men　who　strike　your

mind　as　you　pass　them；　and　who；　in　a　salon；　make　a　luminous　spot　to

which　all　eyes　are　attracted。



He　makes　himself　remarked　also　by　his　〃neglige；〃　if　we　may　borrow　from

Moliere　the　word　which　Eliante　uses　to　express　the　want　of　personal

neatness。　His　clothes　always　seem　to　have　been　twisted；　frayed；　and

crumpled　intentionally；　in　order　to　harmonize　with　his　physiognomy。　He

keeps　one　of　his　hands　habitually　in　the　bosom　of　his　waistcoat　in　the

pose　which　Girodet's　portrait　of　Monsieur　de　Chateaubriand　has

rendered　famous；　but　less　to　imitate　that　great　man　（for　he　does　not

wish　to　resemble　any　one）　than　to　rumple　the　over…smooth　front　of　his

shirt。　His　cravat　is　no　sooner　put　on　than　it　is　twisted　by　the

convulsive　motions　of　his　head；　which　are　quick　and　abrupt；　like　those

of　a　thoroughbred　horse　impatient　of　harness；　and　constantly　tossing

up　its　head　to　rid　itself　of　bit　and　bridle。　His　long　and　pointed

beard　is　neither　combed；　nor　perfumed；　nor　brushed；　nor　trimmed；　like

those　of　the　elegant　young　men　of　society；　he　lets　it　alone；　to　grow

as　it　will。　His　hair；　getting　between　the　collar　of　his　coat　and　his

cravat；　lies　luxuriantly　on　his　shoulders；　and　greases　whatever　spot

it　touches。　His　wiry；　bony　hands　ignore　a　nailbrush　and　the　luxury　of

lemon。　Some　of　his　cofeuilletonists　declare　that　purifying　waters

seldom　touch　their　calcined　skin。



In　short；　the　terrible　Raoul　is　grotesque。　His　movements　are　jerky；　as

if　produced　by　imperfect　machinery；　his　gait　rejects　all　idea　of

order；　and　proceeds　by　spasmodic　zig…zags　and　sudden　stoppages；　which

knock　him　violently　against　peaceable　citizens　on　the　streets　and

boulevards　of　Paris。　His　conversation；　full　of　caustic　humor；　of

bitter　satire；　follows　the　gait　of　his　body；　suddenly　it　abandons　its

tone　of　vengeance　and　turns　sweet；　poetic；　consoling；　gentle；　without

apparent　reason；　he　falls　into　inexplicable　silences；　or　turns

somersets　of　wit；　which　at　times　are　somewhat　wearying。　In　society；　he

is　boldly　awkward；　and　exhibits　a　contempt　for　conventions　and　a

critical　air　about　things　respected　which　makes　him　unpleasant　to

narrow　minds；　and　also　to　those　who　strive　to　preserve　the　doctrines

of　old…fashioned；　gentlemanly　politeness；　but　for　all　that　there　is　a

sort　of　lawless　originality　about　him　which　women　do　not　dislike。

Besides；　to　them；　he　is　often　most　amiably　courteous；　he　seems　to　take

pleasure　in　making　them　forget　his　personal　singularities；　and　thus

obtains　a　victory　over　antipathies　which　flatters　either　his　vanity；

his　self…love；　or　his　pride。



〃Why　do　you　present　yourself　like　that？〃　said　the　Marquise　de

Vandenesse　one　day。



〃Pearls　live　in　oyster…shells；〃　he　answered；　conceitedly。



To　another　who　asked　him　somewhat　the　same　question；　he　replied；



〃If　I　were　charming　to　all　the　world；　how　could　I　seem　better　still　to

the　one　woman　I　wish　to　please？〃



Raoul　Nathan　imports　this　same　natural　disorder　（which　he　uses　as　a

banner）　into　his　intellectual　life；　and　the　attribute　is　not

misleading。　his　talent　is　very　much　that　of　the　poor　girls　who　go

about　in　bourgeois　families　to　work　by　the　day。　He　was　first　a　critic；

and　a　great　critic；　but　he　felt　himself　cheated　in　that　vocation。　His

articles　were　equal　to　books；　he　said。　The　profits　of　theatrical　work

then　allured　him；　but；　incapable　of　the　slow　and　steady　application

required　for　stage　arrangement；　he　was　forced　to　associate　with

himself　a　vaudevillist；　du　Bruel；　who　took　his　ideas；　worked　them

over；　and　reduced　them　into　those　productive　little　pieces；　full　of

wit；　which　are　written　expressly　for　actors　and　actresses。　Between

them；　they　had　invented　Florine；　an　actress　now　in　vogue。



Humiliated　by　this　association；　which　was　that　of　the　Siamese　twins；

Nathan　had　produced　alone；　at　the　Theatre…Francais；　a　serious　drama；

which　fell　with　all　the　honors　of　war　amid　salvos　of　thundering

articles。　In　his　youth　he　had　once　before　appeared　at　the　great　and

noble　Theatre…Francais　in　a　splendid　romantic　play　of　the　style　of

〃Pinto；〃a　period　when　the　classic　reigned　supreme。　The　Odeon　was　so

violently　agitated　for　three　nights　that　the　play　was　forbidden　by　the

censor。　This　second　piece　was　considered　by　many　a　masterpiece；　and

won　him　more　real　reputation　than　all　his　productive　little　pieces

done　with　collaborators；but　only　among　a　class　to　whom　little

attention　is　paid；　that　of　connoisseurs　and　persons　of　true　taste。



〃Make　another　failure　like　that；〃　said　Emile　Blondet；　〃and　you'll　be

immortal。〃



But　instead　of　continuing　in　that　difficult　path；　Nathan　had　fallen；

out　of　sheer　necessity；　into　the　powder　and　patches　of　eighteenth…

century　vaudeville；　costume　plays；　and　the　reproduction；　scenically；

of　successful　novels。



Nevertheless；　he　passed　for　a　great　mind　which　had　not　said　its　last

word。　He　had；　moreover；　attempted　permanent　literature；　having

published　three　novels；　not　to　speak　of　several　others　which　he　kept

in　press　like　fish　in　a　tank。　One　of　these　three　books；　the　first

（like　that　of　many　writers　who　can　only　make　one　real　trip　into

literature）；　had　obtained　a　very　brilliant　success。　This　work；

imprudently　placed　in　the　front　rank；　this　really　artistic　work　he　was

never　weary　of　calling　the　finest　book　of　the　period；　the　novel　of　the

century。



Raoul　complained　bitterly　of　the　exigencies　of　art。　He　was　one　of

those　who　contributed　most　to　bring　all　created　work；　pictures；

statues；　books；　building　under　the　single　standard　of　Art。　He　had

begun　his　career　by　committing　a　volume　of　verse；　which　won　him　a

place　in　the　pleiades　of　living　poets；　among　these　verses　was　a

nebulous　poem　that　was　greatly　admired。　Forced　by　want　of　means　to

keep　on　producing；　he　went　from　the　theatre　to　the　press；　and　from　the

press　to　the　theatre；　dissipating　and　scattering　his　talent；　but

believing　always　in　his　vein。　His　fame　was　therefore　not　unpublished

like　that　of　so　many　great　minds　in　extremity；　who　sustain　themselves

only　by　the　thought　of　work　to　be　done。



Nathan　resembled　a　man　of　genius；　and　had　he　marched　to　the　scaffold；

as　he　sometimes　wished　he　could　have　done；　he　might　have　struck　his

brow　with　the　famous　action　of　Andre　Chenier。　Seized　with　political

ambition　on　seeing　the　rise　to　power　of　a　dozen　authors；　professors；

metaphysicians；　and　historians；　who　encrusted　themselves；　so　to　speak；

upon　the　machine　during　the　turmoils　of　1830　and　1833；　he　regretted

that　he　had　not　spent　his　time　on　political　instead　of　literary

articles。　He　thought　himself　superior　to　all　those　parvenus；　whose

success　inspired　him　with　consuming　jealousy。　He　belonged　to　the　class

of　minds　ambitious　of　everything；　capable　of　all　things；　from　whom

success　is；　as　it　were；　stolen；　who　go　their　way　dashing　at　a　hundred

luminous　points；　and　settling　upon　none；　exhausting　at　last　the　good…

will　of　others。



At　this　particular　time　he　was　going　from　Saint…Simonism　into

republicanism；　to　return；　very　likely；　to　ministerialism。　He　looked

for　a　bone　to　gnaw　in　all　corners；　searching　for　a　safe　place　where　he

could　bark　secure　from　kicks　and　make　himself　feared。　But　he　had　the

mortification　of　finding　he　was　held　to　be　of　no　account　by　de　Marsay；

then　at　the　head　of　the　government；　who　had　no　consideratio