original short stories-13-第19节

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bed。

As　soon　as　the　shutters　were　opened　Mme。　Herrnet　asked：

〃How　is　George？〃

〃Oh；　not　at　all　well　to…day；　madame。〃

She　did　not　rise　until　noon；　when　she　ate　two　eggs　with　a　cup　of　tea；　as
if　she　herself　had　been　ill；　and　then　she　went　out　to　a　druggist's　to
inquire　about　prophylactic　measures　against　the　contagion　of　small…pox。

She　did　not　come　home　until　dinner　time；　laden　with　medicine　bottles；　and
shut　herself　up　at　once　in　her　room；　where　she　saturated　herself　with
disinfectants。

The　priest　was　waiting　for　her　in　the　dining…room。　　As　soon　as　she　saw
him　she　exclaimed　in　a　voice　full　of　emotion：

〃Well？〃

〃No　improvement。　　The　doctor　is　very　anxious：〃

She　began　to　cry　and　could　eat　nothing；　she　was　so　worried。

The　next　day；　as　soon　as　it　was　light；　she　sent　to　inquire　for　her　son；
but　there　was　no　improvement　and　she　spent　the　whole　day　in　her　room；
where　little　braziers　were　giving　out　pungent　odors。　　Her　maid　said　also
that　you　could　hear　her　sighing　all　the　evening。

She　spent　a　whole　week　in　this　manner；　only　going　out　for　an　hour　or　two
during　the　afternoon　to　breathe　the　air。

She　now　sent　to　make　inquiries　every　hour；　and　would　sob　when　the　reports
were　unfavorable。

On　the　morning　of　the　eleventh　day　the　priest；　having　been　announced；
entered　her　room；　his　face　grave　and　pale；　and　said；　without　taking　the
chair　she　offered　him：

〃Madame；　your　son　is　very　ill　and　wishes　to　see　you。〃

She　fell　on　her　knees；　exclaiming：

〃Oh；　my　God！　　Oh；　my　God！　　I　would　never　dare！　　My　God！　　My　God！　　Help
me！〃

The　priest　continued：

〃The　doctor　holds　out　little　hope；　madame；　and　George　is　expecting　you！〃

And　he　left　the　room。

Two　hours　later　as　the　young　lad；　feeling　himself　dying；　again　asked　for
his　mother；　the　abbe　went　to　her　again　and　found　her　still　on　her　knees；
still　weeping　and　repeating：

〃I　will　not　。　　。　　。　　。　　I　will　not。　　。　　。　　。　　I　am　too　much　afraid　。　　。
。　　。　　I　will　not。　　。　　。　　。〃

He　tried　to　persuade　her；　to　strengthen　her；　to　lead　her。　　He　only
succeeded　in　bringing　on　an　attack　of　〃nerves〃　that　lasted　some　time　and
caused　her　to　shriek。

The　doctor　when　he　came　in　the　evening　was　told　of　this　cowardice　and
declared　that　he　would　bring　her　in　himself；　of　her　own　volition；　or　by
force。　　But　after　trying　all　manner　of　argument　and　just　as　he　seized　her
round　the　waist　to　carry　her　into　her　son's　room；　she　caught　hold　of　the
door　and　clung　to　it　so　firmly　that　they　could　not　drag　her　away。　　Then
when　they　let　go　of　her　she　fell　at　the　feet　of　the　doctor；　begging　his
forgiveness　and　acknowledging　that　she　was　a　wretched　creature。　　And　then
she　exclaimed：　〃Oh；　he　is　not　going　to　die；　tell　me　that　he　is　not　going
to　die；　I　beg　of　you；　tell　him　that　I　love　him；　that　I　worship　him。　。　。〃

