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Chapter XXV
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       Mme. Favoral, usually so indulgent, was too severe this time; andit was very unjustly that she accused her son. She forgot, andwhat mother does not forget, that he was twenty-five years of age,that he was a man, and that, outside of the family and of herself,he must have his own interests and his passions, his affections andhis duties. Because he happened to leave the house for a few hours,Maxence was surely not forsaking1 either his mother or his sister.

It was not without a severe internal struggle that he had made uphis mind to go out, and, as he was going down the steps,"Poor mother," he thought. "I am sure I am making her very unhappy;but how can I help it?"This was the first time that he had been in the street since hisfarther's disaster had been known; and the impression produced uponhim was painful in the extreme. Formerly2, when he walked throughthe Rue3 St. Gilles, that street where he was born, and where he usedto play as a boy, every one met him with a friendly nod or a familiarsmile. True he was then the son of a man rich and highly esteemed;whereas this morning not a hand was extended, not a hat raised, onhis passage. People whispered among themselves, and pointed5 himout with looks of hatred6 and irony7. That was because he was nowthe son of the dishonest cashier tracked by the police, of the manwhose crime brought disaster upon so many innocent parties.

Mortified8 and ashamed, Maxence was hurrying on, his head down, hischeek burning, his throat parched9, when, in front of a wine-shop,"Halloo!" said a man; "that's the son. What cheek!"And farther on, in front of the grocer's.

"I tell you what," said a woman in the midst of a group, "they stillhave more than we have."Then, for the first time, he understood with what crushing weighthis father's crime would weigh upon his whole life; and, whilstgoing up the Rue Terrain10,"It's all over," he thought: "I can never get over it." And hewas thinking of changing his name, of emigrating to America, andhiding himself in the deserts of the Far West, when, a littlefarther on, he noticed a group of some thirty persons in frontof a newspaper-stand. The vender11, a fat little man with a redface and an impudent12 look, was crying in a hoarse13 voice,"Here are the morning papers! The last editions! All about therobbery of twelve millions by a poor cashier. Buy the morningpapers!"And, to stimulate14 the sale of his wares15, he added all sorts ofjokes of his own invention, saying that the thief belonged to theneighborhood; that it was quite flattering, etc.

The crowd laughed; and he went on,"The cashier Favoral's robbery! twelve millions! Buy the paper,and see how it's done."And so the scandal was public, irreparable. Maxence was listeninga few steps off. He felt like going; but an imperative16 feeling,stronger than his will, made him anxious to see what the papers said.

Suddenly he made up his mind, and, stepping up briskly, he threwdown three sous, seized a paper, and ran as if they had all knownhim.

"Not very polite, the gentleman," remarked two idlers whom he hadpushed a little roughly.

Quick as he had been, a shopkeeper of the Rue Terrain had had timeto recognize him.

"Why, that's the cashier's son!" he exclaimed. Is it possible?""Why don't they arrest him?"Half a dozen curious fellows, more eager than the rest, ran afterhim to try and see his face. But he was already far off.

Leaning against a gas-lamp on the Boulevard, he unfolded the paperhe had just bought. He had no trouble looking for the article. Inthe middle of the first page, in the most prominent position, heread in large letters,"At the moment of going to press, the greatest agitation17 prevailsamong the stock-brokers and operators at the bourse generally,owing to the news that one of our great banking18 establishmentshas just been the victim of a theft of unusual magnitude.

"At about five o'clock in the afternoon, the manager of theMutual Credit Society, having need of some documents, went tolook for them in the office of the head cashier, who was thenabsent. A memorandum20 forgotten on the table excited hissuspicions. Sending at once for a locksmith, he had all thedrawers broken open, and soon acquired the irrefutable evidencethat the Mutual19 Credit had been defrauded21 of sums, which, as faras now, known, amount to upwards22 of twelve millions.

"At once the police was notified; and M. Brosse, commissary ofpolice, duly provided with a warrant, called at the guiltycashier's house.

"That cashier, named Favoral, - we do not hesitate to name him,since his name has already been made public, - had just sat downto dinner with some friends. Warned, no one knows how, hesucceeded in escaping through a window into the yard of theadjoining house, and up to this hour has succeeded in eludingall search.

"It seems that these embezzlements had been going on for years,but had been skillfully concealed23 by false entries.

