selected writings-第30部分

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Ah！　I　felt　my　heart　sinking。



〃But　you　have　at　least　found　his　house？〃　I　asked。



〃Yes；　certainly；　and　what　is　more；　it　is　now　being　watched　and

guarded　until　his　return。　As　for　him；　he　has　disappeared。〃



〃Disappeared？〃



〃Yes；　disappeared。　He　ordinarily　passes　his　evenings　at　the　house

of　a　female　neighbor；　who　is　also　a　furniture　broker；　a　queer

sort　of　sorceress；　the　widow　Bidoin。　She　has　not　seen　him　this

evening　and　cannot　give　any　information　in　regard　to　him。　We　must

wait　until　to…morrow。〃



I　went　away。　Ah！　how　sinister　the　streets　of　Rouen　seemed　to　me；

now　troubled　and　haunted！



I　slept　so　badly　that　I　had　a　fit　of　nightmare　every　time　I　went

off　to　sleep。



As　I　did　not　wish　to　appear　too　restless　or　eager；　I　waited　till

ten　o'clock　the　next　day　before　reporting　myself　to　the　police。



The　merchant　had　not　reappeared。　His　shop　remained　closed。



The　commissary　said　to　me：



〃I　have　taken　all　the　necessary　steps。　The　court　has　been　made

acquainted　with　the　affair。　We　shall　go　together　to　that　shop　and

have　it　opened；　and　you　shall　point　out　to　me　all　that　belongs　to

you。〃



We　drove　there　in　a　cab。　Police　agents　were　stationed　round　the

building；　there　was　a　locksmith；　too；　and　the　door　of　the　shop

was　soon　opened。



On　entering；　I　could　not　discover　my　wardrobes；　my　chairs；　my

tables；　I　saw　nothing；　nothing　of　that　which　had　furnished　my

house；　no；　nothing；　although　on　the　previous　evening；　I　could　not

take　a　step　without　encountering　something　that　belonged　to　me。



The　chief　commissary；　much　astonished；　regarded　me　at　first　with

suspicion。



〃My　God；　Monsieur；〃　said　I　to　him；　〃the　disappearance　of　these

articles　of　furniture　coincides　strangely　with　that　of　the

merchant。〃



He　laughed。



〃That　is　true。　You　did　wrong　in　buying　and　paying　for　the

articles　which　were　your　own　property；　yesterday。　It　was　that

which　gave　him　the　cue。〃



〃What　seems　to　me　incomprehensible；〃　I　replied；　〃is　that　all　the

places　that　were　occupied　by　my　furniture　are　now　filled　by　other

furniture。〃



〃Oh！〃　responded　the　commissary；　〃he　has　had　all　night；　and　has　no

doubt　been　assisted　by　accomplices。　This　house　must　communicate

with　its　neighbors。　But　have　no　fear；　Monsieur；　I　will　have　the

affair　promptly　and　thoroughly　investigated。　The　brigand　shall

not　escape　us　for　long；　seeing　that　we　are　in　charge　of　the　den。〃



　*　*　*　*　*　*　*



Ah！　My　heart；　my　heart；　my　poor　heart；　how　it　beats！



I　remained　a　fortnight　at　Rouen。　The　man　did　not　return。　Heavens！

good　heavens！　That　man；　what　was　it　that　could　have　frightened

and　surprised　him！



But；　on　the　sixteenth　day；　early　in　the　morning；　I　received　from

my　gardener；　now　the　keeper　of　my　empty　and　pillaged　house；　the

following　strange　letter：



〃MONSIEUR：



〃I　have　the　honor　to　inform　Monsieur　that　something　happened；　the

evening　before　last；　which　nobody　can　understand；　and　the　police

no　more　than　the　rest　of　us。　The　whole　of　the　furniture　has　been

returned；　not　one　piece　is　missingeverything　is　in　its　place；

up　to　the　very　smallest　article。　The　house　is　now　the　same　in

every　respect　as　it　was　before　the　robbery　took　place。　It　is

enough　to　make　one　lose　one's　head。　The　thing　took　place　during

