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ontostoopandtakeitupagain;andinsensiblyoverebytheluxuryofthesilence;thesubduedlight;andthewarmth;ifellasleep。
iremainedforsometimelostinthesortofinsensibilitybelongingtoafirstsleep;atlastsomevagueandbrokensensationscameoverme。
itseemedtomethatthedaygrewdarker;thattheairbecamecolder。
ihalfperceivedbushescoveredwiththescarletberrieswhichforetelltheingofwinter。iwalkedonadrearyroad;borderedhereandtherewithjuniper…treeswhitewithfrost。thenthescenesuddenlychanged。
iwasinthediligence;thecoldwindshookthedoorsandwindows;thetrees;loadedwithsnow;passedbylikeghosts;invainithrustmybenumbedfeetintothecrushedstraw。atlastthecarriagestopped;and;byoneofthosestageeffectssomoninsleep;ifoundmyselfaloneinabarn;withoutafireplace;andopentothewindsonallsides。isawagainmymothersgentleface;knownonlytomeinmyearlychildhood;thenobleandsterncountenanceofmyfather;thelittlefairheadofmysister;whowastakenfromusattenyearsold;allmydeadfamilylivedagainaroundme;theywerethere;exposedtothebitingsofthecoldandtothepangsofhunger。mymotherprayedbytheresignedoldman;andmysister;rolleduponsomeragsofwhichtheyhadmadeherabed;weptinsilence;andheldhernakedfeetinherlittlebluehands。
itwasapagefromthebookihadjustreadtransferredintomyownexistence。
myheartwasoppressedwithinexpressibleanguish。crouchedinacorner;withmyeyesfixeduponthisdismalpicture;ifeltthecoldslowlycreepinguponme;andisaidtomyselfwithbitterness:
〃letusdie;sincepovertyisadungeonguardedbysuspicion;apathy;andcontempt;andfromwhichitisvaintotrytoescape;letusdie;sincethereisnoplaceforusatthebanquetoftheliving!〃
anditriedtorisetojoinmymotheragain;andtowaitatherfeetforthehourofrelease。
thiseffortdispelledmydream;andiawokewithastart。
ilookedaroundme;mylampwasexpiring;thefireinmystoveextinguished;andmyhalf…openeddoorwaslettinginanicywind。
igotup;withashiver;toshutanddouble…lockit;thenimadeforthealcove;andwenttobedinhaste。
butthecoldkeptmeawakealongtime;andmythoughtscontinuedtheinterrupteddream。
thepicturesihadlatelyaccusedofexaggerationnowseemedbutatoofaithfulrepresentationofreality;andiwenttosleepwithoutbeingabletorecovermyoptimism鈥斺�攐rmywarmth。
thusdidacoldstoveandabadlycloseddooraltermypointofview。
allwentwellwhenmybloodcirculatedproperly;alllookedgloomywhenthecoldlaidholdonme。
thisremindsmeofthestoryoftheduchesswhowasobligedtopayavisittotheneighboringconventonawintersday。theconventwaspoor;therewasnowood;andthemonkshadnothingbuttheirdisciplineandtheardoroftheirprayerstokeepoutthecold。theduchess;whowasshiveringwithcold;returnedhome;greatlypityingthepoormonks。
whiletheservantsweretakingoffhercloakandaddingtwomorelogstoherfire;shecalledhersteward;whomsheorderedtosendsomewoodtotheconventimmediately。shethenhadhercouchmovedclosetothefireside;thewarmthofwhichsoonrevivedher。therecollectionofwhatshehadjustsufferedwasspeedilylostinherpresentfort;whenthestewardcameinagaintoaskhowmanyloadsofwoodhewastosend。
〃oh!youmaywait;〃saidthegreatladycarelessly;〃theweatherisverymuchmilder。〃
