the red inn-第4章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



the　premises　to　find　a　lodging　in　some　crib　or　hayloft。　It　is

therefore　easy　to　see　that　the　kitchen；　the　landlord's　chamber；　and

the　public　room　were；　to　some　extent；　isolated　from　the　rest　of　the

house。　In　the　courtyard　were　two　large　dogs；　whose　deep…toned　barking

showed　vigilant　and　easily　roused　guardians。



〃What　silence！　and　what　a　beautiful　night！〃　said　Wilhelm；　looking　at

the　sky　through　the　window；　as　the　landlord　was　fastening　the　door。



The　lapping　of　the　river　against　the　wharf　was　the　only　sound　to　be

heard。



〃Messieurs；〃　said　the　merchant；　〃permit　me　to　offer　you　a　few　bottles

of　wine　to　wash　down　the　carp。　We'll　ease　the　fatigues　of　the　day　by

drinking。　From　your　manner　and　the　state　of　your　clothes；　I　judge　that

you　have　made；　like　me；　a　good　bit　of　a　journey　to…day。〃



The　two　friends　accepted；　and　the　landlord　went　out　by　a　door　through

the　kitchen　to　his　cellar；　situated；　no　doubt；　under　this　portion　of

the　building。　When　five　venerable　bottles　which　he　presently　brought

back　with　him　appeared　on　the　table；　the　wife　brought　in　the　rest　of

the　supper。　She　gave　to　the　dishes　and　to　the　room　generally　the

glance　of　a　mistress；　and　then；　sure　of　having　attended　to　all　the

wants　of　the　travellers；　she　returned　to　the　kitchen。



The　four　men；　for　the　landlord　was　invited　to　drink；　did　not　hear　her

go　to　bed；　but　later；　during　the　intervals　of　silence　which　came　into

their　talk；　certain　strongly　accentuated　snores；　made　the　more

sonorous　by　the　thin　planks　of　the　loft　in　which　she　had　ensconced

herself；　made　the　guests　laugh　and　also　the　husband。　Towards　midnight；

when　nothing　remained　on　the　table　but　biscuits；　cheese；　dried　fruit；

and　good　wine；　the　guests；　chiefly　the　young　Frenchmen；　became

communicative。　The　latter　talked　of　their　homes；　their　studies；　and　of

the　war。　The　conversation　grew　lively。　Prosper　Magnan　brought　a　few

tears　to　the　merchant's　eyes；　when　with　the　frankness　and　naivete　of　a

good　and　tender　nature；　he　talked　of　what　his　mother　must　be　doing　at

that　hour；　while　he　was　sitting　drinking　on　the　banks　of　the　Rhine。



〃I　can　see　her；〃　he　said；　〃reading　her　prayers　before　she　goes　to　bed。

She　won't　forget　me；　she　is　certain　to　say　to　herself；　'My　poor

Prosper；　I　wonder　where　he　is　now！'　If　she　has　won　a　few　sous　from　her

neighborsyour　mother；　perhaps；〃　he　added；　nudging　Wilhelm's　elbow

〃she'll　go　and　put　them　in　the　great　red　earthenware　pot；　where　she　is

accumulating　a　sum　sufficient　to　buy　the　thirty　acres　adjoining　her

little　estate　at　Lescheville。　Those　thirty　acres　are　worth　at　least

sixty　thousand　francs。　Such　fine　fields！　Ah！　if　I　had　them　I'd　live

all　my　days　at　Lescheville；　without　other　ambition！　How　my　father　used

to　long　for　those　thirty　acres　and　the　pretty　brook　which　winds

through　the　meadows！　But　he　died　without　ever　being　able　to　buy　them。

Many's　the　time　I've　played　there！〃



〃Monsieur　Wahlenfer；　haven't　you　also　your　'hoc　erat　in　votis'？〃　asked

Wilhelm。



〃Yes；　monsieur；　but　it　came　to　pass；　and　now〃



The　good　man　was　silent；　and　did　not　finish　his　sentence。



〃As　for　me；〃　said　the　landlord；　whose　face　was　rather　flushed；　〃I

bought　a　field　last　spring；　which　I　had　been　wanting　for　ten　years。〃



They　talked　thus　like　men　whose　tongues　are　loosened　by　wine；　and　they

each　took　that　friendly　liking　to　the　others　of　which　we　are　never

stingy　on　a　journey；　so　that　when　the　time　came　to　separate　for　the

night；　Wilhelm　offered　his　bed　to　the　merchant。



〃You　can　accept　it　without　hesitation；〃　he　said；　〃for　I　can　sleep　with

Prosper。　It　won't　be　the　first；　nor　the　last　time　either。　You　are　our

elder；　and　we　ought　to　honor　age！〃



〃Bah！〃　said　the　landlord；　〃my　wife's　bed　has　several　mattresses；　take

one　off　and　put　it　on　the　floor。〃



So　saying；　he　went　and　shut　the　window；　making　all　the　noise　that

prudent　operation　demanded。



〃I　accept；〃　said　the　merchant；　〃in　fact　I　will　admit；〃　he　added；

