FRENCH SHORT STORIESVOLUME 2

NOUVELLES FRAN<;AISES

TOME 2

Edited by Simon Lee

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PENGUIN BOOKS

INTRODUCTION

Boulanger come to mind as do Supervielle's fantasies ora work like Gide's Thesee from an earlier generation). Inshort, not what one would recognize as the traditionalshort story. Perhaps one should start from the premisethat the short story has vanished from the scene, and letit come as a pleasant surprise to find it still there, even ifthe choice of good 3tories of moderate length is a re-stricted one.

The aim of the present book is to provide a balan~edselection of stories that are recognizable as such in thetraditional sense. None of the authors represented here are

primarily short-story writers, most of them are establishednovelists who, as is frequent in France, have shown interestin a wide variety of different forms - essays, art and

literary criticism, descriptive prose of an elevated kind ordrama:Yet they have all practised the short-story form toperfection and sought and met the challenge of the limita-tion of space. None of them is particularly young: threebelong to and were active in the generation of 1920,fourare now dead; but they all have a solid reputation anddeserve to be known or better known by an English-

speaking public.A further aim has been not to confme French writing to

France alone. Two of the authors chosen are Swissand one

is Belgian. It would have been interesting to includeexamplesof overseaswriting as well, Canadian, Levantine,particularly African - whethernorthern or sub-Saharan-but, unfortunately, there was not room. Of the threenon-French writers, RAMUZis the only one to have turnedhis back on the Paris literary world and he has probablysuffered unjustified neglect in consequence.He is a trulyoriginal writer - regional, in the now almost discardedsense, i.e. confming himself to the villagers of the Cantonde Vaud among whom he spent most of his life - but he is

8

INTRODUCTION

much more than this, and his influencebetween the wars,on Giono for instance,was considerable.Le Retourdu mort,which shows his poetic gifts well, is the picture of a smalltown on the Lake of Geneva and the way in which adrowning incident momentarily affects the lives of someof its inhabitants. It would be hard to find a writer lesslike

Ramuz than the cosmopolitan CENDRARS- also Swiss,butbearing his nationality more as a Bag of convenience. InLe Saint inconnu,which is centred in Chile, he pieces to-gether the life of a poor candidate for sainthood seenthrough the eyes of smart creole ladies. Cendrars and theBelgian FRAN~OISEMALLET-JORISwere quickly drawnto Paris; however, whereas Cendrars roamed the world,distilling a philosophy of action through his impressionisticwriting, Mallet-Jorisremainsdeeply marked by the Flemishculture in which she grew up. Her characteristic blend ofsharp, concise observation and rich extravagance, and hertaste for paradox are seenwell in the shortJimmy; the usualroles are reversed in this story of possessivenessand revengeset in a requisitionedchateauin conquered territory where agroup of soldiersare living a kind of beggars' banquet.

It is always interesting to find unexpected tracks offeeling in French writing. CLAIRESAINTE-SOLINEcomesfrom the south-west. Le Tabacvert describes the relation-

ship between a young farmer's wife, her husband and herfather-in-law during a late summer day's gathering of thetobacco crop. Her ability to convey more by sayinglessandher useof half-tonesreminds one ofKatherine Mansfieldor

Jean Rhys. By comparison MANDIARGUESis almost per-verse. Sabine is a suspense story in a nineteenth-centuryerotic tradition; the heroine on the point of committingsuicide retraces the steps that have led to this and passesjudgement on herself and, by omission, on her tormentorwhose accomplice rather than victim she is. Though the

9

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LE TABAC VERT GREEN TOBACCO

LORSQUE le reveil sonna, il n'etait pas encore cinq heureset demie. Les volets s'entreMillaient sur une clarte bleme,

plus la nuit, pas encore l' aube. Aussitot Freddy sortit du litet donna la lumiere. n etait entierement nu, grand, biencharpente, le muscle dur. Sa couleur etait celle du paind'epices, avec une bande plus claire entre la ceinture et lehaut descuisses.

n enfila son short de vdours, chaussa-degrandes bottesde caoutchouc et, ainsi accoutre, sans chemise, se trouvapret a descendre au travail. Avant d'eteindre la lampe, itdit:

-Rien t'oblige a te lever tout de suite. Tu peux te reposerencore un moment. Je t'appellerai.

Pour toute reponse, elle se contenta de geindre longue-ment, d'une petite voix etouifee et plaintive.

Dehors, la brume faisait plutot presager le beau temps.L'air avait une odeur douceitre de champignons et depommes ecrasees.n prit les seaux accrochesa la pompe etentra dans l'etable on quatre vaches ruminaient cote a cotedevant le .dtelier vide. A son arrivee, trois d'entre ellestoumerent la tete vers lui; la quatrieme, aux Banesvolu-mineux, continua de ~cher en regardant vaguementdevant elle. Apres avoir attache la queue de la premiere, illui tapa sur la croupe, l'appda «Noiraude, Noiraudet et.assissur un escabeaude bois a un seul pied, il empoigna lesgrossestetines. Deuxjets de lait secroiserent et tinterent surle metal

Traire lui semblait plutot une besogne de femme, mais aune heure simatinale, il ne pouvait pas en charger Ua. Elleetait trop menue, trop fragile, trop peu accoutumee encore

14

WHEN the alarm rang, it was not yet half past five. Thepale light wasvisiblebelow the shutterswhich were slightlyajar; the night was over but it wasn't yet dawn. Freddy gotout of bed at once and put on the light. He was completelynaked, tall, well-built, with firm muscles.His skin was thecolour of gingerbread, with a lighter strip between thebelt and the top of the thighs.

He pulled on his corduroy shorts, put on his largerubber boots and thus dressed, without a shirt, he was

ready to go down to work. Before putting out the light,he said:

·No need for you to get up at once. You can go onresting a bit longer. I'll call you.'

She didn't answer, but-just made a long whimperingnoise, her voice small, smothered and complaining.

Outside, the mist suggested it would be fine. The air

had a sicklysweet smell of mushrooms and crushed apples.He-took the pails hanging on the pump and went mto thecow-shed where four cows were chewing the cud side byside at an empty rack. When he came in, three of them

looked round towards him; the four:th,which had hugeBanks, went on chewing, looking vaguely in front. Hetied the first one's tail, slappedher on the rump and calledher: ·Blackie,Blackie' and, sittingon aone-leggedwoodenstool, he got hold of the large teats. Two milkjets crossedeach other and rang out on the metal.

He rather thought milking was a woman's job but he fdthe couldn't give it to Ua to do so early in the morning.She was too slight, too fragile, still too unaccustomed to

I~

LE TABAC VERT

aux travaux de la ferme. Tout en tirant d'un mouvem.ent

regulier sur le pis,' il organisa l'emploi du temps de sajournee comme chaque matin pendant la traite: charroyerun peu de soja, ramasser des feuilles de tabac, passer lecultivateur derriere le rucher, reparer la disqueuse.n avaitbeau trimer depuis lespremieres heures de l'aubejusqu'a lanuit noire, il n'arrivait jamais au bout des taches qu'ils'etait fixees. Quelle que fftt la saison, lesjournees etaienttrop courtes. Ses acces d'humeur et ses violents maux detete devaient ven4- de la: de toute cette besogne qui,malgre sesefforts, restait neanmoins en soufttance.

