modeste mignon-第25节

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fully　as　disquieted　and　uncertain　as　they　were　before　the　old　soldier

tried　the　experiment　which　he　expected　would　be　so　decisive。　The　ill…

success　of　his　past　efforts　so　stimulated　Dumay's　sense　of　duty；　that

he　determined　not　to　go　to　Paris　to　see　after　his　own　fortune　as

announced　by　his　patron；　until　he　had　guessed　the　riddle　of　Modeste's

heart。　These　friends；　to　whom　feelings　were　more　precious　than

interests；　well　knew　that　unless　the　daughter　were　pure　and　innocent；

the　father　would　die　of　grief　when　he　came　to　know　the　death　of

Bettina　and　the　blindness　of　his　wife。　The　distress　of　poor　Dumay　made

such　an　impression　on　the　Latournelles　that　they　even　forgot　their

parting　with　Exupere；　whom　they　had　sent　off　that　morning　to　Paris。

During　dinner；　while　the　three　were　alone；　Monsieur　and　Madame

Latournelle　and　Butscha　turned　the　problem　over　and　over　in　their

minds；　and　discussed　every　aspect　of　it。



〃If　Modeste　loved　any　one　in　Havre　she　would　have　shown　some　fear

yesterday；〃　said　Madame　Latournelle；　〃her　lover；　therefore；　lives

somewhere　else。〃



〃She　swore　to　her　mother　this　morning；〃　said　the　notary；　〃in　presence

of　Dumay；　that　she　had　not　exchanged　a　look　or　a　word　with　any　living

soul。〃



〃Then　she　loves　after　my　fashion！〃　exclaimed　Butscha。



〃And　how　is　that；　my　poor　lad？〃　asked　Madame　Latournelle。



〃Madame；〃　said　the　little　cripple；　〃I　love　alone　and　afaroh！　as　far

as　from　here　to　the　stars。〃



〃How　do　you　manage　it；　you　silly　fellow？〃　said　Madame　Latournelle；

laughing。



〃Ah；　madame！〃　said　Butscha；　〃what　you　call　my　hump　is　the　socket　of　my

wings。〃



〃So　that　is　the　explanation　of　your　seal；　is　it？〃　cried　the　notary。



Butscha's　seal　was　a　star；　and　under　it　the　words　〃Fulgens；　sequar；〃

〃Shining　One；　I　follow　thee；〃the　motto　of　the　house　of

Chastillonest。



〃A　beautiful　woman　may　feel　as　distrustful　as　the　ugliest；〃　said

Butscha；　as　if　speaking　to　himself；　〃Modeste　is　clever　enough　to　fear

she　may　be　loved　only　for　her　beauty。〃



Hunchbacks　are　extraordinary　creations；　due　entirely　to　society　for；

according　to　Nature's　plan；　feeble　or　aborted　beings　ought　to　perish。

The　curvature　or　distortion　of　the　spinal　column　creates　in　these

outwardly　deformed　subjects　as　it　were　a　storage…battery；　where　the

nerve　currents　accumulate　more　abundantly　than　under　normal

conditions；where　they　develop；　and　whence　they　are　emitted；　so　to

say；　in　lightning　flashes；　to　energize　the　interior　being。　From　this；

forces　result　which　are　sometimes　brought　to　light　by　magnetism；

though　they　are　far　more　frequently　lost　in　the　vague　spaces　of　the

spiritual　world。　It　is　rare　to　find　a　deformed　person　who　is　not

gifted　with　some　special　faculty；a　whimsical　or　sparkling　gaiety

perhaps；　an　utter　malignity；　or　an　almost　sublime　goodness。　Like

instruments　which　the　hand　of　art　can　never　fully　waken；　these　beings；

highly　privileged　though　they　know　it　not；　live　within　themselves；　as

Butscha　lived；　provided　their　natural　forces　so　magnificently

concentrated　have　not　been　spent　in　the　struggle　they　have　been　forced

to　maintain；　against　tremendous　odds；　to　keep　alive。　This　explains

many　superstitions；　the　popular　legends　of　gnomes；　frightful　dwarfs；

deformed　fairies；all　that　race　of　bottles；　as　Rabelais　called　them；

containing　elixirs　and　precious　balms。



Butscha；　therefore；　had　very　nearly　found　the　key　to　the　puzzle。　With

all　the　anxious　solicitude　of　a　hopeless　lover；　a　vassal　ever　ready　to

die；like　the　soldiers　alone　and　abandoned　in　the　snows　of　Russia；

who　still　cried　out；　〃Long　live　the　Emperor；〃he　meditated　how　to

capture　Modeste's　secret　for　his　own　private　knowledge。　So　thinking；

he　followed　his　patrons　to　the　Chalet　that　evening；　with　a　cloud　of

care　upon　his　brow：　for　he　knew　it　was　most　important　to　hide　from　all

these　watchful　eyes　and　ears　the　net；　whatever　it　might　be；　in　which

he　should　entrap　his　lady。　It　would　have　to　be；　he　thought；　by　some

intercepted　glance；　some　sudden　start　or　quiver；　as　when　a　surgeon

lays　his　finger　on　a　hidden　sore。　That　evening　Gobenheim　did　not

appear；　and　Butscha　was　Dumay's　partner　against　Monsieur　and　Madame

Latournelle。　During　the　few　moment's　of　Modeste's　absence；　about　nine

o'clock；　to　prepare　for　her　mother's　bedtime；　Madame　Mignon　and　her

friends　spoke　openly　to　one　another；　but　the　poor　clerk；　depressed　by

the　conviction　of　Modeste's　love；　which　had　now　seized　upon　him　as

