original short stories-3-第17部分

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platform　was　the　doctor。　　He　was　dressed　in　a　gray　suit；　and　wore　a　soft；
black；　wide…brimmed；　high…crowned　felt　hat；　narrow　at　the　top　like　a
chimney　pot；　a　hat　which　hardly　any　one　except　an　Auvergnat　would　wear；
and　which　reminded　one　of　a　charcoal　burner。　　Dressed　like　that；　the
doctor　had　the　appearance　of　an　old　young　man；　with　his　spare　body　under
his　thin　coat；　and　his　large　head　covered　with　white　hair。

He　embraced　me　with　that　evident　pleasure　which　country　people　feel　when
they　meet　long…expected　friends；　and；　stretching　out　his　arm；　he　said
proudly：

〃This　is　Auvergne！〃　I　saw　nothing　before　me　except　a　range　of　mountains；
whose　summits；　which　resembled　truncated　cones；　must　have　been　extinct
volcanoes。

Then；　pointing　to　the　name　of　the　station；　he　said：

〃Riom；　the　fatherland　of　magistrates；　the　pride　of　the　magistracy；　and
which　ought　rather　to　be　the　fatherland　of　doctors。〃

〃Why？〃　I；　asked。

〃Why？〃　he　replied　with　a　laugh。　　〃If　you　transpose　the　letters；　you　have
the　Latin　word　'mori'；　to　die。　　That　is　the　reason　why　I　settled　here；　my
young　friend。〃

And；　delighted　at　his　own　joke；　he　carried　me　off；　rubbing　his　hands。

As　soon　as　I　had　swallowed　a　cup　of　coffee；　he　made　me　go　and　see　the
town。　　I　admired　the　druggist's　house；　and　the　other　noted　houses；　which
were　all　black；　but　as　pretty　as　bric…a…brac；　with　their　facades　of
sculptured　stone。　　I　admired　the　statue　of　the　Virgin；　the　patroness　of
butchers；　and　he　told　me　an　amusing　story　about　this；　which　I　will　relate
some　other　time；　and　then　Dr。　Bonnet　said　to　me：

〃I　must　beg　you　to　excuse　me　for　a　few　minutes　while　I　go　and　see　a
patient；　and　then　I　will　take　you　to　Chatel…Guyon；　so　as　to　show　you　the
general　aspect　of　the　town；　and　all　the　mountain　chain　of　the　Puy…de…Dome
before　lunch。　　You　can　wait　for　me　outside；　I　shall　only　go　upstairs　and
come　down　immediately。〃

He　left　me　outside　one　of　those　old；　gloomy；　silent；　melancholy　houses；
which　one　sees　in　the　provinces；　and　this　one　appeared　to　look
particularly　sinister；　and　I　soon　discovered　the　reason。　　All　the　large
windows　on　the　first　floor　were　boarded　half　way　up。　　The　upper　part　of
them　alone　could　be　opened；　as　if　one　had　wished　to　prevent　the　people
who　were　locked　up　in　that　huge　stone　box　from　looking　into　the　street。

When　the　doctor　came　down　again；　I　told　him　how　it　struck　me；　and　he
replied：

〃You　are　quite　right；　the　poor　creature　who　is　living　there　must　never
see　what　is　going　on　outside。　　She　is　a　madwoman；　or　rather　an　idiot；
what　you　Normans　would　call　a　Niente。　　It　is　a　miserable　story；　but　a
very　singular　pathological　case　at　the　same　time。　　Shall　I　tell　you？〃

I　begged　him　to　do　so；　and　he　continued：

〃Twenty　years　ago　the　owners　of　this　house；　who　were　my　patients；　had　a
daughter　who　was　like　all　other　girls；　but　I　soon　discovered　that　while
her　body　became　admirably　developed；　her　intellect　remained　stationary。

〃She　began　to　walk　very　early；　but　she　could　not　talk。　　At　first　I
thought　she　was　deaf；　but　I　soon　discovered　that；　although　she　heard
perfectly；　she　did　not　understand　anything　that　was　said　to　her。　　Violent
noises　made　her　start　and　frightened　her；　without　her　understanding　how
they　were　caused。

