selected writings-第29节

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He　is　the　delight　of　the　children；　and　he　is　so　greedy　that　he

almost　kills　himself　at　every　meal。　You　have　no　idea　what　he

would　eat　if　he　were　allowed　to　do　as　he　pleased。　But　you　will

see；　you　will　see。　He　looks　all　the　sweets　over　as　if　they　were

so　many　girls。　You　have　never　seen　anything　funnier；　you　will　see

it　presently。〃



I　was　then　shown　to　my　room　to　change　my　dress　for　dinner；　and

hearing　a　great　clatter　behind　me　on　the　stairs；　I　turned　round

and　saw　that　all　the　children　were　following　me　behind　their

fatherto　do　me　honor；　no　doubt。



My　windows　looked　out　on　to　a　plain；　a　bare；　interminable　plain；

an　ocean　of　grass；　of　wheat；　and　of　oats；　without　a　clump　of

trees　or　any　rising　ground；　a　striking　and　melancholy　picture　of

the　life　which　they　must　be　leading　in　that　house。



A　bell　rang；　it　was　for　dinner；　and　so　I　went　downstairs。　Madame

Radevin　took　my　arm　in　a　ceremonious　manner；　and　we　went　into　the

dining…room。　A　footman　wheeled　in　the　old　man's　arm…chair；　who

gave　a　greedy　and　curious　look　at　the　dessert；　as　with　difficulty

he　turned　his　shaking　head　from　one　dish　to　the　other。



Simon　rubbed　his　hands；　saying：　〃You　will　be　amused。〃　All　the

children　understood　that　I　was　going　to　be　indulged　with　the

sight　of　their　greedy　grandfather　and　they　began　to　laugh

accordingly；　while　their　mother　merely　smiled　and　shrugged　her

shoulders。　Simon；　making　a　speaking　trumpet　of　his　hands；　shouted

at　the　old　man：　〃This　evening　there　is　sweet　rice…cream；〃　and　the

wrinkled　face　of　the　grandfather　brightened；　he　trembled

violently　all　over；　showing　that　he　had　understood　and　was　very

pleased。　The　dinner　began。



〃Just　look！〃　Simon　whispered。　The　grandfather　did　not　like　the

soup；　and　refused　to　eat　it；　but　he　was　made　to；　on　account　of

his　health。　The　footman　forced　the　spoon　into　his　mouth；　while

the　old　man　blew　energetically；　so　as　not　to　swallow　the　soup；

which　was　thus　scattered　like　a　stream　of　water　on　to　the　table

and　over　his　neighbors。　The　children　shook　with　delight　at　the

spectacle；　while　their　father；　who　was　also　amused；　said：　〃Isn't

the　old　man　funny？〃



During　the　whole　meal　they　were　all　taken　up　solely　with　him。

With　his　eyes　he　devoured　the　dishes　which　were　put　on　the　table；

and　with　trembling　hands　tried　to　seize　them　and　pull　them　to

him。　They　put　them　almost　within　his　reach　to　see　his　useless

efforts。　his　trembling　clutches　at　them；　the　piteous　appeal　of

his　whole　nature；　of　his　eyes；　of　his　mouth；　and　of　his　nose　as

he　smelled　them。　He　slobbered　on　to　his　table　napkin　with

eagerness；　while　uttering　inarticulate　grunts；　and　the　whole

family　was　highly　amused　at　this　horrible　and　grotesque　scene。



Then　they　put　a　tiny　morsel　on　to　his　plate；　which　he　ate　with

feverish　gluttony；　in　order　to　get　something　more　as　soon　as

possible。　When　the　rice…cream　was　brought　in；　he　nearly　had　a

fit；　and　groaned　with　greediness。　Gontran　called　out　to　him：　〃You

have　eaten　too　much　already；　you　will　have　no　more。〃　And　they

pretended　not　to　give　him　any。　Then　he　began　to　crycry　and

tremble　more　violently　than　ever；　while　all　the　children　laughed。

At　last；　however；　they　gave　him　his　helping；　a　very　small　piece。

As　he　ate　the　first　mouthful　of　the　pudding；　he　made　a　comical

and　greedy　noise　in　his　throat；　and　a　movement　with　his　neck　like

ducks　do；　when　they　swallow　too　large　a　morsel；　and　then；　when　he

had　done；　he　began　to　stamp　his　feet；　so　as　to　get　more。



I　was　seized　with　pity　for　this　pitiable　and　ridiculous　Tantalus；

and　interposed　on　his　behalf：　〃Please；　will　you　not　give　him　a

little　more　rice？〃



But　Simon　replied：　〃Oh！　no　my　dear　fellow；　if　he　were　to　eat　too

much；　it　might　harm　him　at　his　age。〃



I　held　my　tongue；　and　thought　over　these　words。　Oh！　ethics！　Oh！

logic！　Oh！　wisdom！　At　his　age！　So　they　deprived　him　of　his　only

remaining　pleasure　out　of　regard　for　his　health！　His　health！　What

would　he　do　with　it；　inert　and　trembling　wreck　that　he　was？　They

were　taking　care　of　his　life；　so　they　said。　His　life？　How　many

days？　Ten；　twenty；　fifty；　or　a　hundred？　Why？　For　his　own　sake？　Or

to　preserve　for　some　time　longer；　the　spectacle　of　his　impotent

greediness　in　the　family。



There　was　nothing　left　for　him　to　do　in　this　life；　nothing

whatever。　He　had　one　single　wish　left；　one　sole　pleasure；　why　not

grant　him　that　last　solace　constantly；　until　he　died？



