the crime of sylvestre bonnard-第31部分

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ome　an　object　of　suspicionand　that　Jeanne　remains　in　the　power　of　the　most　rascally　woman　on　the　face　of　the　earth。　　I　am　certainly　in　an　admirable　state　of　mind　for　conversing　about　Cistercian　abbeys　with　a　young　and　mischievously　minded　man。　Nevertheless；　we　shall　seewe　shall　try。〃。。。

But　Therese　stopped　me：

〃How　red　you　are；　Monsieur！〃　she　exclaimed；　in　a　tone　of　reproach。

〃It　must　be　the　spring；〃　I　answered。

She　cried　out；

〃The　spring！in　the　month　of　December？〃

That　is　a　fact！　this　is　December。　　Ah！　what　is　the　matter　with　my　head？　what　a　fine　help　I　am　going　to　be　to　poor　Jeanne！

〃Therese；　take　my　cane；　and　put　it；　if　you　possibly　can；　in　some　place　where　I　shall　be　able　to　find　it　again。

〃Good…day；　Monsieur　Gelis。　　How　are　you？〃


Undated。


Next　morning　the　old　boy　wanted　to　get　up；　but　the　old　boy　could　not　get　up。　　A　merciless　invisible　hand　kept　him　down　upon　his　bed。　Finding　himself　immovably　riveted　there；　the　old　boy　resigned　himself　to　remain　motionless；　but　his　thoughts　kept　running　in　all　directions。

He　must　have　had　a　very　violent　fever；　for　Mademoiselle　Prefere；　the　Abbots　of　Saint…Germain…des…Pres；　and　the　servant　of　Madame　de　Gabry　appeared　to　him　in　divers　fantastic　shapes。　　The　figure　of　the　servant　in　particular　lengthened　weirdly　over　his　head；　grimacing　like　some　gargoyle　of　a　cathedral。　　Then　it　seemed　to　me　that　there　were　a　great　many　people；　much　too　many　people；　in　my　bedroom。

This　bedroom　of　mine　is　furnished　after　the　antiquated　fashion。　　The　portrait　of　my　father　in　full　uniform；　and　the　portrait　of　my　mother　in　her　cashmere　dress；　are　suspended　on　the　wall。　　The　wall…paper　is　covered　with　green　foliage　designs。　　I　am　aware　of　all　this；　and　I　am　even　conscious　that　everything　is　faded；　very　much　faded。　　But　an　old　man's　room　does　not　require　to　be　pretty；　it　is　enough　that　it　should　be　clean；　and　Therese　sees　to　that。　　At　all　events　my　room　is　sufficiently　decorated　to　please　a　mind　like　mine；　which　has　always　remained　somewhat　childish　and　dreamy。　　There　are　things　hanging　on　the　wall　or　scattered　over　the　tables　and　shelves　which　usually　please　my　fancy　and　amuse　me。　　But　to…day　it　would　seem　as　if　all　those　objects　had　suddenly　conceived　some　kind　of　ill…will　against　me。　　They　have　all　become　garish；　grimacing；　menacing。　　That　statuette；　modelled　after　one　of　the　Theological　Virtues　of　Notre…　Dame　de　Brou；　always　so　ingenuously　graceful　in　its　natural　condition；　is　now　making　contortions　and　putting　out　its　tongue　at　me。　　And　that　beautiful　miniaturein　which　one　of　the　most　skilful　pupils　of　Jehan　Fouquet　depicted　himself；　girdled　with　the　cord…girdle　of　the　Sons　of　St。　Francis；　offering　his　book；　on　bended　knee；　to　the　good　Duc　d'Angoulemewho　has　taken　it　out　of　its　frame　and　put　in　its　place　a　great　ugly　cat's　head；　which　stares　at　me　with　phosphorescent　eyes。　　And　the　designs　on　the　wall…paper　have　also　turned　into　headshideous　green　heads。。。。　　But　noI　am　sure　that　wall…paper　must　have　foliage…designs　upon　it　at　this　moment　just　as　it　had　twenty　years　ago；　and　nothing　else。。。。　　But　no；　againI　was　right　beforethey　are　heads；　with　eyes；　noses；　mouthsthey　are　heads！。。。　　Ah！　now　I　understand！　they　are　both　heads　and　foliage…　designs　at　the　same　time。　　I　wish　I　could　not　see　them　at　all。

