Comedy family

The little train bound for Neuilly[2] had just passed the Porte Maio and was running along the boulevard leading to the banks of the Seine. The little locomotive dragged its car, whistling to drive away the pedestrians and vehicles in the way, like a panting long-distance runner, spitting steam; the pistons were like two iron legs in motion, banging bang bang towards the road. hurried forward. The sweltering heat of a summer evening loomed over the pavement; although there was no wind, it still raised white dust like chalk dust, thick and choking, and hot. This dust sticks to people's wet skin, squints people's eyes, and even gets into people's lungs.

On both sides of the avenue, many people went outdoors, hoping to breathe.

The windows of the car were pulled open; the car was moving fast, and the curtains were fluttering in the wind. There are only a few people in the car (on a hot day like this, people prefer to stay on the top floor and on the terrace). Among them were a few fat ladies who were not very elegantly dressed; these middle-class suburban women, lacking in elegance, but arrogantly out of place. There were also a few men who were exhausted after a hard day in the office. Their faces were sallow and their backs were bowed. Because of working at a desk for many years, it seemed that one shoulder was a little high. From their anxious, frowning faces, they knew that their family life was troubled, often strapped for money, and their old hopes were doomed. They all belonged to the army of down-and-out poor men, living a tedious life in a thin plasterboard house in the fields near Paris, near a garbage dump; garden.

Next to the car door was a short, stout man with puffy cheeks and a belly hanging between his splayed legs, dressed in black with a medal sash. He is chatting with a gentleman.The other was slender and unkempt, dressed in filthy white linen and an old Panama hat. The previous one was Mr. Karawang, the chief staff member of the Admiralty. He spoke slowly and hesitantly, sometimes like a stammer. The latter worked as a sanitation on a merchant ship, and finally opened his business next to the circular square of Gourbois. With the specious medical knowledge he had left in his life, he practiced medicine among the poor local residents; He is "the doctor". There are a lot of rumors about his conduct.

Mr Karawang has always lived a standard civil servant life. For thirty years, he went to work every morning, walking the same road, at the same time, at the same place, and saw the same face rushing to work; every night he followed the same route home, I met the same face that he saw growing old with his own eyes.

Every day he spends a sou on the corner of Saint-Honolais to buy a newspaper and two loaves of bread, and then walks into the ministry with the look of a prisoner who has surrendered himself. He rushed to the office in a hurry. He was always apprehensive, always worried that he would be reprimanded for his negligence.

Nothing ever happened to change his monotonous routine; because he didn't care about anything but Corey, upgrades and bonuses. Whether in the ministry or at home (he had already married a colleague's daughter, regardless of dowry), he never talked about anything other than official business. There were no other thoughts, hopes, and dreams in his brain, shriveled by the tedious daily work, other than those related to the ministry. But the clerk was always indignant when he remembered one thing: those naval quartermasters, who were called "tinsmiths" because of their silver sashes, could become deputy chiefs or chiefs when they were transferred to the department.Every night at the dinner table, in front of his wife, who shared his hatred, he would argue with good reason that it would be extremely unfair in every way to give the office of Paris to those who were supposed to sail the seas.

He is old now. But he didn't feel how his life had passed, because he walked straight into the office as soon as he walked out of the gate of the middle school, but the superintendent who used to be terrified was now replaced by the boss he was terribly afraid of. As soon as he saw the threshold of these yamen tyrants, he shivered all over. He always looked embarrassed in front of people, and he always spoke in a low voice, and even stuttered with nervousness, which was the result of this constant fear.

He knows no more about Paris than a blind man who leads his dog to the same door every day begging for food. Even if he reads any major events or scandals in his Su's newspaper, he thinks that they are all fabricated stories and made up for the entertainment of the small staff. He is a supporter of order, a conservative, a conservative who has no political opinion but is hostile to all "new things". He ignored all political news, not to mention that his newspaper took money from one party and always distorted the news to meet the needs of that party. Every night, he goes home along the Champs-Elysees, looking at the bustling pedestrians and the endless stream of vehicles, like an unfamiliar tourist wandering in a distant foreign land.

Just this year, he completed the thirty years of service required by the regulations. On January 1, he received the Cross of the Legion of Honor. In these militarized institutions, it was used to reward the prisoners who were pinned to the green dossier for their long and miserable hard labor (or "loyal service" as it was called). This unexpected honor gave him a new, higher awareness of his talents and completely changed his attitude towards life.Out of due courtesy and respect for the "Orders" he belonged to, he has since banned variegated trousers and fancy tops, wearing only black trousers and his wide Medal Ribbon"; he shaved every morning, cleaned his fingernails carefully, and changed his shirt every two days. In short, in a short while, he became another Karawang, neat, dignified, and somewhat condescending to others.

At home, he says "My Cross" in everything he says. He was even so proud that he couldn't stand any kind of medal that someone else put on a buttonhole. He was particularly furious when he saw foreign medals - "This kind of medal should not be allowed to hang in France at all." He especially disliked "Doctor" Chenay, because every night when he met him on the train, he always wore a random medal ribbon, some white, some blue, some orange, some green of.

On the way from the Arc de Triomphe to Neuilly, the conversation between the two of them is still a commonplace. On this day, as usual, they first dealt with local maladies; they were all disgusted by them, but the mayor of Neuilly ignored them. Then, as is bound to happen in a doctor's company, Karawang turns the subject to the disease, hoping to get a little free advice or even a diagnosis through small talk, so long as he does it skillfully, don't let him see it. flaw. Besides, his mother's condition had been worrying him of late. She often fainted, and it took a long time to wake up. Although she was ninety years old, she just did not agree to see a doctor.

When Karawang mentioned his mother's longevity, he was excited.He repeatedly said to "Doctor" Chenay, "Do you see people who live such an old age often?" After that, he rubbed his hands very lucky, not because he wanted to see the old lady in the world endlessly To live, but because of his mother's long lifespan, is also a harbinger of his own longevity.

He went on: "Hey! People in my family live long lives; therefore, I can be sure that, barring an accident, I will live to be very old to die." The sanitation gave him a pitying look; He glanced at the other party's flushed face, fat neck, big belly that fell between two slack legs, and the round body of the puffy old employee who was prone to stroke; then, he lifted a hand to his head. The gray-white Panama hat on top, smiled coldly, and replied, "Not necessarily, buddy, Lingtang is skinny, but your Excellency, he is fat like a soup bucket." Karawang was flustered and speechless by what he said.

Fortunately, the train arrived at this time. The two partners got out of the car. Mr. Schenay proposed to invite him to the Universal Cafe opposite, where they frequented, for a glass of absinthe. The owner, who was friends with them, held out two fingers to them and held it across the wine bottle on the counter. Then they walked over to find the three poker fans who had been playing dominoes at that table since noon. They greeted each other warmly and asked the unavoidable "what's the news", then the poker player continued to play and they both said their goodbyes. They didn't lift their heads, just stretched out their hands to shake each other's hands, and then went home to eat.

Karawang lives in a small three-story building near Gurbova Square. Downstairs is a barber shop.

The home has two bedrooms, a dining room and a kitchen, and several refurbished chairs are moved from room to room as needed. Mrs Karawang spends her time cleaning up.Her twelve-year-old daughter, Marie-Louise, and her nine-year-old son, Philippe Auguste, played with neighborhood children in the gutter on the side of the street.

Karawang put her mother upstairs. The old lady was notorious for being stingy in this area, and she was so skinny that people said: "God" applied his prudent principles to her. She was always in a bad mood, and there was not a day when she didn't quarrel with people or lose her temper. She often yelled at neighbors, vegetable vendors, scavengers and children through the window. In revenge for her, when she went out, the children followed at a distance and shouted: "Old-goblin-goblin!" In order to prevent accidents, she slept on the third floor, next to the old lady.

When Karawang got home, his clean-obsessed wife was using a flannel to wipe the mahogany chairs scattered across several empty rooms. She always wore velvet gloves and wore a cap on her head with a multicolored ribbon that always slipped up one ear. Whenever someone bumps into her brushing, sweeping, wiping, washing, she always says: "I'm not rich, everything is simple at home, but I also have my luxury, that is cleaning, which is closely related to Other luxuries are equally valuable."

She was born practical and opinionated; she was her husband's guide in all things. Every night, at the dinner table and then in bed, they chattered about the office. Although she was twenty years younger than him, he talked to her like a priest, and obeyed her advice in everything.

She was never pretty at all; she was uglier now, short and thin.Her tiny femininity could have been subtly revealed; but she knew nothing about dress and was buried forever. Her skirt always seemed to be on one side. No matter what the occasion, even in front of the public, she often scratches herself, almost becoming a quirk. The only adornment she allowed herself to use was the cap with ribbons on the top, which she habitually wore at home, and which she thought was beautiful.

As soon as she saw her husband come back, she straightened up, kissed his cheek and beard, and asked, "My friend, are you thinking of going to Bodin[3]?" (This refers to the fact that he promised to do it for her. One thing.) He threw his head down in his chair, dejected; this was the fourth time he had forgotten about it. He said: "It's really evil. I've been thinking about this all day, but it's useless. I still forget it in the evening." Seeing him sad, she comforted: "Do you remember tomorrow? It's over. Is there any news in the ministry?"

"Yes, it's still a big news: another 'white blacksmith' has been appointed as the deputy section chief."

Her face immediately turned serious and asked:

"Which section?

"External Purchasing Section."

She said angrily:

"So, it's Ramon's seat, exactly the seat I want you to get. Where's Ramon? He's retired?"

He muttered "Retired," she murmured. She jumped into a frenzy, her cap slid over her shoulders:

"It's over! Look, there's nothing left to hope for in this broken place. What's the quartermaster's last name you're talking about?"

" Bonasseau."

She picked up the naval yearbook that she always had at hand, and read: "Bonnaceau. —Toulon. —Born in 1851. —Commissioned quartermaster in 1871. official.Assistant Quartermaster in 1875. "

"Has he ever been to sea? "

Hearing this question, Karawang's heart sank. Then, he laughed happily, and told an old joke that everyone in his ministry thought was wonderful: "Don't send them to inspect the Dawn Military Port by water, they will get seasick on the sightseeing steamer.

However, she still had a stern face as if she hadn't heard. After a while, she scratched her chin slowly and muttered, "If only we could have a friendly MP!" As soon as Parliament knew what was going on in the Ministry, the Minister would fall..."

She was interrupted at this point by a commotion from the stairs. Marie-Louise and Philip-August were playing from the gutter When they came back, they were fighting step by step, you slapped me, I kicked you. Their mother rushed out, grabbing a child's arm with one hand, shaking them vigorously, and pushing them into the house

When they saw their father, they rushed at him. He kissed them kindly, for a long time, and then sat down, let them sit on his lap, and talked to them.

Philip-August was a Little mischievous, disheveled hair, nothing clean from head to toe, an idiot face. Marie-Louise looked like her mother, spoke like her, opened her mouth as if repeating her words, even her gestures followed She was exactly the same. She also said, "What news is there in the ministry? He happily replied: "Baby girl, your friend Ramon who comes to our house every month for dinner is leaving us." A new deputy chief took his place.She raised her head to look at her father, and said in the sympathetic tone of a precocious child: "So, another person jumped over your shoulder."

