the four horsemen of the apocalypse-第17节

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der　to　move　thither　the　remains　of　Madariaga　as　founder　of　the　dynasty；　following　him　with　all　his　own　when　their　hour　should　come。　　He　was　beginning　to　feel　the　weight　of　age。　　He　was　nearly　seventy　years　old；　and　the　rude　life　of　the　country；　the　horseback　rides　in　the　rain；　the　rivers　forded　upon　his　swimming　horse；　the　nights　passed　in　the　open　air；　had　brought　on　a　rheumatism　that　was　torturing　his　best　days。

His　family；　however；　reawakened　his　enthusiasm。　　〃To　Paris！〃　。　。　。　He　began　to　fancy　that　he　was　twenty　again；　and　forgetting　his　habitual　parsimony；　wished　his　household　to　travel　like　royalty；　in　the　most　luxurious　staterooms；　and　with　personal　servants。　　Two　copper…hued　country　girls；　born　on　the　ranch　and　elevated　to　the　rank　of　maids　to　the　senora　and　her　daughter；　accompanied　them　on　the　voyage；　their　oblique　eyes　betraying　not　the　slightest　astonishment　before　the　greatest　novelties。

Once　in　Paris；　Desnoyers　found　himself　quite　bewildered。　　He　confused　the　names　of　streets；　proposed　visits　to　buildings　which　had　long　since　disappeared；　and　all　his　attempts　to　prove　himself　an　expert　authority　on　Paris　were　attended　with　disappointment。　　His　children；　guided　by　recent　reading　up；　knew　Paris　better　than　he。　He　was　considered　a　foreigner　in　his　own　country。　　At　first；　he　even　felt　a　certain　strangeness　in　using　his　native　tongue；　for　he　had　remained　on　the　ranch　without　speaking　a　word　of　his　language　for　years　at　a　time。　　He　was　used　to　thinking　in　Spanish；　and　translating　his　ideas　into　the　speech　of　his　ancestors　spattered　his　French　with　all　kinds　of　Creole　dialect。

〃Where　a　man　makes　his　fortune　and　raises　his　family；　there　is　his　true　country；〃　he　said　sententiously；　remembering　Madariaga。

The　image　of　that　distant　country　dominated　him　with　insistent　obsession　as　soon　as　the　impressions　of　the　voyage　had　worn　off。　　He　had　no　French　friends；　and　upon　going　into　the　street；　his　feet　instinctively　took　him　to　the　places　where　the　Argentinians　gathered　together。　　It　was　the　same　with　them。　　They　had　left　their　country　only　to　feel；　with　increasing　intensity；　the　desire　to　talk　about　it　all　the　time。　　There　he　read　the　papers；　commenting　on　the　rising　prices　in　the　fields；　on　the　prospects　for　the　next　harvests　and　on　the　sales　of　cattle。　　Returning　home；　his　thoughts　were　still　in　America；　and　he　chuckled　with　delight　as　he　recalled　the　way　in　which　the　two　chinas　had　defied　the　professional　dignity　of　the　French　cook；　preparing　their　native　stews　and　other　dishes　in　Creole　style。

He　had　settled　the　family　in　an　ostentatious　house　in　the　avenida　Victor　Hugo；　for　which　he　paid　a　rental　of　twenty…eight　thousand　francs。　　Dona　Luisa　had　to　go　and　come　many　times　before　she　could　accustom　herself　to　the　imposing　aspect　of　the　conciergeshe；　decorated　with　gold　trimmings　on　his　black　uniform　and　wearing　white　whiskers　like　a　notary　in　a　comedy；　she　with　a　chain　of　gold　upon　her　exuberant　bosom；　and　receiving　the　tenants　in　a　red　and　gold　salon。　　In　the　rooms　above　was　ultra…modern　luxury；　gilded　and　glacial；　with　white　walls　and　glass　doors　with　tiny　panes　which　exasperated　Desnoyers；　who　longed　for　the　complicated　carvings　and　rich　furniture　in　vogue　during　his　youth。　　He　himself　directed　the　arrangement　and　furnishings　of　the　various　rooms　which　always　seemed　empty。

Chichi　protested　against　her　father's　avarice　when　she　saw　him　buying　slowly　and　with　much　calculation　and　hesitation。　　〃Avarice；　no！〃　he　retorted；　〃it　is　because　I　know　the　worth　of　things。〃

Nothing　pleased　him　that　he　had　not　acquired　at　one…third　of　its　value。　　Beating　down　those　who　overcharged　but　proved　the　superiority　of　the　buyer。　　Paris　offered　him　one　delightful　spot　which　he　could　not　find　anywhere　else　in　the　worldthe　Hotel　Drouot。　　He　would　go　there　every　afternoon　that　he　did　not　find　other　important　auctions　advertised　in　the　papers。　　For　many　years；　there　was　no　famous　failure　in　Parisian　life；　with　its　consequent　liquidation；　from　which　he　did　not　carry　something　away。　　The　use　and　need　of　these　prizes　were　matters　of　secondary　interest；　the　great　thing　was　to　get　them　for　ridiculous　prices。　　So　the　trophies　from　the　auction…rooms　now　began　to　inundate　the　apartment　which；　at　the　beginning；　he　had　been　furnishing　with　such　desperate　slowness。

