camille-第27章

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〃Yonder；〃　and　Marguerite　pointed　to　the　house　in　question。

〃Ah；　delicious！〃　replied　Prudence。　〃Do　you　like　it？〃

〃Very　much。〃

〃Well；　tell　the　duke　to　take　it　for　you；　he　would　do　so；　I　am　sure。　I'll　see　about　it　if　you　like。〃

Marguerite　looked　at　me；　as　if　to　ask　me　what　I　thought。　My　dream　vanished　at　the　last　words　of　Prudence；　and　brought　me　back　to　reality　so　brutally　that　I　was　still　stunned　with　the　fall。

〃Yes；　yes；　an　excellent　idea；〃　I　stammered；　not　knowing　what　I　was　saying。

〃Well；　I　will　arrange　that；〃　said　Marguerite；　freeing　my　hand；　and　interpreting　my　words　according　to　her　own　desire。　〃Let　us　go　and　see　if　it　is　to　let。〃

The　house　was　empty；　and　to　let　for　two　thousand　francs。

〃Would　you　be　happy　here？〃　she　said　to　me。

〃Am　I　sure　of　coming　here？〃

〃And　for　whom　else　should　I　bury　myself　here；　if　not　for　you？〃

〃Well；　then；　Marguerite；　let　me　take　it　myself。〃

〃You　are　mad；　not　only　is　it　unnecessary；　but　it　would　be　dangerous。　You　know　perfectly　well　that　I　have　no　right　to　accept　it　save　from　one　man。　Let　me　alone；　big　baby；　and　say　nothing。〃

〃That　means；〃　said　Prudence；　〃that　when　I　have　two　days　free　I　will　come　and　spend　them　with　you。〃

We　left　the　house；　and　started　on　our　return　to　Paris；　talking　over　the　new　plan。　I　held　Marguerite　in　my　arms；　and　as　I　got　down　from　the　carriage；　I　had　already　begun　to　look　upon　her　arrangement　with　less　critical　eyes。



Chapter　17

Next　day　Marguerite　sent　me　away　very　early；　saying　that　the　duke　was　coming　at　an　early　hour；　and　promising　to　write　to　me　the　moment　he　went；　and　to　make　an　appointment　for　the　evening。　In　the　course　of　the　day　I　received　this　note：

　〃I　am　going　to　Bougival　with　the　duke；　be　at　Prudence's　to…night　at　eight。〃

At　the　appointed　hour　Marguerite　came　to　me　at　Mme。　Duvernoy's。　〃Well；　it　is　all　settled；〃　she　said；　as　she　entered。　〃The　house　is　taken？〃　asked　Prudence。　〃Yes；　he　agreed　at　once。〃

I　did　not　know　the　duke；　but　I　felt　ashamed　of　deceiving　him。　

〃But　that　is　not　all；〃　continued　Marguerite。

〃What　else　is　there？〃

〃I　have　been　seeing　about　a　place　for　Armand　to　stay。〃

〃In　the　same　house？〃　asked　Prudence；　laughing。

〃No；　at　Point　du　Jour；　where　we　had　dinner；　the　duke　and　I。　While　he　was　admiring　the　view；　I　asked　Mme。　Arnould　（she　is　called　Mme。　Arnould；　isn't　she？）　if　there　were　any　suitable　rooms；　and　she　showed　me　just　the　very　thing：　salon；　anteroom；　and　bed…room；　at　sixty　francs　a　month；　the　whole　place　furnished　in　a　way　to　divert　a　hypochondriac。　I　took　it。　Was　I　right？〃　I　flung　my　arms　around　her　neck　and　kissed　her。

〃It　will　be　charming；〃　she　continued。　〃You　have　the　key　of　the　little　door；　and　I　have　promised　the　duke　the　key　of　the　front　door；　which　he　will　not　take；　because　he　will　come　during　the　day　when　he　comes。　I　think；　between　ourselves；　that　he　is　enchanted　with　a　caprice　which　will　keep　me　out　of　Paris　for　a　time；　and　so　silence　the　objections　of　his　family。　However；　he　has　asked　me　how　I；　loving　Paris　as　I　do；　could　make　up　my　mind　to　bury　myself　in　the　country。　I　told　him　that　I　was　ill；　and　that　I　wanted　rest。　He　seemed　to　have　some　difficulty　in　believing　me。　The　poor　old　man　is　always　on　the　watch。　We　must　take　every　precaution；　my　dear　Armand；　for　he　will　have　me　watched　while　I　am　there；　and　it　isn't　only　the　question　of　his　taking　a　house　for　me；　but　he　has　my　debts　to　pay；　and　unluckily　I　have　plenty。　Does　all　that　suit　you？〃

〃Yes；〃　I　answered；　trying　to　quiet　the　scruples　which　this　way　of　living　awoke　in　me　from　time　to　time。

〃We　went　all　over　the　house；　and　we　shall　have　everything　perfect。　The　duke　is　going　to　look　after　every　single　thing。　Ah；　my　dear；〃　she　added；　kissing　me；　〃you're　in　luck；　it's　a　millionaire　who　makes　your　bed　for　you。〃

