boyhood-第7节
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trink it out to ze last trop; I taket his hant ant says; 'Mister Sergeant; perhaps you have still one Vater and one Mutter?' He says; 'So I have; Mister Mayer。' 'My Vater ant Mutter not seen me eight year;' I goes on to him; 'ant zey know not if I am yet alive or if my bones be reposing in ze grave。 Oh; Mister Sergeant; I have two tucats which is in my shirt of flannel。 Take zem; ant let me loose! You will pe my penefactor; ant my Mutter will be praying for you all her life to ze Almighty Got!'
〃Ze sergeant emptiet his glass of Mateira; ant says; 'Mister Mayer; I loaf and pity you very much; pot you is one prisoner; ant I one soldat。' So I take his hant ant says; 'Mister Sergeant!'
〃Ant ze sergeant says; 'You is one poor man; ant I will not take your money; pot I will help you。 Ven I go to sleep; puy one pail of pranty for ze Soldaten; ant zey will sleep。 Me will not look after you。' Sis was one goot man。 I puyet ze pail of pranty; ant ven ze Soldaten was trunken me tresset in one olt coat; ant gang in silence out of ze doon。
〃I go to ze wall; ant will leap down; pot zere is vater pelow; ant I will not spoil my last tressing; so I go to ze gate。
〃Ze sentry go up and town wis one gon; ant look at me。 'Who goes zere? ' ant I was silent。 'Who goes zere ze second time?' ant I was silent。 ' Who goes zere ze third time? ' ant I ron away; I sprang in ze vater; climp op to ze oser site; ant walk on。
〃Ze entire night I ron on ze vay; pot ven taylight came I was afrait zat zey woult catch me; ant I hit myself in ze high corn。 Zere I kneelet town; zanket ze Vater in Heaven for my safety; ant fall asleep wis a tranquil feeling。
〃I wakenet op in ze evening; ant gang furser。 At once one large German carriage; wis two raven…black horse; came alongside me。 In ze carriage sit one well…tresset man; smoking pipe; ant look at me。 I go slowly; so zat ze carriage shall have time to pass me; pot I go slowly; ant ze carriage go slowly; ant ze man look at me。 I go quick; ant ze carriage go quick; ant ze man stop its two horses; ant look at me。 'Young man;' says he; 'where go you so late?' I says; 'I go to Frankfort。' 'Sit in ze carriagezere is room enough; ant I will trag you;' he says。 'Bot why have you nosing about you? Your boots is dirty; ant your beart not shaven。' I seated wis him; ant says; 'lch bin one poor man; ant I would like to pusy myself wis somesing in a manufactory。 My tressing is dirty because I fell in ze mud on ze roat。'
〃'You tell me ontruse; young man;' says he。 'Ze roat is kvite dry now。' I was silent。 'Tell me ze whole truse;' goes on ze goot man'who you are; ant vere you go to? I like your face; ant ven you is one honest man; so I will help you。' Ant I tell all。
〃'Goot; young man!' he says。 'Come to my manufactory of rope; ant I will give you work ant tress ant money; ant you can live wis os。' I says; 'Goot!'
〃I go to ze manufactory of rope; ant ze goot man says to his voman; 'Here is one yong man who defented his Vaterland; ant ron away from prisons。 He has not house nor tresses nor preat。 He will live wis os。 Give him clean linen; ant norish him。'
〃I livet one ant a half year in ze manufactory of rope; ant my lantlort loaft me so much zat he would not let me loose。 Ant I felt very goot。
〃I were zen handsome manyong; of pig stature; with blue eyes and romische noseant Missis L (I like not to say her name she was ze voman of my lantlort) was yong ant handsome laty。 Ant she fell in loaf wis me。〃
Here Karl Ivanitch made a long pause; lowered his kindly blue eyes; shook his head quietly; and smiled as people always do under the influence of a pleasing recollection。
〃Yes;〃 he resumed as he leant back in his arm…chair and adjusted his dressing…gown; 〃I have experiencet many sings in my life; pot zere is my witness;〃here he pointed to an image of the Saviour; embroidered on wool; which was hanging over his bed〃zat nopoty in ze worlt can say zat Karl Ivanitch has been one dishonest man; I would not repay black ingratitude for ze goot which Mister L dit me; ant I resoluted to ron away。 So in ze evening; ven all were asleep; I writet one letter to my lantlort; ant laid it on ze table in his room。 Zen I taket my tresses; tree Thaler of money; ant go mysteriously into ze street。 Nopoty have seen me; ant I go on ze roat。〃
X。 CONCLUSION OF KARL'S NARRATIVE
