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第10节

original short stories-8-第10节

小说: original short stories-8 字数: 每页4000字

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frightened girl; who was standing stupidly before her master:

〃Go and fetch the gendarmes; say I expect them as soon as possible。〃

Lecacheur was mayor of the village; Pavigny…le…Gras; and ruled it like a
master; on account of his money and position; and as soon as the servant
had disappeared in the direction of the village; which was only about
five hundred yards off; he went into the house to have his morning coffee
and to discuss the matter with his wife; whom he found on her knees in
front of the fire; trying to make it burn quickly; and as soon as he got
to the door; he said:

〃Somebody has stolen the gray rabbit。〃

She turned round so suddenly that she found herself sitting on the floor;
and looking at her husband with distressed eyes; she said:

〃What is it; Cacheux?  Somebody has stolen a rabbit?〃

〃The big gray one。〃

She sighed。

〃What a shame!  Who can have done it?〃

She was a little; thin; active; neat woman; who knew all about farming。
Lecacheur had his own ideas about the matter。

〃It must be that fellow; Polyte。〃

His wife got up suddenly and said in a furious voice:

〃He did it! he did it!  You need not look for any one else。  He did it!
You have said it; Cacheux!〃

All her peasant's fury; all her avarice; all her rage of a saving woman
against the man of whom she had always been suspicious; and against the
girl whom she had always suspected; showed themselves in the contraction
of her mouth; and the wrinkles in the cheeks and forehead of her thin;
exasperated face。

〃And what have you done?〃 she asked。

〃I have sent for the gendarmes。〃

This Polyte was a laborer; who had been employed on the farm for a few
days; and who had been dismissed by Lecacheur for an insolent answer。  He
was an old soldier; and was supposed to have retained his habits of
marauding and debauchery front his campaigns in Africa。  He did anything
for a livelihood; but whether he were a mason; a navvy; a reaper; whether
he broke stones or lopped trees; he was always lazy; and so he remained
nowhere for long; and had; at times; to change his neighborhood to obtain
work。

From the first day that he came to the farm; Lecacheur's wife had
detested him; and now she was sure that he had committed the theft。

In about half an hour the two gendarmes arrived。  Brigadier Senateur was
very tall and thin; and Gendarme Lenient short and fat。  Lecacheur made
them sit down; and told them the affair; and then they went and saw the
scene of the theft; in order to verify the fact that the hutch had been
broken open; and to collect all the proofs they could。  When they got
back to the kitchen; the mistress brought in some wine; filled their
glasses; and asked with a distrustful look:

〃Shall you catch him?〃

The brigadier; who had his sword between his legs; appeared thoughtful。
Certainly; he was sure of taking him; if he was pointed out to him; but
if not; he could not answer for being able to discover him; himself; and
after reflecting for a long time; he put this simple question:

〃Do you know the thief?〃

And Lecacheur replied; with a look of Normandy slyness in his eyes:

〃As for knowing him; I do not; as I did not see him commit the theft。
If I had seen him; I should have made him eat it raw; skin and flesh;
without a drop of cider to wash it down。  But as for saying who it is;
I cannot; although I believe it is that good…for…nothing Polyte。〃

Then he related at length his troubles with Polyte; his leaving his
service; his bad reputation; things which had been told him; accumulating
insignificant and minute proofs; and then; the brigadier; who had been
listening very attentively while he emptied his glass and filled it again
with an indifferent air; turned to his gendarme and said:

〃We must go and look in the cottage of Severin's wife。〃  At which the
gendarme smiled and nodded three times。

Then Madame Lecacheur came to them; and very quietly; with all a
peasant's cunning; questioned the brigadier in her turn。  That shepherd
Severin; a simpleton; a sort of brute who had been brought up and had
grown up among his bleating flocks; and who knew scarcely anything
besides them in the world; had nevertheless preserved the peasant's
instinct for saving; at the bottom of his heart。  For years and years he
must have hidden in hollow trees and crevices in the rocks all that he
earned; either as a shepherd or by curing animals' sprainsfor the
bonesetter's secret had been handed down to him by the old shepherd whose
place he took…by touch or word; and one day he bought a small property;
consisting of a cottage and a field; for three thousand francs。