He smiled and didn't answer; then he changed the subject and asked his wife who was cleaning the window, "Is mom upstairs?" "

Mrs. Karawang stopped cleaning the windows, turned around, put the cap back on her back, and said with trembling lips:

"Ha! right! Let's talk about your mom! She sang a good show with me! Think about it, the barber's wife, Madame Lebaudin, went upstairs to ask me to borrow a packet of starch, and I happened to be out, and your mother drove them out like a beggar. So I came back and fixed the old lady too. But she was the same as always, when people pointed out that she was not, she always pretended not to hear. Actually, her ear is not worse than mine, is she? She's just pretending. She went upstairs without a word, and this is proof. "

Karawang was very embarrassed and remained silent. Just in time, the little maid broke in and said that dinner was ready. So he took the broom handle that was always hidden in the corner and stabbed the ceiling three times to notify him Mother came down to eat. Then they went to the dining room. Mrs. Caravan divided the soup and waited for the old lady to come down. Wait, wait, the soup was cold, and she didn't come down, so they had to eat slowly first. When the soup was finished, they waited again. Mrs. Karawang was annoyed, and let out her anger on her husband: "She's trying to make trouble, you know it. But you still protect her. Caught in the middle, he was in a dilemma and had to send Marie-Louise to call Grandma. His wife angrily tapped the tip of the glass at the foot of the wine glass, while he kept his head down, motionless.

The door suddenly opened, and only her daughter came back, panting and pale, she said in a panic, "Grandma is on the ground."

Karawang stood up abruptly, threw the napkin on the table, Running out, he heard heavy and rapid footsteps on the stairs. His wife thought her mother-in-law was playing some trick again, shrugged her shoulders in disapproval, and followed slowly upstairs.

The old lady fell straight down in the middle of the room with her face down. When his son turned her over, he saw that her face was motionless and expressionless; her skin was sallow and wrinkled, as if she had been burnt; her eyes were closed, her teeth were clenched, and her thin body was stiff.

Karawang knelt down beside her, groaning and shouting, "My poor mother!" But Mrs. Karawang looked at her for a while, and said with certainty, "Come on, she's passed out again, nothing serious. Don't worry. Well, it's just delaying our meal."

They carried the old lady onto the bed and stripped naked. Karawang, his wife, and the maid, all three of them rubbed her body together. But, despite their efforts, she did not regain consciousness. So they sent Rosalie to ask Chenay "the doctor". He lived by the river near Surina, a long way. After a long wait, he finally arrived. He checked the old lady, took her pulse again, heard her heartbeat, and announced, "It's over." He kissed his mother's stiff face desperately, crying so sadly that big tears fell on the face of the dead like water droplets. Mrs. Karawang also grieved for a while, and then stood up behind her husband, whimpering slightly and rubbing her eyes.

Karawang's eyes were swollen from crying, his sparse hair was messed up, and his heartfelt grief made his people ugly. He suddenly stood up and said, "But...are you sure? Doctor, are you sure?..." The hygienist hurried over, playing with the corpse in a sophisticated manner, like a merchant boasting about his goods, He said, "Look, my friend, look at the eyes." He opened the old woman's eyelids, and the eyeballs were exposed under his hands. There was no change, except that the pupils were slightly dilated. Karawang's heart felt as if someone had been stabbed with a knife, and his whole body was terrified. Monsieur Schenay grabbed the old lady's curled arm again, pulled her fingers apart, as if at a debating opponent, and said aggressively: "Look at this hand. Don't worry, I will never get it. Wrong."

Karawang threw himself on the old man again, screaming. His wife was weeping falsely, while taking care of the necessary things. She brought the bedside table over, put a napkin on it, put four candles on it, and lit it; took a boxwood branch from the mantelpiece that hung behind the mirror, and put it on a plate between the candles; there was no holy water , and fill the plate with water. Then she thought about it, grabbed a pinch of salt and threw it in the water, probably thinking that this was the completion of the consecration ceremony.

After arranging the scene that should be when death comes, she stands still. The hygienist who was helping her with the arrangement just now whispered to her, "It's better to lead Karawang out." She nodded in agreement, walked to her husband who was still kneeling and couldn't stop whimpering, and fought with Mr. Chenay alone. An arm pulled him out.

They let him sit in a chair first, and his wife gave him a lot of kisses on the forehead.The hygienist also helped him, persuading him to be strong, to show courage, and to be content with the destiny. Then they both supported him and led him out.

He was whimpering like a fat baby, throbbing convulsively, weak, his arms drooping, his legs weak. He didn't know what he was doing anymore, he just moved his feet mechanically and went downstairs.

They put him in the armchair where he usually eats, and in front of him is the soup bowl that is almost empty, and his spoon is still dipped in the soup that is not finished. He just sat there, motionless, staring blankly at the glass; he was dazed and thought nothing of it.

Mrs. Karawang was in a corner talking to the doctor, inquiring about the procedures to be done, and asking for various specific matters. Monsieur Schenay seemed to be waiting for something, and at last he took up his hat and said that he had not had supper, saluted, and was about to go. Then she suddenly realized:

"Why, haven't you eaten dinner yet? Then stay here and eat, doctor, stay here and eat! We have it ready, so I'll bring it to you. You know, we I can't eat much."

He politely declined; but she insisted on keeping it, saying: "It's nothing, you just stay. It's a rare thing to have a friend by your side at such times. Besides, you might be able to persuade my husband to eat something to refresh himself; he needs a lot of energy."

The doctor bowed, put his hat on a piece of furniture, and said, "In that case, I have to obey. Lama, ma'am."

She gave Rosalie a few words, who had lost her head, and sat down to eat, according to her words, just "pretend to eat and accompany the 'doctor'".

