登陆注册
4611400000014

第14章

Illnesses like Armand's have one fortunate thing about them: they either kill outright or are very soon overcome. A fortnight after the events which I have just related Armand was convalescent, and we had already become great friends. During the whole course of his illness I had hardly left his side.

Spring was profuse in its flowers, its leaves, its birds, its songs; and my friend's window opened gaily upon his garden, from which a reviving breath of health seemed to come to him. The doctor had allowed him to get up, and we often sat talking at the open window, at the hour when the sun is at its height, from twelve to two. I was careful not to refer to Marguerite, fearing lest the name should awaken sad recollections hidden under the apparent calm of the invalid; but Armand, on the contrary, seemed to delight in speaking of her, not as formerly, with tears in his eyes, but with a sweet smile which reassured me as to the state of his mind.

I had noticed that ever since his last visit to the cemetery, and the sight which had brought on so violent a crisis, sorrow seemed to have been overcome by sickness, and Marguerite's death no longer appeared to him under its former aspect. A kind of consolation had sprung from the certainty of which he was now fully persuaded, and in order to banish the sombre picture which often presented itself to him, he returned upon the happy recollections of his liaison with Marguerite, and seemed resolved to think of nothing else.

The body was too much weakened by the attack of fever, and even by the process of its cure, to permit him any violent emotions, and the universal joy of spring which wrapped him round carried his thoughts instinctively to images of joy. He had always obstinately refused to tell his family of the danger which he had been in, and when he was well again his father did not even know that he had been ill.

One evening we had sat at the window later than usual; the weather had been superb, and the sun sank to sleep in a twilight dazzling with gold and azure. Though we were in Paris, the verdure which surrounded us seemed to shut us off from the world, and our conversation was only now and again disturbed by the sound of a passing vehicle.

"It was about this time of the year, on the evening of a day like this, that I first met Marguerite," said Armand to me, as if he were listening to his own thoughts rather than to what I was saying. I did not answer. Then turning toward me, he said:

"I must tell you the whole story; you will make a book out of it;no one will believe it, but it will perhaps be interesting to do.""You will tell me all about it later on, my friend," I said to him; "you are not strong enough yet.""It is a warm evening, I have eaten my ration of chicken," he said to me, smiling; "I have no fever, we have nothing to do, Iwill tell it to you now."

"Since you really wish it, I will listen."This is what he told me, and I have scarcely changed a word of the touching story.

Yes (Armand went on, letting his head sink back on the chair), yes, it was just such an evening as this. I had spent the day in the country with one of my friends, Gaston R--. We returned to Paris in the evening, and not knowing what to do we went to the Varietes. We went out during one of the entr'actes, and a tall woman passed us in the corridor, to whom my friend bowed.

"Whom are you bowing to?" I asked.

"Marguerite Gautier," he said.

"She seems much changed, for I did not recognise her," I said, with an emotion that you will soon understand.

"She has been ill; the poor girl won't last long."I remember the words as if they had been spoken to me yesterday.

I must tell you, my friend, that for two years the sight of this girl had made a strange impression on me whenever I came across her. Without knowing why, I turned pale and my heart beat violently. I have a friend who studies the occult sciences, and he would call what I experienced "the affinity of fluids"; as for me, I only know that I was fated to fall in love with Marguerite, and that I foresaw it.

It is certainly the fact that she made a very definite impression upon me, that many of my friends had noticed it and that they had been much amused when they saw who it was that made this impression upon me.

The first time I ever saw her was in the Place de la Bourse, outside Susse's; an open carriage was stationed there, and a woman dressed in white got down from it. A murmur of admiration greeted her as she entered the shop. As for me, I was rivetted to the spot from the moment she went in till the moment when she came out again. I could see her through the shop windows selecting what she had come to buy. I might have gone in, but Idared not. I did not know who she was, and I was afraid lest she should guess why I had come in and be offended. Nevertheless, Idid not think I should ever see her again.

She was elegantly dressed; she wore a muslin dress with many flounces, an Indian shawl embroidered at the corners with gold and silk flowers, a straw hat, a single bracelet, and a heavy gold chain, such as was just then beginning to be the fashion.

She returned to her carriage and drove away. One of the shopmen stood at the door looking after his elegant customer's carriage.

I went up to him and asked him what was the lady's name.

"Mademoiselle Marguerite Gautier," he replied. I dared not ask him for her address, and went on my way.

The recollection of this vision, for it was really a vision, would not leave my mind like so many visions I had seen, and Ilooked everywhere for this royally beautiful woman in white.

A few days later there was a great performance at the Opera Comique. The first person I saw in one of the boxes was Marguerite Gautier.

