第41章 My Uncle Jules (第1/2页)

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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: