第三百六十章 第一章 对不幸者应加怜悯，对幸福者应加宽容
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幸福真是一件可怖的事！它是多么令人满足！自己觉得应有尽有，万事如意！殊不知拥有了人生的虚假目标——幸福，便会忘记人生的真实目标——责任！
然而，我们必须说明，如果读者要责备马吕斯，那是不公正的。
马吕斯，正如我们解释过的那样，在结婚之前从未向割风先生提出过任何问题，而在此之后，他更害怕向冉阿让提问了。他对自己被迫许下的那个承诺感到后悔。他常常对自己说，在绝望中对那人让步是做错了。他只能逐步把冉阿让从家里疏远出去，并尽可能地把他从珂赛特的脑海中抹去。他总是不动声色地把自己置于珂赛特和冉阿让之间，确信这样珂赛特就不会注意到后者，也不会想起他。这已经不仅仅是抹去，简直是使对方隐没了。
马吕斯做了他认为必要而公正的事。他觉得自己有严肃的理由——这些理由读者已经知道一部分，其余的将在后面看到——要温和而坚定地摆脱冉阿让。他在自己辩护过的一个案件中，偶然遇到了一位拉菲特银行的前雇员，从而无意中获得了一些神秘的信息，这些信息他无法深入探究，因为他要信守自己承诺保守的秘密，也考虑到冉阿让所处的危险境地。当时他觉得自己有一个庄严的责任要履行：将那六十万法郎归还给某人，他正在以尽可能谨慎的方式寻找那个人。同时，他不动用那笔钱。
至于珂赛特，她对这些秘密一无所知；但如果要责备她，那也未免太严厉了。
在马吕斯和珂赛特之间存在着一种强大的磁力，使珂赛特几乎是本能地、机械地按照马吕斯的意愿行事。她感觉到马吕斯在“让先生”这件事上的意愿，便顺从了。她的丈夫不必对她说什么；她屈服于他那无言意愿的模糊而清晰的压力，盲目地服从。她在这件事上的顺从，就是不去记住马吕斯所忘记的事。她不必费力就能做到这一点。她自己也不知道为什么，而马吕斯也没有任何理由指责她，她的灵魂已经完全属于她的丈夫，以至于马吕斯心中笼罩的阴影，也在她心中蔓延开来。
不过，我们不要说得太过分；对于冉阿让，这种遗忘和抹去只是表面现象。她是漫不经心多于忘记。在内心深处，她仍然真诚地依恋着那个她长久以来称为父亲的人；但她更爱她的丈夫。这就使她的心灵天平稍稍倾斜，只偏向了一边。
有时珂赛特会提起冉阿让，表示惊讶。这时马吕斯就安慰她：“我想他是不在。他不是说要出门旅行吗？”——“那倒是，”珂赛特心想，“他过去也有这种突然失踪的习惯。但不会这么久。”有两三次，她派妮珂莱特到武人街去打听，问让先生旅行回来了没有。冉阿让让人回答说“没有”。
珂赛特也不再多问，因为她今生唯一的牵挂就是马吕斯。
我们也要说，珂赛特和马吕斯也离开过一段时间。他们去了韦尔农。马吕斯带珂赛特到他父亲的坟前凭吊。
马吕斯渐渐把珂赛特从冉阿让身边拉走了。珂赛特也任凭他这样做。
此外，人们有时过于严厉地指责的所谓儿女的忘恩负义，并不总像人们想象的那样应受谴责。那是大自然的忘恩负义。大自然，正如我们在别处说过的，“总是向前看”。大自然将生物分为两类：正在到来的一类和正在离去的一类。正在离去的一类面向黑暗，正在到来的一类面向光明。由此产生了一种致命的鸿沟——在老一辈是无可奈何，在年轻一辈则是身不由己。这种裂痕，起初不易察觉，却像树枝分离一样慢慢扩大。树枝虽然尚未脱离树干，却已渐渐远离。这并非它们的过错。青春走向欢乐、节日、耀眼的光芒和爱情。老年走向终点。它们彼此没有失去踪影，但已不再紧密相连。年轻人感到生命的凉意；老年人感到坟墓的寒意。我们不要责备这些可怜的孩子吧。
It is a terrible thing to be happy! How content one is! How
all-sufficient one finds it! How, being in possession of the false
object of life, happiness, one forgets the true object, duty!
