the crime of sylvestre bonnard-第22章

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ll　be　reclothed　with　a　new　beauty；　less　vivid　but　more　touching　than　the　first；　and　you　will　find　your　husband　admiring　your　grey　tresses　as　much　as　he　did　that　black　curl　which　you　gave　him　when　about　to　be　married；　and　which　he　preserves　in　a　locket　as　a　thing　sacred。。。。　　These　boulevards　are　broad　and　very　quiet。　　We　can　talk　at　our　ease　as　we　walk　along。　　I　will　tell　you；　to　begin　with；　how　I　first　made　the　acquaintance　of　Clementine's　father。　　But　you　must　not　expect　anything　extraordinary；　or　anything　even　remarkable；　you　would　be　greatly　deceived。

〃Monsieur　de　Lessay　used　to　live　in　the　second　storey　of　an　old　house　in　the　Avenue　de　l'Observatoire；　having　a　stuccoed　front；　ornamented　with　antique　busts；　and　a　large　unkept　garden　attached　to　it。　　That　facade　and　that　garden　were　the　first　images　my　child…eyes　perceived；　and　they　will　be　the　last；　no　doubt；　which　I　still　see　through　my　closed　eyelids　when　the　Inevitable　Day　comes。　　For　it　was　in　that　house　that　I　was　born；　it　was　in　that　garden　I　first　learned；　while　playing；　to　feel　and　know　some　particles　of　this　old　universe。　　Magical　hours！sacred　hours！when　the　soul；　all　fresh　from　the　making；　first　discoveries　the　world；　which　for　its　sake　seems　to　assume　such　caressing　brightness；　such　mysterious　charm！　　And　that；　Madame；　is　indeed　because　the　universe　itself　is　only　the　reflection　of　our　soul。

〃My　mother　was　being　very　happily　constituted。　　She　rose　with　the　sun；　like　the　birds；　and　she　herself　resembled　the　birds　by　her　domestic　industry；　by　her　maternal　instinct；　by　her　perpetual　desire　to　sing；　and　by　a　sort　of　brusque　grace；　which　I　could　feel　the　of　very　well　even　as　a　child。　　She　was　the　soul　of　the　house；　which　she　filled　with　her　systematic　and　joyous　activity。　　My　father　was　just　as　slow　as　she　was　brisk。　　I　can　recall　very　well　that　placid　face　of　his；　over　which　at　times　an　ironical　smile　used　to　flit。　He　was　fatigued　with　active　life；　and　he　loved　his　fatigue。　　Seated　beside　the　fire　in　his　big　arm…chair；　he　used　to　read　from　morning　till　night；　and　it　is　from　him　that　I　inherit　my　love　of　books。　　I　have　in　my　library　a　Mably　and　a　Raynal；　which　he　annotated　with　his　own　hand　from　beginning　to　end。　　But　it　was　utterly　useless　attempting　to　interest　him　in　anything　practical　whatever。　　When　my　mother　would　try；　by　all　kinds　of　gracious　little　ruses；　to　lure　him　out　of　his　retirement；　he　would　simply　shake　his　head　with　that　inexorable　gentleness　which　is　the　force　of　weak　characters。　　He　used　in　this　way　greatly　to　worry　the　poor　woman；　who　could　not　enter　at　all　into　his　own　sphere　of　meditative　wisdom；　and　could　understand　nothing　of　life　except　its　daily　duties　and　the　merry　labour　of　each　hour。　　She　thought　him　sick；　and　feared　he　was　going　to　become　still　more　so。　　But　his　apathy　had　a　different　cause。

〃My　father；　entering　the　Naval　office　under　Monsieur　Decres；　in　1801；　gave　early　proof　of　high　administrative　talent。　　There　was　a　great　deal　of　activity　in　the　marine　department　in　those　times；　and　in　1805　my　father　was　appointed　chief　of　the　Second　Administrative　Division。　　That　same　year；　the　Emperor；　whose　attention　had　been　called　to　him　by　the　Minister；　ordered　him　to　make　a　report　upon　the　organisation　of　the　English　navy。　　This　work；　which　reflected　a　profoundly　liberal　and　philosophic　spirit；　of　which　the　editor　himself　was　unconscious；　was　only　finished　in　1807about　eighteen　months　after　the　defeat　of　Admiral　Villeneuve　at　Trafalgar。　　Napoleon；　who；　from　that　disastrous　day；　never　wanted　to　hear　the　word　ship　mentioned　in　his　presence；　angrily　glanced　over　a　few　pages　of　the　memoir；　and　then　threw　it　in　the　fire；　vociferating；　'Words！words！　I　said　once　before　that　I　hated　ideologists。'　　My　father　was　told　afterwards　that　the　Emperor's　anger　was　so　intense　at　the　moment　that　he　stamped　the　manuscript　down　into　the　fire　with　his　boot…　heels。　　At　all　events；　it　was　his　habit；　when　very　much　irritated；　to　poke　down　the　fire　with　his　boot…soles。　　My　father　never　fully　recovered　from　this　disgrace；　and　the　fruitlessness　of　all　his　efforts　towards　reform　was　certainly　the　cause　of　the　apathy　which　came　upon　him　at　a　later　day。　　Nevertheless；　Napoleon；　after　his　return　from　Elba；　sent　for　him；　and　ordered　him　to　prepare　some　liberal　and　patriotic　bulletins　and　proclamations　for　the　fleet。　After　Waterloo；　my　father；　whom　the　event　had　rather　saddened　than　surprised；　retired　into　private　life；　and　was　not　interfered　with　except　that　it　was　generally　averred　of　him　that　he　was　a　Jacobin；　a　buveur…de…sangone　of　those　men　with　whom　no　one　could　afford　to　be　on　intimate　terms。　　My　mother's　eldest　brother；　Victor　Maldent；　and　infantry　captainretired　on　half…pay　in　1814；　and　disbanded　in　1815aggravated　by　his　bad　attitude　the　situation　in　which　the　fall　of　the　Empire　had　placed　my　father。　　Captain　Victor　used　to　shout　in　the　cafes　and　the　public　balls　that　the　Bourbons　had　sold　France　to　the　Cossacks。　　He　used　to　show　everybody　a　tricoloured　cockade　hidden　in　the　lining　of　his　hat；　and　carried　with　much　ostentation　a　walking…stick；　the　handle　of　which　had　been　so　carved　that　the　shadow　thrown　by　it　made　the　silhouette　of　the　Emperor。

