diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'old')
| -rw-r--r-- | old/7011.txt | 1351 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/7011.zip | bin | 0 -> 25489 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/zofld10.txt | 1269 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/zofld10.zip | bin | 0 -> 25156 bytes |
4 files changed, 2620 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/old/7011.txt b/old/7011.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..067acbe --- /dev/null +++ b/old/7011.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1351 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Flood, by Emile Zola + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Flood + +Author: Emile Zola + +Release Date: December, 2004 [EBook #7011] +Posting Date: June 14, 2009 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE FLOOD *** + + + + +Produced by Michael Castelluccio + + + + + + + + +THE FLOOD + + +By Emile Zola + + + + +I. + +My name is Louis Roubien. I am seventy years old. I was born in the +village of Saint-Jory, several miles up the Garonne from Toulouse. + +For fourteen years I battled with the earth for my daily bread. At last, +prosperity smiled on we, and last month I was still the richest farmer +in the parish. + +Our house seemed blessed, happiness reigned there. The sun was our +brother, and I cannot recall a bad crop. We were almost a dozen on the +farm. There was myself, still hale and hearty, leading the children +to work; then my young brother, Pierre, an old bachelor and retired +sergeant; then my sister, Agathe, who came to us after the death of her +husband. She was a commanding woman, enormous and gay, whose laugh could +be heard at the other end of the village. Then came all the brood: +my son, Jacques; his wife, Rosie, and their three daughters, Aimee, +Veronique, and Marie. The first named was married to Cyprica Bouisson, +a big jolly fellow, by whom she had two children, one two years old +and the other ten months. Veronique was just betrothed, and was soon +to marry Gaspard Rabuteau. The third, Marie, was a real young lady, so +white, so fair, that she looked as if born in the city. + +That made ten, counting everybody. I was a grandfather and a +great-grandfather. When we were at table I had my sister, Agathe, at +my right, and my brother, Pierre, at my left. The children formed a +circle, seated according to age, with the heads diminishing down to the +baby of ten months, who already ate his soup like a man. And let me tell +you that the spoons in the plates made a clatter. The brood had hearty +appetites. And what gayety between the mouthfuls! I was filled with +pride and joy when the little ones held out their hands toward me, +crying: + +"Grandpa, give us some bread! A big piece, grandpa!" + +Oh! the good days! Our farm sang from every corner. In the evening, +Pierre invented games and related stories of his regiment. On Sunday +Agathe made cakes for the girls. Marie knew some canticles, which she +sang like a chorister. She looked like a saint, with her blond hair +falling on her neck and her hands folded on her apron. + +I had built another story on the house when Aimee had married Cyprien; +and I said laughingly that I would have to build another after the +wedding of Veronique and Gaspard. We never cared to leave each other. We +would sooner have built a city behind the farm, in our enclosure. When +families are united, it is so good to live and die where one has grown +up! + +The month of May had been magnificent that year. It was long since the +crops gave such good promise. That day precisely, I had made a tour of +inspection with my son, Jacques. We started at about three o'clock. Our +meadows on the banks of the Garonne were of a tender green. The grass +was three feet high, and an osier thicket, planted the year before, +had sprouts a yard high. From there we went to visit our wheat and our +vines, fields bought one by one as fortune came to us. The wheat was +growing strong; the vines, in full flower, promised a superb vintage. +And Jacques laughed his good laugh as he slapped me on the shoulder. + +"Well, father, we shall never want for bread nor for wine. You must be +a friend of the Divine Power to have silver showered upon your land in +this way." + +We often joked among ourselves of our past poverty. Jacques was right. I +must have gained the friendship of some saint or of God himself, for all +the luck in the country was for us. When it hailed the hail ceased on +the border of our fields. If the vines of our neighbors fell sick, ours +seemed to have a wall of protection around them. And in the end I grew +to consider it only just. Never doing harm to any one, I thought that +happiness was my due. + +As we approached the house, Rose gesticulated, calling out: + +"Hurry up!" + +One of our cows had just had a calf, and everybody was excited. The +birth of that little beast seemed one more blessing. We had been obliged +recently to enlarge the stables, where we had nearly one hundred head of +animals--cows and sheep, without counting the horses. + +"Well, a good day's work!" I cried. "We will drink to-night a bottle of +ripened wine." + +Meanwhile, Rose took us aside and told us that Gaspard, Veronique's +betrothed, had come to arrange the day for the wedding. She had invited +him to remain for dinner. + +Gaspard, the oldest son of a farmer of Moranges, was a big boy of twenty +years, known throughout the country for his prodigious strength. During +a festival at Toulouse he had vanquished Martial, the "Lion of the +Midi." With that, a nice boy, with a heart of gold. He was even timid, +and he blushed when Veronique looked him squarely in the face. + +I told Rose to call him. He was at the bottom of the yard, helping our +servants to spread out the freshly-washed linen. When he entered the +dining room, where we were, Jacques turned toward me, saying: + +"You speak, father." + +"Well," I said, "you have come, my boy, to have us set the great day?" + +"Yes, that is it, Father Roubien," he answered, very red. + +"You mustn't blush, my boy," I continued. "It will be, if you wish, on +Saint-Felicite day, the 10th of July. This is the 23rd of June, so +you will have only twenty days to wait. My poor dead wife was called +Felicite, and that will bring you happiness. Well? Is it understood?" + +"Yes, that will do--Sainte-Felicite day. Father Roubien." + +And he gave each of us a grip that made us wince. Then he embraced Rose, +calling her mother. This big boy with the terrific fists loved Veronique +to the point of losing his appetite. + +"Now," I continued, "you must remain for dinner. Well, everybody to the +table. I have a thundering appetite, I have." + +That evening we were eleven at table. Gaspard was placed next to +Veronique, and he sat looking at her, forgetting his plate, so moved at +the thought of her belonging to him that, at times, the tears sprang to +his eyes. Cyprien and Aimee, married only three years, smiled. Jacques +and Rose, who had had twenty-five years of married life, were more +serious, but, surreptitiously, they exchanged tender glances. As for me, +I seemed to relive in those two sweethearts, whose happiness seemed +to bring a corner of Paradise to our table. What good soup we had that +evening! Aunt Agathe, always ready with a witticism, risked several +jokes. Then that honest Pierre wanted to relate his love affair with a +young lady of Lyons. Fortunately, we were at the dessert, and every one +was talking at once. I had brought two bottles of mellowed wine from the +cellar. We drank to the good fortune of Gaspard and Veronique. Then +we had singing. Gaspard knew some love songs in dialect. We also asked +Marie for a canticle. She stood up and sang in a flute-like voice that +tickled one's ears. + +I went to the window, and Gaspard joined me there. + +"Is there no news up your way?" I asked him. + +"No," he answered. "There is considerable talk about the heavy rains of +the last few days. Some seem to think that they will cause trouble." + +In effect, it had rained for sixty hours without stopping. The Garonne +was very much swollen since the preceding day, but we had confidence in +it, and, as long as it did not overflow its banks, we could not look on +it as a bad neighbor. + +"Bah!" I exclaimed, shrugging my shoulders. "Nothing will happen. It is +the same every year. The river puts up her back as if she were furious, +and she calms down in a night. You will see, my boy, that it will amount +to nothing this time. See how beautiful the weather is!" + +And I pointed to the sky. It was seven o'clock; the sun was setting. +The sky was blue, an immense blue sheet of profound purity, in which the +rays of the setting sun were like a golden dust. Never had I seen the +village drowsing in so sweet a peace. Upon the tiled roofs a rosy tint +was fading. I heard a neighbor's laugh, then the voices of children at +the turn in the road in front of our place. Farther away and softened by +the distance, rose the sounds of flocks entering their sheds. The great +voice of the Garonne roared continually; but it was to me as the voice +of the silence, so accustomed to it was I. + +Little by little the sky paled; the village became more drowsy. It +was the evening of a beautiful day; and I thought that all our +good fortune--the big harvests, the happy house, the betrothal of +Veronique--came to us from above in the purity of the dying light. A +benediction spread over us with the farewell of the evening. + +Meanwhile I had returned to the center of the room. The girls were +chattering. We listened to them, smiling. Suddenly, across the serenity +of the country, a terrible cry sounded, a cry of distress and death: + +"The Garonne! The Garonne!" + + + + +II. + +We rushed out into the yard. + +Saint-Jory is situated at the bottom of a slope at about five hundred +yards from the Garonne. Screens of tall poplars that divide the meadows, +hide the river completely. + +We could see nothing. And still the cry rang out: + +"The Garonne! The Garonne!" + +Suddenly, on the wide road before us, appeared two men and three women, +one of them holding a child in her arms. It was they who were crying +out, distracted, running with long strides. They turned at times, +looking behind with terrified faces, as if a band of wolves was pursuing +them. + +"What's the matter with them?" demanded Cyprien. "Do you see anything, +grandfather?" + +"No," I answered. "The leaves are not even moving." + +I was still talking when an exclamation burst from us. Behind the +fugitives there appeared, between the trunks of the poplars, amongst the +large tufts of grass, what looked like a pack of gray beasts speckled +with yellow. They sprang up from all directions, waves crowding waves, +a helter-skelter of masses of foaming water, shaking the sod with the +rumbling gallop of their hordes. + +It was our turn to send forth the despairing cry: + +"The Garonne! The Garonne!" + +The two men and the three women were still running on the road. They +heard the terrible gallop gaining on them. Now the waves arrived in a +single line, rolling, tumbling with the thunder of a charging battalion. +With their first shock they had broken three poplars; the tall foliage +sank and disappeared. A wooden cabin was swallowed up, a wall was +demolished; heavy carts were carried away like straws. But the water +seemed, above all, to pursue the fugitives. At the bend in the road, +where there was a steep slope, it fell suddenly in an immense sheet and +cut off retreat. They continued to run, nevertheless, splashing through +the water, no longer shouting, mad with terror. The water swirled about +their knees. An enormous wave felled the woman who was carrying the +child. Then all were engulfed. + +"Quick! Quick!" I cried. "We must get into the house. It is solid--we +have nothing to fear." + +We took refuge upstairs. The house was built on a hillock above the +road. The water invaded the yard, softly, with a little rippling noise. +We were not much frightened. + +"Bah!" said Jacques, to reassure every one, "this will not amount to +anything. You remember, father, in '55, the water came up into the yard. +It was a foot deep. Then it receded." + +"It is disastrous for the crops, just the same," murmured Cyprien. + +"No, it will not be anything," I said, seeing the large questioning eyes +of our girls. + +Aimee had put her two children into the bed. She sat beside them, with +Veronique and Marie. Aunt Agathe spoke of heating some wine she had +brought up, to give us courage. + +Jacques and Rose were looking out of a window. I was at the other, with +my brother Pierre, Cyprien and Gaspard. + +"Come up!" I cried to our two servants, who were wading in the yard. +"Don't stay there and get all wet." + +"But the animals?" they asked. "They are afraid. They are killing each +other in the barn." + +"No, no; come up! After a while we'll see to them." + +The rescue of the animals would be impossible, if the disaster was to +attain greater proportions. I thought it unnecessary to frighten the +family. So I forced myself to appear hopeful. Leaning on the windowsill, +I indicated the progress of the flood. The river, after its attack on +the village, was in possession even to the narrowest streets. It was no +longer a galloping charge, but a slow and invincible strangulation. The +hollow in the bottom of which Saint-Jory is built was changed into a +lake. In our yard the water was soon three feet deep. But I asserted +that it remained stationary--I even went