The　young　lad　was　dying。　　Feeling　that　he　had　only　a　few　moments　more　to
live；　he　entreated　that　his　mother　be　persuaded　to　come　and　bid　him　a
last　farewell。　　With　that　sort　of　presentiment　that　the　dying　sometimes
have；　he　had　understood；　had　guessed　all；　and　he　said：　〃If　she　is　afraid
to　come　into　the　room；　beg　her　just　to　come　on　the　balcony　as　far　as　my
window　so　that　I　may　see　her；　at　least；　so　that　I　may　take　a　farewell
look　at　her；　as　I　cannot　kiss　her。〃

The　doctor　and　the　abbe；　once　more；　went　together　to　this　woman　and
assured　her：　〃You　will　run　no　risk；　for　there　will　be　a　pane　of　glass
between　you　and　him。〃

She　consented；　covered　up　her　head；　and　took　with　her　a　bottle　of
smelling　salts。　　She　took　three　steps　on　the　balcony；　then；　all　at　once；
hiding　her　face　in　her　hands；　she　moaned：　〃No　。　　。　　。　　no　。　　。　　。　　I
would　never　dare　to　look　at　him　。　　。　　。　　never。　　。　　。　　。　　I　am　too　much
ashamed　。　　。　　。　　too　much　afraid　。　　。　　。　　。　　No　。　　。　　。　　I　cannot。〃

They　endeavored　to　drag　her　along；　but　she　held　on　with　both　hands　to　the
railings　and　uttered　such　plaints　that　the　passers…by　in　the　street
raised　their　heads。　　And　the　dying　boy　waited；　his　eyes　turned　towards
that　window；　waited　to　die　until　he　could　see　for　the　last　time　the
sweet；　beloved　face；　the　worshiped　face　of　his　mother。

He　waited　long；　and　night　came　on。　　Then　he　turned　over　with　his　face　to
the　wall　and　was　silent。

When　day　broke　he　was　dead。　　The　day　following　she　was　crazy。






THE　MAGIC　COUCH

The　Seine　flowed　past　my　house；　without　a　ripple　on　its　surface；　and
gleaming　in　the　bright　morning　sunlight。　　It　was　a　beautiful；　broad；
indolent　silver　stream；　with　crimson　lights　here　and　there；　and　on　the
opposite　side　of　the　river　were　rows　of　tall　trees　that　covered　all　the
bank　with　an　immense　wall　of　verdure。

The　sensation　of　life　which　is　renewed　each　day；　of　fresh；　happy；　loving
life　trembled　in　the　leaves；　palpitated　in　the　air；　was　mirrored　in　the
water。

The　postman　had　just　brought　my　papers；　which　were　handed　to　me；　and　I
walked　slowly　to　the　river　bank　in　order　to　read　them。

In　the　first　paper　I　opened　I　noticed　this　headline；　〃Statistics　of
Suicides；〃　and　I　read　that　more　than　8；500　persons　had　killed　themselves
in　that　year。

In　a　moment　I　seemed　to　see　them！　　I　saw　this　voluntary　and　hideous
massacre　of　the　despairing　who　were　weary　of　life。　　I　saw　men　bleeding；
their　jaws　fractured；　their　skulls　cloven；　their　breasts　pierced　by　a
bullet；　slowly　dying；　alone　in　a　little　room　in　a　hotel；　giving　no
thought　to　their　wound；　but　thinking　only　of　their　misfortunes。

I　saw　others　seated　before　a　tumbler　in　which　some　matches　were　soaking；
or　before　a　little　bottle　with　a　red　label。

They　would　look　at　it　fixedly　without　moving；　then　they　would　drink　and
await　the　result；　then　a　spasm　would　convulse　their　cheeks　and　draw　their
lips　together；　their　eyes　would　grow　wild　with　terror；　for　they　did　not
know　that　the　end　would　be　preceded　by　so　much　suffering。

They　rose　to　their　feet；　paused；　fell　over　and　with　their　hands　pressed
to　their　stomachs　they　felt　their　internal　organs　on　fire；　their　entrails
devoured　by　the　fiery　liquid；　before　their　minds　began　to　grow　dim。

