the crime of sylvestre bonnard-第21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！


。　　For　the　same　reason；　perhaps；　I　have　no　distinct　remembrance　of　the　period　following　the　birth　of　Clementine；　I　only　know　that　a　few　months　afterwards　I　had　a　misfortune；　the　mere　thought　of　which　still　wrings　my　heart。　　I　lost　my　mother。　　A　great　silence；　a　great　coldness；　and　a　great　darkness　seemed　all　at　once　to　fill　the　house。

〃I　fell　into　a　sort　of　torpor。　　My　father　sent　me　to　the　lycee；　but　I　could　only　arouse　myself　from　my　lethargy　with　the　greatest　of　effort。

〃Still；　I　was　not　altogether　a　dullard；　and　my　professors　were　able　to　teach　me　almost　everything　they　wanted；　namely；　a　little　Greek　and　a　great　deal　of　Latin。　　My　acquaintances　were　confined　to　the　ancients。　　I　learned　to　esteem　Miltiades；　and　to　admire　Themistocles。　I　became　familiar　with　Quintus　Fabius；　as　far；　at　least；　as　it　was　possible　to　become　familiar　with　so　great　a　Consul。　　Proud　of　these　lofty　acquaintances；　I　scarcely　ever　condescended　to　notice　little　Clementine　and　her　old　father；　who；　in　any　event；　went　away　to　Normandy　one　fine　morning　without　my　having　deigned　to　give　a　moment's　thought　to　their　possible　return。

〃They　came　back；　however；　Madame；　they　came　back！　　Influences　of　Heaven；　forces　of　nature；　all　ye　mysterious　powers　which　vouchsafe　to　man　the　ability　to　love；　you　know　how　I　again　beheld　Clementine！　They　re…entered　our　melancholy　home。　　Monsieur　de　Lessay　no　longer　wore　a　wig。　　Bald；　with　a　few　grey　locks　about　his　ruddy　temples；　he　had　all　the　aspect　of　robust　old　age。　　But　that　divine　being　whom　I　saw　all　resplendent；　as　she　leaned　upon　his　armshe　whose　presence　illuminated　the　old　faded　parlourshe　was　not　an　apparition！　　It　was　Clementine　herself！　　I　am　speaking　the　simple　truth：　　her　violet　eyes　seemed　to　me　in　that　moment　supernatural；　and　even　to…day　I　cannot　imagine　how　those　two　living　jewels　could　have　endured　the　fatigues　of　life；　or　become　subjected　to　the　corruption　of　death。

〃She　betrayed　a　little　shyness　in　greeting　my　father；　whom　she　did　not　remember。　　Her　complexion　was　slightly　pink；　and　her　half…open　lips　smiled　with　that　smile　which　makes　one　think　of　the　Infinite　perhaps　because　it　betrays　no　particular　thought；　and　expresses　only　the　joy　of　living　and　the　bliss　of　being　beautiful。　　Under　a　pink　hood　her　face　shone　like　a　gem　in　an　open　casket；　she　wore　a　cashmere　scarf　over　a　robe　of　white　muslin　plaited　at　the　waist；　from　beneath　which　protruded　the　tip　of　a　little　Morocco　shoe。。。。　Oh！　you　must　not　make　fun　of　me；　dear　Madame；　that　was　the　fashion　of　the　time；　and　I　do　not　know　whether　our　new　fashions　have　nearly　so　much　simplicity；　brightness；　and　decorous　grace。

〃Monsieur　de　Lessay　informed　us　that；　in　consequence　of　having　undertaken　the　publication　of　a　historical　atlas；　he　had　come　back　to　live　in　Paris；　and　that　he　would　be　pleased　to　occupy　his　former　apartment；　if　it　was　still　vacant。　　My　father　asked　Mademoiselle　de　Lessay　whether　she　was　pleased　to　visit　the　capital。　　She　appeared　to　be；　for　her　smile　blossomed　out　in　reply。　　She　smiled　at　the　windows　that　looked　out　upon　the　green　and　luminous　garden；　she　smiled　at　the　bronze　Marius　seated　among　the　ruins　of　Carthage　above　the　dial　of　the　clock；　she　smiled　a　the　old　yellow…velveted　arm…　chairs；　and　at　the　poor　student　who　was　afraid　to　lift　his　eyes　to　look　at　her。　　From　that　dayhow　I　loved　her！

