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屋顶间的哲学家_梭维斯特-第8部分

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    butwastherenotsomethingholyinthissimplicity;whichhadbeenpreservedtothembyabstinencefromallthejoysoflife?ah!accursedbehewhofirsthadthehadcouragetoattachridiculetothatnameof〃oldmaid;〃whichrecallssomanyimagesofgrievousdeception;ofdreariness;andofabandonment!accursedbehewhocanfindasubjectforsarcasmininvoluntarymisfortune;andwhocancrowngrayhairswiththorns!

    thetwosisterswerecalledfrancesandmadeleine。thisdaysjourneywasafeatofcouragewithoutexampleintheirlives。thefeverofthetimeshadinfectedthemunawares。yesterdaymadeleinehadsuddenlyproposedtheideaoftheexpedition;andfranceshadaccepteditimmediately。perhapsitwouldhavebeenbetternottoyieldtothegreattemptationofferedbyheryoungersister;but〃wehaveourfolliesatallages;〃astheprudentfrancesphilosophicallyremarked。asformadeleine;therearenoregretsordoubtsforher;sheisthelife…guardsmanoftheestablishment。

    〃wereallymustamuseourselves;〃saidshe;〃welivebutonce。〃

    andtheeldersistersmiledatthisepicureanmaxim。itwasevidentthatthefeverofindependencewasatitscrisisinbothofthem。

    andintruthitwouldhavebeenagreatpityifanyscruplehadinterferedwiththeirhappiness;itwassofrankandgenial!thesightofthetrees;whichseemedtoflyonbothsidesoftheroad;causedthemunceasingadmiration。themeetingatrainpassinginthecontrarydirection;withthenoiseandrapidityofathunderbolt;madethemshuttheireyesandutteracry;butithadalreadydisappeared!theylookaround;takecourageagain;andexpressthemselvesfullofastonishmentatthemarvel。

    madeleinedeclaresthatsuchasightisworththeexpenseofthejourney;andfranceswouldhaveagreedwithherifshehadnotrecollected;withsomelittlealarm;thedeficitwhichsuchanexpensemustmakeintheirbudget。thethreefrancsspentuponthissingleexpeditionwerethesavingsofawholeweekofwork。thusthejoyoftheelderofthetwosisterswasmixedwithremorse;theprodigalchildnowandthenturneditseyestowardthebackstreetofst。denis。

    butthemotionandthesuccessionofobjectsdistracther。seethebridgeofthevalsurroundedbyitslovelylandscape:ontheright;pariswithitsgrandmonuments;whichrisethroughthefog;orsparkleinthesun;ontheleft;meudon;withitsvillas;itswoods;itsvines;anditsroyalcastle!thetwowork…womenlookfromonewindowtotheotherwithexclamationsofdelight。onefellow…passengerlaughsattheirchildishwonder;buttomeitisdeeplytouching;foriseeinitthesignofalongandmonotonousseclusion:theyaretheprisonersofwork;whohaverecoveredlibertyandfreshairforafewhours。

    atlastthetrainstops;andwegetout。ishowthetwosistersthepaththatleadstosevres;betweentherailwayandthegardens;andtheygoonbefore;whileiinquireaboutthetimeofreturning。

    isoonjointhemagainatthenextstation;wheretheyhavestoppedatthelittlegardenbelongingtothegatekeeper;botharealreadyindeepconversationwithhimwhilehedigshisgarden…borders;andmarksouttheplacesforflower…seeds。heinformsthemthatitisthetimeforhoeingoutweeds;formakinggraftsandlayers;forsowingannuals;andfordestroyingtheinsectsontherose…trees。madeleinehasonthesillofherwindowtwowoodenboxes;inwhich;forwantofairandsun;shehasneverbeenabletomakeanythinggrowbutmustardandcress;butshepersuadesherselfthat;thankstothisinformation;allotherplantsmayhenceforththriveinthem。atlastthegatekeeper;whoissowingaborderwithmignonette;giveshertherestoftheseedswhichhedoesnotwant;andtheoldmaidgoesoffdelighted;andbeginstoactoveragainthedreamofpairedandhercanofmilk;withtheseflowersofherimagination。

    onreachingthegroveofacacias;wherethefairwasgoingon;ilostsightofthetwosisters。iwentaloneamongthesights:therewerelotteriesgoingon;mountebankshows;placesforeatinganddrinking;andforshootingwiththecross…bow。ihavealwaysbeenstruckbythespiritoftheseout…of…doorfestivities。indrawing…roomentertainments;peoplearecold;grave;oftenlistless;andmostofthosewhogotherearebroughttogetherbyhabitortheobligationsofsociety;inthecountryassemblies;onthecontrary;youonlyfindthosewhoareattractedbythehopeofenjoyment。there;itisaforcedconscription;here;theyarevolunteersforgayety!then;howeasilytheyarepleased!howfarthiscrowdofpeopleisyetfromknowingthattobepleasedwithnothing;andtolookdownoneverything;istheheightoffashionandgoodtaste!

    doubtlesstheiramusementsareoftencoarse;eleganceandrefinementarewantinginthem;butatleasttheyhaveheartiness。oh;thattheheartyenjoymentsofthesemerry…makingscouldberetainedinunionwithlessvulgarfeeling!formerlyreligionstampeditsholycharacteronthecelebrationofcountryfestivals;andpurifiedthepleasureswithoutdeprivingthemoftheirsimplicity。

    thehourarrivesatwhichthedoorsoftheporcelainmanufactoryandthemuseumofpotteryareopentothepublic。imeetfrancesandmadeleineagaininthefirstroom。frightenedatfindingthemselvesinthemidstofsuchregalmagnificence;theyhardlydarewalk;theyspeakinalowtone;asiftheywereinachurch。

