selected writings-第7节

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to　their　sight　and　touch；　grew　very　amorous；　shouted　and　broke

the　plates　and　dishes；　while　the　soldiers　behind　them　waited　on

them　stolidly。　The　commandant　was　the　only　one　who　put　any

restraint　upon　himself。



Mademoiselle　Fifi　had　taken　Rachel　on　to　his　knees；　and；　getting

excited；　at　one　moment　kissed　the　little　black　curls　on　her　neck；

inhaling　the　pleasant　warmth　of　her　body；　and　all　the　savor　of

her　person；　through　the　slight　space　there　was　between　her　dress

and　her　skin；　and　at　another　pinched　her　furiously　through　the

material；　and　made　her　scream；　for　he　was　seized　with　a　species

of　ferocity；　and　tormented　by　his　desire　to　hurt　her。　He　often

held　her　close　to　him；　as　if　to　make　her　part　of　himself；　and　put

his　lips　in　a　long　kiss　on　the　Jewess's　rosy　mouth；　until　she

lost　her　breath；　and　at　last　he　bit　her　until　a　stream　of　blood

ran　down　her　chin　and　on　to　her　bodice。



For　the　second　time；　she　looked　him　full　in　the　face；　and　as　she

bathed　the　wound；　she　said：　〃You　will　have　to　pay　for　that！〃



But　he　merely　laughed　a　hard　laugh；　and　said：　〃I　will　pay。〃



At　dessert；　champagne　was　served；　and　the　commandant　rose；　and　in

the　same　voice　in　which　he　would　have　drunk　to　the　health　of　the

Empress　Augusta；　he　drank：　〃To　our　ladies！〃　Then　a　series　of

toasts　began；　toasts　worthy　of　the　lowest　soldiers　and　of

drunkards；　mingled　with　filthy　jokes；　which　were　made　still　more

brutal　by　their　ignorance　of　the　language。　They　got　up；　one　after

the　other；　trying　to　say　something　witty；　forcing　themselves　to

be　funny；　and　the　women；　who　were　so　drunk　that　they　almost　fell

off　their　chairs；　with　vacant　looks　and　clammy　tongues；　applauded

madly　each　time。



The　captain；　who　no　doubt　wished　to　impart　an　appearance　of

gallantry　to　the　orgy；　raised　his　glass　again；　and　said：　〃To　our

victories　over　hearts！〃　Thereupon　Lieutenant　Otto；　who　was　a

species　of　bear　from　the　Black　Forest；　jumped　up；　inflamed　and

saturated　with　drink；　and　seized　by　an　access　of　alcoholic

patriotism；　cried：　〃To　our　victories　over　France！〃



Drunk　as　they　were；　the　women　were　silent；　and　Rachel　turned

round　with　a　shudder；　and　said：　〃Look　here；　I　know　some

Frenchmen；　in　whose　presence　you　would　not　dare　to　say　that。〃　But

the　little　count；　still　holding　her　on　his　knees；　began　to　laugh；

for　the　wine　had　made　him　very　merry；　and　said：　〃Ha！　ha！　ha！　I

have　never　met　any　of　them；　myself。　As　soon　as　we　show　ourselves；

they　run　away！〃



The　girl；　who　was　in　a　terrible　rage；　shouted　into　his　face：　〃You

are　lying；　you　dirty　scoundrel！〃



For　a　moment；　he　looked　at　her　steadily；　with　his　bright　eyes

upon　her；　as　he　had　looked　at　the　portrait　before　he　destroyed　it

with　revolver　bullets；　and　then　he　began　to　laugh：　〃Ah！　yes；　talk

about　them；　my　dear！　Should　we　be　here　now；　if　they　were　brave？〃

Then　getting　excited；　he　exclaimed：　〃We　are　the　masters！　France

belongs　to　us！〃　She　jumped　off　his　knees　with　a　bound；　and　threw

herself　into　her　chair；　while　he　rose；　held　out　his　glass　over

the　table；　and　repeated：　〃France　and　the　French；　the　woods；　the

fields；　and　the　houses　of　France　belong　to　us！〃



The　others；　who　were　quite　drunk；　and　who　were　suddenly　seized　by

military　enthusiasm；　the　enthusiasm　of　brutes；　seized　their

glasses；　and　shouting；　〃Long　live　Prussia！〃　emptied　them　at　a

draught。



The　girls　did　not　protest；　for　they　were　reduced　to　silence；　and

were　afraid。　Even　Rachel　did　not　say　a　word；　as　she　had　no　reply

to　make；　and　then　the　little　count　put　his　champagne　glass；　which

had　just　been　refilled；　on　to　the　head　of　the　Jewess；　and

exclaimed：　〃All　the　women　in　France　belong　to　us；　also！〃



At　that　she　got　up　so　quickly　that　the　glass　upset；　spilling　the

amber　colored　wine　on　to　her　black　hair　as　if　to　baptize　her；　and

broke　into　a　hundred　fragments　as　it　fell　on　to　the　floor。　With

trembling　lips；　she　defied　the　looks　of　the　officer；　who　was

still　laughing；　and　she　stammered　out；　in　a　voice　choked　with

rage：　〃Thatthatthatis　not　true；for　you　shall　certainly

not　have　any　French　women。〃



He　sat　down　again；　so　as　to　laugh　at　his　ease；　and　trying

ineffectually　to　speak　in　the　Parisian　accent；　he　said：　〃That　is

good；　very　good！　Then　what　did　you　come　here　for；　my　dear？〃



She　was　thunderstruck；　and　made　no　reply　for　a　moment；　for　in　her

agitation　she　did　not　understand　him　at　first；　but　as　soon　as　she

grasped　his　meaning；　she　said　to　him　indignantly　and　vehemently：

