雨果 悲惨世界 英文版1-第39部分

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nown　to　be　rich；　〃people　in　society〃　bowed　to　him；　and　he　received　invitations　in　the　town；　he　was　called；　in　town；　Monsieur　Madeleine；　his　workmen　and　the　children　continued　to　call　him　Father　Madeleine；　and　that　was　what　was　most　adapted　to　make　him　smile。　In　proportion　as　he　mounted；　throve；　invitations　rained　down　upon　him。　〃Society〃　claimed　him　for　its　own。
　　The　prim　little　drawing…rooms　on　M。　sur　M。；　which；　of　course；　had　at　first　been　closed　to　the　artisan；　opened　both　leaves　of　their　folding…doors　to　the　millionnaire。　They　made　a　thousand　advances　to　him。
　　He　refused。
　　This　time　the　good　gossips　had　no　trouble。
　　〃He　is　an　ignorant　man；　of　no　education。
　　No　one　knows　where　he　came　from。
　　He　would　not　know　how　to　behave　in　society。
　　It　has　not　been　absolutely　proved　that　he　knows　how　to　read。〃
　　When　they　saw　him　making　money；　they　said；　〃He　is　a　man　of　business。〃　When　they　saw　him　scattering　his　money　about；　they　said；　〃He　is　an　ambitious　man。〃
　　When　he　was　seen　to　decline　honors；　they　said；　〃He　is　an　adventurer。〃
　　When　they　saw　him　repulse　society；　they　said；　〃He　is　a　brute。〃
　　In　1820；　five　years　after　his　arrival　in　M。　sur　M。；　the　services　which　he　had　rendered　to　the　district　were　so　dazzling；　the　opinion　of　the　whole　country　round　about　was　so　unanimous；　that　the　King　again　appointed　him　mayor　of　the　town。
　　He　again　declined；　but　the　prefect　resisted　his　refusal；　all　the　notabilities　of　the　place　came　to　implore　him；　the　people　in　the　street　besought　him；　the　urging　was　so　vigorous　that　he　ended　by　accepting。　It　was　noticed　that　the　thing　which　seemed　chiefly　to　bring　him　to　a　decision　was　the　almost　irritated　apostrophe　addressed　to　him　by　an　old　woman　of　the　people；　who　called　to　him　from　her　threshold；　in　an　angry　way：
　　〃A　good　mayor　is　a　useful　thing。
　　Is　he　drawing　back　before　the　good　which　he　can　do？〃
　　This　was　the　third　phase　of　his　ascent。
　　Father　Madeleine　had　bee　Monsieur　Madeleine。
　　Monsieur　Madeleine　became　Monsieur　le　Maire。


BOOK　FIFTH。THE　DESCENT
CHAPTER　III　
　　SUMS　DEPOSITED　WITH　LAFFITTE
　　　On　the　other　hand；　he　remained　as　simple　as　on　the　first　day。　He　had　gray　hair；　a　serious　eye；　the　sunburned　plexion　of　a　laborer；　the　thoughtful　visage　of　a　philosopher。
　　He　habitually　wore　a　hat　with　a　wide　brim；　and　a　long　coat　of　coarse　cloth；　buttoned　to　the　chin。　He　fulfilled　his　duties　as　mayor；　but；　with　that　exception；　he　lived　in　solitude。
　　He　spoke　to　but　few　people。
　　He　avoided　polite　attentions；　he　escaped　quickly；　he　smiled　to　relieve　himself　of　the　necessity　of　talking；　he　gave；　in　order　to　get　rid　of　the　necessity　for　smiling；　The　women　said　of　him；　〃What　a　good…natured　bear！〃
　　His　pleasure　consisted　in　strolling　in　the　fields。
　　He　always　took　his　meals　alone；　with　an　open　book　before　him；　which　he　read。
　　He　had　a　well…selected　little　library。
　　He　loved　books；　books　are　cold　but　safe　friends。
　　In　proportion　as　leisure　came　to　him　with　fortune；　he　seemed　to　take　advantage　of　it　to　cultivate　his　mind。
　　It　had　been　observed　that；　ever　since　his　arrival　at　M。　sur　M。。　his　language　had　grown　more　polished；　more　choice；　and　more　gentle　with　every　passing　year。
　　He　liked　to　carry　a　gun　with　him　on　his　strolls；　but　he　rarely　made　use　of　it。　When　he　did　happen　to　do　so；　his　shooting　was　something　so　infallible　as　to　inspire　terror。
