the crime of sylvestre bonnard-第35章

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t　Maitre　Mouche）　shall　read　to　her　a　certain　paper　which　I　signed　a　little　while　ago。

I　do　not　wish　that　any　one　except　myself　should　provide　for　her；　and　give　her　her　dowry。　　I　am　not；　however；　very　rich；　and　the　paternal　inheritance　did　not　gain　bulk　in　my　hands。　　One　does　not　accumulate　money　by　poring　over　old　texts。　　But　my　booksat　the　price　which　such　noble　merchandise　fetches　to…dayare　worth　something。　　Why；　on　that　shelf　there　are　some　poets　of　the　sixteenth　century　for　which　bankers　would　bid　against　princes！　　And　I　think　that　those　〃Heures〃　of　Simon　Vostre　would　not　be　readily　overlooked　at　the　Hotel　Sylvestre　any　more　than　would　those　Preces　Piae　compiled　for　the　use　of　Queen　Claude。　　I　have　taken　great　pains　to　collect　and　to　preserve　all　those　rare　and　curious　editions　which　people　the　City　of　Books；　and　for　a　long　time　I　used　to　believe　that　they　were　as　necessary　to　my　life　as　air　and　light。　　I　have　loved　them　well；　and　even　now　I　cannot　prevent　myself　from　smiling　at　them　and　caressing　them。　　Those　morocco　bindings　are　so　delightful　to　the　eye！　　These　old　vellums　are　so　soft　to　the　touch！　　There　is　not　a　single　one　among　those　books　which　is　not　worthy；　by　reason　of　some　special　merit；　to　command　the　respect　of　an　honourable　man。　　What　other　owner　would　ever　know　how　to　dip　into　hem　in　the　proper　way？　Can　I　be　even　sure　that　another　owner　would　not　leave　them　to　decay　in　neglect；　or　mutilate　them　at　the　prompting　of　some　ignorant　whim？　Into　whose　hands　will　fall　that　incomparable　copy　of　the　〃Histoire　de　l'Abbaye　de　Saint…Germain…des…Pres；〃　on　the　margins　of　which　the　author　himself；　in　the　person　of　Jacques　Bouillard；　made　such　substantial　notes　in　his　own　handwriting？。。。　　Master　Bonnard；　you　are　an　old　fool！　　Your　housekeeperpoor　soul！is　nailed　down　upon　her　bed　with　a　merciless　attack　of　rheumatism。　　Jeanne　is　to　come　with　her　chaperon；　and；　instead　of　thinking　how　you　are　going　to　receive　them；　you　are　thinking　about　a　thousand　stupidities。　Sylvestre　Bonnard；　you　will　never　succeed　at　anything　in　this　world；　and　it　is　I　myself　who　tell　you　so！

And　at　this　very　moment　I　catch　sight　of　them　from　my　window；　as　they　get　out　of　the　omnibus。　　Jeanne　leaps　down　lie　a　kitten；　but　Mademoiselle　Prefere　intrusts　herself　to　the　strong　arm　of　the　conductor；　with　the　shy　grace　of　a　Virginia　recovering　after　the　shipwreck；　and　this　time　quite　resigned　to　being　saved。　　Jeanne　looks　up；　sees　me；　laughs；　and　Mademoiselle　Prefere　has　to　prevent　her　from　waving　her　umbrella　at　me　as　a　friendly　signal。　　There　is　a　certain　stage　of　cvilisation　to　which　Mademoiselle　Jeanne　never　can　be　brought。　　You　can　teach　her　all　the　arts　if　you　like　（it　is　not　exactly　to　Mademoiselle　Prefere　that　I　am　now　speaking）；　but　you　will　never　be　able　to　teach　her　perfect　manners。　　As　a　charming　child　she　makes　the　mistake　of　being　charming　only　in　her　own　way。　　Only　an　old　fool　like　myself　could　forgive　her　pranks。　　As　for　young　foolsand　there　are　several　of　them　still　to　be　foundI　do　not　know　what　they　would　think　about　it；　and　what　they　might　think　is　none　of　my　business。　　Just　look　at　her　running　along　the　pavement；　wrapped　in　her　cloak；　with　her　hat　tilted　back　on　her　head；　and　her　feather　fluttering　in　the　wind；　like　a　schooner　in　full　rig！　　And　really　she　has　a　grace　of　poise　and　motion　which　suggests　a　fine　sailing…vessel　so　much　so；　indeed；　that　she　makes　me　remember　seeing　one　day；　when　I　was　at　Havre。。。。　　But；　Bonnard；　my　friend；　how　many　times　is　it　necessary　to　tell　you　that　your　housekeeper　is　in　bed；　and　that　you　must　go　and　open　the　door　yourself？

Open；　Old　Man　Winter！　'tis　Spring　who　rings　the　bell。

It　is　Jeanne　herselfJeanne　is　all　flushed　like　a　rose。　　Mademoiselle　Prefere；　indignant　and　out　of　breath；　has　still　another　whole　flight　to　climb　before　reaching　our　lobby。

I　explained　the　condition　of　my　housekeeper；　and　proposed　that　we　should　dine　at　a　restaurant。　　But　Thereseall…powerful　still；　even　upon　her　sick…beddecided　that　we　should　dine　at　home；　whether　we　wanted　to　or　no。　　Respectable　people；　in　her　opinion；　never　dined　at　restaurants。　　Moreover；　she　had　made　all　necessary　arrangements　the　dinner　had　been　bought；　the　concierge　would　cook　it。

