Doctor Pascal

at variance with each other. And her first feeling was one of uneasiness, of secret distress, an instant ne

ent back and sat down on the edge of the bed in a thoughtful attitude, clad only in her scant nightdress, which made her look still more slender, with her long tapering limbs, her strong, slender body, with its round throat, round neck, round and supple arms; and her adorable neck and throat, of

em, and this had made them still paler. And this faded purple, this dawnlike tint, so delicately soft, was in truth exquisite. As for the bed, covered with the same stuff, it had come down from so remote an antiquity that it had been replaced by another bed found in an adjoining room; another Empire bed, low and very broad, of massive mahogany, ornamented with brasses, its four square pillars adorned also with busts of the Sphinx, like those on the wall. The rest of the furniture matched, however-a pre

which was very feminine. This had grown with her at the same time with her beauty. Headstrong and boyish though she still was at times, she had become a submissive and affectionate woman, desiring to be loved, above everything. The truth was that she had grown up in freedom, without having learned anything more than to read and write, having acquired by herself, later, while assisting her uncle, a vast fund of information. But there had been no

he bent forward, holding her breath. Was he already up? What could he be doing? She heard him plainly, walking about with short steps, dressing himself, no doubt. She never entered this chamber in which he chose to hide certain labors; and which thus remained closed, like a tabernacle. One fear had taken possession of her; that of being discovered here by him if he

instant she looked at the clock on the mantelpiece of her room; an Empire clock of

rning gown of white muslin with red spots. Then, having still a quarter of an hour on her hands, she satisfied an old desire and sat down to sew a piece of narrow lace, an imitation of Cha

alone," said Martine tranquilly to

is

through the half-open door. There he is again, at his

om, only an uninhabited room in which the potatoes were stored, and which had formerly been used as an office by the doctor, when he received his patients in his house-the desk and the armchair had years ago bee

gun to make his liquor

at he thinks of neither eating nor drin

rl's vexation was exh

God! m

rom the hall stand and went disconsolately to eat her roll in the

outside the town gates on a plateau dominating the plain, was part of a large estate whose once vast grounds were reduced to less than two hectares in consequence of successive sales, without counting that the construction of the railroad had taken away the last arable fields. The house itself had been half destroyed by a conflagra

ew moments along the terrace, at the two extremities of which stood two secular cypresses like two enormous funeral tapers, which could be seen three leagues off. The slope then descended to the railroad, walls of uncemented stones supporting the red earth, in

crackled under her feet, a resinous, stifling odor descended from the branches. And walking along the boundary wall past the entrance gate, which opened on the road to Les Fenouilleres, three hundred meters from the first houses of Plassans, she emerged at last on the threshing-yard; an immense yard, fifteen meters in radius, which would of itself have sufficed to prove the former importance of t

at on this side cast a thick shade. This was the side on which opened the two windows of the doctor's room. And she raised her eyes to them, for she had approached only in the sudden hope of at last seeing him. But the windows remained closed,

bushes which had habituated themselves to the shade, no doubt, for they grew vigorously, as tall as trees. And the charm of this shady nook was a fountain, a simple leaden pipe fixed in the shaft of a column; whence flowed perpetually, even in the greatest drought, a thread of water as thick as the little finger, which supplied a large mossy basin, the gr

rbed in it. Now and then, while seeming to look between the trunks of trees toward the sultry distance, toward the yard, on which the sun blazed fiercely and which glowed like a brazier, she stole a glance from under her long lashes up to the doctor's windows. Nothing appeared, not a shadow. And a feeling of sadness, of resentment, arose within her at this neglect, this contempt

her for a moment, the eternal stocking in her hand which she was always knitt

ut up there like a wolf in his h

lders, without lifting her

it in my face that he had killed old Boutin, that poor old man, you know, who had the falling sickness and who died on the road. To believe those women of the fa

