屋顶间的哲学家_梭维斯特-第5章
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tofthecityaltogetherhassomethingharsh；restless；andflurriedaboutit。but；assoonasthestarsappear；everythingischanged；theglareofthewhitehousesisquenchedinthegatheringshades；youhearnomoreanyrollingbutthatofthecarriagesontheirwaytosomepartyofpleasure；youseeonlytheloungerorthelight…heartedpassingby；workhasgivenplacetoleisure。
noweachonemaybreatheafterthefierceracethroughthebusinessoftheday；andwhateverstrengthremainstohimhegivestopleasure！seetheballroomslightedup；thetheatresopen；theeating…shopsalongthewalkssetoutwithdainties；andthetwinklinglanternsofthenewspapercriers。decidedlyparishaslaidasidethepen；theruler；andtheapron；afterthedayspentinwork；itmusthavetheeveningforenjoyment；likethemastersofthebes；ithasputoffallseriousmattertilltomorrow。
ilovetotakepartinthishappyhour；nottomixinthegeneralgayety；buttocontemplateit。iftheenjoymentsofothersembitterjealousminds；theystrengthenthehumblespirit；theyarethebeamsofsunshine；whichopenthetwobeautifulflowerscalledtrustandhope。
althoughaloneinthemidstofthesmilingmultitude；idonotfeelmyselfisolatedfromit；foritsgayetyisreflecteduponme：itismyownkind；myownfamily；whoareenjoyinglife；anditakeabrothersshareintheirhappiness。weareallfellow…soldiersinthisearthlybattle；andwhatdoesitmatteronwhomthehonorsofthevictoryfall？
iffortunepassesbywithoutseeingus；andpoursherfavorsonothers；letusconsoleourselves；likethefriendofparmenio；bysaying；〃those；too；arealexanders。〃
whilemakingthesereflections；iwasgoingonaschancetookme。icrossedfromonepavementtoanother；iretracedmysteps；istoppedbeforetheshopsortoreadthehandbills。howmanythingstherearetolearninthestreetsofparis！whatamuseumitis！unknownfruits；foreignarms；furnitureofoldtimesorotherlands；animalsofallclimates；statuesofgreatmen；costumesofdistantnations！itistheworldseeninsamples！
letusthenlookatthispeople；whoseknowledgeisgainedfromtheshop…windowsandthetradesmansdisplayofgoods。nothinghasbeentaughtthem；buttheyhavearudenotionofeverything。theyhaveseenpineapplesatchevets；apalm…treeinthejardindesplantes；sugar…canessellingonthepont…neuf。theredskins；exhibitedinthevalentinehall；havetaughtthemtomimicthedanceofthebison；andtosmokethecalumetofpeace；theyhaveseencarterslionsfed；theyknowtheprincipalnationalcostumescontainedinbabinscollection；goupilsdisplayofprintshasplacedthetiger…huntsofafricaandthesittingsoftheenglishparliamentbeforetheireyes；theyhavebeeacquaintedwithqueenvictoria；theemperorofaustria；andkossuth；attheoffice…dooroftheillustratednews。wecancertainlyinstructthem；butnotastonishthem；fornothingispletelynewtothem。youmaytaketheparisragamuffinthroughthefivequartersoftheworld；andateverywonderwithwhichyouthinktosurprisehim；hewillsettlethematterwiththatfavoriteandconclusiveanswerofhisclass鈥斺�敗╥know。〃
butthisvarietyofexhibitions；whichmakesparisthefairoftheworld；doesnotoffermerelyameansofinstructiontohimwhowalksthroughit；itisacontinualspurforrousingtheimagination；afirststepoftheladderalwayssetupbeforeusinavision。whenweseethem；howmanyvoyagesdowetakeinimagination；whatadventuresdowedreamof；whatpicturesdowesketch！ineverlookatthatshopnearthechinesebaths；withitstapestryhangingsoffloridajessamine；andfilledwithmagnolias；withoutseeingtheforestgladesofthenewworld；describedbytheauthorofatala；openingthemselvesoutbeforeme。
then；whenthisstudyofthingsandthisdiscourseofreasonbegintotireyou；lookaroundyou！whatcontrastsoffiguresandfacesyouseeinthecrowd！whatavastfieldfortheexerciseofmeditation！ahalf…seenglance；orafewwordscaughtasthespeakerpassesby；openathousandvistastoyourimagination。youwishtoprehendwhattheseimperfectdisclosuresmean；and；astheantiquaryendeavorstodecipherthemutilatedinscriptiononsomeoldmonument；youbuildupahistoryonagestureoronaword！thesearethestirringsportsofthemind；whichfindsinfictionarelieffromthewearisomedullnessoftheactual。
