the village rector-第50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！


Curieux　to　him。　All　that　you　wished　has　been　done　immediately；　with
the　utmost　promptitude　and　devotion。　Three　months　hence　Catherine
Curieux　will　be　sent　to　you。〃

〃Where　is　she？〃　asked　Veronique。

〃She　is　now　in　the　hospital　Saint…Louis；〃　replied　the　old　man；　〃they
are　awaiting　her　recovery　before　sending　her　from　Paris。〃

〃Ah！　is　the　poor　girl　ill？〃

〃You　will　find　all　necessary　information　in　these　papers；〃　said
Grossetete；　giving　Veronique　a　packet。

Madame　Graslin　returned　to　her　guests　to　conduct　them　into　the
magnificent　dining…room　on　the　ground…floor。　She　sat　at　table；　but　did
not　herself　take　part　in　the　dinner；　since　her　arrival　at　Montegnac
she　had　made　it　a　rule　to　take　her　meals　alone；　and　Aline；　who　knew
the　reason　of　this　withdrawal；　faithfully　kept　the　secret　of　it　till
her　mistress　was　in　danger　of　death。

The　mayor；　the　/juge　de　paix/；　and　the　doctor　of　Montegnac　had　been
invited。

The　doctor；　a　young　man　twenty…seven　years　of　age；　named　Roubaud；　was
extremely　desirous　of　knowing　a　woman　so　celebrated　in　Limoges。　The
rector　was　all　the　more　pleased　to　present　him　at　the　chateau　because
he　wanted　to　gather　a　little　society　around　Veronique　to　distract　her
mind　and　give　it　food。　Roubaud　was　one　of　those　thoroughly　well…
trained　young　physicians　whom　the　Ecole　de　Medecine　in　Paris　sends
forth　to　the　profession。　He　would　undoubtedly　have　shone　on　the　vast
stage　of　the　capital；　but　frightened　by　the　clash　of　ambitions　in
Paris；　and　knowing　himself　more　capable　than　pushing；　more　learned
than　intriguing；　his　gentle　disposition　led　him　to　choose　the　narrow
career　of　the　provinces；　where　he　hoped　to　be　sooner　appreciated　than
in　Paris。

At　Limoges；　Roubaud　came　in　contact　with　the　settled　practice　of　the
regular　physicians　and　the　habits　of　the　people；　he　therefore　let
himself　be　persuaded　by　Monsieur　Bonnet；　who；　judging　by　the　gentle
and　winning　expression　of　his　face；　thought　him　well…suited　to
co…operate　in　his　own　work　at　Montegnac。　Roubaud　was　small　and　fair；
his　general　appearance　was　rather　insipid；　but　his　gray　eyes　betrayed
the　depths　of　the　physiologist　and　the　patient　tenacity　of　a　studious
man。　There　was　no　physician　in　Montegnac　except　an　old　army…surgeon；
more　devoted　to　his　cellar　than　to　his　patients；　and　too　old　to
continue　with　any　vigor　the　hard　life　of　a　country　doctor。　At　the
present　time　he　was　dying。

Roubaud　had　been　in　Montegnac　about　eighteen　months；　and　was　much
liked　there。　But　this　young　pupil　of　Desplein　and　the　successors　of
Cabanis　did　not　believe　in　Catholicism。　He　lived　in　a　state　of
profound　indifference　as　to　religion；　and　did　not　desire　to　come　out
of　it。　The　rector　was　in　despair。　Not　that　Roubaud　did　any　wrong；　he
never　spoke　against　religion；　and　his　duties　were　excuse　enough　for
his　absence　from　church；　besides；　he　was　incapable　of　trying　to
undermine　the　faith　of　others；　and　indeed　behaved　outwardly　as　the
best　of　Catholics；　he　simply　prohibited　himself　from　thinking　of　a
problem　which　he　considered　above　the　range　of　human　thought。　When　the
rector　heard　him　say　that　pantheism　had　been　the　religion　of　all　great
minds　he　set　him　down　as　inclining　to　the　doctrine　of　Pythagoras　on
reincarnation。

Roubaud；　who　saw　Madame　Graslin　for　the　first　time；　experienced　a
violent　sensation　when　he　met　her。　Science　revealed　to　him　in　her
expression；　her　attitude；　in　the　ravages　of　her　face；　untold
sufferings　both　moral　and　physical；　a　nature　of　almost　superhuman
force；　great　faculties　which　would　support　her　under　the　most
conflicting　trials；　he　detected　all；even　the　darkest　corners　of　that
nature　so　carefully　hidden。　He　felt　that　some　evil；　some　malady；　was
devouring　the　heart　of　that　fine　creature；　for　just　as　the　color　of　a
fruit　shows　the　presence　of　a　worm　within　it；　so　certain　tints　in　the
human　face　enable　physicians　to　detect　a　poisoning　thought。

