EASSURE yourself, Madame," replied the apparition3, "your position is not as risky4 as you say. You are not confronted with two men, but with one man and an angel."
She examined the stranger with an eye which, piercing the gloom, was anxiously surveying a vague but by no means negligible indication, and asked:
"Monsieur, is it quite certain that you are an angel?"
The apparition prayed her to have no doubt about it, and gave some precise information as to his origin.
"There are three hierarchies5 of celestial6 spirits, each composed of nine choirs7; the first comprises the Seraphim9, Cherubim, and the Thrones; the second, the Dominations, the Virtues10, and the[92] Powers; the third, the Principalities, the Archangels, and the Angels properly so called. I belong to the ninth choir8 of the third hierarchy11."
Madame des Aubels, who had her reasons for doubting this, expressed at least one:
"You have no wings."
"Why should I, Madame? Am I bound to resemble the angels on your holy-water stoups? Those feathery oars12 that beat the waves of the air in rhythmic13 cadences14 are not always worn by the heavenly messengers on their shoulders. Cherubim may be apterous. That all too beautiful angelic pair who spent an anxious night in the house of Lot compassed about by an Oriental horde—they had no wings! No, they appeared just like men, and the dust of the road covered their feet, which the patriarch washed with pious15 hand. I would beg you to observe, Madame, that according to the Science of Organic Metamorphosis created by Lamarck and Darwin, the wings of birds have been successively transformed into fore-feet in the case of quadrupeds and into arms in the case of the Linn?an primates16. And you may remember, Maurice, that by a rather annoying reversion to type, Miss Kate, your English nurse, who used to be so fond of giving you a whipping, had arms very like the pinions17 of a plucked fowl18. One may say, then, that a being possessing both arms and wings is a monster and belongs to the department of[93] Teratology. In Paradise we have Cherubim and Ker?bs in the shape of winged bulls, but those are the clumsy inventions of an inartistic god. It is nevertheless true, quite true, that the Victories of the Temple of Athena Nike on the Athenian Acropolis are beautiful, and possess both arms and wings; it is also true that the Victory of Brescia is beautiful, with her outstretched arms and her long wings folded on her mighty20 loins. It is one of the miracles of Greek genius to have known how to create harmonious21 monsters. The Greeks never err22. The Moderns always."
"Yet on the whole," said Madame des Aubels, "you have not the look of a pure Spirit."
"Nevertheless, I am one, Madame, if ever there was one. And it ill becomes you, who have been baptised, to doubt it. Several of the Fathers, such as St. Justin, Tertullian, Origen, and Clement23 of Alexandria thought that the Angels were not purely24 spiritual, but possessed25 a body formed of some subtile material. This opinion has been rejected by the Church; hence I am merely Spirit. But what is spirit and what is matter? Formerly26 they were contrasted as being two opposites, and now your human science tends to reunite them as two aspects of the same thing. It teaches that everything proceeds from ether and everything returns to it, that the same movement transforms the waves[94] of air into stones and minerals, and that the atoms scattered27 throughout illimitable space, form, by the varying speed of their orbits, all the substance of this material world."
But Madame des Aubels was not listening. She had something on her mind, and to put an end to her suspense28, she asked:
"How long have you been here?"
"I came with Maurice."
"Well—that's a nice thing!" said she, shaking her head. But the Angel continued with heavenly serenity29:
"Everything in the Universe is circular, elliptical, or hyperbolic, and the same laws which rule the stars govern this grain of dust. In the original and native movement of its substance, my body is spiritual, but it may affect, as you perceive, this material state, by changing the rhythm of its elements."
Having thus spoken he sat down in a chair on Madame des Aubels' black stockings.
A clock struck outside.
"Good heavens, seven o'clock!" exclaimed Gilberte. "What am I to say to my husband? He thinks I am at that tea-party in the Rue19 de Rivoli. We are dining with the La Verdelières to-night. Go away immediately, Monsieur Arcade30. I must get ready to go. I have not a second to lose."[95]
The Angel replied that he would have willingly obeyed Madame des Aubels had he been in a state to show himself decently in public, but that he could not dream of appearing out of doors without any clothes. "Were I to walk naked in the street," he added, "I should offend a nation attached to its ancient habits, habits which it has never examined. They are the basis of all moral systems. Formerly," he added, "the angels, in revolt like myself, manifested themselves to Christians31 under grotesque32 and ridiculous appearances, black, horned, hairy, and cloven-footed. Pure stupidity! They were the laughing-stock of people of taste. They merely frightened old women and children and met with no success."
"It is true he cannot go out as he is," said Madame des Aubels with justice.
Maurice tossed his pyjamas33 and his slippers34 to the celestial messenger. Regarded as outdoor habiliments they were not adequate. Gilberte pressed her lover to run at once in quest of other clothes. He proposed to go and get some from the concierge35. She was violently opposed to this. It would, she said, be madly imprudent to drag the concierge into such an affair.
"Do you want them to know that ..." she exclaimed.
Young d'Esparvieu went out to seek a clothes-shop.[96]
Meanwhile, Gilberte, who could not delay any longer for fear of causing a horrible society scandal, turned on the light and dressed before the Angel. She did it without any awkwardness, for she knew how to adapt herself to circumstances; and she took it that in such an unheard-of encounter in which heaven and earth were mingled37 in unutterable confusion it was permissible38 to retrench39 in modesty40.
Moreover, she knew that she possessed a good figure and had garments as dainty as the fashion demanded. As the apparition's sense of delicacy41 would not permit him to don Maurice's pyjamas, Gilberte could not help observing by the lamp-light that her suspicions were well-founded, and that angels have the same appearance as men. Curious to know if the appearance were real or imaginary she asked the child of light if Angels were like monkeys, who, to win women, merely lack money.
