In the crush on the Place de Torcy that ensued upon the entrance of the troops into the city Jean became separated from Maurice, and all his attempts to find him again among the surging crowd were fruitless. It was a piece of extreme ill-luck, for he had accepted the young man's invitation to go with him to his sister's, where there would be rest and food for them, and even the luxury of a comfortable bed. The confusion was so great--the regiments2 disintegrated3, no discipline, and no officers to enforce it--that the men were free to do pretty much as they pleased. There was plenty of time to look about them and hunt up their commands; they would have a few hours of sleep first.
Jean in his bewilderment found himself on the viaduct of Torcy, overlooking the broad meadows which, by the governor's orders, had been flooded with water from the river. Then, passing through another archway and crossing the Pont de Meuse, he entered the old, rampart-girt city, where, among the tall and crowded houses and the damp, narrow streets, it seemed to him that night was descending5 again, notwithstanding the increasing daylight. He could not so much as remember the name of Maurice's brother-in-law; he only knew that his sister's name was Henriette. The outlook was not encouraging; all that kept him awake was the automatic movement of walking; he felt that he should drop were he to stop. The indistinct ringing in his ears was the same that is experienced by one drowning; he was only conscious of the ceaseless onpouring of the stream of men and animals that carried him along with it on its current. He had partaken of food at Remilly, sleep was now his great necessity; and the same was true of the shadowy bands that he saw flitting past him in those strange, fantastic streets. At every moment a man would sink upon the sidewalk or tumble into a doorway8, and there would remain, as if struck by death.
Raising his eyes, Jean read upon a signboard: Avenue de la Sous-Prefecture. At the end of the street was a monument standing6 in a public garden, and at the corner of the avenue he beheld9 a horseman, a chasseur d'Afrique, whose face seemed familiar to him. Was it not Prosper10, the young man from Remilly, whom he had seen in Maurice's company at Vouziers? Perhaps he had been sent in with dispatches. He had dismounted, and his skeleton of a horse, so weak that he could scarcely stand, was trying to satisfy his hunger by gnawing11 at the tail-board of an army wagon12 that was drawn13 up against the curb14. There had been no forage15 for the animals for the last two days, and they were literally16 dying of starvation. The big strong teeth rasped pitifully on the woodwork of the wagon, while the soldier stood by and wept as he watched the poor brute17.
Jean was moving away when it occurred to him that the trooper might be able to give him the address of Maurice's sister. He returned, but the other was gone, and it would have been useless to attempt to find him in that dense18 throng19. He was utterly20 disheartened, and wandering aimlessly from street to street at last found himself again before the Sous-Prefecture, whence he struggled onward21 to the Place Turenne. Here he was comforted for an instant by catching22 sight of Lieutenant23 Rochas, standing in front of the Hotel de Ville with a few men of his company, at the foot of the statue he had seen before; if he could not find his friend he could at all events rejoin the regiment1 and have a tent to sleep under. Nothing had been seen of Captain Beaudoin; doubtless he had been swept away in the press and landed in some place far away, while the lieutenant was endeavoring to collect his scattered24 men and fruitlessly inquiring of everyone he met where division headquarters were. As he advanced into the city, however, his numbers, instead of increasing, dwindled25. One man, with the gestures of a lunatic, entered an inn and was seen no more. Three others were halted in front of a grocer's shop by a party of zouaves who had obtained possession of a small cask of brandy; one was already lying senseless in the gutter26, while the other two tried to get away, but were too stupid and dazed to move. Loubet and Chouteau had nudged each other with the elbow and disappeared down a blind alley27 in pursuit of a fat woman with a loaf of bread, so that all who remained with the lieutenant were Pache and Lapoulle, with some ten or a dozen more.
Rochas was standing by the base of the bronze statue of Turenne, making heroic efforts to keep his eyes open. When he recognized Jean he murmured:
"Ah, is it you, corporal? Where are your men?"
Jean, by a gesture expressive29 in its vagueness, intimated that he did not know, but Pache, pointing to Lapoulle, answered with tears in his eyes:
"Here we are; there are none left but us two. The merciful Lord have pity on our sufferings; it is too hard!"
The other, the colossus with the colossal30 appetite, looked hungrily at Jean's hands, as if to reproach them for being always empty in those days. Perhaps, in his half-sleeping state, he had dreamed that Jean was away at the commissary's for rations31.
Gaude, the bugler35, was leaning against the iron railing, waiting for the lieutenant's order to sound the assembly; sleep came to him so suddenly that he slid from his position and within a second was lying flat on his back, unconscious. One by one they all succumbed36 to the drowsy37 influence and snored in concert, except Sergeant38 Sapin alone, who, with his little pinched nose in his small pale face, stood staring with distended39 eyes at the horizon of that strange city, as if trying to read his destiny there.
Lieutenant Rochas meantime had yielded to an irresistible40 impulse and seated himself on the ground. He attempted to give an order.
"Corporal, you will--you will--"
And that was as far as he could proceed, for fatigue41 sealed his lips, and like the rest he suddenly sank down and was lost in slumber42.
Jean, not caring to share his comrades' fate and pillow his head on the hard stones, moved away; he was bent43 on finding a bed in which to sleep. At a window of the Hotel of the Golden Cross, on the opposite side of the square, he caught a glimpse of General Bourgain-Desfeuilles, already half-undressed and on the point of tasting the luxury of clean white sheets. Why should he be more self-denying than the rest of them? he asked himself; why should he suffer longer? And just then a name came to his recollection that caused him a thrill of delight, the name of the manufacturer in whose employment Maurice's brother-in-law was. M. Delaherche! yes, that was it. He accosted44 an old man who happened to be passing.
"Can you tell me where M. Delaherche lives?"
"In the Rue7 Maqua, near the corner of the Rue au Beurre; you can't mistake it; it is a big house, with statues in the garden."
The old man turned away, but presently came running back. "I see you belong to the 106th. If it is your regiment you are looking for, it left the city by the Chateau45, down there. I just met the colonel, Monsieur de Vineuil; I used to know him when he lived at Mezieres."
But Jean went his way, with an angry gesture of impatience46. No, no! no sleeping on the hard ground for him, now that he was certain of finding Maurice. And yet he could not help feeling a twinge of remorse47 as he thought of the dignified48 old colonel, who stood fatigue so manfully in spite of his years, sharing the sufferings of his men, with no more luxurious49 shelter than his tent. He strode across the Grande Rue with rapid steps and soon was in the midst of the tumult50 and uproar51 of the city; there he hailed a small boy, who conducted him to the Rue Maqua.
There it was that in the last century a grand-uncle of the present Delaherche had built the monumental structure that had remained in the family a hundred and sixty years. There is more than one cloth factory in Sedan that dates back to the early years of Louis XV.; enormous piles, they are, covering as much ground as the Louvre, and with stately facades52 of royal magnificence. The one in the Rue Maqua was three stories high, and its tall windows were adorned53 with carvings54 of severe simplicity55, while the palatial56 courtyard in the center was filled with grand old trees, gigantic elms that were coeval57 with the building itself. In it three generations of Delaherches had amassed58 comfortable fortunes for themselves. The father of Charles, the proprietor59 in our time, had inherited the property from a cousin who had died without being blessed with children, so that it was now a younger branch that was in possession. The affairs of the house had prospered60 under the father's control, but he was something of a blade and a roisterer, and his wife's existence with him was not one of unmixed happiness; the consequence of which was that the lady, when she became a widow, not caring to see a repetition by the son of the performances of the father, made haste to find a wife for him in the person of a simple-minded and exceedingly devout61 young woman, and subsequently kept him tied to her apron62 string until he had attained63 the mature age of fifty and over. But no one in this transitory world can tell what time has in store for him; when the devout young person's time came to leave this life Delaherche, who had known none of the joys of youth, fell head over ears in love with a young widow of Charleville, pretty Madame Maginot, who had been the subject of some gossip in her day, and in the autumn preceding the events recorded in this history had married her, in spite of all his mother's prayers and tears. It is proper to add that Sedan, which is very straitlaced in its notions of propriety64, has always been inclined to frown on Charleville, the city of laughter and levity65. And then again the marriage would never have been effected but for the fact that Gilberte's uncle was Colonel de Vineuil, who it was supposed would soon be made a general. This relationship and the idea that he had married into army circles was to the cloth manufacturer a source of great delight.
