雨果 悲惨世界 英文版1-第78部分

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　　A　quarter　of　a　league　further　on；　he　arrived　at　the　bottom　of　alittle　valley；　where　there　is　water　which　passes　beneath　an　archmade　through　the　embankment　of　the　road。　The　clump　of　sparselyplanted　but　very　green　trees；　which　fills　the　valley　on　one　side　ofthe　road；　is　dispersed　over　the　meadows　on　the　other；　and　disappearsgracefully　and　as　in　order　in　the　direction　of　Braine…l'Alleud。
　　On　the　right；　close　to　the　road；　was　an　inn；　with　a　four…wheeled　cartat　the　door；　a　large　bundle　of　hop…poles；　a　plough；　a　heap　of　driedbrushwood　near　a　flourishing　hedge；　lime　smoking　in　a　square　hole；and　a　ladder　suspended　along　an　old　penthouse　with　straw　partitions。　A　young　girl　was　weeding　in　a　field；　where　a　huge　yellow　poster；probably　of　some　outside　spectacle；　such　as　a　parish　festival；was　fluttering　in　the　wind。　At　one　corner　of　the　inn；　beside　a　poolin　which　a　flotilla　of　ducks　was　navigating；　a　badly　paved　path　plungedinto　the　bushes。　The　wayfarer　struck　into　this。
　　After　traversing　a　hundred　paces；　skirting　a　wall　of　thefifteenth　century；　surmounted　by　a　pointed　gable；　with　bricks　setin　contrast；　he　found　himself　before　a　large　door　of　arched　stone；with　a　rectilinear　impost；　in　the　sombre　style　of　Louis　XIV。；　flankedby　two　flat　medallions。　A　severe　facade　rose　above　this　door；a　wall；　perpendicular　to　the　facade；　almost　touched　the　door；and　flanked　it　with　an　abrupt　right　angle。　In　the　meadowbefore　the　door　lay　three　harrows；　through　which；　in　disorder；grew　all　the　flowers　of　May。　The　door　was　closed。　The　two　decrepitleaves　which　barred　it　were　ornamented　with　an　old　rusty　knocker。
　　The　sun　was　charming；　the　branches　had　that　soft　shivering　of　May；which　seems　to　proceed　rather　from　the　nests　than　from　the　wind。　A　brave　little　bird；　probably　a　lover；　was　carolling　in　a　distractedmanner　in　a　large　tree。
　　The　wayfarer　bent　over　and　examined　a　rather　large　circular　excavation；resembling　the　hollow　of　a　sphere；　in　the　stone　on　the　left；at　the　foot　of　the　pier　of　the　door。
　　At　this　moment　the　leaves　of　the　door　parted；　and　a　peasantwoman　emerged。
　　She　saw　the　wayfarer；　and　perceived　what　he　was　looking　at。
　　〃It　was　a　French　cannon…ball　which　made　that；〃　she　said　to　him。　And　she　added：
　　〃That　which　you　see　there；　higher　up　in　the　door；　near　a　nail；is　the　hole　of　a　big　iron　bullet　as　large　as　an　egg。　The　bullet　didnot　pierce　the　wood。〃
　　〃What　is　the　name　of　this　place？〃　inquired　the　wayfarer。
　　〃Hougomont；〃　said　the　peasant　woman。
　　The　traveller　straightened　himself　up。　He　walked　on　a　few　paces；and　went　off　to　look　over　the　tops　of　the　hedges。　On　the　horizonthrough　the　trees；　he　perceived　a　sort　of　little　elevation；and　on　this　elevation　something　which　at　that　distance　resembleda　lion。
　　He　was　on　the　battle…field　of　Waterloo。


BOOK　FIRST。…WATERLOO
CHAPTER　II　
　　HOUGOMONT
　　　Hougomont；this　was　a　funereal　spot；　the　beginning　of　the　obstacle；　the　first　resistance；　which　that　great　wood…cutter　of　Europe；　called　Napoleon；　encountered　at　Waterloo；　the　first　knot　under　the　blows　of　his　axe。