rl became more gloomy than before, the servant

ut what he is making there enrages me. And you

d quickly, yielding to the floo

han you do, but I think that he is on a ve

demoiselle;

ere with us, instead of endangering his soul and his happi

eyes burning with affection, in their jealous anger. Then

way of life had gained him; he was happy only when in the midst of his researches on the subjects for which he had a passion. It was matter for surprise to many that this scientist, whose intellectual gifts had been spoiled by a too lively imagination, should have remained at Plassans, this out-of-the-way town where it seemed as if every requirement for his studies must be wanting. But he explained very well the advantages which he had discovered here; in the first place, an utterly peaceful retreat in which he might live the secluded life he desired; then, an unsuspected field for continuous research in the light of the facts of heredity, which was his passion, in this little town where he knew every family and where he could follow the phenomena kep

disturbances took place, with the final result of organs totally different. Did not variation, the constant invention of nature, which clashed with his theories, come from this? Did not he himself differ from his parents only in consequence of similar accidents, or even as the effect of larvated heredity, in which he had for a time believed? For every genealogical tree has roots which extend as far back into humanity as the first man; one cannot proceed from a single ancestor; one may always resemble a still older, unknown ancestor. He doubted atavism, however; it seemed to him, in spite of a remarkable example taken from his own family, that resemblance at the end of two or three generations must disappear by reason of accidents, of interferences, of a thousand possible combinations. There was then a perpetual becoming, a constant transformation in this communicated effort, this transmitted power, this shock which breathes into matter the breath of life, and which is life itself. And a multiplicity

his thought-that universal happiness, the future community of perfection and of felicity, could be hastened by intervention, by giving health to all. When all should be healthy, strong, and intelligent, there would be only a superior race, infinitely wise and happy. In India, was not a Brahmin developed from a Soudra in seven generations, thus raising, experimentally, the lowest of beings to the highest type of humanity? And as in his study of consumption he had arrived at the conclusion that it was not hereditary, but that eve

ult. Suddenly, as he was beginning to grow discouraged, he had an inspiration one day, when he was giving a lady suffering from hepatic colics an injection of morphine with the little syringe of Pravaz. What if he were to try hypodermic injections with his liquor? And as soon as he returned home he tried the experiment on himself, making an injection in his side, which he repeated night and morning. The first doses, of a gram only, were without effect. But having doubled, and then tripled the dose, he was enchanted, one morning on getting up, to find that his limbs had all the vigor of twenty. He went on increasing the dose up to five grams, and then his respiration became deeper, and above all he worked with a clearness of mind, an ease, which he had not known for years. A great flood of happiness, of joy in living, inundated his being. From this time, after he had had a syringe made at Paris capable of containing five grams, he was surprised at the happy results which he obtained wi

ch were a mortar and a microscope, he was completing with infinite care the preparation of a vial of his liquor. Since the day before, after pounding the nerve substance of a sheep in distilled water, he had been decanting and f

the door and an urgent voi

? It is a quarter-past twelve; don

ay panels relieved by blue mouldings. The table, the sideboard, and the chairs must have formed part of the set of Empire furniture in the bedrooms; and the old mahogany, of a deep red, stood out in strong relief

ant, Dr. Pas

nish. Look at this, quite fresh, and perfectly

nd silent, with a serious air. The secret vexation caused by waiting had brought back all her hostility, and she,

re still at odds, it seems. That is something very ugly. So you

the young girl, sitting down opposit

to you. Only, my most ardent desire is that others also sho

d to a congestive attack! See! since you are in a bad humor, let us tal

ments, during which in spite of her ill-humor she ate heartily, with a good a

your stomach is in good order. Mar

s accustomed to do, watching them ea

e even chatt

cut the bread, "the butcher has b

up at her

said. "Do you not always pa

the house; bought and paid for everything with the strictest economy, for she was of so saving a disposition that they bantered her about it continually. Clotilde, who spent very little, had never thought of asking a separate purse for herself. As for the doctor, he took what he requir

ght the things; but this time the bill is so large on ac

nterrupted h

esterday you pained me greatly, and I was angry. But this must cease. I will not have the house turned into a hell.

