a prince of bohemia-第4章

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her　milliner's　shop。　Charles　Edward　followed；　took　a　seat；　and　gave
his　opinions　and　advice　like　a　man　that　meant　to　pay。　This　coolness
disturbed　the　lady。　She　went　out。

〃On　the　stairs　she　spoke　to　her　persecutor。

〃　'Monsieur；　I　am　about　to　call　upon　one　of　my　husband's　relatives；　an
elderly　lady；　Mme。　de　Bonfalot'

〃　'Ah！　Mme。　de　Bonfalot；　charmed；　I　am　sure。　I　am　going　there。'

〃The　pair　accordingly　went。　Charles　Edward　came　in　with　the　lady；
every　one　believed　that　she　had　brought　him　with　her。　He　took　part　in
the　conversation；　was　lavish　of　his　polished　and　brilliant　wit。　The
visit　lengthened　out。　That　was　not　what　he　wanted。

〃　'Madame；'　he　said；　addressing　the　fair　stranger；　'do　not　forget　that
your　husband　is　waiting　for　us；　and　only　allowed　us　a　quarter　of　an
hour。'

〃Taken　aback　by　such　boldness　（which；　as　you　know；　is　never
displeasing　to　you　women）；　led　captive　by　the　conqueror's　glance；　by
the　astute　yet　candid　air　which　Charles　Edward　can　assume　when　he
chooses；　the　lady　rose；　took　the　arm　of　her　self…constituted　escort；
and　went　downstairs；　but　on　the　threshold　she　stopped　to　speak　to　him。

〃　'Monsieur；　I　like　a　joke'

〃　'And　so　do　I。'

〃She　laughed。

〃　'But　this　may　turn　to　earnest；'　he　added；　'it　only　rests　with　you。　I
am　the　Comte　de　la　Palferine；　and　I　am　delighted　that　it　is　in　my
power　to　lay　my　heart　and　my　fortune　at　your　feet。'

〃La　Palferine　was　at　that　time　twenty…two　years　old。　（This　happened　in
1834。）　Luckily　for　him；　he　was　fashionably　dressed。　I　can　paint　his
portrait　for　you　in　a　few　words。　He　was　the　living　image　of　Louis
XIII。；　with　the　same　white　forehead　and　gracious　outline　of　the
temples；　the　same　olive　skin　（that　Italian　olive　tint　which　turns
white　where　the　light　falls　on　it）；　the　brown　hair　worn　rather　long；
the　black　'royale；'　the　grave　and　melancholy　expression；　for　La
Palferine's　character　and　exterior　were　amazingly　at　variance。

〃At　the　sound　of　the　name；　and　the　sight　of　its　owner；　something　like
a　quiver　thrilled　through　Claudine。　La　Palferine　saw　the　vibration；
and　shot　a　glance　at　her　out　of　the　dark　depths　of　almond…shaped　eyes
with　purpled　lids；　and　those　faint　lines　about　them　which　tell　of
pleasures　as　costly　as　painful　fatigue。　With　those　eyes　upon　her；　she
said'Your　address？'

〃　'What　want　of　address！'

〃　'Oh；　pshaw！'　she　said；　smiling。　'A　bird　on　the　bough？'

〃　'Good…bye；　madame；　you　are　such　a　woman　as　I　seek；　but　my　fortune　is
far　from　equaling　my　desire'

〃He　bowed；　and　there　and　then　left　her。　Two　days　later；　by　one　of　the
strange　chances　that　can　only　happen　in　Paris；　he　had　betaken　himself
to　a　money…lending　wardrobe　dealer　to　sell　such　of　his　clothing　as　he
could　spare。　He　was　just　receiving　the　price　with　an　uneasy　air；　after
long　chaffering；　when　the　stranger　lady　passed　and　recognized　him。

〃　'Once　for　all；'　cried　he　to　the　bewildered　wardrobe　dealer；　'I　tell
you　I　am　not　going　to　take　your　trumpet！'

〃He　pointed　to　a　huge；　much…dinted　musical　instrument；　hanging　up
outside　against　a　background　of　uniforms；　civil　and　military。　Then；
proudly　and　impetuously；　he　followed　the　lady。

〃From　that　great　day　of　the　trumpet　these　two　understood　one　another
to　admiration。　Charles　Edward's　ideas　on　the　subject　of　love　are　as
sound　as　possible。　According　to　him；　a　man　cannot　love　twice；　there　is
but　one　love　in　his　lifetime；　but　that　love　is　a　deep　and　shoreless
sea。　It　may　break　in　upon　him　at　any　time；　as　the　grace　of　God　found
St。　Paul；　and　a　man　may　live　sixty　years　and　never　know　love。　Perhaps；
to　quote　Heine's　superb　phrase；　it　is　'the　secret　malady　of　the　heart'
a　sense　of　the　Infinite　that　there　is　within　us；　together　with　the
revelation　of　the　ideal　Beauty　in　its　visible　form。　This　love；　in
short；　comprehends　both　the　creature　and　creation。　But　so　long　as
there　is　no　question　of　this　great　poetical　conception；　the　loves　that
cannot　last　can　only　be　taken　lightly；　as　if　they　were　in　a　manner
snatches　of　song　compared　with　Love　the　epic。

