Chapter 3
4 D5 T$ V. ]8 G% x; _! O- X
5 G0 o* x- R: ?0 @8 H2 {* v1 r Chinese 风中小筑听雨轩! t# [9 V% T( D/ ?( i* ?# R8 U4 Y9 r

$ M- ?- ]' a1 K) \7 E; C$ lAll the famous names from the world of fashionable vice were there. They were being slyly observed by a number of society ladies who had again used the sale as a pretext for claiming the right to see, at close quarters, women in whose company they would not otherwise have had occasion to find themselves, and whose easy pleasures they perhaps secretly envied.
0 ^* u7 [( @* x3 h
; R5 ?; F& a/ @3 |2 N- ^. B2 OThe Duchesse de F rubbed shoulders with Mademoiselle A, one of sorriest specimens of our modern courtesans; the Marquise de T shrank from buying an item of furniture for which the bidding was led by Madame D, the most elegant and most celebrated adulteress of our age; the Duc d'Y, who is believed in Madrid to be ruining himself in Paris, and in Paris to be ruining himself in Madrid, and who, when all is said and done, cannot even spend all his income, while continuing to chat with Madame M, one of our wittiest tale-tellers, who occasionally agrees to write down what she says and to sign what she writes, was exchanging confidential glances with Madame de N, the beauty who may be regularly seen driving on the Champs-Elysees, dressed almost invariably in pink or blue, in a carriage drawn by two large black horses sold to her by Tony for ten thousand francs...and paid for in full; lastly, Mademoiselle R, who by sheer talent makes twice what ladies of fashion make with their dowries, and three times as much as what the rest make out of their love affairs, had come in spite of the cold to make a few purchases, and it was not she who attracted the fewest eyes.
$ j( q% i' z% _! R- ]- G' p
, K$ D  P2 E1 n4 [* \We could go on quoting the initials of many of those who had gathered in that drawing room and who were not a little astonished at the company they kept; but we should, we fear, weary the reader. |情感论坛 |9 k( K. j* N& }3 E2 E5 b( K
+ V' M0 s7 b# D: D# v
Suffice it to say that everyone was in the highest spirits and that, of all the women there, many had known the dead girl and gave no sign that they remembered her. . [% s9 H, ?3 I5 R
- }' r- M# E  p, Q* ^8 O
There was much loud laughter; the auctioneers shouted at the tops of their voices; the dealers who had crowded on to the benches placed in front of the auction tables called vainly for silence in which to conduct their business in peace. Never was a gathering more varied and more uproarious. ! v# O) F6 @# U( y( I: ^
|情感论坛 |, A. r  w/ }% B. a: E- d
I slipped unobtrusively into the middle of the distressing tumult, saddened to think that all this was taking place next to the very room where the unfortunate creature whose furniture was being sold up to pay her debts, had breathed her last. Having come to observe rather than to buy, I watched the faces of the tradesmen who had forced the sale and whose features lit up each time an item reached a price they had never dared hope for.
" [; n( J, T4 O; K1 n1 D& A
9 Y/ T. E7 \4 G+ f3 {8 u& YHonest, men all, who had speculated in the prostitution of this woman, had obtained a one hundred per cent return on her, had dogged the last moments of her life with writs, and came after she was dead to claim both the fruits of their honourable calculations and the interest accruing on the shameful credit they had given her. ' }' r6 m2 c& N# q- S4 u7 B
fz86.love.topzj.com2 c1 E( @7 y& [
How right were the Ancients who had one God for merchants and thieves! |情感论坛 |: a" x. b2 O& Y1 H0 S2 D/ G
|情感论坛 |1 _/ F% d6 d* _* f7 m! ~
Dresses, Indian shawls, jewels, came under the hammer at an unbelievable rate. None of it took my fancy, and I waited on.
$ ]% F  ~+ I& _% f3 b  L5 C
9 |7 [. }$ ?8 j7 c7 `: E( lSuddenly I heard a voice shout:
" `* s% U3 y0 M
8 u& V6 ~3 O% Z; N; `/ L% a$ x'A book fully bound, gilt-edges, entitled: Manon Lescaut. There's something written on the first page: ten francs. ' 2 @% P6 m' w  [! o

/ Z2 ~; ?% l  D7 _& H6 I, e |情感论坛 |'Twelve, ' said a voice, after a longish silence.
9 x# |1 U' e  b; a  j% A- t8 Z+ L5 e) B" |
'Fifteen, ' I said.
* {% _* n0 Z! }, ]% O* O& F& Z; i; } |情感论坛 |- F) n0 Y! l# L% l+ W
Why? I had no idea. No doubt for that 'something written'.
/ f0 V0 M1 u( R; k/ g* H7 Y9 Z; O |情感论坛 |
/ J3 N8 `) J; G7 |  m, U'Fifteen, ' repeated the auctioneer. - V/ l6 z& m/ B% w. u0 X. Z# F* q
/ ~8 t; s' S) h; U. n5 M8 t! E$ I$ F
'Thirty, ' said the first bidder, in a tone which seemed to defy anybody to go higher. 3 \& n- v) |( p
|情感论坛 |# ]) i3 z/ ~5 o- w) r6 x' E
It was becoming a fight. . B) g& e% G! R! i8 k
fz86.love.topzj.com6 s9 t8 Q3 `1 _  ?2 O. q
'Thirty-five!' I cried, in the same tone of voice.
" @% x5 D6 ?" E 风中小筑听雨轩 风中小筑听雨轩, M& F8 m* `# F# v, u' h
'Forty.' |情感论坛 |. Q; v8 e8 k& d9 y, n

, E$ s2 S3 r4 C8 ~'Fifty.'
4 {! U: i3 n6 \$ I4 d 风中小筑听雨轩 |情感论坛 |8 S/ q4 X6 e3 s0 g/ U. k' t
'Sixty.' fz86.love.topzj.com5 K8 G; b( N, u% z

2 O% n0 j5 P, _7 b1 r. ufz86.love.topzj.com'A hundred.' 3 g% U- u3 X0 m' w) f; m$ d
风中小筑听雨轩) n7 _4 R, q) \# ~
I confess that if I had set out to cause a stir, I would have succeeded completely, for my last bid was followed by a great silence, and people stared at me to see who this man was who seemed so intent on possessing the volume.
( B! _7 P+ U- p2 E  I9 s! {; U- f |情感论坛 |8 A6 s% s9 y) W3 h. P. J- y& \( f
Apparently the tone in which I had made my latest bid was enough for my opponent: he chose therefore to abandon a struggle which would have served only to cost me ten times what the book was worth and, with a bow, he said very graciously but a little late:
. F8 a$ e6 ^6 u+ v% n
" E  X4 B6 J/ F3 rfz86.love.topzj.com'It's yours, sir.' 风中小筑听雨轩2 }$ `, g( `, ^. i7 q

4 t6 g" G& C9 J1 y4 c# c/ H- I 风中小筑听雨轩No other bids were forthcoming, and the book was knocked down to me. 风中小筑听雨轩- @" c% ]2 e& s) N3 o- l
; M7 V# z' _/ y" f: g' T, y
Since I feared a new onset of obstinacy which my vanity might conceivably have borne but which would have assuredly proved too much for my purse, I gave my name, asked for the volume to be put aside and left by the stairs. I must have greatly intrigued the onlookers who, having witnessed this scene, doubtless wondered why on earth I had gone there to pay a hundred francs for a book that I could have got anywhere for ten or fifteen at most.
1 q* }1 f& P& `" A$ _ |情感论坛 |
4 x# S4 w, L4 v- c+ hAn hour later, I had sent round for my purchase. 风中小筑听雨轩" u( z! P4 e' W
风中小筑听雨轩( u/ h+ `/ _" E# F* c9 x. C
On the first page, written in ink in an elegant hand, was the dedication of the person who had given the book. This dedication consisted simply of these words:
  d3 N' d4 J6 `0 V/ U
& A4 k  b* ?$ H8 j8 @) s$ C'Manon to Marguerite,
" u% ^  B! W& \% v  z5 }
: G6 c+ {  p$ @% X; h |情感论坛 |Humility.' : j, ]# w" k2 t1 [

! P1 Z$ b% o0 Y. h# \) y3 GIt was signed: Armand Duval. 风中小筑听雨轩% s+ W7 e/ E8 c; C) i5 q" m
; ]& x; u9 O& s8 C
What did this word 'Humility' mean?
; h$ W( E9 f# R
# Z% H5 u9 c+ Q# H: B. ]  X, n+ E1 j 风中小筑听雨轩Was it that Manon, in the opinion of this Monsieur Armand Duval, acknowledged Marguerite as her superior in debauchery or in true love?
. F- n6 H! x4 }; R; g. W 风中小筑听雨轩5 X) P1 T7 [! {# U1 a1 S! K4 x/ ?
The second interpretation seemed the more likely, for the first was impertinently frank, and Marguerite could never have accepted it, whatever opinion she had of herself. / q9 k& Z8 H& h8 D$ i+ ^

3 P7 f: @, z6 |) f8 J: mI went out again and thought no more of the book until that night, when I retired to bed. - H, l/ d7 S9 _0 X* L0 n

% x, W$ L. J/ ], bManon Lescaut is a truly touching story every detail of which is familiar to me and yet, whenever I hold a copy in my hand, an instinctive feeling for it draws me on. I open it and for the hundredth time I live again with the abbe Prevost's heroine. Now, his heroine is so lifelike that I feel that I have met her. In my new circumstances, the kind of comparison drawn between her and Marguerite added an unexpected edge to my reading, and my forbearance was swelled with pity, almost love, for the poor girl, the disposal of whose estate I could thank for possessing the volume. Manon died in a desert, it is true, but in the terms of the man who loved her with all the strength of his soul and who, when she was dead, dug a grave for her, watered it with his tears and buried his heart with her; whereas Marguerite, a sinner like Manon, and perhaps as truly converted as she, had died surrounded by fabulous luxury, if I could believe what I had seen, on the bed of her own past, but no less lost in the desert of the heart which is much more arid, much vaster and far more pitiless than the one in which Manon had been interred.
# ?/ O4 P! K9 ] 风中小筑听雨轩 风中小筑听雨轩. h: _+ B8 E: g/ o; R
Indeed Marguerite, as I had learned from friends informed of the circumstances of her final moments, had seen no true consolation settle at her bedside during the two months when she lay slowly and painfully dying. |情感论坛 |, n0 V3 k8 ]: Z, f

( [7 E: |, |7 x$ J, T) n: z  WThen, from Manon and Marguerite, my thoughts turned to those women whom I knew and whom I could see rushing gaily towards the same almost invariable death. |情感论坛 |5 y0 M! j" J' c  y1 Y
风中小筑听雨轩! p1 _( Z7 Y: P1 X; I4 j: v
Poor creatures! If it is wrong to love them, the least one can do is to pity them. You pity the blind man who has never seen the light of day, the deaf man who has never heard the harmonies of nature, the mute who has never found a voice for his soul, and yet, under the specious pretext of decency, you will not pity that blindness of heart, deafness of soul and dumbness of conscience which turn the brains of poor, desperate women and prevent them, despite themselves, from seeing goodness, hearing the Lord and speaking the pure language of love and religion. 2 _( y$ \% D7 y1 U% x( r
/ W  R2 k' }8 v7 v7 o
Hugo wrote Marion Delorme, Musset wrote Bernerette, Alexandre Dumas wrote Fernande. Thinkers and poets throughout the ages have offered the courtesan the oblation of their mercy and, on occasion, some great man has brought them back to the fold through the gift of his love and even his name. If I dwell on this point, it is because among those who will read these pages, many may already be about to throw down a book in which they fear they will see nothing but an apology for vice and prostitution, and doubtless the youth of the present author is a contributing factor in providing grounds for their fears. Let those who are of such a mind be undeceived. Let them read on, if such fears alone gave them pause.
7 e0 q) C7 L6 g  H/ J |情感论坛 |
; h# m" [* z: A0 r: L5 w2 TI am quite simply persuaded of a principle which states that: To any woman whose education has not imparted knowledge of goodness, God almost invariably opens up two paths which will lead her back to it; these paths are suffering and love. They are rocky paths; women who follow them will cut their feet and graze their hands, but will at the same time leave the gaudy rags of vice hanging on the briars which line the road, and shall reach their journey's end in that naked state for which no one need feel shame in the sight of the Lord.
& ?9 y9 a. O( _
) k" s" t1 C. w5 o1 |' L1 g( k 风中小筑听雨轩Any who encounter these brave wayfarers are duty bound to comfort them and to say to all the world that they have encountered them, for by proclaiming the news they show the way.
, s6 A3 U" U0 t% z8 q. o: y, Gfz86.love.topzj.comfz86.love.topzj.com& j+ `7 Z) F9 M  v. i5 \
It is not a simple matter of erecting two signposts at the gateway to life, one bearing the inscription: 'The Way of Goodness' and the other carrying this warning: ' The way of evil', and of saying to those who come: 'Choose! ' Each of us, like Christ himself, must point to those paths which will redirect from the second way to the first the steps of those who have allowed themselves to be tempted by the approach roads; and above all let not the beginning of these paths be too painful, nor appear too difficult of access. 风中小筑听雨轩- b# ~0 f& j& k$ {. |
风中小筑听雨轩& z# o9 I- M7 C' T+ I" V; Z
Christianity is ever-present, with its wonderful parable of the prodigal son, to urge us to counsels of forbearance and forgiveness. Jesus was full of love for souls of women wounded by the passions of men, and He loved to bind their wounds, drawing from those same wounds the balm which would heal them. Thus he said to Mary Magdalene: ' Your sins, which are many, shall be forgiven, because you loved much' ?a sublime pardon which was to awaken a sublime faith. fz86.love.topzj.com8 a! ], d' P, A

1 V; T' K& G) p$ {8 Y: q. z 风中小筑听雨轩Why should we judge more strictly than Christ? Why, clinging stubbornly to the opinions of the world which waxes hard so that we shall think it strong, why should we too turn away souls that bleed from wounds oozing with the evil of their past, like infected blood from a sick body, as they wait only for a friendly hand to bind them up and restore them to a convalescent heart? |情感论坛 |' [" K  Y: F) f/ `

* e+ S8 u5 R5 K7 J0 G! S3 ~It is to my generation that I speak, to those for whom the theories of Monsieur de Voltaire are, happily, defunct, to those who, like myself, can see that humanity has, these fifteen years past, been engaged in one of its boldest leaps forward. The knowledge of good and evil is ours forever; religion is rebuilding, the respect for holy things has been restored to us, and, if the world is not yet wholly good, then at least it is becoming better. The efforts of all intelligent men tend to the same goal, and all those firm in purpose are yoked to the same principle: let us be good, let us be young, let us be true! Evil is but vanity: let us take pride in Goodness and, above all, let us not despair. Let us not scorn the woman who is neither mother nor sister nor daughter nor wife. Let us not limit respect to the family alone nor reduce forbearance to mere egoism. Since there is more rejoicing in heaven for the repentance of one sinner than for a hundred just men who have never sinned, let us try to give heaven cause to rejoice. Heaven may repay us with interest. Let us leave along our way the charity of our forgiveness for those whom earthly desires have brought low, who shall perhaps be saved by hope in heaven and, as wise old dames say when they prescribe remedies of their own making, if it dies no good then at least it can do no harm. |情感论坛 |6 I0 R) F! T. m2 l8 i) }4 ?, p6 k

) h6 B6 m$ d5 vIn truth, it must seem very forward of me to seek to derive such great results from the slender subject which I treat; but I am of those who believe that the whole is in the part. The child is small, and yet he is father to the man; the brain is cramped, and yet it is the seat of thought; the eye is but a point, yet it encompasses leagues of space.

Chapter 4
& H: }' A% c5 O7 K3 t; ?/ Ofz86.love.topzj.com : k& N9 O' l, ]) Y: l5 V. y  O; J
Chinese
) P3 Q$ U) p+ v) i3 H 风中小筑听雨轩: K# S+ W& b8 ^  S
TWO days later, the sale was completely over. It had realized one hundred and fifty thousand francs. 3 z! R' L* M2 S# W# y4 Q
, T5 X0 O( @5 ?. _
The creditors had divided two thirds among themselves and the family? a sister and a young nephew ?had inherited the rest.
) ?: B) d0 L& |6 V6 k( g! ~, o |情感论坛 | 风中小筑听雨轩% Y: ?5 u" h' L# P
The sister's eyes had opened wide when the agent had written telling her that she had come into fifty thousand francs.
; A% o6 }1 _! s8 C 风中小筑听雨轩; d' `6 _$ Q* T1 S% z
It was six or seven years since this young woman had set eyes on her sister who had disappeared one day without anyone ever discovering, either from her or through other people, anything whatsoever about her life from the time of her disappearance.
& s* a; z# d: S% B* Vfz86.love.topzj.comfz86.love.topzj.com/ X( t1 D5 m% H0 o( @1 |- Q& O
So she had now arrived post-haste in Paris, and great was the astonishment of those who had known Marguerite when they saw that her sole heir was a hearty, good-looking country girl who, up to that moment, had never set foot outside her village.
: O/ H4 d) s/ J- ^! s1 |' d" n9 v7 E. x7 w! Y1 {/ @
Her fortune had been made at a stroke, without her having the least idea of the source from which it had so unexpectedly materialized.
/ k+ q, _" R) Q3 \* r$ Y5 R# T: c |情感论坛 |# E/ ?) R1 i$ M0 b: H% e5 t" b
She returned, I have since been told, to her part of the country, bearing away from her sister's death a deep sadness which was, however, eased by an investment at four and a half per cent which she had just made. ; Z5 W8 r0 R. ~5 ?
  q; x6 m, F) j
All these happenings, which had gone the rounds of Paris, the mother town of scandal, were beginning to be forgotten, and I myself was forgetting quite what my part in events had been, when something occurred which led to my becoming acquainted with the whole of Marguerite's life, and put in my way particulars so affecting that I was seized with an urge to write this story and now do so. 7 A- S5 o9 f3 F% j; U

# A9 Q9 R: `* s6 i, |' DThe apartment, empty now of the furniture which had all been auctioned off, had been to let for three or four days when one morning there was a ring at my door.
$ v' P2 S7 \+ z* H 风中小筑听雨轩' F& Y# @; C* n% O/ o
My servant, or rather the porter who acted as my servant, went to see who it was and brought me a visiting card saying that the person who had handed it to him wished to speak to me. 3 h3 z3 M6 e$ m6 D4 Z

) y9 I: b2 J2 c5 K$ W8 W, yI glanced at the card and there I saw these two words: Armand Duval. |情感论坛 |$ {, v+ D- [" C
|情感论坛 |& F+ Q; H. @9 C7 `1 J' g  |) |
I tried to recall where I had seen the name, and then I remembered the fly-leaf of the copy of Manon Lescaut. fz86.love.topzj.com5 n$ J5 `3 B! }! |0 g% ?2 I/ l

, [) u3 u* Z( j0 o* J7 Xfz86.love.topzj.comWhat could the person who had given the book to Marguerite want with me? I said that the gentleman who was waiting should be shown in at once.
; j3 i5 _6 J4 `9 a' ^, |6 e* ]$ }# ^fz86.love.topzj.com/ q/ |9 s( h2 p+ w
The next moment I saw a young man with fair hair, tall, pale, wearing travelling clothes which looked as though hey had not been off his back for several days and which, on his arrival in Paris, he had not even taken the trouble to brush down, for he was covered in dust. |情感论坛 |- W! Z; c) m! s; F# k$ ?

. }' S! a( ?9 t: W! fMonsieur Duval, deeply agitated, made no attempt to hide his feelings, and it was with tears in his eyes and a trembling in his voice that he said:
5 n. I" p, j1 _6 t1 N
* h0 h8 ?# o5 T4 Q  d. ~'Please excuse my visit and these clothes; not simply because young men do not stand much on ceremony with each other, but because I wanted to see you so badly today that I have not even taken time to stop off at the hotel where I set my luggage, and have rushed straight here, dreading even so, early as it is, that I should miss you.'
9 X9 Y' p% H7 T |情感论坛 |
# W% {. ]' q2 U* }( F  V 风中小筑听雨轩I begged Monsieur Duval to sit down by the fire, which he did, taking from his pocket a handkerchief with which he momentarily hid his face. $ f# t0 C8 m/ k, Z3 H/ E1 c

+ x* j9 _+ m( J  h* ~9 D+ V+ O |情感论坛 |'You must be wondering, ' he resumed with a melancholy sigh, 'what a stranger can want with you at such an hour, dressed in such clothes and weeping like this. I have come quite simply, to ask you a great favour.' 5 _3 Z$ I. X) ]  O) {9 |  g
fz86.love.topzj.com/ C$ y! ^/ w& I$ I7 |
'Say on. I am at your service.'
! ]0 ~- n3 A# h: Y
+ t) r! i7 n1 l" M; w& J'Were you present at the Marguerite Gautier auction?'
; P- |) H$ N2 l7 f; D2 gfz86.love.topzj.com3 f6 l" ^' Z1 j3 o
As he said this, the emotion which the young man had held in check was for an instant stronger than he, and he was obliged to put his hands to his eyes.
6 a, e4 m. M6 T1 I7 ~6 e' X- `7 H 风中小筑听雨轩
$ n. H7 ]8 h; N: p'I must appear very ridiculous to you, ' he added, 'forgive me this too, and please believe that I shall never forget the patience with which you are good enough to listen.'
& e) z" n& L2 n8 A8 {# w' C |情感论坛 | 风中小筑听雨轩4 _/ L$ t  Y/ `  e& {
'Well, ' I replied, 'if a service which it seems I can do for you will in some small way ease the pain that you feel, tell me at once in what way I can help, and you will find in me a man happy to oblige.' * ?( p, |  e! s5 c: j

