The king’s tailor, Messire Jean Percerin, occupied a rather large house in the Rue1 St. Honore, near the Rue de l’Arbre Sec. He was a man of great taste in elegant stuffs, embroideries2, and velvets, being hereditary4 tailor to the king. The preferment of his house reached as far back as the time of Charles IX.; from whose reign5 dated, as we know, fancy in bravery difficult enough to gratify. The Percerin of that period was a Huguenot, like Ambrose Pare, and had been spared by the Queen of Navarre, the beautiful Margot, as they used to write and say, too, in those days; because, in sooth, he was the only one who could make for her those wonderful riding-habits which she so loved to wear, seeing that they were marvelously well suited to hide certain anatomical defects, which the Queen of Navarre used very studiously to conceal6. Percerin being saved, made, out of gratitude7, some beautiful black bodices, very inexpensively indeed, for Queen Catherine, who ended by being pleased at the preservation8 of a Huguenot people, on whom she had long looked with detestation. But Percerin was a very prudent9 man; and having heard it said that there was no more dangerous sign for a Protestant than to be smiled up on by Catherine, and having observed that her smiles were more frequent than usual, he speedily turned Catholic with all his family; and having thus become irreproachable10, attained11 the lofty position of master tailor to the Crown of France. Under Henry III., gay king as he was, this position was a grand as the height of one of the loftiest peaks of the Cordilleras. Now Percerin had been a clever man all his life, and by way of keeping up his reputation beyond the grave, took very good care not to make a bad death of it, and so contrived12 to die very skillfully; and that at the very moment he felt his powers of invention declining. He left a son and a daughter, both worthy13 of the name they were called upon to bear; the son, a cutter as unerring and exact as the square rule; the daughter, apt at embroidery14, and at designing ornaments15. The marriage of Henry IV. and Marie de Medici, and the exquisite16 court-mourning for the afore-mentioned queen, together with a few words let fall by M. de Bassompiere, king of the beaux of the period, made the fortune of the second generation of Percerins. M. Concino Concini, and his wife Galligai, who subsequently shone at the French court, sought to Italianize the fashion, and introduced some Florentine tailors; but Percerin, touched to the quick in his patriotism17 and his self-esteem18, entirely19 defeated these foreigners, and that so well that Concino was the first to give up his compatriots, and held the French tailor in such esteem that he would never employ any other, and thus wore a doublet of his on the very day that Vitry blew out his brains with a pistol at the Pont du Louvre.
And so it was a doublet issuing from M. Percerin’s workshop, which the Parisians rejoiced in hacking20 into so many pieces with the living human body it contained. Notwithstanding the favor Concino Concini had shown Percerin, the king, Louis XIII., had the generosity22 to bear no malice23 to his tailor, and to retain him in his service. At the time that Louis the Just afforded this great example of equity24, Percerin had brought up two sons, one of whom made his debut25 at the marriage of Anne of Austria, invented that admirable Spanish costume, in which Richelieu danced a saraband, made the costumes for the tragedy of “Mirame,” and stitched on to Buckingham’s mantle26 those famous pearls which were destined27 to be scattered28 about the pavements of the Louvre. A man becomes easily notable who has made the dresses of a Duke of Buckingham, a M. de Cinq–Mars, a Mademoiselle Ninon, a M. de Beaufort, and a Marion de Lorme. And thus Percerin the third had attained the summit of his glory when his father died. This same Percerin III., old, famous and wealthy, yet further dressed Louis XIV.; and having no son, which was a great cause of sorrow to him, seeing that with himself his dynasty would end, he had brought up several hopeful pupils. He possessed29 a carriage, a country house, men-servants the tallest in Paris; and by special authority from Louis XIV., a pack of hounds. He worked for MM. de Lyonne and Letellier, under a sort of patronage30; but politic31 man as he was, and versed32 in state secrets, he never succeeded in fitting M. Colbert. This is beyond explanation; it is a matter for guessing or for intuition. Great geniuses of every kind live on unseen, intangible ideas; they act without themselves knowing why. The great Percerin (for, contrary to the rule of dynasties, it was, above all, the last of the Percerins who deserved the name of Great), the great Percerin was inspired when he cut a robe for the queen, or a coat for the king; he could mount a mantle for Monsieur, the clock of a stocking for Madame; but, in spite of his supreme33 talent, he could never hit off anything approaching a creditable fit for M. Colbert. “That man,” he used often to say, “is beyond my art; my needle can never dot him down.” We need scarcely say that Percerin was M. Fouquet’s tailor, and that the superintendent34 highly esteemed35 him. M. Percerin was nearly eighty years old, nevertheless still fresh, and at the same time so dry, the courtiers used to say, that he was positively36 brittle37. His renown38 and his fortune were great enough for M. le Prince, that king of fops, to take his arm when talking over the fashions; and for those least eager to pay never to dare to leave their accounts in arrear39 with him; for Master Percerin would for the first time make clothes upon credit, but the second never, unless paid for the former order.
