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雙語(yǔ)·邦斯舅舅 四十三、只要耐心等待,自會(huì)水到渠成

所屬教程:譯林版·邦斯舅舅

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2022年06月29日

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XLIII

Mme. Cibot, entering in her usual unceremonious fashion, found the doctor and his mother at table, before a bowl of lamb's lettuce, the cheapest of all salad-stuffs. The dessert consisted of a thin wedge of Brie cheese flanked by a plate of specked foreign apples and a dish of mixed dry fruits, known as quatre-mendiants, in which the raisin stalks were abundantly conspicuous.

You can stay, mother, said the doctor, laying a hand on Mme. Poulain's arm; "this is Mme. Cibot, of whom I have told you."

My respects to you, madame, and my duty to you, sir, said La Cibot, taking the chair which the doctor offered. "Ah! is this your mother, sir? She is very happy to have a son who has such talent; he saved my life, madame, brought me back from the depths."

The widow, hearing Mme. Cibot praise her son in this way, thought her a delightful woman.

I have just come to tell you, that, between ourselves, poor M. Pons is doing very badly, sir, and I have something to say to you about him—

Let us go into the sitting-room, interrupted the doctor, and with a significant gesture he indicated the servant.

In the sitting-room La Cibot explained her position with regard to the pair of nutcrackers at very considerable length. She repeated the history of her loan with added embellishments, and gave a full account of the immense services rendered during the past ten years to MM. Pons and Schmucke. The two old men, to all appearance, could not exist without her motherly care. She posed as an angel; she told so many lies, one after another, watering them with her tears, that old Mme. Poulain was quite touched.

You understand, my dear sir, she concluded, "that I really ought to know how far I can depend on M. Pons' intentions, supposing that he should not die; not that I want him to die, for looking after those two innocents is my life, madame, you see; still, when one of them is gone I shall look after the other. For my own part, I was built by Nature to rival mothers. Without nobody to care for, nobody to take for a child, I don't know what I should do.... So if M. Poulain only would, he might do me a service for which I should be very grateful; and that is, to say a word to M. Pons for me. Goodness me! an annuity of a thousand francs, is that too much, I ask you?... To M. Schmucke it would be so much gained.—Our dear patient said that he should recommend me to the German, poor man; it is his idea, no doubt, that M. Schmucke should be his heir. But what is a man that cannot put two ideas together in French? And besides, he would be quite capable of going back to Germany, he will be in such despair over his friend's death—"

The doctor grew grave. "My dear Mme. Cibot," he said, "this sort of thing does not in the least concern a doctor. I should not be allowed to exercise my profession if it was known that I interfered in the matter of my patients' testamentary dispositions. The law forbids a doctor to receive a legacy from a patient—"

A stupid law! What is to hinder me from dividing my legacy with you? La Cibot said immediately.

I will go further, said the doctor; "my professional conscience will not permit me to speak to M. Pons of his death. In the first place, he is not so dangerously ill that there is any need to speak of it, and in the second, such talk coming from me might give a shock to the system that would do him real harm, and then his illness might terminate fatally—"

I don't put on gloves to tell him to get his affairs in order, cried Mme. Cibot, "and he is none the worse for that. He is used to it. There is nothing to fear."

Not a word more about it, my dear Mme. Cibot! These things are not within a doctor's province; it is a notary's business—

But, my dear M. Poulain, suppose that M. Pons of his own accord should ask you how he is, and whether he had better make his arrangements; then, would you refuse to tell him that if you want to get better it is an excellent plan to set everything in order? Then you might just slip in a little word for me—

Oh, if he talks of making his will, I certainly shall not dissuade him, said the doctor.

Very well, that is settled. I came to thank you for your care of me, she added, as she slipped a folded paper containing three gold coins into the doctor's hands. "It is all I can do at the moment. Ah! my dear M. Poulain, if I were rich, you should be rich, you that are the image of Providence on earth.—Madame, you have an angel for a son."

