子浪小说>最后一片叶子主要内容 > 第41章 y uncle jule（第1页）
第41章 y uncle jule（第1页）
Awhite-hairedoldmanbeggedusforalms。Mycomanion，JosehDavranche，gavehimfivefrancs。Noticingmysurrisedlook，hesaid:
"ThatoorunfortunateremindsmeofastorywhichIshalltellyou，thememoryofwhichcontinuallyursuesme。Hereitis:
"Myfamily，whichcameoriginallyfromHavre，wasnotrich。Wejustmanagedtomakebothendsmeet。Myfatherworkedhard，camehomelatefromtheoffice，andearnedverylittle。Ihadtwosisters。
"Mymothersufferedagooddealfromourreducedcircumstancesl，andsheoftenhadharshwordsforherhusband，veiledandslyreroaches。Theoormanthenmadeagesturewhichusedtodistressme。Hewouldasshisoenhandoverhisforehead，asiftowieawayersirationwhichdidnotexist，andhewouldanswernothing。Ifelthishellesssuffering。Weeconomizedoneverything，andneverwouldaccetaninvitationtodinner，soasnottohavetoreturnthecourtesy。Allourrovisionswereboughtatbargainsales。Mysistersmadetheirowngowns，andlongdiscussionswouldariseonthericeofaieceofbraidworthfifteencentimesayard。Ourmealsusuallyconsistedofsouandbeef，rearedwitheverykindofsauce。Theysayitiswholesomeandnourishing，butIshouldhavereferredachange。
"Iusedtogothroughterriblescenesonaccountoflostbuttonsandtorntrousers。
"EverySunday，dressedinourbest，wewouldtakeourwalkalongthebreakwater。Myfather，inafrockcoat，highhatandkidgloves，wouldofferhisarmtomymother，deckedoutandberibbonedlikeashionaholiday。Mysisters，whowerealwaysreadyfirst，wouldawaitthesignalforleaving;butatthelastminutesomeonealwaysfoundasotonmyfather&aos;sfrockcoat，andithadtobewiedawayquicklywitharagmoistenedwithbenzine。
"Myfather，inhisshirtsleeves，hissilkhatonhishead，wouldawaitthecomletionoftheoeration，whilemymother，uttingonhersectacles，andtakingoffherglovesinordernottosoilthem，wouldmakehaste。
"Thenwesetoutceremoniously。Mysistersmarchedonahead，arminarm。Theywereofmarriageableageandhadtobedislayed。Iwalkedontheleftofmymotherandmyfatheronherright。IremembertheomousairofmyoorarentsintheseSundaywalks，theirsternexression，theirstiffwalk。Theymovedslowly，withaseriousexression，theirbodiesstraight，theirlegsstiff，asifsomethingofextremeimortancedeendeduontheiraearance。
"EverySunday，whenthebigsteamerswerereturningfromunknownanddistantcountries，myfatherwouldinvariablyutterthesamewords:
"‘WhatasurriseitwouldbeifJuleswereonthatone!Eh?’
