Red and black spells第三节.docx

Red and black spells第三节.docx

《Red and black spells第三节.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《Red and black spells第三节.docx（11页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

Redandblackspells第三节

Part1Chapter5

DrivingaBargainCunctandorestituitrem.

　　ENNIUS'Answerme,withoutlying,ifyoucan,youmiserablebookworm;howdoyoucometoknowMadamedeRenal?

Whenhaveyouspokentoher?

'

　　'Ihaveneverspokentoher,'repliedJulien,'Ihaveneverseentheladyexceptinchurch.'

　　'Butyoumusthavelookedather,youshamelessscoundrel?

'

　　'Never!

YouknowthatinchurchIseenonebutGod,'Julienaddedwithahypocriticalair,calculated,tohismind,towardofffurtherblows.

　　'Thereissomethingbehindthis,allthesame,'repliedthesuspiciouspeasant,andwassilentforamoment;'butIshallgetnothingoutofyou,youdamnedhypocrite.Thefactis,I'mgoingtoberidofyou,andmysawwillrunallthebetterwithoutyou.Youhavemadeafriendoftheparsonorsomeone,andhe'sgotyouafinepost.Goandpackyourtraps,andI'lltakeyoutoM.deRenal'swhereyou'retobetutortothechildren.'

　　'WhatamItogetforthat?

'

　　'Board,clothingandthreehundredfrancsinwages.'

　　'Idonotwishtobeaservant,'

　　'Animal,whoeverspokeofyourbeingaservant?

WouldIallowmysontobeaservant?

'

　　'But,withwhomshallIhavemymeals?

'

　　ThisquestionleftoldSorelataloss;hefeltthatifhespokehemightbeguiltyofsomeimprudence;heflewintoaragewithJulien,uponwhomheshoweredabuse,accusinghimofgreed,andlefthimtogoandconsulthisothersons.

　　PresentlyJuliensawthem,eachleaninguponhisaxeanddeliberatingtogether.Afterwatchingthemforsometime,Julien,seeingthathecouldmakeoutnothingoftheirdiscussion,wentandtookhisplaceonthefarsideofthesaw,soasnottobetakenbysurprise.Hewantedtimetoconsiderthissuddenannouncementwhichwasalteringhisdestiny,butfelthimselftobeincapableofprudence;hisimaginationwaswhollytakenupwithformingpicturesofwhathewouldseeinM.deRenal'sfinehouse.

　　'Imustgiveupallthat,'hesaidtohimself,'ratherthanletmyselfbebroughtdowntofeedingwiththeservants.Myfatherwilltrytoforceme;Iwouldsoonerdie.Ihavesavedfifteenfrancsandeightsous,Ishallrunawaytonight;intwodays,bykeepingtoside-roadswhereIneednotfearthepolice,IcanbeatBesancon;thereIenlistasasoldier,and,ifnecessary,crosstheborderintoSwitzerland.Butthen,good-byetoeverything,good-byetothatfineclericalprofessionwhichisastepping-stonetoeverything.'

　　ThishorroroffeedingwiththeservantswasnotnaturaltoJulien;hewould,inseekinghisfortune,havedoneotherthingsfarmoredisagreeable.HederivedthisrepugnancefromRousseau'sConfessions.Itwastheonebookthathelpedhisimaginationtoformanyideaoftheworld.ThecollectionofreportsoftheGrandArmyandtheMemorialdeSainte-HelenecompletedhisKoran.Hewouldhavegonetothestakeforthosethreebooks.Neverdidhebelieveinanyother.RememberingasayingoftheoldSurgeon-Major,heregardedalltheotherbooksintheworldasliars,writtenbyroguesinordertoobtainadvancement.

　　WithhisfierynatureJulienhadoneofthoseastonishingmemoriessooftenfoundinfoolishpeople.TowinovertheoldpriestChelan,uponwhomhesawquiteclearlythathisownfuturedepended,hehadlearnedbyhearttheentireNewTestamentinLatin;heknewalsoM.deMaistre'sbookDuPape,andhadaslittlebeliefinoneasintheother.

　　Asthoughbyamutualagreement,Sorelandhissonavoidedspeakingtooneanotherfortherestoftheday.Atdusk,Julienwenttothecureforhisdivinitylesson,butdidnotthinkitprudenttosayanythingtohimofthestrangeproposalthathadbeenmadetohisfather.'Itmaybeatrap,'

　　hetoldhimself;'Imustpretendtohaveforgottenaboutit.'

　　Earlyonthefollowingday,M.deRenalsentforoldSorel,who,afterkeepinghimwaitingforanhourortwo,finallyappeared,beginningasheenteredthedoorahundredexcusesinterspersedwithasmanyreverences.Bydintofgivingvoicetoeverysortofobjection,Sorelsucceededingatheringthathissonwastotakehismealswiththemasterandmistressofthehouse,andondayswhentheyhadcompanyinaroombyhimselfwiththechildren.FindinganincreasingdesiretoraisedifficultiesthemorehediscernedagenuineanxietyontheMayor'spart,andbeingmoreoverfilledwithdistrustandbewilderment,Sorelaskedtoseetheroominwhichhissonwastosleep.Itwasalargechamberverydecentlyfurnished,buttheservantswerealreadyengagedincarryingintoitthebedsofthethreechildren.

　　Atthistheoldpeasantbegantoseedaylight;heatonceaskedwithassurancetoseethecoatwhichwouldbegiventohisson.M.deRenalopenedhisdeskandtookoutahundredfrancs.

　　'Withthismoney,yoursoncangotoM.Durand,theclothier,andgethimselfasuitofblack.'