    〃weareinthekingshouse;〃saidtheeldestsister;forgettingthatthereisnolongerakinginfrance。

    iencouragethemtogoon;iwalkfirst;andtheymakeuptheirmindstofollowme。

    whatwondersarebroughttogetherinthiscollection!hereweseeclaymouldedintoeveryshape;tintedwitheverycolor;andbinedwitheverysortofsubstance!

    earthandwoodarethefirstsubstancesworkeduponbyman;andseemmoreparticularlymeantforhisuse。they;likethedomesticanimals;aretheessentialaccessoriesofhislife;thereforetheremustbeamoreintimateconnectionbetweenthemandus。stoneandmetalsrequirelongpreparations;theyresistourfirstefforts;andbelonglesstotheindividualthantomunities。earthandwoodare;onthecontrary;theprincipalinstrumentsoftheisolatedbeingwhomustfeedandshelterhimself。

    this;doubtless;makesmefeelsomuchinterestedinthecollectioniamexamining。thesecups;soroughlymodelledbythesavage;admitmetoaknowledgeofsomeofhishabits;theseelegantyetincorrectlyformedvasesoftheindiantellmeofadecliningintelligence;鈥斺�攊nwhichstillglimmersthetwilightofwhatwasoncebrightsunshine;thesejars;loadedwitharabesques;showthefancyofthearabrudelyandignorantlycopiedbythespaniard!wefindherethestampofeveryrace;everycountry;andeveryage。

    mypanionsseemedlittleinterestedinthesehistoricalassociations;theylookedatallwiththatcredulousadmirationwhichleavesnoroomforexaminationordiscussion。madeleinereadthenamewrittenundereverypieceofworkmanship;andhersisteransweredwithanexclamationofwonder。

    inthiswaywereachedalittlecourtyard;wheretheyhadthrownawaythefragmentsofsomebrokenchina。

    francesperceivedacoloredsauceralmostwhole;ofwhichshetookpossessionasarecordofthevisitshewasmaking;henceforthshewouldhaveaspecimenofthesevreschina;〃whichisonlymadeforkings!〃

    iwouldnotundeceiveherbytellingherthattheproductsofthemanufactoryaresoldallovertheworld;andthathersaucer;beforeitwascracked;wasthesameasthosethatareboughtattheshopsforsixpence!whyshouldidestroytheillusionsofherhumbleexistence?

    arewetobreakdownthehedge…flowersthatperfumeourpaths?thingsareoftenestnothinginthemselves;thethoughtsweattachtothemalonegivethemvalue。torectifyinnocentmistakes;inordertorecoversomeuselessreality;istobelikethoselearnedmenwhowillseenothinginaplantbutthechemicalelementsofwhichitisposed。

    onleavingthemanufactory;thetwosisters;whohadtakenpossessionofmewiththefreedomofartlessness;invitedmetosharetheluncheontheyhadbroughtwiththem。ideclinedatfirst;buttheyinsistedwithsomuchgood…nature;thatifearedtopainthem;andwithsomeawkwardnessgaveway。

    wehadonlytolookforaconvenientspot。iledthemupthehill;andwefoundaplotofgrassenamelledwithdaisies;andshadedbytwowalnut…trees。

    madeleinecouldnotcontainherselfforjoy。allherlifeshehaddreamedofadinneroutonthegrass!whilehelpinghersistertotaketheprovisionsfromthebasket;shetellsmeofallherexpeditionsintothecountrythathadbeenplanned;andputoff。frances;ontheotherhand;wasbroughtupatmontmorency;andbeforeshebecameanorphanshehadoftengonebacktohernurseshouse。thatwhichhadtheattractionofnoveltyforhersister;hadforherthecharmofrecollection。shetoldofthevintageharveststowhichherparentshadtakenher;theridesonmotherluretsdonkey;thattheycouldnotmakegototherightwithoutpullinghimtotheleft;thecherry…gathering;andthesailsonthelakeintheinnkeepersboat。

    theserecollectionshaveallthecharmandfreshnessofchildhood。

    francesrecallstoherselflesswhatshehasseenthanwhatshehasfelt。

    whilesheistalkingtheclothislaid;andwesitdownunderatree。

    beforeuswindsthevalleyofsevres;itsmany…storiedhousesabuttinguponthegardensandtheslopesofthehill;ontheothersidespreadsouttheparkofst。cloud;withitsmagnificentclumpsoftreesinterspersedwithmeadows;abovestretchtheheavenslikeanimmenseocean;inwhichthecloudsaresailing!ilookatthisbeautifulcountry;andilistentothesegoodoldmaids;iadmire;andiaminterested;andtimepassesgentlyonwithoutmyperceivingit。

    atlastthesunsets;andwehavetothinkofreturning。whilemadeleineandfrancesclearawaythedinner;iwalkdowntothemanufactorytoaskthehour。themerrymakingisatitsheight;theblastsofthetrombonesresoundfromthebandundertheacacias。forafewmomentsiforgetmyselfwithlookingabout;butihavepromisedthetwosisterstotakethembacktothebellevuestation;thetraincannotwait;andimakehastetoclimbthepathagainwhichleadstothewalnut…trees。

    justbeforeireachedthem;iheardvoicesontheothersideofthehedge。madeleineandfranceswerespeakingtoapoorgirlwhoseclotheswereburned;herhandsblackened;andherfacetiedupwithbloodstainedbandages。isawthatshewasoneofthegirlsemployedatthegunpowdermills;whicharebuiltfurtheruponthemon。anexplosionhadtakenplaceafewdaysbefore;thegirlsmotherandeldersisterwerekilled;sheherselfescapedbyamiracle;andwasnowleftwithoutanymeansofsupport。shetoldallthiswiththeresignedand
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