Thattimidityoughttoexplainhischildhood,youth,andafter-lifetothosewhoarereluctanttoadmittheexistenceofsuchcharacters,orsuchfactsasthishistoryrelates,——thoughproofsofthemare,alas,commoneverywhere,evenamongprinces;forSophieDaweswastakenbythelastoftheCondesunderworsecircumstancesthantheRabouilleuse。Therearetwospeciesoftimidity,——thetimidityofthemind,andthetimidityofthenerves;aphysicaltimidity,andamoraltimidity。Theoneisindependentoftheother。Thebodymayfearandtremble,whilethemindiscalmandcourageous,orviceversa。Thisisthekeytomanymoraleccentricities。Whenthetwoareunitedinoneman,thatmanwillbeacipherallhislife;suchdouble-sidedtimiditymakeshimwhatwecall“animbecile。“Oftenfinesuppressedqualitiesarehiddenwithinthatimbecile。Tothisdoubleinfirmitywemay,perhaps,owethelivesofcertainmonkswholivedinecstasy;forthisunfortunatemoralandphysicaldispositionisproducedquiteasmuchbytheperfectionofthesoulandoftheorgans,asbydefectswhicharestillunstudied。
ThetimidityofJean-Jacquescamefromacertaintorporofhisfaculties,whichagreatteacheroragreatsurgeon,likeDespleins,wouldhaveroused。Inhim,asinthecretins,thesenseoflovehadinheritedastrengthandvigorwhichwerelackingtohismentalqualities,thoughhehadmindenoughtoguidehiminordinaryaffairs。
Theviolenceofpassion,strippedoftheidealinwhichmostyoungmenexpendit,onlyincreasedhistimidity。Hehadneverbroughthimselftocourt,asthesayingis,anywomaninIssoudun。Certainlynoyounggirlormatronwouldmakeadvancestoayoungmanofmeanstature,awkwardandshame-facedinattitude;whosevulgarface,withitsflattenedfeaturesandpallidskin,makinghimlookoldbeforehistime,wasrenderedstillmorehideousbyapairoflargeandprominentlight-greeneyes。Thepresenceofawomanstultifiedthepoorfellow,whowasdrivenbypassionontheonehandasviolentlyasthelackofideas,resultingfromhiseducation,heldhimbackontheother。
Paralyzedbetweentheseopposingforces,hehadnotawordtosay,andfearedtobespokento,somuchdidhedreadtheobligationofreplying。Desire,whichusuallysetsfreethetongue,onlypetrifiedhispowersofspeech。ThusithappenedthatJean-JacquesRougetwassolitaryandsoughtsolitudebecausetherealonehewasathisease。
Thedoctorhadseen,toolateforremedy,thehavocwroughtinhisson’slifebyatemperamentandacharacterofthiskind。Hewouldhavebeengladtogethimmarried;buttodothat,hemustdeliverhimovertoaninfluencethatwascertaintobecometyrannical,andthedoctorhesitated。Wasitnotpracticallygivingthewholemanagementofthepropertyintothehandsofastranger,someunknowngirl?Thedoctorknewhowdifficultitwastogaintrueindicationsofthemoralcharacterofawomanfromanystudyofayounggirl。So,whilehecontinuedtosearchforadaughter-in-lawwhosesentimentsandeducationofferedsomeguaranteesforthefuture,heendeavoredtopushhissonintothewaysofavarice;meaningtogivethepoorfoolasortofinstinctthatmighteventuallytaketheplaceofintelligence。
Hetrainedhim,inthefirstplace,tomechanicalhabitsoflife;andinstilledintohimfixedideasastotheinvestmentofhisrevenues:
andhesparedhimthechiefdifficultiesofthemanagementofafortune,byleavinghisestatesallingoodorder,andleasedforlongperiods。Nevertheless,afactwhichwasdestinedtobeofparamountimportanceinthelifeofthepoorcreatureescapedthenoticeofthewilyolddoctor。Timidityisagooddeallikedissimulation,andisequallysecretive。Jean-JacqueswaspassionatelyinlovewiththeRabouilleuse。Nothing,ofcourse,couldbemorenatural。Florewastheonlywomanwholivedinthebachelor’spresence,theonlyonehecouldseeathisease;andatallhourshesecretlycontemplatedherandwatchedher。Tohim,shewasthelightofhispaternalhome;shegavehim,unknowntoherself,theonlypleasuresthatbrightenedhisyouth。
