羊脂球(英文版)

BOULEDESUIFItwashalfpastfourinthemorning．Thetravellers，whohadmetintheyardoftheNormandyHotel，wereshiveringwithcoldinthedarkness．“Isn'tthecoachreadyyet？”oneofthemsaid．“No，notyet，”hiscompanionanswered．“LuckywehavebeentogetapermitfromthePrussianarmytoleaveRouen，”anothersaid．“IhaveanacquaintanceamongGermanofficers．”“Isee．”“DoyouthinkwecanrunabusinessatHavre？”“Perhapswecan．Ifnot，wecanmakeourwaytoEngland．Nothingventure，nothinggain．”“Iagreewithyou．WecandonothinginoccupiedRouen．”“Ihavebroughtmywife．”“SohaveI．”“AndI，too．”Horses’hoofswereheard，andthetinklingoflittlebellstoldthemthattheharnesswasbeinggotready．Snowwasfallingwithsomethinglikeavagueandindefinablewhisper．Amanwithalanternappeared，draggingalongahorse．Hespentalongtimeadjustingtheharnesswithonehand，forheheldthelanternintheother．Ashewasgoingtofetchthesecondhorse，henoticedthetravellersstandinghelplesslyunderthefallingsnow．“Don'tyoustandthere，”hesaid．“Getinsidethecoach，andyoucanatleasttakeshelterfromthesnow．”Whyhaditnotoccurredtothem？Theyrushedforthecoach．Thethreehusbandstooktheirseatsatthefarendwiththeirwives；theotherveiledandvagueformstooktheremainingplaces．Atlastthecoachwasready．Itwasdrawnbyateamofsixhorsesinsteadoftheusualfour，becauseofthebadstateoftheroads．Theroadswereverybadindeed．Thehorsesslippedandpanted，andthedriverhadtousehiswhipincessantly．Graduallythedaydawned．Abluish，leadenlightcameoverthedreary，whitelandscape．Insidethecarriagethepassengersnowlookedatoneanotherinquisitively．MonsieurandMadameLoiseauwerewholesalewinemerchantsoftheRueGrand-pont．Hehadstartedlifeasaclerkinanoffice，andwhenhisemployerfailedinbusiness，heboughtitandmadeafortunebysellingverybadwineatlowpricestosmallretailersinthecountry．Masterofeverytrickofmakingmoney，hewasnotoriousforhissharppractice．Nexttothemsat，withthedignityofahigherclass，MonsieurCarre－Lamadon，ownerofthreespinning－mills，officeroftheLegionofHonourandmemberoftheConseilGénéral．UndertheEmpireheposedasleaderofthemoderateopposition，whichhehopedwouldbeusefultohimshouldhewishtodeserttotheoppositeside．MadameCarré－Lamadonwasmuchyounger20thanherhusband．Aladyofdelicatebeauty，shehadalwaysattractedtheattentionofofficersofgoodfamily，stationedatRouen．Muffledinfurs，shenowstaredsulkilyattheinteriorofthecoach．TheirneighboursweretheCountandCountessHubertdeBréville，whobelongedtooneoftheoldestandmostaristocraticfamiliesinNormandy．TheCountboreanaturallikenesstoKingHenryⅣ，whichhetriedtoaccentuatebyelaboratemake－up．Ithadlongbeenwhisperedamonghisfamily，notwithoutpride，thatthekinghadoncemadelovetoaMadamedeBréville，andinreturnforherattentions，hadmadeherhusbandacountandgovernorofaprovince．GodonlyknowswhyhewasmarriedtothedaughterofanunimportantshipownerofNantes．Shewasstatelytolookat，veryhospitable，andtherumourthatshehadbeenafavouritewithoneofthesonsofLouisPhilippemadeherthemorepopularamongthelocalnobles．Hersalonwasconsideredthebestintheneighbourhood．Admittancetoitwasnoteasytoget，andherdrawingroomwastheonlyplacewherethegraciouspolitenessofbygonedaysremainedalive．TheBrévilleshadlandedestates，whichweresaidtoyieldanincomeofhalfamillionfrancs．Thesesixwerethemostimportantoftheparty；theywereallwealthy，respectableandsolidmembersofsociety．Itsohappenedthatallthewomenwereseatedonthesameside．NexttotheCountesssattwonuns．Oneofthemwasanoldwomanwithaskin5deeplypittedwithsmallpox；hercompanionwasasmall，sickly，evenconsumptive-lookingperson，butseeminglyfilledwithreligiousdevotion．Oppositethetwonunssatamanandawoman．ThemanwasCornudet；hewaswellknownforhisdissolutehabitsandcrazypoliticalideas．Hehadinheritedarespectablefortunefromhisfather，buthadwasteditawayupondrinkanduselessambitions．NowhetookitintohisheadthathewouldbebetteremployedatHavre，wherehishelpwouldbeneeded．Thewomanbesidehimwaswhatiscalledawomanofacertaintype．Whatwasmostnoticeableaboutherwasherexcessiveportliness．Short，roundandplumpasadumpling，shewasnicknamedBouledeSuif，thatis，suetdumpling．Shehad，nevertheless，rosycheekssuggestingpeonybudsreadytoburstintoflowers，blackeyesshadedanddeepenedbylonglashes，anda25charming，poutingmouthrevealingnowandthenwhiterowsoftinyteeth．Assoonastheladiesrecognizedher，theybegantowhisperamongthemselves．Byandbythewords“prostitute”and“shameful”andsimilar5wordsbecameaudibleandattractedtheattentionofthepoorwoman．Sheraisedherheadandlookedatthemsodefiantlythattheybecamesilent，withtheireyescastdown；Loiseau，sensitivetofemininecharms，caststealthyglancesofcuriosityather．However，thethreeladles，soonencouragedbytheirdislikeofthiscommonenemytohousewives，resumedtheirconversation．Thethreehusbands，ontheotherhand，discussedmoneymattersproudly，andmadecontemptuousremarksaboutpoorerfolk．CountHuberttalkedaboutthelossofcattleandcropscausedbythePrussians，butwithanexpressionwhichshowedthathedidnotcareaboutitatall．MonsieurCarré-LamadonsaidhehadbeenshrewdenoughtosendtoEnglandsixhundredthousandfrancsforsafekeeping．LoiseauspokeofthehugeamountofmoneytheStatewouldpayhimatHavreforthewineshehadsoldtotheFrenchCommissariat．Thethreemanexchangedmeaningfulglances．Thoughofdifferentsocialstanding，theyallworshippedmoney．Thecoachmo