wind sand and stars st.antoine de saint-exupery-第12部分

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hing　extraordinary；　and　the　same　was　to　be　said　for　the　un…remarkable　couple　who　took　me　in。　
　　〃We　shall　be　glad　to　put　you　up　for　the　night；〃　they　said。　
　　But　round　a　corner　of　the　road；　in　the　moon…light；　I　saw　a　clump　of　trees；　and　behind　those　trees　a　house。　What　a　queer　house！　Squat；　massive；　almost　a　citadel　guarding　behind　its　tons　of　stone　I　knew　not　what　treasure。　From　the　very　threshold　this　legendary　castle　promised　an　asylum　as　assured；　as　peaceful；　as　secret　as　a　monastery。　
　　Then　two　young　girls　appeared。　They　seemed　astonished　to　see　me；　examined　me　gravely　as　if　they　had　been　two　judges　posted　on　the　confines　of　a　forbidden　kingdom；　and　while　the　younger　of　them　sulked　and　tapped　the　ground　with　a　green　switch；　they　were　introduced　：　
　　〃Our　daughters。〃　
　　The　girls　shook　hands　without　a　word　but　with　a　curious　air　of　defiance；　and　disappeared。　I　was　amused　and　I　was　charmed。　It　was　all　as　simple　and　silent　and　furtive　as　the　first　word　of　a　secret。　
　　〃The　girls　are　shy；〃　their　father　said；　and　we　went　into　the　house。　
　　One　thing　that　I　had　loved　in　Paraguay　was　the　ironic　grass　that　showed　the　tip　of　its　nose　between　the　pavements　of　the　capital；　that　slipped　in　on　behalf　of　the　invisible　but　ever…present　virgin　forest　to　see　if　man　still　held　the　town；　if　the　hour　had　not　e　to　send　all　these　stones　tumbling。　
　　I　liked　the　particular　kind　of　dilapidation　which　in　Paraguay　was　the　expression　of　an　excess　of　wealth。　But　here；　in　Concordia；　I　was　filled　with　wonder。　Here　everything　was　in　a　state　of　decay；　but　adorably　so；　like　an　old　oak　covered　with　moss　and　split　in　places　with　age；　like　a　wooden　bench　on　which　generations　of　lovers　had　e　to　sit　and　which　had　grown　sacred。　The　wainscoting　was　worn；　the　hinges　rusted；　the　chairs　rickety。　And　yet；　though　nothing　had　ever　been　repaired；　everything　had　been　scoured　with　zeal。　Everything　was　clean；　waxed；　gleaming。　
　　The　drawing…room　had　about　it　something　extraordinarily　intense；　like　the　face　of　a　wrinkled　old　lady。　The　walls　were　cracked；　the　ceiling　stripped；　and　most　bewildering　of　all　in　this　bewildering　house　was　the　floor：　it　had　simply　caved　in。　Waxed；　varnished　and　polished　though　it　was；　it　swayed　like　a　ship's　gangway。　A　strange　house；　evoking　no　neglect；　no　slackness；　but　rather　an　extraordinary　respect。　Each　passing　year　had　added　something　to　its　charm；　to　the　plexity　of　its　visage　and　its　friendly　atmosphere；　as　well　as　to　the　dangers　encountered　on　the　journey　from　the　drawing…room　to　the　dining…room。　
　　〃Careful！〃　
　　There　was　a　hole　in　the　floor；　and　I　was　warned　that　if　I　stepped　into　it　I　might　easily　break　a　leg。　This　was　said　as　simply　as　〃Don't　stroke　the　dog；　he　bites。〃　Nobody　was　responsible　for　the　hole；　it　was　the　work　of　time。　There　was　something　lordly　about　this　sovereign　contempt　for　apologies。　
