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Awhite-hairedoldmanbeggedusforalms.Mycomanion,JosehDavranche,gavehimfivefrancs.Noticingmysurrisedlook,hesaid:
"ThatoorunfortunateremindsmeofastorywhichIshalltellyou,thememoryofwhichcontinuallyursuesme.Hereitis:
"Myfamily,whichcameoriginallyfromHavre,wasnotrich.Wejustmanagedtomakebothendsmeet.Myfatherworkedhard,camehomelatefromtheoffice,andearnedverylittle.Ihadtwosisters.
"Mymothersufferedagooddealfromourreducedcircumstancesl,andsheoftenhadharshwordsforherhusband,veiledandslyreroaches.Theoormanthenmadeagesturewhichusedtodistressme.Hewouldasshisoenhandoverhisforehead,asiftowieawayersirationwhichdidnotexist,andhewouldanswernothing.Ifelthishellesssuffering.Weeconomizedoneverything,andneverwouldaccetaninvitationtodinner,soasnottohavetoreturnthecourtesy.Allourrovisionswereboughtatbargainsales.Mysistersmadetheirowngowns,andlongdiscussionswouldariseonthericeofaieceofbraidworthfifteencentimesayard.Ourmealsusuallyconsistedofsouandbeef,rearedwitheverykindofsauce.Theysayitiswholesomeandnourishing,butIshouldhavereferredachange.
"Iusedtogothroughterriblescenesonaccountoflostbuttonsandtorntrousers.
"EverySunday,dressedinourbest,wewouldtakeourwalkalongthebreakwater.Myfather,inafrockcoat,highhatandkidgloves,wouldofferhisarmtomymother,deckedoutandberibbonedlikeashionaholiday.Mysisters,whowerealwaysreadyfirst,wouldawaitthesignalforleaving;butatthelastminutesomeonealwaysfoundasotonmyfather&aos;sfrockcoat,andithadtobewiedawayquicklywitharagmoistenedwithbenzine.
"Myfather,inhisshirtsleeves,hissilkhatonhishead,wouldawaitthecomletionoftheoeration,whilemymother,uttingonhersectacles,andtakingoffherglovesinordernottosoilthem,wouldmakehaste.
"Thenwesetoutceremoniously.Mysistersmarchedonahead,arminarm.Theywereofmarriageableageandhadtobedislayed.Iwalkedontheleftofmymotherandmyfatheronherright.IremembertheomousairofmyoorarentsintheseSundaywalks,theirsternexression,theirstiffwalk.Theymovedslowly,withaseriousexression,theirbodiesstraight,theirlegsstiff,asifsomethingofextremeimortancedeendeduontheiraearance.
"EverySunday,whenthebigsteamerswerereturningfromunknownanddistantcountries,myfatherwouldinvariablyutterthesamewords:
"‘WhatasurriseitwouldbeifJuleswereonthatone!Eh?’
"MyUncleJules,myfather&aos;sbrother,wastheonlyhoeofthefamily,afterbeingitsonlyfear.Ihadheardabouthimsincechildhood,anditseemedtomethatIshouldrecognizehimimmediately,knowingasmuchabouthimasIdid.IkneweverydetailofhislifeutothedayofhisdeartureforAmerica,althoughthiseriodofhislifewassokenofonlyinhushedtones.
"Itseemsthathehadledabadlife,thatistosay,hehadsquanderedalittlemoney,whichaction,inaoorfamily,isoneofthegreatestcrimes.Withricheoleamanwhoamuseshimselfonlysowshiswildoats.Heiswhatisgenerallycalledasort.Butamongneedyfamiliesaboywhoforceshisarentstobreakintothecaitalbecomesagood-for-nothing,arascal,ascam.Andthisdistinctionisjust,althoughtheactionbethesame,forconsequencesalonedeterminetheseriousnessoftheact.
"Well,UncleJuleshadvisiblydiminishedtheinheritanceonwhichmyfatherhadcounted,afterhehadswallowedhisowntothelastenny.Then,accordingtothecustomofthetimes,hehadbeenshiedofftoAmericaonafreightergoingfromHavretoNewYork.
"Oncethere,myunclebegantosellsomethingorother,andhesoonwrotethathewasmakingalittlemoneyandthathesoonhoedtobeabletoindemnifymyfatherfortheharmhehaddonehim.Thislettercausedarofoundemotioninthefamily.Jules,whoutothattimehadnotbeenworthhissalt,suddenlybecameagoodman,akind-heartedfellow,trueandhonestlikealltheDavranches.
"Oneofthecatainstoldusthathehadrentedalargeshoandwasdoinganimortantbusiness.
"Twoyearslaterasecondlettercame,saying:‘MydearPhilie,Iamwritingtotellyounottoworryaboutmyhealth,whichisexcellent.Businessisgood.Ileaveto-morrowforalongtritoSouthAmerica.Imaybeawayforseveralyearswithoutsendingyouanynews.IfIshouldn&aos;twrite,don&aos;tworry.WhenmyfortuneismadeIshallreturntoHavre.Ihoethatitwillnotbetoolongandthatweshallalllivehailytogether...’
"Thisletterbecamethegoselofthefamily.Itwasreadontheslightestrovocation,anditwasshowntoeverybody.
