the wandering jew, volume 1-第17节

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up　for　his　amusement；〃　said　Dagobert。　　〃I　once　saw　a　Prussian　officer
prisoner；　whose　face　had　been　cut　across　by　that　mad…cap　King　of　Naples'
riding…whip；　the　mark　was　there；　a　black　and　blue　stripe。　　The　Prussian
swore　he　was　dishonored；　and　that　a　sabre…cut　would　have　been　preferable。
I　should　rather　think　so！　　That　devil　of　a　king；　he　only　had　one　idea：
'Forward；　on　to　the　cannon！'　　As　soon　as　they　began　to　cannonade；　one
would　have　thought　the　guns　were　calling　him　with　all　their　might；　for　he
was　soon　up　to　them　with　his　'Here　I　am！'　　If　I　speak　to　you　about　him；
my　children；　it's　because　he　was　fond　of　repeating；'No　one　can　break
through　a　square　of　infantry；　if　General　Simon　or　I　can't　do　it。'〃

Rose　continued：

〃I　have　observed　with　pain；　that；　notwithstanding　his　youth；　Djalma　is
often　subject　to　fits　of　deep　melancholy。　　At　times；　I　have　seen　him
exchange　with　his　father　looks　of　singular　import。　　In　spite　of　our
mutual　attachment；　I　believe　that　both　conceal　from　me　some　sad　family
secret；　in　so　far　as　I　can　judge　from　expressions　which　have　dropped　from
them　by　chance。

〃It　relates　to　some　strange　event　which　their　vivid　imaginations　have
invested　with　a　supernatural　character。

〃And　yet；　my　love；　you　and　I　have　no　longer　the　right　to　smile　at　the
credulity　of　others。　　I；　since　the　French　campaign；　when　I　met　with　that
extraordinary　adventure；　which；　to　this　day；　I　am　quite　unable　to
understand〃

〃This　refers　to　the　man　who　threw　himself　before　the　mouth　of　the
cannon；〃　said　Dagobert。

〃And　you；〃　continued　the　maiden；　still　reading；　〃you；　my　dear　Eva；　since
the　visits　of　that　young　and　beautiful　woman；　whom；　as　your　mother
asserted；　she　had　seen　at　her　mother's　house　forty　years　before。〃

The　orphans；　in　amazement；　looked　at　the　soldier。

〃Your　mother　never　spoke　to　me　of　that；　nor　the　general　either；　my
children；　this　is　as　strange　to　me　as　it　is　to　you。〃

With　increasing　excitement　and　curiosity；　Rose　continued：

〃After　all；　my　dear　Eva；　things　which　appear　very　extraordinary；　may
often　be　explained　by　a　chance　resemblance　or　a　freak　of　nature。　　Marvels
being　always　the　result　of　optical　illusion　or　heated　fancy；　a　time　must
come；　when　that　which　appeared　to　be　superhuman　or　supernatural；　will
prove　to　be　the　most　simple　and　natural　event　in　the　world。　　I　doubt　not；
therefore；　that　the　things；　which　we　denominate　our　prodigies；　will　one
day　receive　this　commonplace　solution。〃

〃You　see；　my　childrenthings　appear　marvelous；　which　at　bottom　are　quite
simplethough　for　a　long　time　we　understand　nothing　about　them。〃

〃As　our　father　relates　this；　we　must　believe　it；　and　not　be　astonished
eh；　sister？〃

〃Yes；　trulysince　it　will　all　be　explained　one　day。〃

〃For　example；〃　said　Dagobert；　after　a　moment's　reflection；　〃you　two　are
so　much　alike；　that　any　one；　who　was　not　in　the　habit　of　seeing　you
daily；　might　easily　take　one　for　the　other。　　Well！　if　they　did　not　know
that　you　are；　so　to　speak；'doubles；'　they　might　think　an　imp　was　at　work
instead　of　such　good　little　angels　as　you　are。〃

