雨果 悲惨世界 英文版1-第6部分

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　　〃I　am　paying　my　tithes；〃　he　said。
　　His　bedroom　was　tolerably　large；　and　rather　difficult　to　warm　in　bad　weather。
　　As　wood　is　extremely　dear　at　D；　he　hit　upon　the　idea　of　having　a　partment　of　boards　constructed　in　the　cow…shed。　Here　he　passed　his　evenings　during　seasons　of　severe　cold：　he　called　it　his　winter　salon。
　　In　this　winter　salon；　as　in　the　dining…room；　there　was　no　other　furniture　than　a　square　table　in　white　wood；　and　four　straw…seated　chairs。　In　addition　to　this　the　dining…room　was　ornamented　with　an　antique　sideboard；　painted　pink；　in　water　colors。
　　Out　of　a　similar　sideboard；　properly　draped　with　white　napery　and　imitation　lace；　the　Bishop　had　constructed　the　altar　which　decorated　his　oratory。
　　His　wealthy　penitents　and　the　sainted　women　of　D　had　more　than　once　assessed　themselves　to　raise　the　money　for　a　new　altar　for　Monseigneur's　oratory；　on　each　occasion　he　had　taken　the　money　and　had　given　it　to　the　poor。
　　〃The　most　beautiful　of　altars；〃　he　said；　〃is　the　soul　of　an　unhappy　creature　consoled　and　thanking　God。〃
　　In　his　oratory　there　were　two　straw　prie…Dieu；　and　there　was　an　arm…chair；　also　in　straw；　in　his　bedroom。
　　When；　by　chance；　he　received　seven　or　eight　persons　at　one　time；　the　prefect；　
or　the　general；　or　the　staff　of　the　regiment　in　garrison；　or　several　pupils　from　the　little　seminary；　the　chairs　had　to　be　fetched　from　the　winter　salon　in　the　stable；　the　prie…Dieu　from　the　oratory；　and　the　arm…chair　from　the　bedroom：
　　in　this　way　as　many　as　eleven　chairs　could　be　collected　for　the　visitors。
　　A　room　was　dismantled　for　each　new　guest。
　　It　sometimes　happened　that　there　were　twelve　in　the　party；　the　Bishop　then　relieved　the　embarrassment　of　the　situation　by　standing　in　front　of　the　chimney　if　it　was　winter；　or　by　strolling　in　the　garden　if　it　was　summer。
　　There　was　still　another　chair　in　the　detached　alcove；　but　the　straw　was　half　gone　from　it；　and　it　had　but　three　legs；　so　that　it　was　of　service　only　when　propped　against　the　wall。
　　Mademoiselle　Baptistine　had　also　in　her　own　room　a　very　large　easy…chair　of　wood；　which　had　formerly　been　gilded；　and　which　was　covered　with　flowered　pekin；　but　they　had　been　obliged　to　hoist　this　bergere　up　to　the　first　story　through　the　window；　as　the　staircase　was　too　narrow；　it　could　not；　therefore；　be　reckoned　among　the　possibilities　in　the　way　of　furniture。
　　Mademoiselle　Baptistine's　ambition　had　been　to　be　able　to　purchase　a　set　of　drawing…room　furniture　in　yellow　Utrecht　velvet；　stamped　with　a　rose　pattern；　and　with　mahogany　in　swan's　neck　style；　with　a　sofa。
　　But　this　would　have　cost　five　hundred　francs　at　least；　and　in　view　of　the　fact　that　she　had　only　been　able　to　lay　by　forty…two　francs　and　ten　sous　for　this　purpose　in　the　course　of　five　years；　she　had　ended　by　renouncing　the　idea。
　　However；　who　is　there　who　has　attained　his　ideal？
　　Nothing　is　more　easy　to　present　to　the　imagination　than　the　Bishop's　bedchamber。
