雨果 悲惨世界 英文版1-第76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！


　　Take　them。〃
　　It　was　already　done。
　　The　prowler　executed　the　required　feint；　and　said：
　　〃There　is　nothing　there。〃
　　〃I　have　been　robbed；〃　said　the　officer；　〃I　am　sorry　for　that。　You　should　have　had　them。〃
　　The　steps　of　the　patrol　became　more　and　more　distinct。
　　〃Some　one　is　ing；〃　said　the　prowler；　with　the　movement　of　a　man　who　is　taking　his　departure。
　　The　officer　raised　his　arm　feebly；　and　detained　him。
　　〃You　have　saved　my　life。
　　Who　are　you？〃
　　The　prowler　answered　rapidly；　and　in　a　low　voice：
　　〃Like　yourself；　I　belonged　to　the　French　army。
　　I　must　leave　you。　If　they　were　to　catch　me；　they　would　shoot　me。
　　I　have　saved　your　life。　Now　get　out　of　the　scrape　yourself。〃
　　〃What　is　your　rank？〃
　　〃Sergeant。〃
　　〃What　is　your　name？〃
　　〃Thenardier。〃
　　〃I　shall　not　forget　that　name；〃　said　the　officer；　〃and　do　you　remember　mine。
　　My　name　is　Pontmercy。〃　


BOOK　SECOND。THE　SHIP　ORION
CHAPTER　I　
　　NUMBER　24；601　BEES　NUMBER　9；430
　　Jean　Valjean　had　been　recaptured。
　　The　reader　will　be　grateful　to　us　if　we　pass　rapidly　over　the　sad　details。
　　We　will　confine　ourselves　to　transcribing　two　paragraphs　published　by　the　journals　of　that　day；　a　few　months　after　the　surprising　events　which　had　taken　place　at　M。　sur　M。
　　These　articles　are　rather　summary。
　　It　must　be　remembered；　that　at　that　epoch　the　Gazette　des　Tribunaux　was　not　yet　in　existence。
　　We　borrow　the　first　from　the　Drapeau　Blanc。
　　It　bears　the　date　of　July　25；　1823。
　　An　arrondissement　of　the　Pas　de　Calais　has　just　been　the　theatre　of　an　event　quite　out　of　the　ordinary　course。
　　A　man；　who　was　a　stranger　in　the　Department；　and　who　bore　the　name　of　M。　Madeleine；　had；　thanks　to　the　new　methods；　resuscitated　some　years　ago　an　ancient　local　industry；　the　manufacture　of　jet　and　of　black　glass　trinkets。
　　He　had　made　his　fortune　in　the　business；　and　that　of　the　arrondissement　as　well；　we　will　admit。
　　He　had　been　appointed　mayor；　in　recognition　of　his　services。
　　The　police　discovered　that　M。　Madeleine　was　no　other　than　an　ex…convict　who　had　broken　his　ban；　condemned　in　1796　for　theft；　and　named　Jean　Valjean。　Jean　Valjean　has　been　remitted　to　prison。
　　It　appears　that　previous　to　his　arrest　he　had　succeeded　in　withdrawing　from　the　hands　of　M。　Laffitte；　a　sum　of　over　half　a　million　which　he　had　lodged　there；　and　which　he　had；　moreover；　and　by　perfectly　legitimate　means；　acquired　in　his　business。
　　No　one　has　been　able　to　discover　where　Jean　Valjean　has　concealed　this　money　since　his　return　to　prison　at　Toulon。
　　The　second　article；　which　enters　a　little　more　into　detail；　is　an　extract　from　the　Journal　de　Paris；　of　the　same　date。　A　former　convict；　who　had　been　liberated；　named　Jean　Valjean；　has　just　appeared　before　the　Court　of　Assizes　of　the　Var；　under　circumstances　calculated　to　attract　attention。
　　This　wretch　had　succeeded　in　escaping　the　vigilance　of　the　police；　he　had　changed　his　name；　and　had　succeeded　in　getting　himself　appointed　mayor　of　one　of　our　small　northern　towns；　in　this　town　he　had　established　a　considerable　merce。
　　He　has　at　last　been　unmasked　and　arrested；　thanks　to　the　indefatigable　zeal　of　the　public　prosecutor。　He　had　for　his　concubine　a　woman　of　the　town；　who　died　of　a　shock　at　the　moment　of　his　arrest。
　　This　scoundrel；　who　is　endowed　with　Herculean　strength；　found　means　to　escape；　but　three　or　four　days　after　his　flight　the　police　laid　their　hands　on　him　once　more；　in　Paris　itself；　at　the　very　moment　when　he　was　entering　one　of　those　little　vehicles　which　run　between　the　capital　and　the　village　of　Montfermeil　（Seine…et…Oise）。　He　is　said　to　have　profited　by　this　interval　of　three　or　four　days　of　liberty；　to　withdraw　a　considerable　sum　deposited　by　him　with　one　of　our　leading　bankers。　This　sum　has　been　estimated　at　six　or　seven　hundred　thousand　francs。　If　the　indictment　is　to　be　trusted；　he　has　hidden　it　in　some　place　known　to　himself　alone；　and　it　has　not　been　possible　to　lay　hands　on　it。