That morning Delaherche, when he learned that the army was to pass through Mouzon, had invited Weiss, his accountant, to accompany him on that carriage ride of which we have heard Father Fouchard speak to Maurice. Tall and stout66, with a florid complexion67, prominent nose and thick lips, he was of a cheerful, sanguine68 temperament69 and had all the French bourgeois70' boyish love for a handsome display of troops. Having ascertained71 from the apothecary72 at Mouzon that the Emperor was at Baybel, a farm in the vicinity, he had driven up there; had seen the monarch73, and even had been near speaking to him, an adventure of such thrilling interest that he had talked of it incessantly74 ever since his return. But what a terrible return that had been, over roads choked with the panic-stricken fugitives75 from Beaumont! twenty times their cabriolet was near being overturned into the ditch. Obstacle after obstacle they had encountered, and it was night before the two men reached home. The element of the tragic77 and unforeseen there was in the whole business, that army that Delaherche had driven out to pass in review and which had brought him home with it, whether he would or no, in the mad gallop78 of its retreat, made him repeat again and again during their long drive:
"I supposed it was moving on Verdun and would have given anything rather than miss seeing it. Ah well! I have seen it now, and I am afraid we shall see more of it in Sedan than we desire."
The following morning he was awakened79 at five o'clock by the hubbub80, like the roar of water escaping from a broken dam, made by the 7th corps81 as it streamed through the city; he dressed in haste and went out, and almost the first person he set eyes on in the Place Turenne was Captain Beaudoin. When pretty Madame Maginot was living at Charleville the year before the captain had been one of her best friends, and Gilberte had introduced him to her husband before they were married. Rumor82 had it that the captain had abdicated83 his position as first favorite and made way for the cloth merchant from motives84 of delicacy85, not caring to stand in the way of the great good fortune that seemed coming to his fair friend.
"Hallo, is that you?" exclaimed Delaherche. "Good Heavens, what a state you're in!"
It was but too true; the dandified Beaudoin, usually so trim and spruce, presented a sorry spectacle that morning in his soiled uniform and with his grimy face and hands. Greatly to his disgust he had had a party of Turcos for traveling companions, and could not explain how he had become separated from his company. Like all the others he was ready to drop with fatigue and hunger, but that was not what most afflicted86 him; he had not been able to change his linen87 since leaving Rheims, and was inconsolable.
"Just think of it!" he wailed88, "those idiots, those scoundrels, lost my baggage at Vouziers. If I ever catch them I will break every bone in their body! And now I haven't a thing, not a handkerchief, not a pair of socks! Upon my word, it is enough to make one mad!"
Delaherche was for taking him home to his house forthwith, but he resisted. No, no; he was no longer a human being, he would not frighten people out of their wits. The manufacturer had to make solemn oath that neither his wife nor his mother had risen yet; and besides he should have soap, water, linen, everything he needed.
It was seven o'clock when Captain Beaudoin, having done what he could with the means at his disposal to improve his appearance, and comforted by the sensation of wearing under his uniform a clean shirt of his host's, made his appearance in the spacious90, high-ceiled dining room with its somber91 wainscoting. The elder Madame Delaherche was already there, for she was always on foot at daybreak, notwithstanding she was seventy-eight years old. Her hair was snowy white; in her long, lean face was a nose almost preternaturally thin and sharp and a mouth that had long since forgotten how to laugh. She rose, and with stately politeness invited the captain to be seated before one of the cups of _cafe au lait_ that stood on the table.
"But, perhaps, sir, you would prefer meat and wine after the fatigue to which you have been subjected?"
He declined the offer, however. "A thousand thanks, madame; a little milk, with bread and butter, will be best for me."
At that moment a door was smartly opened and Gilberte entered the room with outstretched hand. Delaherche must have told her who was there, for her ordinary hour of rising was ten o'clock. She was tall, lithe92 of form and well-proportioned, with an abundance of handsome black hair, a pair of handsome black eyes, and a very rosy93, wholesome94 complexion withal; she had a laughing, rather free and easy way with her, and it did not seem possible she could ever look angry. Her peignoir of beige, embroidered95 with red silk, was evidently of Parisian manufacture.
"Ah, Captain," she rapidly said, shaking hands with the young man, "how nice of you to stop and see us, away up in this out-of-the-world place!" But she was the first to see that she had "put her foot in it" and laugh at her own blunder. "Oh, what a stupid thing I am! I might know you would rather be somewhere else than at Sedan, under the circumstances. But I am very glad to see you once more."
She showed it; her face was bright and animated96, while Madame Delaherche, who could not have failed to hear something of the gossip that had been current among the scandalmongers of Charleville, watched the pair closely with her puritanical97 air. The captain was very reserved in his behavior, however, manifesting nothing more than a pleasant recollection of hospitalities previously98 received in the house where he was visiting.
They had no more than sat down at table than Delaherche, burning to relieve himself of the subject that filled his mind, commenced to relate his experiences of the day before.
"You know I saw the Emperor at Baybel."
He was fairly started and nothing could stop him. He began by describing the farmhouse99, a large structure with an interior court, surrounded by an iron railing, and situated100 on a gentle eminence101 overlooking Mouzon, to the left of the Carignan road. Then he came back to the 12th corps, whom he had visited in their camp among the vines on the hillsides; splendid troops they were, with their equipments brightly shining in the sunlight, and the sight of them had caused his heart to beat with patriotic102 ardor103.
"And there I was, sir, when the Emperor, who had alighted to breakfast and rest himself a bit, came out of the farmhouse. He wore a general's uniform and carried an overcoat across his arm, although the sun was very hot. He was followed by a servant bearing a camp stool. He did not look to me like a well man; ah no, far from it; his stooping form, the sallowness of his complexion, the feebleness of his movements, all indicated him to be in a very bad way. I was not surprised, for the druggist at Mouzon, when he recommended me to drive on to Baybel, told me that an aide-de-camp had just been in his shop to get some medicine--you understand what I mean, medicine for--" The presence of his wife and mother prevented him from alluding104 more explicitly105 to the nature of the Emperor's complaint, which was an obstinate106 diarrhea that he had contracted at Chene and which compelled him to make those frequent halts at houses along the road. "Well, then, the attendant opened the camp stool and placed it in the shade of a clump107 of trees at the edge of a field of wheat, and the Emperor sat down on it. Sitting there in a limp, dejected attitude, perfectly108 still, he looked for all the world like a small shopkeeper taking a sun bath for his rheumatism109. His dull eyes wandered over the wide horizon, the Meuse coursing through the valley at his feet, before him the range of wooded heights whose summits recede110 and are lost in the distance, on the left the waving tree-tops of Dieulet forest, on the right the verdure-clad eminence of Sommanthe. He was surrounded by his military family, aides and officers of rank, and a colonel of dragoons, who had already applied111 to me for information about the country, had just motioned me not to go away, when all at once--" Delaherche rose from his chair, for he had reached the point where the dramatic interest of his story culminated112 and it became necessary to re-enforce words by gestures. "All at once there is a succession of sharp reports and right in front of us, over the wood of Dieulet, shells are seen circling through the air. It produced on me no more effect than a display of fireworks in broad daylight, sir, upon my word it didn't! The people about the Emperor, of course, showed a good deal of agitation113 and uneasiness. The colonel of dragoons comes running up again to ask if I can give them an idea whence the firing proceeds. I answer him off-hand: 'It is at Beaumont; there is not the slightest doubt about it.' He returns to the Emperor, on whose knees an aide-de-camp was unfolding a map. The Emperor was evidently of opinion that the fighting was not at Beaumont, for he sent the colonel back to me a third time. But I couldn't well do otherwise than stick to what I had said before, could I, now? the more that the shells kept flying through the air, nearer and nearer, following the line of the Mouzon road. And then, sir, as sure as I see you standing there, I saw the Emperor turn his pale face toward me. Yes sir, he looked at me a moment with those dim eyes of his, that were filled with an expression of melancholy114 and distrust. And then his face declined upon his map again and he made no further movement."
