selected writings-第4部分

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catastrophe　never　occurs。　It　was　necessary　to　stand　poised　upon

the　brink　of　the　precipice　to　realize　the　depth　of　the　abyss　and

feel　the　terror　of　the　fall。



Closely　allied　to　this　phase　of　Maupassant's　nature　was　the

peculiar　feeling　of　loneliness　that　every　now　and　then　breaks

irresistibly　forth　in　the　course　of　some　short　story。　Of　kindly

soul　and　genial　heart；　he　suffered　not　only　from　the　oppression

of　spirit　caused　by　the　lack　of　humanity；　kindliness；　sanity；　and

harmony　which　he　encountered　daily　in　the　world　at　large；　but　he

had　an　ever　abiding　sense　of　the　invincible；　unbanishable

solitariness　of　his　own　inmost　self。　I　know　of　no　more　poignant

expression　of　such　a　feeling　than　the　cry　of　despair　which　rings

out　in　the　short　story　called　〃Solitude；〃　in　which　he　describes

the　insurmountable　barrier　which　exists　between　man　and　man；　or

man　and　woman；　however　intimate　the　friendship　between　them。　He

could　picture　but　one　way　of　destroying　this　terrible　loneliness；

the　attainment　of　a　spirituala　divinestate　of　love；　a

condition　to　which　he　would　give　no　name　utterable　by　human　lips；

lest　it　be　profaned；　but　for　which　his　whole　being　yearned。　How

acutely　he　felt　his　failure　to　attain　his　deliverance　may　be

drawn　from　his　wail　that　mankind　has　no　UNIVERSAL　measure　of

happiness。



〃Each　one　of　us；〃　writes　De　Maupassant；　〃forms　for　himself　an

illusion　through　which　he　views　the　world；　be　it　poetic；

sentimental；　joyous；　melancholy；　or　dismal；　an　illusion　of

beauty；　which　is　a　human　convention；　of　ugliness；　which　is　a

matter　of　opinion；　of　truth；　which；　alas；　is　never　immutable。〃

And　he　concludes　by　asserting　that　the　happiest　artist　is　he　who

approaches　most　closely　to　the　truth　of　things　as　he　sees　them

through　his　own　particular　illusion。



Salient　points　in　De　Maupassant's　genius　were　that　he　possessed

the　rare　faculty　of　holding　direct　communion　with　his　gifts；　and

of　writing　from　their　dictation　as　it　was　interpreted　by　his

senses。　He　had　no　patience　with　writers　who　in　striving　to

present　life　as　a　whole　purposely　omit　episodes　that　reveal　the

influence　of　the　senses。　〃As　well；〃　he　says；　〃refrain　from

describing　the　effect　of　intoxicating　perfumes　upon　man　as　omit

the　influence　of　beauty　on　the　temperament　of　man。〃



De　Maupassant's　dramatic　instinct　was　supremely　powerful。　He

seems　to　select　unerringly　the　one　thing　in　which　the　soul　of　the

scene　is　prisoned；　and；　making　that　his　keynote；　gives　a　picture

in　words　which　haunt　the　memory　like　a　strain　of　music。　The

description　of　the　ride　of　Madame　Tellier　and　her　companions　in　a

country　cart　through　a　Norman　landscape　is　an　admirable　example。

You　smell　the　masses　of　the　colza　in　blossom；　you　see　the　yellow

carpets　of　ripe　corn　spotted　here　and　there　by　the　blue　coronets

of　the　cornflower；　and　rapt　by　the　red　blaze　of　the　poppy　beds

and　bathed　in　the　fresh　greenery　of　the　landscape；　you　share　in

the　emotions　felt　by　the　happy　party　in　the　country　cart。　And　yet

with　all　his　vividness　of　description；　De　Maupassant　is　always

sober　and　brief。　He　had　the　genius　of　condensation　and　the

reserve　which　is　innate　in　power；　and　to　his　reader　could　convey

as　much　in　a　paragraph　as　could　be　expressed　in　a　page　by　many　of