7 M8 [' l; X9 w. V# t |情感论坛 |Monsieur Duval's grief was affecting and, even had I felt differently, I should still have wished to be agreeable to him.
, u0 v) n, ]" [/ e. Q! p" ~& F4 Q( t4 w4 U: c' y4 q
He then said: " S3 D' h4 D( w+ z' O9 u
% T9 L" g' M9 U* W5 [: `
'Did you buy anything at Marguerite's sale?' |情感论坛 |4 i) J* ?! \+ g; T) o3 H. G! j( S

3 ?" S; K/ d- t 风中小筑听雨轩'Yes. A book.'
' i: R) ~9 `3 R, N' j+ T
  ^5 U' T# l: f'Manon Lescaut?' ! f; _# l9 [% c6 U5 H# }
fz86.love.topzj.com, u$ z7 y. f" \8 ]+ m8 A  |
'That's right.' fz86.love.topzj.com1 s) a. ]& g$ s1 x, N% V' i

* p' I/ `$ _" }4 o/ ]% ^'Do you still have it?' 2 p+ q" E! ]; S7 l1 S7 a
) ]- w- d9 _' r* c' e  Z# ?& @
'It' s in my bedroom.'
% t: k* S2 ~, F- |6 m9 U' V/ F
" D5 `* _( N1 m: e( A' t5 I- QAt this, Armand Duval looked as though a great weight had been taken from his shoulders, and he thanked me as though I had already begun to render him a service simply by holding on to the volume.
  y% g% B/ N1 B3 P/ y  O: X5 o
: j% |5 r( p8 m: ^6 e0 UI got up, went to fetch the book from my bedroom and handed it to him.
! ]2 e5 ~2 h7 ?
: T; V/ x; b3 W- f8 ?fz86.love.topzj.com'This is it, ' said he, glancing at the dedication on the first page and riffling through the rest, 'this is it.' 8 W6 _+ B- }. P: j
风中小筑听雨轩+ Z3 R* ~7 v0 Y
And two large tears fell on to the open pages.
0 i1 h. x5 `4 k- G. \/ efz86.love.topzj.com
! Q( I' I8 \% X& q# k) f) J: G+ Zfz86.love.topzj.com'May I ask, ' he said, raising his eyes to me and making no effort now to hide the fact that he had wept and was near to tears once more, 'if you are greatly attached to this book?' & ?8 a: |" G; n4 `  E' j- Y
|情感论坛 |" y" ?0 k1 w: y
'Why do you ask?' . i2 x5 a3 k% W4 ]

, R0 A! K: r7 u1 T7 sfz86.love.topzj.com'Because I have come to ask you to surrender it to me.'
% A) c0 ~% T/ D/ G% D |情感论坛 |0 r  g6 i2 \4 b+ e% E
'Forgive my curiosity, ' I said next, 'but it was you, then, who gave it to Marguerite Gautier?' 风中小筑听雨轩% Z" s2 Y! m- c# U% D: Z
. R$ D9 F+ n4 I' [4 d' R+ z+ f
'It was I.'
) _: L- A3 W  k+ s |情感论坛 |
* J! P5 T- b' i; F) e1 c& @fz86.love.topzj.com'The book is yours. Take it. I am happy to be able to restore it to you.' 5 O, w+ G3 C" e: q- S. M

( E, x3 t/ u1 r3 V3 Xfz86.love.topzj.com'But, ' continued Monsieur Duval with embarrassment, 'the least I can do is to give you what you paid for it.' |情感论坛 |+ D/ U% g" L0 `2 d

7 j+ a, m" F" J/ C5 X: C* m'Please take it as a gift. The price fetched by a single volume in a sale like that is a trifle, and I can't even remember how much I gave for it.' ( G& j% Y- e6 ]
|情感论坛 |! o$ \! B& J3 B9 ]8 e
'You gave a hundred francs for it.'
; T9 _8 O+ z/ P0 l: |  `- M
3 Y( i  }! T4 Z9 W7 I* P'You are quite right, ' said I, embarrassed in my turn, 'how did you know?'
/ {  M/ J' t( F) n2 T& O+ } |情感论坛 |
0 _1 i% T: J% i  e 风中小筑听雨轩'Quite simple. I hoped to reach Paris in time for Marguerite's sale, but got back only this morning. I was absolutely determined to have something that had been hers, and I went directly to the auctioneer's to ask if I might inspect the list of items sold and of the buyers' names. I saw that this volume had been bought by you, and I resolved to beg you to let me have it, though the price you paid for it did make me fear that you yourself associated some memory with possession of the book.'
& b0 p! ^8 F8 s  B1 m* z
5 |" r9 d6 V6 U, s  R$ F 风中小筑听雨轩In speaking thus, Armand clearly seemed to be afraid that I had known Marguerite in the way that he had known her. ! h9 u6 I2 I* N* U. h

' I  w) ]$ F9 F) G( x7 QI hastened to reassure him.
0 U2 T) Y7 H$ L4 g  i 风中小筑听雨轩 风中小筑听雨轩# H. w; `* c9 {3 o
'I knew Mademoiselle Gautier by sight only, ' I said. 'Her death made the sort of impression on me that the death of any pretty woman he has had pleasure in meeting makes on any young man. I wished to buy something at her sale, and took it into my head to bid for this volume, I don't know why, for the satisfaction of annoying a man who was bent on getting it and seemed determined to prevent it going to me. I repeat, the book is yours, and I beg you once more to accept it. This way it won' t come to you as it came to me, from an auctioneer, and it will be between us the pledge of a more durable acquaintance and closer bonds.'
' I. z$ u( n( S$ O, B0 i' t( wfz86.love.topzj.comfz86.love.topzj.com8 [7 l! h7 x) V+ a1 H
'Very well, ' said Armand, extending his hand and grasping mine, 'I accept and shall be grateful to you for the rest of my life.' " G( N& L3 ?' C: z  B, f

9 r6 d! S0 a, @4 P9 ]3 C) r0 p6 [I very much wanted to question Armand about Marguerite, for the dedication in the book, the young man's journey, his desire to possess the volume, all excited my curiosity; but I feared that by questioning my visitor, I should appear to have refused his money simply to have the right to pry into his business.
0 P4 n" B! ~9 [( L  Z2 V  ]; P! I# ]: m7 {% X8 T7 r0 Z2 o, R0 o
It was as though he sensed my wishes, for he said: |情感论坛 |5 B% G& S; B9 [" \; x
fz86.love.topzj.com" V4 `- `) ~+ P- ~+ d
'Have you read the book?' 4 ]. G8 t( t( A2 V0 ~4 D& l

7 G8 G% D1 ]- j2 w& v5 p; R7 k8 Nfz86.love.topzj.com'Every word.' 风中小筑听雨轩* \. S. n) p0 k7 ^, J

6 N. K) o3 ]; l( R9 P% e |情感论坛 |'What did you make of the two lines I wrote?' ' t% z) u* M& C' I
风中小筑听雨轩6 k8 r2 `5 [1 V. I$ L2 f  T
'I saw straightaway that, in your eyes, the poor girl to whom you had given the book did not belong in the usual category, for I could not bring myself to see the lines simply as a conventional compliment.'
* Q9 _# P% s+ l( T& Q4 }
0 T0 T2 N( B3 [8 \- O- vfz86.love.topzj.com'And you were right. That girl was an angel. Here, ' he said, 'read this letter.'
/ o+ g* b3 ^* Z' r  O4 h( z0 i' Dfz86.love.topzj.com& W6 N0 [- X( w8 B' L4 W
And he handed me a sheet of paper which, by the look of it, had been read many times over.
9 ?9 b. {. n2 M" {7 H- }fz86.love.topzj.comfz86.love.topzj.com, @& E% g/ V% F$ \7 R) N
I opened it. This is what it said:
- _2 C& S, h/ n& G! S2 d8 B' g 风中小筑听雨轩fz86.love.topzj.com+ E  F% e) W3 _+ F  F; Z
'My dear Armand, I have received your letter. You are still good, and I thank God for it. Yes, my dear, I am ill, and mine is the sort of illness which spares no one; but the concern which you are generous enough still to show for me greatly eases my sufferings. I expect I shall doubtless not live long enough to have the happiness of grasping the hand which wrote the kindly letter I have just received; its words would cure me, if anything could. I shall not see you, for I am very close to death, and hundreds of leagues separate you from me. My poor friend! The Marguerite you knew is sadly altered, and it is perhaps better that you do not see her again than see her as she is. You ask if I forgive you; oh!
  }! ]0 o4 m( z, |with all my heart, my dear, for the hurt you sought to do me was but a token of the love you bore me. I have kept my bed now for a month, and so precious to me is your good opinion, that each day I write a little more of a journal of my life from the moment we parted until the moment when I shall be no longer able to hold my pen.
, S, u# H( O% a  W$ N- H 风中小筑听雨轩4 \6 q3 R. R+ ?; [, P! y; n
If the interest you take in me is real, Armand, then on your return, go and see Julie Duprat. She will place this journal in your keeping. In it you will find the reasons and the excuse for what has passed between us. Julie is very good to me. We often talk about you. She was here when your letter came, and we wept together as we read it. 6 Z  W( i- ?: H' H) A6 j

1 d" K9 t5 S- V0 @5 f 风中小筑听雨轩Should I not hear from you, she has been entrusted with seeing that you get these papers on your return to France. Do not be grateful to me. Returning each day to the only happy moments of my life does me enormous good and if, as you read, you find the past exonerated in my words, I for my part find in them a never-ending solace.
, g$ J$ D: z$ ?9 N
* y! C3 _6 J0 Y5 J/ wI would like to leave you something by which you would always remember me, but everything I own has been seized, and nothing belongs to me.
/ B& p  i' H" `fz86.love.topzj.com |情感论坛 |, M$ W: ?4 L  @5 S& Z* B
Do you understand, my dear? I am going to die, and from my bedroom I can hear the footsteps of the watchman my creditors have placed in the drawing-room to see that nothing is removed and to ensure that if I do not die, I shall be left with nothing. We must hope that they will wait for the end before they sell me up.   x. s0 T% i5 I* c# `' g! |
fz86.love.topzj.com! W6 V& b  M% r, \% R
Oh! how pitiless men are! or rather, for I am wrong, it is God who is just and unbending. + h3 W8 d' \- v, m" L

