the country doctor-第22章

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Benassis　took　Genestas　in　the　direction　of　the　farm　buildings。

〃The　funeral　oration　will　only　cease　when　the　body　has　been　laid　in　its　coffin；〃　said　the　doctor；　〃and　the　weeping　woman's　language　will　grow　more　vivid　and　impassioned　all　the　while。　But　a　woman　only　acquires　the　right　to　speak　in　such　a　strain　before　so　imposing　an　audience　by　a　blameless　life。　If　the　widow　could　reproach　herself　with　the　smallest　of　shortcomings；　she　would　not　dare　to　utter　a　word；　for　if　she　did；　she　would　pronounce　her　own　condemnation；　she　would　be　at　the　same　time　her　own　accuser　and　judge。　Is　there　not　something　sublime　in　this　custom　which　thus　judges　the　living　and　the　dead？　They　only　begin　to　wear　mourning　after　a　week　has　elapsed；　when　it　is　publicly　worn　at　a　meeting　of　all　the　family。　Their　near　relations　spend　the　week　with　the　widow　and　children；　to　help　them　to　set　their　affairs　in　order　and　to　console　them。　A　family　gathering　at　such　a　time　produces　a　great　effect　on　the　minds　of　the　mourners；　the　consideration　for　others　which　possesses　men　when　they　are　brought　into　close　contact　acts　as　a　restraint　on　violent　grief。　On　the　last　day；　when　the　mourning　garb　has　been　assumed；　a　solemn　banquet　is　given；　and　their　relations　take　leave　of　them。　All　this　is　taken　very　seriously。　Any　one　who　was　slack　in　fulfilling　his　duties　after　the　death　of　the　head　of　a　family　would　have　no　one　at　his　own　funeral。〃

The　doctor　had　reached　the　cowhouse　as　he　spoke；　he　opened　the　door　and　made　the　commandant　enter；　that　he　might　show　it　to　him。

〃All　our　cowhouses　have　been　rebuilt　after　this　pattern；　captain。　Look！　Is　it　not　magnificent？〃

Genestas　could　not　help　admiring　the　huge　place。　The　cows　and　oxen　stood　in　two　rows；　with　their　tails　towards　the　side　walls；　and　their　heads　in　the　middle　of　the　shed。　Access　to　the　stalls　was　afforded　by　a　fairly　wide　space　between　them　and　the　wall；　you　could　see　their　horned　heads　and　shining　eyes　through　the　lattice　work；　so　that　it　was　easy　for　the　master　to　run　his　eyes　over　the　cattle。　The　fodder　was　placed　on　some　staging　erected　above　the　stalls；　so　that　it　fell　into　the　racks　below　without　waste　of　labor　or　material。　There　was　a　wide…　paved　space　down　the　centre；　which　was　kept　clean；　and　ventilated　by　a　thorough　draught　of　air。

〃In　the　winter　time；〃　Benassis　said；　as　he　walked　with　Genestas　down　the　middle　of　the　cowhouse；　〃both　men　and　women　do　their　work　here　together　in　the　evenings。　The　tables　are　set　out　here；　and　in　this　way　the　people　keep　themselves　warm　without　going　to　any　expense。　The　sheep　are　housed　in　the　same　way。　You　would　not　believe　how　quickly　the　beasts　fall　into　orderly　ways。　I　have　often　wondered　to　see　them　come　in；　each　knows　her　proper　place；　and　allows　those　who　take　precedence　to　pass　in　before　her。　Look！　there　is　just　room　enough　in　each　stall　to　do　the　milking　and　to　rub　the　cattle　down；　and　the　floor　slopes　a　little　to　facilitate　drainage。〃

〃One　can　judge　of　everything　else　from　the　sight　of　this　cowhouse；〃　said　Genestas；　〃without　flattery；　these　are　great　results　indeed！〃

〃We　have　had　some　trouble　to　bring　them　about；〃　Benassis　answered；　〃but　then；　see　what　fine　cattle　they　are！〃

〃They　are　splendid　beasts　certainly；　you　had　good　reason　to　praise　them　to　me；〃　answered　Genestas。

〃Now；〃　said　the　doctor；　when　he　had　mounted　his　horse　and　passed　under　the　gateway；　we　are　going　over　some　of　the　newly　cleared　waste；　and　through　the　corn　land。　I　have　christened　this　little　corner　of　our　Commune；　'La　Beauce。'　〃

For　about　an　hour　they　rode　at　a　foot　pace　across　fields　in　a　state　of　high　cultivation；　on　which　the　soldier　complimented　the　doctor；　then　they　came　down　the　mountain　side　into　the　township　again；　talking　whenever　the　pace　of　their　horses　allowed　them　to　do　so。　At　last　they　reached　a　narrow　glen；　down　which　they　rode　into　the　main　valley。

