selected writings-第34节

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

it。　Do　you　understand？　And　if　you　must　get　in　your　wheat　to…day；

go　and　fetch　Rapet's　wife　and　make　her　look　after　your　mother。　I

WILL　have　it。　And　if　you　do　not　obey　me；　I　will　let　you　die　like

a　dog；　when　you　are　ill　in　your　turn；　do　you　hear　me？〃



The　peasant；　a　tall；　thin　fellow　with　slow　movements；　who　was

tormented　by　indecision；　by　his　fear　of　the　doctor　and　his　keen

love　of　saving；　hesitated；　calculated；　and　stammered　out：　〃How

much　does　La　Rapet　charge　for　attending　sick　people？〃



〃How　should　I　know？〃　the　doctor　cried。　〃That　depends　upon　how

long　she　is　wanted　for。　Settle　it　with　her；　by　Jove！　But　I　want

her　to　be　here　within　an　hour；　do　you　hear。〃



So　the　man　made　up　his　mind。　〃I　will　go　for　her；〃　he　replied；

〃don't　get　angry；　doctor。〃　And　the　latter　left；　calling　out　as　he

went：　〃Take　care；　you　know；　for　I　do　not　joke　when　I　am　angry！〃

And　as　soon　as　they　were　alone；　the　peasant　turned　to　his　mother；

and　said　in　a　resigned　voice：　〃I　will　go　and　fetch　La　Rapet；　as

the　man　will　have　it。　Don't　go　off　while　I　am　away。〃



And　he　went　out　in　his　turn。



La　Rapet；　who　was　an　old　washerwoman；　watched　the　dead　and　the

dying　of　the　neighborhood；　and　then；　as　soon　as　she　had　sewn　her


customers　into　that　linen　cloth　from　which　they　would　emerge　no

more；　she　went　and　took　up　her　irons　to　smooth　the　linen　of　the

living。　Wrinkled　like　a　last　year's　apple；　spiteful；　envious；

avaricious　with　a　phenomenal　avarice；　bent　double；　as　if　she　had

been　broken　in　half　across　the　loins；　by　the　constant　movement　of

the　iron　over　the　linen；　one　might　have　said　that　she　had　a　kind

of　monstrous　and　cynical　affection　for　a　death　struggle。　She

never　spoke　of　anything　but　of　the　people　she　had　seen　die；　of

the　various　kinds　of　deaths　at　which　she　had　been　present；　and

she　related；　with　the　greatest　minuteness；　details　which　were

always　the　same；　just　like　a　sportsman　talks　of　his　shots。



When　Honore　Bontemps　entered　her　cottage；　he　found　her　preparing

the　starch　for　the　collars　of　the　village　women；　and　he　said：

〃Good　evening；　I　hope　you　are　pretty　well；　Mother　Rapet。〃



She　turned　her　head　round　to　look　at　him　and　said：　〃Fairly　well；

fairly　well；　and　you？〃



〃Oh　I　as　for　me；　I　am　as　well　as　I　could　wish；　but　my　mother　is

very　sick。〃



〃Your　mother？〃



〃Yes；　my　mother！〃



〃What's　the　matter　with　her？〃



〃She　is　going　to　turn　up　her　toes；　that's　what's　the　matter　with

her！〃



The　old　woman　took　her　hands　out　of　the　water　and　asked　with

sudden　sympathy：　〃Is　she　as　bad　as　all　that？〃



〃The　doctor　says　she　will　not　last　till　morning。〃



〃Then　she　certainly　is　very　bad！〃　Honore　hesitated；　for　he　wanted

to　make　a　few　preliminary　remarks　before　coming　to　his　proposal；

but　as　he　could　hit　upon　nothing；　he　made　up　his　mind　suddenly。



〃How　much　are　you　going　to　ask　to　stop　with　her　till　the　end？　You

know　that　I　am　not　rich；　and　I　cannot　even　afford　to　keep　a

servant…girl。　It　is　just　that　which　has　brought　my　poor　mother　to

this　state；　too　much　work　and　fatigue！　She　used　to　work　for　ten；

in　spite　of　her　ninety…two　years。　You　don't　find　any　made　of　that

stuff　nowadays！〃



La　Rapet　answered　gravely：　〃There　are　two　prices。　Forty　sous　by

day　and　three　francs　by　night　for　the　rich；　and　twenty　sous　by

day；　and　forty　by　night　for　the　others。　You　shall　pay　me　the

twenty　and　forty。〃　But　the　peasant　reflected；　for　he　knew　his

mother　well。　He　knew　how　tenacious　of　life；　how　vigorous　and

unyielding　she　was。　He　knew；　too；　that　she　might　last　another

week；　in　spite　of　the　doctor's　opinion；　and　so　he　said

resolutely：　〃No；　I　would　rather　you　would　fix　a　price　until　the

end。　I　will　take　my　chance；　one　way　or　the　other。　The　doctor　says

she　will　die　very　soon。　If　that　happens；　so　much　the　better　for

you；　and　so　much　the　worse　for　me；　but　if　she　holds　out　till

to…morrow　or　longer；　so　much　the　better　for　me　and　so　much　the

worse　for　you！〃



The　nurse　looked　at　the　man　in　astonishment；　for　she　had　never

treated　a　death　as　a　speculative　job；　and　she　hesitated；　tempted

by　the　idea　of　the　possible　gain。　But　almost　immediately　she

suspected　that　he　wanted　to　juggle　her。　〃I　can　say　nothing　until

I　have　seen　your　mother；〃　she　replied。



〃Then　come　with　me　and　see　her。〃



She　washed　her　hands；　and　went　with　him　immediately。　They　did　not

speak　on　the　road；　she　walked　with　short；　hasty　steps；　while　he

