They were not so proud then as they have been since. Feeling ratherembarrassed in the midst of a population still quivering with theemotions of the siege, they had at least the good taste to try andfind pretexts1 for their absence.
"I was cut off," affirmed the Baron2 de Thaller. "I had gone toSwitzerland to place my wife and daughter in safety. When I cameback, good-by! the Prussians had closed the doors. For more thana week, I wandered around Paris, trying to find an opening. Ibecame suspected of being a spy. I was arrested. A little more,and I was shot dead!""As to myself," declared M. Costeclar, "I foresaw exactly what hashappened. I knew that it was outside, to organize armies of relief,that men would be wanted. I went to offer my services to thegovernment of defence; and everybody in Bordeaux saw me booted andspurred, and ready to leave."He was consequently soliciting3 the Cross of the Legion of Honor,and was not without hopes of obtaining it through the all-powerfulinfluence of his financial connections.
"Didn't So-and-so get it?" he replied to objections. And he namedthis or that individual whose feats4 of arms consisted principallyin having exhibited themselves in uniforms covered with gold laceto the very shoulders.
"But I am the man who deserves it most, that cross," insisted theyounger M. Jottras; "for I, at least, have rendered valuableservices."And he went on telling how, after searching for arms all overEngland, he had sailed for New York, where he had purchased anynumber of guns and cartridges5, and even some batteries of artillery6.
This last journey had been very wearisome to him, he added and yethe did not regret it; for it had furnished him an opportunity tostudy on the spot the financial morals of America; and he hadreturned with ideas enough to make the fortune of three or fourstock companies with twenty millions of capital.
"Ah, those Americans!" he exclaimed. "They are the men whounderstand business! We are but children by the side of them."It was through M. Chapelain, the Desciavettes, and old Desormeaux,that these news reached the Rue7 St. Gilles.
It was also through Maxence, whose battalion8 had been dissolved,and who, whilst waiting for something better, had accepted aclerkship in the office of the Orleans Railway, where he earnedtwo hundred francs a month. For M. Favoral saw and heard nothingthat was going on around him. He was wholly absorbed in hisbusiness: he left earlier, came home later, and hardly allowedhimself time to eat and drink.
He told all his friends that business was looking up again in themost unexpected manner; that there were fortunes to be made bythose who could command ready cash; and that it was necessary tomake up for lost time.
He pretended that the enormous indemnity9 to be paid to the Prussianswould necessitate10 an enormous movement of capital, financialcombinations, a loan, and that so many millions could not be handledwithout allowing a few little millions to fall into intelligentpockets.
Dazzled by the mere11 enumeration12 of those fabulous13 sums, "I shouldnot be a bit surprised," said the others, "to see Favoral doubleand treble his fortune. What a famous match his daughter will be!"Alas14! never had Mlle. Gilberte felt in her heart so much hatredand disgust for that money, the only thought, the sole subject ofconversation, of those around her, - for that cursed money whichhad risen like an insurmountable obstacle between Marius andherself.
For two weeks past, the communications had been completely restored;and there was as yet no sign of M. de Tregars. It was with the mostviolent palpitations of her heart that she awaited each day the hourof the Signor Gismondo Pulei's lesson: and more painful each timebecame her anguish15 when she heard him exclaim,"Nothing, not a line, not a word. The pupil has forgotten his oldmaster!"But Mlle. Gilberte knew well that Marius did not forget. Her bloodfroze in her veins16 when she read in the papers the interminablelist of those poor soldiers who had succumbed17 during the invasion,- the more fortunate ones under Prussian bullets; the others alongthe roads, in the mud or in the snow, of cold, of fatigue18, ofsuffering and of want.
She could not drive from her mind the memory of that lugubriousvision which had so much frightened her; and she was asking herselfwhether it was not one of those inexplicable19 presentiments20, ofwhich there are examples, which announce the death of a belovedperson.
Alone at night in her little room, Mlle. Gilberte withdrew from thehiding-place, where she kept it preciously, that package whichMarius had confided21 to her, recommending her not to open it untilshe was sure that he would not return. It was very voluminous,enclosed in an envelope of thick paper, sealed with red wax, bearingthe arms of Tregars; and she had often wondered what it couldpossibly contain. And now she shuddered23 at the thought that shehad perhaps the right to open it.
And she had no one of whom she could ask for a word of hope. Shewas compelled to hide her tears, and to put on a smile. She wascompelled to invent pretexts for those who expressed their wonderat seeing her exquisite24 beauty withering25 in the bud,- for hermother, whose anxiety was without limit, when she saw her thus pale,her eyes inflamed26, and undermined by a continuous fever.
True, Marius, on leaving, had left her a friend, the Count deVillegre; and, if any one knew any thing, he certainly did. Butshe could see no way of hearing from him without risking her secret.
Write to him? Nothing was easier, since she had his address, - RueTurenne. But where could she ask him to direct his answer? Rue St.
Gilles? Impossible! True, she might go to him, or make anappointment in the neighborhood. But how could she escape, evenfor an hour, without exciting Mme. Favoral's suspicions?
Sometimes it occurred to her to confide22 in Maxence, who was laboringwith admirable constancy to redeem27 his past.
