ASecretforTwo
昆汀·雷諾茲/QuentinReynolds
Montrealisaverylargecity.Likealllargecities,ithassmallstreets.Streets,forexample,likePrinceEdwardStreet—onlyfourblockslong.NooneknewPrinceEdwardStreetaswellasPierreDupin.Hehaddeliveredmilktothefamiliesonthestreetforthirtyyears.
Forthepastf?ifteenyearsalargewhitehorsepulledhismilkwagon.InMontreal,especiallyintheFrenchpartofthecity,animalsandchildrenareoftengiventhenamesofsaints.Pierre』shorsehadnonamewhenitf?irstcametothemilkcompany.Pierrewastoldhecouldusethehorse.Hemovedhishandgentlyandlovinglyacrossthehorse』sneckandsides.Helookedintotheanimal』seyes.「Thisisagentlehorse,」Pierresaid.「Icanseeabeautifulspiritshiningoutofitseyes.IwillnamehimafterSaintJoseph,whoalsowasagentleandbeautifulspirit.」
Afteraboutayear,thehorseJosephgottoknoweveryhousethatreceivedmilk,andeveryhousethatdidnot.
Everymorningatf?ive,Pierrearrivedatthemilkcompany』sstablestof?indhiswagonalreadyf?illedwithbottlesofmilkandJosephwaitingforhim,Pierrewouldcall,「Bonjour,myoldfriend,」asheclimbedintohisseat,whileJosephturnedhisheadtowardthedriver.
PierrewouldtalkaboutJoseph.「Inevertouchthereins.Heknowsjustwheretostop.Why,ablindmancoulddelivermymilkwithJosephpullingthewagon.」
Soitwentonforyears—alwaysthesame.PierreandJosephslowlygrewoldtogether.Pierre』shugewalrusmustachewaswhitenowandJosephdidn』tlifthiskneessohighorraisehisheadquitesomuch.Jacques,thebossmanofthestables,nevernoticedthattheybothweregettingolduntilPierreappearedonemorningcarryingaheavywalkingstick.
「Hey,Pierre,」Jacqueslaughed.「Maybeyougotthegout,hey?」
「Maisoui,Jacques,」Pierresaid.「Onegrowsold.One』slegsgettired.」
「Youshouldteachthathorsetocarrythemilktothefrontdoorforyou,」Jacquestoldhim.「Hedoeseverythingelse.」
ThehorsekneweveryoneofthefortyfamiliesthatgotmilkonPrinceEdwardStreet.ThecooksknewthatPierrecouldnotreadorwrite;so,insteadofleavingordersinanemptymilkbottle,theysimplysangoutiftheyneededanextrabottle.「Bringanextrabottlethismorning,Pierre,」theyoftensangwhentheyheardPieer』swagonrumbleoverthestreet.
「Soyouhavevisitorsfordinnertonight,」Pierrewouldhappilyanswer.
Pierrealsohadawonderfulmemory.WhenhearrivedatthestablehealwaysrememberedtotellJacques.「ThePacquinstookanextrabottlethismorning;theLeMoinesboughtapintofcream」
Mostofthedrivershadtomakeouttheweeklybillsandcollectthemoney.ButJacques,likingPierre,neveraskedhimtodothis.AllPierrehadtodowasarriveatf?iveinthemorning,walktohiswagon,whichalwayswasinthesameplace,anddeliverhismilk.Hereturnedabouttwohourslater,gotdownfromhisseat,calledacheery「Aurevoir」toJacques,thenwalkedslowlydownthestreet.
Onedaythepresidentofthemilkcompanycametoinspecttheearlymorningmilkdeliveries.JacquespointedtoPierreandsaid:「Watchhowhetalkstothathorse?SeehowthehorselistensandhowheturnshisheadtowardPierre?Seethelookinthathorse』seyes?Youknow,Ithinkthosetwoshareasecret.Ihaveoftenfeltit.Itisasthoughtheybothsometimeslaughatusastheygooff.Pierreisagoodman.MonsieurPresident,butheisgettingold.Maybeheoughttobegivenarest,andasmallpension.」
「Butofcourse,」thepresidentlaughed.「IknewPierre』swork.Hehasbeenonthisjobnowforthirtyyears,allwhoknowhimlovehim.Tellhimitistimeherested.Hewillgethispayeveryweekasbefore.」
ButPierrerefusedtoleavehisjob.HesaidhislifewouldbenothingifhecouldnotdriveJosepheveryday.「Wearetwooldmen,」hesaidtoJacques.「Letuswearouttogether.WhenJosephisreadytoleave,thenItoowilldoso.」
TherewassomethingaboutPierreandhishorsethatmadeamansmiletenderly.Eachseemedtogetsomehiddenstrengthfromtheother.AsPierresatinhisseat,withJosephtiedtothewagon,neitherseemedold.Butwhentheyf?inishedtheirwork—thenPierrewalkedlamelydownthestreet,seemingveryoldindeed,andthehorse』sheaddroppedandhewalkedslowlytohisstall.
Thenonecoldmorning,JacqueshadterriblenewsforPierre.Itwasstilldark.Theairwaslikeice.Snowhadfallenduringthenight.
Jacquessaid,「Pierre,yourhorse,Joseph,didn』twakeup.Hewasveryold,Pierre.Hewastwenty-f?iveandthatislikebeingseventy-f?iveforaman.」
「Yes,」Pierresaidslowly.「Yes.Iamseventy-f?ive.AndIcannotseeJosephagain.」