〃You　are　right；　Dagobert；　in　this　way　many　things　may　be　explained；　even
as　our　father　says。〃　　And　Rose　continued　to　read：

〃Not　without　pride；　my　gentle　Eva；　have　I　learned　that　Djalma　has　French
blood　in　his　veins。　　His　father　married；　some　years　ago；　a　young　girl；
whose　family；　of　French　origin；　had　long　been　settled　at　Batavia　in　the
island　of　Java。　　This　similarity　of　circumstances　between　my　old　friend
and　myselffor　your　family　also；　my　Eva；　is　of　French　origin；　and　long
settled　in　a　foreign　landhas　only　served　to　augment　my　sympathy　for
him。　Unfortunately；　he　has　long　had　to　mourn　the　loss　of　the　wife　whom　he
adored。

〃See；　my　beloved　Eva！　my　hand　trembles　as　I　write　these　words。　　I　am
weakI　am　foolishbut；　alas！　my　heart　sinks　within　me。　　If　such　a
misfortune　were　to　happen　to　meOh；　my　God！what　would　become　of　our
child　without　theewithout　his　fatherin　that　barbarous　country？　　But
no！　the　very　fear　is　madness；　and　yet　what　a　horrible　torture　is
uncertainty！　　Where　may　you　now　be？　　What　are　you　doing？　　What　has　become
of　you？　　Pardon　these　black　thoughts；　which　are　sometimes　too　much　for
me。　　They　are　the　cause　of　my　worst　momentsfor；　when　free　from　them；　I
can　at　least　say　to　myself：　I　am　proscribed；　I　am　every　way　unfortunate
but；　at　the　other　end　of　the　world；　two　hearts　still　beat　for　me　with
affectionyours；　my　Eva；　and　our　child's！〃

Rose　could　hardly　finish　this　passage；　for　some　seconds　her　voice　was
broken　by　sobs。　　There　was　indeed　a　fatal　coincidence　between　the　fears
of　General　Simon　and　the　sad　reality；　and　what　could　be　more　touching
than　these　outpourings　of　the　heart；　written　by　the　light　of　a　watch…
fire；　on　the　eve　of　battle；　by　a　soldier　who　thus　sought　to　soothe　the
pangs　of　a　separation；　which　he　felt　bitterly；　but　knew　not　would　be
eternal？

〃Poor　general！　he　is　unaware　of　our　misfortune；〃　said　Dagobert；　after　a
moment's　silence；　〃but　neither　has　he　heard　that　he　has　two　children；
instead　of　one。　　That　will　be　at　least　some　consolation。　　But　come；
Blanche；　do　go　on　reading：　I　fear　that　this　dwelling　on　grief　fatigues
your　sister；　and　she　is　too　much　affected　by　it。　　Besides；　after　all；　it
is　only　just；　that　you　should　take　your　share　of　its　pleasure　and　its
sorrow。〃

Blanche　took　the　letter；　and　Rose；　having　dried　her　eyes；　laid　in　her
turn　her　sweet　head　on　the　shoulder　of　her　sister；　who　thus　continued：

〃I　am　calmer　now；　my　dear　Eva；　I　left　off　writing　for　a　moment；　and
strove　to　banish　those　black　presentiments。　　Let　us　resume　our
conversation！　　After　discoursing　so　long　about　India；　I　will　talk　to　you
a　little　of　Europe。　　Yesterday　evening；　one　of　our　people　（a　trusty
fellow）　rejoined　our　outposts。　　He　brought　me　a　letter；　which　had　arrived
from　France　at　Calcutta；　at　length；　I　have　news　of　my　father；　and　am　no
longer　anxious　on　his　account。　　This　letter　is　dated　in　August　of　last
year。　　I　see　by　its　contents；　that　several　other　letters；　to　which　he
alludes；　have　either　been　delayed　or　lost；　for　I　had　not　received　any　for
two　years　before；　and　was　extremely　uneasy　about　him。　　But　my　excellent
father　is　the　same　as　ever！　　Age　has　not　weakened　him；　his　character　is
as　energetic；　his　health　as　robust；　as　in　times　paststill　a　workman；
still　proud　of　his　order；　still　faithful　to　his　austere　republican　ideas；
still　hoping　much。

