essays on paul bourget-第6部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


that　one　of　yours　to　a　lady　for　a　small　faultor　a　large　one。　＇When　M。
Paul　Bourget　indulges　in　a　little　chaffing　at　the　expense　of　the
Americans；　〃who　can　always　get　away　with　a　few　years'　trying　to　find　out
who　their　grandfathers　were；〃　he　merely　makes　an　allusion　to　an　American
foible；　but；　forsooth；　what　a　kind　man；　what　a　humorist　Mark　Twain　is
when　he　retorts　by　calling　France　a　nation　of　bastards！　　How　the
Americans　of　culture　and　refinement　will　admire　him　for　thus　speaking　in
their　name！

Snobbery　。　　。　　。　　。　　I　could　give　Mark　Twain　an　example　of　the　American
specimen。　　It　is　a　piquant　story。　　I　never　published　it　because　I　feared
my　readers　might　think　that　I　was　giving　them　a　typical　illustration　of
American　character　instead　of　a　rare　exception。

I　was　once　booked　by　my　manager　to　give　a　causerie　in　the　drawing…room　of
a　New　York　millionaire。　　I　accepted　with　reluctance。　　I　do　not　like
private　engagements。　　At　five　o'clock　on　the　day　the　causerie　was　to　be
given；　the　lady　sent　to　my　manager　to　say　that　she　would　expect　me　to
arrive　at　nine　o'clock　and　to　speak　for　about　an　hour。　　Then　she　wrote　a
postscript。　　Many　women　are　unfortunate　there。　　Their　minds　are　full　of
after…thoughts；　and　the　most　important　part　of　their　letters　is　generally
to　be　found　after　their　signature。　　This　lady's　P。　S。　ran　thus：　〃I
suppose　be　will　not　expect　to　be　entertained　after　the　lecture。〃

I　fairly　shorted；　as　Mark　Twain　would　say；　and　then；　indulging　myself　in
a　bit　of　snobbishness；　I　was　back　at　her　as　quick　as　a　flash：

〃Dear　Madam：　As　a　literary　man　of　some　reputation；　I　have　many　times　had
the　pleasure　of　being　entertained　by　the　members　of　the　old　aristocracy
of　France。　　I　have　also　many　times　had　the　pleasure　of　being　entertained
by　the　members　of　the　old　aristocracy　of　England。　　If　it　may　interest
you；　I　can　even　tell　you　that　I　have　several　times　had　the　honor　of　being
entertained　by　royalty；　but　my　ambition　has　never　been　so　wild　as　to
expect　that　one　day　I　might　be　entertained　by　the　aristocracy　of　New
York。　　No；　I　do　not　expect　to　be　entertained　by　you；　nor　do　I　want　you　to
expect　me　to　entertain　you　and　your　friends　to…night；　for　I　decline　to
keep　the　engagement。〃

Now；　I　could　fill　a　book　on　America　with　reminiscences　of　this　sort；
adding　a　few　chapters　on　bosses　and　boodlers；　on　New　York　'chronique
scandaleuse'；　on　the　tenement　houses　of　the　large　cities；　on　the
gambling…hells　of　Denver；　and　the　dens　of　San　Francisco；　and　what　not！
But　not　even　your　nasty　article　on　my　country；　Mark；　will　make　me　do
it。＇　　We　should　not　think　it　kind。　　No　matter　how　much　we　might　have
associated　with　kings　and　nobilities；　we　should　not　think　it　right　to
crush　her　with　it　and　make　her　ashamed　of　her　lowlier　walk　in　life；　for
we　have　a　saying；　〃　Who　humiliates　my　mother　includes　his　own。〃

Do　I　seriously　imagine　you　to　be　the　author　of　that　strange　letter；
M。　Bourget？　　Indeed　I　do　not。　　I　believe　it　to　have　been　surreptitiously
inserted　by　your　amanuensis　when　your　back　was　turned。　　I　think　he　did　it
with　a　good　motive；　expecting　it　to　add　force　and　piquancy　to　your
article；　but　it　does　not　reflect　your　nature；　and　I　know　it　will　grieve
you　when　you　see　it。　　I　also　think　he　interlarded　many　other　things　which
you　will　disapprove　of　when　you　see　them。　　I　am　certain　that　all　the
harsh　names　discharged　at　me　come　from　him；　not　you。　　No　doubt　you　could
have　proved　me　entitled　to　them　with　as　little　trouble　as　it　has　cost　him
to　do　it；　but　it　would　have　been　your　disposition　to　hunt　game　of　a
higher　quality。

