original short stories-3-第19部分

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and　as　in　duty　bound　through　being　an　influential　and　generous　man；　he
felt　an　imperious　need　of　patronizing　others。　　He　offered　his　support　to
every　one　on　all　occasions　and　with　unbounded　generosity。

When　he　met　any　one　he　recognized　on　the　boulevards　he　would　advance　to
meet　them　with　a　charmed　air；　would　take　their　hand；　inquire　after　their
health；　and；　without　waiting　for　any　questions；　remark：

〃You　know　I　am　state　councillor；　and　I　am　entirely　at　your　service。　　If　I
can　be　of　any　use　to　you；　do　not　hesitate　to　call　on　me。　　In　my　position
one　has　great　influence。〃

Then　he　would　go　into　some　cafe　with　the　friend　he　had　just　met　and　ask
for　a　pen　and　ink　and　a　sheet　of　paper。　　〃Just　one；　waiter；　it　is　to
write　a　letter　of　recommendation。〃

And　he　wrote　ten；　twenty；　fifty　letters　of　recommendation　a　day。　　He
wrote　them　to　the　Cafe　Americain；　to　Bignon's；　to　Tortoni's；　to　the
Maison　Doree；　to　the　Cafe　Riche；　to　the　Helder；　to　the　Cafe　Anglais；　to
the　Napolitain；　everywhere；　everywhere。　　He　wrote　them　to　all　the
officials　of　the　republican　government；　from　the　magistrates　to　the
ministers。　　And　he　was　happy；　perfectly　happy。

One　morning　as　he　was　starting　out　to　go　to　the　council　it　began　to　rain。
He　hesitated　about　taking　a　cab；　but　decided　not　to　do　so　and　set　out　on
foot。

The　rain　came　down　in　torrents；　swamping　the　sidewalks　and　inundating　the
streets。　　M。　Marin　was　obliged　to　take　shelter　in　a　doorway。　　An　old
priest　was　standing　therean　old　priest　with　white　hair。　　Before　he
became　a　councillor　M。　Marin　did　not　like　the　clergy。　　Now　he　treated
them　with　consideration；　ever　since　a　cardinal　had　consulted　him　on　an
important　matter。　　The　rain　continued　to　pour　down　in　floods　and　obliged
the　two　men　to　take　shelter　in　the　porter's　lodge　so　as　to　avoid　getting
wet。　　M。　Marin；　who　was　always　itching　to　talk　so　as　to　let　people　know
who　he　was；　remarked：

〃This　is　horrible　weather；　Monsieur　l'Abbe。〃

The　old　priest　bowed：

〃Yes　indeed；　sir；　it　is　very　unpleasant　when　one　comes　to　Paris　for　only
a　few　days。〃

〃Ah！　　You　come　from　the　provinces？〃

〃Yes；　monsieur。　　I　am　only　passing　through　on　my　journey。〃

〃It　certainly　is　very　disagreeable　to　have　rain　during　the　few　days　one
spends　in　the　capital。　　We　officials　who　stay　here　the　year　round；　we
think　nothing　of　it。〃

The　priest　did　not　reply。　　He　was　looking　at　the　street　where　the　rain
seemed　to　be　falling　less　heavily。　　And　with　a　sudden　resolve　he　raised
his　cassock　just　as　women　raise　their　skirts　in　stepping　across　water。

M。　Marin；　seeing　him　start　away；　exclaimed：

〃You　will　get　drenched；　Monsieur　l'Abbe。　　Wait　a　few　moments　longer；　the
rain　will　be　over。〃

The　good　man　stopped　irresistibly　and　then　said：

〃But　I　am　in　a　great　hurry。　　I　have　an　important　engagement。〃

M。　Marin　seemed　quite　worried。

〃But　you　will　be　absolutely　drenched。　　Might　I　ask　in　which　direction　you
are　going？〃

The　priest　appeared　to　hesitate。　　Then　he　said：

〃I　am　going　in　the　direction　of　the　Palais　Royal。〃

〃In　that　case；　if　you　will　allow　me；　Monsieur　l'Abbe；　I　will　offer　you
the　shelter　of　my　umbrella：　As　for　me；　I　am　going　to　the　council。　　I　am　a
councillor　of　state。〃

The　old　priest　raised　his　head　and　looked　at　his　neighbor　and　then
exclaimed：

〃I　thank　you；　monsieur。　　I　shall　be　glad　to　accept　your　offer。〃

M。　Marin　then　took　his　arm　and　led　him　away。　　He　directed　him；　watched
over　him　and　advised　him。