It is easy to see at once that a tailor of such renown, instead of running after customers, made difficulties about obliging any fresh ones. And so Percerin declined to fit bourgeois40, or those who had but recently obtained patents of nobility. A story used to circulate that even M. de Mazarin, in exchange for Percerin supplying him with a full suit of ceremonial vestments as cardinal41, one fine day slipped letters of nobility into his pocket.
It was to the house of this grand llama of tailors that D’Artagnan took the despairing Porthos; who, as they were going along, said to his friend, “Take care, my good D’Artagnan, not to compromise the dignity of a man such as I am with the arrogance42 of this Percerin, who will, I expect, be very impertinent; for I give you notice, my friend, that if he is wanting in respect I will infallibly chastise43 him.”
“Presented by me,” replied D’Artagnan, “you have nothing to fear, even though you were what you are not.”
“Ah! ’tis because —”
“What? Have you anything against Percerin, Porthos?”
“I think that I once sent Mouston to a fellow of that name.”
“And then?”
“The fellow refused to supply me.”
“Oh, a misunderstanding, no doubt, which it will be now exceedingly easy to set right. Mouston must have made a mistake.”
“Perhaps.”
“He has confused the names.”
“Possibly. That rascal44 Mouston never can remember names.”
“I will take it all upon myself.”
“Very good.”
“Stop the carriage, Porthos; here we are.”
“Here! how here? We are at the Halles; and you told me the house was at the corner of the Rue de l’Arbre Sec.”
“’Tis true, but look.”
“Well, I do look, and I see —”
“What?”
“Pardieu! that we are at the Halles!”
“You do not, I suppose, want our horses to clamber up on the roof of the carriage in front of us?”
“No.”
“Nor the carriage in front of us to mount on top of the one in front of it. Nor that the second should be driven over the roofs of the thirty or forty others which have arrived before us.”
“No, you are right, indeed. What a number of people! And what are they all about?”
“’Tis very simple. They are waiting their turn.”
“Bah! Have the comedians45 of the Hotel de Bourgogne shifted their quarters?”
“No; their turn to obtain an entrance to M. Percerin’s house.”
“And we are going to wait too?”
“Oh, we shall show ourselves prompter and not so proud.”
“What are we to do, then?”
“Get down, pass through the footmen and lackeys46, and enter the tailor’s house, which I will answer for our doing, if you go first.”
“Come along, then,” said Porthos.
They accordingly alighted and made their way on foot towards the establishment. The cause of the confusion was that M. Percerin’s doors were closed, while a servant, standing21 before them, was explaining to the illustrious customers of the illustrious tailor that just then M. Percerin could not receive anybody. It was bruited48 about outside still, on the authority of what the great lackey47 had told some great noble whom he favored, in confidence, that M. Percerin was engaged on five costumes for the king, and that, owing to the urgency of the case, he was meditating49 in his office on the ornaments, colors, and cut of these five suits. Some, contented50 with this reason, went away again, contented to repeat the tale to others, but others, more tenacious51, insisted on having the doors opened, and among these last three Blue Ribbons, intended to take parts in a ballet, which would inevitably52 fail unless the said three had their costumes shaped by the very hand of the great Percerin himself. D’Artagnan, pushing on Porthos, who scattered the groups of people right and left, succeeded in gaining the counter, behind which the journeyman tailors were doing their best to answer queries53. (We forgot to mention that at the door they wanted to put off Porthos like the rest, but D’Artagnan, showing himself, pronounced merely these words, “The king’s order,” and was let in with his friend.) The poor fellows had enough to do, and did their best, to reply to the demands of the customers in the absence of their master, leaving off drawing a stitch to knit a sentence; and when wounded pride, or disappointed expectation, brought down upon them too cutting a rebuke55, he who was attacked made a dive and disappeared under the counter. The line of discontented lords formed a truly remarkable56 picture. Our captain of musketeers, a man of sure and rapid observation, took it all in at a glance; and having run over the groups, his eye rested on a man in front of him. This man, seated upon a stool, scarcely showed his head above the counter that sheltered him. He was about forty years of age, with a melancholy57 aspect, pale face, and soft luminous58 eyes. He was looking at D’Artagnan and the rest, with his chin resting upon his hand, like a calm and inquiring amateur. Only on perceiving, and doubtless recognizing, our captain, he pulled his hat down over his eyes. It was this action, perhaps, that attracted D’Artagnan’s attention. If so, the gentleman who had pulled down his hat produced an effect entirely different from what he had desired. In other respects his costume was plain, and his hair evenly cut enough for customers, who were not close observers, to take him for a mere54 tailor’s apprentice59, perched behind the board, and carefully stitching cloth or velvet3. Nevertheless, this man held up his head too often to be very productively employed with his fingers. D’Artagnan was not deceived — not he; and he saw at once that if this man was working at anything, it certainly was not at velvet.
“Eh!” said he, addressing this man, “and so you have become a tailor’s boy, Monsieur Moliere!”
“Hush, M. d’Artagnan!” replied the man, softly, “you will make them recognize me.”
“Well, and what harm?”
“The fact is, there is no harm, but —”
“You were going to say there is no good in doing it either, is it not so?”
