original short stories-8-第24节

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prettily？

They　remained　side　by　side；　motionless；　both　constrained；　troubled；
profoundly　ill　at　ease。

As　they　talked　only　commonplaces；　awkwardly　and　spasmodically　and　slowly；
she　rose　and　pressed　the　button　of　the　bell。

〃I　am　going　to　call　Renee；〃　she　said。

There　was　a　tap　at　the　door；　then　the　rustle　of　a　dress；　then　a　young
voice　exclaimed：

〃Here　I　am；　mamma！〃

Lormerin　remained　bewildered　as　at　the　sight　of　an　apparition。

He　stammered：

〃Good…day；　mademoiselle〃

Then；　turning　toward　the　mother：

〃Oh！　it　is　you！

In　fact；　it　was　she；　she　whom　he　had　known　in　bygone　days；　the　Lise　who
had　vanished　and　come　back！　　In　her　he　found　the　woman　he　had　won　twenty…
five　years　before。　　This　one　was　even　younger；　fresher；　more　childlike。

He　felt　a　wild　desire　to　open　his　arms；　to　clasp　her　to　his　heart　again；
murmuring　in　her　ear：

〃Good…morning；　Lison！〃

A　man…servant　announced：

〃Dinner　is　ready；　madame。〃

And　they　proceeded　toward　the　dining…room。

What　passed　at　this　dinner？　　What　did　they　say　to　him；　and　what　could　he
say　in　reply？　　He　found　himself　plunged　in　one　of　those　strange　dreams
which　border　on　insanity。　　He　gazed　at　the　two　women　with　a　fixed　idea　in
his　mind；　a　morbid；　self…contradictory　idea：

〃Which　is　the　real　one？〃

The　mother　smiled　again　repeating　over　and　over：

〃Do　you　remember？〃　And　it　was　in　the　bright　eyes　of　the　young　girl　that
he　found　again　his　memories　of　the　past。　　Twenty　times　he　opened　his
mouth　to　say　to　her：　〃Do　you　remember；　Lison？〃　forgetting　this　white…
haired　lady　who　was　looking　at　him　tenderly。

And　yet；　there　were　moments　when；　he　no　longer　felt　sure；　when　he　lost
his　head。　　He　could　see　that　the　woman　of　to…day　was　not　exactly　the
woman　of　long　ago。　　The　other　one；　the　former　one；　had　in　her　voice；　in
her　glances；　in　her　entire　being；　something　which　he　did　not　find　again。
And　he　made　prodigious　efforts　of　mind　to　recall　his　lady　love；　to　seize
again　what　had　escaped　from　her；　what　this　resuscitated　one　did　not
possess。

The　baronne　said：

〃You　have　lost　your　old　vivacity；　my　poor　friend。〃

He　murmured：

〃There　are　many　other　things　that　I　have　lost！〃

But　in　his　heart；　touched　with　emotion；　he　felt　his　old　love　springing　to
life　once　more；　like　an　awakened　wild　beast　ready　to　bite　him。

The　young　girl　went　on　chattering；　and　every　now　and　then　some　familiar
intonation；　some　expression　of　her　mother's；　a　certain　style　of　speaking
and　thinking；　that　resemblance　of　mind　and　manner　which　people　acquire　by
living　together；　shook　Lormerin　from　head　to　foot。　　All　these　things
penetrated　him；　making　the　reopened　wound　of　his　passion　bleed　anew。

He　got　away　early；　and　took　a　turn　along　the　boulevard。　　But　the　image　of
this　young　girl　pursued　him；　haunted　him；　quickened　his　heart；　inflamed
his　blood。　　Apart　from　the　two　women；　he　now　saw　only　one；　a　young　one；
the　old　one　come　back　out　of　the　past；　and　he　loved　her　as　he　had　loved
her　in　bygone　years。　　He　loved　her　with　greater　ardor；　after　an　interval
of　twenty…five　years。

