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Macaire； but his heart is ossified in the matter of real dead men。
Dead men are ciphers； numbers； to him； it is his business to organize
death。 Yet he does meet； three times in a century； perhaps； with an
occasion when his part becomes sublime； and then he /is/ sublime
through every hour of his day；in times of pestilence。
When Jacquet approached him this absolute monarch was evidently out of
temper。
〃I told you；〃 he was saying； 〃to water the flowers from the rue
Massena to the place Regnault de Saint…Jean…d'Angely。 You paid no
attention to me！ /Sac…a…papier/！ suppose the relations should take it
into their heads to come here to…day because the weather is fine； what
would they say to me？ They'd shriek as if they were burned； they'd say
horrid things of us； and calumniate us〃
〃Monsieur；〃 said Jacquet； 〃we want to know where Madame Jules is
buried。〃
〃Madame Jules /who/？〃 he asked。 〃We've had three Madame Jules within
the last week。 Ah；〃 he said； interrupting himself； 〃here comes the
funeral of Monsieur le Baron de Maulincour！ A fine procession； that！
He has soon followed his grandmother。 Some families； when they begin
to go； rattle down like a wager。 Lots of bad blood in Parisians。〃
〃Monsieur；〃 said Jacquet； touching him on the arm； 〃the person I spoke
of is Madame Jules Desmarets； the wife of the broker of that name。〃
〃Ah； I know！〃 he replied； looking at Jacquet。 〃Wasn't it a funeral
with thirteen mourning coaches； and only one mourner in the twelve
first？ It was so droll we all noticed it〃
〃Monsieur； take care； Monsieur Desmarets is with me； he might hear
you； and what you say is not seemly。〃
〃I beg pardon； monsieur！ you are quite right。 Excuse me； I took you
for heirs。 Monsieur；〃 he continued； after consulting a plan of the
cemetery； 〃Madame Jules is in the rue Marechal Lefebre； alley No。 4；
between Mademoiselle Raucourt； of the Comedie…Francaise； and Monsieur
Moreau…Malvin； a butcher； for whom a handsome tomb in white marble has
been ordered； which will be one of the finest in the cemetery〃
〃Monsieur；〃 said Jacquet； interrupting him； 〃that does not help us。〃
〃True；〃 said the official； looking round him。 〃Jean；〃 he cried； to a
man whom he saw at a little distance； 〃conduct these gentlemen to the
grave of Madame Jules Desmarets； the broker's wife。 You know where it
is；near to Mademoiselle Raucourt； the tomb where there's a bust。〃
The two friends followed the guide； but they did not reach the steep
path which leads to the upper part of the cemetery without having to
pass through a score of proposals and requests； made； with honied
softness； by the touts of marble…workers； iron…founders； and
monumental sculptors。
〃If monsieur would like to order /something/； we would do it on the
most reasonable terms。〃
Jacquet was fortunate enough to be able to spare his friend the
hearing of these proposals so agonizing to bleeding hearts； and
presently they reached the resting…place。 When Jules beheld the earth
so recently dug； into which the masons had stuck stakes to mark the
place for the stone posts required to support the iron railing； he
turned； and leaned upon Jacquet's shoulder； raising himself now and
again to cast long glances at the clay mound where he was forced to
leave the remains of the being in and by whom he still lived。
〃How miserably she lies there！〃 he said。
〃But she is not there；〃 said Jacquet； 〃she is in your memory。 Come；
let us go； let us leave this odious cemetery； where the dead are
adorned like women for a ball。〃
〃Suppose we take her away？〃
〃Can it be done？〃
〃All things can be done！〃 cried Jules。 〃So； I shall lie there；〃 he
added； after a pause。 〃There is room enough。〃
Jacquet finally succeeded in getting him to leave the great enclosure；
divided like a chessboard by iron railings and elegant compartments；
in which were tombs decorated with palms； inscriptions； and tears as
cold as the stones on which sorrowing hearts had caused to be carved
their regrets and coats of arms。 Many good words are there engraved in
black letters； epigrams reproving the curious； /concetti/； wittily
turned farewells； rendezvous given at which only one side appears；
pretentious biographies； glitter； rubbish and tinsel。 Here the
floriated thyrsus； there a lance…head； farther on Egyptian urns； now
and then a few cannon； on all sides the emblems of professions； and
every style of art；Moorish； Greek； Gothic；friezes； ovules；
paintings； vases； guardian…angels； temples； together with innumerable
/immortelles/； and dead rose…bushes。 It is a forlorn comedy！ It is
