September 28th.
My Dear Prosper—It is a long time since I have given you of my news, and I don’t know what puts it into my head to-night to recall myself to your affectionate memory. I suppose it is that when we are happy the mind reverts3 instinctively4 to those with whom formerly5 we shared our exaltations and depressions, and je t’eu ai trop dit, dans le bon temps, mon gros Prosper, and you always listened to me too imperturbably6, with your pipe in your mouth, your waistcoat unbuttoned, for me not to feel that I can count upon your sympathy to-day. Nous en sommes nous flanquées des confidences—in those happy days when my first thought in seeing an adventure poindre à l’horizon was of the pleasure I should have in relating it to the great Prosper. As I tell thee, I am happy; decidedly, I am happy, and from this affirmation I fancy you can construct the rest. Shall I help thee a little? Take three adorable girls . . . three, my good Prosper—the mystic number—neither more nor less. Take them and place thy insatiable little Léon in the midst of them! Is the situation sufficiently8 indicated, and do you apprehend9 the motives10 of my felicity?
You expected, perhaps, I was going to tell you that I had made my fortune, or that the Uncle Blondeau had at last decided7 to return into the breast of nature, after having constituted me his universal legatee. But I needn’t remind you that women are always for something in the happiness of him who writes to thee—for something in his happiness, and for a good deal more in his misery11. But don’t let me talk of misery now; time enough when it comes; ces demoiselles have gone to join the serried12 ranks of their amiable13 predecessors14. Excuse me—I comprehend your impatience15. I will tell you of whom ces demoiselles consist.
You have heard me speak of my cousine de Maisonrouge, that grande belle16 femme, who, after having married, en secondes noces—there had been, to tell the truth, some irregularity about her first union—a venerable relic17 of the old noblesse of Poitou, was left, by the death of her husband, complicated by the indulgence of expensive tastes on an income of 17,000 francs, on the pavement of Paris, with two little demons18 of daughters to bring up in the path of virtue19. She managed to bring them up; my little cousins are rigidly20 virtuous21. If you ask me how she managed it, I can’t tell you; it’s no business of mine, and, à fortiori none of yours. She is now fifty years old (she confesses to thirty-seven), and her daughters, whom she has never been able to marry, are respectively twenty-seven and twenty-three (they confess to twenty and to seventeen). Three years ago she had the thrice-blessed idea of opening a sort of pension for the entertainment and instruction of the blundering barbarians22 who come to Paris in the hope of picking up a few stray particles of the language of Voltaire—or of Zola. The idea lui a porté bonheur; the shop does a very good business. Until within a few months ago it was carried on by my cousins alone; but lately the need of a few extensions and embellishments has caused itself to be felt. My cousin has undertaken them, regardless of expense; she has asked me to come and stay with her—board and lodging23 gratis—and keep an eye on the grammatical eccentricities24 of her pensionnaires. I am the extension, my good Prosper; I am the embellishment! I live for nothing, and I straighten up the accent of the prettiest English lips. The English lips are not all pretty, heaven knows, but enough of them are so to make it a gaining bargain for me.
Just now, as I told you, I am in daily conversation with three separate pairs. The owner of one of them has private lessons; she pays extra. My cousin doesn’t give me a sou of the money; but I make bold, nevertheless, to say that my trouble is remunerated. But I am well, very well, with the proprietors25 of the two other pairs. One of them is a little Anglaise, of about twenty—a little figure de keepsake; the most adorable miss that you ever, or at least that I ever beheld26. She is decorated all over with beads27 and bracelets28 and embroidered29 dandelions; but her principal decoration consists of the softest little gray eyes in the world, which rest upon you with a profundity30 of confidence—a confidence that I really feel some compunction in betraying. She has a tint31 as white as this sheet of paper, except just in the middle of each cheek, where it passes into the purest and most transparent32, most liquid, carmine33. Occasionally this rosy34 fluid overflows35 into the rest of her face—by which I mean that she blushes—as softly as the mark of your breath on the window-pane.
Like every Anglaise, she is rather pinched and prim36 in public; but it is very easy to see that when no one is looking elle ne demande qu’à se laisser aller! Whenever she wants it I am always there, and I have given her to understand that she can count upon me. I have reason to believe that she appreciates the assurance, though I am bound in honesty to confess that with her the situation is a little less advanced than with the others. Que voulez-vous? The English are heavy, and the Anglaises move slowly, that’s all. The movement, however, is perceptible, and once this fact is established I can let the pottage simmer. I can give her time to arrive, for I am over-well occupied with her concurrentes. Celles-ci don’t keep me waiting, par1 exemple!
These young ladies are Americans, and you know that it is the national character to move fast. “All right—go ahead!” (I am learning a great deal of English, or, rather, a great deal of American.) They go ahead at a rate that sometimes makes it difficult for me to keep up. One of them is prettier than the other; but this hatter (the one that takes the private lessons) is really une file prodigieuse. Ah, par exemple, elle brûle ses vais-seux cella-la! She threw herself into my arms the very first day, and I almost owed her a grudge37 for having deprived me of that pleasure of gradation, of carrying the defences, one by one, which is almost as great as that of entering the place.
