beatrix-第14部分

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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


the　glow　of　the　soul　is　absent　the　lines　of　the　face　are　sad。

＇*＇　George　Sand　says　of　herself；　in　〃L'Histoire　de　Ma　Vie；〃　published
　　　　long　after　the　above　was　written：　〃The　habit　of　meditation　gave　me
　　　　/l'air　bete/　（a　stupid　air）。　I　say　the　word　frankly；　for　all　my
　　　　life　I　have　been　told　this；　and　therefore　it　must　be　true。〃TR。

The　lashes　of　the　eyelids　are　short；　but　thick　and　black　as　the　tip　of
an　ermine's　tail；　the　eyelids　are　brown　and　strewn　with　red　fibrils；
which　give　them　grace　and　strength；two　qualities　which　are　seldom
united　in　a　woman。　The　circle　round　the　eyes　shows　not　the　slightest
blemish　nor　the　smallest　wrinkle。　There；　again；　we　find　the　granite　of
an　Egyptian　statue　softened　by　the　ages。　But　the　line　of　the　cheek…
bones；　though　soft；　is　more　pronounced　than　in　other　women　and
completes　the　character　of　strength　which　the　face　expresses。　The
nose；　thin　and　straight；　parts　into　two　oblique　nostrils；　passionately
dilated　at　times；　and　showing　the　transparent　pink　of　their　delicate
lining。　This　nose　is　an　admirable　continuation　of　the　forehead；　with
which　it　blends　in　a　most　delicious　line。　It　is　perfectly　white　from
its　spring　to　its　tip；　and　the　tip　is　endowed　with　a　sort　of　mobility
which　does　marvels　if　Camille　is　indignant；　or　angry；　or　rebellious。
There；　above　all；　as　Talma　once　remarked；　is　seen　depicted　the　anger
or　the　irony　of　great　minds。　The　immobility　of　the　human　nostril
indicates　a　certain　narrowness　of　soul；　never　did　the　nose　of　a　miser
oscillate；　it　contracts　like　the　lips；　he　locks　up　his　face　as　he　does
his　money。

Camille's　mouth；　arching　at　the　corners；　is　of　a　vivid　red；　blood
abounds　there；　and　supplies　the　living；　thinking　oxide　which　gives
such　seduction　to　the　lips；　reassuring　the　lover　whom　the　gravity　of
that　majestic　face　may　have　dismayed。　The　upper　lip　is　thin；　the
furrow　which　unites　it　with　the　nose　comes　low；　giving　it　a　centre
curve　which　emphasizes　its　natural　disdain。　Camille　has　little　to　do
to　express　anger。　This　beautiful　lip　is　supported　by　the　strong　red
breadth　of　its　lower　mate；　adorable　in　kindness；　swelling　with　love；　a
lip　like　the　outer　petal　of　a　pomegranate　such　as　Phidias　might　have
carved；　and　the　color　of　which　it　has。　The　chin　is　firm　and　rather
full；　but　it　expresses　resolution　and　fitly　ends　this　profile；　royal
if　not　divine。　It　is　necessary　to　add　that　the　upper　lip　beneath　the
nose　is　lightly　shaded　by　a　charming　down。　Nature　would　have　made　a
blunder　had　she　not　cast　that　tender　mist　upon　the　face。　The　ears　are
delicately　convoluted；a　sign　of　secret　refinement。　The　bust　is
large；　the　waist　slim　and　sufficiently　rounded。　The　hips　are　not
prominent；　but　very　graceful；　the　line　of　the　thighs　is　magnificent；
recalling　Bacchus　rather　than　the　Venus　Callipyge。　There　we　may　see
the　shadowy　line　of　demarcation　which　separates　nearly　every　woman　of
genius　from　her　sex；　there　such　women　are　found　to　have　a　certain
vague　similitude　to　man；　they　have　neither　the　suppleness　nor　the　soft
abandonment　of　those　whom　Nature　destines　for　maternity；　their　gait　is
not　broken　by　faltering　motions。　This　observation　may　be　called
bi…lateral；　it　has　its　counterpart　in　men；　whose　thighs　are　those　of
women　when　they　are　sly；　cunning；　false；　and　cowardly。　Camille's　neck；
instead　of　curving　inward　at　the　nape；　curves　out　in　a　line　that
unites　the　head　to　the　shoulders　without　sinuosity；　a　most　signal
characteristic　of　force。　The　neck　itself　presents　at　certain　moments
an　athletic　magnificence。　The　spring　of　the　arms　from　the　shoulders；
superb　in　outline；　seems　to　belong　to　a　colossal　woman。　The　arms　are
vigorously　modelled；　ending　in　wrists　of　English　delicacy　and　charming
hands；　plump；　dimpled；　and　adorned　with　rosy；　almond…shaped　nails；
these　hands　are　of　a　whiteness　which　reveals　that　the　body；　so　round；
so　firm；　so　well　set…up；　is　of　another　complexion　altogether　than　the
face。　The　firm；　cold　carriage　of　the　head　is　corrected　by　the　mobility
of　the　lips；　their　changing　expression；　and　the　artistic　play　of　the
nostrils。

