the village rector-第32节

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rector。

Seeing　that　she　understood　him；　he　attempted　to　strike　another　blow　on
this　woman's　intellect；　judging　rightly　that　in　her　the　intellect　led
the　heart；　whereas　in　other　women　the　heart　is　their　road　to
intelligence。

〃Do　you　know；〃　he　said　after　a　pause；　〃the　error　in　which　you　are
living？〃

She　looked　at　him　timidly。

〃Your　repentance　is　as　yet　only　a　sense　of　defeat　endured；which　is
horrible；　for　it　is　nothing　else　than　the　despair　of　Satan；　such；
perhaps；　was　the　repentance　of　mankind　before　the　coming　of　Jesus
Christ。　But　our　repentance；　the　repentance　of　Christians；　is　the
horror　of　a　soul　struck　down　on　an　evil　path；　to　whom；　by　this　very
shock；　God　has　revealed　Himself。　You　are　like　the　pagan　Orestes；　make
yourself　another　Paul。〃

〃Your　words　have　changed　me　utterly；〃　she　cried。　〃Nowoh！　now　I　want
to　live。〃

〃The　spirit　conquers；〃　thought　the　modest　rector；　as　he　joyfully　took
his　leave。　He　had　cast　nourishment　before　a　soul　hunted　into　secret
despair　by　giving　to　its　repentance　the　form　of　a　good　and　noble
action。



XII

THE　SOUL　OF　FORESTS

Veronique　wrote　to　Monsieur　Grossetete　on　the　morrow。　A　few　days　later
she　received　from　Limoges　three　saddle…horses　sent　by　her　old　friend。
Monsieur　Bonnet　found　at　Veronique's　request；　a　young　man；　son　of　the
postmaster；　who　was　delighted　to　serve　Veronique　and　earn　good　wages。
This　young　fellow；　small　but　active；　with　a　round　face；　black　eyes　and
hair；　and　named　Maurice　Champion；　pleased　Veronique　very　much　and　was
immediately　inducted　into　his　office；　which　was　that　of　taking　care　of
the　horses　and　accompanying　his　mistress　on　her　excursions。

The　head…forester　of　Montegnac　was　a　former　cavalry…sergeant　in　the
Royal　guard；　born　at　Limoges；　whom　the　Duc　de　Navarreins　had　sent　to
his　estate　at　Montegnac　to　study　its　capabilities　and　value；　in　order
that　he　might　derive　some　profit　from　it。　Jerome　Colorat　found　nothing
but　waste　land　utterly　barren；　woods　unavailable　for　want　of
transportation；　a　ruined　chateau；　and　enormous　outlays　required　to
restore　the　house　and　gardens。　Alarmed；　above　all；　by　the　beds　of
torrents　strewn　with　granite　rocks　which　seamed　the　forest；　this
honest　but　unintelligent　agent　was　the　real　cause　of　the　sale　of　the
property。

〃Colorat；〃　said　Madame　Graslin　to　her　forester；　for　whom　she　had　sent；
〃I　shall　probably　ride　out　every　morning；　beginning　with　to…morrow。
You　know　all　the　different　parts　of　the　land　that　belonged　originally
to　this　estate　and　those　which　Monsieur　Graslin　added　to　it：　I　wish
you　to　go　with　me　and　point　them　out；　for　I　intend　to　visit　every　part
of　the　property　myself。〃

The　family　within　the　chateau　saw　with　joy　the　change　that　now
appeared　in　Veronique's　behavior。　Without　being　told　to　do　so；　Aline
got　out　her　mistress's　riding…habit　and　put　it　in　good　order　for　use。
The　next　day　Madame　Sauviat　felt　unspeakable　relief　when　her　daughter
left　her　room　dressed　to　ride　out。

Guided　by　the　forester　and　Champion；　who　found　their　way　by
recollection；　for　the　paths　were　scarcely　marked　on　these　unfrequented
mountains；　Madame　Graslin　started　on　the　first　day　for　the　summits；
intending　to　explore　those　only；　so　as　to　understand　the　watershed　and
familiarize　herself　with　the　lay　of　the　ravines；　the　natural　path　of
the　torrents　when　they　tore　down　the　slopes。　She　wished　to　measure　the
task　before　her；to　study　the　land　and　the　water…ways；　and　find　for
herself　the　essential　points　of　the　enterprise　which　the　rector　had
suggested　to　her。　She　followed　Colorat；　who　rode　in　advance；　Champion
was　a　few　steps　behind　her。

So　long　as　they　were　making　their　way　through　parts　that　were　dense
with　trees；　going　up　and　down　undulations　of　ground　lying　near　to　each
other　and　very　characteristic　of　the　mountains　of　France；　Veronique
was　lost　in　contemplation　of　the　marvels　of　the　forest。　First　came　the
venerable　centennial　trees；　which　amazed　her　till　she　grew　accustomed
to　them；　next；　the　full…grown　younger　trees　reaching　to　their　natural
height；　then；　in　some　more　open　spot；　a　solitary　pine…tree　of　enormous
height；　orbut　this　was　rareone　of　those　flowing　shrubs；　dwarf
elsewhere；　but　here　attaining　to　gigantic　development；　and　often　as
old　as　the　soil　itself。　She　saw；　with　a　sensation　quite　unspeakable；　a
cloud　rolling　along　the　face　of　the　bare　rocks。　She　noticed　the　white
furrows　made　down　the　mountain　sides　by　the　melting　snows；　which
looked　at　a　distance　like　scars　and　gashes。　Passing　through　a　gorge
stripped　of　vegetation；　she　nevertheless　admired；　in　the　cleft　flanks
of　the　rocky　slope；　aged　chestnuts　as　erect　as　the　Alpine　fir…trees。

