original short stories-8-第11节

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century；　apparently。　　Then　the　brigadier　stooped；　and　made　his　uniform
crack。　　A　button　had　flown　off。

〃Lenient；〃　he　said。

〃Yes；　brigadier？〃

〃Come　here；　my　lad；　and　look　under　the　bed；　I　am　too　tall。　　I　will　look
after　the　sideboard。〃

He　got　up　and　waited　while　his　man　executed　his　orders。

Lenient；　who　was　short　and　stout；　took　off　his　kepi；　laid　himself　on　his
stomach；　and；　putting　his　face　on　the　floor；　looked　at　the　black　cavity
under　the　bed；　and　then；　suddenly；　he　exclaimed：

〃All　right；　here　we　are！〃

〃What　have　you　got？　　The　rabbit？〃

〃No；　the　thief。〃

〃The　thief！　　Pull　him　out；　pull　him　out！〃

The　gendarme　had　put　his　arms　under　the　bed　and　laid　hold　of　something；
and　he　was　pulling　with　all　his　might；　and　at　last　a　foot；　shod　in　a
thick　boot；　appeared；　which　he　was　holding　in　his　right　hand。　　The
brigadier　took　it；　crying：

〃Pull！　　Pull！〃

And　Lenient；　who　was　on　his　knees　by　that　time；　was　pulling　at　the　other
leg。　　But　it　was　a　hard　job；　for　the　prisoner　kicked　out　hard；　and　arched
up　his　back　under　the　bed。

〃Courage！　　courage！　　pull！　　pull！〃　Senateur　cried；　and　they　pulled　him
with　all　their　strength；　so　that　the　wooden　slat　gave　way；　and　he　came
out　as　far　as　his　head；　but　at　last　they　got　that　out　also；　and　they　saw
the　terrified　and　furious　face　of　Polyte；　whose　arms　remained　stretched
out　under　the　bed。

〃Pull　away！〃　the　brigadier　kept　on　exclaiming。　　Then　they　heard　a　strange
noise；　and　as　the　arms　followed　the　shoulders；　and　the　hands　the　arms；
they　saw　in　the　hands　the　handle　of　a　saucepan；　and　at　the　end　of　the
handle　the　saucepan　itself；　which　contained　stewed　rabbit。

〃Good　Lord！　　good　Lord！〃　the　brigadier　shouted　in　his　delight；　while
Lenient　took　charge　of　the　man；　the　rabbit's　skin；　an　overwhelming　proof；
was　discovered　under　the　mattress；　and　then　the　gendarmes　returned　in
triumph　to　the　village　with　their　prisoner　and　their　booty。

A　week　later；　as　the　affair　had　made　much　stir；　Lecacheur；　on　going　into
the　mairie　to　consult　the　schoolmaster；　was　told　that　the　shepherd
Severin　had　been　waiting　for　him　for　more　than　an　hour；　and　he　found　him
sitting　on　a　chair　in　a　corner；　with　his　stick　between　his　legs。　　When　he
saw　the　mayor；　he　got　up；　took　off　his　cap；　and　said：

〃Good…morning；　Maitre　Cacheux〃；　and　then　he　remained　standing；　timid　and
embarrassed。

〃What　do　you　want？〃　the　former　said。

〃This　is　it；　monsieur。　　Is　it　true　that　somebody　stole　one　of　your
rabbits　last　week？〃

〃Yes；　it　is　quite　true；　Severin。〃

〃Who　stole　the　rabbit？〃

〃Polyte　Ancas；　the　laborer。〃

〃Right！　right！　　And　is　it　also　true　that　it　was　found　under　my　bed？〃

〃What　do　you　mean；　the　rabbit？〃

〃The　rabbit　and　then　Polyte。〃

〃Yes；　my　poor　Severin；　quite　true；　but　who　told　you？〃

〃Pretty　well　everybody。　　I　understand！　　And　I　suppose　you　know　all　about
marriages；　as　you　marry　people？〃

