屋顶间的哲学家_梭维斯特-第23部分
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withthesewordshewentaway；andhisbrother；leftalone；begantocrybitterly。hisfather；whoheardhim；immediatelyrantohim；andtriedtoconsolehimbypromisingtogivehimwhateverhedesired。
〃canyougivemesight？〃askedthechild。
〃fatedoesnotpermitit；〃saidthemagician。
〃then；〃criedtheblindboy；eagerly；〃iaskyoutoputoutthesun！〃
whoknowswhethermypridehasnotprovokedthesamewishonthepartofsomeoneofmybrotherswhodoesnotsee？
buthowmuchoftenerhaveierredthroughlevityandwantofthought！
howmanyresolutionshaveitakenatrandom！howmanyjudgmentshaveipronouncedforthesakeofawitticism！howmanymischiefshaveinotdonewithoutanysenseofmyresponsibility！thegreaterpartofmenharmoneanotherforthesakeofdoingsomething。welaughatthehonorofone；andpromisethereputationofanother；likeanidlemanwhosauntersalongahedgerow；breakingtheyoungbranchesanddestroyingthemostbeautifulflowers。
and；nevertheless；itisbythisverythoughtlessnessthatthefameofsomemeniscreated。itrisesgradually；likeoneofthosemysteriousmoundsinbarbarouscountries；towhichastoneisaddedbyeverypasserby；eachonebringssomethingatrandom；andaddsitashepasses；withoutbeingablehimselftoseewhetherheisraisingapedestaloragibbet。whowilldarelookbehindhim；toseehisrashjudgmentshelduptheretoview？
sometimeagoiwaswalkingalongtheedgeofthegreenmoundonwhichthemontmartretelegraphstands。belowme；alongoneofthezigzagpathswhichwindupthehill；amanandagirlwereingup；andarrestedmyattention。themanworeashaggycoat；whichgavehimsomeresemblancetoawildbeast；andheheldathickstickinhishand；withwhichhedescribedvariousstrangefiguresintheair。hespokeveryloud；andinavoicewhichseemedtomeconvulsedwithpassion。heraisedhiseyeseverynowandthenwithanexpressionofsavageharshness；anditappearedtomethathewasreproachingandthreateningthegirl；andthatshewaslisteningtohimwithasubmissivenesswhichtouchedmyheart。
twoorthreetimessheventuredafewwords；doubtlessintheattempttojustifyherself；butthemaninthegreatcoatbeganagainimmediatelywithhisloudandangryvoice；hissavagelooks；andhisthreateningevolutionsintheair。ifollowedhimwithmyeyes；vainlyendeavoringtocatchawordashepassed；untilhedisappearedbehindthehill。
ihadevidentlyjustseenoneofthosedomestictyrantswhosesullentempersareexcitedbythepatienceoftheirvictims；andwho；thoughtheyhavethepowertobeethebeneficentgodsofafamily；chooserathertobetheirtormentors。
icursedtheunknownsavageinmyheart；andifeltindignantthatthesecrimesagainstthesacredpeaceofhomecouldnotbepunishedastheydeserve；wheniheardhisvoiceapproachingnearer。hehadturnedthepath；andsoonappearedbeforemeatthetopoftheslope。
thefirstglance；andhisfirstwords；explainedeverythingtome：inplaceofwhatihadtakenforthefurioustonesandterriblelooksofanangryman；andtheattitudeofafrightenedvictim；ihadbeforemeonlyanhonestcitizen；whosquintedandstuttered；butwhowasexplainingthemanagementofsilkwormstohisattentivedaughter。
iturnedhomeward；smilingatmymistake；butbeforeireachedmyfaubourgisawacrowdrunning；iheardcallsforhelp；andeveryfingerpointedinthesamedirectiontoadistantcolumnofflame。
amanufactoryhadtakenfire；andeverybodywasrushingforwardtoassistinextinguishingit。
ihesitated。nightwasingon；ifelttired；afavoritebookwasawaitingme；ithoughttherewouldbenowantofhelp；andiwentonmyway。
justbeforeihaderredfromwantofconsideration；nowitwasfromselfishnessandcowardice。
butwhat！haveinotonathousandotheroccasionsforgottenthedutieswhichbindustoourfellowmen？isthisthefirsttimeihaveavoidedpayingsocietywhatioweit？haveinotalwaysbehavedtomypanionswithinjustice；andlikethelion？haveinotclaimedsuccessivelyeveryshare？ifanyoneissoill…advisedastoaskmetoreturnsomelittleportion；igetprovoked；iamangry；itrytoescapefromitbyeverymeans。howmanytimes；whenihaveperceivedabeggarsittinghuddledupattheendofthestreet；haveinotgoneoutofmyway；forfearthatpassionwouldimpoverishmebyforcingmetobecharitable！howoftenhaveidoubtedthemisfortunesofothers；thatimightwithjusticehardenmyheartagainstthem。
withwhatsatisfactionhaveisometimesverifiedthevicesofthepoorman；inordertoshowthathismiseryisthepunishmenthedeserves！
oh！letusnotgofarther鈥斺�攍etusnotgofarther！iinterruptedthedoctorsexamination；buthowmuchsadderisthisone！wepitythediseasesofthebody；weshudderatthoseofthesoul。
iwashappilydisturbedinmyreveriebymyneighbor；theoldsoldier。
nowithinkofit；iseemalwaystohaveseen；duringmyfever；thefigureofthisgoodoldman；sometimesleaningagainstmybed；andsometimessittingathistable；surroundedbyhissheetsofpasteboard。
hehasjusteinwithhisglue…pot；hisquireofgreenpaper；andhisgreatscissors。icalledhimbyhisname；heutteredajoyfulexclamation；andcamenearme。
〃well！sothebulletisfoundagain！〃criedhe；takingmytwohandsintothemaimedonewhichwaslefthim；〃ithasnotbeenwithouttrouble；icantellyou；thecampaignhasbeenlongenoughtowintwoclaspsin。
ihaveseennofewfellowswiththefeverbatterwindmillsduringmyhospitaldays：atleipsic；ihadaneighborwhofanciedachimneywasonfireinhisstomach；andwhowasalwayscallingforthefire…engines；butthethirddayitallwentoutofitself。butwithyouithaslastedtwenty…eightdays鈥斺�攁slongasoneofthelittlecorporalscampaigns。〃
〃iamnotmistakenthen；youwerenearme？〃
〃well！ihadonlytocrossthepassage。thislefthandhasnotmadeyouabadnurseforwantoftheright；but；bah！youdidnotknowwhathandgaveyoudrink；anditdidnotpreventthatbeggarofafeverfrombeingdrowned鈥斺�攆oralltheworldlikeponiatowskiintheelster。〃
theoldsoldierbegantolaugh；andi；feelingtoomuchaffectedtospeak；pressedhishandagainstmybreast。hesawmyemotion；andhastenedtoputanendtoit。
〃by…the…bye；youknowthatfromto…dayyouhavearighttodrawyourrationsagain；〃resumedhegayly；〃fourmeals；likethegermanmeinherrs鈥斺�攏othingmore！thedoctorisyourhousesteward。〃
〃wemustfindthecook；too；〃repliedi；withasmile。
〃sheisfound；〃saidtheveteran。
〃whoisshe？〃
〃genevieve。〃
〃thefruit…woman？〃
〃whileiamtalkingsheiscookingforyou；neighbor；anddonotfearhersparingeitherbutterortrouble。aslongaslifeanddeathwerefightingforyou；thehonestwomanpassedhertimeingoingupanddownstairstolearnwhichwaythebattlewent。and；stay；iamsurethisisshe。〃
infactweheardstepsinthepassage；andhewenttoopenthedoor。
〃oh；well！〃continuedhe；〃itismothermillot；ourportress；anotherofyourgoodfriends；neighbor；andwhosepoulticesiremendtoyou。
ein；mothermillot鈥斺�攅in；wearequitebonnyboysthismorning；andreadytostepaminuetifwehadourdancing…shoes。〃
theportresscamein；quitedelighted。shebroughtmylinen；washedandmendedbyherself；withalittlebottleofspanishwine；thegiftofhersailorson；andkeptforgreatoccasions。iwouldhavethankedher；butthegoodwomanimposedsilenceuponme；underthepretextthatthedoctorhadforbiddenmetospeak。isawherarrangeeverythinginmydrawers；theneatappearanceofwhichstruckme；anattentivehandhadevidentlybeenthere；anddaybydayputstraighttheunavoidabledisorderconsequentonsickness。
asshefinished；genevievearrivedwithmydinner；shewasfollowedbymotherdenis；themilk…womanovertheway；whohadlearned；atthesametime；thedangerihadbeenin；andthatiwasnowbeginningtobeconvalescent。thegoodsavoyardbroughtmeanew…laidegg；whichsheherselfwishedtoseemeeat。
itwasnecessarytorelateminutelyallmyillnesstoher。ateverydetailsheutteredloudexclamations；then；whentheportresswarnedhertobelessnoisy；sheexcusedherselfinawhisper。theymadeacirclearoundmetoseemeeatmydinner；eachmouthfulitookwasacpaniedbytheirexpressionsofsatisfactionandthankfulness。neverhadthekingoffrance；whenhedinedinpublic；excitedsuchadmirationamongthespectators。
astheyweretakingthedinneraway；mycolleague；theoldcashier；enteredinhisturn。
icouldnotpreventmyheartbeatingasirecognizedhim。howwouldtheheadsofthefirmlookuponmyabsence；andwhatdidheetotellme？
iwaitedwithinexpressibleanxietyforhimtospeak；buthesatdownbyme；tookmyhand；andbeganrejoicingovermyrecovery；withoutsayingawordaboutourmasters。icouldnotendurethisuncertaintyanylonger。
〃andthemessieursdurmer；〃askedi；hesitatingly；〃howhavetheytaken鈥斺�攖heinterruptiontomywork？〃
〃therehasbeennointerruption；〃repliedtheoldclerk；quietly。
〃whatdoyoumean？〃
〃eachoneintheofficetookashareofyourduty；allhasgoneonasusual；andthemessieursdurmerhaveperceivednodifference。〃
thiswastoomuch。aftersomanyinstancesofaffection；thisfilledupthemeasure。icouldnotrestrainmytears。
thusthefewservicesihadbeenabletodoforothershadbeenacknowledgedbythemahundredfold！ihadsownalittleseed；andeverygrainhadfallenongoodground；andbroughtforthawholesheaf。ah！
thispletesthelessonthedoctorgaveme。ifitistruethatthediseases；whetherofthemindorbody；arethefruitofourfolliesandourvices；sympathyandaffectionarealsotherewardsofourhavingdoneourduty。everyoneofus；withgodshelp；andwithinthenarrowlimitsofhumancapability；himselfmakeshisowndisposition；character；andpermanentcondition。
everybodyisgone；theoldsoldierhasbroughtmebackmyflowersandmybirds；andtheyaremyonlypanions。thesettingsunreddensmyhalf…closedcurtainswithitslastrays。mybrainisclear；andmyheartlighter。athinmistfloatsbeforemyeyes；andifeelmyselfinthathappystatewhichprecedesarefreshingsleep。
yonder；oppositethebed；thepalegoddessinherdraperyofathousandchangingcolors；andwithherwitheredgarland；againappearsbeforeme；butthistimeiholdoutmyhandtoherwithagratefulsmile。
〃adieu；belovedyear！whomibutnowunjustlyaccused。thatwhichihavesufferedmustnotbelaidtothee；forthouwastbutatractthroughwhichgodhadmarkedoutmyroad鈥斺�攁groundwhereih
