selected writings-第21节

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surprised　as　if　I　had　witnessed　a　miracle；　and　as　troubled　as　if

I　had　committed　a　crime。



〃I　did　not　go　in　to　breakfast。　I　took　a　walk　on　the　banks　of　the

Falaise；　feeling　that　I　could　just　as　soon　weep　as　laugh；　looking

on　the　adventure　as　both　comic　and　deplorable；　and　my　position　as

ridiculous；　fain　to　believe　that　I　had　lost　my　head。



〃I　asked　myself　what　I　ought　to　do。　I　debated　whether　I　ought　not

to　take　my　leave　of　the　place　and　almost　immediately　my

resolution　was　formed。



〃Somewhat　sad　and　perplexed；　I　wandered　about　until　dinner　time；

and　entered　the　farmhouse　just　when　the　soup　had　been　served　up。



〃I　sat　down　at　the　table；　as　usual。　Miss　Harriet　was　there；

munching　away　solemnly；　without　speaking　to　anyone；　without　even

lifting　her　eyes。　She　wore；　however；　her　usual　expression；　both

of　countenance　and　manner。



〃I　waited；　patiently；　till　the　meal　had　been　finished。　Then；

turning　toward　the　landlady；　I　said：　'Madame　Lecacheur；　it　will

not　be　long　now　before　I　shall　have　to　take　my　leave　of　you。'



〃The　good　woman；　at　once　surprised　and　troubled；　replied　in　a

quivering　voice：　'My　dear　sir；　what　is　it　I　have　just　heard　you

say？　Are　you　going　to　leave　us；　after　I　have　become　so　much

accustomed　to　you？'