"M. Favoral had managed to secure the esteem4 of all who knew him.

He led at home a more than modest existence. But that was only,as it were, his official life. Elsewhere, and under another name,he indulged in the most reckless expenses for the benefit of awoman with whom he was madly in love.

"Who this woman is, is not yet exactly known.

"Some mention a very fascinating young actress, who performs ata theatre not a hundred miles from the Rue Vivienne; others, alady of the financial high life, whose equipages, diamonds, anddresses are justly famed.

"We might easily, in this respect, give particulars which wouldastonish many people; for we know all; but, at the risk ofseeming less well informed than some others of our morningcontemporaries, we will observe a silence which our readers willsurely appreciate. We do not wish to add, by a prematureindiscretion, any thing to the grief of a family already socruelly stricken; for M. Favoral leaves behind him in the deepestsorrow a wife and two children, - a son of twenty-five, employedin a railroad office, and a daughter of twenty, remarkablyhandsome, who, a few months ago, came very near marrying M.

C. -.

Next -"Tears of rage obscured Maxence's sight whilst reading the last fewlines of this terrible article. To find himself thus held up topublic curiosity, though innocent, was more than he could bear.

And yet he was, perhaps, still more surprised than indignant. Hehad just learned in that paper more than his father's most intimatefriends knew, more than he knew himself. Where had it got itsinformation? And what could be these other details which the writerpretended to know, but did not wish to publish as yet? Maxence feltlike running to the office of the paper, fancying that they couldtell him there exactly where and under what name M. Favoral led thatexistence of pleasure and luxury, and who the woman was to whom thearticle alluded24.

But in the mean time he had reached his hotel, - the Hotel desFolies. After a moment of hesitation,"Bash!" he thought, "I have the whole day to call at the office ofthe paper.

And he started in the corridor of the hotel, a corridor that was solong, so dark, and so narrow, that it gave an idea of the shaft25 ofa mine, and that it was prudent26, before entering it, to make surethat no one was coming in the opposite direction. It was from theneighboring theatre, des Folies-Nouvelles (now the Theatre Dejazet),that the hotel had taken its name.

It consists of the rear building of a large old house, and has nofrontage on the Boulevard, where nothing betrays its existence,except a lantern hung over a low and narrow door, between a cafand a confectionery-shop. It is one of those hotels, as there area good many in Paris, somewhat mysterious and suspicious, ill-kept,and whose profits remain a mystery for simple-minded folks. Whooccupy the apartments of the first and second story? No one knows.

Never have the most curious of the neighbors discovered the faceof a tenant27. And yet they are occupied; for often, in theafternoon, a curtain is drawn28 aside, and a shadow is seen to move.

In the evening, lights are noticed within; and sometimes the soundof a cracked old piano is heard.

Above the second story, the mystery ceases. All the upper rooms,the price of which is relatively29 modest, are occupied by tenantswho may be seen and heard, - clerks like Maxence, shop-girls fromthe neighborhood, a few restaurant-waiters, and sometimes some poordevil of an actor or chorus-singer from the Theatre Dejazet, theCircus, or the Chateau31 d'Eau. One of the great advantages of theHotel des Folies - and Mme. Fortin, the landlady32, never failed topoint it out to the new tenants30, an inestimable advantage, shedeclared - was a back entrance on the Rue Beranger.

"And everybody knows," she concluded, "that there is no chance ofbeing caught, when one has the good luck of living in a house thathas two outlets33."When Maxence entered the office, a small, dark, and dirty room,the proprietors34, M. and Mme. Fortin were just finishing theirbreakfast with an immense bowl of coffee of doubtful color, ofwhich an enormous red cat was taking a share.

"Ah, here is M. Favoral!" they exclaimed.

There was no mistaking their tone. They knew the catastrophe;and the newspaper lying on the table showed how they had heard it.

"Some one called to see you last night," said Mme. Fortin, a largefat woman, whose nose was always besmeared with snuff, and whosehoneyed voice made a marked contrast with her bird-of-prey look.

"Who?""A gentleman of about fifty, tall and thin, with a long overcoat,coming down to his heels."Maxence imagined, from this description, that he recognized his ownfather. And yet it seemed impossible, after what had happened, thathe should dare to show himself on the Boulevard du Temple, whereeverybody knew him, within a step of the Caf Turc, of which hewas one of the oldest customers.