etude of his heart was perceptible in the trembling of h

r to send my bill apart. And don't fear; you are not going to be aske

e had taken only what was strictly necessary for her wants; and increased, almost trebled, by the interest, her savings amounted now to thirty thousand francs,

monsieur is right; I will tell the butcher to send a bill apart

take the coffee under the plane trees, saying that he felt the need of air after being shut up all the morning. The coffee was served then on the stone table beside the fountain; an

h him the vial of nerve substance, whic

of brusque pleasantry, "you do not believe in my e

ilde, "I believe that we

gesture of

ntifically proved. Up to this day there has been no proof of the existence of any intelligence other than the human. I defy you to find any real will, any reasoning fo

m a faith that she regarded him in surprise, notici

t of truth, through science, is the divine ideal which man should propose to himself. I believe that all is illusion and vanity outside the treasure of truths slowly accumulated, and which will nev

orizon, as if calling on these burning plains in which ferme

, my child, is life. Only

ook he

enter. Oh, I know you are too intelligent to be ignorant of that! Only you do not wish to take it into account; you put the unknown aside, because it would embarrass you in your researc

see her become animated, while he s

illusions and without lies. Well, there, there; we understand each othe

ging the c

my round of miracles. This is Thursday, my visiting day. When

oat and wearing a broad-brimmed silk hat, he spoke of harnessing Bonhomme, the horse that for a quarter of a century had taken him on his visits through the streets and the environs of Plassans. But the poor old beast was growing blind, and through gratitude for his past services and affection for himself they now rarely disturbed

thful, he radiant, his face illuminated, so to say, by the whiteness of his beard, with a vigor that made him still lift her across the rivulets, people smiled as they passed, and turned around to look at them again, they seemed so innocent and so happy. On this day, as they left the road to Les Fenouilleres t

o gain the Rue de la Banne, when a tall, d

ten me. I am still waiting f

ilding up a fine practise. With a superb head, in the brilliant prime of a gracious manhood, he was

ot forgotten you. It is this little girl, to whom I gave the

shook hands with an a

, Mlle. C

ay, M.

ost his head to the extent of distrusting his own skill, and he had asked his young colleague to assist

es to-morrow, I promise

ng. And there was in the manner in which he leaned, smiling, toward Clotilde, the revelation of a secret love that had grown slowly, awaiting pa

eighboring village, to one of her aunts; and a son, Valentin, who has just completed his twenty-first year, and whom his mother insisted on keeping with her through a blind affection, notwithstanding that I warned her of the dreadful results that might ensue. Well, see if I am right in asserting that co

th a triump

sibly improved, and is growing fat since I have used my injections with hi

shook hands with b

You know that I a

s. This work was their only means of living, the son having been obliged to give up all labor. She smiled, however, to-day on seeing the doctor, for Valentin had just eaten a cutlet with a good appetite, a thing which he had not done for months. Valentin, a sickly-looking young man, with scanty hair and beard and prominent cheek bones, on each of which was a bright red spot, while the rest of his face was of a waxen hue, rose quickly to show how much more sprightly he felt! And Clotilde was touched by the reception given to Pascal as a saviour, the awaited M

d then went to see a lady in the new town. When t

rl, we should walk to Seguiranne, to see Sophi

igating waters were soon to transform the face of the country parched with thirst, did not yet water this quarter, and red fields and yellow fields stretched away into the distance under the melancholy and blighting glare of the sun, planted only with puny almond trees and dwarf olives, constantly cut down and pruned, whose branches twisted and writhed in attitudes of suffering and revolt. In the distance, on the bare hillsides, were to be

tening to this dust crackling under her little

in your eyes. Lean

ssession of the paraso

ight; and then it tires you. Be

Dieudonne, the wife of the cross old man. Wherever there was a spring, wherever there was a rivulet, this ardent soil broke out in rich vegetation; and then there were walks bordered b

lad greeting with which her heart overflowed. She resembled her brother Valentin; she had his small stature, his prominent cheek bones, his pale hair; but in the country, far from the contagion of the paternal environment, she had, it seemed, gained flesh; acquired with her robus

e no need of you here!