so far as to pretend that it +was going down. + +"Well, you will be obliged to sleep here to-night, my boy," I said, +turning to Gaspard. "That is, unless the roads are free in a couple of +hours--which is quite possible." + +He looked at me without answering, his face quite pale; and I saw him +look at Veronique with an expression of anguish. + +It was half-past eight o'clock. It was still daylight--a pale, sad light +beneath the blanched sky. The servants had had the forethought to bring +up two lamps with them. I had them lighted, thinking that they would +brighten up the somber room. Aunt Agathe, who had rolled a table to the +middle of the room, wished to organize a card party. The worthy woman, +whose eyes sought mine momentarily, thought above all of diverting the +children. Her good humor kept up a superb bravery; and she laughed to +combat the terror that she felt growing around her. She forcibly placed +Aimee, Veronique, and Marie at the table. She put the cards into their +hands, took a hand herself with an air of intense interest, shuffling, +cutting, dealing with such a flow of talk that she almost drowned the +noise of the water. But our girls could not be diverted; they were pale, +with feverish hands, and ears on the alert. Every few moments there +was a pause in the play. One of them would turn to me, asking in a low +voice: + +"Grandpa, is it still rising?" + +"No, no. Go on with the game. There is no danger." + +Never had my heart been gripped by such agony. All the men placed +themselves at the windows to hide the terrifying sight. We tried to +smile, turned toward the peaceful lamps that threw discs of light upon +the table. I recalled our winter evenings, when we gathered around +the table. It was the same quiet interior, filled with the warmth of +affection. And while peace was there I heard behind me the roaring of +the escaped river, that was constantly rising. + +"Louis," said my brother Pierre, "the water is within three feet of the +window. We ought to tell them." + +I hushed him up by pressing his arm. But it was no longer possible to +hide the peril. In our barns the animals were killing each other. There +were bleatings and bellowings from the crazed herds; and the horses gave +the harsh cries that can be heard at great distances when they are in +danger of death. + +"My God! My God!" cried Aimee, who stood up, pressing her hands to her +temples. + +They all ran to the windows. There they remained, mute, their hair +rising with fear. A dim light floated above the yellow sheet of water. +The pale sky looked like a white cloth thrown over the earth. In the +distance trailed some smoke. Everything was misty. It was the terrified +end of a day melting into a night of death. And not a human sound, +nothing but the roaring of that sea stretching to infinity; nothing but +the bellowings and the neighings of the animals. + +"My God! My God!" repeated the women, in low voices, as if they feared +to speak aloud. + +A terrible cracking silenced the exclamations. The maddened animals had +burst open the doors of the stables. They passed in the yellow flood, +rolled about, carried away by the current. The sheep were tossed about +like dead leaves, whirling in bands in the eddies. The cows and the +horses struggled, tried to walk, and lost their footing. Our big gray +horse fought long for life. He stretched his neck, he reared, snorting +like a forge. But the enraged waters took him by the crupper, and we saw +him, beaten, abandon himself. + +Then we gave way for the first time. We felt the need of tears. Our +hands stretched out to those dear animals that were being borne away, we +lamented, giving vent to the tears and the sobs that we had suppressed. +Ah! what ruin! The harvests destroyed, the cattle drowned, our fortunes +changed in a few hours! God was not just! We had done nothing against +Him, and He was taking everything from us! I shook my fist at the +horizon. I spoke of our walk that afternoon, of our meadows, our wheat +and vines that we had found so full of promise. It was all a lie, +then! The sun lied when he sank, so sweet and calm, in the midst of the +evening's serenity. + +The water was still rising. Pierre, who was watching it, cried: + +"Louis, we must look out! The water is up to the window!" + +That warning snatched us from our spell of despair. I was once more +myself. Shrugging my shoulders, I said: + +"Money is nothing. As long as we are all saved, there need be no +regrets. We shall have to work again--that is all!" + +"Yes, yes; you are right, father," said Jacques, feverishly. "And we run +no danger--the walls are good and strong. We must get up on the roof." + +That was the only refuge left us. The water, which had mounted the +stairs step by step, was already coming through the door. We rushed +to the attic in a group, holding close to each other. Cyprien had +disappeared. I called him, and I saw him return from the next room, +his face working with emotion. Then, as I remarked the absence of the +servants, for whom I was waiting, he gave me a strange look, then said, +in a suppressed voice: + +"Dead! The corner of the shed under their room caved in." + +The poor girls must have gone to fetch their savings from their trunks. +I told him to say nothing about it. A cold shiver had passed over me. It +was Death entering the house. + +When we went up, in our turn, we did not even think of putting out the +lights. The cards remained spread upon the table. There was already a +foot of water in the room. + + + + +III. + +Fortunately, the roof was vast and sloped gently. We reached it through +a lid-like window, above which was a sort of platform. It was there that +we took refuge. The women seated themselves. The men went over the tiles +to reconnoitre. From my post against the dormer window through which we +had climbed, I examined the four points of the horizon. + +"Help cannot fail to arrive," I said, bravely. "The people of Saintin +have boats; they will come this way. Look over there! Isn't that a +lantern on the water?" + +But no one answered me. Pierre had lighted his pipe, and he was smoking +so furiously that, at each puff, he spit out pieces of the stem. Jacques +and Cyprien looked into the distance, with drawn faces; while Gaspard, +clenching his fists, continued to walk about, seeking an issue. At our +feet the women, silent and shivering, hid their faces to shut out the +sight. Yet Rose raised her head, glanced about her and demanded: + +"And the servants? Where are they? Why, aren't they here?" + +I avoided answering. She then questioned me, her eyes on mine. + +"Where are the servants?" + +I turned away, unable to lie. I felt that chill that had already brushed +me pass over our women and our dear girls. They had understood. Marie +burst into tears. Aimee wrapped her two children in her skirt, as if +to protect them. Veronique, her face in her hands, did not move. Aunt +Agathe, very pale, made the sign of the cross, and mumbled Paters and +Aves. + +Meanwhile the spectacle about us became of sovereign grandeur. The night +retained the clearness of a summer night. There was no moon, but the sky +was sprinkled with stars, and was of so pure a blue that it seemed to +fill space with a blue light. And the immense sheet of water expanded +beneath the softness of the sky. We could no longer see any land. + +"The water is rising; the water is rising!" repeated my brother Pierre, +still crunching the stem of his pipe between his teeth. + +The water was within a yard of the roof. It was losing its tranquility; +currents were being formed. In less than an hour the water became +threatening, dashing against the house, bearing drifting barrels, pieces +of wood, clumps of weeds. In the distance there were attacks upon walls, +and we could hear the resounding shocks. Poplar trees fell, houses +crumbled, like a cartload of stones emptied by the roadside. + +Jacques, unnerved by the sobs of the women, cried: + +"We can't stay here. We must try something. Father, I beg of you, try to +do something." + +I stammered after him: + +"Yes, yes; let us try to do something." + +And we knew of nothing. Gaspard offered to take Veronique on his back +and swim with her to a place of safety. Pierre suggested a raft. Cyprien +finally said: + +"If we could only reach the church!" + +Above the waters the church remained standing, with its little square +steeple. We were separated from it by seven houses. Our farmhouse, the +first of the village, adjoined a higher building, which, in turn, leaned +against the next. Perhaps, by way of the roofs, we would be able to +reach the parsonage. A number of people must have taken refuge there +already, for the neighboring roofs were vacant, and we could hear voices +that surely came from the steeple. But what dangers must be run to reach +them! + +"It is impossible," said Pierre. "The house of the Raimbeaus is too +high; we would need ladders." + +"I am going to try it," said Cyprien. "I will return if the way is +impracticable. Otherwise, we will all go and we will have to carry the +girls." + +I let him go. He was right. We had to try the impossible. He had +succeeded, by the aid of an iron hook fixed in a chimney, in climbing to +the next house, when his wife, Aimee, raising her head, noticed that he +was no longer with us. She screamed: + +"Where is he? I don't want him to leave me! We are together, we shall +die together!" + +When she saw him on the top of the house she ran over the tiles, still +holding her children. And she called out: + +"Cyprien, wait for me! I am going with you. I am going to die with you." + +She persisted. He leaned over, pleading with her, promising to come +back, telling her that he was going for the rescue of all of us. But, +with a wild air, she shook her head, repeating "I am going with you! I +am going with you!" + +He had to take the children. Then he helped her up. We could follow +them along the crest of the house. They walked slowly. She had taken the +children again, and at every step he turned and supported her. + +"Get her to a safe place, and return!" I shouted. + +I saw him wave his hand, but the roaring of the water prevented my +hearing his answer. Soon we could not see them. They had descended to +the roof of the next house. At the end of five minutes they appeared +upon the third roof, which must have been very steep, for they went on +hands and knees along the summit. A sudden terror seized me. I put my +hands to my mouth and shouted: + +"Come back! Come back!" + +Then all of us shouted together. Our voices stopped them for a moment, +but they continued on their way. They reached the angle formed by the +street upon which faced the Raimbeau house, a high structure, with a +roof at least ten feet above those of the neighboring houses. For a +moment they hesitated. Then Cyprien climbed up a chimney pipe, with the +agility of a cat. Aimee, who must have consented to wait for him, stood +on the tiles. We saw her plainly, black and enlarged against the pale +sky, straining her children to her bosom. And it was then that the +horrifying trouble began. + +The Raimbeau house, originally intended for a factory, was very flimsily +built. Besides, the facade was exposed to the current in the street. I +thought I could see it tremble from the attacks of the water; and, with +a contraction of the throat, I watched Cyprien cross the roof. Suddenly +a rumbling was heard. The moon rose, a round moon, whose yellow face +lighted up the immense lake. Not a detail of the catastrophe was lost +to us. The Raimbeau house collapsed. We gave a cry of terror as we saw +Cyprien disappear. As the house crumbled we could distinguish nothing +but a tempest, a swirling of waves beneath the debris of the roof. Then +calm was restored, the surface became smooth; and out of the black hole +of the engulfed house projected the skeleton of its framework. There +was a mass of entangled beams, and, amongst them, I seemed to see a body +moving, something living making superhuman efforts. + +"He lives!" I cried. "Oh, God be praised! He lives!" + +We laughed nervously; we clapped our hands, as if saved ourselves. + +"He is going to raise himself up," said Pierre. + +"Yes, yes," said Gaspard, "he is trying to seize the beam on his left." + +But our laugh ceased. We had just realized the terrible situation in +which Cyprien was placed. During the fall of the house his feet had been +caught between two beams, and he hung head downward within a few inches +of the water. On the roof of the next house Aimee was still standing, +holding her two children. A convulsive tremor shook her. She did not +take her eyes from her husband, a few yards below her. And, mad with +horror, she emitted without cessation a lamentable sound like the +howling of a dog. + +"We can't let him die like that," said Jacques, distracted. "We must get +down there." + +"Perhaps we could slide down the beams and save him," remarked Pierre. + +And they started toward the neighboring roof, when the second house +collapsed, leaving a gap in the route. Then a chill seized us. We +mechanically grasped each other's hands, wringing them cruelly as we +watched the harrowing sight. + +Cyprien had tried at first to stiffen his body. With extraordinary +strength, he had lifted himself above the water, holding his body in +an oblique position. Rut the strain was too great. Nevertheless, +he struggled, tried to reach some of the beams, felt around him for +something to hold to. Then, resigning himself, he fell back again, +hanging limp. + +Death was slow in coming. The