茶花女-第06章
I FOUND Armand in bed.
When he saw me, he held out his hand. It was hot.
'You have a temperature, ' I said.
'It won't come to anything? the fatigue of a hurried journey, nothing more.'
'Have you come from Marguerite's sister's?'
'Yes, who told you?'
'I just know. And did you get what you wanted?'
'Yes, again. But who told you about my journey and my reasons for making it?'
'The gardener at the cemetery.'
'You saw the grave?'
I scarcely dared answer, for the tone of these words convinced me that the person who had said them was still in the grip of the same distress I had already witnessed, and that every time his thoughts or something that someone said brought him back to this painful subject, then for a long time to come, his emotions would go on getting the better of his will.
I settled therefore for answering with a nod.
'Has he taken good care of it?' continued Armand.
Two large tears rolled down the sick man's cheeks, and he turned his head away to hide them from me. I pretended not to notice and tried to change the subject.
'You've been away three weeks, ' I said.
Armand passed his hand over his eyes and answered:
'Three weeks exactly.'
'It was a long journey, then.'
'Oh！ I wasn't travelling all the time. I was ill for a fortnight. Otherwise I would have been back long ago; but I'd only just arrived when a bout of fever got me and I was forced to keep to my room.
'And you set off again without being fully fit.'
'If I'd stayed another week in that place, I would have died there.'
'But now you're back, you must look after yourself. Your friends will call to see you. And I shall be the first among them, if you'll allow me.'
'In two hours I shall get up.'
'This is most unwise！'
'I must.'
'What have you to do that's so urgent?'
'I have a call to pay on the superintendent of police.'
'Why not let someone else see to a matter that may well make you more ill than you are now?'
'It's the only thing that can make me well. I must see her. Ever since I've known she was dead, and especially since seeing her grave, I haven't been able to sleep. I cannot conceive that the woman I left so young and beautiful can really be dead. I must check for myself. I have to see what God has done with a being I loved so very much, and then perhaps the loathesomeness of the sight will chase away the despair of my memories; you will come with me, won't you...unless you'd find it too tiresome?'
'What did her sister tell you?'
'Nothing. She seemed very surprised that a stranger should wish to buy a burial plot and have a headstone put up to Marguerite, and she signed the authorization I asked her for at once.'
'Take my advice: wait until you are properly fit before having the body transferred.'
'Oh！ Don't worry: I shall be strong. Anyway I should go mad if I didn't get what I've decided over and done with as quickly as possible: the need to see it through has become part of my grief. I swear to you that I shall not rest easy until I've seen Marguerite. It may be a craving of the fever which burns in me, a dream born of sleepless nights, an effect of my ravings; but even if I have to become a Trappist monk first to manage it, then like Monsieur de Rance, once I have seen, I shall see.'
'I can understand that, ' I told Armand, 'and you have my complete support. Did you see Julie Duprat?'
'Yes. Oh, I saw her the day I got back, the first time I returned.'
'Did she hand over the papers which Marguerite had left for you?'
'They're here.'
Armand pulled a roll of papers from beneath his pillow, then put it back immediately.
'I know what these papers contain by heart, ' he said. 'These last three weeks, I have re-read them ten times each day. You shall read them too, but later, when I'm calmer and can make you understand how much feeling and love this confession reveals. For the moment, I have a favour to ask you.'
'What is it?'
'You have a carriage downstairs?'
'Yes.'
'Well, would you be so good as to take my passport, call at the bureau and ask if they are holding any letters for me poste restante? My father and my sister must have written to me here in Paris, and I left in such a hurry that I didn't take time to see before I set off. When you get back, we'll go together to inform the police superintendent of tomorrow's ceremony.'
Armand handed me his passport and I went round to the rue Jean- Jacques-Roussear.
There were two letters in the name of Duval. I picked them up and returned.
When I reappeared, Armand was fully dressed and ready to go out.
'Thank you, 'he said, taking the letters. 'Yes, ' he added, after glancing at the addresses, 'yes, they are from my father and my sister. They must have been totally mystified by my silence.'
He opened the letters and guessed at, rather than read their contents, for each was four pages long, and after a moment he folded them up again.