Lorsqu'il eut acheve de traire, il entra dans la cuisine etremplit une grande casserolede lait. Juste a cet instant, ilentendit, venant de la vallee, le son imperieux d'un klaxon.Alors il prit les seaux et se hata de degringoler la pentecaillouteuse.

- Plus~ va, plust'arrivesde honneheure, fit-il. Si ~continue, tu t' ameneras bientot en pleine nuit.

GREEN TOBACCO

farm work. As he pulled at the udder with a regular move-ment, he organized his day's timetable as he did everymorning during the milking: cart some soya beans, pickthe ripe tobacco leaves, take the light plough behind thebeehives, repair the disk harrow. However much heslogged away from the first hours of dawn till dead ofnight, he never came to the end of the jobs he had sethimself. Whatever the time of year, the days were tooshort. This must have been the reason for his tempers andhis violent headaches: all this work, which in spite of hiseffortsstiI1remained to be done.

When he had finishedmilking, he went into the kitchenand filled a large saucepanwith milk. At that :qt0mentheheard the imperioussound of a motor horn from the valley.Then he took the pailsand quickly rushed down the stonyslope.

'You're coming earlier every morning,' he said. 'If yougo on like this, you'll soon be coming in the middle of thenight.'

- <;a arrange les clients, fit le gar~n rougeaud quiconduisait la camionnette et puis n'oublie pas que jecommence ma tournee par ici. Aujourd'hui, je me suispeut-etre mis en route encore plus tot qu'a I'habitude acause du temps. La radio a annonce de l'orage.

- Dans la region?- Violents orages; qu'ils ont dit, sanspreciser.Freddy regagna la ferme en balan~t les seaux vides et

donna une brassee de fourrage aux vaches. n n'etait pasencore six heures et demie a la pendule de la cuisine.Lorsqu'il etait seul a aller et venir, les aiguilles tournaientavec une etonnante lenteur. n remonta dans la chambre,ouvrit les volets, et la lumiere etant encore imprecise,tournal le bouton electrique.- La radio a annonce de l'orage pour aujourd'hui, fit-il.

16

'It suitsthe customers,' saidthe red-facedboy driving thevan. 'And then don't forget I begin my round here. Todayperhaps I started off earlier than usual becauseof the wea-ther. The radio said there'd be storms.'

'In these parts?''Violent storms,' they said. 'They didn't say where.'Freddy went back to the farm swinging the empty pails,

and gave the cows an armful of fodder. According to thekitchen clock, it wasn't six-thirty yet. When he was gomgin and out on his own, the hands turned astonishinglyslowly. He went up to the bedroom again, opened theshuttersand as the light was stilldim turned on the electricswitch.

'It said on the radio there'll be storms today. It's a

17

LE TABAC VERT GREEN TOBACCO

bloody nuisancewith the tobacco. Almost all the leavesareready for picking. The downpour will ruin them andafterwards those filthy slugs will make holes in them. Thecrop will be done for.'

'You mean you want me to get up and help you collectthe leaves?' Lea asked.

He didn't reply but stood there, like a sentry, at thebottom of the bed.

C'est rudement embetant a cause du tabac. Presque toutesles feuillessont bonnes a cueillir.L'averse va lesesquinter etapres ces saloperies de limaces y feront des trous. Unerecolte fichue, quoi.

- <;a veut dire que je dois me lever pour t' aider a lesramasser?demanda Lea.

Sans repondre, il resta debout, en faction, au pied du lit.

Elle s'assit, sortit sesjambes de sous les couvertures et seleva.

Elle ne portait, pour tout vetement de nuit, qu'une vestede pyjama qui lui cachait a peine les hanches. De petitetaille, mais avec des formes pleines et une peau laiteuse, elleressemblait a une jolie poupee qu' on e6t un peu malmenee.Des meches echappees d'un chignon a moitie de£-uttombaient .sur ses oreilles. On la devinait moite, tiMe,encore tout alourdie. de sommeil.

Freddy eut envie de la saisir a pleins bras et de la fairebasculer sur le matelas. n se souvint a temps du tabac. nrecula vers la fenetre pendant qu' elle enfilait un pantalon detoile bleue et une mariniere de laine.

- Me voici prete, fit-elle en se dirigeant, pieds nus, versI'escalier. Mais avant d'aller travailler au tabac, il faut tout

de meme prendre le temps de dejeuner.Pendant qu'il allait ouvrir la porte du poulailler afin de

permettre a la volaille de s'egailler clans les champs, elle fitchauffer la casserole de lait, mit les bols sur la table et passale coin de l' essuie-mains mouille sur ses paupieres, sur sespommettes tachees de rousseurs, sur son front etroit et tetu.

Tous deux s'assirent face a face et commencerent a

dejeuner. n se tailla plusieurstartines, y etendit une epaissecouche de beurre et but trois grands bols de lait. Ellen'avaitpas faim. De voir son mari manger avec un tel appetitla I'assasiait. Et puis, e'etait trop t8t. On pouvait la

18

Shesat up, pulled her legsout of the blanketsand got up.The only nightdress shewore was a pyjamajacket hardly

covering her hips. She was small, but sbapely and had amilky skin; she was like a pretty doll which had beenknocked about a bit. Her hair was half down and strands

of it were falling over her ears. She looked moist, warm,still heavy with sleep. Freddy wanted to seize her inboth arms and swing her back on to the mattress. But heremembered the tobacco. He retreated to the windowwhile she slipped on a pair of blue cotton trousers and awoollenjersey.

'I'm ready,' she said, going barefoot to the stairs. 'Butwe must have some breakfast before starting on thetobacco.'

While he went off to open the henhouse door and let thepoultry scatter in the fields, she warmed the milk in thesaucepan,put the bowls on the table and pressedthe cornerof a wet towel on her eyelids,her freckled cheekbones,hernarrow stubborn forehead.

They sat down opposite each other and began eating. Hecut himselfseveralslicesof bread,spreada thick layerof .

butter on them and drank three large bowls of milk. Shewasn't hungry. Seeing her husband eating with such anappetite satisfied her hunger. Besides, it was too early.

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LE TABAC VERT

croire eveilIee;en realite, elle dormait encore a demi.

GREENTOBACCO

She looked as though she was awake; in fact she was stillhalf asleep.

'It's Saturday,' she said. 'I'm surprisedyour father didn'tcome up last night. We didn't even see him last week, hedidn't write. It's not normal for him to leave us withoutnews like this.'

'The reasonhe doesn't write is probably becausehe's gotnothing to say; and the reason he's not coming is that hedoesn't feellike it,' Freddy said.

