XII
Original
Literary translation
§ 12.1
…
Meanwhile, the employment agent had pressed a bell…
§ 12.2
— .
“My nephew will take my little car and drive you to the people in question.”
§ 12.3
.
“He knows where it is.”
§ 12.4
.
“It is two kilometers outside town.”
§ 12.5
, .
“In the meantime, you can go and collect your luggage.”
§ 12.6
, .
Ever since Mr. Planchet had resolutely embarked on the fruitful path of lying, he was no longer in danger of being caught off guard.
§ 12.7
, , .
He now had a whole assortment of falsehoods ready for anyone who cared to hear one.
§ 12.8
— , .
“Our luggage? We haven’t got it yet.”
§ 12.9
(, , : ).
“There must have been some mistake when it was checked in, and our trunks weren’t in the baggage car.” (That, at least, was scrupulously true: the trunks were not in the baggage car.)
§ 12.10
:
He added with philosophical resignation:
§ 12.11
— .
“They’ll arrive when they arrive.”
§ 12.12
— , .
“You can claim compensation from the railway company,” said the employment agent.
§ 12.13
, , .
Mr. Planchet pursed his lips as if to suggest that he disliked the idea of pursuing such a tiresome claim.
§ 12.14
— , .
“That’s up to you,” said the employment agent.
§ 12.15
, , , .
Meanwhile, a nephew, tall and stooped like a frail poplar, had appeared in the doorway.
§ 12.16
— …
“You are to drive this young man and this young woman to the address I am writing on this letter…”
§ 12.17
, , .
“Since I cannot accompany you myself, I must give you a short note for the employer, in which I will explain that you have no references and take responsibility for that.”
§ 12.18
.
“He knows me, and he knows I would not send him any undesirable characters.”
§ 12.19
.
Under other circumstances, Planchet might have felt embarrassed to abuse the trust of such a kind-hearted lady.
§ 12.20
.
But all-powerful necessity relieved him of his scruples.
§ 12.21
, .
Besides, he knew he was merely a liar and had nothing of the dangerous scoundrel about him.
§ 12.22
, , .
He was uneasy, however, about how the adventure would turn out.
§ 12.23
, , .
For although he thought he could make a passable valet, he had grave doubts about Catherine’s abilities as an educator of the young and a teacher of French.
§ 12.24
, , , .
Although she let herself be swept more passively into the unknown, Catherine, the innkeeper’s daughter, was hardly reassured either.
§ 12.25
, .
Because a glass partition separated them from the nephew at the wheel, Catherine was able to speak quietly to Mr. Planchet about her fears.
§ 12.26
:
He replied boldly:
§ 12.27
— .
“Don’t worry about it.”
§ 12.28
.
This reply suggests not so much a solution to the problem as a postponement.
§ 12.29
.
He realized as much and nevertheless tried to find a way to meet whatever came.
§ 12.30
— , - .
“Well,” he said after a moment.
§ 12.31
.
“They’ll probably ask to see your diplomas.”
§ 12.32
: « . »
“You’ll reply, ‘I have my higher certificate.’”
§ 12.33
…
“They’ll tell you to give a lesson…”
§ 12.34
— , …
“That’s terrifying,” said Catherine.
§ 12.35
?…
“What if we went back to Papa?…”
§ 12.36
— , .
“I’m quite willing,” said Planchet.
§ 12.37
, , .
“But there are gendarmes back there.”
§ 12.38
…
“Unless you’re prepared to go back all by yourself…”
§ 12.39
: , .
She pressed herself close against him very gently, a gesture of affection easier than words, far more expressive yet less embarrassing.
§ 12.40
.
That settled the matter.
§ 12.41
— , , : , , , , .
“If they ask you to give a lesson,” said Planchet, “here is what you’ll do: the children will surely have plenty of schoolbooks for arithmetic, dictation, fables, history, and geography.”
§ 12.42
, , .
“You’ll assign them lessons to learn and, the next day, have them recite their lessons while you follow along in the books.”
§ 12.43
- ?
“How old were you when you left school?”
§ 12.44
— .
“Until I was thirteen.”
