ADAME DE LA VERDELIèRE having failed to force an entrée as sick-nurse, returned after several days had elapsed,—during the absence of Madame des Aubels,—to ask Maurice d'Esparvieu for his subscription3 to the French churches. Arcade4 led her to the bedside of the convalescent. Maurice whispered in the angel's ear:
"Traitor5, deliver me from this ogress immediately, or you will be answerable for the evil which will soon befall."
"Be calm," said Arcade, with a confident air.
After the conventional complimentary6 flourishes, Madame de la Verdelière signed to Maurice to dismiss the angel. Maurice feigned7 not to understand. And Madame de la Verdelière disclosed the ostensible8 reason of her visit.
"Our churches," she said, "our beloved country churches,—what is to become of them?"[304]
Arcade gazed at her angelically and sighed.
"They will disappear, Madame; they will fall into ruin. And what a pity! I shall be inconsolable. The church amid the villagers' cottages is like the hen amidst her chickens."
"Just so!" exclaimed Madame de la Verdelière with a delighted smile. "It is just like that."
"Oh, Monsieur, the spires!..."
"Yes, the spires, Madame, that stick up into the skies towards the little Cherubim, like so many syringes."
Madame de la Verdelière incontinently left the place.
That same day Monsieur l'Abbé Patouille came to offer the wounded man good counsel and consolation10. He exhorted11 him to break with his bad companions and to be reconciled to his family.
He drew a picture of the sorrowful father, the mother in tears, ready to receive their long-lost child with open arms. Renouncing12 with manly13 effort a life of profligacy14 and deluding15 joys, Maurice would recover his peace and strength of mind, he would free himself from devouring16 chimeras17, and shake off the Evil Spirit.
Young d'Esparvieu thanked Abbé Patouille for all his kindness, and made a protestation of his religious feelings.
"Never," said he, "have I had such faith. And[305] never have I been in such need of it. Just imagine, Monsieur l'Abbé, I have to teach my guardian18 angel his catechism all over again, for he has quite forgotten it!"
Monsieur l'Abbé Patouille heaved a deep sigh, and exhorted his dear child to pray, there being no other resource but prayer for a soul assailed19 by the Devil.
"Monsieur l'Abbé," asked Maurice, "may I introduce my guardian angel to you? Do stay a moment; he has gone to get me some cigarettes."
"Unhappy child!"
And Abbé Patouille's fat cheeks drooped20 in token of affliction. But almost immediately they plumped up again, as a sign of light-heartedness. For in his heart there was matter for rejoicing. Public opinion was improving. The Jacobins, the Freemasons, the Coalitionists were everywhere in disgrace. The Smart Set led the way. The Académie Fran?aise was of the right way of thinking. The number of Christian21 schools was increasing by leaps and bounds. The young men of the Quartier Latin were submitting to the Church, and the école Normale exhaled22 the perfume of the seminary. The Cross was gaining the day; but money was wanted,—more money, always money.
After six weeks' rest, Maurice was allowed by his doctor to take a drive. He wore his arm in[306] a sling23. His mistress and his friend went with him. They drove to the Bois, and took a gentle pleasure in looking upon the grass and the trees. They smiled on everything and everything smiled on them. As Arcade had said, their faults had made them better. By the unlooked-for ways of jealousy24 and anger, Maurice had attained25 to calm and kindliness26. He still loved Gilberte and he loved her with an indulgent love. The angel still desired her as much as ever, but having once possessed27 her, his desire had lost the sting of curiosity. Gilberte forbore trying to please, and thereby28 pleased the more. They drank milk at the Cascade29, and found it good. They were all three innocent. Arcade forgot the injustice30 of the old tyrant31 of the world. But he was soon to be reminded of it.
On entering his friend's house, he found Zita awaiting him, looking like a statue in ivory and gold.
"You excite my pity," she said to him. "The day is at hand the like of which has never dawned since the beginning of Time, and perhaps will never dawn again before the Sun enters with all its train into the constellation32 of Hercules. We are on the eve of surprising Ialdabaoth in his palace of porphyry, and you, who are burning to deliver the heavens, who were so eager to enter in triumph into your emancipated33 country,—you[307] suddenly forget your noble purpose and fall asleep in the arms of the daughters of men. What pleasure can you find in intercourse34 with these unclean little animals, composed, as they are, of elements so unstable35 that they may be said to be in a state of constant evanescence? O Arcade! I was indeed right to distrust you. You are but an intellectual; you do but feel idle curiosity. You are incapable36 of action."
