雨果 悲惨世界 英文版1-第1部分

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！


CHAPTER　I　
　　M。　MYRIEL　
　　In　1815；　M。　Charles…Francois…Bienvenu　Myriel　was　Bishop　of　D　He　was　an　old　man　of　about　seventy…five　years　of　age；　he　had　occupied　the　see　of　D　since　1806。
　　Although　this　detail　has　no　connection　whatever　with　the　real　substance　of　what　we　are　about　to　relate；　it　will　not　be　superfluous；　if　merely　for　the　sake　of　exactness　in　all　points；　to　mention　here　the　various　rumors　and　remarks　which　had　been　in　circulation　about　him　from　the　very　moment　when　he　arrived　in　the　diocese。
　　True　or　false；　that　which　is　said　of　men　often　occupies　as　important　a　place　in　their　lives；　and　above　all　in　their　destinies；　as　that　which　they　do。　M。　Myriel　was　the　son　of　a　councillor　of　the　Parliament　of　Aix；　hence　he　belonged　to　the　nobility　of　the　bar。
　　It　was　said　that　his　father；　destining　him　to　be　the　heir　of　his　own　post；　had　married　him　at　a　very　early　age；　eighteen　or　twenty；　in　accordance　with　a　custom　which　is　rather　widely　prevalent　in　parliamentary　families。　In　spite　of　this　marriage；　however；　it　was　said　that　Charles　Myriel　created　a　great　deal　of　talk。
　　He　was　well　formed；　though　rather　short　in　stature；　elegant；　graceful；　intelligent；　the　whole　of　the　first　portion　of　his　life　had　been　devoted　to　the　world　and　to　gallantry。
　　The　Revolution　came；　events　succeeded　each　other　with　precipitation；　the　parliamentary　families；　decimated；　pursued；　hunted　down；　were　dispersed。
　　M。　Charles　Myriel　emigrated　to　Italy　at　the　very　beginning　of　the　Revolution。
　　There　his　wife　died　of　a　malady　of　the　chest；　from　which　she　had　long　suffered。
　　He　had　no　children。　What　took　place　next　in　the　fate　of　M。　Myriel？
　　The　ruin　of　the　French　society　of　the　olden　days；　the　fall　of　his　own　family；　the　tragic　spectacles　of　'93；　which　were；　perhaps；　even　more　alarming　to　the　emigrants　who　viewed　them　from　a　distance；　with　the　magnifying　powers　of　terror；did　these　cause　the　ideas　of　renunciation　and　solitude　to　germinate　in　him？
　　Was　he；　in　the　midst　of　these　distractions；　these　affections　which　absorbed　his　life；　suddenly　smitten　with　one　of　those　mysterious　and　terrible　blows　which　sometimes　overwhelm；　by　striking　to　his　heart；　a　man　whom　public　catastrophes　would　not　shake；　by　striking　at　his　existence　and　his　fortune？
　　No　one　could　have　told：
　　all　that　was　known　was；　that　when　he　returned　from　Italy　he　was　a　priest。
　　In　1804；　M。　Myriel　was　the　Cure　of　B　＇Brignolles＇。　He　was　already　advanced　in　years；　and　lived　in　a　very　retired　manner。
　　About　the　epoch　of　the　coronation；　some　petty　affair　connected　with　his　curacyjust　what；　is　not　precisely　knowntook　him　to　Paris。
　　Among　other　powerful　persons　to　whom　he　went　to　solicit　aid　for　his　parishioners　was　M。　le　Cardinal　Fesch。
　　One　day；　when　the　Emperor　had　e　to　visit　his　uncle；　the　worthy　Cure；　who　was　waiting　in　the　anteroom；　found　himself　present　when　His　Majesty　passed。
　　Napoleon；　on　finding　himself　observed　with　a　certain　curiosity　by　this　old　man；　turned　round　and　said　abruptly：
