Hugo_Les_Miserables.txt topic ['13', '324', '378', '393']
at .
barely articulate words were heard to issue from his mouth:
" is nothing to die; it is dreadful not to live."
at once he rose to his feet. accesses of strength
are sometimes the sign of the death agony. walked with a firm
step to the wall, thrusting aside and the doctor who tried
to help him, detached from the wall a little copper crucifix
which was suspended there, and returned to his seat with all the
freedom of movement of perfect health, and said in a loud voice,
as he laid the crucifix on the table:
" the great martyr."
his chest sank in, his head wavered, as though the intoxication
of the tomb were seizing hold upon him.
hands, which rested on his knees, began to press their nails
into the stuff of his trousers.
supported his shoulders, and sobbed, and tried to speak
to him, but could not.
the words mingled with that mournful saliva which
accompanies tears, they distinguished words like the following:
", do not leave us. it possible that we have found you
only to lose you again?"
might be said that agony writhes. goes, comes,
advances towards the sepulchre, and returns towards life.
is groping in the action of dying.
rallied after this semi-swoon, shook his brow as though
to make the shadows fall away from it and became almost perfectly
lucid once more.
took a fold of 's sleeve and kissed it.
" is coming back! doctor, he is coming back," cried .
" are good, both of you," said . " am going to tell
you what has caused me pain. has pained me, ,
is that you have not been willing to touch that money.
money really belongs to your wife. will explain to you,
my children, and for that reason, also, am glad to see you.
jet comes from , white jet comes from .
this is in this paper, which you will read. bracelets,
invented a way of substituting for slides of soldered sheet iron,
slides of iron laid together. is prettier, better and less costly.
will understand how much money can be made in that way.
's fortune is really hers. give you these details,
in order that your mind may be set at rest."
portress had come upstairs and was gazing in at the half-open door.
doctor dismissed her.
he could not prevent this zealous woman from exclaiming
to the dying man before she disappeared: " you like a priest?"
" have had one," replied .
with his finger he seemed to indicate a point above his head
where one would have said that he saw some one.
is probable, in fact, that the was present at this
death agony.
gently slipped a pillow under his loins.
resumed:
" no fear, , adjure you. six hundred
thousand francs really belong to . life will have been
wasted if you do not enjoy them! managed to do very well with
those glass goods. rivalled what is called jewellery.
, we could not equal the black glass of . gross,
which contains twelve hundred very well cut grains, only costs
three francs."
a being who is dear to us is on the point of death, we gaze
upon him with a look which clings convulsively to him and which
would fain hold him back.
gave her hand to , and both, mute with anguish,
not knowing what to say to the dying man, stood trembling and
despairing before him.
sank moment by moment. was failing; he was drawing
near to the gloomy horizon.
breath had become intermittent; a little rattling interrupted it.
found some difficulty in moving his forearm, his feet had lost
all movement, and in proportion as the wretchedness of limb
and feebleness of body increased, all the majesty of his soul
was displayed and spread over his brow. light of the unknown
world was already visible in his eyes.
face paled and smiled. was no longer there, it was
something else.
breath sank, his glance grew grander. was a corpse
on which the wings could be felt.
made a sign to to draw near, then to ; the last
minute of the last hour had, evidently, arrived.
began to speak to them in a voice so feeble that it seemed
to come from a distance, and one would have said that a wall
now rose between them and him.
" near, draw near, both of you. love you dearly. ! how
good it is to die like this! thou lovest me also, my .
knew well that thou still felt friendly towards thy poor old man.
kind it was of thee to place that pillow under my loins!
wilt weep for me a little, wilt thou not? too much.
do not wish thee to have any real griefs. must enjoy yourselves
a great deal, my children. forgot to tell you that the profit was
greater still on the buckles without tongues than on all the rest.
gross of a dozen dozens cost ten francs and sold for sixty.
really was a good business. there is no occasion for
surprise at the six hundred thousand francs, .
is honest money. may be rich with a tranquil mind.
must have a carriage, a box at the theatres now and then,
and handsome ball dresses, my , and then, thou must give good
dinners to thy friends, and be very happy. was writing to
a while ago. will find my letter. bequeath to her the two
candlesticks which stand on the chimney-piece. are of silver,
but to me they are gold, they are diamonds; they change candles
which are placed in them into wax-tapers. do not know whether
the person who gave them to me is pleased with me yonder on high.
