the village rector-第57节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ever　come　between　my　penitent　and　myself。　I　have　seen　to　the　depths　of
that　soul；　and　I　know　this　earth　has　no　longer　any　hold　there。　Though
the　tears；　the　remorse；　the　contrition　of　fifteen　years　relate　to　the
mutual　sin　of　those　two　persons；　believe　me　there　are　no　remains　of
earthly　passion　in　this　long　and　terrible　bewailing。　Memory　no　longer
mingles　its　flames　with　those　of　an　ardent　penitence。　Yes；　tears　have
at　last　extinguished　that　great　fire。　I　guarantee；〃　he　said；
stretching　his　hand　over　Madame　Graslin's　head；　and　letting　his
moistened　eyes　be　seen；　〃I　guarantee　the　purity　of　that　angelic　soul。
And　also　I　see　in　this　desire　the　thought　of　reparation　to　an　absent
family；　a　member　of　which　God　has　brought　back　here　by　one　of　those
events　which　reveal　His　providence。〃

Veronique　took　the　trembling　hand　of　the　rector　and　kissed　it。

〃You　have　often　been　very　stern　to　me；　dear　pastor；　but　at　this　moment
I　see　where　you　keep　your　apostolic　gentleness。　You；〃　she　said；
looking　at　the　archbishop；　〃you；　the　supreme　head　of　this　corner　of
God's　kingdom；　be　to　me；　in　this　moment　of　ignominy；　a　support。　I　must
bow　down　as　the　lowest　of　women；　but　you　will　lift　me　up　pardoned　and
possiblythe　equal　of　those　who　never　sinned。〃

The　archbishop　was　silent；　weighing　no　doubt　all　the　considerations
his　practised　eye　perceived。

〃Monseigneur；〃　said　the　rector；　〃religion　has　had　some　heavy　blows。
This　return　to　ancient　customs；　brought　about　by　the　greatness　of　the
sin　and　its　repentance；　may　it　not　be　a　triumph　we　have　no　right　to
refuse？〃

〃But　they　will　say　we　are　fanatics！　They　will　declare　we　have　exacted
this　cruel　scene！〃

And　again　the　archbishop　was　silent　and　thoughtful。

At　this　moment　Horace　Bianchon　and　Roubaud　entered　the　room；　after
knocking。　As　the　door　opened　Veronique　saw　her　mother；　her　son；　and
all　the　servants　of　the　household　on　their　knees　praying。　The　rectors
of　the　two　adjacent　parishes　had　come　to　assist　Monsieur　Bonnet；　and
also；　perhaps；　to　pay　their　respects　to　the　great　prelate；　for　whom
the　French　clergy　now　desired　the　honors　of　the　cardinalate；　hoping
that　the　clearness　of　his　intellect；　which　was　thoroughly　Gallican；
would　enlighten　the　Sacred　College。

Horace　Bianchon　returned　to　Paris；　before　departing；　he　came　to　bid
farewell　to　the　dying　woman　and　thank　her　for　her　munificence。　Slowly
he　approached；　perceiving　from　the　faces　of　the　priests　that　the
wounds　of　the　soul　had　been　the　determining　cause　of　those　of　the
body。　He　took　Madame　Graslin's　hand；　laid　it　on　the　bed　and　felt　the
pulse。　The　deep　silence；　that　of　a　summer　night　in　a　country　solitude；
gave　additional　solemnity　to　the　scene。　The　great　salon；　seen　through
the　double　doors；　was　lighted　up　for　the　little　company　of　persons　who
were　praying　there；　all　were　on　their　knees　except　the　two　priests　who
were　seated　and　reading　their　brevaries。　On　either　side　of　the　grand
state　bed　were　the　prelate　in　his　violet　robes；　the　rector；　and　the
two　physicians。

〃She　is　agitated　almost　unto　death；〃　said　Horace　Bianchon；　who；　like
all　men　of　great　talent；　sometimes　used　speech　as　grand　as　the
occasion　that　called　it　forth。

The　archbishop　rose　as　if　some　inward　impulse　drove　him；　he　called　to
Monsieur　Bonnet；　and　together　they　crossed　the　room；　passed　through
the　salon；　and　went　out　upon　the　terrace；　where　they　walked　up　and
down　for　some　moments。　When　they　returned；　after　discussing　this　case
of　ecclesiastical　discipline；　Roubaud　met　them。



XXI

CONFESSION　AT　THE　GATES　OF　THE　TOMB

At　ten　o'clock　in　the　morning　the　archbishop；　wearing　his　pontifical
robes；　came　into　Madame　Graslin's　chamber。　The　prelate；　as　well　as　the
rector；　had　such　confidence　in　this　woman　that　they　gave　her　no　advice
or　instructions　as　to　the　limits　within　which　she　ought　to　make　her
confession。

Veronique　now　saw　an　assemblage　of　clergy　from　all　the　neighboring
districts。　Monseigneur　was　assisted　by　four　vicars。　The　magnificent
vessels　she　had　bestowed　upon　her　dear　parish　church　were　brought　to
the　house　and　gave　splendor　to　the　ceremony。　Eight　choristers　in　their
white　and　red　surplices　stood　in　two　rows　from　the　bed　to　the　door　of
the　salon；　each　holding　one　of　the　large　bronze…gilt　candelabra　which
Veronique　had　ordered　from　Paris。　The　cross　and　the　church　banner　were
held　on　either　side　of　the　bed　by　white…haired　sacristans。　Thanks　to
the　devotion　of　her　servants；　a　wooden　altar　brought　from　the　sacristy
had　been　erected　close　to　the　door　of　the　salon；　and　so　prepared　and
decorated　that　Monseigneur　could　say　mass　upon　it。