Delaherche, although he was an ardent115 Bonapartist at the time of the plebiscite, had admitted after our early defeats that the government was responsible for some mistakes, but he stood up for the dynasty, compassionating116 and excusing Napoleon III., deceived and betrayed as he was by everyone. It was his firm opinion that the men at whose door should be laid the responsibility for all our disasters were none other than those Republican deputies of the opposition117 who had stood in the way of voting the necessary men and money.
"And did the Emperor return to the farmhouse?" asked Captain Beaudoin.
"That's more than I can say, my dear sir; I left him sitting on his stool. It was midday, the battle was drawing nearer, and it occurred to me that it was time to be thinking of my own return. All that I can tell you besides is that a general to whom I pointed118 out the position of Carignan in the distance, in the plain to our rear, appeared greatly surprised to learn that the Belgian frontier lay in that direction and was only a few miles away. Ah, that the poor Emperor should have to rely on such servants!"
Gilberte, all smiles, was giving her attention to the captain and keeping him supplied with buttered toast, as much at ease as she had ever been in bygone days when she received him in her salon119 during her widowhood. She insisted that he should accept a bed with them, but he declined, and it was agreed that he should rest for an hour or two on a sofa in Delaherche's study before going out to find his regiment. As he was taking the sugar bowl from the young woman's hands old Madame Delaherche, who had kept her eye on them, distinctly saw him squeeze her fingers, and the old lady's suspicions were confirmed. At that moment a servant came to the door.
"Monsieur, there is a soldier outside who wants to know the address of Monsieur Weiss."
There was nothing "stuck-up" about Delaherche, people said; he was fond of popularity and was always delighted to have a chat with those of an inferior station.
"He wants Weiss's address! that's odd. Bring the soldier in here."
Jean entered the room in such an exhausted120 state that he reeled as if he had been drunk. He started at seeing his captain seated at the table with two ladies, and involuntarily withdrew the hand that he had extended toward a chair in order to steady himself; he replied briefly121 to the questions of the manufacturer, who played his part of the soldier's friend with great cordiality. In a few words he explained his relation toward Maurice and the reason why he was looking for him.
"He is a corporal in my company," the captain finally said by way of cutting short the conversation, and inaugurated a series of questions on his own account to learn what had become of the regiment. As Jean went on to tell that the colonel had been seen crossing the city to reach his camp at the head of what few men were left him, Gilberte again thoughtlessly spoke122 up, with the vivacity123 of a woman whose beauty is supposed to atone124 for her indiscretion:
"Oh! he is my uncle; why does he not come and breakfast with us? We could fix up a room for him here. Can't we send someone for him?"
But the old lady discouraged the project with an authority there was no disputing. The good old bourgeois blood of the frontier towns flowed in her veins125; her austerely126 patriotic sentiments were almost those of a man. She broke the stern silence that she had preserved during the meal by saying:
"Never mind Monsieur de Vineuil; he is doing his duty."
Her short speech was productive of embarrassment127 among the party. Delaherche conducted the captain to his study, where he saw him safely bestowed128 upon the sofa; Gilberte moved lightly off about her business, no more disconcerted by her rebuff than is the bird that shakes its wings in gay defiance129 of the shower; while the handmaid to whom Jean had been intrusted led him by a very labyrinth130 of passages and staircases through the various departments of the factory.
The Weiss family lived in the Rue des Voyards, but their house, which was Delaherche's property, communicated with the great structure in the Rue Maqua. The Rue des Voyards was at that time one of the most squalid streets in Sedan, being nothing more than a damp, narrow lane, its normal darkness intensified131 by the proximity132 of the ramparts, which ran parallel to it. The roofs of the tall houses almost met, the dark passages were like the mouths of caverns133, and more particularly so at that end where rose the high college walls. Weiss, however, with free quarters and free fuel on his third floor, found the location a convenient one on account of its nearness to his office, to which he could descend4 in slippers134 without having to go around by the street. His life had been a happy one since his marriage with Henriette, so long the object of his hopes and wishes since first he came to know her at Chene, filling her dead mother's place when only six years old and keeping the house for her father, the tax-collector; while he, entering the big refinery135 almost on the footing of a laborer136, was picking up an education as best he could, and fitting himself for the accountant's position which was the reward of his unremitting toil137. And even when he had attained to that measure of success his dream was not to be realized; not until the father had been removed by death, not until the brother at Paris had been guilty of those excesses: that brother Maurice to whom his twin sister had in some sort made herself a servant, to whom she had sacrificed her little all to make him a gentleman--not until then was Henriette to be his wife. She had never been aught more than a little drudge138 at home; she could barely read and write; she had sold house, furniture, all she had, to pay the young man's debts, when good, kind Weiss came to her with the offer of his savings139, together with his heart and his two strong arms; and she had accepted him with grateful tears, bringing him in return for his devotion a steadfast140, virtuous141 affection, replete142 with tender esteem143, if not the stormier ardors of a passionate144 love. Fortune had smiled on them; Delaherche had spoken of giving Weiss an interest in the business, and when children should come to bless their union their felicity would be complete.
"Look out!" the servant said to Jean; "the stairs are steep."
He was stumbling upward as well as the intense darkness of the place would let him, when suddenly a door above was thrown open, a broad belt of light streamed out across the landing, and he heard a soft voice saying:
"It is he."
"Madame Weiss," cried the servant, "here is a soldier who has been inquiring for you."
There came the sound of a low, pleased laugh, and the same soft voice replied:
"Good! good! I know who it is." Then to the corporal, who was hesitating, rather diffidently, on the landing: "Come in, Monsieur Jean. Maurice has been here nearly two hours, and we have been wondering what detained you."
Then, in the pale sunlight that filled the room, he saw how like she was to Maurice, with that wonderful resemblance that often makes twins so like each other as to be indistinguishable. She was smaller and slighter than he, however; more fragile in appearance, with a rather large mouth and delicately molded features, surmounted145 by an opulence146 of the most beautiful hair imaginable, of the golden yellow of ripened147 grain. The feature where she least resembled him was her gray eyes, great calm, brave orbs148, instinct with the spirit of the grandfather, the hero of the Grand Army. She used few words, was noiseless in her movements, and was so gentle, so cheerful, so helpfully active that where she passed her presence seemed to linger in the air, like a fragrant149 caress150.
"Come this way, Monsieur Jean," she said. "Everything will soon be ready for you."
He stammered151 something inarticulately, for his emotion was such that he could find no word of thanks. In addition to that his eyes were closing he beheld her through the irresistible drowsiness152 that was settling on him as a sea-fog drifts in and settles on the land, in which she seemed floating in a vague, unreal way, as if her feet no longer touched the earth. Could it be that it was all a delightful153 apparition154, that friendly young woman who smiled on him with such sweet simplicity? He fancied for a moment that she had touched his hand and that he had felt the pressure of hers, cool and firm, loyal as the clasp of an old tried friend.
That was the last moment in which Jean was distinctly conscious of what was going on about him. They were in the dining room; bread and meat were set out on the table, but for the life of him he could not have raised a morsel155 to his lips. A man was there, seated on a chair. Presently he knew it was Weiss, whom he had seen at Mulhausen, but he had no idea what the man was saying with such a sober, sorrowful air, with slow and emphatic156 gestures. Maurice was already sound asleep, with the tranquillity157 of death resting on his face, on a bed that had been improvised159 for him beside the stove, and Henriette was busying herself about a sofa on which a mattress160 had been thrown; she brought in a bolster161, pillow and coverings; with nimble, dexterous162 hands she spread the white sheets, snowy white, dazzling in their whiteness.
