\"Andwhythisproposition?\"
\"BecauseIaminlovewithyou,ofcourse。\"
\"No,butbecauseyouloveMarguerite,andyouwanttohaveyourrevengeuponherbybecomingmylover。Youdon\'tdeceiveawomanlikeme,mydearfriend;unluckily,Iamstilltooyoungandtoogood-lookingtoacceptthepartthatyouofferme。\"
\"Soyourefuse?\"
\"Yes。
\"Wouldyourathertakemefornothing?ItisIwhowouldn\'tacceptthen。Thinkitover,mydearOlympe;ifIhadsentsomeonetoofferyouthesethreehundredlouisonmybehalf,ontheconditionsIattachtothem,youwouldhaveaccepted。Ipreferredtospeaktoyoumyself。Acceptwithoutinquiringintomyreasons;
saytoyourselfthatyouarebeautiful,andthatthereisnothingsurprisinginmybeinginlovewithyou。\"
MargueritewasawomaninthesamepositionasOlympe,andyetI
shouldneverhavedaredsaytoherthefirsttimeImetherwhatIhadsaidtotheotherwoman。IlovedMarguerite。Isawinherinstinctswhichwerelackingintheother,andattheverymomentinwhichImademybargain,IfeltadisgusttowardthewomanwithwhomIwasmakingit。
Sheaccepted,ofcourse,intheend,andatmiddayIleftherhouseasherlover;butIquittedherwithoutarecollectionofthecaressesandofthewordsoflovewhichshehadfeltboundtoshoweruponmeinreturnforthesixthousandfrancswhichIleftwithher。Andyetthereweremenwhohadruinedthemselvesforthatwoman。
FromthatdayIinflictedonMargueriteacontinualpersecution。
Olympeandshegaveupseeingoneanother,asyoumightimagine。
Igavemynewmistressacarriageandjewels。Igambled,I
committedeveryextravagancewhichcouldbeexpectedofamaninlovewithsuchawomanasOlympe。Thereportofmynewinfatuationwasimmediatelyspreadabroad。
Prudenceherselfwastakenin,andfinallythoughtthatIhadcompletelyforgottenMarguerite。Margueriteherself,whethersheguessedmymotiveorwasdeceivedlikeeverybodyelse,preservedaperfectdignityinresponsetotheinsultswhichIheapeduponherdaily。Only,sheseemedtosuffer,forwheneverImethershewasmoreandmorepale,moreandmoresad。Myloveforher,carriedtothepointatwhichitwastransformedintohatred,rejoicedatthesightofherdailysorrow。Often,whenmycrueltytowardherbecameinfamous,MargueritelifteduponmesuchappealingeyesthatIblushedforthepartIwasplaying,andwasreadytoimploreherforgiveness。
Butmyrepentancewasonlyofamoment\'sduration,andOlympe,whohadfinallyputasideallself-respect,anddiscoveredthatbyannoyingMargueriteshecouldgetfrommewhatevershewanted,constantlystirredupmyresentmentagainsther,andinsultedherwhenevershefoundanopportunity,withthecowardlypersistenceofawomanlicensedbytheauthorityofaman。
AtlastMargueritegaveupgoingtoballsortheatres,forfearofmeetingOlympeandme。Thendirectimpertinencesgavewaytoanonymousletters,andtherewasnotashamefulthingwhichIdidnotencouragemymistresstorelateandwhichIdidnotmyselfrelateinreferencetoMarguerite。
ToreachsuchapointImusthavebeenliterallymad。Iwaslikeamandrunkuponbadwine,whofallsintooneofthosenervousexaltationsinwhichthehandiscapableofcommittingacrimewithouttheheadknowinganythingaboutit。InthemidstofitallIenduredamartyrdom。Thenotdisdainfulcalm,thenotcontemptuousdignitywithwhichMargueriterespondedtoallmyattacks,andwhichraisedherabovemeinmyowneyes,enragedmestillmoreagainsther。
OneeveningOlympehadgonesomewhereorother,andhadmetMarguerite,whoforoncehadnotsparedthefoolishcreature,sothatshehadhadtoretireinconfusion。Olympereturnedinafury,andMargueritefaintedandhadtobecarriedout。Olymperelatedtomewhathadhappened,declaredthatMarguerite,seeingheralone,hadrevengedherselfuponherbecauseshewasmymistress,andthatImustwriteandtellhertorespectthewomanwhomIloved,whetherIwaspresentorabsent。
IneednottellyouthatIconsented,andthatIputintotheletterwhichIsenttoheraddressthesameday,everythingbitter,shameful,andcruelthatIcouldthinkof。
Thistimetheblowwasmorethantheunhappycreaturecouldendurewithoutreplying。Ifeltsurethatananswerwouldcome,andIresolvednottogooutallday。Abouttwotherewasaring,andPrudenceentered。
ItriedtoassumeanindifferentairasIaskedherwhathadbroughther;butthatdayMme。Duvernoywasnotinalaughinghumour,andinareallymovedvoiceshesaidtomethatsincemyreturn,thatistosayforaboutthreeweeks,IhadleftnooccasionuntriedwhichcouldgivepaintoMarguerite,thatshewascompletelyupsetbyit,andthatthesceneoflastnightandmyangryletterofthemorninghadforcedhertotaketoherbed。
Inshort,withoutmakinganyreproach,Margueritesenttoaskmeforalittlepity,sinceshehadnolongerthemoralorphysicalstrengthtoendurewhatIwasmakinghersuffer。
\"ThatMlle。Gautier,\"IsaidtoPrudence,\"shouldturnmeoutofherownhouseisquitereasonable,butthatsheshouldinsultthewomanwhomIlove,underthepretencethatthiswomanismymistress,isathingIwillneverpermit。\"
\"Myfriend,\"saidPrudence,\"youareundertheinfluenceofawomanwhohasneitherheartnorsense;youareinlovewithher,itistrue,butthatisnotareasonfortorturingawomanwhocannotdefendherself。\"
\"LetMlle。GautiersendmeherComtedeN。andthesideswillbeequal。\"
\"Youknowverywellthatshewillnotdothat。So,mydearArmand,letheralone。Ifyousawheryouwouldbeashamedofthewayinwhichyouaretreatingher。Sheiswhite,shecoughs——shewon\'tlastlongnow。\"
AndPrudenceheldoutherhandtome,adding:
\"Comeandseeher;itwillmakeherveryhappy。\"
\"IhavenodesiretomeetM。deN。\"
\"M。deN。isneverthere。Shecannotendurehim。\"
\"IfMargueritewishestoseeme,sheknowswhereIlive;lethercometoseeme,but,formypart,IwillneverputfootintheRued\'Antin。\"