　　It　was　a　chateau；　it　is　no　longer　anything　but　a　farm。
　　For　the　antiquary；　Hougomont　is　Hugomons。
　　This　manor　was　built　by　Hugo；　Sire　of　Somerel；　the　same　who　endowed　the　sixth　chaplaincy　of　the　Abbey　of　Villiers。
　　The　traveller　pushed　open　the　door；　elbowed　an　ancient　calash　under　the　porch；　and　entered　the　courtyard。
　　The　first　thing　which　struck　him　in　this　paddock　was　a　door　of　the　sixteenth　century；　which　here　simulates　an　arcade；　everything　else　having　fallen　prostrate　around　it。
　　A　monumental　aspect　often　has　its　birth　in　ruin。
　　In　a　wall　near　the　arcade　opens　another　arched　door；　of　the　time　of　Henry　IV。；　permitting　a　glimpse　of　the　trees　of　an　orchard；　beside　this　door；　a　manure…hole；　some　pickaxes；　some　shovels；　some　carts；　an　old　well；　with　its　flagstone　and　its　iron　reel；　a　chicken　jumping；　and　a　turkey　spreading　its　tail；　a　chapel　surmounted　by　a　small　bell…tower；　a　blossoming　pear…tree　trained　in　espalier　against　the　wall　of　the　chapelbehold　the　court；　the　conquest　of　which　was　one　of　Napoleon's　dreams。
　　This　corner　of　earth；　could　he　but　have　seized　it；　would；　perhaps；　have　given　him　the　world　likewise。
　　Chickens　are　scattering　its　dust　abroad　with　their　beaks。
　　A　growl　is　audible；　it　is　a　huge　dog；　who　shows　his　teeth　and　replaces　the　English。
　　The　English　behaved　admirably　there。
　　Cooke's　four　panies　of　guards　there　held　out　for　seven　hours　against　the　fury　of　an　army。
　　Hougomont　viewed　on　the　map；　as　a　geometrical　plan；　prising　buildings　and　enclosures；　presents　a　sort　of　irregular　rectangle；　one　angle　of　which　is　nicked　out。
　　It　is　this　angle　which　contains　the　southern　door；　guarded　by　this　wall；　which　mands　it　only　a　gun's　length　away。
　　Hougomont　has　two　doors；the　southern　door；　that　of　the　chateau；　and　the　northern　door；　belonging　to　the　farm。　Napoleon　sent　his　brother　Jerome　against　Hougomont；　the　divisions　of　Foy；　Guilleminot；　and　Bachelu　hurled　themselves　against　it；　nearly　the　entire　corps　of　Reille　was　employed　against　it；　and　miscarried；　Kellermann's　balls　were　exhausted　on　this　heroic　section　of　wall。　Bauduin's　brigade　was　not　strong　enough　to　force　Hougomont　on　the　north；　and　the　brigade　of　Soye　could　not　do　more　than　effect　the　beginning　of　a　breach　on　the　south；　but　without　taking　it。
　　The　farm　buildings　border　the　courtyard　on　the　south。
　　A　bit　of　the　north　door；　broken　by　the　French；　hangs　suspended　to　the　wall。　It　consists　of　four　planks　nailed　to　two　cross…beams；　on　which　the　scars　of　the　attack　are　visible。
　　The　northern　door；　which　was　beaten　in　by　the　French；　and　which　has　had　a　piece　applied　to　it　to　replace　the　panel　suspended　on　the　wall；　stands　half…open　at　the　bottom　of　the　paddock；　it　is　cut　squarely　in　the　wall；　built　of　stone　below；　of　brick　above　which　closes　in　the　courtyard　on　the　north。
　　It　is　a　simple　door　for　carts；　such　as　exist　in　all　farms；　with　the　two　large　leaves　made　of　rustic　planks：　beyond　lie　the　meadows。
　　The　dispute　over　this　entrance　was　furious。　For　a　long　time；　all　sorts　of　imprints　of　bloody　hands　were　visible　on　the　door…posts。　It　was　there　that　Bauduin　was　killed。