'Let's be off, ' he said, 'I'll reply tomorrow.'
We went to see the superintendent of police, and Armand handed over Marguerite's sister's letter of attorney.
In return, the superintendent gave him an advice note for the cemetery keeper; it was agreed that the transfer of the remains should take place the following day at ten in the morning, that I should come and collect him an hour beforehand and that we would drive to the cemetery together.
I too was curious to be present at the spectacle, and I confess I did not sleep that night.
Judging by the thoughts which assailed me, it must have been a long night for Armand.
When I entered his apartment at nine the following morning, he was horribly pale, but appeared calm.
He smiled at me and held out his hand.
His candles had burned right down and, before leaving, Armand picked up a very thick letter, addressed to his father, which had doubtless been the confidant of the night's reflections.
Half an hour later, we were at Montmartre.
The superintendent was already waiting for us.
We made our way slowly in the direction of Marguerite's grave. The superintendent led the way, Armand and I following a few paces behind.
From time to time, I felt my companion's arm tremble convulsively, as though a series of shudders had suddenly coursed through him. When this happened, I would look at him; he understood my look and smiled at me, but from the time we left his apartment we had not exchanged a single word.
Armand stopped just short of the grave to wipe his face which was streaming with large drops of perspiration.
I took advantage of the halt to catch my breath, for I myself felt as though my heart was being squeezed in a vice.
Why is it that we should find a mixture of pain and pleasure in sights of this kind? By the time we reached the grave, the gardener had taken the pots of flowers away, the iron railings had been removed and two men were digging with picks.
Armand leaned against a tree and watched.
The whole of his life seemed to be concentrated in those eyes of his.
Suddenly, one of the picks grated on a stone.
At the sound, Armand recoiled as though from an electric shock, and he grasped my hand with such strength that he hurt me.
One grave-digger took a wide shovel and little by little emptied the grave; when there remained only the stones which are always used to cover the coffin, he threw them out one by one.
I kept an eye on Armand, for I was afraid that his sensations, which he was visibly repressing, might get the better of him at any moment; but he went on watching, his eyes fixed and staring like a madman's, and a slight twitching of the cheeks and lips was the only indication of a violent nervous crisis.
For my own part, I can say only one thing: that I regretted having come.
When the coffin was completely exposed, the superintendent said to the grave-Diggers:
'Open it up.'
The men obeyed, as though it were the most ordinary thing in the world.
The coffin was made of oak, and they set about unscrewing the upper panel which served as a lid. The dampness of the earth had rusted the screws, and it was not without considerable effort that the coffin was opened. A foul odour emerged, despite the aromatic herbs with which it had been strewn.
'Dear God！ Dear God！' Armand murmured, and he grew paler than ever.
The grave-diggers themselves stepped back a pace.
A large white winding-sheet covered the corpse and partly outlined its misshapen contours. This shroud had been completely eaten away at one end, and allowed one of the dead woman's feet to protrude.
I was very near to feeling sick, and even now as I write these lines, the memory of this scene comes back to me in all its solemn reality.
'Let's get on with it, ' said the superintendent.
At this, one of the men reached out his hand, began unstitching the shroud and, seizing it by one end suddenly uncovered Marguerite's face.
It was terrible to behold and it is horrible to relate.
The eyes were simply two holes, the lips had gone, and the white teeth were clenched. The long, dry, black hair was stuck over the temples and partly veiled the green hollows of the cheeks, and yet in this face I recognized the pink and white, vivacious face which I had seen so often.
Armand, helpless to avert his eyes from her countenance, had put his handkerchief to his mouth and was biting on it.
As for me, I felt as though my head was being constricted by an iron band: a mist settled over my eyes, my ears were filled with buzzing noises, and it was as much as I could manage to open a small bottle I had brought with me just in case, and take deep breaths of the salts which it contained.
At the height of my dizziness, I heard the superintendent say to Monsieur Duval:
'Do you identify the body?'
'Yes, ' the young man answered dully.
'All right, close it up and take it away, ' the superintendent said.
The grave-diggers pulled the shroud back over the dead woman's face, closed up the coffin, took one end each and headed for the spot which had been pointed out to them.
