original short stories-8-第21章

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he　is　robbing　you　of　your　fish？　　Do　you　think　that　you　will　catch
anything？　　Not　even　a　frog；　nothing　whatever。　　Why；　my　hands　are
tingling；　just　to　think　of　it。'

〃But　I　said　to　myself：　'Let　us　wait　until　twelve　o'clock。　　Then　this
poacher　will　go　to　lunch　and　I　shall　get　my　place　again。　　As　for　me；
Monsieur　le　President；　I　lunch　on　that　spot　every　Sunday。　　We　bring　our
provisions　in　Delila。　　But　there！　　At　noon　the　wretch　produced　a　chicken
in　a　newspaper；　and　while　he　was　eating；　he　actually　caught　another　chub！

〃Melie　and　I　had　a　morsel　also；　just　a　bite；　a　mere　nothing；　for　our
heart　was　not　in　it。

〃Then　I　took　up　my　newspaper　to　aid　my　digestion。　　Every　Sunday　I　read
the　Gil　Blas　in　the　shade　by　the　side　of　the　water。　　It　is　Columbine's
day；　you　know；　Columbine；　who　writes　the　articles　in　the　Gil　Blas。
I　generally　put　Madame　Renard　into　a　rage　by　pretending　to　know　this
Columbine。　　It　is　not　true；　for　I　do　not　know　her　and　have　never　seen
her；　but　that　does　not　matter。　　She　writes　very　well；　and　then　she　says
things　that　are　pretty　plain　for　a　woman。　　She　suits　me　and　there　are　not
many　of　her　sort。

〃Well；　I　began　to　tease　my　wife；　but　she　got　angry　immediately；　and　very
angry；　so　I　held　my　tongue。　　At　that　moment　our　two　witnesses　who　are
present　here；　Monsieur　Ladureau　and　Monsieur　Durdent；　appeared　on　the
other　side　of　the　river。　　We　knew　each　other　by　sight。　　The　little　man
began　to　fish　again　and　he　caught　so　many　that　I　trembled　with　vexation
and　his　wife　said：　'It　is　an　uncommonly　good　spot；　and　we　will　come　here
always；　Desire。'　　As　for　me；　a　cold　shiver　ran　down　my　back；　and　Madame
Renard　kept　repeating：　'You　are　not　a　man；　you　have　the　blood　of　a
chicken　in　your　veins'；　and　suddenly　I　said　to　her：　'Look　here；　I　would
rather　go　away　or　I　shall　be　doing　something　foolish。'

〃And　she　whispered　to　me；　as　if　she　had　put　a　red…hot　iron　under　my　nose：
'You　are　not　a　man。　　Now　you　are　going　to　run　away　and　surrender　your
place！　　Go；　then；　Bazaine！'

〃I　felt　hurt；　but　yet　I　did　not　move；　while　the　other　fellow　pulled　out　a
bream：　Oh；　I　never　saw　such　a　large　one　before；　never！　　And　then　my　wife
began　to　talk　aloud；　as　if　she　were　thinking；　and　you　can　see　her　tricks。
She　said：　'That　is　what　one　might　call　stolen　fish；　seeing　that　we　set
the　bait　ourselves。　　At　any　rate；　they　ought　to　give　us　back　the　money　we
have　spent　on　bait。'

〃Then　the　fat　woman　in　the　cotton　dress　said　in　her　turn：　'Do　you　mean　to
call　us　thieves；　madame？'　　Explanations　followed　and　compliments　began　to
fly。　　Oh；　Lord！　　those　creatures　know　some　good　ones。　　They　shouted　so
loud　that　our　two　witnesses；　who　were　on　the　other　bank；　began　to　call
out　by　way　of　a　joke：　'Less　noise　over　there；　you　will　interfere　with
your　husbands'　fishing。'

〃The　fact　is　that　neither　the　little　man　nor　I　moved　any　more　than　if　we
had　been　two　tree　stumps。　　We　remained　there；　with　our　eyes　fixed　on　the
water；　as　if　we　had　heard　nothing；　but；　by　Jove！　we　heard　all　the　same。
'You　are　a　thief！　　You　are　nothing　better　than　a　tramp！　　You　are　a
regular　jade！'　and　so　on　and　so　on。　　A　sailor　could　not　have　said　more。

〃Suddenly　I　heard　a　noise　behind　me　and　turned　round。　　It　was　the　other
one；　the　fat　woman；　who　had　attacked　my　wife　with　her　parasol。　　Whack；
whack！　　Melie　got　two　of　them。　　But　she　was　furious；　and　she　hits　hard
when　she　is　in　a　rage。　　She　caught　the　fat　woman　by　the　hair　and　then
thump！　　thump！　　slaps　in　the　face　rained　down　like　ripe　plums。　　I　should
have　let　them　fight　it　out：　women　together；　men　together。　　It　does　not　do
to　mix　the　blows。　　But　the　little　man　in　the　linen　jacket　jumped　up　like
a　devil　and　was　going　to　rush　at　my　wife。　　Ah！　no；　no；　not　that；　my
friend！　　I　caught　the　gentleman　with　the　end　of　my　fist；　and　crash！
crash！　　One　on　the　nose；　the　other　in　the　stomach。　　He　threw　up　his　arms
and　legs　and　fell　on　his　back　into　the　river；　just　into　the　hole。