He cut himselfanother sliceof bread. 'You were waitingfor him last night,' he went on. 'I saw you go down theroad when the bus was due.'

'I was near the hives; I thought that if he came I'd helphim carry his suitcase.The climb is difficultfor him withhis bad leg.'

'He's had it sincethe war, he must be used to it,' Freddysaid.

'I have the feeling he's been keeping out of our way forsome time now. Perhaps becauseyou no longer mentiongetting the bakehouse ready for him to move into.'

Before this, they were always talking about these con-versions; Freddy made plans, asked for estimates, haddiscussionswith buildersand then suddenlyhe stopped, notanother word.

'I've been thinking,' Freddy said. 'He's my father; wedon't get on too badly. That's all right. But if we met everyday of the week, we might not get on so well. And thensupposing we had a succession of misfortunes - whenyou're farming you've got to be ready for anything - andhad to sell.He would have lost hisjob and left his lodgingsin town. What would happen to him? No, I'll drop theidea.'

, 'That's your business.You'll do as you like,' Lea said.Where shallwe begin?'

- Nous sommes samedi, 6.t-elle. <;a me surprend que tonpere ne soit pas monte hier au soir. Deja, la semaine der-niere, on ne I'a pas vu; il n'a pas ecrit. Ce n'est pas clans seshabitudes de nous laisser ainsi sans nouvelles.

- S'il ecrit pas, c'est probablement qu'il a rien a dire; ets'il vient pas, c'est qu'il en a pas envie, dit Freddy.

n se coupa une autre tranche de pain.- Tu l'attendais hier au soir, continua-t-il. Je t' ai vue

descendrele chemin a I'heure du car.

- J'etais pres du rucher; je me suisdit que s'il arrivait jel'aideraisa porter sa valise.La montee estpenible pour lui acause de sa mauvaisejambe.

- Depuis la guerre qu'illa traine, il doit y etre habitue,dit Freddy.

- J':U. I'impression qu'il nous boude un peu depuisquelque temps. peut-etre parce que tu ne parIes plus defaire arranger le fournil pour qu'il s'y installe.

Auparavant, il etait sans cesse question de ces trans-formations; Freddy faisait des plans, demandait des devis,discutait avec les entrepreneurs et, brusquement, plus rien,silence.

- J'ai reflechi, dit Freddy. C'est mon pere; on s'accordepas trop mal. C'est bonoMais si on se voyait tous lesjoursde la semaine,on s'accorderait peut-etre pas si bien. Et puissupposequ'il nous arrive une seriede tuiles- clansla culture,faut s'attendre atout - et qu'on soit obligesde vendre.naurait perdu sa place, quitte son logement de la ville.Qu' est-ce qu'il deviendrait? Non; je laissetomber.

- <;a te regarde. Tu feras ce que tu voudras, dit Lea. Par011commence-t-on?

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LB TABAC VBRT

-Par le champ du haut.- Eh bien! en route. Va chercher la brouette pendant que

je donnerai une brasseed'herbe aux lapins.Elle enfila sesbottes, passaau clapier et monta la colline

d'un pas allegre. L'air achevait de l'eveiller; elle en aimaitla fraicheur, l'humidite. Depuis plus d'un an qu'elle etaitmariee, elle n'etait pas encore bien habituee a la viecampagnarde et, de se trouver si tot debout au milieu deschamps la surprenait, lui paraissait un exploit. Elle j ouaitencore a la fermiere.

Elle arriva dans la parcelle en meme temps que Freddyqui avait pris qn. autre sentier. Sur la hauteur s'alignaientplusieurs rangees de tabac de pres de cent metres de long.La saison ayant ete pluvieuse, les plants etaient robustes,avec de larges feuillesd'un vert sombre et des poussesplusclairesqui se dressaientet dont certainesetaient sur le pointde fleurjr. On eOt dit un coin de vegetation equatorialeegare sur le cot~u. Le soleil s'elevait peniblement dans labrume; on y voyait juste assezpour travailler. L'herbe etaitmouillcSe,mais, sur leurs hautes tiges, les feuilles de tabacn'avaient pas ete toucheespar la rosee nocturne et la cueil-lette etait possible.

- Je suisplusminceque toi; je passeentre les rangs;jeferai moins de degats, dit Lea.

n acquies~et lui recommandade debourgeonneravecsoin. L'inspecteur n' allait pas tarder a venir et s'il voyait despousses il n' accorderait pas la prime.

Tous deux travaillaient au meme niveau, cassant les tigeset les petioles tendres, gorges d'une seve poisseuse quibrunissait les mains. Elle continua de bavarder.

- Combien aois-tu qu'ils nous en donneront de larecolte?

-Je saispas aujuste.J'espere cent cinquante mille; mais22

.,

GRBBN TOBACCO

'With the top field:'All right, come on. You look for ~e wheelbarrow while

I give the rabbits an armful of grass.'She put on her boots, went to the rabbit-hutch and

briskly climbed the hill. The fresh air was at last wakingher up, sheloved its freshnessand dampness. She had beenmarried for over a year, but still wasn't used to countrylife; being up so early in the fields surprised her, andseemedan achievement. She was still playing at being thefarmer's wife.

She got to the plot at the same time as Freddy who hadcome by another path. At the top there were severalrowsof tobacco plants about a hundred yards long. As it hadbeena rainy season,the plants were strong with large, darkgreen leaves and lighter coloured shoots, some of themabout to flower. It looked like a patch of tropical vegeta-tion that had gone astray on the hillside. The sun wasstruggling through the mist; one could seejust enough towork by. The grass was damp but the tobacco leaves ontheir tall stemshad not been touched by the dew from lastnight, and so picking was possible.

'I'm thinner than you are; I'll go between the rows; I'lldo lessdamage: Lea said.

He agreed and warned her to be careful to remove thebuds. The inspectorwould come soon and ifhe saw shootshe wouldn't give the bonus.

Both of them were working at the same level, breakingoff the stems and the soft leaf stalks which were full of asticky sap that made their hands brown. She went onchatting:

'How much do you think they'll give us for the aop?''I don't know exactly. I hope a hundred and fifty thou-

23

LB TABAC VBRT

l' annee est honne pour tout le monde. Les prix vont baisser.lIs seront ferocespour lescategories.Z

- Cent cinquante mille, c' est tout de m~me une somme.- Tu oublies le temps qu' on y passe a cette salete de tabac,

sans compter tout le fumier qu' on met au pied.Comme pour lui-m~me, il enumera la serie des travaux:

semer, repiquer, desherber, cueillir, faire secher, trier,roulerles manoques.

- l' aime bien les champs de tabac, dit Ua. ns ont uneautre allure que ceux de pommes de terre ou de betteraves.ns embellissent la propriete; ne trouves-tu pas?

n repondit' qu'il ne se souciait pas de la beaute, qu'iltravaillait pour l'argent. Toute l'annee, il pestait contrecette salete de tabac et puis il pensait que cent, cent cin-quante billets seraient bons a prendre, qu'ils boucheraientun trou et, le printemps venu, il redemandait de la graine.