Why；　I　even　doubt　if　it　is　you　who　furnish　me　all　that　excellent
information　about　Balzac　and　those　others。　＇〃Now　the　style　of　M。
Bourget　and　many　other　French　writers　is　apparently　a　closed　letter　to
Mark　Twain；　but　let　us　leave　that　alone。　　Has　he　read　Erckmann…Chatrian；
Victor　Hugo；　Lamartine；　Edmond　About；　Cherbuliez；　Renan？　　Has　he　read
Gustave　Droz's　'Monsieur；　Madame；　et　Bebe'；　and　those　books　which　leave
for　a　long　time　a　perfume　about　you？　　Has　he　read　the　novels　of　Alexandre
Dumas；　Eugene　Sue；　George　Sand；　and　Balzac？　　Has　be　read　Victor　Hugo's
'Les　Miserables'　and　'Notre　Dame　de　Paris'？　　Has　he　read　or　heard　the
plays　of　Sandeau；　Augier；　Dumas；　and　Sardou；　the　works　of　those　Titans　of
modern　literature；　whose　names　will　be　household　words　all　over　the　world
for　hundreds　of　years　to　come？　　He　has　read　La　Terrethis　kind…hearted；
refined　humorist！　　When　Mark　Twain　visits　a　garden　does　he　smell　the
violets；　the　roses；　the　jasmine；　or　the　honeysuckle？　　No；　he　goes　in　the
far…away　comer　where　the　soil　is　prepared。　　Hear　what　he　says：　〃I　wish　M。
Paul　Bourget　had　read　more　of　our　novels　before　he　came。　　It　is　the　only
way　to　thoroughly　understand　a　people。　　When　I　found　I　was　coming　to
Paris　I　read　La　Terre。〃＇　All　this　in　simple　justice　to　youand　to　me；
for；　to　gravely　accept　those　interlardings　as　yours　would　be　to　wrong
your　head　and　heart；　and　at　the　same　time　convict　myself　of　being
equipped　with　a　vacancy　where　my　penetration　ought　to　be　lodged。

And　now　finally　I　must　uncover　the　secret　pain；　the　wee　sore　from　which
the　Reply　grewthe　anecdote　which　closed　my　recent　articleand　consider
how　it　is　that　this　pimple　has　spread　to　these　cancerous　dimensions。
If　any　but　you　had　dictated　the　Reply；　M。　Bourget；　I　would　know　that　that
anecdote　was　twisted　around　and　its　intention　magnified　some　hundreds　of
times；　in　order　that　it　might　be　used　as　a　pretext　to　creep　in　the　back
way。　　But　I　accuse　you　of　nothingnothing　but　error。　　When　you　say　that
I　〃retort　by　calling　France　a　nation　of　bastards；〃　it　is　an　error。　　And
not　a　small　one；　but　a　large　one。　　I　made　no　such　remark；　nor　anything
resembling　it。　　Moreover；　the　magazine　would　not　have　allowed　me　to　use
so　gross　a　word　as　that。

You　told　an　anecdote。　　A　funny　oneI　admit　that。　　It　hit　a　foible　of　our
American　aristocracy；　and　it　stung　meI　admit　that；　it　stung　me　sharply。
It　was　like　this：　You　found　some　ancient　portraits　of　French　kings　in　the
gallery　of　one　of　our　aristocracy；　and　you　said：

〃He　has　the　Grand　Monarch；　but　where　is　the　portrait　of　his　grandfather？〃
That　is；　the　American　aristocrat's　grandfather。

Now　that　hits　only　a　few　of　us；　I　grantjust　the　upper　crust　onlybut
it　hits　exceedingly　hard。

I　wondered　if　there　was　any　way　of　getting　back　at　you。　　In　one　of　your
chapters　I　found　this　chance：

〃In　our　high　Parisian　existence；　for　instance；　we　find　applied　to　arts
and　luxury；　and　to　debauchery；　all　the　powers　and　all　the　weaknesses　of
the　French　soul。〃

You　see？　　Your　〃higher　Parisian〃　classnot　everybody；　not　the　nation；
but　only　the　top　crust　of　the　Ovationapplies　to　debauchery　all　the
powers　of　its　soul。

