selected writings-第38节

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neck；　and　his　clothes　seemed　to　have　been　rubbed；　to　have　been

dipped　in　a　red　tub；　the　blood　had　congealed　on　him；　and　had

become　a　dull　color　which　was　horrible　to　look　at。



〃The　old　man；　wrapped　up　in　a　large　shepherd's　cloak；

occasionally　opened　his　dull；　vacant　eyes。　They　seemed　stupid

with　astonishment；　like　the　eyes　of　hunted　animals　which　fall　at

the　sportsman's　feet；　half　dead　before　the　shot；　stupefied　with

fear　and　surprise。



〃The　cure　exclaimed：　'Ah！　there　is　old　Placide；　the　shepherd　from

Les　Marlins。　He　is　deaf；　poor　man；　and　heard　nothing。　Ah！　Oh；

God！　they　have　killed　the　unhappy　man！'　The　Sister　had　opened

his　blouse　and　shirt　and　was　looking　at　a　little　blue　hole　in

the　middle　of　his　chest；　which　was　not　bleeding　any　more。　'There

is　nothing　to　be　done；'　she　said。



〃The　shepherd　was　gasping　terribly　and　bringing　up　blood　with

every　breath。　In　his　throat　to　the　very　depth　of　his　lungs；　they

could　hear　an　ominous　and　continued　gurgling。　The　cure；　standing

in　front　of　him；　raised　his　right　hand；　made　the　sign　of　the

cross；　and　in　a　slow　and　solemn　voice　pronounced　the　Latin　words

which　purify　men's　souls。　But　before　they　were　finished；　the　old

man　was　shaken　by　a　rapid　shudder；　as　if　something　had　broken

inside　him；　he　no　longer　breathed。　He　was　dead。



〃When　I　turned　round　I　saw　a　sight　which　was　even　more　horrible

than　the　death　struggle　of　this　unfortunate　man。　The　three　old

women　were　standing　up　huddled　close　together；　hideous；　and

grimacing　with　fear　and　horror。　I　went　up　to　them；　and　they　began

to　utter　shrill　screams；　while　La　Jean…Jean；　whose　leg　had　been

burned　and　could　not　longer　support　her；　fell　to　the　ground　at

full　length。



〃Sister　Saint…Benedict　left　the　dead　man；　ran　up　to　her　infirm

old　women；　and　without　a　word　or　a　look　for　me　wrapped　their

shawls　round　them；　gave　them　their　crutches；　pushed　them　to　the

door；　made　them　go　out；　and　disappeared　with　them　into　the　dark

night。



〃I　saw　that　I　could　not　even　let　a　hussar　accompany　them；　for　the

mere　rattle　of　a　sword　would　have　sent　them　mad　with　fear。



〃The　cure　was　still　looking　at　the　dead　man；　but　at　last　he

turned　to　me　and　said：



〃　'Oh！　What　a　horrible　thing！'　〃







SIMON'S　PAPA



Noon　had　just　struck。　The　school…door　opened　and　the　youngsters

streamed　out　tumbling　over　one　another　in　their　haste　to　get　out

quickly。　But　instead　of　promptly　dispersing　and　going　home　to

dinner　as　was　their　daily　wont；　they　stopped　a　few　paces　off；

broke　up　into　knots　and　set　to　whispering。



The　fact　was　that　that　morning　Simon；　the　son　of　La　Blanchotte；

had；　for　the　first　time；　attended　school。



They　had　all　of　them　in　their　families　heard　of　La　Blanchotte；

and　although　in　public　she　was　welcome　enough；　the　mothers　among

themselves　treated　her　with　compassion　of　a　some　what　disdainful

kind；　which　the　children　had　caught　without　in　the　least　knowing

why。



As　for　Simon　himself；　they　did　not　know　him；　for　he　never　went

abroad；　and　did　not　play　around　with　them　through　the　streets　of

the　village　or　along　the　banks　of　the　river。　So　they　loved　him

but　little；　and　it　was　with　a　certain　delight；　mingled　with

astonishment　that　they　gathered　in　groups　this　morning；　repeating

to　each　other　this　sentence；　concocted　by　a　lad　of　fourteen　or

fifteen　who　appeared　to　know　all　about　it；　so　sagaciously　did　he

wink：　〃You　know　Simon　well；　he　has　no　papa。〃



La　Blanchotte's　son　appeared　in　his　turn　upon　the　threshold　of

the　school。



He　was　seven　or　eight　years　old；　rather　pale；　very　neat；　with　a

timid　and　almost　awkward　manner。



He　was　making　his　way　back　to　his　mother's　house　when　the　various

groups　of　his　schoolfellows；　perpetually　whispering；　and　watching

him　with　the　mischievous　and　heartless　eyes　of　children　bent　upon

playing　a　nasty　trick；　gradually　surrounded　him　and　ended　by

inclosing　him　altogether。　There　he　stood　amid　them；　surprised　and

embarrassed；　not　understanding　what　they　were　going　to　do　with

him。　But　the　lad　who　had　brought　the　news；　puffed　up　with　the

success　he　had　met　with；　demanded：



〃What　do　you　call　yourself？〃



He　answered：　〃Simon。〃



〃Simon　what？〃　retorted　the　other。



The　child；　altogether　bewildered；　repeated：　〃Simon。〃



The　lad　shouted　at　him：　〃You　must　be　named　Simon　something！　That

is　not　a　nameSimon　indeed！〃



And　he；　on　the　brink　of　tears；　replied　for　the　third　time：