　　〃Who　is　this　good　man　who　is　staring　at　me？〃
　　〃Sire；〃　said　M。　Myriel；　〃you　are　looking　at　a　good　man；　and　I　at　a　great　man。
　　Each　of　us　can　profit　by　it。〃
　　That　very　evening；　the　Emperor　asked　the　Cardinal　the　name　of　the　Cure；　and　some　time　afterwards　M。　Myriel　was　utterly　astonished　to　learn　that　he　had　been　appointed　Bishop　of　D
　　What　truth　was　there；　after　all；　in　the　stories　which　were　invented　as　to　the　early　portion　of　M。　Myriel's　life？
　　No　one　knew。　Very　few　families　had　been　acquainted　with　the　Myriel　family　before　the　Revolution。
　　M。　Myriel　had　to　undergo　the　fate　of　every　newer　in　a　little　town；　where　there　are　many　mouths　which　talk；　and　very　few　heads　which　think。　He　was　obliged　to　undergo　it　although　he　was　a　bishop；　and　because　he　was　a　bishop。
　　But　after　all；　the　rumors　with　which　his　name　was　connected　were　rumors　only；noise；　sayings；　words；　less　than　words　palabres；　as　the　energetic　language　of　the　South　expresses　it。
　　However　that　may　be；　after　nine　years　of　episcopal　power　and　of　residence　in　D；　all　the　stories　and　subjects　of　conversation　which　engross　petty　towns　and　petty　people　at　the　outset　had　fallen　into　profound　oblivion。
　　No　one　would　have　dared　to　mention　them；　no　one　would　have　dared　to　recall　them。
　　M。　Myriel　had　arrived　at　D　acpanied　by　an　elderly　spinster；　Mademoiselle　Baptistine；　who　was　his　sister；　and　ten　years　his　junior。
　　Their　only　domestic　was　a　female　servant　of　the　same　age　as　Mademoiselle　Baptistine；　and　named　Madame　Magloire；　who；　after　having　been　the　servant　of　M。　le　Cure；　now　assumed　the　double　title　of　maid　to　Mademoiselle　and　housekeeper　to　Monseigneur。
　　Mademoiselle　Baptistine　was　a　long；　pale；　thin；　gentle　creature；　she　realized　the　ideal　expressed　by　the　word　〃respectable〃；　for　it　seems　that　a　woman　must　needs　be　a　mother　in　order　to　be　venerable。　She　had　never　been　pretty；　her　whole　life；　which　had　been　nothing　but　a　succession　of　holy　deeds；　had　finally　conferred　upon　her　a　sort　of　pallor　and　transparency；　and　as　she　advanced　in　years　she　had　acquired　what　may　be　called　the　beauty　of　goodness。　What　had　been　leanness　in　her　youth　had　bee　transparency　in　her　maturity；　and　this　diaphaneity　allowed　the　angel　to　be　seen。　She　was　a　soul　rather　than　a　virgin。
　　Her　person　seemed　made　of　a　shadow；　there　was　hardly　sufficient　body　to　provide　for　sex；　a　little　matter　enclosing　a　light；　large　eyes　forever　drooping；　a　mere　pretext　for　a　soul's　remaining　on　the　earth。
　　Madame　Magloire　was　a　little；　fat；　white　old　woman；　corpulent　and　bustling；　always　out　of　breath；in　the　first　place；　because　of　her　activity；　and　in　the　next；　because　of　her　asthma。
　　On　his　arrival；　M。　Myriel　was　installed　in　the　episcopal　palace　with　the　honors　required　by　the　Imperial　decrees；　which　class　a　bishop　immediately　after　a　major…general。　The　mayor　and　the　president　paid　the　first　call　on　him；　and　he；　in　turn；　paid　the　first　call　on　the　general　and　the　prefect。
　　The　installation　over；　the　town　waited　to　see　its　bishop　at　work。


BOOK　FIRSTA　JUST　MAN
CHAPTER　II　
　　M。　MYRIEL　BEES　M。　WELE　
