the brotherhood of consolation-第29节

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call　the　eggs。　Eleven　acres　planted　with　mulberries　on　the　plain　of
Montrouge；　and　three　acres　on　the　rue　de　l'Ouest；　afterwards　built
over；　had　supplied　this　singular　establishment。

Just　as　the　widow　was　explaining　to　Godefroid　how　Monsieur　Barbet；
having　lent　money　to　an　Italian　named　Fresconi；　the　manager　of　the
business；　could　recover　his　money　only　by　foreclosing　a　mortgage　on
the　building　and　seizing　the　three　acres　on　the　rue　Notre…Dame　des
Champs；　a　tall；　spare　old　man　with　snow…white　hair　appeared　at　the　end
of　the　street　which　leads　into　the　square　of　the　rue　de　l'Ouest。

〃Ah！　here　he　comes；　just　in　time！〃　cried　the　Vauthier；　〃that's　your
neighbor　Monsieur　Bernard。　Monsieur　Bernard！〃　she　called　out　as　soon
as　the　old　man　was　within　hearing；　〃you　won't　be　alone　any　longer；
here　is　a　gentleman　who　has　hired　the　rooms　opposite　to　yours。〃

Monsieur　Bernard　turned　his　eyes　on　Godefroid　with　an　apprehension　it
was　easy　to　fathom；　the　look　seemed　to　say：　〃The　misfortune　I　feared
has　come　to　pass。〃

〃Monsieur；〃　he　said　aloud；　〃do　you　intend　to　live　here？〃

〃Yes；　monsieur；〃　said　Godefroid；　honestly。　〃It　is　not　a　resort　for　the
fortunate　of　this　earth　and　it　is　the　least　expensive　place　I　can　find
in　the　quarter。　Madame　Vauthier　does　not　pretend　to　lodge
millionnaires。　Adieu；　for　the　present；　my　good　Madame　Vauthier；　and
have　everything　ready　for　me　at　six　o'clock　this　evening；　I　shall
return　punctually。〃

Godefroid　turned　toward　the　square　of　the　rue　de　l'Ouest；　walking
slowly；　for　the　anxiety　depicted　on　the　face　of　the　tall　old　man　made
him　think　that　he　would　follow　him　and　come　to　an　explanation。　And；　in
fact；　after　an　instant's　hesitation　Monsieur　Bernard　turned　round　and
retraced　his　steps　so　as　to　overtake　Godefroid。

〃The　old　villain！　he'll　prevent　him　from　returning；〃　thought　Madame
Vauthier；　〃that's　the　second　time　he　has　played　me　the　same　trick。
Patience！　patience！　five　days　hence　he　owes　his　rent；　and　if　he
doesn't　pay　sharp　up　I'll　turn　him　out。　Monsieur　Barbet　is　a　kind　of　a
tiger　one　mustn't　offend；　andBut　I　would　like　to　know　what　he's
telling　him。　Felicite！　Felicite；　you　great　gawk！　where　are　you？〃　cried
the　widow　in　her　rasping；　brutal　voice；she　had　been　using　her　dulcet
tones　to　Godefroid。

The　servant…girl；　stout；　squint…eyed；　and　red…haired；　ran　out。

〃Keep　your　eye　on　things；　do　you　hear　me？　I　shall　be　back　in　five
minutes。〃

And　Madame　Vauthier；　formerly　cook　to　the　publisher　Barbet；　one　of　the
hardest　lenders　of　money　by　the　week；　slipped　along　behind　her　two
tenants　so　as　to　be　able　to　overtake　Godefroid　as　soon　as　his
conversation　with　Monsieur　Bernard　came　to　an　end。

＇The　term　〃lender　by　the　week〃　was　explained　in　The　Lesser　Bourgeoisie
in　relation　to　Cerizet。　Oddly；　just　looking　it　up；　Barbet　is　mentioned
as　being　higher　in　the　scale　of　usury　than　Cerizet；　there　is　a　level
between　them　for　pawn　shops　and　the　like。JB。＇

