the country doctor- 第28部分

Her　remark　was　disingenuous；　but　this　was　only　noticed　by　the　doctor；　who　said　in　her　ear；　〃You　have　been　crying！〃

〃Why　do　you　say　things　like　that　to　me　before　some　one　else？〃　she　asked　in　reply。

〃Mademoiselle；〃　said　Genestas；　〃it　is　a　great　pity　that　you　live　here　all　by　yourself；　you　ought　to　have　a　mate　in　such　a　charming　cage　as　this。〃

〃That　is　true；〃　she　said；　〃but　what　would　you　have？　I　am　poor；　and　I　am　hard　to　please。　I　feel　that　it　would　not　suit　me　at　all　to　carry　the　soup　out　into　the　fields；　nor　to　push　a　hand…cart；　to　feel　the　misery　of　those　whom　I　should　love；　and　have　no　power　to　put　an　end　to　it；　to　carry　my　children　in　my　arms　all　day；　and　patch　and　re…patch　a　man's　rags。　The　cure　tells　me　that　such　thoughts　as　these　are　not　very　Christian；　I　know　that　myself；　but　how　can　I　help　it？　There　are　days　when　I　would　rather　eat　a　morsel　of　dry　bread　than　cook　anything　for　my　dinner。　Why　would　you　have　me　worry　some　man's　life　out　with　my　failings？　He　would　perhaps　work　himself　to　death　to　satisfy　my　whims；　and　that　would　not　be　right。　Pshaw！　an　unlucky　lot　has　fallen　to　me；　and　I　ought　to　bear　it　by　myself。〃

〃And　besides；　she　is　a　born　do…nothing；〃　said　Benassis。　〃We　must　take　my　poor　Fosseuse　as　we　find　her。　But　all　that　she　has　been　saying　to　you　simply　means　that　she　has　never　loved　as　yet；〃　he　added；　smiling。　Then　he　rose　and　went　out　on　to　the　lawn　for　a　moment。

〃You　must　be　very　fond　of　M。　Benassis？〃　asked　Genestas。

〃Oh！　yes；　sir；　and　there　are　plenty　of　people　hereabouts　who　feel　as　I　dothat　they　would　be　glad　to　do　anything　in　the　world　for　him。　And　yet　he　who　cures　other　people　has　some　trouble　of　his　own　that　nothing　can　cure。　You　are　his　friend；　perhaps　you　know　what　it　is？　Who　could　have　given　pain　to　such　a　man；　who　is　the　very　image　of　God　on　earth？　I　know　a　great　many　who　think　that　the　corn　grows　faster　if　he　has　passed　by　their　field　in　the　morning。〃

〃And　what　do　you　think　yourself？〃

〃I；　sir？　When　I　have　seen　him；〃　she　seemed　to　hesitate；　then　she　went　on；　〃I　am　happy　all　the　rest　of　the　day。〃

She　bent　her　head　over　her　work；　and　plied　her　needle　with　unwonted　swiftness。

〃Well；　has　the　captain　been　telling　you　something　about　Napoleon？〃　said　the　doctor；　as　he　came　in　again。

〃Have　you　seen　the　Emperor；　sir？〃　cried　La　Fosseuse；　gazing　at　the　officer's　face　with　eager　curiosity。

〃PARBLEU！〃　said　Genestas；　〃hundreds　of　times！〃

〃Oh！　how　I　should　like　to　know　something　about　the　army！〃

〃Perhaps　we　will　come　to　take　a　cup　of　coffee　with　you　to…morrow；　and　you　shall　hear　'something　about　the　army；'　dear　child；〃　said　Benassis；　who　laid　his　hand　on　her　shoulder　and　kissed　her　brow。　〃She　is　my　daughter；　you　see！〃　he　added；　turning　to　the　commandant；　〃there　is　something　wanting　in　the　day；　somehow；　when　I　have　not　kissed　her　forehead。〃

La　Fosseuse　held　Benassis'　hand　in　a　tight　clasp　as　she　murmured；　〃Oh！　you　are　very　kind！〃