"Yes, Gilberte," replied Arcade, "Angels are capable of loving mortals. It is the teaching of the Scriptures42. It is said in the Seventh Book of Genesis, 'When men became numerous on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they took as wives all those which pleased them.'"
"Good heavens," cried Gilberte all at once, "I[97] shall never be able to fasten my dress; it hooks down the back."
When Maurice entered the room he found the Angel on his knees tying the shoes of the woman taken in flagrante delicto.
Taking her muff and her bag off the table she said:
"I have not forgotten anything? No. Good-night, Monsieur Arcade. Good-night, Maurice. I shall not forget to-day." And she vanished like a dream.
"Here," said Maurice, throwing the Angel a bundle of clothes.
The young man, having seen some dismal43 rags lying among clarionettes and clyster-pipes in the window of a second-hand44 shop, had bought for nineteen francs the cast-off suit of some wretched sable-clad mortal who had committed suicide. The Angel, with native majesty45, took the garments and put them on. Worn by him, they took on an unexpected elegance46. He took a step to the door.
"So you are leaving me," said Maurice. "It's settled, then? I very much fear that, some day, you will bitterly regret this hasty action."
"I must not look back. Adieu, Maurice."
Maurice timidly slipped five louis into his hand.
"Adieu, Arcade."
But when the Angel had passed through the door,[98] and all that was to be seen of him in the door-way was his uplifted heel, Maurice called him back.
"Arcade! I never thought of it! I have no guardian angel now!"
"Quite true, Maurice, you have one no longer."
"Then what will become of me? One must have a guardian angel. Tell me,—are there not grave drawbacks,—is there no danger in not having one?"
"Before replying, Maurice, I must ask you if you wish me to speak to you according to your belief, which formerly was my own, according to the teaching of the Church and the Catholic faith, or according to natural philosophy."
"I don't care a straw for your natural philosophy. Answer me according to the religion I believe in, and which I profess47, and in which I wish to live and die."
"Very well, my dear Maurice. The loss of your guardian angel will probably deprive you of certain spiritual succour, of certain celestial grace. I am expressing to you the unvarying opinion of the Church on the matter. You will lack an assistance, a support, a consolation48 which would have guided and confirmed you in the way of salvation49. You will have less strength to avoid sin, and as it was you hadn't much. In fact, in spiritual matters, you will be without strength and without joy. Adieu,[99] Maurice; when you see Madame des Aubels, please remember me to her."
"You are going?"
"Farewell."
Arcade disappeared, and Maurice in the depths of an arm-chair sat for a long time with his head in his hands.
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1
attired
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| adj.穿着整齐的v.使穿上衣服，使穿上盛装( attire的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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apparition
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| n.幽灵，神奇的现象 | |
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risky
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| adj.有风险的，冒险的 | |
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hierarchies
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| 等级制度( hierarchy的名词复数 )； 统治集团； 领导层； 层次体系 | |
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celestial
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| adj.天体的；天上的 | |
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choirs
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| n.教堂的唱诗班( choir的名词复数 )；唱诗队；公开表演的合唱团；（教堂）唱经楼 | |
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choir
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| n.唱诗班，唱诗班的席位，合唱团，舞蹈团；v.合唱 | |
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seraphim
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| n.六翼天使(seraph的复数)；六翼天使( seraph的名词复数 ) | |
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virtues
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| 美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处 | |
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hierarchy
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| n.等级制度；统治集团，领导层 | |
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12
oars
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| n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 ) | |
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13
rhythmic
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| adj.有节奏的，有韵律的 | |
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cadences
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| n.（声音的）抑扬顿挫( cadence的名词复数 )；节奏；韵律；调子 | |
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15
pious
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| adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的 | |
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primates
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| primate的复数 | |
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pinions
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| v.抓住[捆住]（双臂）( pinion的第三人称单数 ) | |
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fowl
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| n.家禽，鸡，禽肉 | |
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rue
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| n.懊悔，芸香，后悔；v.后悔，悲伤，懊悔 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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harmonious
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| adj.和睦的，调和的，和谐的，协调的 | |
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err
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| vi.犯错误，出差错 | |
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clement
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| adj.仁慈的；温和的 | |
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purely
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| adv.纯粹地，完全地 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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28
suspense
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| n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑 | |
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serenity
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| n.宁静，沉着，晴朗 | |
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30
arcade
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| n.拱廊；(一侧或两侧有商店的)通道 | |
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Christians
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| n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 ) | |
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32
grotesque
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| adj.怪诞的，丑陋的；n.怪诞的图案，怪人（物） | |
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33
pyjamas
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| n.（宽大的）睡衣裤 | |
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slippers
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| n. 拖鞋 | |
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concierge
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| n.管理员；门房 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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permissible
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| adj.可允许的，许可的 | |
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retrench
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| v.节省，削减 | |
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40
modesty
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| n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素 | |
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41
delicacy
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| n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴 | |
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42
scriptures
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| 经文，圣典( scripture的名词复数 )； 经典 | |
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43
dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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44
second-hand
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| adj.用过的，旧的，二手的 | |
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45
majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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46
elegance
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| n.优雅；优美，雅致；精致，巧妙 | |
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47
profess
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| v.声称，冒称，以...为业，正式接受入教，表明信仰 | |
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48
consolation
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| n.安慰，慰问 | |
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49
salvation
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| n.（尤指基督）救世，超度，拯救，解困 | |
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