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。