Page images
PDF
EPUB

A NOBLE-HEARTED GAOLER.

289

with a fresh wink of his eye,1 which he tried to render still more significant-" another, with no end of knives and penknives, carves figures on his deal table, without remembering that I am responsible for the furniture of the place." The Count would have spoken, but he did not give him time.5 "Some breed canaries and goldfinches; others little white mice. For my part I respect their tastes to such a point, Benedetto Dio! that I had an enormous and magnificent Angora cat, with long fur; he would leap 7 and gambol in the prettiest way in the world, and when he took his nap you would have said it was 10 a sleeping muff; my wife made a great pet of him,11 so did I:13 well, I gave him away, for that kind of game 18 might have tempted him 14-and all the cats in 15 the world are not worth the poor captive's mouse!"

6

8

"That was very kind of you,16 Mr. Ludovic," replied Charney, feeling uneasy 17 that he should be thought capable of indulging in such 18 puerilities; "but this plant is for me more than an amusement."

"Never mind, if it but call to remembrance the green boughs under which your mother nursed you 19 in your infancy. Per Bacco ! it may overshadow half the court. Besides, my orders 20 say nothing about it, and I shall be blind on that side.21 If it should grow to a 22 tree, and

1" With a new wink of eyes"-2 with no end of, à grands renforts de-3 for, "of" place, endroit-5" the time of it"-6 with long white fur, à longs poils blancs-7 imperf.-8 in the prettiest way in the world, le plus gentiment du monde-9 took, faisait— 10 it was, may be left out my wife made a great pet of him, ma femme en était folle-12 so did I, "I also "-13 that kind of game, ce gibier-là-14 see note ", p. 27—15 in, “ of”. -16 that was very kind of you, c'est très-bien à vous-17 feeling uneasy, se sentant mal à l'aise dels that he, etc.......such, de ce qu'on pouvait lui supposer le goût semblables-19 nursed you, vous a bercé-20 my orders, la consigne 21 I shall be blind on that side, j'ai l'œil fermé de ce côté-là— 22 if it should grow to a, qu'elle devienne.

U

1

be capable of assisting you in scaling the wall, that would be quite another thing! But we've time enough to think of that, have we not?" added he with a loud laugh; "not that I don't wish you the free air, and full use of your limbs with 5 all my heart; but that must come in time, in due form,7 with permission from the ruling powers.8 Ah! if you tried to escape from the fortress

[ocr errors]

4

"What would you do?"

9

"What would I do, Tonnerre! I would stop your passage if you killed me, or I would have you fired on 10 by the sentinel, with as little pity as if you were a rabbit ! That's the order. But touch a leaf of your gilliflower! oh no, no! Put my 11 foot on it! 12 never. I have always considered that man a consummate rascal, unworthy to be a gaoler, who wickedly crushed the spider of a poor prisoner; that was a villanous action, that was a crime!"

Charney felt 13 both affected and astonished at 14 finding so much sensibility in his warder; but for the very reason that 15 he began to esteem him more, his pride persisted in accounting, by some worthy reasons, for 16 the interest he took in the plant.

"My dear Mr. Ludovic," said he, "I thank you for 17 your kind behaviour.18 Yes! I confess it, this plant is to me a source of many interesting philosophical

19

1 In, à-2 with a loud laugh, en riant d'un gros rire-3 not that I don't wish you, non que je ne vous souhaite-4 literally: "the full air and the freedom of your legs"-5 with, "of "6"at its time" -7 in due form, d'après la règle-8 the ruling powers, les chefs 9 I would stop your passage if you killed me, je vous barrerais le passage, dussiez-vous me tuer-10 I would have you fired on, je ferais tirer sur vous-11 my, le- 2 on it, dessus- 13 felt, se sentit

14 at, de-15 for the very reason that, par cette raison même que-16 in accounting, etc....... for, à motiver par des raisons de quelque valeur-17 for, de-18 behaviour, procédés-19 to, "for."

A NOBLE-HEARTED GAOLER.

291

observations. I love to study it in its physiological phenomena;❞—and seeing the gaoler intimate by a movement of his head1 that he listened without understanding, he added—“ moreover, the species to which it belongs possesses medicinal virtues, of great service in a somewhat serious indisposition to which I am subject."

This was an untruth; but it would have cost him too much to show himself reduced to the strange puerilities of a prison before that man who had just, to some extent, raised himself 5 in his eyes; the only being who approached him, and who now stood to him in place of all mankind.7

"Well, then, Signor Conte, if your plant has rendered you so much service," replied Ludovic, preparing to 8 leave the apartment, "you ought to show more gratitude, and water it sometimes; for if I had not taken care, when bringing you your allowance of water, to moisten it from time to time, la povera Picciola would have died of thirst. Addio, Signor Conte."