the　night　FridaySaturday。　The　roads　are　dug　up　as　though　the

whole　fence　had　been　dragged　from　its　place　up　to　the　door。　The

same　thing　was　observed　the　day　after　the　disappearance　of　the

furniture。



〃We　are　anxiously　expecting　Monsieur；　whose　very　humble　and

obedient　servant；　I　am；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

PHILLIPE　RAUDIN。〃



〃Ah！　no；　no；　ah！　never；　never；　ah！　no。　I　shall　never　return

there！〃



I　took　the　letter　to　the　commissary　of　police。



〃It　is　a　very　clever　restitution；〃　said　he。　〃Let　us　bury　the

hatchet。　We　shall　nip　the　man　one　of　these　days。〃



　*　*　*　*　*　*　*



But　he　has　never　been　nipped。　No。　They　have　not　nipped　him；　and　I

am　afraid　of　him　now；　as　of　some　ferocious　animal　that　has　been

let　loose　behind　me。



Inexplicable！　It　is　inexplicable；　this　chimera　of　a　moon…struck

skull！　We　shall　never　solve　or　comprehend　it。　I　shall　not　return

to　my　former　residence。　What　does　it　matter　to　me？　I　am　afraid　of

encountering　that　man　again；　and　I　shall　not　run　the　risk。



And　even　if　he　returns；　if　he　takes　possession　of　his　shop；　who

is　to　prove　that　my　furniture　was　on　his　premises？　There　is　only

my　testimony　against　him；　and　I　feel　that　that　is　not　above

suspicion。



Ah！　no！　This　kind　of　existence　has　become　unendurable。　I　have　not

been　able　to　guard　the　secret　of　what　I　have　seen。　I　could　not

continue　to　live　like　the　rest　of　the　world；　with　the　fear　upon

me　that　those　scenes　might　be　re…enacted。



So　I　have　come　to　consult　the　doctor　who　directs　this　lunatic

asylum；　and　I　have　told　him　everything。



After　questioning　me　for　a　long　time；　he　said　to　me：



〃Will　you　consent；　Monsieur；　to　remain　here　for　some　time？〃



〃Most　willingly；　Monsieur。〃



〃You　have　some　means？〃



〃Yes；　Monsieur。〃



〃Will　you　have　isolated　apartments？〃



〃Yes；　Monsieur。〃



〃Would　you　care　to　receive　any　friends？〃



〃No；　Monsieur；　no；　nobody。　The　man　from　Rouen　might　take　it　into

his　head　to　pursue　me　here；　to　be　revenged　on　me。〃



　*　*　*　*　*　*　*



I　have　been　alone；　alone；　all；　all　alone；　for　three　months。　I　am

growing　tranquil　by　degrees。　I　have　no　longer　any　fears。　If　the

antiquary　should　become　mad　。　。　。　and　if　he　should　be　brought

into　this　asylum！　Even　prisons　themselves　are　not　places　of

security。





THE　DEVIL



The　peasant　was　standing　opposite　the　doctor；　by　the　bedside　of

the　dying　old　woman；　and　she；　calmly　resigned　and　quite　lucid；

looked　at　them　and　listened　to　their　talking。　She　was　going　to

die；　and　she　did　not　rebel　at　it；　for　her　life　was　overshe　was

ninety…two。



The　July　sun　streamed　in　at　the　window　and　through　the　open　door

and　cast　its　hot　flames　on　to　the　uneven　brown　clay　floor；　which

had　been　stamped　down　by　four　generations　of　clodhoppers。　The

smell　of　the　fields　came　in　also；　driven　by　the　brisk　wind；　and

parched　by　the　noontide　heat。　The　grasshoppers　chirped　themselves

hoarse；　filling　the　air　with　their　shrill　noise；　like　that　of　the

wooden　crickets　which　are　sold　to　children　at　fair　time。



The　doctor　raised　his　voice　and　said：　〃Honore；　you　cannot　leave

your　mother　in　this　state；　she　may　die　at　any　moment。〃　And　the

peasant；　in　great　distress；　replied：　〃But　I　must　get　in　my　wheat；

for　it　has　been　lying　on　the　ground　a　long　time；　and　the　weather

