第 56 节
作者:男孩不逛街      更新:2021-02-18 23:24      字数:9322
  who even pretended to turn her head aside; and not to see them。
  But Madame Dufour; who was rather bolder; tempted by feminine
  curiosity; looked at them every moment; and no doubt compared
  them with the secret unsightliness of her husband。 She had
  squatted herself on the ground with her legs tucked under her;
  after the manner of tailors; and kept wriggling about
  continually; under the pretext that ants were crawling about her
  somewhere。 Monsieur Dufour; whom the politeness of the strangers
  had put into rather a bad temper; was trying to find a
  comfortable position; which he did not; however; succeed in
  doing; while the youth with the yellow hair was eating as
  silently as an ogre。
  〃It is lovely weather; Monsieur;〃 the stout lady said to one of
  the boating…men。 She wished to be friendly; because they had
  given up their place。
  〃It is; indeed; Madame;〃 he replied; 〃do you often go into the
  country?〃
  〃Oh! Only once or twice a year; to get a little fresh air; and
  you; Monsieur?〃
  〃I come and sleep here every night。〃
  〃Oh! That must be very nice?〃
  〃Certainly it is; Madame。〃 And he gave them such a practical
  account of his daily life; that in the hearts of these
  shopkeepers; who were deprived of the meadows; and who longed for
  country walks; it roused that innate love of nature; which they
  all felt so strongly the whole year round; behind the counter in
  their shop。
  The girl raised her eyes and looked at the oarsman with
  emotion; and Monsieur Dufour spoke for the first time。
  〃It is indeed a happy life;〃 he said。 And then he added: 〃A
  little more rabbit; my dear?〃
  〃No; thank you;〃 she replied; and turning to the young men again;
  and pointing to their arms; asked  〃Do you never feel cold like
  that?〃
  They both laughed; and amazed the family by telling of the
  enormous fatigue they could endure; of bathing while in a state
  of tremendous perspiration; of rowing in the fog at night; and
  they struck their chests violently; to show how they sounded。
  〃Ah! You look very strong;〃 the husband said and he did not talk
  any more of the time when he used to beat the English。 The girl
  was looking at them askance now; and the young fellow with the
  yellow hair; as he had swallowed some wine the wrong way; and was
  coughing violently; bespattered Madame Dufour's sherry…colored
  silk dress。 Madame got angry; and sent for some water to wash the
  spots。
  Meanwhile it had grown unbearably hot; the sparkling river looked
  like a blaze of fire and the fumes of the wine were getting into
  their heads。 Monsieur Dufour; who had a violent hiccough; had
  unbuttoned his waistcoat and the top of his trousers; while his
  wife; who felt choking; was gradually unfastening her dress。 The
  youth was shaking his yellow wig in a happy frame of mind; and
  kept helping himself to wine; and as the old grandmother felt
  drunk; she endeavored to be very stiff and dignified。 As for the
  girl; she showed nothing except a peculiar brightness in her
  eyes; while the brown skin on the cheeks became more rosy。
  The coffee finished them off; they spoke of singing; and each of
  them sang; or repeated a couplet; which the others repeated
  enthusiastically。 Then they got up with some difficulty; and
  while the two women; who were rather dizzy; were getting some
  fresh air; the two males; who were altogether drunk; were
  performing gymnastic tricks。 Heavy; limp; and with scarlet faces;
  they hung awkwardly on to the iron rings; without being able to
  raise themselves; while their shirts were continually threatening
  to part company with their trousers; and to flap in the wind like
  flags。
  Meanwhile; the two boating…men had got their skiffs into the
  water。 They came back; and politely asked the ladies whether they
  would like a row。
  〃Would you like one; Monsieur Dufour?〃 his wife exclaimed。
  〃Please come!〃
  He merely gave her a drunken look; without understanding what she
  said。 Then one of the rowers came up; with two fishing…rods in
  his hand; and the hope of catching a gudgeon; that great aim of
  the Parisian shopkeeper; made Dufour's dull eyes gleam。 He
  politely allowed them to do whatever they liked; while he sat in
  the shade; under the bridge; with his feet dangling over the
  river; by the side of the young man with the yellow hair; who was
  sleeping soundly close to him。
  One of the boating…men made a martyr of himself; and took the
  mother。