- Us Beurs sont de quelle couleur? le ne les ai encoreja111ais vues, dit Lea.

n n' entendit pas la question. n avait pris une avance deplusieurs metres et la conversation etait devenue im-possible.

Lorsqu'il s'appr~tait a rouler la troisieme brouettee defeuilles, Ua sortit des rangs. Le soleil avait emerge de labrume et l'ombre des p~ers s'etaient deja beaucoupretrooe.

- le te suis,fit-elle.l' ai affairea la maison.

lIs revinrent tous les deux; lui, devant, poussant labrouette chargee de feuillesde tabac; elle sautillant derriereavec ses grandes bottes de caoutchouc que l'eau avaitlustreeset renduespareillesa du cuir verni.

- Regarde le ciel, Freddy.le pense qu'il a r~veton laitier.

- Pour'les orages, on saitjamais trop a quoi s'en tenir.24

I

I

GRBBN TOBACCO

sand; but it's a good year for everyone. The prices will godown. They'll be hot on quality.'

'A hundred and fifty thousand, that's quite a large sum.''You're forgetting all the time we're spending on this

filthytobacco,not to mention all the manure we put down.'He went through the round of jobs as though talking tohimself: sowing, transplanting, weeding, picking, curing,grading, tying tobacco-leafhands.

'I like tobaccofields,'saidUa. 'They look quite different

from potato or beetroot ones. They make the farm beauti-ful, don't you think so?'

He repliedthat he wasn't concerned with beauty, he wasworking for money. The whole year he cursed this filthytobacco and then he thought that a hundred or a hundredand fifty notes would be worth having, they'd fill a gap,and when the spring came, he asked for seed again.

'What colour are the Bowers?I've never seen them yet,'said Ua.

He didn't hear the question. He had gone ahead severalyards, and conversation had become impossible.

As he was getting ready to roll the third wheelbarrowload of leaves,Ua appeared from the tobacco rows. Thesun had emerged from the mist and the shadows of thepeach treeshad already shortened a lot.

'I'll follow you,' she said. 'I've got work to do in thehouse.'

They both went back; him in front, pushing the wheel-barrow full of tobacco leaves; she behind, skipping aboutin her big rubber boots; the water had made them shinylike patent leather.

'Look at the sky, Freddy. I think your mi1km:mwasimagining things.'

'You never know where you are with storms.'25

LE TABAC VERT

Avec precautions, il dressa les feuillesen tas le long desmurs de la cuisine pendant que Lea se beurrait une tartinede pain. Le grand air lui avait ouvert l'appetit. De temps aautre, tout en mangeant, elle levait les yeux sur la pendulefixee au mur, contre le buffet, ou elle regardait par lafenetre la cour close d'une palissadeet, au-dela, le cheminpierreux qui descendait vers la grand-route. Tout d'uncoup, elle s'ecria:

- Ton pere. Voici ton pere qui arrive.Elle se leva, fit un pas pour sortir. Freddy tourna seule-

ment la tete, dans la direction de la cour, alors elle s'im-mobilisa, debout contre la table, et mordit danssa tartine.Marcelin ouvrit la porte.

- Bonjour mes enfants. Je vous surprends. Commentallez-vous?Bien, a ce queje vois.

Grand, maigre, il marchait en s'aidant d'une canne.Son maintien"unpeu raide etait celui d'un ancien militaireou d'un infirme qui a-la volonte de ne pas apitoyer. Sestraits n'etaient pas reguliers, mais il avait neanmoins unvisage fin, expressif,un beau regard. Le pere et le filsne seressemblaient en rien; l'un avait une distinction naturelle

un peu maladive, l'autre un corps sain, puissant, assezgrossierement taille.

Marcelin embrassaLea et Freddy sur les deuxjoues.- L'envie de vous voir m' a pris ce matin au reveil.Je me

suismis en route aussitot sanspouvoir vous prevenir.n riait, il y avait pourtant quelque chose de force dans

sa gaite.- Nous vous attendions un peu hier au soir; n'est-ce pas,

Freddy?Celui-ci fit comme s'il n'etit rien entendu. n retourna

dans le champ.- Le laitier ne lui a-t-il pas annonce de l'orage, il est

preoccupe, expliqua Lea. n craint pour la recolte de tabac.26

GREEN TOBACCO

Taking great care, he stood the leaves up in heaps alongthe kitchen walls while Lea buttered a piece of bread forhersel£ The fresh air had given her an appetite. From timeto time as she ate she looked up at the clock on the wallover the sideboard or through the window at the yardwhich was surrounded by a fence and farther on, at the

stony lane which went down towards the main road.Suddenly she called out:

'Your father. Here's your father coming.'

She got up and went to go out. Freddy merely lookedround towards the yard, then she stopped still, standingdose to the table and bit into her bread and butter. Marcelin

opened the door.'Good morning, children. I know you're'not expecting

me. How are you ? You look well.'He was cill and thin and used a stick to walk with. He

held himself rather stifBy like an old soldier or a disabledperson who doesn't want people to pity him. He had ratherirregular features but his face was sensitive and expressive,and he had fine eyes. Father and son were nothing likeeach other; the one had a natural, slightly sickly distinction;the other a healthy, powerful, rather coarsely built body.

Marcelin kissedLea and Freddy on both cheeks.'This morning when I woke up I suddenly wanted to

seeyou. I setout at once and couldn't let you know.'He was laughing, but there was something forced in his

gaiety.

'We were half expecting you last night, weren't we,Freddy?'

Freddy behavedas though he hadn't heard anything. Hewent back into the field.

'The milkman warned him there'd be a storm, he'sworried,' Leaexplained. 'He's afraid for the tobacco crop.'

27

LE TABAC VERT

Marcelin s'assit clansle fauteuil pailIe de la cuisine etallongea sa mauvaisejambe.

- La montee vous a fatigue, pere?- Non, quand le chemin est sec,~ava; je peine davantage

dans la boue.

n se tut, alluma une cigarette et resta silencieuxquelquesinstants, regardant Lea eplucher des pommes de terre.Puis il demanda de maniere abrupte:

- Dites-moi, ma fille, Freddy a-t-il quelque chosecontremoi?

- Rien, absolument rien. Que voulez-vous qu'il ait?

GREEN TOBACCO

Marcdin sat down in the straw chair in the kitchen andstretched out his bad leg.

'Has the climb tired you, father?''No, when the road is dry, it's all right. It's worse when

it's muddy.'He finished, lit a cigarette and was silent for a few

moments, watching Lea peel potatoes. Then he askedabruptly:

'Tell me, daughter, has Freddy something against me?'

'Nothing, nothing at all. What do you think he's gotagainstyou?'

'I don't know. I fed he's in a bad mood when I come:- Je ne sais pas. J'ai I'impression qu'il est de mauvaisehumeur quandj'arrive.

n se tut un moment et continua:

- n ne p¥le plus jamais du foumil. Autrefois, il nesongeait qu'a ~a; c'etait moi qui freinais, qui hesitais a

\ venir me fixer ici.J' ai fini par accepter; maintenant il n'estplus question de rien.

