the wandering jew, volume 1-第20节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



〃Yes！〃　said　the　Prophet　to　himself；　after　a　long　silence；　〃these　means
are　sure。　　It　was　not　for　me　to　hesitate。　　A　blind　and　obscure
instrument；　I　know　not　the　motives　of　the　orders　I　have　received：　but
from　the　recommendations　which　accompany　thembut　from　the　position　of
him　who　sends　themimmense　interests　must　be　involvedinterests
connected　with　all　that　is　highest　and　greatest　upon　earth！　…And　yet　how
can　these　two　girls；　almost　beggars；　how　can　this　wretched　soldier
represent　such　interests？No　matter；〃　added　he；　with　humility；　〃I　am　the
arm　which　actsit　is　for　the　head；　which　thinks　and　orders；　to　answer
for　its　work。〃

Soon　after　the　Prophet　left　the　shed；　carrying　with　him　the　red　cloth；
and　directed　his　steps　towards　the　little　stable　that　contained　Jovial。
The　crazy　door；　imperfectly　secured　by　a　latch；　was　easily　opened。　　At
sight　of　a　stranger　Spoil…sport　threw　himself　upon　him；　but　his　teeth
encountered　the　iron　leggings　of　the　Prophet；　who；　in　spite　of　the
efforts　of　the　dog　took　Jovial　by　his　halter；　threw　the　blanket　over　his
head　to　prevent　his　either　seeing　or　smelling；　and　led　him　from　the
stable　into　the　interior　of　the　menagerie；　of　which　he　closed　the　door。




CHAPTER　X。

THE　SURPRISE。

The　orphans；　after　reading　the　journal　of　their　father；　remained　for　some
moments　silent；　sad；　and　pensive；　contemplating　the　leaves　yellowed　by
time。　　Dagobert；　also　plunged　in　a　reverie；　thought　of　his　wife　and　son；
from　whom　he　had　been　so　long　separated；　and　hoped　soon　to　see　again。

The　soldier　was　the　first　to　break　the　silence；　which　had　lasted　for
several　minutes。　　Taking　the　leaves　from　the　hand　of　Blanche；　he　folded
them　carefully；　put　them　into　his　pocket；　and　thus　addressed　the　orphans：

〃Courage；　my　children！　you　see　what　a　brave　father　you　have。　　Think　only
of　the　pleasure　of　greeting　him；　and　remember　always　the　name　of　the
gallant　youth；　to　whom　you　will　owe　that　pleasurefor　without　him　your
father　would　have　been　killed　in　India。〃

〃Djalma！　we　shall　never　forget　him；〃　said　Rose。

〃And　if　our　guardian　angel　Gabriel　should　return；〃　added　Blanche；　〃we
will　ask　him　to　watch　over　Djalma　as　over　ourselves。〃

〃Very　well；　my　children；　I　am　sure　that　you　will　forget　nothing　that
concerns　good　feeling。　　But　to　return　to　the　traveller；　who　came　to　visit
your　poor　mother　in　Siberia；　he　had　seen　the　general　a　month　after　the
events　of　which　you　have　read；　and　at　a　moment　when　he　was　about　to　enter
on　a　new　campaign　against　the　English。　　It　was　then　that　your　father
entrusted　him　with　the　papers　and　medal。〃

〃But　of　what　use　will　this　medal　be　to　us；　Dagobert？〃

〃And　what　is　the　meaning　of　these　words　engraved　upon　it？〃　added　Rose；　as
she　drew　it　from　her　bosom。

〃Why　it　means；　my　children；　that　on　the　13th　of　February；　1832；　we　must
be　at　No。　3；　Rue　Saint　Francois；　Paris。〃

〃But　what　are　we　to　do　there？〃

〃Your　poor　mother　was　seized　so　quickly　with　her　last　illness；　that　she
was　unable　to　tell　me。　　All　I　know　is；　that　this　medal　came　to　her　from
her　parents；　and　that　it　had　been　a　relic　preserved　in　her　family　for
more　than　a　century。〃