8 h5 \" @8 s) K! y3 `) n% [And so, my love, you will have to come to my sale and buy something, for if I were to put aside the smallest item for you and they heard of it, they would be quite capable of prosecuting you for misappropriating distrained goods.
  q6 w3 h8 n5 l/ k: N* h& k3 m" L8 b. K
How sad the life I now leave! 风中小筑听雨轩0 {$ T8 V+ O# d! G
* W6 N0 k4 ~# }1 G- p0 o
How good God would be if He granted that I should see you again before I die! Since the chances are remote, adieu, my dear; forgive me if I do not write more, for those who say they will cure me bleed me to exhaustion, and my hand refuses to write another line.
7 L! w6 m+ Q9 K5 ^* A4 c, a+ L |情感论坛 |
. `+ H# o8 x4 P8 O& I+ g0 |' LMarguerite Gautier.' $ @3 J) h* I; M
fz86.love.topzj.com6 o( o8 T1 [( a( |0 m) \8 k
And indeed, the last few words were scarcely legible.
) R9 I, r. M7 P- c: G' P |情感论坛 |3 K" i1 `0 G( F
I gave the letter back to Armand who had doubtless read it over in his thoughts while I had been reading it on the paper, for as he took it he said:
5 H( k" Z- d- W- i; w" Y- V$ P# B7 \
0 {3 ~- A) G  O" _'Who would ever believe that a kept woman wrote that!' And deeply affected by his memories, he stared for some time at the writing of the letter before finally putting it to his lips.
% C: Q4 b7 |" g9 c |情感论坛 |3 o* S, c$ ]  u; U5 B' s7 D
'And when I think, ' he went on, 'that she died before I saw her again, and that I shall see her no more; when I think that she did for me what no sister could ever have done ?I cannot forgive myself for having let her die like that. |情感论坛 |$ A6 S. J6 Q! Q, X" k* ~
% y- v$ O, P( M0 b- E
Dead! dead! thinking of me, writing and saying my name, poor dear Marguerite!'
4 K$ O( ]5 }* R7 H2 W6 p" w 风中小筑听雨轩
4 t# `6 y! |) c4 h: ]& l- Xfz86.love.topzj.comAnd Armand, giving free expression to his thoughts and tears, held out his hand to me and continued: 风中小筑听雨轩0 E0 f" q0 l  Y, v7 V

6 |1 a0 [7 K* f9 x6 rfz86.love.topzj.com'People would think me very childish if they saw me grieving like this for the death of such a woman; but people could not know what I made that woman suffer, how cruel I was, how good and uncomplaining she was. I belived that it was for me to forgive her, and today I find myself unworthy of the pardon she bestows on me. Oh! I would gladly give ten years of my life to be able to spend one hour weeping at her feet.'
8 a% l4 C" T& D: c9 Y5 d1 g 风中小筑听雨轩
1 e- Z  h/ m. |4 b! j' V6 ]It is always difficult to comfort a grief that one does not share, and yet so keenly did I feel for this young man who confided his sorrows with such frankness, that I felt that a few words of mine would not be unwelcome to him, and I said: : Z$ c! Y; i( I; V

  S6 K: |. u" \  `8 V2 N: A/ K( i |情感论坛 |'Have you no relatives, no friends? Take hope. Go and see them for they will comfort you, whereas I can only pity you.'
9 o9 U" k) W7 E( E. H 风中小筑听雨轩0 N  r9 I0 n" \0 P: {' c7 {; v2 u
'You are right, ' he said, rising to his feet and striding around my bedroom, 'I am boring you. Forgive me, I was forgetting that my grief must mean little to you, and that I trespass upon your patience with a matter which neither can nor should concern you in the slightest.' |情感论坛 |' Y/ l0 R- T. P- ~
  f* X4 Z* y% N/ s1 r; \
'No, you misunderstand me. I am entirely at your disposal; only I regret I am unable to calm your sorrow. If the company of myself and my friends can beguile your thoughts, if you need me in any way, I would like you to know how very happy I would be to help.'
% k( q; U6 J, x* A1 x+ B7 l4 V
'Forgive me, forgive me, ' he said, 'grief magnifies the feelings. Allow me to stay a few minutes more, long enough to dry my eyes so that idlers in the street shall not stare to see a grown man weeping as though he were a freak. You've made me very happy by giving me this book; I'll never know how to repay the debt I owe you.' ( g* P, {3 T% d% R* B  t+ d+ s

, p0 e5 G4 z" h4 T8 y# f 风中小筑听雨轩'By granting me a little of your friendship, ' I told Armand, 'and by telling me the cause of your sorrow. There is consolation in speaking of one's suffering.' fz86.love.topzj.com! ]+ E9 g1 N* I2 [0 N& W$ M
! {* r0 M# _5 F- T; o# `
'You are right. But today my need for tears is too great, and what I said would make no sense. Some day I shall acquaint you with the story, and you shall judge whether I am right to mourn the poor girl. And now, ' he added, rubbing his eyes one last time and looking at himself in mirror, 'tell me that you do not think me too foolish, and say you give me leave to call on you again.'
2 O8 N& Y3 _% q2 ?' f* Nfz86.love.topzj.com9 _# N" A5 q8 ]8 ^- E* Z
The look in the eyes of this young man was good and gentle; I was almost tempted to embrace him.
) L$ b& M& y- u& a, p2 t0 \2 Vfz86.love.topzj.com
; T5 }, r  t6 k1 P* t |情感论坛 |For his part, his eyes began again to cloud with tears; he saw that I noticed them and he turned his glance away from me. , c( v- v; ?3 u$ l% Q5 M: p

8 d3 E1 P6 j6 G'Come now, ' I told him, 'take heart.'
; b9 G3 S& P# b& U* [! ]; r5 U9 e8 S1 y  n3 f+ f8 \( d; r
'Goodbye, ' he said. fz86.love.topzj.com6 A* Z. N6 x4 Y. E' K, W! b
& n! y7 ^" R8 ]. _2 D. u3 e$ k
And, making an extraordinary effort not to weep, he fled rather than left my apartment.
7 p+ w2 `  A# T& x- a; tfz86.love.topzj.com
" [* g# |% w3 L+ E$ I+ {I lifted the curtain at my window and saw him get into the cab which was waiting at the door; but he was hardly inside when he burst into tears and buried his face in his handkerchief.

Chapter 5fz86.love.topzj.com# h! |# A/ Z& ~* o1 j' n. Q0 J
/ k3 H3 t) v# ]
Chinese - k; i5 {; w. F6 A' {8 g0 ?
2 J& L' h; R! z% j* p; M
A CONSIDERABLE time elapsed without my hearing a word about Armand, but on the other hand the subject of Marguerite had come up a great deal. 3 B3 M4 X+ Y: u4 |% `! n
# N1 g. @5 X) r" Y8 U: `* t5 `
I do not know if you have noticed, but it only takes the name of someone who should in all likelihood have remained unknown or at least of no particular interest to you, to be pronounced once in your hearing, for all sorts of details to collect round that name, and for you then to have all your friends speak about a subject of which they had never spoken to you before. Next thing, you discover that the person in question was there, just out of range, all the while. You realize that your paths have crossed many times without your noticing, and you find in the events which others recount some tangible link or affinity with certain events in your own past. I had not quite reached that point with Marguerite, since I had seen her, met her, knew her by her face and habits. Yet ever since the auction, her name had cropped up so frequently in my hearing and, in the circumstances which I have related in the previous chapter, her name had become associated with sorrow so profound, that my surprise had gone on growing and my curiosity had increased.
5 ]0 U% g& O% m# \6 e
  J( n& n) `/ L  z, F  Ufz86.love.topzj.comThe result was that now I never approached any friends, with whom I had never spoken of Marguerite, without saying: # G/ \8 [* Z) ~8 J4 P, F

$ ~! u3 p# _7 E0 n- S; q) a. y'Did you know someone called Marguerite Gautier?'
2 B1 R3 u5 Z5 j4 c: K 风中小筑听雨轩
# h. G' ]5 R( e4 G/ b; R& W'The Lady of the Camellias?' 6 i1 T5 F* E7 L  T6 J$ v$ E! g
|情感论坛 |4 C- [9 r/ U" E5 X4 o3 }
'That's her.' fz86.love.topzj.com& F+ T) A5 y! e! f1 Q' \. X

; {) N; G6 c6 Ffz86.love.topzj.com'Rather!' 1 z" Q8 ^" l6 ?( l
风中小筑听雨轩+ @. R0 t& @9 _# j/ v% X+ z
These 'Rather!'sometimes came with smiles which left no possible doubt as to their meaning.
5 F2 F) ~$ V5 t- ~
3 Y9 R0 D: e8 |( g8 _/ f% Nfz86.love.topzj.com'Well, what kind of girl was she?' I would go on.
5 ~# V( G: {# d: Z/ Y( I; v- Y  V: i8 a9 h' A
'A very decent sort. '
8 v5 Q. S7 u( j! U  G' S9 a; k4 L' ^) b
'Is that all? '
, k" l; B; r9 ?. A2 U& v. k) K" {4 w' Q. p1 w0 W: {5 ]: ?4 E
'Heavens! I should hope so. A few more brains and perhaps a bit more heart than the rest of them. '
% x0 t) I% m3 D7 \/ \4 E7 `! W8 ?. |5 K' x6 _9 e8 ^
'But you know nothing particular about her? '
* O8 G, J5 W1 A' x; D, W* T2 p& R( K. u& I# I4 d
'She ruined Baron de G.'
' y: `0 ^' ]) D& ?8 F+ V. Kfz86.love.topzj.com+ c9 t2 r& p9 ?0 v  @' c
'Anyone else?' |情感论坛 |6 v; t0 z$ f. H, N/ J% f
风中小筑听雨轩& J5 C. I8 x% h, _7 ]& Y8 }2 \
'She was the mistress of the old Duke de.'
) G4 {9 o9 V9 ~, K% b0 x% Z5 l+ h0 y
" J9 _5 N  s# y' V& V) A9 p'Was she really his mistress?'
" x0 i* K: Q, b, t, p 风中小筑听雨轩
0 ?; P+ L8 d) V& K( l" X( A8 L'That's what they say: at any rate, he gave her a great deal of money.'
* Q: O) h  I* R  {: d/ V
% E/ e+ P. D+ r1 EAlways the same general details. fz86.love.topzj.com9 G4 B5 M( z8 I1 V2 h5 t

/ K. `6 |. a! K9 M4 a2 _4 Zfz86.love.topzj.comBut I would have been interested to learn a little about the affair between Marguerite and Armand. 9 C7 d9 ^; w4 n

; V6 m9 [/ Y$ u: O2 y1 ~! C& C9 S9 u0 eOne day, I chanced upon one of those men who live habitually on intimate terms with the most notorious courtesans. I questioned him. fz86.love.topzj.com% A/ S8 ~& v8 N9 a/ S6 z; w! A