〃She　grew　up　into　a　superb　woman；　but　she　was　dumb；　from　an　absolute　want
of　intellect。　　I　tried　all　means　to　introduce　a　gleam　of　intelligence
into　her　brain；　but　nothing　succeeded。　　I　thought　I　noticed　that　she　knew
her　nurse；　though　as　soon　as　she　was　weaned；　she　failed　to　recognize　her
mother。　　She　could　never　pronounce　that　word　which　is　the　first　that
children　utter　and　the　last　which　soldiers　murmur　when　they　are　dying　on
the　field　of　battle。　　She　sometimes　tried　to　talk；　but　she　produced
nothing　but　incoherent　sounds。

〃When　the　weather　was　fine；　she　laughed　continually；　and　emitted　low
cries　which　might　be　compared　to　the　twittering　of　birds；　when　it　rained
she　cried　and　moaned　in　a　mournful；　terrifying　manner；　which　sounded　like
the　howling　of　a　dog　before　a　death　occurs　in　a　house。

〃She　was　fond　of　rolling　on　the　grass；　as　young　animals　do；　and　of
running　about　madly；　and　she　would　clap　her　hands　every　morning；　when　the
sun　shone　into　her　room；　and　would　insist；　by　signs；　on　being　dressed　as
quickly　as　possible；　so　that　she　might　get　out。

〃She　did　not　appear　to　distinguish　between　people；　between　her　mother　and
her　nurse；　or　between　her　father　and　me；　or　between　the　coachman　and　the
cook。　　I　particularly　liked　her　parents；　who　were　very　unhappy　on　her
account；　and　went　to　see　them　nearly　every　day。　　I　dined　with　them　quite
frequently；　which　enabled　me　to　remark　that　Bertha　（they　had　called　her
Bertha）　seemed　to　recognize　the　various　dishes；　and　to　prefer　some　to
others。　　At　that　time　she　was　twelve　years　old；　but　as　fully　formed　in
figure　as　a　girl　of　eighteen；　and　taller　than　I　was。　　Then　the　idea
struck　me　of　developing　her　greediness；　and　by　this　means　of　cultivating
some　slight　power　of　discrimination　in　her　mind；　and　to　force　her；　by　the
diversity　of　flavors；　if　not　to　reason；　at　any　rate　to　arrive　at
instinctive　distinctions；　which　would　of　themselves　constitute　a　kind　of
process　that　was　necessary　to　thought。　　Later　on；　by　appealing　to　her
passions；　and　by　carefully　making　use　of　those　which　could　serve　our
purpose；　we　might　hope　to　obtain　a　kind　of　reaction　on　her　intellect；　and
by　degrees　increase　the　unconscious　action　of　her　brain。

〃One　day　I　put　two　plates　before　her；　one　of　soup；　and　the　other　of　very
sweet　vanilla　cream。　　I　made　her　taste　each　of　them　successively；　and
then　I　let　her　choose　for　herself；　and　she　ate　the　plate　of
cream。　　In　a　short　time　I　made　her　very　greedy；　so　greedy　that　it
appeared　as　if　the　only　idea　she　had　in　her　head　was　the　desire　for
eating。　　She　perfectly　recognized　the　various　dishes；　and　stretched　out
her　hands　toward　those　that　she　liked；　and　took　hold　of　them　eagerly；　and
she　used　to　cry　when　they　were　taken　from　her。　　Then　I　thought　I　would
try　and　teach　her　to　come　to　the　dining…room　when　the　dinner　bell　rang。
It　took　a　long　time；　but　I　succeeded　in　the　end。　　In　her　vacant　intellect
a　vague　correlation　was　established　between　sound　and　taste；　a
correspondence　between　the　two　senses；　an　appeal　from　one　to　the　other；
and　consequently　a　sort　of　connection　of　ideasif　one　can　call　that　kind
of　instinctive　hyphen　between　two　organic　functions　an　ideaand　so　I
carried　my　experiments　further；　and　taught　her；　with　much　difficulty；　to
recognize　meal　times　by　the　clock。

