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Marquise　d'Espard。



〃A　lover　is　forbidden　fruit；　and　that　to　me；　says　all！〃　cried　the

pretty　Moina　de　Saint…Heren；　laughing。



When　she　was　not　at　some　diplomatic　rout；　or　at　a　ball　given　by　rich

foreigners；　like　Lady　Dudley　or　the　Princesse　Galathionne；　the

Comtesse　de　Vandenesse　might　be　seen；　after　the　Opera；　at　the　houses

of　Madame　d'Espard；　the　Marquise　de　Listomere；　Mademoiselle　des

Touches；　the　Comtesse　de　Montcornet；　or　the　Vicomtesse　de　Grandlieu；

the　only　aristocratic　houses　then　open；　and　never　did　she　leave　any

one　of　them　without　some　evil　seed　of　the　world　being　sown　in　her

heart。　She　heard　talk　of　completing　her　life；a　saying　much　in

fashion　in　those　days；　of　being　comprehended；another　word　to　which

women　gave　strange　meanings。　She　often　returned　home　uneasy；　excited；

curious；　and　thoughtful。　She　began　to　find　something　less；　she　hardly

knew　what；　in　her　life；　but　she　did　not　yet　go　so　far　as　to　think　it

lonely。







CHAPTER　IV



A　CELEBRATED　MAN



The　most　amusing　society；　but　also　the　most　mixed；　which　Madame　Felix

de　Vandenesse　frequented；　was　that　of　the　Comtesse　de　Montcornet；　a

charming　little　woman；　who　received　illustrious　artists；　leading

financial　personages；　distinguished　writers；　but　only　after　subjecting

them　to　so　rigid　an　examination　that　the　most　exclusive　aristocrat　had

nothing　to　fear　in　coming　in　contact　with　this　second…class　society。

The　loftiest　pretensions　were　there　respected。



During　the　winter　of　1833；　when　society　rallied　after　the　revolution

of　July；　some　salons；　notably　those　of　Mesdames　d'Espard　and　de

Listomere；　Mademoiselle　des　Touches；　and　the　Duchesse　de　Grandlieu；

had　selected　certain　of　the　celebrities　in　art；　science；　literature；

and　politics；　and　received　them。　Society　can　lose　nothing　of　its

rights；　and　it　must　be　amused。　At　a　concert　given　by　Madame　de

Montcornet　toward　the　close　of　the　winter　of　1833；　a　man　of　rising

fame　in　literature　and　politics　appeared　in　her　salon；　brought　there

by　one　of　the　wittiest；　but　also　one　of　the　laziest　writers　of　that

epoch；　Emile　Blondet；　celebrated　behind　closed　doors；　highly　praised

by　journalists；　but　unknown　beyond　the　barriers。　Blondet　himself　was

well　aware　of　this；　he　indulged　in　no　illusions；　and；　among　his　other

witty　and　contemptuous　sayings；　he　was　wont　to　remark　that　fame　is　a

poison　good　to　take　in　little　doses。



From　the　moment　when　the　man　we　speak　of；　Raoul　Nathan；　after　a　long

struggle；　forced　his　way　to　the　public　gaze；　he　had　put　to　profit　the

sudden　infatuation　for　form　manifested　by　those　elegant　descendants　of

the　middle　ages；　jestingly　called　Young　France。　He　assumed　the

singularities　of　a　man　of　genius　and　enrolled　himself　among　those

adorers　of　art；　whose　intentions；　let　us　say；　were　excellent；　for

surely　nothing　could　be　more　ridiculous　than　the　costume　of　Frenchmen

in　the　nineteenth　century；　and　nothing　more　courageous　than　an　attempt

to　reform　it。　Raoul；　let　us　do　him　this　justice；　presents　in　his

person　something　fine；　fantastic；　and　extraordinary；　which　needs　a

frame。　His　enemies；　or　his　friends；　they　are　about　the　same　thing；

agree　that　nothing　could　harmonize　better　with　his　mind　than　his

outward　form。



Raoul　Nathan　would；　perhaps；　be　more　singular　if　left　to　his　natural

self　than　he　is　with　his　various　accompaniments。　His　worn　and　haggard

face　gives　him　an　appearance　of　having　fought　with　angels　or　devils；

it　bears　some　resemblance　to　that　the　German　painters　give　to　the　dead

Christ；　countless　signs　of　a　constant　struggle　between　failing　human

nature　and　the　powers　on　high　appear　in　it。　But　the　lines　in　his

hollow　cheeks；　the　projections　of　his　crooked；　furrowed　skull；　the

caverns　around　his　eyes　and　behind　his　temples；　show　nothing　weakly　in

his　constitution。　His　hard　membranes；　his　visible　bones　are　the　signs

of　remarkable　solidity；　and　though　his　skin；　discolored　by　excesses；

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　c