〃I　looked　at　Miss　Harriet　from　the　corner　of　my　eye。　Her

countenance　did　not　change　in　the　least；　but　the　under…servant

came　toward　me　with　eyes　wide　open。　She　was　a　fat　girl；　of　about

eighteen　years　of　age；　rosy；　fresh；　strong　as　a　horse；　yet

possessing　a　rare　attribute　in　one　in　her　positionshe　was　very

neat　and　clean。　I　had　kissed　her　at　odd　times；　in　out　of　the　way

corners；　in　the　manner　of　a　mountain　guide；　nothing　more。



〃The　dinner　being　over；　I　went　to　smoke　my　pipe　under　the

apple…trees；　walking　up　and　down　at　my　ease；　from　one　end　of　the

court　to　the　other。　All　the　reflections　which　I　had　made　during

the　day；　the　strange　discovery　of　the　morning；　that　grotesque　and

passionate　attachment　for　me；　the　recollections　which　that

revelation　had　suddenly　called　up；　recollections　at　once　charming

and　perplexing；　perhaps；　also；　that　look　which　the　servant　had

cast　on　me　at　the　announcement　of　my　departureall　these　things；

mixed　up　and　combined；　put　me　now　in　an　excited　bodily　state；

with　the　tickling　sensation　of　kisses　on　my　lips；　and　in　my　veins

something　which　urged　me　on　to　commit　some　folly。



〃Night　having　come　on；　casting　its　dark　shadows　under　the　trees；

I　descried　Celeste；　who　had　gone　to　shut　the　hen…coops；　at　the

other　end　of　the　inclosure。　I　darted　toward　her；　running　so

noiselessly　that　she　heard　nothing；　and　as　she　got　up　from

closing　the　small　traps　by　which　the　chickens　went　in　and　out；　I

clasped　her　in　my　arms　and　rained　on　her　coarse；　fat　face　a

shower　of　kisses。　She　made　a　struggle；　laughing　all　the　same；　as

she　was　accustomed　to　do　in　such　circumstances。　What　made　me

suddenly　loose　my　grip　of　her？　Why　did　I　at　once　experience　a

shock？　What　was　it　that　I　heard　behind　me？



〃It　was　Miss　Harriet　who　had　come　upon　us；　who　had　seen　us；　and

who　stood　in　front　of　us；　as　motionless　as　a　specter。　Then　she

disappeared　in　the　darkness。



〃I　was　ashamed；　embarrassed；　more　annoyed　at　having　been

surprised　by　her　than　if　she　had　caught　me　committing　some

criminal　act。



〃I　slept　badly　that　night；　I　was　worried　and　haunted　by　sad

thoughts。　I　seemed　to　hear　loud　weeping；　but　in　this　I　was　no

doubt　deceived。　Moreover；　I　thought　several　times　that　I　heard

some　one　walking　up　and　down　in　the　house；　and　that　some　one

opened　my　door　from　the　outside。



〃Toward　morning；　I　was　overcome　by　fatigue；　and　sleep　seized　on

me。　I　got　up　late　and　did　not　go　downstairs　until　breakfast　time；

being　still　in　a　bewildered　state；　not　knowing　what　kind　of　face

to　put　on。



〃No　one　had　seen　Miss　Harriet。　We　waited　for　her　at　table；　but

she　did　not　appear。　At　length；　Mother　Lecacheur　went　to　her　room。

The　English…woman　had　gone　out。　She　must　have　set　out　at　break　of

day；　as　she　was　wont　to　do；　in　order　to　see　the　sun　rise。



〃Nobody　seemed　astonished　at　this　and　we　began　to　eat　in　silence。



〃The　weather　was　hot；　very　hot；　one　of　those　still　sultry　days

when　not　a　leaf　stirs。　The　table　had　been　placed　out　of　doors；

under　an　apple…tree；　and　from　time　to　time　Sapeur　had　gone　to　the

cellar　to　draw　a　jug　of　cider；　everybody　was　so　thirsty。　Celeste

brought　the　dishes　from　the　kitchen；　a　ragout　of　mutton　with

potatoes；　a　cold　rabbit；　and　a　salad。　Afterward　she　placed　before

us　a　dish　of　strawberries；　the　first　of　the　season。



〃As　I　wanted　to　wash　and　freshen　these；　I　begged　the　servant　to

go　and　bring　a　pitcher　of　cold　water。〃



〃In　about　five　minutes　she　returned；　declaring　that　the　well　was

dry。　She　had　lowered　the　pitcher　to　the　full　extent　of　the　cord；

and　had　touched　the　bottom；　but　on　drawing　the　pitcher　up　again；

it　was　empty。　Mother　Lecacheur；　anxious　to　examine　the　thing　for

herself；　went　and　looked　down　the　hole。　She　returned　announcing

that　one　could　see　clearly　something　in　the　well；　something

altogether　unusual。　But　this；　no　doubt；　was　pottles　of　straw；

which；　out　of　spite；　had　been　cast　down　it　by　a　neighbor。



〃I　wished　also　to　look　down　the　well；　hoping　to　clear　up　the

mystery；　and　perched　myself　close　to　its　brink。　I　perceived；

indistinctly；　a　white　object。　What　could　it　be？　I　then　conceived

the　idea　of　lowering　a　lantern　at　the　end　of　a　cord。　When　I　did

so；　the　yellow　flame　danced　on　the　layers　of　stone　and　gradually

became　clearer。　All　four　of　us　were　leaning　over　the　opening；

Sapeur　and　Celeste　having　now　joined　us。　The　lantern　rested　on　a

black　and　white；　indistinct　mass；　singular；　incomprehensible。

Sapeur　exclaimed：



〃　'It　is　a　horse。　I　see　the　hoofs。　It　must　have　escaped　from　the

meadow；　during　the　night；　and　fallen　in　headlong。'



〃But；　suddenly；　a　cold　shiver　attacked　my　spine；　I　first

recognized　a　foot；　then　a　clothed　limb；　the　body　was　entire；　but

the　other　limb　had　disappeared　under　the　water。



〃I　groaned　and　trembled　so　violently　that　the　light　of　the　lamp

danced　hither　and　thither　over　the　object；　discovering　a　slipper。



〃　'It　is　a　woman！　whowhocan　it　be？　It　is　Miss　Harriet。'



〃Sapeur　alone　did　not　manifest　horror。　He　had　witnessed　many　such

scenes　in　Africa。



〃Mother　Lecacheur　and　Celeste　began　to　scream　and　to　shriek；　and

ran　away。



〃But　it　was　necessary　to　recover　the　corpse　of　the　dead。　I

attached　the　boy　securely　by　the　loins　to　the　end　of　the

pulley…rope；　then　I　lowered　him　slowly；　and　watched　him　disappear

in　the　darkness。　In　the　one　hand　he　had　a　lantern；　and　held　on　to

the　rope　with　the　other。　Soon　I　recognized　his　voice；　which

seemed　to　come　from　the　center　of　the　earth；　crying：



〃　'Stop。'



〃I　then　saw　him　fish　something　out　of　the　water。　It　was　the　other

limb。　He　bound　the　two　feet　together；　and　shouted　anew：



〃　'Haul　up。'



〃I　commenced　to　wind　him　up；　but　I　felt　my　arms　strain；　my

muscles　twitch；　and　was　in　terror　lest　I　should　let　the　boy　fall

to　the　bottom。　When　his　head　appeared　over　the　brink；　I　asked：



〃　'What　is　it？'　as　though　I　only　expected　that　he　would　tell　me

what　he　had　discovered　at　the　bottom。



〃We　both　got　on　to　the　stone　slab　at　the　edge　of　the　well；　and；

face　to　face；　hoisted　the　body。



〃Mother　Lecacheur　and　Celeste　watched　us　from　a　distance；

concealed　behind　the　wall　of　the　house。　When　they　saw；　issuing

from　the　well；　the　black　slippers　and　white　stockings　of　the

drowned　person；　they　disappeared。



〃Sapeur　seized　the　ankles　of　the　poor　chaste　woman；　and　we　drew

it　up；　inclined；　as　it　was；　in　the　most　immodest　posture。　The

head　was　in　a　shocking　state；　bruised　and　black；　and　the　long；

gray　hair；　hanging　down；　was　tangled　and　disordered。



〃　'In　the　name　of　all　that　is　holy；　how　lean　she　is！'　exclaimed

Sapeur；　in　a　contemptuous　tone。



〃We　carried　her　into　the　room；　and　as　the　women　did　not　put　in　an

appearance；　I；　with　the　assistance　of　the　lad；　dressed　the　corpse

for　burial。



〃I　washed　her　disfigured　face。　By　the　touch　of　my　hand　an　eye　was

slightly　opened；　it　seemed　to　scan　me　with　that　pale　stare；　with

that　cold；　that　terrible　look　which　corpses　have；　a　look　which

seems　to　come　from　the　beyond。　I　plaited　up；　as　well　as　I　could；

her　disheveled　hair；　and　I　adjusted　on　her　forehead　a　novel　and

singularly　formed　lock。　Then　I　took　off　her　dripping　wet

garments；　baring；　not　without　a　feeling　of　shame；　as　though　I　had

been　guilty　of　some　profanation；　her　shoulders　and　her　chest；　and

her　long　arms；　slim　as　the　twigs　of　branches。



〃I　next　went　to　fetch　some　flowers；　corn　poppies；　blue　beetles；

marguerites；　and　fresh　and　perfumed　herbs；　with　which　to　strew

her　funeral　couch。



〃Being　the　only　person　near　her；　it　was　necessary　for　me　to

perform　the　usual　ceremonies。　In　a　letter　found　in　her　pocket；

written　at　the　last　moment；　she　asked　that　her　body　be　buri