\"Willyoureceiveherwell?\"
\"Certainly。\"
\"Well,Iamsurethatshewillcome。\"
\"Lethercome。\"
\"Shallyoubeoutto-day?\"
\"Ishallbeathomealltheevening。\"
\"Iwilltellher。\"
AndPrudenceleftme。
IdidnotevenwritetotellOlympenottoexpectme。Inevertroubledmuchabouther,scarcelygoingtoseeheronenightaweek。Sheconsoledherself,Ibelieve,withanactorfromsometheatreorother。
Iwentoutfordinnerandcamebackalmostimmediately。IhadafirelitinmyroomandItoldJosephhecouldgoout。
IcangiveyounoideaofthedifferentimpressionswhichagitatedmeduringthehourinwhichIwaited;butwhen,towardnineo\'clock,Iheardaring,theythrongedtogetherintoonesuchemotion,that,asIopenedthedoor,Iwasobligedtoleanagainstthewalltokeepmyselffromfalling。
Fortunatelytheanteroomwasinhalfdarkness,andthechangeinmycountenancewaslessvisible。Margueriteentered。
Shewasdressedinblackandveiled。Icouldscarcelyrecogniseherfacethroughtheveil。Shewentintothedrawing-roomandraisedherveil。Shewaspaleasmarble。
\"Iamhere,Armand,\"shesaid;\"youwishedtoseemeandIhavecome。\"
Andlettingherheadfallonherhands,sheburstintotears。
Iwentuptoher。
\"Whatisthematter?\"Isaidtoherinalowvoice。
Shepressedmyhandwithoutaword,fortearsstillveiledhervoice。Butafterafewminutes,recoveringherselfalittle,shesaidtome:
\"Youhavebeenveryunkindtome,Armand,andIhavedonenothingtoyou。\"
\"Nothing?\"Ianswered,withabittersmile。
\"Nothingbutwhatcircumstancesforcedmetodo。\"
Idonotknowifyouhaveeverinyourlifeexperienced,orifyouwilleverexperience,whatIfeltatthesightofMarguerite。
Thelasttimeshehadcometoseemeshehadsatinthesameplacewhereshewasnowsitting;only,sincethen,shehadbeenthemistressofanotherman,otherkissesthanminehadtouchedherlips,towardwhich,inspiteofmyself,myownreachedout,andyetIfeltthatIlovedthiswomanasmuch,moreperhaps,thanIhadeverlovedher。
Itwasdifficultformetobegintheconversationonthesubjectwhichbroughther。Margueritenodoubtrealizedit,forshewenton:
\"Ihavecometotroubleyou,Armand,forIhavetwothingstoask:pardonforwhatIsaidyesterdaytoMlle。Olympe,andpityforwhatyouareperhapsstillreadytodotome。Intentionallyornot,sinceyourreturnyouhavegivenmesomuchpainthatI
shouldbeincapablenowofenduringafourthpartofwhatIhaveenduredtillnow。Youwillhavepityonme,won\'tyou?Andyouwillunderstandthatamanwhoisnotheartlesshasothernoblerthingstodothantotakehisrevengeuponasickandsadwomanlikeme。See,takemyhand。Iaminafever。Ileftmybedtocometoyou,andask,notforyourfriendship,butforyourindifference。\"
ItookMarguerite\'shand。Itwasburning,andthepoorwomanshiveredunderherfurcloak。
Irolledthearm-chairinwhichshewassittinguptothefire。
\"Doyouthink,then,thatIdidnotsuffer,\"saidI,\"onthatnightwhen,afterwaitingforyouinthecountry,IcametolookforyouinParis,andfoundnothingbuttheletterwhichnearlydrovememad?Howcouldyouhavedeceivedme,Marguerite,whenI
lovedyousomuch?
\"Donotspeakofthat,Armand;Ididnotcometospeakofthat。I
wantedtoseeyouonlynotanenemy,andIwantedtotakeyourhandoncemore。Youhaveamistress;sheisyoung,pretty,youlovehertheysay。Behappywithherandforgetme。\"
\"Andyou。Youarehappy,nodoubt?\"
\"HaveIthefaceofahappywoman,Armand?Donotmockmysorrow,you,whoknowbetterthananyonewhatitscauseanditsdepthare。\"
\"Itonlydependedonyounottohavebeenunhappyatall,ifyouareasyousay。\"
\"No,myfriend;circumstanceswerestrongerthanmywill。I
obeyed,nottheinstinctsofalightwoman,asyouseemtosay,butaseriousnecessity,andreasonswhichyouwillknowoneday,andwhichwillmakeyouforgiveme。\"
\"Whydoyounottellmethosereasonsto-day?\"
\"Becausetheywouldnotbringaboutanimpossiblereunionbetweenus,andtheywouldseparateyouperhapsfromthosefromwhomyoumustnotbeseparated。\"
\"Whodoyoumean?\"
\"Icannottellyou。\"
\"Thenyouarelyingtome。\"
Margueriteroseandwenttowardthedoor。Icouldnotbeholdthissilentandexpressivesorrowwithoutbeingtouched,whenI
comparedinmymindthispaleandweepingwomanwiththemadcapwhohadmadefunofmeattheOperaComique。
\"Youshallnotgo,\"Isaid,puttingmyselfinfrontofthedoor。
\"Why?\"
\"Because,inspiteofwhatyouhavedonetome,Iloveyoualways,andIwantyoutostayhere。\"
\"Toturnmeoutto-morrow?No;itisimpossible。Ourdestiniesareseparate;donottrytoreunitethem。Youwilldespisemeperhaps,whilenowyoucanonlyhateme。\"
\"No,Marguerite,\"Icried,feelingallmyloveandallmydesirereawakenatthecontactofthiswoman。\"No,Iwillforgeteverything,andwewillbehappyaswepromisedoneanotherthatwewouldbe。\"
Margueriteshookherheaddoubtfully,andsaid:
\"AmInotyourslave,yourdog?Dowithmewhatyouwill。Takeme;Iamyours。\"
Andthrowingoffhercloakandhat,sheflungthemonthesofa,andbeganhurriedlytoundothefrontofherdress,for,byoneofthosereactionssofrequentinhermalady,thebloodrushedtoherheadandstifledher。Ahard,drycoughfollowed。
\"Tellmycoachman,\"shesaid,\"togobackwiththecarriage。\"
Iwentdownmyselfandsenthimaway。WhenIreturnedMargueritewaslyinginfrontofthefire,andherteethchatteredwiththecold。
Itookherinmyarms。Iundressedher,withouthermakingamovement,andcarriedher,icycold,tothebed。ThenIsatbesideherandtriedtowarmherwithmycaresses。Shedidnotspeakaword,butsmiledatme。
Itwasastrangenight。AllMarguerite\'slifeseemedtohavepassedintothekisseswithwhichshecoveredme,andIlovedhersomuchthatinmytransportsoffeverishloveIaskedmyselfwhetherIshouldnotkillher,sothatshemightneverbelongtoanother。