〃I！　I！　I　am　not　a　woman；　I　am　only　a　strumpet；　and　that　is　all

that　Prussians　want。〃



Almost　before　she　had　finished；　he　slapped　her　full　in　her　face；

but　as　he　was　raising　his　hand　again　as　if　he　would　strike　her；

she；　almost　mad　with　passion；　took　up　a　small　dessert　knife　from

the　table；　and　stabbed　him　right　in　the　neck；　just　above　the

breastbone。　Something　that　he　was　going　to　say；　was　cut　short　in

his　throat；　and　he　sat　there；　with　his　mouth　half　open；　and　a

terrible　look　in　his　eyes。



All　the　officers　shouted　in　horror；　and　leaped　up　tumultuously；

but　throwing　her　chair　between　Lieutenant　Otto's　legs；　who　fell

down　at　full　length；　she　ran　to　the　window；　opened　it　before　they

could　seize　her；　and　jumped　out　into　the　night　and　pouring　rain。



In　two　minutes；　Mademoiselle　Fifi　was　dead。　Fritz　and　Otto　drew

their　swords　and　wanted　to　kill　the　women；　who　threw　themselves

at　their　feet　and　clung　to　their　knees。　With　some　difficulty　the

major　stopped　the　slaughter；　and　had　the　four　terrified　girls

locked　up　in　a　room　under　the　care　of　two　soldiers。　Then　he

organized　the　pursuit　of　the　fugitive；　as　carefully　as　if　he　were

about　to　engage　in　a　skirmish；　feeling　quite　sure　that　she　would

be　caught。



The　table；　which　had　been　cleared　immediately；　now　served　as　a

bed　on　which　to　lay　Fifi　out；　and　the　four　officers　made　for　the

window；　rigid　and　sobered；　with　the　stern　faces　of　soldiers　on

duty；　and　tried　to　pierce　through　the　darkness　of　the　night；　amid

the　steady　torrent　of　rain。　Suddenly；　a　shot　was　heard；　and　then

another；　a　long　way　off；　and　for　four　hours　they　heard；　from　time

to　time；　near　or　distant　reports　and　rallying　cries；　strange

words　uttered　as　a　call；　in　guttural　voices。



In　the　morning　they　all　returned。　Two　soldiers　had　been　killed

and　three　others　wounded　by　their　comrades　in　the　ardor　of　that

chase；　and　in　the　confusion　of　such　a　nocturnal　pursuit；　but　they

had　not　caught　Rachel。



Then　the　inhabitants　of　the　district　were　terrorized；　the　houses

were　turned　topsy…turvy；　the　country　was　scoured　and　beaten　up；

over　and　over　again；　but　the　Jewess　did　not　seem　to　have　left　a

single　trace　of　her　passage　behind　her。



When　the　general　was　told　of　it；　he　gave　orders　to　hush　up　the

affair；　so　as　not　to　set　a　bad　example　to　the　army；　but　he

severely　censured　the　commandant；　who　in　turn　punished　his

inferiors。　The　general　had　said：　〃One　does　not　go　to　war　in　order

to　amuse　oneself；　and　to　caress　prostitutes。〃　And　Graf　von

Farlsberg；　in　his　exasperation；　made　up　his　mind　to　have　his

revenge　on　the　district；　but　as　he　required　a　pretext　for　showing

severity；　he　sent　for　the　priest　and　ordered　him　to　have　the　bell

tolled　at　the　funeral　of　Count　von　Eyrick。



Contrary　to　all　expectation；　the　priest　showed　himself　humble　and

most　respectful；　and　when　Mademoiselle　Fifi's　body　left　the

Chateau　d'Urville　on　its　way　to　the　cemetery；　carried　by

soldiers；　preceded；　surrounded；　and　followed　by　soldiers；　who

marched　with　loaded　rifles；　for　the　first　time　the　bell　sounded

its　funereal　knell　in　a　lively　manner；　as　if　a　friendly　hand　were

caressing　it。　At　night　it　sounded　again；　and　the　next　day；　and

every　day；　it　rang　as　much　as　anyone　could　desire。　Sometimes

even；　it　would　start　at　night；　and　sound　gently　through　the

darkness；　seized　by　strange　joy；　awakened；　one　could　not　tell

why。　All　the　peasants　in　the　neighborhood　declared　that　it　was

bewitched；　and　nobody；　except　the　priest　and　the　sacristan　would

now　go　near　the　church　tower；　and　they　went　because　a　poor　girl

was　living　there　in　grief　and　solitude；　secretly　nourished　by

those　two　men。



She　remained　there　until　the　German　troops　departed；　and　then　one

evening　the　priest　borrowed　the　baker's　cart；　and　himself　drove

his　prisoner　to　Rouen。　When　they　got　there；　he　embraced　her；　and

she　quickly　went　back　on　foot　to　the　establishment　from　which　she

had　come；　where　the　proprietress；　who　thought　that　she　was　dead；

was　very　glad　to　see　her。



A　short　time　afterward；　a　patriot　who　had　no　prejudices；　who

liked　her　because　of　her　bold　deed；　and　who　afterward　loved　her

for　herself；　married　her；　and　made　a　lady　of　her。







AN　AFFAIR　OF　STATE。



Paris　had　just　heard　of　the　disaster　of　Sedan。　The　Republic　was

proclaimed。　All　France　was　panting　from　a　madness　that　lasted

until　the　time　of　the　Commonwealth。　Everybody　was　playing　at

soldier　from　one　end　of　the　country　to　the　other。



Capmakers　be