Armand did not move. His eyes were riveted on the empty grave: he was as pale as the corpse which we had just seen...He might have been turned to stone.
I saw what would happen when, away from this scene, his grief subsided and would consequently be no longer able to sustain him.
I went up to the superintendent.
'Is the presence of this gentleman, ' I said, gesturing towards Armand, 'required for anything else?'
'No, ' he said, ' and I would strongly advise you to take him away, for he seems to be unwell.'
'Come, ' I said to Armand, taking him by the arm.
'What? ' he said, looking at me as though he did not recognize me.
'It's over, ' I added, ' you must come away, my friend. You look pale, you're cold, you'll kill yourself with such emotions.'
'You're right, let's go, ' he replied mechanically, but without moving one step.
So I took him by the arm and dragged him away.
He allowed himself to be led off like a little child, merely muttering from time to time:
'Did you see the eyes?'
And he turned round as though the sight of them had called him back.
But his stride became jerky; he no longer seemed capable of walking without staggering; his teeth chattered, his hands were cold, violent nervous convulsions took possession of his entire body.
I spoke to him; he did not reply.
It was as he could do to allow himself to be led.
At the gate, we found a cab. And none too soon.
He had scarcely sat down inside, when the trembling grew stronger, and he had a severe nervous seizure. Through it, his fears of alarming me made him murmur as he pressed my hand:
'It's nothing, nothing, I simply want to weep.'
And I heard him take deep breaths, and the blood rushed to his eyes, but the tears would not come.
I made him inhale from the smelling bottle which had helped me and, by the time we reached his apartment, only the trembling was still in evidence.
I put him to bed with the help of his servant, ordered a large fire to be lit in his bedroom, and hurried off to fetch my own doctor to whom I explained what had just happened.
He came at once.
Armand was blue in the face. He was raving and stammering disconnected words through which only the name of Marguerite could be distinctly heard.
'How is he?' I asked the doctor when he had examined the patient.
'Well now, he has brain fever, no more and no less, and it's as well for him. For I do believe that otherwise, God forgive me, he would have gone mad. Fortunately, his physical sickness will drive out his mental sickness, and most likely in a month he will be out of danger from both of them.'
我去看阿尔芒的时候，他正躺在床上。
他一看见我，就向我伸出滚烫的手。
鈥溎诜⑸眨�澪叶运怠�
鈥溍皇拢皇锹飞细系锰保械狡＠桶樟恕ｂ��
鈥溎勇旮窭鎏亟憬慵依锘乩绰穑库��
鈥準前。嫠吣模库��
鈥溛乙丫懒耍氚斓氖绿赋闪寺穑库��
鈥溙赋闪耍牵嫠吣页雒帕耍克嫠吣页雒湃ジ墒裁吹模库��
鈥湽沟脑岸 ｂ��
鈥溎吹侥亲啬沽寺穑库��
我简直不敢回答，因为他讲这句话的声调说明他的心情还是非常痛苦，就像我上次看到他的时候一样。每当他自己的思想或者别人的谈话触及这个使他伤心的话题时，他那激动的心情会有很长一段时间不能自持。
因此我只是点点头，表示我已去过。
鈥湻啬拐展艿煤芎冒桑库�澃⒍⒔幼潘怠�
两大滴泪珠顺着病人的脸颊滚落下来，他转过头去避开我，我装着没有看见，试着把话岔开，换一件别的事情谈谈。
鈥溎雒乓丫腥鲂瞧诹税桑�澪叶运怠�
阿尔芒用手擦擦眼睛，回答我说：鈥溦鲂瞧凇ｂ��
鈥溎穆贸毯艹つ摹ｂ��
鈥湴。也⒉皇且恢痹诼飞希也×肆礁鲂瞧冢裨蛭以缇突乩戳耍墒俏乙坏侥抢锞头⑵鹕绽矗缓么粼诜考淅铩ｂ��
鈥溎』姑挥型耆镁突乩蠢病ｂ��
鈥溔绻僭谀嵌啻弦桓鲂瞧冢蛔嘉揖鸵涝谀嵌恕ｂ��
鈥湶还衷谀丫乩戳耍蔷陀Ω煤煤帽Ｖ厣硖澹呐笥衙腔崂纯赐摹Ｈ绻獾幕埃揖退闶堑谝桓隼纯茨呐笥寻伞ｂ��
鈥溤俟叫∈保揖鸵鸫病ｂ��
鈥溎悄笆Ю玻♀��
鈥溛乙欢ǖ闷鹄础ｂ��
鈥溎惺裁醇笔乱欤库��
鈥溛冶匦氲骄つ嵌ヒ淮巍ｂ��
鈥溛裁茨晃斜鹑巳グ煺饧履兀磕鬃匀グ旎峒又啬牟〉摹ｂ��
鈥溨挥邪炝苏饧虏拍苤魏梦业牟。曳且幻娌豢伞４游抑浪懒艘院螅绕涫强吹剿姆啬挂院螅以僖菜蛔帕恕Ｎ也荒芟胂笤谖颐欠掷氲氖焙蚧鼓敲茨昵帷⒛敲雌恋墓媚锞谷灰丫辉谌耸馈Ｎ乙欢ㄒ籽劭醇拍芟嘈拧Ｎ乙欢ㄒ纯刺熘靼盐艺饷葱陌娜伺闪耸裁囱樱残碚飧鍪谷丝志宓木跋蠡嶂斡夷潜吹乃寄钪椤Ｄ阄乙黄鹑ィ貌缓茫库�︹�θ绻惶盅嵴饫嗍碌幕啊ｂ��
鈥溗憬愣阅盗诵┦裁矗库��
鈥準裁匆裁挥兴担接幸桓瞿吧艘蛞豢榈靥媛旮窭鎏卦煲蛔啬梗械椒浅＞妫砩暇屯饬宋业囊螅谑谌ㄊ樯锨┝嗣ｂ��
鈥溙业幕埃饶⊥耆昧艘院笤偃グ煺饧ㄔ岬氖掳伞ｂ��
鈥湴Γ敕判陌桑一岷闷鹄吹摹Ｔ偎担绻也怀孟衷谟芯鲂牡氖焙颍辖舭颜饧虑榘炝耍铱赡芑岱⒎璧模炝苏饧虏拍苤斡业耐纯唷Ｎ蚁蚰⑹模挥性诳匆谎勐旮窭鎏匾院螅也呕崞骄蚕吕础Ｕ饪赡苁欠⒏呱帐钡目誓睿幻咧沟幕妹危尥⒆魇钡姆从Γ恢劣谠诳吹剿螅沂遣皇腔嵯窭嗜傧壬茄晌桓隹嘈奘浚且鹊揭院笤偎盗恕ｂ��
①朗塞（１６２６１７００）：年轻时生活放荡，在他的情妇蒙巴宗夫人死后，他就笃信宗教，成了一个苦修士。
鈥溦馕叶茫�澪叶园⒍⑺担�溤肝Ю停荒吹街炖掀绽挥校库��
鈥溈醇恕０。【驮谖疑洗位乩吹哪且惶炜醇摹ｂ��
鈥溗崖旮窭鎏亓粼谒嵌娜占墙桓寺穑库��
鈥溦饩褪恰ｂ��
阿尔芒从枕头下面取出一卷纸，但立刻又把它放了回去。鈥溦庑┤占抢镄吹亩魑叶寄鼙诚吕戳耍�澦晕宜担�溔鲂瞧谝岳矗颐刻於家颜庑┤占悄钌鲜幢椤Ｄ院笠部梢钥纯矗俟柑欤任疑晕⑵骄惨恍任夷芄话颜庑┤占抢锩嫘吹挠泄匕楹湍谛牡谋戆锥冀馐透保倏窗伞�
鈥溝衷冢乙肽煲患隆ｂ��
鈥準裁词拢库��
鈥溎幸涣境底油Ｔ谙旅姘桑库��
鈥準前 ｂ��
鈥溎敲矗懿荒芮肽昧宋业幕ふ盏接示秩ヒ淮危饰视忻挥屑母业牧艟执斓男偶课业母盖缀兔妹酶业男乓欢ǘ技牡桨屠枥戳耍洗挝依肟屠璧氖焙蚰敲床执伲椴怀隹赵诙碇叭ゴ蛱幌隆５饶ビ示只乩匆院螅颐窃僖黄鹑グ衙魈烨ㄔ岬氖峦ㄖぁｂ��
阿尔芒把护照交给我，我就到让－雅克－卢梭大街去了。
那里有两封给迪瓦尔先生的信，我拿了就回来了。
我回到他家里的时候，阿尔芒已经穿着整齐，准备出门了。
鈥溞恍唬�澦庸哦晕宜担�準前。�澦戳丝葱欧馍系牡刂酚纸幼潘担�準前。馐俏腋盖缀臀颐妹眉母业摹Ｋ且欢ㄅ欢椅裁疵挥谢匦拧ｂ��
他打开了信，几乎没有看，只是匆匆扫了一眼，每封信都有四页，一会儿他就把信折了起来。
鈥溛颐亲甙桑�澦晕宜担�溛颐魈煸傩椿匦拧ｂ��
我们到了警长那儿，阿尔芒把玛格丽特姐姐的委托书交给了他。
警长收下委托书，换了一张给公墓看守人的通知书交给他；约定次日上午十点迁葬。我在事前一个小时去找阿尔芒，然后一起去公墓。
我对参加这样一次迁葬也很感兴趣，老实说，我一夜都没睡好。
连我的脑子里都是乱糟糟的，可想而知这一夜对阿尔芒来说是多么漫长啊！
第二天早晨九点钟，我到了他的家里，他脸色苍白得吓人，但神态还算安详。
他对我笑了笑，伸过手来。
几支蜡烛都点完了，在出门之前，阿尔芒拿了一封写给他父亲的厚厚的信，他一定在信里倾诉了他夜里的感想。
半个小时以后，我们到达蒙马特公墓。
警长已经在等我们了。
大家慢慢地向玛格丽特的坟墓走去，警长走在前面，阿尔芒和我在后面几步远的地方跟着。
我觉得我同伴的胳膊在不停地抽搐，像是有一股寒流突然穿过他的全身。因此，我瞧瞧他，他也懂得了我目光的含义，对我微笑了一下。可是从他家里出来后，我们连一句话也不曾交谈过。
快要走到坟前时，阿尔芒停了下来，抹了抹脸上豆大的汗珠。
我也利用这个机会舒了一口气，因为我自己的心也好像给虎钳紧紧地钳住了似的。
在这样痛苦的场合，难道还会有什么乐趣可言！我们来到坟前的时候，园丁已经把所有的花盆移开了，铁栅栏也搬开了，有两个人正在挖土。
阿尔芒靠在一棵树上望着。
仿佛他全部的生命都集中在他那两只眼睛里了。
突然，一把鹤嘴锄触到了石头，发出了刺耳的声音。
一听到这个声音，阿尔芒像遭到电击似的往后一缩，并使劲握住我的手，握得我手也痛了。
