camille-第9部分

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ow　that　I　know　her。〃

〃Bah！　I　don't　despair　of　seeing　you　one　day　at　the　back　of　her　box；　and　of　bearing　that　you　are　ruining　yourself　for　her。　However；　you　are　right；　she　hasn't　been　well　brought　up；　but　she　would　be　a　charming　mistress　to　have。〃

Happily；　the　curtain　rose　and　my　friend　was　silent。　I　could　not　possibly　tell　you　what　they　were　acting。　All　that　I　remember　is　that　from　time　to　time　I　raised　my　eyes　to　the　box　I　had　quitted　so　abruptly；　and　that　the　faces　of　fresh　visitors　succeeded　one　another　all　the　time。

I　was　far　from　having　given　up　thinking　about　Marguerite。　Another　feeling　had　taken　possession　of　me。　It　seemed　to　me　that　I　had　her　insult　and　my　absurdity　to　wipe　out；　I　said　to　myself　that　if　I　spent　every　penny　I　had；　I　would　win　her　and　win　my　right　to　the　place　I　had　abandoned　so　quickly。

Before　the　performance　was　over　Marguerite　and　her　friend　left　the　box。　I　rose　from　my　seat。

〃Are　you　going？〃　said　Ernest。

〃Yes。〃

〃Why？〃

At　that　moment　he　saw　that　the　box　was　empty。

〃Go；　go；〃　he　said；　〃and　good　luck；　or　rather　better　luck。〃

I　went　out。

I　heard　the　rustle　of　dresses；　the　sound　of　voices；　on　the　staircase。　I　stood　aside；　and；　without　being　seen；　saw　the　two　women　pass　me；　accompanied　by　two　young　men。　At　the　entrance　to　the　theatre　they　were　met　by　a　footman。

〃Tell　the　coachman　to　wait　at　the　door　of　the　Cafe'　Anglais；〃　said　Marguerite。　〃We　will　walk　there。〃

A　few　minutes　afterward　I　saw　Marguerite　from　the　street　at　a　window　of　one　of　the　large　rooms　of　the　restaurant；　pulling　the　camellias　of　her　bouquet　to　pieces；　one　by　one。　One　of　the　two　men　was　leaning　over　her　shoulder　and　whispering　in　her　ear。　I　took　up　my　position　at　the　Maison…d'or；　in　one　of　the　first…floor　rooms；　and　did　not　lose　sight　of　the　window　for　an　instant。　At　one　in　the　morning　Marguerite　got　into　her　carriage　with　her　three　friends。　I　took　a　cab　and　followed　them。　The　carriage　stopped　at　No。　9；　Rue　d'Antin。　Marguerite　got　out　and　went　in　alone。　It　was　no　doubt　a　mere　chance；　but　the　chance　filled　me　with　delight。

From　that　time　forward；　I　often　met　Marguerite　at　the　theatre　or　in　the　Champs…Elysees。　Always　there　was　the　same　gaiety　in　her；　the　same　emotion　in　me。

At　last　a　fortnight　passed　without　my　meeting　her。　I　met　Gaston　and　asked　after　her。

〃Poor　girl；　she　is　very　ill；〃　he　answered。

〃What　is　the　matter？〃

〃She　is　consumptive；　and　the　sort　of　life　she　leads　isn't　exactly　the　thing　to　cure　her。　She　has　taken　to　her　bed；　she　is　dying。〃

The　heart　is　a　strange　thing；　I　was　almost　glad　at　hearing　it。

Every　day　I　went　to　ask　after　her；　without　leaving　my　name　or　my　card。　I　heard　she　was　convalescent　and　had　gone　to　Bagneres。

Time　went　by；　the　impression；　if　not　the　memory；　faded　gradually　from　my　mind。　I　travelled；　love　affairs；　habits；　work；　took　the　place　of　other　thoughts；　and　when　I　recalled　this　adventure　I　looked　upon　it　as　one　of　those　passions　which　one　has　when　one　is　very　young；　and　laughs　at　soon　afterward。

For　the　rest；　it　was　no　credit　to　me　to　have　got　the　better　of　this　recollection；　for　I　had　completely　lost　sight　of　Marguerite；　and；　as　I　told　you；　when　she　passed　me　in　the　corridor　of　the　Varietes；　I　did　not　recognise　her。　She　was　veiled；　it　is　true；　but；　veiled　though　she　might　have　been　two　years　earlier；　I　should　not　have　needed　to　see　her　in　order　to　recognise　her：　I　should　have　known　her　intuitively。　All　the　same；　my　heart　began　to　beat　when　I　knew　that　it　was　she；　and　the　two　years　that　had　passed　since　I　saw　her；　and　what　had　seemed　to　be　the　results　of　that　separation；　vanished　in　smoke　at　the　mere　touch　of　her　dress。



Chapter　8

However　（continued　Armand　after　a　pause）；　while　I　knew　myself　to　be　still　in　love　with　her；　I　felt　more　sure　of　myself；　and　part　of　my　desire　to　speak　to　Marguerite　again　was　a　wish　to　make　her　see　that　I　was　stronger　than　she。

How　many　ways　does　the　heart　take；　how　many　reasons　does　it　invent　for　itself；　in　order　to　arrive　at　what　it　wants！

I　could　not　remain　in　the　corridor；　and　I　returned　to　my　place　in　the　stalls；　looking　hastily　around　to　see　what　box　she　was　in。　She　was　in　a　ground…floor　box；　quite　alone。　She　had　changed；　as　I　have　told　you；　and　no　longer　wore　an　indifferent　smile　on　her　lips。　She　had　suffered；　she　was　still　suffering。　Though　it　was　April；　she　was　still　wearing　a　winter　costume；　all　wrapped　up　in　furs。

I　gazed　at　her　so　fixedly　that　my　eyes　attracted　hers。　She　looked　at　me　for　a　few　seconds；　put　up　her　opera…glass　to　see　me　better；　and　seemed　to　think　she　recognised　me；　without　being　quite　sure　who　I　was；　for　when　she　put　down　her　glasses；　a　smile；　that　charming；　feminine　salutation；　flitted　across　her　lips；　as　if　to　answer　the　bow　which　she　seemed　to　expect；　but　I　did　not　respond；　so　as　to　have　an　advantage　over　her；　as　if　I　had　forgotten；　while　she　remembered。　Supposing　herself　mistaken；；　she　looked　away。

The　curtain　went　up。　I　have　often　seen　Marguerite　at　the　theatre。　I　never　saw　her　pay　the　slightest　attention　to　what　was　being　acted。　As　for　me；　the　performance　interested　me　equally　little；　and　I　paid　no　attention　to　anything　but　her；　though　doing　my　utmost　to　keep　her　from　noticing　it。

Presently　I　saw　her　glancing　across　at　the　person　who　was　in　the　opposite　box；　on　looking；　I　saw　a　woman　with　whom　I　was　quite　familiar。　She　had　once　been　a　kept　woman；　and　had　tried　to　go　on　the　stage；　had　failed；　and；　relying　on　her　acquaintance　with　fashionable　people　in　Paris；　had　gone　into　business　and　taken　a　milliner's　shop。　I　saw　in　her　a　means　of　meeting　with　Marguerite；　and　profited　by　a　moment　in　which　she　looked　my　way　to　wave　my　hand　to　her。　As　I　expected；　she　beckoned　to　me　to　come　to　her　box。

Prudence　Duvernoy　（that　was　the　milliner's　auspicious　name）　was　one　of　those　fat　women　of　forty　with　whom　one　requires　very　little　diplomacy　to　make　them　understand　what　one　wants　to　know；　especially　when　what　one　wants　to　know　is　as　simple　as　what　I　had　to　ask　of　her。

I　took　advantage　of　a　moment　when　she　was　smiling　across　at　Marguerite　to　ask　her；　〃Whom　are　you　looking　at？〃

〃Marguerite　Gautier。〃

〃You　know　her？〃

〃Yes；　I　am　her　milliner；　and　she　is　a　neighbour　of　mine。〃

〃Do　you　live　in　the　Rue　d'Antin？〃

〃No。　7。　The　window　of　her　dressing…room　looks　on　to　the　window　of　mine。〃

〃They　say　she　is　a　charming　girl。〃

〃Don't　you　know　her？〃

〃No；　but　I　should　like　to。〃

〃Shall　I　ask　her　to　come　over　to　our　box？〃

〃No；　I　would　rather　for　you　to　introduce　me　to　her。〃

〃At　her　own　house？〃

〃Yes。

〃That　is　more　difficult。〃

〃Why？〃

〃Because　she　is　under　the　protection　of　a　jealous　old　duke。〃

〃'Protection'　is　charming。〃

〃Yes；　protection；〃　replied　Prudence。　〃Poor　old　man；　he　would　be　greatly　embarrassed　to　offer　her　anything　else。〃

Prudence　then　told　me　how　Marguerite　had　made　the　acquaintance　of　the　duke　at　Bagneres。