Ah! those clean, white sheets, so long coveted163, so ardently164 desired; Jean had eyes for naught165 save them. For six weeks he had not had his clothes off, had not slept in a bed. He was as impatient as a child waiting for some promised treat, or a lover expectant of his mistress's coming; the time seemed long, terribly long to him, until he could plunge166 into those cool, white depths and lose himself there. Quickly, as soon as he was alone, he removed his shoes and tossed his uniform across a chair, then, with a deep sigh of satisfaction, threw himself on the bed. He opened his eyes a little way for a last look about him before his final plunge into unconsciousness, and in the pale morning light that streamed in through the lofty window beheld a repetition of his former pleasant vision, only fainter, more aerial; a vision of Henriette entering the room on tiptoe, and placing on the table at his side a water-jug and glass that had been forgotten before. She seemed to linger there a moment, looking at the sleeping pair, him and her brother, with her tranquil158, ineffably167 tender smile upon her lips, then faded into air, and he, between his white sheets, was as if he were not.
Hours--or was it years? slipped by; Jean and Maurice were like dead men, without a dream, without consciousness of the life that was within them. Whether it was ten years or ten minutes, time had stood still for them; the overtaxed body had risen against its oppressor and annihilated168 their every faculty169. They awoke simultaneously170 with a great start and looked at each other inquiringly; where were they? what had happened? how long had they slept? The same pale light was entering through the tall window. They felt as if they had been racked; joints171 stiffer, limbs wearier, mouth more hot and dry than when they had lain down; they could not have slept more than an hour, fortunately. It did not surprise them to see Weiss sitting where they had seen him before, in the same dejected attitude, apparently172 waiting for them to awake.
"_Fichtre_!" exclaimed Jean, "we must get up and report ourselves to the first sergeant before noon."
"Before noon!" said Weiss. "Are you aware that it is seven o'clock in the evening? You have slept about twelve hours."
Great heavens, seven o'clock! They were thunderstruck. Jean, who by that time was completely dressed, would have run for it, but Maurice, still in bed, found he no longer had control of his legs; how were they ever to find their comrades? would not the army have marched away? They took Weiss to task for having let them sleep so long. But the accountant shook his head sorrowfully and said:
"You have done just as well to remain in bed, for all that has been accomplished174."
All that day, from early morning, he had been scouring175 Sedan and its environs in quest of news, and was just come in, discouraged with the inactivity of the troops and the inexplicable176 delay that had lost them the whole of that precious day, the 31st. The sole excuse was that the men were worn out and rest was an absolute necessity for them, but granting that, he could not see why the retreat should not have been continued after giving them a few hours of repose177.
"I do not pretend to be a judge of such matters," he continued, "but I have a feeling, so strong as to be almost a conviction, that the army is very badly situated at Sedan. The 12th corps is at Bazeilles, where there was a little fighting this morning; the 1st is strung out along the Givonne between la Moncelle and Holly178, while the 7th is encamped on the plateau of Floing, and the 5th, what is left of it, is crowded together under the ramparts of the city, on the side of the Chateau. And that is what alarms me, to see them all concentrated thus about the city, waiting for the coming of the Prussians. If I were in command I would retreat on Mezieres, and lose no time about it, either. I know the country; it is the only line of retreat that is open to us, and if we take any other course we shall be driven into Belgium. Come here! let me show you something."
He took Jean by the hand and led him to the window.
Looking from the window over the ramparts, over the adjacent buildings, their view embraced the valley of the Meuse to the southward of Sedan. There was the river, winding180 through broad meadows; there, to the left, was Remilly in the background, Pont Maugis and Wadelincourt before them and Frenois to the right; and shutting in the landscape the ranges of verdant181 hills, Liry first, then la Marfee and la Croix Piau, with their dense forests. A deep tranquillity, a crystalline clearness reigned182 over the wide prospect183 that lay there in the mellow184 light of the declining day.
"Do you see that moving line of black upon the hilltops, that procession of small black ants?"
"Yes, yes!" they cried. "There is a line, there is another, and another, and another! They are everywhere."
"Well," continued Weiss, "those are Prussians. I have been watching them since morning, and they have been coming, coming, as if there were no end to them! You may be sure of one thing: if our troops are waiting for them, they have no intention of disappointing us. And not I alone, but every soul in the city saw them; it is only the generals who persist in being blind. I was talking with a general officer a little while ago; he shrugged186 his shoulders and told me that Marshal MacMahon was absolutely certain that he had not over seventy thousand men in his front. God grant he may be right! But look and see for yourselves; the ground is hid by them! they keep coming, ever coming, the black swarm187!"
At this juncture188 Maurice threw himself back in his bed and gave way to a violent fit of sobbing189. Henriette came in, a smile on her face. She hastened to him in alarm.
"What is it?"
But he pushed her away. "No, no! leave me, have nothing more to do with me; I have never been anything but a burden to you. When I think that you were making yourself a drudge, a slave, while I was attending college--oh! to what miserable190 use have I turned that education! And I was near bringing dishonor on our name; I shudder191 to think where I might be now, had you not beggared yourself to pay for my extravagance and folly192."
"Is that all? Your sleep don't seem to have done you good, my poor friend. But since that is all gone and past, forget it! Are you not doing your duty now, like a good Frenchman? I am very proud of you, I assure you, now that you are a soldier."
She had turned toward Jean, as if to ask him to come to her assistance, and he looked at her with some surprise that she appeared to him less beautiful than yesterday; she was paler, thinner, now that the glamour194 was no longer in his drowsy eyes. The one striking point that remained unchanged was her resemblance to her brother, and yet the difference in their two natures was never more strongly marked than at that moment; he, weak and nervous as a woman, swayed by the impulse of the hour, displaying in his person all the fitful and emotional temperament of his nation, vibrating from one moment to another between the loftiest enthusiasm and the most abject195 despair; she, the patient, indomitable housewife, such an inconsiderable little creature in her resignation and self-effacement, meeting adversity with a brave face and eyes full of inexpugnable courage and resolution, fashioned from the stuff of which heroes are made.
"Proud of me!" cried Maurice. "Ah! truly, you have great reason to be. For a month and more now we have been flying, like the cowards that we are!"
"What of it? we are not the only ones," said Jean with his practical common sense; "we do what we are told to do."
But the young man broke out more furiously than ever: "I have had enough of it, I tell you! Our imbecile leaders, our continual defeats, our brave soldiers led like sheep to the slaughter196--is it not enough, seeing all these things, to make one weep tears of blood? We are here now in Sedan, caught in a trap from which there is no escape; you can see the Prussians closing in on us from every quarter, and certain destruction is staring us in the face; there is no hope, the end is come. No! I shall remain where I am; I may as well be shot as a deserter. Jean, do you go, and leave me here. No! I won't go back there; I will stay here."
He sank upon the pillow in a renewed outpour of tears. It was an utter breakdown197 of the nervous system, sweeping198 everything before it, one of those sudden lapses199 into hopelessness to which he was so subject, in which he despised himself and all the world. His sister, knowing as she did the best way of treating such crises, kept an unruffled face.
"That would not be a nice thing to do, dear Maurice--desert your post in the hour of danger."
He rose impetuously to a sitting posture200: "Then give me my musket201! I will go and blow my brains out; that will be the shortest way of ending it." Then, pointing with outstretched arm to Weiss, where he sat silent and motionless, he said: "There! that is the only sensible man I have seen; yes, he is the only one who saw things as they were. You remember what he said to me, Jean, at Mulhausen, a month ago?"
And the scene rose again before their mind's eye, that night of anxious vigil, the agonized203 suspense204, the prescience of the disaster at Froeschwiller hanging in the sultry heavy air, while the Alsatian told his prophetic fears; Germany in readiness, with the best of arms and the best of leaders, rising to a man in a grand outburst of patriotism205; France dazed, a century behind the age, debauched, and a prey206 to intestine207 disorder208, having neither commanders, men, nor arms to enable her to cope with her powerful adversary209. How quickly the horrible prediction had proved itself true!
Weiss raised his trembling hands. Profound sorrow was depicted210 on his kind, honest face, with its red hair and beard and its great prominent blue eyes.