He　went　home　to　reflect　on　this　strange　and　terrible　thing；　and　to　think
what　he　should　do。

But；　as　he　was　passing；　with　a　wax　candle　in　his　hand；　before　the　glass；
the　large　glass　in　which　he　had　contemplated　himself　and　admired　himself
before　he　started；　he　saw　reflected　there　an　elderly；　gray…haired　man；
and　suddenly　he　recollected　what　he　had　been　in　olden　days；　in　the　days
of　little　Lise。　　He　saw　himself　charming　and　handsome；　as　he　had　been
when　he　was　loved！　　Then；　drawing　the　light　nearer；　he　looked　at　himself
more　closely；　as　one　inspects　a　strange　thing　with　a　magnifying　glass；
tracing　the　wrinkles；　discovering　those　frightful　ravages；　which　he　had
not　perceived　till　now。

And　he　sat　down；　crushed　at　the　sight　of　himself；　at　the　sight　of　his
lamentable　image；　murmuring：

〃All　over；　Lormerin！〃






THE　PARROT

Everybody　in　Fecamp　knew　Mother　Patin's　story。　　She　had　certainly　been
unfortunate　with　her　husband；　for　in　his　lifetime　he　used　to　beat　her；
just　as　wheat　is　threshed　in　the　barn。

He　was　master　of　a　fishing　bark　and　had　married　her；　formerly；　because
she　was　pretty；　although　poor。

Patin　was　a　good　sailor；　but　brutal。　　He　used　to　frequent　Father　Auban's
inn；　where　he　would　usually　drink　four　or　five　glasses　of　brandy；　on
lucky　days　eight　or　ten　glasses　and　even　more；　according　to　his　mood。
The　brandy　was　served　to　the　customers　by　Father　Auban's　daughter；　a
pleasing　brunette；　who　attracted　people　to　the　house　only　by　her　pretty
face；　for　nothing　had　ever　been　gossiped　about　her。

Patin；　when　he　entered　the　inn；　would　be　satisfied　to　look　at　her　and　to
compliment　her　politely　and　respectfully。　　After　he　had　had　his　first
glass　of　brandy　he　would　already　find　her　much　nicer；　at　the　second　he
would　wink；　at　the　third　he　would　say。　　〃If　you　were　only　willing；
Mam'zelle　Desiree〃　without　ever　finishing　his　sentence；　at　the　fourth
he　would　try　to　hold　her　back　by　her　skirt　in　order　to　kiss　her；　and　when
he　went　as　high　as　ten　it　was　Father　Auban　who　brought　him　the　remaining
drinks。

The　old　innkeeper；　who　knew　all　the　tricks　of　the　trade；　made　Desiree
walk　about　between　the　tables　in　order　to　increase　the　consumption　of
drinks；　and　Desiree；　who　was　a　worthy　daughter　of　Father　Auban；　flitted
around　among　the　benches　and　joked　with　them；　her　lips　smiling　and　her
eyes　sparkling。

Patin　got　so　well　accustomed　to　Desiree's　face　that　he　thought　of　it　even
while　at　sea；　when　throwing　out　his　nets；　in　storms　or　in　calms；　on
moonlit　or　dark　evenings。　　He　thought　of　her　while　holding　the　tiller　in
the　stern　of　his　boat；　while　his　four　companions　were　slumbering　with
their　heads　on　their　arms。　　He　always　saw　her；　smiling；　pouring　out　the
yellow　brandy　with　a　peculiar　shoulder　movement　and　then　exclaiming　as
she　turned　away：　〃There；　now；　are　you　satisfied？〃

He　saw　her　so　much　in　his　mind's　eye　that　he　was　overcome　by　an
irresistible　desire　to　marry　her；　and；　not　being　able　to　hold　out　any
longer；　he　asked　for　her　hand。

