selected writings-第25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！



teal；　with　a　silver　breast；　and　then；　in　the　blue　space　above　me；

I　heard　a　voice；　the　voice　of　a　bird。　It　was　a　short；　repeated；

heart…rending　lament；　and　the　bird；　the　little　animal　that　had

been　spared　began　to　turn　round　in　the　blue　sky；　over　our　heads；

looking　at　its　dead　companion　which　I　was　holding　in　my　hand。



Karl　was　on　his　knees；　his　gun　to　his　shoulder　watching　it

eagerly；　until　it　should　be　within　shot。　〃You　have　killed　the

duck；〃　he　said；　〃and　the　drake　will　not　fly　away。〃



He　certainly　did　not　fly　away；　he　circled　over　our　heads

continually；　and　continued　his　cries。　Never　have　any　groans　of

suffering　pained　me　so　much　as　that　desolate　appeal；　as　that

lamentable　reproach　of　this　poor　bird　which　was　lost　in　space。



Occasionally　he　took　flight　under　the　menace　of　the　gun　which

followed　his　movements；　and　seemed　ready　to　continue　his　flight

alone；　but　as　he　could　not　make　up　his　mind　to　this；　he　returned

to　find　his　mate。



〃Leave　her　on　the　ground；〃　Karl　said　to　me；　〃he　will　come　within

shot　by　and　by。〃　And　he　did　indeed　come　near　us；　careless　of

danger；　infatuated　by　his　animal　love；　by　his　affection　for　his

mate；　which　I　had　just　killed。



Karl　fired；　and　it　was　as　if　somebody　had　cut　the　string　which

held　the　bird　suspended。　I　saw　something　black　descend；　and　I

heard　the　noise　of　a　fall　among　the　rushes。　And　Pierrot　brought

it　to　me。



I　put　themthey　were　already　coldinto　the　same　game…bag；　and　I

returned　to　Paris　the　same　evening。







THE　INN



Like　all　the　little　wooden　inns　in　the　higher　Alps；　tiny　auberges

situated　in　the　bare　and　rocky　gorges　which　intersect　the　white

summits　of　the　mountains；　the　inn　of　Schwarenbach　is　a　refuge　for

travelers　who　are　crossing　the　Gemmi。



It　is　open　six　months　in　the　year；　and　is　inhabited　by　the　family

of　Jean　Hauser。　As　soon　as　the　snow　begins　to　fall；　and　fills　the

valley　so　as　to　make　the　road　down　to　Loeche　impassable；　the

father；　with　mother；　daughter；　and　the　three　sons　depart；　leaving

the　house　in　charge　of　the　old　guide；　Gaspard　Hari；　with　the

young　guide；　Ulrich　Kunsi；　and　Sam；　the　great　mountain　dog。



The　two　men　and　the　dog　remain　till　spring　in　their　snowy　prison；

with　nothing　before　their　eyes　except　immense；　white　slopes　of

the　Balmhorn；　surrounded　by　light；　glistening　summits；　and　shut

up；　blocked　up；　and　buried　by　the　snow　which　rises　around　them；

enveloping　and　almost　burying　the　little　house　up　to　the　eaves。



It　was　the　day　on　which　the　Hauser　family　were　going　to　return　to

Loeche；　as　winter　was　approaching；　and　the　descent　was　becoming

dangerous。　Three　mules　started　first；　laden　with　baggage　and　led

by　the　three　sons。　Then　the　mother；　Jeanne　Hauser；　and　her

daughter　Louise　mounted　a　fourth　mule；　and　set　off　in　their　turn。

The　father　followed　them；　accompanied　by　the　two　men　in　charge；

who　were　to　escort　the　family　as　far　as　the　brow　of　the　descent。

First　of　all　they　skirted　the　small　lake；　now　frozen　over；　at　the

foot　of　the　mass　of　rocks　which　stretched　in　front　of　the　inn；

then　they　followed　the　valley；　which　was　dominated　on　all　sides

by　snow…covered　peaks。



A　ray　of　sunlight　glinted　into　that　little　white；　glistening；

frozen　desert；　illuminating　it　with　a　cold　and　dazzling　flame。　No

living　thing　appeared　among　this　ocean　of　hills；　there　was　no

stir　in　that　immeasurable　solitude；　no　noise　disturbed　the

profound　silence。



By　degrees　the　young　guide；　Ulrich　Kunsi；　a　tall；　long…legged

Swiss；　left　daddy　Hauser　and　old　Gaspard　behind；　in　order　to

catch　up　with　the　mule　which　carried　the　two　women。　The　younger

one　looked　at　him　as　he　approached；　as　if　she　would　call　him　with

her　sad　eyes。　She　was　a　young；　light…haired　peasant　girl；　whose

milk…white　cheeks　and　pale　hair　seemed　to　have　lost　their　color

by　long　dwelling　amid　the　ice。　When　Ulrich　had　caught　up　with　the

animal　which　carried　the　women；　he　put　his　hand　on　the　crupper；

and　relaxed　his　speed。　Mother　Hauser　began　to　talk　to　him；　and

enumerated　with　minutest　detail　all　that　he　would　have　to　attend

to　during　the　winter。　It　was　the　first　winter　he　would　spend　up

there；　while　old　Hari　had　already　spent　fourteen　winters　amid　the

snow；　at　the　inn　of　Schwarenbach。



Ulrich　Kunsi　listened；　without　appearing　to　understand；　and

looked　incessantly　at　the　girl。　From　time　to　time　he　replied：

〃Yes；　Madame　Hauser〃；　but　his　thoughts　seemed　far　away；　and　his

