第9章

类别:其他 作者:Anonymous字数:4598更新时间:18/12/27 09:03:05
Theyswathetheirheadsinoldlacewhichdeclinestodrapegracefullyabouttheircheeks。Theirwanandelongatedfaces,theirhaggardeyesandfadedbrows,arenotwithoutacertainmelancholygrace,inspiteofthefalsefrontswithflattenedcurlstowhichtheycling,——andyettheseruinsareallsubordinatetoanunspeakabledignityoflookandmanner。 Theredandwrinkledeyesofthisoldladyshowedplainlythatshehadbeencryingduringtheservice。Shewalkedlikeapersonintrouble,seemedtobeexpectingsomeone,andlookedbehindherfromtimetotime。Now,thefactofMadamedePortenduerelookingbehindherwasreallyasremarkableinitswayastheconversionofDoctorMinoret。 “WhocanMadamedePortenduerebelookingfor?“saidMadameMassin,rejoiningtheotherheirs,whowereforthemomentstruckdumbbythedoctor’sanswer。 “Forthecure,“saidDionis,thenotary,suddenlystrikinghisforeheadasifsomeforgottenthoughtormemoryhadoccurredtohim。 “Ihaveanidea!I’llsaveyourinheritance!LetusgoandbreakfastgaylywithMadameMinoret。“ Wecanwellimaginethealacritywithwhichtheheirsfollowedthenotarytotheposthouse。Goupil,whoaccompaniedhisfriendDesire,lockedarminarmwithhim,whisperedsomethingintheyouth’searwithanodioussmile。 “WhatdoIcare?“answeredthesonofthehouse,shrugginghisshoulders。“IammadlyinlovewithFlorine,themostcelestialcreatureintheworld。“ “Florine!andwhomayshebe?“demandedGoupil。“I’mtoofondofyoutoletyoumakeagooseofyourselfwishsuchcreatures。“ “FlorineistheidolofthefamousNathan;mypassioniswasted,I knowthat。Shehaspositivelyrefusedtomarryme。“ “Sometimesthosegirlswhoarefoolswiththeirbodiesarewisewiththeirheads,“respondedGoupil。 “Ifyoucouldbutseeher——onlyonce,“saidDesire,lackadaisically,“youwouldn’tsaysuchthings。“ “IfIsawyouthrowingawayyourwholefuturefornothingbetterthanafancy,“saidGoupil,withawarmthwhichmightevenhavedeceivedhismaster,“IwouldbreakyourdollasVarneyservedAmyRobsartin’Kenilworth。’Yourwifemustbead’AiglementoraMademoiselleduRouvre,andgetyoumadeadeputy。Myfuturedependsonyours,andI sha’n’tletyoucommitanyfollies。“ “Iamrichenoughtocareonlyforhappiness,“repliedDesire。 “Whatareyoutwoplottingtogether?“criedZelie,beckoningtothetwofriends,whowerestandinginthemiddleofthecourtyard,tocomeintothehouse。 ThedoctordisappearedintotheRuedesBourgeoiswiththeactivityofayoungman,andsoonreachedhisownhouse,wherestrangeeventshadlatelytakenplace,thevisibleresultsofwhichnowfilledthemindsofthewholecommunityofNemours。Afewexplanationsareneededtomakethishistoryandthenotary’sremarktotheheirsperfectlyintelligibletothereader。 Thefather-in-lawofDoctorMinoret,thefamousharpsichordistandmakerofinstruments,ValentinMirouet,alsooneofourmostcelebratedorganists,diedin1785leavinganaturalson,thechildofhisoldage,whomheacknowledgedandcalledbyhisownname,butwhoturnedoutaworthlessfellow。Hewasdeprivedonhisdeathbedofthecomfortofseeingthispettedson。JosephMirouet,asingerandcomposer,havingmadehisdebutattheItalianoperaunderafeignedname,ranawaywithayoungladyinGermany。Thedyingfathercommendedtheyoungman,whowasreallyfulloftalent,tohisson-in- law,provingtohim,atthesametime,thathehadrefusedtomarrythemotherthathemightnotinjureMadameMinoret。