La Cibot rose to her feet, Mme. Poulain bowed amiably, and the doctor went to the door with the visitor. Just then a sudden, lurid gleam of light flashed across the mind of this Lady Macbeth of the streets. She saw clearly that the doctor was her accomplice—he had taken the fee for the sham illness.

M. Poulain, she began, "how can you refuse to say a word or two to save me from want, when you helped me in the affair of my accident?"

The doctor felt that the devil had him by the hair, as the saying is; he felt, too, that the hair was being twisted round the pitiless red claw. Startled and afraid lest he should sell his honesty for such a trifle, he answered the diabolical suggestion by another no less diabolical.

Listen, my dear Mme. Cibot, he said, as he drew her into his consulting-room. "I will now pay a debt of gratitude that I owe you for my appointment to the mairie—"

We go shares? she asked briskly.

In what?

In the legacy.

You do not know me, said Dr. Poulain, drawing himself up like Valerius Publicola. "Let us have no more of that. I have a friend, an old schoolfellow of mine, a very intelligent young fellow; and we are so much the more intimate, because, our lives have fallen out very much in the same way. He was studying law while I was a house-student, he was engrossing deeds in Maitre Couture's office. His father was a shoemaker, and mine was a breeches-maker; he has not found anyone to take much interest in his career, nor has he any capital; for, after all, capital is only to be had from sympathizers. He could only afford to buy a provincial connection—at Mantes—and so little do provincials understand the Parisian intellect, that they set all sorts of intrigues on foot against him."

The wretches! cried La Cibot.

Yes, said the doctor. "They combined against him to such purpose, that they forced him to sell his connection by misrepresenting something that he had done; the attorney for the crown interfered, he belonged to the place, and sided with his fellow-townsmen. My friend's name is Fraisier. He is lodged as I am, and he is even leaner and more threadbare. He took refuge in our arrondissement, and is reduced to appear for clients in the police-court or before the magistrate. He lives in the Rue de la Perle close by. Go to No. 9, third floor, and you will see his name on the door on the landing, painted in gilt letters on a small square of red leather. Fraisier makes a special point of disputes among the porters, workmen, and poor folk in the arrondissement, and his charges are low. He is an honest man; for I need not tell you that if he had been a scamp, he would be keeping his carriage by now. I will call and see my friend Fraisier this evening. Go to him early to-morrow; he knows M. Louchard, the bailiff; M. Tabareau, the clerk of the court; and the justice of the peace, M. Vitel; and M. Trognon, the notary. He is even now looked upon as one of the best men of business in the Quarter. If he takes charge of your interests, if you can secure him as M. Pons' adviser, you will have a second self in him, you see. But do not make dishonorable proposals to him, as you did just now to me; he has a head on his shoulders, you will understand each other. And as for acknowledging his services, I will be your intermediary—"

Mme. Cibot looked askance at the doctor. "Is that the lawyer who helped Mme. Florimond the haberdasher in the Rue Vieille-du-Temple out of a fix in that matter of her friend's legacy?"

The very same.

Wasn't it a shame that she did not marry him after he had gained two thousand francs a year for her? exclaimed La Cibot. "And she thought to clear off scores by making him a present of a dozen shirts and a couple of dozen pocket-handkerchiefs; an outfit, in short."

My dear Mme. Cibot, that outfit cost a thousand francs, and Fraisier was just setting up for himself in the Quarter, and wanted the things very badly. And what was more, she paid the bill without asking any questions. That affair brought him clients, and now he is very busy; but in my line a practice brings—

It is only the righteous that suffer here below, said La Cibot. "Well, M. Poulain, good-day and thank you."