〃Unless　you　have　seen　certain　lithographs　by　Charlet；　Madame；　you　could　form　no　idea　of　the　physiognomy　of　my　Uncle　Victor；　when　he　used　to　stride　about　the　garden　of　the　Tuileries　with　a　fiercely　elegant　manner　of　his　ownbuttoned　up　in　his　frogged　coat；　with　his　cross…of…honour　upon　his　breast；　and　a　bouquet　of　violets　in　his　button…hole。

〃Idleness　and　intemperance　greatly　intensified　the　vulgar　recklessness　of　his　political　passions。　　He　used　to　insult　people　whom　he　happened　to　see　reading　the　'Quotidienne；'　or　the　'Drapeau　Blanc；'　and　compel　them　to　fight　with　him。　　In　this　way　he　had　the　pain　and　the　shame　of　wounding　a　boy　of　sixteen　in　a　duel。　　In　short；　my　Uncle　Victor　was　the　very　reverse　of　a　well…behaved　person；　and　as　he　came　to　lunch　and　dine　at　our　house　every　blessed　day　in　the　year；　his　bad　reputation　became　attached　to　our　family。　　My　poor　father　suffered　cruelly　from　some　of　his　guest's　pranks；　but　being　very　good…natured；　he　never　made　any　remarks；　and　continued　to　give　the　freedom　of　his　house　to　the　captain；　who　only　despised　him　for　it。

〃All　this　which　I　have　told　you；　Madame；　was　explained　to　me　afterwards。　　But　at　the　time　in　question；　my　uncle　the　captain　filled　me　with　the　very　enthusiasm　of　admiration；　and　I　promised　myself　to　try　to　become　some　day　as　like　him　as　possible。　　So　one　fine　morning；　in　order　to　begin　the　likeness；　I　put　my　arms　akimbo；　and　swore　like　a　trooper。　　My　excellent　mother　at　once　gave　me　such　a　box　on　the　ear　that　I　remained　half　stupefied　for　some　little　while　before　I　could　even　burst　out　crying。　　I　can　still　see　the　old　arm…chair；　covered　with　yellow　Utrecht　velvet；　behind　which　I　wept　innumerable　tears　that　day。

〃I　was　a　very　little　fellow　then。　　One　morning　my　father；　lifting　me　upon　his　knees；　as　he　was　in　the　habit　of　doing；　smiled　at　me　with　that　slightly　ironical　smile　which　gave　a　certain　piquancy　to　his　perpetual　gentleness　of　manner。　　As　I　sat　on　his　knee；　playing　with　his　long　white　hair；　he　told　me　something　which　I　did　not　understand　very　well；　but　which　interested　me　very　much；　for　the　simple　reason　that　it　was　mysterious　to　me。　　I　think　but　am　not　quite　sure；　that　he　related　to　me　that　morning　the　story　of　the　little　King　of　Yvetot；　according　to　the　song。　　All　of　a　sudden　we　heard　a　great　report；　and　the　windows　rattled。　　My　father　slipped　me　down　gently　on　the　floor　at　his　feet；　he　threw　up　his　trembling　arms；　with　a　strange　gesture；　his　face　became　all　inert　and　white；　and　his　eyes　seemed　enormous。　　He　tried　to　speak；　but　his　teeth　were　chattering。　　At　last　he　murmured；　'They　have　shot　him！'　　I　did　not　know　what　he　meant；　and　felt　only　a　vague　terror。　　I　knew　afterwards；　however；　that　hew　was　speaking　of　Marshal　Ney；　who　fell　on　the　7th　of　December；　1815；　under　the　wall　enclosing　some　waste　ground　beside　our　house。

〃About　that　time　I　used　often　to　meet　on　the　stairway　an　old　man　（or；　perhaps；　not　exactly　an　old　man）　with　little　black　eyes　which　flashed　with　extraordinary　vivacity；　and　an　impassive；　swarthy　face。　He　did　not　seem　to　me　aliveor　at