Monsieur　Bernard　walked　slowly；　like　a　man　who　is　undecided；　or　like　a
debtor　seeking　for　excuses　to　placate　a　creditor　who　has　just　left　him
with　threats。　Godefroid；　though　some　distance　in　front；　saw　him　while
pretending　to　look　about　and　examine　the　locality。　It　was　not；
therefore；　till　they　reached　the　middle　of　the　great　alley　of　the
garden　of　the　Luxembourg　that　Monsieur　Bernard　came　up　to　the　young
man。

〃Pardon　me；　monsieur；〃　said　Monsieur　Bernard；　bowing　to　Godefroid；　who
returned　his　bow。　〃A　thousand　pardons　for　stopping　you　without　having
the　honor　of　your　acquaintance；　but　is　it　really　your　intention　to
take　lodgings　in　that　horrible　house　you　have　just　left？〃

〃But；　monsieur〃

〃Yes；　yes；〃　said　the　old　man；　interrupting　Godefroid；　with　a　gesture
of　authority。　〃I　know　that　you　may　well　ask　me　by　what　right　I　meddle
in　your　affairs　and　presume　to　question　you。　Hear　me；　monsieur；　you
are　young　and　I　am　old；　I　am　older　than　my　years；　and　they　are　sixty…
seven；　people　take　me　for　eighty。　Age　and　misfortunes　justify　many
things；　but　I　will　not　make　a　plea　of　my　whitened　head；　I　wish　to
speak　of　yourself。　Do　you　know　that　this　quarter　in　which　you　propose
to　live　is　deserted　by　eight　o'clock　at　night；　and　the　roads　are　full
of　dangers；　the　least　of　which　is　robbery？　Have　you　noticed　those　wide
spaces　not　yet　built　upon；　these　fields；　these　gardens？　You　may　tell
me　that　I　live　here；　but；　monsieur；　I　never　go　out　after　six　o'clock。
You　may　also　remind　me　of　the　two　young　men　on　the　second　floor；　above
the　apartment　you　are　going　to　take。　But；　monsieur；　those　two　poor　men
of　letters　are　pursued　by　creditors。　They　are　in　hiding；　they　are　away
in　the　daytime　and　only　return　at　night；　they　have　no　reason　to　fear
robbers　or　assassins；　besides；　they　always　go　together　and　are　armed。
I　myself　obtained　permission　from　the　prefecture　of　police　that　they
should　carry　arms。〃

＇Yes；　this　would　explain　why　there　are　no　windows　on　the　ground　floor
of　Barbet's　building。　I　would　not　like　to　stay　anywhere　that　was
easily　externally　accessible　in　a　city；　but　more　because　of　drunks
than　anything　else。JB。＇

〃Monsieur；〃　said　Godefroid；　〃I　am　not　afraid　of　robbers；　for　the　same
reasons　that　make　those　gentlemen　invulnerable；　and　I　despise　life　so
heartily　that　if　I　were　murdered　by　mistake　I　should　bless　the
murderer！〃

〃You　do　not　look　to　me　very　unhappy；〃　said　the　old　man；　examining
Godefroid。

〃I　have；　at　the　most；　enough　to　get　me　bread　to　live　on；　and　I　have
come　to　this　place；　monsieur；　because　of　its　silent　neighborhood。　May
I　ask　you　what　interest　you　have　in　driving　me　away？〃

The　old　man　hesitated；　he　saw　Madame　Vauthier　close　behind　them。
Godefroid；　who　examined　him　attentively；　was　astonished　at　the　degree
of　thinness　to　which　grief；　perhaps　hunger；　perhaps　toil；　had　reduced
him。　There　were　signs　of　all　those　causes　upon　that　face；　where　the
parched　skin　clung　to　the　bones　as　if　it　had　been　burned　by　the　sun　of
Africa。　The　dome　of　the　forehead；　high　and　threatening；　overshadowed　a
pair　of　steel…blue　eyes；two　cold；　hard；　sagacious；　penetrating　eyes；
like　those　of　savages；　surrounded　by　a　black　and　wrinkled　circle。　The
large　nose；　long　and　very　thin；　and　the　prominent　chin；　gave　the　old
man　a　strong　resemblance　to　the　well…known　mask　popularly　ascribed　to
Don　Quixote；　but　a　wicked　Don　Quixote；　without　illusions；a　terrible
Don　Quixote。