alas！asiwasjustnowpassingbythecarriage…entranceofagreathouse；inoticedasadsubjectforoneofthesehistories。amanwassittinginthedarkestcorner；withhisheadbare；andholdingouthishatforthecharityofthosewhopassed。histhreadbarecoathadthatlookofneatnesswhichmarksthatdestitutionhasbeenmetbyalongstruggle。hehadcarefullybuttonedituptohidethewantofashirt。
hisfacewashalfhidunderhisgrayhair；andhiseyeswereclosed；asifhewishedtoescapethesightofhisownhumiliation；andheremainedmuteandmotionless。thosewhopassedhimtooknonoticeofthebeggar；whosatinsilenceanddarkness！theyhadbeensoluckyastoescapeplaintsandimportunities；andweregladtoturnawaytheireyestoo。
suddenlythegreatgateturnedonitshinges；andaverylowcarriage；lightedwithsilverlampsanddrawnbytwoblackhorses；cameslowlyout；andtooktheroadtowardthefaubourgst。germain。icouldjustdistinguish；within；thesparklingdiamondsandtheflowersofaball…dress；theglareofthelampspassedlikeabloodystreakoverthepalefaceofthebeggar；andshowedhislookashiseyesopenedandfollowedtherichmansequipageuntilitdisappearedinthenight。
idroppedasmallpieceofmoneyintothehathewasholdingout；andpassedonquickly。
ihadjustfallenunexpectedlyuponthetwosaddestsecretsofthediseasewhichtroublestheagewelivein：theenvioushatredofhimwhosufferswant；andtheselfishforgetfulnessofhimwholivesinaffluence。
alltheenjoymentofmywalkwasgone；ileftofflookingaboutme；andretiredintomyownheart。theanimatedandmovingsightinthestreetsgaveplacetoinwardmeditationuponallthepainfulproblemswhichhavebeenwrittenforthelastfourthousandyearsatthebottomofeachhumanstruggle；butwhicharepropoundedmoreclearlythaneverinourdays。
iponderedontheuselessnessofsomanycontests；inwhichdefeatandvictoryonlydisplaceeachotherbyturns；andonthemistakenzealotswhohaverepeatedfromgenerationtogenerationthebloodyhistoryofcainandabel；and；saddenedwiththesemournfulreflections；iwalkedonaschancetookme；untilthesilenceallaroundinsensiblydrewmeoutfrommyownthoughts。
ihadreachedoneoftheremotestreets；inwhichthosewhowouldliveinfortandwithoutostentation；andwholoveseriousreflection；delighttofindahome。therewerenoshopsalongthedimlylightedstreet；oneheardnosoundsbutofdistantcarriages；andofthestepsofsomeoftheinhabitantsreturningquietlyhome。
iinstantlyrecognizedthestreet；thoughihadbeenthereonlyoncebefore。
thatwastwoyearsago。iwaswalkingatthetimebythesideoftheseine；towhichthelightsonthequaysandbridgesgavetheaspectofalakesurroundedbyagarlandofstars；andihadreachedthelouvre；wheniwasstoppedbyacrowdcollectedneartheparapettheyhadgatheredroundachildofaboutsix；whowascrying；andiaskedthecauseofhistears。
〃itseemsthathewassenttowalkinthetuileries；〃saidamason；whowasreturningfromhisworkwithhistrowelinhishand；〃theservantwhotookcareofhimmetwithsomefriendsthere；andtoldthechildtowaitforhimwhilehewenttogetadrink；butisupposethedrinkmadehimmorethirsty；forhehasnoteback；andthechildcannotfindhiswayhome。〃
〃whydotheynotaskhimhisname；andwherehelives？〃
〃theyhavebeendoingitforthelasthour；butallhecansayis；thatheiscalledcharles；andthathisfatherismonsieurduval鈥斺�攖herearetwelvehundredduvalsinparis。〃
〃thenhedoesnotknowinwhatpartofthetownhelives？〃
〃ishouldnotthink；indeed！dontyouseethatheisagentlemanschild？hehasnevergoneoutexceptinacarriageorwithaservant；hedoesnotknowwhattodobyhimself。〃
herethemasonwasinterruptedbysomeofthevoicesrisingabovetheothers。
〃wecannotleavehiminthestreet；〃saidsome。
〃thechild…stealerswouldcarryhimoff；〃continuedothers。
〃wemusttakehimtotheoverseer。〃
〃ortothepolice…office。〃
〃thatsthethinge；littleone！〃
butthechild；frightenedbythesesuggestionsofdanger；andatthenamesofpoliceandoverseer；criedlouder；anddrewbacktowardtheparapet。invaintheytriedtopersuadehim；hisfearsmadehimresistthemore；andthemosteagerbegantogetweary；whenthevoiceofalittleboywasheardthroughtheconfusion。
