a prince of bohemia-第2章

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to　the　church　and　twice　revolutionized　the　kingdom　of　Naplesso
illustrious　again　under　the　Valois；　so　dexterous　in　the　days　of　the
Fronde；　that　obstinate　Frondeurs　though　they　were；　they　still　existed
through　the　reign　of　Louis　XIV。　Mazarin　favored　them；　there　was　the
Tuscan　strain　in　them　still；　and　he　recognized　it。

〃Today；　when　Charles　Edward　de　la　Palferine's　name　is　mentioned；　not
three　persons　in　a　hundred　know　the　history　of　his　house。　But　the
Bourbons　have　actually　left　a　Foix…Grailly　to　live　by　his　easel。

〃Ah；　if　you　but　knew　how　brilliantly　Charles　Edward　accepts　his
obscure　position！　how　he　scoffs　at　the　bourgeois　of　1830！　What　Attic
salt　in　his　wit！　He　would　be　the　king　of　Bohemia；　if　Bohemia　would
endure　a　king。　His　/verve/　is　inexhaustible。　To　him　we　owe　a　map　of
the　country　and　the　names　of　the　seven　castles　which　Nodier　could　not
discover。〃

〃The　one　thing　wanting　in　one　of　the　cleverest　skits　of　our　time；〃
said　the　Marquise。

〃You　can　form　your　own　opinion　of　La　Palferine　from　a　few
characteristic　touches；〃　continued　Nathan。　〃He　once　came　upon　a　friend
of　his；　a　fellow…Bohemian；　involved　in　a　dispute　on　the　boulevard　with
a　bourgeois　who　chose　to　consider　himself　affronted。　To　the　modern
powers　that　be；　Bohemia　is　insolent　in　the　extreme。　There　was　talk　of
calling　one　another　out。

〃　'One　moment；'　interposed　La　Palferine；　as　much　Lauzun　for　the
occasion　as　Lauzun　himself　could　have　been。　'One　moment。　Monsieur　was
born；　I　suppose？'

〃　'What；　sir？'

〃　'Yes；　are　you　born？　What　is　your　name？'

〃　'Godin。'

〃　'Godin；　eh！'　exclaimed　La　Palferine's　friend。

〃　'One　moment；　my　dear　fellow；'　interrupted　La　Palferine。　'There　are
the　Trigaudins。　Are　you　one　of　them？'

〃Astonishment。

〃　'No？　Then　you　are　one　of　the　new　dukes　of　Gaeta；　I　suppose；　of
imperial　creation？　No？　Oh；　well；　how　can　you　expect　my　friend　to　cross
swords　with　you　when　he　will　be　secretary　of　an　embassy　and　ambassador
/some　day/；　and　you　will　owe　him　respect？　/Godin！/　the　thing　is　non…
existent！　You　are　a　nonentity；　Godin。　My　friend　cannot　be　expected　to
beat　the　air！　When　one　is　somebody；　one　cannot　fight　with　a　nobody！
Come；　my　dear　fellowgood…day。'

〃　'My　respects　to　madame；'　added　the　friend。

〃Another　day　La　Palferine　was　walking　with　a　friend　who　flung　his
cigar　end　in　the　face　of　a　passer…by。　The　recipient　had　the　bad　taste
to　resent　this。

〃　'You　have　stood　your　antagonist's　fire；'　said　the　young　Count；　'the
witnesses　declare　that　honor　is　satisfied。'

〃La　Palferine　owed　his　tailor　a　thousand　francs；　and　the　man　instead
of　going　himself　sent　his　assistant　to　ask　for　the　money。　The
assistant　found　the　unfortunate　debtor　up　six　pairs　of　stairs　at　the
back　of　a　yard　at　the　further　end　of　the　Faubourg　du　Roule。　The　room
was　unfurnished　save　for　a　bed　（such　a　bed！）；　a　table；　and　such　a
table！　La　Palferine　heard　the　preposterous　demand'A　demand　which　I
should　qualify　as　illegal；'　he　said　when　he　told　us　the　story；　'made；
as　it　was；　at　seven　o'clock　in　the　morning。'

〃　'Go；'　he　answered；　with　the　gesture　and　attitude　of　a　Mirabeau；
'tell　your　master　in　what　condition　you　find　me。'

〃The　assistant　apologized　and　withdrew。　La　Palferine；　seeing　the　young
man　on　the　landing；　rose　in　the　attire　celebrated　in　verse　in
/Britannicus/　to　add；　'Remark　the　stairs！　Pay　particular　attention　to
the　stairs；　do　not　forget　to　tell　him　about　the　stairs！'

〃In　every　position　into　which　chance　has　thrown　La　Palferine；　he　has
never　failed　to　rise　to　the　occasion。　All　that　he　does　is　witty　and
never　in　bad　taste；　always　and　in　everything　he　displays　the　genius　of
Rivarol；　the　polished　subtlety　of　the　old　French　noble。　It　was　he　who
told　that　delicious　anecdote　of　a　friend　of　Laffitte　the　banker。　A
national　fund　had　been　started　to　give　back　to　Laffitte　the　mansion　in
which　the　Revolution　of　1830　was　brewed；　and　this　friend　appeared　at
the　offices　of　the　fund　with；　'Here　are　five　francs；　give　me　a　hundred
sous　change！'A　caricature　was　made　of　it。It　was　once　La
Palferine's　misfortune；　in　judicial　style；　to　make　a　young　girl　a
mother。　The　girl；　not　a　very　simple　innocent；　confessed　all　to　her
mother；　a　respectable　matron；　who　hurried　forthwith　to　La　Palferine
and　asked　what　he　meant　to　do。