〃Be　careful　of　that　stream；　Monsieur　1'Abbe。　　And　be　very　careful　about
the　carriage　wheels；　they　spatter　you　with　mud　sometimes　from　head　to
foot。　　Look　out　for　the　umbrellas　of　the　people　passing　by；　there　is
nothing　more　dangerous　to　the　eyes　than　the　tips　of　the　ribs。　　Women
especially　are　unbearable；　they　pay　no　heed　to　where　they　are　going　and
always　jab　you　in　the　face　with　the　point　of　their　parasols　or　umbrellas。
And　they　never　move　aside　for　anybody。　　One　would　suppose　the　town
belonged　to　them。　　They　monopolize　the　pavement　and　the　street。　　It　is　my
opinion　that　their　education　has　been　greatly　neglected。〃

And　M。　Marin　laughed。

The　priest　did　not　reply。　　He　walked　along；　slightly　bent　over；　picking
his　steps　carefully　so　as　not　to　get　mud　on　his　boots　or　his　cassock。

M。　Marin　resumed：

〃I　suppose　you　have　come　to　Paris　to　divert　your　mind　a　little？〃

The　good　man　replied：

〃No；　I　have　some　business　to　attend　to。〃

〃Ali！　　Is　it　important　business？　　Might　I　venture　to　ask　what　it　is？　　If
I　can　be　of　any　service　to　you；　you　may　command　me。〃

The　priest　seemed　embarrassed。　　He　murmured：

〃Oh；　it　is　a　little　personal　matter；　a　little　difficulty　withwith　my
bishop。　　It　would　not　interest　you。　　It　is　a　matter　of　internal
regulationan　ecclesiastical　affair。〃

M。　Marin　was　eager。

〃But　it　is　precisely　the　state　council　that　regulates　all　those　things。
In　that　case；　make　use　of　me。〃

〃Yes；　monsieur；　it　is　to　the　council　that　I　am　going。　　You　are　a　thousand
times　too　kind。　　I　have　to　see　M。　Lerepere　and　M。　Savon　and　also　perhaps
M。　Petitpas。〃

M。　Marin　stopped　short。

〃Why；　those　are　my　friends；　Monsieur　l'Abbe；　my　best　friends；　excellent
colleagues；　charming　men。　　I　will　speak　to　them　about　you；　and　very
highly。　　Count　upon　me。〃

The　cure　thanked　him；　apologizing　for　troubling　him；　and　stammered　out　a
thousand　grateful　promises。

M。　Marin　was　enchanted。

〃Ah；　you　may　be　proud　of　having　made　a　stroke　of　luck；　Monsieur　l'Abbe。
You　will　seeyou　will　see　that；　thanks　to　me；　your　affair　will　go　along
swimmingly。〃

They　reached　the　council　hall。　　M。　Marin　took　the　priest　into　his　office；
offered　him　a　chair　in　front　of　the　fire　and　sat　down　himself　at　his　desk
and　began　to　write。

〃My　dear　colleague；　allow　me　to　recommend　to　you　most　highly　a　venerable
and　particularly　worthy　and　deserving　priest；　M。　L'Abbe〃

He　stopped　and　asked：

〃Your　name；　if　you　please？〃

〃L'Abbe　Ceinture。〃

〃M。　l'Abbe　Ceinture；　who　needs　your　good　office　in　a　little　matter　which
he　will　communicate　to　you。

〃I　am　pleased　at　this　incident　which　gives　me　an　opportunity；　my　dear
colleague〃

And　he　finished　with　the　usual　compliments。

When　he　had　written　the　three　letters　he　handed　them　to　his　protege；　who
took　his　departure　with　many　protestations　of　gratitude。

M。　Marin　attended　to　some　business　and　then　went　home；　passed　the　day
quietly；　slept　well；　woke　in　a　good　humor　and　sent　for　his　newspapers。

