ferragus-第9节

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　　your　esteem。　Write　me；　answer　me；　say　you　respect　me　still；　though
　　you　have　seased　to　love　me。　My　eyes　are　worthy　still　to　look　into
　　yours；　but　I　do　not　ask　an　interfew；　I　fear　my　weakness　and　my
　　love。　But　for　pitty's　sake　write　me　a　line　at　once；　it　will　give
　　me　the　corage　I　need　to　meet　my　trubbles。　Farewell；　orther　of　all
　　my　woes；　but　the　only　frend　my　heart　has　chosen　and　will　never
　　forget。

Ida。


This　life　of　a　young　girl；　with　its　love　betrayed；　its　fatal　joys；　its
pangs；　its　miseries；　and　its　horrible　resignation；　summed　up　in　a　few
words；　this　humble　poem；　essentially　Parisian；　written　on　dirty　paper；
influenced　for　a　passing　moment　Monsieur　de　Maulincour。　He　asked
himself　whether　this　Ida　might　not　be　some　poor　relation　of　Madame
Jules；　and　that　strange　rendezvous；　which　he　had　witnessed　by　chance；
the　mere　necessity　of　a　charitable　effort。　But　could　that　old　pauper
have　seduced　this　Ida？　There　was　something　impossible　in　the　very
idea。　Wandering　in　this　labyrinth　of　reflections；　which　crossed；
recrossed；　and　obliterated　one　another；　the　baron　reached　the　rue
Pagevin；　and　saw　a　hackney…coach　standing　at　the　end　of　the　rue　des
Vieux…Augustins　where　it　enters　the　rue　Montmartre。　All　waiting
hackney…coaches　now　had　an　interest　for　him。

〃Can　she　be　there？〃　he　thought　to　himself；　and　his　heart　beat　fast
with　a　hot　and　feverish　throbbing。

He　pushed　the　little　door　with　the　bell；　but　he　lowered　his　head　as　he
did　so；　obeying　a　sense　of　shame；　for　a　voice　said　to　him　secretly：

〃Why　are　you　putting　your　foot　into　this　mystery？〃

He　went　up　a　few　steps；　and　found　himself　face　to　face　with　the　old
portress。

〃Monsieur　Ferragus？〃　he　said。

〃Don't　know　him。〃

〃Doesn't　Monsieur　Ferragus　live　here？〃

〃Haven't　such　a　name　in　the　house。〃

〃But；　my　good　woman〃

〃I'm　not　your　good　woman；　monsieur；　I'm　the　portress。〃

〃But；　madame；〃　persisted　the　baron；　〃I　have　a　letter　for　Monsieur
Ferragus。〃

〃Ah！　if　monsieur　has　a　letter；〃　she　said；　changing　her　tone；　〃that's
another　matter。　Will　you　let　me　see　itthat　letter？〃

Auguste　showed　the　folded　letter。　The　old　woman　shook　her　head　with　a
doubtful　air；　hesitated；　seemed　to　wish　to　leave　the　lodge　and　inform
the　mysterious　Ferragus　of　his　unexpected　visitor；　but　finally　said：

〃Very　good；　go　up；　monsieur。　I　suppose　you　know　the　way？〃

Without　replying　to　this　remark；　which　he　thought　might　be　a　trap；　the
young　officer　ran　lightly　up　the　stairway；　and　rang　loudly　at　the　door
of　the　second　floor。　His　lover's　instinct　told　him；　〃She　is　there。〃

The　beggar　of　the　porch；　Ferragus；　the　〃orther〃　of　Ida's　woes；　opened
the　door　himself。　He　appeared　in　a　flowered　dressing…gown；　white
flannel　trousers；　his　feet　in　embroidered　slippers；　and　his　face
washed　clean　of　stains。　Madame　Jules；　whose　head　projected　beyond　the
casing　of　the　door　in　the　next　room；　turned　pale　and　dropped　into　a
chair。