〃I　am　named　Simon。〃



The　urchins　began　laughing。　The　lad　triumphantly　lifted　up　his

voice：　〃You　can　see　plainly　that　he　has　no　papa。〃



A　deep　silence　ensued。　The　children　were　dumfounded　by　this

extraordinary；　impossibly　monstrous　thinga　boy　who　had　not　a

papa；　they　looked　upon　him　as　a　phenomenon；　an　unnatural　being；

and　they　felt　rising　in　them　the　hitherto　inexplicable　pity　of

their　mothers　for　La　Blanchotte。　As　for　Simon；　he　had　propped

himself　against　a　tree　to　avoid　falling；　and　he　stood　there　as　if

paralyzed　by　an　irreparable　disaster。　He　sought　to　explain；　but

he　could　think　of　no　answer　for　them；　no　way　to　deny　this

horrible　charge　that　he　had　no　papa。　At　last　he　shouted　at　them

quite　recklessly：　〃Yes；　I　have　one。〃



〃Where　is　he？〃　demanded　the　boy。



Simon　was　silent；　he　did　not　know。　The　children　shrieked；

tremendously　excited。　These　sons　of　toil；　nearly　related　to

animals；　experienced　the　cruel　craving　which　makes　the　fowls　of　a

farmyard　destroy　one　of　their　own　kind　as　soon　as　it　is　wounded。

Simon　suddenly　spied　a　little　neighbor；　the　son　of　a　widow；　whom

he　had　always　seen；　as　he　himself　was　to　be　seen；　quite　alone

with　his　mother。



〃And　no　more　have　you；〃　he　said；　〃no　more　have　you　a　papa。〃



〃Yes；〃　replied　the　other；　〃I　have　one。〃



〃Where　is　he？〃　rejoined　Simon。



〃He　is　dead；〃　declared　the　brat　with　superb　dignity；　〃he　is　in

the　cemetery；　is　my　papa。〃



A　murmur　of　approval　rose　amid　the　scape…graces；　as　if　the　fact

of　possessing　a　papa　dead　in　a　cemetery　made　their　comrade　big

enough　to　crush　the　other　one　who　had　no　papa　at　all。　And　these

rogues；　whose　fathers　were　for　the　most　part　evil…doers；

drunkards；　thieves；　and　ill…treaters　of　their　wives　hustled　each

other　as　they　pressed　closer　and　closer　to　Simon　as　though　they；

the　legitimate　ones；　would　stifle　in　their　pressure　one　who　was

beyond　the　law。



The　lad　next　Simon　suddenly　put　his　tongue　out　at　him　with　a

waggish　air　and　shouted　at　him：



〃No　papa！　No　papa！〃



Simon　seized　him　by　the　hair　with　both　hands　and　set　to　work　to

demolish　his　legs　with　kicks；　while　he　bit　his　cheek　ferociously。

A　tremendous　struggle　ensued　between　the　two　boys；　and　Simon

found　himself　beaten；　torn；　bruised；　rolled　on　the　ground　in　the

middle　of　the　ring　of　applauding　little　vagabonds。　As　he　arose；

mechanically　brushing　his　little　blouse　all　covered　with　dust

with　his　hand；　some　one　shouted　at　him：



〃Go　and　tell　your　papa。〃



He　then　felt　a　great　sinking　in　his　heart。　They　were　stronger

than　he；　they　had　beaten　him　and　he　had　no　answer　to　give　them；

for　he　knew　it　was　true　that　he　had　no　papa。　Full　of　pride　he

tried　for　some　moments　to　struggle　against　the　tears　which　were

suffocating　him。　He　had　a　choking　fit；　and　then　without　cries　he

began　to　weep　with　great　sobs　which　shook　him　incessantly。　Then　a

ferocious　joy　broke　out　among　his　enemies；　and；　just　like　savages

in　fearful　festivals；　they　took　one　another　by　the　hand　and

danced　in　a　circle　about　him　as　they　repeated　in　refrain：



〃No　papa！　No　papa！〃



But　suddenly　Simon　ceased　sobbing。　Frenzy　overtook　him。　There

were　stones　under　his　feet；　he　picked　them　up　and　with　all　his

strength　hurled　them　at　his　tormentors。　Two　or　three　were　struck

and　ran　away　yelling；　and　so　formidable　did　he　appear　that　the

rest　became　panic…stricken。　Cowards；　like　a　jeering　crowd　in　the

presence　of　an　exasperated　man；　they　broke　up　and　fled。　Left

alone；　the　little　thing　without　a　father　set　off　running　toward

the　fields；　for　a　recollection　had　been　awakened　which　nerved　his

soul　to　a　great　determination。　He　made　up　his　mind　to　drown

himself　in　the　river。



He　remembered；　in　fact；　that　eight　days　ago　a　poor　devil　who

begged　for　his　livelihood　had　thrown　himself　into　the　water

because　he　had　no　more　money。　Simon　had　been　there　when　they

fished　him　out　again；　and　the　sight　of　the　fellow；　who　had　seemed

to　him　so　miserable　and　ugly；　had　then　impressed　himhis　pale

cheeks；　his　long　drenched　beard；　and　his　open　eyes　being　full　of

calm。　The　bystanders　had　said：



〃He　is　dead。〃



And　some　one　had　added：



〃He　is　quite　happy　now。〃



So　Simon　wished　to　drown　himself　also　because　he　had　no　father；

just　as　the　wretched　being　did　who　had　no　money。



He　reached　the　water　and　watched　it　flowing。　Some　fishes　were

rising　briskly　in　the　clear　stream　and　occasionally　made　little

leaps　and　caught　the　flies　on　the　surface。　He　stopped　crying　in

order　to　wat