Amonthoflovelikethat,andtherewouldhaveremainedonlythecorpseofheartorbody。
Thedawnfoundusbothawake。Margueritewaslividwhite。Shedidnotspeakaword。Fromtimetotime,bigtearsrolledfromhereyes,andstayeduponhercheeks,shininglikediamonds。Herthinarmsopened,fromtimetotime,toholdmefast,andfellbackhelplesslyuponthebed。
ForamomentitseemedtomeasifIcouldforgetallthathadpassedsinceIhadleftBougival,andIsaidtoMarguerite:
\"ShallwegoawayandleaveParis?\"
\"No,no!\"shesaid,almostwithaffright;\"weshouldbetoounhappy。Icandonomoretomakeyouhappy,butwhilethereisabreathoflifeinme,Iwillbetheslaveofyourfancies。Atwhateverhourofthedayornightyouwill,come,andIwillbeyours;butdonotlinkyourfutureanymorewithmine,youwouldbetoounhappyandyouwouldmakemetoounhappy。Ishallstillbeprettyforawhile;makethemostofit,butasknothingmore。\"
Whenshehadgone,Iwasfrightenedatthesolitudeinwhichsheleftme。TwohoursafterwardIwasstillsittingonthesideofthebed,lookingatthepillowwhichkepttheimprintofherform,andaskingmyselfwhatwastobecomeofme,betweenmyloveandmyjealousy。
Atfiveo\'clock,withoutknowingwhatIwasgoingtodo,IwenttotheRued\'Antin。
Nanineopenedtome。
\"Madamecannotreceiveyou,\"shesaidinanembarrassedway。
\"Why?\"
\"BecauseM。leComtedeN。isthere,andhehasgivenorderstoletnoonein。\"
\"Quiteso,\"Istammered;\"Iforgot。\"
Iwenthomelikeadrunkenman,anddoyouknowwhatIdidduringthemomentofjealousdeliriumwhichwaslongenoughfortheshamefulthingIwasgoingtodo?Isaidtomyselfthatthewomanwaslaughingatme;Isawheralonewiththecount,sayingovertohimthesamewordsthatshehadsaidtomeinthenight,andtakingafive-hundred-francnoteIsentittoherwiththesewords:
\"YouwentawaysosuddenlythatIforgottopayyou。Hereisthepriceofyournight。\"
ThenwhentheletterwassentIwentoutasiftofreemyselffromtheinstantaneousremorseofthisinfamousaction。
IwenttoseeOlympe,whomIfoundtryingondresses,andwhenwewerealoneshesangobscenesongstoamuseme。Shewastheverytypeoftheshameless,heartless,senselesscourtesan,formeatleast,forperhapssomemenmighthavedreamedofherasI
dreamedofMarguerite。Sheaskedmeformoney。Igaveittoher,and,freethentogo,Ireturnedhome。
Margueritehadnotanswered。
IneednottellyouinwhatstateofagitationIspentthenextday。Athalfpastnineamessengerbroughtmeanenvelopecontainingmyletterandthefive-hundred-francnote,notawordmore。
\"Whogaveyouthis?\"Iaskedtheman。
\"AladywhowasstartingwithhermaidinthenextmailforBoulogne,andwhotoldmenottotakeituntilthecoachwasoutofthecourtyard。\"
IrushedtotheRued\'Antin。
\"MadameleftforEnglandatsixo\'clock,\"saidtheporter。
TherewasnothingtoholdmeinParisanylonger,neitherhatenorlove。Iwasexhaustedbythisseriesofshocks。OneofmyfriendswassettingoutonatourintheEast。ItoldmyfatherI
shouldliketoaccompanyhim;myfathergavemedraftsandlettersofintroduction,andeightortendaysafterwardI
embarkedatMarseilles。
ItwasatAlexandriathatIlearnedfromanattacheattheembassy,whomIhadsometimesseenatMarguerite\'s,thatthepoorgirlwasseriouslyill。
Ithenwrotehertheletterwhichsheansweredinthewayyouknow;IreceiveditatToulon。
Istartedatonce,andyouknowtherest。
NowyouhaveonlytoreadafewsheetswhichJulieDupratgaveme;theyarethebestcommentaryonwhatIhavejusttoldyou。
Chapter25
Armand,tiredbythislongnarrative,ofteninterruptedbyhistears,puthistwohandsoverhisforeheadandclosedhiseyestothink,ortotrytosleep,aftergivingmethepageswrittenbythehandofMarguerite。Afewminutesafter,amorerapidbreathingtoldmethatArmandslept,butthatlightsleepwhichtheleastsoundbanishes。
ThisiswhatIread;Icopyitwithoutaddingoromittingasyllable:
To-dayisthe15thDecember。Ihavebeenillthreeorfourdays。
ThismorningIstayedinbed。Theweatherisdark,Iamsad;
thereisnoonebyme。Ithinkofyou,Armand。Andyou,whereareyou,whileIwritetheselines?FarfromParis,far,far,theytellme,andperhapsyouhavealreadyforgottenMarguerite。Well,behappy;Ioweyoutheonlyhappymomentsinmylife。
Icannothelpwantingtoexplainallmyconducttoyou,andI
havewrittenyoualetter;but,writtenbyagirllikeme,suchalettermightseemtobealie,unlessdeathhadsanctifieditbyitsauthority,and,insteadofaletter,itwereaconfession。
To-dayIamill;Imaydieofthisillness,forIhavealwayshadthepresentimentthatIshalldieyoung。Mymotherdiedofconsumption,andthewayIhavealwayslivedcouldbutincreasetheonlyheritagesheeverleftme。ButIdonotwanttodiewithoutclearingupforyoueverythingaboutme;thatis,if,whenyoucomeback,youwillstilltroubleyourselfaboutthepoorgirlwhomyoulovedbeforeyouwentaway。
Thisiswhatthelettercontained;Ishalllikewritingitoveragain,soastogivemyselfanotherproofofmyownjustification。
Youremember,Armand,howthearrivalofyourfathersurprisedusatBougival;youremembertheinvoluntaryfrightthathisarrivalcausedme,andthescenewhichtookplacebetweenyouandhim,whichyoutoldmeofintheevening。
Nextday,whenyouwereatParis,waitingforyourfather,andhedidnotreturn,amancametothedoorandhandedinaletterfromM。Duval。
Hisletter,whichIinclosewiththis,beggedme,inthemostseriousterms,tokeepyouawayonthefollowingday,onsomeexcuseorother,andtoseeyourfather,whowishedtospeaktome,andaskedmeparticularlynottosayanythingtoyouaboutit。
YouknowhowIinsistedonyourreturningtoParisnextday。