A few months later it became known that he was going to marry a servant;
notorious for her bad morals; the innkeeper's servant。  The young fellows
said that the girl; knowing that he was pretty well off; had been to his
cottage every night; and had taken him; captured him; led him on to
matrimony; little by little night by night。

And then; having been to the mayor's office and to church; she now lived
in the house which her man had bought; while he continued to tend his
flocks; day and night; on the plains。

And the brigadier added:

〃Polyte has been sleeping there for three weeks; for the thief has no
place of his own to go to!〃

The gendarme made a little joke:

〃He takes the shepherd's blankets。〃

Madame Lecacheur; who was seized by a fresh access of rage; of rage
increased by a married woman's anger against debauchery; exclaimed:

〃It is she; I am sure。  Go there。  Ah; the blackguard thieves!

But the brigadier was quite unmoved。

〃One minute;〃 he said。  〃Let us wait until twelve o'clock; as he goes and
dines there every day。  I shall catch them with it under their noses。〃

The gendarme smiled; pleased at his chief's idea; and Lecacheur also
smiled now; for the affair of the shepherd struck him as very funny;
deceived husbands are always a joke。

Twelve o'clock had just struck when the brigadier; followed by his man;
knocked gently three times at the door of a little lonely house; situated
at the corner of a wood; five hundred yards from the village。

They had been standing close against the wall; so as not to be seen from
within; and they waited。  As nobody answered; the brigadier knocked again
in a minute or two。  It was so quiet that the house seemed uninhabited;
but Lenient; the gendarme; who had very quick ears; said that he heard
somebody moving about inside; and then Senateur got angry。  He would not
allow any one to resist the authority of the law for a moment; and;
knocking at the door with the hilt of his sword; he cried out:

〃Open the door; in the name of the law。〃

As this order had no effect; he roared out:

〃If you do not obey; I shall smash the lock。  I am the brigadier of the
gendarmerie; by G!  Here; Lenient。〃

He had not finished speaking when the door opened and Senateur saw before
him a fat girl; with a very red; blowzy face; with drooping breasts; a
big stomach and broad hips; a sort of animal; the wife of the shepherd
Severin; and he went into the cottage。

〃I have come to pay you a visit; as I want to make a little search;〃 he
said; and he looked about him。  On the table there was a plate; a jug of
cider and a glass half full; which proved that a meal was in progress。
Two knives were lying side by side; and the shrewd gendarme winked at his
superior officer。

〃It smells good;〃 the latter said。

〃One might swear that it was stewed rabbit;〃 Lenient added; much amused。

〃Will you have a glass of brandy?〃 the peasant woman asked。

〃No; thank you; I only want the skin of the rabbit that you are eating。〃

She pretended not to understand; but she was trembling。

〃What rabbit?〃

The brigadier had taken a seat; and was calmly wiping his forehead。

〃Come; come; you are not going to try and make us believe that you live
on couch grass。  What were you eating there all by yourself for your
dinner?〃

〃I?  Nothing whatever; I swear to you。  A mite of butter on my bread。〃

〃You are a novice; my good woman。  A mite of butter on your bread。
You are mistaken; you ought to have said: a mite of butter on the rabbit。
By G;your butter smells good!  It is special butter; extra good butter;
butter fit for a wedding; certainly; not household butter!〃

The gendarme was shaking with laughter; and repeated:

〃Not household butter certainly。〃

As Brigadier Senateur was a joker; all the gendarmes had grown facetious;
and the officer continued:

〃Where is your butter?〃

〃My butter?〃

〃Yes; your butter。〃

〃In the jar。〃

〃Then where is the butter jar?〃

〃Here it is。〃

She brought out an old cup; at the bottom of which there was a layer of
rancid salt butter; and the brigadier smelled of it; and said; with a
shake of his head:

〃It is not the same。  I want the butter that smells of the rabbit。  Come;
Lenient; open your eyes; look under the sideboard; my good fellow; and I
will look under the bed。〃

Having shut the door; he went up to the bed and tried to move it; but it
was fixed to the wall; and had not been moved for more than half a
century; apparently。  Then the brigadier stooped; and made his uniform
crack。  A bu

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