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屋顶间的哲学家_梭维斯特-第18章

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eknowstheanecdoterelatedbymadamecampanofmarieantoinette;wifeoflouisxvi。oneday;beingathertoilet;whenthechemisewasabouttobepresentedtoherbyoneoftheassistants;aladyofveryancientfamilyenteredandclaimedthehonor;asshehadtherightbyetiquette;but;atthemomentshewasabouttofulfilherduty;aladyofhigherrankappeared;andinherturntookthegarmentshewasabouttooffertothequeen;whenathirdladyofstillhighertitlecameinherturn;andwasfollowedbyafourth;whowasnootherthanthekingssister。thechemisewasinthismannerpassedfromhandtohand;withceremonies;courtesies;andpliments;beforeitcametothequeen;who;halfnakedandquiteashamed;wasshiveringwithcoldforthegreathonorofetiquette。

    12th;sevenoclock;p。m鈥斺�攐ninghomethisevening;isaw;standingatthedoorofahouse;anoldman;whoseappearanceandfeaturesremindedmeofmyfather。therewasthesamebeautifulsmile;thesamedeepandpenetratingeye;thesamenoblebearingofthehead;andthesamecarelessattitude。

    ibeganlivingoveragainthefirstyearsofmylife;andrecallingtomyselftheconversationsofthatguidewhomgodinhismercyhadgivenme;andwhominhisseverityhehadtoosoonwithdrawn。

    whenmyfatherspoke;itwasnotonlytobringourtwomindstogetherbyaninterchangeofthought;buthiswordsalwayscontainedinstruction。

    notthatheendeavoredtomakemefeelitso:myfatherfearedeverythingthathadtheappearanceofalesson。heusedtosaythatvirtuecouldmakeherselfdevotedfriends;butshedidnottakepupils:thereforehewasnotdesiroustoteachgoodness;hecontentedhimselfwithsowingtheseedsofit;certainthatexperiencewouldmakethemgrow。

    howoftenhasgoodgrainfallenthusintoacorneroftheheart;and;whenithasbeenlongforgotten;allatonceputforththebladeandeintoear!itisatreasurelaidasideinatimeofignorance;andwedonotknowitsvaluetillwefindourselvesinneedofit。

    amongthestorieswithwhichheenlivenedourwalksorourevenings;thereisonewhichnowreturnstomymemory;doubtlessbecausethetimeisetoderiveitslessonfromit。

    myfather;whowasapprenticedattheageoftwelvetooneofthosetradingcollectorswhocallthemselvesnaturalists;becausetheyputallcreationunderglassesthattheymaysellitbyretail;hadalwaysledalifeofpovertyandlabor。obligedtorisebeforedaybreak;byturnsshop…boy;clerk;andlaborer;hewasmadetobearalonealltheworkofatradeofwhichhismasterreapedalltheprofits。intruth;thislatterhadapeculiartalentformakingthemostofthelaborofotherpeople。

    thoughunfithimselffortheexecutionofanykindofwork;nooneknewbetterhowtosellit。hiswordswereanet;inwhichpeoplefoundthemselvestakenbeforetheywereaware。andsincehewasdevotedtohimselfalone;andlookedontheproducerashisenemy;andthebuyerasprey;heusedthembothwiththatobstinateperseverancewhichavariceteaches。

    myfatherwasaslavealltheweek;andcouldcallhimselfhisownonlyonsunday。themasternaturalist;whousedtospendthedayatthehouseofanoldfemalerelative;thengavehimhislibertyonconditionthathedinedout;andathisownexpense。butmyfatherusedsecretlytotakewithhimacrustofbread;whichhehidinhisbotanizing…box;and;leavingparisassoonasitwasday;hewouldwanderfarintothevalleyofmontmorency;thewoodofmeudon;oramongthewindingsofthemarne。