Youhadonlybeengoneanhourwhenyourfatherpresentedhimself。Iwon\'tsaywhatimpressionhisseverefacemadeuponme。Yourfatherhadtheoldtheorythatacourtesanisabeingwithoutheartorreason,asortofmachineforcoininggold,alwaysready,likethemachine,tobruisethehandthatgiveshereverything,andtotearinpieces,withoutpityordiscernment,thosewhosetherinmotion。
Yourfatherhadwrittenmeaverypoliteletter,inorderthatI
mightconsenttoseehim;hedidnotpresenthimselfquiteashehadwritten。Hismanneratfirstwassostiff,insolent,andeventhreatening,thatIhadtomakehimunderstandthatIwasinmyownhouse,andthatIhadnoneedtorenderhimanaccountofmylife,exceptbecauseofthesincereaffectionwhichIhadforhisson。
M。Duvalcalmeddownalittle,butstillwentontosaythathecouldnotanylongerallowhissontoruinhimselfoverme;thatIwasbeautiful,itwastrue,but,howeverbeautifulImightbe,IoughtnottomakeuseofmybeautytospoilthefutureofayoungmanbysuchexpenditureasIwascausing。
Atthattherewasonlyonethingtodo,toshowhimtheproofthatsinceIwasyourmistressIhadsparednosacrificetobefaithfultoyouwithoutaskingformoremoneythanyouhadtogiveme。Ishowedhimthepawntickets,thereceiptsofthepeopletowhomIhadsoldwhatIcouldnotpawn;Itoldhimofmyresolvetopartwithmyfurnitureinordertopaymydebts,andlivewithyouwithoutbeingatooheavyexpense。Itoldhimofourhappiness,ofhowyouhadshownmethepossibilityofaquieterandhappierlife,andheendedbygivingintotheevidence,offeringmehishand,andaskingpardonforthewayinwhichhehadatfirstapproachedme。
Thenhesaidtome:
\"So,madame,itisnotbyremonstrancesorbythreats,butbyentreaties,thatImustendeavourtoobtainfromyouagreatersacrificethanyouhaveyetmadeformyson。\"
Itrembledatthisbeginning。
Yourfathercameovertome,tookbothmyhands,andcontinuedinanaffectionatevoice:
\"Mychild,donottakewhatIhavetosaytoyouamiss;onlyrememberthattherearesometimesinlifecruelnecessitiesfortheheart,butthattheymustbesubmittedto。Youaregood,yoursoulhasgenerosityunknowntomanywomenwhoperhapsdespiseyou,andarelessworthythanyou。Butrememberthatthereisnotonlythemistress,butthefamily;thatbesideslovethereareduties;thattotheageofpassionsucceedstheagewhenman,ifheistoberespected,mustplanthimselfsolidlyinaseriousposition。Mysonhasnofortune,andyetheisreadytoabandontoyouthelegacyofhismother。Ifheacceptedfromyouthesacrificewhichyouareonthepointofmaking,hishonouranddignitywouldrequirehimtogiveyou,inexchangeforit,thisincome,whichwouldalwaysputyououtofdangerofadversity。
Buthecannotacceptthissacrifice,becausetheworld,whichdoesnotknowyou,wouldgiveawronginterpretationtothisacceptance,andsuchaninterpretationmustnottarnishthenamewhichwebear。NoonewouldconsiderwhetherArmandlovesyou,whetheryoulovehim,whetherthismutuallovemeanshappinesstohimandredemptiontoyou;theywouldseeonlyonething,thatArmandDuvalallowedakeptwoman(forgiveme,mychild,forwhatIamforcedtosaytoyou)tosellallshehadforhim。Thenthedayofreproachesandregretswouldarrive,besure,foryouorforothers,andyouwouldbothbearachainthatyoucouldnotsever。Whatwouldyoudothen?Youryouthwouldbelost,myson\'sfuturedestroyed;andI,hisfather,shouldreceivefromonlyoneofmychildrentherecompensethatIlookforfromboth。
\"Youareyoung,beautiful,lifewillconsoleyou;youarenoble,andthememoryofagooddeedwillredeemyoufrommanypastdeeds。DuringthesixmonthsthathehasknownyouArmandhasforgottenme。Iwrotetohimfourtimes,andhehasneveroncereplied。Imighthavediedandhenotknownit!
\"Whatevermaybeyourresolutionoflivingotherwisethanasyouhavelived,Armand,wholovesyou,willneverconsenttotheseclusiontowhichhismodestfortunewouldcondemnyou,andtowhichyourbeautydoesnotentitleyou。Whoknowswhathewoulddothen!Hehasgambled,Iknow;withouttellingyouofit,I
knowalso,but,inamomentofmadness,hemighthavelostpartofwhatIhavesaved,duringmanyyears,formydaughter\'sportion,forhim,andforthereposeofmyoldage。Whatmighthavehappenedmayyethappen。
\"Areyousure,besides,thatthelifewhichyouaregivingupforhimwillneveragaincometoattractyou?Areyousure,youwhohavelovedhim,thatyouwillneverloveanother?Wouldyounot-sufferonseeingthehindrancessetbyyourlovetoyourlover\'slife,hindrancesforwhichyouwouldbepowerlesstoconsolehim,if,withage,thoughtsofambitionshouldsucceedtodreamsoflove?Thinkoverallthat,madame。YouloveArmand;
proveittohimbythesolemeanswhichremainstoyouofyetprovingittohim,bysacrificingyourlovetohisfuture。Nomisfortunehasyetarrived,butonewillarrive,andperhapsagreateronethanthosewhichIforesee。Armandmightbecomejealousofamanwhohaslovedyou;hemightprovokehim,fight,bekilled。Think,then,whatyouwouldsufferinthepresenceofafatherwhoshouldcallonyoutorenderanaccountforthelifeofhisson!
\"Finally,mydearchild,letmetellyouall,forIhavenotyettoldyouall,letmetellyouwhathasbroughtmetoParis。I
haveadaughter,asIhavetoldyou,young,beautiful,pureasanangel。Sheloves,andshe,too,hasmadethislovethedreamofherlife。IwroteallthattoArmand,but,absorbedinyou,hemadenoreply。Well,mydaughterisabouttomarry。Sheistomarrythemanwhomsheloves;sheentersanhonourablefamily,whichrequiresthatminehastobenolesshonourable。Thefamilyofthemanwhoistobecomemyson-in-lawhaslearnedwhatmanneroflifeArmandisleadinginParis,andhasdeclaredtomethatthemarriagemustbebrokenoffifArmandcontinuesthislife。
Thefutureofachildwhohasdonenothingagainstyou,andwhohastherightoflookingforwardtoahappyfuture,isinyourhands。Haveyoutheright,haveyouthestrength,toshatterit?
