the village rector-第4章

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but　one　child；　he　doesn't　mind。　The　little　we　own　will　all　go　to　her。〃

〃The　little！　Why；　you　must　be　rich；　pere　Sauviat！　It　is　pretty　nigh
forty　years　that　you　have　been　doing　a　business　in　which　there　are　no
losses。〃

〃Ha！　I　sha'n't　go　to　the　poorhouse　for　want　of　a　thousand　francs　or
so！〃　replied　the　old…iron　dealer。

From　the　day　when　Veronique　lost　the　soft　beauty　which　made　her
girlish　face　the　admiration　of　all　who　saw　it；　Pere　Sauviat　redoubled
in　activity。　His　business　became　so　prosperous　that　he　now　went　to
Paris　several　times　a　year。　Every　one　felt　that　he　wanted　to
compensate　his　daughter　by　force　of　money　for　what　he　called　her　〃loss
of　profit。〃　When　Veronique　was　fifteen　years　old　a　change　was　made　in
the　internal　manners　and　customs　of　the　household。　The　father　and
mother　went　upstairs　in　the　evenings　to　their　daughter's　apartment；
where　Veronique　would　read　to　them；　by　the　light　of　a　lamp　placed
behind　a　glass　globe　full　of　water；　the　〃Vie　des　Saints；〃　the　〃Lettres
Edifiantes；〃　and　other　books　lent　by　the　vicar。　Madame　Sauviat　knitted
stockings；　feeling　that　she　thus　recouped　herself　for　the　cost　of　oil。
The　neighbors　could　see　through　the　window　the　old　couple　seated
motionless　in　their　armchairs；　like　Chinese　images；　listening　to　their
daughter；　and　admiring　her　with　all　the　powers　of　their　contracted
minds；　obtuse　to　everything　that　was　not　business　or　religious　faith。



II

VERONIQUE

There　are；　no　doubt；　many　young　girls　in　the　world　as　pure　as
Veronique；　but　none　purer　or　more　modest。　Her　confessions　might　have
surprised　the　angels　and　rejoiced　the　Blessed　Virgin。

At　sixteen　years　of　age　she　was　fully　developed；　and　appeared　the
woman　she　was　eventually　to　become。　She　was　of　medium　height；　neither
her　father　nor　her　mother　being　tall；　but　her　figure　was　charming　in
its　graceful　suppleness；　and　in　the　serpentine　curves　laboriously
sought　by　painters　and　sculptors；curves　which　Nature　herself　draws
so　delicately　with　her　lissom　outlines；　revealed　to　the　eye　of　artists
in　spite　of　swathing　linen　and　thick　clothes；　which　mould　themselves；
inevitably；　upon　the　nude。　Sincere；　simple；　and　natural；　Veronique　set
these　beauties　of　her　form　into　relief　by　movements　that　were　wholly
free　from　affectation。　She　brought　out　her　〃full　and　complete　effect；〃
if　we　may　borrow　that　strong　term　from　legal　phraseology。　She　had　the
plump　arms　of　the　Auvergnat　women；　the　red　and　dimpled　hand　of　a
barmaid；　and　her　strong　but　well…shaped　feet　were　in　keeping　with　the
rest　of　her　figure。

At　times　there　seemed　to　pass　within　her　a　marvellous　and　delightful
phenomenon　which　promised　to　Love　a　woman　concealed　thus　far　from
every　eye。　This　phenomenon　was　perhaps　one　cause　of　the　admiration　her
father　and　mother　felt　for　her　beauty；　which　they　often　declared　to　be
divine；to　the　great　astonishment　of　their　neighbors。　The　first　to
remark　it　were　the　priests　of　the　cathedral　and　the　worshippers　with
her　at　the　same　altar。　When　a　strong　emotion　took　possession　of
Veronique；and　the　religious　exaltation　to　which　she　yielded　herself
on　receiving　the　communion　must　be　counted　among　the　strongest
emotions　of　so　pure　and　candid　a　young　creature；an　inward　light
seemed　to　efface　for　the　moment　all　traces　of　the　small…pox。　The　pure
and　radiant　face　of　her　childhood　reappeared　in　its　pristine　beauty。
Though　slightly　veiled　by　the　thickened　surface　disease　had　laid
there；　it　shone　with　the　mysterious　brilliancy　of　a　flower　blooming
beneath　the　water　of　the　sea　when　the　sun　is　penetrating　it。　Veronique
was　changed　for　a　few　moments；　the　Little　Virgin　reappeared　and　then
disappeared　again；　like　a　celestial　vision。　The　pupils　of　her　eyes；
gifted　with　the　power　of　great　expansion；　widened　until　they　covered
the　whole　surface　of　the　blue　iris　except　for　a　tiny　circle。　Thus　the
metamorphose　of　the　eye；　which　became　as　keen　and　vivid　as　that　of　an
eagle；　completed　the　extraordinary　change　in　the　face。　Was　it　the
storm　of　restrained　passions；　was　it　some　power　coming　from　the　depths
of　the　soul；　which　enlarged　the　pupils　in　full　daylight　as　they
sometimes　in　other　eyes　enlarge　by　night；　darkening　the　azure　of　those
celestial　orbs？

