A Passion in the Desert.docx
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A Passion in the Desert.docx
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APassionintheDesert
APassionintheDesertbyHonoredeBalzacTranslatedbyErnestDowson"Thewholeshowisdreadful,"shecriedcomingoutofthemenagerieofM.Martin.Shehadjustbeenlookingatthatdaringspeculator"workingwithhishyena,"--tospeakinthestyleoftheprogramme.
"Bywhatmeans,"shecontinued,"canhehavetamedtheseanimalstosuchapointastobecertainoftheiraffectionfor----"
"Whatseemstoyouaproblem,"saidI,interrupting,"isreallyquitenatural."
"Oh!
"shecried,lettinganincreduloussmilewanderoverherlips.
"Youthinkthatbeastsarewhollywithoutpassions?
"Iaskedher.
"Quitethereverse;wecancommunicatetothemallthevicesarisinginourownstateofcivilization."
Shelookedatmewithanairofastonishment.
"But,"Icontinued,"thefirsttimeIsawM.Martin,Iadmit,likeyou,Ididgiveventtoanexclamationofsurprise.Ifoundmyselfnexttoanoldsoldierwiththerightlegamputated,whohadcomeinwithme.Hisfacehadstruckme.Hehadoneofthoseheroicheads,stampedwiththesealofwarfare,andonwhichthebattlesofNapoleonarewritten.Besides,hehadthatfrank,good-humoredexpressionwhichalwaysimpressesmefavorably.Hewaswithoutdoubtoneofthosetrooperswhoaresurprisedatnothing,whofindmatterforlaughterinthecontortionsofadyingcomrade,whoburyorplunderhimquitelight-heartedly,whostandintrepidlyinthewayofbullets;--infact,oneofthosemenwhowastenotimeindeliberation,andwouldnothesitatetomakefriendswiththedevilhimself.Afterlookingveryattentivelyattheproprietorofthemenageriegettingoutofhisbox,mycompanionpurseduphislipswithanairofmockeryandcontempt,withthatpeculiarandexpressivetwistwhichsuperiorpeopleassumetoshowtheyarenottakenin.Then,whenIwasexpatiatingonthecourageofM.Martin,hesmiled,shookhisheadknowingly,andsaid,'Wellknown.'
"'How"wellknown"?
'Isaid.'Ifyouwouldonlyexplainmethemystery,Ishouldbevastlyobliged.'
"Afterafewminutes,duringwhichwemadeacquaintance,wewenttodineatthefirstrestauranteur'swhoseshopcaughtoureye.Atdessertabottleofchampagnecompletelyrefreshedandbrightenedupthememoriesofthisoddoldsoldier.Hetoldmehisstory,andIsawthathewasrightwhenheexclaimed,'Wellknown.'"
Whenshegothome,sheteasedmetothatextent,wassocharming,andmadesomanypromises,thatIconsentedtocommunicatetohertheconfidencesoftheoldsoldier.Nextdayshereceivedthefollowingepisodeofanepicwhichonemightcall"TheFrenchinEgypt."
DuringtheexpeditioninUpperEgyptunderGeneralDesaix,aProvencalsoldierfellintothehandsoftheMaugrabins,andwastakenbytheseArabsintothedesertsbeyondthefallsoftheNile.
InordertoplaceasufficientdistancebetweenthemselvesandtheFrencharmy,theMaugrabinsmadeforcedmarches,andonlyhaltedwhennightwasuponthem.Theycampedroundawellovershadowedbypalmtreesunderwhichtheyhadpreviouslyconcealedastoreofprovisions.
Notsurmisingthatthenotionofflightwouldoccurtotheirprisoner,theycontentedthemselveswithbindinghishands,andaftereatingafewdates,andgivingprovendertotheirhorses,wenttosleep.
WhenthebraveProvencalsawthathisenemieswerenolongerwatchinghim,hemadeuseofhisteethtostealascimiter,fixedthebladebetweenhisknees,andcutthecordswhichpreventedhimfromusinghishands;inamomenthewasfree.Heatonceseizedarifleandadagger,thentakingtheprecautionstoprovidehimselfwithasackofdrieddates,oats,andpowderandshot,andtofastenascimitertohiswaist,heleapedontoahorse,andspurredonvigorouslyinthedirectionwherehethoughttofindtheFrencharmy.Soimpatientwashetoseeabivouacagainthathepressedonthealreadytiredcourseratsuchspeed,thatitsflankswerelaceratedwithhisspurs,andatlastthepooranimaldied,leavingtheFrenchmanaloneinthedesert.
Afterwalkingsometimeinthesandwithallthecourageofanescapedconvict,thesoldierwasobligedtostop,asthedayhadalreadyended.InspiteofthebeautyofanOrientalskyatnight,hefelthehadnotstrengthenoughtogoon.Fortunatelyhehadbeenabletofindasmallhill,onthesummitofwhichafewpalmtreesshotupintotheair;itwastheirverdureseenfromafarwhichhadbroughthopeandconsolationtohisheart.Hisfatiguewassogreatthathelaydownuponarockofgranite,capriciouslycutoutlikeacamp-bed;therehefellasleepwithouttakinganyprecautiontodefendhimselfwhileheslept.Hehadmadethesacrificeofhislife.Hislastthoughtwasoneofregret.HerepentedhavinglefttheMaugrabins,whosenomadiclifeseemedtosmileuponhimnowthathewasfarfromthemandwithouthelp.Hewasawakenedbythesun,whosepitilessraysfellwithalltheirforceonthegraniteandproducedanintolerableheat--forhehadhadthestupiditytoplacehimselfadverselytotheshadowthrownbytheverdantmajesticheadsofthepalmtrees.Helookedatthesolitarytreesandshuddered--theyremindedhimofthegracefulshaftscrownedwithfoliagewhichcharacterizetheSaracencolumnsinthecathedralofArles.