water barely covered his hair, and it rose +very gradually. He must have felt its coolness on his brain. A wave wet +his brow; others closed his eyes. Slowly we saw his head disappear. + +The women, at our feet, had buried their faces in their clasped hands. +We, ourselves, fell to our knees, our arms outstretched, weeping, +stammering supplications. + +On the other roof Aimee, still standing, her children clasped to her +bosom, howled mournfully into the night. + + + + +IV. + +I know not how long we remained in a stupor after that tragedy. When I +came to, the water had risen. It was now on a level with the tiles. The +roof was a narrow island, emerging from the immense sheet. To the right +and the left the houses must have crumbled. + +"We are moving," murmured Rose, who clung to the tiles. + +And we all experienced the effect of rolling, as if the roof had +become detached and turned into a raft. The swift currents seemed to be +drifting us away. Then, when we looked at the church clock, immovable +opposite us, the dizziness ceased; we found ourselves in the same place +in the midst of the waves. + +Then the water began an attack. Until then the stream had followed the +street; but the debris that encumbered it deflected the course. And when +a drifting object, a beam, came within reach of the current, it seized +it and directed it against the house like a battering-ram. Soon ten, a +dozen, beams were attacking us on all sides. The water roared. Our feet +were spattered with foam. We heard the dull moaning of the house full +of water. There were moments when the attacks became frenzied, when the +beams battered fiercely; and then we thought that the end was near, that +the walls would open and deliver us to the river. + +Gaspard had risked himself upon the edge of the roof. He had seized a +rafter and drawn it to him. + +"We must defend ourselves," he cried. + +Jacques, on his side, had stopped a long pole in its passage. Pierre +helped him. I cursed my age that left me without strength, as feeble as +a child. But the defense was organized--a drill between three men and +a river. Gaspard, holding his beam in readiness, awaited the driftwood +that the current sent against us, and he stopped it a short distance +from the walls. At times the shock was so rude that he fell. Beside him +Jacques and Pierre manipulated the long pole. During nearly an hour that +unending fight continued. And the water retained its tranquil obstinacy, +invincible. + +Then Jacques and Pierre succumbed, prostrated; while Gaspard, in a last +violent thrust, had his beam wrested from him by the current. The combat +was useless. + +Marie and Veronique had thrown themselves into each other's arms. They +repeated incessantly one phrase--a phrase of terror that I still hear +ringing in my ears: + +"I don't want to die! I don't want to die!" + +Rose put her arms about them. She tried to console them, to reassure +them. And she herself, trembling, raised her face and cried out, in +spite of herself: + +"I don't want to die!" + +Aunt Agathe alone said nothing. She no longer prayed, no longer made the +sign of the cross. Bewildered, her eyes roamed about, and she tried to +smile when her glance met mine. + +The water was beating against the tiles now. There was no hope of help. +We still heard the voices in the direction of the church; two lanterns +had passed in the distance; and the silence spread over the immense +yellow sheet. The people of Saintin, who owned boats, must have been +surprised before us. + +Gaspard continued to wander over the Roof. Suddenly he called us. + +"Look!" he said. "Help me--hold me tight!" + +He had a pole and he was watching an enormous black object that was +gently drifting toward the house. It was the roof of a shed, made of +strong boards, and that was floating like a raft. When it was within +reach he stopped it with the pole, and, as he felt himself being carried +off, he called to us. We held him around the waist. + +Then, as the mass entered the current, it returned against our roof so +violently that we were afraid of seeing it smashed into splinters. + +Gaspard jumped upon it boldly. He went over it carefully, to assure +himself of its solidity. He laughed, saying joyously: + +"Grandfather, we are saved! Don't cry any more, you women. A real boat! +Look, my feet are dry. And it will easily carry all of us!" + +Still, he thought it well to make it more solid. He caught some floating +beams and bound them to it with a rope that Pierre had brought up for +an emergency. Gaspard even fell into the water, but at our screams +he laughed. He knew the water well; he could swim three miles in the +Garonne at a stretch. Getting up again, he shook himself, crying: + +"Come, get on it! Don't lose any time!" + +The women were on their knees. Gaspard had to carry Veronique and Marie +to the middle of the raft, where he made them sit down. + +Rose and Aunt Agathe slid down the tiles and placed themselves beside +the young girls. At this moment I looked toward the church. Aimee was +still in the same place. She was leaning now against a chimney, holding +her children up at arm's length, for the water was to her waist. + +"Don't grieve, grandfather," said Gaspard. "We will take her off on the +way." + +Pierre and Jacques were already on the raft, so I jumped on. Gaspard was +the last one aboard. He gave us poles that he had prepared and that +were to serve us as oars. He had a very long one that he used with great +skill. We let him do all the commanding. At an order from him, we braced +our poles against the tiles to put out into the stream. But it seemed +as if the raft was attached to the roof. In spite of all our efforts, +we could not budge it. At each new effort the current swung us violently +against the house. And it was a dangerous manoeuvre, for the shock +threatened to break up the planks composing the raft. + +So once again we were made to feel our helplessness. We had thought +ourselves saved, and we were still at the mercy of the river. I even +regretted that the women were not on the roof; for, every minute, I +expected to see them precipitated into the boiling torrent. But when I +suggested regaining our refuge they all cried: + +"No, no! Let us try again! Better die here!" + +Gaspard no longer laughed. We renewed our efforts, bending to our poles +with redoubled energy. Pierre then had the idea to climb up on the roof +and draw us, by means of a rope, towards the left. He was thus able to +draw us out of the current. Then, when he again jumped upon the raft, a +few thrusts of our poles sent us out into the open. But Gaspard recalled +the promise he had made me to stop for our poor Aimee, whose plaintive +moans had never ceased. For that purpose it was necessary to cross the +street, where the terrible current existed. He consulted me by a glance. +I was completely upset. Never had such a combat raged within me. We +would have to expose eight lives. And yet I had not the strength to +resist the mournful appeal. + +"Yes, yes," I said to Gaspard. "We can not possibly go away without +her!" + +He lowered his head without a word, and began using his pole against all +the walls left standing. We passed the neighboring house, but as soon +as we emerged into the street a cry escaped us. The current, which had +again seized us, carried us back against our house. We were whirled +round like a leaf, so rapidly that our cry was cut short by the smashing +of the raft against the tiles. There was a rending sound, the planks +were loosened and wrenched apart, and we were all thrown into the water. +I do not know what happened then. I remember that when I sank I saw Aunt +Agathe floating, sustained by her skirts, until she went down backward, +head first, without a struggle. + +A sharp pain brought me to. Pierre was dragging me by the hair along the +tiles. I lay still, stupidly watching. Pierre had plunged in again. And, +in my confused state, I was surprised to see Gaspard at the spot where +my brother had disappeared. The young man had Veronique in his arms. +When he had placed her near me he again jumped in, bringing up Marie, +her face so waxy white that I thought her dead. Then he plunged again. +But this time he searched in vain. Pierre had joined him. They talked +and gave each other indications that I could not hear. As they drew +themselves up on the roof, I cried: + +"And Aunt Agathe? And Jacques? And Rose?" + +They shook their heads. Large tears coursed down their cheeks. They +explained to me that Jacques had struck his head against a beam and that +Rose had been carried down with her husband's body, to which she clung. +Aunt Agathe had not reappeared. + +Raising myself, I looked toward the roof, where Aimee stood. The water +was rising constantly. Aimee was now silent. I could see her upstretched +arms holding her children out of the water. Then they all sank, the +water closed over them beneath the drowsy light of the moon. + + + + +V. + +There were only five of us on the roof now. The water left us but a +narrow band along the ridge. One of the chimneys had just been carried +away. We had to raise Marie and Veronique, who were still unconscious, +and support them almost in a standing position to prevent the waves +washing over their legs. At last, their senses returned, and our anguish +increased upon seeing them wet, shivering and crying miserably that they +did not wish to die. + +The end had come. The destroyed village was marked by a few vestiges of +walls. Alone, the church reared its steeple intact, from whence came the +voices--a murmur of human beings in a refuge. There were no longer any +sounds of falling houses, like a cart of stones suddenly discharged. It +was as if we were abandoned, shipwrecked, a thousand miles from land. + +One moment we thought we heard the dip of oars. Ah! what hopeful music! +How we all strained our eyes into space! We held our breath. But we +could see nothing. The yellow sheet stretched away, spotted with +black shadows. But none of those shadows--tops of trees, remnants of +walls--moved. Driftwood, weeds, empty barrels caused us false joy. We +waved our handkerchiefs until, realizing our error, we again succumbed +to our anxiety. + +"Ah, I see it!" cried Gaspard, suddenly. "Look over there. A large +boat!" + +And he pointed out a distant speck. I could see nothing, neither could +Pierre. But Gaspard insisted it was a boat. The sound of oars became +distinct. At last, we saw it. It was proceeding slowly and seemed to be +circling about us without approaching. I remember that we were like mad. +We raised our arms in our fury; we shouted with all our might. And we +insulted the boat, called it cowardly. But, dark and silent, it glided +away slowly. Was it really a boat? I do not know to this day. When it +disappeared it carried our last hope. + +We were expecting every second to be engulfed with the house. It was +undermined and was probably supported by one solid wall, which, in +giving way, would pull everything with it. But what terrified me most +was to feel the roof sway under our feet. The house would perhaps hold +out overnight, but the tiles were sinking in, beaten and pierced by +beams. We had taken refuge on the left side on some solid rafters. Then +these rafters seemed to weaken. Certainly they would sink if all five of +us remained in so small a space. + +For some minutes my brother Pierre had been twisting his soldierly +mustache, frowning and muttering to himself. The growing danger that +surrounded him and against which his courage availed nothing, was +wearing out his endurance. He spat two or three times into the water, +with an expression of contemptuous anger. Then, as we sank lower, he +made up his mind; he started down the roof. + +"Pierre! Pierre!" I cried, fearing to comprehend. + +He turned and said quietly: + +"Adieu, Louis! You see, it is too long for me. And it will leave more +room for you." + +And, first throwing in his pipe, he plunged, adding: + +"Good night! I have had enough!" + +He did not come up. He was not a strong swimmer, and he probably +abandoned himself, heart-broken at the death of our dear ones and at our +ruin. + +Two o'clock sounded from the steeple of the church. The night would soon +end--that horrible night already so filled with agony and tears. Little +by little, beneath our feet, the small dry space grew smaller. The +current had changed again. The drift, passed to the right of the +village, floating slowly, as if the water, nearing its highest level, +was reposing, tired and lazy. + +Gaspard suddenly took off his shoes and his shirt. I watched him for a +moment as he wrung his hands. When I questioned him he said: + +"Listen, grandfather; it is killing me to wait. I cannot stay here. Let +me do as I wish. I will save her." + +He was speaking of Veronique. I opposed him. He would never have the +strength to carry the young girl to the church. But he was obstinate. + +"Yes, I can! My arms are strong. I feel myself able. You will see. I +love her--I will save her!" + +I was silent. I drew Marie to my breast. Then he thought I was +reproaching the selfishness of his love. He stammered: + +"I will return and get Marie. I swear it. I will find a boat and +organize a rescue party. Have confidence in me, grandfather!" + +Rapidly, he explained to Veronique that she must not struggle, that she +must submit without a movement, and that she must not be afraid. The +young girl answered "yes" to everything, with a distracted look. Then, +after making the sign of the cross, he slid down the roof, holding +Veronique by a rope that he had looped under her arms. She gave a +scream, beat the water with arms and legs, and, suffocated, she fainted. + +"I like this better!" Gaspard called to me. "Now, I can answer for her!" + +It can be imagined with what agony I followed them with my eyes. On the +white surface, I could see Gaspard's slightest movement. He held the +young girl by means of the rope that he coiled around his neck; and +he carried her thus, half thrown over his right shoulder. The crushing +weight bore him under at times. But he advanced, swimming with +superhuman strength. I was no longer in doubt. He had traversed a third +of the distance when he struck against something submerged. The shock +was terrible. Both disappeared. Then I saw him reappear alone. The rope +must have snapped. He plunged twice. At last, he came up with Veronique, +whom he again took on his back. But without the rope to hold her, she +weighed him down more than ever. Still, he advanced. A tremor shook me +as I saw them approaching the church. Suddenly, I saw some beams bearing +down upon them. A second shock separated them and the waters closed over +them. + +From this moment, I was stupefied. I had but the instinct of the animal +looking out for its own safety. When the water advanced, I retreated. In +that stupor, I heard someone laughing, without explaining to myself who +it was. The dawn appeared, a great white daybreak. It was very fresh and +very calm, as on the bank of a pond, the surface of which awakens before +sunrise. But the laughter sounded continually. + +Turning, I saw Marie, standing in her wet clothes. It was she who was +laughing. + +Ah! the poor, dear child! How sweet and pretty she was at that early +hour! I saw her stoop, take up some water in the hollow of her hand, and +wash her face. Then she coiled her beautiful blonde hair. Doubtless, she +imagined she was in her little room, dressing while the church bell rang +merrily. And she continued to laugh her childish laugh, her eyes bright +and her face happy. + +I, too, began to laugh, infected with her madness. Terror had destroyed +her mind; and it was a mercy, so charmed did she appear with the beauty +of the morning. + +I let her hasten, not understanding, shaking my head tenderly. When she +considered herself ready to go, she sang one of her canticles in her +clear crystalline voice. But, interrupting herself, she cried, as if +responding to someone who had called her: + +"I am coming, I am coming!" + +She took up the canticle again, went down the roof, and entered the +water. It covered her softly, without a ripple. I had not ceased +smiling. I looked with happiness upon the spot where she had just +disappeared. + +Then, I remembered nothing more. I was alone on the roof. The water had +risen. A chimney was standing, and I must have clung to it with all my +strength, like an animal that dreads death. Then, nothing, nothing, a +black pit, oblivion. + +VI. + +Why am I still here? They tell me that people from Saintin came toward +six o'clock, with boats, and that they found me lying on a chimney, +unconscious. The water was cruel not to have carried me away to be with +those who were dear to me. + +All the others are gone! The babes in swaddling clothes, the girls to +be married, the young married couples, the old married couples. And I, I +live like a useless weed, coarse and dried, rooted in the rock. If I had +the courage, I would say like Pierre: + +"I have had enough! Good night!" And I would throw myself into the +Garonne. + +I have no child, my house is destroyed, my fields are devastated. Oh! +the evenings when we were all at table, and the gaiety surrounded me +and kept me young. Oh! the great days of harvest and vintage when we all +worked, and when we returned to the house proud of our wealth! Oh! the +handsome children and the fruitful vines, the beautiful girls and the +golden grain, the joy of my old age, the living recompense of my entire +life! Since all that is gone, why should I live? + +There is no consolation. I do not want help. I will give my fields to +the village people who still have their children. They will find the +courage to clear the land of the flotsam and cultivate it anew. When one +has no children, a corner is large enough to die in. + +I had one desire, one only desire. I wished to recover the bodies of my +family, to bury them beneath a slab, where I should soon rejoin them. +It was said that, at Toulouse, a large number of bodies carried down the +stream, had been taken from the water. I decided to make the trip. + +What a terrible disaster! Nearly two thousand houses in ruins; seven +hundred deaths; all the bridges carried away; a whole district razed, +buried in the mud; atrocious tragedies; twenty thousand half-clad +wretches starving to death; the city in a pestilential condition; +mourning everywhere; the streets filled with funeral processions; +financial aid powerless to heal the wounds! But I walked through it all +without seeing anything. I had my ruins, I had my dead, to crush me. + +I was told that many of the bodies had been buried in trenches in a +corner of the cemetery. Only, they had had the forethought to photograph +the unidentified. And it was among these lamentable photographs that I +found Gaspard and Veronique. They had been clasped passionately in +each other's arms, exchanging in death their bridal kiss. It had been +necessary to break their arms in order to separate them. But, first, +they had been photographed together; and they sleep together beneath the +sod. + +I have nothing but them, the image of those two handsome children; +bloated by the water, disfigured, retaining upon their livid faces the +heroism of their love. I look at them, and I weep. + + + + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Flood, by Emile Zola + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE FLOOD *** + +***** This file should be named 7011.txt or 7011.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/7/0/1/7011/ + +Produced by Michael Castelluccio + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at +http://gutenberg.org/license). + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need, are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org. + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at +http://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at +809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact +information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official +page at http://pglaf.org + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit http://pglaf.org + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. +To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + http://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. diff --git a/old/7011.zip b/old/7011.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..0b047a5 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/7011.zip diff --git a/old/zofld10.txt b/old/zofld10.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d326fa8 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/zofld10.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1269 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Flood, by Emile Zola +#14 in our series by Emile Zola + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the +copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing +this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook. + +This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project +Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do not change or edit the +header without written permission. + +Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the +eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of this file. Included is +important information about your specific rights and restrictions in +how the file may be used. You can also find out about how to make a +donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**eBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*****These eBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers!***** + + +Title: The Flood + +Author: Emile Zola + +Release Date: December, 2004 [EBook #7011] +[Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] +[This file was first posted on February 22, 2003] + +Edition: 10 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE FLOOD *** + + + + +This eBook was produced by Michael Castelluccio + + + + + +THE FLOOD + +I. + +My name is Louis Roubien. I am seventy years old. I was born in the +village of Saint-Jory, several miles up the Garonne from Toulouse. + +For fourteen years I battled with the earth for my daily bread. At last, +prosperity smiled on we, and last month I was still the richest farmer +in the parish. + +Our house seemed blessed, happiness reigned there. The sun was our +brother, and I cannot recall a bad crop. We were almost a dozen on the +farm. There was myself, still hale and hearty, leading the children to +work; then my young brother, Pierre, an old bachelor and retired sergeant; +then my sister, Agathe, who came to us after the death of her husband. +She was a commanding woman, enormous and gay, whose laugh could be heard +at the other end of the village. Then came all the brood: my son, Jacques; +his wife, Rosie, and their three daughters, Aimee, Veronique, and Marie. +The first named was married to Cyprica Bouisson, a big jolly fellow, by +whom she had two children, one two years old and the other ten months. +Veronique was just betrothed, and was soon to marry Gaspard Rabuteau. The +third, Marie, was a real young lady, so white, so fair, that she looked as +if born in the city. + +That made ten, counting everybody. I was a grandfather and a great-grandfather. +When we were at table I had my sister, Agathe, at my right, and my brother, +Pierre, at my left. The children formed a circle,seated according to age, +with the heads diminishing down to the baby of ten months, who already ate +his soup like a man. And let me tell you that the spoons in the plates made a +clatter. The brood had hearty appetites. And what gayety between the mouthfuls! +I was filled with pride and joy when the little ones held out their hands +toward me, crying: + +"Grandpa, give us some bread! A big piece, grandpa!" + +Oh! the good days! Our farm sang from every corner. In the evening, Pierre +invented games and related stories of his regiment. On Sunday Agathe made +cakes for the girls. Marie knew some canticles, which she sang like a +chorister. +She looked like a saint, with her blond hair falling on her neck and her +hands folded on her apron. + +I had built another story on the house when Aimee had married Cyprien; and +I said laughingly that I would have to build another after the wedding of +Veronique and Gaspard. We never cared to leave each other. We would sooner +have built a city behind the farm, in our enclosure. When families are united, +it is so good to live and die where one has grown up! + +The month of May had been magnificent that year. It was long since the +crops gave such good promise. That day precisely, I had made a tour of +inspection with my son, Jacques. We started at about three o'clock. +Our meadows on the banks of the Garonne were of a tender green. The +grass was three feet high, and an osier thicket, planted the year before, +had sprouts a yard high. From there we went to visit our wheat and our +vines, fields bought one by one as fortune came to us. The wheat was +growing strong; the vines, in full flower, promised a superb vintage. And +Jacques laughed his good laugh as he slapped me on the shoulder. + +"Well, father, we shall never want for bread nor for wine. You must +be a friend of the Divine Power to have silver showered upon your land +in this way." + +We often joked among ourselves of our past poverty. Jacques was right. +I must have gained the friendship of some saint or of God himself, +for all the luck in the country was for us. When it hailed the hail +ceased on the border of our fields. If the vines of our neighbors fell +sick, ours seemed to have a wall of protection around them. And in the +end I grew to consider it only just. Never doing harm to any one, I +thought that happiness was my due. + +As we approached the house, Rose gesticulated, calling out: + +"Hurry up!" + +One of our cows had just had a calf, and everybody was excited. The +birth of that little beast seemed one more blessing. We had been obliged +recently to enlarge the stables, where we had nearly one hundred head +of animals--cows and sheep, without counting the horses. + +"Well, a good day's work!" I cried. "We will drink to-night a bottle of +ripened wine." + +Meanwhile, Rose took us aside and told us that Gaspard, Veronique's +betrothed, had come to arrange the day for the wedding. She had invited +him to remain for dinner. + +Gaspard, the oldest son of a farmer of Moranges, was a big boy of twenty +years, known throughout the country for his prodigious strength. During +a festival at Toulouse he had vanquished Martial, the "Lion of the Midi." +With that, a nice boy, with a heart of gold. He was even timid, and +he blushed when Veronique looked him squarely in the face. + +I told Rose to call him. He was at the bottom of the yard, helping our +servants to spread out the freshly-washed linen. When he entered the +dining room, where we were, Jacques turned toward me, saying: + +"You speak, father." + +"Well," I said, "you have come, my boy, to have us set the great day?" + +"Yes, that is it, Father Roubien," he answered, very red. + +"You