lowering　his　voice　and　looking　at　the　two　Frenchmen；　〃that　I　desired

it。　My　boatmen　seem　to　me　suspicious。　I　am　not　sorry　to　spend　the

night　with　two　brave　young　men；　two　French　soldiers；　for；　between

ourselves；　I　have　a　hundred　thousand　francs　in　gold　and　diamonds　in　my

valise。〃



The　friendly　caution　with　which　this　imprudent　confidence　was　received

by　the　two　young　men；　seemed　to　reassure　the　German。　The　landlord

assisted　in　taking　off　one　of　the　mattresses；　and　when　all　was

arranged　for　the　best　he　bade　them　good…night　and　went　off　to　bed。



The　merchant　and　the　surgeons　laughed　over　the　nature　of　their

pillows。　Prosper　put　his　case　of　surgical　instruments　and　that　of

Wilhelm　under　the　end　of　his　mattress　to　raise　it　and　supply　the　place

of　a　bolster；　which　was　lacking。　Wahlenfer；　as　a　measure　of

precaution；　put　his　valise　under　his　pillow。



〃We　shall　both　sleep　on　our　fortune；〃　said　Prosper；　〃you；　on　your

gold；　I；　on　my　instruments。　It　remains　to　be　seen　whether　my

instruments　will　ever　bring　me　the　gold　you　have　now　acquired。〃



〃You　may　hope　so；〃　said　the　merchant。　〃Work　and　honesty　can　do

everything；　have　patience；　however。〃



Wahlenfer　and　Wilhelm　were　soon　asleep。　Whether　it　was　that　his　bed　on

the　floor　was　hard；　or　that　his　great　fatigue　was　a　cause　of

sleeplessness；　or　that　some　fatal　influence　affected　his　soul；　it　is

certain　that　Prosper　Magnan　continued　awake。　His　thoughts

unconsciously　took　an　evil　turn。　His　mind　dwelt　exclusively　on　the

hundred　thousand　francs　which　lay　beneath　the　merchant's　pillow。　To

Prosper　Magnan　one　hundred　thousand　francs　was　a　vast　and　ready…made

fortune。　He　began　to　employ　it　in　a　hundred　different　ways；　he　made

castles　in　the　air；　such　as　we　all　make　with　eager　delight　during　the

moments　preceding　sleep；　an　hour　when　images　rise　in　our　minds

confusedly；　and　often；　in　the　silence　of　the　night；　thought　acquires

some　magical　power。　He　gratified　his　mother's　wishes；　he　bought　the

thirty　acres　of　meadow　land；　he　married　a　young　lady　of　Beauvais　to

whom　his　present　want　of　fortune　forbade　him　to　aspire。　With　a　hundred

thousand　francs　he　planned　a　lifetime　of　happiness；　he　saw　himself

prosperous；　the　father　of　a　family；　rich；　respected　in　his　province；

and；　possibly；　mayor　of　Beauvais。　His　brain　heated；　he　searched　for

means　to　turn　his　fictions　to　realities。　He　began　with　extraordinary

ardor　to　plan　a　crime　theoretically。　While　fancying　the　death　of　the

merchant　he　saw　distinctly　the　gold　and　the　diamonds。　His　eyes　were

dazzled　by　them。　His　heart　throbbed。　Deliberation　was；　undoubtedly；

already　crime。　Fascinated　by　that　mass　of　gold　he　intoxicated　himself

morally　by　murderous　arguments。　He　asked　himself　if　that　poor　German

had　any　need　to　live；　he　supposed　the　case　of　his　never　having

existed。　In　short；　he　planned　the　crime　in　a　manner　to　secure　himself

impunity。　The　other　bank　of　the　river　was　occupied　by　the　Austrian

army；　below　the　windows　lay　a　boat　and　boatman；　he　would　cut　the

throat　of　that　man；　throw　the　body　into　the　Rhine；　and　escape　with　the

valise；　gold　would　buy　the　boatman　and　he　could　reach　the　Austrians。

He　went　so　far　as　to　calculate　the　professional　ability　he　had　reached

in　the　use　of　instruments；　so　as　to　cut　through　his　victim's　throat

without　leaving　him　the　chance　for　a　single　cry。



＇Here　Monsieur　Taillefer　wiped　his　forehead　and　drank　a　little　water。＇



Prosper　rose　slowly；　making　no　noise。　Certain　of　having　waked　no　one；

he　dressed　himself　and　went　into　the　public　room。　There；　with　that

fatal　intelligence　a　man　suddenly　finds　on　some　occasions　within　him；

with　that　power　of　tact　and　will　which　is　never　lacking　to　prisoners

or　to　criminals　in　whatever　they　undertake；　he　unscrewed　the　iron

bars；　slipped　them　from　their　places　without　the　slightest　noise；

placed　them　against　the　wall；　and　opened　the　shutters；　leaning　heavily

upon　their　hinges　to　keep　them　from　creaking。　The　moon　was　shedding

its　pale　pure　light　upon　the　scene；　and　he　was