I　argued　to　myself　that　that　energy　must　produce　results。　　So　I　built　an
anecdote　out　of　your　remark。　　In　it　I　make　Napoleon　Bonaparte　say　to　me
but　see　for　yourself　the　anecdote　（ingeniously　clipped　and　curtailed）　in
paragraph　eleven　of　your　Reply。＇So；　I　repeat；　Mark　Twain　does　not　like
M。　Paul　Bourget's　book。　　So　long　as　he　makes　light　fun　of　the　great
French　writer　he　is　at　home；　he　is　pleasant；　he　is　the　American　humorist
we　know。　　When　he　takes　his　revenge　（and　where　is　the　reason　for　taking　a
revenge？）　he　is　unkind；　unfair；　bitter；　nasty。

For　example：
See　his　answer　to　a　Frenchman　who　jokingly　remarks　to　him：

〃I　suppose　life　can　never　get　entirely　dull　to　an　American；　because
whenever　he　can't　strike　up　any　other　way　to　put　in　his　time；　he　can
always　get　away　with　a　few　years　trying　to　find　out　who　his　grandfather
was。〃

Hear　the　answer：

〃I　reckon　a　Frenchman's　got　his　little　standby　for　a　dull　time；　too；
because　when　all　other　interests　fail；　he　can　turn　in　and　see　if　he　can't
find　out　who　his　father　was。〃

The　first　remark　is　a　good…humored　bit　of　chaffing　on　American　snobbery。
I　may　be　utterly　destitute　of　humor；　but　I　call　the　second　remark　a
gratuitous　charge　of　immorality　hurled　at　the　French　womena　remark
unworthy　of　a　man　who　has　the　ear　of　the　public；　unworthy　of　a　gentleman；
a　gross　insult　to　a　nation　friendly　to　America；　a　nation　that　helped　Mark
Twain's　ancestors　in　their　struggle　for　liberty；　a　nation　where　to…day　it
is　enough　to　say　that　you　are　American　to　see　every　door　open　wide　to
you。

If　Mark　Twain　was　hard　up　in　search　of；　a　French　〃chestnut；〃　I　might　have
told　him　the　following　little　anecdote。　　It　is　more　funny　than　his；　and
would　have　been　less　insulting：　Two　little　street　boys　are　abusing　each
other。　　〃Ah；　hold　your　tongue；〃　says　one；　〃you　ain't　got　no　father。〃

〃Ain't　got　no　father！〃　replies　the　other；　〃I've　got　more　fathers　than
you。〃＇

Now；　then；　your　anecdote　about　the　grandfathers　hurt　me。　　Why？　　Because
it　had　a　point。　　It　wouldn't　have　hurt　me　if　it　hadn't　had　point。　　You
wouldn't　have　wasted　space　on　it　if　it　hadn't　had　point。

My　anecdote　has　hurt　you。　　Why？　　Because　it　had　point；　I　suppose。　　It
wouldn't　have　hurt　you　if　it　hadn't　had　point。　　I　judged　from　your　remark
about　the　diligence　and　industry　of　the　high　Parisian　upper　crust　that　it
would　have　some　point；　but　really　I　had　no　idea　what　a　gold…mine　I　had
struck。　　I　never　suspected　that　the　point　was　going　to　stick　into　the
entire　nation；　but　of　course　you　know　your　nation　better　than　I　do；　and
if　you　think　it　punctures　them　all；　I　have　to　yield　to　your　judgment。
But　you　are　to　blame；　your　own　self。　　Your　remark　misled　me。　　I　supposed
the　industry　was　confined　to　that　little　unnumerous　upper　layer。

Well；　now　that　the　unfortunate　thing　has　been　done；　let　us　do　what　we　can
to　undo　it。　　There　must　be　a　way；　M。　　Bourget；　and　I　am　willing　to　do
anything　that　will　help；　for　I　am　as　sorry　as　you　can　be　yourself。

I　will　tell　you　what　I　think　will　be　the　very　thing。

We　will　swap　anecdotes。　　I　will　take　your　anecdote　and　you　take　mine。　　I
will　say　to　the　dukes　and　counts　and　princes　of　the　ancient　nobility　of
France：

〃Ha；　ha！　You　must　have　a　pretty　hard　time　trying　to　find　out　who　your
grandfathers　were？〃

They　will　merely　smile　indifferently　and　not　feel　hurt；　because　they　can
trace　their　lineage　back　through　centuries。

And　you　will　hurl　mine　at　every　individual　in　the　American　nation；
saying：

〃And　you　must　h