selected writings-第35节

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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　eyes　open；　the　old　mother　seemed　to

await　the　death　which　was　so　near；　and　which　yet　delayed　its

coming；　with　perfect　indifference。　Her　short　breath　whistled　in

her　throat。　It　would　stop　altogether　soon；　and　there　would　be　one

woman　less　in　the　world；　one　whom　nobody　would　regret。



At　nightfall　Honore　returned；　and　when　he　went　up　to　the　bed　and

saw　that　his　mother　was　still　alive　he　asked：　〃How　is　she？〃　just

as　he　had　done　formerly；　when　she　had　been　sick。　Then　he　sent　La

Rapet　away；　saying　to　her：　〃To…morrow　morning　at　five　o'clock；

without　fail。〃　And　she　replied：　〃To…morrow　at　five　o'clock。〃



She　came　at　daybreak；　and　found　Honore　eating　his　soup；　which　he

had　made　himself；　before　going　to　work。



〃Well；　is　your　mother　dead？〃　asked　the　nurse。



〃She　is　rather　better；　on　the　contrary；〃　he　replied；　with　a

malignant　look　out　of　the　corner　of　his　eyes。　Then　he　went　out。



La　Rapet　was　seized　with　anxiety；　and　went　up　to　the　dying　woman；

who　was　in　the　same　state；　lethargic　and　impassive；　her　eyes　open

and　her　hands　clutching　the　counterpane。　The　nurse　perceived　that

this　might　go　on　thus　for　two　days；　four　days；　eight　days；　even；

and　her　avaricious　mind　was　seized　with　fear。　She　was　excited　to

fury　against　the　cunning　fellow　who　had　tricked　her；　and　against

the　woman　who　would　not　die。



Nevertheless；　she　began　to　sew　and　waited　with　her　eyes　fixed　on

the　wrinkled　face　of　Mother　Bontemps。　When　Honore　returned　to

breakfast　he　seemed　quite　satisfied；　and　even　in　a　bantering

humor；　for　he　was　carrying　in　his　wheat　under　very　favorable

circumstances。



La　Rapet　was　getting　exasperated；　every　passing　minute　now　seemed

to　her　so　much　time　and　money　stolen　from　her。　She　felt　a　mad

inclination　to　choke　this　old　ass；　this　headstrong　old　fool；　this

obstinate　old　wretchto　stop　that　short；　rapid　breath；　which　was

robbing　her　of　her　time　and　money；　by　squeezing　her　throat　a

little。　But　then　she　reflected　on　the　danger　of　doing　so；　and

other　thoughts　came　into　her　head；　so　she　went　up　to　the　bed　and

said　to　her：　〃Have　you　ever　seen　the　Devil？〃



Mother　Bontemps　whispered：　〃No。〃



Then　the　sick…nurse　began　to　talk　and　to　tell　her　tales　likely　to

terrify　her　weak　and　dying　mind。　〃Some　minutes　before　one　dies

the　Devil　appears；〃　she　said；　〃to　all。　He　has　a　broom　in　his

hand；　a　saucepan　on　his　head　and　he　utters　loud　cries。　When

anybody　had　seen　him；　all　was　over；　and　that　person　had　only　a

few　moments　longer　to　live〃；　and　she　enumerated　all　those　to　whom

the　Devil　had　appeared　that　year：　Josephine　Loisel；　Eulalie

Ratier；　Sophie　Padagnau；　Seraphine　Grospied。



Mother　Bontemps；　who　was　at　last　most　disturbed　in　mind；　moved

about；　wrung　her　hands；　and　tried　to　turn　her　head　to　look　at　the

other　end　of　the　room。　Suddenly　La　Rapet　disappeared　at　the　foot

of　the　bed。　She　took　a　sheet　out　of　the　cupboard　and　wrapped

herself　up　in　it；　then　she　put　the　iron　pot　on　to　her　head；　so

that　its　three　short　bent　feet　rose　up　like　horns；　took　a　broom

in　her　right　hand　and　a　tin　pail　in　her　left；　which　she　threw　up

suddenly；　so　that　it　might　fall　to　the　ground　noisily。



Certainly　when　it　came　down；　it　made　a　terrible　noise。　Then；

climbing　on　to　a　chair；　the　nurse　showed　herself；　gesticulating

and　uttering　shrill　cries　into　the　pot　which　covered　her　face；

while　she　menaced　the　old　peasant　woman；　who　was　nearly　dead；

with　her　broom。



Terrified；　with　a　mad　look　on　her　face；　the　dying　woman　made　a

superhuman　effort　to　get　up　and　escape；　she　even　got　her

shoulders　and　chest　out　of　bed；　then　she　fell　back　with　a　deep

sigh。　All　was　over；　and　La　Rapet　calmly　put　everything　back　into

its　place；　the　broom　into　the　corner　by　the　cupboard；　the　sheet

inside　it；　the　pot　on　to　the　hearth；　the　pail　on　to　the　floor；

and　the　chair　against　the　wall。　Then　with　a　professional　air；　she

closed　the　dead　woman's　enormous　eyes；　put　a　plate　on　the　bed　and

poured　some　holy　water　into　it；　dipped　the　twig　of　boxwood　into

it；　and　kneeling　down；　she　fervently　repeated　the　prayers　for　the

dead；　which　she　knew　by　heart；　as　a　matter　of　business。



When　Honore　returned　in　the　evening；　he　found　her　praying。　He

calculated　immediately　that　she　had　made　twenty　sous　out　of　him；

for　she　had　only　spent　three　days　and　one　night　there；　which　made