The　rapidity　with　which　she　advanced　left　her　no　time　to　take　in　all
the　varied　scene；　the　vast　moving　sands；　the　quagmires　boasting　a　few
scattered　trees；　fallen　granite　boulders；　overhanging　rocks；　shaded
valleys；　broad　open　spaces　with　moss　and　heather　still　in　bloom
（though　some　was　dried）；　utter　solitudes　overgrown　with　juniper　and
caper…bushes；　sometimes　uplands　with　short　grass；　small　spaces
enriched　by　an　oozing　spring；in　short；　much　sadness；　many　splendors；
things　sweet；　things　strong；　and　all　the　singular　aspects　of
mountainous　Nature　in　the　heart　of　France。

As　she　watched　these　many　pictures；　varied　in　form　but　all　inspired
with　the　same　thought；　the　awful　sadness　of　this　Nature；　so　wild；　so
ruined；　abandoned；　fruitless；　barren；　filled　her　soul　and　answered　to
her　secret　feelings。　And　when；　through　an　opening　among　the　trees；　she
caught　a　glimpse　of　the　plain　below　her；　when　she　crossed　some　arid
ravine　over　gravel　and　stones；　where　a　few　stunted　bushes　alone　could
grow；　the　spirit　of　this　austere　Nature　came　to　her；　suggesting
observations　new　to　her　mind；　derived　from　the　many　significations　of
this　varied　scene。

There　is　no　spot　in　a　forest　which　does　not　have　its　significance；　not
a　glade；　not　a　thicket　but　has　its　analogy　with　the　labyrinth　of　human
thought。　Who　is　there　among　those　whose　minds　are　cultivated　or　whose
hearts　are　wounded　who　can　walk　alone　in　a　forest　and　the　forest　not
speak　to　him？　Insensibly　a　voice　lifts　itself；　consoling　or　terrible；
but　oftener　consoling　than　terrifying。　If　we　seek　the　causes　of　the
sensationgrave；　simple；　sweet；　mysteriousthat　grasps　us　there；
perhaps　we　shall　find　it　in　the　sublime　and　artless　spectacle　of　all
these　creations　obeying　their　destiny　and　immutably　submissive。　Sooner
or　later　the　overwhelming　sense　of　the　permanence　of　Nature　fills　our
hearts　and　stirs　them　deeply；　and　we　end　by　being　conscious　of　God。　So
it　was　with　Veronique；　in　the　silence　of　those　summits；　from　the　odor
of　the　woods；　the　serenity　of　the　air；　she　gatheredas　she　said　that
evening　to　Monsieur　Bonnetthe　certainty　of　God's　mercy。　She　saw　the
possibility　of　an　order　of　deeds　higher　than　any　to　which　her
aspirations　had　ever　reached。　She　felt　a　sort　of　happiness　within　her；
it　was　long；　indeed　since　she　had　known　such　a　sense　of　peace。　Did　she
owe　that　feeling　to　the　resemblance　she　found　between　that　barren
landscape　and　the　arid；　exhausted　regions　of　her　soul？　Had　she　seen
those　troubles　of　nature　with　a　sort　of　joy；　thinking　that　Nature　was
punished　though　it　had　not　sinned？　At　any　rate；　she　was　powerfully
affected；　Colorat　and　Champion；　following　her　at　a　little　distance；
thought　her　transfigured。

At　a　certain　sport　Veronique　was　struck　with　the　stern　harsh　aspect　of
the　steep　and　rocky　beds　of　the　dried…up　torrents。　She　found　herself
longing　to　hear　the　sound　of　water　splashing　through　those　scorched
ravines。

〃The　need　to　love！〃　she　murmured。

Ashamed　of　the　words；　which　seemed　to　come　to　her　like　a　voice；　she
pushed　her　horse　boldly　toward　the　first　peak　of　the　Correze；　where；
in　spite　of　the　forester's　advice；　she　insisted　on　going。　Telling　her
attendants　to　wait　for　her　she　went　on　alone　to　the　summit；　which　is
called　the　Roche…Vive；　and　stayed　there　for　some　time；　studying　the
surrounding　country。　After　hearing　the　secret　voice　of　the　many
creations　asking　to　live　she　now　received　within　her　the　touch；　the
inspiration；　which　determined　her　to　put　into　her　work　that　wonderful
perseverance　displayed　by　Nature；　of　which　she　had　herself　already
given　many　proofs。

She　fastened　her　horse　to　a　tree　and　seated　herself　on　a　large　rock；
letting　her　eyes　rove　over　the　broad　expanse　of　barren　plain；　where
Nature　seemed　a　step…mother；feeling　in　her　heart　the　same　stirrings
of　maternal　love　with　which　at　times　she　gazed　upon　her　infant。
Prepared　by　this　train　of　emotion；　these　half　involuntary　meditations
（which；　to　use　her　own　fine　expression；　winnowed　her　heart）；　to
receive　the　sublime　instruction　offered　by　the　scene　before　her；　she
awoke　from　her　lethargy。

〃I　understood　then；〃　she　said　afterwards　to　the　rector；　〃that　our
souls　must　be　ploughed　and　cultivated　like　the　soil　itself。〃

The　vast　expanse　before　her　was　lighted　by　a　pale　November　sun。
Already　a　few　gray　clouds　chased　by　a　chilly　wind　were　hurrying　from
the　west。　It　was　then　three　o'clock。　Veronique　had　taken　more　than
four　hours　to　reach　the　summit；　but；　like　all　others　who　are　harrowed
by　an　inward　misery；　she　paid　no　heed　to　external　circumstances。　At
th