- Freddy a trop de travail, pere, vous n'imaginez pastout le travail qu'il a. Je me rends bien compte que je nelui suis pas d'un grand secours. Faire marcher une fermepareille sansdomestique, c'est trop dur; il s'y tue.-J'avais dit queje paieraisles ouvriers.- n faudrait les surveiller. Ce serait un chantier3de plus,

de nouveaux tracas. n en a deja trop.

He was silentfor a moment and then went on:

'He never mentions the bakehouse any more. Before,that was all he ever thought about; I was the one who keptrestraining him, who hesitated to set up home here.Finally, I agreed. Now, the thing's never mentioned.'

'Freddy's got too much work, father, you can't imaginewhat a lot of work he's got. I'm well aware I'm not muchhelp to him. Running a farm like this without a servant istoo difficult.It's killing him.'

'I said I'd pay for the workers.''They'd have to be supervised. It would mean a whole

lot more work, and more worries. He's got too manyalready.'

The father admitted he was not really in a position tohelp his son; at the most he could be of some use to him

with the upkeep of the farm implements.'That's what I say,but ashe doesn't think that way now,

let's not talk about it any more. Have you got somethingfor me to do? You've got your handyman at home, makeuse of him. ,

Le pere convint qu'il n'etait guere en etat d'aider sonfils, tout juste pourrait-il lui etre de quelque utilite pourl' entretien du materiel.

- Je dis ~a, mais puisqu'il n'est plus d'accord, n'en par-Ions plus. Avez-vous quelque chosea me faire faire?Vousavez le bricoleur a domicile, profitez-en.

LE TABAC VERT GREEN TOBACCO

The iron had broken. She went and fetched it. He tooka knife with several blades from his pocket, put on his

glassesand started on a screw.As he worked, he watched Lea moving around at the

kitchen stove. She had cbanged a lot since she had been atthe farm. She used to wear skirts billowing around herknees,silkblouses,dainty shoes;her hair was well combed,not a strand escaped from her chignon. Still, this boy'scostume suited her too, it was original, provocative, thatwas undeniable. She was pretty enough not to have tobother about her dress, and feminine enough to weartrousers.

'You don't missthe town too much?''No, except in the moming perhaps, when I have to get

up and it's not light yet.''I was afraid you wouldn't be able to get used to the,

country.'How come you kept encouraging me to marry Freddy?

You certainly knew I'd have to live here, in this londyfarm.'

'It was an unexpected piece of luck for him, and as

for ~e, I'd never have found a daughter-in-law likeyou.

Le fer a repasser ne chauffait plus; elle alla le chercher.n tira de sa poche un couteau a plusieurs lames, mit seslunettes et attaqua une vis.

Tout en travaillant, it suivait des yeux les allees et venues

de Lea pres de la cuisiniere. Elle avait beaucoup changedepuis qu' elle etait a la ferme. Autrefois, elle portait desjupes qui gonflaient autour de ses genoux, des chemisettesde soie, des souliers fins; ses cheveux etaient bien peignes,pas une meche ne s'echappait de son chignon. Ce costumede gar~on lui seyait cependant aussi, lui donnait de l' ori-ginalite, du piquant, on ne pouvait le nier. EIle etait assezjolie pour se perm.ettre le neglige, assez femme pour porterdes pantalons.

- Vous ne regret. ez pas trop la ville?- Non, sauf peut .etre le matin, quand it faut me lever

et qu'it ne fait pas encore jour.- J' avais peur que vous ne puissiez pas vous accoutumer

a la campagne.- Comment se fait-it alors que vous m' ayez tant poussee

a epouser Freddy? Vous le saviez bien que je devrais vivreici, dans cette ferme isoIee.

- C' etait pour lui une chance inesperee et moi, je n' auraisjamais trouve une bru comme vous.

Freddy revint par deux fois porter des feuillesde tabacdans la cuisine. n arretait la brouette dehors, devant la

porte, et prenait de grandes brasseesqu'it disposaitdebout,le long des murs. Il n'adressaitjamais la parole a son pere.Lorsque cdui-ci demanda si la recolte etait bonne, pourtoute reponse, it poussa un grognement evasi£

Le repas fut presque silencieux.Tous trois etaient de bonappetit et, s'ils parlaient peu, du moins mangeaient-ilssolidement.

- EIledevient bonne cuisiniere,dit le pere.30

Freddy cameback twice and brought tobacco leavesintothe kitchen.He kept the whedbarrow outside the door andbrought in great armfulsand stood them up along the walls.He didn't say a word to his father. When his father askedif the crop was good, he merdy grunted evasivdy.

The meal was almost silent. All three were hungry andthough they didn't talk much, at least they ate heartily.

'She's going to be a good cook,' said the father.31

LE TABAC VERT

- Pour faire cuire une tranche de jambon, pas besoind'etre un cordon bleu, repliqua Freddy.

n reprit des pommes de terre et se tourna vers Lea.- T' es meme pas peignee. Tu pourrais aller chez le

coiffeur.- l' avais l'intention d'y descendre aujourd'hui, mais i1

pM'aitque l'orage va eclater et qu' on doit se depecher deramasser le tabac. Alors la coiffure, ce sera pour un autrejour.

Visiblement elle essayait de plaisanter, de changerI'humeur de son mari, mais ses efforts restaient vains.

Freddy quitta la table le premier. Lea commen~ dedesserviret s'interrompit pour decrocher un miroir qu'elleposa devant elle, contre un pichet. Elle essaya diversescoiffures,mais sescheveux lisseset fins, trop longs ou tropcourts, ne ~epretaient a aucune sorte.de chignon.

- Sij' essayais,dit Marcelin.n posa sa canne 'contre une chaise et, laissant d'abord

tomber les meches tout autour de sa tete, il en retroussaensuite le bout, de maniere a former une sorte de bonnet.Ce bonnet soyeux aux reflets roux exagerait la courbe despommettes, affinait le menton et faisait paraitre les yeuxplus brides.

- Voila ce qui vous irait. Naturellement, il faudraitcouper tout autour.

Mm qu'elle put mieux se voir, il se pla~ derriere elle etmaintint fermement les cheveux en place avec ses deuxmams.

- C'est pourtant vrai que ~a m'embellit, fit-elle. Maisjamais Freddy ne supporterait que je me coiffe de cettefa~on. 11trouverait que je n'ai pas l'air assezserieux.

Marcelin se tut et pressa davantage la petite tete entreses paumes. Lea restait immobile, comme petrifiee; ellecontinuait a regarder dans la miroir non plus son image,

32

GREEN TOBACCO

'You don't have to be a cordon bleu to cook a slice ofj ham,' retorted Freddy.

He took some more potatoes and turned to Lea.'You haven't even combed your hair. You could go to

the hairdresser.''I meant to go down today, but they say the storm will

break and we must hurry and collect the tobacco. So I canleave my hair for another day.'