〃What　about　marriage？〃

〃With　regard　to　one's　rights。〃

〃What　rights？〃

〃The　husband's　rights　and　then　the　wife's　rights。〃

〃Of　course　I　do。〃

〃Oh！　　Then　just　tell　me；　M'sieu　Cacheux；　has　my　wife　the　right　to　go　to
bed　with　Polyte？〃

〃What；　to　go　to　bed　with　Polyte？〃

〃Yes；　has　she　any　right　before　the　law；　and；　seeing　that　she　is　my　wife；
to　go　to　bed　with　Polyte？〃

〃Why；　of　course　not；　of　course　not。〃

〃If　I　catch　him　there　again；　shall　I　have　the　right　to　thrash　him　and　her
also？〃

〃Whywhywhy；　yes。〃

〃Very　well；　then；　I　will　tell　you　why　I　want　to　know。　　One　night　last
week；　as　I　had　my　suspicions；　I　came　in　suddenly；　and　they　were　not
behaving　properly。　　I　chucked　Polyte　out；　to　go　and　sleep　somewhere　else；
but　that　was　all；　as　I　did　not　know　what　my　rights　were。　　This　time　I　did
not　see　them；　I　only　heard　of　it　from　others。　　That　is　over；　and　we　will
not　say　any　more　about　it；　but　if　I　catch　them　againby　G；　if　I　catch
them　again；　I　will　make　them　lose　all　taste　for　such　nonsense；　Maitre
Cacheux；　as　sure　as　my　name　is　Severin。〃






HIS　AVENGER

When　M。　Antoine　Leuillet　married　the　widow；　Madame　Mathilde　Souris；　he
had　already　been　in　love　with　her　for　ten　years。

M。　Souris　has　been　his　friend；　his　old　college　chum。　　Leuillet　was　very
much　attached　to　him；　but　thought　he　was　somewhat　of　a　simpleton。　　He
would　often　remark：　〃That　poor　Souris　who　will　never　set　the　world　on
fire。〃

When　Souris　married　Miss　Mathilde　Duval；　Leuillet　was　astonished　and
somewhat　annoyed；　as　he　was　slightly　devoted　to　her；　himself。　　She　was
the　daughter　of　a　neighbor；　a　former　proprietor　of　a　draper's
establishment　who　had　retired　with　quite　a　small　fortune。　　She　married
Souris　for　his　money。

Then　Leuillet　thought　he　would　start　a　flirtation　with　his　friend's　wife。
He　was　a　good…looking　man；　intelligent　and　also　rich。　　He　thought　it
would　be　all　plain　sailing；　but　he　was　mistaken。　　Then　he　really　began　to
admire　her　with　an　admiration　that　his　friendship　for　the　husband　obliged
him　to　keep　within　the　bounds　of　discretion；　making　him　timid　and
embarrassed。　　Madame　Souris　believing　that　his　presumptions　had　received
a　wholesome　check　now　treated　him　as　a　good　friend。　　This　went　on　for
nine　years。

One　morning　a　messenger　brought　Leuillet　a　distracted　note　from　the　poor
woman。　　Souris　had　just　died　suddenly　from　the　rupture　of　an　aneurism。
He　was　dreadfully　shocked；　for　they　were　just　the　same　age。　　But　almost
immediately　a　feeling　of　profound　joy；　of　intense　relief；　of　emancipation
filled　his　being。　　Madame　Souris　was　free。

He　managed；　however；　to　assume　the　sad；　sympathetic　expression　that　was
appropriate；　waited　the　required　time；　observed　all　social　appearances。
At　the　end　of　fifteen　months　he　married　the　widow。

This　was　considered　to　be　a　very　natural；　and　even　a　generous　action。　　It
was　the　act　of　a　good　friend　of　an　upright　man。

