雨果 悲惨世界 英文版1-第10部分

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　　He　was　a　quasi…regicide。　He　had　been　a　terrible　man。　How　did　it　happen　that　such　a　man　had　not　been　brought　before　a　provost's　court；　on　the　return　of　the　legitimate　princes？　They　need　not　have　cut　off　his　head；　if　you　please；　clemency　must　be　exercised；　agreed；　but　a　good　banishment　for　life。
　　An　example；　in　short；　etc。
　　Besides；　he　was　an　atheist；　like　all　the　rest　of　those　people。
　　Gossip　of　the　geese　about　the　vulture。
　　Was　G　a　vulture　after　all？
　　Yes；　if　he　were　to　be　judged　by　the　element　of　ferocity　in　this　solitude　of　his。
　　As　he　had　not　voted　for　the　death　of　the　king；　he　had　not　been　included　in　the　decrees　of　exile；　and　had　been　able　to　remain　in　France。
　　He　dwelt　at　a　distance　of　three…quarters　of　an　hour　from　the　city；　far　from　any　hamlet；　far　from　any　road；　in　some　hidden　turn　of　a　very　wild　valley；　no　one　knew　exactly　where。
　　He　had　there；　it　was　said；　a　sort　of　field；　a　hole；　a　lair。
　　There　were　no　neighbors；　not　even　passers…by。　Since　he　had　dwelt　in　that　valley；　the　path　which　led　thither　had　disappeared　under　a　growth　of　grass。　The　locality　was　spoken　of　as　though　it　had　been　the　dwelling　of　a　hangman。
　　Nevertheless；　the　Bishop　meditated　on　the　subject；　and　from　time　to　time　he　gazed　at　the　horizon　at　a　point　where　a　clump　of　trees　marked　the　valley　of　the　former　member　of　the　Convention；　and　he　said；　〃There　is　a　soul　yonder　which　is　lonely。〃
　　And　he　added；　deep　in　his　own　mind；　〃I　owe　him　a　visit。〃
　　But；　let　us　avow　it；　this　idea；　which　seemed　natural　at　the　first　blush；　appeared　to　him　after　a　moment's　reflection；　as　strange；　impossible；　and　almost　repulsive。
　　For；　at　bottom；　he　shared　the　general　impression；　and　the　old　member　of　the　Convention　inspired　him；　without　his　being　clearly　conscious　of　the　fact　himself；　with　that　sentiment　which　borders　on　hate；　and　which　is　so　well　expressed　by　the　word　estrangement。
　　Still；　should　the　scab　of　the　sheep　cause　the　shepherd　to　recoil？　No。　But　what　a　sheep！
　　The　good　Bishop　was　perplexed。
　　Sometimes　he　set　out　in　that　direction；　then　he　returned。
　　Finally；　the　rumor　one　day　spread　through　the　town　that　a　sort　of　young　shepherd；　who　served　the　member　of　the　Convention　in　his　hovel；　had　e　in　quest　of　a　doctor；　that　the　old　wretch　was　dying；　that　paralysis　was　gaining　on　him；　and　that　he　would　not　live　over　night。〃Thank　God！〃　some　added。
　　The　Bishop　took　his　staff；　put　on　his　cloak；　on　account　of　his　too　threadbare　cassock；　as　we　have　mentioned；　and　because　of　the　evening　breeze　which　was　sure　to　rise　soon；　and　set　out。
　　The　sun　was　setting；　and　had　almost　touched　the　horizon　when　the　Bishop　arrived　at　the　exmunicated　spot。
　　With　a　certain　beating　of　the　heart；　he　recognized　the　fact　that　he　was　near　the　lair。　He　strode　over　a　ditch；　leaped　a　hedge；　made　his　way　through　a　fence　of　dead　boughs；　entered　a　neglected　paddock；　took　a　few　steps　with　a　good　deal　of　boldness；　and　suddenly；　at　the　extremity　of　the　waste　land；　and　behind　lofty　brambles；　he　caught　sight　of　the　cavern。