§ 12.45
…
“But I didn’t go every day…”
§ 12.46
— … …
“… Yes…”
§ 12.47
.
“You’ll make a note of the lessons you’ve assigned them to learn.”
§ 12.48
, , , , .
“And we’ll surely find a moment for me to explain to you, personally, what it all means, so that you can pass my explanations on to the children if their parents are there.”
§ 12.49
, …
“If the parents aren’t there, the children won’t care…”
§ 12.50
, , …
“I know about that, I can tell you, because one summer I was a tutor for a fortnight…”
§ 12.51
— , , , .
“Yes, but you know so much!” said Catherine.
§ 12.52
— , .
“Perhaps,” said Planchet.
§ 12.53
, , .
“But by the end of those fifteen days, not much of the little knowledge I have in my head had made its way into the children’s heads.”
§ 12.54
, .
By now, however, the car had reached the entrance to a long driveway.
§ 12.55
, , , , .
A gate was set in an elegant iron fence, and the lanky nephew swept smoothly into the drive, as though the residence at its far end had belonged to his forefathers since time immemorial.
§ 12.56
.
The visitors were evidently awaited with some impatience.
§ 12.57
, , .
An elderly gentleman and lady stood on the front steps.
§ 12.58
.
Planchet and his companion were inspected from head to foot.
§ 12.59
…
Then the gentleman carefully read the employment agent’s letter…
§ 12.60
, : .
After all, people looking for servants are like people about to get married: all they want is to feel they can trust someone.
§ 12.61
, , .
But Planchet himself had less and less faith that the venture would succeed.
§ 12.62
…
He had managed two hours of self-assurance…
§ 12.63
.
That was a long time for him.
§ 12.64
.
He was beginning to feel that his courage had deserted him.
§ 12.65
:
The elderly gentleman began to speak:
§ 12.66
— , .
“The young lady will be responsible for looking after my granddaughter, my eldest son’s daughter.
§ 12.67
.
Her parents are away traveling, and they have entrusted her to us.
§ 12.68
…
She is twelve, and I believe she is already very well educated for her age…”
§ 12.69
… .
… The governess’s task was perhaps made easier by the fact that her pupil knew more than she did.
§ 12.70
.
But Catherine was going to have a rather formidable judge at her side.
§ 12.71
— , , .
“As for you,” the mistress of the house said to Mr. Planchet, “you will have to get ready to serve at dinner this evening.
§ 12.72
.
And I would like you to set to work on the dining-room windows without delay.”
§ 12.73
— , , .
“Madame Bourru writes that the young man hasn't got his trunk,” the gentleman said.
§ 12.74
?
You probably had your dress coat in your trunk?”
§ 12.75
.
Planchet nodded.
§ 12.76
:
The gentleman declared:
§ 12.77
— , , , .
“In the meantime, I’ll give him an old dress coat of mine, which is still in very good condition.”
§ 12.78
, .
Everything seemed to be working out splendidly, but Planchet still felt far from secure.
§ 12.79
.
They asked him his first name.
§ 12.80
, : , , .
Unable to come up with another on the spot, he gave his own: Horace, which surprised the gentleman and lady but flattered them a little.
§ 12.81
, .
They announced that they would not be having lunch there, much to Planchet’s relief, since he preferred not to start his duties serving at table immediately.
§ 12.82
, , .
Miss, the lady declared, would have lunch in her room and be served by Horace.
§ 12.83
, , .
Then, since there was still plenty of time before they went to lunch in town, they decided to have Catherine begin her duties at once.
§ 12.84
, , .
The kindly grandfather went into an adjoining room to fetch the pupil, who emerged as a girl rather too tall for her age, with straight, pale-blond hair.
§ 12.85
.
A pair of pince-nez gave her a studious, slightly alarming appearance.
§ 12.86
— , , .
“Olga,” said the lady, “this is your new governess.”
§ 12.87
, , .
The tall little girl gave a quick, polite curtsy.
§ 12.88
.
Catherine was not sure whether she should curtsy in the same way.
§ 12.89
, .
In her uncertainty, she did not curtsy at all.