I　saw　others　hanging　from　a　nail　in　the　wall；　from　the　fastening　of　the
window；　from　a　hook　in　the　ceiling；　from　a　beam　in　the　garret；　from　a
branch　of　a　tree　amid　the　evening　rain。　　And　I　surmised　all　that　had
happened　before　they　hung　there　motionless；　their　tongues　hanging　out　of
their　mouths。　　I　imagined　the　anguish　of　their　heart；　their　final
hesitation；　their　attempts　to　fasten　the　rope；　to　determine　that　it　was
secure；　then　to　pass　the　noose　round　their　neck　and　to　let　themselves
fall。

I　saw　others　lying　on　wretched　beds；　mothers　with　their　little　children；
old　men　dying　of　hunger；　young　girls　dying　for　love；　all　rigid；
suffocated；　asphyxiated；　while　in　the　center　of　the　room　the　brasier
still　gave　forth　the　fumes　of　charcoal。

And　I　saw　others　walking　at　night　along　the　deserted　bridges。　　These　were
the　most　sinister。　The　water　flowed　under　the　arches　with　a　low　sound。
They　did　not　see　it　。　　。　　。　　they　guessed　at　it　from　its　cool　breath！
They　longed　for　it　and　they　feared　it。　　They　dared　not　do　it！　　And　yet；
they　must。　　A　distant　clock　sounded　the　hour　and；　suddenly；　in　the　vast
silence　of　the　night；　there　was　heard　the　splash　of　a　body　falling　into
the　river；　a　scream　or　two；　the　sound　of　hands　beating　the　water；　and　all
was　still。　　Sometimes；　even；　there　was　only　the　sound　of　the　falling　body
when　they　had　tied　their　arms　down　or　fastened　a　stone　to　their　feet。
Oh；　the　poor　things；　the　poor　things；　the　poor　things；　how　I　felt　their
anguish；　how　I　died　in　their　death！　　I　went　through　all　their
wretchedness；　I　endured　in　one　hour　all　their　tortures。　　I　knew　all　the
sorrows　that　had　led　them　to　this；　for　I　know　the　deceitful　infamy　of
life；　and　no　one　has　felt　it　more　than　I　have。

How　I　understood　them；　these　who　weak；　harassed　by　misfortune；　having
lost　those　they　loved；　awakened　from　the　dream　of　a　tardy　compensation；
from　the　illusion　of　another　existence　where　God　will　finally　be　just；
after　having　been　ferocious；　and　their　minds　disabused　of　the　mirages　of
happiness；　have　given　up　the　fight　and　desire　to　put　an　end　to　this
ceaseless　tragedy；　or　this　shameful　comedy。

Suicide！　　Why；　it　is　the　strength　of　those　whose　strength　is　exhausted；
the　hope　of　those　who　no　longer　believe；　the　sublime　courage　of　the
conquered！　　Yes；　there　is　at　least　one　door　to　this　life　we　can　always
open　and　pass　through　to　the　other　side。　　Nature　had　an　impulse　of　pity；
she　did　not　shut　us　up　in　prison。　　Mercy　for　the　despairing！

As　for　those　who　are　simply　disillusioned；　let　them　march　ahead　with　free
soul　and　quiet　heart。　　They　have　nothing　to　fear　since　they　may　take
their　leave；　for　behind　them　there　is　always　this　door　that　the　gods　of
our　illusions　cannot　even　lock。

I　thought　of　this　crowd　of　suicides：　more　than　eight　thousand　five
hundred　in　one　year。　　And　it　seemed　to　me　that　they　had　combined　to　send
to　the　world　a　prayer；　to　utter　a　cry　of　appeal；　to　demand　something　that
should　come　into　effect　later　when　we　understood　things　better。　　It
seemed　to　me　that　all　these　victims；　their　throats　cut；　poisoned；　hung；
asphyxiated；　or　drowned；　all　came　together；　a　frightful　horde；　like
citizens　to　the　polls；　to