And herewith begins the tragedy, or, if you like to have it so, a terrible comedy—the death of an old bachelor delivered over by circumstances too strong for him to the rapacity and greed that gathered about his bed. And other forces came to the support of rapacity and greed; there was the picture collector's mania, that most intense of all passions; there was the cupidity of the Sieur Fraisier, whom you shall presently behold in his den, a sight to make you shudder; and lastly, there was the Auvergnat thirsting for money, ready for anything—even for a crime—that should bring him the capital he wanted. The first part of the story serves in some sort as a prelude to this comedy in which all the actors who have hitherto occupied the stage will reappear.

四十三、只要耐心等待,自會(huì)水到渠成

西卜太太照例橫沖直撞地闖進(jìn)去,正碰到醫(yī)生跟他的老母親在飯桌上。他們吃著所有的生菜中最便宜的萵苣生菜。飯后點(diǎn)心只有一小尖角的勃里乳餅,旁邊擺著一盆四叫花果子[1],只看見(jiàn)葡萄梗,還有一盆起碼貨的蘋果。

“母親,你不用走,”醫(yī)生按著波冷太太的手臂,“這位便是我跟你提過(guò)的西卜太太。”

“太太萬(wàn)福,先生萬(wàn)福,”西卜女人說(shuō)著,往醫(yī)生端給她的椅子上坐了下來(lái),“哦!這位就是老太太?有這樣一位能干的少爺,老人家真是好福氣!因?yàn)?,太太,他是我的救命恩人,是他把我從死路上拉回?lái)的。”

波冷寡婦聽(tīng)見(jiàn)西卜太太這樣恭維她的兒子,覺(jué)得她挺可愛(ài)。

“親愛(ài)的波冷先生,我這番來(lái)是報(bào)告你,反正咱們說(shuō)說(shuō)不要緊,可憐的邦斯先生情形很不好;并且為了他,我有話跟你談……”

“我們到客廳去坐吧?!辈ɡ渲钢腿藢?duì)西卜太太做了個(gè)手勢(shì)。

一進(jìn)客廳,西卜女人就長(zhǎng)篇大論地講她跟兩個(gè)榛子鉗的關(guān)系,又把借錢的故事添枝加葉地背了一遍,說(shuō)她十年來(lái)對(duì)邦斯與許??藥土瞬恢啻蟮拿?。聽(tīng)她的口氣,要沒(méi)有她那種慈母一般的照顧,兩個(gè)老人早已活不成了。她自居為天使一流;扯了那么多的謊,澆上大把大把的眼淚,把波冷老太太也聽(tīng)得感動(dòng)了。

末了她說(shuō):“你明白,親愛(ài)的先生,第一我要知道邦斯先生打算把我怎么安排,要是他死下來(lái)的話;當(dāng)然,我決不希望有這一天,因?yàn)?,太太,你知道,我的生活就是照顧這兩個(gè)好人;可是,我要丟了一個(gè),還可以照應(yīng)另外一個(gè)。我是天生的熱心人,只想做人家的母親。要沒(méi)有人讓我關(guān)切,當(dāng)作自己的孩子一樣,我簡(jiǎn)直過(guò)不了日子……所以,倘使波冷先生肯替我在邦斯先生面前說(shuō)句話,我真是感激不盡,一定會(huì)想法報(bào)答的。天哪!一千法郎的終身年金,可能算是多要嗎,我問(wèn)你?……這對(duì)許模克先生也有好處……咱們的病人對(duì)我說(shuō),他會(huì)把我囑托給德國(guó)人,那是他心中的繼承人……可是這先生連一句像樣的法國(guó)話也說(shuō)不上來(lái),我能指望他什么?再說(shuō),朋友一死,心里一氣,他可能回德國(guó)去的……”

“親愛(ài)的西卜太太,”醫(yī)生的態(tài)度變得很嚴(yán)肅,“這一類的事跟醫(yī)生不相干。倘使有人知道我替病家的遺囑出主意,我的開(kāi)業(yè)執(zhí)照就要被吊銷。醫(yī)生接受病人的遺產(chǎn),是法律禁止的……”