　　A　glazed　door　opened　on　the　garden；　opposite　this　was　the　bed；a　hospital　bed　of　iron；　with　a　canopy　of　green　serge；　in　the　shadow　of　the　bed；　behind　a　curtain；　were　the　utensils　of　the　toilet；　which　still　betrayed　the　elegant　habits　of　the　man　of　the　world：　there　were　two　doors；　one　near　the　chimney；　opening　into　the　oratory；　the　other　near　the　bookcase；　opening　into　the　dining…room。　The　bookcase　was　a　large　cupboard　with　glass　doors　filled　with　books；　the　chimney　was　of　wood　painted　to　represent　marble；　and　habitually　without　fire。　In　the　chimney　stood　a　pair　of　firedogs　of　iron；　ornamented　above　with　two　garlanded　vases；　and　flutings　which　had　formerly　been　silvered　with　silver　leaf；　which　was　a　sort　of　episcopal　luxury；　above　the　chimney…piece　hung　a　crucifix　of　copper；　with　the　silver　worn　off；　fixed　on　a　background　of　threadbare　velvet　in　a　wooden　frame　from　which　the　gilding　had　fallen；　near　the　glass　door　a　large　table　with　an　inkstand；　loaded　with　a　confusion　of　papers　and　with　huge　volumes；　before　the　table　an　arm…chair　of　straw；　in　front　of　the　bed　a　prie…Dieu；　borrowed　from　the　oratory。
　　Two　portraits　in　oval　frames　were　fastened　to　the　wall　on　each　side　of　the　bed。
　　Small　gilt　inscriptions　on　the　plain　surface　of　the　cloth　at　the　side　of　these　figures　indicated　that　the　portraits　represented；　one　the　Abbe　of　Chaliot；　bishop　of　Saint　Claude；　the　other；　the　Abbe　Tourteau；　vicar…general　of　Agde；　abbe　of　Grand…Champ；　order　of　Citeaux；　diocese　of　Chartres。
　　When　the　Bishop　succeeded　to　this　apartment；　after　the　hospital　patients；　he　had　found　these　portraits　there；　and　had　left　them。
　　They　were　priests；　and　probably　donorstwo　reasons　for　respecting　them。
　　All　that　he　knew　about　these　two　persons　was；　that　they　had　been　appointed　by　the　king；　the　one　to　his　bishopric；　the　other　to　his　benefice；　on　the　same　day；　the　27th　of　April；　1785。
　　Madame　Magloire　having　taken　the　pictures　down　to　dust；　the　Bishop　had　discovered　these　particulars　written　in　whitish　ink　on　a　little　square　of　paper；　yellowed　by　time；　and　attached　to　the　back　of　the　portrait　of　the　Abbe　of　Grand…Champ　with　four　wafers。
　　At　his　window　he　had　an　antique　curtain　of　a　coarse　woollen　stuff；　which　finally　became　so　old；　that；　in　order　to　avoid　the　expense　of　a　new　one；　Madame　Magloire　was　forced　to　take　a　large　seam　in　the　very　middle　of　it。
　　This　seam　took　the　form　of　a　cross。　The　Bishop　often　called　attention　to　it：
　　〃How　delightful　that　is！〃　he　said。
　　All　the　rooms　in　the　house；　without　exception；　those　on　the　ground　floor　as　well　as　those　on　the　first　floor；　were　white…washed；　which　is　a　fashion　in　barracks　and　hospitals。
　　However；　in　their　latter　years；　Madame　Magloire　discovered　beneath　the　paper　which　had　been　washed　over；　paintings；　ornamenting　the　apartment　of　Mademoiselle　Baptistine；　as　we　shall　see　further　on。　Before　being　a　hospital；　this　house　had　been　the　ancient　parliament　house　of　the　Bourgeois。
　　Hence　this　decoration。　The　chambers　were　paved　in　red　bricks；　which　were　washed　every　week；　with　straw　mats　in　front　of　all　the　beds。
　　Altogether；　this　dwelling；　which　was　attended　to　by　the　two　women；　was　exquisitely　clean　from　top　to　bottom。
　　This　was　the　sole　luxury　which　the　Bishop　permitted。　He　said；　〃That　takes　nothing　from　the　poor。〃
　　It　must　be　confessed；　however；　that　he　still　retained　from　his　former　possessions　six　silver　knives　and　forks　and　a　soup…ladle；　which　Madame　Magloire　contemplated　every　day　with　delight；　as　they　glistened　splendidly　upon　the　coarse　linen　cloth。　And　since　we　are　now　painting　the　Bishop　of　D　as　he　was　in　reality；　we　must　add　that　he　had　said　more　than　once；　〃I　find　it　difficult　to　renounce　eating　from　silver　dishes。〃
　　To　this　silverware　must　be　added　two　large　candlesticks　of　massive　silver；　which　he　had　inherited　from　a　great…aunt。　These　candlesticks　held　two　wax　candles；　and　usually　figured　on　the　Bishop's　chimney…piece。　When　he　had　any　one　to　dinner；　Madame　Magloire　lighted　the　two　candles　and　set　the　candlesticks　on　the　table。
　　In　the　Bishop's　own　chamber；　at　the　head　of　his　bed；　there　was　a　small　cupboard；　in　which　Madame　Magloire　locked　up　the　six　silver　knives　and　forks　and　the　big　spoon　every　night。　But　it　is　necessary　to　add；　that　the　key　was　never　removed。
　　The　garden；　which　had　been　rather　spoiled　by　the　ugly　buildings　which　we　have　mentioned；　was　posed　of　four　alleys　in　cross…form；　radiating　from　a　tank。
　　Another　walk　made　the　circuit　of　the　garden；　and　skirted　the　white　wall　which　enclosed　it。
　　These　alleys　left　behind　them　four　square　plots　rimmed　with　box。
　　In　three　of　these；　Madame　Magloire　cultivated　vegetables；　in　the　fourth；　the　Bishop　had　planted　some　flowers；　here　and　there　stood　a　few　fruit…trees。　Madame　Magloire　had　once　remarked；　with　a　sort　of　gentle　malice：　〃Monseigneur；　you　who　turn　everything　to　account；　have；　nevertheless；　one　useless　plot。
　　It　would　be　better　to　grow　salads　there　than　bouquets。〃　〃Madame　Magloire；〃　retorted　the　Bishop；　〃you　are　mistaken。　The　beautiful　is　as　useful　as　the　useful。〃
　　He　added　after　a　pause；　〃More　so；　perhaps。〃
　　This　plot；　consisting　of　three　or　four　beds；　occupied　the　Bishop　almost　as　much　as　did　his　books。
　　He　liked　to　pass　an　hour　or　two　there；　trimming；　hoeing；　and　making　holes　here　and　there　in　the　earth；　into　which　he　dropped　seeds。
　　He　was　not　as　hostile　to　insects　as　a　gardener　could　have　wished　to　see　him。
　　Moreover；　he　made　no　pretensions　to　botany；　he　ignored　groups　and　consistency；　he　made　not　the　slightest　effort　to　decide　between　Tournefort　and　the　natural　method；　he　took　part　neither　with　the　buds　against　the　cotyledons；　nor　with　Jussieu　against　Linnaeus。
　　He　did　not　study　plants；　he　loved　flowers。　He　respected　learned　men　greatly；　he　respected　the　ignorant　still　more；　and；　without　ever　failing　in　these　two　respects；　he　watered　his　flower…beds　every　summer　evening　with　a　tin　watering…pot　painted　green。
　　The　house　had　not　a　single　door　which　could　be　locked。
　　The　door　of　the　dining…room；　which；　as　we　have　said；　opened　directly　on　the　cathedral　square；　had　formerly　been　ornamented　with　locks　and　bolts　like　the　door　of　a　prison。
　　The　Bishop　had　had　all　this　ironwork　removed；　and　this　door　w