the village rector-第55节

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with　a　speech　that　said　so　much。　The　rector　clasped　his　hands　with　a
fervent　gesture　that　was　natural　to　him　as　he　looked　with　deep　emotion
at　the　members　of　this　family　whose　secrets　had　passed　into　his　heart。

Gerard；　to　whom　the　words　〃peace　and　pardon〃　must　have　seemed　strange；
was　bewildered。　Monsieur　Ruffin；　with　his　eyes　fixed　on　Veronique；　was
stupefied。　At　this　instant　the　carriage　came　rapidly　up　the　avenue。

〃There　are　five　of　them！〃　cried　the　rector；　who　could　see　and　count
the　travellers。

〃Five！〃　exclaimed　Gerard。　〃Can　five　know　more　than　two？〃

〃Ah；〃　cried　Madame　Graslin　suddenly；　grasping　the　rector's　arm；　〃the
/procureur…general/　is　among　them！　What　is　he　doing　here？〃

〃And　papa　Grossetete；　too！〃　cried　Francis。

〃Madame；〃　said　the　rector；　supporting　Veronique；　and　leading　her　apart
a　few　steps；　〃show　courage；　be　worthy　of　yourself。〃

〃But　what　can　he　want？〃　she　replied；　leaning　on　the　balustrade。
〃Mother！〃　（the　old　woman　ran　to　her　daughter　with　an　activity　that
belied　her　years。）　〃I　shall　see　him　again；〃　she　said。

〃As　he　comes　with　Monsieur　Grossetete；〃　said　the　rector；　〃he　can　have
none　but　good　intentions。〃

〃Ah！　monsieur；　my　child　will　die！〃　cried　Madame　Sauviat；　seeing　the
effect　of　the　rector's　words　on　her　daughter's　face。　〃How　can　her
heart　survive　such　emotions？　Monsieur　Grossetete　has　always　hitherto
prevented　that　man　from　seeing　Veronique。〃

Madame　Graslin's　face　was　on　fire。

〃Do　you　hate　him　so　much？〃　said　the　Abbe　Bonnet。

〃She　left　Limoges　to　escape　the　sight　of　him；　and　to　escape　letting
the　whole　town　into　her　secrets；〃　said　Madame　Sauviat；　terrified　at
the　change　she　saw　on　Madame　Graslin's　features。

〃Do　you　not　see　that　he　will　poison　my　few　remaining　hours？　When　I
ought　to　be　thinking　of　heaven　he　will　nail　me　to　earth；〃　cried
Veronique。

The　rector　took　her　arm　and　constrained　her　to　walk　aside　with　him。
When　they　were　alone　he　stopped　and　gave　her　one　of　those　angelic
looks　with　which　he　was　able　to　calm　the　violent　convulsions　of　the
soul。

〃If　it　is　really　so；〃　he　said；　〃as　your　confessor；　I　order　you　to
receive　him；　to　be　kind　and　affectionate　to　him；　to　quit　that　garment
of　wrath；　and　forgive　him　as　God　will　forgive　you。　Can　there　still　be
the　remains　of　passion　of　a　soul　I　believed　to　be　purified。　Burn　this
last　incense　on　the　altar　of　your　penitence；　or　else　your　repentance
is　a　lie。〃

〃There　was　still　that　effort　to　makeand　it　is　made；〃　she　answered；
wiping　her　eyes。　〃The　devil　lurked　in　that　last　fold　of　my　heart；　and
God；　no　doubt；　put　into　Monsieur　de　Grandville's　mind　the　thought　that
brings　him　here。　Ah！　how　many　times　must　God　strike　me？〃　she　cried。

She　stopped；　as　if　to　say　a　mental　prayer；　then　she　returned　to　Madame
Sauviat　and　said　in　a　low　voice：