"At what o'clock was he here?" he inquired.

"I really can't tell," answered the landlady. "I was half asleepat the time; but Fortin can tell us."M. Fortin, who looked about twenty years younger than his wife, wasone of those small men, blonde, with scanty35 beard, a suspiciousglance, and uneasy smile, such as the Madame Fortins know how, tofind, Heaven knows where.

"The confectioner had just put up his shutters," he replied:

"consequently, it must have been between eleven and a quarter-pasteleven.""And didn't he leave any word?" said Maxence.

"Nothing, except that he was very sorry not to find you in. And,in fact, he did look quite annoyed. We asked him to leave his name;but he said it wasn't worth while, and that he would call again."At the glance which the landlady was throwing toward him from thecorner of her eyes, Maxence understood that she had on the subjectof that late visitor the same suspicion as himself.

And, as if she had intended to make it more apparent still,"I ought, perhaps, to have given him your key," she said.

"And why so, pray?""Oh! I don't know, an idea of mine, that's all. Besides, Mlle.

Lucienne can probably tell you more about it; for she was therewhen the gentleman came, and I even think that they exchanged afew words in the yard."Maxence, seeing that they were only seeking a pretext36 to questionhim, took his key, and inquired,"Is - Mlle. Lucienne at home?""Can't tell. She has been going and coming all the morning, andI don't know whether she finally staid in or out. One thing issure, she waited for you last night until after twelve; and shedidn't like it much, I can tell you."Maxence started up the steep stairs; and, as he reached the upperstories, a woman's voice, fresh and beautifully toned, reached hisears more and more distinctly.

She was singing a popular tune37, - one of those songs which aremonthly put in circulation by the singing cafes"To hope! 0 charming word,Which, during all life,Husband and children and wifeRepeat in common accord!

When the moment of successFrom us ever further slips,'Tis Hope from its rosy38 lipsWhispers, To-morrow you will bless.

'Tis very nice to run,But to have is better fun.""She is in," murmured Maxence, breathing more freely.

Reaching the fourth story, he stopped before the door which facedthe stairs, and knocked lightly.

At once, the voice, which had just commenced another verse stoppedshort, and inquired, "Who's there?""I, Maxence!""At this hour!" replied the voice with an ironical39 laugh. "That'slucky. You have probably forgotten that we were to go to thetheatre last night, and start for St. Germain at seven o'clockthis morning.""Don't you know then?" Maxence began, as soon as he could put in aword.

"I know that you did not come home last night.""Quite true. But when I have told you -""What? the lie you have imagined? Save yourself the trouble.""Lucienne, I beg of you, open the door.""Impossible, I am dressing40. Go to your own room: as soon as I amdressed, I'll join you."And, to cut short all these explanations, she took up her song again:

"Hope, I've waited but too longFor thy manna divine!

I've drunk enough of thy wine,And I know thy siren song:

Waiting for a lucky turn,I have wasted my best days:

Take up thy magic-lanternAnd elsewhere display its rays.

Tis very nice to run,But to have is better fun!"