The young man whom I was with recognised her immediately, for he said to me, mentioning her name: "Look at that pretty girl."At that moment Marguerite turned her opera-glass in our direction and, seeing my friend, smiled and beckoned to him to come to her.

"I will go and say 'How do you do?' to her," he said, "and will be back in a moment.""I could not help saying "Happy man!"

"Why?"

"To go and see that woman."

"Are you in love with her?"

同类推荐
  • 佛说太子刷护经

    佛说太子刷护经

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 瀛涯胜览集

    瀛涯胜览集

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Valley of the Moon

    The Valley of the Moon

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 阿难四事经

    阿难四事经

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 沧海遗民剩稿

    沧海遗民剩稿

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 故氏墓事

    故氏墓事

    两个初出茅庐的小青年在火车上遇见了一个上辈的故友,而引出的一系列离奇的盗墓经历。
  • 外经微言

    外经微言

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 皇帝大叔是帅哥

    皇帝大叔是帅哥

    失恋又失业的苏畅度过了最难过的一天,一场车祸让她穿越回古代。她被男人伤透了心,就算是拥有后宫三千佳丽的皇帝在她这里,也是花心大萝卜一个,被皇帝看重的女人哪个能逃过?她就是要自己作死,不蒸馒头争口气,她的到来让皇帝的后宫不在安宁,看她怎样单挑后宫,玩转女人之间的战争!谁知她口中的大叔竟然是皇帝,没想到还是个十足的帅哥。看她如何陪他兵临城下,掳获皇帝的心。
  • 逆天重生:废物七小姐

    逆天重生:废物七小姐

    【已完结】上一世她的真情换来一杯毒酒。这一世打死不嫁渣男,太子妃摇身一变成王妃。得王爷独宠万千宠爱于一身,羡慕嫉妒恨?不服来战!查命案,跳绝舞,破阵法,弹名曲,无所不能。“颜颜,何必投怀送抱?若是想让我抱直接说就是,我绝对不分场合抱着就走。”他那微微调戏的语气让她脸颊微热。她答道:“我要是想让你抱,我肯定不会告诉你,我会直接扑上去。”喜欢收藏,不喜绕道,新书《婚前宠约:高冷老公求抱抱》每日稳更,欢迎跳坑!新浪微博名:云起-尘陌冉
  • 穿越系统之辉煌人生

    穿越系统之辉煌人生

    此书主要讲述嚣张,腹黑且正义的女主叶芊芊,遇到电梯故障穿越到修仙界,签订蠢萌神兽妖妖零,激活赏善罚恶系统,顺便救了一个大魔头驰韵,从此踏上了维护世界和平,惩罚一切罪恶之路!“嘚,你们这群欺男霸女的坏蛋,赶快洗干净脖子等死吧!”叶芊芊皱了皱眉,一个爆栗敲在了妖妖零的脑袋上:“妖妖零,你怎么说话的?先让他们将钱财交出来,再洗脖子!我们这是在劫富济贫!”驰韵趁机凑到叶芊芊面前,抛了个媚眼,幽幽道:“我早就洗干净脖子了,连身子也洗干净了,你什么时候来临幸我呀~~”文风轻松,适合闲暇时刻,打发时间
  • 十八空论

    十八空论

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Aesop'  s Fables

    Aesop' s Fables

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 极道花美男

    极道花美男

    竟然凭空冒出一个未婚夫!我叶贝塔·夜璃的美好人生难道就此终结了吗?不行,绝对要反抗!Lucky!随手一抓就能抓到一个标准美男做挡箭牌,简直是中了头等奖嘛!严七海好心地帮我欺骗了亚树,可没想到美丽的邂逅竟有续章!不知从何开始,我的心渐渐地倾向了七海,可亚树似乎也并没有表面上那样难以接近。同是花样美男,严七海和亚树,一个温柔善良,一个冷酷霸道,我要怎么选择呢……
  • 历史小白的穿越

    历史小白的穿越

    谁最有钱?东林党!——抢!谁最有粮?东林党!——抢!谁说我是阉党?东林党!——割!就是这么横,就是这么没文化!
  • 对不起,嫁错了

    对不起,嫁错了

    【上联】旧爱前夫不计较,因为神马都是浮云;【下联】新欢老公自己追,毕竟我爸不是李刚;【横批】一嫁再嫁身不由己,才会情不由衷势均力敌,才叫爱情嫁错一次没关系,第二次总会对的项悦文我离过婚,可我爱你所以,今天天气不错,我们结婚吧————————————————————好友顾盼全新力作《冷枭,你好毒》http://m.wkkk.net/a/307155/如果你连咱这本冷坑满坑都守得住,那么去顾盼那儿绝对是个不错的选择~~~