the crime of sylvestre bonnard-第32章

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〃Because　I　can　see　no　reason；　no　reason　at　all。。。but　there！。。。no　reason　at　all　why　you　should　please　Mademoiselle　Prefere　so　much。〃

〃So；　then；　you　think　I　am　very　displeasing；　Jeanne？〃

She　bit　her　lips；　as　if　to　punish　them　for　having　made　a　mistake；　and　then；　in　a　coaxing　way；　looking　at　me　with　great　soft　eyes；　gentle　and　beautiful　as　a　spaniel's；　she　said；

〃I　know　I　said　a　foolish　think；　but；　still；　I　do　not　see　any　reason　why　you　should　be　so　pleasing　to　Mademoiselle　Prefere。　　And；　nevertheless；　you　seem　to　please　her　a　great　deala　very　great　deal。　She　called　me　one　day；　and　asked　me　all　sorts　of　questions　about　you。〃

〃Really？〃

〃Yes；　she　wanted　to　find　out　all　about　your　house。　　Just　think！　she　even　asked　me　how　old　your　servant　was！〃

And　Jeanne　burst　out　laughing。

〃Well；　what　do　you　think　about　it？〃　I　asked。

She　remained　a　long　while　with　her　eyes　fixed　on　the　worn…out　cloth　of　her　shoes；　and　seemed　to　be　thinking　very　deeply。　　Finally；　looking　up　again；　she　answered；

〃I　am　distrustful。　　Isn't　it　very　natural　to　feel　uneasy　about　what　one　cannot　understand；　I　know　I　am　foolish；　but　you　won't　be　offended　with　me；　will　you？〃

〃Why；　certainly　not；　Jeanne。　　I　am　not　a　bit　offended　with　you。〃

I　must　acknowledge　that　I　was　beginning　to　share　her　surprise；　and　I　began　to　turn　over　in　my　old　head　the　singular　thought　of　this　young　girl〃One　is　uneasy　about　what　one　cannot　understand。〃

But；　with　a　fresh　burst　of　merriment；　she　cried　out；

〃She　asked　me。。。guess！　　I　will　give　you　a　hundred　guessesa　thousand　guesses。　　You　give　it　up？。。。　　She　asked　me　if　you　liked　good　eating。〃

〃And　how　did　you　receive　this　shower　of　interrogations；　Jeanne？〃

〃I　replied；　'I　don't　know；　Mademoiselle。'　And　Mademoiselle　then　said　to　me；　'You　are　a　little　fool。　　The　least　details　of　the　life　of　an　eminent　man　ought　to　be　observed。　　Please　to　know；　Mademoiselle；　that　Monsieur　Sylvestre　Bonnard　is　one　of　the　glories　of　France！'〃

〃Stuff！〃　I　exclaimed。　　〃And　what　did　YOU　think　about　it；　Mademoiselle？〃

〃I　thought　that　Mademoiselle　Prefere　was　right。　　But　I　don't　care　at　all。。。（I　know　it　is　naughty　what　I　am　going　to　say）。。。I　don't　care　a　bit；　not　a　bit；　whether　Mademoiselle　Prefere　is　or　is　not　right　about　anything。〃

〃Well；　then；　content　yourself；　Jeanne；　Mademoiselle　Prefere　was　not　right。〃

〃Yes；　yes；　she　was　quite　right　that　time；　but　I　wanted　to　love　everybody　who　loved　youeverybody　without　exceptionand　I　cannot　do　it；　because　it　would　never　be　possible　for　me　to　love　Mademoiselle　Prefere。〃

〃Listen；　Jeanne；〃　I　answered；　very　seriously；　〃Mademoiselle　Prefere　has　become　good　to　you；　try　now　to　be　good　to　her。〃

She　answered　sharply；

〃It　is　very　easy　for　Mademoiselle　Prefere　to　be　good　to　me；　and　it　would　be　very　difficult　indeed　for　me　to　be　good　to　her。〃

I　then　said；　in　a　still　more　serious　tone：

〃My　child；　the　authority　of　a　teacher　is　sacred。　　You　must　consider　your　schoolmistress　as　occupying　the　place　to　you　of　the　mother　whom　you　lost。〃

I　had　scarcely　uttered　this　solemn　stupidity　when　I　bitterly　regretted　it。　　The　child　turned　pale；　and　the　tears　sprang　to　her　eyes。

〃Oh；　Monsieur！〃　she　cried；　〃how　could　you　say　such　a　thingYOU？　You　never　knew　mamma！〃

Ay；　just　Heaven！　　I　did　know　her　mamma。　　And　how　indeed　could　I　have　been　foolish　enough　to　have　said　what　I　did？

She　repeated；　as　if　to　herself：

〃Mamma！　my　dear　mamma！　my　poor　mamma！〃

A　lucky　chance　prevented　me　from　playing　the　fool　any　further。　　I　do　not　know　how　it　happened　at　that　moment　I　looked　as　if　I　was　going　to　cry。　　At　my　age　one　does　not　cry。　　It　must　have　been　a　bad　cough　which　brought　the　tears　into　my　eyes。　　But；　anyhow；　appearances　were　in　my　favour。　　Jeanne　was　deceived　by　them。　　Oh！　what　a　pure　and　radiant　smile　suddenly　shone　out　under　her　beautiful　wet　eyelashes　like　sunshine　among　branches　after　a　summer　shower！　　We　took　each　other　by　the　hand　and　sat　a　long　while　without　saying　a　word　absolutely　happy。　　Those　celestial　harmonies　which　I　once　thought　I　heard　thrilling　through　my　soul　while　I　knelt　before　that　tomb　to　which　a　saintly　woman　had　guided　me；　suddenly　awoke　again　in　my　heart；　slow…swelling　through　the　blissful　moments　with　infinite　softness。　　Doubtless　the　child　whose　hand　pressed　my　own　also　heard　them；　and　then；　elevated　by　their　enchantment　above　the　material　world；　the　poor　old　man　and　the　artless　young　girl　both　knew　that　a　tender　ghostly　Presence　was　making　sweetness　all　about　them。

