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第45章

雨果 悲惨世界 英文版1-第45章

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ime。 Robbing and housebreakingit is all there。
  It is no longer a question of correctional police; it is a matter for the Court of Assizes。 It is no longer a matter of a few days in prison; it is the galleys for life。
  And then; there is the affair with the little Savoyard; who will return; I hope。
  The deuce! there is plenty to dispute in the matter; is there not?
  Yes; for any one but Jean Valjean。 But Jean Valjean is a sly dog。
  That is the way I recognized him。 Any other man would have felt that things were getting hot for him; he would struggle; he would cry outthe kettle sings before the fire; he would not be Jean Valjean; et cetera。
  But he has not the appearance of understanding; he says; ‘I am Champmathieu; and I won't depart from that!'
  He has an astonished air; he pretends to be stupid; it is far better。
  Oh! the rogue is clever!
  But it makes no difference。 The proofs are there。
  He has been recognized by four persons; the old scamp will be condemned。
  The case has been taken to the Assizes at Arras。
  I shall go there to give my testimony。
  I have been summoned。〃
  M。 Madeleine had turned to his desk again; and taken up his docket; and was turning over the leaves tranquilly; reading and writing by turns; like a busy man。
  He turned to Javert:
  〃That will do; Javert。
  In truth; all these details interest me but little。
  We are wasting our time; and we have pressing business on hand。
  Javert; you will betake yourself at once to the house of the woman Buseaupied; who sells herbs at the corner of the Rue Saint…Saulve。 You will tell her that she must enter her plaint against carter Pierre Chesnelong。
  The man is a brute; who came near crushing this woman and her child。
  He must be punished。
  You will then go to M。 Charcellay; Rue Montre…de…Champigny。 He plained that there is a gutter on the adjoining house which discharges rain…water on his premises; and is undermining the foundations of his house。 After that; you will verify the infractions of police regulations which have been reported to me in the Rue Guibourg; at Widow Doris's; and Rue du Garraud…Blanc; at Madame Renee le Bosse's; and you will prepare documents。
  But I am giving you a great deal of work。 Are you not to be absent?
  Did you not tell me that you were going to Arras on that matter in a week or ten days?〃
  〃Sooner than that; Mr。 Mayor。〃
  〃On what day; then?〃
  〃Why; I thought that I had said to Monsieur le Maire that the case was to be tried to…morrow; and that I am to set out by diligence to…night。〃
  M。 Madeleine made an imperceptible movement。
  〃And how long will the case last?〃
  〃One day; at the most。
  The judgment will be pronounced to…morrow evening at latest。
  But I shall not wait for the sentence; which is certain; I shall return here as soon as my deposition has been taken。〃
  〃That is well;〃 said M。 Madeleine。
  And he dismissed Javert with a wave of the hand。
  Javert did not withdraw。
  〃Excuse me; Mr。 Mayor;〃 said he。
  〃What is it now?〃 demanded M。 Madeleine。
  〃Mr。 Mayor; there is still something of which I must remind you。〃
  〃What is it?〃
  〃That I must be dismissed。〃
  M。 Madeleine rose。
  〃Javert; you are a man of honor; and I esteem you。
  You exaggerate your fault。
  Moreover; this is an offence which concerns me。 Javert; you deserve promotion instead of degradation。
  I wish you to retain your post。〃
  Javert gazed at M。 Madeleine with his candid eyes; in whose depths his not very enlightened but pure and rigid conscience seemed visible; and said in a tranquil voice:
  〃Mr。 Mayor; I cannot grant you that。〃
  〃I repeat;〃 replied M。 Madeleine; 〃that the matter concerns me。〃
  But Javert; heeding his own thought only; continued:
  〃So far as exaggeration is concerned; I am not exaggerating。
  This is the way I reason:
  I have suspected you unjustly。
  That is nothing。 It is our right to cherish suspicion; although suspicion directed above ourselves is an abuse。
  But without proofs; in a fit of rage; with the object of wreaking my vengeance; I have denounced you as a convict; you; a respectable man; a mayor; a magistrate! That is serious; very serious。
  I have insulted authority in your person; I; an agent of the authorities!
  If one of my subordinates had done what I have done; I should have declared him unworthy of the service; and have expelled him。
  Well?
  Stop; Mr。 Mayor; one word more。 I have often been severe in the course of my life towards others。 That is just。
  I have done well。
  Now; if I were not severe towards myself; all the justice that I have done would bee injustice。 Ought I to spare myself more than others?
  No!
  What!
  I should be good for nothing but to chastise others; and not myself!
  Why; I should be a blackguard!
  Those who say; ‘That blackguard of a Javert!' would be in the right。
  Mr。 Mayor; I do not desire that you should treat me kindly; your kindness roused sufficient bad blood in me when it was directed to others。
  I want none of it for myself。 The kindness which consists in upholding a woman of the town against a citizen; the police agent against the mayor; the man who is down against the man who is up in the world; is what I call false kindness。 That is the sort of kindness which disorganizes society。
  Good God! it is very easy to be kind; the difficulty lies in being just。 e! if you had been what I thought you; I should not have been kind to you; not I!
  You would have seen!
  Mr。 Mayor; I must treat myself as I would treat any other man。
  When I have subdued malefactors; when I have proceeded with vigor against rascals; I have often said to myself; ‘If you flinch; if I ever catch you in fault; you may rest at your ease!'
  I have flinched; I have caught myself in a fault。 So much the worse!
  e; discharged; cashiered; expelled!
  That is well。 I have arms。
  I will till the soil; it makes no difference to me。 Mr。 Mayor; the good of the service demands an example。
  I simply require the discharge of Inspector Javert。〃
  All this was uttered in a proud; humble; despairing; yet convinced tone; which lent indescribable grandeur to this singular; honest man。
  〃We shall see;〃 said M。 Madeleine。
  And he offered him his hand。
  Javert recoiled; and said in a wild voice:
  〃Excuse me; Mr。 Mayor; but this must not be。
  A mayor does not offer his hand to a police spy。〃
  He added between his teeth:
  〃A police spy; yes; from the moment when I have misused the police。 I am no more than a police spy。〃
  Then he bowed profoundly; and directed his steps towards the door。
  There he wheeled round; and with eyes still downcast:
  〃Mr。 Mayor;〃 he said; 〃I shall continue to serve until I am superseded。〃
  He withdrew。
  M。 Madeleine remained thoughtfully listening to the firm; sure step; which died away on the pavement of the corridor。