　　He　never　killed　an　inoffensive　animal。　He　never　shot　at　a　little　bird。
　　Although　he　was　no　longer　young；　it　was　thought　that　he　was　still　prodigiously　strong。
　　He　offered　his　assistance　to　any　one　who　was　in　need　of　it；　lifted　a　horse；　released　a　wheel　clogged　in　the　mud；　or　stopped　a　runaway　bull　by　the　horns。
　　He　always　had　his　pockets　full　of　money　when　he　went　out；　but　they　were　empty　on　his　return。　When　he　passed　through　a　village；　the　ragged　brats　ran　joyously　after　him；　and　surrounded　him　like　a　swarm　of　gnats。
　　It　was　thought　that　he　must；　in　the　past；　have　lived　a　country　life；　since　he　knew　all　sorts　of　useful　secrets；　which　he　taught　to　the　peasants。
　　He　taught　them　how　to　destroy　scurf　on　wheat；　by　sprinkling　it　and　the　granary　and　inundating　the　cracks　in　the　floor　with　a　solution　of　mon　salt；　and　how　to　chase　away　weevils　by　hanging　up　orviot　in　bloom　everywhere；　on　the　walls　and　the　ceilings；　among　the　grass　and　in　the　houses。
　　He　had　〃recipes〃　for　exterminating　from　a　field；　blight；　tares；　foxtail；　and　all　parasitic　growths　which　destroy　the　wheat。　He　defended　a　rabbit　warren　against　rats；　simply　by　the　odor　of　a　guinea…pig　which　he　placed　in　it。
　　One　day　he　saw　some　country　people　busily　engaged　in　pulling　up　nettles；　he　examined　the　plants；　which　were　uprooted　and　already　dried；　and　said：
　　〃They　are　dead。
　　Nevertheless；　it　would　be　a　good　thing　to　know　how　to　make　use　of　them。
　　When　the　nettle　is　young；　the　leaf　makes　an　excellent　vegetable；　when　it　is　older；　it　has　filaments　and　fibres　like　hemp　and　flax。
　　Nettle　cloth　is　as　good　as　linen　cloth。　Chopped　up；　nettles　are　good　for　poultry；　pounded；　they　are　good　for　horned　cattle。
　　The　seed　of　the　nettle；　mixed　with　fodder；　gives　gloss　to　the　hair　of　animals；　the　root；　mixed　with　salt；　produces　a　beautiful　yellow　coloring…matter。　Moreover；　it　is　an　excellent　hay；　which　can　be　cut　twice。
　　And　what　is　required　for　the　nettle？
　　A　little　soil；　no　care；　no　culture。
　　Only　the　seed　falls　as　it　is　ripe；　and　it　is　difficult　to　collect　it。
　　That　is　all。　With　the　exercise　of　a　little　care；　the　nettle　could　be　made　useful；　it　is　neglected　and　it　bees　hurtful。
　　It　is　exterminated。
　　How　many　men　resemble　the　nettle！〃
　　He　added；　after　a　pause：
　　〃Remember　this；　my　friends：
　　there　are　no　such　things　as　bad　plants　or　bad　men。　There　are　only　bad　cultivators。〃
　　The　children　loved　him　because　he　knew　how　to　make　charming　little　trifles　of　straw　and　cocoanuts。
　　When　he　saw　the　door　of　a　church　hung　in　black；　he　entered：　he　sought　out　funerals　as　other　men　seek　christenings。
　　Widowhood　and　the　grief　of　others　attracted　him；　because　of　his　great　gentleness；　he　mingled　with　the　friends　clad　in　mourning；　with　families　dressed　in　black；　with　the　priests　groaning　around　a　coffin。　He　seemed　to　like　to　give　to　his　thoughts　for　text　these　funereal　psalmodies　filled　with　the　vision　of　the　other　world。
　　With　his　eyes　fixed　on　heaven；　he　listened　with　a　sort　of　aspiration　towards　all　the　mysteries　of　the　infinite；　those　sad　voices　which　sing　on　the　verge　of　the　obscure　abyss　of　death。
　　He　performed　a　multitude　of　good　actions；　concealing　his　agency　in　them　as　a　man　conceals　himself　because　of　evil　actions。
　　He　penetrated　houses　privately；　at　night；　he　ascended　staircases　furtively。　A　poor　wretch　on　returning　to　his　attic　would　find　that　his　door　had　been　opened；　sometimes　even　forced；　during　his　absence。　The　poor　man　made　a　clamor　over　it：