ThedoctorpromisedtogivetheunfortunateJosephhalfofwhateverhiswifeinheritedfromherfather,whosebusinesswaspurchasedbytheErards。 Hemadeduesearchforhisillegitimatebrother-in-law;butGrimminformedhimonedaythatafterenlistinginaPrussianregimentJosephhaddesertedandtakenafalsenameandthatalleffortstofindhimwouldbefrustrated。 JosephMirouet,giftedbynaturewithadelightfulvoice,afinefigure,ahandsomeface,andbeingmoreoveracomposerofgreattasteandmuchbrilliancy,ledforoverfifteenyearstheBohemianlifewhichHoffmanhassowelldescribed。So,bythetimehewasforty,hewasreducedtosuchdepthsofpovertythathetookadvantageoftheeventsof1806tomakehimselfoncemoreaFrenchman。HesettledinHamburg,wherehemarriedthedaughterofabourgeois,agirldevotedtomusic,whofellinlovewiththesinger(whosefamewaseverprospective)andchosetodevoteherlifetohim。ButafterfifteenyearsofBohemia,JosephMirouetwasunabletobearprosperity;hewasnaturallyaspendthrift,andthoughkindtohiswife,hewastedherfortuneinaveryfewyears。ThehouseholdmusthavedraggedonawretchedexistencebeforeJosephMirouetreachedthepointofenlistingasamusicianinaFrenchregiment。In1813thesurgeon- majoroftheregiment,bythemerestchance,heardthenameofMirouet,wasstruckbyit,andwrotetoDoctorMinoret,towhomhewasunderobligations。 Theanswerwasnotlongincoming。Asaresult,in1814,beforethealliedoccupation,JosephMirouethadahomeinParis,wherehiswifediedgivingbirthtoalittlegirl,whomthedoctordesiredshouldbecalledUrsulaafterhiswife。Thefatherdidnotlongsurvivethemother,wornout,asshewas,byhardshipandpoverty。Whendyingtheunfortunatemusicianbequeathedhisdaughtertothedoctor,whowasalreadyhergodfather,inspiteofhisrepugnanceforwhathecalledthemummeriesoftheChurch。Havingseenhisownchildrendieinsuccessioneitherindangerousconfinementsorduringthefirstyearoftheirlives,thedoctorhadawaitedwithanxietytheresultofalasthope。Whenanervous,delicate,andsicklywomanbeginswithamiscarriageitisnotunusualtoseehergothroughaseriesofsuchpregnanciesasUrsulaMinoretdid,inspiteofthecareandwatchfulnessandscienceofherhusband。Thepoormanoftenblamedhimselffortheirmutualpersistenceindesiringchildren。Thelastchild,bornafterarestofnearlytwoyears,diedin1792,avictimofitsmother’snervouscondition——ifwelistentophysiologists,whotellusthatintheinexplicablephenomenonofgenerationthechildderivesfromthefatherbybloodandfromthemotherinitsnervoussystem。 Compelledtorenouncethejoysofafeelingallpowerfulwithinhim,thedoctorturnedtobenevolenceasasubstituteforhisdeniedpaternity。Duringhismarriedlife,thuscruellydisappointed,hehadlongedmoreespeciallyforafairlittledaughter,aflowertobringjoytothehouse;hethereforegladlyacceptedJosephMirouet’slegacy,andgavetotheorphanallthehopesofhisvanisheddreams。 Fortwoyearshetookpart,asCatoforPompey,inthemostminuteparticularsofUrsula’slife;hewouldnotallowthenursetosuckleherortotakeheruporputhertobedwithouthim。Hismedicalscienceandhisexperiencewereallputtouseinherservice。Aftergoingthroughmanytrials,alternationsofhopeandfear,andthejoysandlaborsofamother,hehadthehappinessofseeingthischildofthefairGermanwomanandtheFrenchsingeracreatureofvigoroushealthandprofoundsensibility。 