selected writings of guy de maupassant(莫伯桑作品选)-第42部分

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knew　the　road；　he　acted　as　our　guide。

〃It　had　ceased　snowing；　the　stars　appeared；　and　the　cold　became
intense。　The　girl；　who　was　leaning　on　her　father's　arm；　walked
wearily　and　with　jerks；　and　several　times　she　murmured：

〃　'I　have　no　feeling　at　all　in　my　feet。'　I　suffered　more　than　she
did；　I　believe；　to　see　that　poor　little　woman　dragging　herself
like　that　through　the　snow。　But　suddenly　she　stopped；　and　said：

〃　'Father；　I　am　so　tired　that　I　cannot　go　any　further。'

〃The　old　man　wanted　to　carry　her；　but　he　could　not　even　lift　her
up；　and　she　fell　on　the　ground　with　a　deep　sigh。　We　all　came
round　her；　and　as　for　me；　I　stamped　on　the　ground；　not　knowing
what　to　do；　quite　unable　to　make　up　my　mind　to　abandon　that　man
and　girl　like　that。　Suddenly　one　of　the　soldiers；　a　Parisian；
whom　they　had　nicknamed　'Pratique；'　said：

〃　'Come；　comrades；　we　must　carry　the　young　lady；　otherwise　we
shall　not　show　ourselves　Frenchmen；　confound　it！'

〃I　really　believe　that　I　swore　with　pleasure；　and　said：　'That　is
very　good　of　you；　my　children；　I　will　take　my　share　of　the
burden。'

〃We　could　indistinctly　see　the　trees　of　a　little　wood　on　the
left；　through　the　darkness。　Several　men　went　into　it；　and　soon
came　back　with　a　bundle　of　branches　twisted　into　a　litter。

〃　'Who　will　lend　his　cloak？　It　is　for　a　pretty　girl；　comrades；'
Pratique　said；　and　ten　cloaks　were　thrown　to　him。　In　a　moment；
the　girl　was　lying；　warm　and　comfortable；　among　them；　and　was
raised　upon　six　shoulders。　I　placed　myself　at　their　head；　on　the
right；　and　very　pleased　I　was　with　my　charge。

〃We　started　off　much　more　briskly；　as　if　we　had　been　having　a
drink　of　wine；　and　I　even　heard　a　few　jokes。　A　woman　is　quite
enough　to　electrify　Frenchmen；　you　see。　The　soldiers；　who　were
reanimated　and　warm；　had　almost　reformed　their　ranks；　and　an　old
franc…tireur＇2＇　who　was　following　the　litter；　waiting　for　his
turn　to　replace　the　first　of　his　comrades　who　might　give　in；　said
to　one　of　his　neighbors；　loud　enough　for　me　to　hear：

＇2＇　Volunteers；　in　the　Franco…German　war　of　1870…71；　of　whom　the
Germans　often　made　short　work　when　caught。

〃　'I　am　not　a　young　man；　now；　but　by　Jove；　there　is　nothing　like
a　woman　to　make　you　feel　queer　from　head　to　foot！'

〃We　went　on；　almost　without　stopping；　until　three　o'clock　in　the
morning；　when　suddenly　our　scouts　fell　back　again。　Soon　the　whole
detachment　showed　nothing　but　a　vague　shadow　on　the　ground；　as
the　men　lay　on　the　snow；　and　I　gave　my　orders　in　a　low　voice；　and
heard　the　harsh；　metallic　sound　of　the　cocking　of　rifles。　There；
in　the　middle　of　the　plain；　some　strange　object　was　moving　about。
It　might　have　been　taken　for　some　enormous　animal　running　about；
which　uncoiled　itself　like　a　serpent；　or　came　together　into　a
coil；　then　suddenly　went　quickly　to　the　right　or　left；　stopped；
and　then　went　on　again。　But　presently　the　wandering　shape　came
near；　and　I　saw　a　dozen　lancers；　one　behind　the　other；　who　were
trying　to　find　their　way；　which　they　had　lost。

〃By　this　time　they　were　so　near　that　I　could　hear　the　panting　of
the　horses；　the　clink　of　the　swords；　and　the　creaking　of　the
saddles；　and　so　cried：　'Fire！'