8 W: I. C' n2 R: X9 R'Did you know Marguerite Gautier?' |情感论坛 |$ g) o5 I7 q9 ]* M. v8 t/ ?' H/ b3 F
- T0 d) ?* y% {: a& B7 i+ k7 I8 z. Z- C
The answer was that same 'Rather!'
9 ?8 I+ }$ ~. Y0 [' Y4 R) ~  s: X( }. H* h! _6 F4 K7 p
'What sort of girl was she?'
. _% K) s! h: f' s! Y+ J# s
- I: B- P6 y* P( m2 n0 A'A fine-looking, good-hearted type. Her death was a great sadness to me.' # Q' I' \, m& F( a& E

- ?! f* M$ B4 i) b8 V6 Ofz86.love.topzj.com'She had a lover called Armand Duval, didn't she?'
6 q; I/ t6 d8 d, g' Y* Z2 @) m" J3 @- R% |5 H- K# `& ~
'Tall chap with fair hair?' * s, w6 V( j2 i, L! |

+ V  |9 P: z" Y2 }'That's him.'
' d$ c. `! P5 T/ c: p( j- A 风中小筑听雨轩  Q7 _' B/ l# N" R0 o, `
'Yes, she did.' ) X5 L( _" W% n1 J' E4 P7 \* T
/ d1 z9 S# ~: |: {; {
'And what was this Armand like?'
: U. b# o# @0 L- m4 H/ s" E; @
5 Z. [3 N$ M7 S4 v& e# c'A young fellow who threw away the little he had on her, I believe, and was forced to give her up. They say it affected his reason.' fz86.love.topzj.com1 @5 a# k9 E, o/ v% X# ?* l6 D

& {+ b) m/ T1 {8 G! A! Ffz86.love.topzj.com'What about her?'
2 b. O+ m9 J8 r$ f$ X5 X8 x% K4 E |情感论坛 | |情感论坛 |/ r7 W1 _7 Y: F& C8 H
'She loved him very much too, they also say, but as girls of her sort love. You should never ask more of them than they can give.'
% S! v, ]$ U/ K4 ?- W 风中小筑听雨轩fz86.love.topzj.com4 ?; o4 }* b" x# m7 M! F& {0 ^
'What became of Armand?'
/ B7 U1 R3 N) _/ z 风中小筑听雨轩fz86.love.topzj.com% U! X# L% }" J6 }
'Couldn't say. We didn't know him all that well. He stayed five or six months with Marguerite, in the country. When she came back to town, he went off somewhere.'
5 c" r3 W2 n% m% @& C# L# N) O5 U9 @% c* n
'And you haven't seen him since?' * }* D3 \: A' S) q- C

) c/ H+ o) ~, w8 W |情感论坛 |'Never.'
; ?2 {* f2 v' y5 m1 ], w2 C5 a
8 q; O2 I, a" H8 T: y0 Z  WI had not seen Armand again either. I had begun to wonder if, the day he called on me, the recent news of Marguerite's death had not exaggerated the love he had once felt for her and therefore his grief, and I told myself that perhaps, in forgetting the dead girl, he had also forgotten his promise to return to see me.
, S0 }- `6 ~1 ]% }9 |  ~# }1 k+ b( ~$ t8 b1 I
Such a hypotheses would have been plausible enough with anybody else, but in Armand's despair there had been a note of real sincerity and, moving from one extreme to the other, I imagined that his grief could well have turned into sickness and that, if I had not heard from him, then it was because he was ill, dead even. ) U6 C3 {: j0 ]: h! I

# I8 v# H: e: C" G! B! VDespite myself, I still felt an interest in this young man. It may be that my interest was not without an element of selfishness; perhaps I had glimpsed a touching love story behind his grief, perhaps, in short, my desire to be acquainted with it loomed large in the concern I felt about Armand's silence.
  y/ O* v$ J. `8 h  z3 b% ?3 r9 O0 I, ?  s/ j! K1 g
Since Monsieur Duval did not return to see me, I resolved to go to him. A pretext was not difficult to find. Unfortunately, I did not know his address, and of all those I had questioned, no one had been able to tell me what it was.
! c; H% x6 M, l  a  I% X( r 风中小筑听雨轩 |情感论坛 |1 e$ ~* D; Z, I0 v4 o
I went to the rue d'Antin. Perhaps Marguerite's porter knew where Armand lived. There had been a change of porter. He did not know any more than I did. I then asked in which cemetery Mademoiselle Gautier had been buried. It was Montmartre cemetery. fz86.love.topzj.com" r$ `! O2 Z* J8 M" R$ R
|情感论坛 |/ ?; x! _2 k' ^( }
April had come round again, the weather was fine, the graves would no longer have the mournful, desolate look which winter gives them; in a word, it was already warm enough for the living to remember the dead and visit them. I went to the cemetery, telling myself: 'One quick look at Marguerite's grave, and I shall know whether Armand is still grieving and perhaps discover what has become of him.' 5 E# V; I  e" ^. S" r$ k3 B
2 e5 D0 v, {2 z- P0 t! d
I entered the keeper's lodge and asked him if, on the 22nd of the month of February, a woman named Marguerite Gautier had not been buried in Montmartre cemetery. & k- u9 o, F* j6 H4 `: L) P

* D0 g& R& X1 T |情感论坛 |The man looked through a fat ledger in which the names of all those who come to their final place of rest are entered and given a number, and he answered that on 22 February, at noon, a woman of that name had indeed been interred.
7 E1 ?0 `. U5 C* }
! R3 M  P# [+ I 风中小筑听雨轩I asked if he could get someone to take me to the grave for, without a guide, there is no way of finding one's way around this city of the dead which has its streets like the cities of the living. The keeper called a gardener, to whom he gave the necessary details but who cut him short, saying: 'I know, I know...Oh! that grave is easy enough to pick out, ' he went on, turning to me. 风中小筑听雨轩: O: X% L4 \& T' V% [3 L2 ]1 J$ z, R

+ k' W( l6 X% C7 R/ e, o |情感论坛 |'Why?' I said.
- r( j: b. l' B* P9 ~: k: b, o0 ]' c  q9 t/ I
'Because it's got different flowers from all the others.'
2 y+ v  P  a5 }0 }" e- n, N9 W- l( F8 D, V
'Are you the person who looks after it?'
3 I( l7 q* m( w 风中小筑听雨轩 风中小筑听雨轩4 D" d! h% d0 l1 I
'Yes, sir, and I could only wish all relatives took as good care of the departed as the young man who asked me to look after that one.'
$ K5 ^1 N- o  `: X; gfz86.love.topzj.com
* i5 A; B( a: ASeveral turnings later, the gardener stopped and said:
( g$ s8 [5 l6 X" z, u- Z7 J2 m, v( ?$ j, A- u/ F4 u" k5 m
'Here we are.'
" s! M# {$ V9 W5 N9 L- R& d1 r |情感论坛 |fz86.love.topzj.com- m" [( U8 J$ v2 l1 ?
And indeed, before my eyes, were flowers arranged in a square which no one would ever have taken for a grave if a white marble stone with a name on it had not proclaimed it to be so.
: H$ Z" J& y) D% @5 E' ]- R
' p. n1 [, b! b% b+ DThis marble block was set upright, iron railings marked the boundary of the plot that had been bought, and every inch of ground was covered with white camellias.
! i& K9 Y. u5 e& j( q+ N. y$ M
! _, b. o- V9 h2 J- D'What do you say to that?' said the gardener.
/ q& @/ Z( A5 X0 Q/ Q4 z4 D" h/ v
0 B9 ^7 Z8 t' f+ N) T4 x/ |5 A |情感论坛 |'It's very beautiful.'
( u! E$ N6 r4 l; t |情感论坛 | |情感论坛 |7 j8 o- j6 g# J" u/ \2 @" ^( B$ B/ v/ `
'And every time a camellia withers, my orders are to put another one in its place.'
" J& i$ F1 g6 i- e8 Q7 r) xfz86.love.topzj.com
5 _, q! Q1 M9 G'And who gave you your orders?'
8 ^9 R& r6 Q* W. N( E; m3 H 风中小筑听雨轩 |情感论坛 |# U" ]! h' g; w! y
'A young chap who cried a lot the first time he came. An old gentleman friend of the departed, I'll be bound, because they do say she was a bit of a one, you know. I hear tell she was very bonny. Did you know her, sir?' 风中小筑听雨轩8 d/ O8 A& W/ \5 ^% M& `

: B0 Y% o" N7 R, ~ 风中小筑听雨轩'Yes.' ) ^- b  @) q4 x6 J

) `: ~+ D6 a( X5 g5 zfz86.love.topzj.com'Like the other chap, ' the gardener said with a knowing grin.
. V: Z) F  ~8 m& T$ T4 P |情感论坛 |fz86.love.topzj.com4 r$ T3 E) c5 ^' Y! l4 I
'No, I never spike to her.' |情感论坛 |1 X- g) v% \2 G* [" E

: E9 e( f9 Z4 z! f: Q1 O; Z |情感论坛 |'But you've come to see her here; that's very nice of you, because people who come to see the poor girl don't exactly clutter up the cemetery.' 5 z# M0 h4 v' h* n/ x

6 D2 l9 k; W7 d( t 风中小筑听雨轩'So no one comes?' 6 |3 i6 B$ k0 B3 E

& W. }. Y) N& m' t. s5 t |情感论坛 |'Nobody, except that young chap who came once.'
& c5 B, f- i  G1 o% H; X$ X- }5 ]& F
& Z+ r0 K6 \" M2 w'Just once?'
5 R$ e& C( d: ?! R9 E( X( B. d; X: [
'Yes, sir.'
% ~3 s3 H3 O: V9 N |情感论坛 | |情感论坛 |7 T, a6 D' ^3 L7 C: I% `
'And he never returned?' 风中小筑听雨轩( T- H* k; G, C* ^1 J- D. T7 ?

. c3 V$ w0 g8 k# r6 d% r; l4 T0 ~ 风中小筑听雨轩'No, but he'll come as soon as he gets back.' |情感论坛 |! U: B0 r; c8 e( U5 P

6 {& G: G: u! }; v/ \8 z7 Q6 s 风中小筑听雨轩'He's away travelling, then?' - J( B" m% p, u: Z. G. |, ?