〃But　here　we　are　already　a　the　Rue　de　Severs；　and　in　a　little　while　we　shall　be　in　sight　of　your　windows。　　I　am　a　very　bad　story…teller；　and　if　I　wereby　some　impossible　chanceto　take　it　into　my　head　to　compose　a　novel；　I　know　I　should　never　succeed。　　I　have　been　drawing　out　to　tiresome　length　a　narrative　which　I　must　finish　briefly；　for　there　is　a　certain　delicacy；　a　certain　grace　of　soul；　which　an　old　man　could　not　help　offending　by　an　complacent　expatiation　upon　the　sentiments　of　even　the　purest　love。　　Let　us　take　a　short　turn　on　this　boulevard；　lined　with　convents；　and　my　recital　will　be　easily　finished　within　the　distance　separating　us　from　that　little　spire　you　see　over　there。。。。

〃Monsieur　de　Lessay；　on　finding　that　I　had　graduated　at　the　Ecole　des　Chartes；　judged　me　worthy　to　assist　him　in　preparing　his　historical　atlas。　　The　plan　was　to　illustrate；　by　a　series　of　maps；　what　the　old　philosopher　termed　the　Vicissitudes　of　Empires　from　the　time　of　Noah　down　to　that　of　Charlemagne。　　Monsieur　de　Lessay　had　stored　up　in　his　head　all　the　errors　of　the　eighteenth　century　in　regard　to　antiquity。　　I　belonged；　so　far　as　my　historical　studies　were　concerned；　to　the　new　school；　and　I　was　just　at　that　age　when　one　does　not　know　how　to　dissemble。　　The　manner　in　which　the　old　man　understood；　or；　rather；　misunderstood；　the　epoch　of　the　Barbarians　his　obstinate　determination　to　find　in　remote　antiquity　only　ambitious　princes；　hypocritical　and　avaricious　prelates；　virtuous　citizens；　poet…philosophers；　and　other　personages　who　never　existed　outside　of　the　novels　of　Marmontel；made　me　dreadfully　unhappy；　and　at　first　used　to　excite　me　into　attempts　at　argument；rational　enough；　but　perfectly　useless　and　sometimes　dangerous；　for　Monsieur　de　Lessay　was　very　irascible；　and　Clementine　was　very　beautiful。　Between　her　and　him　I　passed　many　hours　of　torment　and　of　delight。　　I　was　in　love；　I　was　a　coward；　and　I　granted　to　him　all　that　he　demanded　of　me　in　regard　to　the　political　and　historical　aspect　which　the　Earththat　was　at　a　later　day　to　bear　Clementinepresented　in　the　time　of　Abraham；　of　Menes；　and　of　Deucalion。

〃As　fast　as　we　drew　our　maps；　Mademoiselle　de　Lessay　tinted　them　in　water…colours。　　Bending　over　the　table；　she　held　the　brush　lightly　between　two　fingers；　the　shadow　of　her　eyelashes　descended　upon　her　cheeks；　and　bather　her　half…closed　eyes　in　a　delicious　penumbra。　Sometimes　she　would　lift　her　head；　and　I　would　see　her　lips　pout。　There　was　so　much　expression　in　her　beauty　that　she　could　not　breathe　without　seeming　to　sigh；　and　her　most　ordinary　poses　used　to　throw　me　into　the　deepest　ecstasies　of　admiration。　　Whenever　I　gazed　at　her　I　fully　agreed　with　Monsieur　de　Lessay　that　Jupiter　had　once　reigned　as　a　despot…king　over　the　mountainous　regions　of　Thessaly；　and　that　Orpheus　had　committed　the　imprudence　of　leaving　the　teaching　of　philosophy　to　the　clergy。　　I　am　not　now　quite　sure　whether　I　was　a　coward　or　a　hero　when　I　accorded　al　this　to　the　obstinate　old　man。