　　It　was　a　very　low　hut；　poor；　small；　and　clean；　with　a　vine　nailed　against　the　outside。
　　Near　the　door；　in　an　old　wheel…chair；　the　arm…chair　of　the　peasants；　there　was　a　white…haired　man；　smiling　at　the　sun。
　　Near　the　seated　man　stood　a　young　boy；　the　shepherd　lad。　He　was　offering　the　old　man　a　jar　of　milk。
　　While　the　Bishop　was　watching　him；　the　old　man　spoke：
　　〃Thank　you；〃　he　said；　〃I　need　nothing。〃
　　And　his　smile　quitted　the　sun　to　rest　upon　the　child。
　　The　Bishop　stepped　forward。
　　At　the　sound　which　he　made　in　walking；　the　old　man　turned　his　head；　and　his　face　expressed　the　sum　total　of　the　surprise　which　a　man　can　still　feel　after　a　long　life。
　　〃This　is　the　first　time　since　I　have　been　here；〃　said　he；　〃that　any　one　has　entered　here。
　　Who　are　you；　sir？〃
　　The　Bishop　answered：
　　〃My　name　is　Bienvenu　Myriel。〃
　　〃Bienvenu　Myriel？
　　I　have　heard　that　name。
　　Are　you　the　man　whom　the　people　call　Monseigneur　Wele？〃
　　〃I　am。〃
　　The　old　man　resumed　with　a　half…smile
　　〃In　that　case；　you　are　my　bishop？〃
　　〃Something　of　that　sort。〃
　　〃Enter；　sir。〃
　　The　member　of　the　Convention　extended　his　hand　to　the　Bishop；　but　the　Bishop　did　not　take　it。
　　The　Bishop　confined　himself　to　the　remark：
　　〃I　am　pleased　to　see　that　I　have　been　misinformed。
　　You　certainly　do　not　seem　to　me　to　be　ill。〃
　　〃Monsieur；〃　replied　the　old　man；　〃I　am　going　to　recover。〃
　　He　paused；　and　then　said：
　　〃I　shall　die　three　hours　hence。〃
　　Then　he　continued：
　　〃I　am　something　of　a　doctor；　I　know　in　what　fashion　the　last　hour　draws　on。
　　Yesterday；　only　my　feet　were　cold；　to…day；　the　chill　has　ascended　to　my　knees；　now　I　feel　it　mounting　to　my　waist；　when　it　reaches　the　heart；　I　shall　stop。
　　The　sun　is　beautiful；　is　it　not？
　　I　had　myself　wheeled　out　here　to　take　a　last　look　at　things。
　　You　can　talk　to　me；　it　does　not　fatigue　me。
　　You　have　done　well　to　e　and　look　at　a　man　who　is　on　the　point　of　death。　It　is　well　that　there　should　be　witnesses　at　that　moment。
　　One　has　one's　caprices；　I　should　have　liked　to　last　until　the　dawn；　but　I　know　that　I　shall　hardly　live　three　hours。
　　It　will　be　night　then。　What　does　it　matter；　after　all？
　　Dying　is　a　simple　affair。　One　has　no　need　of　the　light　for　that。
　　So　be　it。
　　I　shall　die　by　starlight。〃
　　The　old　man　turned　to　the　shepherd　lad：
　　〃Go　to　thy　bed；　thou　wert　awake　all　last　night；　thou　art　tired。〃
　　The　child　entered　the　hut。
　　The　old　man　followed　him　with　his　eyes；　and　added；　as　though　speaking　to　himself：
　　〃I　shall　die　while　he　sleeps。
　　The　two　slumbers　may　be　good　neighbors。〃
　　The　Bishop　was　not　touched　as　it　seems　that　he　should　have　been。　He　did　not　think　he　discerned　God　in　this　manner　of　dying；　let　us　say　the　whole；　for　these　petty　contradictions　of　great　hearts　must　be　indicated　like　the　rest：
