雨果 悲惨世界 英文版1-第36部分

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　　Nettle　cloth　is　as　good　as　linen　cloth。　Chopped　up；　nettles　are　good　for　poultry；　pounded；　they　are　good　for　horned　cattle。
　　The　seed　of　the　nettle；　mixed　with　fodder；　gives　gloss　to　the　hair　of　animals；　the　root；　mixed　with　salt；　produces　a　beautiful　yellow　coloring…matter。　Moreover；　it　is　an　excellent　hay；　which　can　be　cut　twice。
　　And　what　is　required　for　the　nettle？
　　A　little　soil；　no　care；　no　culture。
　　Only　the　seed　falls　as　it　is　ripe；　and　it　is　difficult　to　collect　it。
　　That　is　all。　With　the　exercise　of　a　little　care；　the　nettle　could　be　made　useful；　it　is　neglected　and　it　bees　hurtful。
　　It　is　exterminated。
　　How　many　men　resemble　the　nettle！〃
　　He　added；　after　a　pause：
　　〃Remember　this；　my　friends：
　　there　are　no　such　things　as　bad　plants　or　bad　men。　There　are　only　bad　cultivators。〃
　　The　children　loved　him　because　he　knew　how　to　make　charming　little　trifles　of　straw　and　cocoanuts。
　　When　he　saw　the　door　of　a　church　hung　in　black；　he　entered：　he　sought　out　funerals　as　other　men　seek　christenings。
　　Widowhood　and　the　grief　of　others　attracted　him；　because　of　his　great　gentleness；　he　mingled　with　the　friends　clad　in　mourning；　with　families　dressed　in　black；　with　the　priests　groaning　around　a　coffin。　He　seemed　to　like　to　give　to　his　thoughts　for　text　these　funereal　psalmodies　filled　with　the　vision　of　the　other　world。
　　With　his　eyes　fixed　on　heaven；　he　listened　with　a　sort　of　aspiration　towards　all　the　mysteries　of　the　infinite；　those　sad　voices　which　sing　on　the　verge　of　the　obscure　abyss　of　death。
　　He　performed　a　multitude　of　good　actions；　concealing　his　agency　in　them　as　a　man　conceals　himself　because　of　evil　actions。
　　He　penetrated　houses　privately；　at　night；　he　ascended　staircases　furtively。　A　poor　wretch　on　returning　to　his　attic　would　find　that　his　door　had　been　opened；　sometimes　even　forced；　during　his　absence。　The　poor　man　made　a　clamor　over　it：
　　some　malefactor　had　been　there！　He　entered；　and　the　first　thing　he　beheld　was　a　piece　of　gold　lying　forgotten　on　some　piece　of　furniture。
　　The　〃malefactor〃　who　had　been　there　was　Father　Madeleine。
　　He　was　affable　and　sad。
　　The　people　said：
　　〃There　is　a　rich　man　who　has　not　a　haughty　air。
　　There　is　a　happy　man　who　has　not　a　contented　air。〃
　　Some　people　maintained　that　he　was　a　mysterious　person；　and　that　no　one　ever　entered　his　chamber；　which　was　a　regular　anchorite's　cell；　furnished　with　winged　hour…glasses　and　enlivened　by　cross…bones　and　skulls　of　dead　men！
　　This　was　much　talked　of；　so　that　one　of　the　elegant　and　malicious　young　women　of　M。　sur　M。　came　to　him　one　day；　and　asked：
　　〃Monsieur　le　Maire；　pray　show　us　your　chamber。　It　is　said　to　be　a　grotto。〃
　　He　smiled；　and　introduced　them　instantly　into　this　〃grotto。〃
　　They　were　well　punished　for　their　curiosity。　The　room　was　very　simply　furnished　in　mahogany；　which　was　rather　ugly；　like　all　furniture　of　that　sort；　and　hung　with　paper　worth　twelve　sous。　They　could　see　nothing　remarkable　about　it；　except　two　candlesticks　of　antique　pattern　which　stood　on　the　chimney…piece　and　appeared　to　be　silver；　〃for　they　were　hall…marked；〃　an　observation　full　of　the　type　of　wit　of　petty　towns。
　　Nevertheless；　people　continued　to　say　that　no　one　ever　got　into　the　room；　and　that　it　was　a　hermit's　cave；　a　mysterious　retreat；　a　hole；　a　tomb。
　　It　was　also　whispered　about　that　he　had　〃immense〃　sums　deposited　with　Laffitte；　with　this　peculiar　feature；　that　they　were　always　at　his　immediate　disposal；　so　that；　it　was　added；　M。　Madeleine　could　make　his　appearance　at　Laffitte's　any　morning；　sign　a　receipt；　and　carry　off　his　two　or　three　millions　in　ten　minutes。