〃Mademoiselle　de　Lessay；　I　must　acknowledge；　paid　very　little　attention　to　me。　　But　this　indifference　seemed　to　me　so　just　and　so　natural　that　I　never　even　dreamed　of　thinking　I　had　a　right　to　complain　about　it；　it　made　me　unhappy；　but　without　my　knowing　that　I　was　unhappy　at　the　time。　　I　was　hopeful；we　had　then　only　got　as　far　as　the　First　Assyrian　Empire。

〃Monsieur　de　Lessay　came　every　evening　to　take　coffee　with　my　father。　I　do　not　know　how　they　became　such　friends；　for　it　would　have　been　difficult　to　find　two　characters　more　oppositely　constituted。　　My　father　was　a　man　who　admired　very　few　things；　but　was　still　capable　of　excusing　a　great　many。　　Still；　as　he　grew　older；　he　evinced　more　and　more　dislike　of　everything　in　the　shape　of　exaggeration。　　He　clothed　his　ideas　with　a　thousand　delicate　shades　of　expression；　and　never　pronounced　an　opinion　without　all　sorts　of　reservations。　These　conversational　habits；　natural　to　a　finely　trained　mind；　used　greatly　to　irritate　the　dry；　terse　old　aristocrat；　who　was　never　in　the　least　disarmed　by　the　moderation　of　an　adversaryquite　the　contrary！　　I　always　foresaw　one　danger。　　That　danger　was　Bonaparte。　My　father　had　not　himself　retained　an　particular　affection　for　his　memory；　but；　having　worked　under　his　direction；　he　did　not　like　to　hear　him　abused；　especially　in　favour　of　the　Bourbons；　against　whom　he　had　serious　reason　to　feel　resentment。　　Monsieur　de　Lessay；　more　of　a　Voltairean　and　a　Legitimist　than　ever；　now　traced　back　to　Bonaparte　the　origin　of　every　social；　political；　and　religious　evil。　Such　being　the　situation；　the　idea　of　Uncle　Victor　made　me　feel　particularly　uneasy。　　This　terrible　uncle　had　become　absolutely　unsufferable　now　that　his　sister　was　no　longer　there　to　calm　him　down。　　The　harp　of　David　was　broken；　and　Saul　was　wholly　delivered　over　to　the　spirit　of　madness。　　The　fall　of　Charles　X。　had　increased　the　audacity　of　the　old　Napoleonic　veteran；　who　uttered　all　imaginable　bravadoes。　　He　no　longer　frequented　our　house；　which　had　become　too　silent　for　him。　　But　sometimes；　at　the　dinner…hour；　we　would　see　him　suddenly　make　his　appearance；　all　covered　with　flowers；　like　a　mausoleum。　　Ordinarily　he　would　sit　down　to　table　with　an　oath；　growled　out　from　the　very　bottom　of　his　chest；　and　brag；　between　every　two　mouthfuls；　of　his　good　fortune　with　the　ladies　as　a　vieux　brave。　　Then；　when　the　dinner　was　over；　he　would　fold　up　his　napkin　in　the　shape　of　a　bishop's　mitre；　gulp　down　half　a　decanter　of　brandy；　and　rush　away　with　the　hurried　air　of　a　man　terrified　at　the　mere　idea　of　remaining　for　any　length　of　time；　without　drinking；　in　conversation　with　an　old　philosopher　and　a　young　scholar。　　I　felt　perfectly　sure　that；　if　ever　he　and　Monsieur　de　Lessay　should　come　together；　all　would　be　lost。　　But　that　day　came；　Madame！

〃The　captain　was　almost　hidden　by　flowers　that　day；　and　seemed　so　much　like　a　monument　commemorating　the　glories　of　the