“Alas! no; for I was occupied in examining some excellent figures.”
“Go on — go on, Monsieur Moliere. I quite understand the interest you take in the plates — I will not disturb your studies.”
“Thank you.”
“But on one condition; that you tell me where M. Percerin really is.”
“Oh! willingly; in his own room. Only —”
“Only that one can’t enter it?”
“Unapproachable.”
“For everybody?”
“Everybody. He brought me here so that I might be at my ease to make my observations, and then he went away.”
“Well, my dear Monsieur Moliere, but you will go and tell him I am here.”
“I!” exclaimed Moliere, in the tone of a courageous60 dog, from which you snatch the bone it has legitimately61 gained; “I disturb myself! Ah! Monsieur d’Artagnan, how hard you are upon me!”
“If you don’t go directly and tell M. Percerin that I am here, my dear Moliere,” said D’Artagnan, in a low tone, “I warn you of one thing: that I won’t exhibit to you the friend I have brought with me.”
Moliere indicated Porthos by an imperceptible gesture, “This gentleman, is it not?”
“Yes.”
Moliere fixed62 upon Porthos one of those looks which penetrate63 the minds and hearts of men. The subject doubtless appeared a very promising64 one, for he immediately rose and led the way into the adjoining chamber65.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
rue
|
|
| n.懊悔，芸香，后悔；v.后悔，悲伤，懊悔 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
embroideries
|
|
| 刺绣( embroidery的名词复数 )； 刺绣品； 刺绣法 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
velvet
|
|
| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
hereditary
|
|
| adj.遗传的，遗传性的，可继承的，世袭的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
reign
|
|
| n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
conceal
|
|
| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
gratitude
|
|
| adj.感激，感谢 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
preservation
|
|
| n.保护，维护，保存，保留，保持 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
prudent
|
|
| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
irreproachable
|
|
| adj.不可指责的，无过失的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
attained
|
|
| （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） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
contrived
|
|
| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
worthy
|
|
| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
embroidery
|
|
| n.绣花，刺绣；绣制品 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
ornaments
|
|
| n.装饰( ornament的名词复数 )；点缀；装饰品；首饰v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
exquisite
|
|
| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
patriotism
|
|
| n.爱国精神，爱国心，爱国主义 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
esteem
|
|
| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
entirely
|
|
| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
hacking
|
|
| n.非法访问计算机系统和数据库的活动 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
standing
|
|
| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
generosity
|
|
| n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
malice
|
|
| n.恶意，怨恨，蓄意；[律]预谋 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
equity
|
|
| n.公正，公平，（无固定利息的）股票 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
debut
|
|
| n.首次演出，初次露面 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
mantle
|
|
| n.斗篷，覆罩之物，罩子；v.罩住，覆盖，脸红 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
destined
|
|
| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
scattered
|
|
| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
possessed
|
|
| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
patronage
|
|
| n.赞助，支援，援助；光顾，捧场 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
politic
|
|
| adj.有智虑的；精明的；v.从政 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
versed
|
|
| adj. 精通，熟练 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
supreme
|
|
| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
superintendent
|
|
| n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
esteemed
|
|
| adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 )；敬重；认为；以为 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
positively
|
|
| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
brittle
|
|
| adj.易碎的；脆弱的；冷淡的；(声音)尖利的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
renown
|
|
| n.声誉，名望 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
arrear
|
|
| n.欠款 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
bourgeois
|
|
| adj./n.追求物质享受的(人)；中产阶级分子 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
cardinal
|
|
| n.(天主教的)红衣主教；adj.首要的，基本的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
arrogance
|
|
| n.傲慢，自大 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
chastise
|
|
| vt.责骂，严惩 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
rascal
|
|
| n.流氓；不诚实的人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
comedians
|
|
| n.喜剧演员，丑角( comedian的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
lackeys
|
|
| n.听差( lackey的名词复数 )；男仆（通常穿制服）；卑躬屈膝的人；被待为奴仆的人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
lackey
|
|
| n.侍从；跟班 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
bruited
|
|
| v.传播（传说或谣言）( bruit的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
meditating
|
|
| a.沉思的，冥想的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
contented
|
|
| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
tenacious
|
|
| adj.顽强的，固执的，记忆力强的，粘的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
inevitably
|
|
| adv.不可避免地；必然发生地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
queries
|
|
| n.问题( query的名词复数 )；疑问；询问；问号v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的第三人称单数 )；询问 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
mere
|
|
| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
rebuke
|
|
| v.指责，非难，斥责 [反]praise | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
remarkable
|
|
| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
57
melancholy
|
|
| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
58
luminous
|
|
| adj.发光的，发亮的；光明的；明白易懂的；有启发的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
59
apprentice
|
|
| n.学徒，徒弟 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
60
courageous
|
|
| adj.勇敢的，有胆量的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
61
legitimately
|
|
| ad.合法地；正当地，合理地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
62
fixed
|
|
| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
63
penetrate
|
|
| v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
64
promising
|
|
| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
65
chamber
|
|
| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |