Chapter 9 -2

M. Gernand then asked me to undress his wife and lead her here.You know, ma'am, that in spite of my abhorrence of these inhuman things, I can only do so with complete patience.Madame, I beseech you, what I have said and what I shall say next, I am only a slave, and I have no other choice but to obey, and nothing is voluntary. I took off my mistress's gown and led her naked to her husband, who was already seated in a large arm-chair. The Count roughly ordered her to assume various poses, to study them carefully, and to make a long pilgrimage.At this moment, I realized in astonishment that such a giant, who looks like a monster, is as licensed as a three-year-old child at most.He changed his tricks in every possible way, cursing in his mouth, and sparks in his eyes.He seized Madame brutally, placed her in the place where I had been, and suspended her arms from the ceiling by two black cloth straps.I was in charge of wrapping the cloth tape, and he came to check the binding, and felt that it was not tight enough, so he tightened it up again.He said it was to make the blood come out more forcefully.The count went crazy, and he jumped on her like a hungry wolf, took the lancet and cut her arm five or six times, and the blood spattered far away.Satisfied, he turned and sat opposite.

I took the opportunity to run to the countess, stop her bleeding, and put her on the sofa, who was extremely weak.The count, however, was indifferent, and did not even bother to glance at her.He suddenly pulled away with the two servants, leaving me to clean up the mess. I put Madame Gernand to bed.According to her, the blood loss this time was much more than any previous one, but after careful care and a lot of nourishment, nothing could be seen after a day.In the evening, whenever I had nothing to do with Madame, Gernand sent me to speak to him.He was eating supper, which was as good as lunch.I had to wait on him, and his four footmen dined at his table.Usually the harlot gets drunk every night, but twenty bottles of the finest wine are not enough to get him drunk, and I often make him drink thirty bottles.Then the licentious man went to sleep with the help of the footman, and every night he had to sleep with two of them.However, he didn't pay anything, they were just used as tools to prepare for the big scene.

Now that I had found the knack of mastering the mysteries of his heart so deftly, he naturally admitted that few women liked him so much.In this way I gained his confidence, however, I took advantage of such an opportunity only for the sake of my mistress. One morning Gernand asked me to come to his room in order to tell me about his new plan of obscenity.After listening carefully, I applauded him.I saw that he was quite calm, and I wanted to take the opportunity to make him feel a little pity for the poor lady. I said to him: "Sir, how can you treat a woman who has an unusual relationship with you like this? Please, try to be more tolerant to women!"

The Count replied: "Oh! Teresa, how can you not say something to calm me when you are so clever, but to make me angry again? Listen to me, my child," and he told me to sit down Next to him, he continued, "No matter how much you hear me scolding you women, don't be angry, as long as you can speak clearly and correctly, I will obey. "Terrese, I ask you, what right have you to claim that a husband must make his wife happy? What reason does a wife have in asking her husband to give her happiness? The necessity of reciprocal happiness exists only reasonably in two Among those who impair power, that is, between two persons who are evenly matched, such cooperation can only be possible if the two persons immediately enter into a contract that neither party uses his power in such a way as to cause harm to the other. damage. But surely such a ridiculous agreement cannot exist between a strong man and a weak man. What right does the latter have to ask the former to take care of him? And why is the former so stupid to do so? I can agree that it might be frustrating. Those who are afraid use my power, but from what motive should I lighten the use of those whom nature has enslaved me? You will answer me, out of pity! But this feeling is only for those like me man can exist only if he is a man, and since man is selfish, he can only exist if he who makes me feel pity also feels pity for me. If I am forever superior to the other by my own superiority, his Compassion is of no use to me, then I should never agree to sacrifice anything to get it. Am I not a big fool to have compassion for a hen slaughtered for my dinner? People far below me A man with whom I have nothing to do can never arouse any affection in me. A wife is to her husband what a hen is to me; Any difference. However, I would like to ask, if it is nature's intention to create females for the happiness of males, and vice versa, why does this blind nature make so many ridiculous differences in the constitution of the sexes? Deciding that men and women inflict serious damage on each other, the inevitable result can only be mutual estrangement and mutual disgust. Don't look far to find examples, just look at my body structure that you know, please tell me, Tyrese, how can there be A woman I can make happy? Conversely, how can there be such a man, when he does not have the huge size necessary to satisfy a woman, he can still feel that the other party enjoys sweet warmth? In your opinion, Is it possible to use moral advantages to make up for physical defects? Which rational man who knows women well will not cry out like Euripides: "Which god created women in the world, he can be self-satisfied, He has produced the worst of all creatures, the most injurious to man!' Well, if it turns out that man and woman are not at all adapted to each other, and that any reasonable complaint of the one does not immediately suit the other, then nature puts They were created so that they could give happiness to each other, that is a false lie. Naturally they can be allowed to have a desire to be close to each other in order to make them cooperate and work together for reproduction, the purpose is never to find each other through their union own happiness. The weak have no right to demand mercy from the strong, nor prevent the possibility of happiness in themselves from the strong, so the weak have no choice but toThere is obedience.Moreover, although it is extremely difficult for both parties to be happy together, both men and women can still only seek their own happiness.The weak should obey, and thus muster the only dose of happiness he can possibly get, while the strong should seek his own happiness by whatever means of oppression he pleases.For it has been proved that the happiness of the strong consists only in the performance of the functions of the strong, that is, in the most complete oppression.Therefore, the happiness of both sexes cannot be obtained at the same time, the one can only obtain it through blind obedience, and the other through the most complete strength of his dominion.If it was not nature's intention for the man to rule the woman brutally, why didn't nature create men and women as equals?Doesn't it make one party inferior to the other, is it not enough to show that it intends for the strong to exercise the rights it has given? The more the strong expands his authority, the more he makes the woman whose fate is connected with him. Well fulfilled the wishes of nature.Judging the right and wrong of a practice cannot be based on the complaints of the weak. Such judgments can only be harmful, because in doing so, you are imitating the views of the weak.Judging behavior should be based on the power of the strong, and the breadth of his power. When this power is exerted on a woman, we must look at what a woman is like, and examine whether it is ancient or present. The way three men look at women who are looked down upon.