Withalltheeagerfeelingsofamotherthehappyoldmanwatchedthegrowthoftheprettyhair,firstdown,thensilk,atlasthair,fineandsoftandclingingtothefingersthatcaressedit。Heoftenkissedthelittlenakedfeetthetoesofwhich,coveredwithapelliclethroughwhichthebloodwasseen,werelikerosebuds。Hewaspassionatelyfondofthechild。Whenshetriedtospeak,orwhenshefixedherbeautifulblueeyesuponsomeobjectwiththatserious,reflectivelookwhichseemsthedawnofthought,andwhichsheendedwithalaugh,hewouldstaybyhersideforhours,seeking,withJordy’shelp,tounderstandthereasons(whichmostpeoplecallcaprices)underlyingthephenomenaofthisdeliciousphaseoflife,whenchildhoodisbothflowerandfruit,aconfusedintelligence,aperpetualmovement,apowerfuldesire。 Ursula’sbeautyandgentlenessmadehersodeartothedoctorthathewouldhavelikedtochangethelawsofnatureinherbehalf。HedeclaredtooldJordythathisteethachedwhenUrsulawascuttinghers。Whenoldmenlovechildrenthereisnolimittotheirpassion—— theyworshipthem。Fortheselittlebeingstheysilencetheirownmaniasorrecallawholepastintheirservice。Experience,patience,sympathy,theacquisitionsoflife,treasureslaboriouslyamassed,allarespentuponthatyounglifeinwhichtheyliveagain;theirintelligencedoesactuallytaketheplaceofmotherhood。Theirwisdom,everonthealert,isequaltotheintuitionofamother;theyrememberthedelicateperceptionswhichintheirownmotherweredivinations,andimportthemintotheexerciseofacompassionwhichiscarriedtoanextremeintheirmindsbyasenseofthechild’sunutterableweakness。Theslownessoftheirmovementstakestheplaceofmaternalgentleness。Inthem,asinchildren,lifeisreducedtoitssimplestexpression;ifmaternalsentimentmakesthemotheraslave,theabandonmentofselfallowsanoldmantodevotehimselfutterly。Forthesereasonsitisnotunusualtoseechildrenincloseintimacywitholdpersons。Theoldsoldier,theoldabbe,theolddoctor,happyinthekissesandcajoleriesoflittleUrsula,wereneverwearyofansweringhertalkandplayingwithher。Farfrommakingthemimpatientherpetulancescharmedthem;andtheygratifiedallherwishes,makingeachthegroundofsomelittletraining。 Thechildgrewupsurroundedbyoldmen,whosmiledatherandmadethemselvesmothersforhersake,allthreeequallyattentiveandprovident。Thankstothiswiseeducation,Ursula’ssouldevelopedinaspherethatsuitedit。Thisrareplantfounditsspecialsoil;itbreathedtheelementsofitstruelifeandassimilatedthesunraysthatbelongedtoit。 “Inwhatfaithdoyouintendtobringupthelittleone?“askedtheabbeofthedoctor,whenUrsulawassixyearsold。 “Inyours,“answeredMinoret。 AnatheistafterthemannerofMonsieurWolmarinthe“NouvelleHeloise“hedidnotclaimtherighttodepriveUrsulaofthebenefitsofferedbytheCatholicreligion。Thedoctor,sittingatthemomentonabenchoutsidetheChinesepagoda,feltthepressureoftheabbe’shandonhis。 “Yes,abbe,everytimeshetalkstomeofGodIshallsendhertoherfriend’Shapron,’“hesaid,imitatingUrsula’sinfantspeech,“Iwishtoseewhetherreligioussentimentisinbornornot。ThereforeIshalldonothingeitherfororagainstthetendenciesofthatyoungsoul; butinmyheartIhaveappointedyouherspiritualguardian。“