M. Souris has been his friend, his old college chum. Leuillet was very much attached to him, but thought he was somewhat of a simpleton. He would often remark: “That poor Souris who will never set the world on fire.”
When Souris married Miss Mathilde Duval, Leuillet was astonished and somewhat annoyed, as he was slightly devoted1 to her, himself. She was the daughter of a neighbor, a former proprietor2 of a draper's establishment who had retired3 with quite a small fortune. She married Souris for his money.
Then Leuillet thought he would start a flirtation4 with his friend's wife. He was a good-looking man, intelligent and also rich. He thought it would be all plain sailing, but he was mistaken. Then he really began to admire her with an admiration5 that his friendship for the husband obliged him to keep within the bounds of discretion6, making him timid and embarrassed. Madame Souris believing that his presumptions7 had received a wholesome8 check now treated him as a good friend. This went on for nine years.
One morning a messenger brought Leuillet a distracted note from the poor woman. Souris had just died suddenly from the rupture9 of an aneurism. He was dreadfully shocked, for they were just the same age. But almost immediately a feeling of profound joy, of intense relief, of emancipation10 filled his being. Madame Souris was free.
He managed, however, to assume the sad, sympathetic expression that was appropriate, waited the required time, observed all social appearances. At the end of fifteen months he married the widow.
This was considered to be a very natural, and even a generous action. It was the act of a good friend of an upright man.
They lived in the most cordial intimacy12, having understood and appreciated each other from the first. They had no secrets from one another and even confided13 to each other their most secret thoughts. Leuillet loved his wife now with a quiet and trustful affection; he loved her as a tender, devoted companion who is an equal and a confidante. But there lingered in his mind a strange and inexplicable14 bitterness towards the defunct15 Souris, who had first been the husband of this woman, who had had the flower of her youth and of her soul, and had even robbed her of some of her poetry. The memory of the dead husband marred16 the happiness of the living husband, and this posthumous17 jealousy18 tormented19 his heart by day and by night.
The consequence was he talked incessantly20 of Souris, asked about a thousand personal and secret minutia21, wanted to know all about his habits and his person. And he sneered22 at him even in his grave, recalling with self-satisfaction his whims23, ridiculing24 his absurdities25, dwelling26 on his faults.
He would call to his wife all over the house:
“Hallo, Mathilde!”
“Here I am, dear.”
“Come here a moment.”
She would come, always smiling, knowing well that he would say something about Souris and ready to flatter her new husband's inoffensive mania27.
“Tell me, do you remember one day how Souris insisted on explaining to me that little men always commanded more affection than big men?”
And he made some remarks that were disparaging28 to the deceased, who was a small man, and decidedly flattering to himself, Leuillet, who was a tall man.
Mme. Leuillet allowed him to think he was right, quite right, and she laughed heartily29, gently ridiculing her former husband for the sake of pleasing the present one, who always ended by saying:
“All the same, what a ninny that Souris was!”
They were happy, quite happy, and Leuillet never ceased to show his devotion to his wife.
One night, however, as they lay awake, Leuillet said as he kissed his wife:
“See here, dearie.”
“Well?”
“Was Souris—I don't exactly know how to say it—was Souris very loving?”
She gave him a kiss for reply and murmured “Not as loving as you are, mon chat.”
He was flattered in his self-love and continued:
“He must have been—a ninny—was he not?”
She did not reply. She only smiled slyly and hid her face in her husband's neck.
“He must have been a ninny and not—not—not smart?”
She shook her head slightly to imply, “No—not at all smart.”
He continued:
“He must have been an awful nuisance, eh?”
This time she was frank and replied:
“Oh yes!”
“No,” she replied. “It was not always pleasant.”
Leuillet was delighted, forming in his mind a comparison, much in his own favor, between his wife's former and present position. He was silent for a time, and then with a burst of laughter he asked:
“Tell me?”
“What?”
“Will you be frank, very frank with me?”
“Why yes, my dear.”
Mme. Leuillet said: “Oh!” pretending to be shocked and hid her face again on her husband's shoulder. But he saw that she was laughing.
“Come now, own up,” he persisted. “He looked like a ninny, that creature! It would be funny, so funny! Good old Souris! Come, come, dearie, you do not mind telling me, me, of all people.”
He insisted on the “me” thinking that if she had wished to deceive Souris she would have chosen him, and he was trembling in anticipation33 of her avowal, sure that if she had not been a virtuous34 woman she would have encouraged his own attentions.
But she did not answer, laughing still, as at the recollection of something exceedingly comical.
Leuillet, in his turn began to laugh, thinking he might have been the lucky man, and he muttered amid his mirth: “That poor Souris, that poor Souris, oh, yes, he looked like a fool!”