He　was　happy　at　last；　perfectly　happy。

They　lived　in　the　most　cordial　intimacy；　having　understood　and
appreciated　each　other　from　the　first。　　They　had　no　secrets　from　one
another　and　even　confided　to　each　other　their　most　secret　thoughts。
Leuillet　loved　his　wife　now　with　a　quiet　and　trustful　affection；　he　loved
her　as　a　tender；　devoted　companion　who　is　an　equal　and　a　confidante。
But　there　lingered　in　his　mind　a　strange　and　inexplicable　bitterness
towards　the　defunct　Souris；　who　had　first　been　the　husband　of　this　woman；
who　had　had　the　flower　of　her　youth　and　of　her　soul；　and　had　even　robbed
her　of　some　of　her　poetry。　　The　memory　of　the　dead　husband　marred　the
happiness　of　the　living　husband；　and　this　posthumous　jealousy　tormented
his　heart　by　day　and　by　night。

The　consequence　was　he　talked　incessantly　of　Souris；　asked　about　a
thousand　personal　and　secret　minutia；　wanted　to　know　all　about　his　habits
and　his　person。　　And　he　sneered　at　him　even　in　his　grave；　recalling　with
self…satisfaction　his　whims；　ridiculing　his　absurdities；　dwelling　on　his
faults。

He　would　call　to　his　wife　all　over　the　house：

〃Hallo；　Mathilde！〃

〃Here　I　am；　dear。〃

〃Come　here　a　moment。〃

She　would　come；　always　smiling；　knowing　well　that　he　would　say　something
about　Souris　and　ready　to　flatter　her　new　husband's　inoffensive　mania。

〃Tell　me；　do　you　remember　one　day　how　Souris　insisted　on　explaining　to　me
that　little　men　always　commanded　more　affection　than　big　men？〃

And　he　made　some　remarks　that　were　disparaging　to　the　deceased；　who　was　a
small　man；　and　decidedly　flattering　to　himself；　Leuillet；　who　was　a　tall
man。

Mme。　Leuillet　allowed　him　to　think　he　was　right；　quite　right；　and　she
laughed　heartily；　gently　ridiculing　her　former　husband　for　the　sake　of
pleasing　the　present　one；　who　always　ended　by　saying：

〃All　the　same；　what　a　ninny　that　Souris　was！〃

They　were　happy；　quite　happy；　and　Leuillet　never　ceased　to　show　his
devotion　to　his　wife。

One　night；　however；　as　they　lay　awake；　Leuillet　said　as　he　kissed　his
wife：

〃See　here；　dearie。〃

〃Well？〃

〃Was　SourisI　don't　exactly　know　how　to　say　itwas　Souris　very　loving？〃

She　gave　him　a　kiss　for　reply　and　murmured　〃Not　as　loving　as　you　are；　mon
chat。〃

He　was　flattered　in　his　self…love　and　continued：

〃He　must　have　beena　ninnywas　he　not？〃

She　did　not　reply。　　She　only　smiled　slyly　and　hid　her　face　in　her
husband's　neck。

〃He　must　have　been　a　ninny　and　notnotnot　smart？〃

She　shook　her　head　slightly　to　imply；　〃Nonot　at　all　smart。〃

He　continued：

〃He　must　have　been　an　awful　nuisance；　eh？〃

This　time　she　was　frank　and　replied：

〃Oh　yes！〃

He　kissed　her　again　for　this　avowal　and　said：

〃What　a　brute　he　was！　　You　were　not　happy　with　him？〃

〃No；〃　she　replied。　　〃It　was　not　always　pleasant。〃

Leuillet　was　delighted；　forming　in　his　mind　a　comparison；　much　in　his　own
favor；　between　his　wife's　former　and　present　position。　　He　was　silent　for
a　time；　and　then　with　a　burst　of　laughter　he　asked：

〃Tell　me？〃

〃What？〃

〃Will　you　be　frank；　very　frank　with　me？〃

〃Why　yes；　my　dear。〃

〃Well　then；　tell　me　truly　did　you　never　feel　tempted　tototo　deceive
that　imbecile　Souris？〃

Mme。　Leuillet　said：　〃Oh！〃　pretending　to　be　shocked　and　hid　her　face　again
on　her　husband's　shoulder。　　But　he　saw　that　she　was　laughing。

〃Come　now；　own　up；〃　he　persisted。　　〃He　looked　like　a　ninny；　that
creature！　　It　w