She was clearly trying to be humorous, to change herhusband's mood, but her efforts were in vain.

Freddy was the first to leave the table. Lea began clearingaway and stopped to take down. a mirror which she put infront of her, against a pitcher. She tried various hair-styles,but her smooth fine hair, which was either too long or too

short, wouldn't go up at all.'Let me try,' said Marcelin.He put his stick against a chair and first let her locks fall

round her head, and then tucked up the ends, so as to makea kind of bonnet. This silky bonnet with its reddish lightsexaggerated the curve of her cheek-bones, refined the chinand made her eyes narrower.

'That's how it would suit you. Naturally you'd have tocut it all round.'

So that shecould seeherself better, he stood behind herand kept her hair firmly in placewith both hands.

'It's certainly true that it improves my looks,' she said.'But Freddy would never let me do my hair like this. He'dsayI don't look respectableenough.'

Marcelin said nothing and pressed her little head closerbetweenhispalms.Learemained motionlessas though pet-rified; she went on looking in the mirror at something

33

LE TABAC VERT

maisquelque chosedeplus lointain et, semblait-il,beaucoupplus vague.

Une nuee de mouches penetra par la fenetre et se mit abourdonner sous le plafond. Le soleil se voila; la piece,d'abord claire, s'emplit brusquement d'ombre. Alors Leasecoua Iegerement la tete pour se liMrer de l'etreinte etMarcelin laissaretomber les cheveux.

Ce fut a cet instant que Freddy entra dans la piece sansqu'ils l'eussent entendu venire 11 regarda Lea avec sesmeches, sur le cou, sur la figure et le pere debout derriereelle.

- On l'a annonce, alors il approche, leur bon sangd' orage, fit-elle apres un silence durant lequelle bourdonne-ment des mouches parut plus intense.

Freddy quitta la piece sans repondre.- Je laverai la vaisselle plus tard, dit Lea. Pour le moment,

c'est le ta8ac qui presse.Elle lia ses cheveux sur sa nuque avec un bout de lacet

et sortit avec Marcelin.

lis se dirigerent vers un autre champ situe derriere lamaison, pres du verger. Le pere marchait avec peine sur lesol inegal du champ de luzerne. Aux places restees clansl' ombre, I'herbe etait encore mouillee et le bas de son

pantalon ne tarda pas a etre trempe.- raurais dO vous preter les brodequins de Freddy, dit

Lea.

Elle ne sautillait plus. Son visage avait une expressiongrave et soucieuse.

- 11 ne faut pas queje vous retarde, ma fille,dit Marcelin;allez devant, je vous suis.

Freddy avait deja rempli a demi la brouette. 11donna desordres ason pere du meme ton que s'il eut commande unvalet inexperimente.

- Cueille a partir du bas . . . Laisse quatre feuilles ...34

.;

GREEN TOBACCO

further away and apparendy much less distinct, not herreflection any more.

A cloud of flies came in through the window and began

buzzing on the ceiling. The sun clouded over; the room, atfirst light, was now suddenly filled with shadow. Then Leashook her head lighdy to release herself from the embraceand Marcelin let her hair fall.

That very moment Freddy came into the room withoutthem hearing him. He looked at Lea with her locks on herneck, on her face and his father standing behind her.

'They saidit wascoming, and now it is, their fine storm,'she said after a silence, during which the buzzing of thefliesseemedlouder.

Freddy left the room without answering.'I'll do the washing up later,' Lea said. 'The tobacco is

more urgent at the moment.'She tied her hair at the back of her neck with a bit of

shoelaceand went out with Marcelin.They walked towards another field behind the house

near the orchard. The father had some difficultyin walkingon the uneven ground in the lucerne field. The grass wasstill damp in the shady places and the bottoms of histrouserswere soon soaked.

'I s"ould have lent you Freddy's boots,' Lea said.

She wasn't skipping around anymore. Her face had aseriousworried look.

'I mustn't hold you up, child,' Marcelin said. 'You go infront, I'll follow you.'

.Freddy had alreadyhalffilled the wheelbarrow. He gavehis father orders in the same tone of voice as if he wereordering about an inexperienced servant.

'Pick from the .bottom... leave four leaves.. . careful

35

LB TABAC VBRT

Attention a ne pas faire d'accrocs ... Enleve toutes lespousses. e' est compris?

-Je crois.Le ciel etait encore bleu sur leur tete, mais, a l'ouest, il

devenait d'un gris sombre et mena~t. Deja le soleilavaitdisparu derriere lesnuages qui montaient de I'horizon.

. Lea et Freddy passerententre les rangs, tandis queMarcelin contournait la parcelle. Pour faire un pas, ildevait s'aider de sa canne. n l'enfon~t ensuite un peu enterre afin d'avoir les mains libres pour travailler. Freddy lesurveillait par les interstices entre les plants et parfois luifaisait une observation sansmenagements:

- Toutes dans le meme sens,voyons ...T'as oublie unepousse .. . Faut les casserplus bas, autrement, au premiercoup de vent, les bouts de tige dechireront les feuilles..

Jamais le pere n'aurait imagine que le tabac vert de-mandat tant de m6nagements. n essayait d'oMir, mais ilavait le sentiment d'etre lent et maladroit. N' eOt ete la

station debout et I'humeur de Freddy le travail lui eOtpourtant paru plaisant. La vegetation luxuriante creaitcomme un depaysement auquel contribuait l'odeurinsidieuse et grisante. Et Lea etait la; elle accomplissaitlameme besogne, elle faisait les memes gestes que lui. Lesplants etaient bien trop hauts pour qu'il pOtespererla voir;mais parfois il devinait sa presence entre les feuilles.

Au bout d'une heure environ, il fut pris de crampesdans la jambe.

-l' aimerais m'asseoirun peu maintenant, fit-il. Je pour-rais enfiler les feuillessi I'un de vous me montre commenton s'y prend.

Lea le suivit vers la maison.

n s'assit devant la table de cuisine, tandis qu'elle jetait36

GRBBN TOBACCO

you don't make any tearS ... removeall the shoots.. ..You understand?'

'I think so.'The sky above their heads~ still blue but in the west

it wasturning a dark threatenm~ ~rey. The sun had ~eadydisappearedbehind the clouds nsmg above the honzon.

Leaand Freddy went between the rows whilst Marcelinwent round the plot. He had to use his stick for each stepforward. Then he dug it a bit into the ground so as tohave his hands free to work with. Freddy supervised himthrough the gaps between the plants and sometimes criti-cizedhim unsparingly:

'Come on, they should all be in the same direction . . .you've left out a shoot. You must break them off lowerotherwise at the first gust of wind the stem-ends will ripthe leaves.'

The father would never have thought green tobaccorequired such care. He tried to obey, but he felt he wasbeing slow and clumsy. Still the work would have beenenjoyable if he hadn't had to stand and if Freddy hadn'tbeensobad-tempered. The luxuriant vegetation seemed toremovehim from his normal surroundings, and the slowlypenetrating and intoxicating smell helped to give this im-pression.And Lea was there; she was doing the samejob,shewasmaking the same movements as he was. The plantswere too high for him to have a hope of seeing her; butsometimeshe sensedher presencebetween the leaves.