And　there；　on　my　right；　the　pretty　miniature　of　the　Franciscan　has　come　back　again；　but　it　seems　to　me　as　if　I　can　only　keep　it　in　its　frame　by　a　tremendous　effort　of　will；　and　that　the　moment　I　get　tired　the　ugly　cat…head　will　appear　in　its　place。　　Certainly　I　am　not　delirious；　I　can　see　Therese　very　plainly；　standing　at　the　foot　of　my　bed；　I　can　hear　her　speaking　to　me　perfectly　well；　and　I　should　be　able　to　answer　her　quite　satisfactorily　if　I　were　not　kept　so　busy　in　trying　to　compel　the　various　objects　about　me　to　maintain　their　natural　aspect。

Here　is　the　doctor　coming。　　I　never　sent　for　him；　but　it　gives　me　pleasure　to　see　him。　　He　is　an　old　neighbor　of　mine；　I　have　never　been　of　much　service　to　him；　but　I　like　him　very　much。　　Even　if　I　do　not　say　much　to　him；　I　have　at　least　full　possession　of　all　my　faculties；　and　I　even　find　myself　extraordinarily　crafty　and　observant　to…day；　for　I　note　all　his　gestures；　his　every　look；　the　least　wrinkling　of　his　face。　　But　the　doctor　is　very　cunning；　too；　and　I　cannot　really　tell　what　he　thinks　about　me。　　The　deep　thought　of　Goethe　suddenly　comes　to　my　mind　and　I　exclaim；

〃Doctor；　the　old　man　has　consented　to　allow　himself　to　become　sick；　but　he　does　not　intend；　this　time　at　least；　to　make　any　further　concessions　to　nature。〃

Neither　the　doctor　nor　Therese　laughs　at　my　little　joke。　　I　suppose　they　cannot　have　understood　it。

The　doctor　goes　away；　evening　comes；　and　all　sorts　of　strange　shadows　begin　to　shape　themselves　about　my　bed…curtains；　forming　and　dissolving　by　turns。　　And　other　shadowsghoststhrong　by　before　me；　and　through　them　I　can　see　distinctively　the　impassive　face　of　my　faithful　servant。　　And　suddenly　a　cry；　a　shrill　cry；　a　great　cry　of　distress；　rends　my　ears。　　Was　it　you　who　called　me　Jeanne？

The　day　is　over；　and　the　shadows　take　their　places　at　my　bedside　to　remain　with　me　all　through　the　long　night。

Then　morning　comesI　feel　a　peace；　a　vast　peace；　wrapping　me　all　about。

Art　Thou　about　to　take　me　into　Thy　rest；　my　dear　Lord　God？


February　186…。


The　doctor　is　quite　jovial。　　It　seems　that　I　am　doing　him　a　great　deal　of　credit　by　being　able　to　get　out　of　bed。　　If　I　must　believe　him；　innumerable　disorders　must　have　pounced　down　upon　my　poor　old　body　all　at　the　same　time。

These　disorders；　which　are　the　terror　of　ordinary　mankind；　have　names　which　are　the　terror　of　philologists。　　They　are　hybrid　names；　half　Greek；　half　Latin；　with　terminations　in　〃itis；〃　indicating　the　inflammatory　condition；　and　in　〃algia；〃　indicating　pain。　　The　doctor　gives　me　all　their　names；　together　with　a　corresponding　number　of　adjectives　ending　in　〃ic；〃　which　serve　to　characterise　their　detestable　qualities。　　In　short；　they　represent　a　good　half　of　that　most　perfect　copy　of　the　Dictionary　of　Medicine　contained　in　the　too…　authentic　box　of　Pandora。