① Euripides, one of the three major tragic writers of ancient Greece.There is an image of the evil woman Medea in her script. —— Annotation "Now, what do I see when I calmly make this investigation? A weak woman, always inferior to a man, far less handsome, clever, honest, constituted in a repulsive way, The exact opposite of what pleases a man and pleases him. Unhygienic for three-quarters of her life, unsatisfactory to her husband during the whole time that nature compels her to conceive and give birth. Also, sarcastic She is mean and impulsive. If she is allowed to have some power, she will become a tyrant; if she is tamed, she will become humble and obedient. However, she is always hypocritical, always bad, and always dangerous. In short, she is so unpredictable , so that several meetings of the Council of the Religious Council in Macon were full of turmoil, even debating whether to give such a strange individual a human title, although they are so different from men, just like apes are from humans. , and as if it were reasonable. But even if this were an anachronism, wouldn't the ancients have treated women better? The Persians, the Medes, the Babylonians, the Greeks, and the Romans, Do they respect the detestable sex we dare to adore today? No! All I see is that they are everywhere oppressed, everywhere kept out of business, everywhere despised, humiliated, locked up. In a word, women They are everywhere treated like cattle, used when needed, and thrown into the barn when they are done. Let me say a little about Rome, where I heard Cadon the Wise cry to me from the heart of the ancient capital of the world:' If men had no women, they would talk to the gods more!' I heard a Roman overseer

①Cadon, a Roman politician who served as an censor——Annotation The judge began his speech with the following words: 'Gentlemen, if we could live without women, we could taste true happiness. ’ And I heard the Greek poets sing on the stage: ‘Oh, Jupiter, why did you have to make woman?Can you not give life to mankind by better and wiser means, in a word, by saving us from the scourge of woman?I also saw the Greeks who despised women so much that they had to force Spartan men Procreation, and one of the punishments of these sages of the republic, is to compel a bad man to dress in woman's clothing, that is, to dress him as a man of the basest and most despised sex.

"You don't have to go to an age so far away from us to find examples. Now, how are evil women on the ground treated? How are they treated? I have seen them imprisoned all over Asia and used as slaves for tyranny Princes savagely amuse themselves. Despots beat them, torment them, and delight in their pain. In America I have seen peoples who are naturally human, such as the Eskimos, who perform all possible benevolence among men, But women are treated with every cruelty imaginable. I have also seen them humiliated in one part of the world, given to foreigners for sexual lust, and used as currency in other parts. In Africa, they are undoubtedly more popular. Discrimination, I saw them doing cattle work: plowing, sowing, kneeling in service to their husbands. If I followed Captain Cook in his new discoveries, on the beautiful island of Otei, I would see that pregnancy is a crime, sometimes The mother is put to death and the child is almost certain. Could the women be happier here? On other islands discovered by this sailor, I have seen women beaten and bullied by their own children and the husband tortured with the whole family She is even more vicious.

"Oh, Therese! Do not be surprised by all this, nor by the general power which husbands always have over their wives. Peoples which are nearer to the state of nature obey the laws of nature: the relation of wife to husband It can only be the relationship between slaves and masters. They have no right to pray for a more noble status. You can't confuse power with the vices that temporarily demean us men and elevate you women. You must find the reasons for these vices and explain them. And then often go back and listen to rational advice. Tyrese, let me tell you about the reason why women were temporarily respected in the past, and it still unknowingly fools people who continue this respect today.

"In formerly the Gauls, that is to say, in the only place in the world where women were not treated as slaves, women generally practiced fortune-telling, because it was supposed that their success in this profession was due to their Presumably in close communion with the gods, they were, so to speak, naturally fitted for the priestly profession, and thus enjoyed some of the respect due to priesthood. On the basis of these prejudices, chivalry was established in France. This institution found it favored the development of chivalry, he adopted it. But as in all things, the cause fades, the effect preserves. After the death of chivalry, the prejudices he advocated increased. The foundation upon which the ethereal title was built disappeared, And the respect for women that used to accompany this title has not disappeared. Witches are no longer respected, but whores are respected, and what's more, they continue to kill each other for whores. I hope such vulgar things will no longer Influence the minds of philosophers, and let them, according to the dictates of nature, regard women, as the wisest nations think, only as created for their amusement, to do as they please, while their weakness and Evil deserves nothing but their contempt.