But what! must she, then, confess the truth, - confess that she,Gilberte, had lent her ears to the words of a stranger, met bychance in the street, and that she looked forward to no happinessin life save through him? She dared not. She could not take uponherself to overcome the shame of such a situation.
She was on the verge28 of despair, the day when the Signor Puleiarrived radiant, exclaiming from the very threshold, "I have news!"And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl,which he attributed solely29 to the interest she felt for him, - himGismondo Pulei, he went on,- "I did not get them direct, but througha respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at hisbuttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, hasdeigned to come to my room, and read it to me."The worthy30 maestro had not forgotten a single word of that letter;and it was almost literally31 that he repeated it.
Six weeks after having enlisted32, his pupil had been promotedcorporal, then sergeant33, then lieutenant34. He had fought in allthe battles of the army of the Loire without receiving a scratch.
But at the battle of the Maus, whilst leading back his men, whowere giving way, he had been shot twice, full in the breast.
Carried dying into an ambulance, he had lingered three weeksbetween life and death, having lost all consciousness of self.
Twenty-four hours after, he had recovered his senses; and he tookthe first opportunity to recall himself to the affection of hisfriends. All danger was over, he suffered scarcely any more; andthey promised him, that, within a month, he would be up, and ableto return to Paris.
For the first time in many weeks Mlle. Gilberte breathed freely.
But she would have been greatly surprised, had she been told thata day was drawing near when she would bless those wounds whichdetained Marius upon a hospital cot. And yet it was so.
Mme. Favoral and her daughter were alone, one evening, at the house,when loud clamors arose from the 'street, in the midst of whichcould be heard drunken voices yelling the refrains of revolutionarysongs, accompanied by continuous rumbling35 sounds. They ran to thewindow. The National Guards had just taken possession of the cannondeposited in the Place Royale. The reign37 of the Commune wascommencing.
In less than forty-eight hours, people came to regret the worst daysof the siege. Without leaders, without direction, the honest menhad lost their heads. All the braves who had returned at the timeof the armistice38 had again taken flight. Soon people had to hideor to fly to avoid being incorporated in the battalions39 of theCommune. Night and day, around the walls, the fusillade rattled,and the artillery thundered.
Again M. Favoral had given up going to his office. What's the use?
Sometimes, with a singular look, he would say to his wife andchildren,"This time it is indeed a liquidation40. Paris is lost!"And indeed they thought so, when at the hour of the supreme41 struggle,among the detonations42 of the cannon36 and the explosion of the shells;they felt their house shaking to its very foundations; when in themidst of the night they saw their apartment as brilliantly lightedas at mid-day by the flames which were consuming the Hotel de Villeand the houses around the Place de la Bastille. And, in fact, therapid action of the troops alone saved Paris from destruction.
But towards the end of the following week, matters had commenced toquiet down; and Gilberte learned the return of Marius.
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1
pretexts
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| n.借口，托辞( pretext的名词复数 ) | |
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2
baron
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| n.男爵；(商业界等)巨头，大王 | |
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soliciting
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| v.恳求( solicit的现在分词 )；（指娼妇）拉客；索求；征求 | |
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4
feats
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| 功绩，伟业，技艺( feat的名词复数 ) | |
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cartridges
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| 子弹( cartridge的名词复数 )； （打印机的）墨盒； 录音带盒； （唱机的）唱头 | |
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artillery
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| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
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rue
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| n.懊悔，芸香，后悔；v.后悔，悲伤，懊悔 | |
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battalion
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| n.营；部队；大队(的人) | |
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indemnity
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| n.赔偿，赔款，补偿金 | |
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necessitate
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| v.使成为必要，需要 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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enumeration
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| n.计数，列举；细目；详表；点查 | |
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fabulous
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| adj.极好的；极为巨大的；寓言中的，传说中的 | |
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alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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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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17
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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fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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inexplicable
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| adj.无法解释的，难理解的 | |
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presentiments
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| n.（对不祥事物的）预感( presentiment的名词复数 ) | |
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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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confide
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| v.向某人吐露秘密 | |
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shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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withering
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| 使人畏缩的，使人害羞的，使人难堪的 | |
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inflamed
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| adj.发炎的，红肿的v.（使）变红，发怒，过热( inflame的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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redeem
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| v.买回，赎回，挽回，恢复，履行（诺言等） | |
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verge
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| n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临 | |
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solely
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| adv.仅仅，唯一地 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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enlisted
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| adj.应募入伍的v.（使）入伍， （使）参军( enlist的过去式和过去分词 )；获得（帮助或支持） | |
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sergeant
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| n.警官，中士 | |
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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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rumbling
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| n. 隆隆声, 辘辘声 adj. 隆隆响的 动词rumble的现在分词 | |
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cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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reign
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| n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势 | |
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38
armistice
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| n.休战，停战协定 | |
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39
battalions
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| n.（陆军的）一营（大约有一千兵士）( battalion的名词复数 )；协同作战的部队；军队；（组织在一起工作的）队伍 | |
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40
liquidation
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| n.清算，停止营业 | |
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41
supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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42
detonations
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| n.爆炸 （声）( detonation的名词复数 ) | |
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