　　However　that　may　be；　the　said　Jean　Valjean　has　just　been　brought　before　the　Assizes　of　the　Department　of　the　Var　as　accused　of　highway　robbery　acpanied　with　violence；　about　eight　years　ago；　on　the　person　of　one　of　those　honest　children　who；　as　the　patriarch　of　Ferney　has　said；　in　immortal　verse；　
　　〃。　。　。　Arrive　from　Savoy　every　year；　
　　And　who；　with　gentle　hands；　do　clear　
　　Those　long　canals　choked　up　with　soot。〃
　　This　bandit　refused　to　defend　himself。
　　It　was　proved　by　the　skilful　and　eloquent　representative　of　the　public　prosecutor；　that　the　theft　was　mitted　in　plicity　with　others；　and　that　Jean　Valjean　was　a　member　of　a　band　of　robbers　in　the　south。　Jean　Valjean　was　pronounced　guilty　and　was　condemned　to　the　death　penalty　in　consequence。
　　This　criminal　refused　to　lodge　an　appeal。　The　king；　in　his　inexhaustible　clemency；　has　deigned　to　mute　his　penalty　to　that　of　penal　servitude　for　life。
　　Jean　Valjean　was　immediately　taken　to　the　prison　at　Toulon。
　　The　reader　has　not　forgotten　that　Jean　Valjean　had　religious　habits　at　M。　sur　M。　Some　papers；　among　others　the　Constitutional；　presented　this　mutation　as　a　triumph　of　the　priestly　party。
　　Jean　Valjean　changed　his　number　in　the　galleys。
　　He　was　called　9；430。
　　However；　and　we　will　mention　it　at　once　in　order　that　we　may　not　be　obliged　to　recur　to　the　subject；　the　prosperity　of　M。　sur　M。　vanished　with　M。　Madeleine；　all　that　he　had　foreseen　during　his　night　of　fever　and　hesitation　was　realized；　lacking　him；　there　actually　was　a　soul　lacking。
　　After　this　fall；　there　took　place　at　M。　sur　M。　that　egotistical　division　of　great　existences　which　have　fallen；　that　fatal　dismemberment　of　flourishing　things　which　is　acplished　every　day；　obscurely；　in　the　human　munity；　and　which　history　has　noted　only　once；　because　it　occurred　after　the　death　of　Alexander。　Lieutenants　are　crowned　kings；　superintendents　improvise　manufacturers　out　of　themselves。
　　Envious　rivalries　arose。
　　M。　Madeleine's　vast　workshops　were　shut；　his　buildings　fell　to　ruin；　his　workmen　were　scattered。
　　Some　of　them　quitted　the　country；　others　abandoned　the　trade。
　　Thenceforth；　everything　was　done　on　a　small　scale；　instead　of　on　a　grand　scale；　for　lucre　instead　of　the　general　good。　There　was　no　longer　a　centre；　everywhere　there　was　petition　and　animosity。
　　M。　Madeleine　had　reigned　over　all　and　directed　all。　No　sooner　had　he　fallen；　than　each　pulled　things　to　himself；　the　spirit　of　bat　succeeded　to　the　spirit　of　organization；　bitterness　to　cordiality；　hatred　of　one　another　to　the　benevolence　of　the　founder　towards　all；　the　threads　which　M。　Madeleine　had　set　were　tangled　and　broken；　the　methods　were　adulterated；　the　products　were　debased；　confidence　was　killed；　the　market　diminished；　for　lack　of　orders；　salaries　were　reduced；　the　workshops　stood　still；　bankruptcy　arrived。
　　And　then　there　was　nothing　more　for　the　poor。　All　had　vanished。
　　The　state　itself　perceived　that　some　one　had　been　crushed　somewhere。　Less　than　four　years　after　the　judgment　of　the　Court　of　Assizes　establishing　the　identity　of　Jean　Valjean　and　M。　Madeleine；　for　the　benefit　of　the　galleys；　the　cost　of　collecting　taxes　had　doubled　in　the　arrondissement　of　M。　sur　M。；　and　M。　de　Villele　called　attention　to　the　fact　in　the　rostrum；　in　the　month　of　February；　1827。


BOOK　SECOND。THE　SHIP　ORION
CHAPTER　II　
　　IN　WHICH　THE　READER　WILL　PERUSE　TWO　VERSES；　WHICH　ARE　OF　THE　DEVIL'S　POSITION；　POSSIBLY
