《屋顶间的哲学家_梭维斯特》

下载本书

添加书签

屋顶间的哲学家_梭维斯特- 第21部分


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!
ainlyendeavoringtocatchawordashepassed;untilhedisappearedbehindthehill。

    ihadevidentlyjustseenoneofthosedomestictyrantswhosesullentempersareexcitedbythepatienceoftheirvictims;andwho;thoughtheyhavethepowertobeethebeneficentgodsofafamily;chooserathertobetheirtormentors。

    icursedtheunknownsavageinmyheart;andifeltindignantthatthesecrimesagainstthesacredpeaceofhomecouldnotbepunishedastheydeserve;wheniheardhisvoiceapproachingnearer。hehadturnedthepath;andsoonappearedbeforemeatthetopoftheslope。

    thefirstglance;andhisfirstwords;explainedeverythingtome:inplaceofwhatihadtakenforthefurioustonesandterriblelooksofanangryman;andtheattitudeofafrightenedvictim;ihadbeforemeonlyanhonestcitizen;whosquintedandstuttered;butwhowasexplainingthemanagementofsilkwormstohisattentivedaughter。

    iturnedhomeward;smilingatmymistake;butbeforeireachedmyfaubourgisawacrowdrunning;iheardcallsforhelp;andeveryfingerpointedinthesamedirectiontoadistantcolumnofflame。

    amanufactoryhadtakenfire;andeverybodywasrushingforwardtoassistinextinguishingit。

    ihesitated。nightwasingon;ifelttired;afavoritebookwasawaitingme;ithoughttherewouldbenowantofhelp;andiwentonmyway。

    justbeforeihaderredfromwantofconsideration;nowitwasfromselfishnessandcowardice。

    butwhat!haveinotonathousandotheroccasionsforgottenthedutieswhichbindustoourfellowmen?isthisthefirsttimeihaveavoidedpayingsocietywhatioweit?haveinotalwaysbehavedtomypanionswithinjustice;andlikethelion?haveinotclaimedsuccessivelyeveryshare?ifanyoneissoill…advisedastoaskmetoreturnsomelittleportion;igetprovoked;iamangry;itrytoescapefromitbyeverymeans。howmanytimes;whenihaveperceivedabeggarsittinghuddledupattheendofthestreet;haveinotgoneoutofmyway;forfearthatpassionwouldimpoverishmebyforcingmetobecharitable!howoftenhaveidoubtedthemisfortunesofothers;thatimightwithjusticehardenmyheartagainstthem。

    withwhatsatisfactionhaveisometimesverifiedthevicesofthepoorman;inordertoshowthathismiseryisthepunishmenthedeserves!

    oh!letusnotgofarther鈥斺攍etusnotgofarther!iinterruptedthedoctorsexamination;buthowmuchsadderisthisone!wepitythediseasesofthebody;weshudderatthoseofthesoul。

    iwashappilydisturbedinmyreveriebymyneighbor;theoldsoldier。

    nowithinkofit;iseemalwaystohaveseen;duringmyfever;thefigureofthisgoodoldman;sometimesleaningagainstmybed;andsometimessittingathistable;surroundedbyhissheetsofpasteboard。

    hehasjusteinwithhisglue…pot;hisquireofgreenpaper;andhisgreatscissors。icalledhimbyhisname;heutteredajoyfulexclamation;andcamenearme。

    〃well!sothebulletisfoundagain!〃criedhe;takingmytwohandsintothemaimedonewhichwaslefthim;〃ithasnotbeenwithouttrouble;icantellyou;thecampaignhasbeenlongenoughtowintwoclaspsin。

    ihaveseennofewfellowswiththefeverbatterwindmillsduringmyhospitaldays:atleipsic;ihadaneighborwhofanciedachimneywasonfireinhisstomach;andwhowasalwayscallingforthefire…engines;butthethirddayitallwentoutofitself。butwithyouithaslastedtwenty…eightdays鈥斺攁slongasoneofthelittlecorporalscampaigns。〃

    〃iamnotmistakenthen;youwerenearme?〃

    〃well!ihadonlytocrossthepassage。thislefthandhasnotmadeyouabadnurseforwantoftheright;but;bah!youdidnotknowwhathandgaveyoudrink;anditdidnotpreventthatbeggarofafeverfrombeingdrowned鈥斺攆oralltheworldlikeponiatowskiintheelster。〃

    theoldsoldierbegantolaugh;andi;feelingtoomuchaffectedtospeak;pressedhishandagainstmybreast。hesawmyemotion;andhastenedtoputanendtoit。

    〃by…the…bye;youknowthatfromto…dayyouhavearighttodrawyourrationsagain;〃resumedhegayly;〃fourmeals;likethegermanmeinherrs鈥斺攏othingmore!thedoctorisyourhousesteward。〃