Would you believe that at the end of exactly twelve minutes she gave me a rendezvous38? It is true it was in the Galerie d’Apollon, at the Louvre; but that was respectable for a beginning, and since then we have had them by the dozen; I have ceased to keep the account. Non, c’est une file qui me dépasse.
The little one (she has a mother somewhere, out of sight, shut up in a closet or a trunk) is a good deal prettier, and, perhaps, on that account elle y met plus de façons. She doesn’t knock about Paris with me by the hour; she contents herself with long interviews in the petit salon39, with the curtains half-drawn, beginning at about three o’clock, when every one is à la promenade40. She is admirable, this little one; a little too thin, the bones rather accentuated41, but the detail, on the whole, most satisfactory. And you can say anything to her. She takes the trouble to appear not to understand, but her conduct, half an hour afterwards, reassures42 you completely—oh, completely!
However, it is the tall one, the one of the private lessons, that is the most remarkable43. These private lessons, my good Prosper, are the most brilliant invention of the age, and a real stroke of genius on the part of Miss Miranda! They also take place in the petit salon, but with the doors tightly closed, and with explicit44 directions to every one in the house that we are not to be disturbed. And we are not, my good Prosper; we are not! Not a sound, not a shadow, interrupts our felicity. My cousine is really admirable; the shop deserves to succeed. Miss Miranda is tall and rather flat; she is too pale; she hasn’t the adorable rougeurs of the little Anglaise. But she has bright, keen, inquisitive45 eyes, superb teeth, a nose modelled by a sculptor46, and a way of holding up her head and looking every one in the face, which is the most finished piece of impertinence I ever beheld. She is making the tour du monde entirely47 alone, without even a soubrette to carry the ensign, for the purpose of seeing for herself à quoi s’en tenir sur les hommes et les choses—on les hommes particularly. Dis donc, Prosper, it must be a drôle de pays over there, where young persons animated48 by this ardent49 curiosity are manufactured! If we should turn the tables, some day, thou and I, and go over and see it for ourselves. It is as well that we should go and find them chez elles, as that they should come out here after us. Dis donc, mon gras Prosper . . .
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1
par
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| n.标准，票面价值，平均数量；adj.票面的，平常的，标准的 | |
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prosper
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| v.成功，兴隆，昌盛；使成功，使昌隆，繁荣 | |
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3
reverts
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| 恢复( revert的第三人称单数 )； 重提； 回到…上； 归还 | |
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instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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5
formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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6
imperturbably
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| adv.泰然地，镇静地，平静地 | |
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7
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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8
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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9
apprehend
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| vt.理解，领悟，逮捕，拘捕，忧虑 | |
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10
motives
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| n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 ) | |
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11
misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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serried
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| adj.拥挤的；密集的 | |
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amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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14
predecessors
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| n.前任( predecessor的名词复数 )；前辈；（被取代的）原有事物；前身 | |
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15
impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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16
belle
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| n.靓女 | |
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relic
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| n.神圣的遗物，遗迹，纪念物 | |
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18
demons
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| n.恶人( demon的名词复数 )；恶魔；精力过人的人；邪念 | |
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19
virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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20
rigidly
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| adv.刻板地，僵化地 | |
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virtuous
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| adj.有品德的，善良的，贞洁的，有效力的 | |
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22
barbarians
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| n.野蛮人( barbarian的名词复数 )；外国人；粗野的人；无教养的人 | |
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23
lodging
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| n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍 | |
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24
eccentricities
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| n.古怪行为( eccentricity的名词复数 )；反常；怪癖 | |
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proprietors
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| n.所有人，业主( proprietor的名词复数 ) | |
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26
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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27
beads
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| n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链 | |
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bracelets
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| n.手镯，臂镯( bracelet的名词复数 ) | |
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29
embroidered
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| adj．绣花的 | |
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30
profundity
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| n.渊博；深奥，深刻 | |
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31
tint
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| n.淡色，浅色；染发剂；vt.着以淡淡的颜色 | |
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32
transparent
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| adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的 | |
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carmine
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| n.深红色，洋红色 | |
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rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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35
overflows
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| v.溢出，淹没( overflow的第三人称单数 )；充满；挤满了人；扩展出界，过度延伸 | |
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36
prim
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| adj.拘泥形式的，一本正经的；n.循规蹈矩，整洁；adv.循规蹈矩地，整洁地 | |
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grudge
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| n.不满，怨恨，妒嫉；vt.勉强给，不情愿做 | |
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38
rendezvous
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| n.约会，约会地点，汇合点；vi.汇合，集合；vt.使汇合，使在汇合地点相遇 | |
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39
salon
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| n.[法]沙龙；客厅；营业性的高级服务室 | |
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40
promenade
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| n./v.散步 | |
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41
accentuated
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| v.重读( accentuate的过去式和过去分词 )；使突出；使恶化；加重音符号于 | |
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42
reassures
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| v.消除恐惧或疑虑，恢复信心( reassure的第三人称单数 ) | |
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43
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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44
explicit
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| adj.详述的，明确的；坦率的；显然的 | |
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45
inquisitive
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| adj.求知欲强的，好奇的，好寻根究底的 | |
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46
sculptor
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| n.雕刻家，雕刻家 | |
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47
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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48
animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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49
ardent
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，强烈的，烈性的 | |
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