“Come, confess, be frank. You know I will not mind.”
“Yes, what?” insisted her husband. “Come, tell all.”
She was quieter now and putting her mouth to her husband's ear, she whispered: “Yes, I did deceive him.”
He felt a chill run down his back and to his very bones, and he stammered out, dumfounded: “You—you—deceived him—criminally?”
She still thought he was amused and replied: “Yes—yes, absolutely.”
He was obliged to sit up to recover his breath, he was so shocked and upset at what he had heard.
She had become serious, understanding too late what she had done.
“With whom?” said Leuillet at length.
She was silent seeking some excuse.
“A young man,” she replied at length.
He turned suddenly toward her and said drily:
“I did not suppose it was the cook. I want to know what young man, do you hear?”
She did not answer.
He snatched the covers from her face, repeating:
“I want to know what young man, do you hear?”
Then she said sorrowfully: “I was only in fun.” But he was trembling with rage. “What? How? You were only in fun? You were making fun of me, then? But I am not satisfied, do you hear? I want the name of the young man!”
She did not reply, but lay there motionless.
He took her by the arm and squeezed it, saying: “Do you understand me, finally? I wish you to reply when I speak to you.”
He was wild with rage, not knowing what to say, exasperated38, and he shook her with all his might, repeating:
“Do you hear me, do you hear me?”
She made an abrupt39 effort to disengage herself and the tips of her fingers touched her husband's nose. He was furious, thinking she had tried to hit him, and he sprang upon her holding her down; and boxing her ears with all his might, he cried: “Take that, and that, there, there, wretch40!”
When he was out of breath and exhausted41, he rose and went toward the dressing42 table to prepare a glass of eau sucree with orange flower, for he felt as if he should faint.
She was weeping in bed, sobbing43 bitterly, for she felt as if her happiness was over, through her own fault.
Then, amidst her tears, she stammered out:
“Listen, Antoine, come here, I told you a lie, you will understand, listen.”
And prepared to defend herself now, armed with excuses and artifice44, she raised her disheveled head with its nightcap all awry45.
Turning toward her, he approached, ashamed of having struck her, but feeling in the bottom of his heart as a husband, a relentless46 hatred47 toward this woman who had deceived the former husband, Souris.
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1
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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proprietor
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| n.所有人；业主；经营者 | |
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3
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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flirtation
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| n.调情，调戏，挑逗 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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6
discretion
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| n.谨慎；随意处理 | |
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7
presumptions
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| n.假定( presumption的名词复数 )；认定；推定；放肆 | |
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8
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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rupture
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| n.破裂；(关系的)决裂；v.(使)破裂 | |
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emancipation
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| n.（从束缚、支配下）解放 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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12
intimacy
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| n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行 | |
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13
confided
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| v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的过去式和过去分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等） | |
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14
inexplicable
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| adj.无法解释的，难理解的 | |
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15
defunct
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| adj.死亡的；已倒闭的 | |
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16
marred
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| adj. 被损毁, 污损的 | |
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17
posthumous
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| adj.遗腹的；父亡后出生的；死后的，身后的 | |
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18
jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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19
tormented
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| 饱受折磨的 | |
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20
incessantly
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| ad.不停地 | |
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21
minutia
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| n.微枝末节，细节 | |
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22
sneered
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| 讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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23
WHIMS
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| 虚妄，禅病 | |
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24
ridiculing
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| v.嘲笑，嘲弄，奚落( ridicule的现在分词 ) | |
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25
absurdities
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| n.极端无理性( absurdity的名词复数 )；荒谬；谬论；荒谬的行为 | |
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26
dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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27
mania
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| n.疯狂；躁狂症，狂热，癖好 | |
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28
disparaging
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| adj.轻蔑的，毁谤的v.轻视( disparage的现在分词 )；贬低；批评；非难 | |
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29
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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30
avowal
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| n.公开宣称，坦白承认 | |
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31
brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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32
tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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33
anticipation
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| n.预期，预料，期望 | |
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34
virtuous
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| adj.有品德的，善良的，贞洁的，有效力的 | |
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35
spasms
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| n.痉挛( spasm的名词复数 )；抽搐；（能量、行为等的）突发；发作 | |
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36
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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37
nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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38
exasperated
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| adj.恼怒的 | |
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39
abrupt
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| adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的 | |
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40
wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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41
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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42
dressing
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| n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料 | |
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43
sobbing
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| <主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的 | |
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44
artifice
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| n.妙计，高明的手段；狡诈，诡计 | |
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45
awry
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| adj.扭曲的，错的 | |
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46
relentless
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| adj.残酷的，不留情的，无怜悯心的 | |
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47
hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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