　　In　reality；　〃these　two　or　three　millions〃　were　reducible；　as　we　have　said；　to　six　hundred　and　thirty　or　forty　thousand　francs。


BOOK　FIFTH。THE　DESCENT
CHAPTER　IV　
　　M。　MADELEINE　IN　MOURNING
　　　At　the　beginning　of　1820　the　newspapers　announced　the　death　of　M。　Myriel；　Bishop　of　D；　surnamed　〃Monseigneur　Bienvenu；〃　who　had　died　in　the　odor　of　sanctity　at　the　age　of　eighty…two。
　　The　Bishop　of　D　to　supply　here　a　detail　which　the　papers　omitted　had　been　blind　for　many　years　before　his　death；　and　content　to　be　blind；　as　his　sister　was　beside　him。
　　Let　us　remark　by　the　way；　that　to　be　blind　and　to　be　loved；　is；　in　fact；　one　of　the　most　strangely　exquisite　forms　of　happiness　upon　this　earth；　where　nothing　is　plete。
　　To　have　continually　at　one's　side　a　woman；　a　daughter；　a　sister；　a　charming　being；　who　is　there　because　you　need　her　and　because　she　cannot　do　without　you；　to　know　that　we　are　indispensable　to　a　person　who　is　necessary　to　us；　to　be　able　to　incessantly　measure　one's　affection　by　the　amount　of　her　presence　which　she　bestows　on　us；　and　to　say　to　ourselves；　〃Since　she　consecrates　the　whole　of　her　time　to　me；　it　is　because　I　possess　the　whole　of　her　heart〃；　to　behold　her　thought　in　lieu　of　her　face；　to　be　able　to　verify　the　fidelity　of　one　being　amid　the　eclipse　of　the　world；　to　regard　the　rustle　of　a　gown　as　the　sound　of　wings；　to　hear　her　e　and　go；　retire；　speak；　return；　sing；　and　to　think　that　one　is　the　centre　of　these　steps；　of　this　speech；　to　manifest　at　each　instant　one's　personal　attraction；　to　feel　one's　self　all　the　more　powerful　because　of　one's　infirmity；　to　bee　in　one's　obscurity；　and　through　one's　obscurity；　the　star　around　which　this　angel　gravitates；few　felicities　equal　this。　The　supreme　happiness　of　life　consists　in　the　conviction　that　one　is　loved；　loved　for　one's　own　sakelet　us　say　rather；　loved　in　spite　of　one's　self；　this　conviction　the　blind　man　possesses。　To　be　served　in　distress　is　to　be　caressed。
　　Does　he　lack　anything？　No。　One　does　not　lose　the　sight　when　one　has　love。
　　And　what　love！　A　love　wholly　constituted　of　virtue！
　　There　is　no　blindness　where　there　is　certainty。
　　Soul　seeks　soul；　gropingly；　and　finds　it。　And　this　soul；　found　and　tested；　is　a　woman。
　　A　hand　sustains　you；　it　is　hers：
　　a　mouth　lightly　touches　your　brow；　it　is　her　mouth：　you　hear　a　breath　very　near　you；　it　is　hers。
　　To　have　everything　of　her；　from　her　worship　to　her　pity；　never　to　be　left；　to　have　that　sweet　weakness　aiding　you；　to　lean　upon　that　immovable　reed；　to　touch　Providence　with　one's　hands；　and　to　be　able　to　take　it　in　one's　arms；God　made　tangible；what　bliss！
　　The　heart；　that　obscure；　celestial　flower；　undergoes　a　mysterious　blossoming。　One　would　not　exchange　that　shadow　for　all　brightness！　The　angel　soul　is　there；　uninterruptedly　there；　if　she　departs；　it　is　but　to　return　again；　she　vanishes　like　a　dream；　and　reappears　like　reality。
　　One　feels　warmth　approaching；　and　behold！　she　is　there。　One　overflows　with　serenity；　with　gayety；　with　ecstasy；　one　is　a　radiance　amid　the　night。
　　And　there　are　a　thousand　little　cares。　Nothings；　which　are　enormous　in　that　void。
　　The　most　ineffable　accents　of　the　feminine　voice　employed　to　lull　you；　and　supplying　the　vanished　universe　to　you。
　　One　is　caressed　with　the　soul。　One　sees　nothing；　but　one　feels　that　one　is　adored。
　　It　is　a　paradise　of　shadows。
　　It　was　from　this　paradise　that　Monseigneur　Wele　had　passed　to　the　other。
　　The　announcement　of　his　death　was　reprinted　by　the　local　journal　of　M。　sur　M。　On　the　following　day；　M。　Madeleine　appeared　clad　wholly　in　black；　and　with　crape　on　his　hat。
　　This　mourning　was　noticed　in　the　town；　and　mented　on。
　　It　seemed　to　throw　a　light　on　M。　Madeleine's　origin。
　　It　was　concluded　that　some　relationship　existed　between　him　and　the　venerable　Bishop。
