selected writings-第21部分

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！


〃The　little　man　in　linen　pretended　not　to　hear；　nor　his　fat　lump

of　a　wife；　either。



Here　the　President　interrupted　him　a　second　time：　〃Take　care；　you

are　insulting　the　widow；　Madame　Flameche；　who　is　present。



Renard　made　his　excuses：　〃I　beg　your　pardon；　I　beg　your　pardon；

my　anger　carried　me　away。　Well；　not　a　quarter　of　an　hour　had

passed　when　the　little　man　caught　another　chub　and　another　almost

immediately；　and　another　five　minutes　later。



〃The　tears　were　in　my　eyes；　and　then　I　knew　that　Madame　Renard


was　boiling　with　rage；　for　she　kept　on　nagging　at　me：　'Oh！　how

horrid！　Don't　you　see　that　he　is　robbing　you　of　your　fish？　Do　you

think　that　you　will　catch　anything？　Not　even　a　frog；　nothing

whatever。　Why；　my　hands　are　burning；　just　to　think　of　it。'



〃But　I　said　to　myself：　'Let　us　wait　until　twelve　o　clock。　Then

this　poaching　fellow　will　go　to　lunch；　and　I　shall　get　my　place

again。　As　for　me；　Monsieur　le　President；　I　lunch　on　the　spot

every　Sunday；　we　bring　our　provisions　in　'Delila。'　But　there！　At

twelve　o'clock；　the　wretch　produced　a　fowl　out　of　a　newspaper；

and　while　he　was　eating；　actually　he　caught　another　chub！



〃Melie　and　I　had　a　morsel　also；　just　a　mouthful；　a　mere　nothing；

for　our　heart　was　not　in　it。



〃Then　I　took　up　my　newspaper；　to　aid　my　digestion。　Every　Sunday　I

read　the　'Gil　Blas'　in　the　shade　like　that；　by　the　side　of　the

water。　It　is　Columbine's　day；　you　know；　Columbine　who　writes　the

articles　in　the　'Gil　Blas。'　I　generally　put　Madame　Renard　into　a

passion　by　pretending　to　know　this　Columbine。　It　is　not　true；　for

I　do　not　know　her；　and　have　never　seen　her；　but　that　does　not

matter；　she　writes　very　well；　and　then　she　says　things　straight

out　for　a　woman。　She　suits　me；　and　there　are　not　many　of　her

sort。



〃Well；　I　began　to　tease　my　wife；　but　she　got　angry　immediately；

and　very　angry；　and　so　I　held　my　tongue。　At　that　moment　our　two

witnesses；　who　are　present　here；　Monsieur　Ladureau　and　Monsieur

Durdent；　appeared　on　the　other　side　of　the　river。　We　knew　each

other　by　sight。　The　little　man　began　to　fish　again；　and　he　caught

so　many　that　I　trembled　with　vexation；　and　his　wife　said：　'It　is

an　uncommonly　good　spot；　and　we　will　come　here　always；　Desire。'

As　for　me；　a　cold　shiver　ran　down　my　back；　and　Madame　Renard　kept

repeating：　'You　are　not　a　man；　you　have　the　blood　of　a　chicken　in

your　veins'；　and　suddenly　I　said　to　her：　'Look　here；　I　would

rather　go　away；　or　I　shall　only　be　doing　something　foolish。'



〃And　she　whispered　to　me　as　if　she　had　put　a　red…hot　iron　under

my　nose：　'You　are　not　a　man。　Now　you　are　going　to　run　away；　and

surrender　your　place！　Off　you　go；　Bazaine！'



〃Well；　I　felt　that；　but　yet　I　did　not　move；　while　the　other

fellow　pulled　out　a　bream；　Oh！　I　never　saw　such　a　large　one

before；　never！　And　then　my　wife　began　to　talk　aloud；　as　if　she

were　thinking；　and　you　can　see　her　trickery。　She　said：　'That　is

what　one　might　call　stolen　fish；　seeing　that　we　baited　the　place

ourselves。　At　any　rate；　they　ought　to　give　us　back　the　money　we

have　spent　on　bait。'