~er. about an hour, he got cramp in his leg.1d like to sit down a little now,' he said. 'I could string

the leavesif one of you would show me how to do it.'

Leafollowed him to the house.He sat down at the kitchen table while she threw a sack

37

LE TABAC VERT

un sac pres du mur et s'installait a l'ecart, sur le carrelage.Les ficelles etaient preparees. n s'agissait d'enfiler lesfeuilles face contre face, dos contre dos, a l'aide d'unelongue aiguille plate bien aceree. Les feuilles une foispresseessur l'aiguille, on les faisait glisser ensuite le longdu fit.

- Tant pis pour les mouches, dit Lea;j'ouvre la fenetre.Cette odeur me monte a la tete.

Les feuilles maniees, piquees, repandaient dans la pieceun parfum de plus en plus violent, a la fois sucre et amerqui rendait l'air epais, substantiel, a peine respirable.

GRBENTOBACCO

down near the wall and settled down away from him, onthe stonefloor.The strings were ready. They had to threadthe leaveson face to face and back to back, with a long,flat, sharply pointed needle. As soon as the leaves werepressedagainstthe needle, they were slid along the thread.

'I don't care about the flies,' said Lea. 'I'm opening thewindow. This smellmakes me dizzy.'

After the leaves had been handled and pricked they

spreada more and more powerful scent into the room; itwas bitter-sweet, making the air thick, substantial andbarelybreathable.

Chaque fois qu'il venait d6charger une nouvelle brou-ettee, Freddy surveillait le travail et ne le trouvait jamais ason go(lt. Marcelin enfonrraitl'aiguille a cote de la nervurecentrale, ou bien le tranchant n'avait pas ete tout a faitparall~e aux fibres et la feuille avait craque.

- n est aussi_ exigeant pour moi, vous savez, pere, ditLea lorsque Freddy fut reparti. n a raison.Je n'y entendaisrien a la culture; j'ai tout a apprendre et j'ai peur de n'etrepas tres douee.

-nne l'etait pas du tout, lui, pour les etudes, dit le pere.n pourrait s'en souvenir et avoir un peu de patience.

- Avant l'orage, personne n'a de patience, dit Lea.Elle se souvint qu'elle n'avait pas donne la patee aux

jeunes dindons et sortit dans la cour.- .Ou est-elle encore partie? demanda Freddy lorsqu'il

revint apporter de nouvelles brasseesde feuilles.Depuis cematin, elle ne tient pas en place.

La cueillette etait maintenant achevee. Freddy ferma lafenetre afin d'eviter les courants d'air et commenlfa de

monter au grenier les guirlandes lourdes et fragiles. n enmettait une sur chaque epaule. Son torse nu et bronzeemergeait des larges feuilleset l'on ne voyait plus son short

38

Whenever he came to unload another wheelbarrow,Freddy surveyed the work and didn't once find it to hissatisfaction.Marcelinwas putting in the needle too closetothe midrib, or the edge of the knife hadn't been quite

parallelto the fibresand the leaf had cracked.'He's just as strict with me you know, father,' Lea said

when Freddy had gone again.' He's right. 1knew nothingabout farming; I've got everything to learn and I'm afraidI'm not very gifted.'

'He wasn't at all gifted for study,' the father said. 'Hemight remember that and have a little patience.'

'Before a storm, no one has any patience,' Lea said.Sherememberedshehadn't given the mash to the young

turkeysand went out into the yard.'Where has she gone now?' Freddy asked when he

returnedwith fresharmfuls ofleaves. 'She hasn't been able

to stay in one placesincethis morning.'The picking was now over. Freddy shut the window to

avoid draughts and began taking the heavy fragile gar-landsof leavesup to the loft. He put one on each shoulder.His naked bronzed torso emerged from the broad leavesand his corduroy shorts were no longer visible.He looked

39

LE TABAC VERT

de velours.n avait l'air d'un dieu somptueusement'Vetuet repandant autour de lui un parfum capiteux. En revenantdu grenier, il jeta vers son pere deux feuilles qui s'etaientdetachees en chemin. n ne dit pas qu'elles avaient ete malenfilees, mais le reproche etait sous-entendu.

L'aiguille de Marcelin glissasur une nervure et s'enfons;aprofondement a la base de son pouce. n pressa la chair etfut surpris de voir a peine suinter un peu de liquide rose.

-Je me suispique, pourtant ~ane saigne pas.- Si c'etait grave, ~asaignerait, dit Freddy.Et les guirlandes etant toutes suspendues au grenier, it

s'en fut examiner la disqueuse.Marcelin etait heureux que Lea n'ait pas vu son mari

habille de feuiIles de tabac. C'etait un sentiment absurde;elle avait do le contempler deja bien des fois transforme endieu Pan; mais il preferait pourtant qu'eIle ne se soit pastrouvee Ja.

- Je viens de 1}1'enfoncer l'aiguille dans le pouce, fit-illorsqu'elle revint du poulailler, c'est curieux, ~ ne saignepas. Peut-etre a cause de la nicotine.

Elle prit la main qu'illui tendait et l'examina.

GREEN TOBACCO

like a god richly dressed and spreading a heady perfumearound him. When he returned from the loft he threwbackat hisfather two leavesthat had come off on the way.He didn't say that they had been badly strung, but thereproach was implied.

Marcelin'sneedleslippedon the leaf rib and went deeplyinto the base of his thumb. He pressed the flesh and wassurprisedto seea little pink liquid slightly oozing from it.

'I've pricked myself, but it's not bleeding.''If it was seriousit would bleed,' Freddy said.And asthe garlandswere all hanging in the loft, he went

off to inspectthe disk harrow.Marcelinwasglad Leahadn't seenher husband dressedin

tobacco leaves. It was an absurd feeling; she must havealreadywatchedhim many times transformed into the godPan; but he preferred her not to be there.

'I've just stuck the needle into my thumb,' he said whenshe came back from the hen-roost, 'it's odd, it's notbleeding.Perhaps it's becauseof the nicotine.'

She took his hand which he was holding out to her andexamined it.

- Avec ce jus poisseux, on n'y voit pas grand-chose, fit-elle.

Et elle laissa retomber la main blessee.

Quelques semaines auparavant, au cceur de l' ete, 10rsqu'iIavait ete pique a l' epaule par une abeille qui s'etait glisseesous sa chemise, elle avait ete beaucoup plus tendre. EIleavait retire le dard et avait suce la plaie longuement, forte-ment aspire le venin. Freddy etait arrive sur ces entrefaites.

'I can't seemuch, with stickyjuice like this,' she said.And she dropped the hand which he had hurt.A few weeksearlier, in the middle of the summer, when

he had been stung on the shoulder by a bee which had gotunder his shirt, she had been much gentler. She had pulledout the sting and had sucked the wound for a long time,dr~wing in the poison. Freddy had come while this wasgomg on.