five　francs　altogether；　instead　of　the　six　which　he　owed　her。







EPIPHANY



〃Ah！〃　said　Captain　the　Count　de　Garens；　〃I　should　rather　think

that　I　do　remember　that　Epiphany　supper；　during　the　war！



〃At　the　time　I　was　quarter…master　of　cavalry；　and　for　a　fort

night；　I　had　been　lurking　about　as　a　scout　in　front　of　the　German

advanced　guard。　The　evening　before　we　had　cut　down　a　few　Uhlans

and　had　lost　three　men；　one　of　whom　was　that　poor　little

Raudeville。　You　remember　Joseph　de　Raudeville　well；　of　course。



〃Well；　on　that　day　my　captain　ordered　me　to　take　six　troopers　and

occupy　the　village　of　Porterin；　where　there　had　been　five　fights

in　three　weeks；　and　to　hold　it　all　night。　There　were　not　twenty

houses　left　standing；　nay；　not　a　dozen；　in　that　wasp's　nest。　So　I

took　ten　troopers；　and　set　out　at　about　four　o'clock；　at　five

o'clock；　while　it　was　still　pitch　dark；　we　reached　the　first

houses　of　Porterin。　I　halted　and　ordered　Marchasyou　know　Pierre

de　Marchas；　who　afterward　married　little　Martel…Auvelin；　the

daughter　of　the　Marquis　de　Martel…Auvelinto　go　alone　into　the

village　and　to　report　to　me　what　he　saw。



〃I　had　chosen　nothing　but　volunteers；　and　all　of　good　family。

When　on　service　it　is　pleasant　not　to　be　forced　into　intimacy

with　unpleasant　fellows。　This　Marchas　was　as　sharp　as　possible；

as　cunning　as　a　fox；　and　as　supple　as　a　serpent。　He　could　scent

the　Prussians　as　well　as　a　dog　can　scent　a　hare；　could　find

victuals　where　we　should　have　died　of　hunger　without　him；　and

could　obtain　information　from　everybodyinformation　which　was

always　reliablewith　incredible　cleverness。



〃In　ten　minutes　he　returned。　'All　right；'　he　said；　'there　have

been　no　Prussians　here　for　three　days。　It　is　a　sinister　place；　is

this　village。　I　have　been　talking　to　a　Sister　of　Mercy；　who　is

attending　to　four　or　five　wounded　men　in　an　abandoned　convent。'



〃I　ordered　them　to　ride　on；　and　we　penetrated　into　the　principal

street。　On　the　right　and　left　we　could　vaguely　see　roofless

walls；　hardly　visible　in　the　profound　darkness。　Here　and　there　a

light　was　burning　in　a　room；　some　family　had　remained　to　keep　its

house　standing　as　long　as　they　were　able；　a　family　of　brave；　or

of　poor；　people。　The　rain　began　to　fall；　a　fine；　icy…cold　rain；

which　froze　us　before　it　wetted　us　through；　by　merely　touching

our　cloaks。　The　horses　stumbled　against　stones；　against　beams；

against　furniture。　Marchas　guided　us；　going　before　us　on　foot；

and　leading　his　horse　by　the　bridle。



〃　'Where　are　you　taking　us　to？'　I　asked　him。　And　he　replied：　'I

have　a　place　for　us　to　lodge　in；　and　a　rare　good　one。'　And　soon

we　stopped　before　a　small　house；　evidently　belonging　to　some

person　of　the　middle　class；　completely　shut　up；　built　on　to　the

street　with　a　garden　in　the　rear。



〃Marchas　broke　open　the　lock　by　means　of　a　big　stone；　which　he

picked　up　near　the　garden　gate；　then　he　mounted　the　steps；

smashed　in　the　front　door　with　his　feet　and　shoulders；　lighted　a

bit　of　wax　candle；　which　he　was　never　without；　and　preceded　us

into　the　comfortable　apartments　of　some　rich　private　individual；

guiding　us　with　admirable　assurance；　just　as　if　he　had　lived　in

this　house　which　he　now　saw　for　the　first　time。



〃Two　troopers　remained　outside　to　take　care　of　our　horses；　then

Marchas　said　to　stout　Ponderel；　who　followed　him：　'The　stables

must　be　on　the　left；　I　saw　that　as　we　came　in；　go　and　put　the

animals　up　there；　for　we　do　not　want　them；'　and　then　turning　to

me　he　said：　'Give　your　orders；　confound　it　all！'



〃Marchas　always　astonished　me；　and　I　replied　with　a　laugh：　'I

shall　post　my　sentinels　at　the　country　approaches　and　I　will

return　to　you　here。'



〃　'How　many　men　are　you　going　to　take？'



〃　'Five。　The　others　will　relieve　them　at　five　o'clock　in　the

evening。'



〃　'Very　well。　Leave　me　four　to　look　after　provisions；　to　do　the

cooking；　and　to　set　the　table。　I　will　go　and　find　out　where　the

wine　is　hidden　away。'



〃I　went　off　to　reconnoiter　the　deserted　streets；　until　they　ended

in　the　open　country；　so　as　to　post　my　sentries　there。



〃Half　an　hour　later　I　was　back；　and　found　Marchas　lounging　in　a

great　armchair；　the　covering　of　which　he　had　taken　off；　from　love

of　luxury　as　he　said。　He　was　warming　his　feet　at　the　fire　and

smoking　an　excellent　cigar；　whose　perfume　filled　the　room。　He　was

alone；　his　elbows　resting　on　the　arms　of　the　chair；　his　cheeks

flushed；　his　eyes　bright；　and　looking　delighted。



〃I　h