The cold soup is served again. Monsieur Schnay finished his drink and asked for another refill. Then came a plate of Lyon-style tripe, which smelled of onion, and Madame Calavan decided to try a little too. "It's delicious," said the Doctor. She smiled and said, "Really?" Then she turned to her husband and said, "Eat too, poor Alfrey, even if you have a belly padded, think about it, you still have to stay up all night! "

He handed the plate obediently, as if he would do it right if she ordered him to go to bed right away. In fact, he is now at the mercy of others, neither resisting nor thinking. Then he eats.

The "doctor" did it himself, taking it from the plate three times in a row. As for Mrs. Karawang, she used a fork for a piece of tripe every now and then and swallowed it deliberately, pretending to be careless.

A bowl full of macaroni was brought up, and the "doctor" mumbled, "Hey! That's a good thing." This time, Mrs. Caravan gave everyone a portion, and even the children's plates were full. . No one could care about them. The two children ate the food on the plate and drank the wine without water, and they were already fighting with their feet under the table.

Mr. Schenay remembered Rossini's [4] love for this Italian food, and said abruptly: "Look! It still rhymes; it is possible to write a poem and start with this line:

The great composer Rossi Ni

Eating macaroni has become a habit..."

But no one listened to him. Mrs. Karawang suddenly became thoughtful: she was thinking about the possible consequences of this change. As for her husband, he kneaded the bread into small balls, placed them on the tablecloth, and stared at the dough balls like an idiot.He seemed to be thirsty in his throat, drinking glass after glass of wine; his head, disturbed by blows and grief, became light, as if dancing in the sudden dizziness of the first difficult digestive process.

"Doctor", drinking like a bottomless pit, is obviously drunk. Mrs. Karawang was also experiencing the reactions that must be experienced after the nerve shock, excited and irritable. Although she was drinking plain water, her mind was also a little dizzy.

Mr. Schenay began to talk about what had happened to a few people who had been in mourning, which seemed to him utterly absurd. Because in this suburb of Paris, people living from other provinces can often see the kind of indifference, the kind of lack of respect, the kind of lack of respect that the country people show to the deceased, whether it is a biological father or a biological mother. ruthless. These things are commonplace in the country, but rare in Paris. He said, "Look, just last week, a family in Peet Street came to invite me. I hurried off. When I got there, the patient was dead, and the family was around the bed drinking ouzo as if nothing had happened. This bottle of The wine was originally bought the night before, and it was a treat for dying patients."

But Mrs. Karawang did not listen to him, but was thinking about the inheritance; Karawang was empty-headed and could not understand what he was saying. what.

Coffee poured; strong brew for refreshment. The coffee with brandy added a blush to their cheeks, and confused the little thought that remained in their already delirious minds.

Then, the "doctor" suddenly grabbed the brandy bottle and poured a glass of "shabu-shabu" for everyone. The warmth from the digestion of food made them languid, and the physical comfort of the after-dinner spirits made them intoxicated.

The children were asleep and Rosalie put them to bed.

Most unfortunate people like to drown their sorrows with wine; driven by this need, Karawang could not help drinking several glasses of brandy in succession; his dull eyes gleamed.

"Doctor" finally got up and was about to go; he grabbed his friend's arm and said:

"Hey! Come with me for a walk. Fresh air is good for you. When one is troubled, one should not Stay still."

The other party followed his advice, put on his hat, picked up his cane, and walked out. Arm in arm, the two walked towards the Seine under the starlight.

Fragrance wafts in the hot dark night, as the surrounding gardens are in full bloom this season. The scent of flowers seemed to fall asleep during the day and woke up as soon as it got dark, mixed with the breeze blowing in the dark and overflowing everywhere.

The broad street is silent and empty, with two rows of gas streetlights reaching all the way to the Arc de Triomphe. On the other side of the Arc de Triomphe, however, Paris was still bustling under a red fog, a constant hustle and bustle. Occasionally, on the plains in the distance, a train came running at full speed, or headed for the coast through the provinces, and the train sounded its whistle, as if to echo the noise.

The outdoor air blowing on their faces surprised them at first, so that "Doctor" almost lost his balance; Karawang felt dizzy after dinner, and this time it got worse. He seemed to be walking in a dream, groggy and weak. Because of his mental numbness, he no longer felt intense sadness, and even felt lighter. The warm floral fragrance that permeated the dark night added to his sense of relaxation.

When they reached the bridge, they followed the river to the right. The Seine sent a cool breeze in their face.Before a drapery of towering aspen trees, the river flows melancholy and silently; the stars are rippling by the river, as if swimming in the water. The pale white mist floating on the opposite bank brought a damp breath to one's lungs. Karawang suddenly stopped, because the breath of the river evoked memories of a long past in his heart.

He seemed to see his former mother, his mother when he was a child, in the faraway Picardy[5], in front of his own house, kneeling by the stream that ran through his homeland, stooping, washing beside her. pile of clothes. He seemed to hear her pounding on the silent field and her cry: "Alfrey, get me a bar of soap." He felt the same breath of running water again, the murmur of the ground. The same mist that rose above, and the smell of the vapor that had lingered on the moor that he had never forgotten, on the very night his mother had just died.

He stopped, froze, grief again. Like a flash of lightning, his misfortune was exposed all at once; in this erratic breeze, he fell back into the abyss of irreparable pain. He felt his heart torn apart by this never-ending parting. His life has since been divided into two parts; his youth, with the death of his mother, was swallowed up by death and disappeared without a trace. The whole "past" was over, and the memories of his teenage years were all gone; no one could talk to him again about the past, about the people he used to know, about himself, and about the private events of his past life. That part of his life was gone, and now it was the other part's turn that waited to die.

