登陆注册
12109100000025

第25章

'Listen,Marguerite,let me tell you something which other men have no doubt told you often,something which the habit of hearing will perhaps prevent you from believing,though it is nonetheless real,something which I shall never say to you again.'

'And this something……?'she said,with a smile such as young mothers smile when listening to their child being silly.

'……is this.From the moment I first saw you,I don't know how or why,you have occupied a place in my life.Though I've tried to drive your image out of my mind,it has always come back.Today,when I met you after two years without seeing you,you took an even stronger hold on my heart and my thoughts.Now you have received me here,now I know you and can see everything that is strange in you,the truth is that you've become indispensable to me,and I shall go out of my mind,not simply if you do not love me,but if you do not let me love you.'

'But,you wretched man,I shall say to you what Madame D used to say:you just be very rich,then!You clearly have no idea that I spend six or seven thousands francs a month,and that spending this much has become necessary for my way of life;can't you see,you poor fool,that I'd ruin you in no time at all?that you family would have you declared unfit to manage your affairs to teach you not to live with creatures like me?Love me,like a good friend,but not otherwise.Come and see me,we'll laugh,we'll talk,but don't go getting ideas about my merits:they are very small.You have a kind heart,you need to be loved,you are too young and too sensitive to live in our world.Find yourself some married woman.You can see I'm a decent sort of girl,and I'm being frank with you.'

'Hello!What on earth are you pair up to?'cried Prudence,whom we had not heard coming,as she appeared at the bedroom door,her hair half undone and her dress open.In her disordered appearance,I recognized Gaston's handiwork.

'We're having a serious talk,'said Marguerite,'leave us for a while,we'll rejoin you shortly.'

'All right,all right,talk away,my children,'said Prudence,and she left,closing the door as if to reinforce the tone in which she had spoken these last words.

'So it's agreed,'Marguerite went on,when we were alone,'you will stop loving me.'

'I shall go away.'

'It's as bad as that?'

I had gone too far to turn back,and besides,this girl overwhelmed me.Her mixture of high spirits,sadness,ingenuousness and prostitution,the very illness which as surely heightened her sensitivity to impressions as it did her nervous reactions-everything made me see that if,from the outset,I did not gain some hold over her heedless,fickle nature,then she would be lost to me forever.

'So what you are saying is quite serious?'she said.

'Very serious.'

'But why didn't you tell me all this before?'

'When could I have told you?'

'The day after you were introduced to me at the Opera-Comique.'

'I think you'd have received me very badly if I had come to see you.'

'Why?'

'Because I had behaved stupidly the previous evening.'

'Yes,that's true.But all the same,you were already in love with me then.'

'Yes.'

'None of which prevented you from going home to bed and sleeping very soundly after the play.We all know about great loves of that sort.'

'Now that's where you're wrong.Do you know what I did that evening we met at the Opera-Comique?'

'No.'

'I waited for you outside the entrance to the Cafe Anglais.I followed the carriage which brought you and your friends back here and,when I saw you get out by yourself and go up to your apartment alone,I was very happy.'

Marguerite began to laugh.

'What are you laughing at?'

'Nothing.'

'Tell me,I beg you,or I shall think that you're laughing at me again.'

'You won't be cross?'

'I have no right to be cross.'

'Well,there was a good reason why I should return alone.'

'What was that?'

'There was someone waiting for me here.'

Had she stabbed me with a knife,she could not have hurt me more.I stood up and,offering my hand,said:

'Goodbye.'

'I knew you'd be cross,'she said.'Men have a mania for wanting to know things that will upset them.'

'But I assure you,'I added coldly,as though I had wanted to show that I was cured of my passion for ever,'I assure you that I am not cross.It was only natural that someone should have been waiting for you,as natural as it is that I should leave here at three in the morning.'

'Have you got someone waiting for you at home too?'

'No,but I must go.'

'Goodbye,then.'

