selected writings-第56节

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who　even　pretended　to　turn　her　head　aside；　and　not　to　see　them。

But　Madame　Dufour；　who　was　rather　bolder；　tempted　by　feminine

curiosity；　looked　at　them　every　moment；　and　no　doubt　compared

them　with　the　secret　unsightliness　of　her　husband。　She　had

squatted　herself　on　the　ground　with　her　legs　tucked　under　her；

after　the　manner　of　tailors；　and　kept　wriggling　about

continually；　under　the　pretext　that　ants　were　crawling　about　her

somewhere。　Monsieur　Dufour；　whom　the　politeness　of　the　strangers

had　put　into　rather　a　bad　temper；　was　trying　to　find　a

comfortable　position；　which　he　did　not；　however；　succeed　in

doing；　while　the　youth　with　the　yellow　hair　was　eating　as

silently　as　an　ogre。



〃It　is　lovely　weather；　Monsieur；〃　the　stout　lady　said　to　one　of

the　boating…men。　She　wished　to　be　friendly；　because　they　had

given　up　their　place。



〃It　is；　indeed；　Madame；〃　he　replied；　〃do　you　often　go　into　the

country？〃



〃Oh！　Only　once　or　twice　a　year；　to　get　a　little　fresh　air；　and

you；　Monsieur？〃



〃I　come　and　sleep　here　every　night。〃



〃Oh！　That　must　be　very　nice？〃



〃Certainly　it　is；　Madame。〃　And　he　gave　them　such　a　practical

account　of　his　daily　life；　that　in　the　hearts　of　these

shopkeepers；　who　were　deprived　of　the　meadows；　and　who　longed　for

country　walks；　it　roused　that　innate　love　of　nature；　which　they

all　felt　so　strongly　the　whole　year　round；　behind　the　counter　in

their　shop。



The　girl　raised　her　eyes　and　looked　at　the　oarsman　with

emotion；　and　Monsieur　Dufour　spoke　for　the　first　time。



〃It　is　indeed　a　happy　life；〃　he　said。　And　then　he　added：　〃A

little　more　rabbit；　my　dear？〃



〃No；　thank　you；〃　she　replied；　and　turning　to　the　young　men　again；

and　pointing　to　their　arms；　asked　　〃Do　you　never　feel　cold　like

that？〃



They　both　laughed；　and　amazed　the　family　by　telling　of　the

enormous　fatigue　they　could　endure；　of　bathing　while　in　a　state

of　tremendous　perspiration；　of　rowing　in　the　fog　at　night；　and

they　struck　their　chests　violently；　to　show　how　they　sounded。



〃Ah！　You　look　very　strong；〃　the　husband　said　and　he　did　not　talk

any　more　of　the　time　when　he　used　to　beat　the　English。　The　girl

was　looking　at　them　askance　now；　and　the　young　fellow　with　the

yellow　hair；　as　he　had　swallowed　some　wine　the　wrong　way；　and　was

coughing　violently；　bespattered　Madame　Dufour's　sherry…colored

silk　dress。　Madame　got　angry；　and　sent　for　some　water　to　wash　the

spots。



Meanwhile　it　had　grown　unbearably　hot；　the　sparkling　river　looked

like　a　blaze　of　fire　and　the　fumes　of　the　wine　were　getting　into

their　heads。　Monsieur　Dufour；　who　had　a　violent　hiccough；　had

unbuttoned　his　waistcoat　and　the　top　of　his　trousers；　while　his

wife；　who　felt　choking；　was　gradually　unfastening　her　dress。　The

youth　was　shaking　his　yellow　wig　in　a　happy　frame　of　mind；　and

kept　helping　himself　to　wine；　and　as　the　old　grandmother　felt

drunk；　she　endeavored　to　be　very　stiff　and　dignified。　As　for　the

girl；　she　showed　nothing　except　a　peculiar　brightness　in　her

eyes；　while　the　brown　skin　on　the　cheeks　became　more　rosy。



The　coffee　finished　them　off；　they　spoke　of　singing；　and　each　of

them　sang；　or　repeated　a　couplet；　which　the　others　repeated

enthusiastically。　Then　they　got　up　with　some　difficulty；　and

while　the　two　women；　who　were　rather　dizzy；　were　getting　some

fresh　air；　the　two　males；　who　were　altogether　drunk；　were

performing　gymnastic　tricks。　Heavy；　limp；　and　with　scarlet　faces；

they　hung　awkwardly　on　to　the　iron　rings；　without　being　able　to

raise　themselves；　while　their　shirts　were　continually　threatening

to　part　company　with　their　trousers；　and　to　flap　in　the　wind　like

flags。



Meanwhile；　the　two　boating…men　had　got　their　skiffs　into　the

water。　They　came　back；　and　politely　asked　the　ladies　whether　they

would　like　a　row。



〃Would　you　like　one；　Monsieur　Dufour？〃　his　wife　exclaimed。

〃Please　come！〃



He　merely　gave　her　a　drunken　look；　without　understanding　what　she

said。　Then　one　of　the　rowers　came　up；　with　two　fishing…rods　in

his　hand；　and　the　hope　of　catching　a　gudgeon；　that　great　aim　of

the　Parisian　shopkeeper；　made　Dufour's　dull　eyes　gleam。　He

politely　allowed　them　to　do　whatever　they　liked；　while　he　sat　in

the　shade；　under　the　bridge；　with　his　feet　dangling　over　the

river；　by　the　side　of　the　young　man　with　the　yellow　hair；　who　was

sleeping　soundly　close　to　him。



One　of　the　boating…men　made　a　martyr　of　himself；　and　took　the