The　audacious　Jeanne　insisted　upon　going　to　see　whether　the　old　woman　wanted　anything。　　As　you　might　suppose；　she　was　sent　back　to　the　parlour　with　short　shrift；　but　not　so　harshly　as　I　had　feared。

〃If　I　want　anybody　to　do　anything　for　me；　which；　thank　God；　I　do　not；〃　Therese　had　replied；　〃I　would　get　somebody　less　delicate　and　dainty　than　you　are。　　What　I　want　is　rest。　　That　is　a　merchandise　which　is　not　sold　at　fairs　under　the　sign　of　'Motus　with　finger　on　lip。'　　Go　and　have　your　fun；　and　don't　stay　herefor　old　age　might　be　catching。〃

Jeanne；　after　telling　us　what　she　had　said；　added　that　she　liked　very　much　to　hear　old　Therese　talk。　　Whereupon　Mademoiselle　Prefere　reproached　her　for　expressing　such　unladylike　tastes。

I　tried　to　excuse　her　by　citing　the　example　of　Moliere。　　Just　at　that　moment　it　came　to　pass　that；　while　climbing　the　ladder　to　get　a　book；　she　upset　a　whole　shelf…row。　　There　was　a　heavy　crash；　and　Mademoiselle　Prefere；　being；　of　course；　a　very　delicate　person；　almost　fainted。　　Jeanne　quickly　followed　the　books　to　the　foot　of　the　ladder。　　she　made　one　think　of　a　kitten　suddenly　transformed　into　a　woman；　catching　mice　which　had　been　transformed　into　old　books。　While　picking　them　up；　she　found　one　which　happened　to　interest　her；　and　she　began　to　read　it；　squatting　down　upon　her　heels。　　It　was　the　〃Prince　Grenouille；〃　she　told　us。　　Mademoiselle　Prefere　took　occasion　to　complain　that　Jeanne　had　so　little　taste　for　poetry。　　It　was　impossible　to　get　her　to　recite　Casimir　Delavigne's　poem　on　the　death　of　Joan　of　Arc　without　mistakes。　　It　was　the　very　most　she　could　do　to　learn　〃Le　Petit　Savoyard。〃　　The　schoolmistress　did　not　think　that　any　one　should　read　the　〃Prince　Grenouille〃　before　learning　by　heart　the　stanzas　to　Duperrier；　and；　carried　away　by　her　enthusiasm；　she　began　to　recite　them　in　a　voice　sweeter　than　the　bleating　of　a　sheep：

〃　　Ta　douleur；　Duperrier；　sera　donc　eternelle；　　　　　　Et　les　tristes　discours　　　　Que　te　met　en　l'esprit　l'amitie　paternelle　　　　　　L'augmenteront　toujours；

。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。

〃　　Je　sais　de　quels　appas　son　enfance　etait　pleine；　　　　　　Et　n'ai　pas　entrepris；　　　　Injurieux　ami；　de　consoler　ta　peine　　　　　　Avecque　son　mepris。〃

Then　in　ecstacy；　she　exclaimed；

〃How　beautiful　that　is！　　What　harmony！　　How　is　it　possible　for　any　one　not　to　admire　such　exquisite；　such　touching　verses！　　But　why　did　Malherbe　call　that　poor　Monsieur　Duperrier　his　injurieux　ami　at　a　time　when　he　had　been　so　severely　tied　by　the　death　of　his　daughter？　　Injurieux　amiyou　must　acknowledge　that　the　term　is　very　harsh。〃

I　explained　to　this　poetical　person　that　the　phrase　〃Injurieux　ami；〃　which　shocked　her　so　much；　was　in　apposition；　etc。　etc。　　What　I　said；　however；　had　so　little　effect　towards　clearing　her　head　that　she　was　seized　with　a　severe　and　prolonged　fit　of　sneezing。　　Meanwhile　it　was　evident　that　the　history　of　〃Prince　Grenouille〃　had　proved　extremely　funny；　for　it　was　all　that　Jeanne　could　do；　as　she　crouched　down　there　on　the　carpet；　to　keep　herself　from　bursting　into　a　wild　fit　of　laughter。　　But　when　she　had　finished　with　the　prince　and　princess　of　the　story；　and　the　multitude　of　their　children；　she　assumed　a　very　suppliant　expression；　and　begged　me　as　a　great　favour　to　allow　her　to　put　on　a　white　apron　and　go　to　the　kitchen　to　help　in　getting　the　dinner　ready。

〃Jeanne；〃　I　replied；　with　the　gravity　of　a　master；　〃I　think　that　if　it　is　a　question　of　breaking　plates；　knocking　off　the　edges　of　dishes；　denting　all　the　pans；　and　smashing　all　the　skimmers；　the　person　whom　Therese　has　set　to　work　in　the　kitchen　already　will　be　able　to　perform　her　task　without　assistance；　for　it　seems　to　me　at　this　very　moment　I　can　hear　disastrous　noises　in　that　kitchen。　　But　anyhow；　Jeanne；　I　will　charge　you　with　the　duty　of　preparing　the　dessert。　　So　go　and　get　your　white　apron；　I　will　tie　it　on　for　you。〃

Accordingly；　I　solemnly　knotted　the　linen　apron　about　her　waist；　and　she　rushed　into　the　kitchen；　where　she　proceeded　at　once