strode　on　with　his　long　legs；　as　if　he　were　crossing　a　brook　at

every　step。　The　cows　lying　down　in　the　fields；　overcome　by　the

heat；　raised　their　heads　heavily　and　lowed　feebly　at　the　two

passers…by；　as　if　to　ask　them　for　some　green　grass。



When　they　got　near　the　house；　Honore　Bontemps　murmured：　〃Suppose

it　is　all　over？〃　And　the　unconscious　wish　that　it　might　be　so

showed　itself　in　the　sound　of　his　voice。



But　the　old　woman　was　not　dead。　She　was　lying　on　her　back；　on　her

wretched　bed；　her　hands　covered　with　a　pink　cotton　counterpane；

horribly　thin；　knotty　paws；　like　some　strange　animal's；　or　like

crabs'　claws；　hands　closed　by　rheumatism；　fatigue；　and　the　work

of　nearly　a　century　which　she　had　accomplished。



La　Rapet　went　up　to　the　bed　and　looked　at　the　dying　woman；　felt

her　pulse；　tapped　her　on　the　chest；　listened　to　her　breathing；

and　asked　her　questions；　so　as　to　hear　her　speak：　then；　having

looked　at　her　for　some　time　longer；　she　went　out　of　the　room；

followed　by　Honore。　His　decided　opinion　was；　that　the　old　woman

would　not　last　out　the　night；　and　he　asked：　〃Well？〃　And　the

sick…nurse　replied：　〃Well；　she　may　last　two　days；　perhaps　three。

You　will　have　to　give　me　six　francs；　everything　included。〃



〃Six　francs！　six　francs！〃　he　shouted。　〃Are　you　out　of　your　mind？

I　tell　you　that　she　cannot　last　more　than　five　or　six　hours！〃　And

they　disputed　angrily　for　some　time；　but　as　the　nurse　said　she

would　go　home；　as　the　time　was　slipping　away；　and　as　his　wheat

would　not　come　to　the　farmyard　of　its　own　accord；　he　agreed　to

her　terms　at　last：



〃Very　well；　then；　that　is　settled；　six　francs　including

everything；　until　the　corpse　is　taken　out。〃



〃That　is　settled；　six　francs。〃



And　he　went　away；　with　long　strides；　to　his　wheat；　which　was

lying　on　the　ground　under　the　hot　sun　which　ripens　the　grain；

while　the　sick…nurse　returned　to　the　house。



She　had　brought　some　work　with　her；　for　she　worked　without

stopping　by　the　side　of　the　dead　and　dying；　sometimes　for

herself；　sometimes　for　the　family；　who　employed　her　as　seamstress

also；　paying　her　rather　more　in　that　capacity。　Suddenly　she

asked：



〃Have　you　received　the　last　sacrament；　Mother　Bontemps？〃



The　old　peasant　woman　said　〃No〃　with　her　head；　and　La　Rapet；　who

was　very　devout；　got　up　quickly：　〃Good　heavens；　is　it　possible？　I

will　go　and　fetch　the　cure〃；　and　she　rushed　off　to　the　parsonage

so　quickly；　that　the　urchins　in　the　street　thought　some　accident

had　happened；　when　they　saw　her　trotting　off　like　that。



The　priest　came　immediately　in　his　surplice；　preceded　by　a

choir…boy；　who　rang　a　bell　to　announce　the　passage　of　the　Host

through　the　parched　and　quiet　country。　Some　men；　working　at　a

distance；　took　off　their　large　hats　and　remained　motionless　until

the　white　vestment　had　disappeared　behind　some　farm　buildings；

the　women　who　were　making　up　the　sheaves　stood　up　to　make　the

sign　of　the　cross；　the　frightened　black　hens　ran　away　along　the

ditch　until　they　reached　a　well…known　hole　through　which　they

suddenly　disappeared；　while　a　foal；　which　was　tied　up　in　a

meadow；　took　fright　at　the　sight　of　the　surplice　and　began　to

gallop　round　at　the　length　of　its　rope；　kicking　violently。　The

choir…boy；　in　his　red　cassock；　walked　quickly；　and　the　priest；

the　square　biretta　on　his　bowed　head；　followed　him；　muttering

some　prayers。　Last　of　all　came　La　Rapet；　bent　almost　double；　as

if　she　wished　to　prostrate　herself；　she　walked　with　folded　hands；

as　if　she　were　in　church。



Honore　saw　them　pass　in　the　distance；　and　he　asked：　〃Where　is　our

priest　going　to？〃　And　his　man；　who　was　more　acute；　replied：　〃He

is　taking　the　sacrament　to　your　mother；　of　course！〃



The　peasant　was　not　surprised　and　said：　〃That　is　quite　possible；〃

and　went　on　with　his　work。



Mother　Bontemps　confessed；　received　absolution　and　extreme

unction；　and　the　priest　took　his　departure；　leaving　the　two　women

alone　in　the　suffocating　cottage。　La　Rapet　began　to　look　at　the

dying　woman；　and　to　ask　herself　whether　it　could　last　much

longer。



The　day　was　on　the　wane；　and　a　cooler　air　came　in　stronger　puffs；

making　a　view　of　Epinal；　which　was　fastened　to　the　wall　by　two

pins；　flap　up　and　down。　The　scanty　window　curtains；　which　had

formerly　been　white；　but　were　now　yellow　and　covered　with

fly…specks；　looked　as　it　they　were　going　to　fly　off；　and　seemed

to　struggle　to　get　away；　like　the　old　woman's　soul。



Lying　motionless；　with　her