the crime of sylvestre bonnard(西维斯特·博拉德的罪行)-第52节
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long years； how can I leave it without according it every kindness that a
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faithful servant deserves？ And this one again； which has so often consoled
me by its wholesome doctrines； must I not bow down before it for the last
time； as to a Master？ But each time that I meet with a volume which led
me into error； which ever afflicted me with false dates； omissions； lies； and
other plagues of the archaeologist； I say to it with bitter joy： 〃Go！ imposter；
traitor； false…witness！ flee thou far away from me for ever；vade retro！ all
absurdly covered with gold as thou art！ and I pray it may befall thee
thanks to thy usurped reputation and thy comely morocco attire to take
thy place in the cabinet of some banker…bibliomaniac； whom thou wilt
never be able to seduce as thou has seduced me； because he will never
read one single line of thee。〃
I laid aside some books I must always keepthose books which were
given to me as souvenirs。 As I placed among them the manuscript of the
〃Golden Legend；〃 I could not but kiss it in memory of Madame Trepof；
who remained grateful to me in spite of her high position and all her
wealth； and who became my benefactress merely to prove to me that she
felt I had once done her a kindness。。。。 Thus I had made a reserve。 It was
then that； for the first time； I felt myself inclined to commit a deliberate
crime。 All through that night I was strongly tempted； by morning the
temptation had become irresistible。 Everybody else in the house was still
asleep。 I got out of bed and stole softly from my room。
Ye powers of darkness！ ye phantoms of the night！ if while lingering
within my home after the crowing of the cock； you saw me stealing about
on tiptoe in the City of Books； you certainly never cried out； as Madame
Trepof did at Naples； 〃That old man has a good…natured round back！〃 I
entered the library； Hannibal； with his tail perpendicularly erected； came
to rub himself against my legs and purr。 I seized a volume from its shelf；
some venerable Gothic text or some noble poet of the Renaissancethe
jewel； the treasure which I had been dreaming about all night； I seized it
and slipped it away into the very bottom of the closet which I had reserved
for those books I intended to retain； and which soon became full almost to
bursting。 It is horrible to relate： I was stealing from the dowry of Jeanne！
And when the crime had been consummated I set myself again sturdily to
the task of cataloguing； until Jeanne came to consult me in regard to
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something about a dress or a trousseau。 I could not possibly understand
just what she was talking about； through my total ignorance of the current
vocabulary of dress…making and linen…drapery。 Ah！ if a bride of the
fourteenth century had come to talk to me about the apparel of her epoch；
then； indeed； I should have been able to understand her language！ But
Jeanne does not belong to my time； and I have to send her to Madame de
Gabry； who on this important occasion will take the place of her mother。
。。。Night has come！ Leaning from the window； we gaze at the vast
sombre stretch of the city below us； pierced with multitudinous points of
light。 Jeanne presses her hand to her forehead as she leans upon the
window…bar； and seems a little sad。 And I say to myself as I watch her： All
changes even the most longed for； have their melancholy； for what we
leave behind us is a part of ourselves： we must die to one life before we
can enter into another！
And as if answering my thought； the young girl murmurs to me；
〃My guardian； I am so happy； and still I feel as if I wanted to cry！〃
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The Last Page
August 21； 1869。
Page eighty…seven。。。。 Only twenty lines more and I shall have finished
my book about insects and flowers。 Page eighty…seventh and last。。。。 〃As
we have already seen； the visits of insects are of the utmost importance to
plants； since their duty is to carry to the pistils the pollen of the stamens。 It
seems also that the flower itself is arranged and made attractive for the
purpose of inviting this nuptial visit。 I think I have been able to show that
the nectary of the plant distils a sugary liquid which attracts the insects
and obliges it to aid unconsciously in the work of direct or cross
fertilisation。 The last method of fertilisation is the more common。 I have
shown that flowers are coloured and perfumed so as to attract insects； and
interiorly so constructed as to offer those visitors such a mode of access
that they cannot penetrate into the corolla without depositing upon the
stigma the pollen with which they have been covered。 My most venerated
master Sprengel observes in regard to that fine down which lines the
corolla of the wood… geranium： 'The wise Author of Nature has never
created a single useless hair！' I say in my turn： If that Lily of the Valley
whereof the Gospel makes mention is more richly clad than King Solomon
in all his glory； its mantle of purple is a wedding…garment； and that rich
apparel is necessary to the perpetuation of the species。〃
〃Brolles； August 21； 1869。〃
＇Monsieur Sylvestre Bonnard was not aware that several very
illustrious naturalists were making researches at the same time as he in
regard to the relation between insects and plants。 He was not acquainted
with the labours of Darwin； with those of Dr。 Hermann Muller； nor with
the observations of Sir John Lubbock。 It is worthy of note that the
conclusions of Monsieur Sylvestre Bonnard are very nearly similar to
those reached by the three scientists above mentioned。 Less important； but
perhaps equally interesting； is the fact that Sir John Lubbock is； like
Monsieur Bonnard； an archaeologist who began to devote himself only
late in life to the natural sciences。Note by the French Editor。＇
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Brolles！ My house is the last one you pass in the single street of the
village； as you go to the woods。 It is a gabled house with a slate roof；
which takes iridescent tints in the sun like a pigeon's breast。 The weather…
vane above that roof has won more consideration for me among the
country people than all my works upon history and philology。 There is not
a single child who does not know Monsieur Bonnard's weather…vane。 It is
rusty； and squeaks very sharply in the wind。 Sometimes it refuses to do
any work at alljust like Therese； who now allows herself to be assisted
by a young peasant girlthough she grumbles a good deal about it。 The
house is not large； but I am very comfortable in it。 My room has two
windows； and gets the sun in the morning。 The children's room is upstairs。
Jeanne and Henri come twice a year to occupy it。
Little Sylvestre's cradle used to be in it。 He was a very pretty child； but
very pale。 When he used to play on the grass； his mother would watch him
very anxiously； and every little while she would stop her seweing in order
to take him upon her lap。 The poor little fellow never wanted to go to sleep。
He used to say that when he was asleep he would go away； very far away；
to some place where it was all dark； and where he saw things that made
him afraidthings he never wanted to see again。
Then his mother would call me； and I would sit down beside his cradle。
He would take one of my fingers in his little dry warm hand； and say to
me；
〃Godfather； you must tell me a story。〃
Then I would tell him all kinds of stories； which he would listen to
very seriously。 They all interested him； but there was one especially which
filled his little soul with delight。