Inthenameofyourloveandofyourrepentance,Marguerite,grantmethehappinessofmychild。\"
Iweptsilently,myfriend,atallthesereflectionswhichIhadsooftenmade,andwhich,inthemouthofyourfather,tookayetmoreseriousreality。Isaidtomyselfallthatyourfatherdarednotsaytome,thoughithadcometohislipstwentytimes:thatIwas,afterall,onlyakeptwoman,andthatwhateverexcuseI
gaveforourliaison,itwouldalwayslooklikecalculationonmypart;thatmypastlifeleftmenorighttodreamofsuchafuture,andthatIwasacceptingresponsibilitiesforwhichmyhabitsandreputationwerefarfromgivinganyguarantee。Inshort,Ilovedyou,Armand。
ThepaternalwayinwhichM。Duvalhadspokentome;thepurememoriesthatheawakenedinme;therespectofthisoldman,whichIwouldgain;yours,whichIwassureofgaininglateron:
allthatcalledupinmyheartthoughtswhichraisedmeinmyowneyeswithasortofholypride,unknowntillthen。WhenIthoughtthatonedaythisoldman,whowasnowimploringmeforthefutureofhisson,wouldbidhisdaughterminglemynamewithherprayers,asthenameofamysteriousfriend,Iseemedtobecometransformed,andIfeltaprideinmyself。
Theexaltationofthemomentperhapsexaggeratedthetruthoftheseimpressions,butthatwaswhatIfelt,friend,andthesenewfeelingssilencedthememoryofthehappydaysIhadspentwithyou。
\"Tellme,sir,\"Isaidtoyourfather,wipingawaymytears,\"doyoubelievethatIloveyourson?\"
\"Yes,\"saidM。Duval。
\"Withadisinterestedlove?\"
\"Yes。
\"DoyoubelievethatIhadmadethislovethehope,thedream,theforgiveness——ofmylife?\"
\"Implicitly。\"
\"Well,sir,embracemeonce,asyouwouldembraceyourdaughter,andIsweartoyouthatthatkiss,theonlychastekissIhaveeverhad,willmakemestrongagainstmylove,andthatwithinaweekyoursonwillbeoncemoreatyourside,perhapsunhappyforatime,butcuredforever。\"
\"Youareanoblechild,\"repliedyourfather,kissingmeontheforehead,\"andyouaremakinganattemptforwhichGodwillrewardyou;butIgreatlyfearthatyouwillhavenoinfluenceuponmyson。\"
\"Oh,beatrest,sir;hewillhateme。\"
Ihadtosetupbetweenus,asmuchformeasforyou,aninsurmountablebarrier。
IwrotetoPrudencetosaythatIacceptedthepropositionoftheComtedeN。,andthatshewastotellhimthatIwouldsupwithherandhim。Isealedtheletter,and,withouttellinghimwhatitcontained,askedyourfathertohaveitforwardedtoitsaddressonreachingParis。
Heinquiredofmewhatitcontained。
\"Yourson\'swelfare,\"Ianswered。
Yourfatherembracedmeoncemore。Ifelttwogratefultearsonmyforehead,likethebaptismofmypastfaults,andatthemomentwhenIconsentedtogivemyselfuptoanothermanIglowedwithprideatthethoughtofwhatIwasredeemingbythisnewfault。
Itwasquitenatural,Armand。Youtoldmethatyourfatherwasthemosthonestmanintheworld。
M。Duvalreturnedtohiscarriage,andsetoutforParis。
Iwasonlyawoman,andwhenIsawyouagainIcouldnothelpweeping,butIdidnotgiveway。
DidIdoright?ThatiswhatIaskmyselfto-day,asIlieillinmybed,thatIshallneverleave,perhaps,untilIamdead。
YouarewitnessofwhatIfeltasthehourofourseparationapproached;yourfatherwasnolongertheretosupportme,andtherewasamomentwhenIwasonthepointofconfessingeverythingtoyou,soterrifiedwasIattheideathatyouweregoingtobateanddespiseme。
Onethingwhichyouwillnotbelieve,perhaps,Armand,isthatI
prayedGodtogivemestrength;andwhatprovesthatheacceptedmysacrificeisthathegavemethestrengthforwhichIprayed。
AtsupperIstillhadneedofaid,forIcouldnotthinkofwhatIwasgoingtodo,somuchdidIfearthatmycouragewouldfailme。WhowouldeverhavesaidthatI,MargueriteGautier,wouldhavesufferedsoatthemerethoughtofanewlover?Idrankforforgetfulness,andwhenIwokenextdayIwasbesidethecount。
Thatisthewholetruth,friend。judgemeandpardonme,asI
havepardonedyouforallthewrongthatyouhavedonemesincethatday。
Chapter26
WhatfollowedthatfatalnightyouknowaswellasI;butwhatyoucannotknow,whatyoucannotsuspect,iswhatIhavesufferedsinceourseparation。
Iheardthatyourfatherhadtakenyouawaywithhim,butIfeltsurethatyoucouldnotliveawayfrommeforlong,andwhenI
metyouintheChamps-Elysees,Iwasalittleupset,butbynomeanssurprised。
Thenbeganthatseriesofdays;eachofthembroughtmeafreshinsultfromyou。Ireceivedthemallwithakindofjoy,for,besidesprovingtomethatyoustilllovedme,itseemedtomeasifthemoreyoupersecutedmethemoreIshouldberaisedinyoureyeswhenyoucametoknowthetruth。
Donotwonderatmyjoyinmartyrdom,Armand;yourloveformehadopenedmyhearttonobleenthusiasm。
Still,Iwasnotsostrongasthatquiteatonce。
Betweenthetimeofthesacrificemadeforyouandthetimeofyourreturnalongwhileelapsed,duringwhichIwasobligedtohaverecoursetophysicalmeansinordernottogomad,andinordertobeblindedanddeafenedinthewhirloflifeintowhichIflungmyself。Prudencehastoldyou(hasshenot?)howIwenttoallthefetesandballsandorgies。IhadasortofhopethatIshouldkillmyselfbyalltheseexcesses,andIthinkitwillnotbelongbeforethishopeisrealized。Myhealthnaturallygotworseandworse,andwhenIsentMme。DuvernoytoaskyouforpityIwasutterlywornout,bodyandsoul。
Iwillnotremindyou,Armand,ofthereturnyoumadeforthelastproofoflovethatIgaveyou,andoftheoutragebywhichyoudroveawayadyingwoman,whocouldnotresistyourvoicewhenyouaskedherforanightoflove,andwho,likeafool,thoughtforoneinstantthatshemightagainunitethepastwiththepresent。Youhadtherighttodowhatyoudid,Armand;peoplehavenotalwaysputsohighapriceonanightofmine!
Ilefteverythingafterthat。OlympehastakenmyplacewiththeComtedeN。,andhastoldhim,Ihear,thereasonsformyleavinghim。TheComtedeG。wasatLondon。Heisoneofthosemenwhogivejustenoughimportancetomakinglovetowomenlikemeforittobeanagreeablepastime,andwhoarethusabletoremainfriendswithwomen,nothatingthembecausetheyhaveneverbeenjealousofthem,andheis,too,oneofthosegrandseigneurswhoopenonlyapartoftheirheartstous,butthewholeoftheirpurses。ItwasofhimthatIimmediatelythought。IjoinedhiminLondon。Hereceivedmeaskindlyaspossible,buthewastheloverthereofawomaninsociety,andhefearedtocompromisehimselfifhewereseenwithme。Heintroducedmetohisfriends,whogaveasupperinmyhonour,afterwhichoneofthemtookmehomewithhim。
Whatelsewasthereformetodo,myfriend?IfIhadkilledmyselfitwouldhaveburdenedyourlife,whichoughttobehappy,withaneedlessremorse;andthen,whatisthegoodofkillingoneselfwhenoneissoneardyingalready?