"Terris, all nations on earth not only enjoy the most extensive power over their wives, but some even execute women as soon as they are born, and absolutely only keep the few women who are necessary for the reproduction of the race. They are called The Arabs of Koreh took their daughters to a high mountain near Mecca and buried them alive when they were seven years old, because women were considered too lowly for them to see the light of day. In the harem of King Ashim, The harshest punishments are imposed on the concubines at the first suspicion of infidelity, or the slightest sign of disobedience in their lustful service to the prince, or that they are tiresome. The women of the Ganges, after the death of their husbands, must Bury them on the ashes of their husbands, for they are useless in the world as long as their masters can't enjoy them. Elsewhere they are hunted like wild animals, and it is an honor to kill them. In In Egypt, they were killed in sacrifice to the gods. In Formosa, they were trampled underfoot if they became pregnant. The German law imposed a fine of ten crowns on a man who killed a strange woman, and if If it was his wife or a whore, then nothing happened. In short, I repeat, everywhere I see women humiliated, raped, sacrificed to priestly superstition, to husband's barbarism, or else Because of the wanton trampling of perverts. Unfortunately, I live among a people who are still quite vulgar, and this people still dare not abandon the most absurd and ridiculous prejudices. Because of this, do I have to deprive myself of my talent and my rights to women, Have to give up all the pleasure that comes from that right?... No, no, Tyrese, it's not just. I hide what I'm doing because I have to. But I'm automatically exiled here The place of concealment is to quietly obtain compensation, and to release the chains imposed on me by legislation. Therefore, my treatment of my wife is nothing more than the exercise of the rights I find written in the universal law, which is also my inner right, nature. Give me my rights."

"Oh, sir," I said to him, "it appears that it is indeed impossible for you to reform yourself." "So, I advise you not to try, Thérèse," Gernand replied to me, "the tree is too old to bend. At my age, you can take a few more steps in the path of evil." , but it is by no means possible to turn away from the path of doing good. From my childhood, my principles and interests have made me happy, and they have been the only basis for what I do; perhaps I can go forward, but look back. Impossible. I am too disgusted with human prejudice, and I hate human civilization, virtue, and the God of man too determinedly to ever sacrifice my inclinations to it." So far, I have fully understood that whether it is to escape from this family by myself or to save the countess, I have no other choice but to use tactics and discuss with the lady. I have been in her home for a year, I have opened up to her, she has no doubts about my desire to serve her, and she has figured out why I behaved differently in the first place.I further confided in her, and she fully consented, and agreed upon a plan; first of all, her mother was to be informed, that she might see the count's infamy.Madame Gernand had no doubt that her mother The mother will immediately come and smash the chains on her daughter.But how can it be done? We are tightly imprisoned and watched all the time!Accustomed to climbing over high walls, I measured the height of the walls around the platform: only thirty feet.I can't see any fence outside, and I believe that as long as you cross the high wall in front of you, you will find the forest road below.But the countess, who had come to the apartment at night and had never been out, could not confirm my idea.I agree to crawl over and try.Mrs. Gernand wrote a touching letter to her mother, asking her to make up her mind to save her unfortunate daughter.I put the letter in my bosom, and kissed dear, poor lady good-bye.As soon as it got dark, I made a rope from the sheets and climbed over the wall to the bottom of the castle.I saw it, my God! It was still a long way to escape from the cage, what should I do? It turned out that I was still in the manor, and the surrounding courtyard wall was blocked by dense trees, so I didn't see it.The courtyard walls are more than forty feet high, and the tops are covered with broken glass, and they are amazingly thick... What should I do?It's almost daylight, what will anyone think if they see me in this place?I must be trying to escape in this place.How could I escape the count's wrath? Would the devil not have punished me for such an act by making me bleed? It was impossible to go back, the countess had already taken back the sheets.To knock on the door is to expose oneself more definitely.I was almost insane, and almost fainted under the attack of such intense desperation.If the count's heart could still show me a little pity, I might have a little luck for a while, but he, a tyrant, a savage, a woman hater, professed to have been looking for an opportunity to sacrifice another Woman, let her bleed, drop by drop, and see how long she can live.There is no doubt that it is I who will be tested by him.I was at a loss and felt that danger was everywhere, so I threw myself under a tree, waiting for the arrangement of fate, I silently obeyed the will of God... The sky finally dawned.Oh, God!The first thing I saw was the Count himself!It was unbearably hot at night, so he came out to get some air.He thought he was wrong, that he saw a ghost, and stepped back.Courage is seldom a traitor's quality.I stood up tremblingly, rushed over and knelt at his feet. He yelled, "Terris, what are you doing here?" "Oh, sir, punish me," I answered, "I am guilty, and I have nothing to say." Unfortunately I forgot to tear up the countess's letter in my panic.He was suspicious, asked me for the letter, I wanted to deny it, but he had seen the fatal letter sticking out of my chest, grabbed it, read it greedily, and ordered me to follow him. We entered the castle by a hidden stairway under the vault, which was still silent.Turning left and right, the count opened a door and threw me into the cell. Then he said to me: "Fateless fool! I have warned you that such a crime is punishable by death, and you are ready to accept the punishment you deserve! Tomorrow, after dinner, I will send you on your way." .” I fell at his feet again, but he grabbed me by the hair and dragged me on the ground two or three times around the cell, then threw me against the wall as if to flatten me. "I should have cut four of your veins right now," he said as he closed the door. "I'm holding off, you'll have to believe, just to make it more terrifying." He was out, and I was in the midst of the most intense restlessness.I do not need to describe to you the night I passed, for I was tormented by every imaginable horror, and all the more so because of the pain which the devil had just given me.It was truly the scariest night of my life.A miserable person is waiting to be tortured at any time, there is no hope in front of him, and he doesn't even know whether the minute he is breathing is the last minute of his life. Others can't imagine the tragic state of such a lost soul.I can't figure out what kind of torture I'm about to suffer, I can only imagine a more terrifying scene than the last.Hearing a little sound, he felt that the time for execution had come, the blood stopped flowing, and the heart went out.well!Even if the sword falls and ends life, it is not as cruel as this fatal moment when death is constantly threatening. It seems that the Count first took revenge on his wife, and what follows will convince you as I do.Thirty-three hours had passed since I had been in this state of panic, and no one had come to call me.At this moment, the cell door opened, and the count appeared at the door, alone, with a spark of anger in his eyes. "You must have thought about how you will die!" he said to me. "Your vile blood must be shed thinly. I will bleed you three times a day. I want to see if you can survive." How long. It is an experiment I have always longed to undertake, as you know, and I thank you for giving me the opportunity." At that time, the devil had no other desires, and he only wanted revenge.He grabbed me, ordered me to stretch out one arm, inserted the needle, drank two small bowls of blood, and bandaged the wound.He had just finished doing this when he heard someone yelling. "Sir! . . . sir!" an old woman who waited on us came to report, "... hurry up, my lady is dying, and she has something to say to you before she dies." After finishing speaking, the old woman hurried back to the hostess. Accustomed to crime, the news of the completion of the crime he has just committed seldom fails to alarm the murderer.This fear avenged morality, and it was at this moment that morality took power again.Gernand went out in a daze, forgetting to close the cell door.I took advantage of this slight opportunity, and though I had not eaten for forty hours, had just been bled again, and was very weak, I rushed out of the cell.The doors were all open and I walked across the yard.I ran into the forest unnoticed.I said to myself, "Go forward, go forward bravely. Although the strong despise the weak, there is an Almighty God who protects the weak and never abandons the weak." Full of such beliefs, I ran forward desperately.Before it was quite dark, I reached a thatched cottage four miles from the castle.I still had a little money with me, and there I took what I could and rested for a few hours to recover my strength.I set out at daybreak, and I had someone show me the way.I have given up all plans to sue, past and new.I headed straight for Lyons and arrived there on the eighth day, very weak and in great pain, but fortunately no one was chasing me.I just wanted to rest and go to Grenoble, where I always thought happiness was waiting for me. One day, as I casually browsed through an unfamiliar newspaper, I was astonished to discover that crime had once again been rewarded—that Roden, the surgeon at Saint-Michel, one of the culprits of my suffering, was now in a high position.This shameless man who punished me so cruelly for my attempt to prevent him from killing his own daughter has just been appointed chief surgeon of the Empress of Russia, and is being paid very well, according to the papers.I thought: "Since Providence wills him to be lucky, let him be lucky; and you, suffer, you wretch, and complain not, for it is said that suffering and pain must be the bitter rewards of virtue. Never mind, I will never Will not tire of morality." There is no end to the cases in which vice triumphs, and virtue falls down.I am more indignant and amazed by the great fortune of a man I am about to see again than any other, for he has been responsible for one of the bloodiest outrages I have ever suffered.I was preoccupied with getting ready to go.Then, one evening, a valet in gray, whom I absolutely did not know, brought me a letter.When he handed me the letter, he told me that his master had ordered him to take the reply with him.The letter reads: A man who has done something wrong to you, feels that he recognizes you in Place Belcourt, wants to see you very much, wants to make up for what he has done.Please come and see me quickly.He has something to tell you and maybe be able to pay back what he owes you. The letter was not signed, and the servant did not explain it.After I told him that I could only answer him if I knew who his master was, he said to me: "Miss, my master is M. Saint-Florent, who had the good fortune to know you in the suburbs of Paris. According to him, you have done him a great service, and he is anxious to repay you. He is now a merchant in the city. The richest man, the respect and wealth he enjoys in this country make him fully able to express his gratitude to you. He is waiting for you." My idea was settled quickly.I thought: If this person didn’t have good intentions towards me, why did he write this note to me and send someone to send me such a message? He must have felt guilty about his shameless past. Abandoning my most precious virginity, his vicious behavior has placed me in the most miserable situation that a woman can