ferragus-第32章

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bowls；　and　must；　undoubtedly；　be　considered　the　most　striking　creature
of　these　various　groups；　who　（if　it　is　permissible　to　liken　Parisians
to　the　different　orders　of　zoology）　belonged　to　the　genus　mollusk。　The
new…comer　kept　sympathetic　step　with　the　/cochonnet/；the　little　bowl
which　serves　as　a　goal　and　on　which　the　interest　of　the　game　must
centre。　He　leaned　against　a　tree　when　the　/cochonnet/　stopped；　then；
with　the　same　attention　that　a　dog　gives　to　his　master's　gestures；　he
looked　at　the　other　bowls　flying　through　the　air；　or　rolling　along　the
ground。　You　might　have　taken　him　for　the　weird　and　watchful　genii　of
the　/cochonnet/。　He　said　nothing；　and　the　bowl…playersthe　most
fanatic　men　that　can　be　encountered　among　the　sectarians　of　any　faith
had　never　asked　the　reason　of　his　dogged　silence；　in　fact；　the　most
observing　of　them　thought　him　deaf　and　dumb。

When　it　happened　that　the　distances　between　the　bowls　and　the
/cochonnet/　had　to　be　measured；　the　cane　of　this　silent　being　was　used
as　a　measure；　the　players　coming　up　and　taking　it　from　the　icy　hands
of　the　old　man　and　returning　it　without　a　word　or　even　a　sign　of
friendliness。　The　loan　of　his　cane　seemed　a　servitude　to　which　he　had
negatively　consented。　When　a　shower　fell；　he　stayed　near　the
/cochonnet/；　the　slave　of　the　bowls；　and　the　guardian　of　the
unfinished　game。　Rain　affected　him　no　more　than　the　fine　weather　did；
he　was；　like　the　players　themselves；　an　intermediary　species　between　a
Parisian　who　has　the　lowest　intellect　of　his　kind　and　an　animal　which
has　the　highest。

In　other　respects；　pallid　and　shrunken；　indifferent　to　his　own　person；
vacant　in　mind；　he　often　came　bareheaded；　showing　his　sparse　white
hair；　and　his　square；　yellow；　bald　skull；　like　the　knee　of　a　beggar
seen　through　his　tattered　trousers。　His　mouth　was　half…open；　no　ideas
were　in　his　glance；　no　precise　object　appeared　in　his　movements；　he
never　smiled；　he　never　raised　his　eyes　to　heaven；　but　kept　them
habitually　on　the　ground；　where　he　seemed　to　be　looking　for　something。
At　four　o'clock　an　old　woman　arrived；　to　take　him　Heaven　knows　where；
which　she　did　by　towing　him　along　by　the　arm；　as　a　young　girl　drags　a
wilful　goat　which　still　wants　to　browse　by　the　wayside。　This　old　man
was　a　horrible　thing　to　see。

In　the　afternoon　of　the　day　when　Jules　Desmarets　left　Paris；　his
travelling…carriage；　in　which　he　was　alone；　passed　rapidly　through　the
rue　de　l'Est；　and　came　out　upon　the　esplanade　of　the　Observatoire　at
the　moment　when　the　old　man；　leaning　against　a　tree；　had　allowed　his
cane　to　be　taken　from　his　hand　amid　the　noisy　vociferations　of　the
players；　pacifically　irritated。　Jules；　thinking　that　he　recognized
that　face；　felt　an　impulse　to　stop；　and　at　the　same　instant　the
carriage　came　to　a　standstill；　for　the　postilion；　hemmed　in　by　some
handcarts；　had　too　much　respect　for　the　game　to　call　upon　the　players
to　make　way　for　him。

〃It　is　he！〃　said　Jules；　beholding　in　that　human　wreck；　Ferragus
XXIII。；　chief　of　the　Devorants。　Then；　after　a　pause；　he　added；　〃How　he
loved　her！Go　on；　postilion。〃








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