　　he；　who　on　occasion；　was　so　fond　of　laughing　at　〃His　Grace；〃　was　rather　shocked　at　not　being　addressed　as　Monseigneur；　and　he　was　almost　tempted　to　retort　〃citizen。〃　He　was　assailed　by　a　fancy　for　peevish　familiarity；　mon　enough　to　doctors　and　priests；　but　which　was　not　habitual　with　him。　This　man；　after　all；　this　member　of　the　Convention；　this　representative　of　the　people；　had　been　one　of　the　powerful　ones　of　the　earth；　for　the　first　time　in　his　life；　probably；　the　Bishop　felt　in　a　mood　to　be　severe。
　　Meanwhile；　the　member　of　the　Convention　had　been　surveying　him　with　a　modest　cordiality；　in　which　one　could　have　distinguished；　possibly；　that　humility　which　is　so　fitting　when　one　is　on　the　verge　of　returning　to　dust。
　　The　Bishop；　on　his　side；　although　he　generally　restrained　his　curiosity；　which；　in　his　opinion；　bordered　on　a　fault；　could　not　refrain　from　examining　the　member　of　the　Convention　with　an　attention　which；　as　it　did　not　have　its　course　in　sympathy；　would　have　served　his　conscience　as　a　matter　of　reproach；　in　connection　with　any　other　man。　A　member　of　the　Convention　produced　on　him　somewhat　the　effect　of　being　outside　the　pale　of　the　law；　even　of　the　law　of　charity。
　　G；　calm；　his　body　almost　upright；　his　voice　vibrating；　was　one　of　those　octogenarians　who　form　the　subject　of　astonishment　to　the　physiologist。　The　Revolution　had　many　of　these　men；　proportioned　to　the　epoch。　In　this　old　man　one　was　conscious　of　a　man　put　to　the　proof。　Though　so　near　to　his　end；　he　preserved　all　the　gestures　of　health。　In　his　clear　glance；　in　his　firm　tone；　in　the　robust　movement　of　his　shoulders；　there　was　something　calculated　to　disconcert　death。　Azrael；　the　Mohammedan　angel　of　the　sepulchre；　would　have　turned　back；　and　thought　that　he　had　mistaken　the　door。
　　G　seemed　to　be　dying　because　he　willed　it　so。
　　There　was　freedom　in　his　agony。
　　His　legs　alone　were　motionless。
　　It　was　there　that　the　shadows　held　him　fast。　His　feet　were　cold　and　dead；　but　his　head　survived　with　all　the　power　of　life；　and　seemed　full　of　light。
　　G；　at　this　solemn　moment；　resembled　the　king　in　that　tale　of　the　Orient　who　was　flesh　above　and　marble　below。
　　There　was　a　stone　there。
　　The　Bishop　sat　down。
　　The　exordium　was　abrupt。
　　〃I　congratulate　you；〃　said　he；　in　the　tone　which　one　uses　for　a　reprimand。
　　〃You　did　not　vote　for　the　death　of　the　king；　after　all。〃
　　The　old　member　of　the　Convention　did　not　appear　to　notice　the　bitter　meaning　underlying　the　words　〃after　all。〃
　　He　replied。　The　smile　had　quite　disappeared　from　his　face。
　　〃Do　not　congratulate　me　too　much；　sir。
　　I　did　vote　for　the　death　of　the　tyrant。〃
　　It　was　the　tone　of　austerity　answering　the　tone　of　severity。
　　〃What　do　you　mean　to　say？〃　resumed　the　Bishop。
　　〃I　mean　to　say　that　man　has　a　tyrant；ignorance。
　　I　voted　for　the　death　of　that　tyrant。
　　That　tyrant　engendered　royalty；　which　is　authority　falsely　understood；　while　science　is　authority　rightly　understood。　Man　should　be　governed　only　by　science。〃
　　〃And　conscience；〃　added　the　Bishop。
　　〃It　is　the　same　thing。
　　Conscience　is　the　quantity　of　innate　science　which　we　have　within　us。〃
　　Monseigneur　Bienvenu　listened　in　some　astonishment　to　this　language；　which　was　very　new　to　him。
　　The　member　o