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cousin betty-第119部分
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to say that the landlords of some of the houses tenanted by working
men without work; by dangerous characters; and by the very poor
employed in unhealthy toil; dare not demand their rents; and can find
no bailiffs bold enough to evict insolvent lodgers。 At the present
time speculating builders; who are fast changing the aspect of this
corner of Paris; and covering the waste ground lying between the Rue
d'Amsterdam and the Rue Faubourg…du…Roule; will no doubt alter the
character of the inhabitants; for the trowel is a more civilizing
agent than is generally supposed。 By erecting substantial and handsome
houses; with porters at the doors; by bordering the streets with
footwalks and shops; speculation; while raising the rents; disperses
the squalid class; families bereft of furniture; and lodgers that
cannot pay。 And so these districts are cleared of such objectionable
residents; and the dens vanish into which the police never venture but
under the sanction of the law。
In June 1844; the purlieus of the Place de Laborde were still far from
inviting。 The genteel pedestrian; who by chance should turn out of the
Rue de la Pepiniere into one of those dreadful side…streets; would
have been dismayed to see how vile a bohemia dwelt cheek by jowl with
the aristocracy。 In such places as these; haunted by ignorant poverty
and misery driven to bay; flourish the last public letter…writers who
are to be found in Paris。 Wherever you see the two words 〃Ecrivain
Public〃 written in a fine copy hand on a sheet of letter…paper stuck
to the window pane of some low entresol or mud…splashed ground…floor
room; you may safely conclude that the neighborhood is the lurking
place of many unlettered folks; and of much vice and crime; the
outcome of misery; for ignorance is the mother of all sorts of crime。
A crime is; in the first instance; a defect of reasoning powers。
While the Baroness had been ill; this quarter; to which she was a
minor Providence; had seen the advent of a public writer who settled
in the Passage du SoleilSun Alleya spot of which the name is one
of the antitheses dear to the Parisian; for the passage is especially
dark。 This writer; supposed to be a German; was named Vyder; and he
lived on matrimonial terms with a young creature of whom he was so
jealous that he never allowed her to go anywhere excepting to some
honest stove and flue…fitters; in the Rue Saint…Lazare; Italians; as
such fitters always are; but long since established in Paris。 These
people had been saved from a bankruptcy; which would have reduced them
to misery; by the Baroness; acting in behalf of Madame de la
Chanterie。 In a few months comfort had taken the place of poverty; and
Religion had found a home in hearts which once had cursed Heaven with
the energy peculiar to Italian stove…fitters。 So one of Madame Hulot's
first visits was to this family。
She was pleased at the scene that presented itself to her eyes at the
back of the house where these worthy folks lived in the Rue Saint…
Lazare; not far from the Rue du Rocher。 High above the stores and
workshops; now well filled; where toiled a swarm of apprentices and
workmenall Italians from the valley of Domo d'Ossolathe master's
family occupied a set of rooms; which hard work had blessed with
abundance。 The Baroness was hailed like the Virgin Mary in person。
After a quarter of an hour's questioning; Adeline; having to wait for
the father to inquire how his business was prospering; pursued her
saintly calling as a spy by asking whether they knew of any families
needing help。
〃Ah; dear lady; you who could save the damned from hell!〃 said the
Italian wife; 〃there is a girl quite near here to be saved from
perdition。〃
〃A girl well known to you?〃 asked the Baroness。
〃She is the granddaughter of a master my husband formerly worked for;
who came to France in 1798; after the Revolution; by name Judici。 Old
Judici; in Napoleon's time; was one of the principal stove…fitters in
Paris; he died in 1819; leaving his son a fine fortune。 But the
younger Judici wasted all his money on bad women; till; at last; he
married one who was sharper than the rest; and she had this poor
little girl; who is just turned fifteen。〃
〃And what is wrong with her?〃 asked Adeline; struck by the resemblance
between this Judici and her husband。
〃Well; madame; this child; named Atala; ran away from her father; and
came to live close by here with an old German of eighty at least;
named Vyder; who does odd jobs for people who cannot read and write。
Now; if this old sinner; who bought the child of her mother; they say
for fifteen hundred francs; would but marry her; as he certainly has
not long to live; and as he is said to have some few thousand of
francs a yearwell; the poor thing; who is a sweet little angel;
would be out of mischief; and above want; which must be the ruin of
her。〃
〃Thank you very much for the information。 I may do some good; but I
must act with caution。Who is the old man?〃
〃Oh! madame; he is a good old fellow; he makes the child very happy;
and he has some sense too; for he left the part of town where the
Judicis live; as I believe; to snatch the child from her mother's
clutches。 The mother was jealous of her; and I dare say she thought
she could make money out of her beauty and make a /mademoiselle/ of
the girl。
〃Atala remembered us; and advised her gentleman to settle near us; and
as the good man sees how decent we are; he allows her to come here。
But get them married; madame; and you will do an action worthy of you。
Once married; the child will be independent and free from her mother;
who keeps an eye on her; and who; if she could make money by her;
would like to see her on the stage; or successful in the wicked life
she meant her to lead。〃
〃Why doesn't the old man marry her?〃
〃There was no necessity for it; you see;〃 said the Italian。 〃And
though old Vyder is not a bad old fellow; I fancy he is sharp enough
to wish to remain the master; while if he once got marriedwhy; the
poor man is afraid of the stone that hangs round every old man's
neck。〃
〃Could you send for the girl to come here?〃 said Madame Hulot。 〃I
should see her quietly; and find out what could be done〃
The stove…fitter's wife signed to her eldest girl; who ran off。 Ten
minutes later she returned; leading by the hand a child of fifteen and
a half; a beauty of the Italian type。 Mademoiselle Judici inherited
from her father that ivory skin which; rather yellow by day; is by
artificial light of lily…whiteness; eyes of Oriental beauty; form; and
brilliancy; close curling lashes like black feathers; hair of ebony
hue; and that native dignity of the Lombard race which makes the
foreigner; as he walks through Milan on a Sunday; fancy that every
porter's daughter is a princess。
Atala; told by the stove…fitter's daughter that she was to meet the
great lady of whom she had heard so much; had hastily dressed in a
black silk gown; a smart little cape; and neat boots。 A cap with a
cherry…colored bow added to the brilliant effect of her coloring。 The
child stood in an attitude of artless curiosity; studying the Baroness
out of the corner of her eye;
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