　　〃He　has　gone　into　mourning　for　the　Bishop　of　D〃　said　the　drawing…rooms；　this　raised　M。　Madeleine's　credit　greatly；　and　procured　for　him；　instantly　and　at　one　blow；　a　certain　consideration　in　the　noble　world　of　M。　sur　M。　The　microscopic　Faubourg　Saint…Germain　of　the　place　meditated　raising　the　quarantine　against　M。　Madeleine；　the　probable　relative　of　a　bishop。
　　M。　Madeleine　perceived　the　advancement　which　he　had　obtained；　by　the　more　numerous　courtesies　of　the　old　women　and　the　more　plentiful　smiles　of　the　young　ones。　One　evening；　a　ruler　in　that　petty　great　world；　who　was　curious　by　right　of　seniority；　ventured　to　ask　him；　〃M。　le　Maire　is　doubtless　a　cousin　of　the　late　Bishop　of　D？〃
　　He　said；　〃No；　Madame。〃
　　〃But；〃　resumed　the　dowager；　〃you　are　wearing　mourning　for　him。〃
　　He　replied；　〃It　is　because　I　was　a　servant　in　his　family　in　my　youth。〃
　　Another　thing　which　was　remarked；　was；　that　every　time　that　he　encountered　in　the　town　a　young　Savoyard　who　was　roaming　about　the　country　and　seeking　chimneys　to　sweep；　the　mayor　had　him　summoned；　inquired　his　name；　and　gave　him　money。
　　The　little　Savoyards　told　each　other　about　it：
　　a　great　many　of　them　passed　that　way。


BOOK　FIFTH。THE　DESCENT
CHAPTER　V　
　　VAGUE　FLASHES　ON　THE　HORIZON
　　　Little　by　little；　and　in　the　course　of　time；　all　this　opposition　subsided。
　　There　had　at　first　been　exercised　against　M。　Madeleine；　in　virtue　of　a　sort　of　law　which　all　those　who　rise　must　submit　to；　blackening　and　calumnies；　then　they　grew　to　be　nothing　more　than　ill…nature；　then　merely　malicious　remarks；　then　even　this　entirely　disappeared；　respect　became　plete；　unanimous；　cordial；　and　towards　1821　the　moment　arrived　when　the　word　〃Monsieur　le　Maire〃　was　pronounced　at　M。　sur　M。　with　almost　the　same　accent　as　〃Monseigneur　the　Bishop〃　had　been　pronounced　in　D　in　1815。
　　People　came　from　a　distance　of　ten　leagues　around　to　consult　M。　Madeleine。
　　He　put　an　end　to　differences；　he　prevented　lawsuits；　he　reconciled　enemies。　Every　one　took　him　for　the　judge；　and　with　good　reason。　It　seemed　as　though　he　had　for　a　soul　the　book　of　the　natural　law。　It　was　like　an　epidemic　of　veneration；　which　in　the　course　of　six　or　seven　years　gradually　took　possession　of　the　whole　district。
　　One　single　man　in　the　town；　in　the　arrondissement；　absolutely　escaped　this　contagion；　and；　whatever　Father　Madeleine　did；　remained　his　opponent　as　though　a　sort　of　incorruptible　and　imperturbable　instinct　kept　him　on　the　alert　and　uneasy。
　　It　seems；　in　fact；　as　though　there　existed　in　certain　men　a　veritable　bestial　instinct；　though　pure　and　upright；　like　all　instincts；　which　creates　antipathies　and　sympathies；　which　fatally　separates　one　nature　from　another　nature；　which　does　not　hesitate；　which　feels　no　disquiet；　which　does　not　hold　its　peace；　and　which　never　belies　itself；　clear　in　its　obscurity；　infallible；　imperious；　intractable；　stubborn　to　all　counsels　of　the　intelligence　and　to　all　the　dissolvents　of　reason；　and　which；　in　whatever　manner　destinies　are　arranged；　secretly　warns　the　man…dog　of　the　presence　of　the　man…cat；　and　the　man…fox　of　the　presence　of　the　man…lion。
　　It　frequently　happened　that　when　M。　Madeleine　was　passing　along　a　street；　calm；　affectionate；　surrounded　by　the　blessings　of　all；　a　man　of　lofty　stature；　clad　in　an　iron…gray　frock…coat；　armed　with　a　heavy　cane；　and　wearing　a　battered　hat；　turned　round　abruptly　behind　him；　and　followed　him　with　his　eyes　until　he　disappeared；　with　folded　arms　and　a　slow　shake　of　the　head；　and　his　upper　lip　raised　in　pany　with　his　lower　to　his　nose；　a　sort　of　significant　grimace　which　might　be　translated　by：
　　〃What　is　that　man；　after　all？　I　certainly　have　seen　him　somewhere。