第23章TheLastLesson
Alpho
Istartedforschoolverylatethatmandwasidreadofasg，especiallybecauseM。HamelhadsaidthathewouldquestionusonpartidIdidnotkwordaboutthem。ForamomentIthaeofdoors。Itwassht!Thebirdsweregattheedgeofthewoods;andintheopenfieldbackofthesawmillthePrussiansoldiersweredrilling。Itwasallmuptingthaiciples，butIhadthestre，aoschool。
Wheownhalltherewasafroin-board。Forthelasttwoyearsallourbadnewshadthere-thelostbattles，thedraft，theordersoftheandihoughttomyself，withoutstopping:
"Whatbethematternow?"
Then，asIhurriedbyasfastasIcouldgo，theblacksmith，asthere，rehebulletierme:
"Don'tgosofast，bub;you'llgettoyoursplentyoftime!"
Ithoughthewasmakingfunofme，andreachedM。Hamel'slittlegardenalloutofbreath。
Usually，whenschoolbegan，therewasagreatbustle，whichcouldbeheardoutiheopeningandgofdesks，lessoedinunison，veryloud，withourhandsoverourearstouaheteacher'sgreatrulerrappiable。"Alittlemorequite!"Butnowitwasallsostill!Ihadmotioomydeskwithoutbei，ofcourse，thatdayeverythinghadtobeasquietasSundaymhthemyclassmates，alreadyintheirpladM。Hamelanddownwithhisterribleironrulerunderhisarm。Ihadtoopenthedoinbeforeeverybody。YouehowIblushedandhhtenedI>
Butnothinghappened。M。Hamelsawmeandsaidverykindly:
"Gotoyourplacequickly，littleFranz。Wewerebeginningwithoutyou。"
Ijumpedoverthebendsatdowillthen，whenIhadgotalittleht，didIseethatourteacherhadoifulgreencoat，hisfrilledshirt，aleblacksilkcap，allembroidered，thatheoionandprizedays。Besides，thewholesedseahethingthatsurprisedmemostwastosee，onthebachesthatty，thevillagepeoplesittilylikeourselves;oldHauser，withhisthree-eredhat，theformermayor，theformerpostmaster，ahersbesides。Everybodylookedsad;andHauserhadbroughtanoldprimer，thumbedattheedges，aopenohhisgreatspectagacrossthepages。
aboutitall，M。Hamelmountedhisd，inthesamegraveaonewhichhehadusedtome，said:
"My，thisisthelastlessonIshallgiveyou。TheorderhasBerlintoteaanintheschoolsofAlsadLorraierorrow。ThisisyourlastFren。Iwantyoutobeveryatte;
Whatathuhesewordsweretome!
Oh，thewretches;thatwaswhattheyhadputupattheto>
MylastFren!Why，Ihardlykowrite!Ishouldneverlearstopthere，then!Oh，howsorryIwasfornmylessbirds'eggs，slidingontheSaar!Mybooks，thathadseemedsuuisanceawhileago，soheavytrammar，andmyhistoryofthesaints，wereoldfriendsnowthatIp;apos;tgiveup。Aheideathathewasgoingaway，thatIshouldneverseehimagaiallabouthisrulerandhowkyhe>
Poorman!ItwasinhonorofthislastlessoonhisfineSundaydoodwhytheoldmenofthevillageweresittihebackoftheroom。Itwasbecausetheyweresorry，too，thattheyhadosore。Itwastheirwayofthankingourmasterforhisfortyyearsoffaithfulservidofshowingtheirrespectforthetrythatwastheirsnomore。
&hinkingofallthis，IheardmywasmyturwouldIobeabletosaythatdreadfulrulefortheparticipleallthrough，veryloudanddwithoutoIgotmixedupowordsandstontomydesk，myheartbeating，andntolookup。IheardM。Hamelsaytome:
"Ios;tscoldyou，littleFranz;youmustfeelbadeis!Everydaywehavesaidtoourselves:‘Pshalentyoftime。I'lllearnittomorrow。’Andnowyouseeos;veeout。Ah，that'sthegreattroubleutstilltomorrow。Nowthosefellowsouttherewillhavetherighttosaytoyou:'Howisit;youpretendtobeFreyoueitherspeaknorwriteyuage?'Butyouare，poorlittleFranz。os;veallagreatdealtoreproachourselveswith。
"Yourpareaohaveyoulearoputyoutoworkonafarmoratthemills，soastohavealittlemoremoney。AndI?I'vebeentoblamealso。HaveIyoutowatermyflowersinsteadyourlessoedtogofishing，didInotjustgiveyouaholiday?"
Theoanother，M。Hamelwentontotalkuage，sayingthatitwasthemostbeautifullaheworld-theclearest，themostlogical;thatwemustguarditamongusait，beapeopleareenslaved，aslongastheyholdfastteitisasiftheyhadthekeytotheirprison。Thenheopenedagrammarandreadusourlesson。IwasamazedtoseehowwellIu。Allhesaidseemedsoeasy，soeasy!Ithink，too，thatIhadenedsocarefully，andthathehadneverexplaihingwithsomuce。Itseemedalmostasifthepoormaogiveusallheknewbefautitallioroke。
&hegrammar，wehadaless。ThatdayM。Hamelhadnewcopiesforus，writteifulroundhand:France，Alsace，Alsace。Theylookedlikelittleflagsfloatingeverywhereinthes，huhetopofourdesks。Yououghttohaveseenhoweveryoowork，andhowquietitwas!Theonlysougofthepehepaper。Olesflewin;butnobodypaidaothem，tlestones，whhttheirfishhooks，asifthatwasFrentheroofthepigeonscooedverylow，andIthoughttomyself:
"Willtheymakethemsingihepigeons?"
WheneverIlookedupfrIsawM。Hamelsittingmotionlessinhisdgazingfirstatohenatanother，asifhewaofixinhismindjusthlookedinthatlittles。Fancy!Forfortyyearshehadbeehesameplace，withhisgardehewindowandhisfrontofhim，justlikethat。Onlythedesksandbencheshadbeenwornsmooth;thewalhegardealler，andthehopvihehadplawihewindowstotheroof。Howitmusthavebrokeoleaveitall，poorman;tohearhissistermovingaboutintheroomabove，pagtheirtrunks!Fortheymustleavetheextday。
Buthehadthecetoheareverylessontotheverylast。Afterthewriting，wehadalessoninhistory，ahebabiestedtheirba，bebi，bo，bu。DowhebackoftheroomoldHauserhadputoad，holdinghisprimerinbothhaterswiththem。Youcouldseethathe，t;hisvoicetrembledwithemotion，anditwassofuhatweallwaolaughandcry。Ah，howwellIrememberit，thatlastlesson!
Allatohechurch-clockstrucktwelve。ThehesamemomesofthePrussiaurningfromdrill，soundedunderourwindows。M。Hamelstoodup，verypale，inhiseversawhimlooksotall。
"Myfriends，"saidhe，"I-I-"Butsomething。Heotgoon。
&urheblackboard，tookapieceofd，bearingonwithallhismight，hewreashecould:
"ViveLaFra;
&oppedandleanedhisheadagainstthewall，and，withoutaword，hemadeagesturetouswithhishand:
"Sissed-youmaygo。"