Ibecameabodywithoutasoul,athingwithoutathought;I
livedforsometimeinthatautomaticway;thenIreturnedtoParis,andaskedafteryou;Iheardthenthatyouweregoneonalongvoyage。Therewasnothinglefttoholdmetolife。MyexistencebecamewhatithadbeentwoyearsbeforeIknewyou。I
triedtowinbacktheduke,butIhadoffendedhimtoodeeply。
Oldmenarenotpatient,nodoubtbecausetheyrealizethattheyarenoteternal。Igotweakereveryday。Iwaspaleandsadandthinnerthanever。Menwhobuyloveexaminethegoodsbeforetakingthem。AtParistherewerewomeninbetterhealth,andnotsothinasIwas;Iwasratherforgotten。Thatisallthepastuptoyesterday。
NowIamseriouslyill。Ihavewrittentotheduketoaskhimformoney,forIhavenone,andthecreditorshavereturned,andcometomewiththeirbillswithpitilessperseverance。Willthedukeanswer?WhyareyounotinParis,Armand?Youwouldcomeandseeme,andyourvisitswoulddomegood。
December20。
Theweatherishorrible;itissnowing,andIamalone。IhavebeeninsuchafeverforthelastthreedaysthatIcouldnotwriteyouaword。Nonews,myfriend;everydayIhopevaguelyforaletterfromyou,butitdoesnotcome,andnodoubtitwillnevercome。Onlymenarestrongenoughnottoforgive。Thedukehasnotanswered。
Prudenceispawningmythingsagain。
Ihavebeenspittingbloodallthetime。Oh,youwouldbesorryformeifyoucouldseeme。Youareindeedhappytobeunderawarmsky,andnot,likeme,withawholewinteroficeonyourchest。To-dayIgotupforalittlewhile,andlookedoutthroughthecurtainsofmywindow,andwatchedthelifeofParispassingbelow,thelifewithwhichIhavenownothingmoretodo。IsawthefacesofsomepeopleIknew,passingrapidly,joyousandcareless。Notoneliftedhiseyestomywindow。However,afewyoungmenhavecometoinquireforme。OncebeforeIwasill,andyou,thoughyoudidnotknowme,thoughyouhadhadnothingfrommebutanimpertinencethedayImetyoufirst,youcametoinquireaftermeeveryday。Wespentsixmonthstogether。Ihadalltheloveforyouthatawoman\'sheartcanholdandgive,andyouarefaraway,youarecursingme,andthereisnotawordofconsolationfromyou。Butitisonlychancethathasmadeyouleaveme,Iamsure,forifyouwereatParis,youwouldnotleavemybedside。
December25。
MydoctortellsmeImustnotwriteeveryday。Andindeedmymemoriesonlyincreasemyfever,butyesterdayIreceivedaletterwhichdidmegood,morebecauseofwhatitsaidthanbythematerialhelpwhichitcontained。Icanwritetoyou,then,to-day。Thisletterisfromyourfather,andthisiswhatitsays:
\"MADAME:Ihavejustlearnedthatyouareill。IfIwereatParisIwouldcomeandaskafteryoumyself;ifmysonwerehereI
wouldsendhim;butIcannotleaveC。,andArmandissixorsevenhundredleaguesfromhere;permitme,then,simplytowritetoyou,madame,totellyouhowpainedIamtohearofyourillness,andbelieveinmysincerewishesforyourspeedyrecovery。
Oneofmygoodfriends,M。H。,willcallonyou;willyoukindlyreceivehim?Ihaveintrustedhimwithacommission,theresultofwhichIawaitimpatiently。\"Believeme,madame,\"Yoursmostfaithfully。\"
Thisistheletterhesentme。Yourfatherhasanobleheart;
lovehimwell,myfriend,fortherearefewmensoworthyofbeingloved。Thispapersignedbyhisnamehasdonememoregoodthanalltheprescriptionsofourgreatdoctor。
ThismorningM。H。called。HeseemedmuchembarrassedbythedelicatemissionwhichM。Duvalhadintrustedtohim。Asamatteroffact,hecametobringmethreethousandfrancsfromyourfather。Iwantedtorefuseatfirst,butM。H。toldmethatmyrefusalwouldannoyM。Duval,whohadauthorizedhimtogivemethissumnow,andlateronwhateverImightneed。Iacceptedit,for,comingfromyourfather,itcouldnotbeexactlytakingalms。IfIamdeadwhenyoucomeback,showyourfatherwhatI
havewrittenforhim,andtellhimthatinwritingtheselinesthepoorwomantowhomhewaskindenoughtowritesoconsolingaletterwepttearsofgratitudeandprayedGodforhim。
January4。
Ihavepassedsometerribledays。Ineverknewthebodycouldsufferso。Oh,mypastlife!Ipaydoubleforitnow。
Therehasbeensomeonetowatchbymeeverynight;Icannotbreathe。Whatremainsofmypoorexistenceissharedbetweenbeingdeliriousandcoughing。
Thedining-roomisfullofsweetsandallsortsofpresentsthatmyfriendshavebrought。Someofthem,Idaresay,arehopingthatIshallbetheirmistresslateron。Iftheycouldseewhatsicknesshasmadeofme,theywouldgoawayinterror。
PrudenceisgivingherNewYear\'spresentswiththoseIhavereceived。
Thereisathaw,andthedoctorsaysthatImaygooutinafewdaysifthefineweathercontinues。
January8。
Iwentoutyesterdayinmycarriage。Theweatherwaslovely。TheChamps-Elyseeswasfullofpeople。Itwaslikethefirstsmileofspring。Everythingaboutmehadafestalair。Ineverknewbeforethatarayofsunshinecouldcontainsomuchjoy,sweetness,andconsolation。
ImetalmostallthepeopleIknew,allhappy,allabsorbedintheirpleasures。Howmanyhappypeopledon\'tevenknowthattheyarehappy!OlympepassedmeinanelegantcarriagethatM。deN。
hasgivenher。Shetriedtoinsultmebyherlook。ShelittleknowshowfarIamfromsuchthingsnow。Anicefellow,whomI
haveknownforalongtime,askedmeifIwouldhavesupperwithhimandoneofhisfriends,who,hesaid,wasveryanxioustomakemyacquaintance。Ismiledsadlyandgavehimmyhand,burningwithfever。Ineversawsuchanastonishedcountenance。
Icameinatfour,andhadquiteanappetiteformydinner。Goingouthasdonemegood。IfIwereonlygoingtogetwell!Howthesightofthelifeandhappinessofothersgivesadesireoflifetothosewho,onlythenightbefore,inthesolitudeoftheirsoulandintheshadowoftheirsick-room,onlywantedtodiesoon!
January10。
Thehopeofgettingbetterwasonlyadream。Iambackinbedagain,coveredwithplasterswhichburnme。IfIweretoofferthebodythatpeoplepaidsodearforonce,howmuchwouldtheygive,Iwonder,to-day?
Wemusthavedonesomethingverywickedbeforewewereborn,orelsewemustbegoingtobeveryhappyindeedwhenwearedead,forGodtoletthislifehaveallthetorturesofexpiationandallthesorrowsofanordeal。
January12。
Iamalwaysill。
TheComtedeN。sentmesomemoneyyesterday。Ididnotkeepit。
Iwon\'ttakeanythingfromthatman。Itisthroughhimthatyouarenothere。
Oh,thatgoodtimeatBougival!Whereisitnow?
IfIcomeoutofthisroomaliveIwillmakeapilgrimagetothehousewelivedintogether,butIwillneverleaveituntilIamdead。
WhoknowsifIshallwritetoyouto-morrow?
January25。
Ihavenotsleptforelevennights。Iamsuffocated。IimagineeverymomentthatIamgoingtodie。Thedoctorhasforbiddenmetotouchapen。JulieDuprat,whoislookingafterme,letsmewritethesefewlinestoyou。WillyounotcomebackbeforeI
die?Isitalloverbetweenusforever?ItseemstomeasifI
shouldgetwellifyoucame。Whatwouldbethegoodofgettingwell?