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 forsaking caf03e92e66ce4143524db5b56802abc     
放弃( forsake的现在分词 ); 弃绝; 抛弃; 摒弃
参考例句:
  • I will not be cowed into forsaking my beliefs. 我不会因为被恐吓而放弃自己的信仰。
  • At fourteen he ran away, forsaking his home and friends. 他十四岁出走,离开了家乡和朋友。
2 formerly ni3x9     
adv.从前,以前
参考例句:
  • We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
  • This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。
3 rue 8DGy6     
n.懊悔,芸香,后悔;v.后悔,悲伤,懊悔
参考例句:
  • You'll rue having failed in the examination.你会悔恨考试失败。
  • You're going to rue this the longest day that you live.你要终身悔恨不尽呢。
4 esteem imhyZ     
n.尊敬,尊重;vt.尊重,敬重;把…看作
参考例句:
  • I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
  • The veteran worker ranks high in public love and esteem.那位老工人深受大伙的爱戴。
5 pointed Il8zB4     
adj.尖的,直截了当的
参考例句:
  • He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
  • She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
6 hatred T5Gyg     
n.憎恶,憎恨,仇恨
参考例句:
  • He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
  • The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。
7 irony P4WyZ     
n.反语,冷嘲;具有讽刺意味的事,嘲弄
参考例句:
  • She said to him with slight irony.她略带嘲讽地对他说。
  • In her voice we could sense a certain tinge of irony.从她的声音里我们可以感到某种讥讽的意味。
8 mortified 0270b705ee76206d7730e7559f53ea31     
v.使受辱( mortify的过去式和过去分词 );伤害(人的感情);克制;抑制(肉体、情感等)
参考例句:
  • She was mortified to realize he had heard every word she said. 她意识到自己的每句话都被他听到了,直羞得无地自容。
  • The knowledge of future evils mortified the present felicities. 对未来苦难的了解压抑了目前的喜悦。 来自《简明英汉词典》
9 parched 2mbzMK     
adj.焦干的;极渴的;v.(使)焦干
参考例句:
  • Hot winds parched the crops.热风使庄稼干透了。
  • The land in this region is rather dry and parched.这片土地十分干燥。
10 terrain sgeyk     
n.地面,地形,地图
参考例句:
  • He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
  • He knows the terrain of this locality like the back of his hand.他对这一带的地形了如指掌。
11 vender qiYwB     
n.小贩
参考例句:
  • The news vender hasn't open yet,lets buy it later.卖报纸的还没出摊儿,待会儿再去买吧。
  • The vender sells candies,fiuits,toys,cigarettes,and all that.这位小贩既卖糖果、水果又卖玩具香烟等等。
12 impudent X4Eyf     
adj.鲁莽的,卑鄙的,厚颜无耻的
参考例句:
  • She's tolerant toward those impudent colleagues.她对那些无礼的同事采取容忍的态度。
  • The teacher threatened to kick the impudent pupil out of the room.老师威胁着要把这无礼的小学生撵出教室。
13 hoarse 5dqzA     
adj.嘶哑的,沙哑的
参考例句:
  • He asked me a question in a hoarse voice.他用嘶哑的声音问了我一个问题。
  • He was too excited and roared himself hoarse.他过于激动,嗓子都喊哑了。
14 stimulate wuSwL     
vt.刺激,使兴奋;激励,使…振奋
参考例句:
  • Your encouragement will stimulate me to further efforts.你的鼓励会激发我进一步努力。
  • Success will stimulate the people for fresh efforts.成功能鼓舞人们去作新的努力。
15 wares 2eqzkk     
n. 货物, 商品
参考例句:
  • They sold their wares at half-price. 他们的货品是半价出售的。
  • The peddler was crying up his wares. 小贩极力夸耀自己的货物。
16 imperative BcdzC     
n.命令,需要;规则;祈使语气;adj.强制的;紧急的
参考例句:
  • He always speaks in an imperative tone of voice.他老是用命令的口吻讲话。
  • The events of the past few days make it imperative for her to act.过去这几天发生的事迫使她不得不立即行动。
17 agitation TN0zi     
n.搅动;搅拌;鼓动,煽动
参考例句:
  • Small shopkeepers carried on a long agitation against the big department stores.小店主们长期以来一直在煽动人们反对大型百货商店。
  • These materials require constant agitation to keep them in suspension.这些药剂要经常搅动以保持悬浮状态。
18 banking aySz20     
n.银行业,银行学,金融业
参考例句:
  • John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
  • He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。
19 mutual eFOxC     
adj.相互的,彼此的;共同的,共有的
参考例句:
  • We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
  • Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。
20 memorandum aCvx4     
n.备忘录,便笺
参考例句:
  • The memorandum was dated 23 August,2008.备忘录上注明的日期是2008年8月23日。
  • The Secretary notes down the date of the meeting in her memorandum book.秘书把会议日期都写在记事本上。
21 defrauded 46b197145611d09ab7ea08b6701b776c     
v.诈取,骗取( defraud的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He defrauded his employers of thousands of dollars. 他诈取了他的雇主一大笔钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He defrauded them of their money. 他骗走了他们的钱。 来自辞典例句