BOOK SEVENTH。THE CHAMPMATHIEU AFFAIR
CHAPTER I 
  SISTER SIMPLICE 
  The incidents the reader is about to peruse were not all known at M。 sur M。 But the small portion of them which became known left such a memory in that town that a serious gap would exist in this book if we did not narrate them in their most minute details。 Among these details the reader will encounter two or three improbable circumstances; which we preserve out of respect for the truth。
  On the afternoon following the visit of Javert; M。 Madeleine went to see Fantine according to his wont。
  Before entering Fantine's room; he had Sister Simplice summoned。
  The two nuns who performed the services of nurse in the infirmary; Lazariste ladies; like all sisters of charity; bore the names of Sister Perpetue and Sister Simplice。
  Sister Perpetue was an ordinary villager; a sister of charity in a coarse style; who had entered the service of God as one enters any other service。
  She was a nun as other women are cooks。 This type is not so very rare。
  The monastic orders gladly accept this heavy peasant earthenware; which is easily fashioned into a Capuchin or an Ursuline。
  These rustics are utilized for the rough work of devotion。
  The transition from a drover to a Carmelite is not in the least violent; the one turns into the other without much effort; the fund of ignorance mon to the village and the cloister is a preparation ready at hand; and places the boor at once on the same footing as the monk:
  a little more amplitude in the smock; and it bees a frock。
  Sister Perpetue was a robust nun from Marines near Pontoise; who chattered her patois; droned; grumbled; sugared the potion according to the bigotry or the hypocrisy of the invalid; treated her patients abruptly; roughly; was crabbed with the dying; almost flung God in their faces; stoned their death agony with prayers mumbled in a rage; was bold; honest; and ruddy。
  Sister Simplice was white; with a waxen pallor。
  Beside Sister Perpetue; she was the taper beside the candle。
  Vincent de Paul has divinely traced the features of the Sister of Charity in these admirable words; in which he mingles as much freedom as servitude:
  〃They shall have for their convent only the house of the sick; for cell only a hired room; for chapel only their parish church; for cloister only the streets of the town and the wards of the hospitals; for enclosure only obedience; for gratings only the fear of God; for veil only modesty。〃
  This ideal was realized in the living person of Sister Simplice:
  she had never been young; and it seemed as though she would never grow old。 No one could have told Sister Simplice's age。
  She was a person we dare not say a womanwho was gentle; austere; well…bred; cold; and who had never lied。
  She was so gentle that she appeared fragile; but she was more solid than granite。
  She touched the unhappy with fingers that were charmingly pure and fine。
  There was; so to speak; silence in her speech; she said just what was necessary; and she possessed a tone of voice which would have equally edified a confessional or enchanted a drawing…room。 This delicacy acmodated itself to the serge gown; finding in this harsh contact a continual reminder of heaven and of God。
  Let us emphasize one detail。 Never to have lied; never to have said; for any interest whatever; even in indifference; any single thing which was not the truth; the sacred truth; was Sister Simplice's distinctive trait; it was the accent of her virtue。
  She was almost renowned in the congregation for this imperturbable veracity。
  The Abbe Sicard speaks of Sister Simplice in a letter to the deaf…mute Massieu。 However pure and sincere we may be; we all bear upon our candor the crack of the little; innocent lie。
  She did not。
  Little lie; innocent liedoes such a thing exist?
  To lie is the absolute form of evil。
  To lie a little is not possible:
  he who lies; lies the whole lie。
  To lie is the very face of the demon。
  Satan has two names; he is called Satan and Lying。
  That is what she thought; and as she thought; so she did。
  The result was the whiteness which we have mentioneda whiteness w

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