雨果 悲惨世界 英文版1-第68部分

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BOOK　SEVENTH。THE　CHAMPMATHIEU　AFFAIR
CHAPTER　VIII　
　　AN　ENTRANCE　BY　FAVOR
　　Although　he　did　not　suspect　the　fact；　the　mayor　of　M。　sur　M。　enjoyed　a　sort　of　celebrity。
　　For　the　space　of　seven　years　his　reputation　for　virtue　had　filled　the　whole　of　Bas　Boulonnais；　it　had　eventually　passed　the　confines　of　a　small　district　and　had　been　spread　abroad　through　two　or　three　neighboring　departments。
　　Besides　the　service　which　he　had　rendered　to　the　chief　town　by　resuscitating　the　black　jet　industry；　there　was　not　one　out　of　the　hundred　and　forty　munes　of　the　arrondissement　of　M。　sur　M。　which　was　not　indebted　to　him　for　some　benefit。
　　He　had　even　at　need　contrived　to　aid　and　multiply　the　industries　of　other　arrondissements。
　　It　was　thus　that　he　had；　when　occasion　offered；　supported　with　his　credit　and　his　funds　the　linen　factory　at　Boulogne；　the　flax…spinning　industry　at　Frevent；　and　the　hydraulic　manufacture　of　cloth　at　Boubers…sur…Canche。　Everywhere　the　name　of　M。　Madeleine　was　pronounced　with　veneration。　Arras　and　Douai　envied　the　happy　little　town　of　M。　sur　M。　its　mayor。
　　The　Councillor　of　the　Royal　Court　of　Douai；　who　was　presiding　over　this　session　of　the　Assizes　at　Arras；　was　acquainted；　in　mon　with　the　rest　of　the　world；　with　this　name　which　was　so　profoundly　and　universally　honored。
　　When　the　usher；　discreetly　opening　the　door　which　connected　the　council…chamber　with　the　court…room；　bent　over　the　back　of　the　President's　arm…chair　and　handed　him　the　paper　on　which　was　inscribed　the　line　which　we　have　just　perused；　adding：
　　〃The　gentleman　desires　to　be　present　at　the　trial；〃　the　President；　with　a　quick　and　deferential　movement；　seized　a　pen　and　wrote　a　few　words　at　the　bottom　of　the　paper　and　returned　it　to　the　usher；　saying；　〃Admit　him。〃
　　The　unhappy　man　whose　history　we　are　relating　had　remained　near　the　door　of　the　hall；　in　the　same　place　and　the　same　attitude　in　which　the　usher　had　left　him。
　　In　the　midst　of　his　revery　he　heard　some　one　saying　to　him；　〃Will　Monsieur　do　me　the　honor　to　follow　me？〃　It　was　the　same　usher　who　had　turned　his　back　upon　him　but　a　moment　previously；　and　who　was　now　bowing　to　the　earth　before　him。　At　the　same　time；　the　usher　handed　him　the　paper。
　　He　unfolded　it；　and　as　he　chanced　to　be　near　the　light；　he　could　read　it。
　　〃The　President　of　the　Court　of　Assizes　presents　his　respects　to　M。　Madeleine。〃
　　He　crushed　the　paper　in　his　hand　as　though　those　words　contained　for　him　a　strange　and　bitter　aftertaste。
　　He　followed　the　usher。
　　A　few　minutes　later　he　found　himself　alone　in　a　sort　of　wainscoted　cabinet　of　severe　aspect；　lighted　by　two　wax　candles；　placed　upon　a　table　with　a　green　cloth。
　　The　last　words　of　the　usher　who　had　just　quitted　him　still　rang　in　his　ears：
　　〃Monsieur；　you　are　now　in　the　council…chamber；　you　have　only　to　turn　the　copper　handle　of　yonder　door；　and　you　will　find　yourself　in　the　court…room；　behind　the　President's　chair。〃　These　words　were　mingled　in　his　thoughts　with　a　vague　memory　of　narrow　corridors　and　dark　staircases　which　he　had　recently　traversed。
　　The　usher　had　left　him　alone。
　　The　supreme　moment　had　arrived。　He　sought　to　collect　his　faculties；　but　could　not。
　　It　is　chiefly　at　the　moment　when　there　is　the　greatest　need　for　attaching　them　to　the　painful　realities　of　life；　that　the　threads　of　thought　snap　within　the　brain。
　　He　was　in　the　very　place　where　the　judges　deliberated　and　condemned。
　　With　stupid　tranquillity　he　surveyed　this　peaceful　and　terrible　apartment；　where　so　many　lives　had　been　broken；　which　was　soon　to　ring　with　his　name；　and　which　his　fate　was　at　that　moment　traversing。
　　He　stared　at　the　wall；　then　he　looked　at　himself；　wondering　that　it　should　be　that　chamber　and　that　it　should　be　he。
　　He　had　eaten　nothing　for　four　and　twenty　hours；　he　was　worn　out　by　the　jolts　of　the　cart；　but　he　was　not　conscious　of　it。　It　seemed　to　him　that　he　felt　nothing。
　　He　approached　a　black　frame　which　was　suspended　on　the　wall；　and　which　contained；　under　glass；　an　ancient　autograph　letter　of　Jean　Nicolas　Pache；　mayor　of　Paris　and　minister；　and　dated；　through　an　error；　no　doubt；　the　9th　of　June；　of　the　year　II。；　and　in　which　Pache　forwarded　to　the　mune　the　list　of　ministers　and　deputies　held　in　arrest　by　them。
　　Any　spectator　who　had　chanced　to　see　him　at　that　moment；　and　who　had　watched　him；　would　have　imagined；　doubtless；　that　this　letter　struck　him　as　very　curious；　for　he　did　not　take　his　eyes　from　it；　and　he　read　it　two　or　three　times。　He　read　it　without　paying　any　attention　to　it；　and　unconsciously。　He　was　thinking　of　Fantine　and　Cosette。
　　As　he　dreamed；　he　turned　round；　and　his　eyes　fell　upon　the　brass　knob　of　the　door　which　separated　him　from　the　Court　of　Assizes。　He　had　almost　forgotten　that　door。
　　His　glance；　calm　at　first；　paused　there；　remained　fixed　on　that　brass　handle；　then　grew　terrified；　and　little　by　little　became　impregnated　with　fear。
　　Beads　of　perspiration　burst　forth　among　his　hair　and　trickled　down　upon　his　temples。
　　At　a　certain　moment　he　made　that　indescribable　gesture　of　a　sort　of　authority　mingled　with　rebellion；　which　is　intended　to　convey；　and　which　does　so　well　convey；　〃Pardieu！　who　pels　me　to　this？〃　Then　he　wheeled　briskly　round；　caught　sight　of　the　door　through　which　he　had　entered　in　front　of　him；　went　to　it；　opened　it；　and　passed　out。　He　was　no　longer　in　that　chamber；　he　was　outside　in　a　corridor；　a　long；　narrow　corridor；　broken　by　steps　and　gratings；　making　all　sorts　of　angles；　lighted　here　and　there　by　lanterns　similar　to　the　night　taper　of　invalids；　the　corridor　through　which　he　had　approached。　He　breathed；　he　listened；　not　a　sound　in　front；　not　a　sound　behind　him；　and　he　fled　as　though　pursued。
　　When　he　had　turned　many　angles　in　this　corridor；　he　still　listened。　The　same　silence　reigned；　and　there　was　the　same　darkness　around　him。　He　was　out　of　breath；　he　staggered；　he　leaned　against　the　wall。　The　stone　was　cold；　the　perspiration　lay　ice…cold　on　his　brow；　he　straightened　himself　up　with　a　shiver。
　　Then；　there　alone　in　the　darkness；　trembling　with　cold　and　with　something　else；　too；　perchance；　he　meditated。
　　He　had　meditated　all　night　long；　he　had　meditated　all　the　day：　he　heard　within　him　but　one　voice；　which　said；　〃Alas！〃
　　A　quarter　of　an　hour　passed　thus。
　　At　length　he　bowed　his　head；　sighed　with　agony；　dropped　his　arms；　and　retraced　his　steps。　He　walked　slowly；　and　as　though　crushed。
　　It　seemed　as　though　some　one　had　overtaken　him　in　his　flight　and　was　leading　him　back。
　　He　re…entered　the　council…chamber。　The　first　thing　he　caught　sight　of　was　the　knob　of　the　door。
　　This　knob；　which　was　round　and　of　polished　brass；　shone　like　a　terrible　star　for　him。　He　gazed　at　it　as　a　lamb　might　gaze　into　the　eye　of　a　tiger。
　　He　could　not　take　his　eyes　from　it。
　　From　time　to　time　he　advanced　a　step　and　approached　the　door。
　　Had　he　listened；　he　would　have　heard　the　sound　of　the　adjoining　hall　like　a　sort　of　confused　murmur；　but　he　did　not　listen；　and　he　did　not　hear。
　　Suddenly；　without　himself　knowing　how　it　happened；　he　found　himself　near　the　door；　he　grasped　the　knob　convulsively；　the　door　opened。
　　He　was　in　the　court…room。


BOOK　SEVENTH。THE　CHAMPMATHIEU　AFFAIR
CHAPTER　IX　
　　A　PLACE　WHERE　CONVICTIONS　ARE　IN　PROCESS　OF　FORMATION
　　He　advanced　a　pace；　closed　the　door　mechanically　behind　him；　and　remained　standing；　contemplating　what　he　saw。
　　It　was　a　vast　and　badly　lighted　apartment；　now　full　of　uproar；　now　full　of　silence；　where　all　the　apparatus　of　a　criminal　case；　with　its　petty　and　mournful　gravity　in　the　midst　of　the　throng；　was　in　process　of　development。
　　At　the　one　end　of　the　hall；　the　one　where　he　was；　were　judges；　with　abstracted　air；　in　threadbare　robes；　who　were　gnawing　their　nails　or　closing　their　eyelids；　at　the　other　end；　a　ragged　crowd；　lawyers　in　all　sorts　of　attitudes；　soldiers　with　hard　but　honest　faces；　ancient；　spotted　woodwork；　a　dirty　ceiling；　tables　covered　with　serge　that　was　yellow　rather　than　green；　doors　blackened　by　handmarks；　tap…room　lamps　which　emitted　more　smoke　than　light；　suspended　from　nails　in　the　wainscot；　on　the　tables　candles　in　brass　candlesticks；　darkness；　ugliness；　sadness；　and　from　all　this　there　was　disengaged　an　austere　and　august　impression；　for　one　there　felt　that　grand　human　thing　which　is　called　the　law；　and　that　grand　divine　thing　which　is　called　justice。
　　No　one　in　all　that　throng　paid　any　attention　to　him；　all　glances　were　directed　towards　a　single　point；　a　wooden　bench　placed　against　a　small　door；　in　the　stretch　of　wall　on　the　President's　left；　on　this　bench；　illuminated　by　several　candles；　sat　a　man　between　two　gendarmes。
　　This　man　was　the　man。
　　He　did　not　seek　him；　he　saw　him；　his　eyes　went　thither　naturally；　as　though　they　had　known　beforehand　where　that　figure　was。
　　He　thought　he　was　looking　at　himself；　grown　old；　not　absolutely　the　same　in　face；　of　course；　but　exactly　similar　in　attitude　and　aspect；　with　his　bristling　hair；　with　that　wild　and　uneasy　eye；　with　that　blouse；　just　as　it　was　on　the　day　when　he　entered　D；　full　of　hatred；　concealing　his　soul　in　that　hideous　mass　of　frightful　thoughts　which　he　had　s