selected writings-第18节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





〃You　sit　down　by　the　side　of　a　spring　which　gushes　out　from　the

foot　of　an　oak；　amid　a　covering　of　fragile　herbs；　growing　and

redolent　of　life。　You　go　down　on　your　knees；　bend　forward；　and

drink　the　cold　and　pellucid　water；　wetting　your　mustache　and

nose；　you　drink　it　with　a　physical　pleasure；　as　though　you　were

kissing　the　spring；　lip　to　lip。　Sometimes；　when　you　encounter　a

deep　hole；　along　the　course　of　these　tiny　brooks；　you　plunge　into

it；　quite　naked；　and　on　your　skin；　from　head　to　foot；　like　an　icy

and　delicious　caress；　you　feel　the　lovely　and　gentle　quivering　of

the　current。



〃You　are　gay　on　the　hills；　melancholy　on　the　verge　of　pools；

exalted　when　the　sun　is　crowned　in　an　ocean　of　blood…red　shadows；

and　when　it　casts　on　the　rivers　its　red　reflection。　And　at　night；

under　the　moon；　as　it　passes　across　the　vault　of　heaven；　you

think　of　things；　singular　things；　which　would　never　have　occurred

to　your　mind　under　the　brilliant　light　of　day。



〃So；　in　wandering　through　the　same　country　we　are　in　this　year；　I

came　to　the　little　village　of　Benouville；　on　the　Falaise；　between

Yport　and　Etretat。　I　came　from　Fecamp；　following　the　coast；　a

high　coast；　perpendicular　as　a　wall；　with　projecting　and　rugged

rocks　falling　sheer　down　into　the　sea。　I　had　walked　since　the

morning　on　the　close　clipped　grass；　as　smooth　and　as　yielding　as

a　carpet。　Singing　lustily；　I　walked　with　long　strides；　looking

sometimes　at　the　slow　and　lazy　flight　of　a　gull；　with　its　short；

white　wings；　sailing　in　the　blue　heavens；　sometimes　at　the　green

sea；　or　at　the　brown　sails　of　a　fishing　bark。　In　short；　I　had

passed　a　happy　day；　a　day　of　listlessness　and　of　liberty。



〃I　was　shown　a　little　farmhouse；　where　travelers　were　put　up；　a

kind　of　inn；　kept　by　a　peasant；　which　stood　in　the　center　of　a

Norman　court；　surrounded　by　a　double　row　of　beeches。



〃Quitting　the　Falaise。　I　gained　the　hamlet；　which　was　hemmed　in

by　great　trees；　and　I　presented　myself　at　the　house　of　Mother

Lecacheur。



〃She　was　an　old；　wrinkled；　and　austere　rustic；　who　always　seemed

to　yield　to　the　pressure　of　new　customs　with　a　kind　of　contempt。



〃It　was　the　month　of　May：　the　spreading　apple…trees　covered　the

court　with　a　whirling　shower　of　blossoms　which　rained　unceasingly

both　upon　people　and　upon　the　grass。



〃I　said：



〃　'Well；　Madame　Lecacheur；　have　you　a　room　for　me？'



〃Astonished　to　find　that　I　knew　her　name；　she　answered：



〃　'That　depends；　everything　is　let；　but；　all　the　same；　there　will

be　no　harm　in　looking。'



〃In　five　minutes　we　were　in　perfect　accord；　and　I　deposited　my

bag　upon　the　bare　floor　of　a　rustic　room；　furnished　with　a　bed；

two　chairs；　a　table；　and　a　washstand。　The　room　opened　into　the

large　and　smoky　kitchen；　where　the　lodgers　took　their　meals　with

the　people　of　the　farm　and　with　the　farmer　himself；　who　was　a

widower。



〃I　washed　my　hands；　after　which　I　went　out。　The　old　woman　was

fricasseeing　a　chicken　for　dinner　in　a　large　fireplace；　in　which

hung　the　stew…pot；　black　with　smoke。



〃　'You　have　travelers；　then；　at　the　present　time？'　said　I　to　her。



〃She　answered　in　an　offended　tone　of　voice：



〃　'I　have　a　lady；　an　English　lady；　who　has　attained　to　years　of

maturity。　She　is　occupying　my　other　room。'