"You misjudge me, Zita," replied the angel. "It is the nature of the sons of heaven to love the daughters of men. Corruptible38 though it be, the material part of women and of flowers charms the senses none the less. But not one of these little animals can make me forget my hatred39 and my love, and I am ready to rise up against Ialdabaoth."
Zita expressed her satisfaction at seeing him in this resolute40 mood. She urged him to pursue the accomplishment41 of this vast undertaking42 with undiminished ardour. Nothing must be hurried or deferred43.
"A great action, Arcade, is made up of a multitude of small ones; the most majestic44 whole is composed of a thousand minute details. Let us neglect nothing."
She had come to take him to a meeting where his presence was required. They were to take a census45 of the revolutionaries.[308]
She added but one word:
"Nectaire will be there."
When Maurice saw Zita, he deemed her lacking in attraction. She failed to please him because she was perfectly46 beautiful and because true beauty always caused him painful surprise. Zita inspired him with antipathy47 when he learned that she was an angel in revolt and that she had come to seek Arcade to take him away among the conspirators48.
The poor child tried to retain his companion by all the means that his wit and the circumstances afforded him. If his guardian angel would only remain with him, he would take him to a magnificent boxing-match, to a "revue" where he would witness the apotheosis49 of Poincaré, or, lastly, to a certain house he knew of where he would behold50 women remarkable51 for their beauty, talents, vices52, or deformities. But the angel would not allow himself to be tempted53, and said he was going with Zita.
"What for?"
"To plot the conquest of the skies."
"Still the same nonsense! The conquest of—— but there, I proved to you that it was neither possible nor desirable."
"Good night, Maurice."
"You are going? Well, I will accompany you."[309]
And Maurice, his arm in a sling, went with Arcade and Zita all the way to Clodomir's restaurant at Montmartre, where the tables were laid in an arbour in the garden.
Prince Istar and Théophile were already there, with a little creature who looked like a child, and was, in fact, a Japanese angel.
"We are only waiting for Nectaire," said Zita.
And at that moment the old gardener noiselessly appeared. He took his seat, and his dog lay down at his feet. French cooking is the best in the world. It is a glory that will transcend54 all others when humanity has grown wise enough to put the spit above the sword. Clodomir served the angels, and the mortal who was with them, with a soup made of cabbages and bacon, a loin of pork and kidneys cooked in wine, thereby proving himself a real Montmartre cook, and showing that he had not been spoilt by the Americans, who corrupt37 the most excellent chefs of the City of Restaurants.
Clodomir brought forth55 some Bordeaux, which, though unrecorded among the renowned56 vintages of Médoc, gave evidence by its choice and delicate aroma57 of the high nobility of its origin. We must not omit to chronicle that, after this wine and many others had been drunk, the cellarman, in solemn state, produced a Burgundy choice and rare, full-bodied yet not heavy, generous yet[310] delicate, rich with the true Burgundian mellowness58, a noble and, withal, a somewhat heady wine, that brought delight alike to mind and sense.
"Hail to thee, Dionysus, greatest of the Gods!" cried old Nectaire, raising his glass on high. "I drink to thee who wilt59 restore the Golden Age, and give again to mortal men, who will become heroes as of old, the grapes which the Lesbians used to cull60, long since, from the vines of Methymna; who wilt restore the vineyards of Thasus, the white clusters of Lake Mareotis, the storehouses of Falernus, the vines of the Tmolus, and the wine of Phanae, of all wines the king. And the juice thereof shall be divine, and, as in old Silenus' day, men shall grow drunk with Wisdom and with Love."