一个掘墓人拿起一把巨大的铁铲，一点一点地清除墓穴里的积土；后来，墓穴里只剩下盖在棺材上面的石块，他就一块一块地往外扔。
我一直在观察阿尔芒，时刻担心他那明显克制着的感情会把他压垮；但是他一直在望着，两眼发直，瞪得大大的，像疯子一样，只有从他微微颤抖的脸颊和双唇上才看得出他的神经正处在极度紧张的状态之中。
至于我呢，我能说的只有一件事，那就是我很后悔到这里来。
棺材全部露出来以后，警长对掘墓的工人们说：
鈥湸蚩♀��
这些人就照办了，仿佛这是世界上最简单的一件事。
棺材是橡木制的，他们开始旋取棺材盖上的螺钉，这些螺钉受了地下的潮气都锈住了。好不容易才把棺材打了开来，一股恶臭迎面扑来，尽管棺材四周都是芳香扑鼻的花草。
鈥湴。炷模√炷模♀�澃⒍⑧厮担成┌住�
连掘墓人也向后退了。
一块巨大的白色裹尸布裹着尸体，从外面可以看出尸体的轮廓。尸布的一端几乎完全烂掉了，露出了死者的一只脚。
我差不多要晕过去了，就在我现在写到这几行的时候，这一幕景象似乎仍在眼前。
鈥溛颐强煲坏惆伞ｂ�澗に怠�
两个工人中的一个动手拆开尸布，他抓住一头把尸布掀开，一下子露出了玛格丽特的脸庞。
那模样看着实在怕人，说起来也使人不寒而栗。
一对眼睛只剩下了两个窟窿，嘴唇烂掉了，雪白的牙齿咬得紧紧的，干枯而黑乎乎的长发贴在太阳穴上，稀稀拉拉地掩盖着深深凹陷下去的青灰色的面颊。不过，我还是能从这一张脸庞上认出我以前经常见到的那张白里透红、喜气洋洋的脸蛋。
阿尔芒死死地盯着这张脸，嘴里咬着他掏出来的手帕。
我仿佛有一只铁环紧箍在头上，眼前一片模糊，耳朵里嗡嗡作响，我只能把我带在身边以防万一的一只嗅盐瓶打开，拼命地嗅着。
正在我头晕目眩的时候，听到警长在跟迪瓦尔先生说：
鈥溔铣隼戳寺穑库��
鈥溔铣隼戳恕ｂ�澞昵崛松羿逞频鼗卮鹚怠�
鈥溎蔷桶压撞母巧习嶙摺ｂ�澗に怠�
掘墓工人把裹尸布扔在死人的脸上，盖上棺盖，一人一头把棺材抬起，向指定的那个方向走去。
阿尔芒木然不动，两眼凝视着这个已出空的墓穴；脸色就像刚才我们看见的死尸那样惨白鈥︹�λ坪醣涑梢豢槭妨恕�
我知道在这个场面过去，支持着他的那种痛苦缓解以后，将会发生些什么事情。
我走近警长。
鈥溦馕幌壬�澪抑缸虐⒍⒍运担�準遣皇腔褂斜匾粼谡舛库��
鈥湶挥昧耍�澦晕宜担�湺椅一谷澳阉撸孟癫惶娣ｂ��
鈥溩甙桑♀�澯谑俏彝熳虐⒍⒌母觳玻运怠�
鈥準裁矗库�澦谱盼宜担孟癫蝗鲜段宜频摹�
鈥準虑榘焱炅耍�澪医幼庞炙担�溎衷诟米吡耍业呐笥眩成祝肷肀梗庋ざ腔崴兔摹ｂ��
鈥溎档枚裕颐亲甙桑�澦乱馐兜鼗卮穑且徊揭裁挥信捕�
我只好抓住他的胳膊拉着他走。
他像个孩子似的跟着走，嘴里不时地咕噜着：
鈥溎吹侥撬劬β穑库��
说着，他回过头去，好像那个幻觉在召唤他。
他步履蹒跚，踉踉跄跄地向前移动着。他的牙齿格格作响，双手冰凉，全身的神经都在剧烈地颤动。
我跟他讲话，他一句也没有回答。
他唯一能做的，就是让我带着走。
我们在门口找到了车子，正是时候。
他刚在车子里坐下，便抽搐得更厉害了，这是一次真正的全身痉挛。他怕我被吓着，就紧紧地握住我的手，喃喃地说：
鈥溍皇裁矗皇裁矗抑皇窍肟蕖ｂ��
我听到他在喘粗气，他的眼睛充血，眼泪却流不出来。
我让他闻了闻我刚才用过的嗅盐瓶。我们回到他家里时，看得出他还在哆嗦。
仆人帮助我把他扶到床上躺下，我把房里的炉火生得旺旺的，又连忙去找我的医生，把刚才的经过告诉了他。
他立刻就来了。
阿尔芒脸色绯红，神志昏迷，结结巴巴地说着一些胡话，这些话里只有玛格丽特的名字才叫人听得清楚。
医生检查过病人以后，我问医生说：鈥溤趺囱库�濃�準钦庋闼似玫氖悄阅ぱ祝皇鞘裁幢鸬牟。熘魅乃∥遥一挂晕枇四兀⌒叶馓迳系牟〗沟顾裆系牟 Ｒ桓鲈乱院螅诵硭街植《寄苤魏谩ｂ��
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