search of this fine spectacle of

not prevent this little girl here

l. There is not a day that she does not say that but for

is getting better, Valentin is

ds; large tears stood in her e

M. Pa

these people for him. They remained chatting there for a few moments longer, in the salubrious sha

ness, thanks to the workmen at the mill and to the peasants who brought their corn to it. He had still for customers on Sundays the few inhabitants of Les Artauds, a neighboring hamlet. But misfortune had struck him; for the last three years he had been dragging himself about groaning with rheumatis

nd looked strong and vigorous, with his t

ou know that I have been able to bottle

owardly in regard to pain, complained that the puncture hurt, adding, however, that after all a little suffering was a small price to pay for good health. Then he declared he would be offended if the do

ealth of all the poor devils to whom you

ll all his patients, then; his remedy worked real miracles, since he brought back to life the consumptive and the ataxic. And her faith in her master returned

, to-day white with flour, that a drama of love had once been enacted? And the story came back to her; details given by Martine; allusions made by the doctor himself; the wh

ointing to the vast, melancholy expanse of stubble

ere a large garden? Did you no

arden of the Sleeping Beauty, returned to Nature's rule. And as you see they have cut down the woods, and cleared and leveled the ground, to divide it into lots, and

to question

y cousin Serge and your great friend

nt on talking, his gaze fixed on spa

her corsage, around her slender, bare brown arms. And I can see her again, after she had asphyxiated herself; dead in the midst of her flowers; very white, sleeping with folded hands, and a smile on her lips, on her couch of hyacinths and

love which he had cherished in secret for a lady now dead. It was said that he had attended her for a long time without ever so much as venturing to kiss the tips of her fingers. Up to the present, up to near

d, her voice trembling, her cheeks scarlet, without knowing

rge, clear eyes shining under the shadow of her broad-brimmed hat. Something had happened; the same breath

w rector of St. Eutrope, where he lives with his sister Desiree, a worthy creature who has the good fortune

as lived with so tenacious a will, for the purpose no doubt of this will itself, and of the great work which it unconsciously accomplished. True, he was a scientist, a clear-sighted man; he did not believe in any idyllic humanity living in a world of perpetual peace; he saw, on the contrary, its woes and its vices; he had laid them bare; he had examined t

destroyed it; but what does that matter! Vines will be planted, corn will spring up, a whole growth of new crops; and people

tranquil sea of violets and roses. And seeing them both pass again, the ancient king, powerful and gentle, leaning against the shoulder of a char

ed her hand to them from afar. What! Were they not goi

ttle while. I did not venture t

eam was dying away, a chillness arose. It was like an assuagement, a sigh of relief, a resting of surrounding Nature, of the puny almond trees, the twisted olives, under the paling sky,

Bellombre has already dined

sitting, with a long face, furrowed with wrinkles, and large, starin

," murmured Cloti

ascal. "I sho

in his little house without any other company than that of a gardener who was deaf and

, who have made him suffer-hence his hatred of the child-that flesh made to be flogged. The fear of life, the fear of burdens and of duties, of annoyances and of catastrophes! The fear of life, which makes us through dread of its sufferings refuse

the walks with slow, tranquil steps. Then, Clotilde

, not to live; to keep one's self for the spiritual, has

not now be saints. Let suffering come, and I will b

the bottom of our anxiety about the beyond is the secret fear and hatred of life. So

more; let us love each other dearly. And see!