Madame Foucault came into Sophia's room one afternoon with a peculiar1 guilty expression on her large face, and she held her peignoir close to her exuberant2 body in folds consciously majestic3, as though endeavouring to prove to Sophia by her carriage that despite her shifting eyes she was the most righteous and sincere woman that ever lived.
It was Saturday, the third of September, a beautiful day. Sophia, suffering from an unimportant relapse, had remained in a state of inactivity, and had scarcely gone out at all. She loathed5 the flat, but lacked the energy to leave it every day. There was no sufficiently6 definite object in leaving it. She could not go out and look for health as she might have looked for flowers. So she remained in the flat, and stared at the courtyard and the continual mystery of lives hidden behind curtains that occasionally moved. And the painted yellow walls of the house, and the papered walls of her room pressed upon her and crushed her. For a few days Chirac had called daily, animated7 by the most adorable solicitude8. Then he had ceased to call. She had tired of reading the journals; they lay unopened. The relations between Madame Foucault and herself, and her status in the flat of which she now legally owned the furniture,--these things were left unsettled. But the question of her board was arranged on the terms that she halved9 the cost of food and service with Madame Foucault; her expenses were thus reduced to the lowest possible--about eighteen francs a week. An idea hung in the air--like a scientific discovery on the point of being made by several independent investigators10 simultaneously--that she and Madame Foucault should co-operate in order to let furnished rooms at a remunerative11 profit. Sophia felt the nearness of the idea and she wanted to be shocked at the notion of any avowed12 association between herself and Madame Foucault; but she could not be.
"Here are a lady and a gentleman who want a bedroom," began Madame Foucault, "a nice large bedroom, furnished."
"Oh!" said Sophia; "who are they?"
"They will pay a hundred and thirty francs a month, in advance, for the middle bedroom."
"You've shown it to them already?" said Sophia. And her tone implied that somehow she was conscious of a right to overlook the affair of Madame Foucault.
"No," said the other. "I said to myself that first I would ask you for a counsel."
"Then will they pay all that for a room they haven't seen?"
"The fact is," said Madame Foucault, sheepishly. "The lady has seen the room before. I know her a little. It is a former tenant13. She lived here some weeks."
"In that room?"
"Oh no! She was poor enough then."
"Where are they?"
"In the corridor. She is very well, the lady. Naturally one must live, she like all the world; but she is veritably well. Quite respectable! One would never say ... Then there would be the meals. We could demand one franc for the cafe au lait, two and a half francs for the lunch, and three francs for the dinner. Without counting other things. That would mean over five hundred francs a month, at least. And what would they cost us? Almost nothing! By what appears, he is a plutocrat ... I could thus quickly repay you."
"Is it a married couple?"
"Ah! You know, one cannot demand the marriage certificate." Madame Foucault indicated by a gesture that the Rue14 Breda was not the paradise of saints.
"When she came before, this lady, was it with the same man?" Sophia asked coldly.
"Ah, my faith, no!" exclaimed Madame Foucault, bridling15. "It was a bad sort, the other, a ...! Ah, no."
"Why do you ask my advice?" Sophia abruptly16 questioned, in a hard, inimical voice. "Is it that it concerns me?"
Tears came at once into the eyes of Madame Foucault. "Do not be unkind," she implored17.
"I'm not unkind," said Sophia, in the same tone.
"Shall you leave me if I accept this offer?"
There was a pause.
"Yes," said Sophia, bluntly. She tried to be large-hearted, large- minded, and sympathetic; but there was no sign of these qualities in her speech.
"And if you take with you the furniture which is yours ...!"
Sophia kept silence.
"How am I to live, I demand of you?" Madame Foucault asked weakly.
"By being respectable and dealing18 with respectable people!" said Sophia, uncompromisingly, in tones of steel.
"I am unhappy!" murmured the elder woman. "However, you are more strong than I!"
She brusquely dabbed19 her eyes, gave a little sob20, and ran out of the room. Sophia listened at the door, and heard her dismiss the would-be tenants21 of the best bedroom. She wondered that she should possess such moral ascendancy22 over the woman, she so young and ingenuous23! For, of course, she had not meant to remove the furniture. She could hear Madame Foucault sobbing24 quietly in one of the other rooms; and her lips curled.
Before evening a truly astonishing event happened. Perceiving that Madame Foucault showed no signs of bestirring herself, Sophia, with good nature in her heart but not on her tongue, went to her, and said:
"Shall I occupy myself with the dinner?"
Madame Foucault sobbed25 more loudly.