〃What　is　the　matter；　madame？〃　cried　the　officer；　springing　toward　her。

But　Ferragus　stretched　forth　an　arm　and　flung　the　intruder　back　with
so　sharp　a　thrust　that　Auguste　fancied　he　had　received　a　blow　with　an
iron　bar　full　on　his　chest。

〃Back！　monsieur；〃　said　the　man。　〃What　do　you　want　there？　For　five　or
six　days　you　have　been　roaming　about　the　neighborhood。　Are　you　a　spy？〃

〃Are　you　Monsieur　Ferragus？〃　said　the　baron。

〃No；　monsieur。〃

〃Nevertheless；〃　continued　Auguste；　〃it　is　to　you　that　I　must　return
this　paper　which　you　dropped　in　the　gateway　beneath　which　we　both　took
refuge　from　the　rain。〃

While　speaking　and　offering　the　letter　to　the　man；　Auguste　did　not
refrain　from　casting　an　eye　around　the　room　where　Ferragus　received
him。　It　was　very　well　arranged；　though　simply。　A　fire　burned　on　the
hearth；　and　near　it　was　a　table　with　food　upon　it；　which　was　served
more　sumptuously　than　agreed　with　the　apparent　conditions　of　the　man
and　the　poorness　of　his　lodging。　On　a　sofa　in　the　next　room；　which　he
could　see　through　the　doorway；　lay　a　heap　of　gold；　and　he　heard　a
sound　which　could　be　no　other　than　that　of　a　woman　weeping。

〃The　paper　belongs　to　me；　I　am　much　obliged　to　you；〃　said　the
mysterious　man；　turning　away　as　if　to　make　the　baron　understand　that
he　must　go。

Too　curious　himself　to　take　much　note　of　the　deep　examination　of　which
he　was　himself　the　object；　Auguste　did　not　see　the　half…magnetic
glance　with　which　this　strange　being　seemed　to　pierce　him；　had　he
encountered　that　basilisk　eye　he　might　have　felt　the　danger　that
encompassed　him。　Too　passionately　excited　to　think　of　himself；　Auguste
bowed；　went　down　the　stairs；　and　returned　home；　striving　to　find　a
meaning　in　the　connection　of　these　three　persons；Ida；　Ferragus；　and
Madame　Jules；　an　occupation　equivalent　to　that　of　trying　to　arrange
the　many…cornered　bits　of　a　Chinese　puzzle　without　possessing　the　key
to　the　game。　But　Madame　Jules　had　seen　him；　Madame　Jules　went　there；
Madame　Jules　had　lied　to　him。　Maulincour　determined　to　go　and　see　her
the　next　day。　She　could　not　refuse　his　visit；　for　he　was　now　her
accomplice；　he　was　hands　and　feet　in　the　mysterious　affair；　and　she
knew　it。　Already　he　felt　himself　a　sultan；　and　thought　of　demanding
from　Madame　Jules；　imperiously；　all　her　secrets。

In　those　days　Paris　was　seized　with　a　building…fever。　If　Paris　is　a
monster；　it　is　certainly　a　most　mania…ridden　monster。　It　becomes
enamored　of　a　thousand　fancies：　sometimes　it　has　a　mania　for　building；
like　a　great　seigneur　who　loves　a　trowel；　soon　it　abandons　the　trowel
and　becomes　all　military；　it　arrays　itself　from　head　to　foot　as　a
national　guard；　and　drills　and　smokes；　suddenly；　it　abandons　military
manoeuvres　and　flings　away　cigars；　it　is　commercial；　care…worn；　falls
into　bankruptcy；　sells　its　furniture　on　the　place　de　Chatelet；　files
its　schedule；　but　a　few　days　later；　lo！　it　has　arranged　its　affairs
and　is　giving　fetes　and　dances。　One　day　it　eats　barley…sugar　by　the
mouthful；　by　the　handful；　yesterday　it　bought　〃papier　Weymen〃；　to…day
the　monster's　teeth　ache；　and　it　applies　to　its　walls　an
alexipharmatic　to　mitigate　their　dampness；　to…morrow　it　will　lay　in　a
provision　of　pectoral　paste。　It　has　its　manias　for　the　month；　for　the
season；　for　the　year；　like　its　manias　of　a　day。

