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。
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