January28。
ThismorningIwasawakenedbyagreatnoise。Julie,whosleptinmyroom,ranintothedining-room。Iheardmen\'svoices,andhersprotestingagainsttheminvain。Shecamebackcrying。
Theyhadcometoseizemythings。Itoldhertoletwhattheycalljusticehaveitsway。Thebailiffcameintomyroomwithhishaton。Heopenedthedrawers,wrotedownwhathesaw,anddidnotevenseemtobeawarethattherewasadyingwomaninthebedthatfortunatelythecharityofthelawleavesme。
Hesaid,indeed,beforegoing,thatIcouldappealwithinninedays,butheleftamanbehindtokeepwatch。MyGod!whatistobecomeofme?ThisscenehasmademeworsethanIwasbefore。
Prudencewantedtogoandaskyourfather\'sfriendformoney,butIwouldnotlether。
Ireceivedyourletterthismorning。Iwasinneedofit。Willmyanswerreachyouintime?Willyoueverseemeagain?Thisisahappyday,andithasmademeforgetallthedaysIhavepassedforthelastsixweeks。IseemasifIambetter,inspiteofthefeelingofsadnessundertheimpressionofwhichIrepliedtoyou。
Afterall,nooneisunhappyalways。
WhenIthinkthatitmayhappentomenottodie,foryoutocomeback,formetoseethespringagain,foryoustilltoloveme,andforustobeginoveragainourlastyear\'slife!
FoolthatIam!IcanscarcelyholdthepenwithwhichIwritetoyouofthiswilddreamofmyheart。
Whateverhappens,Ilovedyouwell,Armand,andIwouldhavediedlongagoifIhadnothadthememoryofyourlovetohelpmeandasortofvaguehopeofseeingyoubesidemeagain。
February4。
TheComtedeG。hasreturned。Hismistresshasbeenunfaithfultohim。Heisverysad;hewasveryfondofher。Hecametotellmeallaboutit。Thepoorfellowisinratherabadwayastomoney;
allthesame,hehaspaidmybailiffandsentawaytheman。
Italkedtohimaboutyou,andhepromisedtotellyouaboutme。
IforgotthatIhadbeenhismistress,andhetriedtomakemeforgetit,too。Heisagoodfriend。
Thedukesentyesterdaytoinquireafterme,andthismorninghecametoseeme。Idonotknowhowtheoldmanstillkeepsalive。
Heremainedwithmethreehoursanddidnotsaytwentywords。TwobigtearsfellfromhiseyeswhenhesawhowpaleIwas。Thememoryofhisdaughter\'sdeathmadehimweep,nodoubt。Hewillhaveseenherdietwice。Hisbackwasbowed,hisheadbenttowardtheground,hislipsdrooping,hiseyesvacant。Ageandsorrowweighwithadoubleweightonhisworn-outbody。Hedidnotreproachme。Itlookedasifherejoicedsecretlytoseetheravagesthatdiseasehadmadeinme。Heseemedproudofbeingstillonhisfeet,whileI,whoamstillyoung,wasbrokendownbysuffering。
Thebadweatherhasreturned。Noonecomestoseeme。Juliewatchesbymeasmuchasshecan。Prudence,towhomIcannolongergiveasmuchasIusedto,beginstomakeexcusesfornotcoming。
NowthatIamsoneardeath,inspiteofwhatthedoctorstellme,forIhaveseveral,whichprovesthatIamgettingworse,I
amalmostsorrythatIlistenedtoyourfather;ifIhadknownthatIshouldonlybetakingayearofyourfuture,Icouldnothaveresistedthelongingtospendthatyearwithyou,and,atleast,Ishouldhavediedwithafriendtoholdmyhand。Itistruethatifwehadlivedtogetherthisyear,Ishouldnothavediedsosoon。
God\'swillbedone!
February5。
Oh,come,come,Armand!Isufferhorribly;Iamgoingtodie,O
God!IwassomiserableyesterdaythatIwantedtospendtheevening,whichseemedasifitweregoingtobeaslongasthelast,anywherebutathome。Thedukecameinthemorning。Itseemstomeasifthesightofthisoldman,whomdeathhasforgotten,makesmediefaster。
Despitetheburningfeverwhichdevouredme,ImadethemdressmeandtakemetotheVaudeville。Julieputonsomerougeforme,withoutwhichIshouldhavelookedlikeacorpse。IhadtheboxwhereIgaveyouourfirstrendezvous。AllthetimeIhadmyeyesfixedonthestallwhereyousatthatday,thoughasortofcountryfellowsatthere,laughingloudlyatallthefoolishthingsthattheactorssaid。Iwashalfdeadwhentheybroughtmehome。Icoughedandspatbloodallthenight。To-dayIcannotspeak,Icanscarcelymovemyarm。MyGod!MyGod!Iamgoingtodie!Ihavebeenexpectingit,butIcannotgetusedtothethoughtofsufferingmorethanIsuffernow,andif——
AfterthisthefewcharacterstracedbyMargueritewereindecipherable,andwhatfollowedwaswrittenbyJulieDuprat。
February18。
MONSIEURARMAND:
SincethedaythatMargueriteinsistedongoingtothetheatreshehasgotworseandworse。Shehascompletelylosthervoice,andnowtheuseofherlimbs。
Whatourpoorfriendsuffersisimpossibletosay。Iamnotusedtoemotionsofthiskind,andIaminastateofconstantfright。
HowIwishyouwerehere!Sheisalmostalwaysdelirious;butdeliriousorlucid,itisalwaysyournamethatshepronounces,whenshecanspeakaword。
Thedoctortellsmethatsheisnothereforlong。Sinceshegotsoilltheolddukehasnotreturned。Hetoldthedoctorthatthesightwastoomuchforhim。
Mme。Duvernoyisnotbehavingwell。Thiswoman,whothoughtshecouldgetmoremoneyoutofMarguerite,atwhoseexpenseshewaslivingalmostcompletely,hascontractedliabilitieswhichshecannotmeet,andseeingthatherneighbourisnolongerofusetoher,shedoesnotevencometoseeher。Everybodyisabandoningher。M。deG。,prosecutedforhisdebts,hashadtoreturntoLondon。Onleaving,hesentusmoremoney;hehasdoneallhecould,buttheyhavereturnedtoseizethethings,andthecreditorsareonlywaitingforhertodieinordertoselleverything。
Iwantedtousemylastresourcestoputastoptoit,butthebailifftoldmeitwasnouse,andthatthereareotherseizurestofollow。Sinceshemustdie,itisbettertoleteverythinggothantosaveitforherfamily,whomshehasnevercaredtosee,andwhohavenevercaredforher。Youcannotconceiveinthemidstofwhatgildedmiserythepoorthingisdying。Yesterdaywehadabsolutelynomoney。Plate,jewels,shawls,everythingisinpawn;therestissoldorseized。Margueriteisstillconsciousofwhatgoesonaroundher,andshesuffersinbody,mind,andheart。Bigtearstrickledownhercheeks,sothinandpalethatyouwouldneverrecognisethefaceofherwhomyoulovedsomuch,ifyoucouldseeher。Shehasmademepromisetowritetoyouwhenshecannolongerwrite,andIwritebeforeher。Sheturnshereyestowardme,butshenolongerseesme;hereyesarealreadyveiledbythecomingofdeath;yetshesmiles,andallherthoughts,allhersoulareyours,Iamsure。
Everytimethedooropenshereyesbrighten,andshethinksyouaregoingtocomein;then,whensheseesthatitisnotyou,herfaceresumesitssorrowfulexpression,acoldsweatbreaksoutoverit,andhercheek-bonesflush。
February19,midnight。
Whatasaddaywehavehadto-day,poorM。Armand!ThismorningMargueritewasstifling;thedoctorbledher,andhervoicehasreturnedtoherawhile。Thedoctorbeggedhertoseeapriest。
Shesaid\"Yes,\"andhewenthimselftofetchanabbe\'fromSaintRoch。
MeanwhileMargueritecalledmeuptoherbed,askedmetoopenacupboard,andpointedoutacapandalongchemisecoveredwithlace,andsaidinafeeblevoice:
\"IshalldieassoonasIhaveconfessed。Thenyouwilldressmeinthesethings;itisthewhimofadyingwoman。?
