selected writings-第33部分

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gave　him　my　card；　which　he　took　and　read　half　aloud：　'The　Comte

de　Garens。'



〃I　continued：　'There　are　eleven　of　us　here　Monsieur　l'Abbe；　five

on　grand　guard；　and　six　installed　at　the　house　of　an　unknown

inhabitant。　The　names　of　the　six　are；　Garens　（that　is　I）；　Pierre

de　Marchas；　Ludovic　de　Ponderel；　Baron　d'Etreillis；　Karl

Massouligny；　the　painter's　son；　and　Joseph　Herbon；　a　young

musician。　I　have　come　to　ask　you；　in　their　name　and　my　own；　to　do

us　the　honor　of　supping　with　us。　It　is　an　Epiphany　supper；

Monsieur　le　Cure；　and　we　should　like　to　make　it　a　little

cheerful。'



〃The　priest　smiled　and　murmured：　'It　seems　to　me　to　be　hardly　a

suitable　occasion　for　amusing　oneself。'



〃I　replied：　'We　are　fighting　every　day；　Monsieur。　Fourteen　of　our

comrades　have　been　killed　in　a　month；　and　three　fell　as　late　as

yesterday。　That　is　war。　We　stake　our　life　every　moment；　have　we

not；　therefore；　the　right　to　amuse　ourselves　freely？　We　are

Frenchmen；　we　like　to　laugh；　and　we　can　laugh　everywhere。　Our

fathers　laughed　on　the　scaffold！　This　evening　we　should　like　to

brighten　ourselves　up　a　little；　like　gentlemen；　and　not　like

soldiers；　you　understand　me；　I　hope。　Are　we　wrong？'



〃He　replied　quickly：　'You　are　quite　right；　my　friend；　and　I

accept　your　invitation　with　great　pleasure。'　Then　he　called　out：

'Hermance！'



〃An　old；　bent；　wrinkled；　horrible；　peasant　woman　appeared　and

said：　'What　do　you　want？'



〃　'I　shall　not　dine　at　home；　my　daughter。'



〃　'Where　are　you　going　to　dine　then？'



〃　'With　some　gentlemen；　hussars。'



〃I　felt　inclined　to　say：　'Bring　your　servant　with　you；'　just　to

see　Marchas's　face；　but　I　did　not　venture　to；　and　continued：　'Do

you　know　anyone　among　your　parishioners；　male　or　female；　whom　I

could　invite　as　well？'　He　hesitated；　reflected；　and　then　said：

'No；　I　do　not　know　anybody！'



〃I　persisted：　'Nobody？　Come；　Monsieur；　think；　it　would　be　very

nice　to　have　some　ladies；　I　mean　to　say；　some　married　couples！　I

know　nothing　about　your　parishioners。　The　baker　and　his　wife；　the

grocer；　thethethewatchmakertheshoemaker　thethe

chemist　with　his　wife。　We　have　a　good　spread；　and　plenty　of　wine；

and　we　should　be　enchanted　to　leave　pleasant　recollections　of

ourselves　behind　us　with　the　people　here。'



〃The　priest　thought　again　for　a　long　time　and　then　said

resolutely：　'No；　there　is　nobody。'



〃I　began　to　laugh。　'By　Jove；　Monsieur　le　Cure；　it　is　very　vexing

not　to　have　an　Epiphany　queen；　for　we　have　the　bean。　Come；　think。

Is　there　not　a　married　mayor；　or　a　married　deputy…mayor；　or　a

married　municipal　councilor；　or　schoolmaster？'



〃　'No　all　the　ladies　have　gone　away。'



〃　'What；　is　there　not　in　the　whole　place　some　good　tradesman's

wife　with　her　good　tradesman；　to　whom　we　might　give　this

pleasure；　for　it　would　be　a　pleasure　to　them；　a　great　pleasure

under　present　circumstances？'



〃But　suddenly　the　cure　began　to　laugh；　and　he　laughed　so

violently　that　he　fairly　shook；　and　exclaimed：　'Ha！　ha！　ha！　I

have　got　what　you　want；　yes。　I　have　got　what　you　want！　Ha！　ha！

ha！　We　will　laugh　and　enjoy　ourselves；　my　children；　we　will　have

some　fun。　How　pleased　the　ladies　will　be；　I　say；　how　delighted

they　will　be。　Ha！　ha！　Where　are　you　staying？'