The past began to flash through his mind one by one. He saw the young "mother" again, wearing an old dress that had been worn for so long that he could not separate herself from her.In the hundreds of scenes he had forgotten, he found again the vague face of his mother, her gestures, her tones, her habits, her eccentricities, her fiery anger, the wrinkles on her face, the movements of her thin fingers, and those kind and indifferent gestures. There will be another gesture.

He grabbed the "Doctor"'s shoulder and whimpered. His limp legs were trembling, his whole fat body trembled with the cry, and he muttered: "Mom, my poor mother, my poor mother!..."

However, he was still drunk. My companion, at this moment is thinking of ending the night at the place that I often visit secretly. Impatient with Karawang's sudden onset of grief, he helped him sit down on the grass by the river, and almost immediately left him on the pretext of seeing a sick man.

Karawang cried for a long time. Later, the tears dried up, and the pain could be said to flow away, and he felt relaxed and comfortable again, and his mood suddenly calmed down. The moon rises; the earth is bathed in soft moonlight. The tall poplars glowed silver, and the fog on the plain was like floating snow. The river was no longer swimming with stars, but seemed to be covered with pearls; the water was still flowing, sparkling ripples. The air is mild and the breeze is scented with flowers. The sleeping earth revealed a bit of flexibility, and Karawang enjoyed the sweetness of the night. He breathed deeply; a fresh, peaceful feeling, an incredible comfort, seemed to permeate him.

But, resisting this ill-timed comfort, he said over and over again, "Mother, my poor mother." In his righteous conscience, he wanted to cry, but he couldn't. Even the memories that made him cry just now can't arouse the slightest bit of sadness in him.

So he stood up and walked slowly back along the same path.He was immersed in the silence of nature, which was indifferent to everything, and his own heart was calmed not as he wished.

When he walked to the bridge, he saw that the last train was signalling about to leave; behind the train, the windows of Universal Cafe were brightly lit.

He felt that he needed to find someone to confide in about his misfortune, so as to arouse people's sympathy and concern. So he burst into tears, pushed open the door of the cafe, and went straight to the counter. The boss is sitting there. He had hoped that there would be such an effect: all the people stood up, came over, shook hands with him, and asked, "Hey, what's the matter with you?" But no one noticed the sadness on his face. . He then leaned over the counter, cupped his head in both hands, and muttered, "Lord! Lord!"

The boss looked at him and asked, "Mr. Karawang, are you ill?" He replied: "I'm not sick, poor friend, it's my mother who just died." The other party said absentmindedly "Ah"; just at this moment a customer at the end of the hall was calling: "Here is a big beer!" He immediately shouted. He responded terribly: "Yes!...Here we come!" Leaving the stunned Karawang, he rushed to serve the guests.

The three poker fans are still at the table before dinner, engrossed and unstoppable, playing dominoes. Karawang walked over, seeking their sympathy. None of them seemed to notice that he was coming, so he decided to speak for himself. "Just for a while," he told them, "I've had a great disaster." "What's the matter?" "My mother just passed away." One of them mumbled, "Whoosh!" while making an apparently indifferent but pretended sad expression.The other man, unable to find anything to say, shook his head and whistled in sorrow. The third man played his cards again, as if thinking in his heart: "So that's what happened!" Now that I see myself being treated like this, I walk away. He was angry that these people were so indifferent to the pain of his friends, even though his pain had subsided so much that he didn't even feel it himself.

He then left the cafe. His wife, in her pajamas, was waiting for him in a small chair by the open window. It turned out that she had been thinking about the inheritance in her heart.

"Take off your clothes," she said. "Let's go to bed and talk about it." Li is standing by her side. You take a nap first, and go to her at three o'clock in the morning."

But in case something happened, he didn't take off his underpants; he wrapped a scarf around his head and followed The wife got into the bed behind.

They sat side by side for a while. She is thinking.

Even then, her nightcap was adorned with a red bow, and her ear was slightly tilted to one side, as if influenced by her insurmountable habit of wearing a cap.

She suddenly turned to him and said, "Did you know your mother made a will?" He hesitated, "I...I don't think...probably didn't." The husband's face lowered his voice and said indignantly: "It's really outrageous, isn't it? We served her hard, we provided her with shelter and food, and it's been ten years! Absolutely not.It's me, if I had known this would end up like this, I wouldn't have done it! Yes, it will be a shame for people to think of her in the future! You might tell me she pays us for our board and lodging. Yes, but the care of children is not something that can be paid for with a little money. It should be expressed in a will after death. Honest people do that. It seems that I have worked hard and busy in vain! How despicable! what! How despicable! "

Karawang was distracted and said, "Honey, darling, I beg you." "

She murmured for a long time, then gradually calmed down, and said in her usual tone: "You should inform your sister tomorrow morning. He jumped up and said, "Really, I didn't even think about it; I'll send a telegram at dawn." "However, the woman still thought carefully, she stopped him and said, "No, it will be sent again between ten and eleven; before she arrives, we must have time to consider how to respond." From Charenton[6] to here, she would be there in two hours at most. We can say that you are in a daze. Besides, the notification in the morning is not considered inaction! "

Karawang suddenly slapped his forehead, just like the section chief who usually talks about his trembling when he thinks of it, and said timidly, "I should also inform the department. She asked, "Why the notice?" Encountered such a thing, is to forget, but also forgivable. Trust me: no notice. Your section chief can't say anything; you're going to give him a hard embarrassment. ""what! Well, no," he said, "he'll be furious when he sees me not going to work. Well, you are right. this is a good idea. When I told him my mother was dead, he had no choice but to keep silent. "

The clerk was very proud of this prank, rubbing his hands and imagining the expression of the clerk.At this time, the old lady's body was still lying upstairs, and the sleeping maid was beside her.

Mrs. Karawang suddenly became more preoccupied, as if something indescribable was bothering her. At last she made up her mind and said, "Your mother has given you her clock, isn't it, that girl plays Bilbao?" He thought for a while, and said, "Yes, Yes, she told me; but that was a long time ago when she first came here. She did say to me then: 'If you treat me well, this clock will be yours.'"

Mrs. Karawang was relieved, her frown suddenly relaxed, and she said, "Look, since you said it, you should go get it; when your sister comes, she won't let us get it." He hesitated and said: "Do you think so? . . . " She was annoyed. "Of course I do. As long as they move here unwittingly, it's ours. The same goes for the marble-topped chest of drawers in her room. She promised to give it to me one day when she was in a good temper. Let's move down together."

Karawang didn't seem to believe it. "But, my dear, this is a great responsibility!" She turned her face and said with a straight brow: "Oh! Really! Can't you ever change it? You! You would rather your children starve to death than Don't want to do it. That chest of drawers, from the time she promised to give it to me, is ours, right? If your sister doesn't agree, let her talk to me! I don't care about your sister. Okay Come on, get up, let's go and take down the things your mother gave us."

He was so subdued and got off the bed shivering; just as he was about to put on trousers, she stopped him again and said, "No need Put on your coat, let's go. Underpants are enough. Look, I'll go like this."

The two of them, in their pajamas, climbed upstairs quietly, opened the door cautiously, and entered the house. The old lady was lying upright there, guarding her as if only the four burning flames around the plate containing the boxwood branches. Candles; for Rosalie had long since fallen asleep in the armchair. She had her legs stretched out, her hands crossed on her skirt, her head tilted, motionless, and snoring with her mouth open.

Kara Wang picked up the clock. Like many art products of the Empire era, it was an unseemly bauble. A gilded young woman with various flowers on her head and a Bilbao kei ball in her hand Used as a pendulum. "Here," his wife said, "you move the marble top of the chest of drawers. "

He complied with her orders, panting and struggling to lift the marble over his shoulders.

The couple set off. Karawang walked out of the room, hunched over his waist, and began to descend the stairs nervously; his wife backed away. She walked away, lighting him with a candle in one hand and the clock in the other.

When she got to her house, she breathed a sigh of relief. "The hardest part is over," she said, "and move on. leftover. "

But the drawer of the chest of drawers is full of the old lady's clothes, and it has to be put somewhere.

Mrs. Calavan had an idea and said, "Come and bring the pine box on the porch; Ten sous isn't worth it, just leave it here. "When the wooden box was brought in, they began to make the drawers.

They took out the sleeves, the ruffles, the shirts, the caps, all the shabby old clothes of the old lady lying behind them, one by one, Neatly put them in the wooden box, so as to hide the other child of the deceased, Mrs. Brow, who arrived the next day.

After finishing the work, they first removed the drawers, and then lifted their heads and moved the cabinets down.It took them a long time to figure out what would be the best place to put it, before finally deciding to put it in the bedroom, between the two windows opposite the bed.

As soon as the chest of drawers was set up, Mrs. Karawang put her change of clothes in. The clock is placed on the mantelpiece in the dining room. Then the couple carefully checked the effect of the arrangement. They were very satisfied. "It's nice," she said. "Indeed, very good," he replied, and they went to bed. She blew out the candle. Before long, on the two floors of the house, everyone fell asleep.

When Karawang opened his eyes, it was already bright. He had just woken up, his head was still groggy, and it took a few minutes before he remembered what had just happened. He seemed to have been punched hard in the chest and jumped out of bed, feeling sad again, almost crying.

He hurried upstairs. Rosalie was still sleeping soundly in that room, still in the same position as she had been the night before; in fact, she hadn't woken up that night. He sent her to work, replaced the burnt candle by himself, and looked at his mother. At the same time, those seemingly esoteric thoughts rolled in his mind, those religious and philosophical beliefs that all living beings could not get rid of in the presence of the dead.

At this moment, he heard his wife calling him and went downstairs again. She has drawn up a list of things to do in the morning. He was taken aback by the list full of terms.

The list reads:

1. Go to the city hall to register;

2. Ask a doctor for an autopsy; .Find a notary;

8. Telegram to inform relatives.

And there's a whole bunch of other bits and pieces to do. He picked up his hat and went out immediately.

By this time, the news had spread, and the female neighbors began to come and ask to see the deceased.

In the barber shop downstairs, the proprietress and the boss who was shaving customers even had an argument over this.

The woman, knitting her socks, muttered: "One less, one less cheapskate; this cheapskate is rare in the world. To be honest, I never liked her; but I should see her anyway. .”

The man moaned in a low voice, smearing soap on the customer’s chin: “Listen, it’s all weird! Only women can think of it. It’s not enough to bother you when they’re alive, not when they’re dead. Let you live in peace." But his wife was not embarrassed, and went on: "I have nothing to do, I just think I should go. I have been thinking about this all morning. If I don't go see her, I will It's as if I can't put it down for the rest of my life. But I'm content to look at her closely and remember what she looks like."

The husband with the razor in his hand shrugs his shoulders and whispers to the gentleman who is shaving. Lai: "I want to ask you, what do you think of these nasty girls? Anyway, I don't find it any fun to watch dead people!" His wife heard this, and she replied calmly: "That's right. It's fun, it's just fun." After speaking, she threw the woolen work in her hand on the counter and went upstairs.

There are already two female neighbours who have taken the lead and are talking to Mrs Karawang about this unfortunate incident. Mrs. Caravan told the story vividly.