　　some　malefactor　had　been　there！　He　entered；　and　the　first　thing　he　beheld　was　a　piece　of　gold　lying　forgotten　on　some　piece　of　furniture。
　　The　〃malefactor〃　who　had　been　there　was　Father　Madeleine。
　　He　was　affable　and　sad。
　　The　people　said：
　　〃There　is　a　rich　man　who　has　not　a　haughty　air。
　　There　is　a　happy　man　who　has　not　a　contented　air。〃
　　Some　people　maintained　that　he　was　a　mysterious　person；　and　that　no　one　ever　entered　his　chamber；　which　was　a　regular　anchorite's　cell；　furnished　with　winged　hour…glasses　and　enlivened　by　cross…bones　and　skulls　of　dead　men！
　　This　was　much　talked　of；　so　that　one　of　the　elegant　and　malicious　young　women　of　M。　sur　M。　came　to　him　one　day；　and　asked：
　　〃Monsieur　le　Maire；　pray　show　us　your　chamber。　It　is　said　to　be　a　grotto。〃
　　He　smiled；　and　introduced　them　instantly　into　this　〃grotto。〃
　　They　were　well　punished　for　their　curiosity。　The　room　was　very　simply　furnished　in　mahogany；　which　was　rather　ugly；　like　all　furniture　of　that　sort；　and　hung　with　paper　worth　twelve　sous。　They　could　see　nothing　remarkable　about　it；　except　two　candlesticks　of　antique　pattern　which　stood　on　the　chimney…piece　and　appeared　to　be　silver；　〃for　they　were　hall…marked；〃　an　observation　full　of　the　type　of　wit　of　petty　towns。
　　Nevertheless；　people　continued　to　say　that　no　one　ever　got　into　the　room；　and　that　it　was　a　hermit's　cave；　a　mysterious　retreat；　a　hole；　a　tomb。
　　It　was　also　whispered　about　that　he　had　〃immense〃　sums　deposited　with　Laffitte；　with　this　peculiar　feature；　that　they　were　always　at　his　immediate　disposal；　so　that；　it　was　added；　M。　Madeleine　could　make　his　appearance　at　Laffitte's　any　morning；　sign　a　receipt；　and　carry　off　his　two　or　three　millions　in　ten　minutes。
　　In　reality；　〃these　two　or　three　millions〃　were　reducible；　as　we　have　said；　to　six　hundred　and　thirty　or　forty　thousand　francs。


BOOK　FIFTH。THE　DESCENT
CHAPTER　IV　
　　M。　MADELEINE　IN　MOURNING
　　　At　the　beginning　of　1820　the　newspapers　announced　the　death　of　M。　Myriel；　Bishop　of　D；　surnamed　〃Monseigneur　Bienvenu；〃　who　had　died　in　the　odor　of　sanctity　at　the　age　of　eighty…two。
　　The　Bishop　of　D　to　supply　here　a　detail　which　the　papers　omitted　had　been　blind　for　many　years　before　his　death；　and　content　to　be　blind；　as　his　sister　was　beside　him。
　　Let　us　remark　by　the　way；　that　to　be　blind　and　to　be　loved；　is；　in　fact；　one　of　the　most　strangely　exquisite　forms　of　happiness　upon　this　earth；　where　nothing　is　plete。
　　To　have　continually　at　one's　side　a　woman；　a　daughter；　a　sister；　a　charming　being；　who　is　there　because　you　need　her　and　because　she　cannot　do　without　you；　to　know　that　we　are　indispensable　to　a　person　who　is　necessary　to　us；　to　be　able　to　incessantly　measure　one's　affection　by　the　amount　of　her　presence　which　she　bestows　on　us；　and　to　say　to　ourselves；　〃Since　she　consecrates　the　whole　of　her　time　to　me；　it　is　because　I　possess　the　whole　of　her　heart〃；　to　behold　her　thought　in　lieu　of　her　face；　to　be　able　to　verify　the　fidelity　of　one　being　amid　the　eclipse　of　the　world；　to　regard　the　rustle　of　a　gown　as　the　sound　of　wings；　to　hear　her　e　and　go；　retire；　speak；　return；　sing；　and　to　think　that　one　is　the　centre　of　these　steps；　of　this　speech；　to　manifest　at　each　instant　one's　personal　attraction；　to　feel　one's　self　all　the　more　powerful　beca