When the coffee was served, Prince Istar, Zita, Arcade, and the Japanese angel took it in turns to give an account of the forces assembled against Ialdabaoth. Angels, in exchanging eternal bliss61 for the sufferings of an earthly life, grow in intelligence, acquire the means of going astray and the faculty62 of self-contradiction. Consequently their meetings, like those of men, are tumultuous and confused. Did one of them deal in figures, the others immediately called them in question. They could not add one number to another without quarrelling, and arithmetic itself, subjected to passion, lost its certitude. The Ker?b, who had[311] brought with him the pious63 Théophile, waxed indignant when he heard the musician praising the Lord, and rained down such blows on his head as would have felled an ox. But the head of a musician is harder than a bucranium, and the blows which Théophile received did not avail to modify that angel's notion of divine providence64. Arcade, having at great length set up his scientific idealism in opposition65 to Zita's pragmatism, the beautiful archangel told him that he argued badly.
"And you are surprised at that!" exclaimed young Maurice's guardian angel. "I argue, like you, in the language of human beings. And what is human language but the cry of the beasts of the forests or the mountains, complicated and corrupted66 by arrogant67 anthropoids. How then, Zita, can one be expected to argue well with a collection of angry or plaintive68 sounds like that? Angels do not reason at all; men, being superior to the angels, reason imperfectly. I will not mention the professors who think to define the absolute with the aid of cries that they have inherited from the pithecanthropoid monkeys, marsupials, and reptiles69, their ancestors! It is a colossal70 joke! How it would amuse the demiurge, if he had any brains!"
It was a beautiful starlight night. The gardener was silent.[312]
"Nectaire," said the beautiful archangel, "play to us on your flute, if you are not afraid that the Earth and Heaven will be stirred to their depths thereby."
Nectaire took up his flute. Young Maurice lighted a cigarette. The flame burnt brightly for a moment, casting back the sky and its stars into the shadows, and then died out. And Nectaire sang of the flame on his divine flute. The silvery voice soared aloft and sang:
"That flame was a whole universe which fulfilled its destiny in less than a minute. Suns and planets were formed therein. Venus Urania apportioned71 the orbits of the wandering spheres in those infinite spaces. Beneath the breath of Eros—the first of the gods,—plants, animals, and thoughts sprang into being. In the twenty seconds which hurried by betwixt the life and death of those worlds, civilizations were unfolded, and empires sank in long decline. Mothers shed tears, and songs of love, cries of hatred, and sighs of victims rose upward to the silent skies.
"In proportion to its minuteness, that universe lasted as long as this one—whereof we see a few atoms glittering above our heads—has lasted or will last. They are, one no less than the other, but a gleam in the Infinite."
As the clear, pure notes welled up into the charmed air, the earth melted into a soft mist,[313] the stars revolved72 rapidly in their orbits, the Great Bear fell asunder73, its parts flew far and wide. Orion's belt was shattered; the Pole Star forsook74 its magnetic axis75. Sirius, whose incandescent76 flame had lit up the far horizon, grew blue, then red, flickered77, and suddenly died out. The shaken constellations78 formed new signs which were extinguished in their turn. By its incantations the magic flute had compressed into one brief moment the life and the movement of this universe which seems unchanging and eternal both to men and angels. It ceased, and the heavens resumed their immemorial aspect. Nectaire had vanished. Clodomir asked his guests if they were pleased with the cabbage soup which, in order that it might be strong, had been kept simmering for twenty-four hours on the fire, and he sang the praises of the Beaujolais which they had drunk.
The night was mild. Arcade, accompanied by his guardian angel, Théophile, Prince Istar, and the Japanese angel, escorted Zita home.