§ 12.90
, …
Meanwhile, the grandparents had left the room…
§ 12.91
— , , .
“When the other young lady gave me my first lesson,” the girl said solemnly, “we were reading The Adventures of Telemachus.”
§ 12.92
.
“We had got as far as page 120.”
§ 12.93
, , .
“I read aloud, and whenever I came to a word I did not understand, Miss would explain it to me.”
§ 12.94
- , ?
“Shall we do the same, Miss?”
§ 12.95
, , .
Catherine’s face at that moment rather resembled the stricken face of a poor swimmer invited to take a little swim in a lake sixty meters deep.
§ 12.96
, , , , , .
Fortunately, behind the girl’s back, the governess’s panic-stricken eyes met those of the valet, whose quick wink told her she ought to agree.
§ 12.97
, .
Catherine agreed, her voice faltering.
§ 12.98
…
While the little girl went to fetch her book…
§ 12.99
— , , - .
“Now then,” said Planchet, “listen to me carefully.”
§ 12.100
…
“You are going to tell her you have a way of working all your own…”
§ 12.101
— …
“I’ll never be able to say that…”
§ 12.102
— .
“Then don’t mention a method.
§ 12.103
- : « , .
Just tell her: ‘Miss, I won’t answer your questions straight away.
§ 12.104
, .
Whenever you come across a word you don’t understand, write it down on a sheet of paper.
§ 12.105
… »
Try to look up its meaning in a dictionary…’”
§ 12.106
— , …
“I understand,” said Catherine, who was nobody’s fool…
§ 12.107
— - , , .
“Tell her to make two lists, one for herself and one for you.
§ 12.108
, , .
As for the list intended for you, you’ll give it to me, of course, and I could surely find a moment to explain the words to you.
§ 12.109
.
And I’ll tell you what will happen.
§ 12.110
— — .
Children (my own pupil was just like that) love to interrupt reading to ask questions.
§ 12.111
, , , .
But once it becomes work for her and she has to go to the trouble of writing the words down, especially in duplicate, you’ll see that she will interrupt much less often and pretend to understand plenty of words whose meanings escape her.”
§ 12.112
, , .
Despite these excellent instructions, Catherine was not at all reassured.
§ 12.113
.
She looked at Planchet, and he saw that she was on the verge of tears.
§ 12.114
, .
Then, like a protective brother, he gave her a warm kiss on the forehead.
§ 12.115
, , …
And she, very sweetly and with perfect naturalness, kissed him on the cheek…
§ 12.116
, , .
Evidently, for all its air of refusing to spoil them, Fate was sending them some welcome compensations.
§ 12.117
, , .
The plan was to spend half an hour reading Fénelon with Olga.
§ 12.118
, , , , , , , ; , .
But Planchet’s scheme scored its first success: as soon as Catherine had explained to her pupil, as best she could, how she meant to conduct the lesson, young Olga’s enthusiasm cooled somewhat, and, observing that it was late and that she had little time left before going out with her grandparents, she asked her governess to postpone the first lesson until the following day; Catherine generously agreed, pleased to note that her pupil was not quite as studious as she appeared.
§ 12.119
, .
Someone came by car to fetch the gentleman, the lady, and the little girl.
§ 12.120
.
It was a car belonging to the people with whom they were going to have lunch.
§ 12.121
.
The employment agent had indeed told Planchet that his new employers had a car.
§ 12.122
.
But Planchet had not wondered where that car was.
§ 12.123
, , .
On entering the drive, he had seen a closed garage, and he did not know whether it contained a car or not.
§ 12.124
, , :
As he stood beside the door of the limousine, which had stopped at the front steps, he heard his employer say to the driver:
§ 12.125
— : .
“Fortunately, we have you to drive us: my chauffeur sent me a telegram saying that he was stranded a few leagues from here.”
§ 12.126
, , .
“I hope he'll have managed to fix the car by this evening.”
§ 12.127
…
“I do not know exactly what happened to him…”
§ 12.128
.
Mr. Planchet paid these words only distracted attention.
§ 12.129
.
Fate never bothers to mark in red pencil the thoughts and incidents that are going to matter to us most.