selected writings-第22节

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perform　the　usual　ceremonies。　In　a　letter　found　in　her　pocket；

written　at　the　last　moment；　she　asked　that　her　body　be　buried　in

the　village　in　which　she　had　passed　the　last　days　of　her　life。　A

frightful　thought　then　oppressed　my　heart。　Was　it　not　on　my

account　that　she　wished　to　be　laid　at　rest　in　this　place？



〃Toward　the　evening；　all　the　female　gossips　of　the　locality　came

to　view　the　remains　of　the　defunct；　but　I　would　not　allow　a

single　person　to　enter；　I　wanted　to　be　alone；　and　I　watched　by

the　corpse　the　whole　night。



〃By　the　flickering　light　of　the　candles；　I　looked　at　the　body　of

this　miserable　woman；　wholly　unknown；　who　had　died　so　lamentably

and　so　far　away　from　home。　Had　she　left　no　friends；　no　relatives

behind　her？　What　had　her　infancy　been？　What　had　been　her　life？

Whence　had　she　come　thither；　all　alone；　a　wanderer；　like　a　dog

driven　from　home？　What　secrets　of　suffering　and　of　despair　were

sealed　up　in　that　disagreeable　body；　in　that　spent　and　withered

body；　that　impenetrable　hiding　place　of　a　mystery　which　had

driven　her　far　away　from　affection　and　from　love？



〃How　many　unhappy　beings　there　are！　I　felt　that　upon　that　human

creature　weighed　the　eternal　injustice　of　implacable　nature！　Life

was　over　with　her；　without　her　ever　having　experienced；　perhaps；

that　which　sustains　the　most　miserable　of　us　allto　wit；　the

hope　of　being　once　loved！　Otherwise；　why　should　she　thus　have

concealed　herself；　have　fled　from　the　face　of　others？　Why　did　she

love　everything　so　tenderly　and　so　passionately；　everything

living　that　was　not　a　man？



〃I　recognized；　also；　that　she　believed　in　a　God；　and　that　she

hoped　for　compensation　from　him　for　the　miseries　she　had　endured。

She　had　now　begun　to　decompose；　and　to　become；　in　turn；　a　plant。

She　who　had　blossomed　in　the　sun　was　now　to　be　eaten　up　by　the

cattle；　carried　away　in　herbs；　and　in　the　flesh　of　beasts；　again

to　become　human　flesh。　But　that　which　is　called　the　soul　had　been

extinguished　at　the　bottom　of　the　dark　well。　She　suffered　no

longer。　She　had　changed　her　life　for　that　of　others　yet　to　be

born。



〃Hours　passed　away　in　this　silent　and　sinister　communion　with　the

dead。　A　pale　light　at　length　announced　the　dawn　of　a　new　day；　and

a　bright　ray　glistened　on　the　bed；　shedding　a　dash　of　fire　on　the

bedclothes　and　on　her　hands。　This　was　the　hour　she　had　so　much

loved；　when　the　waking　birds　began　to　sing　in　the　trees。



〃I　opened　the　window　to　its　fullest　extent；　I　drew　back　the

curtains；　so　that　the　whole　heavens　might　look　in　upon　us。　Then

bending　toward　the　glassy　corpse；　I　took　in　my　hands　the

mutilated　head；　and　slowly；　without　terror　or　disgust；　imprinted

a　long；　long　kiss　upon　those　lips　which　had　never　before　received

the　salute　of　love。〃



　*　　*　　*　　*　　*　　*　　*



Leon　Chenal　remained　silent。　The　women　wept。　We　heard　on　the　box

seat　Count　d'Etraille　blow　his　nose；　from　time　to　time。　The

coachman　alone　had　gone　to　sleep。　The　horses；　which　felt　no

longer　the　sting　of　the　whip；　had　slackened　their　pace　and

dragged　softly　along。　And　the　four…in…hand；　hardly　moving　at　all；

became　suddenly　torpid；　as　if　laden　with　sorrow。







THE　HOLE



CUTS　AND　WOUNDS　WHICH　CAUSED　DEATH。　That　was　the　heading　of　the

charge　which　brought　Leopold　Renard；　upholsterer；　before　the

Assize　Court。



Round　him　were　the　principal　witnesses；　Madame　Flameche；　widow　of

the　victim；　Louis　Ladureau；　cabinetmaker；　and　Jean　Durdent；

plumber。



Near　the　criminal　was　his　wife；　dressed　in　black；　a　little　ugly

woman；　who　looked　like　a　monkey　dressed　as　a　lady。



This　is　how　Renard　described　the　drama：



〃Good　heavens；　it　is　a　misfortune　of　which　I　am　the　first　and

last　victim；　and　with　which　my　will　has　nothing　to　do。　The　facts

are　their　own　commentary；　Monsieur　le　President。　I　am　an　honest

man；　a　hard…working　man；　an　upholsterer　in　the　same　street　for

the　last　sixteen　years；　known；　liked；　respected；　and　esteemed　by

all；　as　my　neighbors　have　testified；　even　the　porter；　who　is　not

folatre　every　day。　I　am　fond　of　work；　I　am　fond　of　saving；　I　like

honest　men；　and　respectable　pleasures。　That　is　what　has　ruined

me；　so　much　the　worse　for　me；　but　as　my　will　had　nothing　to　do

with　it；　I　continue　to　respect　myself。



〃Every　Sunday　for　the　last　five　years；　my　wife　and　I　have　spent

the　day　at　Passy。　We　get　fresh　air；　not　to　say　that　we　are　fond

of　fishingas　fond　of　it　as　we　are　of　small　onions。　Melie