　　Nobody　said；　〃We　could　have　these　holes　repaired　；　we　are　well　enough　off；　but　。　。　。〃　And　neither　did　they　say　…　which　was　true　enough　…　〃we　have　taken　this　house　from　the　town　under　a　thirty…year　lease。　They　should　look　after　the　repairs。　But　they　won't；　and　we　won't；　so　。　。　。〃　They　disdained　explanation；　and　this　superiority　to　circumstance　enchanted　me。　The　most　that　was　said　was：　
　　〃The　house　is　a　little　run　down；　you　see。〃　
　　Even　this　was　said　with　such　an　air　of　satisfaction　that　I　suspected　my　friends　of　not　being　saddened　by　the　fact。　Do　you　see　a　crew　of　bricklayers；　carpenters；　cabinetworkers；　plasterers　intruding　their　sacrilegious　tools　into　so　vivid　a　past；　turning　this　in　a　week　into　a　house　you　would　never　recognize；　in　which　the　family　would　feel　that　they　were　visiting　strangers？　A　house　without　secrets；　without　recesses；　without　mysteries；　without　traps　beneath　the　feet；　or　dungeons；　a　sort　of　town…hall　reception　room？　
　　In　a　house　with　so　many　secret　passages　it　was　natural　that　the　daughters　should　vanish　before　one's　eyes。　What　must　the　attics　be；　when　the　drawing…room　already　contained　all　the　wealth　of　an　attic？　When　one　could　guess　already　that；　the　least　cupboard　opened；　there　would　pour　out　sheaves　of　yellowed　letters；　grandpapa's　receipted　bills；　more　keys　than　there　were　locks　and　not　one　of　which　of　course　would　fit　any　lock。　Marvelously　useless　keys　that　confounded　the　reason　and　made　it　muse　upon　subterranean　chambers；　buried　chests；　treasures。　
　　〃Shall　we　go　in　to　dinner？〃　
　　We　went　in　to　dinner。　Moving　from　one　room　to　the　next　I　inhaled　in　passing　that　incense　of　an　old　library　which　is　worth　all　the　perfumes　of　the　world。　And　particularly　I　liked　the　lamps　being　carried　with　us。　Real　lamps；　heavy　lamps；　transported　from　room　to　room　as　in　the　time　of　my　earliest　childhood；　stirring　into　motion　as　they　passed　great　wondrous　shadows　on　the　walls。　To　pick　one　up　was　to　displace　bouquets　of　light　and　great　black　palms。　Then；　the　lamps　finally　set　down；　there　was　a　settling　into　motionlessness　of　the　beaches　of　clarity　and　the　vast　reserves　of　surrounding　darkness　in　which　the　wainscoting　went　on　creaking。　
　　As　mysteriously　and　as　silently　as　they　had　vanished；　the　girls　reappeared。　Gravely　they　took　their　places。　Doubtless　they　had　fed　their　dogs；　their　birds；　had　opened　their　windows　on　the　bright　night　and　breathed　in　the　smell　of　the　woods　brought　by　the　night…wind。　Now；　unfolding　their　napkins；　they　were　inspecting　me　cautiously　out　of　the　corners　of　their　eyes；　wondering　whether　or　not　they　were　going　to　make　place　for　me　among　their　domestic　animals。　For　among　others　they　had　an　iguana；　a　mongoose；　a　fox；　a　monkey；　and　bees。　All　these　lived　promiscuously　together　without　quarreling　in　this　new　earthly　paradise。　The　girls　reigned　over　all　the　animals　of　creation；　charming　them　with　their　little　hands；　feeding　them；　watering　them；　and　telling　them　tales　to　which　all；　from　mongoose　to　bees；　gave　ear。　
　　I　firmly　expected　that　these　alert　young　girls　would　employ　all　their　critical　faculty；　all　their　shrewdness；　in　a　swift；　secret；　and　irrevocable　judgment　upon　the　male　who　sat　opposite　them。　
