to　reform　it。　Raoul；　let　us　do　him　this　justice；　presents　in　his
  person　something　fine；　fantastic；　and　extraordinary；　which　needs　a
  frame。　His　enemies；　or　his　friends；　they　are　about　the　same　thing；
  agree　that　nothing　could　harmonize　better　with　his　mind　than　his
  outward　form。
  Raoul　Nathan　would；　perhaps；　be　more　singular　if　left　to　his　natural
  self　than　he　is　with　his　various　accompaniments。　His　worn　and　haggard
  face　gives　him　an　appearance　of　having　fought　with　angels　or　devils；
  it　bears　some　resemblance　to　that　the　German　painters　give　to　the　dead
  Christ；　countless　signs　of　a　constant　struggle　between　failing　human
  nature　and　the　powers　on　high　appear　in　it。　But　the　lines　in　his
  hollow　cheeks；　the　projections　of　his　crooked；　furrowed　skull；　the
  caverns　around　his　eyes　and　behind　his　temples；　show　nothing　weakly　in
  his　constitution。　His　hard　membranes；　his　visible　bones　are　the　signs
  of　remarkable　solidity；　and　though　his　skin；　discolored　by　excesses；
  clings　to　those　bones　as　if　dried　there　by　inward　fires；　it
  nevertheless　covers　a　most　powerful　structure。　He　is　thin　and　tall。
  His　long　hair；　always　in　disorder；　is　worn　so　for　effect。　This　ill…
  combed；　ill…made　Byron　has　heron　legs　and　stiffened　knee…joints；　an
  exaggerated　stoop；　hands　with　knotty　muscles；　firm　as　a　crab's　claws；
  and　long；　thin；　wiry　fingers。　Raoul's　eyes　are　Napoleonic；　blue　eyes；
  which　pierce　to　the　soul；　his　nose　is　crooked　and　very　shrewd；　his
  mouth　charming；　embellished　with　the　whitest　teeth　that　any　woman
  could　desire。　There　is　fire　and　movement　in　the　head；　and　genius　on
  that　brow。　Raoul　belongs　to　the　small　number　of　men　who　strike　your
  mind　as　you　pass　them；　and　who；　in　a　salon；　make　a　luminous　spot　to
  which　all　eyes　are　attracted。
  He　makes　himself　remarked　also　by　his　〃neglige；〃　if　we　may　borrow　from
  Moliere　the　word　which　Eliante　uses　to　express　the　want　of　personal
  neatness。　His　clothes　always　seem　to　have　been　twisted；　frayed；　and
  crumpled　intentionally；　in　order　to　harmonize　with　his　physiognomy。　He
  keeps　one　of　his　hands　habitually　in　the　bosom　of　his　waistcoat　in　the
  pose　which　Girodet's　portrait　of　Monsieur　de　Chateaubriand　has
  rendered　famous；　but　less　to　imitate　that　great　man　（for　he　does　not
  wish　to　resemble　any　one）　than　to　rumple　the　over…smooth　front　of　his
  shirt。　His　cravat　is　no　sooner　put　on　than　it　is　twisted　by　the
  convulsive　motions　of　his　head；　which　are　quick　and　abrupt；　like　those
  of　a　thoroughbred　horse　impatient　of　harness；　and　constantly　tossing
  up　its　head　to　rid　itself　of　bit　and　bridle。　His　long　and　pointed
  beard　is　neither　combed；　nor　perfumed；　nor　brushed；　nor　trimmed；　like
  those　of　the　elegant　young　men　of　society；　he　lets　it　alone；　to　grow
  as　it　will。　His　hair；　getting　between　the　collar　of　his　coat　and　his
  cravat；　lies　luxuriantly　on　his　shoulders；　and　greases　whatever　spot
  it　touches。　His　wiry；　bony　hands　ignore　a　nailbrush　and　the　luxury　of
  lemon。　Some　of　his　cofeuilletonists　declare　that　purifying　waters
  seldom　touch　their　calcined　skin。
  In　short；　the　terrible　Raoul　is　grotesque。　His　movements　are　jerky；　as
  if　produced　by　imperfect　machinery；　his　gait　rejects　all　idea　of
  order；　and　proceeds　by　spasmodic　zig…zags　and　sudden　stoppages；　which
  knock　him　violently　against　peaceable　citizens　on　the　streets　and
  boulevards　of　Paris。　His　conversation；　full　of　caustic　humor；　of
  bitter　satire；　follows　the　gait　of　his　body；　suddenly　it　abandons　its
  tone　of　vengeance　and　turns　sweet；　poetic；　consoling；　gentle；　without
  apparent　reason；　he　falls　into　inexplicable　silences；　or　turns
  somersets　of　wit；　which　at　times　are　somewhat　wearying。　In　society；　he
  is　boldly　awkward；　and　exhibits　a　contempt　for　conventions　and　a
  critical　air　about　things　respected　which　makes　him　unpleasant　to
  narrow　minds；　and　also　to　those　who　strive　to　preserve　the　doctrines
  of　old…fashioned；　gentlemanly　politeness；　but　for　all　that　there　is　a
  sort　of　lawless　originality　about　him　which　women　do　not　dislike。
  Besides；　to　them；　he　is　often　most　amiably　courteous；　he　seems　to　take
  pleasure　in　making　them　forget　his　personal　singularities；　and　thus
  obtains　a　victory　over　antipathies　which　flatters　either　his　vanity；
  his　self…love；　or　his　pride。
  〃Why　do　you　present　yourself　like　that？〃　said　the　Marquise　de
  Vandenesse　one　day。
  〃Pearls　live　in　oyster…shells；〃　he　answered；　conceitedly。
  To　another　who　asked　him　somewhat　the　same　question；　he　replied；