〃I　described　the　house；　and　he　understood　where　it　was。　'Very

good；'　he　said。　'It　belongs　to　Monsieur　Bertin…Lavaille。　I　will

be　there　in　half　an　hour；　with　four　ladies。　Ha！　ha！　ha！　four

ladies！'



〃He　went　out　with　me；　still　laughing；　and　left　me；　repeating：

'That　is　capital；　in　half　an　hour　at　Bertin…Lavaille's　house。'



〃I　returned　quickly；　very　much　astonished　and　very　much　puzzled。

'Covers　for　how　many？'　Marchas　asked；　as　soon　as　he　saw　me。



〃　'Eleven。　There　are　six　of　us　hussars　besides　the　priest　and

four　ladies。'



〃He　was　thunderstruck；　and　I　triumphant；　and　he　repeated　'Four

ladies！　Did　you　say；　four　ladies？'



〃　'I　said　four　women。'



〃　'Real　women？'



〃　'Real　women。'



〃　'Well；　accept　my　compliments！'



〃　'I　will；　for　I　deserve　them。'



〃He　got　out　of　his　armchair；　opened　the　door；　and　I　saw　a

beautiful；　white　tablecloth　on　a　long　table；　round　which　three

hussars　in　blue　aprons　were　setting　out　the　plates　and　glasses。

'There　are　some　women　coming！'　Marchas　cried。　And　the　three　men

began　to　dance　and　to　cheer　with　all　their　might。



〃Everything　was　ready；　and　we　were　waiting。　We　waited　for　nearly

an　hour；　while　a　delicious　smell　of　roast　poultry　pervaded　the

whole　house。　At　last；　however；　a　knock　against　the　shutters　made

us　all　jump　up　at　the　same　moment。　Stout　Ponderel　ran　to　open　the

door；　and　in　less　than　a　minute　a　little　Sister　of　Mercy　appeared

in　the　doorway。　She　was　thin；　wrinkled；　and　timid；　and

successively　saluted　the　four　bewildered　hussars　who　saw　her

enter。　Behind　her；　the　noise　of　sticks　sounded　on　the　tiled　floor

in　the　vestibule。　As　soon　as　she　had　come　into　the　drawing…room　I

saw　three　old　heads　in　white　caps；　following　each　other　one　by

one；　balancing　themselves　with　different　movements；　one　canting

to　the　right；　while　the　other　canted　to　the　left。　Then　three

worthy　women　showed　themselves；　limping；　dragging　their　legs

behind　them；　crippled　by　illness　and　deformed　through　old　age；

three　infirm　old　women；　past　service；　the　only　three　pensioners

who　were　able　to　walk　in　the　establishment　which　Sister

Saint…Benedict　managed。



〃She　had　turned　round　to　her　invalids；　full　of　anxiety　for　them；

and　then　seeing　my　quartermaster's　stripes；　she　said　to　me：　'I　am

much　obliged　to　you　for　thinking　of　these　poor　women。　They　have

very　little　pleasure　in　life；　and　you　are　at　the　same　time　giving

them　a　great　treat　and　doing　them　a　great　honor。'



〃I　saw　the　priest；　who　had　remained　in　the　obscurity　of　the

passage；　and　who　was　laughing　heartily；　and　I　began　to　laugh　in

my　turn；　especially　when　I　saw　Marchas's　face。　Then；　motioning

the　nun　to　the　seats；　I　said：　'Sit　down；　Sister：　we　are　very

proud　and　very　happy　that　you　have　accepted　our　unpretentious

invitation。'



〃She　took　three　chairs　which　stood　against　the　wall；　set　them

before　the　fire；　led　her　three　old　women　to　them；　settled　them　on

them；　took　their　sticks　and　shawls　which　she　put　into　a　corner；

and　then；　pointing　to　the　first；　a　thin　woman　with　an　enormous

stomach；　who　was　evidently　suffering　from　the　dropsy；　she　said：

'This　is　Mother　Paumelle；　whose　husband　was　killed　by　falling

from　a　roof；　and　whose　son　died　in　Africa；　she　is　sixty　years

old。'　Then　she　pointed　to　another；　a　tall　woman；　whose　head　shook

unceasingly：　'This　is　Mother　Jean…Jean；　who　is　sixty…seven。　She

is　nearly　blind；　for　her　face　was　terribly　singed　in　a　fire；　and

her　right　leg　was　half　burned　off。'