　　The　episcopal　palace　of　D　adjoins　the　hospital。
　　The　episcopal　palace　was　a　huge　and　beautiful　house；　built　of　stone　at　the　beginning　of　the　last　century　by　M。　Henri　Puget；　Doctor　of　Theology　of　the　Faculty　of　Paris；　Abbe　of　Simore；　who　had　been　Bishop　of　D　in　1712。
　　This　palace　was　a　genuine　seignorial　residence。　Everything　about　it　had　a　grand　air；the　apartments　of　the　Bishop；　the　drawing…rooms；　the　chambers；　the　principal　courtyard；　which　was　very　large；　with　walks　encircling　it　under　arcades　in　the　old　Florentine　fashion；　and　gardens　planted　with　magnificent　trees。　In　the　dining…room；　a　long　and　superb　gallery　which　was　situated　on　the　ground…floor　and　opened　on　the　gardens；　M。　Henri　Puget　had　entertained　in　state；　on　July　29；　1714；　My　Lords　Charles　Brulart　de　Genlis；　archbishop；　Prince　d'Embrun；　Antoine　de　Mesgrigny；　the　capuchin；　Bishop　of　Grasse；　Philippe　de　Vendome；　Grand　Prior　of　France；　Abbe　of　Saint　Honore　de　Lerins；　Francois　de　Berton　de　Crillon；　bishop；　Baron　de　Vence；　Cesar　de　Sabran　de　Forcalquier；　bishop；　Seignor　of　Glandeve；　and　Jean　Soanen；　Priest　of　the　Oratory；　preacher　in　ordinary　to　the　king；　bishop；　Seignor　of　Senez。　The　portraits　of　these　seven　reverend　personages　decorated　this　apartment；　and　this　memorable　date；　the　29th　of　July；　1714；　was　there　engraved　in　letters　of　gold　on　a　table　of　white　marble。
　　The　hospital　was　a　low　and　narrow　building　of　a　single　story；　with　a　small　garden。
　　Three　days　after　his　arrival；　the　Bishop　visited　the　hospital。　The　visit　ended；　he　had　the　director　requested　to　be　so　good　as　to　e　to　his　house。
　　〃Monsieur　the　director　of　the　hospital；〃　said　he　to　him；　〃how　many　sick　people　have　you　at　the　present　moment？〃
　　〃Twenty…six；　Monseigneur。〃
　　〃That　was　the　number　which　I　counted；〃　said　the　Bishop。
　　〃The　beds；〃　pursued　the　director；　〃are　very　much　crowded　against　each　other。〃
　　〃That　is　what　I　observed。〃
　　〃The　halls　are　nothing　but　rooms；　and　it　is　with　difficulty　that　the　air　can　be　changed　in　them。〃
　　〃So　it　seems　to　me。〃
　　〃And　then；　when　there　is　a　ray　of　sun；　the　garden　is　very　small　for　the　convalescents。〃
　　〃That　was　what　I　said　to　myself。〃
　　〃In　case　of　epidemics；we　have　had　the　typhus　fever　this　year；　we　had　the　sweating　sickness　two　years　ago；　and　a　hundred　patients　at　times；we　know　not　what　to　do。〃
　　〃That　is　the　thought　which　occurred　to　me。〃
　　〃What　would　you　have；　Monseigneur？〃　said　the　director。
　　〃One　must　resign　one's　self。〃
　　This　conversation　took　place　in　the　gallery　dining…room　on　the　ground…floor。
　　The　Bishop　remained　silent　for　a　moment；　then　he　turned　abruptly　to　the　director　of　the　hospital。
　　〃Monsieur；〃　said　he；　〃how　many　beds　do　you　think　this　hall　alone　would　hold？〃
　　〃Monseigneur's　dining…room？〃　exclaimed　the　stupefied　director。
　　The　Bishop　cast　a　glance　round　the　apartment；　and　seemed　to　be　taking　measures　and　calculations　with　his　eyes。
　　〃It　would　hold　full　twenty　beds；〃　said　he；　as　though　speaking　to　himself。
　　Then；　raising　his　voice：
　　〃Hold；　Monsieur　the　director　of　the　hospital；　I　will　tell　you　something