〃My　dear　mother；　be　kind　and　gentle　to　Monsieur　de　Grandville。〃

The　old　woman　clasped　her　hands　with　a　feverish　shudder。

〃There　is　no　longer　any　hope；〃　she　said；　seizing　the　rector's　hand。

The　carriage；　announced　by　the　postilion's　whip；　was　now　coming　up　the
last　slope；　the　gates　were　opened；　it　entered　the　courtyard；　and　the
travellers　came　at　once　to　the　terrace。　They　were　the　illustrious
Archbishop　Dutheil；　who　was　on　his　way　to　consecrate　Monseigneur
Gabriel　de　Rastignac；　the　/procureur…general/；　Monsieur　de　Grandville；
Monsieur　Grossetete；　Monsieur　Roubaud；　and　one　of　the　most　celebrated
physicians　in　Paris；　Horace　Bianchon。

〃You　are　very　welcome；〃　said　Veronique；　advancing　toward　them；〃you
particularly；〃　she　added；　offering　her　hand　to　Monsieur　de　Grandville；
who　took　it　and　pressed　it。

〃I　counted　on　the　intervention　of　Monseigneur　and　on　that　of　my　friend
Monsieur　Grossetete　to　obtain　for　me　a　favorable　reception；〃　said　the
/procureur…general/。　〃It　would　have　been　a　life…long　regret　to　me　if　I
did　not　see　you　again。〃

〃I　thank　those　who　brought　you　here；〃　replied　Veronique；　looking　at
the　Comte　de　Grandville　for　the　first　time　in　fifteen　years。　〃I　have
felt　averse　to　you　for　a　very　long　time；　but　I　now　recognize　the
injustice　of　my　feelings；　and　you　shall　know　why；　if　you　can　stay　till
the　day　after　to…morrow　at　Montegnac。〃　Then　turning　to　Horace　Bianchon
and　bowing　to　him；　she　added：　〃Monsieur　will　no　doubt　confirm　my
apprehensions。　God　must　have　sent　you；　Monseigneur；〃　she　said；　turning
to　the　archbishop。　〃In　memory　of　our　old　friendship　you　will　not
refuse　to　assist　me　in　my　last　moments。　By　whose　mercy　is　it　that　I
have　about　me　all　the　beings　who　have　loved　and　supported　me　in　life？〃

As　she　said　the　word　/loved/　she　turned　with　a　gracious　look　to
Monsieur　de　Grandville；　who　was　touched　to　tears　by　this　mark　of
feeling。　Silence　fell　for　a　few　moments　on　every　one。　The　doctors
wondered　by　what　occult　power　this　woman　could　still　keep　her　feet；
suffering　as　she　must　have　suffered。　The　other　three　men　were　so
shocked　at　the　ravages　disease　had　suddenly　made　in　her　that　they
communicated　their　thoughts　by　their　eyes　only。

〃Allow　me；〃　she　said；　with　her　accustomed　grace；　〃to　leave　you　now
with　these　gentlemen；　the　matter　is　urgent。〃

She　bowed　to　her　guests；　gave　an　arm　to　each　of　the　doctors；　and
walked　toward　the　chateau　feebly　and　slowly；　with　a　difficulty　which
told　only　too　plainly　of　the　coming　catastrophe。

〃Monsieur　Bonnet；〃　said　the　archbishop；　looking　at　the　rector；　〃you
have　accomplished　a　miracle。〃

〃Not　I；　but　God；　Monseigneur；〃　he　replied。

〃They　said　she　was　dying；〃　said　Monsieur　Grossetete；　〃but　she　is　dead；
there　is　nothing　left　of　her　but　spirit。〃

〃A　soul；〃　said　Gerard。

〃And　yet　she　is　still　the　same；〃　cried　the　/procureur…general/。

〃A　stoic　after　the　manner　of　the　Porch　philosophers；〃　said　the　tutor。

They　walked　in　silence　the　whole　length　of　the　balustrade；　looking　at
the　landscape　still　red　with　the　declining　light。

〃To　me　who　saw　this　scene　thirteen　years　ago；〃　said　the　archbishop；
pointing　to　the　fertile　plain；　the　valley；　and　the　mountains　of
Montegnac；　〃this　miracle　is　as　extraordinary　as　that　we　have　just
witnessed。　But　how　comes　it　that　you　allow　Madame　Graslin　to　walk
about？　She　ought　to　be　in　her　bed。〃

