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〃the little friend of Baptistin〃 had the hooded cloak of the
Mediterranean sailor thrown over him by their honest hands while
dodging at night under the lee of Chateau daft on the watch for
the lights of ships。 Their sea tanned faces； whiskered or
shaved； lean or full； with the intent； wrinkled sea eyes of the
pilot breed； and here and there a thin gold hoop at the lobe of a
hairy ear； bent over my sea infancy。 The first operation of
seamanship I had an opportunity of observing was the boarding of
ships at sea； at all times； in all states of the weather。 They
gave it to me to the full。 And I have been invited to sit in
more than one tall； dark house of the old town at their
hospitable board； had the bouillabaisse ladled out into a thick
plate by their high…voiced； broad…browed wives； talked to their
daughtersthick…set girls； with pure profiles； glorious masses
of black hair arranged with complicated art； dark eyes； and
dazzlingly white teeth。
I had also other acquaintances of quite a different sort。 One of
them； Madame Delestang； an imperious； handsome lady in a
statuesque style； would carry me off now and then on the front
seat of her carriage to the Prado； at the hour of fashionable
airing。 She belonged to one of the old aristocratic families in
the south。 In her haughty weariness she used to make me think of
Lady Dedlock in Dickens's 〃Bleak House；〃 a work of the master for
which I have such an admiration； or rather such an intense and
unreasoning affection； dating from the days of my childhood； that
its very weaknesses are more precious to me than the strength of
other men's work。 I have read it innumerable times； both in
Polish and in English； I have read it only the other day； and； by
a not very surprising inversion； the Lady Dedlock of the book
reminded me strongly of the 〃belle Madame Delestang。〃
Her husband （as I sat facing them both）； with his thin； bony nose
and a perfectly bloodless； narrow physiognomy clamped together；
as it were； by short； formal side whiskers； had nothing of Sir
Leicester Dedlock's 〃grand air〃 and courtly solemnity。 He
belonged to the haute bourgeoisie only； and was a banker； with
whom a modest credit had been opened for my needs。 He was such
an ardentno； such a frozen…up； mummified Royalist that he used
in current conversation turns of speech contemporary； I should
say； with the good Henri Quatre； and when talking of money
matters； reckoned not in francs； like the common； godless herd of
post…Revolutionary Frenchmen； but in obsolete and forgotten
ecusecus of all money units in the world！as though Louis
Quatorze were still promenading in royal splendour the gardens of
Versailles； and Monsieur de Colbert busy with the direction of
maritime affairs。 You must admit that in a banker of the
nineteenth century it was a quaint idiosyncrasy。 Luckily； in the
counting…house （it occupied part of the ground floor of the
Delestang town residence； in a silent； shady street） the accounts
were kept in modern money； so that I never had any difficulty in
making my wants known to the grave； low…voiced； decorous；
Legitimist （I suppose） clerks； sitting in the perpetual gloom of
heavily barred windows behind the sombre； ancient counters；
beneath lofty ceilings with heavily molded cornices。 I always
felt； on going out； as though I had been in the temple of some
very dignified but completely temporal religion。 And it was
generally on these occasions that under the great carriage
gateway Lady DedI mean Madame Delestangcatching sight of my
raised hat； would beckon me with an amiable imperiousness to the
side of the carriage； and suggest with an air of amused
nonchalance； 〃Venez donc faire un tour avec nous；〃 to which the
husband would add an encouraging 〃C'est ca。 Allons； montez；
jeune homme。〃 He questioned me some times； significantly but
with perfect tact and delicacy； as to the way I employed my time；
and never failed to express the hope that I wrote regularly to my
〃honoured uncle。〃 I made no secret of the way I employed my
time； and I rather fancy that my artless tales of the pilots and
so on entertained Madame Delestang so far as that ineffable woman
could be entertained by the prattle of a youngster very full of
his new experience among strange men and strange sensations。 She
expressed no opinions； and talked to me very little； yet her
portrait hangs in the gallery of my intimate memories； fixed
there by a short and fleeting episode。 One day； after putting me
down at the corner of a street； she offered me her hand； and
detained me； by a slight pressure； for a moment。 While the
husband sat motionless and looking straight before him； she
leaned forward in the carriage to say； with just a shade of
warning in her leisurely tone： 〃Il faut； cependant； faire
attention a ne pas gater sa vie。〃 I had never seen her face so
close to mine before。 She made my heart beat and caused me to
remain thoughtful for a whole evening。 Certainly one must； after
all； take care not to spoil one's life。 But she did not know
nobody could knowhow impossible that danger seemed to me。
VII
Can the transports of first love be calmed； checked； turned to a
cold suspicion of the future by a grave quotation from a work on
political economy？ I askis it conceivable？ Is it possible？
Would it be right？ With my feet on the very shores of the sea
and about to embrace my blue…eyed dream； what could a
good…natured warning as to spoiling one's life mean to my
youthful passion？ It was the most unexpected and the last； too；
of the many warnings I had received。 It sounded to me very
bizarreand； uttered as it was in the very presence of my
enchantress； like the voice of folly； the voice of ignorance。
But I was not so callous or so stupid as not to recognize there
also the voice of kindness。 And then the vagueness of the
warningbecause what can be the meaning of the phrase： to spoil
one's life？arrested one's attention by its air of wise
profundity。 At any rate； as I have said before； the words of la
belle Madame Delestang made me thoughtful for a whole evening。 I
tried to understand and tried in vain； not having any notion of
life as an enterprise that could be mi managed。 But I left off
being thoughtful shortly before midnight； at which hour； haunted
by no ghosts of the past and by no visions of the future； I
walked down the quay of the Vieux Port to join the pilot…boat of
my friends。 I knew where she would be waiting for her crew； in
the little bit of a canal behind the fort at the entrance of the
harbour。 The deserted quays looked very white and dry in the
moonlight； and as if frostbound in the sharp air of that December
night。 A prowler or two slunk by noiselessly； a custom…house
guard； soldier…like； a sword by his side； paced close under the
bowsprits of the long row of ships moored bows on opposite the
long； slightly curved； continuous flat wall of the tall houses
that seemed to be one immense abandoned building with innumerable
windows shuttered closely。 Only here and there a small； dingy
cafe for sailors cast a yellow gleam on the bluish sheen of the
flagstones。 Passing by； one heard a deep murmur of voices
insidenothing more。 How quiet everything was at the end of the
quays on the last night on which I went out for a service cruise
as a guest of the Marseilles pilots！ Not a footstep； except my
own； not a sigh； not a whispering echo of the usual revelry going
on in the narrow； unspeakable lanes of the Old Town reached my
earand suddenly； with a terrific jingling rattle of iron and
glass； the omnibus of the Jolliette on its last journey swung
around the corner of the dead wall which faces across the paved
road the characteristic angular mass of the Fort St。 Jean。 Three
horses trotted abreast； with the clatter of hoofs on the granite
setts； and the yellow； uproarious machine jolted violently behind
them； fantastic； lighted up； perfectly empty； and with the driver
apparently asleep on his swaying perch above that amazing racket。
I flattened myself against the wall and gasped。 It was a stunning
experience。 Then after staggering on a few paces in the shadow
of the fort； casting a darkness more intense than that of a
clouded night upon the canal； I saw the tiny light of a lantern
standing on the quay； and became aware of muffled figures making
toward it from various di