the crime of sylvestre bonnard-第36节

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h　the　little　hole　which　he　has　made；　I　should　never　have　thought　that　a　bumble…bee　had　so　much　sense！　　Why；　that　is　admirble！　　The　more　I　observe；　them；　the　more　do　insects　and　flowers　fill　me　with　astonishment。　　I　am　like　that　good　Rollin　who　went　wild　with　delight　over　the　flowers　of　his　peach…trees。　　I　wish　I　could　have　a　fine　garden；　and　live　at　the　verge　of　a　wood。


August；　September。


It　occurred　to　me　one　Sunday　morning　to　watch　for　the　moment　when　Mademoiselle　Prefere's　pupils　were　leaving　the　school　in　procession　to　attand　Mass　at　the　parish　church。　　I　watched　them　passing　two　by　two；the　little　ones　first　with　very　serious　faces。　　There　were　three　of　them　all　dressed　exactly　alikedumpy；　plump；　important…　looking　little　creatures；　whom　I　recognized　at　once　as　the　Mouton　girls。　　Their　elder　sister　is　the　artist　who　drew　that　terrrible　head　of　Tatius；　King　of　the　Sabines。　　Beside　the　column；　the　assistant　school…teacher；　with　her　prayer…book　in　her　hand；　was　gesturing　and　frowning。　　Then　came　the　next　oldest　class；　and　finally　the　big　girls；　all　whispering　to　each　other；　as　they　went　by。　　But　I　did　not　see　Jeanne。

I　went　to　police…headquarters　and　inquired　whether　they　chanced　to　have；　filed　away　somewhere　or　other；　any　information　regarding　the　establishment　in　the　Rue　Demours。　　I　succeeded　in　inducing　them　to　send　some　female　inspectors　there。　　These　returned　bringing　with　them　the　most　favourable　reports　about　the　establishment。　　In　their　opinion　the　Prefere　School　was　a　model　school。　　It　is　evident　that　if　I　were　to　force　an　investigation；　Mademoiselle　Prefere　would　receive　academic　honours。


October　3。


This　Thursday　being　a　school…holiday　I　had　teh　chance　of　meeting　the　three　little　Mouton　girls　in　the　vicinity　of　the　Rue　Demours。　　After　bowing　to　their　mother；　I　asked　the　eldest　who　appears　to　be　about　ten　years　old；　how　was　her　playmate；　Mademoiselle　Jeanne　Alexandre。

The　little　Mouton　girl　answered　me；　all　in　a　breath；

〃Jeanne　Alexandre　is　not　my　playmate。　　She　is　only　kept　in　the　school　for　charityso　they　make　her　sweep　the　class…rooms。　　It　was　Mademoiselle　who　said　so。　　And　Jeanne　Alexandre　is　a　bad　girl；　so　they　lock　her　up　in　the　dark　roomand　it　serves　her　rightand　I　am　a　good　girland　I　am　never　locked　up　in　the　dark　room。〃

The　three　little　girls　resumed　their　walk；　and　Madame　Mouton　followed　close　behind　them；　looking　back　over　her　broad　shoulder　at　me；　in　a　very　suspicious　manner。

Alas！　　I　find　myself　reduced　to　expedients　of　a　questionable　character。　　Madame　de　Gabry　will　not　come　back　to　Paris　for　at　least　three　months　more；　at　the　very　soonest。　　Without　her；　I　have　no　tact；　I　have　no　common　senseI　am　nothing　but　a　cumbersome；　clumsy；　mischief…making　machine。

Nevertheless；　I　cannot　possibly　permit　them　to　make　Jeanne　a　boarding…school　servant！


December　28。


The　idea　that　Jeanne　was　obliged　to　sweep　the　rooms　had　become　absolutely　unbearable。

The　weather　was　dark　and　cold。　　Night　had　already　begun。　　I　rang　the　school…door　bell　with　the　tranquillity　of　a　resolute　man。　　The　moment　that　the　timid　servant　opened　the　door；　I　slipped　a　gold　piece　into　her　hand；　and　promised　her　another　if　she　would　arrange　matters　so　that　I　could　see　Mademoiselle　Alexandre。　　Her　answer　was；