〃Then　the　fat　woman　in　the　cotton　dress　said　in　turn：　'Do　you

mean　to　call　us　thieves；　Madame？'　And　they　began　to　explain；　and

then　they　came　to　words。　Oh！　Lord！　those　creatures　know　some　good

ones。　They　shouted　so　loud；　that　our　two　witnesses；　who　were　on

the　other　bank；　began　to　call　out　by　way　of　a　joke：　'Less　noise

over　there；　you　will　prevent　your　husbands　from　fishing。'



〃The　fact　is　that　neither　of　us　moved　any　more　than　if　we　had

been　two　tree…stumps。　We　remained　there；　with　our　noses　over　the

water；　as　if　we　had　heard　nothing；　but　by　Jove；　we　heard　all　the

same。　'You　are　a　mere　liar。'



〃　'You　are　nothing　better　than　a　street…walker。'



〃　'You　are　only　a　trollop。'



〃　'You　are　a　regular　strumpet。'



〃And　so　on；　and　so　on；　a　sailor　could　not　have　said　more。



〃Suddenly　I　heard　a　noise　behind　me；　and　turned　round。　It　was　the

other　one；　the　fat　woman　who　had　fallen　on　to　my　wife　with　her

parasol。　WHACK！　WHACK！　Melie　got　two　of　them；　but　she　was

furious；　and　she　hits　hard　when　she　is　in　a　rage；　so　she　caught

the　fat　woman　by　the　hair　and　then；　THUMP；　THUMP。　Slaps　in　the

face　rained　down　like　ripe　plums。　I　should　have　let　them　go

onwomen　among　themselves；　men　among　themselvesit　does　not　do

to　mix　the　blows；　but　the　little　man　in　the　linen　jacket　jumped

up　like　a　devil　and　was　going　to　rush　at　my　wife。　Ah！　no；　no；　not

that；　my　friend！　I　caught　the　gentleman　with　the　end　of　my　fist；

CRASH；　CRASH；　one　on　the　nose；　the　other　in　the　stomach。　He　threw

up　his　arms　and　legs　and　fell　on　his　back　into　the　river；　just

into　the　hole。



〃I　should　have　fished　him　out　most　certainly；　Monsieur　le

President；　if　I　had　had　the　time。　But　unfortunately　the　fat　woman

got　the　better　of　it；　and　she　was　drubbing　Melie　terribly。　I　know

that　I　ought　not　to　have　assisted　her　while　the　man　was　drinking

his　fill；　but　I　never　thought　that　he　would　drown；　and　said　to

myself：　'Bah；　it　will　cool　him。'



