Jean, at the head of a table, his nose in his ill-washed earthenwareplate, had cold feet and a sore heart. Something resembling rottenwood formed a deposit at the bottom of his glass, while the serverswere handing round dishes of prunes with their thumbs washing inthe juice. Now and again, amid the rattle of plates, the raspingvoice of the reader, a lad of seventeen, reached the usher's ears.
He caught the name of Cleopatra and some scraps of sentences:
"_She was about to appear before Antony at an age when womenunite with the flower of their beauty every charm of wit andintellect... her person more compelling than any magnificenceof adornment.... Her galley entered the Cydnus... the poop ofthe vessel shone resplendent with gold, the sails were of Tyrianpurple, the oars of silver._"Then the seductive names of _Nereids, flutes, perfumes_. Thehot blood flooded his cheeks. The woman who for him was the soleand only incarnation of the whole race of womankind throughout theages rose before his mental sight with a surprising clearness;every hair of his body stood on end in an agonizing spasm ofdesire, and he dug his nails into the palms of his hands. Thevision caused him an unspeakable yet delicious pain--Gabriellein a loose _peignoir_ at a small, daintily ordered table gaywith flowers and glasses. He saw it all quite clearly; his gazesearched every fold of the soft material that covered her bosomand rose and fell at each breath she drew. Face and neck andlively hands had a surprisingly brilliant yet so natural a sheenthat they exhaled amorous invitation as if they had been verilyof flesh and blood. The superb moulding of the lips, poutinglike a ripe mulberry, and the exquisite grain of the skin weremanifest--treasures such as men risk death and crime to win.
It was the actress, in fine, seen by the two eyes which of alleyes in the whole world had learned to see her best. She was notalone; a man was looking at her with a penetrating intensity ashe filled her glass. They were straining one towards the other.
Jean could not restrain his sobs. Suddenly he seemed to be fallingfrom the top of a high tower. The Superintendent of Studies wasstanding in front of him and saying:
"Monsieur Servien, will you see about punishing that boy Laboriette,who is emptying his leavings in his neighbour's pocket?"