Butwhen,aftercountingthepalmtrees,hecasthiseyesaroundhim,themosthorribledespairwasinfusedintohissoul.Beforehimstretchedanoceanwithoutlimit.Thedarksandofthedesertspreadfurtherthaneyecouldreachineverydirection,andglitteredlikesteelstruckwithbrightlight.Itmighthavebeenaseaoflooking-
glass,orlakesmeltedtogetherinamirror.Afieryvaporcarriedupinsurgingwavesmadeaperpetualwhirlwindoverthequiveringland.
TheskywaslitwithanOrientalsplendorofinsupportablepurity,leavingnaughtfortheimaginationtodesire.Heavenandearthwereonfire.
Thesilencewasawfulinitswildandterriblemajesty.Infinity,immensity,closedinuponthesoulfromeveryside.Notacloudinthesky,notabreathintheair,notaflawonthebosomofthesand,evermovingindiminutivewaves;thehorizonendedasatseaonaclearday,withonelineoflight,definiteasthecutofasword.
TheProvencalthrewhisarmsroundthetrunkofoneofthepalmtrees,asthoughitwerethebodyofafriend,andthen,intheshelterofthethin,straightshadowthatthepalmcastuponthegranite,hewept.Thensittingdownheremainedashewas,contemplatingwithprofoundsadnesstheimplacablescene,whichwasallhehadtolookupon.Hecriedaloud,tomeasurethesolitude.Hisvoice,lostinthehollowsofthehill,soundedfaintly,andarousednoecho--theechowasinhisownheart.TheProvencalwastwenty-twoyearsold:
--heloadedhiscarbine.
"There'llbetimeenough,"hesaidtohimself,layingonthegroundtheweaponwhichalonecouldbringhimdeliverance.
Viewingalternatelythedarkexpanseofthedesertandtheblueexpanseofthesky,thesoldierdreamedofFrance--hesmelledwithdelighttheguttersofParis--herememberedthetownsthroughwhichhehadpassed,thefacesofhiscomrades,themostminutedetailsofhislife.HisSouthernfancysoonshowedhimthestonesofhisbelovedProvence,intheplayoftheheatwhichundulatedabovethewideexpanseofthedesert.Realizingthedangerofthiscruelmirage,hewentdowntheoppositesideofthehilltothatbywhichhehadcomeupthedaybefore.Theremainsofarugshowedthatthisplaceofrefugehadatonetimebeeninhabited;atashortdistancehesawsomepalmtreesfullofdates.Thentheinstinctwhichbindsustolifeawokeagaininhisheart.HehopedtolivelongenoughtoawaitthepassingofsomeMaugrabins,orperhapshemighthearthesoundofcannon;foratthistimeBonapartewastraversingEgypt.
Thisthoughtgavehimnewlife.Thepalmtreeseemedtobendwiththeweightoftheripefruit.Heshooksomeofitdown.Whenhetastedthisunhoped-formanna,hefeltsurethatthepalmshadbeencultivatedbyaformerinhabitant--thesavory,freshmeatofthedateswereproofofthecareofhispredecessor.Hepassedsuddenlyfromdarkdespairtoanalmostinsanejoy.Hewentupagaintothetopofthehill,andspenttherestofthedayincuttingdownoneofthesterilepalmtrees,whichthenightbeforehadservedhimforshelter.
Avaguememorymadehimthinkoftheanimalsofthedesert;andincasetheymightcometodrinkatthespring,visiblefromthebaseoftherocksbutlostfurtherdown,heresolvedtoguardhimselffromtheirvisitsbyplacingabarrierattheentranceofhishermitage.
Inspiteofhisdiligence,andthestrengthwhichthefearofbeingdevouredasleepgavehim,hewasunabletocutthepalminpieces,thoughhesucceededincuttingitdown.Ateventidethekingofthedesertfell;thesoundofitsfallresoundedfarandwide,likeasighinthesolitude;thesoldiershudderedasthoughhehadheardsomevoicepredictingwoe.
Butlikeanheirwhodoesnotlongbewailadeceasedrelative,hetoreofffromthisbeautifultreethetallbroadgreenleaveswhichareitspoeticadornment,andusedthemtomendthematonwhichhewastosleep.
Fatiguedbytheheatandhiswork,hefellasleepundertheredcurtainsofhiswetcave.
Inthemiddleofthenighthissleepwastroubledbyanextraordinarynoise;hesatup,andthedeepsilencearoundallowedhimtodistinguishthealternativeaccentsofarespirationwhosesavageenergycouldnotbelongtoahumancreature.
Aprofoundterror,increasedstillfurtherbythedarkness,thesilence,andhiswakingimages,frozehisheartwithinhim.Healmostfelthishairstandonend,whenbystraininghiseyestotheirutmostheperceivedthroughtheshadowtwofaintyellowlights.Atfirstheattributedtheselightstothereflect
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