They went to the mortuary room. The four women crept in and dipped some salt water on the quilt one after another; then they knelt down, murmured their prayers and made a sign of the cross; then stood up, opened their eyes, and opened their mouths, and looked at the body for a long time. .At this moment, the deceased's daughter-in-law covered her face with a handkerchief and choked with grief.

When she turned to go out, she found Marie-Louise and Philip-August, both in their underwear, standing in the doorway, looking curiously. She forgot her contrived grief, raised her hand, ran over, and shouted angrily, "Get away from me, naughty!"

Ten minutes later, she accompanied another group of female neighbors upstairs. She waved the boxwood branch at her mother-in-law again, prayed, shed a few tears, and did all her duties. At this time, she found that the two children appeared behind her again, and slapped them severely. But by the third time, she stopped paying attention to them. In the future, every time a guest came, the two children would follow, kneeling in the corner, imitating every movement of their mother over and over again.

In the afternoon, there are fewer women driven by curiosity. Before long, no one came to the door. Mrs. Karawang went back to her house, busy with the preparations for the funeral. The dead man stood alone upstairs.

The window is open. The heat was pouring into the house with the dust in it; the flames of four candles danced beside the motionless corpse; little flies crawled on the covers, on the faces with their eyes closed, on the outstretched hands Crawling, flying away and back, going round and round; they came to visit the old lady, and waited for their own impending death.

Marie-Louise and Philip-August are on the street again. It didn't take long for them to be surrounded by children, especially the girls, who were more alert and able to sniff out all the secrets in life faster. They inquired like adults: "Your grandma is dead, isn't she?" "Dead, she died last night.""What are the dead like? Marie-Louise explained: candles, boxwood branches, what the face of a dead man looked like. The introduction aroused the curiosity of the children; they also asked to go upstairs to see what it was.

Si immediately organized the first tour group: five girls and two boys, all the oldest and the most daring. In order not to be found out, she asked them to take off their shoes. After the group sneaked into the building, they Like an army of little mice, they rushed upstairs.

When they got to the house, the little girl immediately imitated her mother and held the ceremony in a proper manner. She solemnly led the children to kneel, crossed, squiggled lips, stood up, and sprinkled water on the bed. Then the children huddled together and approached the bed with fear, curiosity, and excitement, watching the faces and hands of the dead. At this point, Marie-Louis Si suddenly covered her eyes with a small handkerchief and pretended to cry. However, thinking of the children waiting for her outside, she immediately forgot her grief and ran away with this batch, followed by another batch, one after the other. There were several batches. Because local children, even the little beggars in ragged clothes, heard the news and came to participate in this novel entertainment. And every time she repeated her mother's pretentious actions vividly.

After a long time, she Tired too, and the children were drawn elsewhere by other games. The old grandmother lay there alone again, completely forgotten.

The room was full of shadows; A dance of light and shadow danced on his face.

At eight o'clock, Karawang came upstairs, closed the window, and replaced the candle. He came in now with a calm attitude, because he was used to seeing the corpse, so he Like it's been there for months.He was even able to notice that it showed no signs of decay. As he sat down to dinner, he told his wife of the discovery. She replied, "No, she's made of wood, and will last for at least a year."

They drank the soup without saying a word. The children were left unattended all day, exhausted, and fell into their chairs to doze off. The others also remained silent.

The lights suddenly dimmed.

Mrs. Karawang twisted the wick; but the lamp rang hollowly, grunted for a long time, and then went out. They forgot to buy lamp oil again! If you go to the grocery store now, you will inevitably delay eating. They found candles. However, except for the few that were ordered on the bedside table upstairs, there were no more.

Mrs. Calavan was always quick to act; she immediately sent Marie-Louise upstairs to get two off, while the rest waited in the dark.

One can clearly hear the little girl's footsteps going upstairs. A few seconds of silence followed. Suddenly, the child ran downstairs in a panic. She pushed open the door, her face horrified, even more nervous than when she reported the unfortunate news the day before. Out of breath, she said, "Oops! Dad, grandma's getting dressed!"

Karawang jumped up; the chair he brought down rolled all the way to the wall. He stammered: "What? . Here comes the building."

Mr Karawang ran frantically to the stairs; his terrified wife followed. But at the door on the third floor, he stopped because he was too frightened to go in. What will he see? It was Mrs. Karawang who was more daring than her husband. She turned the doorknob and went in.

The room seems to be getting a lot darker. In the middle of the room, a tall, thin figure was walking around. It's the old lady, she's already up. She woke up from her stupor, and before she fully recovered her consciousness, she turned sideways, propped herself on one arm, and blew out three candles that were lit by the death bed. When her physical strength recovered a little, she got out of bed to look for clothes. Seeing the chest of drawers disappeared, she was indeed a little confused at first; but when she found it in the wooden box slowly, she put it on without haste. Then, she poured out the full basin of water, hung the poplar branches behind the mirror, and returned the chairs to their original positions. She was about to go downstairs when her son and daughter-in-law came in.

Karawang rushed over, grabbed her hand, and kissed her, tears welling up in her eyes; behind his back his wife kept saying, "That's great, that's great!"

But, old lady But they weren't moved, even like they didn't understand what they were doing. Her face was tensed like a statue, her eyes were cold, and she asked, "Is dinner ready?" He was already dazed, and stammered: "Good morning, Mom, we are waiting for you to eat. ." He took her arm with unusual attentiveness. Mrs. Karawang held up the candle and led the way backwards, step by step, as she did for her husband who carried the marble counter at night.

On the second floor, she almost bumped into someone who was going upstairs. It turned out that the relatives who lived in Charenton had arrived, and Mrs. Brow walked in front, followed by her husband.