    excitedbythefreshair;thepenetratingperfumeofthegrowingvegetation;orthefragranceofthehoneysuckles;hewouldwalkonuntilhungerorfatiguemadeitselffelt。thenhewouldsitunderahedge;orbythesideofastream;andwouldmakearusticfeast;byturnsonwatercresses;woodstrawberries;andblackberriespickedfromthehedges;hewouldgatherafewplants;readafewpagesofflorian;theningreatestvogue;ofgessner;whowasjusttranslated;orofjeanjacques;ofwhomhepossessedthreeoldvolumes。thedaywasthuspassedalternatelyinactivityandrest;inpursuitandmeditation;untilthedecliningsunwarnedhimtotakeagaintheroadtoparis;wherehewouldarrive;hisfeettornanddusty;buthismindinvigoratedforawholeweek。

    oneday;ashewasgoingtowardthewoodofviroflay;hemet;closetoit;astrangerwhowasoccupiedinbotanizingandinsortingtheplantshehadjustgathered。hewasanelderlymanwithanhonestface;buthiseyes;whichwereratherdeep…setunderhiseyebrows;hadasomewhatuneasyandtimidexpression。hewasdressedinabrownclothcoat;agraywaistcoat;blackbreeches;andworstedstockings;andheldanivory…headedcaneunderhisarm。hisappearancewasthatofasmallretiredtradesmanwhowaslivingonhismeans;andratherbelowthegoldenmeanofhorace。

    myfather;whohadgreatrespectforage;civillyraisedhishattohimashepassed。indoingso;aplantheheldfellfromhishand;thestrangerstoopedtotakeitup;andrecognizedit。

    〃itisadeutariaheptaphyllos;〃saidhe;〃ihavenotyetseenanyoftheminthesewoods;didyoufinditnearhere;sir?〃

    myfatherrepliedthatitwastobefoundinabundanceonthetopofthehill;towardsevres;aswellasthegreatlaserpitium。

    〃that;too!〃repeatedtheoldmanmorebriskly。〃ah!ishallgoandlookforthem;ihavegatheredthemformerlyonthehillsideofrobaila。〃

    myfatherproposedtotakehim。thestrangeracceptedhisproposalwiththanks;andhastenedtocollecttogethertheplantshehadgathered;butallofasuddenheappearedseizedwithascruple。heobservedtohispanionthattheroadhewasgoingwashalfwayupthehill;andledinthedirectionofthecastleofthedamesroyalesatbellevue;thatbygoingtothetophewouldconsequentlyturnoutofhisroad;andthatitwasnotrightheshouldtakethistroubleforastranger。

    myfatherinsisteduponitwithhishabitualgood…nature;but;themoreeagernessheshowed;themoreobstinatelytheoldmanrefused;itevenseemedtomyfatherthathisgoodintentionatlastexcitedhissuspicion。hethereforecontentedhimselfwithpointingouttheroadtothestranger;whomhesaluted;andhesoonlostsightofhim。

    manyhourspassedby;andhethoughtnomoreofthemeeting。hehadreachedthecopsesofchaville;where;stretchedonthegroundinamossyglade;hereadoncemorethelastvolumeofemile。thedelightofreadingithadsopletelyabsorbedhimthathehadceasedtoseeorhearanythingaroundhim。withhischeeksflushedandhiseyesmoist;herepeatedaloudapassagewhichhadparticularlyaffectedhim。

    anexclamationutteredclosebyhimawokehimfromhisecstasy;heraisedhishead;andperceivedthetradesman…lookingpersonhehadmetbeforeonthecrossroadatviroflay。

    hewasloadedwithplants;thecollectionofwhichseemedtohaveputhimintohighgood…humor。

    〃athousandthanks;sir;〃saidhetomyfather。〃ihavefoundallthatyoutoldmeof;andiamindebtedtoyouforacharmingwalk。〃

    myfatherrespectfullyrose;andmadeacivilreply。thestrangerhadgrownquitefamiliar;andevenaskedifhisyoung〃brotherbotanist〃didnotthinkofreturningtoparis。myfatherrepliedintheaffirmative;andopenedhistinboxtoputhisbookbackinit。

 
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