"Ah!" he murmured, "I take no credit to myself for being right. I don't claim to be wiser than others, but it was all so clear, when one only knew the true condition of affairs! But if we are to be beaten we shall first have the pleasure of killing211 some of those Prussians of perdition. There is that comfort for us; I believe that many of us are to leave their bones there, and I hope there will be plenty of Prussians to keep them company; I would like to see the ground down there in the valley heaped with dead Prussians!" He arose and pointed down the valley of the Meuse. Fire flashed from his myopic212 eyes, which had exempted213 him from service with the army. "A thousand thunders! I would fight, yes, I would, if they would have me. I don't know whether it is seeing them assume the airs of masters in my country--in this country where once the Cossacks did such mischief214; but whenever I think of their being here, of their entering our houses, I am seized with an uncontrollable desire to cut a dozen of their throats. Ah! if it were not for my eyes, if they would take me, I would go!" Then, after a moment's silence: "And besides; who can tell?"
It was the hope that sprang eternal, even in the breast of the least confident, of the possibility of victory, and Maurice, ashamed by this time of his tears, listened and caught at the pleasing speculation215. Was it not true that only the day before there had been a rumor that Bazaine was at Verdun? Truly, it was time that Fortune should work a miracle for that France whose glories she had so long protected. Henriette, with an imperceptible smile on her lips, silently left the room, and was not the least bit surprised when she returned to find her brother up and dressed, and ready to go back to his duty. She insisted, however, that he and Jean should take some nourishment216 first. They seated themselves at the table, but the morsels217 choked them; their stomachs, weakened by their heavy slumber, revolted at the food. Like a prudent218 old campaigner Jean cut a loaf in two halves and placed one in Maurice's sack, the other in his own. It was growing dark, it behooved219 them to be going. Henriette, who was standing at the window watching the Prussian troops incessantly defiling220 on distant la Marfee, the swarming221 legions of black ants that were gradually being swallowed up in the gathering222 shadows, involuntarily murmured:
"Oh, war! what a dreadful thing it is!"
Maurice, seeing an opportunity to retort her sermon to him, immediately took her up:
"How is this, little sister? you are anxious to have people fight, and you speak disrespectfully of war!"
She turned and faced him, valiantly224 as ever: "It is true; I abhor225 it, because it is an abomination and an injustice226. It may be simply because I am a woman, but the thought of such butchery sickens me. Why cannot nations adjust their differences without shedding blood?"
Jean, the good fellow, seconded her with a nod of the head, and nothing to him, too, seemed easier--to him, the unlettered man--than to come together and settle matters after a fair, honest talk; but Maurice, mindful of his scientific theories, reflected on the necessity of war--war, which is itself existence, the universal law. Was it not poor, pitiful man who conceived the idea of justice and peace, while impassive nature revels227 in continual slaughter?
"That is all very fine!" he cried. "Yes, centuries hence, if it shall come to pass that then all the nations shall be merged228 in one; centuries hence man may look forward to the coming of that golden age; and even in that case would not the end of war be the end of humanity? I was a fool but now; we must go and fight, since it is nature's law." He smiled and repeated his brother-in-law's expression: "And besides, who can tell?"
He saw things now through the mirage229 of his vivid self-delusion, they came to his vision distorted through the lens of his diseased nervous sensibility.
"By the way," he continued cheerfully, "what do you hear of our cousin Gunther? You know we have not seen a German yet, so you can't look to me to give you any foreign news."
The question was addressed to his brother-in-law, who had relapsed into a thoughtful silence and answered by a motion of his hand, expressive of his ignorance.
"Cousin Gunther?" said Henriette, "Why, he belongs to the Vth corps and is with the Crown Prince's army; I read it in one of the newspapers, I don't remember which. Is that army in this neighborhood?"
Weiss repeated his gesture, which was imitated by the two soldiers, who could not be supposed to know what enemies were in front of them when their generals did not know. Rising to his feet, the master of the house at last made use of articulate speech.
"Come along; I will go with you. I learned this afternoon where the 106th's camp is situated." He told his wife that she need not expect to see him again that night, as he would sleep at Bazeilles, where they had recently bought and furnished a little place to serve them as a residence during the hot months. It was near a dyehouse that belonged to M. Delaherche. The accountant's mind was ill at ease in relation to certain stores that he had placed in the cellar--a cask of wine and a couple of sacks of potatoes; the house would certainly be visited by marauders if it was left unprotected, he said, while by occupying it that night he would doubtless save it from pillage230. His wife watched him closely while he was speaking.
"You need not be alarmed," he added, with a smile; "I harbor no darker design than the protection of our property, and I pledge my word that if the village is attacked, or if there is any appearance of danger, I will come home at once."
"Well, then, go," she said. "But remember, if you are not back in good season you will see me out there looking for you."
Henriette went with them to the door, where she embraced Maurice tenderly and gave Jean a warm clasp of the hand.
"I intrust my brother to your care once more. He has told me of your kindness to him, and I love you for it."
He was too flustered231 to do more than return the pressure of the small, firm hand. His first impression returned to him again, and he beheld Henriette in the light in which she had first appeared to him, with her bright hair of the hue232 of ripe golden grain, so alert, so sunny, so unselfish, that her presence seemed to pervade233 the air like a caress.
Once they were outside they found the same gloomy and forbidding Sedan that had greeted their eyes that morning. Twilight234 with its shadows had invaded the narrow streets, sidewalk and carriage-way alike were filled with a confused, surging throng. Most of the shops were closed, the houses seemed to be dead or sleeping, while out of doors the crowd was so dense that men trod on one another. With some little difficulty, however, they succeeded in reaching the Place de l'Hotel de Ville, where they encountered M. Delaherche, intent on picking up the latest news and seeing what was to be seen. He at once came up and greeted them, apparently delighted to meet Maurice, to whom he said that he had just returned from accompanying Captain Beaudoin over to Floing, where the regiment was posted, and he became, if that were possible, even more gracious than ever upon learning that Weiss proposed to pass the night at Bazeilles, where he himself, he declared, had just been telling the captain that he intended to take a bed, in order to see how things were looking at the dyehouse.
"We'll go together and be company for each other, Weiss. But first let's go as far as the Sous-Prefecture; we may be able to catch a glimpse of the Emperor."
Ever since he had been so near having the famous conversation with him at Baybel his mind had been full of Napoleon III.; he was not satisfied until he had induced the two soldiers to accompany him. The Place de la Sous-Prefecture was comparatively empty; a few men were standing about in groups, engaged in whispered conversation, while occasionally an officer hurried by, haggard and careworn235. The bright hues236 of the foliage237 were beginning to fade and grow dim in the melancholy, thick-gathering shades of night; the hoarse238 murmur28 of the Meuse was heard as its current poured onward beneath the houses to the right. Among the whisperers it was related how the Emperor--who with the greatest difficulty had been prevailed on to leave Carignan the night before about eleven o'clock--when entreated239 to push on to Mezieres had refused point-blank to abandon the post of danger and take a step that would prove so demoralizing to the troops. Others asserted that he was no longer in the city, that he had fled, leaving behind him a dummy240 emperor, one of his officers dressed in his uniform, a man whose startling resemblance to his imperial master had often puzzled the army. Others again declared, and called upon their honor to substantiate241 their story, that they had seen the army wagons242 containing the imperial treasure, one hundred millions, all in brand-new twenty-franc pieces, drive into the courtyard of the Prefecture. This convoy243 was, in fact, neither more nor less than the vehicles for the personal use of the Emperor and his suite244, the _char a banc_, the two _caleches_, the twelve baggage and supply wagons, which had almost excited a riot in the villages through which they had passed--Courcelles, le Chene, Raucourt; assuming in men's imagination the dimensions of a huge train that had blocked the road and arrested the march of armies, and which now, shorn of their glory, execrated245 by all, had come in shame and disgrace to hide themselves among the sous-prefect's lilac bushes.
While Delaherche was raising himself on tiptoe and trying to peer through the windows of the _rez-de-chaussee_, an old woman at his side, some poor day-worker of the neighborhood, with shapeless form and hands calloused246 and distorted by many years of toil, was mumbling247 between her teeth:
"An emperor--I should like to see one once--just once--so I could say I had seen him."
Suddenly Delaherche exclaimed, seizing Maurice by the arm:
"See, there he is! at the window, to the left. I had a good view of him yesterday; I can't be mistaken. There, he has just raised the curtain; see, that pale face, close to the glass."