“有這種混賬法律嗎!我要跟你分遺產(chǎn),誰(shuí)管得了?”西卜女人馬上回答。

“不但如此,我還要進(jìn)一步告訴你,我不能違背我做醫(yī)生的良心,對(duì)邦斯先生提到他的死。先是他的病還沒(méi)有危險(xiǎn)到這個(gè)地步;其次,這種話在我嘴里說(shuō)出來(lái),他要大受刺激,加重病勢(shì),那時(shí)他真的有性命之憂了……”

“可是我老實(shí)不客氣勸過(guò)他料理后事,他的病也不見(jiàn)得更壞……他已經(jīng)聽(tīng)?wèi)T了!……你不用怕?!?/p>

“這些話一句都甭提了,好西卜太太!……那是公證人的事,跟醫(yī)生毫無(wú)關(guān)系……”

“可是,親愛(ài)的波冷先生,倘若邦斯先生自己?jiǎn)柶鹉闼那樾?,要不要防個(gè)萬(wàn)一,那時(shí)你可愿意告訴他,把后事料理清楚也是恢復(fù)健康的好辦法嗎?……然后你再找機(jī)會(huì)替我說(shuō)句話……”

“哦!要是他跟我提到立遺囑的話,我決不阻擋他?!?/p>

“好啦,這不就得了嗎!”西卜太太嚷著,“我特意來(lái)謝謝你為我費(fèi)的心,”她把一個(gè)封著三塊金洋的小紙包塞在醫(yī)生手里,“眼前我只有這點(diǎn)兒小意思。?。 乙辛隋X,一定忘不了你,親愛(ài)的波冷先生,你這還不像好天爺?shù)搅耸澜缟蟻?lái)嗎!……太太,你家少爺真是個(gè)天使!”

西卜太太站起身來(lái),波冷太太挺客氣地跟她行了禮,然后醫(yī)生把她送到門外。到了這里,這位下層階級(jí)的麥克白夫人[2],忽然胸中一亮,好像給魔鬼點(diǎn)醒了似的,覺(jué)得醫(yī)生對(duì)她假裝的病既然收了診費(fèi),一定能做她的同黨。

“親愛(ài)的波冷先生,”她說(shuō),“我受傷的事,你已經(jīng)幫了忙,怎么不愿意說(shuō)幾句話,救救我的窮呢?……”

醫(yī)生覺(jué)得自己落在了魔鬼手里,他的頭發(fā)被它無(wú)情的利爪一把抓住了。為這么一點(diǎn)小事而壞了名聲,他不由得怕起來(lái),馬上想到一個(gè)同樣陰險(xiǎn)的念頭。

“西卜太太,”他把她拉回到看診室里,“我欠你的情分,讓我還了你吧,我在區(qū)公所的差事是靠你得來(lái)的……”

“咱們平分就是了?!彼龘屩f(shuō)。

“分什么?”

“遺產(chǎn)呀!”

“你不了解我,”醫(yī)生拿出道學(xué)家的神氣,“這種話不能再提。我有個(gè)中學(xué)里的同學(xué),非常聰明,我們特別知己,因?yàn)楸舜说脑庥龆疾畈欢唷N夷钺t(yī)學(xué)的時(shí)候,他在念法律;我在醫(yī)院里實(shí)習(xí),他在訴訟代理人古丟爾那兒辦公事。我是褲子裁縫的兒子,他是鞋匠的兒子;他沒(méi)有得到人家的好感,也沒(méi)有張羅到資本,因?yàn)闅w根結(jié)底,資本還是要靠好感來(lái)的。他只能在芒德城里盤下一個(gè)事務(wù)所……可是內(nèi)地人太不了解巴黎人的聰明,給我的朋友找了許許多多的麻煩……”