The　first　he　opened　was　a　radical　sheet。　　He　read：

　　　　　〃OUR　CLERGY　AND　OUR　GOVERNMENT　OFFICIALS

〃We　shall　never　make　an　end　of　enumerating　the　misdeeds　of　the　clergy。
A　certain　priest；　named　Ceinture；　convicted　of　conspiracy　against　the
present　government；　accused　of　base　actions　to　which　we　will　not　even
allude；　suspected　besides　of　being　a　former　Jesuit；　metamorphosed　into　a
simple　priest；　suspended　by　a　bishop　for　causes　that　are　said　to　be
unmentionable　and　summoned　to　Paris　to　give　an　explanation　of　his
conduct；　has　found　an　ardent　defender　in　the　man　named　Marin；　a
councillor　of　state；　who　was　not　afraid　to　give　this　frocked　malefactor
the　warmest　letters　of　recommendation　to　all　the　republican　officials；
his　colleagues。

〃We　call　the；　attention　of　the　ministry　to　the　unheard　of　attitude　of
this　councillor　of　state〃

M。　Marin　bounded　out　of　bed；　dressed　himself　and　hastened　to　his
colleague；　Petitpas；　who　said　to　him：

〃How　now？　　You　were　crazy　to　recommend　to　me　that　old　conspirator！〃

M。　Marin；　bewildered；　stammered　out：

〃Why　noyou　seeI　was　deceived。　　He　looked　such　an　honest　man。　　He
played　me　a　tricka　disgraceful　trick！　　I　beg　that　you　will　sentence　him
severely；　very　severely。　　I　am　going　to　write。　　Tell　me　to　whom　I　should
write　about　having　him　punished。　　I　will　go　and　see　the　attorney…general
and　the　archbishop　of　Parisyes；　the　archbishop。〃

And　seating　himself　abruptly　at　M。　Petitpas'　desk；　he　wrote：

〃Monseigneur；　I　have　the　honor　to　bring　to　your　grace's　notice　the　fact
that　I　have　recently　been　made　a　victim　of　the　intrigues　and　lies　of　a
certain　Abbe　Ceinture；　who　imposed　on　my　kind…heartedness。

〃Deceived　by　the　representations　of　this　ecclesiastic；　I　was　led〃

Then；　having　signed　and　sealed　his　letter；　he　turned　to　his　colleague　and
exclaimed：

〃See　here；　my　dear　friend；　let　this　be　a　warning　to　you　never　to
recommend　any　one　again。〃






THE　DOOR

〃Bah！〃　exclaimed　Karl　Massouligny；　〃the　question　of　complaisant　husbands
is　a　difficult　one。　　I　have　seen　many　kinds；　and　yet　I　am　unable　to　give
an　opinion　about　any　of　them。　　I　have　often　tried　to　determine　whether
they　are　blind；　weak　or　clairvoyant。　　I　believe　that　there　are　some　which
belong　to　each　of　these　categories。

〃Let　us　quickly　pass　over　the　blind　ones。　　They　cannot　rightly　be　called
complaisant；　since　they　do　not　know；　but　they　are　good　creatures　who
cannot　see　farther　than　their　nose。　　It　is　a　curious　and　interesting
thing　to　notice　the　ease　with　which　men　and　women　can；　be　deceived。
We　are　taken　in　by　the　slightest　trick　of　those　who　surround　us；　by　our
children；　our　friends；　our　servants；　our　tradespeople。　　Humanity　is
credulous；　and　in　order　to　discover　deceit　in　others；　we　do　not　display
one…tenth　the　shrewdness　which　we　use　when　we；　in　turn；　wish　to　deceive
some　one　else。

〃Clairvoyant　husbands　may　be　divided　into　three　classes：　Those　who　have
some　interest；　pecuniary；　ambitious　or　otherwise；　in　their　wife's　having
love　affairs。　　These　ask　only　to　safeguard　appearances　as　much　as
possible；　and　they　are　satisfied。

〃Next　come　those　who　get　angry。　　What　a　beautiful　novel　one　could　write
about　them！

〃Finally　the　weak　ones！　　Those　who　are　afraid　of　scandal。

〃There　are　also　those　who　are　powerless；　or；　rather；　tired；　who　flee　from
the　duties　of　matrimony　through　fear　of　ataxia　or　apoplexy；　who　are
satisfied　to　see　a　friend　run　these　risks。

〃But　I　once　met　a　husband　of　a　rare　species；　who　guarded　against　the
common　accident　in　a　strange　and　witty　manner。

〃In　Paris　I　had　made　the　acquaintance　of　an　elegant；　fashionable　couple。
The　woman；　nervous；　tall；　slender；　courted；　was　supposed　to　have　had　many
love　adventures。　　She　pleased　me　with　her　wit；　and　I　believe　that　I
pleased　her　also。　　I　courted　he