〃I　therefore　ran　up　to　the　women　to　separate　them；　and　all　I

received　was　scratches　and　bites。　Good　Lord；　what　creatures！

Well；　it　took　me　five　minutes；　and　perhaps　ten；　to　separate　those

two　viragoes。　When　I　turned　round；　there　was　nothing　to　be　seen；

and　the　water　was　as　smooth　as　a　lake。　The　others　yonder　kept

shouting：　'Fish　him　out！'　It　was　all　very　well　to　say　that；　but　I

cannot　swim　and　still　less　dive！



〃At　last　the　man　from　the　dam　came；　and　two　gentlemen　with

boat…hooks；　but　it　had　taken　over　a　quarter　of　an　hour。　He　was

found　at　the　bottom　of　the　hole　in　eight　feet　of　water；　as　I　have

said；　but　he　was　dead；　the　poor　little　man　in　his　linen　suit！

There　are　the　facts；　such　as　I　have　sworn　to。　I　am　innocent；　on

my　honor。〃



The　witnesses　having　deposed　to　the　same　effect；　the　accused　was

acquitted。







LOVE



THREE　PAGES　FROM　A　SPORTSMAN'S　BOOK



I　have　just　read　among　the　general　news　in　one　of　the　papers　a

drama　of　passion。　He　killed　her　and　then　he　killed　himself；　so　he

must　have　loved　her。　What　matters　He　or　She？　Their　love　alone

matters　to　me；　and　it　does　not　interest　me　because　it　moves　me　or

astonishes　me；　or　because　it　softens　me　or　makes　me　think；　but

because　it　recalls　to　my　mind　a　remembrance　of　my　youth；　a

strange　recollection　of　a　hunting　adventure　where　Love　appeared

to　me；　as　the　Cross　appeared　to　the　early　Christians；　in　the

midst　of　the　heavens。



I　was　born　with　all　the　instincts　and　the　senses　of　primitive

man；　tempered　by　the　arguments　and　the　restraints　of　a　civilized

being。　I　am　passionately　fond　of　shooting；　yet　the　sight　of　the

wounded　animal；　of　the　blood　on　its　feathers　and　on　my　hands；

affects　my　heart　so　as　almost　to　make　it　stop。



That　year　the　cold　weather　set　in　suddenly　toward　the　end　of

autumn；　and　I　was　invited　by　one　of　my　cousins；　Karl　de　Rauville；

to　go　with　him　and　shoot　ducks　on　the　marshes；　at　daybreak。



My　cousin　was　a　jolly　fellow　of　forty；　with　red　hair；　very　stout

and　bearded；　a　country　gentleman；　an　amiable　semi…brute；　of　a

happy　disposition　and　endowed　with　that　Gallic　wit　which　makes

even　mediocrity　agreeable。　He　lived　in　a　house；　half　farmhouse；

half　chateau；　situated　in　a　broad　valley　through　which　a　river

ran。　The　hills　right　and　left　were　covered　with　woods；　old

manorial　woods　where　magnificent　trees　still　remained；　and　where

the　rarest　feathered　game　in　that　part　of　France　was　to　be　found。

Eagles　were　shot　there　occasionally；　and　birds　of　passage；　such

as　rarely　venture　into　our　over…populated　part　of　the　country；

invariably　lighted　amid　these　giant　oaks；　as　if　they　knew　or

recognized　some　little　corner　of　a　primeval　forest　which　had

remained　there　to　serve　them　as　a　shelter　during　their　short

nocturnal　halt。



In　the　valley　there　were　large　meadows　watered　by　trenches　and

separated　by　hedges；　then；　further　on；　the　river；　which　up　to

that　point　had　been　kept　between　banks；　expanded　into　a　vast

marsh。　That　marsh　was　the　best　shooting　ground　I　ever　saw。　It　was

my　cousin's　chief　care；　and　he　kept　it　as　a　preserve。　Through　the

rushes　that　covered　it；　and　made　it　rustling　and　rough；　narrow

passages　had　been　cut；　through　which　the　flat…bottomed　boats；

impelled　and　steered　by　poles；　passed　along　silently　over　dead

water；　brushing　up　against　the　reeds　and　making　the　swift　fish

take　refuge　in　the　weeds；　and　the　wild　fowl；　with　their　pointed；

black　heads；　dive　suddenly。



I　am　passionately　fond　of　the　water：　of　the　sea；　though　it　is　too

vast；　too　full　of　movement；　impossi…ble　to　hold；　of　the　rivers

which　are　so　beautiful；　but　which　pass　on；　and　flee　away　and

above　all　of　the　marshes；　where　the　whole　unknown　existence　of

aquatic　animals　palpitates。　The　marsh　is　an　entire　world　in

itself　on　the　world　of　eartha　different　world；　which　has　its

own　life；　its　settled　inhabitants　and　its　passing　travelers；　its

voices；　its　noises；　and　above　all　its　mystery。　Nothing　is　more

impressive；　nothing　more　disquieting；　more　terrifying

occasionally；　than　a　fen。　Why　should　a　vague　terror　hang　over

these　low　plains　covered　with　water？　Is　it　the　low　rustling　of

the　rushes；　the　strange　will…o'…the…wisp　lights；　the　silence

which　prevails　on　calm　nights；　the　still　mists　which　hang　over

the　surface　like　a　shroud；　or　is　it　the　almost　inaudible

splashing；　so　slight　and　so　gentle；　yet　sometimes　more　terrifying

than　the　cannons　of　men　or　the　thunders　of　the　skies；　which　make

these　marshes　resemble　countries　one　has　dreamed　of；　terrible

countries　holding　an　unknown　and　dangerous　secret？



No；　something　else　belongs　to　itanother　mystery；　profounder　and

graver；　floats　amid　these　thick　mists；　perhaps　the　mystery　of　the

creation　itself！　For　was　it　not　in　stagnant　and　muddy　water；　amid

the　heavy　humidity　of　moist　land　under　the　heat　of　the　sun；　that

the　first　germ　of　life　pulsated　and　expanded　to　the　day？



I　arrived　at　my　c