〃In　one　hour　from　now；　at　the　grated　window。〃

And　she　slammed　the　door　in　my　face　so　rudely　that　she　knocked　my　hat　into　the　gutter。　　I　waited　for　one　very　long　hour　in　a　violent　snow…storm；　then　I　approached　the　window。　　Nothing！　　The　wind　raged；　and　the　snow　fell　heavily。　　Workmen　passing　by　with　their　implements　on　their　shoulders；　and　their　heads　bent　down　to　keep　the　snow　from　coming　in　their　faces；　rudely　jostled　me。　　Still　nothing。　　I　began　to　fear　I　had　been　observed。　　I　knew　that　I　had　done　wrong　in　bribing　a　servant；　but　I　was　not　a　bit　sorry　for　it。　　Woe　to　the　man　who　does　not　know　how　to　break　through　social　regulations　in　case　of　necessity！　　Another　quarter　of　an　hour　passed。　　Nothing。　　At　last　the　window　was　partly　opened。

〃Is　that　you；　Monsieur　Bonnard？〃

Is　that　you；　Jeanne？tell　me　at　once　what　has　become　of　you。〃

〃I　am　wellvery　well。〃

〃But　what　else！〃

〃They　have　put　me　in　the　kitchen；　and　I　have　to　sweep　the　school…　rooms。〃

〃In　the　kitchen！　　Sweepingyou！　　Gracious　goodness！〃

〃Yes；　because　my　guardian　does　not　pay　for　my　schooling　any　longer。〃

〃Gracious　goodness！　　Your　guardian　seems　to　me　to　be　a　thorough　scoundrel。〃

〃Then　you　know…〃

〃What？〃

〃Oh！　don't　ask　me　to　tell　you　that！but　I　would　rather　die　than　find　myself　alone　with　him　again。〃

〃And　why　did　you　not　write　to　me？〃

〃I　was　watched。〃

At　this　instant　I　formed　a　resolve　which　nothing　in　this　world　could　have　induced　me　to　change。　　I　did；　indeed；　have　some　idea　that　I　might　be　acting　contrary　to　law；　but　I　did　not　give　myself　the　least　concern　about　that　idea。　　And；　being　firmly　resolved；　I　was　able　to　be　prudent。　　I　acted　with　remarkable　coolness。

〃Jeanne；〃　I　asked；　〃tell　me！　does　that　room　you　are　in　open　into　the　court…yard？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Can　you　open　the　street…door　from　the　inside　yourself？〃

〃Yes；if　there　is　nobody　in　the　porter's　lodge。〃

〃Go　and　see　if　there　is　any　one　there；　and　be　careful　that　nobody　observes　you。〃

Then　I　waited；　keeping　a　watch　on　the　door　and　window。

In　six　or　seven　seconds　Jeanne　reappeared　behind　the　bars；　and　said；

〃The　servant　is　in　the　porter's　lodge。〃

〃Very　well；〃　I　said；　〃have　you　a　pen　and　ink？〃

〃No。〃

〃A　pencil？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Pass　it　out　here。〃

I　took　an　old　newspaper　out　of　my　pocket；　andin　a　wind　which　blew　almost　hard　enough　to　put　the　street…lamps　out；　in　a　downpour　of　snow　which　almost　blinded　meI　managed　to　wrap　up　and　address　that　paper　to　Mademoiselle　Prefere。

While　I　was　writing　I　asked　Jeanne；

〃When　the　postman　passes　he　puts　the　papers　and　letters　in　the　box；　doesn't　he？　　He　rings　the　bell　and　goes　away？　　Then　the　servant　opens　the　letter…box　and　takes　whatever　she　finds　there　to　Mademoiselle　Prefere　immediately；　is　not　that　about　the　way　the　thing　is　managed　whenever　anything　comes　by　post？〃