The old woman had overheard him and stood staring with wide-open mouth and eyes, for there, full in the window, was an apparition that resembled a corpse248 more than a living being; its eyes were lifeless, its features distorted; even the mustache had assumed a ghastly whiteness in that final agony. The old woman was dumfounded; forthwith she turned her back and marched off with a look of supreme249 contempt.
"That thing an emperor! a likely story."
A zouave was standing near, one of those fugitive76 soldiers who were in no haste to rejoin their commands. Brandishing250 his chassepot and expectorating threats and maledictions, he said to his companion:
"Wait! see me put a bullet in his head!"
Delaherche remonstrated251 angrily, but by that time the Emperor had disappeared. The hoarse murmur of the Meuse continued uninterruptedly; a wailing252 lament253, inexpressibly mournful, seemed to pass above them through the air, where the darkness was gathering intensity254. Other sounds rose in the distance, like the hollow muttering of the rising storm; were they the "March! march!" that terrible order from Paris that had driven that ill-starred man onward day by day, dragging behind him along the roads of his defeat the irony255 of his imperial escort, until now he was brought face to face with the ruin he had foreseen and come forth89 to meet? What multitudes of brave men were to lay down their lives for his mistakes, and how complete the wreck256, in all his being, of that sick man, that sentimental257 dreamer, awaiting in gloomy silence the fulfillment of his destiny!
Weiss and Delaherche accompanied the two soldiers to the plateau of Floing, where the 7th corps camps were.
"Adieu!" said Maurice as he embraced his brother-in-law.
"No, no; not adieu, the deuce! Au _revoir_!" the manufacturer gayly cried.
Jean's instinct led him at once to their regiment, the tents of which were pitched behind the cemetery258, where the ground of the plateau begins to fall away. It was nearly dark, but there was sufficient light yet remaining in the sky to enable them to distinguish the black huddle259 of roofs above the city, and further in the distance Balan and Bazeilles, lying in the broad meadows that stretch away to the range of hills between Remilly and Frenois, while to the right was the dusky wood of la Garenne, and to the left the broad bosom260 of the Meuse had the dull gleam of frosted silver in the dying daylight. Maurice surveyed the broad landscape that was momentarily fading in the descending shadows.
"Ah, here is the corporal!" said Chouteau. "I wonder if he has been looking after our rations!"
The camp was astir with life and bustle261. All day the men had been coming in, singly and in little groups, and the crowd and confusion were such that the officers made no pretense262 of punishing or even reprimanding them; they accepted thankfully those who were so kind as to return and asked no questions. Captain Beaudoin had made his appearance only a short time before, and it was about two o'clock when Lieutenant Rochas had brought in his collection of stragglers, about one-third of the company strength. Now the ranks were nearly full once more. Some of the men were drunk, others had not been able to secure even a morsel of bread and were sinking from inanition; again there had been no distribution of rations. Loubet, however, had discovered some cabbages in a neighboring garden, and cooked them after a fashion, but there was no salt or lard; the empty stomachs continued to assert their claims.
"Come, now, corporal, you are a knowing old file," Chouteau tauntingly263 continued, "what have you got for us? Oh, it's not for myself I care; Loubet and I had a good breakfast; a lady gave it us. You were not at distribution, then?"
Jean beheld a circle of expectant eyes bent on him; the squad264 had been waiting for him with anxiety, Pache and Lapoulle in particular, luckless dogs, who had found nothing they could appropriate; they all relied on him, who, as they expressed it, could get bread out of a stone. And the corporal's conscience smote265 him for having abandoned his men; he took pity on them and divided among them half the bread that he had in his sack.
"Name o' God! Name o' God!" grunted266 Lapoulle as he contentedly267 munched268 the dry bread; it was all he could find to say; while Pache repeated a _Pater_ and an _Ave_ under his breath to make sure that Heaven should not forget to send him his breakfast in the morning.
Gaude, the bugler, with his darkly mysterious air, as of a man who has had troubles of which he does not care to speak, sounded the call for evening muster269 with a glorious fanfare270; but there was no necessity for sounding taps that night, the camp was immediately enveloped271 in profound silence. And when he had verified the names and seen that none of his half-section were missing, Sergeant Sapin, with his thin, sickly face and his pinched nose, softly said:
"There will be one less to-morrow night."
Then, as he saw Jean looking at him inquiringly, he added with calm conviction, his eyes bent upon the blackness of the night, as if reading there the destiny that he predicted:
"It will be mine; I shall be killed to-morrow."
It was nine o'clock, with promise of a chilly272, uncomfortable night, for a dense mist had risen from the surface of the river, so that the stars were no longer visible. Maurice shivered, where he lay with Jean beneath a hedge, and said they would do better to go and seek the shelter of the tent; the rest they had taken that day had left them wakeful, their joints seemed stiffer and their bones sorer than before; neither could sleep. They envied Lieutenant Rochas, who, stretched on the damp ground and wrapped in his blanket, was snoring like a trooper, not far away. For a long time after that they watched with interest the feeble light of a candle that was burning in a large tent where the colonel and some officers were in consultation273. All that evening M. de Vineuil had manifested great uneasiness that he had received no instructions to guide him in the morning. He felt that his regiment was too much "in the air," too much advanced, although it had already fallen back from the exposed position that it had occupied earlier in the day. Nothing had been seen of General Bourgain-Desfeuilles, who was said to be ill in bed at the Hotel of the Golden Cross, and the colonel decided274 to send one of his officers to advise him of the danger of their new position in the too extended line of the 7th corps, which had to cover the long stretch from the bend in the Meuse to the wood of la Garenne. There could be no doubt that the enemy would attack with the first glimpse of daylight; only for seven or eight hours now would that deep tranquillity remain unbroken. And shortly after the dim light in the colonel's tent was extinguished Maurice was amazed to see Captain Beaudoin glide275 by, keeping close to the hedge, with furtive276 steps, and vanish in the direction of Sedan.
The darkness settled down on them, denser277 and denser; the chill mists rose from the stream and enshrouded everything in a dank, noisome278 fog.
"Are you asleep, Jean?"
Jean was asleep, and Maurice was alone. He could not endure the thought of going to the tent where Lapoulle and the rest of them were slumbering279; he heard their snoring, responsive to Rochas' strains, and envied them. If our great captains sleep soundly the night before a battle, it is like enough for the reason that their fatigue will not let them do otherwise. He was conscious of no sound save the equal, deep-drawn breathing of that slumbering multitude, rising from the darkening camp like the gentle respiration280 of some huge monster; beyond that all was void. He only knew that the 5th corps was close at hand, encamped beneath the rampart, that the 1st's line extended from the wood of la Garenne to la Moncelle, while the 12th was posted on the other side of the city, at Bazeilles; and all were sleeping; the whole length of that long line, from the nearest tent to the most remote, for miles and miles, that low, faint murmur ascended281 in rhythmic282 unison283 from the dark, mysterious bosom of the night. Then outside this circle lay another region, the realm of the unknown, whence also sounds came intermittently284 to his ears, so vague, so distant, that he scarcely knew whether they were not the throbbings of his own excited pulses; the indistinct trot285 of cavalry286 plashing over the low ground, the dull rumble33 of gun and caisson along the roads, and, still more marked, the heavy tramp of marching men; the gathering on the heights above of that black swarm, engaged in strengthening the meshes287 of their net, from which night itself had not served to divert them. And below, there by the river's side, was there not the flash of lights suddenly extinguished, was not that the sound of hoarse voices shouting orders, adding to the dread223 suspense of that long night of terror while waiting for the coming of the dawn?
Maurice put forth his hand and felt for Jean's; at last he slumbered288, comforted by the sense of human companionship. From a steeple in Sedan came the deep tones of a bell, slowly, mournfully, tolling289 the hour; then all was blank and void.