22 upwards lj5wR     
adv.向上,在更高处...以上
参考例句:
  • The trend of prices is still upwards.物价的趋向是仍在上涨。
  • The smoke rose straight upwards.烟一直向上升。
23 concealed 0v3zxG     
a.隐藏的,隐蔽的
参考例句:
  • The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。
  • I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。
24 alluded 69f7a8b0f2e374aaf5d0965af46948e7     
提及,暗指( allude的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • In your remarks you alluded to a certain sinister design. 在你的谈话中,你提到了某个阴谋。
  • She also alluded to her rival's past marital troubles. 她还影射了对手过去的婚姻问题。
25 shaft YEtzp     
n.(工具的)柄,杆状物
参考例句:
  • He was wounded by a shaft.他被箭击中受伤。
  • This is the shaft of a steam engine.这是一个蒸汽机主轴。
26 prudent M0Yzg     
adj.谨慎的,有远见的,精打细算的
参考例句:
  • A prudent traveller never disparages his own country.聪明的旅行者从不贬低自己的国家。
  • You must school yourself to be modest and prudent.你要学会谦虚谨慎。
27 tenant 0pbwd     
n.承租人;房客;佃户;v.租借,租用
参考例句:
  • The tenant was dispossessed for not paying his rent.那名房客因未付房租而被赶走。
  • The tenant is responsible for all repairs to the building.租户负责对房屋的所有修理。
28 drawn MuXzIi     
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的
参考例句:
  • All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
  • Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。
29 relatively bkqzS3     
adv.比较...地,相对地
参考例句:
  • The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
  • The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。
30 tenants 05662236fc7e630999509804dd634b69     
n.房客( tenant的名词复数 );佃户;占用者;占有者
参考例句:
  • A number of tenants have been evicted for not paying the rent. 许多房客因不付房租被赶了出来。
  • Tenants are jointly and severally liable for payment of the rent. 租金由承租人共同且分别承担。
31 chateau lwozeH     
n.城堡,别墅
参考例句:
  • The house was modelled on a French chateau.这房子是模仿一座法国大别墅建造的。
  • The chateau was left to itself to flame and burn.那府第便径自腾起大火燃烧下去。
32 landlady t2ZxE     
n.女房东,女地主
参考例句:
  • I heard my landlady creeping stealthily up to my door.我听到我的女房东偷偷地来到我的门前。
  • The landlady came over to serve me.女店主过来接待我。
33 outlets a899f2669c499f26df428cf3d18a06c3     
n.出口( outlet的名词复数 );经销店;插座;廉价经销店
参考例句:
  • The dumping of foreign cotton blocked outlets for locally grown cotton. 外国棉花的倾销阻滞了当地生产的棉花的销路。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • They must find outlets for their products. 他们必须为自己的产品寻找出路。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
34 proprietors c8c400ae2f86cbca3c727d12edb4546a     
n.所有人,业主( proprietor的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • These little proprietors of businesses are lords indeed on their own ground. 这些小业主们,在他们自己的行当中,就是真正的至高无上的统治者。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
  • Many proprietors try to furnish their hotels with antiques. 许多经营者都想用古董装饰他们的酒店。 来自辞典例句
35 scanty ZDPzx     
adj.缺乏的,仅有的,节省的,狭小的,不够的
参考例句:
  • There is scanty evidence to support their accusations.他们的指控证据不足。
  • The rainfall was rather scanty this month.这个月的雨量不足。
36 pretext 1Qsxi     
n.借口,托词
参考例句:
  • He used his headache as a pretext for not going to school.他借口头疼而不去上学。
  • He didn't attend that meeting under the pretext of sickness.他以生病为借口,没参加那个会议。
37 tune NmnwW     
n.调子;和谐,协调;v.调音,调节,调整
参考例句:
  • He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子,并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
  • The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。
38 rosy kDAy9     
adj.美好的,乐观的,玫瑰色的
参考例句:
  • She got a new job and her life looks rosy.她找到一份新工作,生活看上去很美好。
  • She always takes a rosy view of life.她总是对生活持乐观态度。
39 ironical F4QxJ     
adj.讽刺的,冷嘲的
参考例句:
  • That is a summary and ironical end.那是一个具有概括性和讽刺意味的结局。
  • From his general demeanour I didn't get the impression that he was being ironical.从他整体的行为来看,我不觉得他是在讲反话。
40 dressing 1uOzJG     
n.(食物)调料;包扎伤口的用品,敷料
参考例句:
  • Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。
  • The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。


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