〃She　was　there；〃　said　Madame　Sauviat；　〃for　ten　days　she　did　not　leave
it；　but　to…day　she　insisted　on　getting　up　to　take　a　last　look　at　the
landscape。〃

〃I　can　understand　that　she　wanted　to　bid　farewell　to　her　great
creation；〃　said　Monsieur　de　Grandville；　〃but　she　risked　expiring　on
this　terrace。〃

〃Monsieur　Roubaud　told　us　not　to　thwart　her；〃　said　Madame　Sauviat。

〃What　a　stupendous　work！　what　a　miracle　has　been　accomplished！〃　said
the　archbishop；　whose　eyes　were　roving　over　the　scene　before　him。　〃She
has　literally　sown　the　desert！　But　we　know；　monsieur；〃　he　added；
turning　to　Gerard；　〃that　your　scientific　knowledge　and　your　labors
have　a　large　share　in　it。〃

〃They　have　been　only　the　workmen；〃　replied　the　mayor。　〃Yes；　the　hands
only；　she　has　been　the　thought。〃

Madame　Sauviat　here　left　the　group；　to　hear；　if　possible；　the　decision
of　the　doctors。

〃We　need　some　heroism　ourselves；〃　said　Monsieur　de　Grandville　to　the
rector　and　the　archbishop；　〃to　enable　us　to　witness　this　death。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Monsieur　Grossetete；　who　overheard　him；　〃but　we　ought　to
do　much　for　such　a　friend。〃

After　several　turns　up　and　down　the　terrace；　these　persons；　full　of
solemn　thoughts；　saw　two　farmers　approaching　them；　sent　as　a
deputation　from　the　village；　where　the　inhabitants　were　in　a　state　of
painful　anxiety　to　know　the　sentence　pronounced　by　the　physician　from
Paris。

〃They　are　still　consulting；　and　as　yet　we　know　nothing；　my　friends；〃
said　the　archbishop。

As　he　spoke；　Monsieur　Roubaud　appeared　coming　toward　them；　and　they
all　hurried　to　meet　him。

〃Well？〃　said　the　mayor。

〃She　cannot　live　forty…eight　hours　longer；〃　replied　Monsieur　Roubaud。
〃During　my　absence　the　disease　has　fully　developed；　Monsieur　Bianchon
does　not　understand　how　it　was　possible　for　her　to　have　walked。　Such
phenomenal　exhibitions　of　strength　are　always　caused　by　great　mental
exaltation。　So；　gentlemen；〃　said　the　doctor　to　the　priests；　〃she
belongs　to　you　now；　science　is　useless；　and　my　illustrious　fellow…
physician　thinks　you　have　barely　time　enough　for　your　last　offices。〃

〃Let　us　go　now　and　say　the　prayers　for　the　forty　hours；〃　said　the
rector　to　his　parishioners；　turning　to　leave　the　terrace。　〃His　Grace
will　doubtless　administer　the　last　sacraments。〃

The　archbishop　bowed　his　head；　he　could　not　speak；　his　eyes　were　full
of　tears。　Every　one　sat　down；　or　leaned　against　the　balustrade；
absorbed　in　his　own　thought。　The　church　bells　presently　sent　forth　a
few　sad　calls；　and　then　the　whole　population　were　seen　hurrying　toward
the　porch。　The　gleam　of　the　lighted　tapers　shone　through　the　trees　in
Monsieur　Bonnet's　garden；　the　chants　resounded。　No　color　was　left　in
the　landscape　but　the　dull　red　hue　of　the　dusk；　even　the　birds　had
hushed　their　songs；　the　tree…frog　alone　sent　forth　its　long；　clear；
melancholy　note。

〃I　will　go　and　do　my　duty；〃　said　the　archbishop；　turning　away　with　a
slow　step　like　a　man　overcome　with　emotion。

The　consultation　had　taken　place　in　the　great　salon　of　the　chateau。
This　vast　room　communicated　with　a　state　bedchamber；