be... Yes, yes, no doubt, remorse!If I do not appease these regrets, I am guilty before God.Besides, can my current situation make me refuse the help that comes to my door?Should I not seize the opportunity so eagerly awaited to relieve my pain? This man wishes to see me at his mansion, and since he is very rich, he must be surrounded by many servants, before whom he must respect himself, can't he? Dare to be presumptuous to me again.And me, where I am, God! Can I make a man think anything but be pitied?I therefore reassured the servant of Saint-Florent that I would certainly go to his master about eleven o'clock tomorrow to congratulate him on being the favourite of Fate,--and Fate was not at all to me as it was to him. I went back to my place of residence, but I was so thinking about what this man was going to say to me that I didn't close my eyes all night.At last I came to the appointed address, a splendid mansion, oppressed by the multitude of servants, and the insulting glances these rich scum cast upon the poor they despised.I was just about to leave when the servant who delivered my letter yesterday came over.Reassuring me, he led me into a well-furnished study.I recognized my torturer right away, even though he was now forty-five and I hadn't seen him for almost nine years.He did not rise, but ordered the servants to stand down, and beckoned me with a gesture to come and sit in a chair beside him. He said, condescendingly, that I could not help feeling very humiliated: "Son, I want to see you again, not because I think I have done you any great wrong, nor because recalling the past disturbs me and compels me to make amends—I Confidence is no compensation in my position. I remember, however, that in the brief moment of our acquaintance I thought you had brains, and the proposal I am going to make to you requires just that. If you accept, then , from my property, you will get all the sources of life you need, if you don't agree, you will have nothing to live on." I was about to reply to Saint-Florent with reproaches for this flippant opening, but he silenced me, and went on: "Let the past be the past. It is caused by lust. I follow the principle that no obstacle should block the passion of lust. When passion arises, it should only be vented. This is my law. When Did you see me complaining about my lot when I was caught by the robbers who were with you? If I was weak, I could only seek comfort and try to cope with intelligence; if I was strong, I would enjoy myself to the fullest Right, that's how I act. Tyrese, you're young and beautiful, we're deep in the woods, and there's nothing in the world that burns my libido like raping a virgin, and you're a virgin, so I raped you. If I failed in my attempt, and if you resisted desperately, I would probably be much crueler to you. I also stole your money and left you on a dangerous road in the middle of the night , you can't do anything about it. There are two reasons why I sinned again in this way: one is that I need money, but I don't have it; It is only the heart who can explain this confusion to you, for they have studied the depths of the heart, and have worked out the most inaccessible corners of this dark labyrinth." "What! Monsieur, I gave you my money and my services, and you rewarded me with such a vile act of rape... you still say that this is understandable, and you want to justify it ?” "Yes, Therese, yes, it is understandable, and the proof is this: after having robbed you of your money and abused you (because I hit you), just walked twenty paces away, and thought of what I have done to you In the state I was in, I suddenly had the strength to do a new insult, otherwise, I might never have done that to you. You just lost your first time, so I came back to make you lose it again .For some minds, passion can indeed be born of crime! How can I say it? Indeed, only crime awakens passion, determines passion, and there is no such passion in the world that is not kindled by crime, not crime Promoted." "Oh, sir, how dreadful!" "Couldn't I have committed a greater crime . . . I'll admit