; {/ U& @$ t  ?'Yes.'
$ C) q% v' D- e4 N0 A; X* v6 w8 [ |情感论坛 |
, z: p, ?1 q, [% h- F' x'And do you know where he is?' fz86.love.topzj.com1 b6 D& }( `0 b! [8 f
. l" t' t$ E9 t
'I do believe he's gone to see Mademoiselle Gautier's sister.'
, K# C3 S" d) @7 l: j3 W+ z) g+ T% Q, k3 x2 V% b
'What's he doing there?'
  b- o& Y1 q% \/ D8 U4 P* d: n! m, b: a
'He's going to ask authorization to exhume the body and have it put somewhere else.'
8 {4 b# s& W6 J2 ]7 \/ ^ |情感论坛 |
: W0 a& F) @& @  cfz86.love.topzj.com'Why shouldn't he leave her here?'
. M# _# d# q" Sfz86.love.topzj.com
) @( [* D& t' S0 N6 ufz86.love.topzj.com'You know, sir, people get queer ideas about the departed. See it all the time, we do. This plot was bought for five years only, and that young chap wants a plot in perpetuity and a larger bit of ground: in the new part would be best.' fz86.love.topzj.com$ ~- j3 S- A3 C& v$ I* S6 {0 R

* p6 Y: H8 H( J6 i; y0 n& M'What do you call the new part?'
$ `& q2 v$ q, q" b" y; F7 q 风中小筑听雨轩fz86.love.topzj.com8 T$ Y- O; W) x  x0 x
'The new plots that are being sold just now, to your left. If the cemetery had always been kept like it is nowadays, there wouldn't have been another like it in the world; but there's still a lot to do before it's just like it should be. And then, folk are so queer.'
) T+ E% v/ t( _+ j6 |8 ?0 }- T |情感论坛 |
1 j; J4 e$ g' o- C6 K  {fz86.love.topzj.com'What do you mean?'
* E" T. U) V- \ |情感论坛 |
7 z) `7 L2 Z7 k0 U- B) S0 |: b 风中小筑听雨轩'I mean that there's people who even bring their pride in here. Take this Mademoiselle Gautier. Seems she'd been around a bit, if you'll pardon the expression. She's dead now, is that poor young woman; there's as much left of her as of other women you couldn't say a word against whose resting places we keep watering every day. Well now, when the relatives of them as are buried next to her found out who she was, blow me if they didn't up and say they was against putting her here, and that there ought to be ground set apart for women of her sort, like there is for the poor. Ever hear the like of it? I told them straight, I did; very well-to-do folks who can't even come four times a year to pay their respects to their departed. They bring their own flowers and some flowers they are too, are very particular about arranging upkeep for them as they say they mourn, inscribe on their tombstones the tears they never shed, and are very fussy about who is buried next door. Believe me if you like, sir, I didn't know this young lady, I've no idea what she got up to. But I tell you, I love that poor little girl and I take good care of her, and I let her have the camellias at a very fair price. Of all the departed, she's my favourite. Here, sir, we're obliged to love the dead, for we're kept so busy that we hardly have time to love anything else.'
# K& H  Z: D# T3 C! _! y# t% } 风中小筑听雨轩# d3 ?4 q) K5 R& t
I looked at this man, and some of my readers will understand, without my having to explain it to them, what I felt as I heard his words. 风中小筑听雨轩8 ^! M" t- Y9 Z% \9 }

0 s" p. B/ g$ t; u' U |情感论坛 |He sensed my feelings, no doubt, for he went on: ' R7 ^5 H# ^  D' U2 Z
# d& K$ |4 h1 w! l! M1 ~- S
'They say there were gents who ruined themselves for that girl, and that she had lovers who worshipped her; well, when I think that there's not one comes and buys her a single flower, then I say that it's peculiar and sad. Though this one can't complain. She's got a grave, and if there's only one as remembers her, he does right by the others as well. But we've got poor girls here of the same sort and the same age that get thrown into a pauper's grave, and it breaks my heart when I hear their poor bodies drop into the earth. And not a soul looks out for them once they're dead! It's not always very cheery, this job of ours, especially when you've got a bit of feeling left in you. But what do you expect? I can't help it. I got a fine- looking grown-up daughter of twenty, and whenever some dead girl her age is brought in, I think of her, and be it some great lady or a trollop, I can't help being upset.
: ?3 d5 X, |  F- ^8 _ 风中小筑听雨轩
' }* X+ b: G/ ^) b0 K1 K 风中小筑听雨轩But I expect I'm wearying you with all this talk, and you didn't come here to listen to me going on. I was told to take you to Mademoiselle Gautier's grave and here you are. Is there anything else I can do for you?'
5 t5 ^/ a: ~  b1 i$ q( a( Sfz86.love.topzj.com: c( U# ]* h. l7 l% ^+ J0 Y) W
'Do you know Monsieuer Duval's address?' I asked the man. 风中小筑听雨轩( A+ i' v$ k4 y  ^

4 Y/ q9 t/ I7 s8 J; B# r |情感论坛 |'Yes, he lives in the rue de, or at least that's where I went to get paid for all the flowers you see here.' ) z& V; F: |0 B! S0 Z, j
风中小筑听雨轩$ ^3 [3 q5 u$ {
'Thank you, my man.' fz86.love.topzj.com# _% j& B) ~) K

4 s; I9 ~' g  {) {I cast a final glance at the flower- strewn grave whose depths, despite myself, I would have gladly plumbed for a sight of what the earth had done with the beautiful creature who had been lowered into it, and then I came away, feeling very sad.
; g1 ^" G4 O8 O- G8 Q0 O$ a
! }$ y  ?% B& |/ X- k'Do you want to see Monsieur Duval, sir?' continued the gardener, who walked at my side.
+ r' _: Y1 m9 v+ g1 u, C& e2 o% \7 k$ c# y* C) @# f4 ?# X8 N
'Yes.' % C0 T; |1 f+ [1 n- k

7 Q( H% h6 ]7 `- W! P( } |情感论坛 |'The thing is, I'm pretty near certain that he's not back yet. Otherwise I'd have seen him here already.' fz86.love.topzj.com" B* p0 |0 w6 W; M

( m- Q* p+ V6 ], H3 l5 |. P& \$ N'So you are convinced that he hasn't forgotten Marguerite?' 1 }! J6 t4 H4 f% p& o! x
# ~3 C( k) N1 G. T0 \
'Not just convinced, I'd bet anything that this wanting to move her to another grave is his way of wanting to see her again.'
5 k! V- j; i0 _$ k4 D
6 x* R) r; y5 A: c$ C4 ]" n |情感论坛 |'How do you mean?'
  B( ?. U# G$ @. O 风中小筑听雨轩
4 K5 R9 p) t" O3 `6 w% [4 yfz86.love.topzj.com'The first thing he said when he came to the cemetery was: "What do I have to do to see her again?" That can only happen if the body is shifted to another grave, and I told him all about the formalities that have to be gone through to secure a transfer, because, you know, before bodies can be moved from one grave to another, they must be identified, and only the family can authorize the operation which has to be supervised by a police superintendent. It was to get this authorization that Monsieur Duval went to see Mademoiselle Gautier's sister, and his first call will obviously be on us.'
& b* h4 U4 ?, U" ?) {& l  V |情感论坛 |
7 b; u1 A' y/ @! e/ U2 X 风中小筑听雨轩We had arrived at the cemetery gates; I thanked the gardener again, slipping a few coins into his hand, and I went round to the address he had given me.
3 A& x6 P! g4 r, e 风中小筑听雨轩9 F& {3 m6 @5 A: p  R
Armand was not back.
/ C9 ~' C0 x3 L$ w 风中小筑听雨轩 风中小筑听雨轩" a6 N# O8 Q! l' V4 b1 r: a
I left a note for him, asking him to come and see me as soon as he arrived, or to let me know where I might find him. 风中小筑听雨轩3 o1 ?* r& Z" X+ @: N

" Q' Z  ?7 u( j. Y& q) }The following morning, I received a letter from Duval which informed me of his return and asked me to drop by, adding that, being worn out by fatigue, it was impossible for him to go out.

Chapter 6
7 ?/ p  t! y3 c5 Cfz86.love.topzj.com
% V3 k+ N9 }) y& e" a6 e Chinese 风中小筑听雨轩6 D" S9 P, e6 _3 @2 Y

: p5 Q4 R- E: n$ M: U, A' o% jI FOUND Armand in bed. ! i+ D& J4 U$ Y* Z  t' e
风中小筑听雨轩. H! _1 {4 Q1 H
When he saw me, he held out his hand. It was hot.   y5 @7 f+ N. B0 O. ^! V* l4 \
风中小筑听雨轩" Q' t% n' L  ~; v6 N$ F* a' h
'You have a temperature, ' I said.
) U# s' @' p8 a2 I" p! d7 Q 风中小筑听雨轩5 W- M9 z7 [% i
'It won't come to anything? the fatigue of a hurried journey, nothing more.' 风中小筑听雨轩) W0 i. G1 ]* p5 Q3 V
|情感论坛 |, g3 C. f2 L2 @- p1 P; O
'Have you come from Marguerite's sister's?' 风中小筑听雨轩/ N2 H% I* @9 s& R: o
风中小筑听雨轩0 l7 l6 x2 _. W* E* E  E% I
'Yes, who told you?' |情感论坛 |0 D: S' A) X: p: s" B* l
|情感论坛 |1 A5 f" I7 c' c; M. F. `- A
'I just know. And did you get what you wanted?' |情感论坛 |! H" V' \' F$ c( W+ L. O
|情感论坛 |- \" q- A, x6 x8 F! t
'Yes, again. But who told you about my journey and my reasons for making it?'   W5 M! ]7 L, {$ d* h* a; w

2 P& n7 @' j2 a% S 风中小筑听雨轩'The gardener at the cemetery.' |情感论坛 |# ^1 c8 M% f- j- I; k
) o6 a' q+ W% K* G
'You saw the grave?'
' i5 R6 U3 R+ b8 n5 g
8 }$ i; k2 r# f) \ 风中小筑听雨轩I scarcely dared answer, for the tone of these words convinced me that the person who had said them was still in the grip of the same distress I had already witnessed, and that every time his thoughts or something that someone said brought him back to this painful subject, then for a long time to come, his emotions would go on getting the better of his will.
) J) S0 K% ]% z |情感论坛 |
) w0 A* n  V$ D! u( |- ^9 \I settled therefore for answering with a nod. fz86.love.topzj.com! g( N( ]9 x, F# H  ?( ~$ K# k2 h. V

) f3 A, M5 w- L& m0 Dfz86.love.topzj.com'Has he taken good care of it?' continued Armand. fz86.love.topzj.com* I9 k6 o6 J5 ~

% _  W$ N$ U7 {Two large tears rolled down the sick man's cheeks, and he turned his head away to hide them from me. I pretended not to notice and tried to change the subject.
' Z- i. w+ b8 g& ^# z 风中小筑听雨轩
6 t3 _! \9 A5 ]4 C$ Z+ r! p'You've been away three weeks, ' I said.
% S8 |, [8 r+ ^0 L4 I- Ufz86.love.topzj.com4 `$ r; @5 A; Z/ F0 t
Armand passed his hand over his eyes and answered:
6 C$ U' ^0 s  x0 { |情感论坛 |
; m5 M4 }* K4 K& Z'Three weeks exactly.' fz86.love.topzj.com, q3 }* b; p+ u6 ]7 X

6 b% X' X" h: t1 ]# \4 L7 P'It was a long journey, then.' : {$ b: r, o7 m% y& B+ h
& H2 O! y/ a- V7 F
'Oh! I wasn't travelling all the time. I was ill for a fortnight. Otherwise I would have been back long ago; but I'd only just arrived when a bout of fever got me and I was forced to keep to my room.
, F* V. x" [) c( d0 `" k2 ffz86.love.topzj.com; y/ X- [9 b8 \' V4 a
'And you set off again without being fully fit.' |情感论坛 |  u# K; x$ P$ i* l  Z. X( ~3 ?