　　'AndsupposingItakehimawayfromyou,'saidthepeasant,whohadcompletelyforgottenthereverentialformsofaddress.'Willhetakethisblackcoatwithhim?

'

　　'Certainly.'

　　'Oh,verywell!

'saidSorelinadrawlingtone,'thenthere'sonlyonethingforusstilltosettle:

themoneyyou'retogivehim.'

　　'What!

'M.deRenalindignantlyexclaimed,'weagreeduponthatyesterday:

Igivethreehundredfrancs;Iconsiderthatplenty,ifnottoomuch.'

　　'Thatwasyouroffer,Idonotdenyit,'saidoldSorel,speakingevenmoreslowly;then,byastrokeofgeniuswhichwillastonishonlythosewhodonotknowtheFranc-Comtoispeasant,headded,lookingM.deRenalsteadilyintheface:

'Wecandobetterelsewhere.'

　　AtthesewordstheMayorwasthrownintoconfusion.Herecoveredhimself,however,and,afteranadroitconversationlastingfullytwohours,inwhichnotawordwassaidwithoutapurpose,thepeasant'sshrewdnessprevailedoverthatoftherichman,whowasnotdependentonhisforhisliving.AlltheinnumerableconditionswhichweretodetermineJulien'snewexistencewerefinallysettled;notonlywashissalaryfixedatfourhundredfrancs,butitwastobepaidinadvance,onthefirstdayofeachmonth.

　　'Verywell!

Ishalllethimhavethirty-fivefrancs,'saidM.deRenal.

　　'Tomakearoundsum,arichandgenerousgentlemanlikeourMayor,'

　　thepeasantinsinuatedinacoaxingvoice,'willsurelygoasfarasthirty-six.'

　　'Allright,'saidM.deRenal,'butletushavenomoreofthis.'

　　Foronce,angergavehimatoneofresolution.Thepeasantsawthathecouldadvancenofarther.ThereuponM.deRenalbeganinturntomakeheadway.Heutterlyrefusedtohandoverthethirty-sixfrancsforthefirstmonthtooldSorel,whowasmosteagertoreceivethemoneyonhisson'sbehalf.ItoccurredtoM.deRenalthathewouldbeobligedtodescribetohiswifetheparthehadplayedthroughoutthistransaction.

　　'LetmehavebackthehundredfrancsIgaveyou,'hesaidangrily.'M.

　　Durandowesmemoney.Ishallgowithyoursontochoosetheblackcloth.'

　　Afterthisboldstroke,Sorelprudentlyretireduponhisexpressionsofrespect;theyoccupiedagoodquarterofanhour.Intheend,seeingthattherewascertainlynothingmoretobegained,hewithdrew.Hisfinalreverenceendedwiththewords:

　　'Ishallsendmysonuptothechateau.'

　　ItwasthusthattheMayor'ssubordinatesspokeofhishousewhentheywishedtopleasehim.

　　Returningtohismill,Sorellookedinvainforhisson.Doubtfulastowhatmightbeinstoreforhim,Julienhadlefthomeinthedeadofnight.

　　Hehadbeenanxioustofindasafehiding-placeforhisbooksandhisCrossoftheLegionofHonour.Hehadremovedthewholeofhistreasurestothehouseofayoungtimber-merchant,afriendofhis,bythenameofFouque,wholivedonthesideofthehighmountainoverlookingVerrieres.

　　Whenhereappeared:

'Heavenknows,youdamnedidler,'hisfathersaidtohim,'whetheryouwilleverhaveenoughhonourtopaymeforthecostofyourkeep,whichIhavebeenadvancingtoyoualltheseyears!

Packupyourrubbish,andoffwithyoutotheMayor's.'

　　Julien,astonishednottoreceiveathrashing,madehastetosetoff.Butnosoonerwasheoutofsightofhisterriblefatherthanheslackenedhispace.Hedecidedthatitwouldservetheendsofhishypocrisytopayavisittothechurch.

　　Theideasurprisesyou?

Beforearrivingatthishorribleidea,thesouloftheyoungpeasanthadhadalongwaytogo.

　　Whenhewasstillachild,thesightofcertaindragoonsofthe6th,intheirlong,whitecloaks,andhelmetsadornedwithlongcrestsofblackhorsehair,whowerereturningfromItaly,andwhomJuliensawtyingtheirhorsestothebarredwindowofhisfather'shouse,drovehimmadwithlongingforamilitarycareer.

　　LateronhelistenedwithecstasytotheaccountsofthebattlesoftheBridgeofLodi,ArcoleandRivoligivenhimbytheoldSurgeon-Major.

　　HenoticedtheburninggazewhichtheoldmandirectedathisCross.

　　ButwhenJulienwasfourteen,theybegantobuildachurchatVerrieres,onethatmightbecalledmagnificentforsosmallatown.Therewere,inparticular,fourmarblepillarsthesightofwhichimpressedJulien;theybecamefamousthroughoutthecountryside,owingtothedeadlyenmitywhichtheyarousedbetweentheJusticeofthePeaceandtheyoungvicar,sentdownfromBesancon,whowasunderstoodtobethespyoftheCongregation.TheJusticeofthePeacecamewithinanaceoflosinghispost,suchatleastwasthecommonreport.Hadhenotdaredtohaveadifferenceofopinionwithapriestwho,almosteveryfortnight,wenttoBesancon,wherehesaw,peoplesaid,theRightReverendLordBishop?

　　Inthemidstofallthis,theJusticeofthePeace,thefatherofalargefamily,passedanumberofsentenceswhichappearedunjust;alloftheseweredirectedagainstsuchoftheinhabitantsasreadtheConstitutionnel.

　　Therightpartywastriumphant