〃By　means　of　an　extra　five　sous　a　day；　I　obtained　the　privilege

of　dining　out　in　the　court　when　the　weather　was　fine。



〃My　cover　was　then　placed　in　front　of　the　door；　and　I　commenced

to　gnaw　with　hunger　the　lean　members　of　the　Normandy　chicken；　to

drink　the　clear　cider；　and　to　munch　the　hunk　of　white　bread；

which；　though　four　days　old；　was　excellent。



〃Suddenly；　the　wooden　barrier　which　opened　on　to　the　highway　was

opened；　and　a　strange　person　directed　her　steps　toward　the　house。

She　was　very　slender；　very　tall；　enveloped　in　a　Scotch　shawl　with

red　borders。　You　would　have　believed　that　she　had　no　arms；　if　you

had　not　seen　a　long　hand　appear　just　above　the　hips；　holding　a

white　tourist　umbrella。　The　face　of　a　mummy；　surrounded　with

sausage　rolls　of　plaited　gray　hair；　which　bounded　at　every　step

she　took；　made　me　think；　I　know　not　why；　of　a　sour　herring

adorned　with　curling　papers。　Lowering　her　eyes；　she　passed

quickly　in　front　of　me；　and　entered　the　house。



〃This　singular　apparition　made　me　curious。　She　undoubtedly　was　my

neighbor；　the　aged　English　lady　of　whom　our　hostess　had　spoken。



〃I　did　not　see　her　again　that　day。　The　next　day；　when　I　had　begun

to　paint　at　the　end　of　that　beautiful　valley；　which　you　know

extends　as　far　as　Etretat；　lifting　my　eyes　suddenly；　I　perceived

something　singularly　attired　standing　on　the　crest　of　the

declivity；　it　looked　like　a　pole　decked　out　with　flags。　It　was

she。　On　seeing　me；　she　suddenly　disappeared。　I　re…entered　the

house　at　midday　for　lunch；　and　took　my　seat　at　the　common　table；

so　as　to　make　the　acquaintance　of　this　old　and　original　creature。

But　she　did　not　respond　to　my　polite　advances；　was　insensible

even　to　my　little　attentions。　I　poured　water　out　for　her　with

great　alacrity；　I　passed　her　the　dishes　with　great　eagerness。　A

slight；　almost　imperceptible　movement　of　the　head；　and　an　English

word；　murmured　so　low　that　I　did　not　understand　it；　were　her

only　acknowledgments。



〃I　ceased　occupying　myself　with　her；　although　she　had　disturbed

my　thoughts。　At　the　end　of　three　days；　I　knew　as　much　about　her

as　did　Madame　Lecacheur　herself。



〃She　was　called　Miss　Harriet。　Seeking　out　a　secluded　village　in

which　to　pass　the　summer；　she　had　been　attracted　to　Benouville；

some　six　months　before；　and　did　not　seem　disposed　to　quit　it。　She

never　spoke　at　table；　ate　rapidly；　reading　all　the　while　a　small

book；　treating　of　some　Protestant　propaganda。　She　gave　a　copy　of

it　to　everybody。　The　cure　himself　had　received　no　less　than　four

copies；　at　the　hands　of　an　urchin　to　whom　she　had　paid　two　sous'

commission。　She　said　sometimes　to　our　hostess；　abruptly；　without

preparing　herin　the　least　for　the　declaration：



〃　'I　love　the　Saviour　more　than　all；　I　worship　him　in　all

creation；　I　adore　him　in　all　nature；　I　carry　him　always　in　my

heart。'



〃And　she　would　immediately　present　the　old　woman　with　one　of　her

brochures　which　were　destined　to　convert　the　universe。



〃In　the　village　she　was　not　liked。　In　fact；　the　schoolmaster　had

declared　that　she　was　an　atheist；　and　that　a　sort　of　reproach

attached　to　her。　The　cure；　who　had　been　consulted　by　Madame

Lecacheur；　responded：



〃　'She　is　a　heretic；　but　God　does　not　wish　the　death　of　the

sinner；　and　I　believe　her　to　be　a　person　of　pure　morals。'



〃These　words；　'atheist；'　'heretic；'　words　which　no　one　can

precisely　define；　threw　doubts　into　some　minds。　It　was　asserted；

however；　that　this　English…woman　was　rich；　and　that　she　had

passed　her　life　in　traveling　through　every　country　in　the　world；

because　her　family　had　thrown　her　off。　Why　had　her　family　thrown

her　off？　Because　of　her　natural　impiety？



〃She　was；　in　fact；　one　of　those　people　of　exalted　principles；　one

of　those　opinionated　puritans　of　whom　England　produces　so　many；

one　of　those　good　and　insupportable　old　women　who　haunt　the

tables　d'hote　of　every　hotel　in　Europe；　who　spoil　Italy；　poison

Switzerland；　render　the　charming　cities　of　the　Mediterranean

uninhabitable；　carry　everywhere　their　fantastic　manias；　their

petrified　vestal　manners；　their　indescribable　toilettes；　and　a

certain　odor　of　india…rubber；　which　makes　one　believe　that　at

night　they　slip　themselves　into　a　case　of　that　material。　When　I

meet　one　of　these　people　in　a　hotel；　I　act　like　birds　which　see　a

manikin　in　a　field。



〃This　woman；　however；　appeared　so　singular　that　she　did　not

displease　me。



〃Madame　Lecacheur；　hostile　by　instinct　to　everything　that　was　not

rustic；　felt　in　her　narrow　soul　a　kind　of　hatred　for　the　ecstatic

extravagances　of　the　old　girl。　She　had　found　a　phrase　by　which　to

describe　her；　I　know　not　how；　but　a　phrase　assuredly

contemptuous；　which　had　sprung　to　her　lips；　invented　probably　by

some　confused　and　mysterious　travail　of　soul。　She　said：　'That

woman　is　a　demoniac。'　This　phrase；　as　uttered　by　that　austere　and

sentimental　creature；　seemed　to　me　irresistibly　comic。　I；　myself；

never　called　her　now　anything　else　but　'the　demoniac。'　feeling　a

singular　pleasure　in　pronouncing　this　word　on　seeing　her。



〃I　would　ask　Mother　Lecacheur：　'Well；　what　is　our　demoniac　about

to…day？'　To　which　my　rustic　friend　would　respond；　with　an　air　of

having　been　scandalized：



〃　'What　do　you　think；　sir？　She　has　picked　up　a　toad　which　has　had

its　leg　battered；　and　carried　it　to　her　room；　and　has　put　it　in

her　washstand；　and　dressed　it　up　like　a　man。　If　that　is　not

profanation；　I　should　like　to　know　what　is！'



〃On　another　occasion；　when　walking　along　the　Falaise；　she　had

bought　a　large　fish　which　had　just　been　caught；　simply　to　throw

it　back　into　the　sea　again。　The　sailor；　from　whom　she　had　bought

it；　thou