the crime of sylvestre bonnard(西维斯特·博拉德的罪行)-第16节
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your dear name！ and may you ever； as a happy mother； a happy
grandmother； enjoy to the very end of life with your rich husband the
utmost degree of that happiness which you had the right to believe you
could not win with the poor young scholar who loved you！ Ifthough I
cannot even now imagine itif your beautiful hair has become white；
Clementine； bear worthily the bundle of keys confided to you by Noel
Alexandre； and impart to your grandchildren the knowledge of all
domestic virtues！
Ah！ beautiful Night！ She rules； with such noble repose； over men and
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animals alike； kindly loosed by her from the yoke of daily toil； and even I
feel her beneficent influence； although my habits of sixty years have so
changed me that I can feel most things only through the signs which
represent them。 My world is wholly formed of wordsso much of a
philologist I have become！ Each one dreams the dream of life in his own
way。 I have dreamed it in my library； and when the hour shall come in
which I must leave this world； may it please God to take me from my
ladderfrom before my shelves of books！。。。
〃Well； well！ it is really himself； pardieu！ How are you； Monsieur
Sylvestre Bonnard？ And where have you been travelling to all this time；
over the country； while I was waiting for you at the station with my
cabriolet？ You missed me when the train came in； and I was driving back；
quite disappointed； to Lusance。 Give me your valise； and get up here
beside me in the carriage。 Why； do you know it is fully seven kilometres
from here to the chateau？〃
Who addresses me thus； at the very top of his voice from the height of
his cabriolet？ Monsieur Paul de Gabry； nephew and heir of Monsieur
Honore de Gabry； peer of France in 1842； who recently died at Monaco。
And it was precisely to Monsieur Paul de Gabry's house that I was going
with that valise of mine； so carefully strapped by my housekeeper。 This
excellent young man has just inherited； conjointly with his two brothers…
in…law； the property of his uncle； who； belonging to a very ancient family
of distinguished lawyers； had accumulated in his chateau at Lusance a
library rich in MSS。； some dating back to the fourteenth century。 It was for
the purpose of making an inventory and catalogue of these MSS。 that I had
come to Lusance at the urgent request of Monsieur Paul de Gabry； whose
father； a perfect gentleman and distinguished bibliophile； had maintained
the most pleasant relations with me during his lifetime。 To tell the truth；
Monsieur Paul has not inherited the fine tastes of his father。 Monsieur Paul
likes sporting； he is a great authority on horses and dogs； and I much fear
that of all the sciences capable of satisfying or of duping the inexhaustible
curiosity of mankind； those of the stable and the dog…kennel are the only
ones thoroughly mastered by him。
I cannot say I was surprised to meet him； since we had made a
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rendezvous； but I acknowledge that I had become so preoccupied with my
own thoughts that I had forgotten all about the Chateau de Lusance and its
inhabitants； and that the voice of the gentleman calling out to me as I
started to follow the country road winding away before me〃un bon ruban
de queue；〃 as they sayhad given me quite a start。
I fear my face must have betrayed my incongruous distraction by a
certain stupid expression which it is apt to assume in most of my social
transactions。 My valise was pulled up into the carriage； and I followed my
valise。 My host pleased me by his straightforward simplicity。
〃I don't know anything myself about your old parchments；〃 he said；
〃but I think you will find some folks to talk to at the house。 Besides the
cure； who writes books himself； and the doctor； who is a very good fellow…
…although a radicalyou will meet somebody able to keep your company。 I
mean my wife。 She is not a very learned woman； but there are few things
which she can't divine pretty well。 Then I count upon being able to keep
you with us long enough to make you acquainted with Mademoiselle
Jeanne； who has the fingers of a magician and the soul of an angel。〃
〃And is this delightfully gifted young lady one of your family？〃 I
asked。
〃Not at all；〃 replied Monsieur Paul。
〃Then she is just a friend of yours？〃 I persisted； rather stupidly。
〃She has lost both her father and mother；〃 answered Monsieur de
Gabry； keeping his eyes fixed upon the ears of his horse； whose hoofs rang
loudly over the road blue…tinted by the moonshine。 〃Her father managed to
get us into some very serious trouble； and we did not get off with a fright
either！〃
Then he shook his head； and changed the subject。 He gave me due
warning of the ruinous condition in which I should find the chateau and
the park； they had been absolutely deserted for thirty…two years。
I learned from him that Monsieur Honore de Gabry； his uncle； had
been on very bad terms with some poachers； whom he used to shoot at like
rabbits。 One of them； a vindictive peasant； who had received a whole
charge of shot in his face； lay in wait for the Seigneur one evening behind
the trees of the mall； and very nearly succeeded in killing him； for the ball
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took off the tip of his ear。
〃My uncle；〃 Monsieur Paul continued； 〃tried to discover who had fired
the shot； but he could not see any one； and he walked back slowly to the
house。 The day after he called his steward and ordered him to close up the
manor and the park； and allow no living soul to enter。 He expressly
forbade that anything should be touched； or looked after； or any repairs
made on the estate during his absence。 He added； between his teeth； that
he would return at Easter； or Trinity Sunday； as they say in the song； and；
just as the song has it； Trinity Sunday passed without a sign of him。 He
died last year at Monaco； my brother…in…law and myself were the first to
enter the chateau after it had been abandoned for thirty…two years。 We
found a chestnut…tree growing in the middle of the parlour。 As for the park；
it was useless trying to visit it； because there were no longer any paths or
alleys。〃
My companion ceased to speak； and only the regular hoof…beat of the
trotting horse； and the chirping of insects in the grass； broke the silence。
On either hand； the sheaves standing in the fields took； in the vague
moonlight； the appearance of tall white women kneeling down； and I
abandoned myself awhile to those wonderful childish fancies which the
charm of night always suggests。 After driving under the heavy shadows of
the mall； we turned to the right and rolled up a lordly avenue at the end of
which the chateau suddenly rose into viewa black mass； with turrets en
poivriere。 We followed a sort of causeway； which gave access to the court…
of…honor； and which； passing over a moat full of running water； doubtless
replaced a long…vanished drawbridge。 The loss of that draw…bridge must
have been； I think； the first of various humiliations to which the warlike
manor had been subjected ere being reduced to that pacific aspect with
which it received me。 The stars reflected themselves with marvelous
clearness in the dark water。 Monsieur Paul； like a courteous host； escorted
me to my chamber at the very top of the building； at the end of a long
corridor； and then； excusing himself for not presenting me at once to his
wife by reason of the lateness of the hour； bade me good…night。
My apartment； painted in white and hung with chintz； seemed to keep
some traces of the elegant gallantry of the eighteenth century。 A heap of