〃Fifty　rifle…shots　broke　the　stillness　of　the　night；　then　there
were　four　or　five　reports；　and　at　last　one　single　shot　was　heard。
When　the　smoke　had　cleared　away　we　saw　that　the　twelve　men　and
nine　horses　had　fallen。　Three　of　the　animals　were　galloping　away
at　a　furious　pace。　One　of　them　was　dragging　the　body　of　its　rider
behind　it。　His　foot　had　caught　in　the　stirrup；　and　his　body
rebounded　from　the　ground　in　a　horrible　way。

〃One　of　the　soldiers　behind　me　gave　a　harsh　laugh；　and　said：
'There　are　a　few　more　widows　now！'

〃Perhaps　he　was　married。　And　another　added：　'It　did　not　take
long！'

〃A　head　was　put　out　of　the　litter：

〃　'What　is　the　matter？'　she　asked；　'you　are　fighting？'

〃　'It　is　nothing；　Mademoiselle；'　I　replied；　'we　have　got　rid　of　a
dozen　Prussians！'

〃　'Poor　fellows！'　she　said。　But　as　she　was　cold；　she　quickly
disappeared　beneath　the　cloaks　again；　and　we　started　off　once
more。　We　marched　on　for　a　long　time；　and　at　last　the　sky　began　to
grow　pale。　The　snow　became　quite　clear；　luminous；　and　bright；　and
a　rosy　tint　appeared　in　the　east。　Suddenly　a　voice　in　the
distance　cried：

〃　'Who　goes　there？'

〃The　whole　detachment　halted；　and　I　advanced　to　say　who　we　were。
We　had　reached　the　French　lines；　and　as　my　men　defiled　before　the
outpost；　a　commandant　on　horseback；　whom　I　had　informed　of　what
had　taken　place；　asked　in　a　sonorous　voice；　as　he　saw　the　litter
pass　him：

〃　'What　have　you　there？'

〃And　immediately　a　small　head；　covered　with　light　hair；　appeared；
disheveled　and　smiling；　and　replied：

〃　'It　is　I；　Monsieur。'

〃At　this；　the　men　raised　a　hearty　laugh；　and　we　felt　quite
light…hearted；　while　Pratique；　who　was　walking　by　the　side　of　the
litter；　waved　his　kepi；　and　shouted：

〃Vive　la　France！'　And　I　felt　really　moved。　I　do　not　know　why；
except　that　I　thought　it　a　pretty　and　gallant　thing　to　say。

〃It　seemed　to　me　as　if　we　had　just　saved　the　whole　of　France；　and
had　done　something　that　other　men　could　not　have　done；　something
simple；　and　really　patriotic。　I　shall　never　forget　that　little
face；　you　may　be　sure；　and　if　I　had　to　give　my　opinion　about
abolishing　drums；　trumpets；　and　bugles；　I　should　propose　to
replace　them　in　every　regiment　by　a　pretty　girl；　and　that　would
be　even　better　than　playing　the　'Marseillaise。'　By　Jove！　it　would
put　some　spirit　into　a　trooper　to　have　a　Madonna　like　that；　a
living　Madonna；　by　the　colonel's　side。〃

He　was　silent　for　a　few　moments；　and　then　with　an　air　of
conviction；　and　jerking　his　head；　continued：

〃You　see；　we　are　very　fond　of　women；　we　Frenchmen！〃



TWO　LITTLE　SOLDIERS

Every　Sunday；　the　moment　they　were　dismissed；　the　two　little
soldiers　made　off。　Once　outside　the　barracks；　they　struck　out　to
the　right　through　Courbevoie；　walking　with　long　rapid　strides；　as
though　they　were　on　a　march。

When　they　were　beyond　the　last　of　the　houses；　they　slackened　pace
along　the　bare；　dusty　roadway　which　goes　toward　Bezons。

They　were　both　small　and　thin；　and　looked　quite　lost　in　their
coats；　which　were　too　big　and　too　long。　Their　sleeves　hung　down
over　their　hands；　and　they　found　their　enormous　red　breeches；
which　compelled　them　to　waddle；　very　much　in　the　way。　Under　their
stiff；　high　helmets　their　faces　had　little　charactertwo　poor；
sallow　Breton　faces；　simple　with　an　almost　animal　simplicity；　and
with　gentle　and　quiet　blue　eyes。

They　never　conversed　during　these　walks；　but　went　straight　on；
each　with　the　same　thought　in　his　head。　This　thought　atoned　for
the　lack　of　conversation；　it　was　this；　that　just　inside　the
little　wood　near　Les　Champioux　they　had　found　a　place　which
reminded　them　of　their　own　country；　where　they　could　feel　happy
again。