mustn't blush, my boy," I continued. "It will be, if you wish, on Saint- +Felicite day, the 10th of July. This is the 23rd of June, so you +will have only twenty days to wait. My poor dead wife was called Felicite, +and that will bring you happiness. Well? Is it understood?" + +"Yes, that will do--Sainte-Felicite day. Father Roubien." + +And he gave each of us a grip that made us wince. Then he embraced Rose, +calling her mother. This big boy with the terrific fists loved Veronique +to the point of losing his appetite. + +Now," I continued, "you must remain for dinner. Well, everybody to the table. +I have a thundering appetite, I have." + +That evening we were eleven at table. Gaspard was placed next to Veronique, +and he sat looking at her, forgetting his plate, so moved at the thought +of her belonging to him that, at times, the tears sprang to his eyes. Cyprien +and Aimee, married only three years, smiled. Jacques and Rose, who +had had twenty-five years of married life, were more serious, but, +surreptitiously, they exchanged tender glances. As for me, I seemed to relive +in those two sweethearts, whose happiness seemed to bring a corner +of Paradise to our table. What good soup we had that evening! Aunt Agathe, +always ready with a witticism, risked several jokes. Then that honest +Pierre wanted to relate his love affair with a young lady of Lyons. +Fortunately, we were at the dessert, and every one was talking at once. I +had brought two bottles of mellowed wine from the cellar. We drank to the +good fortune of Gaspard and Veronique. Then we had singing. Gaspard knew some +love songs in dialect. We also asked Marie for a canticle. She stood up and +sang in a flute-like voice that tickled one's ears. + +I went to the window, and Gaspard joined me there. + +"Is there no news up your way?" I asked him. + +"No," he answered. "There is considerable talk about the heavy rains of the +last few days. Some seem to think that they will cause trouble." + +In effect, it had rained for sixty hours without stopping. The Garonne was +very much swollen since the preceding day, but we had confidence in it, and, +as long as it did not overflow its banks, we could not look on it as a bad +neighbor. + +"Bah!" I exclaimed, shrugging my shoulders. "Nothing will happen. It is the +same every year. The river puts up her back as if she were furious, and she +calms down in a night. You will see, my boy, that it will amount to nothing +this time. See how beautiful the weather is!" + +And I pointed to the sky. It was seven o'clock; the sun was setting. The sky +was blue, an immense blue sheet of profound purity, in which the rays of the +setting sun were like a golden dust. Never had I seen the village drowsing in +so sweet a peace. Upon the tiled roofs a rosy tint was fading. I heard a +neighbor's laugh, then the voices of children at the turn in the road in front +of our place. Farther away and softened by the distance, rose the sounds of +flocks entering their sheds. The great voice of the Garonne roared continually; +but it was to me as the voice of the silence, so accustomed +to it was I. + +Little by little the sky paled; the village became more drowsy. It was the +evening of a beautiful day; and I thought that all our good fortune--the big +harvests, the happy house, the betrothal of Veronique--came to us from above +in the purity of the dying light. A benediction spread over us with the +farewell of the evening. + +Meanwhile I had returned to the center of the room. The girls were chattering. +We listened to them, smiling. Suddenly, across the serenity of the country, +a terrible cry sounded, a cry of distress and death: + +"The Garonne! The Garonne!" + +II. + +We rushed out into the yard. + +Saint-Jory is situated at the bottom of a +slope at about five hundred yards from the Garonne. Screens of tall poplars +that divide the meadows, hide the river completely. + +We could see nothing. And still the cry rang out: + +"The Garonne! The Garonne!" + +Suddenly, on the wide road before us, appeared two men and three women, +one of them holding a child in her arms. It was they who were crying out, +distracted, running with long strides. They turned at times, looking behind +with terrified faces, as if a band of wolves was pursuing them. + +"What's the matter with them?" demanded Cyprien. "Do you see anything, +grandfather?" + +"No," I answered. "The leaves are not even moving." + +I was still talking when an exclamation burst from us. Behind the fugitives +there appeared, between the trunks of the poplars, amongst the large tufts +of grass, what looked like a pack of gray beasts speckled with yellow. They +sprang up from all directions, waves crowding waves, a helter-skelter of +masses of foaming water, shaking the sod with the rumbling gallop of their +hordes. + +It was our turn to send forth the despairing cry: + +"The Garonne! The Garonne!" + +The two men and the three women were still running on the road. They heard +the terrible gallop gaining on them. Now the waves arrived in a single line, +rolling, tumbling with the thunder of a charging battalion. With their first +shock they had broken three poplars; the tall foliage sank and disappeared. +A wooden cabin was swallowed up, a wall was demolished; heavy carts were +carried away like straws. But the water seemed, above all, to pursue the +fugitives. At the bend in the road, where there was a steep slope, it fell +suddenly in an immense sheet and cut off retreat. They continued to run, +nevertheless, splashing through the water, no longer shouting, mad +with terror. The water swirled about their knees. An enormous wave felled +the woman who was carrying the child. Then all were engulfed. + +"Quick! Quick!" I cried. "We must get into the house. It is solid--we have +nothing to fear." + +We took refuge upstairs. The house was built on a hillock above the road. +The water invaded the yard, softly, with a little rippling noise. We were +not much frightened. + +"Bah!" said Jacques, to reassure every one, "this will not amount to +anything. You remember, father, in '55, the water came up into the yard. +It was a foot deep. Then it receded." + +"It is disastrous for the crops, just the same," murmured Cyprien. + +"No, it will not be anything," I said, seeing the large questioning eyes +of our girls. + +Aimee had put her two children into the bed. She sat beside them, with +Veronique and Marie. Aunt Agathe spoke of heating some wine she had brought +up, to give us courage. + +Jacques and Rose were looking out of a window. I was at the other, with my +brother Pierre, Cyprien and Gaspard. + +"Come up!" I cried to our two servants, who were wading in the yard. "Don't +stay there and get all wet." + +"But the animals?" they asked. "They are afraid. They are killing each other +in the barn." + +"No, no; come up! After a while we'll see to them." + +The rescue of the animals would be impossible, if the disaster was to attain +greater proportions. I thought it unnecessary to frighten the family. So I +forced myself to appear hopeful. Leaning on the windowsill, I indicated the +progress of the flood. The river, after its attack on the village, was in +possession even to the narrowest streets. It was no longer a galloping +charge, but a slow and invincible strangulation. The hollow in the bottom +of which Saint-Jory is built was changed into a lake. In our yard the water +was soon three feet deep. But I asserted that it remained stationary--I even +went so far as to pretend that it was going down. + +"Well, you will be obliged to sleep here to-night, my boy," I said, turning +to Gaspard. "That is, unless the roads are free in a couple of hours--which +is quite possible." + +He looked at me without answering, his face quite pale; and I saw him look +at Veronique with an expression of anguish. + +It was half-past eight o'clock. It was still daylight--a pale, sad light +beneath the blanched sky. The servants had had the forethought to bring up +two lamps with them. I had them lighted, thinking that they would brighten +up the somber room. Aunt Agathe, who had rolled a table to the middle of the +room, wished to organize a card party. The worthy woman, whose eyes sought +mine momentarily, thought above all of diverting the children. Her good humor +kept up a superb bravery; and she laughed to combat the terror that she felt +growing around her. She forcibly placed Aimee, Veronique, and Marie at the +table. She put the cards into their hands, took a hand herself with an air of +intense interest, shuffling, cutting, dealing with such a flow of talk that +she almost drowned the noise of the water. But our girls could not be diverted; +they were pale, with feverish hands, and ears on the alert. Every few moments +there was a pause in the play. One of them would turn to me, asking in a low +voice: + +"Grandpa, is it still rising?" + +"No, no. Go on with the game. There is no danger." + +Never had my heart been gripped by such agony. All the men placed themselves +at the windows to hide the terrifying sight. We tried to smile, turned toward +the peaceful lamps that threw discs of light upon the table. I recalled our +winter evenings, when we gathered around the table. It was the same quiet +interior, filled with the warmth of affection. And while peace was there I +heard behind me the roaring of the escaped river, that was constantly rising. + +"Louis," said my brother Pierre, "the water is within three feet of the window. +We ought to tell them." + +I hushed him up by pressing his arm. But it was no longer possible to hide +the peril. In our barns the animals were killing each other. There were +bleatings and bellowings from the crazed herds; and the horses gave the harsh +cries that can be heard at great distances when they are in danger of death. + +"My God! My God!" cried Aimee, who stood up, pressing her hands to her temples. + +They all ran to the windows. There they remained, mute, their hair rising +with fear. A dim light floated above the yellow sheet of water. The pale sky +looked like a white cloth thrown over the earth. In the distance trailed some +smoke. Everything was misty. It was the terrified end of a day melting into a +night of death. And not a human sound, nothing but the roaring of that sea +stretching to infinity; nothing but the bellowings and the neighings of the +animals. + +"My God! My God!" repeated the women, in low voices, as if they feared to +speak aloud. + +A terrible cracking silenced the exclamations. The maddened animals had +burst open the doors of the stables. They passed in the yellow flood, rolled +about, carried away by the current. The sheep were tossed about like dead +leaves, whirling in bands in the eddies. The cows and the horses struggled, +tried to walk, and lost their footing. Our big gray horse fought long for +life. He stretched his neck, he reared, snorting like a forge. But the enraged +waters took him by the crupper, and we saw him, beaten, abandon himself. + +Then we gave way for the first time. We felt the need of tears. Our hands +stretched out to those dear animals that were being borne away, we lamented, +giving vent to the tears and the sobs that we had suppressed. Ah! what ruin! +The harvests destroyed, the cattle drowned, our fortunes changed in a few +hours! God was not just! We had done nothing against Him, and He was taking +everything from us! I shook my fist at the horizon. I spoke of our walk that +afternoon, of our meadows, our wheat and vines that we had found so full of +promise. It was all a lie, then! The sun lied when he sank, so sweet and +calm, in the midst of the evening's serenity. + +The water was still rising. Pierre, who was watching it, cried: + +"Louis, we must look out! The water is up to the window!" + +That warning snatched us from our spell of despair. I was once more myself. +Shrugging my shoulders, I said: + +"Money is nothing. As long as we are all saved, there need be no regrets. +We shall have to work again--that is all!" + +"Yes, yes; you are right, father," said Jacques, feverishly. "And we run +no danger--the walls are good and strong. We must get up on the roof." + +That was the only refuge left us. The water, which had mounted the stairs +step by step, was already coming through the door. We rushed to the attic +in a group, holding close to each other. Cyprien had disappeared. I called +him, and I saw him return from the next room, his face working with emotion. +Then, as I remarked the absence of the servants, for whom I was waiting,he +gave me a strange look, then said, in a suppressed voice: + +"Dead! The corner of the shed under their room caved in." + +The poor girls must have gone to fetch their savings from their trunks. I +told him to say nothing about it. A cold shiver had passed over me. It was +Death entering the house. + +When we went up, in our turn, we did not even think of putting out the lights. +The cards remained spread upon the table. There was already a foot of water in +the room. + +III. + +Fortunately, the roof was vast and sloped gently. We reached it through a lid- +like window, above which was a sort of platform. It was there that we took +refuge. The women seated themselves. The men went over the tiles to +reconnoitre. +From my post against the dormer window through which we had climbed, I +examined the four points of the horizon. + +"Help cannot fail to arrive," I said, bravely. "The people of Saintin have +boats; they will come this way. Look over there! Isn't that a lantern on the +water?" + +But no one answered me. Pierre had lighted his pipe, and he was