〃And　when　shall　you　move　into　the　house？〃　inquired　Prudence。

〃As　soon　as　possible。〃

〃Will　you　take　your　horses　and　carriage？〃

〃I　shall　take　the　whole　house；　and　you　can　look　after　my　place　while　I　am　away。〃

A　week　later　Marguerite　was　settled　in　her　country　house；　and　I　was　installed　at　Point　du　Jour。

Then　began　an　existence　which　I　shall　have　some　difficulty　in　describing　to　you。　At　first　Marguerite　could　not　break　entirely　with　her　former　habits；　and；　as　the　house　was　always　en　fete；　all　the　women　whom　she　knew　came　to　see　her。　For　a　whole　month　there　was　not　a　day　when　Marguerite　had　not　eight　or　ten　people　to　meals。　Prudence；　on　her　side；　brought　down　all　the　people　she　knew；　and　did　the　honours　of　the　house　as　if　the　house　belonged　to　her。

The　duke's　money　paid　for　all　that；　as　you　may　imagine；　but　from　time　to　time　Prudence　came　to　me；　asking　for　a　note　for　a　thousand　francs；　professedly　on　behalf　of　Marguerite。　You　know　I　had　won　some　money　at　gambling；　I　therefore　immediately　handed　over　to　Prudence　what　she　asked　for　Marguerite；　and　fearing　lest　she　should　require　more　than　I　possessed；　I　borrowed　at　Paris　a　sum　equal　to　that　which　I　had　already　borrowed　and　paid　back。　I　was　then　once　more　in　possession　of　some　ten　thousand　francs；　without　reckoning　my　allowance。　However；　Marguerite's　pleasure　in　seeing　her　friends　was　a　little　moderated　when　she　saw　the　expense　which　that　pleasure　entailed；　and　especially　the　necessity　she　was　sometimes　in　of　asking　me　for　money。　The　duke；　who　had　taken　the　house　in　order　that　Marguerite　might　rest　there；　no　longer　visited　it；　fearing　to　find　himself　in　the　midst　of　a　large　and　merry　company；　by　whom　he　did　not　wish　to　be　seen。　This　came　about　through　his　having　once　arrived　to　dine　tete…a…tete　with　Marguerite；　and　having　fallen　upon　a　party　of　fifteen；　who　were　still　at　lunch　at　an　hour　when　he　was　prepared　to　sit　down　to　dinner。　He　had　unsuspectingly　opened　the　dining…room　door；　and　had　been　greeted　by　a　burst　of　laughter；　and　had　had　to　retire　precipitately　before　the　impertinent　mirth　of　the　women　who　were　assembled　there。

Marguerite　rose　from　table；　and　joined　the　duke　in　the　next　room；　where　she　tried；　as　far　as　possible；　to　induce　him　to　forget　the　incident；　but　the　old　man；　wounded　in　his　dignity；　bore　her　a　grudge　for　it；　and　could　not　forgive　her。　He　said　to　her；　somewhat　cruelly；　that　he　was　tired　of　paying　for　the　follies　of　a　woman　who　could　not　even　have　him　treated　with　respect　under　his　own　roof；　and　he　went　away　in　great　indignation。

Since　that　day　he　had　never　been　heard　of。

In　vain　Marguerite　dismissed　her　guests；　changed　her　way　of　life；　the　duke　was　not　to　be　heard　of。　I　was　the　gainer　in　so；　far　that　my　mistress　now　belonged　to　me　more　completely；　and　my　dream　was　at　length　realized。　Marguerite　could　not　be　without　me。　Not　caring　what　the　result　might　be；　she　publicly　proclaimed　our　liaison；　and　I　had　come　to　live　entirely　at　her　house。　The　servants　addressed　me　officially　as　their　master。

Prudence　had　strictly　sermonized　Marguerite　in　regard　to　her　new　manner　of　life；　but　she　had　replied　that　she　loved　me；　that　she　could　not　live　without　me；　and　that；　happen　what　might；　she　would　not　sacrifice　the　pleasure　of　having　me　constantly　with　her；　adding　that　those　who　were　not　satisfied　with　this　arrangement　were　free　to　stay　away。　So　much　I　had　heard　one　day　when　Prudence　had　said　to　Marguerite　that　she　had　something　very　important　to　tell　her；　and　I　had　listened　at　the　door　of　the　room　into　which　they　had　shut　themselves。

Not　long　after；　Prudence　returned　again。　I　was　at　the　other　end　of　the　garden　when　she　arrived；　and　she　did　not　see　me。　I　had　no　doubt；　from　the　way　in　which　Marguerite　came　to　meet　her；　that　another　similar　conversation　was　going　to　take　place；　and　I　was　anxious　to　hear　what　it　was　about。　The　two　women　shut　themselves　into　a　boudoir；　and　I　put　myself　within　hearing。

〃Well？〃　said　Marguerite。

〃Well；　I　have　seen　the　duke。〃

〃What　did　he　say？〃

〃That　he　would　gladly　forgive　you　in　regard　to　the　scene　which　took　place；　but　that　he　has　learned　that　you　are　publicly　living　with　M。　Armand　Duval；　and　that　he　will　never　forgive　that。　'Let　Marguerite　leave　the　young　man；'　he　said　to　me；　'and；　as　in　the　past；　I　will　give　her　all　that　she　requires；　if　not；　let　her　ask　nothing　more　from　me。'〃

〃And　you　replied？〃

〃That　I　would　report　his　decision　to　you；　and　I　promised　him　that　I　would　br