　　Before　proceeding　further；　it　will　be　to　the　purpose　to　narrate　in　some　detail；　a　singular　occurrence　which　took　place　at　about　the　same　epoch；　in　Montfermeil；　and　which　is　not　lacking　in　coincidence　with　certain　conjectures　of　the　indictment。
　　There　exists　in　the　region　of　Montfermeil　a　very　ancient　superstition；　which　is　all　the　more　curious　and　all　the　more　precious；　because　a　popular　superstition　in　the　vicinity　of　Paris　is　like　an　aloe　in　Siberia。　We　are　among　those　who　respect　everything　which　is　in　the　nature　of　a　rare　plant。
　　Here；　then；　is　the　superstition　of　Montfermeil：　it　is　thought　that　the　devil；　from　time　immemorial；　has　selected　the　forest　as　a　hiding…place　for　his　treasures。
　　Goodwives　affirm　that　it　is　no　rarity　to　encounter　at　nightfall；　in　secluded　nooks　of　the　forest；　a　black　man　with　the　air　of　a　carter　or　a　wood…chopper；　wearing　wooden　shoes；　clad　in　trousers　and　a　blouse　of　linen；　and　recognizable　by　the　fact；　that；　instead　of　a　cap　or　hat；　he　has　two　immense　horns　on　his　head。
　　This　ought；　in　fact；　to　render　him　recognizable。
　　This　man　is　habitually　engaged　in　digging　a　hole。　There　are　three　ways　of　profiting　by　such　an　encounter。
　　The　first　is　to　approach　the　man　and　speak　to　him。
　　Then　it　is　seen　that　the　man　is　simply　a　peasant；　that　he　appears　black　because　it　is　nightfall；　that　he　is　not　digging　any　hole　whatever；　but　is　cutting　grass　for　his　cows；　and　that　what　had　been　taken　for　horns　is　nothing　but　a　dung…fork　which　he　is　carrying　on　his　back；　and　whose　teeth；　thanks　to　the　perspective　of　evening；　seemed　to　spring　from　his　head。　The　man　returns　home　and　dies　within　the　week。
　　The　second　way　is　to　watch　him；　to　wait　until　he　has　dug　his　hole；　until　he　has　filled　it　and　has　gone　away；　then　to　run　with　great　speed　to　the　trench；　to　open　it　once　more　and　to　seize　the　〃treasure〃　which　the　black　man　has　necessarily　placed　there。
　　In　this　case　one　dies　within　the　month。
　　Finally；　the　last　method　is　not　to　speak　to　the　black　man；　not　to　look　at　him；　and　to　flee　at　the　best　speed　of　one's　legs。　One　then　dies　within　the　year。
　　As　all　three　methods　are　attended　with　their　special　inconveniences；　the　second；　which　at　all　events；　presents　some　advantages；　among　others　that　of　possessing　a　treasure；　if　only　for　a　month；　is　the　one　most　generally　adopted。
　　So　bold　men；　who　are　tempted　by　every　chance；　have　quite　frequently；　as　we　are　assured；　opened　the　holes　excavated　by　the　black　man；　and　tried　to　rob　the　devil。　The　success　of　the　operation　appears　to　be　but　moderate。
　　At　least；　if　the　tradition　is　to　be　believed；　and　in　particular　the　two　enigmatical　lines　in　barbarous　Latin；　which　an　evil　Norman　monk；　a　bit　of　a　sorcerer；　named　Tryphon　has　left　on　this　subject。　This　Tryphon　is　buried　at　the　Abbey　of　Saint…Georges　de　Bocherville；　near　Rouen；　and　toads　spawn　on　his　grave。
　　Accordingly；　enormous　efforts　are　made。
　　Such　trenches　are　ordinarily　extremely　deep；　a　man　sweats；　digs；　toils　all　night　for　it　must　be　done　at　night；　he　wets　his　shirt；　burns　out　his　candle；　breaks　his　mattock；　and　when　he　arrives　at　the　bottom　of　the　hole；　when　he　lays　his　hand　on　the　〃treasure；〃　what　does　he　find？　What　is　the　devil's　treasure？
　　A　sou；　sometimes　a　crown…piece；　a　stone；　a　skeleton；　a　bleeding　body；　sometimes　a　spectre　folded　in　four　like　a　sheet　of　paper　in　a　portfolio；　sometimes　nothing。　This　is　what　Tryphon's　verses　seem　to　announce　to　the　indiscreet　and　curious：〃Fodit；　et　in　fossa　thesauros　condit　opaca；　
　　As；　nummas；　lapides；　cadaver；　simulacra；　nihilque。〃
　　It　seems　that　in　our　day　there　is　sometimes　found　a　powder…horn　with　bullets；　sometimes　an　old　pack　of　cards　greasy　and　worn；　which　has　evidently　served　the　devil。
　　Tryphon　does　not　record　thes