"MyUncleJules，myfather&aos;sbrother，wastheonlyhoeofthefamily，afterbeingitsonlyfear。Ihadheardabouthimsincechildhood，anditseemedtomethatIshouldrecognizehimimmediately，knowingasmuchabouthimasIdid。IkneweverydetailofhislifeutothedayofhisdeartureforAmerica，althoughthiseriodofhislifewassokenofonlyinhushedtones。
"Itseemsthathehadledabadlife，thatistosay，hehadsquanderedalittlemoney，whichaction，inaoorfamily，isoneofthegreatestcrimes。Withricheoleamanwhoamuseshimselfonlysowshiswildoats。Heiswhatisgenerallycalledasort。Butamongneedyfamiliesaboywhoforceshisarentstobreakintothecaitalbecomesagood-for-nothing，arascal，ascam。Andthisdistinctionisjust，althoughtheactionbethesame，forconsequencesalonedeterminetheseriousnessoftheact。
"Well，UncleJuleshadvisiblydiminishedtheinheritanceonwhichmyfatherhadcounted，afterhehadswallowedhisowntothelastenny。Then，accordingtothecustomofthetimes，hehadbeenshiedofftoAmericaonafreightergoingfromHavretoNewYork。
"Oncethere，myunclebegantosellsomethingorother，andhesoonwrotethathewasmakingalittlemoneyandthathesoonhoedtobeabletoindemnifymyfatherfortheharmhehaddonehim。Thislettercausedarofoundemotioninthefamily。Jules，whoutothattimehadnotbeenworthhissalt，suddenlybecameagoodman，akind-heartedfellow，trueandhonestlikealltheDavranches。
"Oneofthecatainstoldusthathehadrentedalargeshoandwasdoinganimortantbusiness。
"Twoyearslaterasecondlettercame，saying:‘MydearPhilie，Iamwritingtotellyounottoworryaboutmyhealth，whichisexcellent。Businessisgood。Ileaveto-morrowforalongtritoSouthAmerica。Imaybeawayforseveralyearswithoutsendingyouanynews。IfIshouldn&aos;twrite，don&aos;tworry。WhenmyfortuneismadeIshallreturntoHavre。Ihoethatitwillnotbetoolongandthatweshallalllivehailytogether。。。’
"Thisletterbecamethegoselofthefamily。Itwasreadontheslightestrovocation，anditwasshowntoeverybody。
"FortenyearsnothingwasheardfromUncleJules;butastimewentonmyfather&aos;shoegrew，andmymother，also，oftensaid:
"‘WhenthatgoodJulesishere，ourositionwillbedifferent。Thereisonewhoknewhowtogetalong!’
"AndeverySunday，whilewatchingthebigsteamersaroachingfromthehorizon，ouringoutastreamofsmoke，myfatherwouldreeathiseternalquestion:
"‘WhatasurriseitwouldbeifJuleswereonthatone!Eh?’
"Wealmostexectedtoseehimwavinghishandkerchiefandcrying:
"‘Hey!Philie!’
"Thousandsofschemeshadbeenlannedonthestrengthofthisexectedreturn;wewereeventobuyalittlehousewithmyuncle&aos;smoney-alittlelaceinthecountrynearIngouville。Infact，Iwouldn&aos;tswearthatmyfatherhadnotalreadybegunnegotiations。
"Theelderofmysisterswasthentwenty-eight，theothertwenty-six。Theywerenotyetmarried，andthatwasagreatgrieftoeveryone。
"Atlastasuitorresentedhimselffortheyoungerone。Hewasaclerk，notrich，buthonorable。IhavealwaysbeenmorallycertainthatUncleJules&aos;letter，whichwasshownhimoneevening，hadswetawaytheyoungman&aos;shesitationanddefinitelydecidedhim。
"Hewasaccetedeagerly，anditwasdecidedthataftertheweddingthewholefamilyshouldtakeatritoJersey。
"Jerseyistheidealtriforooreole。Itisnotfar;onecrossesastriofseainasteamerandlandsonforeignsoil，asthislittleislandbelongstoEngland。Thus，aFrenchman，withatwohours&aos;sail，canobserveaneighboringeoleathomeandstudytheircustoms。
"ThistritoJerseycomletelyabsorbedourideas，wasoursoleanticiation，theconstantthoughtofourminds。
"Atlastweleft。Iseeitaslainlyasifithadhaenedyesterday。TheboatwasgettingusteamagainstthequayatGranville;myfather，bewildered，wassuerintendingtheloadingofourthreeiecesofbaggage;mymother，nervous，hadtakenthearmofmyunmarriedsister，whoseemedlostsincethedeartureoftheotherone，likethelastchickenofabrood;behinduscamethebrideandgroom，whoalwaysstayedbehind，athingthatoftenmademeturnround。
"Thewhistlesounded。Wegotonboard，andthevessel，leavingthebreakwater，forgedaheadthroughaseaasflatasamarbletable。Wewatchedthecoastdisaearinthedistance，hayandroud，likeallwhodonottravelmuch。
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