0 j+ B, `. ?, K7 ^'If I'd stayed another week in that place, I would have died there.'
$ ^4 k2 r. I3 b: x
% ^6 c, s0 m2 f  w) h, e+ ` |情感论坛 |'But now you're back, you must look after yourself. Your friends will call to see you. And I shall be the first among them, if you'll allow me.' |情感论坛 |! Z5 o* ^( f8 n! S  D6 ^3 I

& l- K2 Y; a/ [# J" ^4 e'In two hours I shall get up.' 风中小筑听雨轩, C  b% J- @( Y, ^6 j; c
* @* s2 L+ n7 O6 J
'This is most unwise!' fz86.love.topzj.com2 W- P/ }1 t8 t' s7 V) O6 b& e; ~
风中小筑听雨轩- O# V& g) f) `3 q% S1 z
'I must.' # J! }* m5 U4 v! u! Y

  g& Y5 }8 q: C" x |情感论坛 |'What have you to do that's so urgent?'
0 _, c. X2 F2 y |情感论坛 |' k! p( n  S' ]" Y# Z4 v/ O
'I have a call to pay on the superintendent of police.'
* k# }7 K% r* p5 Q) c5 S. S. |- O6 Y2 L; \* C
'Why not let someone else see to a matter that may well make you more ill than you are now?' fz86.love.topzj.com2 L  D: O: b, U# C
$ c' Z) z) u0 x9 s5 j: L
'It's the only thing that can make me well. I must see her. Ever since I've known she was dead, and especially since seeing her grave, I haven't been able to sleep. I cannot conceive that the woman I left so young and beautiful can really be dead. I must check for myself. I have to see what God has done with a being I loved so very much, and then perhaps the loathesomeness of the sight will chase away the despair of my memories; you will come with me, won't you...unless you'd find it too tiresome?' ! M4 r% I1 \2 I( E) n
, F  [& U' u+ V" c. j& O
'What did her sister tell you?' fz86.love.topzj.com7 u( n& u+ P  ]& ]
fz86.love.topzj.com8 [! H) s  C( |
'Nothing. She seemed very surprised that a stranger should wish to buy a burial plot and have a headstone put up to Marguerite, and she signed the authorization I asked her for at once.' 7 P- g  m+ I* P, K

; a- _( |$ u# w! ^& }4 ]'Take my advice: wait until you are properly fit before having the body transferred.' 4 E! K; k7 r6 ]: n
风中小筑听雨轩4 C$ @; c5 c! h  n9 \+ g
'Oh! Don't worry: I shall be strong. Anyway I should go mad if I didn't get what I've decided over and done with as quickly as possible: the need to see it through has become part of my grief. I swear to you that I shall not rest easy until I've seen Marguerite. It may be a craving of the fever which burns in me, a dream born of sleepless nights, an effect of my ravings; but even if I have to become a Trappist monk first to manage it, then like Monsieur de Rance, once I have seen, I shall see.' $ F% a$ C* t5 ]# j8 B  ~4 t

) k$ `- i$ Y- R8 {  I 风中小筑听雨轩'I can understand that, ' I told Armand, 'and you have my complete support. Did you see Julie Duprat?' fz86.love.topzj.com& V  ~2 e& j7 f- r% B

5 w% G1 p: t5 n( a+ E) [, W7 ~+ M'Yes. Oh, I saw her the day I got back, the first time I returned.' * D2 w- l7 X; d( t
% v* I+ O6 q0 A5 g& v% S
'Did she hand over the papers which Marguerite had left for you?' 风中小筑听雨轩0 z- g( _0 c# z+ ?8 y# [
|情感论坛 |2 i, t; [) b! S, }2 _* z6 i, Q+ j
'They're here.'
" s9 f* |: A" f! \
9 R/ R8 P9 u0 z. {* ?: l# yArmand pulled a roll of papers from beneath his pillow, then put it back immediately. : t8 ~" J! }4 S

9 l. O. y1 i; h" I' ]'I know what these papers contain by heart, ' he said. 'These last three weeks, I have re-read them ten times each day. You shall read them too, but later, when I'm calmer and can make you understand how much feeling and love this confession reveals. For the moment, I have a favour to ask you.'
4 d  t$ r! d9 Qfz86.love.topzj.com4 ]4 I5 n) t) }( ^& l5 X% z; b( z: ^
'What is it?' ( S) [! {+ J1 y; `  t
风中小筑听雨轩: ~, o5 `& A' g+ @
'You have a carriage downstairs?' |情感论坛 |# \. S& L' I  X6 R" k# H# f' `7 ?

8 D8 V7 U$ M; x0 gfz86.love.topzj.com'Yes.'
% X- q9 j5 o! T: b: A 风中小筑听雨轩
& C4 @" S. |! W# c( X% _3 f! f'Well, would you be so good as to take my passport, call at the bureau and ask if they are holding any letters for me poste restante? My father and my sister must have written to me here in Paris, and I left in such a hurry that I didn't take time to see before I set off. When you get back, we'll go together to inform the police superintendent of tomorrow's ceremony.' |情感论坛 |1 y+ ?) H9 d) t: u

2 T, M  u( g! a% z* B% [& m |情感论坛 |Armand handed me his passport and I went round to the rue Jean- Jacques-Roussear.
0 B' Z+ e. p$ `+ i/ U+ N. w 风中小筑听雨轩
# t4 m& y) w$ gThere were two letters in the name of Duval. I picked them up and returned. 风中小筑听雨轩! N* ~2 v, _7 W7 G" Y4 |8 Q

2 g& E7 v) W3 a' C6 _When I reappeared, Armand was fully dressed and ready to go out.
) l3 B$ r9 L" s' p$ o; @ 风中小筑听雨轩
% c$ y: n+ N; M% T. c9 Efz86.love.topzj.com'Thank you, 'he said, taking the letters. 'Yes, ' he added, after glancing at the addresses, 'yes, they are from my father and my sister. They must have been totally mystified by my silence.'
* R( ?% v  n: Z$ Y
) |7 t* m: s+ `  ]- g |情感论坛 |He opened the letters and guessed at, rather than read their contents, for each was four pages long, and after a moment he folded them up again.
. x* L2 [: S/ W1 @ |情感论坛 |
  t. d1 [7 V& z" T% V# S'Let's be off, ' he said, 'I'll reply tomorrow.'
% m6 g7 d. f- m! I' }
+ Z" g0 I. [4 j) j" DWe went to see the superintendent of police, and Armand handed over Marguerite's sister's letter of attorney.
& r+ L! B+ U* j, \3 v
% f0 Y0 A% K% ?3 t: S7 QIn return, the superintendent gave him an advice note for the cemetery keeper; it was agreed that the transfer of the remains should take place the following day at ten in the morning, that I should come and collect him an hour beforehand and that we would drive to the cemetery together.
% P/ ^0 @: S; J2 {) g/ H) Qfz86.love.topzj.com; P/ l( P1 \3 _  s! ]
I too was curious to be present at the spectacle, and I confess I did not sleep that night. - u  u3 i4 q! P2 `& a+ `

, C! V$ J2 |! y! z 风中小筑听雨轩Judging by the thoughts which assailed me, it must have been a long night for Armand.
/ {1 j+ P' T6 ^3 C$ R! }- s* ifz86.love.topzj.comfz86.love.topzj.com& V! Z- d' E4 r5 D
When I entered his apartment at nine the following morning, he was horribly pale, but appeared calm. , B" z7 ~0 d& B3 L& z+ E
fz86.love.topzj.com9 o( V& k; I- V( s# I
He smiled at me and held out his hand. |情感论坛 |8 O2 {1 v4 P$ ^
风中小筑听雨轩7 {4 {& T$ O& v0 R3 I
His candles had burned right down and, before leaving, Armand picked up a very thick letter, addressed to his father, which had doubtless been the confidant of the night's reflections. fz86.love.topzj.com" l) C, u" Z& P9 {

% ^" S! k. r. K4 C: U* lHalf an hour later, we were at Montmartre. fz86.love.topzj.com, R, U! j! f, i  e8 V* F
|情感论坛 |1 X4 [; m0 E+ L1 ~5 ?* _* N  F0 `- G
The superintendent was already waiting for us.
$ b+ W0 P1 j. M5 I6 N/ G |情感论坛 |. ]0 K$ N& [" p5 U+ U5 C. N" F  B
We made our way slowly in the direction of Marguerite's grave. The superintendent led the way, Armand and I following a few paces behind. " Y/ q9 Q, y& r) b. a' k* I
2 {' T* O: \  v& c
From time to time, I felt my companion's arm tremble convulsively, as though a series of shudders had suddenly coursed through him. When this happened, I would look at him; he understood my look and smiled at me, but from the time we left his apartment we had not exchanged a single word.
. Y7 ^) l$ m+ v' w* z" h |情感论坛 |
! A. R4 z( y- d- \; B0 SArmand stopped just short of the grave to wipe his face which was streaming with large drops of perspiration.
' k! p$ m0 ?* |' M' M 风中小筑听雨轩
0 B$ j' |2 @! F# C& w0 ^ 风中小筑听雨轩I took advantage of the halt to catch my breath, for I myself felt as though my heart was being squeezed in a vice. fz86.love.topzj.com5 x0 H/ g: K9 W4 n2 }( a  q$ ?
|情感论坛 |" b, T' o+ q$ e
Why is it that we should find a mixture of pain and pleasure in sights of this kind? By the time we reached the grave, the gardener had taken the pots of flowers away, the iron railings had been removed and two men were digging with picks. |情感论坛 |& W8 m- u. l; ~8 F$ b& C