upon　the　rest；　seemed　as　remote　from　the　discussion　as　Gobenheim　had

been　the　night　before。



〃Well；　what's　the　matter　with　you；　Butscha？〃　cried　Madame　Latournelle；

〃one　would　really　think　you　hadn't　a　friend　in　the　world。〃



Tears　shone　in　the　eyes　of　the　poor　fellow；　who　was　the　son　of　a

Swedish　sailor；　and　whose　mother　was　dead。



〃I　have　no　one　in　the　world　but　you；〃　he　answered　with　a　troubled

voice；　〃and　your　compassion　is　so　much　a　part　of　your　religion　that　I

can　never　lose　itand　I　will　never　deserve　to　lose　it。〃



This　answer　struck　the　sensitive　chord　of　true　delicacy　in　the　minds

of　all　present。



〃We　love　you；　Monsieur　Butscha；〃　said　Madame　Mignon；　with　much　feeling

in　her　voice。



〃I've　six　hundred　thousand　francs　of　my　own；　this　day；〃　cried　Dumay；

〃and　you　shall　be　a　notary　and　the　successor　of　Latournelle。〃



The　American　wife　took　the　hand　of　the　poor　hunchback　and　pressed　it。



〃What！　you　have　six　hundred　thousand　francs！〃　exclaimed　Latournelle；

pricking　up　his　ears　as　Dumay　let　fall　the　words；　〃and　you　allow　these

ladies　to　live　as　they　do！　Modeste　ought　to　have　a　fine　horse；　and　why

doesn't　she　continue　to　take　lessons　in　music；　and　painting；　and〃



〃Why；　he　has　only　had　the　money　a　few　hours！〃　cried　the　little　wife。



〃Hush！〃　murmured　Madame　Mignon。



While　these　words　were　exchanged；　Butscha's　august　mistress　turned

towards　him；　preparing　to　make　a　speech：



〃My　son；〃　she　said；　〃you　are　so　surrounded　by　true　affection　that　I

never　thought　how　my　thoughtless　use　of　that　familiar　phrase　might　be

construed；　but　you　must　thank　me　for　my　little　blunder；　because　it　has

served　to　show　you　what　friends　your　noble　qualities　have　won。〃



〃Then　you　must　have　news　from　Monsieur　Mignon；〃　resumed　the　notary。



〃He　is　on　his　way　home；〃　said　Madame　Mignon；　〃but　let　us　keep　the

secret　to　ourselves。　When　my　husband　learns　how　faithful　Butscha　has

been　to　us；　how　he　has　shown　us　the　warmest　and　the　most　disinterested

friendship　when　others　have　given　us　the　cold　shoulder；　he　will　not

let　you　alone　provide　for　him；　Dumay。　And　so；　my　friend；〃　she　added；

turning　her　blind　face　toward　Butscha；　〃you　can　begin　at　once　to

negotiate　with　Latournelle。〃



〃He's　of　legal　age；　twenty…five　and　a　half　years。　As　for　me；　it　will

be　paying　a　debt；　my　boy；　to　make　the　purchase　easy　for　you；〃　said　the

notary。



Butscha　was　kissing　Madame　Mignon's　hand；　and　his　face　was　wet　with

tears　as　Modeste　opened　the　door　of　the　salon。



〃What　are　you　doing　to　my　Black　Dwarf？〃　she　demanded。　〃Who　is　making

him　unhappy？〃



〃Ah！　Mademoiselle　Mignon；　do　we　luckless　fellows；　cradled　in

misfortune；　ever　weep　for　grief？　They　have　just　shown　me　as　much

affection　as　I　could　feel　for　them　if　they　were　indeed　my　own

relations。　I'm　to　be　a　notary；　I　shall　be　rich。　Ha！　ha！　the　poor

Butscha　may　become　the　rich　Butscha。　You　don't　know　what　audacity

there　is　in　this　abortion；〃　he　cried。



With　that　he　gave　himself　a　resounding　blow　on　the　cavity　of　his　chest

and　took　up　a　position　before　the　fireplace；　after　casting　a　glance　at

Modeste；　which　slipped　like　a　ray　of　light　between　his　heavy

half…closed　eyelids。　He　perceived；　in　this　unexpected　incident；　a

chance　of　interrogating　the　heart　of　his　sovereign。　Dumay　thought　for

a　moment　that　the　clerk　dared　to　aspire　to　Modeste；　and　he　exchanged　a

rapid　glance　with　the　others；　who　understood　him；　and　began　to　eye　the

little　man　with　a　species　of　terror　mingled　with　curiosity。



〃I；　too；　have　my　dreams；〃　said　Butscha；　not　taking　his　eyes　from

Modeste。



The　young　girl　lowered　her　eyelids　with　a　movement　that　was　a

revelation　to　the　young　man。



〃You　love　romance；〃　he　said；　addressing　her。　〃Let　me；　in　this　moment

of　happiness；　tell　you　mine；　and　you　shall　tell　me　in　return　whether

the　conclusion　of　the　tale　I　have　invented　for　my　life　is　possible。　To

me　wealth　would　bring　greater　happiness　than　to　other　men；　for　the

highest　happiness　I　can　imagine　would　be　to　enrich　the　one　I　loved。

You；　mademoiselle；　who　know　so　many　things；　tell　me　if　it　is　possible

for　a　man　to　make　himself　beloved　independently　of　his　person；　be　it

handsome　or　ugly；　and　for　his　spirit　only？〃



Modeste　raised　her　eyes　and　looked　at　Butscha。　It　was　a　piercing　and

questioning　glance；　for　she　shared　Dumay's　suspicion　of　Butscha's

motive。



〃Let　me　be　rich；　and　I　will　seek　some　beautiful　poor　girl；　abandoned

like　myself；　who　has　suffered；　who　knows　what　misery　is。　I　will　write