"That would be very amiable26 on your part," Madame Foucault managed at last to reply, not very articulately.
Sophia put a hat on and went to the grocer's. The grocer, who kept a busy establishment at the corner of the Rue Clausel, was a middle-aged27 and wealthy man. He had sent his young wife and two children to Normandy until victory over the Prussians should be more assured, and he asked Sophia whether it was true that there was a good bedroom to let in the flat where she lived. His servant was ill of smallpox28; he was attacked by anxieties and fears on all sides; he would not enter his own flat on account of possible infection; he liked Sophia, and Madame Foucault had been a customer of his, with intervals29, for twenty years. Within an hour he had arranged to rent the middle bedroom at eighty francs a month, and to take his meals there. The terms were modest, but the respectability was prodigious30. All the glory of this tenancy fell upon Sophia.
Madame Foucault was deeply impressed. Characteristically she began at once to construct a theory that Sophia had only to walk out of the house in order to discover ideal tenants for the rooms. Also she regarded the advent31 of the grocer as a reward from Providence32 for her self-denial in refusing the profits of sinfulness. Sophia felt personally responsible to the grocer for his comfort, and so she herself undertook the preparation of the room. Madame Foucault was amazed at the thoroughness of her housewifery, and at the ingenuity33 of her ideas for the arrangement of furniture. She sat and watched with admiration34 sycophantic35 but real.
That night, when Sophia was in bed, Madame Foucault came into the room, and dropped down by the side of the bed, and begged Sophia to be her moral support for ever. She confessed herself generally. She explained how she had always hated the negation36 of respectability; how respectability was the one thing that she had all her life passionately37 desired. She said that if Sophia would be her partner in the letting of furnished rooms to respectable persons, she would obey her in everything. She gave Sophia a list of all the traits in Sophia's character which she admired. She asked Sophia to influence her, to stand by her. She insisted that she would sleep on the sixth floor in the servant's tiny room; and she had a vision of three bedrooms let to successful tradesmen. She was in an ecstasy38 of repentance39 and good intentions.
Sophia consented to the business proposition; for she had nothing else whatever in prospect40, and she shared Madame Foucault's rosy41 view about the remunerativeness of the bedrooms. With three tenants who took meals the two women would be able to feed themselves for nothing and still make a profit on the food; and the rents would be clear gain.
And she felt very sorry for the ageing, feckless Madame Foucault, whose sincerity42 was obvious. The association between them would be strange; it would have been impossible to explain it to St. Luke's Square. ... And yet, if there was anything at all in the virtue43 of Christian44 charity, what could properly be urged against the association?
"Ah!" murmured Madame Foucault, kissing Sophia's hands, "it is to- day, then, that I recommence my life. You will see--you will see! You have saved me!"
It was a strange sight, the time-worn, disfigured courtesan, half prostrate45 before the beautiful young creature proud and unassailable in the instinctive46 force of her own character. It was almost a didactic tableau47, fraught48 with lessons for the vicious. Sophia was happier than she had been for years. She had a purpose in existence; she had a fluid soul to mould to her will according to her wisdom; and there was a large compassion49 to her credit. Public opinion could not intimidate50 her, for in her case there was no public opinion; she knew nobody; nobody had the right to question her doings.
The next day, Sunday, they both worked hard at the bedrooms from early morning. The grocer was installed in his chamber51, and the two other rooms were cleansed52 as they had never been cleansed. At four o'clock, the weather being more magnificent than ever, Madame Foucault said:
"If we took a promenade53 on the boulevard?"
Sophia reflected. They were partners. "Very well," she agreed.
The boulevard was crammed54 with gay, laughing crowds. All the cafes were full. None, who did not know, could have guessed that the news of Sedan was scarcely a day old in the capital. Delirious55 joy reigned56 in the glittering sunshine. As the two women strolled along, content with their industry and their resolves, they came to a National Guard, who, perched on a ladder, was chipping away the "N" from the official sign of a court-tradesman. He was exchanging jokes with a circle of open mouths. It was in this way that Madame Foucault and Sophia learnt of the establishment of a republic.
"Vive la republique!" cried Madame Foucault, incontinently, and then apologized to Sophia for the lapse4.
They listened a long while to a man who was telling strange histories of the Empress.
Suddenly Sophia noticed that Madame Foucault was no longer at her elbow. She glanced about, and saw her in earnest conversation with a young man whose face seemed familiar. She remembered it was the young man with whom Madame Foucault had quarrelled on the night when Sophia found her prone57 in the corridor; the last remaining worshipper of the courtesan.