〃I　promised　yesterday；〃　Benassis　said　to　Genestas；　〃to　show　you　one　of　the　two　soldiers　who　left　the　army　and　came　back　to　us　after　the　fall　of　Napoleon。　We　shall　find　him　somewhere　hereabouts；　if　I　am　not　mistaken。　The　mountain　streams　flow　into　a　sort　of　natural　reservoir　or　tarn　up　here；　the　earth　they　bring　down　has　silted　it　up；　and　he　is　engaged　in　clearing　it　out。　But　if　you　are　to　take　any　interest　in　the　man；　I　must　tell　you　his　history。　His　name　is　Gondrin。　He　was　only　eighteen　years　old　when　he　was　drawn　in　the　great　conscription　of　1792；　and　drafted　into　a　corps　of　gunners。　He　served　as　a　private　soldier　in　Napoleon's　campaigns　in　Italy；　followed　him　to　Egypt；　and　came　back　from　the　East　after　the　Peace　of　Amiens。　In　the　time　of　the　Empire　he　was　incorporated　in　the　Pontoon　Troop　of　the　Guard；　and　was　constantly　on　active　service　in　Germany；　lastly　the　poor　fellow　made　the　Russian　campaign。〃

〃We　are　brothers…in…arms　then；　to　some　extent；〃　said　Genestas；　〃I　have　made　the　same　campaigns。　Only　an　iron　frame　would　stand　the　tricks　played　by　so　many　different　climates。　My　word　for　it；　those　who　are　still　standing　on　their　stumps　after　marching　over　Italy；　Egypt；　Germany；　Portugal；　and　Russia　must　have　applied　to　Providence　and　taken　out　a　patent　for　living。〃

〃Just　so；　you　will　see　a　solid　fragment　of　a　man；〃　answered　Benassis。　〃You　know　all　about　the　Retreat　from　Moscow；　it　is　useless　to　tell　you　about　it。　This　man　I　have　told　you　of　is　one　of　the　pontooners　of　the　Beresina；　he　helped　to　construct　the　bridge　by　which　the　army　made　the　passage；　and　stood　waist…deep　in　water　to　drive　in　the　first　piles。　General　Eble；　who　was　in　command　of　the　pontooners；　could　only　find　forty…two　men　who　were　plucky　enough；　in　Gondrin's　phrase；　to　tackle　that　business。　The　general　himself　came　down　to　the　stream　to　hearten　and　cheer　the　men；　promising　each　of　them　a　pension　of　a　thousand　francs　and　the　Cross　of　the　Legion　of　Honor。　The　first　who　went　down　into　the　Beresina　had　his　leg　taken　off　by　a　block　of　ice；　and　the　man　himself　was　washed　away；　but　you　will　better　understand　the　difficulty　of　the　task　when　you　hear　the　end　of　the　story。　Of　the　forty…two　volunteers；　Gondrin　is　the　only　one　alive　to…day。　Thirty…nine　of　them　lost　their　lives　in　the　Beresina；　and　the　two　others　died　miserably　in　a　Polish　hospital。

〃The　poor　fellow　himself　only　returned　from　Wilna　in　1814；　to　find　the　Bourbons　restored　to　power。　General　Eble　（of　whom　Gondrin　cannot　speak　without　tears　in　his　eyes）　was　dead。　The　pontooner　was　deaf；　and　his　health　was　shattered；　and　as　he　could　neither　read　nor　write；　he　found　no　one　left　to　help　him　or　to　plead　his　cause。　He　begged　his　way　to　Paris；　and　while　there　made　application　at　the　War　Office；　not　for　the　thousand　francs　of　extra　pension　which　had　been　promised　to　him；　nor　yet　for　the　Cross　of　the　Legion　of　Honor；　but　only　for　the　bare　pension　due　to　him　after　twenty…two　years　of　service；　and　I　do　not　know　how　many　campaigns。　He　did　not　obtain　his　pension　or　his　traveling　expenses；　he　did　not　even　receive　his　arrears　of　pay。　He　spent　a　year　in　making　fruitless　solicitations；　holding　out　his　hands　in　vain　to　those　whom　he　had　saved；　and　at　the　end　of　it　he　came　back　here；　sorely　disheartened　but　resigned　to　his　fate。　This　hero　unknown　to　fame　does　draining　work　on　the　land；　for　which　he　is　paid　ten　sous　the　fathom。　He　is　accustomed　to　working　in　a　marshy　soil；　and　so；　as　he　says；　he　gets　jobs　which　no　one　else　cares　to　take。　He　can　make　about　three　francs　a　day　by　clearing　out　ponds；　or　draining　meadows　that　lie　under　water。　His　deafness　makes　him　seem　surly；　and　he　is　not　naturally　inclined　to　say　very　much；　but　there　is　a　good　deal　in　him。

〃We　are　very　good　friends。　He　dines　with　me　on　the　day　of　Austerlitz；　on　the　Emperor's　birthday；　and　on　the　anniversary　of　the　disaster　at　Waterloo；　and　during　the　dessert　he　always　receives　a　napoleon　to　pay　for　his　wine　very　quarter。　Every　one　in　the　Commune　shares　in　my　feeling　of　respect　for　him；　if　he　would　allow　them　to　support　him；　nothing　would　please　them　better。　At　every　house　to　which　he　goes　the　people　follow　my　example；　and　show　their　esteem　by　asking　him　to　dine　with　them。　It　is　a　feeling　of　pride　that　leads　him　to　work；　and　it　is　only　as　a　portrait　of　the　Emperor　that　he　can　be　induced　to　take　my　twenty…franc　piece。　He　has　been　deeply　woun