thus;mansjudgmentsareformedlessfromreasonthanfromsensation;andassensationestohimfromtheoutwardworld;sohefindshimselfmoreorlessunderitsinfluence;bylittleandlittleheimbibesaportionofhishabitsandfeelingsfromit。
itisnot;then;withoutcausethat;whenwewishtojudgeofastrangerbeforehand;welookforindicationsofhischaracterinthecircumstanceswhichsurroundhim。thethingsamongwhichwelivearenecessarilymadetotakeourimage;andweunconsciouslyleaveinthemathousandimpressionsofourminds。aswecanjudgebyanemptybedoftheheightandattitudeofhimwhohassleptinit;sotheabodeofeverymandiscoverstoacloseobservertheextentofhisintelligenceandthefeelingsofhisheart。bernardindest…pierrehasrelatedthestoryofayounggirlwhorefusedasuitorbecausehewouldneverhaveflowersordomesticanimalsinhishouse。perhapsthesentencewassevere;butnotwithoutreason。wemaypresumethatamaninsensibletobeautyandtohumbleaffectionmustbeillpreparedtofeeltheenjoymentsofahappymarriage。
14th;sevenoclockp。m鈥斺�攖hismorning;asiwasopeningmyjournaltowrite;ihadavisitfromouroldcashier。
hissightisnotsogoodasitwas;hishandbeginstoshake;andtheworkhewasabletodoformerlyisnowbeingsomewhatlaborioustohim。ihadundertakentowriteoutsomeofhispapers;andhecameforthoseihadfinished。
weconversedalongtimebythestove;whilehewasdrinkingacupofcoffeewhichimadehimtake。
m。rateauisasensibleman;whohasobservedmuchandspeakslittle;sothathehasalwayssomethingtosay。
whilelookingovertheaccountsihadpreparedforhim;hislookfelluponmyjournal;andiwasobligedtoacknowledgethatinthiswayiwroteadiaryofmyactionsandthoughtseveryeveningforprivateuse。
fromonethingtoanother;ibeganspeakingtohimofmydreamthedaybefore;andmyreflectionsabouttheinfluenceofoutwardobjectsuponourordinarysentiments。hesmiled。
〃ah!you;too;havemysuperstitions;〃hesaid;quietly。〃ihavealwaysbelieved;likeyou;thatyoumayknowthegamebythelair:itisonlynecessarytohavetactandexperience;butwithoutthemwemitourselvestomanyrashjudgments。formypart。ihavebeenguiltyofthismorethanonce;butsometimesihavealsodrawnarightconclusion。
irecollectespeciallyanadventurewhichgoesasfarbackasthefirstyearsofmyyouth鈥斺�敗�
hestopped。ilookedathimasifiwaitedforhisstory;andhetolditmeatonce。
atthistimehewasstillbutthirdclerktoanattorneyatorleans。hismasterhadsenthimtomontargisondifferentaffairs;andheintendedtoreturninthediligencethesameevening;afterhavingreceivedtheamountofabillataneighboringtown;buttheykepthimatthedebtorshouse;andwhenhewasabletosetoutthedayhadalreadyclosed。
fearingnottobeabletoreachmontargisingoodtime;hetookacrossroadtheypointedouttohim。unfortunatelythefogincreased;nostarwasvisibleintheheavens;andthedarknessbecamesogreatthathelosthisroad。hetriedtoretracehissteps;passedtwentyfootpaths;andatlastwaspletelyastray。
afterthevexationoflosinghisplaceinthediligence;camethefeelingofuneasinessastohissituation。hewasalone;onfoot;lostinaforest;withoutanymeansoffindinghisrightroadagain;andwithaconsiderablesumofmoneyabouthim;forwhichhewasresponsible。hisanxietywasincreasedbyhisinexperience。theideaofaforestwasconnectedinhismindwithsomanyadventuresofrobberyandmurder;thatheexpectedsomefatalencountereveryinstant。
tosaythetruth;hissituationwasnotencouraging。