　　When　I　was　a　child　my　sisters　had　a　way　of　giving　marks　to　guests　who　were　honoring　our　table　for　the　first　time。　Conversation　might　languish　for　a　moment；　and　then　in　the　silence　we　would　hear　the　sudden　impact　of　〃Sixty！''　…　a　word　that　could　tickle　only　the　family；　who　knew　that　one　hundred　was　par。　Branded　by　this　low　mark；　the　guest　would　all　unknowing　continue　to　spend　himself　in　little　courtesies　while　we　sat　screaming　inwardly　with　delight。　
　　Remembering　that　little　game；　I　was　worried。　And　it　upset　me　a　bit　more　to　feel　my　judges　so　keen。　Judges　who　knew　how　to　distinguish　between　candid　animals　and　animals　that　cheated；　who　could　tell　from　the　tracks　of　the　fox　whether　he　was　in　a　good　temper　or　not；　whose　instinct　for　inner　movements　was　so　sure　and　deep。　
　　I　liked　the　sharp　eyes　of　these　straightforward　little　souls；　but　I　should　so　much　have　preferred　that　they　play　some　other　game。　And　yet；　in　my　cowardly　fear　of　their　〃sixty〃　I　passed　them　the　salt；　poured　out　their　wine；　though　each　time　that　I　raised　my　eyes　I　saw　in　their　faces　the　gentle　gravity　of　judges　who　were　not　to　be　bought。　
　　Flattery　itself　was　useless：　they　knew　no　vanity。　Although　they　knew　not　it；　they　knew。　a　marvelous　pride；　and　without　any　help　from　me　they　thought　more　good　of　themselves　than　I　should　have　dared　utter。　It　did　not　even　occur　to　me　to　draw　any　prestige　from　my　craft；　for　it　is　extremely　dangerous　to　clamber　up　to　the　topmost　branches　of　a　plane…tree　simply　to　see　if　the　nestlings　are　doing　well　or　to　say　good　morning　to　one's　friends。　
　　My　taciturn　young　friends　continued　their　inspection　so　imperturbably；　I　met　so　often　their　fleeting　glances；　that　soon　I　stopped　talking。　Silence　fell；　and　in　that　silence　I　heard　something　hiss　faintly　under　the　floor；　rustle　under　the　table；　and　then　stop。　I　raised　a　pair　of　puzzled　eyes。　Thereupon；　satisfied　with　her　examination　but　applying　her　last　touchstone；　as　she　bit　with　savage　young　teeth　into　her　bread　the　younger　daughter　explained　to　me　with　a　candor　by　which　she　hoped　to　slaughter　the　barbarian　（if　that　was　what　I　was）　：　
　　〃It's　the　snakes。〃　
　　And　content；　she　said　no　more；　as　if　that　explanation　should　have　sufficed　for　anyone　in　whom　there　remained　a　last　glimmer　of　intelligence。　Her　sister　sent　a　lightning　glance　to　spy　out　my　immediate　reflex；　and　both　bent　with　the　gentlest　and　most　ingenuous　faces　in　the　world　over　their　plates。　
　　〃Ah！　Snakes；　are　they？〃　
　　Naturally　the　words　escaped　from　me　against　my　will。　This　that　had　been　gliding　between　my　legs；　had　been　brushing　my　calves；　was　snakes！　
　　Fortunately　for　me；　I　smiled。　Effortlessly。　
　　They　would　have　known　if　it　had　been　otherwise。　I　smiled　because　my　heart　was　light；　because　each　moment　this　house　was　more　and　more　to　my　liking。　And　also　because　I　wanted　to　know　more　about　the　snakes。　The　elder　daughter　came　to　my　rescue。　
　　〃They　nest　in　a　hole　under　the　table。〃　
　　And　her　sister　added：　〃They　go　back　into　their　nest　at　about　ten　o'clock。　During　the　day　they　hunt。〃　
　　Now　it　was　my　turn　to　look　at　them　out　of　the　corner　of　the　eye。　What　shrewdness！　what　silent　laughter　behind　those　candid　faces！　And　w