So；　at　the　moment　of　which　we　speak；　all　the　world　was　building　or
pulling　down　something；people　hardly　knew　what　as　yet。　There　were
very　few　streets　in　which　high　scaffoldings　on　long　poles　could　not　be
seen；　fastened　from　floor　to　floor　with　transverse　blocks　inserted
into　holes　in　the　walls　on　which　the　planks　were　laid；a　frail
construction；　shaken　by　the　brick…layers；　but　held　together　by　ropes；
white　with　plaster；　and　insecurely　protected　from　the　wheels　of
carriages　by　the　breastwork　of　planks　which　the　law　requires　round　all
such　buildings。　There　is　something　maritime　in　these　masts；　and
ladders；　and　cordage；　even　in　the　shouts　of　the　masons。　About　a　dozen
yards　from　the　hotel　Maulincour；　one　of　these　ephemeral　barriers　was
erected　before　a　house　which　was　then　being　built　of　blocks　of　free…
stone。　The　day　after　the　event　we　have　just　related；　at　the　moment
when　the　Baron　de　Maulincour　was　passing　this　scaffolding　in　his
cabriolet　on　his　way　to　see　Madame　Jules；　a　stone；　two　feet　square；
which　was　being　raised　to　the　upper　storey　of　this　building；　got　loose
from　the　ropes　and　fell；　crushing　the　baron's　servant　who　was　behind
the　cabriolet。　A　cry　of　horror　shook　both　the　scaffold　and　the　masons；
one　of　them；　apparently　unable　to　keep　his　grasp　on　a　pole；　was　in
danger　of　death；　and　seemed　to　have　been　touched　by　the　stone　as　it
passed　him。

A　crowd　collected　rapidly；　the　masons　came　down　the　ladders　swearing
and　insisting　that　Monsieur　de　Maulincour's　cabriolet　had　been　driven
against　the　boarding　and　so　had　shaken　their　crane。　Two　inches　more
and　the　stone　would　have　fallen　on　the　baron's　head。　The　groom　was
dead；　the　carriage　shattered。　'Twas　an　event　for　the　whole
neighborhood；　the　newspapers　told　of　it。　Monsieur　de　Maulincour；
certain　that　he　had　not　touched　the　boarding；　complained；　the　case
went　to　court。　Inquiry　being　made；　it　was　shown　that　a　small　boy；
armed　with　a　lath；　had　mounted　guard　and　called　to　all　foot…passengers
to　keep　away。　The　affair　ended　there。　Monsieur　de　Maulincour　obtained
no　redress。　He　had　lost　his　servant；　and　was　confined　to　his　bed　for
some　days；　for　the　back　of　the　carriage　when　shattered　had　bruised　him
severely；　and　the　nervous　shock　of　the　sudden　surprise　gave　him　a
fever。　He　did　not；　therefore；　go　to　see　Madame　Jules。

Ten　days　after　this　event；　he　left　the　house　for　the　first　time；　in
his　repaired　cabriolet；　when；　as　he　drove　down　the　rue　de　Bourgogne
and　was　close　to　the　sewer　opposite　to　the　Chamber　of　Deputies；　the
axle…tree　broke　in　two；　and　the　baron　was　driving　so　rapidly　that　the
breakage　would　have　caused　the　two　wheels　to　come　together　with　force
enough　to　break　his　head；　had　it　not　been　for　the　resistance　of　the
leather　hood。　Nevertheless；　he　was　badly　wounded　in　the　side。　For　the
second　time　in　ten　days　he　was　carried　home　in　a　fainting　condition　to
his　terrified　grandmother。　This　second　accident　gave　him　a　feeling　of
distrust；　he　thought；　though　vaguely；　o