selected writings-第33节

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short；　and　very　fat；　phenomenally　fat；　a　hideous　phenomenon。



He　had　a　singular　straggling　beard；　white　and　yellow；　and　not　a

hair　on　his　headnot　a　hair！



As　he　held　his　candle　aloft　at　arm's　length　in　order　to　see　me；

his　cranium　appeared　to　me　to　resemble　a　little　moon；　in　that

vast　chamber　encumbered　with　old　furniture。　His　features　were

wrinkled　and　blown；　and　his　eyes　could　not　be　seen。



I　bought　three　chairs　which　belonged　to　myself；　and　paid　at　once

a　large　sum　for　them；　giving　him　merely　the　number　of　my　room　at

the　hotel。　They　were　to　be　delivered　the　next　day　before　nine

o'clock。



I　then　started　off。　He　conducted　me；　with　much　politeness；　as　far

as　the　door。



I　immediately　repaired　to　the　commissaire's　office　at　the　central

police　depot；　and　told　the　commissaire　of　the　robbery　which　had

been　perpetrated　and　of　the　discovery　I　had　just　made。　He

required　time　to　communicate　by　telegraph　with　the　authorities

who　had　originally　charge　of　the　case；　for　information；　and　he

begged　me　to　wait　in　his　office　until　an　answer　came　back。　An

hour　later；　an　answer　came　back；　which　was　in　accord　with　my

statements。



〃I　am　going　to　arrest　and　interrogate　this　man；　at　once；〃　he　said

to　me；　〃for　he　may　have　conceived　some　sort　of　suspicion；　and

smuggled　away　out　of　sight　what　belongs　to　you。　Will　you　go　and

dine　and　return　in　two　hours：　I　shall　then　have　the　man　here；　and

I　shall　subject　him　to　a　fresh　interrogation　in　your　presence。〃



〃Most　gladly；　Monsieur。　I　thank　you　with　my　whole　heart。〃



I　went　to　dine　at　my　hotel　and　I　ate　better　than　I　could　have

believed。　I　was　quite　happy　now；　thinking　that　man　was　in　the

hands　of　the　police。



Two　hours　later　I　returned　to　the　office　of　the　police

functionary；　who　was　waiting　for　me。



〃Well；　Monsieur；〃　said　he；　on　perceiving　me；　〃we　have　not　been

able　to　find　your　man。　My　agents　cannot　put　their　hands　on　him。〃



Ah！　I　felt　my　heart　sinking。



〃But　you　have　at　least　found　his　house？〃　I　asked。



〃Yes；　certainly；　and　what　is　more；　it　is　now　being　watched　and

guarded　until　his　return。　As　for　him；　he　has　disappeared。〃



〃Disappeared？〃



〃Yes；　disappeared。　He　ordinarily　passes　his　evenings　at　the　house

of　a　female　neighbor；　who　is　also　a　furniture　broker；　a　queer

sort　of　sorceress；　the　widow　Bidoin。　She　has　not　seen　him　this

evening　and　cannot　give　any　information　in　regard　to　him。　We　must

wait　until　to…morrow。〃



I　went　away。　Ah！　how　sinister　the　streets　of　Rouen　seemed　to　me；

now　troubled　and　haunted！



I　slept　so　badly　that　I　had　a　fit　of　nightmare　every　time　I　went

off　to　sleep。



As　I　did　not　wish　to　appear　too　restless　or　eager；　I　waited　till

ten　o'clock　the　next　day　before　reporting　myself　to　the　police。



The　merchant　had　not　reappeared。　His　shop　remained　closed。



The　commissary　said　to　me：



〃I　have　taken　all　the　necessary　steps。　The　court　has　been　made

acquainted　with　the　affair。　We　shall　go　together　to　that　shop　and

have　it　opened；　and　you　shall　point　out　to　me　all　that　belongs　to

you。〃



We　drove　there　in　a　cab。　Police　agents　were　stationed　round　the

building；　there　was　a　locksmith；　too；　and　the　door　of　the　shop

was　soon　opened。



On　entering；　I　could　not　discover　my　wardrobes；　my　chairs；　my

tables；　I　saw　nothing；　nothing　of　that　which　had　furnished　my

house；　no；　nothing；　although　on　the　previous　evening；　I　could　not

take　a　step　without　encountering　something　that　belonged　to　me。



The　chief　commissary；　much　astonished；　regarded　me　at　first　with

suspicion。



〃My　God；　Monsieur；〃　said　I　to　him；　〃the　disappearance　of　these

articles　of　furniture　coincides　strangely　with　that　of　the

merchant。〃



He　laughed。



〃That　is　true。　You　did　wrong　in　buying　and　paying　for　the

articles　which　were　your　own　property；　yesterday。　It　was　that

which　gave　him　the　cue。〃



〃What　seems　to　me　incomprehensible；〃　I　replied；　〃is　that　all　the

places　that　were　occupied　by　my　furniture　are　now　filled　by　other

furniture。〃



〃Oh！〃　responded　the　commissary；　〃he　has　had　all　night；　and　has　no

doubt　been　assisted　by　accomplices。　This　house　must　communicate

with　its　neighbors。　But　have　no　fear；　Monsieur；　I　will　have　the

affair　promptly　and　thoroughly　investigated。　The　brigand　shall

not　escape　us　for　long；　seeing　that　we　are　in　charge　of　the　den。〃



　*　*　*　*　*　*　*



Ah！　My　heart；　my　heart；　my　poor　heart；　how　it　beats！



