selected writings-第54节

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October　6。　Nothing　has　been　discovered。　Some　strolling　vagabond

must　have　done　the　deed。　Ah！　If　I　had　seen　the　blood　flow　it

seems　to　me　I　should　be　tranquil　now！



October　10。　Yet　another。　I　was　walking　by　the　river；　after

breakfast。　And　I　saw；　under　a　willow；　a　fisherman　asleep。　It　was

noon。　A　spade；　as　if　expressly　put　there　for　me；　was　standing　in

a　potato…field　near　by。



I　took　it。　I　returned；　I　raised　it　like　a　club；　and　with　one　blow

of　the　edge　I　cleft　the　fisherman's　head。　Oh！　he　bled；　this

one！rose…colored　blood。　It　flowed　into　the　water　quite　gently。

And　I　went　away　with　a　grave　step。　If　I　had　been　seen！　Ah！　I

should　have　made　an　excellent　assassin。



October　25。　The　affair　of　the　fisherman　makes　a　great　noise。　His

nephew；　who　fished　with　him；　is　charged　with　the　murder。



October　26。　The　examining　magistrate　affirms　that　the　nephew　is

guilty。　Everybody　in　town　believes　it。　Ah！　ah！



October　27。　The　nephew　defends　himself　badly。　He　had　gone　to　the

village　to　buy　bread　and　cheese；　he　declares。　He　swears　that　his

uncle　had　been　killed　in　his　absence！　Who　would　believe　him？



October　28。　The　nephew　has　all　but　confessed；　so　much　have　they

made　him　lose　his　head！　Ah！　Justice！



November　15。　There　are　overwheming　proofs　against　the　nephew；　who

was　his　uncle's　heir。　I　shall　preside　at　the　sessions。



January　25；　1852。　To　death！　to　death！　to　death！　I　have　had　him

condemned　to　death！　The　advocate…general　spoke　like　an　angel！　Ah！

Yet　another！　I　shall　go　to　see　him　executed！



March　10。　It　is　done。　They　guillotined　him　this　morning。　He　died

very　well！　very　well！　That　gave　me　pleasure！　How　fine　it　is　to

see　a　man's　head　cut　off！



Now；　I　shall　wait；　I　can　wait。　It　would　take　such　a　little　thing

to　let　myself　be　caught。



　*　*　*　*　*　*　*



The　manuscript　contained　more　pages；　but　told　of　no　new　crime。



Alienist　physicians　to　whom　the　awful　story　has　been　submitted

declare　that　there　are　in　the　world　many　unknown　madmen；　as

adroit　and　as　terrible　as　this　monstrous　lunatic。







AN　UNFORTUNATE　LIKENESS



It　was　during　one　of　those　sudden　changes　of　the　electric　light；

which　at　one　time　throws　rays　of　exquisite　pale　pink；　of　a　liquid

gold　filtered　through　the　light　hair　of　a　woman；　and　at　another；

rays　of　bluish　hue　with　strange　tints；　such　as　the　sky　assumes　at

twilight；　in　which　the　women　with　their　bare　shoulders　looked

like　living　flowersit　was；　I　say；　on　the　night　of　the　first　of

January　at　Montonirail's；　the　dainty　painter　of　tall；　undulating

figures；　of　bright　dresses；　of　Parisian　prettinessthat　tall

Pescarelle；　whom　some　called　〃Pussy；〃　though　I　do　not　know　why；

suddenly　said　in　a　low　voice：



〃Well；　people　were　not　altogether　mistaken；　in　fact；　were　only

half　wrong　when　they　coupled　my　name　with　that　of　pretty　Lucy

Plonelle。　She　had　caught　me；　just　as　a　birdcatcher　on　a　frosty

morning　catches　an　imprudent　wren　on　a　limed　twigin　fact；　she

might　have　done　whatever　she　liked　with　me。



〃I　was　under　the　charm　of　her　enigmatical　and　mocking　smile；　that

smile　in　which　her　teeth　gleamed　cruelly　between　her　red　lips；

and　glistened　as　if　they　were　ready　to　bite　and　to　heighten　the

pleasure　of　the　most　delightful；　the　most　voluptuous；　kiss　by

pain。



〃I　loved　everything　in　herher　feline　suppleness；　her　languid

looks　which　emerged　from　her　half…closed　lids；　full　of　promises

and　temptation；　her　somewhat　extreme　elegance；　and　her　hands；

those　long；　delicate　white　hands；　with　blue　veins；　like　the

bloodless　hands　of　a　female　saint　in　a　stained　glass　window；　and

her　slender　fingers；　on　which　only　the　large　blood…drop　of　a　ruby

glittered。



〃I　would　have　given　her　all　my　remaining　youth　and　vigor　to　have

laid　my　burning　hands　upon　the　back　of　her　cool；　round　neck；　and

to　feel　that　bright；　silk；　golden　mane　enveloping　me　and

caressing　my　skin。　I　was　never　tired　of　hearing　her　disdainful；

petulant　voice；　those　vibrations　which　sounded　as　if　they

proceeded　from　clear　glass；　whose　music；　at　times；　became　hoarse；

harsh；　and　fierce；　like　the　loud；　sonorous　calls　of　the

Valkyries。



〃Good　heavens！　to　be　her　lover；　to　be　her　chattel；　to　belong　to

her；　to　devote　one's　whole　existence　to　her；　to　spend　one's　last

half…penny　and　to　sink　in　misery；　only　to　have　the　glory　and　the

happiness　of　possessing　her　splendid　beauty；　the　sweetness　of　her

kisses；　the　pink　and　the　white　of　her　demonlike　soul　all　to