his　predecessors　and　contemporaries；　Flaubert　not　excepted。



Apart　from　his　novels；　De　Maupassant's　tales　may　be　arranged

under　three　heads：　Those　that　concern　themselves　with　Norman

peasant　life；　those　that　deal　with　Government　employees

（Maupassant　himself　had　long　been　one）　and　the　Paris　middle

classes；　and　those　that　represent　the　life　of　the　fashionable

world；　as　well　as　the　weird　and　fantastic　ideas　of　the　later

years　of　his　career。　Of　these　three　groups　the　tales　of　the

Norman　peasantry　perhaps　rank　highest。　He　depicts　the　Norman

farmer　in　surprisingly　free　and　bold　strokes；　revealing　him　in

all　his　caution；　astuteness；　rough　gaiety；　and　homely　virtue。



The　tragic　stage　of　De　Maupassant's　life　may；　I　think；　be　set

down　as　beginning　just　before　the　drama　of　〃Musotte〃　was　issued；

in　conjunction　with　Jacques　Normand；　in　1891。　He　had　almost　given

up　the　hope　of　interpreting　his　puzzles；　and　the　struggle　between

the　falsity　of　the　life　which　surrounded　him　and　the　nobler

visions　which　possessed　him　was　wearing　him　out。　Doubtless　he

resorted　to　unwise　methods　for　the　dispelling　of　physical

lassitude　or　for　surcease　from　troubling　mental　problems。　To　this

period　belong　such　weird　and　horrible　fancies　as　are　contained　in

the　short　stories　known　as　〃He〃　and　〃The　Diary　of　a　Madman。〃　Here

and　there；　we　know；　were　rising　in　him　inklings　of　a　finer　and

less　sordid　attitude　'twixt　man　and　woman　throughout　the　world

and　of　a　purer　constitution　of　existing　things　which　no　exterior

force　should　blemish　or　destroy。　But　with　these　yearningly

prophetic　gleams　came　a　period　of　mental　death。　Then　the　physical

veil　was　torn　aside　and　for　Guy　de　Maupassant　the　riddle　of

existence　was　answered。　　　　　　　　　　　｛signature｝















MADEMOISELLE　FIFI



The　Major　Graf＇1＇　von　Farlsberg；　the　Prussian　commandant；　was

reading　his　newspaper；　lying　back　in　a　great　armchair；　with　his

booted　feet　on　the　beautiful　marble　fireplace；　where　his　spurs

had　made　two　holes；　which　grew　deeper　every　day；　during　the　three

months　that　he　had　been　in　the　chateau　of　Urville。



＇1＇　Count。



A　cup　of　coffee　was　smoking　on　a　small　inlaid　table；　which　was

stained　with　liquors　burnt　by　cigars；　notched　by　the　penknife　of

the　victorious　officer；　who　occasionally　would　stop　while

sharpening　a　pencil；　to　jot　down　figures；　or　to　make　a　drawing　on

it；　just　as　it　took　his　fancy。



When　he　had　read　his　letters　and　the　German　newspapers；　which　his

baggage…master　had　brought　him；　he　got　up；　and　after　throwing

three　or　four　enormous　pieces　of　green　wood　on　to　the　firefor

these　gentlemen　were　gradually　cutting　down　the　park　in　order　to

keep　themselves　warmhe　went　to　the　window。　The　rain　was

descending　in　torrents；　a　regular　Normandy　rain；　which　looked　as

if　it　were　being　poured　out　by　some　furious　hand；　a　slanting

rain；　which　was　as　thick　as　a　curtain；　and　which　formed　a　kind　of

wall　with　oblique　stripes；　and　which　deluged　everything；　a

regular　rain；　such　as　one　frequently　experiences　in　the

neighborhood　of　Rouen；　which　is　the　watering…pot　of　France。



For　a　long　time　the　officer　looked　at　the　sodden　turf；　and　at　the

swollen　Andelle　beyond　it；　which　was　overflowing　its　banks；　and

he　was　drumming　a　waltz　from　the　Rhine　on　the　window…panes；　with

his　fingers；　when　a　noise　made　him　turn　round；　it　was　his　second

in　command；　Captain　Baron　von　Kelweinstein。



The　major　was　a　giant；　with　broad　shoulders；　and　a　long；　fair

beard；　which　hung　like　a　cloth　on　to　his　chest。　His　whole；　solemn

person　suggested　the　idea　of　a　military　peacock；　a　peacock　who

was　carrying　his　tail　spread　out　on　to　his　breast。　He　had　cold；

gentle；　blue　eyes；　and　the　scar　from　a　sword…cut；　which　he　had

received　in　the　war　with　Austria；　he　was　said　to　be　an　honorable

man；　as　well　as　a　brave　officer。



The　captain；　a　short；　red…faced　man；　who　was　tightly　girthed　in

at　the　waist；　had　his　red　hair　cropped　quite　close　to　his　head；

and　in　certain　lights　almost　looked　as　if　he　had　been　rubbed　over

with　phosphorus。　He　had　lost　two　front　teeth　one　night；　though　he

could　not　quite　remember　how。　This　defect　made　him　speak　so　that

he　could　not　always　be　understood；　and　he　had　a　bald　patch　on　the

top　of　his　head；　which　made　him　look　rather　like　a　monk；　with　a

fringe　of　curly；　bright；　golden　hair　round　the　circle　of　bare

skin。



The　commandant　shook　hands　with　him；　and　drank　his　cup　of　coffee

（the　sixth　that　morning）　at　a　draught；　while　he　listened　to　his

subordinate's　report　of　what　had　occurred；　and　then　they　both

went　to　the　window；　and　declared　that　it　was　a　very　unpleasant

outlook。　The　major；　who　was　a　quiet　man；　with　a　wife　at　home；

could　accommodate　himself　to　everything；　but　the　captain；　who　was

rather　fast；　being　in　the　habit　of　frequenting　low　resorts；　and

much　given　to　women；　was　mad　at　having　been　shut　up　for　three

months　in　the　compulsory　chastity　of　that　wretched　hole。



There　was　a　knock　at　the　door；　and　when　the　commandant　said；

〃Come　in；〃　one　of　their　automatic　soldiers　appeared；　and　by　his

mere　presence　announced　that　breakfast　was　ready。　In　the　dining…

room；　they　met　three　other　officers　of　lower　rank：　a　lieutenant；

Otto　von　Grossling；　and　two　sub…lieutenants；　Fritz　Scheunebarg；

and　Count　von　Eyrick　a　very　short；　fair…haired　man；　who　was　proud

and　brutal　toward　men；　harsh　toward　prisoners；　and　very　violent。



Since　he　had　been　in　France；　his　comrades　had　called　him　nothing

but　〃Mademoiselle　Fifi。〃　They　had　given　him　that　nickname　on

account　of　his　dandified　style　and　small　waist；　which　looked　as

if　he　wore　stays；　from　his　pale　face；　on　which　his　budding

mustache　scarcely　showed；　and　on　account　of　the　habit　he　had

acquired　of　employing　the　French　expression；　fi；　fi　donc；　which

he　pronounced　with　a　slight　whistle；　when　he　wished　to　express

his　sovereign　contempt　for　persons　or　things。



The　dining…room　of　the　chateau　was　a　magnificent　long　room；　whose

fine　old　mirrors；　now　cracked　by　pistol　bullets；　and　Flemish

tapestry；　now　cut　to　ribbons　and　hanging　in　rags　in　places；　from

sword…cuts；　told　too　well　what　Mademoiselle　Fifi's　occupation　was

during　his　spare　time。



There　were　three　family　portraits　on　the　walls；　a　steel…clad

knight；　a　cardinal；　and　a　judge；　who　were　all　smoking　long

porcelain　pipes；　which　had　been　inserted　into　holes　in　the

canvas；　while　a　lady　in　a　long；　pointed　waist　proudly　exhibited

an　enormous　pair　of　mustaches；　drawn　with　a　piece　of　charcoal。



The　officers　ate　their　breakfast　almost　in　silence　in　that

mutilated　room；　which　looked　dull　in　the　rain；　and　melancholy

under　its　vanquished　appearance；　although　its　old；　oak　floor　had