I　remained　a　fortnight　at　Rouen。　The　man　did　not　return。　Heavens！

good　heavens！　That　man；　what　was　it　that　could　have　frightened

and　surprised　him！



But；　on　the　sixteenth　day；　early　in　the　morning；　I　received　from

my　gardener；　now　the　keeper　of　my　empty　and　pillaged　house；　the

following　strange　letter：



〃MONSIEUR：



〃I　have　the　honor　to　inform　Monsieur　that　something　happened；　the

evening　before　last；　which　nobody　can　understand；　and　the　police

no　more　than　the　rest　of　us。　The　whole　of　the　furniture　has　been

returned；　not　one　piece　is　missingeverything　is　in　its　place；

up　to　the　very　smallest　article。　The　house　is　now　the　same　in

every　respect　as　it　was　before　the　robbery　took　place。　It　is

enough　to　make　one　lose　one's　head。　The　thing　took　place　during

the　night　FridaySaturday。　The　roads　are　dug　up　as　though　the

whole　fence　had　been　dragged　from　its　place　up　to　the　door。　The

same　thing　was　observed　the　day　after　the　disappearance　of　the

furniture。



〃We　are　anxiously　expecting　Monsieur；　whose　very　humble　and

obedient　servant；　I　am；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

PHILLIPE　RAUDIN。〃



〃Ah！　no；　no；　ah！　never；　never；　ah！　no。　I　shall　never　return

there！〃



I　took　the　letter　to　the　commissary　of　police。



〃It　is　a　very　clever　restitution；〃　said　he。　〃Let　us　bury　the

hatchet。　We　shall　nip　the　man　one　of　these　days。〃



　*　*　*　*　*　*　*



But　he　has　never　been　nipped。　No。　They　have　not　nipped　him；　and　I

am　afraid　of　him　now；　as　of　some　ferocious　animal　that　has　been

let　loose　behind　me。



Inexplicable！　It　is　inexplicable；　this　chimera　of　a　moon…struck

skull！　We　shall　never　solve　or　comprehend　it。　I　shall　not　return

to　my　former　residence。　What　does　it　matter　to　me？　I　am　afraid　of

encountering　that　man　again；　and　I　shall　not　run　the　risk。



And　even　if　he　returns；　if　he　takes　possession　of　his　shop；　who

is　to　prove　that　my　furniture　was　on　his　premises？　There　is　only

my　testimony　against　him；　and　I　feel　that　that　is　not　above

suspicion。



Ah！　no！　This　kind　of　existence　has　become　unendurable。　I　have　not

been　able　to　guard　the　secret　of　what　I　have　seen。　I　could　not

continue　to　live　like　the　rest　of　the　world；　with　the　fear　upon

me　that　those　scenes　might　be　re…enacted。



So　I　have　come　to　consult　the　doctor　who　directs　this　lunatic

asylum；　and　I　have　told　him　everything。



After　questioning　me　for　a　long　time；　he　said　to　me：



〃Will　you　consent；　Monsieur；　to　remain　here　for　some　time？〃



〃Most　willingly；　Monsieur。〃



〃You　have　some　means？〃



〃Yes；　Monsieur。〃



〃Will　you　have　isolated　apartments？〃



〃Yes；　Monsieur。〃



〃Would　you　care　to　receive　any　friends？〃



〃No；　Monsieur；　no；　nobody。　The　man　from　Rouen　might　take　it　into

his　head　to　pursue　me　here；　to　be　revenged　on　me。〃



　*　*　*　*　*　*　*



I　have　been　alone；　alone；　all；　all　alone；　for　three　months。　I　am

growing　tranquil　by　degrees。　I　have　no　longer　any　fears。　If　the

antiquary　should　become　mad　。　。　。　and　if　he　should　be　brought

into　this　asylum！　Even　prisons　themselves　are　not　places　of

security。





THE　DEVIL



The　peasant　was　standing　opposite　the　doctor；　by　the　bedside　of

the　dying　old　woman；　and　she；　calmly　resigned　and　quite　lucid；

looked　at　them　and　listened　to　their　talking。　She　was　going　to

die；　and　she　did　not　rebel　at　it；　for　her　life　was　overshe　was

ninety…two。



The　July　sun　streamed　in　at　the　window　and　through　the　open　door

and　cast　its　hot　flames　on　to　the　uneven　brown　clay　floor；　which

had　been　stamped　down　by　four　generations　of　clodhoppers。　The

smell　of　the　fields　came　in　also；　driven　by　the　brisk　wind；　and

parched　by　the　noontide　heat。　The　grasshoppers　chirped　themselves

hoarse；　filling　the　air　with　their　shrill　noise；　like　that　of　the

wooden　crickets　which　are　sold　to　children　at　fair　time。



The　doctor　raised　his　voice　and　said：　〃Honore；　you　cannot　leave

your　mother　in　this　state；　she　may　die　at　any　moment。〃　And　the

peasant；　in　great　distress；　replied：　〃But　I　must　get　in　my　wheat；

for　it　has　been　lying　on　the　ground　a　long　time；　and　the　weather

is　just　right　for　it；　what　do　you　say　about　it；　mother？〃　And　the

dying　woman；　still　possessed　by　her　Norman　avariciousness；

replied　YES　with　her　eyes　and　her　forehead；　and　so　urged　her　son

to　get　in　his　wheat；　and　to　leave　her　to　die　alone。　But　the

doctor　got　angry；　and　stamping　his　foot　he　said：　〃You　are　no

better　than　a　brute；　do　you　hear；　and　I　will　not　allow　you　to　do

it。　Do　you　understand？　A