myself；　if　only　for　a　few　months！



〃It　makes　you　laugh；　I　know；　to　think　that　I　should　have　been

caught　like　thatI　who　give　such　good；　prudent　advice　to　my

friendsI　who　fear　love　as　I　do　those　quicksands　and　shoals

which　appear　at　low　tide　and　in　which　one　may　be　swallowed　up　and

disappear！



〃But　who　can　answer　for　himself；　who　can　defend　himself　against

such　a　danger；　as　the　magnetic　attraction　that　inheres　in　such　a

woman？　Nevertheless；　I　got　cured　and　perfectly　cured；　and　that

quite　accidentally。　This　is　how　the　enchantment；　which　was

apparently　so　infrangible；　was　broken。



〃On　the　first　night　of　a　play；　I　was　sitting　in　the　stalls　close

to　Lucy；　whose　mother　had　accompanied　her；　as　usual。　They

occupied　the　front　of　a　box；　side　by　side。　From　some

unsurmountable　attraction；　I　never　ceased　looking　at　the　woman

whom　I　loved　with　all　the　force　of　my　being。　I　feasted　my　eyes　on

her　beauty；　I　saw　nobody　except　her　in　the　theater；　and　did　not

listen　to　the　piece　that　was　being　performed　on　the　stage。



〃Suddenly；　however；　I　felt　as　if　I　had　received　a　blow　from　a

dagger　in　my　heart；　and　I　had　an　insane　hallucination。　Lucy　had

moved；　and　her　pretty　head　was　in　profile；　in　the　same　attitude

and　with　the　same　lines　as　her　mother。　I　do　not　know　what　shadow

or　what　play　of　light　had　hardened　and　altered　the　color　of　her

delicate　features；　effacing　their　ideal　prettiness；　but　the　more

I　looked　at　them　both；　at　the　one　who　was　young　and　the　one　who

was　old；　the　greater　the　distressing　resemblance　became。



〃I　saw　Lucy　growing　older　and　older；　striving　against　those

accumulating　years　which　bring　wrinkles　in　the　face；　produce　a

double　chin　and　crow's…feet；　and　spoil　the　mouth。　THEY　ALMOST

LOOKED　LIKE　TWINS。



〃I　suffered　so；　that　I　thought　I　should　go　mad。　Yet　in　spite　of

myself；　instead　of　shaking　off　this　feeling　and　making　my　escape

out　of　the　theater；　far　away　into　the　noise　and　life　of　the

boulevards；　I　persisted　in　looking　at　the　other；　at　the　old　one；

in　examining　her；　in　judging　her；　in　dissecting　her　with　my　eyes。

I　got　excited　over　her　flabby　cheeks；　over　those　ridiculous

dimples；　that　were　half　filled　up；　over　that　treble　chin；　that

dyed　hair；　those　lusterless　eyes；　and　that　nose；　which　was　a

caricature　of　Lucy's　beautiful；　attractive　little　nose。



〃I　had　a　prescience　of　the　future。　I　loved　her；　and　I　should　love

her　more　and　more　every　day；　that　little　sorceress　who　had　so

despotically　and　so　quickly　conquered　me。　I　should　not　allow　any

participation　or　any　intrigue　from　the　day　she　gave　herself　to

me；　and　once　intimately　connected；　who　could　tell　whether；　just

as　I　was　defending　myself　against　it　most；　the　legitimate

terminationmarriagemight　not　come？



〃Why　not　give　one's　name　to　a　woman　whom　one　loves；　and　whom　one

trusts？　The　reason　was　that　I　should　be　tied　to　a　disfigured；

ugly　creature；　with　whom　I　should　not　venture　to　be　seen　in

public。　My　friends　would　leer　at　her　with　laughter　in　their　eyes；

and　with　pity　in　their　hearts　for　the　man　who　was　accompanying

those　remains。



〃And　so；　as　soon　as　the　curtain　had　fallen；　without　saying　good

day　or　good　evening；　I　had　myself　driven　to　the　Moulin　Rouge。



　*　*　*　*　*　*　*



〃Well；〃　Florise　d'Anglet　exclaimed；　〃I　shall　never　take　mamma　to

the　theater　with　me　again；　for　the　men　are　really　going　crazy！〃







A　COUNTRY　EXCURSION



For　five　months　they　had　been　talking　of　going　to　lunch　at　some

country　restaurant　in　the　neighborhood　of　Paris；　on　Madame

Dufour's　birthday；　and　as　they　were　looking　forward　very

impatiently　to　the　outing；　they　had　risen　very　early　that

morning。　Monsieur　Dufour　had　borrowed　the　milkman's　tilted　cart；

and　drove　himself。　It　was　a　very　neat；　two　wheeled　conveyance；

with　a　hood；　and　in　it　Madame　Dufour；　resplendent　in　a　wonderful；

sherry…colored　silk　dress；　sat　by　the　side　of　her　husband。



The　old　grandmother　and　the　daughter　were　accommodated　with　two

chairs；　and　a　yellow…haired　youth；　of　whom；　however；　nothing　was

to　be　seen　except　his　head；　lay　at　the　bottom　of　the　trap。



When　they　got　to　the　bridge　of　Neuilly；　Monsieur　Dufour　said：

〃Here　we　are　in　the　country　at　last！〃　At　that　warning；　his　wife

grew　sentimental　about　the　beauties　of　nature。　When　they　got　to

the　crossroads　at　Courbevoie；　they　were　seized　with　admiration

for　the　tremendous　view　down　there：　on　the　right　was　the　spire　of

Argenteuil　church；　above　it　rose　the　hills　of　Sannois　and　the

mill　of　O