'Father hasjust been stung by a bee,' Lea had said.Nothing new had happened but everything had been

revealeddarkly, everything had gone wrong that day.41

- Pere vient d'etre pique par une abeille, avait dit Lea.Rien de nouveau n'etait ne, mais tout s'etait obscurement

revele, tout s'etait gate ce jour-la.

40

LE TABAC VERT

La lumiere avait decline et, bien qu'il ne ftit pas tard, lanuit tombait deja. Absorbe par la besogne, Marcelin nes'en aper~ut que lorsque Lea alluma la lampe.

- Je me demandecommentvous pouveztenir enfermeclanscette piece, dit-elle. L'odeur me rend malade.Je vaisouvrir la fenetre.

Lorsque Freddy revint, elle respirait largement et con-templait la cour entenebree et deserte.

- Tu te reposes?Tu prends le frais? fit-il durement. Y adonc rien a faire a la maison?

- L'odeur de-tabac. L'orage. l' etouffe, dit Lea. n mesemble que je vais me trouver mal.

n y eut un silence.EIleajouta:- Les feuillesde tabac sont maintenant a r abri.- EIlessont a r abri, mais eIlessont pas toutes enfileeset

elles s'es,\uintent le long du mur, tu le sais bien. Depuisce matin, tu perds ton temps. Ce n'est pourtant pas labesogne qui manque. Seul,j' ai beau me crever,je peux pastout faire.

Lea prit une corbeille et sortit. Son visage etait devenutout a fait inexpressifet tres pale.

_ Elle est peut-etre fatiguee, dit le pere. Le travail deferme est penible; eIle n'y etait pas habituee.

- Ne te mele pas de ~. C'est un conseil queje te donne,dit Freddy.

Marcelin attendit le retour de Lea. Alors il se leva et dit

qu'un camarade de regiment devait arriver le lendemainde bonne heure. n avait oublie cette visite. Force lui etait

de repartir immediatement par le car du soir.- Tu n'as que le temps, dit Freddy.Le pere etala ses deux mains tachees de jus de tabac.

- nme faut tout de meme les laver, fit-il

Les yeux de Lea devinrent miroitants.

42

GREEN TOBACCO

Th li ht haddimmedandalthoughit wasn'tlate,nightwas~~dY falling.Absorbedin the work, Marcelinonly

Uo ced it when Lea put the light on.no sh. thi

' sh'I wonder how you can go on ut up m s room, e

said. 'The smell makes me sick. I'll open the window.'

When Freddy came back, she was breathing deeply andwatching the dark desertedyard.

'Having a rest? Enjoying the fresh air?' he said sharply.'Is there nothing for you to do in the house?'

'It's the tobaccosmell. The storm. I'm stifling: Lea said,'I think I'm going to be sick.'

There was a silence.She added:'The tobacco leavesare under cover now.''They are under cover, but they're not all strung and

they'll rot along the wall, as you know. You've beenwastingyour time sincethis morning. Yet there's plenty ofwork for you to do. It's no good my slavingaway by my-self; I can't do everything on my own.'

Lea took a bucket and went out. Her face had become

quite expressionlessand very pale.'Perhaps she's tired: the father said. 'Farm work is

hard; shewasn't used to it.''Mind your own business.That's the advice I'm giving

you: Freddy said.

.Marcelinwaited for Lea's return. Then he got up andsaIdthat an old friend from his regiment was due to comeearly the next morning. He had forgotten about this visit.He would have to return at once on the evening bus.

'You've only ju,st got time,' said Freddy.The father displayed both of his hands stained with

tobaccojuice.'Let me wash them at least' he said.

Lea's eyesbecame shiny. '

43

LB TABAC VBRT

_ Cette odeur, fit-elle, je ne peux plus supporter cetteodeur.

Savoix etait faible,hesitante, comme sielle allaitpleurer.

_ L'air me ferait peut~tre du bien. Si je descendaisaccompagner pere et lui porter sa valise.

_ Laisse, dit Freddy. J'y vais. J'en profiterai pour tuer

quelques corbeaux s'il y en a encore au-dessus des terreslabourees.

n decrocha son fusil, passa la bretelle sur son epaule etsaisitla valise.

- Au revoir, pere, balbutia Lea.Et elle effieurade seslevres unejoue de Marcelin._ Vite, dit Freddy, on n'a pasde temps a perdre.Dans le chemin pierreux Marcelin avan~t d'autant plus

malaisement que la faible lumiere ne permettait de voir nilesornieres ni le! cailloux. Devant lui, Freddy avan~t d'un

pas rapide et triomphant. Un eclair, le premier, embrasale ciel plein de nuees a I'Occident. Un roulement detonnerre suivit presque aussitot et se prolongea dans lavalIee. Et puis la pluie se mit a tomber; de grossesgouttes,mais clairsemees~Lorsque, trainee pale en bas du coteau,la route fut en vue:

_ Rentre, dit.le pere. Inutile de te mouiller. Je suiscapable de faire le reste du chemin tout seul.

n prit la valise, attendit une seconde avec l'espoir d'unmot, d'un serrement de main; mais Freddy se tut et ne fitpas un geste.

_ Rentre vite, repeta Marcelin; I'averse ne va pas tarder.

n fit une dizaine de pas et entendit claquer un coup defeu dans son dos. n se retourna. Freddy brandissait le £Usilau bout de son bras comme un trophee et eclatait d'un

grand rire sauvage.

GRBBNTOBACCO

'That smell,'shesaid,'I can't stand that smellany longer.'

Her voice was weak, hesitant, as though she was going

to ,~~ air would do me good perhaps. I could go withf:wer and carry his suitcase.'a 'No you won't,' said Freddy. 'I'll go. I'll use the timeto kill a few crows, if there still are any over the ploughedfields.'

He took down his gun, slung it acrosshis shoulder and

pickedup the suitcase.'Goodbye, father,' Lea mumbled.She touched one of Marcelin's cheekswith her lips.'Quick,' Freddy said, 'there's no time to lose.'On the stony lane Marcelin found walking difficultashe

couldn't see the ruts or the pebbles in the dim light. Infront of him Freddy walked quickly and triumphandy. Aflashof lightning, the first one, lit up the sky which wasfull of rain-clouds in the west. A roll of thunder followedalmost at once and re-echoed in the valley. And then therainbegan falling;big drops, but scattered.When the mainroad came into sight, a pale trail at the bottom of the hill,the father said:

'Go home, there's no need to get wet. I am quite capableof doing the rest on my own.'

He took the suitcase, waited a moment hoping for aword, for a handshake; but Freddy said nothing and madeno gesture.

'Go home quickly,' Marcelin repeated; 'There'll be adownpour any minute.'

He took a dozen steps forward and heard a shot at hisback. He turned round. Freddy was brandishing the gun atarm's length like a trophy and bursting out in a huge wildlaugh.

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