have done what could. children, you will not forget that
am a poor man, you will have me buried in the first plot of earth
that you find, under a stone to mark the spot. is my wish.
name on the stone. cares to come for a little
while now and then, it will give me pleasure. you too,
. must admit that have not always loved you.
ask your pardon for that. she and you form but one for me.
feel very grateful to you. am sure that you make happy.
you only knew, , her pretty rosy cheeks
were my delight; when saw her in the least pale, was sad.
the chest of drawers, there is a bank-bill for five hundred francs.
have not touched it. is for the poor. , dost thou see
thy little gown yonder on the bed? dost thou recognize it? was
ten years ago, however. time flies! have been very happy.
is over. not weep, my children, am not going very far,
shall see you from there, you will only have to look at night,
and you will see me smile. , dost thou remember ?
wert in the forest, thou wert greatly terrified; dost thou
remember how took hold of the handle of the water-bucket? was
the first time that touched thy poor, little hand. was so cold!
! your hands were red then, mademoiselle, they are very white now.
the big doll! dost thou remember? didst call her .
regrettedest not having taken her to the convent!
thou didst make me laugh sometimes, my sweet angel! it
had been raining, thou didst float bits of straw on the gutters,
and watch them pass away. day gave thee a willow battledore
and a shuttlecock with yellow, blue and green feathers. hast
forgotten it. wert roguish so young! didst play.
didst put cherries in thy ears. are things of the past.
forests through which one has passed with one's child,
the trees under which one has strolled, the convents where one has
concealed oneself, the games, the hearty laughs of childhood,
are shadows. imagined that all that belonged to me. that lay
my stupidity. were wicked. must forgive them.
, the moment has come to tell thee the name of thy mother.
was called . that name--. whenever
thou utterest it. suffered much. loved thee dearly.
had as much unhappiness as thou hast had happiness. is
the way apportions things. is there on high, he sees us all,
and he knows what he does in the midst of his great stars.
am on the verge of departure, my children. each other
well and always. is nothing else but that in the world:
love for each other. will think sometimes of the poor old
man who died here. my , it is not my fault, indeed,
that have not seen thee all this time, it cut me to the heart;
went as far as the corner of the street, must have produced
a queer effect on the people who saw me pass, was like a madman,
once went out without my hat. no longer see clearly,
my children, had still other things to say, but never mind.
a little of me. still nearer. die happy. me
your dear and well-beloved heads, so that may lay my hands upon
them."
and fell on their knees, in despair,
suffocating with tears, each beneath one of 's hands.
august hands no longer moved.
had fallen backwards, the light of the candles illuminated him.
white face looked up to heaven, he allowed and
to cover his hands with kisses.
was dead.
night was starless and extremely dark. doubt, in the gloom,
some immense angel stood erect with wings outspread, awaiting that soul.
the cemetery of -, in the vicinity of the common
grave, far from the elegant quarter of that city of sepulchres,
far from all the tombs of fancy which display in the presence of
eternity all the hideous fashions of death, in a deserted corner,
beside an old wall, beneath a great yew tree over which climbs the
wild convolvulus, amid dandelions and mosses, there lies a stone.
stone is no more exempt than others from the leprosy of time,
of dampness, of the lichens and from the defilement of the birds.
water turns it green, the air blackens it. is not near
any path, and people are not fond of walking in that direction,
because the grass is high and their feet are immediately wet.
there is a little sunshine, the lizards come thither. around
there is a quivering of weeds. the spring, linnets warble in
the trees.
stone is perfectly plain. cutting it the only thought
was the requirements of the tomb, and no other care was taken than
to make the stone long enough and narrow enough to cover a man.
name is to be read there.
, many years ago, a hand wrote upon it in pencil these four lines,
which have become gradually illegible beneath the rain and the dust,
and which are, to-day, probably effaced:
dort. le sort fut pour lui bien etrange,
vivait. mourut quand il n'eut plus son ange.
chose simplement d'elle-meme arriva,
la nuit se fait lorsque le jour s'en va.[70]
[70] sleeps. his fate was very strange, he lived.
died when he had no longer his angel. thing came to pass simply,
of itself, as the night comes when day is gone.