〃iknowhimwell鈥斺�攊do；〃saidhe；lookingatthelostchild；〃hebelongsinourpartofthetown。〃
〃whatpartisit？〃
〃yonder；ontheothersideoftheboulevards鈥斺�攔uedesmagasins。〃
〃andyouhaveseenhimbefore？〃
〃yes；yes！hebelongstothegreathouseattheendofthestreet；wherethereisanirongatewithgiltpoints。〃
thechildquicklyraisedhishead；andstoppedcrying。thelittleboyansweredallthequestionsthatwereputtohim；andgavesuchdetailsasleftnoroomfordoubt。theotherchildunderstoodhim；forhewentuptohimasiftoputhimselfunderhisprotection。
〃thenyoucantakehimtohisparents？〃askedthemason；whohadlistenedwithrealinteresttothelittleboysaccount。
〃idontcareifido；〃repliedhe；〃itsthewayimgoing。〃
〃thenyouwilltakechargeofhim？〃
〃hehasonlytoewithme。〃
and；takingupthebaskethehadputdownonthepavement；hesetofftowardthepostern…gateofthelouvre。
thelostchildfollowedhim。
〃ihopehewilltakehimright；〃saidi；whenisawthemgoaway。
〃neverfear；〃repliedthemason；〃thelittleoneintheblouseisthesameageastheother；but；asthesayingis；heknowsblackfromwhite；poverty；yousee；isafamousschoolmistress！〃
thecrowddispersed。formypart；iwenttowardthelouvre；thethoughtcameintomyheadtofollowthetwochildren；soastoguardagainstanymistake。
iwasnotlonginovertakingthem；theywerewalkingsidebyside；talking；andalreadyquitefamiliarwitheachother。thecontrastintheirdressthenstruckme。littleduvalworeoneofthosefancifulchildrensdresseswhichareexpensiveaswellasingoodtaste；hiscoatwasskilfullyfittedtohisfigure；histrouserscamedowninplaitsfromhiswaisttohisbootsofpolishedleatherwithmother…of…pearlbuttons；andhisringletswerehalfhidbyavelvetcap。theappearanceofhisguide；onthecontrary；wasthatoftheclasswhodwellontheextremebordersofpoverty；butwhotheremaintaintheirgroundwithnosurrender。hisoldblouse；patchedwithpiecesofdifferentshades；indicatedtheperseveranceofanindustriousmotherstrugglingagainstthewearandtearoftime；histrouserswerebeetooshort；andshowedhisstockingsdarnedoverandoveragain；anditwasevidentthathisshoeswerenotmadeforhim。
thecountenancesofthetwochildrenwerenotlessdifferentthantheirdress。thatofthefirstwasdelicateandrefined；hisclearblueeye；hisfairskin；andhissmilingmouthgavehimacharminglookofinnocenceandhappiness。thefeaturesoftheother；onthecontrary；hadsomethingroughinthem；hiseyewasquickandlively；hisplexiondark；hissmilelessmerrythanshrewd；allshowedamindsharpenedbytooearlyexperience；hewalkedboldlythroughthemiddleofthestreetsthrongedbycarriages；andfollowedtheircountlessturningswithouthesitation。
ifound；onaskinghim；thateverydayhecarrieddinnertohisfather；whowasthenworkingontheleftbankoftheseine；andthisresponsibledutyhadmadehimcarefulandprudent。hehadlearnedthosehardbutforciblelessonsofnecessitywhichnothingcanequalorsupplytheplaceof。unfortunately；thewantsofhispoorfamilyhadkepthimfromschool；andheseemedtofeeltheloss；forheoftenstoppedbeforetheprintshops；andaskedhispaniontoreadhimthenamesoftheengravings。inthiswaywereachedtheboulevardbonnenouvelle；whichthelittlewandererseemedtoknowagain。notwithstandinghisfatigue；hehurriedon；hewasagitatedbymixedfeelings；atthesightofhishouseheutteredacry；andrantowardtheirongatewiththegiltpoints；aladywhowasstandingattheentrancereceivedhiminherarms；andfromtheexclamationsofjoy；andthesoundofkisses；isoonperceivedshewashismother。
notseeingeithertheservantorchildreturn；shehadsentinsearchofthemineverydirection；andwaswaitingfortheminintenseanxiety。
iexplainedtoherinafewwordswhathadhappened。shethankedmewarmly；andlookedroundforthelittleboywhohadrecognizedandbroughtbackherson；butwhileweweretalking；hehaddisappeared。
itwasforthefirsttimesincethenthatihadeintothispartofparis。didthemothercontinuegrateful？hadthechildrenmetagain；andhadthehappychanceoftheirfirstmee
