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第41章 y uncle jule（第1页）

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。