a daughter of eve-第13部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


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　comparison　with

the　intrigues　to　be　carried　on；　the　pains　of　wounded　vanity　to　be

endured；preferences　shown　by　authors；　parts　taken　away　or　given　to

others；　exactions　of　the　male　actors；　spite　of　rivals；　naggings　of　the

stage　manager；　struggles　with　journalists；　all　of　which　require

another　twelve　hours　to　the　day。　But　even　so　far；　nothing　has　been

said　of　the　art　of　acting；　the　expression　of　passion；　the　practice　of

positions　and　gesture；　the　minute　care　and　watchfulness　required　on

the　stage；　where　a　thousand　opera…glasses　are　ready　to　detect　a　flaw；

labors　which　consumed　the　life　and　thought　of　Talma；　Lekain；　Baron；

Contat；　Clairon；　Champmesle。　In　these　infernal　〃coulisses〃　self…love

has　no　sex；　the　artist　who　triumphs；　be　it　man　or　woman；　has　all　the

other　men　and　women　against　him　or　her。　Then；　as　to　money；　however

many　engagements　Florine　may　have；　her　salary　does　not　cover　the　costs

of　her　stage　toilet；　which；　in　addition　to　its　costumes；　requires　an

immense　variety　of　long　gloves；　shoes；　and　frippery；　and　all　this

exclusive　of　her　personal　clothing。　The　first　third　of　such　a　life　is

spent　in　struggling　and　imploring；　the　next　third；　in　getting　a

foothold；　the　last　third；　in　defending　it。　If　happiness　is　frantically

grasped；　it　is　because　it　is　so　rare；　so　long　desired；　and　found　at

last　only　amid　the　odious　fictitious　pleasures　and　smiles　of　such　a

life。



As　for　Florine；　Raoul's　power　in　the　press　was　like　a　protecting

sceptre；　he　spared　her　many　cares　and　anxieties；　she　clung　to　him　less

as　a　lover　than　a　prop；　she　took　care　of　him　like　a　father；　she

deceived　him　like　a　husband；　but　she　would　readily　have　sacrificed　all

she　had　to　him。　Raoul　could；　and　did　do　everything　for　her　vanity　as

an　actress；　for　the　peace　of　her　self…love；　and　for　her　future　on　the

stage。　Without　the　intervention　of　a　successful　author；　there　is　no

successful　actress；　Champmesle　was　due　to　Racine；　like　Mars　to　Monvel

and　Andrieux。　Florine　could　do　nothing　in　return　for　Raoul；　though　she

would　gladly　have　been　useful　and　necessary　to　him。　She　reckoned　on

the　charms　of　habit　to　keep　him　by　her；　she　was　always　ready　to　open

her　salons　and　display　the　luxury　of　her　dinners　and　suppers　for　his

friends；　and　to　further　his　projects。　She　desired　to　be　for　him　what

Madame　de　Pompadour　was　to　Louis　XV。　All　actresses　envied　Florine's

position；　and　some　journalists　envied　that　of　Raoul。



Those　to　whom　the　inclination　of　the　human　mind　towards　chance；

opposition；　and　contrasts　is　known；　will　readily　understand　that　after

ten　years　of　this　lawless　Bohemian　life；　full　of　ups　and　downs；　of

fetes　and　sheriffs；　of　orgies　and　forced　sobrieties；　Raoul　was

attracted　to　the　idea　of　another　love；to　the　gentle；　harmonious

house　and　presence　of　a　great　lady；　just　as　the　Comtesse　Felix

instinctively　desired　to　introduce　the　torture　of　great　emotions　into

a　life　made　monotonous　by　happiness。　This　law　of　life　is　the　law　of

all　arts；　which　exist　only　by　contrasts。　A　work　done　without　this

incentive　is　the　loftiest　expression　of　genius；　just　as　the　cloister

is　the　highest　expression　of　the　Christian　life。



On　returning　to　his　lodging　from　Lady　Dudley's　ball；　Raoul　found　a

note　from　Florine；　brought　by　her　maid；　which　an　invincible　sleepiness

prevented　him　from　reading　at　that　moment。　He　fell　asleep；　dreaming　of

a　gentle　love　that　his　life　had　so　far　lacked。　Some　hours　later　he

opened　the　note；　and　found　in　it　important　news；　which　neither

Rastignac　nor　de　Marsay　had　allowed　to　transpire。　The　indiscretion　of

a　member　of　the　government　had　revealed　to　the　actress　the　coming

dissolution　of　the　Chamber　after　the　present　session。　Raoul　instantly

went　to　Florine's　house　and　sent　for　Blondet。　In　the　actress's

boudoir；　with　their　feet　on　the　fender；　Emile　and　Raoul　analyzed　the

political　situation　of　France　in　1834。　On　which　side　lay　the　best

chance　of　fortune？　They　reviewed　all　parties　and　all　shades　of　party；

pure　republicans；　presiding　republicans；　republicans　without　a

republic；　constitutionals　without　a　dynasty；　ministerial

conservatives；　ministerial　absolutists；　also　the　Right；　the

aristocratic　Right；　the　legitimist；　henriquinquist　Right；　and　the

carlest　Right。　Between　the　party　of　resistance　and　that　of　action

there　was　no　discussion；　they　might　as　well　have　hesitated　between

life　and　death。



At　this　period　a　flock　of　newspapers；　created　to　represent　all　shades

of　opinion；　produced　a　fearful　pell…mell　of　political　principles。

Blondet；　the　most　judicious　mind　of　the　day；judicious　for　others；

never　for　himself；　like　some　great　lawyers　unable　to　manage　their　own

affairs；was　magnificent　in　such　a　discussion。　The　upshot　was　that　he

advised　Nathan　not　to　apostatize　too　suddenly。



〃Napoleon　said　it；　you　can't　make　young　republics　of　old　monarchies。

Therefore；　my　dear　fellow；　become　the　hero；　the　support；　the　creator

of　the　Left　Centre　in　the　new