'You are sending me away.'

'Not at all.'

'Then why do you say hurtful things?'

'What hurtful things?'

'You told me someone was waiting for you.'

'I couldn't help laughing at the thought of your being so happy to see me coming in by myself,when there was such a good reason for me to do so.'

'People often find happiness in foolish things.It is unkind to destroy their happiness when,simply by allowing it to continue,we can increase the joy of those who have discovered such happiness.'

同类推荐
  • 道典论

    道典论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 净慈慧晖禅师语录

    净慈慧晖禅师语录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 要药分剂

    要药分剂

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 佛说妙好宝车经

    佛说妙好宝车经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 明镜公案

    明镜公案

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 命运夜之守护之手

    命运夜之守护之手

    莫问吾心似剑寒,早知今日何那般?此去纵有风雨骤,铁誓一生不复返。他一生戎马,却因功高震主而死,志吞六合,气盖万夫......这是后人的评价,看他在重生在命运夜的世界里会如何
  • 废材女的萌宠

    废材女的萌宠

    一代天才夏紫萱渡劫失败!一次重生变成废材!偶得魔宠贝贝!她为他洗尽铅华!他为她化形为人!谁是谁的谁?谁生?谁死?
  • 天光传说

    天光传说

    一个因为采药而幸免于难的少年,一个被人抛弃的一个女子,几段在修行路上的邂逅。看主角如何携手红颜,工造天光传说
  • 我为恶魔

    我为恶魔

    我只想平淡安逸的生活下去,奈何这操蛋的生活却不断逼迫那么,就让我成为世界的主宰,就没有人再伤害我了。
  • 道德真经集注杂说

    道德真经集注杂说

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 天道妖王

    天道妖王

    环力魂力充斥的世界力量勇气诉说的传奇沉寂千年的古族复仇的实验少年他能摆脱宿命掌握自己的未来吗看他如何在强者世界中成长傲视群雄
  • 天神下凡之神偷在身边

    天神下凡之神偷在身边

    情缘两世,人海茫茫,只为找到你,与你再次相见,去实现我们的诺言,执子之手,与子偕老吴思云,李峰易,一个从未被抓过的女神偷,一个正气凛然的大明星;一个天神,一个人类。神偷vs正气大明星,神与人之间的爱恋,在一次次搞笑,暧昧,误会之下,让他们明白了自己的心意,同时也降临一个灾难,使他们不得不分开,他们也在相互努力着,只为相见的那一天
  • 帝仙恋

    帝仙恋

    “人类,为何在此?速速离开!”一身轻纱剑指帝王,明明是那么的美却带着毒。“姑娘,你的东西掉了”美人转身,那惊鸿一瞥,不知是谁沉醉在其中。她,为守护而生。他,为天下而生。他与她的相遇,是对是错?一世纠缠,亦是两人命运。咳咳,友情提示:这是月饼第一次写文章,不定期更。大家不要对我抱太大期望,只求看完第一章!拜托,拜托啦!
  • 那朵云想起

    那朵云想起

    有些时候,尊严什么的在爱情面前显得微不足道,甚至于渺小,时间也够久了,该放下的都被抛弃,唯独你。他们的相遇不是偶然,而是蓄谋已久,他利用她是真,她知道,但不知道的是他也真的爱着她。最后的最后,他们与风月无关,与利益无关,与时间无关。季云光:真真假假不过就一个你,而我爱的就是最真的那个你,潇韩:我也怕,怕失去你,怕卸去伪装的我再得不到你芳心。
  • 这里有神

    这里有神

    本文慢热。命运总是充满未知的,而时间总是会验证她的力量。懵懂少年偶得一片花瓣,自始命运发生改变,原本普通的世界在他的面前变得多姿多彩,妖魔鬼怪,奇人异事,从此在他的世界里层出不穷。少年常在想:“发生的每件事是否也像这片花瓣一样,莫名而又奇妙!”