And　yet　the　old　man；　in　spite　of　this　general　aspect　of　severity；
betrayed　the　weakness　and　timidity　which　indigence　imparts　to　all
unfortunates。　These　two　emotions　seemed　to　have　made　crevices　in　that
solidly　constructed　face　which　the　pickaxe　of　poverty　was　daily
enlarging。　The　mouth　was　eloquent　and　grave；　in　that　feature　Don
Quixote　was　complicated　with　Montesquieu's　president。

His　clothing　was　entirely　of　black　cloth；　but　cloth　that　was　white　at
the　seams。　The　coat；　of　an　old…fashioned　cut；　and　the　trousers；　showed
various　clumsy　darns。　The　buttons　had　evidently　just　been　renewed。　The
coat；　buttoned　to　the　chin；　showed　no　linen；　and　the　cravat；　of　a
rusty　black；　hid　the　greater　part　of　a　false　collar。　These　clothes；
worn　for　many　years；　smelt　of　poverty。　And　yet　the　lofty　air　of　this
mysterious　old　man；　his　gait；　the　thought　that　dwelt　on　his　brow　and
was　manifest　in　his　eyes；　excluded　the　idea　of　pauperism。　An　observer
would　have　hesitated　how　to　class　him。

Monsieur　Bernard　seemed　so　absorbed　that　he　might　have　been　taken　for
a　teacher　employed　in　that　quarter　of　the　city；　or　for　some　learned
man　plunged　in　exacting　and　tyrannical　meditation。　Godefroid；　in　any
case；　would　have　felt　a　curiosity　which　his　present　mission　of
benevolence　sharpened　into　powerful　interest。

〃Monsieur；〃　continued　the　old　man；　〃if　I　were　sure　that　you　are　really
seeking　silence　and　seclusion；　I　should　say　take　those　rooms　near
mine。〃　He　raised　his　voice　so　that　Madame　Vauthier；　who　was　now
passing　them；　could　hear　him。　〃Take　those　rooms。　I　am　a　father；
monsieur。　I　have　only　a　daughter　and　a　grandson　to　enable　me　to　bear
the　miseries　of　life。　Now；　my　daughter　needs　silence　and　absolute
tranquillity。　All　those　persons　who；　so　far；　have　looked　at　the　rooms
you　are　now　considering；　have　listened　to　the　reasons　and　the
entreaties　of　a　despairing　father。　It　was　indifferent　to　them　whether
they　lived　in　one　house　or　another　of　a　quarter　so　deserted　that
plenty　of　lodgings　can　be　had　for　a　low　price。　But　I　see　in　you　a
fixed　determination；　and　I　beg　you；　monsieur；　not　to　deceive　me。　Do
you　really　desire　a　quiet　life？　If　not；　I　shall　be　forced　to　move　and
go　beyond　the　barrier；　and　the　removal　may　cost　me　my　daughter's
life。〃

If　the　man　could　have　wept；　the　tears　would　have　covered　his　cheeks
while　he　spoke；　as　it　was；　they　were；　to　use　an　expression　now　become
vulgar；　〃in　his　voice。〃　He　covered　his　forehead　with　his　hand；　which
was　nothing　but　bones　and　muscle。

〃What　is　your　daughter's　illness？〃　asked　Godefroid；　in　a　persuasive
and　sympathetic　voice。

〃A　terrible　disease　to　which　physicians　give　various　names；　but　it
has；　in　truth；　no　name。　My　fortune　is　lost；〃　he　added；　with　one　of
those　despairing　gestures　made　only　by　the　wretched。　〃The　little　money
that　I　had；for　in　1830　I　was　cast　from　a　high　position；in　fact；
all　th