雨果 悲惨世界 英文版1-第124部分

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which　formed　squares　I　had　almost　said　meshesof　less　than　an　inch　and　a　half　in　diagonal　length。
　　The　little　green　flowers　of　the　nankin　paper　ran　in　a　calm　and　orderly　manner　to　those　iron　bars；　without　being　startled　or　thrown　into　confusion　by　their　funereal　contact。　Supposing　that　a　living　being　had　been　so　wonderfully　thin　as　to　essay　an　entrance　or　an　exit　through　the　square　hole；　this　grating　would　have　prevented　it。
　　It　did　not　allow　the　passage　of　the　body；　but　it　did　allow　the　passage　of　the　eyes；　that　is　to　say；　of　the　mind。　This　seems　to　have　occurred　to　them；　for　it　had　been　re…enforced　by　a　sheet　of　tin　inserted　in　the　wall　a　little　in　the　rear；　and　pierced　with　a　thousand　holes　more　microscopic　than　the　holes　of　a　strainer。
　　At　the　bottom　of　this　plate；　an　aperture　had　been　pierced　exactly　similar　to　the　orifice　of　a　letter　box。
　　A　bit　of　tape　attached　to　a　bell…wire　hung　at　the　right　of　the　grated　opening。
　　If　the　tape　was　pulled；　a　bell　rang；　and　one　heard　a　voice　very　near　at　hand；　which　made　one　start。
　　〃Who　is　there？〃　the　voice　demanded。
　　It　was　a　woman's　voice；　a　gentle　voice；　so　gentle　that　it　was　mournful。
　　Here；　again；　there　was　a　magical　word　which　it　was　necessary　to　know。　If　one　did　not　know　it；　the　voice　ceased；　the　wall　became　silent　once　more；　as　though　the　terrified　obscurity　of　the　sepulchre　had　been　on　the　other　side　of　it。
　　If　one　knew　the　password；　the　voice　resumed；　〃Enter　on　the　right。〃
　　One　then　perceived　on　the　right；　facing　the　window；　a　glass　door　surmounted　by　a　frame　glazed　and　painted　gray。
　　On　raising　the　latch　and　crossing　the　threshold；　one　experienced　precisely　the　same　impression　as　when　one　enters　at　the　theatre　into　a　grated　baignoire；　before　the　grating　is　lowered　and　the　chandelier　is　lighted。　One　was；　in　fact；　in　a　sort　of　theatre…box；　narrow；　furnished　with　two　old　chairs；　and　a　much…frayed　straw　matting；　sparely　illuminated　by　the　vague　light　from　the　glass　door；　a　regular　box；　with　its　front　just　of　a　height　to　lean　upon；　bearing　a　tablet　of　black　wood。　This　box　was　grated；　only　the　grating　of　it　was　not　of　gilded　wood；　as　at　the　opera；　it　was　a　monstrous　lattice　of　iron　bars；　hideously　interlaced　and　riveted　to　the　wall　by　enormous　fastenings　which　resembled　clenched　fists。
　　The　first　minutes　passed；　when　one's　eyes　began　to　grow　used　to　this　cellar…like　half…twilight；　one　tried　to　pass　the　grating；　but　got　no　further　than　six　inches　beyond　it。
　　There　he　encountered　a　barrier　of　black　shutters；　re…enforced　and　fortified　with　transverse　beams　of　wood　painted　a　gingerbread　yellow。
　　These　shutters　were　divided　into　long；　narrow　slats；　and　they　masked　the　entire　length　of　the　grating。　They　were　always　closed。
　　At　the　expiration　of　a　few　moments　one　heard　a　voice　proceeding　from　behind　these　shutters；　and　saying：
　　〃I　am　here。
　　What　do　you　wish　with　me？〃
　　It　was　a　beloved；　sometimes　an　adored；　voice。
　　No　one　was　visible。　Hardly　the　sound　of　a　breath　was　audible。
　　It　seemed　as　though　it　were　a　spirit　which　had　been　evoked；　that　was　speaking　to　you　across　the　walls　of　the　tomb。
　　If　one　chanced　to　be　within　certain　prescribed　and　very　rare　conditions；　the　slat　of　one　of　the　shutters　opened　opposite　you；　the　evoked　spirit　became　an　apparition。
　　Behind　the　grating；　behind　the　shutter；　one　perceived　so　far　as　the　grating　permitted　sight；　a　head；　of　which　only　the　mouth　and　the　chin　were　visible；　the　rest　was　covered　with　a　black　veil。
　　One　caught　a　glimpse　of　a　black　guimpe；　and　a　form　that　was　barely　defined；　covered　with　a　black　shroud。　That　head　spoke　with　you；　but　did　not　look　at　you　and　never　smiled　at　you。
　　The　light　which　came　from　behind　you　was　adjusted　in　such　a　manner　that　you　saw　her　in　the　white；　and　she　saw　you　in　the　black。　This　light　was　symbolical。
　　Nevertheless；　your　eyes　plunged　eagerly　through　that　opening　which　was　made　in　that　place　shut　off　from　all　glances。
　　A　profound　vagueness　enveloped　that　form　clad　in　mourning。
　　Your　eyes　searched　that　vagueness；　and　sought　to　make　out　the　surroundings　of　the　apparition。　At　the　expiration　of　a　very　short　time　you　discovered　that　you　could　see　nothing。
　　What　you　beheld　was　night；　emptiness；　shadows；　a　wintry　mist　mingled　with　a　vapor　from　the　tomb；　a　sort　of　terrible　peace；　a　silence　from　which　you　could　gather　nothing；　not　even　sighs；　a　gloom　in　which　you　could　distinguish　nothing；　not　even　phantoms。
　　What　you　beheld　was　the　interior　of　a　cloister。
　　It　was　the　interior　of　that　severe　and　gloomy　edifice　which　was　called　the　Convent　of　the　Bernardines　of　the　Perpetual　Adoration。　The　box　in　which　you　stood　was　the　parlor。
　　The　first　voice　which　had　addressed　you　was　that　of　the　portress　who　always　sat　motionless　and　silent；　on　the　other　side　of　the　wall；　near　the　square　opening；　screened　by　the　iron　grating　and　the　plate　with　its　thousand　holes；　as　by　a　double　visor。
　　The　obscurity　which　bathed　the　grated　box　arose　from　the　fact　that　the　parlor；　which　had　a　window　on　the　side　of　the　world；　had　none　on　the　side　of　the　convent。
　　Profane　eyes　must　see　nothing　of　that　sacred　place。
　　Nevertheless；　there　was　something　beyond　that　shadow；　there　was　a　light；　there　was　life　in　the　midst　of　that　death。
　　Although　this　was　the　most　strictly　walled　of　all　convents；　we　shall　endeavor　to　make　our　way　into　it；　and　to　take　the　reader　in；　and　to　say；　without　transgressing　the　proper　bounds；　things　which　story…tellers　have　never　seen；　and　have；　therefore；　never　described。


BOOK　SIXTH。LE　PETIT…PICPUS
CHAPTER　II　
　　THE　OBEDIENCE　OF　MARTIN　VERGA
　　　This　convent；　which　in　1824　had　already　existed　for　many　a　long　year　in　the　Rue　Petit…Picpus；　was　a　munity　of　Bernardines　of　the　obedience　of　Martin　Verga。
　　These　Bernardines　were　attached；　in　consequence；　not　to　Clairvaux；　like　the　Bernardine　monks；　but　to　Citeaux；　like　the　Benedictine　monks。　In　other　words；　they　were　the　subjects；　not　of　Saint　Bernard；　but　of　Saint　Benoit。
　　Any　one　who　has　turned　over　old　folios　to　any　extent　knows　that　Martin　Verga　founded　in　1425　a　congregation　of　Bernardines…Benedictines；　with　Salamanca　for　the　head　of　the　order；　and　Alcala　as　the　branch　establishment。