His　daughter　now　complained　that　the　home　was　getting　overcrowded。　The　furnishings　and　ornaments　were　handsome；　but　too　many　。　。　。　far　too　many！　　The　white　walls　seemed　to　scowl　at　the　magnificent　sets　of　chairs　and　the　overflowing　glass　cabinets。　　Rich　and　velvety　carpets　over　which　had　passed　many　generations；　covered　all　the　compartments。　　Showy　curtains；　not　finding　a　vacant　frame　in　the　salons；　adorned　the　doors　leading　into　the　kitchen。　　The　wall　mouldings　gradually　disappeared　under　an　overlay　of　pictures；　placed　close　together　like　the　scales　of　a　cuirass。　　Who　now　could　accuse　Desnoyers　of　avarice？　。　。　。　　He　was　investing　far　more　than　a　fashionable　contractor　would　have　dreamed　of　spending。

The　underlying　idea　still　was　to　acquire　all　this　for　a　fourth　of　its　pricean　exciting　bait　which　lured　the　economical　man　into　continuous　dissipation。　　He　could　sleep　well　only　when　he　had　driven　a　good　bargain　during　the　day。　　He　bought　at　auction　thousands　of　bottles　of　wine　consigned　by　bankrupt　firms；　and　he　who　scarcely　ever　drank；　packed　his　wine　cellars　to　overflowing；　advising　his　family　to　use　the　champagne　as　freely　as　ordinary　wine。　　The　failure　of　a　furrier　induced　him　to　buy　for　fourteen　thousand　francs　pelts　worth　ninety　thousand。　　In　consequence；　the　entire　Desnoyers　family　seemed　suddenly　to　be　suffering　as　frightfully　from　cold　as　though　a　polar　iceberg　had　invaded　the　avenida　Victor　Hugo。　　The　father　kept　only　one　fur　coat　for　himself　but　ordered　three　for　his　son。　　Chichi　and　Dona　Luisa　appeared　arrayed　in　all　kinds　of　silky　and　luxurious　skinsone　day　chinchilla；　other　days　blue　fox；　marten　or　seal。

The　enraptured　buyer　would　permit　no　one　but　himself　to　adorn　the　walls　with　his　new　acquisitions；　using　the　hammer　from　the　top　of　a　step…ladder　in　order　to　save　the　expense　of　a　professional　picture　hanger。　　He　wished　to　set　his　children　the　example　of　economy。　　In　his　idle　hours；　he　would　change　the　position　of　the　heaviest　pieces　of　furniture；　trying　every　kind　of　combination。　　This　employment　reminded　him　of　those　happy　days　when　he　handled　great　sacks　of　wheat　and　bundles　of　hides　on　the　ranch。　　Whenever　his　son　noticed　that　he　was　looking　thoughtfully　at　a　monumental　sideboard　or　heavy　piece；　he　prudently　betook　himself　to　other　haunts。

Desnoyers　stood　a　little　in　awe　of　the　two　house…men；　very　solemn；　correct　creatures　always　in　dress　suit；　who　could　not　hide　their　astonishment　at　seeing　a　man　with　an　income　of　more　than　a　million　francs　engaged　in　such　work。　　Finally　it　was　the　two　coppery　maids　who　aided　their　Patron；　the　three　working　contentedly　together　like　companions　in　exile。

Four　automobiles　completed　the　luxuriousness　of　the　family。　　The　children　would　have　been　more　content　with　onesmall　and　dashing；　in　the　very　latest　style。　　But　Desnoyers　was　not　the　man　to　let　a　bargain　slip　past　him；　so　one　after　the　other；　he　had　picked　up　the　four；　tempted　by　the　price。　　They　were　as　enormous　and　majestic　as　coaches　of　state。　　Their　entrance　into　a　street　made　the　passers…by　turn　and　stare。　　The　chauffeur　needed　two　assistants　to　help　him　keep　this　flock　of　mastodons　in　order；　but　the　proud　owner　thought　only　of　the　skill　with　which　he　had　gotten　the　best　of　the　salesmen；　anxious　to　get　such　monuments　out　of　their　sight。

To　his　children　he　was　always　recommending　simplicity　and　economy。　〃We　are　not　as　rich　as　you　suppose。　　We　own　a　good　deal　of　property；　but　it　produces　a　scanty　income。〃

And　then；　after　refusing　a　domestic　expenditure　of　two　hundred　francs；　he　would　put　five　thousand　into　an　unnecessary　purchase　just　because　it　would　mean　a　great　loss　to　the　seller。　　Julio　and　his　sister　kept　protesting　to　their　mother；　Dona　LuisaChichi　even　going　so　far　as　to　announce　that　she　would　never　marry　a　man　like　her　father。

〃Hush；　hush！〃　exclaimed　the　scandalized　Creole。　　〃He　has　his　little　peculiarities；　but　he　is　very　good。　　Never　has　he　given　me　any　cause　for　complaint。　　I　only　hope　that　you　may　be　lucky　enough　to　find　his　equal。〃

Her　husband's　quarrelsomeness；　his　irritable　character　and　his　masterful　will　all　sank　into　insignificance　when　she　thought　of　his　unvarying　fidelity。　　In　so　many　years　of　married　life　。　。　。　nothing！　His　faithfulness　had　been　unexceptional　even　in　the　country　where　many；　surrounded　by　beasts；　and　intent　on　increasing　their　flocks；　had　seemed　to　become　contaminated　by　the　general　animalism。　　She　remembered　her　father　only　too　well！　。　。　。　　Even　her　sister　was　obliged　to　live　in　apparent　calmness　with　the　vainglorious　Karl；　quite　capable　of　disloyalty　not　because　of　any　special　lust；　but　just　to　imitate　the　doings　of　his　superiors。

Desnoyers　and　his　wife　were　plodding　through　life　in　a　routine　affection；　reminding　Dona　Luisa；　in　her　limited　imagination；　of　the　yokes　of　oxen　on　the　ranch　who　refused　to　budge　whenever　another　animal　was　substituted　for　the　regular　companion。　　Her　husband　certainly　was　quick　tempered；　holdi