雨果 悲惨世界 英文版1-第39部分

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the　Sergeant　of　Waterloo；　one　evening　in　the　spring　of　1818；　would　certainly　have　attracted；　by　its　mass；　the　attention　of　any　painter　who　had　passed　that　way。
　　It　was　the　fore…carriage　of　one　of　those　trucks　which　are　used　in　wooded　tracts　of　country；　and　which　serve　to　transport　thick　planks　and　the　trunks　of　trees。
　　This　fore…carriage　was　posed　of　a　massive　iron　axle…tree　with　a　pivot；　into　which　was　fitted　a　heavy　shaft；　and　which　was　supported　by　two　huge　wheels。　The　whole　thing　was　pact；　overwhelming；　and　misshapen。　It　seemed　like　the　gun…carriage　of　an　enormous　cannon。
　　The　ruts　of　the　road　had　bestowed　on　the　wheels；　the　fellies；　the　hub；　the　axle；　and　the　shaft；　a　layer　of　mud；　a　hideous　yellowish　daubing　hue；　tolerably　like　that　with　which　people　are　fond　of　ornamenting　cathedrals。　The　wood　was　disappearing　under　mud；　and　the　iron　beneath　rust。　Under　the　axle…tree　hung；　like　drapery；　a　huge　chain；　worthy　of　some　Goliath　of　a　convict。
　　This　chain　suggested；　not　the　beams；　which　it　was　its　office　to　transport；　but　the　mastodons　and　mammoths　which　it　might　have　served　to　harness；　it　had　the　air　of　the　galleys；　but　of　cyclopean　and　superhuman　galleys；　and　it　seemed　to　have　been　detached　from　some　monster。
　　Homer　would　have　bound　Polyphemus　with　it；　and　Shakespeare；　Caliban。
　　Why　was　that　fore…carriage　of　a　truck　in　that　place　in　the　street？　In　the　first　place；　to　encumber　the　street；　next；　in　order　that　it　might　finish　the　process　of　rusting。
　　There　is　a　throng　of　institutions　in　the　old　social　order；　which　one　es　across　in　this　fashion　as　one　walks　about　outdoors；　and　which　have　no　other　reasons　for　existence　than　the　above。
　　The　centre　of　the　chain　swung　very　near　the　ground　in　the　middle；　and　in　the　loop；　as　in　the　rope　of　a　swing；　there　were　seated　and　grouped；　on　that　particular　evening；　in　exquisite　interlacement；　two　little　girls；　one　about　two　years　and　a　half　old；　the　other；　eighteen　months；　the　younger　in　the　arms　of　the　other。
　　A　handkerchief；　cleverly　knotted　about　them；　prevented　their　falling　out。　A　mother　had　caught　sight　of　that　frightful　chain；　and　had　said；　〃e！　there's　a　plaything　for　my　children。〃
　　The　two　children；　who　were　dressed　prettily　and　with　some　elegance；　were　radiant　with　pleasure；　one　would　have　said　that　they　were　two　roses　amid　old　iron；　their　eyes　were　a　triumph；　their　fresh　cheeks　were　full　of　laughter。
　　One　had　chestnut　hair；　the　other；　brown。　Their　innocent　faces　were　two　delighted　surprises；　a　blossoming　shrub　which　grew　near　wafted　to　the　passers…by　perfumes　which　seemed　to　emanate　from　them；　the　child　of　eighteen　months　displayed　her　pretty　little　bare　stomach　with　the　chaste　indecency　of　childhood。　Above　and　around　these　two　delicate　heads；　all　made　of　happiness　and　steeped　in　light；　the　gigantic　fore…carriage；　black　with　rust；　almost　terrible；　all　entangled　in　curves　and　wild　angles；　rose　in　a　vault；　like　the　entrance　of　a　cavern。
　　A　few　paces　apart；　crouching　down　upon　the　threshold　of　the　hostelry；　the　mother；　not　a　very　prepossessing　woman；　by　the　way；　though　touching　at　that　moment；　was　swinging　the　two　children　by　means　of　a　long　cord；　watching　them　carefully；　for　fear　of　accidents；　with　that　animal　and　celestial　expression　which　is　peculiar　to　maternity。
　　At　every　backward　and　forward　swing　the　hideous　links　emitted　a　strident　sound；　which　resembled　a　cry　of　rage；　the　little　girls　were　in　ecstasies；　the　setting　sun　mingled　in　this　joy；　and　nothing　could　be　more　charming　than　this　caprice　of　chance　which　had　made　of　a　chain　of　Titans　the　swing　of　cherubim。
　　As　she　rocked　her　little　ones；　the　mother　hummed　in　a　discordant　voice　a　romance　then　celebrated：
　　　〃It　must　be；　said　a　warrior。〃
　　　Her　song；　and　the　contemplation　of　her　daughters；　prevented　her　hearing　and　seeing　what　was　going　on　in　the　street。
　　In　the　meantime；　some　one　had　approached　her；　as　she　was　beginning　the　first　couplet　of　the　romance；　and　suddenly　she　heard　a　voice　saying　very　near　her　ear：
　　〃You　have　two　beautiful　children　there；　Madame。〃
　　　〃To　the　fair　and　tender　Imogene〃
　　　replied　the　mother；　continuing　her　romance；　then　she　turned　her　head。
　　A　woman　stood　before　her；　a　few　paces　distant。
　　This　woman　also　had　a　child；　which　she　carried　in　her　arms。
　　She　was　carrying；　in　addition；　a　large　carpet…bag；　which　seemed　very　heavy。
　　This　woman's　child　was　one　of　the　most　divine　creatures　that　it　is　possible　to　behold。
　　lt　was　a　girl；　two　or　three　years　of　age。　She　could　have　entered　into　petition　with　the　two　other　little　ones；　so　far　as　the　coquetry　of　her　dress　was　concerned；　she　wore　a　cap　of　fine　linen；　ribbons　on　her　bodice；　and　Valenciennes　lace　on　her　cap。　The　folds　of　her　skirt　were　raised　so　as　to　permit　a　view　of　her　white；　firm；　and　dimpled　leg。
　　She　was　admirably　rosy　and　healthy。　The　little　beauty　inspired　a　desire　to　take　a　bite　from　the　apples　of　her　cheeks。
　　Of　her　eyes　nothing　could　be　known；　except　that　they　must　be　very　large；　and　that　they　had　magnificent　lashes。　She　was　asleep。
　　She　slept　with　that　slumber　of　absolute　confidence　peculiar　to　her　age。
　　The　arms　of　mothers　are　made　of　tenderness；　in　them　children　sleep　profoundly。
　　As　for　the　mother；　her　appearance　was　sad　and　poverty…stricken。　She　was　dressed　like　a　working…woman　who　is　inclined　to　turn　into　a　peasant　again。
　　She　was　young。
　　Was　she　handsome？
　　Perhaps；　but　in　that　attire　it　was　not　apparent。
　　Her　hair；　a　golden　lock　of　which　had　escaped；　seemed　very　thick；　but　was　severely　concealed　beneath　an　ugly；　tight；　close；　nun…like　cap；　tied　under　the　chin。
　　A　smile　displays　beautiful　teeth　when　one　has　them；　but　she　did　not　smile。　Her　eyes　did　not　seem　to　have　been　dry　for　a　very　long　time。　She　was　pale；　she　had　a　very　weary　and　rather　sickly　appearance。　She　gazed　upon　her　daughter　asleep　in　her　arms　with　the　air　peculiar　to　a　mother　who　has　nursed　her　own　child。
　　A　large　blue　handkerchief；　such　as　the　Invalides　use；　was　folded　into　a　fichu；　and　concealed　her　figure　clumsily。
　　Her　hands　were　sunburnt　and　all　dotted　with　freckles；　her　forefinger　was　hardened　and　lacerated　with　the　needle；　she　wore　a　cloak　of　coarse　brown　woollen　stuff；　a　linen　gown；　and　coarse　shoes。　It　was　Fantine。
　　It　was　Fantine；　but　difficult　to　recognize。
　　Nevertheless；　on　scrutinizing　her　attentively；　it　was　evident　that　she　still　retained　her　beauty。　A　melancholy　fold；　which　resembled　the　beginning　of　irony；　wrinkled　her　right　cheek。
　　As　for　her　toilette；　that　aerial　toilette　of　muslin　and　ribbons；　which　seemed　made　of　mirth；　of　folly；　and　of　music；　full　of　bells；　and　perfumed　with　lilacs　had　vanished　like　that　beautiful　and　dazzling　hoar…frost　which　is　mistaken　for　diamonds　in　the　sunlight；　it　melts　and　leaves　the　branch　quite　black。
　　Ten　months　had　elapsed　since　the　〃pretty　farce。〃
　　What　had　taken　place　during　those　ten　months？
　　It　can　be　divined。
　　After　abandonment；　straightened　circumstances。
　　Fantine　had　immediately　lost　sight　of　Favourite；　Zephine　and　Dahlia；　the　bond　once　broken　on　the　side　of　the　men；　it　was　loosed　between　the　women；　they　would　have　been　greatly　astonished　had　any　one　told　them　a　fortnight　later；　that　they　had　been　friends；　there　no　longer　existed　any　reason　for　such　a　thing。
　　Fantine　had　remained　alone。　The　father　of　her　child　gone；alas！　such　ruptures　are　irrevocable；　she　found　herself　absolutely　isolated；　minus　the　habit　of　work　and　plus　the　taste　for　pleasure。
　　Drawn　away　by　her　liaison　with　Tholomyes　to　disdain　the　pretty　trade　which　she　knew；　she　had　neglected　to　keep　her　market　open；　it　was　now　closed　to　her。
　　She　had　no　resource。　Fantine　barely　knew　how　to　read；　and　did　not　know　how　to　write；　in　her　childhood　she　had　only　been　taught　to　sign　her　name；　she　had　a　public　letter…writer　indite　an　epistle　to　Tholomyes；　then　a　second；　then　a　third。
　　Tholomyes　replied　to　none　of　them。　Fantine　heard　the　gossips　say；　as　they　looked　at　her　child：　〃Who　takes　those　children　seriously！
　　One　only　shrugs　one's　shoulders　over　such　children！〃
　　Then　she　thought　of　Tholomyes；　who　had　shrugged　his　shoulders　over　his　child；　and　who　did　not　take　that　innocent　being　seriously；　and　her　heart　grew　gloomy　toward　that　man。　But　what　was　she　to　do？
　　She　no　longer　knew　to　whom　to　apply。　She　had　mitted　a　fault；　but　the　foundation　of　her　nature；　as　will　be　remembered；　was　modesty　and　virtue。
　　She　was　vaguely　conscious　that　she　was　on　the　verge　of　falling　into　distress；　and　of　gliding　into　a　worse　state。
　　Courage　was　necessary；　she　possessed　it；　and　held　herself　firm。
　　The　idea　of　returning　to　her　native　town　of　M。　sur　M。　occurred　to　her。
　　There；　some　one　might　possibly　know　her　and　give　her　work；　yes；　but　it　would　be　necessary　to　conceal　her　fault。
　　In　a　confused　way　she　perceived　the　necessity　of　a　separation　which　would　be　more　painful　than　the　first　one。　Her　heart　contracted；　but　she　took　her　resolution。
　　Fantine；　as　we　shall　see；　had　the　fierce　bravery　of　life。
　　She　had　already　valiantly　renounced　finery；　had　dressed　herself　in　linen；　and　had　put　all　her　silks；　all　her　ornaments；　all　her　ribbons；　and　all　her　laces　on　her　daughter；　the　only　va