"One moment! my good Ludovic," cried Charney, more and more struck at 10 discovering so much instinctive 11 delicacy under so rough an exterior,12 and almost repenting of having until then misappreciated 13 him: "what you have been so thoughtful of my pleasures, and yet you never said a word about it! Ah! pray accept this little present in remembrance of my gratitude;

14

1 Intimate by a movement of his head, témoigner par un signe de tête-2 of great service, très-favorables-3 reduced to the, descendu jusqu'aux to some extent, en partie-5 who had just......raised himself, qui venait......de se relever-6 in, "at" and who now stood to him in place of all mankind, et en qui, pour lui, se résumait aujourd'hui le genre humain-8 preparing to, en se disposant à-9 when, en- 10 at, de- so much instinctive, un tel instinct de-12 under, etc.......exterior, enfermé dans une étoffe grossière13 misappreciated, méconnu-14 pray, de grâce.

if at any future time1 I should be able fully to repay you, depend upon me:" and he again held out the silver-gilt cup.

This time Ludovic took it, and examining it with a sort of curiosity:

3

"Repay me for what, Signor Conte?

Plants only

want water, and one can treat them to a drink without ruining one's self at the cabaret. If this one diverts you un poco from your cares,5 if it does you good in any way, that is quite enough:"6 and he himself immediately went and replaced the cup7 in the dressing-case.

The count advanced a step towards Ludovic and held out his hand.

9

"Oh! no, no," said the latter,10 receding in a constrained, respectful manner: "hands are only given to equals or to friends.”11

"Well, Ludovic, be my friend."

"No, no, that cannot be, Eccellenza! One must look ahead,12 so as to do always, to-morrow as well as today, one's duty conscientiously. If you were my friend, and you attempted to part company with us, 13 should I then have still the courage to call out to the sentinel, 'Fire '14 No, I am only your keeper-your gaolerand your 'divotissimo servo.”

SAINTINE, "Picciola."

1 At any future time, plus tard-2 to repay you, m'acquitter envers vous-3 for, de-* and one, etc.......drink, et l'on peut leur payer à boire- see note ", p. 39-6 that is quite enough, tout est dit-7 and replaced the cup, remettre la timbale en place-8 advanced, fitheld out his, lui tendit la-10 the latter, celui-ci-" hands, etc...... friends, on ne donne la main qu'à son égal ou à son ami-12 one must look ahead, il faut tout prévoir-13 and you attempted to part company with us, et que vous cherchiez à nous fausser compagnie14 fire! tirez!

DEATH OF YOUNG CASABIANCA.

293

THE DEATH OF YOUNG CASABIANCA.

2

When Napoleon related this history, like Homer, the fire of his words seemed to bring to the ears of his auditors the roaring of the waves, the thunder of the cannon, and the groans of the dying. He placed you on the deck of a vessel, the planks of which, stained with 1 blood and covered with dead bodies, were already cracking under the action of fire, which sent its thousand tongues of every diversity of colour bursting through the hatchways, and climbing in serpentine wreaths along the yards and up the masts. This vessel, which, but a few hours before, rode in all her pride, commanding the anchorage of Aboukir, and presenting at her forecastle above five hundred men, with faces all full of energy and life, was now a desert-for, whoever of her crew had not been brought down by the enemy's cannon had hastened to the sea, to swim ashore in order to escape certain death. One man alone remained there, standing with his arms crossed upon his large breast, his dress 7 bathed in blood, and his face black with powder and smoke; he looked with deep sorrow upon another man, lying at the foot of the main mast, with both his legs fractured,10 breathing still, but losing his blood and life without complaining-nay, thanking God for calling him 11 from this world, and raising his dying eyes

8

[ocr errors]

9

5

1 With, de—2 bursting through the hatchways, bondissant à travers les écoutilles-3 climbing, etc......masts, grimpant et s'enlaçant en guirlandes le long des vergues et au haut des mâts-4 rode in all her pride, flottait majestueusement-5 with faces all full of energy, tous, le visage plein d'énergie-6 standing with his arms crossed, debout, les bras croisés-7 his dress, ses vêtements—8 in, de—9 black with powder, noir de poudre 10 with both his legs fractured, les deux jambes fracassées" thanking God for calling him, remerciant Dieu de ce qu'il le rappelait.

« EelmineJätka »