〃And　how　did　our　father　get　it？〃

〃Among　the　articles　which　had　been　hastily　thrown　into　the　coach；　when　he
was　removed　by　force　from　Warsaw；　was　a　dressing…case　of　your　mother's；
in　which　was　contained　this　medal。　　Since　that　time　the　general　had　been
unable　to　send　it　back；　having　no　means　of　communicating　with　us；　and　not
even　knowing　where　we　were。〃

〃This　medal　is；　then；　of　great　importance　to　us？〃

〃Unquestionably；　for　never；　during　fifteen　years；　had　I　seen　your　mother
so　happy；　as　on　the　day　the　traveller　brought　it　back　to　her。　　'Now；'
said　she　to　me；　in　the　presence　of　the　stranger；　and　with　tears　of　joy　in
her　eyes；　'now　may　my　children's　future　be　brilliant　as　their　life　has
hitherto　been　miserable。　　I　will　entreat　of　the　governor　of　Siberia
permission　to　go　to　France　with　my　daughters；　it　will　perhaps　be　thought
I　have　been　sufficiently　punished；　by　fifteen　years　of　exile；　and　the
confiscation　of　my　property。　　Should　they　refuse；　I　will　remain　here；　but
they　will　at　least　allow　me　to　send　my　children　to　France；　and　you　must
accompany　them；　Dagobert。　　You　shall　set　out　immediately；　for　much　time
has　been　already　lost；　and；　if　you　were　not　to　arrive　before　the　13th　of
next　February；　this　cruel　separation　and　toilsome　journey　would　have　been
all　in　vain。'〃

〃Suppose　we　were　one　day　after？〃

〃Your　mother　told　me　that　if　we　arrived　the　14th　instead　of　the　13th；　it
would　be　too　late。　　She　also　gave　me　a　thick　letter；　to　put　into　the　post
for　France；　in　the　first　town　we　should　pass　throughwhich　I　have　done。〃

〃And　do　you　think　we　shall　be　at　Paris　in　time？〃

〃I　hope　so；　still；　if　you　are　strong　enough；　we　must　sometimes　make
forced　marchesfor；　if　we　only　travel　our　five　leagues　a　day；　and　that
without　accident；　we　shall　scarcely　reach　Paris　until　the　beginning　of
February；　and　it　is　better　to　be　a　little　beforehand。〃

〃But　as　father　is　inIndia；　and　condemned　to　death　if　he　return　to
France；　when　shall　we　see　him？〃

〃And　where　shall　we　see　him？〃

〃Poor　children！　there　are　so　many　things　you　have　yet　to　learn。　　When　the
traveller　quitted　him；　the　general　could　not　return　to　France；　but　now　he
can　do　so。〃

〃And　why　is　that？〃

〃Because　the　Bourbons；　who　had　banished　him；　were　themselves　turned　out
last　year。　　The　news　must　reach　India；　and　your　father　will　certainly
come　to　meet　you　at　Paris；　because　he　expects　that　you　and　your　mother
will　be　there　on　the　13th　of　next　February。〃

〃Ah！　now　I　understand　how　we　may　hope　to　see　him；〃　said　Rose　with　a　sigh。

〃Do　you　know　the　name　of　this　traveller；　Dagobert？〃

〃No；　my　children；　but　whether　called　Jack　or　John；　he　is　a　good　sort。
When　he　left　your　mother；　she　thanked　him　with　tears　for　all　his　kindness
and　devotion　to　the　general；　herself；　and　the　children；　but　he　pressed
her　hands　in　his；　and　said　to　her；　in　so　gentle　a　voice　that　I　could　not
help　being　touched　by　it：　〃Why　do　you　thank　me？　　Did　He　not　SayLOVE　YE
ONE　ANOTHER！〃

