original short stories-8-第22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！


out　with　utter　lassitude。　　We　meet　people　like　this　from　time　to　time；
who　seem　too　weak　for　the　tasks　and　the　needs　of　daily　life；　too　weak　to
move　about；　to　walk；　to　do　all　that　we　do　every　day。　　She　was　rather
pretty；　with　a　transparent；　spiritual　beauty。　　And　she　ate　with　extreme
slowness；　as　if　she　were　almost　incapable　of　moving　her　arms。

It　must　have　been　she；　assuredly；　who　had　come　to　take　the　waters。

They　sat　facing　me；　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　table；　and　I　at　once
noticed　that　the　father　had　a　very　singular；　nervous　twitching。

Every　time　he　wanted　to　reach　an　object；　his　hand　described　a　sort　of
zigzag　before　it　succeeded　in　reaching　what　it　was　in　search　of；　and
after　a　little　while　this　movement　annoyed　me　so　that　I　turned　aside　my
head　in　order　not　to　see　it。

I　noticed；　too；　that　the　young　girl；　during　meals；　wore　a　glove　on　her
left　hand。

After　dinner　I　went　for　a　stroll　in　the　park　of　the　bathing
establishment。　　This　led　toward　the　little　Auvergnese　station　of　Chatel…
Guyon；　hidden　in　a　gorge　at　the　foot　of　the　high　mountain；　from　which
flowed　so　many　boiling　springs；　arising　from　the　deep　bed　of　extinct
volcanoes。　　Over　yonder；　above　our　heads；　the　domes　of　extinct　craters
lifted　their　ragged　peaks　above　the　rest　in　the　long　mountain　chain。　　For
Chatel…Guyon　is　situated　at　the　entrance　to　the　land　of　mountain　domes。

Beyond　it　stretches　out　the　region　of　peaks；　and；　farther　on　again　the
region　of　precipitous　summits。

The　〃Puy　de　Dome〃　is　the　highest　of　the　domes；　the　Peak　of　Sancy　is　the
loftiest　of　the　peaks；　and　Cantal　is　the　most　precipitous　of　these
mountain　heights。

It　was　a　very　warm　evening；　and　I　was　walking　up　and　down　a　shady　path；
listening　to　the　opening；　strains　of　the　Casino　band；　which　was　playing
on　an　elevation　overlooking　the　park。

And　I　saw　the　father　and　the　daughter　advancing　slowly　in　my　direction。
I　bowed　as　one　bows　to　one's　hotel　companions　at　a　watering　place；　and
the　man；　coming　to　a　sudden　halt；　said　to　me：

〃Could　you　not；　monsieur；　tell　us　of　a　nice　walk　to　take；　short；　pretty；
and　not　steep；　and　pardon　my　troubling　you？〃

I　offered　to　show　them　the　way　toward　the　valley　through　which　the　little
river　flowed；　a　deep　valley　forming　a　gorge　between　two　tall；　craggy；
wooded　slopes。

They　gladly　accepted　my　offer。

And　we　talked；　naturally；　about　the　virtue　of　the　waters。

〃Oh；〃　he　said；　〃my　daughter　has　a　strange　malady；　the　seat　of　which　is
unknown。　　She　suffers　from　incomprehensible　nervous　attacks。　　At　one　time
the　doctors　think　she　has　an　attack　of　heart　disease；　at　another　time
they　imagine　it　is　some　affection　of　the　liver；　and　at　another　they
declare　it　to　be　a　disease　of　the　spine。　　To…day　this　protean　malady；
that　assumes　a　thousand　forms　and　a　thousand　modes　of　attack；　is
attributed　to　the　stomach；　which　is　the　great　caldron　and　regulator　of
the　body。　　This　is　why　we　have　come　here。　　For　my　part；　I　am　rather
inclined　to　think　it　is　the　nerves。　　In　any　case　it　is　very　sad。〃

Immediately　the　remembrance　of　the　violent　spasmodic　movement　of　his　hand
came　back　to　my　mind；　and　I　asked　him：

〃But　is　this　not　the　result　of　heredity？　　Are　not　your　own　nerves
somewhat　affected？〃

He　replied　calmly：

〃Mine？　　Oh；　no…my　nerves　have　always　been　very　steady。〃

Then；　suddenly；　after　a　pause；　he　went　on：

〃Ah！　　You　were　alluding　to　the　jerking　movement　of　my　hand　every　time　I
try　to　reach　for　anything？　　This　arises　from　a　terrible　experience　which
I　had。　　Just　imagine；　this　daughter　of　mine　was　actually　buried　alive！〃

I　could　only　utter；　〃Ah！〃　so　great　were　my　astonishment　and　emotion。

He　continued：

〃Here　is　the　story。　　It　is　simple。　　Juliette　had　been　subject　for　some
time　to　serious　attacks　of　the　heart。　　We　believed　that　she　had　disease
of　that　organ；　and　were　prepared　for　the　worst。

〃One　day　she　was　carried　into　the　house　cold；　lifeless；　dead。　　She　had
fallen　down　unconscious　in　the　garden。　　The　doctor　certified　that　life
was　extinct。　　I　watched　by　her　side　for　a　day　and　two　nights。　　I　laid　her
with　my　own　hands　in　the　coffin；　which　I　accompanied　to　the　cemetery；
where　she　was　deposited　in　the　family　vault。　　It　is　situated　in　the　very
heart　of　Lorraine。

〃I　wished　to　have　her　interred　with　her　jewels；　bracelets；　necklaces；
rings；　all　presents　which　she　had　received　from　me；　and　wearing　her　first
ball　dress。

〃You　may　easily　imagine　my　state　of　mind　when　I　re…entered　our　home。
She　was　the　only　one　I　had；　for　my　wife　had　been　dead　for　many　years。
I　found　my　way　to　my　own　apartment　in　a　half…distracted　condition；
utterly　exhausted；　and　sank　into　my　easy…chair；　without　the　capacity　to
think　or　the　strength　to　move。　　I　was　nothing　better　now　than　a
suffering；　vibrating　machine；　a　human　being　who　had；　as　it　were；　been
flayed　alive；　my　soul　was　like　an　open　wound。

〃My　old　valet；　Prosper；　who　had　assisted　me　in　placing　Juliette　in　her
coffin；　and　aided　me　in　preparing　her　for　her　last　sleep；　entered　the
room　noiselessly；　and　asked：

〃'Does　monsieur　want　anything？'

〃I　merely　shook　my　head　in　reply。

〃'Monsieur　is　wrong；'　he　urged。　　'He　will　injure　his　health。　　Would
monsieur　like　me　to　put　him　to　bed？'

〃I　answered：　'No；　let　me　alone！'

〃And　he　left　the　room。

〃I　know　not　how　many　hours　slipped　away。　　Oh；　what　a　night；　what　a　night！
It　was　cold。　　My　fire　had　died　out　in　the　huge　grate；　and　the　wind；　the
winter　wind；　an　icy　wind；　a　winter　hurricane；　blew　with　a　regular；
sinister　noise　against　the　windows。

〃How　many　hours　slipped　away？　　There　I　was　without　sleeping；　powerless；
crushed；　my　eyes　wide　open；　my　legs　stretched　out；　my　body　limp；
inanimate；　and　my　mind　torpid　with　despair。　　Suddenly　the　great　doorbell；
the　great　bell　of　the　vestibule；　rang　out。

〃I　started　so　that　my　chair　cracked　under　me。　　The　solemn；　ponderous
sound　vibrated　through　the　empty　country　house　as　through　a　vault。
I　turned　round　to　see　what　the　hour　was　by　the　clock。　　It　was　just　two　in
the　morning。　　Who　could　be　coming　at　such　an　hour？

〃And；　abruptly；　the　bell　again　rang　twice。　　The　servants；　without　doubt；
were　afraid　to　get　up。　　I　took　a　wax　candle　and　descended　the　stairs。
I　was　on　the　point　of　asking：　'Who　is　there？'

〃Then　I　felt　ashamed　of　my　weakness；　and　I　slowly　drew　back　the　heavy
bolts。　　My　heart　was　throbbing　wildly。　　I　was　frightened。　　I　opened　the
door　brusquely；　and　in　the　darkness　I　distinguished　a　white　figure；
standing　erect；　something　that　resembled　an　apparition。

〃I　recoiled　petrified　with　horror；　faltering：

〃'Who…who…who　are　you？'

〃A　voice　replied：

〃'It　is　I；　father。'

〃It　was　my　daughter。

〃I　really　thought　I　must　be　mad；　and　I　retreated　backward　before　this
advancing　spectre。　　I　kept　moving　away；　making　a　sign　with　my　hand；'　as
if　to　drive　the　phantom　away；　that　gesture　which　you　have　noticedthat
gesture　which　has　remained　with　me　ever　since。

〃'Do　not　be　afraid；　papa；'　said　the　apparition。　　'I　was　not　dead。
Somebody　tried　to　steal　my　rings　and　cut　one　of　my　fingers；　the　blood
began　to　flow；　and　that　restored　me　to　life。'

〃And；　in　fact；　I　could　see　that　her　hand　was　covered　with　blood。

〃I　fell　on　my　knees；　choking　with　sobs　and　with　a　rattling　in　my　throat。

〃Then；　when　I　had　somewhat　collected　my　thoughts；　though　I　was　still　so
bewildered　that　I　scarcely　realized　the　awesome　happiness　that　had
befallen　me；　I　made　her　go　up　to　my　room　and　sit　dawn　in　my　easy…chair；
then　I　rang　excitedly　for　Prosper　to　get　him　to　rekindle　the　fire　and　to
bring　some　wine；　and　to　summon　assistance。

〃The　man　entered；　stared　at　my　daughter；　opened　his　mouth　with　a　gasp　of
alarm　and　stupefaction；　and　then　fell　back　dead。

〃It　was　he　who　had　opened　the　vault；　who　had　mutilated　and　then　abandoned
my　daughter；　for　he　could　not　efface　the　traces　of　the　theft。　　He　had　not
even　taken　the　trouble　to　put　back　the　coffin　into　its　place；　feeling
sure；　besides；　that　he　would　not　be　suspected　by　me；　as　I　trusted　him
absolutely。

〃You　see；　monsieur；　that　we　are　very　unfortunate　people。〃

He　was　silent。

The　night　had　fallen；　casting　its　shadows　over　the　desolate；　mournful
vale；　and　a　sort　of　mysterious　fear　possessed　me　at　finding