The woman is tall and fat, with a big belly suffering from edema, and her upper body is propped back. When she saw this scene, she was stunned with fright and planned to turn around and run away. Her husband was a cobbler who believed in socialism. He was short, with a full beard extending to his ears, and at first glance he looked like a monkey.He didn't make a fuss, he just whispered: "Hey, what's going on? She's alive!"

As soon as Mrs. Caravan recognized them, she winked desperately at them, then said loudly, "Hey! What!  … It was you! I didn't expect it!"

But Mrs. Brow was so confused that she didn't understand the meaning of the sentence, so she replied in a low voice: "You telegraphed us; we thought it was over."

Her husband squeezed her behind the back and told her to shut up. Then he made a sly smile under the beard, and remedied: "It's so kind to be invited by you. We're here right away." His words alluded to the long-standing hostility between the two families. At this time, the old lady had reached the bottom of the stairs, he hurried up to meet her, and rubbed her cheeks with the beard that covered her face; afraid of her ears, he shouted into her ears: "How are you? Mom? Still so tough, eh?"

Mrs. Brow still had lingering fears when she saw that the person she thought was dead was alive and well, and she didn't even dare to go up to kiss her. Her massive belly blocked the entire stairwell, blocking the way for others.

The old lady felt a little strange and was already suspicious, but she kept silent and just looked at the people around her. Her little grey eyes, sharp and stern, poking around, staring at this person and at that, are visibly full of ideas, making the children uncomfortable.

Karawang, wishing to smooth things out, said, "The old lady was a little uncomfortable just now; but now it's all right, totally fine. Isn't it, Mom?" Yes. But I heard what you said and did." Her voice was so weak that it sounded like it was coming from far away.

The words were followed by an awkward silence. The crowd entered the dining room. In a few minutes, a table for dinner has been set up.

Only Mr. Burrow can hold his breath. His gorilla-like face was monstrous; he made puns that made everyone laugh and cry.

Not to mention, the doorbell rang from the porch every now and then, and Rosalie, dazed with busyness, ran in to find Karawang again and again; he always put down his napkin and went out. His brother-in-law even asked him if it was his day to meet guests. He hesitated and said, "No, no, it's all trivial matters, nothing."

Later, someone sent a package, and Karawang rashly opened it, and it turned out to be an obituary with a black frame. His face flushed red, and he quickly wrapped it up again and stuffed it into the pocket of his waistcoat.

His mother didn't see it; she was staring intently at her clock on the mantelpiece, the gilded swordball still swinging. In the icy silence, the awkward situation became more and more embarrassing.

The old lady turned her witch-wrinkled face with a sly look in her eyes, and said to her daughter, "Bring your little girl on Monday, I want to see her." Bro The wife suddenly became overjoyed, and said loudly, "Yes, mother." But Mrs. Karawang turned pale and almost fainted.

At this moment, the two men are talking more and more vigorously; for a trivial matter, they actually start a political debate.Burrow, who espouses all kinds of revolutionary communist doctrines, gesticulates with excitement, his eyes gleaming in his furry face, and exclaims: "Property, sir, is the plunder of the laborers; -- the land ought to belong to the masses; -- —Inheritance is a depravity, a shame!..." But he stopped suddenly, as if he had said something stupid just now, a little embarrassed. After a while, he said softly, "But now is not the time to argue about these things."

The door opened, and "Doctor" Chenay entered. He was surprised at first, but in the blink of an eye it seemed as if nothing had happened. He walked up to the old lady and said, "Haha! Old lady! You look so good today! Ah! I expected it, and it was. When I first went upstairs, I said to myself: I bet, old lady. Jun, she's up again." He patted her on the back lightly, and continued: "She's as strong as a new bridge[8]! Just wait and see, we all have to rely on her old man to dig graves. "

He sat down, took the coffee handed him, and soon joined the two men in their argument. He agreed with Bro, because he himself had been implicated in the affairs of the Commune.

The old lady is tired and has to go back upstairs. Karawang came over quickly, but she stared at him and said, "You put my chest of drawers and clock on it right now." Before he could finish saying "Yes, Mom," she took her daughter's arm and walked away. out.

The Karawangs were dumbfounded, speechless, and depressed as if they had been hit by a catastrophe. Brow rubbed his hands smugly and sipped his coffee.

Mrs. Karawang was furious and threw herself at him, shouting, "You thief, rascal, rascal...I really want to spit on your face...I..." She was speechless. Out of breath.And he, all the while smiling and sipping coffee.

Just then Mrs. Burrow came back, and Mrs. Caravan rushed towards her sister-in-law again. These two people, one is huge and has a daunting big belly, the other is thin, and his movements are frantic as if he is in a state of epilepsy. scolded.

Schenay and Bro come and pull the frame. Brow grabbed his wife by both arms and pushed her out the door, yelling, "Go away, you ass, stop yelling!"

They can be heard arguing as they walk down the street endlessly.

Then Mr. Schenay also took his leave.

Only the Karawang couple looked at each other.

The man fell on a chair, sweating on his temples, muttering: "How am I going to tell the section chief?" Drive from the city's star-shaped square to Goulbois Square in Neuilly.

[2] Félix Potin: A famous French grocery store.

[3] Rossini (1792-1868): Italian opera composer.

[4] Picardy (Picardie): the old name of the northern French province.

[5] Charenton: An important town in the eastern suburbs of Paris.

[6] Bilbao Kai: A game of throwing and catching a ball tied with a long rope.

[7] Pont-Neuf (le Pont-Neuf): A bridge over the Seine in Paris.

[8] Commune: Refers to the Paris Commune Revolution of 1871. After the revolution failed, the participants were severely suppressed.