〃To　Charles　Edward　the　adventure　brought　neither　the　thunderbolt
signal　of　love's　coming；　nor　yet　that　gradual　revelation　of　an　inward
fairness　which　draws　two　natures　by　degrees　more　and　more　strongly
each　to　each。　For　there　are　but　two　ways　of　lovelove　at　first　sight；
doubtless　akin　to　the　Highland　'second…sight；'　and　that　slow　fusion　of
two　natures　which　realizes　Plato's　'man…woman。'　But　if　Charles　Edward
did　not　love；　he　was　loved　to　distraction。　Claudine　found　love　made
complete；　body　and　soul；　in　her；　in　short；　La　Palferine　awakened　the
one　passion　of　her　life；　while　for　him　Claudine　was　only　a　most
charming　mistress。　The　Devil　himself；　a　most　potent　magician
certainly；　with　all　hell　at　his　back；　could　never　have　changed　the
natures　of　these　two　unequal　fires。　I　dare　affirm　that　Claudine　not
unfrequently　bored　Charles　Edward。

〃　'Stale　fish　and　the　woman　you　do　not　love　are　only　fit　to　fling　out
of　the　window　after　three　days；'　he　used　to　say。

〃In　Bohemia　there　is　little　secrecy　observed　over　these　affairs。　La
Palferine　used　to　talk　a　good　deal　of　Claudine；　but；　at　the　same　time；
none　of　us　saw　her；　nor　so　much　as　knew　her　name。　For　us　Claudine　was
almost　a　mythical　personage。　All　of　us　acted　in　the　same　way；
reconciling　the　requirements　of　our　common　life　with　the　rules　of　good
taste。　Claudine；　Hortense；　the　Baroness；　the　Bourgeoise；　the　Empress；
the　Spaniard；　the　Lioness；these　were　cryptic　titles　which　permitted
us　to　pour　out　our　joys；　our　cares；　vexations；　and　hopes；　and　to
communicate　our　discoveries。　Further；　none　of　us　went。　It　has　been
shown；　in　Bohemia；　that　chance　discovered　the　identity　of　the　fair
unknown；　and　at　once；　as　by　tacit　convention；　not　one　of　us　spoke　of
her　again。　This　fact　may　show　how　far　youth　possesses　a　sense　of　true
delicacy。　How　admirably　certain　natures　of　a　finer　clay　know　the　limit
line　where　jest　must　end；　and　all　that　host　of　things　French　covered
by　the　slang　word　/blague/；　a　word　which　will　shortly　be　cast　out　of
the　language　（let　us　hope）；　and　yet　it　is　the　only　one　which　conveys
an　idea　of　the　spirit　of　Bohemia。

〃So　we　often　used　to　joke　about　Claudine　and　the　Count'/Toujours
Claudine？/'　sung　to　the　air　of　/Toujours　Gessle/。'What　are　you
making　of　Claudine？''How　is　Claudine？'

〃　'I　wish　you　all　such　a　mistress；　for　all　the　harm　I　wish　you；'　La
Palferine　began　one　day。　'No　greyhound；　no　basset…dog；　no　poodle　can
match　her　in　gentleness；　submissiveness；　and　complete　tenderness。
There　are　times　when　I　reproach　myself；　when　I　take　myself　to　task　for
my　hard　heart。　Claudine　obeys　with　saintly　sweetness。　She　comes　to　me；
I　tell　her　to　go；　she　goes；　she　does　not　even　cry　till　she　is　out　in
the　courtyard。　I　refuse　to　see　her　for　a　whole　week　at　a　time。　I　tell
her　to　come　at　such　an　hour　on　Tuesday；　and　be　it　midnight　or　six
o'clock　in　the　morning；　ten　o'clock；　five　o'clock；　breakfast　time；
dinner　time；　bed　time；　any　particularly　inconvenient　hour　in　the　day
she　will　come；　punctual　to　the　minute；　beautiful；　beautifully　dressed；
and　enchanting。　And　she　is　a　married　woman；　with　all　the　complications
and　duties　of　a　household。　The　fibs　that　she　must　invent；　the　reasons
she　must　find　for　conforming　to　my　whims　would　tax　the　ingenuity　of
some　of　us！　。　。　。　Claudine　never　wearies；　you　can　always　count　upon
her。　It　is　not　love；　I　tell　her；　it　is　infatuation。　She　writes　to　me
every　day；　I　do　not　read　her　letters；　she　found　that　out；　but　still
she　writes。　See　here；　there　are　two　hundred　letters　in　this　casket。
She　begs　me　to　wipe　my　razors　on　one　of　her　letters　every　day；　and　I
punctually　do　so。　She　thinks；　and　rightly；　that　the　sight　of　her
handwriting　will　put　me　in　mind　of　her。'

〃La　Palferine　was　dressing　as　he　told　us　this。　I　took　up　the　letter
which　he　was　about　to　put　to　this　use；　read　it；　and　kept　it；　as　he　did
not　ask　to　have　it　back。　Here　it　is。　I　looked　for　it；　and　found　it　as
I　promised。


〃/Monday　（Midnight）。/

　　〃　'Well；　my　dear；　are　you　satisfied　with　me？　I　did　not　even　ask
　　for　your　hand；　yet　you　might　easily　have　given　it　to　me；　and　I
　　longed　so　much　to　hold　it　to　my　heart；　to　my　lips。　No；　I　did　not
　　ask；　I　am　so　afraid　of　displeasing