He　was　rich；　owned　his　own　vessel；　his　nets　and　a　little　house　at　the
foot　of　the　hill　on　the　Retenue；　whereas　Father　Auban　had　nothing。　　The
marriage　was　therefore　eagerly　agreed　upon　and　the　wedding　took　place　as
soon　as　possible；　as　both　parties　were　desirous　for　the　affair　to　be
concluded　as　early　as　convenient。

Three　days　after　the　wedding　Patin　could　no　longer　understand　how　he　had
ever　imagined　Desiree　to　be　different　from　other　women。　　What　a　fool　he
had　been　to　encumber　himself　with　a　penniless　creature；　who　had
undoubtedly　inveigled　him　with　some　drug　which　she　had　put　in　his　brandy！

He　would　curse　all　day　lung；　break　his　pipe　with　his　teeth　and　maul　his
crew。　　After　he　had　sworn　by　every　known　term　at　everything　that　came　his
way　he　would　rid　himself　of　his　remaining　anger　on　the　fish　and　lobsters；
which　he　pulled　from　the　nets　and　threw　into　the　baskets　amid　oaths　and
foul　language。　　When　he　returned　home　he　would　find　his　wife；　Father
Auban's　daughter；　within　reach　of　his　mouth　and　hand；　and　it　was　not　long
before　he　treated　her　like　the　lowest　creature　in　the　world。　　As　she
listened　calmly；　accustomed　to　paternal　violence；　he　grew　exasperated　at
her　quiet；　and　one　evening　he　beat　her。　　Then　life　at　his　home　became
unbearable。

For　ten　years　the　principal　topic　of　conversation　on　the　Retenue　was
about　the　beatings　that　Patin　gave　his　wife　and　his　manner　of　cursing　at
her　for　the　least　thing。　　He　could；　indeed；　curse　with　a　richness　of
vocabulary　in　a　roundness　of　tone　unequalled　by　any　other　man　in　Fecamp。
As　soon　as　his　ship　was　sighted　at　the　entrance　of　the　harbor；　returning
from　the　fishing　expedition；　every　one　awaited　the　first　volley　he　would
hurl　from　the　bridge　as　soon　as　he　perceived　his　wife's　white　cap。

Standing　at　the　stern　he　would　steer；　his　eye　fixed　on　the　bows　and　on
the　sail；　and；　notwithstanding　the　difficulty　of　the　narrow　passage　and
the　height　of　the　turbulent　waves；　he　would　search　among　the　watching
women　and　try　to　recognize　his　wife；　Father　Auban's　daughter；　the　wretch！

Then；　as　soon　as　he　saw　her；　notwithstanding　the　noise　of　the　wind　and
waves；　he　would　let　loose　upon　her　with　such　power　and　volubility　that
every　one　would　laugh；　although　they　pitied　her　greatly。　　When　he　arrived
at　the　dock　he　would　relieve　his　mind；　while　unloading　the　fish；　in　such
an　expressive　manner　that　he　attracted　around　him　all　the　loafers　of　the
neighborhood。　　The　words　left　his　mouth　sometimes　like　shots　from　a
cannon；　short　and　terrible；　sometimes　like　peals　of　thunder；　which　roll
and　rumble　for　five　minutes；　such　a　hurricane　of　oaths　that　he　seemed　to
have　in　his　lungs　one　of　the　storms　of　the　Eternal　Father。

When　he　left　his　ship　and　found　himself　face　to　face　with　her；　surrounded
by　all　the　gossips　of　the　neighborhood；　he　would　bring　up　a　new　cargo　of
insults　and　bring　her　back　to　their　dwelling；　she　in　front；　he　behind；
she　weeping；　he　yelling　at　her。

At　last；　when　alone　with　her　behind　closed　doors；　he　would　thrash　her　on
the　slightest　pretext。　　The　least　thing　was　sufficient　to　make　him　raise
his　hand；　and　when　he　had　once　begun　he　d