Madame　Graslin　was　deeply　touched　by　these　attentions；　which　the
Church；　as　a　general　thing；　grants　only　to　royal　personages。　The
folding　doors　between　the　salon　and　the　dining…room　were　open；　and　she
could　see　a　vista　of　the　ground…floor　rooms　filled　with　the　village
population。　Her　friends　had　thought　of　everything；　the　salon　was
occupied　exclusively　by　themselves　and　the　servants　of　the　household。
In　the　front　rank　and　grouped　before　the　door　of　the　bedroom　were　her
nearest　friends；　those　on　whose　discretion　reliance　could　be　placed。
MM。　Grossetete；　de　Grandville；　Roubaud；　Gerard；　Clousier；　Ruffin；　took
the　first　places。　They　had　arranged　among　themselves　that　they　should
rise　and　stand　in　a　group；　thus　preventing　the　words　of　the　repentant
woman　from　being　heard　in　the　farther　rooms；　but　their　tears　and　sobs
would；　in　any　case；　have　drowned　her　voice。

At　this　moment　and　before　all　else　in　that　audience；　two　persons
presented；　to　an　observer；　a　powerfully　affecting　sight。　One　was
Denise　Tascheron。　Her　foreign　garments；　of　Quaker　simplicity；　made　her
unrecognizable　by　her　former　village　acquaintance。　The　other　was　quite
another　personage；　an　acquaintance　not　to　be　forgotten；　and　his
apparition　there　was　like　a　streak　of　lurid　light。　The　/procureur…
general/　came　suddenly　to　a　perception　of　the　truth；　the　part　that　he
had　played　to　Madame　Graslin　unrolled　itself　before　him；　he　divined　it
to　its　fullest　extent。　Less　influenced；　as　a　son　of　the　nineteenth
century；　by　the　religious　aspect　of　the　matter；　Monsieur　de
Grandville's　heart　was　filled　with　an　awful　dread；　for　he　saw　before
him；　he　contemplated　the　drama　of　that　woman's　hidden　self　at　the
hotel　Graslin　during　the　trial　of　Jean…Francois　Tascheron。　That　tragic
period　came　back　distinctly　to　his　memory；lighted　even　now　by　the
mother's　eyes；　shining　with　hatred；　which　fell　upon　him　where　he
stood；　like　drops　of　molten　lead。　That　old　woman；　standing　ten　feet
from　him；　forgave　nothing。　That　man；　representing　human　justice；
trembled。　Pale；　struck　to　the　heart；　he　dared　not　cast　his　eyes　upon
the　bed　where　lay　the　woman　he　had　loved　so　well；　now　livid　beneath
the　hand　of　death；　gathering　strength　to　conquer　agony　from　the
greatness　of　her　sin　and　its　repentance。　The　mere　sight　of　Veronique's
thin　profile；　sharply　defined　in　white　upon　the　crimson　damask；　caused
him　a　vertigo。

At　eleven　o'clock　the　mass　began。　After　the　epistle　had　been　read　by
the　rector　of　Vizay　the　archbishop　removed　his　dalmatic　and　advanced
to　the　threshold　of　the　bedroom　door。

〃Christians；　gather　here　to　assist　in　the　ceremony　of　extreme　unction
which　we　are　about　to　administer　to　the　mistress　of　this　house；〃　he
said；　〃you　who　join　your　prayers　to　those　of　the　Church　and　intercede
with　God　to　obtain　from　Him　her　eternal　salvation；　you　are　now　to
learn　that　she　does　not　feel　herself　worthy；　in　this；　her　last　hour；
to　receive　the　holy　viaticum　without　having　made；　for　the　edification
of　her　fellows；　a　public　confession　of　the　greatest　of　her　sins。　We
have　resisted　her　pious　wish；　although　this　act　of　contrition　was　long
in　use　during　the　early　ages　of　Christianity。　But；　as　this　poor　woman
tells　us　that　her　confession　may　serve　to　rehabilitate　an　unfortunate
son　of　this　parish；　we　leave　her　free　to　follow　the　inspirations　of
her　repentance。〃

After　these　words；　said　with　pastoral　unction　and　dignity；　the
archbishop　turned　aside　to　give　place　to　Veronique。　The　dying　woman
came　forward；　supported　by　her　old　mother　and　the　rector；the　mother
from　whom　she　derived　her　body；　the　Church；　the　spiritual　mother　of
her　soul。　She　knelt　down　on　a　cushion；　clasped　her　hands；　and　seemed
to　collect　herself　for　a　few　moments；　as　if　to　gather　from　some　source
descending　from　heaven　the　power　to　speak。　At　this　moment　the　silence
was　almost　terrifying。　None　dared　look　at　their　neighbor。　All　eyes
were　lowered。　And　yet　the　eyes　of　Veronique；　when　she　raised　them；
encountered　those　of　the　/procureur…general/；　and　the　expression　on
that　blanched　face　brought　the　color　to　hers。

〃I　could　not　die　in　peace；〃　said　Veronique；　in　a　voice　of　deep
emotion；　〃if　I　suffered　the　false　impression　you　all　have　of　me　to
remain。　You　see　in　me　a　guilty　woman；　who　asks　your　prayers；　and　who
seeks　to　make　herself　worthy　of　pardon　by　this　public　confession　of
her　sin。　That　sin　was　so　great；　its　consequences　were　so　fatal；　that
perhaps　no　penance　can　atone　for　it。　But　the　more　humiliation　I　submit
to　here　on　earth；　the　less　I　may　have　to　dread　the　wrath　of　God　in　the
heavenly　kingdom　to　which　I　am　going。　My　father；　who　had　grea