  〃Let us go to the little wood on the Ile aux Anglais!〃 he called
  out; as he rowed off。 The other skiff went slower; for the rower
  was looking at his companion so intently; that he thought of
  nothing else。 His emotion paralyzed his strength; while the girl;
  who was sitting on the steerer's seat; gave herself up to the
  enjoyment of being on the water。 She felt disinclined to think;
  felt a lassitude in her limbs a complete self…relaxation; as if
  she were intoxicated。 She had become very flushed; and breathed
  pantingly。 The effect of the wine; increased by the extreme heat;
  made all the trees on the bank seem to bow; as she passed。 A
  vague wish for enjoyment; a fermentation of her blood; seemed to
  pervade her whole body; and she was also a little agitated by
  this tete…a…tete on the water; in a place which seemed
  depopulated by the heat; with this young man; who thought her so
  pretty; whose looks seemed to caress her skin; and whose eyes
  were as penetrating and exciting as the sun's rays。
  Their inability to speak increased their emotion; and they looked
  about them。 At last he made an effort and asked her name;
  〃Henriette;〃 she said。
  〃Why! My name is Henri;〃 he replied。 The sound of their voices
  calmed them; and they looked at the banks。 The other skiff had
  gone ahead of them; and seemed to be waiting for them。 The rower
  called out:
  〃We will meet you in the wood; we are going as far as
  Robinson's;'1' because Madame Dufour is thirsty。〃 Then he bent
  over his oars again and rowed off so quickly that he was soon out
  of sight。
  '1' A well…known restaurant on the banks of the Seine; much
  frequented by the bourgeoisie。
  Meanwhile; a continual roar; which they had heard for some time;
  came nearer; and the river itself seemed to shiver; as if the
  dull noise were rising from its depths。
  〃What is that noise?〃 she asked。 It was the noise of the weir;
  which cut the river in two; at the island。 He was explaining it
  to her; when above the noise of the waterfall they heard the song
  of a bird; which seemed a long way off。
  〃Listen!〃 he said; 〃the nightingales are singing during the day;
  so the females must be sitting。〃
  A nightingale! She had never heard one before; and the idea of
  listening to one roused visions of poetic tenderness in her
  heart。 A nightingale! That is to say; the invisible witness of
  the lover's interview which Juliette invoked on her balcony'2';
  that celestial music which is attuned to human kisses; that
  eternal inspirer of all those languorous romances which open
  idealized visions to the poor; tender; little hearts of sensitive
  girls!
  '2' 〃Romeo and Juliet;〃 Act III。; Scene V。
  She wanted to hear a nightingale。
  〃We must not make a noise;〃 her companion said; 〃and then we can
  go into the wood; and sit down close to it。〃
  The skiff seemed to glide。 They saw the trees on the island; the
  banks of which were so low that they could look into the depths
  of the thickets。 They stopped; he made the boat fast; Henriette
  took hold of Henri's arm; and they went beneath the trees。
  〃Stoop;〃 he said; so she bent down; and they went into an
  inextricable thicket of creepers; leaves; and reed…grass; which
  formed an impenetrable retreat; and which the young man
  laughingly called 〃his private room。〃
  Just above their heads; perched in one of the trees which hid
  them; the bird was still singing。 He uttered shakes and roulades;
  and then long; vibrating sounds that filled the air and seemed to
  lose themselves in the distance; across the level country;
  through that burning silence which hung low upon the whole
  country round。 They did not speak for fear of frightening the
  bird away。 They were sitting close together; and slowly Henri's
  arm stole round the girl's waist and squeezed it gently。 She took
  that daring hand; but without anger; and kept removing it
  whenever he put it round her; not; however; feeling at all
  embarrassed by this caress; just as if it had been something
  quite natural which she was resisting just as naturally。
  She was listening to the bird in ecstasy。 She felt an infinite
  longing for happiness; for some sudden demonstration of
  tenderness; for a revelation of divine poesy。 She felt such a
  softening at her heart; and such a relaxation of her nerves; that
  she began to cry; without knowing why。 The young man was now
  straining her close to him; and she did not remove his arm; she
  did not think of it。 Suddenly the nightin