6 |9 A' ^( Z" j, w |情感论坛 |Armand leaned against a tree and watched. fz86.love.topzj.com/ l: s. j# ?# ]0 L5 @1 w- O! g
fz86.love.topzj.com& B7 U5 a' u3 T
The whole of his life seemed to be concentrated in those eyes of his.
" P7 i! d" i: @. ^3 ` 风中小筑听雨轩
+ i9 U" `' _  h! \8 {+ W 风中小筑听雨轩Suddenly, one of the picks grated on a stone. fz86.love.topzj.com  [5 g! r5 c$ J& f
风中小筑听雨轩! y" D+ p' Q" ]3 ~  a
At the sound, Armand recoiled as though from an electric shock, and he grasped my hand with such strength that he hurt me. |情感论坛 |5 Q; C2 P; R9 h! d% v, s8 E+ d/ `

- _6 z. ?* O" g) D1 O1 Y8 M 风中小筑听雨轩One grave-digger took a wide shovel and little by little emptied the grave; when there remained only the stones which are always used to cover the coffin, he threw them out one by one. |情感论坛 |7 ]8 r" S+ N( n$ P) f, C3 j

' ]: r; O/ H3 R" c4 p" n2 k1 [I kept an eye on Armand, for I was afraid that his sensations, which he was visibly repressing, might get the better of him at any moment; but he went on watching, his eyes fixed and staring like a madman's, and a slight twitching of the cheeks and lips was the only indication of a violent nervous crisis.
# X6 [) z5 D1 l/ i4 U" E
% H& |4 }* U1 C& L$ Q2 Qfz86.love.topzj.comFor my own part, I can say only one thing: that I regretted having come. 7 V& Q* w9 Q, k! b, j
|情感论坛 |; ~0 V  `4 i4 N' ]* x( ]! G
When the coffin was completely exposed, the superintendent said to the grave-Diggers:
' S) y; @1 S3 Z! W7 A% G 风中小筑听雨轩
; i! |9 `9 x& F+ M0 H, H'Open it up.' fz86.love.topzj.com# u2 a# g5 F3 z& m- I2 H
* [. k5 ~1 C/ G, L; F# y
The men obeyed, as though it were the most ordinary thing in the world. 7 {. G- }. p2 n. [2 ]) u; ]( w
fz86.love.topzj.com9 G# o  f1 n& X/ Z+ y- Q7 N
The coffin was made of oak, and they set about unscrewing the upper panel which served as a lid. The dampness of the earth had rusted the screws, and it was not without considerable effort that the coffin was opened. A foul odour emerged, despite the aromatic herbs with which it had been strewn.
# d9 p9 v, l$ h3 f' S |情感论坛 |
! l5 R5 p4 r5 J: s% y5 M'Dear God! Dear God!' Armand murmured, and he grew paler than ever. % I8 t0 ^' o4 F4 @: a' D6 Y

9 Q% \, Z% W0 M3 O. yThe grave-diggers themselves stepped back a pace.
( Z/ g9 O% j  V1 M; b" y, X 风中小筑听雨轩2 G0 g  U1 {" z( [9 u2 L  [; I
A large white winding-sheet covered the corpse and partly outlined its misshapen contours. This shroud had been completely eaten away at one end, and allowed one of the dead woman's feet to protrude.
" S9 F% t# c5 x$ s0 A2 ~
+ |+ U( Z$ t# V, jI was very near to feeling sick, and even now as I write these lines, the memory of this scene comes back to me in all its solemn reality.
; R2 x& k* j' Q) Efz86.love.topzj.comfz86.love.topzj.com* a& }% `& I+ \. Y
'Let's get on with it, ' said the superintendent. fz86.love.topzj.com. P$ M  H& Y! V# I4 d

. |0 C! E  u+ s* p" x: MAt this, one of the men reached out his hand, began unstitching the shroud and, seizing it by one end suddenly uncovered Marguerite's face.
0 c" S2 \+ V$ C# ]6 Afz86.love.topzj.com |情感论坛 |! l4 V- i3 B4 `& \" l( n+ F
It was terrible to behold and it is horrible to relate. ! Y- k# |# ^- S) ?3 i/ z

7 v+ ?( }0 Z: H/ uThe eyes were simply two holes, the lips had gone, and the white teeth were clenched. The long, dry, black hair was stuck over the temples and partly veiled the green hollows of the cheeks, and yet in this face I recognized the pink and white, vivacious face which I had seen so often.
, t# ]  ]! ?- m/ X5 w9 J# y7 W
( I! u+ C" o2 X% \9 [4 O' BArmand, helpless to avert his eyes from her countenance, had put his handkerchief to his mouth and was biting on it. 风中小筑听雨轩% Z5 o- x# @' w
|情感论坛 |, g8 C  |8 U& H1 G2 B
As for me, I felt as though my head was being constricted by an iron band: a mist settled over my eyes, my ears were filled with buzzing noises, and it was as much as I could manage to open a small bottle I had brought with me just in case, and take deep breaths of the salts which it contained. 2 R- s) D' U- [. T
: h3 O/ l, ?: l0 H
At the height of my dizziness, I heard the superintendent say to Monsieur Duval: 2 ?5 S* e) n; ?. k5 I1 B
fz86.love.topzj.com  |1 z9 }* @$ L. p% V3 r$ c
'Do you identify the body?' : J* \6 o5 A! X  T7 k& r

. B) l  z/ A8 d6 c! i6 Xfz86.love.topzj.com'Yes, ' the young man answered dully. |情感论坛 |6 X+ d  c$ ^/ Y

* z& y" k: b3 H/ z 风中小筑听雨轩'All right, close it up and take it away, ' the superintendent said.
& A& a0 n, s/ M 风中小筑听雨轩
% ^0 V+ p" h5 L' @  M5 R) x+ ~The grave-diggers pulled the shroud back over the dead woman's face, closed up the coffin, took one end each and headed for the spot which had been pointed out to them. 风中小筑听雨轩& a0 a0 f' o* g8 R

* X/ A3 s0 A3 D& EArmand did not move. His eyes were riveted on the empty grave: he was as pale as the corpse which we had just seen...He might have been turned to stone. fz86.love.topzj.com7 d- C" e' Y8 I5 p; `4 I5 Y; T

' }5 H3 L' c! o2 z% pI saw what would happen when, away from this scene, his grief subsided and would consequently be no longer able to sustain him. " [, e, B) `/ ?' o, e* r5 l( ]
fz86.love.topzj.com0 P% \/ B# r; j6 m) ~9 o/ }
I went up to the superintendent. ' w' n, D# q$ Q0 H2 v

, R! V0 n" j" U' S; ?7 w'Is the presence of this gentleman, ' I said, gesturing towards Armand, 'required for anything else?' ; L& e+ F( F* V& ?1 @  n
|情感论坛 |5 ]1 c! B7 ]1 Q. w7 D3 ~8 C
'No, ' he said, ' and I would strongly advise you to take him away, for he seems to be unwell.'
0 K. ], D& l+ h- I |情感论坛 |
# _' ^+ v/ X9 T'Come, ' I said to Armand, taking him by the arm.
* h5 w# r" D; q1 R/ U3 g& ?
. {/ U1 C+ l# o: F! F% g( lfz86.love.topzj.com'What? ' he said, looking at me as though he did not recognize me.   \% t6 V" v6 b, x" |& z# k
. x% C; ^  Y; U5 n
'It's over, ' I added, ' you must come away, my friend. You look pale, you're cold, you'll kill yourself with such emotions.' & n  x- R/ v# w/ a$ ^% \# Q
|情感论坛 |- N7 I" a! s9 E7 R  {* ^
'You're right, let's go, ' he replied mechanically, but without moving one step.
1 a) H6 c  @3 v1 {: L4 M |情感论坛 |4 R2 D& H3 p- d& q4 @
So I took him by the arm and dragged him away. / q0 H# l) E' T% D$ k- {

8 F& E) z; v; r4 t |情感论坛 |He allowed himself to be led off like a little child, merely muttering from time to time: 2 D3 A8 c9 Y' a  z# i- c

1 t! X# z# z0 z5 z0 F; q'Did you see the eyes?' + n! f" ?* F, u% R/ Q
fz86.love.topzj.com; X- n2 }% K  ?0 X: A3 ^
And he turned round as though the sight of them had called him back.
& S. z3 I. Y# w5 E3 u4 I7 _fz86.love.topzj.com- }" k6 G3 ]8 w4 a
But his stride became jerky; he no longer seemed capable of walking without staggering; his teeth chattered, his hands were cold, violent nervous convulsions took possession of his entire body.
' ~' L. ^, G/ d. |7 P* ufz86.love.topzj.com6 M- j3 T% p; l2 }2 P6 F  }: Z
I spoke to him; he did not reply.
$ b2 q: r+ b. ]* z: ?0 d |情感论坛 |& m' l8 ~) d' [) f) ^6 j5 f5 ^
It was as he could do to allow himself to be led. ; ~, n3 Z4 ?2 b* b- X

' O# r9 f6 B, u9 R, V9 kfz86.love.topzj.comAt the gate, we found a cab. And none too soon. , d. _" S$ V- t/ S5 ?8 e3 \
. G" Q5 ^/ {! [, z
He had scarcely sat down inside, when the trembling grew stronger, and he had a severe nervous seizure. Through it, his fears of alarming me made him murmur as he pressed my hand: $ _+ r. v5 X, i  h

& q+ N6 L, i5 ^7 c  K, o& S: g'It's nothing, nothing, I simply want to weep.'
5 i  E2 ?" k1 y) e+ R |情感论坛 |
" t* Z1 m4 Y; |/ v8 z% FAnd I heard him take deep breaths, and the blood rushed to his eyes, but the tears would not come. ) L$ T& {( k  G# n
fz86.love.topzj.com( c0 M2 Z; |+ W; q$ Y2 \9 m1 ~
I made him inhale from the smelling bottle which had helped me and, by the time we reached his apartment, only the trembling was still in evidence.
/ o$ V7 l8 {" s- d, q5 K 风中小筑听雨轩
7 k8 H+ L" G( y! \& ^2 } 风中小筑听雨轩I put him to bed with the help of his servant, ordered a large fire to be lit in his bedroom, and hurried off to fetch my own doctor to whom I explained what had just happened. |情感论坛 |& A& e. E: l4 f) D% J8 g# i

  O. t6 _" }( g8 d+ e8 vfz86.love.topzj.comHe came at once.
, ^4 \+ g: b" Z2 J4 v( \  L0 ~& o2 y9 C: |; e3 T/ ?+ U* L
Armand was blue in the face. He was raving and stammering disconnected words through which only the name of Marguerite could be distinctly heard. . h0 j4 Z* |2 R- w0 N

* v: }7 _- s# J0 Y, p  r+ o3 F'How is he?' I asked the doctor when he had examined the patient.
# ^4 p2 K& C9 k& R$ {: Cfz86.love.topzj.com. B' n# @; g) P4 b1 Z/ m& p
'Well now, he has brain fever, no more and no less, and it's as well for him. For I do believe that otherwise, God forgive me, he would have gone mad. Fortunately, his physical sickness will drive out his mental sickness, and most likely in a month he will be out of danger from both of them.'