it to you, just a little bit. But the thought that you'll be driven to extremes yourself satisfies me and I leave. Don't mention that Now, Tyrese, tell me why I want to see you. Saint Florent continued, "Therese, I have had an incredible interest in the virginity of little girls both before and after, and it still hasn't gone away, and it's like all other lustful escapades, the more one gets fucked Older, stronger. New desires spring from old crimes, and new crimes breed new desires. My dear, all this is nothing if the methods one uses to succeed are not crimes. Yet, Since the need to do evil is the primary motivating force behind our will, the more sinful the motives that prompt us to commit crimes, the greater our desires will be aroused. At this point, we will only think that the means are not vicious enough, and the more vicious the means, the greater our desire The lust grows stronger. We're stuck in the mud like this, but we don't want to get out at all. "Terris, this is my experience. I have to have two little girls sacrifice for me every day, so I can be satisfied. After enjoying them, I will never see them again, and even ask them to leave the city immediately. The main condition for the full satisfaction of the pleasure. The next day, if I think that yesterday's victims are still breathing the same air as me, I will not enjoy the pleasure. As for how to get rid of them, it could not be easier. Terry Do you believe it, Ruth? It is because of my pleasure-seeking that there are plenty of little men's sexual pleasures in the Languedoc and Provence. After these chicks have served me for an hour, I will send Reliable men put them on board, and sold them to the madams of Nîmes, Montpellier, Toulouse, Aix, and Marseilles. I took two-thirds of the profit from the sale, and compensated me for their It cost more than enough to satisfy my two burning desires: sensuality and greed. However, it was more difficult for me to spot them and seduce them. Besides, the type of girl was crucial to my lust, and I asked They all come from poor asylums where survival is impossible, where their courage, their self-esteem, their sensibilities are drained, they're sapped, and they have to make up their minds about anything that will ensure the continuation of their lives in order to survive.接受。我让人毫不留情地搜查所有这种偏僻的角落，他们提供给我的有多少，简直没法说。我的收获还远远不止这些呢，泰瑞丝。要是市场景气，工业发达，人们生活还宽裕，这一切都不利于我的收买贿赂，这夺走了我的大部分姑娘。我运用我在本城的威信，在生意场上兴风作浪，促使生活必需品涨价，这就增加了穷人的数量，一方面剥夺掉他们的劳动手段，另一方面使他们生活更加艰难，这样，贫困提供给我的猎物数量就以同等的比率增加了。我使用的方法寻常得很，泰瑞丝，巴黎这么多年来缺乏木柴、小麦和其他食品，这都是我一手造成的。贪婪和淫荡，这两种欲情从金碧辉煌的房屋里撒开大网，把穷人的破屋牢牢套住。但是，不管我如何一方面巧妙地施加压力，如果没有一双灵活的手从另一方面迅速攫取的话，我是白费力气，行动就会失败，就如同我不绞尽脑汁、不大力运用我的声望就会失败一样。所以我需要一个敏捷、年轻、聪明的女人，她自己必须也历经布满荆棘的贫困小路，比任何人都懂得怎样使贫穷的姑娘腐化堕落。她必须有敏锐的眼光，一眼就能揣摩到最昏暗的阁楼中的不幸，她的引诱能使受害者们下决心使用我提供的方法从困苦中摆脱出来。总之，必须是一个有头脑的女人，既无所顾忌又冷酷无情，为达到目的不惜一切手段，甚至断绝她们赖以保持一点点希望的生活来源，制止她们自谋出路。我有过一个非常出色的女人，也非常可靠，可惜她不久前死了。简直难以想象，这个聪明的女人厚颜无耻到何种地步，她非但迫使那些可怜的小妞儿与世隔绝，以至于逼迫她们跑来跪下哀求收容她们，而且假如此计不成，不能加速她们的堕落，这个邪恶的女人甚至干脆把她们绑来。真是能干呀！我每天只需要两个小妞儿，但如果我想要，她甚至可以给我十个。所以，我挑选的余地大多了，我操作的原料简直过量了，补偿了我花费的人工。亲爱的，我要你接替这个女人的位置。你将有四个人听从你的吩咐，还有两千埃居的工钱。我说完了，泰瑞丝，该你回答了。当偶然和我的手把幸福送给你时，请千万不要让一些梦想阻止你接受它。 " 听了他的这番谈话，我浑身发抖，便答复说：“噢！先生，这样荒淫无耻的阴谋，您怎么想得出来呢!还竟敢提出要我来实现。您让我听到了多少骇人听闻的事情啊！残忍的人，假如让您自己哪怕是仅仅贫困两天，您就会看见您所谓的'慈善'事业不攻自破。因为您太有钱了，所以对您造成的祸害视而不见，您还以为自己可以逃脱应得的惩罚!您希望自己永远感受不到灾难临头，就自以为可以施于别人。财富使人腐化堕落到这样的地步，我宁肯永远予以弃绝。噢，公正的上帝啊！世上竟然会有这样的人，诱骗了不幸的姑娘仍然不感到满足，胆大妄为、凶横残暴之至，居然增加她们的不幸，延续她们受到的伤害，惟一的目的就是满足自己的淫欲!多么残酷无情啊！先生，即使最凶恶的野兽也不会像这样残暴!” “你搞错了，泰瑞丝，豺狼为了使羔羊落入它的圈套，没有什么诡计不可以使用。阴谋诡计是自然生成的，这里谈不上什么慈悲。所谓的美德不过是奴隶们软弱的表现，旨在软化他们的主人，让主人更加温和一些。美德出现在人们心中，通常只有两种情况：一是当人们是弱者的时候；二是一个人害怕自己成为弱者的时候。证明就是，这个所谓的美德并不是造化赋与的，最接近大自然的人对美德却是茫然无知的。蒙昧时代的人藐视美德，他们或者出于报复，或者出于贪婪，毫不怜悯地杀死自己的同类。如果这种美德存在于他们的心中，他们能不尊重它吗？但是美德从来没有在他们心中出现过，今后在人们一律平等的地方也不会出现。文明净化着人群，区分出等级，让一个穷人出现在富人面前的时候，使富人担心地位会起变化，可能使他迅速坠入穷人那样一无所有的境地，便立刻在他的思想中产生了救济不幸者的愿望，为的是如果他失去了财富，也会被救济，这样就产生了仁慈的爱心，这是文明与担心的结果。所以说，美德只是权宜之计，绝对不是天然感情。大自然赋予我们内心的从来只是自我满足的欲望，不管得到满足是以什么为代价。而人们却常常混淆一切感情，在从来不做任何分析的情况下盲目从事，丧失了一切欢悦。” 我急切地打断他的话，说道：“啊！先生，还有比接济不幸的人更好的事情吗？姑且不谈自己也会受苦这种畏惧，世上还有比施惠于人的满足来得更真实的满足吗？看见感激的眼泪而喜悦，因为刚刚对穷苦人群行善而分享他们的快乐，穷人本是与您一样的人，只是缺少了最低需要的东西，听见他们歌颂您，把您叫做父亲，使他们由于匮乏、被抛弃、绝望而黯淡的额头重显光彩，先生，这不是最大的满足么?