    〃wemustfindthecook;too;〃repliedi;withasmile。

    〃sheisfound;〃saidtheveteran。

    〃whoisshe?〃

    〃genevieve。〃

    〃thefruit…woman?〃

    〃whileiamtalkingsheiscookingforyou;neighbor;anddonotfearhersparingeitherbutterortrouble。aslongaslifeanddeathwerefightingforyou;thehonestwomanpassedhertimeingoingupanddownstairstolearnwhichwaythebattlewent。and;stay;iamsurethisisshe。〃

    infactweheardstepsinthepassage;andhewenttoopenthedoor。

    〃oh;well!〃continuedhe;〃itismothermillot;ourportress;anotherofyourgoodfriends;neighbor;andwhosepoulticesiremendtoyou。

    ein;mothermillot鈥斺攅in;wearequitebonnyboysthismorning;andreadytostepaminuetifwehadourdancing…shoes。〃

    theportresscamein;quitedelighted。shebroughtmylinen;washedandmendedbyherself;withalittlebottleofspanishwine;thegiftofhersailorson;andkeptforgreatoccasions。iwouldhavethankedher;butthegoodwomanimposedsilenceuponme;underthepretextthatthedoctorhadforbiddenmetospeak。isawherarrangeeverythinginmydrawers;theneatappearanceofwhichstruckme;anattentivehandhadevidentlybeenthere;anddaybydayputstraighttheunavoidabledisorderconsequentonsickness。

    asshefinished;genevievearrivedwithmydinner;shewasfollowedbymotherdenis;themilk…womanovertheway;whohadlearned;atthesametime;thedangerihadbeenin;andthatiwasnowbeginningtobeconvalescent。thegoodsavoyardbroughtmeanew…laidegg;whichsheherselfwishedtoseemeeat。

    itwasnecessarytorelateminutelyallmyillnesstoher。ateverydetailsheutteredloudexclamations;then;whentheportresswarnedhertobelessnoisy;sheexcusedherselfinawhisper。theymadeacirclearoundmetoseemeeatmydinner;eachmouthfulitookwasacpaniedbytheirexpressionsofsatisfactionandthankfulness。neverhadthekingoffrance;whenhedinedinpublic;excitedsuchadmirationamongthespectators。

    astheyweretakingthedinneraway;mycolleague;theoldcashier;enteredinhisturn。

    icouldnotpreventmyheartbeatingasirecognizedhim。howwouldtheheadsofthefirmlookuponmyabsence;andwhatdidheetotellme?

    iwaitedwithinexpressibleanxietyforhimtospeak;buthesatdownbyme;tookmyhand;andbeganrejoicingovermyrecovery;withoutsayingawordaboutourmasters。icouldnotendurethisuncertaintyanylonger。

    〃andthemessieursdurmer;〃askedi;hesitatingly;〃howhavetheytaken鈥斺攖heinterruptiontomywork?〃

    〃therehasbeennointerruption;〃repliedtheoldclerk;quietly。

    〃whatdoyoumean?〃

    〃eachoneintheofficetookashareofyourduty;allhasgoneonasusual;andthemessieursdurmerhaveperceivednodifference。〃

    thiswastoomuch。aftersomanyinstancesofaffection;thisfilledupthemeasure。icouldnotrestrainmytears。

    thusthefewservicesihadbeenabletodoforothershadbeenacknowledgedbythemahundredfold!ihadsownalittleseed;andeverygrainhadfallenongoodground;andbroughtforthawholesheaf。ah!

    thispletesthelessonthedoctorgaveme。ifitistruethatthediseases;whetherofthemindorbody;arethefruitofourfolliesandourvices;sympathyandaffectionarealsotherewardsofourhavingdoneourduty。everyoneofus;withgodshelp;andwithinthenarrowlimitsofhumancapability;himselfmakeshisowndisposition;character;andpermanentcondition。

    everybodyisgone;theoldsoldierhasbroughtmebackmyflowersandmybirds;andtheyaremyonlypanions。thesettingsunreddensmyhalf…closedcurtainswithitslastrays。mybrainisclear;andmyheartlighter。athinmistfloatsbeforemyeyes;andifeelmyselfinthathappystatewhichprecedesarefreshingsleep。

    yonder;oppositethebed;thepalegoddessinherdraperyofathousandchangingcolors;andwithherwitheredgarland;againappearsbeforeme;butthistimeiholdoutmyhandtoherwithagratefulsmile。

    〃adieu;belovedyear!whomibutnowunjustlyaccused。thatwhichihavesufferedmustnotbelaidtothee;forthouwastbutatractthroughwhichgodhadmarkedoutmyroad鈥斺攁groundwhereihadreapedtheharvestihadsown。iwilllovethee;thouwaysideshelter;forthosehoursofhappinessthouhastseenmeenjoy;iwilllovetheeevenforthesufferingthouhastseenmeendure。neitherhappinessnorsufferingcamefromthee;butthouhastbeenthesceneforthem。descendagainthen;inpeace;intoeternity;andbeblest;thouwhohastleftmeexperienceintheplaceofyouth;sweetmemoriesinsteadofpasttime;andgratitudeaspaymentforgoodoffices。〃

  锛屾渶鏈夋枃鑹烘皵鎭殑鏂囧缃戠珯锛屾墜鏈虹洿鎺ラ槄璇讳笅杞借鐧婚檰m。锛屾墍鏈塗XT鐢靛瓙涔︽墜鏈哄厤璐逛笅杞介槄璇伙紝鎴戜滑鎻愪緵缁欐偍鐨勫皬璇翠笉姹傛渶澶氾紝浣嗘眰鏈缁忓吀鏈瀹屾暣
小提示:按 回车 [Enter] 键 返回书目,按 ← 键 返回上一页, 按 → 键 进入下一页。 赞一下 添加书签加入书架