And　yet；　in　spite　of　all　these　promiseshidden；　perhaps；　from　the
profanethe　calm　of　that　countenance　has　something；　I　know　not　what；
that　is　vexatious。　More　sad；　more　serious　than　gracious；　that　face　is
marked　by　the　melancholy　of　constant　meditation。　For　this　reason
Mademoiselle　des　Touches　listens　more　than　she　talks。　She　startles　by
her　silence　and　by　that　deep…reaching　glance　of　intense　fixity。　No
educated　person　could　see　her　without　thinking　of　Cleopatra；　that　dark
little　woman　who　almost　changed　the　face　of　the　world。　But　in　Camille
the　natural　animal　is　so　complete；　so　self…sufficing；　of　a　nature　so
leonine；　that　a　man；　however　little　of　a　Turk　he　may　be；　regrets　the
presence　of　so　great　a　mind　in　such　a　body；　and　could　wish　that　she
were　wholly　woman。　He　fears　to　find　the　strange　distortion　of　an
abnormal　soul。　Do　not　cold　analysis　and　matter…of…fact　theory　point　to
passions　in　such　a　woman？　Does　she　judge；　and　not　feel？　Or；　phenomenon
more　terrible；　does　she　not　feel　and　judge　at　one　and　the　same　time？
Able　for　all　things　through　her　brain；　ought　her　course　to　be
circumscribed　by　the　limitations　of　other　women？　Has　that　intellectual
strength　weakened　her　heart？　Has　she　no　charm？　Can　she　descend　to
those　tender　nothings　by　which　a　woman　occupies；　and　soothes　and
interests　the　man　she　loves？　Will　she　not　cast　aside　a　sentiment　when
it　no　longer　responds　to　some　vision　of　infinitude　which　she　grasps
and　contemplates　in　her　soul？　Who　can　scale　the　heights　to　which　her
eyes　have　risen？　Yes；　a　man　fears　to　find　in　such　a　woman　something
unattainable；　unpossessable；　unconquerable。　The　woman　of　strong　mind
should　remain　a　symbol；　as　a　reality　she　must　be　feared。　Camille
Maupin　is　in　some　ways　the　living　image　of　Schiller's　Isis；　seated　in
the　darkness　of　the　temple；　at　whose　feet　her　priests　find　the　dead
bodies　of　the　daring　men　who　have　consulted　her。

The　adventures　of　her　life　declared　to　be　true　by　the　world；　and　which
Camille　has　never　disavowed；　enforce　the　questions　suggested　by　her
personal　appearance。　Perhaps　she　likes　those　calumnies。

The　nature　of　her　beauty　has　not　been　without　its　influence　on　her
fame；　it　has　served　it；　just　as　her　fortune　and　position　have
maintained　her　in　society。　If　a　sculptor　desires　to　make　a　statue　of
Brittany　let　him　take　Mademoiselle　des　Touches　for　his　model。　That
full…blooded；　powerful　temperament　is　the　only　nature　capable　of
repelling　the　action　of　time。　The　constant　nourishment　of　the　pulp；　so
to　speak；　of　that　polished　skin　is　an　arm　given　to　women　by　Nature　to
resist　the　invasion　of　wrinkles；　in　Camille's　case　it　was　aided　by　the
calm　impassibility　of　her　features。