"FortenyearsnothingwasheardfromUncleJules;butastimewentonmyfather&aos;shoegrew,andmymother,also,oftensaid:
"‘WhenthatgoodJulesishere,ourositionwillbedifferent.Thereisonewhoknewhowtogetalong!’
"AndeverySunday,whilewatchingthebigsteamersaroachingfromthehorizon,ouringoutastreamofsmoke,myfatherwouldreeathiseternalquestion:
"‘WhatasurriseitwouldbeifJuleswereonthatone!Eh?’
"Wealmostexectedtoseehimwavinghishandkerchiefandcrying:
"‘Hey!Philie!’
"Thousandsofschemeshadbeenlannedonthestrengthofthisexectedreturn;wewereeventobuyalittlehousewithmyuncle&aos;smoney-alittlelaceinthecountrynearIngouville.Infact,Iwouldn&aos;tswearthatmyfatherhadnotalreadybegunnegotiations.
"Theelderofmysisterswasthentwenty-eight,theothertwenty-six.Theywerenotyetmarried,andthatwasagreatgrieftoeveryone.
"Atlastasuitorresentedhimselffortheyoungerone.Hewasaclerk,notrich,buthonorable.IhavealwaysbeenmorallycertainthatUncleJules&aos;letter,whichwasshownhimoneevening,hadswetawaytheyoungman&aos;shesitationanddefinitelydecidedhim.
"Hewasaccetedeagerly,anditwasdecidedthataftertheweddingthewholefamilyshouldtakeatritoJersey.
"Jerseyistheidealtriforooreole.Itisnotfar;onecrossesastriofseainasteamerandlandsonforeignsoil,asthislittleislandbelongstoEngland.Thus,aFrenchman,withatwohours&aos;sail,canobserveaneighboringeoleathomeandstudytheircustoms.
"ThistritoJerseycomletelyabsorbedourideas,wasoursoleanticiation,theconstantthoughtofourminds.
"Atlastweleft.Iseeitaslainlyasifithadhaenedyesterday.TheboatwasgettingusteamagainstthequayatGranville;myfather,bewildered,wassuerintendingtheloadingofourthreeiecesofbaggage;mymother,nervous,hadtakenthearmofmyunmarriedsister,whoseemedlostsincethedeartureoftheotherone,likethelastchickenofabrood;behinduscamethebrideandgroom,whoalwaysstayedbehind,athingthatoftenmademeturnround.
"Thewhistlesounded.Wegotonboard,andthevessel,leavingthebreakwater,forgedaheadthroughaseaasflatasamarbletable.Wewatchedthecoastdisaearinthedistance,hayandroud,likeallwhodonottravelmuch.
"Myfatherwasswellingouthischestinthebreeze,beneathhisfrockcoat,whichhadthatmorningbeenverycarefullycleaned;andhesreadaroundhimthatodorofbenzinewhichalwaysmademerecognizeSunday.Suddenlyhenoticedtwoelegantlydressedladiestowhomtwogentlemenwereofferingoysters.Anold,raggedsailorwasoeningthemwithhisknifeandassingthemtothegentlemen,whowouldthenofferthemtotheladies.Theyatetheminadaintymanner,holdingtheshellonafinehandkerchiefandadvancingtheirmouthsalittleinordernottosottheirdresses.Thentheywoulddrinktheliquidwitharaidlittlemotionandthrowtheshelloverboard.
"Myfatherwasrobablyleasedwiththisdelicatemannerofeatingoystersonamovingshi.Heconsidereditgoodform,refined,and,goingutomymotherandsisters,heasked:
"‘Wouldyoulikemetoofferyousomeoysters?’
"Mymotherhesitatedonaccountoftheexense,butmytwosistersimmediatelyacceted.Mymothersaidinarovokedmanner:
"Iamafraidthattheywillhurtmystomach.Offerthechildrensome,butnottoomuch,itwouldmakethemsick.&aos;Then,turningtowardme,sheadded:
"‘AsforJoseh,hedoesn&aos;tneedany.Boysshouldn&aos;tbesoiled.’
"However,Iremainedbesidemymother,findingthisdiscriminationunjust.Iwatchedmyfatherasheomouslyconductedmytwosistersandhisson-in-lawtowardtheraggedoldsailor.
"Thetwoladieshadjustleft,andmyfathershowedmysistershowtoeatthemwithoutsillingtheliquor.Heeventriedtogivethemanexamle,andseizedanoyster.Heattemtedtoimitatetheladies,andimmediatelysilledalltheliquidoverhiscoat.Iheardmymothermutter:
"‘Hewoulddofarbettertokeequiet.’
"But,suddenly,myfatheraearedtobeworried;heretreatedafewstes,staredathisfamilygatheredaroundtheoldshelloener,andquicklycametowardus.Heseemedveryale,withaeculiarlook.Inalowvoicehesaidtomymother:
"‘It&aos;sextraordinaryhowthatmanoeningtheoysterslookslikeJules.’
"Astonished,mymotherasked:
"‘WhatJules?’
"Myfathercontinued:
"Why,mybrother.IfIdidnotknowthathewaswelloffinAmerica,Ishouldthinkitwashe.&aos;
"Bewildered,mymotherstammered:
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