〃That；　then；〃　I　continued；　〃is　why　she　is　alone　here？〃

〃Precisely。〃

〃But　who　will　see　her　home？〃

〃He　will。〃

〃He　will　come　for　her？〃

〃In　a　moment。〃

〃And　you；　who　is　seeing　you　home？〃

〃No　one。〃

〃May　I　offer　myself？〃

〃But　you　are　with　a　friend；　are　you　not？〃

〃May　we　offer；　then？〃

〃Who　is　your　friend？〃

〃A　charming　fellow；　very　amusing。　He　will　be　delighted　to　make　your　acquaintance。〃

〃Well；　all　right；　we　will　go　after　this　piece　is　over；　for　I　know　the　last　piece。〃

〃With　pleasure；　I　will　go　and　tell　my　friend。〃

〃Go；　then。　Ah；〃　added　Prudence；　as　I　was　going；　〃there　is　the　duke　just　coming　into　Marguerite's　box。〃

I　looked　at　him。　A　man　of　about　seventy　had　sat　down　behind　her；　and　was　giving　her　a　bag　of　sweets；　into　which　she　dipped　at　once；　smiling。　Then　she　held　it　out　toward　Prudence；　with　a　gesture　which　seemed　to　say；　〃Will　you　have　some？〃

〃No；〃　signalled　Prudence。

Marguerite　drew　back　the　bag；　and；　turning；　began　to　talk　with　the　duke。

It　may　sound　childish　to　tell　you　all　these　details；　but　everything　relating　to　Marguerite　is　so　fresh　in　my　memory　that　I　can　not　help　recalling　them　now。

I　went　back　to　Gaston　and　told　him　of　the　arrangement　I　had　made　for　him　and　for　me。　He　agreed；　and　we　left　our　stalls　to　go　round　to　Mme。　Duvernoy's　box。　We　had　scarcely　opened　the　door　leading　into　the　stalls　when　we　had　to　stand　aside　to　allow　Marguerite　and　the　duke　to　pass。　I　would　have　given　ten　years　of　my　life　to　have　been　in　the　old　man's　place。

When　they　were　on　the　street　he　handed　her　into　a　phaeton；　which　he　drove　himself；　and　they　were　whirled　away　by　two　superb　horses。

We　returned　to　Prudence's　box；　and　when　the　play　was　over　we　took　a　cab　and　drove　to　7；　Rue　d'Antin。　At　the　door；　Prudence　asked　us　to　come　up　and　see　her　showrooms；　which　we　had　never　seen；　and　of　which　she　seemed　very　proud。　You　can　imagine　how　eagerly　I　accepted。　It　seemed　to　me　as　if　I　was　coming　nearer　and　nearer　to　Marguerite。　I　soon　turned　the　conversation　in　her　direction。

〃The　old　duke　is　at　your　neighbours；〃　I　said　to　Prudence。

〃Oh；　no；　she　is　probably　alone。〃

〃But　she　must　be　dreadfully　bored；〃　said　Gaston。

〃We　spend　most　of　our　evening　together；　or　she　calls　to　me　when　she　comes　in。　She　never　goes　to　bed　before　two　in　the　morning。　She　can't　sleep　before　that。〃

〃Why？〃

〃Because　she　suffers　in　the　chest；　and　is　almost　always　feverish。〃

〃Hasn't　she　any　lovers？〃　I　asked。

〃I　never　see　any　one　remain　after　I　leave；　I　don't　say　no　one　ever　comes　when　I　am　gone。　Often　in　the　evening　I　meet　there　a　certain　Comte　de　N。；　who　thinks　he　is　making　some　headway　by　calling　on　her　at　eleven　in　the　evening；　and　by　sending　her　jewels　to　any　extent；　but　she　can't　stand　him。　She　makes　a　mistake；　he　is　very　rich。　It　is　　in　vain　that　I　say　to　her　from　time　to　time；　'My　dear　child；　there's　the　man　for　you。'　She；　who　generally　listens　to　me；　turns　her　back　and　replies　that　he　is　too　stupid。　Stupid；　indeed；　he　is；　but　it　would　be　a　position　for　her；　while　this　old　duke　might　die　any　day。　Old　men　are　egoists；　his　family　are　always　reproaching　him　for　his　affection　for　Marguerite；　there　are　two　reasons　why　he　is　likely　to　leave　her　nothing。　I　give　her　good　advice；　and　she　only　says　it　will　be　plenty　of　time　to　take　on　the　count　when　the　duke　is　dead。　It　isn't　all　fun；〃　continued　Prudence；　〃to　live　like　that。