不，世上没有任何乐趣能与之相比，这甚至是上帝的乐趣，他许诺给予人世间为之努力的人们的幸福，无非是使我们得以看见或者塑造 在天堂也享受幸福的人。一切道德都由此而产生，先生。当我们体会到减轻不幸的人的负担的魅力时，我们就是最好的亲人、儿子和丈夫。行善的人将善举广施于周围的一切，就像阳光普照一般，他们散播着富饶、温馨、欢乐和大自然的奇迹。有了这样的上帝的光明的源泉，正直、敏感而体贴他人的人们就会以努力为他人谋幸福作为自己的最高福祉。 " “泰瑞丝，你说的好像孚比斯①呀！人的享乐取决于他从自然那里得到的结构的种类，而弱者的快感，也就是所有女人们的快感必然偏向于精神方面，这更能刺激她们的官能，胜似仅仅影响她们那全然缺乏活力的肉体的享受。而强者则恰恰相反，他们更喜欢他们强加在周围人们身上的一切有力的打击，而不是给予他们身旁这些人感觉到的一些温和的印象。根据他们的这种结构，他们不可避免地更喜欢造成他人的痛苦，而不喜欢只以温和的方式触 ①孚比斯，希腊神话中太阳神阿波罗的别名。 及他人。这就是残酷的人与宽厚的人惟一的区别，这两种人都很敏感，但每个人敏感的方向不同。我不否认这两类人都有享乐的需要，但是我以许多哲学的道理来认定：体质结构较坚强有力的个体享受的乐趣，无疑要比所有那些软弱无力的个体所享受的乐趣强烈得多。既然如此，就有可能，也必定有这样的一种人：他们发现从残酷对待他人中可以得到极大的乐趣，赛过别人从行善中享受到的乐趣。后者的快感是温和的，前者的快感是非常强烈的。前者的乐趣更为实在，更为真实，因为这代表着尚处在自然的摇篮之中一切人的倾向，甚至代表着尚不知道文明束缚的孩子们的倾向，而后者的乐趣受到了文明的侵蚀，从而官能的享受是虚假的，而且没有任何味道。不过，我们在这里交谈，并不是为了研究哲学，而是为了增强一个决心，那么请你给我一个最后的答复，你究竟是接受，还是不接受我对你提出的建议?” 我站起身来，断然回答：“我当然拒绝!我虽然很穷，……噢！是的，非常穷，先生。但是，我内心的感情比财富的一切赐予要富裕得多，我永远不会牺牲我的感情去换取财富。我宁愿在贫困中死去，也决不背叛道德。” 这个可恶的人冷冷地对我说，“出去!为了使我不至于担心你泄漏机密，我要把你立刻关进一处我再也不必为此担心的地方去。” 道德最能消除对邪恶的恐惧——我比我自已认为的要大胆的多。我向他保证，不用担心我泄密的同时，大胆地提醒他在蓬迪的森林中偷走了我的钱，并且让他感觉到在我目前所处的情况下，这些钱对我是不可或缺的。然而，这恶魔却厉声回答说，钱是要靠我自己挣的，但是我拒绝了。 “不，先生，”我坚定地回答，“不，我要再说一遍，我宁愿死上一千遍，也不想以这样的代价苟全性命。” 圣弗洛朗说：“而我，我也觉得最难过莫过于对方自己不来挣钱却要我白给。尽管你蛮横地拒绝了我，我还是愿意和你待上一刻钟。咱们到那间秘室里去，只要你稍稍顺从，一会儿的工夫你就会有钱了。” 我骄傲地回答， “先生，我拒绝用任何方式为您的淫行效劳。残酷的人，我不是在乞求施舍，不是，我不打算向您提供这样的快乐。我要求的是属于我自己的东西，是您以最无耻的手段偷走的属于我的东西。您要是觉得需要，那您就留着吧，留着吧!您就毫不怜悯地瞧着我流泪，如果您做得到，就无动于衷地听着我缺乏需求的悲惨的声音吧。但是，您要记住，要是您再犯一次罪行，我就要不惜任何代价，行使我永远鄙视您的权利。” 怒不可遏的圣弗洛朗喝令我滚出去，我从他那狰狞的面目上可以看出，要不是他已对我透露秘密，惟恐爆发，我也许已经由于大胆对他讲了真话而遭受酷刑了。……我出去了。与此同时，有人给这个淫棍带来一个为他那荒淫无耻的丑行服务的受害者。他建议我与之卑鄙共事的一个女人，将一个可怜的、九岁的女孩子领进他的房间。这孩子满面愁容，精神萎靡，她似乎连站着的力气也没有了。……噢，上帝啊！我心想，这样的孩子除了使人产生怜悯之情外，怎么能激起别的什么感情?该死的怪僻疯子，居然想从她那因缺乏需求而干瘪的乳房上取乐，从她那因饥饿而发干的嘴唇、只为诅咒他而张开的嘴唇上摘取一个又一个吻! 我的泪水流了下来，恨不得立即把这牺牲品从虎口里夺走，但是我不敢。我怎能办到呢?我赶紧返回旅舍，我既为不幸遭到这样的建议而感到耻辱，也对富比王侯的人居然敢提出这种建议而万分憎恨。 第二天，我离开了里昂，走上通往多菲内的大道。我一直满怀希望，以为在那个地区里，总有一点幸福在等待着我。我带着两件衬衣，口袋里装着几条手绢，像通常那样步行，我刚刚走出里昂两里路就碰到一个老太婆，她一脸痛苦的表情，走过来求我施舍。虽然在残酷的经历中受到了很多残忍的待遇，但我自己却不是那样心如铁石的人，而且只觉得世间最大的幸福莫过于施恩于穷人，我立刻拿出钱袋打算取出一个埃居交给这个女人。不料，这个无耻的老女人趁我猝不及防，一把抓走我的钱包，对准我的肚子就是一拳，非常敏捷，非常有 劲，尽管我起初以为她年老力衰。我被打翻在地，她却逃之夭夭，一眨眼的工夫就跑到了百步开外。她的周围还有四个恶棍，他们威胁我，使我不敢走上前去。 我悲痛欲绝地大声呼喊，“伟大的上帝啊！这么说，只要我一旦敞开心胸行善积德，我立刻就会受到最严厉的惩罚！”顿时我勇气尽消，今天我要诚恳地祈求上帝饶恕，可当时我我被绝望蒙住了眼睛，就想立即脱离这种满是荆棘的正道。我面前有两种路可以选择：一是加入方才抢了我的钱袋的强盗团伙，一是返回里昂接受圣弗洛朗的建议。上帝拯救了我，没有让我就此沉沦，尽管他让我重新燃起的希望是虚假的，因为还有那么多的艰难险阻在等待着我，我还是感谢上帝继续支撑了我。尽管我是清白无辜的，那颗命里注定的灾星却要把我送上绞架，它从来只是要我的性命，而另外的选择都是要我陷入荒淫无耻的泥坑，这比让我去死更加残忍。 我继续朝着维埃纳这座城市走去，决定在那里卖掉我剩下的东西，好凑足去格勒诺布尔的盘缠。我心情郁闷地走着，在距城市四分之一法里的地方，我看见大路右侧的平原上，有两个骑马的人正用马蹄践踏一个男人。他们把他扔下几乎死去之后，就快马加鞭地逃之夭夭了。一见这悲惨的景象，我的眼泪就下来了，心想：唉！这个人比我更可怜，我至少还有健康的身体和力气，我可以挣钱糊口。要是他并不富有，那他会落到什么下场呢?” 尽管我克制自己不作出怜悯的举动，尽管这样做对我来说凶多吉少，但我还是禁不住感到必须过去看看这个人怎么样了，尽可能给予他救助。我朝他飞奔而去，在我的照顾下，他闻了闻我身边还带着的烈性酒，他终于睁开了眼睛，头一句话就是感谢我。我更是迫不急待地帮助他，我连忙把我的一件衬衣撕成布条，给他包扎伤口，给他擦血；我所剩无几的财物也舍得拿出来为这个人牺牲。初步的照料完成之后，我让他喝了一点酒，这个不幸的人完全清醒过来了。我仔细观察，看得清楚些了。尽管他轻装步行，但是他看起来并不贫穷。他有几件很值钱的东西：几只戒指、一块怀表和一些盒子，但是这些物品在他刚才遭难的过程中已损坏得十分严重了。他刚能说话，便问我这位救助他的慈悲天使是谁，怎样才能表达他对我的感激之情。我仍然还是太天真了，以为他那样洋溢着感激之情，想必永远义无返顾，而我当然可以无所顾虑地与这个刚才还在我怀里抛洒眼泪的人分享流泪的温馨乐趣，于是，我把自己一生的坎坷都告诉了他。他颇为关注地听着。等我把最近这次遭遇的灾难讲完，我的故事使他看到了我所处的一贫如洗的境地，他便喊道： “我多么幸运，到底能够对您刚才为我做的一切略表感激之情!我叫罗朗，我在距此地十五法里路远的山里拥有一座非常漂亮的城堡，我邀请您随我到那里去。为了使这个建议不至于使您感到诧异，我待会儿就告诉您想要您做什么。我是个单身汉，但我有个我极其热爱的妹妹，她乐意终生与我孤独厮守，分担寂寞生活。我需要一个服侍她的人，我们刚刚失去了担任这一职务的女人，我想请您接替她。” 我谢过了这位保护人，便不失冒昧地问他：像他这样的人为何竟然不带随从独自旅行，以至于险遭不测，受到强盗的虐待。 “我有些肥胖，但是年轻力壮，”罗朗对我说，“几年以来，我习惯于像这样从我家到维埃纳去走走。这样，既可增进健康，又可省钱。我倒不是必须节省开支，因为我的家财还算不薄，您一会儿就会看见证明的，如果您愿意到我家来的话。但是节俭点，总不会有任何坏处吧?至于刚才折磨我的两个男人，他们是本地的小贵族。上个星期，我在维埃纳的一家赌场里赢了他们一百路易，我相信了他们的许诺，今天刚好碰见他们，便要他们还钱，您看，他们就这样对待我。” 我和这个人一起为他遭受的双重不幸感到悲哀，这时，他建议我们上路。 “感谢您的照顾，我感到好一些了，”罗朗对我说，“天快黑了，咱们要赶到离这儿两法里外的一个旅店去。明天，咱们可以在那儿租两匹马，晚上就可以到我家中了。” 我暗下决心，好好依靠这仿佛是上天赐予的救助，便扶着罗朗出发了。一路上我搀扶着他，我们果然在两法里之外找到了他说的旅店。我们一起在店里用了体面的晚餐，饭后，罗朗把我托付给女店主。第二天，我们分乘租来的、由店里的一个伙计赶着的两头骡子，来到多菲内的边缘地区。我们一直朝着山里进发。路程太长，一天走不完，便在韦里欧歇息了。我始终感受到这位主人的关心和照顾，第二天继续赶路，还是同样的方向。晚上四点左右，我们到达山脚下，从此，道路变得几乎难以行走了。罗朗叮嘱骡夫紧跟着我，惟恐出事。接着，我们进入了峡谷。四法里的路程，一直在转来转去，上上下下，早已看不见任何房屋，也不见人迹常至的道路，以致于我以为自己到了世界的尽头。我情不自禁地感到有些不安，罗朗当然觉察了，但是他始终没有吭声，他的沉默更使我感到害怕。终于，我们看见了一座高踞在大山山顶上的城堡，就在令人胆颤心惊的悬崖峭壁边上，仿佛城堡随时可能坠人深渊似的。似乎没有道路通向那里，我们能走的路只是山羊踏出来的，尽是石子，不过，到底还是通向了那险恶的巢穴——那根本不像正直本分的人住的地方，倒像是强盗们避难的场所。 “那就是我的家。”罗朗觉得我看见了城堡，就对我说。