Farfrombeingjealousofhisfather,herejoicedintheeducationtheoldmanwasgivingtoFlore:woulditnotmakeherallhewanted,awomaneasytowin,andtowhom,therefore,heneedpaynocourt?Thepassion,observe,whichisabletoreflect,giveseventoninnies,fools,andimbecilesaspeciesofintelligence,especiallyinyouth。
Inthelowesthumancreaturewefindananimalinstinctwhosepersistencyresemblesthought。
Thenextday,Flore,whohadbeenreflectingonhermaster’ssilence,waitedinexpectationofsomemomentouscommunication;butalthoughhekeptnearher,andlookedatherontheslywithpassionateglances,Jean-Jacquesstillfoundnothingtosay。Atlast,whenthedessertwasonthetable,herecommencedthesceneofthenightbefore。
“Youlikeyourlifehere?“hesaidtoFlore。
“Yes,MonsieurJean。“
“Well,stayherethen。“
“Thankyou,MonsieurJean。“
Thisstrangesituationlastedthreeweeks。Onenight,whennosoundbrokethestillnessofthehouse,Flore,whochancedtowakeup,heardtheregularbreathingofhumanlungsoutsideherdoor,andwasfrightenedtodiscoverJean-Jacques,crouchedlikeadogonthelanding。
“Helovesme,“shethought;“buthewillgettherheumatismifhekeepsupthatsortofthing。“
ThenextdayFlorelookedathermasterwithacertainexpression。
Thismutealmostinstinctivelovehadtouchedher;shenolongerthoughtthepoorninnysougly,thoughhisforeheadwascrownedwithpimplesresemblingulcers,thesignsofavitiatedblood。
“Youdon’twanttogobackandliveinthefields,doyou?“saidJean-
Jacqueswhentheywerealone。
“Whydoyouaskmethat?“shesaid,lookingathim。
“Toknow——“repliedRouget,turningthecolorofaboiledlobster。
“Doyouwishtosendmeback?“sheasked。
“No,mademoiselle。“
“Well,whatisityouwanttoknow?Youhavesomereason——“
“Yes,Iwanttoknow——“
“What?“saidFlore。
“Youwon’ttellme?“exclaimedRouget。
“YesIwill,onmyhonor——“
“Ah!that’sit,“returnedRouget,withafrightenedair。“Areyouanhonestgirl?“
“I’lltakemyoath——“
“Areyou,truly?“
“Don’tyouhearmetellyouso?“
“Come;areyouthesameasyouwerewhenyourunclebroughtyouherebarefooted?“
“Afinequestion,faith!“criedFlore,blushing。
Theheirloweredhisheadanddidnotraiseitagain。Flore,amazedatsuchanencouragingsignfromamanwhohadbeenovercomebyafearofthatnature,lefttheroom。
Threedayslater,atthesamehourforbothseemedtoregardthedessertasafieldofbattle,Florespokefirst,andsaidtohermaster,——
“Haveyouanythingagainstme?“
“No,mademoiselle,“heanswered,“No——“[apause]“Onthecontrary。“
“YouseemedannoyedtheotherdaytohearIwasanhonestgirl。“
“No,Ionlywishedtoknow——“[apause]“Butyouwouldnottellme——“
“Onmyword!“shesaid,“Iwilltellyouthewholetruth。“
“Thewholetruthabout——myfather?“heaskedinastrangledvoice。
“Yourfather,“shesaid,lookingfullintohermaster’seye,“wasaworthyman——helikedajoke——Whatofthat?——therewasnothinginit。
But,poordearman,itwasn’tthew[m.kanbaapp.com]illthatwaswanting。Thetruthis,hehadsomespiteagainstyou,Idon’tknowwhat,andhemeant——oh!hemeantyouharm。Sometimeshemademelaugh;butthere!whatofthat?“
“Well,Flore,“saidtheheir,takingherhand,“asmyfatherwasnothingtoyou——“
“Whatdidyousupposehewastome?“shecried,asifoffendedbysomeunworthysuspicion“Well,butjustlisten——“
“Hewasmybenefactor,thatwasall。Ah!hewouldhavelikedtomakemehiswife,but——“
“But,“saidRouget,takingthehandwhichFlorehadsnatchedawayfromhim,“ifhewasnothingtoyouyoucanstayherewithme,can’tyou?“
“Ifyouwishit,“shesaid,droppinghereyes。
“No,no!ifyouwishit,you!“exclaimedRouget。“Yes,youshallbe——
mistresshere。Allthatishereshallbeyours;youshalltakecareofmyproperty,itisalmostyoursnow——forIloveyou;Ihavealwayslovedyousincethedayyoucameandstoodthere——there!——withbarefeet。“
Floremadenoanswer。Whenthesilencebecameembarrassing,Jean-
Jacqueshadrecoursetoaterribleargument。
“Come,“hesaid,withvisiblewarmth,“wouldn’titbebetterthanreturningtothefields?“
“Asyouwill,MonsieurJean,“sheanswered。