After　playing　cards　for　a　long　time；　I　went　up　to　my　room　and　to

bed：　I　was　low…spirited　and　sad；　sad；　sad！　I　sat　at　my　window；

but　I　heard　nothing　but　the　beautiful　warbling　of　a　bird　in　a

tree；　somewhere　in　the　distance。　No　doubt　the　bird　was　singing

thus　in　a　low　voice　during　the　night；　to　lull　his　mate；　who　was

sleeping　on　her　eggs。



And　I　thought　of　my　poor　friend's　five　children；　and　to　myself

pictured　him　snoring　by　the　side　of　his　ugly　wife；







BELLFLOWER＇1＇



＇1＇　Clochette。



How　strange　are　those　old　recollections　which　haunt　us；　without

our　being　able　to　get　rid　of　them！



This　one　is　so　very　old　that　I　cannot　understand　how　it　has　clung

so　vividly　and　tenaciously　to　my　memory。　Since　then　I　have　seen

so　many　sinister　things；　either　affecting　or　terrible；　that　I　am

astonished　at　not　being　able　to　pass　a　single　day　without　the

face　of　Mother　Bellflower　recurring　to　my　mind's　eye；　just　as　I

knew　her　formerly；　long；　long　ago；　when　I　was　ten　or　twelve　years

old。



She　was　an　old　seamstress　who　came　to　my　parents'　house　once　a

week；　every　Thursday；　to　mend　the　linen。　My　parents　lived　in　one

of　those　country　houses　called　chateaux；　which　are　merely　old

houses　with　pointed　roofs；　to　which　are　attached　three　or　four

adjacent　farms。



The　village；　a　large　village；　almost　a　small　market　town；　was　a

few　hundred　yards　off；　and　nestled　round　the　church；　a　red　brick

church；　which　had　become　black　with　age。



Well；　every　Thursday　Mother　Bellflower　came　between　half　past　six

and　seven　in　the　morning；　and　went　immediately　into　the

linen…room　and　began　to　work。　She　was　a　tall；　thin；　bearded　or

rather　hairy　woman；　for　she　had　a　beard　all　over　her　face；　a

surprising；　an　unexpected　beard；　growing　in　improbable　tufts；　in

curly　bunches　which　looked　as　if　they　had　been　sown　by　a　madman

over　that　great　face；　the　face　of　a　gendarme　in　petticoats。　She

had　them　on　her　nose；　under　her　nose；　round　her　nose；　on　her

chin；　on　her　cheeks；　and　her　eyebrows；　which　were　extraordinarily

thick　and　long；　and　quite　gray；　bushy　and　bristling；　looked

exactly　like　a　pair　of　mustaches　stuck　on　there　by　mistake。



She　limped；　but　not　like　lame　people　generally　do；　but　like　a

ship　pitching。　When　she　planted　her　great；　bony；　vibrant　body　on

her　sound　leg；　she　seemed　to　be　preparing　to　mount　some　enormous

wave；　and　then　suddenly　she　dipped　as　if　to　disappear　in　an

abyss；　and　buried　herself　in　the　ground。　Her　walk　reminded　one　of

a　ship　in　a　storm；　and　her　head；　which　was　always　covered　with　an

enormous　white　cap；　whose　ribbons　fluttered　down　her　back；　seemed

to　traverse　the　horizon　from　North　to　South　and　from　South　to

North；　at　each　limp。



I　adored　Mother　Bellflower。　As　soon　as　I　was　up　I　used　to　go　into

the　linen…room；　where　I　found　her　installed　at　work；　with　a

foot…warmer　under　her　feet。　As　soon　as　I　arrived；　she　made　me

take　the　foot…warmer　and　sit　upon　it；　so　that　I　might　not　catch

cold　in　that　large；　chilly　room　under　the　roof。



〃That　draws　the　blood　from　your　head；〃　she　would　say　to　me。



She　told　me　stories；　while　mending　the　linen　with　her　long；

crooked；　nimble　fingers；　behind　her　magnifying　spectacles；　for

age　had　impaired　her　sight；　her　eyes　appeared　enormous　to　me；

strangely　profound；　double。



As　far　as　I　can　remember　from　the　things　which　she　told　me　and　by

which　my　childish　heart　was　moved；　she　had　the　large　heart　of　a

poor　woman。　She　told　me　what　had　happened　in　the　village；　how　a

cow　had　escaped　from　the　cowhouse　and　had　been　found　the　next

morning　in　front　of　Prosper　Malet's　mill；　looking　at　the　sails

turning；　or　about　a　hen's　egg　which　had　been　found　in　the　church

belfry　without　anyone　being　able　to　understand　what　creature　had

been　there　to　lay　it；　or　the　queer　story　of　Jean　Pila's　dog；　who

had　gone　ten　leagues　to　bring　back　his　master's　breeches　which　a

tramp　had　stolen　while　they　were　hanging　up　to　dry　out　of　doors；

after　he　had　been　caught　in　the　rain。　She　told　me　these　simple

adventures　in　such　a　manner　that　in　my　mind　they　assumed　the

proportions　of　never…to…be…forgotten　dramas；　of　grand　and

mysterious　poems；　and　the　ingenious　stories　invented　by　the

poets；　which　my　mother　told　me　in　the　evening；　had　none　of　the

flavor；　none　of　the　fullness　or　of　the　vigor　of　the　peasant

woman's　narratives。



Well；　one　Thursday　when　I　had　spent　all　the　morning　in　listening

to　Mother　Clochette；　I　wanted　to　go　upstairs　to　her　again　during

the　day；　after　picking　hazelnuts　with　the　manservant　in　the　wood

beh