From　this　moment　Monsieur　Roubaud　attached　himself　so　deeply　to　Madame
Graslin　that　he　became　afraid　of　loving　her　beyond　the　permitted　line
of　simple　friendship。　The　brow；　the　bearing；　above　all；　the　glance　of
Veronique's　eye　had　a　sort　of　eloquence　that　men　invariably
understand；　it　said　as　plainly　that　she　was　dead　to　love　as　other
women　say　the　contrary　by　a　reversal　of　the　same　eloquence。　The　doctor
suddenly　vowed　to　her；　in　his　heart；　a　chivalrous　worship。

He　exchanged　a　rapid　glance　with　the　rector；　who　thought　to　himself；
〃Here's　the　thunderbolt　which　will　convert　my　poor　unbeliever；　Madame
Graslin　will　have　more　eloquence　than　I。〃

The　mayor；　an　old　countryman；　amazed　at　the　luxury　of　this　dining…room
and　surprised　to　find　himself　dining　with　one　of　the　richest　men　in
the　department；　had　put　on　his　best　clothes；　which　rather　hampered
him；　and　this　increased　his　mental　awkwardness。　Moreover；　Madame
Graslin　in　her　mourning　garments　seemed　to　him　very　imposing；　he　was
therefore　mute。　After　living　all　his　life　as　a　farmer　at　Saint…
Leonard；　he　had　bought　the　only　habitable　house　in　Montegnac　and
cultivated　with　his　own　hands　the　land　belonging　to　it。　Though　he　knew
how　to　read　and　write；　he　would　have　been　incapable　of　fulfilling　his
functions　were　it　not　for　the　help　of　his　clerk　and　the　/juge　de
paix/；　who　prepared　his　work　for　him。　He　was　very　anxious　to　have　a
notary　established　in　Montegnac；　in　order　that　he　might　shift　the
burden　of　his　responsibility　on　to　that　officer's　shoulders。　But　the
poverty　of　the　village　and　its　outlying　districts　made　such　a
functionary　almost　useless；　and　the　inhabitants　had　recourse　when
necessary　to　the　notaries　of　the　chief　town　of　the　arrondissement。

The　/juge　de　paix/；　named　Clousier；　was　formerly　a　lawyer　in　Limoges；
where　cases　had　deserted　him　because　he　insisted　on　putting　into
practice　that　fine　axiom　that　the　lawyer　is　the　best　judge　of　the
client　and　the　case。　In　1809　he　obtained　his　present　post；　the　meagre
salary　of　which　just　enabled　him　to　live。　He　had　now　reached　a　stage
of　honorable　but　absolute　poverty。　After　a　residence　of　twenty…one
years　in　this　poor　village　the　worthy　man；　thoroughly　countrified；
looked；　top…coat　and　all；　exactly　like　the　farmers　about　him。

Under　this　coarse　exterior　Clousier　hid　a　clear…sighted　mind；　given　to
lofty　meditation　on　public　policy；　though　he　himself　had　fallen　into　a
state　of　complete　indifference；　derived　from　his　intimate　knowledge　of
men　and　their　interests。　This　man；　who　baffled　for　a　long　time　the
rector's　perspicacity　and　who　might　in　a　higher　sphere　have　proved
another　l'Hopital；　incapable　of　intrigue　like　all　really　profound
persons；　was　by　this　time　living　in　the　contemplative　state　of　an
ancient　hermit。　Independent　through　privation；　no　personal
consideration　acted　on　his　mind；　he　knew　the　laws　and　judged
impartially。　His　life；　reduced　to　the　merest　necessaries；　was　pure　and
regular。　The　peasants　loved　Monsieur　Clousier　and　respected　him　for
the　disinterested　fatherly　care　with　which　he　settled　their
differences　and　gave　them　advice　in　their　daily　affairs。　The　〃goodman
Clousier〃　as　all　Montegnac　called　him；　had　a　nephew　with　him　as　clerk；
an　intelligent　young　man；　who　afterwards　contributed　much　to　the
prosperity　of　the　district。

Old　Clousier's　personal　appearance　was　remarkable　for　a　broad；　high
forehead　and　two　bushes　of　white　hair　which　stood　out　from　his　head　on
either　side　of　it。　His　highly　colored　complexion　and　well…developed
corpulence　might　have　made　persons　think；　in　spite　of　his　actual
sobriety；　that　he　cultivated　Bacchus　as　well　as　Troplong　and　Toullier。
His　half…extinct　voice　was　the　sign　of　an　oppressive　asthma。　Perhaps
the　dry　air　of　Montegnac　had　contributed　to　fix　him　there。　He　lived　in
a　house　arranged　for　him　by　a　well…to…do　cobbler　to　whom　it　belonged。
Clousier　had　already　seen　Veronique　at　church；　and　he　had　formed　his
opinion　of　her　without　communicating　it　to　any　one；　not　even　to
Monsieur　Bonnet；　with　whom　he　was　beginning　to　be　intimate。　For　the
first　time　in　his　life　the　/juge　de　paix/　was　to　be　thrown　in　with
persons　able　to　appreciate　him。

When　the　company　were　seated　round　a　table　handsomely　appointed　（for
Veronique　had　sent　all　her　household　belongings　from　Limoges　to