〃My　child；〃　I　said　at　last；　〃I　am　very　old；　and　many　secrets　of　life；　which　you　will　only　learn　little　by　little；　have　been　revealed　to　me。　Believe　me；　the　future　is　shaped　out　of　the　past。　　Whatever　you　can　do　to　live　contentedly　here；　without　impatience　and　without　fretting；　will　help　you　live　some　future　day　in　peace　and　joy　in　your　own　home。　Be　gentle；　and　learn　how　to　suffer。　　When　one　suffers　patiently　one　suffers　less。　　If　you　should　be　badly　treated；　Madame　de　Gabry　and　I　would　both　consider　ourselves　badly　treated　in　your　person。〃。。。

〃Is　your　health　very　good　indeed；　dear　Monsieur？〃

It　was　Mademoiselle　Prefere；　approaching　stealthily　behind　us；　who　had　asked　the　question　with　a　peculiar　smile。　　My　first　idea　was　to　tell　her　to　go　to　the　devil；　my　second；　that　her　mouth　was　as　little　suited　for　smiling　as　a　frying…pan　for　musical　purposes；　my　third　was　to　answer　her　politely　and　assure　her　that　I　hoped　she　was　very　well。

She　sent　the　young　girl　out　to　take　a　walk　in　the　garden；　then；　pressing　one　hand　upon　her　pelerine　and　extending　the　other　towards　the　Tableau　d'Honneur；　she　showed　me　the　name　of　Jeanne　Alexandre　written　at　the　head　of　the　list　in　large　text。

〃I　am　very　much　pleased；〃　I　said　to　her；　〃to　find　that　you　are　satisfied　with　the　behaviour　of　that　child。　　Nothing　could　delight　me　more；　and　I　am　inclined　to　attribute　this　happy　result　to　your　affectionate　vigilance。　　I　have　taken　the　liberty　to　send　you　a　few　books　which　I　think　may　serve　both　to　instruct　and　to　amuse　young　girls。　　You　will　be　able　to　judge　by　glancing　over　them　whether　they　are　adapted　to　the　perusal　of　Mademoiselle　Alexandre　and　her　companions。〃

The　gratitude　of　the　schoolmistress　not　only　overflowed　in　words；　but　seemed　about　to　take　the　form　of　tearful　sensibility。　　In　order　to　change　the　subject　I　observed；

〃What　a　beautiful　day　this　is！〃

〃Yes；〃　she　replied；　〃and　if　this　weather　continues；　those　dear　children　will　have　a　nice　time　for　their　enjoyment。〃

〃I　suppose　you　are　referring　to　the　holidays。　　But　Mademoiselle　Alexandre；　who　has　no　relatives；　cannot　go　away。　　What　in　the　world　is　she　going　to　do　all　alone　in　this　great　big　house？〃

〃Oh；　we　will　do　everything　we　can　to　amuse　her。。。。　　I　will　take　her　to　the　museums　and…〃

She　hesitated；　blushed；　and　continued；

〃and　to　your　house；　if　you　will　permit　me。〃

〃Why　of　course！〃　　I　exclaimed。　　〃That　is　a　first…rate　idea。〃

We　separated　very　good　friends　with　one　another。　　I　with　her；　because　I　had　been　able　to　obtain　what　I　desired；　she　with　me；　for　no　appreciable　motivewhich　fact；　according　to　Plato；　elevated　her　into　the　highest　rank　of　the　Hierarchy　of　Souls。

。。。And　nevertheless　it　is　not　without　a　presentiment　of　evil　that　I　find　myself　on　the　point　of　introducing　this　person　into　my　house。　And　I　would　be　very　glad　indeed　to　see　Jeanne　in　charge　of　anybody　else　rather　than　of　her。　　Maitre　Mouche　and　Mademoiselle　Prefere　are　characters　whom　I　cannot　at　all　understand。　　I　never　can　imagine　why　they　say　what　they　do　say；　nor　why　they　do　what　they　do；　they　have　a　mysterious　something　in　common　which　makes　me　feel　uneasy。　As　Jeanne　said　to　me　a　little　while　ago：　　〃One　is　uneasy　about　what　one　cannot　understand。〃

Alas！　at　my　age　one　has　learned　only　too　well　how　little　sincerity　there　is　in　life；　one　has　learned　only　too　well　how　much　one　loses　by　living　a　long　time　in　this　world；　and　one　feels　that　one　can　no　longer　trust　any　except　the　young。


August　12。


I　waited　for　them。　　In　fact；　I　waited　for　them　very　impatiently。　　I　exerted　all　my　powers　of　insinuation　and　of　coaxing　to　induce　Therese　to　receive　them　kindly；　but　my　powers　in　this　direction　are　very　limited。　　They　came。　　Jeanne　was　neater　and　prettier　than　I　had　ever　exp