〃Then　she　pointed　to　the　third；　a　sort　of　dwarf；　with　protruding；

round；　stupid　eyes；　which　she　rolled　incessantly　in　all

directions。　'This　is　La　Putois；　an　idiot。　She　is　only

forty…four。'



〃I　bowed　to　the　three　women　as　if　I　were　being　presented　to　some

Royal　Highness；　and　turning　to　the　priest　I　said：　'You　are　an

excellent　man；　Monsieur　l'Abbe；　and　we　all　owe　you　a　debt　of

gratitude。'



〃Everybody　was　laughing；　in　fact；　except　Marchas；　who　seemed

furious；　and　just　then　Karl　Massouligny　cried：　'Sister

Saint…Benedict；　supper　is　on　the　table！'



〃I　made　her　go　first　with　the　priest；　then　I　helped　up　Mother

Paumelle；　whose　arm　I　took　and　dragged　her　into　the　next　room；

which　was　no　easy　task；　for　her　swollen　stomach　seemed　heavier

than　a　lump　of　iron。



〃Stout　Ponderel　gave　his　arm　to　Mother　Jean…Jean；　who　bemoaned

her　crutch；　and　little　Joseph　Herbon　took　the　idiot；　La　Putois；

to　the　dining…room；　which　was　filled　with　the　odor　of　the　viands。



〃As　soon　as　we　were　opposite　our　plates；　the　Sister　clapped　her

hands　three　times；　and；　with　the　precision　of　soldiers　presenting

arms；　the　women　made　a　rapid　sign　of　the　cross；　and　then　the

priest　slowly　repeated　the　'Benedictus'　in　Latin。　Then　we　sat

down；　and　the　two　fowls　appeared；　brought　in　by　Marchas；　who

chose　to　wait　rather　than　to　sit　down　as　a　guest　at　this

ridiculous　repast。



〃But　I　cried：　'Bring　the　champagne　at　once！'　and　a　cork　flew　out

with　the　noise　of　a　pistol；　and　in　spite　of　the　resistance　of　the

priest　and　the　kind　Sister；　the　three　hussars　sitting　by　the　side

of　the　three　invalids；　emptied　their　three　full　glasses　down

their　throats　by　force。



〃Massouligny；　who　possessed　the　faculty　of　making　himself　at

home；　and　of　being　on　good　terms　with　everyone；　wherever　he　was；

made　love　to　Mother　Paumelle；　in　the　drollest　manner。　The

dropsical　woman；　who　had　retained　her　cheerfulness　in　spite　of

her　misfortunes；　answered　him　banteringly　in　a　high　falsetto

voice　which　seemed　to　be　assumed；　and　she　laughed　so　heartily　at

her　neighbor's　jokes　that　her　large　stomach　looked　as　if　it　were

going　to　rise　up　and　get　on　to　the　table。　Little　Herbon　had

seriously　undertaken　the　task　of　making　the　idiot　drunk；　and

Baron　d'Etreillis　whose　wits　were　not　always　particularly　sharp；

was　questioning　old　Jean…Jean　about　the　life；　the　habits；　and　the

rules　in　the　hospital。



〃The　nun　said　to　Massouligny　in　consternation：　'Oh！　oh！　you　will

make　her　ill；　pray　do　not　make　her　laugh　like　that；　Monsieur。　Oh！

Monsieur。'　Then　she　got　up　and　rushed　at　Herbon　to　take　a　full

glass　out　of　his　hands　which　he　was　hastily　emptying　down　La

Putois's　throat；　while　the　priest　shook　with　laughter；　and　said

to　the　Sister：　'Never　mind；　just　this　once；　it　will　not　hurt　her。

Do　leave　them　alone。'



〃After　the　two　fowls　they　ate　the　duck；　which　was　flanked　by　the

three　pigeons　and　a　blackbird；　and　then　the　goose　appeared；

smoking；　golden…colored；　and　diffusing　a　warm　odor　of　hot；

browned　fat　meat。　La　Paumelle　who　was　getting　lively；　clapped　her

hands；　La　Jean…Jean　left　off　answering　the　Baron's　numerous

questions；　and　La　Putois　uttered　grunts　of　pleasure；　half　cries

and　half　sighs；　li