mother。



〃Let　us　go　to　the　little　wood　on　the　Ile　aux　Anglais！〃　he　called

out；　as　he　rowed　off。　The　other　skiff　went　slower；　for　the　rower

was　looking　at　his　companion　so　intently；　that　he　thought　of

nothing　else。　His　emotion　paralyzed　his　strength；　while　the　girl；

who　was　sitting　on　the　steerer's　seat；　gave　herself　up　to　the

enjoyment　of　being　on　the　water。　She　felt　disinclined　to　think；

felt　a　lassitude　in　her　limbs　a　complete　self…relaxation；　as　if

she　were　intoxicated。　She　had　become　very　flushed；　and　breathed

pantingly。　The　effect　of　the　wine；　increased　by　the　extreme　heat；

made　all　the　trees　on　the　bank　seem　to　bow；　as　she　passed。　A

vague　wish　for　enjoyment；　a　fermentation　of　her　blood；　seemed　to

pervade　her　whole　body；　and　she　was　also　a　little　agitated　by

this　tete…a…tete　on　the　water；　in　a　place　which　seemed

depopulated　by　the　heat；　with　this　young　man；　who　thought　her　so

pretty；　whose　looks　seemed　to　caress　her　skin；　and　whose　eyes

were　as　penetrating　and　exciting　as　the　sun's　rays。



Their　inability　to　speak　increased　their　emotion；　and　they　looked

about　them。　At　last　he　made　an　effort　and　asked　her　name；



〃Henriette；〃　she　said。



〃Why！　My　name　is　Henri；〃　he　replied。　The　sound　of　their　voices

calmed　them；　and　they　looked　at　the　banks。　The　other　skiff　had

gone　ahead　of　them；　and　seemed　to　be　waiting　for　them。　The　rower

called　out：



〃We　will　meet　you　in　the　wood；　we　are　going　as　far　as

Robinson's；＇1＇　because　Madame　Dufour　is　thirsty。〃　Then　he　bent

over　his　oars　again　and　rowed　off　so　quickly　that　he　was　soon　out

of　sight。



＇1＇　A　well…known　restaurant　on　the　banks　of　the　Seine；　much

frequented　by　the　bourgeoisie。



Meanwhile；　a　continual　roar；　which　they　had　heard　for　some　time；

came　nearer；　and　the　river　itself　seemed　to　shiver；　as　if　the

dull　noise　were　rising　from　its　depths。



〃What　is　that　noise？〃　she　asked。　It　was　the　noise　of　the　weir；

which　cut　the　river　in　two；　at　the　island。　He　was　explaining　it

to　her；　when　above　the　noise　of　the　waterfall　they　heard　the　song

of　a　bird；　which　seemed　a　long　way　off。



〃Listen！〃　he　said；　〃the　nightingales　are　singing　during　the　day；

so　the　females　must　be　sitting。〃



A　nightingale！　She　had　never　heard　one　before；　and　the　idea　of

listening　to　one　roused　visions　of　poetic　tenderness　in　her

heart。　A　nightingale！　That　is　to　say；　the　invisible　witness　of

the　lover's　interview　which　Juliette　invoked　on　her　balcony＇2＇；

that　celestial　music　which　is　attuned　to　human　kisses；　that

eternal　inspirer　of　all　those　languorous　romances　which　open

idealized　visions　to　the　poor；　tender；　little　hearts　of　sensitive

girls！



＇2＇　〃Romeo　and　Juliet；〃　Act　III。；　Scene　V。



She　wanted　to　hear　a　nightingale。



〃We　must　not　make　a　noise；〃　her　companion　said；　〃and　then　we　can

go　into　the　wood；　and　sit　down　close　to　it。〃



The　skiff　seemed　to　glide。　They　saw　the　trees　on　the　island；　the

banks　of　which　were　so　low　that　they　could　look　into　the　depths

of　the　thickets。　They　stopped；　he　made　the　boat　fast；　Henriette

took　hold　of　Henri's　arm；　and　they　went　beneath　the　trees。



〃Stoop；〃　he　said；　so　she　bent　down；　and　they　went　into　an

inextricable　thicket　of　creepers；　leaves；　and　reed…grass；　which

formed　an　impenetrable　retreat；　and　which　the　young　man

laughingly　called　〃his　private　room。〃



Just　above　their　heads；　perched　in　one　of　the　trees　which　hid

them；　the　bird　was　still　singing。　He　uttered　shakes　and　roulades；

and　then　long；　vibrating　sounds　that　filled　the　air　and　seemed　to

lose　themselves　in　the　distance；　across　the　level　country；

through　that　burning　silence　which　hung　low　upon　the　whole

country　round。　They　did　not　speak　for　fear　of　frightening　the

bird　away。　They　were　sitting　close　together；　and　slowly　Henri's

arm　stole　round　the　girl's　waist　and　squeezed　it　gently。　She　took

that　daring　hand；　but　without　anger；　and　kept　removing　it

whenever　he　put　it　round　her；　not；　however；　feeling　at　all

embarrassed　by　this　caress；　just　as　if　it　had　been　something

quite　natural　which　she　was　resisting　just　as　naturally。



She　was　listening　to　the　bird　in　ecstasy。　She　felt　an　infinite

longing　for　happiness；　for　some　sudden　demonstration　of

tenderness；　for　a　revelation　of　divine　poesy。　She　felt　such　a

softening　at　her　heart；　and　such　a　relaxation　of　her　nerves；　that

she　began　to　cry；　without　knowing　why。　The　young　man　was　now

straining　her　close　to　him；　and　she　did　not　remove　his　arm；　she

did　not　think　of　it。　Suddenly　the　nightin