　　This　congregation　had　sent　out　branches　throughout　all　the　Catholic　countries　of　Europe。
　　There　is　nothing　unusual　in　the　Latin　Church　in　these　grafts　of　one　order　on　another。
　　To　mention　only　a　single　order　of　Saint…Benoit；　which　is　here　in　question：
　　there　are　attached　to　this　order；　without　counting　the　obedience　of　Martin　Verga；　four　congregations；　two　in　Italy；　Mont…Cassin　and　Sainte…Justine　of　Padua；　two　in　France；　Cluny　and　Saint…Maur；　and　nine　orders；Vallombrosa；　Granmont；　the　Celestins；　the　Camaldules；　the　Carthusians；　the　Humilies；　the　Olivateurs；　the　Silvestrins；　and　lastly；　Citeaux；　for　Citeaux　itself；　a　trunk　for　other　orders；　is　only　an　offshoot　of　Saint…Benoit。　Citeaux　dates　from　Saint　Robert；　Abbe　de　Molesme；　in　the　diocese　of　Langres；　in　1098。
　　Now　it　was　in　529　that　the　devil；　having　retired　to　the　desert　of　Subiacohe　was　oldhad　he　turned　hermit？　was　chased　from　the　ancient　temple　of　Apollo；　where　he　dwelt；　by　Saint…Benoit；　then　aged　seventeen。
　　After　the　rule　of　the　Carmelites；　who　go　barefoot；　wear　a　bit　of　willow　on　their　throats；　and　never　sit　down；　the　harshest　rule　is　that　of　the　Bernardines…Benedictines　of　Martin　Verga。　They　are　clothed　in　black；　with　a　guimpe；　which；　in　accordance　with　the　express　mand　of　Saint…Benoit；　mounts　to　the　chin。　A　robe　of　serge　with　large　sleeves；　a　large　woollen　veil；　the　guimpe　which　mounts　to　the　chin　cut　square　on　the　breast；　the　band　which　descends　over　their　brow　to　their　eyes；this　is　their　dress。　All　is　black　except　the　band；　which　is　white。
　　The　novices　wear　the　same　habit；　but　all　in　white。
　　The　professed　nuns　also　wear　a　rosary　at　their　side。
　　The　Bernardines…Benedictines　of　Martin　Verga　practise　the　Perpetual　Adoration；　like　the　Benedictines　called　Ladies　of　the　Holy　Sacrament；　who；　at　the　beginning　of　this　century；　had　two　houses　in　Paris；　one　at　the　Temple；　the　other　in　the　Rue　Neuve…Sainte…Genevieve。　However；　the　Bernardines…Benedictines　of　the　Petit…Picpus；　of　whom　we　are　speaking；　were　a　totally　different　order　from　the　Ladies　of　the　Holy　Sacrament；　cloistered　in　the　Rue　Neuve…Sainte…Genevieve　and　at　the　Temple。　There　were　numerous　differences　in　their　rule；　there　were　some　in　their　costume。
　　The　Bernardines…Benedictines　of　the　Petit…Picpus　wore　the　black　guimpe；　and　the　Benedictines　of　the　Holy　Sacrament　and　of　the　Rue　Neuve…Sainte…Genevieve　wore　a　white　one；　and　had；　besides；　on　their　breasts；　a　Holy　Sacrament　about　three　inches　long；　in　silver　gilt　or　gilded　copper。
　　The　nuns　of　the　Petit…Picpus　did　not　wear　this　Holy　Sacrament。
　　The　Perpetual　Adoration；　which　was　mon　to　the　house　of　the　Petit…Picpus　and　to　the　house　of　the　Temple；　leaves　those　two　orders　perfectly　distinct。
　　Their　only　resemblance　lies　in　this　practice　of　the　Ladies　of　the　Holy　Sacrament　and　the　Bernardines　of　Martin　Verga；　just　as　there　existed　a　similarity　in　the　study　and　the　glorification　of　all　the　mysteries　relating　to　the　infancy；　the　life；　and　death　of　Jesus　Christ　and　th