雨果 悲惨世界 英文版1-第45章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
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