Thensheembracedmewithtearsandadded:
\"Icanspeak,butIamstifledwhenIspeak;Iamstifling。Air!\"
Iburstintotears,openedthewindow,andafewminutesafterwardthepriestentered。Iwentuptohim;whenheknewwherehewas,heseemedafraidofbeingbadlyreceived。
\"Comeinboldly,father,\"Isaidtohim。
Hestayedaveryshorttimeintheroom,andwhenhecameouthesaidtome:
\"Shelivedasinner,andshewilldieaChristian。\"
Afewminutesafterwardhereturnedwithachoirboybearingacrucifix,andasacristanwhowentbeforethemringingthebelltoannouncethatGodwascomingtothedyingone。
Theywentallthreeintothebed-roomwheresomanystrangewordshavebeensaid,butwasnowasortofholytabernacle。
Ifellonmyknees。IdonotknowhowlongtheimpressionofwhatIsawwilllast,butIdonotthinkthat,tillmyturncomes,anyhumanthingcanmakesodeepanimpressiononme。
Thepriestanointedwithholyoilthefeetandhandsandforeheadofthedyingwoman,repeatedashortprayer,andMargueritewasreadytosetoutfortheheaventowhichIdoubtnotshewillgo,ifGodhasseentheordealofherlifeandthesanctityofherdeath。
Sincethenshehasnotsaidawordormadeamovement。TwentytimesIshouldhavethoughtherdeadifIhadnotheardherbreathingpainfully。
February20,5P。M。
Allisover。
Margueritefellintoherlastagonyatabouttwoo\'clock。Neverdidamartyrsuffersuchtorture,tojudgebythecriessheuttered。Twoorthreetimesshesatuprightinthebed,asifshewouldholdontoherlife,whichwasescapingtowardGod。
Twoorthreetimesalsoshesaidyourname;thenallwassilent,andshefellbackonthebedexhausted。Silenttearsflowedfromhereyes,andshewasdead。
ThenIwentuptoher;Icalledher,andasshedidnotanswerI
closedhereyesandkissedherontheforehead。
Poor,dearMarguerite,IwishIwereaholywomanthatmykissmightrecommendyoutoGod。
ThenIdressedherasshehadaskedmetodo。IwenttofindapriestatSaintRoch,Iburnedtwocandlesforher,andIprayedinthechurchforanhour。
Igavethemoneyshelefttothepoor。
Idonotknowmuchaboutreligion,butIthinkthatGodwillknowthatmytearsweregenuine,myprayersfervent,myalms-givingsincere,andthathewillhavepityonherwho,dyingyoungandbeautiful,hasonlyhadmetoclosehereyesandputherinhershroud。
February22。
Theburialtookplaceto-day。ManyofMarguerite\'sfriendscametothechurch。Someofthemweptwithsincerity。WhenthefuneralstartedonthewaytoMontmartreonlytwomenfollowedit:theComtedeG。,whocamefromLondononpurpose,andtheduke,whowassupportedbytwofootmen。
Iwriteyouthesedetailsfromherhouse,inthemidstofmytearsandunderthelampwhichburnssadlybesideadinnerwhichIcannottouch,asyoucanimagine,butwhichNaninehasgotforme,forIhaveeatennothingfortwenty-fourhours。
Mylifecannotretainthesesadimpressionsforlong,formylifeisnotmyownanymorethanMarguerite\'swashers;thatiswhyIgiveyouallthesedetailsontheveryspotwheretheyoccurred,inthefear,ifalongtimeelapsedbetweenthemandyourreturn,thatImightnotbeabletogivethemtoyouwithalltheirmelancholyexactitude。
Chapter27
\"Youhavereadit?\"saidArmand,whenIhadfinishedthemanuscript。
\"Iunderstandwhatyoumusthavesuffered,myfriend,ifallthatIreadistrue。\"
\"Myfatherconfirmeditinaletter。\"
Wetalkedforsometimeoverthesaddestinywhichhadbeenaccomplished,andIwenthometorestalittle。
Armand,stillsad,butalittlerelievedbythenarrationofhisstory,soonrecovered,andwewenttogethertopayavisittoPrudenceandtoJulieDuprat。
Prudencehadbecomebankrupt。ShetoldusthatMargueritewasthecauseofit;thatduringherillnessshehadlentheralotofmoneyintheformofpromissorynotes,whichshecouldnotpay,Margueritehavingdiedwithouthavingreturnedherthemoney,andwithouthavinggivenherareceiptwithwhichshecouldpresentherselfasacreditor。
Bythehelpofthisfable,whichMme。Duvernoyrepeatedeverywhereinordertoaccountforhermoneydifficulties,sheextractedanoteforathousandfrancsfromArmand,whodidnotbelieveit,butwhopretendedto,outofrespectforallthoseinwhosecompanyMargueritehadlived。
ThenwecalledonJulieDuprat,whotoldusthesadincidentwhichshehadwitnessed,sheddingrealtearsattheremembranceofherfriend。
Lastly,wewenttoMarguerite\'sgrave,onwhichthefirstraysoftheAprilsunwerebringingthefirstleavesintobud。
OnedutyremainedtoArmand——toreturntohisfather。Hewishedmetoaccompanyhim。
WearrivedatC。,whereIsawM。Duval,suchasIhadimaginedhimfromtheportraithissonhadmadeofhim,tall,dignified,kindly。
HewelcomedArmandwithtearsofjoy,andclaspedmyhandaffectionately。Iwasnotlonginseeingthatthepaternalsentimentwasthatwhichdominatedallothersinhismind。
Hisdaughter,namedBlanche,hadthattransparenceofeyes,thatserenityofthemouth,whichindicatesasoulthatconceivesonlyholythoughtsandlipsthatrepeatonlypiouswords。Shewelcomedherbrother\'sreturnwithsmiles,notknowing,inthepurityofheryouth,thatfarawayacourtesanhadsacrificedherownhappinessatthemereinvocationofhername。
Iremainedforsometimeintheirhappyfamily,fullofindulgentcareforonewhobroughtthemtheconvalescenceofhisheart。
IreturnedtoParis,whereIwrotethisstoryjustasithadbeentoldme。Ithasonlyonemerit,whichwillperhapsbedeniedit;
thatis,thatitistrue。
IdonotdrawfromthisstorytheconclusionthatallwomenlikeMargueritearecapableofdoingallthatshedid——farfromit;
butIhavediscoveredthatoneofthemexperiencedaseriousloveinthecourseofherlife,thatshesufferedforit,andthatshediedofit。IhavetoldthereaderallthatIlearned。Itwasmyduty。
Iamnottheapostleofvice,butIwouldgladlybetheechoofnoblesorrowwhereverIbearitsvoiceinprayer。
ThestoryofMargueriteisanexception,Irepeat;haditnotbeenanexception,itwouldnothavebeenworththetroubleofwritingit。