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1
flute
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| n.长笛；v.吹笛 | |
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tavern
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| n.小旅馆，客栈；小酒店 | |
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subscription
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| n.预订，预订费，亲笔签名，调配法，下标（处方） | |
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arcade
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| n.拱廊；(一侧或两侧有商店的)通道 | |
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traitor
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| n.叛徒，卖国贼 | |
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complimentary
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| adj.赠送的，免费的，赞美的，恭维的 | |
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feigned
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| a.假装的，不真诚的 | |
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ostensible
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| adj.(指理由)表面的，假装的 | |
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spires
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| n.（教堂的） 塔尖，尖顶( spire的名词复数 ) | |
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consolation
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| n.安慰，慰问 | |
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exhorted
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| v.劝告，劝说( exhort的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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renouncing
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| v.声明放弃( renounce的现在分词 )；宣布放弃；宣布与…决裂；宣布摒弃 | |
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manly
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| adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地 | |
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profligacy
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| n.放荡，不检点，肆意挥霍 | |
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deluding
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| v.欺骗，哄骗( delude的现在分词 ) | |
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devouring
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| 吞没( devour的现在分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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chimeras
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| n.（由几种动物的各部分构成的）假想的怪兽( chimera的名词复数 )；不可能实现的想法；幻想；妄想 | |
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guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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assailed
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| v.攻击( assail的过去式和过去分词 )；困扰；质问；毅然应对 | |
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drooped
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| 弯曲或下垂，发蔫( droop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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exhaled
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| v.呼出，发散出( exhale的过去式和过去分词 )；吐出（肺中的空气、烟等），呼气 | |
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sling
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| vt.扔；悬挂；n.挂带；吊索，吊兜；弹弓 | |
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jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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kindliness
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| n.厚道，亲切，友好的行为 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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thereby
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| adv.因此，从而 | |
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cascade
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| n.小瀑布，喷流；层叠；vi.成瀑布落下 | |
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injustice
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| n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利 | |
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tyrant
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| n.暴君，专制的君主，残暴的人 | |
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constellation
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| n.星座n.灿烂的一群 | |
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emancipated
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| adj.被解放的，不受约束的v.解放某人（尤指摆脱政治、法律或社会的束缚）( emancipate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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intercourse
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| n.性交；交流，交往，交际 | |
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unstable
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| adj.不稳定的，易变的 | |
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incapable
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| adj.无能力的，不能做某事的 | |
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corrupt
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| v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的 | |
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corruptible
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| 易腐败的，可以贿赂的 | |
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hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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40
resolute
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| adj.坚决的，果敢的 | |
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accomplishment
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| n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能 | |
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undertaking
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| n.保证，许诺，事业 | |
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deferred
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| adj.延期的，缓召的v.拖延，延缓，推迟( defer的过去式和过去分词 )；服从某人的意愿，遵从 | |
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majestic
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| adj.雄伟的，壮丽的，庄严的，威严的，崇高的 | |
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census
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| n.(官方的)人口调查，人口普查 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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antipathy
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| n.憎恶；反感，引起反感的人或事物 | |
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conspirators
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| n.共谋者，阴谋家( conspirator的名词复数 ) | |
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apotheosis
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| n.神圣之理想；美化；颂扬 | |
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50
behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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52
vices
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| 缺陷( vice的名词复数 )； 恶习； 不道德行为； 台钳 | |
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tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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transcend
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| vt.超出，超越(理性等)的范围 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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renowned
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| adj.著名的，有名望的，声誉鹊起的 | |
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aroma
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| n.香气，芬芳，芳香 | |
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mellowness
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| 成熟； 芳醇； 肥沃； 怡然 | |
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wilt
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| v.(使)植物凋谢或枯萎；(指人)疲倦，衰弱 | |
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cull
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| v.拣选；剔除；n.拣出的东西；剔除 | |
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bliss
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| n.狂喜，福佑，天赐的福 | |
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faculty
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| n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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pious
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| adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的 | |
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providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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corrupted
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| （使）败坏( corrupt的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）腐化； 引起（计算机文件等的）错误； 破坏 | |
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arrogant
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| adj.傲慢的，自大的 | |
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plaintive
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| adj.可怜的，伤心的 | |
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reptiles
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| n.爬行动物，爬虫( reptile的名词复数 ) | |
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colossal
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| adj.异常的，庞大的 | |
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apportioned
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| vt.分摊，分配（apportion的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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revolved
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| v.（使）旋转( revolve的过去式和过去分词 )；细想 | |
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asunder
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| adj.分离的，化为碎片 | |
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forsook
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| forsake的过去式 | |
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axis
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| n.轴，轴线，中心线；坐标轴，基准线 | |
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incandescent
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| adj.遇热发光的， 白炽的，感情强烈的 | |
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flickered
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| （通常指灯光）闪烁，摇曳( flicker的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
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constellations
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| n.星座( constellation的名词复数 )；一群杰出人物；一系列（相关的想法、事物）；一群（相关的人） | |
参考例句： |
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