inspired　me　with　that　passion；　the　jade；　she　is　more　enthusiastic

than　I　am；　the　scold；　and　all　the　mischief　in　this　business　is

her　fault；　as　you　will　see　immediately。



〃I　am　strong　and　mild…tempered；　without　a　pennyworth　of　malice　in

me。　But　she！　oh！　la！　la！　she　looks　insignificant；　she　is　short

and　thin；　but　she　does　more　mischief　than　a　weasel。　I　do　not　deny

that　she　has　some　good　qualities；　she　has　some；　and　those　very

important　to　a　man　in　business。　But　her　character！　Just　ask　about

it　in　the　neighborhood；　even　the　porter's　wife；　who　has　just　sent

me　about　my　businessshe　will　tell　you　something　about　it。



〃Every　day　she　used　to　find　fault　with　my　mild　temper：　'I　would

not　put　up　with　this！　I　would　not　put　up　with　that。'　If　I　had

listened　to　her；　Monsieur　le　President；　I　should　have　had　at

least　three　bouts　of　fisticuffs　a　month。〃



Madame　Renard　interrupted　him：　〃And　for　good　reasons　too；　they

laugh　best　who　laugh　last。〃



He　turned　toward　her　frankly：　〃Oh！　very　well；　I　can　blame　you；

since　you　were　the　cause　of　it。〃



Then；　facing　the　President　again　he　said：



〃I　will　continue。　We　used　to　go　to　Passy　every　Saturday　evening；

so　as　to　be　able　to　begin　fishing　at　daybreak　the　next　morning。

It　is　a　habit　which　has　become　second　nature　with　us；　as　the

saying　is。　Three　years　ago　this　summer　I　discovered　a　place；　oh！

such　a　spot！　There；　in　the　shade；　were　eight　feet　of　water　at

least　and　perhaps　ten；　a　hole　with　a　retour　under　the　bank；　a

regular　retreat　for　fish　and　a　paradise　for　any　fisherman。　I

might　look　upon　that　hole　as　my　property；　Monsieur　le　President；

as　I　was　its　Christopher　Columbus。　Everybody　in　the　neighborhood

knew　it；　without　making　any　opposition。　They　used　to　say：　'That

is　Renard's　place'；　and　nobody　would　have　gone　to　it；　not　even

Monsieur　Plumsay；　who　is　renowned；　be　it　said　without　any

offense；　for　appropriating　other　people's　places。



〃Well；　I　went　as　usual　to　that　place；　of　which　I　felt　as　certain

as　if　I　had　owned　it。　I　had　scarcely　got　there　on　Saturday；　when

I　got　into　'Delila；'　with　my　wife。　'Delila'　is　my　Norwegian　boat；

which　I　had　built　by　Fourmaise；　and　which　is　light　and　safe。

Well；　as　I　said；　we　got　into　the　boat　and　we　were　going　to　bait；

and　for　baiting　there　is　nobody　to　be　compared　with　me；　and　they

all　know　it。　You　want　to　know　with　what　I　bait？　I　cannot　answer

that　question；　it　has　nothing　to　do　with　the　accident；　I　cannot

answer；　that　is　my　secret。　There　are　more　than　three　hundred

people　who　have　asked　me；　I　have　been　offered　glasses　of　brandy

and　liquors；　fried　fish；　matelots；＇1＇　to　make　me　tell！　But　just

go　and　try　whether　the　chub　will　come。　Ah！　they　have　patted　my

stomach　to　get　at　my　secret；　my　recipe。　Only　my　wife　knows；　and

she　will　not　tell　it；　any　more　than　I　shall！　Is　not　that　so；

Melie？〃



＇1＇　A　preparation　of　several　kinds　of　fish；　with　a　sharp　sauce。



The　President　of　the　Court　interrupted　him：



〃Just　get　to　the　facts　as　soon　as　you　can。〃



The　accused　continued：　〃I　am　getting　to　them；　I　am　getting　to

them。　Well；　on　Saturday。　July　8；　we　left　by　the　five　twenty…five

train；　and　before　dinner　we　went　to　ground…bait　as　usual。　The

weather　promised　to　keep　fine；　and　I　said　to　Melie：　'All　right

for　to…morrow！'　And　she　replied：　'It　looks　like　it。'　We　never

talk　more　than　that　together。



〃And　then　we　returned　to　dinner。　I　was　happy　and　thirsty；　and

that　was　the　cause　of　everything。　I　said　to　Melie：　'Look　here

Melie；　it　is　fine　weather；　so　suppose　I　drink　a　bottle　of　Casque

a　meche。　That　is　a　little　white　wine　which　we　have　christened　so；

because　if　you　drink　too　much　of　it　it　prevents　you　from　sleeping

and　is　the　opposite　of　a　nightcap。　Do　you　understand　me？



〃She　replied：　'You　can　do　as　you　please；　but　you　will　be　ill

again；　and　will　not　be　able　to　get　up　to…morrow。'　That　was　true；

sensible；　prudent；　and　clear…sighted；　I　must　confess。

Nevertheless；　I　could　not　withstand　it；　and　I　drank　my　bottle。　It

all　comes　from　that。



〃Well；　I　could　not　sleep。　By　Jove！　It　kept　me　awake　till　two

o'clock　in　the　morning；　and　then　I　went　to　sleep　so　soundly　that

I　should　not　have　heard　the　angel　shouting　at　the　Last　Judgment。



〃In　short；　my　wife　woke　me　at　six　o'clock　and　I　jumped　out　of

bed；　hastily　put　on　my　trousers　and　jersey；　washed　my　face　and

jumped　on　board　'Delila。'　But　it　was　too　late；　for　when　I　arrived

at　my　hole　it　was　already　taken！　Such　a　thing　had　never　happened

to　me　in　three　years；　and　i