smoking so +furiously that, at each puff, he spit out pieces of the stem. Jacques and +Cyprien looked into the distance, with drawn faces; while Gaspard, clenching +his fists, continued to walk about, seeking an issue. At our feet the women, +silent and shivering, hid their faces to shut out the sight. Yet Rose raised +her head, glanced about her and demanded: + +"And the servants? Where are they? Why, aren't they here?" + +I avoided answering. She then questioned me, her eyes on mine. + +"Where are the servants?" + +I turned away, unable to lie. I felt that chill that had already brushed me +pass over our women and our dear girls. They had understood. Marie burst into +tears. Aimee wrapped her two children in her skirt, as if to protect them. +Veronique, her face in her hands, did not move. Aunt Agathe, very pale, made +the sign of the cross, and mumbled Paters and Aves. + +Meanwhile the spectacle about us became of sovereign grandeur. The night +retained the clearness of a summer night. There was no moon, but the sky +was sprinkled with stars, and was of so pure a blue that it seemed to fill +space with a blue light. And the immense sheet of water expanded beneath the +softness of the sky. We could no longer see any land. + +"The water is rising; the water is rising!" repeated my brother Pierre, still +crunching the stem of his pipe between his teeth. + +The water was within a yard of the roof. It was losing its tranquility; +currents were being formed. In less than an hour the water became threatening, +dashing against the house, bearing drifting barrels, pieces of wood, clumps +of weeds. In the distance there were attacks upon walls, and we could hear +the resounding shocks. Poplar trees fell, houses crumbled, like a cartload of +stones emptied by the roadside. + +Jacques, unnerved by the sobs of the women, cried: + +"We can't stay here. We must try something. Father, I beg of you, try to +do something." + +I stammered after him: + +"Yes, yes; let us try to do something." + +And we knew of nothing. Gaspard offered to take Veronique on his back and +swim with her to a place of safety. Pierre suggested a raft. Cyprien finally +said: + +"If we could only reach the church!" + +Above the waters the church remained standing, with its little square +steeple. We were separated from it by seven houses. Our farmhouse, the first +of the village, adjoined a higher building, which, in turn, leaned against +the next. Perhaps, by way of the roofs, we would be able to reach the +parsonage. A number of people must have taken refuge there already, for the +neighboring roofs were vacant, and we could hear voices that surely came +from the steeple. But what dangers must be run to reach them! + +"It is impossible," said Pierre. "The house of the Raimbeaus is too high; +we would need ladders." + +"I am going to try it," said Cyprien. "I will return if the way is +impracticable. Otherwise, we will all go and we will have to carry the girls." + +I let him go. He was right. We had to try the impossible. He had succeeded, +by the aid of an iron hook fixed in a chimney, in climbing to the next house, +when his wife, Aimee, raising her head, noticed that he was no longer with us. +She screamed: + +"Where is he? I don't want him to leave me! We are together, we shall die +together!" + +When she saw him on the top of the house she ran over the tiles, still +holding her children. And she called out: + +"Cyprien, wait for me! I am going with you. I am going to die with you." + +She persisted. He leaned over, pleading with her, promising to come back, +telling her that he was going for the rescue of all of us. But, with a wild +air, she shook her head, repeating "I am going with you! I am going with +you!" + +He had to take the children. Then he helped her up. We could follow them +along the crest of the house. They walked slowly. She had taken the children +again, and at every step he turned and supported her. + +"Get her to a safe place, and return!" I shouted. + +I saw him wave his hand, but the roaring of the water prevented my hearing +his answer. Soon we could not see them. They had descended to the roof of +the next house. At the end of five minutes they appeared upon the third roof, +which must have been very steep, for they went on hands and knees along the +summit. A sudden terror seized me. I put my hands to my mouth and shouted: + +"Come back! Come back!" + +Then all of us shouted together. Our voices stopped them for a moment, but +they continued on their way. They reached the angle formed by the street upon +which faced the Raimbeau house, a high structure, with a roof at least ten +feet above those of the neighboring houses. For a moment they hesitated. Then +Cyprien climbed up a chimney pipe, with the agility of a cat. Aimee, who must +have consented to wait for him, stood on the tiles. We saw her plainly, black +and enlarged against the pale sky, straining her children to her bosom. And +it was then that the horrifying trouble began. + +The Raimbeau house, originally intended for a factory, was very flimsily +built. Besides, the facade was exposed to the current in the street. I thought +I could see it tremble from the attacks of the water; and, with a contraction +of the throat, I watched Cyprien cross the roof. Suddenly a rumbling was +heard. The moon rose, a round moon, whose yellow face lighted up the immense +lake. Not a detail of the catastrophe was lost to us. The Raimbeau house +collapsed. We gave a cry of terror as we saw Cyprien disappear. As the house +crumbled we could distinguish nothing but a tempest, a swirling of waves +beneath +the debris of the roof. Then calm was restored, the surface became smooth; and +out of the black hole of the engulfed house projected the skeleton of its +framework. There was a mass of entangled beams, and, amongst them, I seemed to +see a body moving, something living making superhuman efforts. + +"He lives!" I cried. "Oh, God be praised! He lives!" + +We laughed nervously; we clapped our hands, as if saved ourselves. + +"He is going to raise himself up," said Pierre. + +"Yes, yes," said Gaspard, "he is trying to seize the beam on his left." + +But our laugh ceased. We had just realized the terrible situation in which +Cyprien was placed. During the fall of the house his feet had been caught +between two beams, and he hung head downward within a few inches of the +water. On the roof of the next house Aimee was still standing, holding her +two children. A convulsive tremor shook her. She did not take her eyes from +her husband, a few yards below her. And, mad with horror, she emitted +without cessation a lamentable sound like the howling of a dog. + +"We can't let him die like that," said Jacques, distracted. "We must get down +there." + +"Perhaps we could slide down the beams and save him," remarked Pierre. + +And they started toward the neighboring roof, when the second house collapsed, +leaving a gap in the route. Then a chill seized us. We mechanically grasped +each other's hands, wringing them cruelly as we watched the harrowing sight. + +Cyprien had tried at first to stiffen his body. With extraordinary strength, +he had lifted himself above the water, holding his body in an oblique position. +Rut the strain was too great. Nevertheless, he struggled, tried to reach some +of the beams, felt around him for something to hold to. Then, resigning +himself, +he fell back again, hanging limp. + +Death was slow in coming. The water barely covered his hair, and it rose very +gradually. He must have felt its coolness on his brain. A wave wet his brow; +others closed his eyes. Slowly we saw his head disappear. + +The women, at our feet, had buried their faces in their clasped hands. We, +ourselves, fell to our knees, our arms outstretched, weeping, stammering +supplications. + +On the other roof Aimee, still standing, her children clasped to her bosom, +howled mournfully into the night. + +IV. + +I know not how long we remained in a stupor after that tragedy. When I came +to, the water had risen. It was now on a level with the tiles. The roof was a +narrow island, emerging from the immense sheet. To the right and the left the +houses must have crumbled. + +"We are moving," murmured Rose, who clung to the tiles. + +And we all experienced the effect of rolling, as if the roof had become +detached and turned into a raft. The swift currents seemed to be drifting us +away. Then, when we looked at the church clock, immovable opposite us, the +dizziness ceased; we found ourselves in the same place in the midst of the +waves. + +Then the water began an attack. Until then the stream had followed the street; +but the debris that encumbered it deflected the course. And when a drifting +object, a beam, came within reach of the current, it seized it and directed +it against the house like a battering-ram. Soon ten, a dozen, beams were +attacking us on all sides. The water roared. Our feet were spattered with +foam. We heard the dull moaning of the house full of water. There were moments +when the attacks became frenzied, when the beams battered fiercely; and then +we thought that the end was near, that the walls would open and deliver us to +the river. + +Gaspard had risked himself upon the edge of the roof. He had seized a rafter +and drawn it to him. + +"We must defend ourselves," he cried. + +Jacques, on his side, had stopped a long pole in its passage. Pierre helped +him. I cursed my age that left me without strength, as feeble as a child. +But the defense was organized--a drill between three men and a river. Gaspard, +holding his beam in readiness, awaited the driftwood that the current sent +against us, and be stopped it a short distance from the walls. At times the +shock was so rude that he fell. Beside him Jacques and Pierre manipulated the +long pole. During nearly an hour that unending fight continued. And the water +retained its tranquil obstinacy, invincible. + +Then Jacques and Pierre succumbed, prostrated; while Gaspard, in a last +violent thrust, had his beam wrested from him by the current. The combat was +useless. + +Marie and Veronique had thrown themselves into each other's arms. They repeated +incessantly one phrase--a phrase of terror that I still hear ringing in my +ears: + +"I don't want to die! I don't want to die!" + +Rose put her arms about them. She tried to console them, to reassure them. +And she herself, trembling, raised her face and cried out, in spite of herself: + +"I don't want to die!" + +Aunt Agathe alone said nothing. She no longer prayed, no longer made the sign +of the cross. Bewildered, her eyes roamed about, and she tried to smile when +her +glance met mine. + +The water was beating against the tiles now. There was no hope of help. We +still heard the voices in the direction of the church; two lanterns had passed +in the distance; and the silence spread over the immense yellow sheet. The +people of Saintin, who owned boats, must have been surprised before us. + +Gaspard continued to wander over the Roof. Suddenly he called us. + +"Look!" he said. "Help me--hold me tight!" + +He had a pole and be was watching an enormous black object that was gently +drifting toward the house. It was the roof of a shed, made of strong boards, +and that was floating like a raft. When it was within reach he stopped it with +the pole, and, as he felt himself being carried off, he called to us. We held +him around the waist. + +Then, as the mass entered the current, it returned against our roof so +violently +that we were afraid of seeing it smashed into splinters. + +Gaspard jumped upon it boldly. He went over it carefully, to assure himself of +its solidity. He laughed, saying joyously: + +"Grandfather, we are saved! Don't cry any more, you women. A real boat! Look, +my feet are dry. And it will easily carry all of us!" + +Still, he thought it well to make it more solid. He caught some floating beams +and bound them to it with a rope that Pierre had brought up for an emergency. +Gaspard even fell into the water, but at our screams he laughed. He knew the +water well; he could swim three miles in the Garonne at a stretch. Getting up +again, he shook himself, crying: + +"Come, get on it! Don't lose any time!" + +The women were on their knees. Gaspard had to carry Veronique and Marie to +the middle of the raft, where he made them sit down. + +Rose and Aunt Agathe slid down the tiles and placed themselves beside the +young girls. At this moment I looked toward the church. Aimee was still in +the same place. She was leaning now against a chimney, holding her children +up at arm's length, for the water was to her waist. + +"Don't grieve, grandfather," said Gaspard. "We will take her off on the way." + +Pierre and Jacques were already on the raft, so I jumped on. Gaspard was the +last one aboard. He gave us poles that he had prepared and that were to serve +us as oars. He had a very long one that he used with great skill. We let him +do all the commanding. At an order from him, we braced our poles against the +tiles to put out into the stream. But it seemed as if the raft was attached to +the roof. In spite of all our efforts, we could not budge it. At each new +effort the current swung us violently against the house. And it was a dangerous +manoeuvre, for the shock threatened to break up the planks composing the raft. + +So once again we were made to feel our helplessness. We had thought ourselves +saved, and we were still at the mercy of the river. I even regretted that the +women were not on the roof; for, every minute, I expected to see them +precipitated