The woman's face was quite changed by her agitation58. Sophia drew away, offended. She watched the pair from a distance for a few moments, and then, furious in disillusion59, she escaped from the fever of the boulevards and walked quietly home. Madame Foucault did not return. Apparently60 Madame Foucault was doomed61 to be the toy of chance. Two days later Sophia received a scrawled62 letter from her, with the information that her lover had required that she should accompany him to Brussels, as Paris would soon be getting dangerous. "He adores me always. He is the most delicious boy. As I have always said, this is the grand passion of my life. I am happy. He would not permit me to come to you. He has spent two thousand francs on clothes for me, since naturally I had nothing." And so on. No word of apology. Sophia, in reading the letter, allowed for a certain exaggeration and twisting of the truth.
"Young fool! Fool!" she burst out angrily. She did not mean herself; she meant the fatuous63 adorer of that dilapidated, horrible woman. She never saw her again. Doubtless Madame Foucault fulfilled her own prediction as to her ultimate destiny, but in Brussels.
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1
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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exuberant
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| adj.充满活力的；（植物）繁茂的 | |
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majestic
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| adj.雄伟的，壮丽的，庄严的，威严的，崇高的 | |
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lapse
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| n.过失，流逝，失效，抛弃信仰，间隔；vi.堕落，停止，失效，流逝；vt.使失效 | |
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loathed
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| v.憎恨，厌恶( loathe的过去式和过去分词 )；极不喜欢 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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solicitude
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| n.焦虑 | |
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halved
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| v.把…分成两半( halve的过去式和过去分词 )；把…减半；对分；平摊 | |
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investigators
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| n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 ) | |
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remunerative
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| adj.有报酬的 | |
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avowed
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| adj.公开声明的，承认的v.公开声明，承认( avow的过去式和过去分词) | |
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tenant
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| n.承租人；房客；佃户；v.租借，租用 | |
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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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bridling
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| 给…套龙头( bridle的现在分词 )； 控制； 昂首表示轻蔑（或怨忿等）； 动怒，生气 | |
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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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implored
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| 恳求或乞求（某人）( implore的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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dealing
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| n.经商方法，待人态度 | |
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dabbed
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| （用某物）轻触( dab的过去式和过去分词 )； 轻而快地擦掉（或抹掉）； 快速擦拭； （用某物）轻而快地涂上（或点上）… | |
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sob
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| n.空间轨道的轰炸机；呜咽，哭泣 | |
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tenants
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| n.房客( tenant的名词复数 )；佃户；占用者；占有者 | |
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ascendancy
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| n.统治权，支配力量 | |
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ingenuous
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| adj.纯朴的，单纯的；天真的；坦率的 | |
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sobbing
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| <主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的 | |
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sobbed
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| 哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说 | |
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amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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middle-aged
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| adj.中年的 | |
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smallpox
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| n.天花 | |
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intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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prodigious
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| adj.惊人的，奇妙的；异常的；巨大的；庞大的 | |
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advent
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| n.(重要事件等的)到来，来临 | |
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providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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ingenuity
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| n.别出心裁；善于发明创造 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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sycophantic
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| adj.阿谀奉承的 | |
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negation
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| n.否定；否认 | |
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passionately
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| ad.热烈地，激烈地 | |
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ecstasy
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| n.狂喜，心醉神怡，入迷 | |
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repentance
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| n.懊悔 | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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sincerity
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| n.真诚，诚意；真实 | |
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virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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45
prostrate
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| v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的 | |
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instinctive
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| adj.(出于)本能的；直觉的；(出于)天性的 | |
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tableau
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| n.画面，活人画（舞台上活人扮的静态画面） | |
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48
fraught
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| adj.充满…的，伴有(危险等)的；忧虑的 | |
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49
compassion
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| n.同情，怜悯 | |
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intimidate
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| vt.恐吓，威胁 | |
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51
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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52
cleansed
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| 弄干净，清洗( cleanse的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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promenade
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| n./v.散步 | |
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54
crammed
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| adj.塞满的，挤满的；大口地吃；快速贪婪地吃v.把…塞满；填入；临时抱佛脚( cram的过去式) | |
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55
delirious
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| adj.不省人事的，神智昏迷的 | |
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56
reigned
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| vi.当政，统治（reign的过去式形式） | |
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57
prone
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| adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的 | |
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58
agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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59
disillusion
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| vt.使不再抱幻想，使理想破灭 | |
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60
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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61
doomed
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| 命定的 | |
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62
scrawled
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| 乱涂，潦草地写( scrawl的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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fatuous
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| adj.愚昧的；昏庸的 | |
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