  〃If　I　were　charming　to　all　the　world；　how　could　I　seem　better　still　to
  the　one　woman　I　wish　to　please？〃
  Raoul　Nathan　imports　this　same　natural　disorder　（which　he　uses　as　a
  banner）　into　his　intellectual　life；　and　the　attribute　is　not
  misleading。　his　talent　is　very　much　that　of　the　poor　girls　who　go
  about　in　bourgeois　families　to　work　by　the　day。　He　was　first　a　critic；
  and　a　great　critic；　but　he　felt　himself　cheated　in　that　vocation。　His
  articles　were　equal　to　books；　he　said。　The　profits　of　theatrical　work
  then　allured　him；　but；　incapable　of　the　slow　and　steady　application
  required　for　stage　arrangement；　he　was　forced　to　associate　with
  himself　a　vaudevillist；　du　Bruel；　who　took　his　ideas；　worked　them
  over；　and　reduced　them　into　those　productive　little　pieces；　full　of
  wit；　which　are　written　expressly　for　actors　and　actresses。　Between
  them；　they　had　invented　Florine；　an　actress　now　in　vogue。
  Humiliated　by　this　association；　which　was　that　of　the　Siamese　twins；
  Nathan　had　produced　alone；　at　the　Theatre…Francais；　a　serious　drama；
  which　fell　with　all　the　honors　of　war　amid　salvos　of　thundering
  articles。　In　his　youth　he　had　once　before　appeared　at　the　great　and
  noble　Theatre…Francais　in　a　splendid　romantic　play　of　the　style　of
  〃Pinto；〃a　period　when　the　classic　reigned　supreme。　The　Odeon　was　so
  violently　agitated　for　three　nights　that　the　play　was　forbidden　by　the
  censor。　This　second　piece　was　considered　by　many　a　masterpiece；　and
  won　him　more　real　reputation　than　all　his　productive　little　pieces
  done　with　collaborators；but　only　among　a　class　to　whom　little
  attention　is　paid；　that　of　connoisseurs　and　persons　of　true　taste。
  〃Make　another　failure　like　that；〃　said　Emile　Blondet；　〃and　you'll　be
  immortal。〃
  But　instead　of　continuing　in　that　difficult　path；　Nathan　had　fallen；
  out　of　sheer　necessity；　into　the　powder　and　patches　of　eighteenth…
  century　vaudeville；　costume　plays；　and　the　reproduction；　scenically；
  of　successful　novels。
  Nevertheless；　he　passed　for　a　great　mind　which　had　not　said　its　last
  word。　He　had；　moreover；　attempted　permanent　literature；　having
  published　three　novels；　not　to　speak　of　several　others　which　he　kept
  in　press　like　fish　in　a　tank。　One　of　these　three　books；　the　first
  （like　that　of　many　writers　who　can　only　make　one　real　trip　into
  literature）；　had　obtained　a　very　brilliant　success。　This　work；
  imprudently　placed　in　the　front　rank；　this　really　artistic　work　he　was
  never　weary　of　calling　the　finest　book　of　the　period；　the　novel　of　the
  century。
  Raoul　complained　bitterly　of　the　exigencies　of　art。　He　was　one　of
  those　who　contributed　most　to　bring　all　created　work；　pictures；
  statues；　books；　building　under　the　single　standard　of　Art。　He　had
  begun　his　career　by　committing　a　volume　of　verse；　which　won　him　a
  place　in　the　pleiades　of　living　poets；　among　these　verses　was　a
  nebulous　poem　that　was　greatly　admired。　Forced　by　want　of　means　to
  keep　on　producing；　he　went　from　the　theatre　to　the　press；　and　from　the
  press　to　the　theatre；　dissipating　and　scattering　his　talent；　but
  believing　always　in　his　vein。　His　fame　was　therefore　not　unpublished
  like　that　of　so　many　great　minds　in　extremity；　who　sustain　themselves
  only　by　the　thought　of　work　to　be　done。
  Nathan　resembled　a　man　of　genius；　and　had　he　marched　to　the　scaffold；
  as　he　sometimes　wished　he　could　have　done；　he　might　have　struck　his
  brow　with　the　famous　action　of　Andre　Chenier。　Seized　with　political
  ambition　on　seeing　the　rise　to　power　of　a　dozen　authors；　professors；
  metaphysicians；　and　historians；　who　encrusted　themselves；　so　to　speak；
  upon　the　machine　during　the　turmoils　of　1830　and　1833；　he　regretted
  that　he　had　not　spent　his　time　on　political　instead　of　literary
  articles。　He　thought　himself　superior　to　all　those　parvenus；　whose
  success　inspired　him　with　consuming　jealousy。　He　belonged　to　the　class
  of　minds　ambitious　of　everything；　capable　of　all　things；　from　whom
  success　is；　as　it　were；　stolen；　who　go　their　way　dashing　at　a　hundred
  luminous　points；　and　settling　upon　none；　exhausting　at　last　the　good…
  will　of　others。
  At　this　particular　time　he　was　going　from　Saint…Simonism　into
  republicanism；　to　return；　very　likely；　to　ministerialism。　He　looked
  for　a　bone　to　gnaw　in　all　corners；　searching　for　a　safe　place　where　he
  could　bark　secure　from　kicks　and　make　himself　feared。　But　he　had　the
  mortification　of　finding　he　was　held　to　be　of　no　account　by　de　Marsay；
  then　at　the　head　of　the　government；　who　had　no　consideration　whate