When　they　arrived　under　the　trees　where　the　roads　from　Colombes
and　from　Chatou　cross；　they　would　take　off　their　heavy　helmets
and　wipe　their　foreheads。　They　always　halted　on　the　Bezons　bridge
to　look　at　the　Seine；　and　would　remain　there　two　or　three
minutes；　bent　double；　leaning　on　the　parapet。

Sometimes　they　would　gaze　out　over　the　great　basin　of　Argenteuil；
where　the　skiffs　might　be　seen　scudding；　with　their　white；
careening　sails；　recalling　perhaps　the　look　of　the　Breton　waters；
the　harbor　of　Vanne；　near　which　they　lived；　and　the　fishing…boats
standing　out　across　the　Morbihan　to　the　open　sea。

Just　beyond　the　Seine　they　bought　their　provisions　from　a　sausage
merchant；　a　baker；　and　a　wine…seller。　A　piece　of　blood…pudding；
four　sous'　worth　of　bread；　and　a　liter　of　〃petit　bleu〃
constituted　the　provisions；　which　they　carried　off　in　their
handkerchiefs。　After　they　had　left　Bezons　they　traveled　slowly
and　began　to　talk。

In　front　of　them　a　barren　plain　studded　with　clumps　of　trees　led
to　the　wood；　to　the　little　wood　which　had　seemed　to　them　to
resemble　the　one　at　Kermarivan。　Grainfields　and　hayfields
bordered　the　narrow　path；　which　lost　itself　in　the　young
greenness　of　the　crops；　and　Jean　Kerderen　would　always　say　to　Luc
le　Ganidec：

〃It　looks　like　it　does　near　Plounivon。〃

〃Yes；　exactly。〃

Side　by　side　they　strolled；　their　souls　filled　with　vague
memories　of　their　own　country；　with　awakened　images　as　naive　as
the　pictures　on　the　colored　broadsheets　which　you　buy　for　a
penny。　They　kept　on　recognizing；　as　it　were；　now　a　corner　of　a
field；　a　hedge；　a　bit　of　moorland；　now　a　crossroad；　now　a　granite
cross。　Then；　too；　they　would　always　stop　beside　a　certain
landmark；　a　great　stone；　because　it　looked　something　like　the
cromlech　at　Locneuven。

Every　Sunday　on　arriving　at　the　first　clump　of　trees　Luc　le
Ganidec　would　cut　a　switch；　a　hazel　switch；　and　begin　gently　to
peel　off　the　bark；　thinking　meanwhile　of　the　folk　at　home。　Jean
Kerderen　carried　the　provisions。

From　time　to　time　Luc　would　mention　a　name；　or　recall　some　deed
of　their　childhood　in　a　few　brief　words；　which　caused　long
thoughts。　And　their　own　country；　their　dear；　distant　country；
recaptured　them　little　by　little；　seizing　on　their　imaginations；
and　sending　to　them　from　afar　her　shapes；　her　sounds；　her
well…known　prospects；　her　odorsodors　of　the　green　lands　where
the　salt　sea…air　was　blowing。

No　longer　conscious　of　the　exhalations　of　the　Parisian　stables；
on　which　the　earth　of　the　banlieue　fattens；　they　scented　the
perfume　of　the　flowering　broom；　which　the　salt　breeze　of　the　open
sea　plucks　and　bears　away。　And　the　sails　of　the　boats　from　the
river　banks　seemed　like　the　white　wings　of　the　coasting　vessels
seen　beyond　the　great　plain　which　extended　from　their　homes　to
the　very　margin　of　the　sea。

They　walked　with　short　steps；　Luc　le　Ganidec　and　Jean　Kerderen；
content　and　sad；　haunted　by　a　sweet　melancholy；　by　the　lingering；
ever…present　sorrow　of　a　caged　animal　who　remembers　his　liberty。

By　the　time　that　Luc　had　stripped　the　slender　wand　of　its　bark
they　reached　the　corner　of　the　wood　where　every　Sunday　they　took
breakfast。　They　found　the　two　bricks　which　they　kept　hidden　in
the　thicket；　and　kindled　a　little　fire　of　twigs；　over　which　to
roast　the　blood…pudding　at　the　end　of　a　bayonet。

When　they　had　breakfasted；　eate