〃It　was　impossible　for　me　for　a　long　time　to　attract　her　attention　to　the
hands；　but　I　succeeded　in　making　her　remark　the　clockwork　and　the
striking　apparatus。　　The　means　I　employed　were　very　simple；　I　asked　them
not　to　have　the　bell　rung　for　lunch；　and　everybody　got　up　and　went　into
the　dining…room　when　the　little　brass　hammer　struck　twelve　o'clock；　but　I
found　great　difficulty　in　making　her　learn　to　count　the　strokes。　　She　ran
to　the　door　each　time　she　heard　the　clock　strike；　but　by　degrees　she
learned　that　all　the　strokes　had　not　the　same　value　as　far　as　regarded
meals；　and　she　frequently　fixed　her　eyes；　guided　by　her　ears；　on　the　dial
of　the　clock。

〃When　I　noticed　that；　I　took　care　every　day　at　twelve；　and　at　six
o'clock；　to　place　my　fingers　on　the　figures　twelve　and　six；　as　soon　as
the　moment　she　was　waiting　for　had　arrived；　and　I　soon　noticed　that　she
attentively　followed　the　motion　of　the　small　brass　hands；　which　I　had
often　turned　in　her　presence。

〃She　had　understood！　　Perhaps　I　ought　rather　to　say　that　she　had　grasped
the　idea。　　I　had　succeeded　in　getting　the　knowledge；　or；　rather；　the
sensation；　of　the　time　into　her；　just　as　is　the　case　with　carp；　who
certainly　have　no　clocks；　when　they　are　fed　every　day　exactly　at　the　same
time。

〃When　once　I　had　obtained　that　result　all　the　clocks　and　watches　in　the
house　occupied　her　attention　almost　exclusively。　　She　spent　her　time　in
looking　at　them；　listening　to　them；　and　in　waiting　for　meal　time；　and
once　something　very　funny　happened。　　The　striking　apparatus　of　a　pretty
little　Louis　XVI　clock　that　hung　at　the　head　of　her　bed　having　got　out　of
order；　she　noticed　it。　　She　sat　for　twenty　minutes　with　her　eyes　on　the
hands；　waiting　for　it　to　strike　ten；　but　when　the　hands　passed　the　figure
she　was　astonished　at　not　hearing　anything；　so　stupefied　was　she；　indeed；
that　she　sat　down；　no　doubt　overwhelmed　by　a　feeling　of　violent　emotion
such　as　attacks　us　in　the　face　of　some　terrible　catastrophe。　　And　she　had
the　wonderful　patience　to　wait　until　eleven　o'clock　in　order　to　see　what
would　happen；　and　as　she　naturally　heard　nothing；　she　was　suddenly　either
seized　with　a　wild　fit　of　rage　at　having　been　deceived　and　imposed　upon
by　appearances；　or　else　overcome　by　that　fear　which　some　frightened
creature　feels　at　some　terrible　mystery；　and　by　the　furious　impatience　of
a　passionate　individual　who　meets　with　some　obstacle；　she　took　up　the
tongs　from　the　fireplace　and　struck　the　clock　so　violently　that　she　broke
it　to　pieces　in　a　moment。

〃It　was　evident；　therefore；　that　her；　brain　did　act　and　calculate；
obscurely　it　is　true；　and　within　very　restricted　limits；　for　I　could
never　succeed　in　making　her　distinguish　persons　as　she　distinguished　the
time；　and　to　stir　her　intellect；　it　was　necessary　to　appeal　to　her
passions；　in　the　material　sense　of　the　word；　and　we　soon　had　another；　and
alas！　a　very　terrible　proof　of　this！

〃She　had　grown　up　into　a　splendid　girl；　a　perfect　type　of　a　race；　a　sort
of　lovely　and　stupid　Venus。　　She　was　sixteen；　and　I　have　rarely　seen　such
perfection　of　form；　such　suppleness　and　such　regular　features。　　I　said
she　was　a　Venus；　yes；　a　fair；　stout；　vigorous　Venus；　with　large；　bright；
vacant　eyes；　which　were　as　blue　as　the　flowers　of　the　flax　plant；　she　had
a　large　mouth　with　full　lips；　the　mouth　of　a　glutton；　of　a　sensualist；　a
mouth　made　for　kisses。　　Well；　one　morning　her　father　came　into　my
consulting　room　with　a　strange　look　on　his　face；　and；　sitting　down
without　even　replying　to　my　greeting；　he　said：

〃'I　want　to　speak　to　you　about　a　very　serious　matter。　　Would　it　be
possiblewould　it　be　possible　for　Bertha　to　marry？'

〃'Bertha　to