However　that　may　be；　it　was　impossible　to　look　indifferently　at
Veronique　as　she　returned　to　her　seat　from　the　altar　where　she　had
united　herself　with　God；a　moment　when　she　appeared　to　all　the　parish
in　her　primitive　splendor。　At　such　moments　her　beauty　eclipsed　that　of
the　most　beautiful　of　women。　What　a　charm　was　there　for　the　man　who
loved　her；　guarding　jealously　that　veil　of　flesh　which　hid　the　woman's
soul　from　every　eye；a　veil　which　the　hand　of　love　might　lift　for　an
instant　and　then　let　drop　over　conjugal　delights！　Veronique's　lips
were　faultlessly　curved　and　painted　in　the　clear　vermilion　of　her　pure
warm　blood。　Her　chin　and　the　lower　part　of　her　face　were　a　little
heavy；　in　the　acceptation　given　by　painters　to　that　term；a　heaviness
which　is；　according　to　the　relentless　laws　of　physiognomy；　the
indication　of　an　almost　morbid　vehemence　in　passion。　She　had　above　her
brow；　which　was　finely　modelled　and　almost　imperious；　a　magnificent
diadem　of　hair；　voluminous；　redundant；　and　now　of　a　chestnut　color。

From　the　age　of　sixteen　to　the　day　of　her　marriage　Veronique's　bearing
was　always　thoughtful；　and　sometimes　melancholy。　Living　in　such　deep
solitude；　she　was　forced；　like　other　solitary　persons；　to　examine　and
consider　the　spectacle　of　that　which　went　on　within　her；the　progress
of　her　thought；　the　variety　of　the　images　in　her　mind；　and　the　scope
of　feelings　warmed　and　nurtured　in　a　life　so　pure。

Those　who　looked　up　from　their　lower　level　as　they　passed　along　the
rue　de　la　Cite　might　have　seen；　on　all　fine　days；　the　daughter　of　the
Sauviats　sitting　at　her　open　window；　sewing；　embroidering；　or　pricking
the　needle　through　the　canvas　of　her　worsted…work；　with　a　look　that
was　often　dreamy。　Her　head　was　vividly　defined　among　the　flowers　which
poetized　the　brown　and　crumbling　sills　of　her　casement　windows　with
their　leaded　panes。　Sometimes　the　reflection　of　the　red　damask　window…
curtains　added　to　the　effect　of　that　head；　already　so　highly　colored；
like　a　crimson　flower　she　glowed　in　the　aerial　garden　so　carefully
trained　upon　her　window…sill。

The　quaint　old　house　possessed　therefore　something　more　quaint　than
itself；the　portrait　of　a　young　girl　worthy　of　Mieris；　or　Van　Ostade；
or　Terburg；　or　Gerard　Douw；　framed　in　one　of　those　old；　defaced；　half
ruined　windows　the　brushes　of　the　old　Dutch　painters　loved　so　well。
When　some　stranger；　surprised　or　interested　by　the　building；　stopped
before　it　and　gazed　at　the　second　story；　old　Sauviat　would　poke　his
head　beyond　the　overhanging　projection；　certain　that　he　should　see　his
daughter　at　her　window。　Then　he　would　retreat　into　the　shop　rubbing
his　hands　and　saying　to　his　wife　in　the　Auvergne　vernacular：

〃Hey！　old　woman；　they're　admiring　your　daughter！〃

In　1820　an　incident　occurred　in　the　simple　uneventful　life　the　girl
was　leading；　which　might　have　had　no　importance　in　the　life　of　any
other　young　woman；　but　which；　in　point　of　fact；　did　no　doubt　exercise
over　Veronique's　future　a　terrible　influence。

On　one　of　the　suppressed　church　fete…days；　when　many　persons　went
about　their　daily　labor；　though　the　Sauviats　scrupulously　closed　their
shop；　attended　mass；　and　took　a　walk；　Veronique　passed；　on　their　way
to　the　fields；　a　bookseller's　stall　on　which　lay　a　copy　of　〃Paul　and
Virginia。〃　She　had　a　fancy　to　buy　it　for　the　sake　of　the　engraving；
and　her　father　paid　a　hundred　sous　for　the　fatal　volume；　which　he　put
into　the　pocket　of　his　coat。

〃Wouldn't　it　be　well　to　show　that　book　to　Monsieur　le　vicaire　before
you　read　it？〃　said　her　mother；　to　whom　all　printed　books　were　a　sealed
mystery。

〃I　thought　of　it；〃　answered　Veronique。

The　girl　passed　the　whole　night　reading　the　story；one　of　the　most
touching　bits　of　writing　in　the　French　language。　The　picture　of　mutual
love；　half　Biblical　and　worthy　of　the　earlier　ages　of　the　world；
ravaged　her　heart。　A　handwas　it　divine　or　devilish？raised　the　veil
which；　till　then；　had　hidden　nature　from　her。　The　Little　Virgin　still