〃Who　is　that；　Dagobert？〃

〃Yes；　of　whom　did　the　traveller　speak？〃

〃I　know　nothing　about　it；　only　the　manner　in　which　he　pronounced　those
words　struck　me；　and　they　were　the　last　he　spoke。〃

〃Love　one　another！〃　repeated　Rose；　thoughtfully。

〃How　beautiful　are　those　words！〃　added　Blanche。

〃And　whither　was　the　traveller　going？〃

〃Far；　very　far　into　the　North；　as　he　told　your　mother。　　When　she　saw　him
depart；　she　said　to　me：　'His　mild；　sad　talk　has　affected　me　even　to
tears；　whilst　I　listened　to　him；　I　seemed　to　be　growing　betterI　seemed
to　love　my　husband　and　my　children　moreand　yet；　to　judge　by　the
expression　of　his　countenance；　one　would　think　that　this　stranger　had
never　either　smiled　or　wept！'　She　and　I　watched　him　from　the　door　as　long
as　we　could　follow　him　with　our　eyes；　he　carried　his　head　down；　and　his
walk　was　slow；　calm；　and　firm；　one　might　fancy　that　he　counted　his　steps。
And；　talking　of　steps；　I　remarked　yet　another　thing。〃

〃What　was　it；　Dagobert？〃

〃You　know　that　the　road　which　led　to　our　house　way；　always　damp；　because
of　the　overflowing　of　the　little　spring。〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Well；　then；　the　mark　of　the　traveller's　footsteps　remained　in　the　clay；
and　I　saw　that　he　had　nails　under　his　shoe　in　the　form　of　a　cross。〃

〃How　in　the　form　of　a　cross？〃

〃Look！〃　said　Dagobert；　placing　the　tip　of　his　finger　seven　times　on　the
coverlet　of　the　bed；　〃they　were　arrange：　thus　beneath　his　heel：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　*
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　***
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　*
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　*
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　*

You　see　it　forms　a　cross。

〃What　could　it　mean；　Dagobert？〃

〃Chance；　perhapsyes；　chanceand　yet；　in　spite　of　myself；　this
confounded　cross　left　behind　him　struck　me　as　a　bad　omen；　for　hardly　was
he　gone　when　misfortune　after　misfortune　fell　upon　us。〃

〃Alas！　the　death　of　our　mother！〃

〃Yesbut；　before　that；　another　piece　of　ill…luck。　　You　had　not　yet
returned；　and　she　was　writing　her　petition　to　ask　leave　to　go　to　France
or　to　send　you　there；　when　I　heard　the　gallop　of　a　horse。　　It　was　a
courier　from　the　governor　general　of　Siberia。　　He　brought　us　orders　to
change　our　residence；　within　three　days　we　were　to　join　other　condemned
persons；　and　be　removed　with　them　four　hundred　leagues　further　north。
Thus；　after　fifteen　years　of　exile；　they　redoubled　in　cruelty　towards
your　mother。〃

〃Why　did　they　thus　torment　her？〃

〃One　would　think　that　some　evil　genius　was　at　work　against　her。　　A　few
days　later；　the　traveller　would　no　longer　have　found　us　at　Milosk；　and　if
he　had　joined　us　further　on；　it　would　have　been　too　far　for　the　medal　and
papers　to　be　of　usesince；　having　set　out　almost　immediately；　we　shall
hardly　arrive　in　time　at　Paris。　　'If　they　had　some　interest　to　prevent　me
and　my　children　from　going　to　France；'　said　your　mother；　'they　would　act
just　as　they　have　done。　　To　banish　us　four　hundred　leagues　further；　is　to
render　impossible　this　journey；　of　which　the　term　is　fixed。'　　And　the
idea　overwhelmed　her　with　grief。〃

〃Perhaps　it　was　this　unexpected　sorrow　that　was　the　cause　of　her　sudden
illness。〃

〃Alas！　no；　my　children；　it　was