Jeanne　thought　it　was。

〃Then　we　shall　soon　see。　　Jeanne；　go　and　watch　again；　and；　as　soon　as　the　servant　leaves　the　lodge；　open　the　door　and　come　out　here　to　me。〃

Having　said　this；　I　put　my　newspaper　in　the　box；　gave　the　bell　a　tremendous　pull；　and　then　hid　myself　in　the　embrasure　of　a　neighbouring　door。

I　might　have　been　there　several　minutes；　when　the　little　door　quivered；　then　opened；　and　a　young　girl's　head　made　its　appearance　through　the　opening。　　I　took　hold　of　it；　I　pulled　it　towards　me。

〃Come；　Jeanne！　come！〃

She　stared　at　me　uneasily。　　Certainly　she　must　have　been　afraid　that　I　had　gone　mad；　but；　on　the　contrary；　I　was　very　rational　indeed。

〃Come；　my　child！　come！〃

〃Where？〃

〃To　Madame　de　Gabry's。〃

Then　she　took　my　arm。　　For　some　time　we　ran　like　a　couple　of　thieves。　But　running　is　an　exercise　ill…suited　to　one　as　corpulent　as　I　am；　and；　finding　myself　out　of　breath　at　last；　I　stopped　and　leaned　upon　something　which　turned　out　to　be　the　stove　of　a　dealer　in　roasted　chestnuts；　who　was　doing　business　at　the　corner　of　a　wine…　seller's　shop；　where　a　number　of　cabmen　were　drinking。　　One　of　them　asked　us　if　we　did　not　want　a　cab。　　Most　assuredly　we　wanted　a　cab！　The　driver；　after　setting　down　his　glass　on　the　zinc　counter；　climbed　upon　his　seat　and　urged　his　horse　forward。　　We　were　saved。

〃Phew！〃　I　panted；　wiping　my　forehead。　　For；　in　spite　of　the　cold；　I　was　perspiring　profusely。

What　seemed　very　odd　was　that　Jeanne　appeared　to　be　much　more　conscious　than　I　was　of　the　enormity　which　we　had　committed。　　She　looked　very　serious　indeed；　and　was　visibly　uneasy。

〃In　the　kitchen！〃　I　cried　out；　with　indignation。

She　shook　her　head；　as　if　to　say；　〃Well；　there　or　anywhere　else；　what　does　it　matter　to　me？〃　　And　by　the　light　of　the　street…lamps；　I　observed　with　pain　that　her　face　was　very　thin　and　her　features　all　pinched。　　I　did　not　find　in　her　any　of　that　vivacity；　any　of　those　bright　impulses；　any　of　that　quickness　of　expression；　which　used　to　please　me　so　much。　　Her　gaze　had　become　timid；　her　gestures　constrained；　her　whole　attitude　melancholy。　　I　took　her　handa　little　cold　hand；　which　had　become　all　hardened　and　bruised。　　The　poor　child　must　have　suffered　very　much。　　I　questioned　her。　　She　told　me　very　quietly　that　Mademoiselle　Prefere　had　summoned　her　one　day；　and　called　her　a　little　monster　and　a　little　viper；　for　some　reason　which　she　had　never　been　able　to　learn。

She　had　added；　〃You　shall　not　see　Monsieur　Bonnard　any　more；　for　he　has　been　giving　you　bad　advice；　and　he　has　conducted　himself　in　a　most　shameful　manner　towards　me。〃　　〃I　then　said　to　her；　'That；　Mademoiselle；　you　will　never　be　able　to　make　me　believe。'　　Then　Mademoiselle　slapped　my　face　and　sent　me　back　to　the　school…room。　The　announcement　that　I　should　never　be　allowed　to　see　you　again　made　me　feel　as　if　night　had　come　down　upon　me。　　Don't　you　know　those　evenings　when　one　feels　so　sad　to　see　the　darkness　come？well；　just　imagine　such　a　moment　stretched　out　into　weeksinto　whole　months！　　Don't　you　remember　my　little　Saint…George？　　Up　to　that　time　I　had　worked　at　it　as　well　as　I　couldjust　simply　to　work　at　itjust　to　amuse