　　The　storm　of　the　bat　still　lingers　in　this　courtyard；　its　horror　is　visible　there；　the　confusion　of　the　fray　was　petrified　there；　it　lives　and　it　dies　there；　it　was　only　yesterday。
　　The　walls　are　in　the　death　agony；　the　stones　fall；　the　breaches　cry　aloud；　the　holes　are　wounds；　the　drooping；　quivering　trees　seem　to　be　making　an　effort　to　flee。
　　This　courtyard　was　more　built　up　in　1815　than　it　is　to…day。　Buildings　which　have　since　been　pulled　down　then　formed　redans　and　angles。
　　The　English　barricaded　themselves　there；　the　French　made　their　way　in；　but　could　not　stand　their　ground。
　　Beside　the　chapel；　one　wing　of　the　chateau；　the　only　ruin　now　remaining　of　the　manor　of　Hougomont；　rises　in　a　crumbling　state；disembowelled；　one　might　say。　
The　chateau　served　for　a　dungeon；　the　chapel　for　a　block…house。　There　men　exterminated　each　other。
　　The　French；　fired　on　from　every　point；from　behind　the　walls；　from　the　summits　of　the　garrets；　from　the　depths　of　the　cellars；　through　all　the　casements；　through　all　the　air…holes；　through　every　crack　in　the　stones；　fetched　fagots　and　set　fire　to　walls　and　men；　the　reply　to　the　grape…shot　was　a　conflagration。
　　In　the　ruined　wing；　through　windows　garnished　with　bars　of　iron；　the　dismantled　chambers　of　the　main　building　of　brick　are　visible；　the　English　guards　were　in　ambush　in　these　rooms；　the　spiral　of　the　staircase；　cracked　from　the　ground　floor　to　the　very　roof；　appears　like　the　inside　of　a　broken　shell。
　　The　staircase　has　two　stories；　the　English；　besieged　on　the　staircase；　and　massed　on　its　upper　steps；　had　cut　off　the　lower　steps。
　　These　consisted　of　large　slabs　of　blue　stone；　which　form　a　heap　among　the　nettles。
　　Half　a　score　of　steps　still　cling　to　the　wall；　on　the　first　is　cut　the　figure　of　a　trident。
　　These　inaccessible　steps　are　solid　in　their　niches。　All　the　rest　resembles　a　jaw　which　has　been　denuded　of　its　teeth。　There　are　two　old　trees　there：
　　one　is　dead；　the　other　is　wounded　at　its　base；　and　is　clothed　with　verdure　in　April。
　　Since　1815　it　has　taken　to　growing　through　the　staircase。
　　A　massacre　took　place　in　the　chapel。
　　The　interior；　which　has　recovered　its　calm；　is　singular。
　　The　mass　has　not　been　said　there　since　the　carnage。
　　Nevertheless；　the　altar　has　been　left　there　an　altar　of　unpolished　wood；　placed　against　a　background　of　roughhewn　stone。
　　Four　whitewashed　walls；　a　door　opposite　the　altar；　two　small　arched　windows；　over　the　door　a　large　wooden　crucifix；　below　the　crucifix　a　square　air…hole　stopped　up　with　a　bundle　of　hay；　on　the　ground；　in　one　corner；　an　old　window…frame　with　the　glass　all　broken　to　piecessuch　is　the　chapel。
　　Near　the　altar　there　is　nailed　up　a　wooden　statue　of　Saint　Anne；　of　the　fifteenth　century；　the　head　of　the　infant　Jesus　has　been　carried　off　by　a　large　ball。　The　French；　who　were　masters　of　the　chapel　for　a　moment；　and　were　then　dislodged；　set　fire　to　it。
　　The　flames　filled　this　building；　it　was　a　perfect　furnace；　the　door　was　burned；　the　floor　was