“那些壞蛋!”西卜女人插了一句。

“是的,因?yàn)樗麄児唇Y(jié)起來(lái),一致和他過(guò)不去,竟找出一些好像是我朋友不對(duì)的事,逼他把事務(wù)所盤掉;檢察官也出面干涉了,那官兒是地方上的人,當(dāng)然偏袒同鄉(xiāng)。我這可憐的朋友叫作弗萊齊埃,比我還窮,比我還穿得破爛,家里的排場(chǎng)跟我的一樣,躲在我們這一區(qū)里只能在違警法庭和初級(jí)法庭辯護(hù),因?yàn)樗彩莻€(gè)律師。他住在珍珠街,就靠近這里。你到九號(hào)門牌,走上四樓,就可看到樓梯臺(tái)上有塊小紅皮招牌,印著:弗萊齊埃事務(wù)所。他專門替本區(qū)的門房、工人、窮人辦理訴訟,收費(fèi)很便宜,人也很老實(shí)。因?yàn)閼{他的本領(lǐng),只要壞一壞良心,他早已高車大馬地抖起來(lái)了。今天晚上我去看他。你趕明兒一清早去。他認(rèn)得商務(wù)警察路夏先生,初級(jí)法庭的執(zhí)達(dá)吏泰勃羅先生,初級(jí)法庭庭長(zhǎng)維丹先生,公證人德洛濃先生;在街坊上那些吃公事飯的里面,他已經(jīng)是一個(gè)重要角兒了。倘使他做了你的代理人,倘使你能勸邦斯先生請(qǐng)他做顧問(wèn),那就像你一個(gè)人變了兩個(gè)人??墒悄悴荒芟窀乙粯樱蛩岢瞿切┯袀饑?yán)的話。他非常聰明,你們一定談得投機(jī)的。至于怎么酬謝他,我可以做中間人……”

西卜太太很俏皮地望著醫(yī)生,說(shuō):“上回修院老街開(kāi)針線鋪的弗洛麗蒙太太,為了姘夫的遺產(chǎn)差點(diǎn)兒倒霉,后來(lái)一個(gè)吃法律飯的給她把事情挽回了,你的朋友是不是那個(gè)人?……”

“就是他?!?/p>

“哎,你說(shuō)她可有良心?”西卜女人叫起來(lái),“人家替她爭(zhēng)到兩千法郎年金,向她求婚,她倒不答應(yīng);聽(tīng)說(shuō)結(jié)果只送了一打荷蘭布襯衫,兩打手帕,整套內(nèi)衣,就算謝了他!”

“西卜太太,那些內(nèi)衣值到一千法郎;那時(shí)弗萊齊埃在街坊上剛出頭,也用得著衣衫。并且,一切代賬她都照付,沒(méi)有一句話……這件案子替弗萊齊埃招來(lái)了別的案子,現(xiàn)在他業(yè)務(wù)已經(jīng)很忙,在我們眼里,大小主顧都是一樣的……”

“唉,世界上吃苦的就是那些好人!”看門女人回答,“好吧,波冷先生,再見(jiàn)了,謝謝你?!?/p>

老鰥夫送命的慘劇,或者說(shuō)可怕的喜劇,從此開(kāi)場(chǎng)了。因緣湊合,他落在一般貪財(cái)?shù)娜耸种?,只能?tīng)他們擺布。還有最強(qiáng)烈的貪欲在那里推波助瀾:一個(gè)是嗜畫如命的猶太人;一個(gè)是貪狠無(wú)比的弗萊齊埃,你要看到他躲在老巢里的模樣準(zhǔn)會(huì)發(fā)抖呢;一個(gè)是無(wú)惡不作,只要能攪上一筆資本連犯罪也不怕的奧弗涅人。以上所述可以說(shuō)是這出喜劇的開(kāi)場(chǎng)白;至于重要的角兒,至此為止都已經(jīng)登場(chǎng)了。

注解:

[1] 把葡萄、杏仁、無(wú)花果、榛子放在一處,叫作四叫花果子。

[2] 麥克白夫人為莎士比亞名劇《麥克白》中的主角,為野心女子的典型。

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