They　left　the　house；　but　she　came　after　them　to　see　them　mount。　She　waited　till　Genestas　was　in　the　saddle；　and　then　whispered　in　Benassis'　ear；　〃Tell　me　who　that　gentleman　is？〃

〃Aha！〃　said　the　doctor；　putting　a　foot　in　the　stirrup；　〃a　husband　for　you；　perhaps。〃

She　stood　on　the　spot　where　they　left　her；　absorbed　in　watching　their　progress　down　the　steep　path；　and　when　they　came　past　the　end　of　the　garden；　they　saw　her　already　perched　on　a　little　heap　of　stones；　so　that　she　might　still　keep　them　in　view　and　give　them　a　last　nod　of　farewell。

〃There　is　something　very　unusual　about　that　girl；　sir；〃　Genestas　said　to　the　doctor　when　they　had　left　the　house　far　behind。

〃There　is；　is　there　not？〃　he　answered。　〃Many　a　time　I　have　said　to　myself　that　she　will　make　a　charming　wife；　but　I　can　only　love　her　as　a　sister　or　a　daughter；　and　in　no　other　way；　my　heart　is　dead。〃

〃Has　she　any　relations？〃　asked　Genestas。　〃What　did　her　father　and　mother　do？〃

〃Oh；　it　is　quite　a　long　story；〃　answered　Benassis。　〃Neither　her　father　nor　mother　nor　any　of　her　relations　are　living。　Everything　about　her　down　to　her　name　interested　me。　La　Fosseuse　was　born　here　in　the　town。　Her　father；　a　laborer　from　Saint　Laurent　du　Pont；　was　nicknamed　Le　Fosseur；　which　is　no　doubt　a　contraction　of　fossoyeur；　for　the　office　of　sexton　had　been　in　his　family　time　out　of　mind。　All　the　sad　associations　of　the　graveyard　hang　about　the　name。　Here　as　in　some　other　parts　of　France；　there　is　an　old　custom；　dating　from　the　times　of　the　Latin　civilization；　in　virtue　of　which　a　woman　takes　her　husband's　name；　with　the　addition　of　a　feminine　termination；　and　this　girl　has　been　called　La　Fosseuse；　after　her　father。

〃The　laborer　had　married　the　waiting…woman　of　some　countess　or　other　who　owns　an　estate　at　a　distance　of　a　few　leagues。　It　was　a　love…　match。　Here；　as　in　all　country　districts；　love　is　a　very　small　element　in　a　marriage。　The　peasant；　as　a　rule；　wants　a　wife　who　will　bear　him　children；　a　housewife　who　will　make　good　soup　and　take　it　out　to　him　in　the　fields；　who　will　spin　and　make　his　shirts　and　mend　his　clothes。　Such　a　thing　had　not　happened　for　a　long　while　in　a　district　where　a　young　man　not　unfrequently　leaves　his　betrothed　for　another　girl　who　is　richer　by　three　or　four　acres　of　land。　The　fate　of　Le　Fosseur　and　his　wife　was　scarcely　happy　enough　to　induce　our　Dauphinois　to　forsake　their　calculating　habits　and　practical　way　of　regarding　things。　La　Fosseuse；　who　was　a　very　pretty　woman；　died　when　her　daughter　was　born；　and　her　husband's　grief　for　his　loss　was　so　great　that　he　followed　her　within　the　year；　leaving　nothing　in　the　world　to　this　little　one　except　an　existence　whose　continuance　was　very　doubtfula　mere　feeble　flicker　of　a　life。　A　charitable　neighbor　took　the　care　of　the　baby　upon　herself；　and　brought　her　up　till　she　was　nine　years　old。　Then　the　burden　of　supporting　La　Fosseuse　became　too　heavy　for　the　good　woman；　so　at　the　time　of　year　when　travelers　are　passing　along　the　roads；　she　sent　her　charge　to　beg　for　her　living　upon　the　highways。

〃One　day　the　little　orphan　asked　for　bread　at　the　countess'　chateau；　and　they　kept　the　child　for　her　mother's　sake。　She　was　to　be　waiting…maid　some　day　to　the　daughter　of　the　house；　and　was　brought　up　to　this　end。　Her　young　mistress　was　married　five　years　later；　but　meanwhile　the　poor　little　thing　was　the　victim　of　all　the　caprices　of　wealthy　people；　whose　beneficence　for　the　most　part　is　not　to　be　depended　upon　even　while　it　lasts。　They　are　generous　by　fits　and　startssometimes　patrons；　sometimes　friends；　sometimes　masters；　in　this　way　they　falsify　the　already　false　position　of　the　poor　children　in　whom　they　interest　themselves；　and　trifle　with　the　hearts；　the　lives；　and　futures　of　their　protegees；　whom　they　regard　very　lightly。　From　the　first　La　Fosseuse　became　almost　a　companion　to　the　young　heiress；　she　was　taught　to　read　and　write；　and　her　future　mistress　sometimes　amused　herself　by　giving　her　music　lessons。　She　was　treated　sometimes　as　a　lady's　companion；　sometimes　as　a　waiting…maid；　and　in　this　way　they　made　an　incomplete　being　of　her。　She　acquired　a　taste　for　luxury　and　for　dress；　together　with　manners　ill…suited　to　her　real　position。　She　has　been　roughly　schooled　by　misfortune　since　then；　but　the　vague　feeling　that　she　is　destined　for　a　higher　lot　has　not　been　effaced　in　her。

〃A　day　came　at　last；　however；　a　fateful　day　for　the　poor　girl；　when　the　young　countess　（who　was　married　by　this　time）　discovered　La　Fosseuse　arrayed　in　one　of　her　ball　dresses；　and　dancing　before　a　mirror。　La　Fosseuse　was　no　longer　anything　but　a　waiting…maid；　and　the　orphan　girl；　then　sixteen　years　of　age；　was　dismissed　without　pity。　Her　idle　ways　plunged　her　once　more　into　poverty；　she　wandered　about　begging　by　the　roadside；　and　working　at　times　as　I　have　told　you。　Sometimes　she　thought　of　drowning　herself；　sometimes　also　of　giving　herself　to　the　first　comer；　she　spent　most　of　her　time　thinking　dark　thoughts；　lying　by　the　side　of　a　wall　in　the　sun；　with　her　face　buried　in　the　grass；　and　passers…by　would　sometimes　throw　a　few　halfpence　to　her；　simply　because　she　asked　them　for　nothing。　One　whole　year　she　spent　in　a　hospital　at　Annecy　after　heavy　toil　in　the　harvest　field；　she　had　only　undertaken　the　work　in　the　hope　that　it　would　kill　her；　and　that　so　she　might　die。　You　should　hear　her　herself　when　she　speaks　of　her　feelings　and　ideas　during　this　time　of　her　life；　her　simple　confidences　are　often　very　curious。

〃She　came　back　to　the　little　town　at　last；　just　about　the　time　when　I　decided　to　take　up　my　abode　in　it。　I　wanted　to　understand　the　minds　of　the　people　beneath　my　rule；　her　character　struck　me；　and　I　made　a　study　of　it；　then　when　I　became　aware　of　her　physical　infirmities；　I　determined　to　watch　over　her。　Perhaps　in　time　she　may　grow　accustomed　to　work　with　her　needle；　but；　whatever　happens；　I　have　secured　her　future。〃

〃She　is　quite　alone　up　there！〃　said　Genestas。

〃No。　One　of　my　herdswomen　sleeps　in　the　house；〃　the　doctor　answered。　〃You　did　not　see　my　farm　buildings　which　lie　behind　the　house。　They　are　hidden　by　the　pine…trees。　Oh！　she　is　quite　safe。　Moreover；　there　are　no　mauvais　sujets　here　in　the　valley；　if　any　come　among　us　by　any　chance；　I　send　them　into　the　army；　where　they　make　excellent　solders。〃

〃Poor　girl！〃　said　Genestas。