In　1817　this　charming　young　woman　opened　her　house　to　artists；　authors
of　renown；　learned　and　scientific　men；　and　publicists；a　society
toward　which　her　tastes　led　her。　Her　salon　resembled　that　of　Baron
Gerard；　where　men　of　rank　mingled　with　men　of　distinction　of　all
kinds；　and　the　elite　of　Parisian　women　came。　The　parentage　of
Mademoiselle　des　Touches；　and　her　fortune；　increased　by　that　of　her
aunt　the　nun；　protected　her　in　the　attempt；　always　very　difficult　in
Paris；　to　create　a　society。　Her　worldly　independence　was　one　reason　of
her　success。　Various　ambitious　mothers　indulged　in　the　hope　of
inducing　her　to　marry　their　sons；　whose　fortunes　were　out　of
proportion　to　the　age　of　their　escutcheons。　Several　peers　of　France；
allured　by　the　prospect　of　eighty　thousand　francs　a　year　and　a　house
magnificently　appointed；　took　their　womenkind；　even　the　most
fastidious　and　intractable；　to　visit　her。　The　diplomatic　world；　always
in　search　of　amusements　of　the　intellect；　came　there　and　found
enjoyment。　Thus　Mademoiselle　des　Touches；　surrounded　by　so　many　forms
of　individual　interests；　was　able　to　study　the　different　comedies
which　passion；　covetousness；　and　ambition　make　the　generality　of　men
perform；even　those　who　are　highest　in　the　social　scale。　She　saw；
early　in　life；　the　world　as　it　is；　and　she　was　fortunate　enough　not　to
fall　early　into　absorbing　love；　which　warps　the　mind　and　faculties　of
a　woman　and　prevents　her　from　judging　soberly。

Ordinarily　a　woman　feels；　enjoys；　and　judges；　successively；　hence
three　distinct　ages；　the　last　of　which　coincides　with　the　mournful
period　of　old　age。　In　Mademoiselle　des　Touches　this　order　was
reversed。　Her　youth　was　wrapped　in　the　snows　of　knowledge　and　the　ice
of　reflection。　This　transposition　is；　in　truth；　an　additional
explanation　of　the　strangeness　of　her　life　and　the　nature　of　her
talent。　She　observed　men　at　an　age　when　most　women　can　only　see　one
man；　she　despised　what　other　women　admired；　she　detected　falsehood　in
the　flatteries　they　accept　as　truths；　she　laughed　at　things　that　made
them　serious。　This　contradiction　of　her　life　with　that　of　others
lasted　long；　but　it　came　to　a　terrible　end；　she　was　destined　to　find
in　her　soul　a　first　love；　young　and　fresh；　at　an　age　when　women　are
summoned　by　Nature　to　renounce　all　love。

Meantime；　a　first　affair　in　which　she　was　involved　has　always　remained
a　secret　from　the　world。　Felicite；　like　other　women；　was　induced　to
believe　that　beauty　of　body　was　that　of　soul。　She　fell　in　love　with　a
face；　and　learned；　to　her　cost；　the　folly　of　a　man　of　gallantry；　who
saw　nothing　in　her　but　a　mere　woman。　It　was　some　time　before　she
recovered　from　the　disgust　she　felt　at　this　episode。　Her　distress　was
perceived　by　a　friend；　a　man；　who　consoled　her　without　personal　after…
thought；　or；　at　any　rate；　he　concealed　any　such　motive　if　he　had　it。
In　him　Felicite　believed　she　found　the　heart　and　mind　which　were
lacking　to　her　former　lover。　He　did；　in　truth；　possess　one　of　the　most
original　minds　of　our　age。　He；　too；　wrote　under　a　pseudonym；　and　his
first　publications　were　those　of　an　adorer　of　Italy。　Travel　was　the
one　form　of　education　which　Felicite　lacked。　A　man　of　genius；　a　poet
and　a　critic；　he　took　Felicite　to　Italy　in　order　to　make　known　to　her
that　country　of　all　Art。　This　celebrated　man；　who　is　nameless；　may　be
regarded　as　the　master　and　maker　of　〃Camille　Maupin。〃　He　bought　into
order　and　shape　the　vast　amount　of　knowledge　already　acquir