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1
regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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regiments
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| （军队的）团( regiment的名词复数 )； 大量的人或物 | |
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3
disintegrated
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| v.（使）破裂[分裂，粉碎]，（使）崩溃( disintegrate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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4
descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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6
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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7
rue
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| n.懊悔，芸香，后悔；v.后悔，悲伤，懊悔 | |
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8
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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9
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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10
prosper
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| v.成功，兴隆，昌盛；使成功，使昌隆，繁荣 | |
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gnawing
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| a.痛苦的，折磨人的 | |
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wagon
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| n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车 | |
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13
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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curb
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| n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制 | |
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forage
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| n.(牛马的)饲料，粮草；v.搜寻，翻寻 | |
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literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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throng
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| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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onward
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| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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dwindled
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| v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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gutter
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| n.沟，街沟，水槽，檐槽，贫民窟 | |
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alley
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| n.小巷，胡同；小径，小路 | |
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murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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expressive
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| adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的 | |
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colossal
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| adj.异常的，庞大的 | |
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rations
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| 定量( ration的名词复数 )； 配给量； 正常量； 合理的量 | |
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grumbled
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| 抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声 | |
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rumble
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| n.隆隆声；吵嚷；v.隆隆响；低沉地说 | |
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tighten
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| v.(使)变紧；(使)绷紧 | |
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bugler
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| 喇叭手； 号兵； 吹鼓手； 司号员 | |
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36
succumbed
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| 不再抵抗（诱惑、疾病、攻击等）( succumb的过去式和过去分词 )； 屈从； 被压垮； 死 | |
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37
drowsy
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| adj.昏昏欲睡的，令人发困的 | |
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38
sergeant
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| n.警官，中士 | |
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39
distended
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| v.（使）膨胀，肿胀( distend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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40
irresistible
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| adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的 | |
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41
fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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42
slumber
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| n.睡眠，沉睡状态 | |
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43
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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44
accosted
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| v.走过去跟…讲话( accost的过去式和过去分词 )；跟…搭讪；（乞丐等）上前向…乞讨；（妓女等）勾搭 | |
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45
chateau
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| n.城堡，别墅 | |
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46
impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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47
remorse
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| n.痛恨，悔恨，自责 | |
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48
dignified
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| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
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49
luxurious
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| adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的 | |
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50
tumult
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| n.喧哗；激动，混乱；吵闹 | |
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51
uproar
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| n.骚动，喧嚣，鼎沸 | |
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52
facades
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| n.（房屋的）正面( facade的名词复数 )；假象，外观 | |
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53
adorned
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| [计]被修饰的 | |
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54
carvings
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| n.雕刻( carving的名词复数 )；雕刻术；雕刻品；雕刻物 | |
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55
simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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56
palatial
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| adj.宫殿般的，宏伟的 | |
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57
coeval
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| adj.同时代的；n.同时代的人或事物 | |
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58
amassed
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| v.积累，积聚( amass的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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59
proprietor
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| n.所有人；业主；经营者 | |
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60
prospered
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| 成功，兴旺( prosper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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61
devout
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| adj.虔诚的，虔敬的，衷心的 (n.devoutness) | |
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62
apron
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| n.围裙；工作裙 | |
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63
attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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64
propriety
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| n.正当行为；正当；适当 | |
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65
levity
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| n.轻率，轻浮，不稳定，多变 | |
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67
complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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68
sanguine
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| adj.充满希望的，乐观的，血红色的 | |
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69
temperament
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| n.气质，性格，性情 | |
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70
bourgeois
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| adj./n.追求物质享受的(人)；中产阶级分子 | |
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71
ascertained
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| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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72
apothecary
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| n.药剂师 | |
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73
monarch
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| n.帝王，君主，最高统治者 | |
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74
incessantly
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| ad.不停地 | |
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75
fugitives
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| n.亡命者，逃命者( fugitive的名词复数 ) | |
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76
fugitive
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| adj.逃亡的，易逝的；n.逃犯，逃亡者 | |
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77
tragic
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| adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的 | |
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78
gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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79
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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80
hubbub
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| n.嘈杂；骚乱 | |
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81
corps
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| n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组 | |
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82
rumor
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| n.谣言，谣传，传说 | |
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83
abdicated
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| 放弃（职责、权力等）( abdicate的过去式和过去分词 )； 退位，逊位 | |
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84
motives
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| n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 ) | |
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85
delicacy
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| n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴 | |
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86
afflicted
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| 使受痛苦，折磨( afflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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87
linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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88
wailed
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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89
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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90
spacious
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| adj.广阔的，宽敞的 | |
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91
somber
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| adj.昏暗的，阴天的，阴森的，忧郁的 | |
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92
lithe
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| adj.(指人、身体)柔软的，易弯的 | |
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93
rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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94
wholesome
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|
| adj.适合；卫生的；有益健康的；显示身心健康的 | |
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95
embroidered
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| adj．绣花的 | |
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96
animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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97
puritanical
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| adj.极端拘谨的；道德严格的 | |
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98
previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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99
farmhouse
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| n.农场住宅（尤指主要住房） | |
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100
situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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101
eminence
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| n.卓越，显赫；高地，高处；名家 | |
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102
patriotic
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| adj.爱国的，有爱国心的 | |
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103
ardor
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| n.热情，狂热 | |
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104
alluding
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| 提及，暗指( allude的现在分词 ) | |
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105
explicitly
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| ad.明确地，显然地 | |
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106
obstinate
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| adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的 | |
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107
clump
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| n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
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108
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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109
rheumatism
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| n.风湿病 | |
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110
recede
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| vi.退(去)，渐渐远去；向后倾斜，缩进 | |
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111
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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112
culminated
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| v.达到极点( culminate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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113
agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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114
melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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115
ardent
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，强烈的，烈性的 | |
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116
compassionating
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| v.同情（compassionate的现在分词形式） | |
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117
opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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118
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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119
salon
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| n.[法]沙龙；客厅；营业性的高级服务室 | |
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120
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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121
briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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122
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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123
vivacity
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| n.快活，活泼，精神充沛 | |
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124
atone
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| v.赎罪，补偿 | |
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125
veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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126
austerely
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| adv.严格地，朴质地 | |
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127
embarrassment
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| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
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128
bestowed
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| 赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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129
defiance
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| n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗 | |
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130
labyrinth
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| n.迷宫；难解的事物；迷路 | |
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131
intensified
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| v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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132
proximity
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| n.接近，邻近 | |
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133
caverns
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| 大山洞，大洞穴( cavern的名词复数 ) | |
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134
slippers
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| n. 拖鞋 | |
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135
refinery
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| n.精炼厂，提炼厂 | |
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136
laborer
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| n.劳动者，劳工 | |
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137
toil
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| vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事 | |
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138
drudge
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| n.劳碌的人；v.做苦工，操劳 | |
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139
savings
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| n.存款，储蓄 | |
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140
steadfast
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| adj.固定的，不变的，不动摇的；忠实的；坚贞不移的 | |
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141
virtuous
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| adj.有品德的，善良的，贞洁的，有效力的 | |
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142
replete
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| adj.饱满的，塞满的；n.贮蜜蚁 | |
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143
esteem
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| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
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144
passionate
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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145
surmounted
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|
| 战胜( surmount的过去式和过去分词 )； 克服（困难）； 居于…之上； 在…顶上 | |
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146
opulence
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| n.财富，富裕 | |
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147
ripened
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| v.成熟，使熟( ripen的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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148
orbs
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| abbr.off-reservation boarding school 在校寄宿学校n.球，天体，圆形物( orb的名词复数 ) | |
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149
fragrant
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| adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的 | |
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150