Let us say, however, that the reader would do wrong were he to blame
Marius.
Marius, as we have explained, before his marriage, had put no questions
to M. Fauchelevent, and, since that time, he had feared to put any to
Jean Valjean. He had regretted the promise into which he had allowed
himself to be drawn. He had often said to himself that he had done
wrong in making that concession to despair. He had confined himself to
gradually estranging Jean Valjean from his house and to effacing him,
as much as possible, from Cosette’s mind. He had, in a manner, always
placed himself between Cosette and Jean Valjean, sure that, in this
way, she would not perceive nor think of the latter. It was more than
effacement, it was an eclipse.
Marius did what he considered necessary and just. He thought that he
had serious reasons which the reader has already seen, and others which
will be seen later on, for getting rid of Jean Valjean without
harshness, but without weakness.
Chance having ordained that he should encounter, in a case which he had
argued, a former employee of the Laffitte establishment, he had
acquired mysterious information, without seeking it, which he had not
been able, it is true, to probe, out of respect for the secret which he
had promised to guard, and out of consideration for Jean Valjean’s
perilous position. He believed at that moment that he had a grave duty
to perform: the restitution of the six hundred thousand francs to some
one whom he sought with all possible discretion. In the meanwhile, he
abstained from touching that money.
As for Cosette, she had not been initiated into any of these secrets;
but it would be harsh to condemn her also.
There existed between Marius and her an all-powerful magnetism, which
caused her to do, instinctively and almost mechanically, what Marius
wished. She was conscious of Marius’ will in the direction of “Monsieur
Jean,” she conformed to it. Her husband had not been obliged to say
anything to her; she yielded to the vague but clear pressure of his
tacit intentions, and obeyed blindly. Her obedience in this instance
consisted in not remembering what Marius forgot. She was not obliged to
make any effort to accomplish this. Without her knowing why herself,
and without his having any cause to accuse her of it, her soul had
become so wholly her husband’s that that which was shrouded in gloom in
Marius’ mind became overcast in hers.
Let us not go too far, however; in what concerns Jean Valjean, this
forgetfulness and obliteration were merely superficial. She was rather
heedless than forgetful. At bottom, she was sincerely attached to the
man whom she had so long called her father; but she loved her husband
still more dearly. This was what had somewhat disturbed the balance of
her heart, which leaned to one side only.
It sometimes happened that Cosette spoke of Jean Valjean and expressed
her surprise. Then Marius calmed her: “He is absent, I think. Did not
he say that he was setting out on a journey?”—“That is true,” thought
Cosette. “He had a habit of disappearing in this fashion. But not for
so long.” Two or three times she despatched Nicolette to inquire in the
Rue de l’Homme Armé whether M. Jean had returned from his journey. Jean
Valjean caused the answer “no” to be given.
Cosette asked nothing more, since she had but one need on earth,
Marius.
Let us also say that, on their side, Cosette and Marius had also been
absent. They had been to Vernon. Marius had taken Cosette to his
father’s grave.
Marius gradually won Cosette away from Jean Valjean. Cosette allowed
it.
Moreover that which is called, far too harshly in certain cases, the
ingratitude of children, is not always a thing so deserving of reproach
as it is supposed. It is the ingratitude of nature. Nature, as we have
elsewhere said, “looks before her.” Nature divides living beings into
those who are arriving and those who are departing. Those who are
departing are turned towards the shadows, those who are arriving
towards the light. Hence a gulf which is fatal on the part of the old,
and involuntary on the part of the young. This breach, at first
insensible, increases slowly, like all separations of branches. The
boughs, without becoming detached from the trunk, grow away from it. It
is no fault of theirs. Youth goes where there is joy, festivals, vivid
lights, love. Old age goes towards the end. They do not lose sight of
each other, but there is no longer a close connection. Young people
feel the cooling off of life; old people, that of the tomb. Let us not
blame these poor children.