is　just　right　for　it；　what　do　you　say　about　it；　mother？〃　And　the

dying　woman；　still　possessed　by　her　Norman　avariciousness；

replied　YES　with　her　eyes　and　her　forehead；　and　so　urged　her　son

to　get　in　his　wheat；　and　to　leave　her　to　die　alone。　But　the

doctor　got　angry；　and　stamping　his　foot　he　said：　〃You　are　no

better　than　a　brute；　do　you　hear；　and　I　will　not　allow　you　to　do

it。　Do　you　understand？　And　if　you　must　get　in　your　wheat　to…day；

go　and　fetch　Rapet's　wife　and　make　her　look　after　your　mother。　I

WILL　have　it。　And　if　you　do　not　obey　me；　I　will　let　you　die　like

a　dog；　when　you　are　ill　in　your　turn；　do　you　hear　me？〃



The　peasant；　a　tall；　thin　fellow　with　slow　movements；　who　was

tormented　by　indecision；　by　his　fear　of　the　doctor　and　his　keen

love　of　saving；　hesitated；　calculated；　and　stammered　out：　〃How

much　does　La　Rapet　charge　for　attending　sick　people？〃



〃How　should　I　know？〃　the　doctor　cried。　〃That　depends　upon　how

long　she　is　wanted　for。　Settle　it　with　her；　by　Jove！　But　I　want

her　to　be　here　within　an　hour；　do　you　hear。〃



So　the　man　made　up　his　mind。　〃I　will　go　for　her；〃　he　replied；

〃don't　get　angry；　doctor。〃　And　the　latter　left；　calling　out　as　he

went：　〃Take　care；　you　know；　for　I　do　not　joke　when　I　am　angry！〃

And　as　soon　as　they　were　alone；　the　peasant　turned　to　his　mother；

and　said　in　a　resigned　voice：　〃I　will　go　and　fetch　La　Rapet；　as

the　man　will　have　it。　Don't　go　off　while　I　am　away。〃



And　he　went　out　in　his　turn。



La　Rapet；　who　was　an　old　washerwoman；　watched　the　dead　and　the

dying　of　the　neighborhood；　and　then；　as　soon　as　she　had　sewn　her


customers　into　that　linen　cloth　from　which　they　would　emerge　no

more；　she　went　and　took　up　her　irons　to　smooth　the　linen　of　the

living。　Wrinkled　like　a　last　year's　apple；　spiteful；　envious；

avaricious　with　a　phenomenal　avarice；　bent　double；　as　if　she　had

been　broken　in　half　across　the　loins；　by　the　constant　movement　of

the　iron　over　the　linen；　one　might　have　said　that　she　had　a　kind

of　monstrous　and　cynical　affection　for　a　death　struggle。　She

never　spoke　of　anything　but　of　the　people　she　had　seen　die；　of

the　various　kinds　of　deaths　at　which　she　had　been　present；　and

she　related；　with　the　greatest　minuteness；　details　which　were

always　the　same；　just　like　a　sportsman　talks　of　his　shots。



When　Honore　Bontemps　entered　her　cottage；　he　found　her　preparing

the　starch　for　the　collars　of　the　village　women；　and　he　said：

〃Good　evening；　I　hope　you　are　pretty　well；　Mother　Rapet。〃



She　turned　her　head　round　to　look　at　him　and　said：　〃Fairly　well；

fairly　well；　and　you？〃



〃Oh　I　as　for　me；　I　am　as　well　as　I　could　wish；　but　my　mother　is

very　sick。〃



〃Your　mother？〃



〃Yes；　my　mother！〃



〃What's　the　matter　with　her？〃



〃She　is　going　to　turn　up　her　toes；　that's　what's　the　matter　with

her！〃



The　old　woman　took　her　hands　out　of　the　water　and　asked　with

sudden　sympathy：　〃Is　she　as　bad　as　all　that？〃



〃The　doctor　says　she　will　not　last　till　morning。〃



〃Then　she　certainly　is　very　bad！〃　Honore　hesitated；　for　he　wanted

to　make　a　few　preliminary　remarks　before　coming　to　his　proposal；

but　as　he　could　hit　upon　nothing；　he　made　up　his　mind　suddenly。



〃How　much　are　you　going　to　ask　to　stop　with　her　till　the　end？　You

know　that　I　am　not　rich；　and　I　cannot　even　afford