another Paris； with its streets； its signs； its industries； and its
lodgings； but a Paris seen through the diminishing end of an opera…
glass； a microscopic Paris reduced to the littleness of shadows；
spectres； dead men； a human race which no longer has anything great
about it； except its vanity。 There Jules saw at his feet； in the long
valley of the Seine； between the slopes of Vaugirard and Meudon and
those of Belleville and Montmartre； the real Paris； wrapped in a misty
blue veil produced by smoke； which the sunlight tendered at that
moment diaphanous。 He glanced with a constrained eye at those forty
thousand houses； and said； pointing to the space comprised between the
column of the Place Vendome and the gilded cupola of the Invalides：
〃She was wrenched from me there by the fatal curiosity of that world
which excites itself and meddles solely for excitement and
occupation。〃
Twelve miles from where they were； on the banks of the Seine； in a
modest village lying on the slope of a hill of that long hilly basin
the middle of which great Paris stirs like a child in its cradle； a
death scene was taking place； far indeed removed from Parisian pomps；
with no accompaniment of torches or tapers or mourning…coaches；
without prayers of the Church； in short； a death in all simplicity。
Here are the facts： The body of a young girl was found early in the
morning； stranded on the river…bank in the slime and reeds of the
Seine。 Men employed in dredging sand saw it as they were getting into
their frail boat on their way to their work。
〃/Tiens/！ fifty francs earned！〃 said one of them。
〃True；〃 said the other。
They approached the body。
〃A handsome girl！ We had better go and make our statement。〃
And the two dredgers； after covering the body with their jackets； went
to the house of the village mayor； who was much embarrassed at having
to make out the legal papers necessitated by this discovery。
The news of this event spread with the telegraphic rapidity peculiar
to regions where social communications have no distractions； where
gossip； scandal； calumny； in short； the social tale which feasts the
world has no break of continuity from one boundary to another。 Before
long； persons arriving at the mayor's office released him from all
embarrassment。 They were able to convert the /proces…verbal/ into a
mere certificate of death； by recognizing the body as that of the
Demoiselle Ida Gruget； corset…maker； living rue de la Corderie…du…
Temple； number 14。 The judiciary police of Paris arrived； and the
mother； bearing her daughter's last letter。 Amid the mother's moans； a
doctor certified to death by asphyxia； through the injection of black
blood into the pulmonary system；which settled the matter。 The
inquest over； and the certificates signed； by six o'clock the same
evening authority was given to bury the grisette。 The rector of the
parish； however； refused to receive her into the church or to pray for
her。 Ida Gruget was therefore wrapped in a shroud by an old peasant…
woman； put into a common pine…coffin； and carried to the village
cemetery by four men； followed by a few inquisitive peasant…women； who
talked about the death with wonder mingled with some pity。
The widow Gruget was charitably taken in by an old lady who prevented
her from following the sad procession of her daughter's funeral。 A man
of triple functions； the bell…ringer； beadle； and grave…digger of the
parish； had dug a grave in the half…acre cemetery behind the church；
a church well known； a classic church； with a square tower and pointed
roof covered with slate； supported on the outside by strong corner
buttresses。 Behind the apse of the chancel； lay the cemetery； enclosed
with a dilapidated wall；a little field full of hillocks； no marble
monuments； no visitors； but surely in every furrow； tears and true
regrets； which were lacking to Ida Gruget。 She was cast into a corner
full of tall grass and brambles。 After the coffin had been laid in
this field； so poetic in its simplicity； the grave…digger found
himself alone； for night was coming on。 While filling the grave； he
stopped now and then to gaze over the wall along the road。 He was
standing thus； resting on his spade； and looking at the Seine； which
had brought him the body。
〃Poor girl！〃 cried the voice of a man who suddenly appeared。
〃How you made me jump； monsieur；〃 said the grave…digger。
〃Was any service held over the body you are burying？〃
〃No； monsieur。 Monsieur le cure wasn't willing。 This is the first
person buried here who didn't belong to the parish。 Everybody knows
everybody else in this place。 Doe