calm　features　remained　unmoved。



They　reached　Lake　Daube；　whose　broad；　frozen　surface　reached　to

the　bottom　of　the　valley。　On　the　right；　the　Daubenhorn　showed　its

black　mass；　rising　up　in　a　peak　above　the　enormous　moraines　of

the　Lommeon　glacier；　which　soared　above　the　Wildstrubel。　As　they

approached　the　neck　of　the　Gemmi；　where　the　descent　to　Loeche

begins；　the　immense　horizon　of　the　Alps　of　the　Valais；　from　which

the　broad；　deep　valley　of　the　Rhone　separated　them；　came　in　view。



In　the　distance；　there　was　a　group　of　white；　unequal；　flat　or

pointed　mountain　summits；　which　glistened　in　the　sun；　the

Mischabel　with　its　twin　peaks；　the　huge　group　of　the　Weisshorn；

the　heavy　Brunegghorn；　the　lofty　and　formidable　pyramid　of　Mont

Cervin；　slayer　of　men；　and　the　Dent　Blanche；　that　terrible

coquette。



Then　beneath　them；　as　at　the　bottom　of　a　terrible　abyss；　they　saw

Loeche；　its　houses　looking　like　grains　of　sand　which　had　been

thrown　into　that　enormous　crevice　which　finishes　and　closes　the

Gemmi；　and　which　opens；　down　below；　on　to　the　Rhone。



The　mule　stopped　at　the　edge　of　the　path；　which　turns　and　twists

continually；　zigzagging　fantastically　and　strangely　along　the

steep　side　of　the　mountain；　as　far　as　the　almost　invisible　little

village　at　its　feet。　The　women　jumped　into　the　snow；　and　the　two

old　men　joined　them。



〃Well；〃　father　Hauser　said；　〃good…bye；　and　keep　up　your　spirits

till　next　year；　my　friends；〃　and　old　Hari　replied：　〃Till　next

year。〃



They　embraced　each　other；　and　then　Madame　Hauser　in　her　turn；

offered　her　cheek；　and　the　girl　did　the　same。　When　Ulrich　Kunsi's

turn　came；　he　whispered　in　Louise's　ear：



〃Do　not　forget　those　up　yonder；〃　and　she　replied：　〃No；〃　in　such　a

low　voice；　that　he　guessed　what　she　had　said；　without　hearing　it。



〃Well；　adieu；〃　Jean　Hauser　repeated；　〃and　don't　fall　ill。〃　Then；

going　before　the　two　women；　he　commenced　the　descent；　and　soon

all　three　disappeared　at　the　first　turn　in　the　road；　while　the

two　men　returned　to　the　inn　at　Schwarenbach。



They　walked　slowly　side　by　side；　without　speaking。　The　parting

was　over；　and　they　would　be　alone　together　for　four　or　five

months。　Then　Gaspard　Hari　began　to　relate　his　life　last　winter。

He　had　remained　with　Michael　Canol；　who　was　too　old　now　to　stand

it；　for　an　accident　might　happen　during　that　long　solitude。　They

had　not　been　dull；　however；　the　only　thing　was　to　be　resigned　to

it　from　the　first；　and　in　the　end　one　would　find　plenty　of

distraction；　games　and　other　means　of　whiling　away　the　time。



Ulrich　Kunsi　listened　to　him　with　his　eyes　on　the　ground；　for　in

thought　he　was　with　those　who　were　descending　to　the　village。

They　soon　came　in　sight　of　the　inn；　which　was　scarcely　visible；

so　small　did　it　look；　a　mere　black　speck　at　the　foot　of　that

enormous　billow　of　snow。　When　they　opened　the　door；　Sam；　the

great　curly　dog；　began　to　romp　round　them。



〃Come；　my　boy；〃　old　Gaspard　said；　〃we　have　no　women　now；　so　we

must　get　our　own　dinner　ready。　Go　and　peel　the　potatoes。〃　And

they　both　sat　down　on　wooden　stools；　and　began　to　put　the　bread

into　the　soup。



The　next　morning　seemed　very　long　to　Kunsi。　Old　Hari　smoked　and

smoked　beside　the　hearth；　while　the　young　man　looked　out　of　the

window　at　the　snow…covered　mountain　opposite　the　house。　In　the

afternoon　he　went　out；　and　going　over　the　previous　day's　ground

again；　he　looked　for　the　traces　of　the　mule　that　had　carried　the

two　women；　then　when　he　had　reached　the　neck　of　the　Gemmi；　he

laid　himself　down　on　his　stomach；　and　looked　at　Loeche。



The　village；　in　its　rocky　pit；　was　not　yet　buried　under　the　snow；

although　the　white　masses　came　quite　close　to　it；　balked；

however；　of　their　prey　by　the　pine　woods　which　protected　the

hamlet。　From　his　vantage　point　the　low　houses　looked　like

paving…stones　in　a　large　meadow。　Hauser's　little　daughter　was

there　now　in　one　of　those　gray…colored　houses。　In　which？　Ulrich

Kunsi　was　too　far　away　to　be　able　to　make　them　out　separately。

How　he　would　have　liked　to　go　down　while　he　was　yet　able！



But　the　sun　had　disappeared　behind　the　lofty　crest　of　the

Wildstrubel；　and　the　young　man　returned　to　the　chalet。　Daddy　Hari

was　smoking；　and；　when　he　saw　his　mate　come　in；　proposed　a　game

of　cards　to　him。　They　sat　down　opposite　each　other　for　a　long

time　and　played　the　simple　game　called　brisque；　then　they　had

supper　and　went　to　bed。



The　following　days　were　like　the　first；　bright　and　cold；　without

any　more　snow。　Old　Gaspard　spe