〃I had not seen my Mamma for nine year; ant I know not whether she lived or whether her bones had long since lain in ze dark grave。 Ven I come to my own country and go to ze town I ask; 'Where live Kustaf Mayer who was farmer to ze Count von Zomerblat? ' ant zey answer me; 'Graf Zomerblat is deat; ant Kustaf Mayer live now in ze pig street; ant keep a public…house。' So I tress in my new waistcoat and one noble coat which ze manufacturist presented me; arranged my hairs nice; ant go to ze public…house of my Papa。 Sister Mariechen vas sitting on a pench; and she ask me what I want。 I says; 'Might I trink one glass of pranty?' ant she says; 'Vater; here is a yong man who wish to trink one glass of pranty。' Ant Papa says; 'Give him ze glass。' I set to ze table; trink my glass of pranty; smoke my pipe; ant look at Papa; Mariechen; ant Johann (who also come into ze shop)。 In ze conversation Papa says; 'You know; perhaps; yong man; where stants our army?' and I say; 'I myself am come from ze army; ant it stants now at Wien。' 'Our son;' says Papa; 'is a Soldat; ant now is it nine years since he wrote never one wort; and we know not whether he is alive or dead。 My voman cry continually for him。' I still fumigate the pipe; ant say; 'What was your son's name; and where servet he? Perhaps I may know him。' 'His name was Karl Mayer; ant he servet in ze Austrian Jagers。' 'He were of pig stature; ant a handsome man like yourself;' puts in Mariechen。 I say; 'I know your Karl。' 'Amalia;' exclaimet my Vater。 'Come here! Here is yong man which knows our Karl!'ant my dear Mutter comes out from a back door。 I knew her directly。 'You know our Karl?' says she; ant looks at me; ant; white all over; trembles。 'Yes; I haf seen him;' I says; without ze corage to look at her; for my heart did almost burst。 'My Karl is alive?' she cry。 'Zen tank Got! Vere is he; my Karl? I woult die in peace if I coult see him once moremy darling son! Bot Got will not haf it so。' Then she cried; and I coult no longer stant it。 'Darling Mamma!' I say; 'I am your son; I am your Karl!'and she fell into my arms。
Karl Ivanitch covered his eyes; and his lips were quivering。
〃'Mutter;' sagte ich; 'ich bin ihr Sohn; ich bin ihr Karl!'und sie sturtzte mir in die Arme!'〃 he repeated; recovering a little and wiping the tears from his eyes。
〃Bot Got did not wish me to finish my tays in my own town。 I were pursuet by fate。 I livet in my own town only sree mons。 One Suntay I sit in a coffee…house; ant trinket one pint of Pier; ant fumigated my pipe; ant speaket wis some frients of Politik; of ze Emperor Franz; of Napoleon; of ze warant anypoty might say his opinion。 But next to us sits a strange chentleman in a grey Uberrock; who trink coffee; fumigate the pipe; ant says nosing。 Ven the night watchman shoutet ten o'clock I taket my hat; paid ze money; and go home。 At ze middle of ze night some one knock at ze door。 I rise ant says; 'Who is zere?' 'Open!' says someone。 I shout again; 'First say who is zere; ant I will open。' 'Open in the name of the law!' say the someone behint the door。 I now do so。 Two Soldaten wis gons stant at ze door; ant into ze room steps ze man in ze grey Uberrock; who had sat with us in ze coffeehouse。 He were Spion! 'Come wis me;' says ze Spion; 'Very goot!' say I。 I dresset myself in boots; trousers; ant coat; ant go srough ze room。 Ven I come to ze wall where my gon hangs I take it; ant says; 'You are a Spion; so defent you!' I give one stroke left; one right; ant one on ze head。 Ze Spion lay precipitated on ze floor! Zen I taket my cloak…bag ant money; ant jompet out of ze vintow。 I vent to Ems; where I was acquainted wis one General Sasin; who loaft me; givet me a passport from ze Embassy; ant taket me to Russland to learn his chiltren。 Ven General Sasin tiet; your Mamma callet for me; ant says; 'Karl Ivanitch; I gif you my children。 Loaf them; ant I will never leave you; ant will take care for your olt age。' Now is she teat; ant all is forgotten! For my twenty year full of service I most now go into ze street ant seek for a try crust of preat for my olt age! Got sees all sis; ant knows all sis。 His holy will be done! Only…only; I yearn for you; my children!〃and Karl drew me to him; and kissed me on the forehead。
XI。 ONE MARK ONLY
The year of mourning over; Grandmamma recovered a little from her grief; and once more took to receiving occasional guests; especially children of the same age as ourselves。
On the 13th of DecemberLubotshka's birthdaythe Princess Kornakoff and her daughters; with Madame Valakhin; Sonetchka; Ilinka Grap; and the two younger Iwins; arrived at our house before luncheon。
Though we could hear the sounds of talking; laughter; and movements going on in the drawing…room; we could not join the party until our morning lessons were finished。 The table of studies in the schoolroom said; 〃 Lundi; de 2 a 3; maitre d'Histoire et de Geographie;〃 a