〃Doctor；　what　an　excellent　common…sense　story　the　story　of　Pandora　is！if　I　were　a　poet　I　would　put　it　into　French　verse。　　Shake　hands；　doctor！　　You　have　brought　me　back　to　life；　I　forgive　you　for　it。　　You　have　given　me　back　to　my　friends；　I　thank　you　for　it。　　You　say　I　am　quite　strong。　　That　may　be；　that　may　be；　but　I　have　lasted　a　very　long　time。　　I　am　a　very　old　article　of　furniture；　I　might　be　very　satisfactorily　compared　to　my　father's　arm…chair。　　It　was　an　arm…　chair　which　the　good　man　had　inherited；　and　in　which　he　used　to　lounge　from　morning　until　evening。　　Twenty　times　a　day；　when　I　was　quite　a　baby；　I　used　to　climb　up　and　seat　myself　on　one　of　the　arms　of　that　old…fashioned　chair。　　So　long　as　the　chair　remained　intact；　nobody　paid　any　particular　attention　to　it。　　But　it　began　to　limp　on　one　foot　and　then　folks　began　to　say　that　it　was　a　very　good　chair。　　Afterwards　it　became　lame　in　three　legs；　squeaked　with　the　fourth　leg；　and　lost　nearly　half　of　both　arms。　　Then　everybody　would　exclaim；　'What　a　strong　chair！'　　They　wondered　how　it　was　that　after　its　arms　had　been　worn　off　and　all　its　legs　knocked　out　of　perpendicular；　it　could　yet　preserve　the　recognisable　shape　of　a　chair；　remains　nearly　erect；　and　still　be　of　some　service。　　The　horse…hair　came　out　of　its　body　at　last；　and　it　gave　up　the　ghost。　And　when　Cyprien；　our　servant；　sawed　up　its　mutilated　members　for　fire…wood；　everybody　redoubled　their　cries　of　admiration。　　Oh！　what　an　excellentwhat　a　marvellous　chair！　　It　was　the　chair　of　Pierre　Sylvestre　Bonnard；　the　cloth　merchantof　Epimenide　Bonnard；　his　sonof　Jean…Baptiste　Bonnard；　the　Pyrrhonian　philosopher　and　Chief　of　the　Third　Maritime　Division。　　Oh！　what　a　robust　and　venerable　chair！'　　In　reality　it　was　a　dead　chair。　　Well；　doctor；　I　am　that　chair。　　You　think　I　am　solid　because　I　have　been　able　to　resist　an　attack　which　would　have　killed　many　people；　and　which　only　three…　fourths　killed　me。　　Much　obliged！　　I　feel　none　the　less　that　I　am　something　which　has　been　irremediably　damaged。〃

The　doctor　tries　to　prove　to　me；　with　the　help　of　enormous　Greek　and　Latin　words；　that　I　am　really　in　a　very　good　condition。　　It　would；　of　course；　be　useless　to　attempt　any　demonstration　of　this　kind　in　so　lucid　a　language　as　French。　　However；　I　allow　him　to　persuade　me　at　last；　and　I　see　him　to　the　door。

〃Good！　good！〃　exclaimed　Therese；　〃that　is　the　way　to　put　the　doctor　out　of　the　house！　　Just　do　the　same　thing　once　or　twice　again；　and　he　will　not　come　to　see　you　any　moreand　so　much　the　better？〃

〃Well；　Therese；　now　that　I　have　become　such　a　hearty　man　again；　do　not　refuse　to　give　me　my　letters。　　I　am　sure　there　must　be　quite　a　big　bundle　of　letters；　and　it　would　be　very　wicked　to　keep　me　any　longer　from　reading　them。〃

Therese；　after　some　little　grumbling；　gave　me　my　letters。　　But　what　did　it　matter？I　looked　at　all　the　envelopes；　and　saw　that　no　one　of　them　had　been　addressed　by　the　little　hand　which　I　so　much　wish　I　could　see　here　now；　turning　over　the　pages　of　the　Vecellio。　　I　pushed　the　whole　bundle　of　letters　away：　　they　had　no　more　interest　for　me。


April…June


It　was　a　hotly　contested　engagement。

〃Wait；　Monsieur；　until　I　have　put　on　my　clean　things；〃　exclaimed　Therese；　〃and　I　will　go　out　with　you　this　time　also；　I　will　carry　your　folding…stool　as　I　have　been　doing　these　last　few　days；　and　we　will　go　and　sit　down　somewhere　in　the　sun。〃

Therese　actually　thinks　me　infirm。　　I　have　been　sick；　it　is　true；　but　there　is　an　end　to　all　things！　　Madame　Malady　has　taken　her　departure　quite　awhile　ago；　and　it　is　now　more　than　three　months　since　her　pale　and　gracious…visaged　handmaid；　Dame　Convalescence；　politely　bade　me　farewell。　　If　I　were　to　listen　to　my　housekeeper；　I　should　become　a　veritable　Monsieur　Argant；　and　I　should　wear　a　nightcap　with　ribbons　for　the　rest　of　my　life。。。。　　No　more　of　this！　I　propose　to　go　out　by　myself！　　Therese　will　not　hear　of　it。　　She　takes　my　folding…stool；　and　wants　to　follow　me。

〃Therese；　to…morrow；　if　you　like；　we　will　take　our　seats　on　the　sunny　side　of　the　wall　of　La　Petite　Provence　and　stay　there　just　as　long　as　you　please。　　But　t