〃I　should　have　fished　him　out　most　certainly；　Monsieur　le　President；　if　I
had　had　time。　　But；　to　make　matters　worse；　the　fat　woman　had　the　upper
hand　and　was　pounding　Melie　for　all　she　was　worth。　　I　know　I　ought　not　to
have　interfered　while　the　man　was　in　the　water；　but　I　never　thought　that
he　would　drown　and　said　to　myself：　'Bah；　it　will　cool　him。'

〃I　therefore　ran　up　to　the　women　to　separate　them　and　all　I　received　was
scratches　and　bites。　　Good　Lord；　what　creatures！　　Well；　it　took　me　five
minutes；　and　perhaps　ten；　to　separate　those　two　viragos。　　When　I　turned
round　there　was　nothing　to　be　seen。

The　water　was　as　smooth　as　a　lake　and　the　others　yonder　kept　shouting：
'Fish　him　out！　fish　him　out！'　　It　was　all　very　well　to　say　that；　but　I
cannot　swim　and　still　less　dive。

〃At　last　the　man　from　the　dam　came　and　two　gentlemen　with　boathooks；　but
over　a　quarter　of　an　hour　had　passed。　　He　was　found　at　the　bottom　of　the
hole；　in　eight　feet　of　water；　as　I　have　said。　　There　he　was；　the　poor
little　man；　in　his　linen　suit！　　Those　are　the　facts　such　as　I　have　sworn
to。　　I　am　innocent；　on　my　honor。〃

The　witnesses　having　given　testimony　to　the　same　effect；　the　accused　was
acquitted。







THE　SPASM

The　hotel　guests　slowly　entered　the　dining…room　and　took　their　places。
The　waiters　did　not　hurry　themselves；　in　order　to　give　the　late　comers　a
chance　and　thus　avoid　the　trouble　of　bringing　in　the　dishes　a　second
time。　　The　old　bathers；　the　habitues；　whose　season　was　almost　over；
glanced；　gazed　toward　the　door　whenever　it　opened；　to　see　what　new　faces
might　appear。

This　is　the　principal　distraction　of　watering　places。　　People　look
forward　to　the　dinner　hour　in　order　to　inspect　each　day's　new　arrivals；
to　find　out　who　they　are；　what　they　do；　and　what　they　think。　　We　always
have　a　vague　desire　to　meet　pleasant　people；　to　make　agreeable
acquaintances；　perhaps　to　meet　with　a　love　adventure。　　In　this　life　of
elbowings；　unknown　strangers　assume　an　extreme　importance。　　Curiosity　is
aroused；　sympathy　is　ready　to　exhibit　itself；　and　sociability　is　the
order　of　the　day。

We　cherish　antipathies　for　a　week　and　friendships　for　a　month；　we　see
people　with　different　eyes；　when　we　view　them　through　the　medium　of
acquaintanceship　at　watering　places。　　We　discover　in　men　suddenly；　after
an　hour's　chat；　in　the　evening　after　dinner；　under　the　trees　in　the　park
where　the　healing　spring　bubbles　up；　a　high　intelligence　and　astonishing
merits；　and　a　month　afterward　we　have　completely　forgotten　these　new
friends；　who　were　so　fascinating　when　we　first　met　them。

Permanent　and　serious　ties　are　also　formed　here　sooner　than　anywhere
else。　　People　see　each　other　every　day；　they　become　acquainted　very
quickly；　and　their　affection　is　tinged　with　the　sweetness　and　unrestraint
of　long…standing　intimacies。　　We　cherish　in　after　years　the　dear　and
tender　memories　of　those　first　hours　of　friendship；　the　memory　of　those
first　conversations　in　which　a　soul　was　unveiled；　of　those　first　glances
which　interrogate　and　respond　to　questions　and　secret　thoughts　which　the
mouth　has　not　as　yet　uttered；　the　memory　of　that　first　cordial
confidence；　the　memory　of　that　delightful　sensation　of　opening　our　hearts
to　those　who　seem　to　open　theirs　to　us　in　return。

And　the　melancholy　of　watering　places；　the　monotony　of　days　that　are　all
alike；　proves　hourly　an　incentive　to　this　heart　expansion。

Well；　this　evening；　as　on　every　other　evening；　we　awaited　the　appearance
of　strange　faces。

Only　two　appeared；　but　they　were　very　remarkable；　a　man　and　a　woman
father　and　daughter。　　They　immediately　reminded　me　of　some　of　Edgar　Poe's
characters；　and　yet　there　was　about　them　a　charm；　the　charm　associated
with　misfortune。　　I　looked　upon　them　as　the　victims　of　fate。　　The　man　was
very　tall　and　thin；　rather　stooped；　with　perfectly　white　hair；　too　white
for　his　comparatively　youthful　physiognomy；　and　there　was　in　his　bearing
and　in　his　person　that　austerity　peculiar　to　Protestants。　　The　daughter；
who　was　probably　twenty…four　or　twenty…five；　was　small　in　stature；　and
was　also　very　thin；　very　pale；　and　she　had　the　air　of　one　who　was　worn
out　with　utter　lassitude。　　We　meet　people　like　this　from　time　to　time；
who　seem　too　weak　for　the　tasks　and