into the boiling torrent. But when I suggested regaining our +refuge they all cried: + +"No, no! Let us try again! Better die here!" + +Gaspard no longer laughed. We renewed our efforts, bending to our poles with +redoubled energy. Pierre then had the idea to climb up on the roof and draw +us, by means of a rope, towards the left. He was thus able to draw us out of +the current. Then, when he again jumped upon the raft, a few thrusts of our +poles sent us out into the open. But Gaspard recalled the promise he had made +me to stop for our poor Aimee, whose plaintive moans had never ceased. For that +purpose it was necessary to cross the street, where the terrible current +existed. He consulted me by a glance. I was completely upset. Never had such a +combat raged within me. We would have to expose eight lives. And yet I had not +the strength to resist the mournful appeal. + +"Yes, yes," I said to Gaspard. "We can not possibly go away without her!" + +He lowered his head without a word, and began using his pole against all the +walls left standing. We passed the neighboring house, but as soon as we +emerged into the street a cry escaped us. The current, which had again seized +us, carried us back against our house. We were whirled round like a leaf, so +rapidly that our cry was cut short by the smashing of the raft against the +tiles. There was a rending sound, the planks were loosened and wrenched apart, +and we were all thrown into the water. I do not know what happened then. I +remember that when I sank I saw Aunt Agathe floating, sustained by her +skirts, until she went down backward, head first, without a struggle. + +A sharp pain brought me to. Pierre was dragging me by the hair along the +tiles. I lay still, stupidly watching. Pierre had plunged in again. And, in +my confused state, I was surprised to see Gaspard at the spot where my brother +had disappeared. The young man had Veronique in his arms. When he had placed +her near me he again jumped in, bringing up Marie, her face so waxy white that +I thought her dead. Then he plunged again. But this time he searched in vain. +Pierre had joined him. They talked and gave each other indications that I could +not hear. As they drew themselves up on the roof, I cried: + +"And Aunt Agathe? And Jacques? And Rose?" + +They shook their heads. Large tears coursed down their cheeks. They explained +to me that Jacques had struck his head against a beam and that Rose had been +carried down with her husband's body, to which she clung. Aunt Agathe had not +reappeared. + +Raising myself, I looked toward the roof, where Aimee stood. The water was +rising constantly. Aimee was now silent. I could see her upstretched arms +holding her children out of the water. Then they all sank, the water closed +over them beneath the drowsy light of the moon. + +V. + +There were only five of us on the roof now. The water left us but a narrow +band along the ridge. One of the chimneys had just been carried away. We had +to raise Marie and Veronique, who were still unconscious, and support them +almost in a standing position to prevent the waves washing over their legs. +At last, their senses returned, and our anguish increased upon seeing them +wet, shivering and crying miserably that they did not wish to die. + +The end had come. The destroyed village was marked by a few vestiges of +walls. Alone, the church reared its steeple intact, from whence came the +voices--a murmur of human beings in a refuge. There were no longer any sounds +of falling houses, like a cart of stones suddenly discharged. It was as if we +were abandoned, shipwrecked, a thousand miles from land. + +One moment we thought we heard the dip of oars. Ah! what hopeful music! How +we all strained our eyes into space! We held our breath. But we could see +nothing. The yellow sheet stretched away, spotted with black shadows. But +none of those shadows--tops of trees, remnants of walls--moved. Driftwood, +weeds, empty barrels caused us false joy. We waved our handkerchiefs until, +realizing our error, we again succumbed to our anxiety. + +"Ah, I see it!" cried Gaspard, suddenly. "Look over there. A large boat!" + +And he pointed out a distant speck. I could see nothing, neither could +Pierre. But Gaspard insisted it was a boat. The sound of oars became distinct. +At last, we saw it. It was proceeding slowly and seemed to be circling about +us without approaching. I remember that we were like mad. We raised our arms +in our fury; we shouted with all our might. And we insulted the boat, called +it cowardly. But, dark and silent, it glided away slowly. Was it really a boat? +I do not know to this day. When it disappeared it carried our last hope. + +We were expecting every second to be engulfed with the house. It was +undermined and was probably supported by one solid wall, which, in giving +way, would pull everything with it. But what terrified me most was to feel +the roof sway under our feet. The house would perhaps hold out overnight, but +the tiles were sinking in, beaten and pierced by beams. We had taken +refuge on the left side on some solid rafters. Then these rafters seemed to +weaken. Certainly they would sink if all five of us remained in so small a +space. + +For some minutes my brother Pierre had been twisting his soldierly mustache, +frowning and muttering to himself. The growing danger that surrounded him +and against which his courage availed nothing, was wearing out his endurance. +He spat two or three times into the water, with an expression of contemptuous +anger. Then, as we sank lower, he made up his mind; he started down the roof. + +"Pierre! Pierre!" I cried, fearing to comprehend. + +He turned and said quietly: + +"Adieu, Louis! You see, it is too long for me. And it will leave more room +for you." + +And, first throwing in his pipe, he plunged, adding: + +"Good night! I have had enough!" + +He did not come up. He was not a strong swimmer, and he probably abandoned +himself, heart-broken at the death of our dear ones and at our ruin. + +Two o'clock sounded from the steeple of the church. The night would soon end-- +that horrible night already so filled with agony and tears. Little by little, +beneath our feet, the small dry space grew smaller. The current had changed +again. The drift, passed to the right of the village, floating slowly, as if +the water, nearing its highest level, was reposing, tired and lazy. + +Gaspard suddenly took off his shoes and his shirt. I watched him for a moment +as he wrung his hands. When I questioned him he said: + +"Listen, grandfather; it is killing me to wait. I cannot stay here. Let me do +as I wish. I will save her." + +He was speaking of Veronique. I opposed him. He would never have the strength +to carry the young girl to the church. But he was obstinate. + +"Yes, I can! My arms are strong. I feel myself able. You will see. I love +her--I +will save her!" + +I was silent. I drew Marie to my breast. Then he thought I was reproaching the +selfishness of his love. He stammered: + +"I will return and get Marie. I swear it. I will find a boat and organize a +rescue party. Have confidence in me, grandfather!" + +Rapidly, he explained to Veronique that she must not struggle, that she +must submit without a movement, and that she must not be afraid. The young +girl answered "yes" to everything, with a distracted look. Then, after making +the sign of the cross, he slid down the roof, holding Veronique by a rope that +he had looped under her arms. She gave a scream, beat the water with arms and +legs, and, suffocated, she fainted. + +"I like this better!" Gaspard called to me. "Now, I can answer for her!" + +It can be imagined with what agony I followed them with my eyes. On the +white surface, I could see Gaspard's slightest movement. He held the young +girl by means of the rope that he coiled around his neck; and he carried her +thus, half thrown over his right shoulder. The crushing weight bore him under +at times. But he advanced, swimming with superhuman strength. I was no +longer in doubt. He had traversed a third of the distance when he struck +against something submerged. The shock was terrible. Both disappeared. Then +I saw him reappear alone. The rope must have snapped. He plunged twice. At +last, he came up with Veronique, whom he again took on his back. But without +the rope to hold her, she weighed him down more than ever. Still, he advanced. +A tremor shook me as I saw them approaching the church. Suddenly, I saw some +beams bearing down upon them. A second shock separated them and the waters +closed over them. + +From this moment, I was stupefied. I had but the instinct of the animal +looking out for its own safety. When the water advanced, I retreated. In +that stupor, I heard someone laughing, without explaining to myself who it +was. The dawn appeared, a great white daybreak. It was very fresh and very +calm, as on the bank of a pond, the surface of which awakens before sunrise. +But the laughter sounded continually. + +Turning, I saw Marie, standing in her wet clothes. It was she who was laughing. + +Ah! the poor, dear child! How sweet and pretty she was at that early hour! I +saw her stoop, take up some water in the hollow of her hand, and wash her +face. Then she coiled her beautiful blonde hair. Doubtless, she imagined she +was in her little room, dressing while the church bell rang merrily. And she +continued to laugh her childish laugh, her eyes bright and her face happy. + +I, too, began to laugh, infected with her madness. Terror had destroyed her +mind; and it was a mercy, so charmed did she appear with the beauty of the +morning. + +I let her hasten, not understanding, shaking my head tenderly. When she +considered herself ready to go, she sang one of her canticles in her clear +crystalline voice. But, interrupting herself, she cried, as if responding +to someone who had called her: + +"I am coming, I am coming!" + +She took up the canticle again, went down the roof, and entered the water. +It covered her softly, without a ripple. I had not ceased smiling. I looked +with happiness upon the spot where she had just disappeared. + +Then, I remembered nothing more. I was alone on the roof. The water had risen. +A chimney was standing, and I must have clung to it with all my strength, like +an animal that dreads death. Then, nothing, nothing, a black pit, oblivion. + +VI. + +Why am I still here? They tell me that people from Saintin came toward six +o'clock, with boats, and that they found me lying on a chimney, unconscious. +The water was cruel not to have carried me away to be with those who were dear +to me. + +All the others are gone! The babes in swaddling clothes, the girls to be +married, the young married couples, the old married couples. And I, I live +like a useless weed, coarse and dried, rooted in the rock. If I had the +courage, +I would say like Pierre: + +"I have had enough! Good night!" And I would throw myself into the Garonne. + +I have no child, my house is destroyed, my fields are devastated. Oh! the +evenings when we were all at table, and the gaiety surrounded me and kept +me young. Oh! the great days of harvest and vintage when we all worked, and +when we returned to the house proud of our wealth! Oh! the handsome children +and the fruitful vines, the beautiful girls and the golden grain, the joy +of my old age, the living recompense of my entire life! Since all that is +gone, why should I live? + +There is no consolation. I do not want help. I will give my fields to the +village people who still have their children. They will find the courage to +clear the land of the flotsam and cultivate it anew. When one has no children, +a corner is large enough to die in. + +I had one desire, one only desire. I wished to recover the bodies of my family, +to bury them beneath a slab, where I should soon rejoin them. It was said that, +at Toulouse, a large number of bodies carried down the stream, had been taken +from the water. I decided to make the trip. + +What a terrible disaster! Nearly two thousand houses in ruins; seven hundred +deaths; all the bridges carried away; a whole district razed, buried in the +mud; atrocious tragedies; twenty thousand half-clad wretches starving to +death; the city in a pestilential condition; mourning everywhere; the +streets filled with funeral processions; financial aid powerless to heal +the wounds! But I walked through it all without seeing anything. I had my +ruins, I had my dead, to crush me. + +I was told that many of the bodies had been buried in trenches in a corner +of the cemetery. Only, they had had the forethought to photograph the +unidentified. And it was among these lamentable photographs that I found +Gaspard and Veronique. They had been clasped passionately in each other's +arms, exchanging in death their bridal kiss. It had been necessary to break +their arms in order to separate them. But, first, they had been photographed +together; and they sleep together beneath the sod. + +I have nothing but them, the image of those two handsome children; bloated +by the water, disfigured, retaining upon their livid faces the heroism of +their love. I look at them, and I weep. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Flood, by Emile Zola + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE FLOOD *** + +This file should be named zofld10.txt or zofld10.zip +Corrected EDITIONS of our eBooks get a new NUMBER, zofld11.txt +VERSIONS based on separate sources get new LETTER, zofld10a.txt + +This eBook was produced by Michael Castelluccio + +Project Gutenberg eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the US +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we usually do not +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + +We are now trying to release all our eBooks one year in advance +of the official release dates, leaving time for better editing. +Please be encouraged to tell us about any error or corrections, +even years after the official publication date. + +Please note neither this listing nor its contents are final til +midnight of the last day of the month of any such announcement. +The official release date of all Project Gutenberg eBooks is at +Midnight, Central Time, of the last day of the stated month. A +preliminary version may often be posted for suggestion, comment +and editing by those who wish to do so. + +Most people start at our Web sites at: +http://gutenberg.net or +http://promo.net/pg + +These Web sites include award-winning information about Project +Gutenberg, including how to donate, how to help produce our new +eBooks, and how to subscribe to our email newsletter (free!). + + +Those of you who want to download any eBook before announcement +can get to them as follows, and just download by date. This is +also a good way to get them instantly upon announcement, as the +indexes our cataloguers produce obviously take a while after an +announcement goes out in the Project Gutenberg Newsletter. + +http://www.ibiblio.org/gutenberg/etext03 or +ftp://ftp.ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext03 + +Or /etext02, 01, 00, 99, 98, 97, 96, 95, 94, 93, 92, 92, 91 or 90 + +Just search by the first five letters of the filename you want, +as it appears in our Newsletters. + + +Information about Project Gutenberg (one page) + +We produce about two million dollars for each hour we work. The +time it takes us, a rather conservative estimate, is fifty hours +to get any eBook selected, entered, proofread, edited, copyright +searched and analyzed, the copyright letters written, etc. Our +projected audience is one hundred million readers. If the value +per text is nominally estimated at one dollar then we produce $2 +million dollars per hour in 2002 as we release over 100 new text +files per month: 1240 more eBooks in 2001 for a total of 4000+ +We are already on our way to trying for 2000 more eBooks in 2002 +If they reach just 1-2% of the world's population then the total +will reach over half a trillion eBooks given away by year's end. + +The Goal of Project Gutenberg is to Give Away 1 Trillion eBooks! +This is ten thousand titles each to one hundred million readers, +which is only about 4% of the present number of computer users. + +Here is the briefest record of our progress (* means estimated): + +eBooks Year Month + + 1 1971 July + 10 1991 January + 100 1994 January + 1000 1997 August + 1500 1998 October + 2000 1999 December + 2500 2000 December + 3000 2001 November + 4000 2001 October/November + 6000 2002 December* + 9000 2003 November* +10000 2004 January* + + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation has been created +to secure a future for Project Gutenberg into the next millennium. + +We need your donations more than ever! + +As of February, 2002, contributions are being solicited from people +and organizations in: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, +Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, +Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, +Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New +Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, +Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South +Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West +Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. + +We have filed in all 50 states now, but these are the only ones +that have responded. + +As the requirements for other states are met, additions to this list +will be made and fund raising will begin in the additional states. +Please feel free to ask to check the status of your state. + +In answer to various questions we have received on this: + +We are constantly working on finishing the paperwork to legally +request donations in all 50 states. If your state is not listed and +you would like to know if we have added it since the list you have, +just ask. + +While we cannot solicit donations from people in states where we are +not yet registered, we know of no prohibition against accepting +donations from donors in these states who approach us with an offer to +donate. + +International donations are accepted, but we don't know ANYTHING about +how to make them tax-deductible, or even if they CAN be made +deductible, and don't have the staff to handle it even if there are +ways. + +Donations by check or money order may be sent to: + +Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +PMB 113 +1739 University Ave. +Oxford, MS 38655-4109 + +Contact us if you want to arrange for a wire transfer or payment +method other than by check or money order. + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation has been approved by +the US Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) organization with EIN +[Employee Identification Number] 64-622154. Donations are +tax-deductible to the maximum extent permitted by law. As fund-raising +requirements for other states are met, additions to this list will be +made and fund-raising will begin in the additional states. + +We need your donations more than ever! + +You can get up to date donation information online at: + +http://www.gutenberg.net/donation.html + + +*** + +If you can't reach Project Gutenberg, +you can always email directly to: + +Michael S. Hart <hart@pobox.com> + +Prof. Hart will answer or forward your message. + +We would prefer to send you information by email. + + +**The Legal Small Print** + + +(Three Pages) + +***START**THE SMALL PRINT!**FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN EBOOKS**START*** +Why is this "Small Print!" statement here? You know: lawyers. +They tell us you might sue us if there is something wrong with +your copy of this eBook, even if you got it for free from +someone other than us, and even if what's wrong is not our +fault. So, among other things, this "Small Print!" statement +disclaims most of our liability to you. It also tells you how +you may distribute copies of this eBook if you want to. + +*BEFORE!* YOU USE OR READ THIS EBOOK +By using or reading any part of this PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm +eBook, you indicate that you understand, agree to and accept +this "Small Print!" statement. If you do not, you can receive +a refund of the money (if any) you paid for this eBook by +sending a request within 30 days of receiving it to the person +you got it from. If you received this eBook on a physical +medium (such as a disk), you must return it with your request. + +ABOUT PROJECT GUTENBERG-TM EBOOKS +This PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm eBook, like most PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm eBooks, +is a "public domain" work distributed by Professor Michael S. Hart +through the Project Gutenberg Association (the "Project"). +Among other things, this means that no one owns a United States copyright +on or for this work, so the Project (and you!) can copy and +distribute it in the United States without permission and +without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth +below, apply if you wish to copy and distribute this eBook +under the "PROJECT GUTENBERG" trademark. + +Please do not use the "PROJECT GUTENBERG" trademark to market +any commercial products without permission. + +To create these eBooks, the Project expends considerable +efforts to identify, transcribe and proofread public domain +works. Despite these efforts, the Project's eBooks and any +medium they may be on may contain "Defects". Among other +things, Defects may take the form of incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other +intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged +disk or other eBook medium, a computer virus, or computer +codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment. + +LIMITED WARRANTY; DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES +But for the "Right of Replacement or Refund" described below, +[1] Michael Hart and the Foundation (and any other party you may +receive this eBook from as a PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm eBook) disclaims +all liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including +legal fees, and [2] YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE OR +UNDER STRICT LIABILITY, OR FOR BREACH OF WARRANTY OR CONTRACT, +INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE +OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE +POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. + +If you discover a Defect in this eBook within 90 days of +receiving it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any) +you paid for it by sending an explanatory note within that +time to the person you received it from. If you received it +on a physical medium, you must return it with your note, and +such person may choose to alternatively give you a replacement +copy. If you received it electronically, such person may +choose to alternatively give you a second opportunity to +receive it electronically. + +THIS EBOOK IS OTHERWISE PROVIDED TO YOU "AS-IS". NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, ARE MADE TO YOU AS +TO THE EBOOK OR ANY MEDIUM IT MAY BE ON, INCLUDING BUT NOT +LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A +PARTICULAR PURPOSE. + +Some states do not allow disclaimers of implied warranties or +the exclusion or limitation of consequential damages, so the +above disclaimers and exclusions may not apply to you, and you +may have other legal rights. + +INDEMNITY +You will indemnify and hold Michael Hart, the Foundation, +and its trustees and agents, and any volunteers associated +with the production and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm +texts harmless, from all liability, cost and expense, including +legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of the +following that you do or cause: [1] distribution of this eBook, +[2] alteration, modification, or addition to the eBook, +or [3] any Defect. + +DISTRIBUTION UNDER "PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm" +You may distribute copies of this eBook electronically, or by +disk, book or any other medium if you either delete this +"Small Print!" and all other references to Project Gutenberg, +or: + +[1] Only give exact copies of it. Among other things, this + requires that you do not remove, alter or modify the + eBook or this "small print!" statement. You may however, + if you wish, distribute this eBook in machine readable + binary, compressed, mark-up, or proprietary form, + including any form resulting from conversion by word + processing or hypertext software, but only so long as + *EITHER*: + + [*] The eBook, when displayed, is clearly readable, and + does *not* contain characters other than those + intended by the author of the work, although tilde + (~), asterisk (*) and underline (_) characters may + be used to convey punctuation intended by the + author, and additional characters may be used to + indicate hypertext links; OR + + [*] The eBook may be readily converted by the reader at + no expense into plain ASCII, EBCDIC or equivalent + form by the program that displays the eBook (as is + the case, for instance, with most word processors); + OR + + [*] You provide, or agree to also provide on request at + no additional cost, fee or expense, a copy of the + eBook in its original plain ASCII form (or in EBCDIC + or other equivalent proprietary form). + +[2] Honor the eBook refund and replacement provisions of this + "Small Print!" statement. + +[3] Pay a trademark license fee to the Foundation of 20% of the + gross profits you derive calculated using the method you + already use to calculate your applicable taxes. If you + don't derive profits, no royalty is due. Royalties are + payable to "Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation" + the 60 days following each date you prepare (or were + legally required to prepare) your annual (or equivalent + periodic) tax return. Please contact us beforehand to + let us know your plans and to work out the details. + +WHAT IF YOU *WANT* TO SEND MONEY EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO? +Project Gutenberg is dedicated to increasing the number of +public domain and licensed works that can be freely distributed +in machine readable form. + +The Project gratefully accepts contributions of money, time, +public domain materials, or royalty free copyright licenses. +Money should be paid to the: +"Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +If you are interested in contributing scanning equipment or +software or other items, please contact Michael Hart at: +hart@pobox.com + +[Portions of this eBook's header and trailer may be reprinted only +when distributed free of all fees. Copyright (C) 2001, 2002 by +Michael S. Hart. Project Gutenberg is a TradeMark and may not be +used in any sales of Project Gutenberg eBooks or other materials be +they hardware or software or any other related product without +express permission.] + +*END THE SMALL PRINT! FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN EBOOKS*Ver.02/11/02*END* + diff --git a/old/zofld10.zip b/old/zofld10.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..04506ef --- /dev/null +++ b/old/zofld10.zip |