caress
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| vt./n.爱抚，抚摸 | |
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151
stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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152
drowsiness
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| n.睡意；嗜睡 | |
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153
delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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154
apparition
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| n.幽灵，神奇的现象 | |
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155
morsel
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| n.一口，一点点 | |
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156
emphatic
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| adj.强调的，着重的；无可置疑的，明显的 | |
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157
tranquillity
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| n. 平静, 安静 | |
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158
tranquil
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| adj. 安静的, 宁静的, 稳定的, 不变的 | |
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159
improvised
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| a.即席而作的,即兴的 | |
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160
mattress
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| n.床垫，床褥 | |
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161
bolster
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| n.枕垫；v.支持，鼓励 | |
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162
dexterous
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| adj.灵敏的；灵巧的 | |
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163
coveted
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|
| adj.令人垂涎的；垂涎的，梦寐以求的v.贪求，觊觎(covet的过去分词)；垂涎；贪图 | |
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164
ardently
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| adv.热心地，热烈地 | |
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165
naught
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| n.无，零 [=nought] | |
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166
plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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167
ineffably
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| adv.难以言喻地，因神圣而不容称呼地 | |
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168
annihilated
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| v.（彻底）消灭( annihilate的过去式和过去分词 )；使无效；废止；彻底击溃 | |
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169
faculty
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| n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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170
simultaneously
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| adv.同时发生地，同时进行地 | |
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171
joints
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| 接头( joint的名词复数 )； 关节； 公共场所（尤指价格低廉的饮食和娱乐场所） （非正式）； 一块烤肉 （英式英语） | |
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172
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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173
smothered
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| （使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制 | |
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174
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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175
scouring
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| 擦[洗]净，冲刷，洗涤 | |
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176
inexplicable
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| adj.无法解释的，难理解的 | |
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177
repose
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| v.(使)休息；n.安息 | |
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178
holly
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| n.[植]冬青属灌木 | |
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179
crest
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| n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖 | |
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180
winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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181
verdant
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| adj.翠绿的，青翠的，生疏的，不老练的 | |
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182
reigned
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| vi.当政，统治（reign的过去式形式） | |
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183
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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184
mellow
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| adj.柔和的；熟透的；v.变柔和；(使)成熟 | |
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185
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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186
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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187
swarm
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| n.(昆虫)等一大群；vi.成群飞舞；蜂拥而入 | |
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188
juncture
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| n.时刻，关键时刻，紧要关头 | |
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189
sobbing
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| <主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的 | |
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190
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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191
shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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192
folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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193
serenity
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| n.宁静，沉着，晴朗 | |
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194
glamour
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| n.魔力，魅力；vt.迷住 | |
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195
abject
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| adj.极可怜的，卑屈的 | |
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196
slaughter
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| n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀 | |
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197
breakdown
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| n.垮，衰竭；损坏，故障，倒塌 | |
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198
sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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199
lapses
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| n.失误，过失( lapse的名词复数 )；小毛病；行为失检；偏离正道v.退步( lapse的第三人称单数 )；陷入；倒退；丧失 | |
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200
posture
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| n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势 | |
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201
musket
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| n.滑膛枪 | |
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202
assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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203
agonized
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| v.使（极度）痛苦，折磨( agonize的过去式和过去分词 )；苦斗；苦苦思索；感到极度痛苦 | |
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204
suspense
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| n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑 | |
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205
patriotism
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| n.爱国精神，爱国心，爱国主义 | |
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206
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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207
intestine
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| adj.内部的；国内的；n.肠 | |
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208
disorder
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| n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调 | |
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209
adversary
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| adj.敌手，对手 | |
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210
depicted
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| 描绘，描画( depict的过去式和过去分词 )； 描述 | |
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211
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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212
myopic
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| adj.目光短浅的，缺乏远见的 | |
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213
exempted
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| 使免除[豁免]( exempt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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214
mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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215
speculation
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| n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机 | |
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216
nourishment
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| n.食物，营养品；营养情况 | |
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217
morsels
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| n.一口( morsel的名词复数 )；（尤指食物）小块，碎屑 | |
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218
prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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219
behooved
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| v.适宜( behoove的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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220
defiling
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| v.玷污( defile的现在分词 )；污染；弄脏；纵列行进 | |
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221
swarming
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| 密集( swarm的现在分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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222
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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223
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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224
valiantly
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| adv.勇敢地，英勇地；雄赳赳 | |
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225
abhor
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| v.憎恶；痛恨 | |
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226
injustice
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| n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利 | |
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227
revels
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| n.作乐( revel的名词复数 )；狂欢；着迷；陶醉v.作乐( revel的第三人称单数 )；狂欢；着迷；陶醉 | |
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228
merged
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| （使）混合( merge的过去式和过去分词 )； 相融； 融入； 渐渐消失在某物中 | |
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229
mirage
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| n.海市蜃楼，幻景 | |
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230
pillage
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| v.抢劫；掠夺；n.抢劫，掠夺；掠夺物 | |
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231
flustered
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| adj.慌张的；激动不安的v.使慌乱，使不安( fluster的过去式和过去分词) | |
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232
hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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233
pervade
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| v.弥漫，遍及，充满，渗透，漫延 | |
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234
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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235
careworn
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| adj.疲倦的，饱经忧患的 | |
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236
hues
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| 色彩( hue的名词复数 )； 色调； 信仰； 观点 | |
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237
foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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238
hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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239
entreated
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| 恳求，乞求( entreat的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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240
dummy
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| n.假的东西；(哄婴儿的)橡皮奶头 | |
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241
substantiate
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| v.证实；证明...有根据 | |
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242
wagons
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| n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 )；铁路货车；小手推车 | |
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243
convoy
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| vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队 | |
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244
suite
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| n.一套(家具)；套房；随从人员 | |
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245
execrated
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| v.憎恶( execrate的过去式和过去分词 )；厌恶；诅咒；咒骂 | |
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246
calloused
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| adj.粗糙的，粗硬的，起老茧的v.（使）硬结，（使）起茧( callous的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）冷酷无情 | |
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247
mumbling
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| 含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的现在分词 ) | |
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248
corpse
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| n.尸体，死尸 | |
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249
supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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250
brandishing
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| v.挥舞( brandish的现在分词 )；炫耀 | |
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251
remonstrated
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| v.抗议( remonstrate的过去式和过去分词 )；告诫 | |
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252
wailing
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的现在分词 )；沱 | |
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253
lament
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| n.悲叹，悔恨，恸哭；v.哀悼，悔恨，悲叹 | |
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254
intensity
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| n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度 | |
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255
irony
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| n.反语，冷嘲；具有讽刺意味的事，嘲弄 | |
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256
wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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257
sentimental
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| adj.多愁善感的，感伤的 | |
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258
cemetery
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| n.坟墓，墓地，坟场 | |
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259
huddle
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| vi.挤作一团；蜷缩；vt.聚集；n.挤在一起的人 | |
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260
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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261
bustle
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| v.喧扰地忙乱，匆忙，奔忙；n.忙碌；喧闹 | |
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262
pretense
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| n.矫饰，做作，借口 | |
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263
tauntingly
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| 嘲笑地，辱骂地； 嘲骂地 | |
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264
squad
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| n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组 | |
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265
smote
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| v.猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去式 ) | |
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266
grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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267
contentedly
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| adv.心满意足地 | |
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268
munched
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| v.用力咀嚼（某物），大嚼( munch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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269
muster
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| v.集合，收集，鼓起，激起；n.集合，检阅，集合人员，点名册 | |
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270
fanfare
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| n.喇叭；号角之声；v.热闹地宣布 | |
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271
enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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272
chilly
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| adj.凉快的，寒冷的 | |
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273
consultation
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| n.咨询；商量；商议；会议 | |
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274
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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275
glide
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| n./v.溜，滑行；(时间)消逝 | |
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276
furtive
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| adj.鬼鬼崇崇的，偷偷摸摸的 | |
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277
denser
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| adj. 不易看透的, 密集的, 浓厚的, 愚钝的 | |
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278
noisome
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| adj.有害的，可厌的 | |
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279
slumbering
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| 微睡，睡眠（slumber的现在分词形式） | |
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280
respiration
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| n.呼吸作用；一次呼吸；植物光合作用 | |
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281
ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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282
rhythmic
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| adj.有节奏的，有韵律的 | |
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283
unison
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| n.步调一致，行动一致 | |
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284
intermittently
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| adv.间歇地；断断续续 | |
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285
trot
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| n.疾走，慢跑；n.老太婆；现成译本；(复数）trots:腹泻（与the 连用）；v.小跑，快步走，赶紧 | |
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286
cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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287
meshes
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| 网孔( mesh的名词复数 )； 网状物； 陷阱； 困境 | |
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288
slumbered
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| 微睡，睡眠（slumber的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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289
tolling
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| [财]来料加工 | |
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