〃　'Why；　madame；'　said　he；　'I　am　neither　a　surgeon　nor　a　midwife。'

〃She　collapsed；　but　three　or　four　years　later　she　returned　to　the
charge；　still　persisting　in　her　inquiry；　'What　did　La　Palferine　mean
to　do？'

〃　'Well；　madame；'　returned　he；　'when　the　child　is　seven　years　old；　an
age　at　which　a　boy　ought　to　pass　out　of　women's　hands'an　indication
of　entire　agreement　on　the　mother's　part'if　the　child　is　really
mine'another　gesture　of　assent'if　there　is　a　striking　likeness；　if
he　bids　fair　to　be　a　gentleman；　if　I　can　recognize　in　him　my　turn　of
mind；　and　more　particularly　the　Rusticoli　air；　then；　ohah！'a　new
movement　from　the　matron'on　my　word　and　honor；　I　will　make　him　a
cornet　ofsugar…plums！'

〃All　this；　if　you　will　permit　me　to　make　use　of　the　phraseology
employed　by　M。　Sainte…Beuve　for　his　biographies　of　obscuritiesall
this；　I　repeat；　is　the　playful　and　sprightly　yet　already　somewhat
decadent　side　of　a　strong　race。　It　smacks　rather　of　the　Parc…aux…Cerfs
than　of　the　Hotel　de　Rambouillet。　It　is　a　race　of　the　strong　rather
than　of　the　sweet；　I　incline　to　lay　a　little　debauchery　to　its　charge；
and　more　than　I　should　wish　in　brilliant　and　generous　natures；　it　is
gallantry　after　the　fashion　of　the　Marechal　de　Richelieu；　high　spirits
and　frolic　carried　rather　too　far；　perhaps　we　may　see　in　it　the
/outrances/　of　another　age；　the　Eighteenth　Century　pushed　to　extremes；
it　harks　back　to　the　Musketeers；　it　is　an　exploit　stolen　from
Champcenetz；　nay；　such　light…hearted　inconstancy　takes　us　back　to　the
festooned　and　ornate　period　of　the　old　court　of　the　Valois。　In　an　age
as　moral　as　the　present；　we　are　bound　to　regard　audacity　of　this　kind
sternly；　still；　at　the　same　time　that　'cornet　of　sugar…plums'　may
serve　to　warn　young　girls　of　the　perils　of　lingering　where　fancies；
more　charming　than　chastened；　come　thickly　from　the　first；　on　the　rosy
flowery　unguarded　slopes；　where　trespasses　ripen　into　errors　full　of
equivocal　effervescence；　into　too　palpitating　issues。　The　anecdote
puts　La　Palferine's　genius　before　you　in　all　its　vivacity　and
completeness。　He　realizes　Pascal's　/entre…deux/；　he　comprehends　the
whole　scale　between　tenderness　and　pitilessness；　and；　like
Epaminondas；　he　is　equally　great　in　extremes。　And　not　merely　so；　his
epigram　stamps　the　epoch；　the　/accoucheur/　is　a　modern　innovation。　All
the　refinements　of　modern　civilization　are　summed　up　in　the　phrase。　It
is　monumental。〃

〃Look　here；　my　dear　Nathan；　what　farrago　of　nonsense　is　this？〃　asked
the　Marquise　in　bewilderment。

〃Madame　la　Marquise；〃　returned　Nathan；　〃you　do　not　know　the　value　of
these　'precious'　phrases；　I　am　talking　Sainte…Beuve；　the　new　kind　of
French。I　resume。　Walking　one　day　arm　in　arm　with　a　friend　along　the
boulevard；　he　was　accosted　by　a　ferocious　creditor；　who　inquired：

〃　'Are　you　thinking　of　me；　sir？'

〃　'Not　the　least　in　the　world；'　answered　the　Count。

〃Remark　the　difficulty　of　the　position。　Talleyrand；　in　similar
circumstances；　had　already　replied；　'You　are　very　inquisitive；　my　dear
fellow！'　To　imitate　the　inimitable　great　man　was　out　of　the　question。
La　Palferine；　generous　as　Buckingham；　could　not　bear　to　be　caught
empty…handed。　One　day　when　he　had　nothing　to　give　a　little　Savoyard
chimney…sweeper；　he　dipped　a　hand　into　a　barrel　of　grapes　in　a
grocer's　doorway　and　filled　the　child's　cap　from　it。　The　little　one
ate　away　at　his　grapes；　the　grocer　began　by　laughing；　and　ended　by
holding　out　his　hand。

〃　'Oh；　fie！　monsieur；'　said　La　Palferine；　'your　left　hand　ought　not　to
know　what　my　right　hand　doth。'

〃With　his　adventurous　courage；　he　never　refuses　any　odds；　but　there　is
wit　in　his　bravado。　In　the　Passage　de　l'Opera　he　chanced　to　meet　a　man
who　had　spoken　slightingly　of　him；　elbowed　him　as　he　passed；　and　then
turned　and　jostled　him　a　second　time。

〃　'You　are　very　clumsy！'

〃　'On　the　contrary；　I　did　it　on　purpose。'

〃The　young　man　pulled　out　his　card。　La　Palferine