〃For　he　says　to　me；　'the　time　is　at　hand；'　and　he　underlines　those　words。
He　gives　me　also；　as　you　will　see；　good　news　of　the　family　of　old
Dagobert；　our　friendfor　in　truth；　my　dear　Eva；　it　soothes　my　grief　to
think；　that　this　excellent　man　is　with　you；　that　he　will　have　accompanied
you　in　your　exilefor　I　know　hima　kernel　of　gold　beneath　the　rude　rind
of　a　soldier！　　How　he　must　love　our　child！〃

Here　Dagobert　coughed　two　or　three　times；　stooped　down；　and　appeared　to
be　seeking　on　the　ground　the　little　red　and　blue　check…handkerchief
spread　over　his　knees。　　He　remained　thus　bent　for　some　seconds；　and；　when
he　raised　himself；　he　drew　his　hand　across　his　moustache。

〃How　well　father　knows　you！〃

〃How　rightly　has　he　guessed　that　you　would　love　us！〃

〃Well；　well；　children；　pass　over　that！Let's　come　to　the　part　where　the
general　speaks　of　my　little　Agricola；　and　of　Gabriel；　my　wife's　adopted
child。　　Poor　woman！　when　I　think　that　in　three　months　perhapsbut　come；
child；　read；　read；〃　added　the　old　soldier；　wishing　to　conceal　his
emotion。

〃I　still　hope　against　hope；　my　dear　Eva；　that　these　pages　will　one　day
reach　you；　and　therefore　I　wish　to　insert　in　them　all　that　can　be
interesting　to　Dagobert。　　It　will　be　a　consolation　to　him；　to　have　some
news　of　his　family。　　My　father；　who　is　still　foreman　at　Mr。　Hardy's；
tells　me　that　worthy　man　has　also　taken　into　his　house　the　son　of　old
Dagobert。　　Agricola　works　under　my　father；　who　is　enchanted　with　him。　　He
is；　he　tells　me；　a　tall　and　vigorous　lad；　who　wields　the　heavy　forge…
hammer　as　if　it　were　a　feather；　and　is　light…spirited　as　he　is
intelligent　and　laborious。　　He　is　the　best　workman　on　the　establishment；
and　this　does　not　prevent　him　in　the　evening；　after　his　hard　day's　work；
when　he　returns　home　to　his　mother；　whom　he　truly　loves；　from　making
songs　and　writing　excellent　patriotic　verses。　　His　poetry　is　full　of　fire
and　energy；　his　fellow…workmen　sing　nothing　else；　and　his　lays　have　the
power　to　warm　the　coldest　and　the　most　timid　hearts。〃

〃How　proud　you　must　be　of　your　son；　Dagobert；〃　said　Rose；　in　admiration；
〃he　writes　songs。〃

〃Certainly；　it　is　all　very　finebut　what　pleases　me　best　is；　that　he　is
good　to　his　mother；　and　that　he　handles　the　hammer　with　a　will。　　As　for
the　songs；　before　he　makes　a　'Rising　of　the　People；'　or　a　'Marseillaise；'
he　will　have　had　to　beat　a　good　deal　of　iron；　but　where　can　this　rascally
sweet　Agricola　have　learned　to　make　songs　at　all？No　doubt；　it　was　at
school；　where　he　went；　as　you　will　see；　with　his　adopted　brother
Gabriel。〃

At　this　name　of　Gabriel；　which　reminded　them　of　the　imaginary　being　whom
they　called　their　guardian　angel；　the　curiosity　of　the　young　girls　was
greatly　excited。　　With　redoubled　attention；　Blanche　continued　in　these
words：

〃The　adopted