camille-第3章

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uchess　was　in　the　last　stage　of　consumption；　and　a　few　days　after　Marguerite's　arrival　she　died。　One　morning；　the　duke；　who　had　remained　at　Bagneres　to　be　near　the　soil　that　had　buried　a　part　of　his　heart；　caught　sight　of　Marguerite　at　a　turn　of　the　road。　He　seemed　to　see　the　shadow　of　his　child；　and　going　up　to　her；　he　took　her　hands；　embraced　and　wept　over　her；　and　without　even　asking　her　who　she　was；　begged　her　to　let　him　love　in　her　the　living　image　of　his　dead　child。　Marguerite；　alone　at　Bagneres　with　her　maid；　and　not　being　in　any　fear　of　compromising　herself；　granted　the　duke's　request。　Some　people　who　knew　her；　happening　to　be　at　Bagneres；　took　upon　themselves　to　explain　Mademoiselle　Gautier's　true　position　to　the　duke。　It　was　a　blow　to　the　old　man；　for　the　resemblance　with　his　daughter　was　ended　in　one　direction；　but　it　was　too　late。　She　had　become　a　necessity　to　his　heart；　his　only　pretext；　his　only　excuse；　for　living。　He　made　no　reproaches；　he　had　indeed　no　right　to　do　so；　but　he　asked　her　if　she　felt　herself　capable　of　changing　her　mode　of　life；　offering　her　in　return　for　the　sacrifice　every　compensation　that　she　could　desire。　She　consented。

It　must　be　said　that　Marguerite　was　just　then　very　ill。　The　past　seemed　to　her　sensitive　nature　as　if　it　were　one　of　the　main　causes　of　her　illness；　and　a　sort　of　superstition　led　her　to　hope　that　God　would　restore　to　her　both　health　and　beauty　in　return　for　her　repentance　and　conversion。　By　the　end　of　the　summer；　the　waters；　sleep；　the　natural　fatigue　of　long　walks；　had　indeed　more　or　less　restored　her　health。　The　duke　accompanied　her　to　Paris；　where　he　continued　to　see　her　as　he　had　done　at　Bagneres。

This　liaison；　whose　motive　and　origin　were　quite　unknown；　caused　a　great　sensation；　for　the　duke；　already　known　for　his　immense　fortune；　now　became　known　for　his　prodigality。　All　this　was　set　down　to　the　debauchery　of　a　rich　old　man；　and　everything　was　believed　except　the　truth。　The　father's　sentiment　for　Marguerite　had；　in　truth；　so　pure　a　cause　that　anything　but　a　communion　of　hearts　would　have　seemed　to　him　a　kind　of　incest；　and　he　had　never　spoken　to　her　a　word　which　his　daughter　might　not　have　heard。

Far　be　it　from　me　to　make　out　our　heroine　to　be　anything　but　what　she　was。　As　long　as　she　remained　at　Bagneres；　the　promise　she　had　made　to　the　duke　had　not　been　hard　to　keep；　and　she　had　kept　it；　but；　once　back　in　Paris；　it　seemed　to　her；　accustomed　to　a　life　of　dissipation；　of　balls；　of　orgies；　as　if　the　solitude；　only　interrupted　by　the　duke's　stated　visits；　would　kill　her　with　boredom；　and　the　hot　breath　of　her　old　life　came　back　across　her　head　and　heart。

We　must　add　that　Marguerite　had　returned　more　beautiful　than　she　had　ever　been；　she　was　but　twenty；　and　her　malady；　sleeping　but　not　subdued；　continued　to　give　her　those　feverish　desires　which　are　almost　always　the　result　of　diseases　of　the　chest。

It　was　a　great　grief　to　the　duke　when　his　friends；　always　on　the　lookout　for　some　scandal　on　the　part　of　the　woman　with　whom；　it　seemed　to　them；　he　was　compromising　himself；　came　to　tell　him；　indeed　to　prove　to　him；　that　at　times　when　she　was　sure　of　not　seeing　him　she　received　other　visits；　and　that　these　visits　were　often　prolonged　till　the　following　day。　On　being　questioned；　Marguerite　admitted　everything　to　the　duke；　and　advised　him；　without　arriere…pensee；　to　concern　himself　with　her　no　longer；　for　she　felt　incapable　of　carrying　out　what　she　had　undertaken；　and　she　did　not　wish　to　go　on　accepting　benefits　from　a　man　whom　she　was　deceiving。　The　duke　did　not　return　for　a　week；　it　was　all　he　could　do；　and　on　the　eighth　day　he　came　to　beg　Marguerite　to　let　him　still　visit　her；　promising　that　he　would　take　her　as　she　was；　so　long　as　he　might　see　her；　and　swearing　that　he　would　never　utter　a　reproach　against　her；　not　though　he　were　to　die　of　it。

This；　then；　was　the　state　of　things　three　months　after　Marguerite's　return；　that　is　to　say；　in　November　or　December；　1842。



Chapter　3

At　one　o'clock　on　the　16th　I　went　to　the　Rue　d'Antin。　The　voice　of　the　auctioneer　could　be　heard　from　the　outer　door。　The　rooms　were　crowded　with　people。　There　were　all　the　celebrities　of　the　most　elegant　impropriety；　furtively　examined　by　certain　great　ladies　who　had　again　seized　the　opportunity　of　the　sale　in　order　to　be　able　to　see；　close　at　hand；　women　whom　they　might　never　have　another　occasion　of　meeting；　and　whom　they　envied　perhaps　in　secret　for　their　easy　pleasures。　The　Duchess　of　F。　elbowed　Mlle。　A。；　one　of　the　most　melancholy　examples　of　our　modern　courtesan；　the　Marquis　de　T。　hesitated　over　a　piece　of　furniture　the　price　of　which　was　being　run　high　by　Mme。　D。；　the　most　elegant　and　famous　adulteress　of　our　time；　the　Duke　of　Y。；　who　in　Madrid　is　supposed　to　be　ruining　himself　in　Paris；　and　in　Paris　to　be　ruining　himself　in　Madrid；　and　who；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　never　even　reaches　the　limit　of　his　income；　talked　with　Mme。　M。；　one　of　our　wittiest　story…tellers；　who　from　time　to　time　writes　what　she　says　and　signs　what　she　writes；　while　at　the　same　time　he　exchanged　confidential　glances　with　Mme。　de　N。；　a　fair　ornament　of　the　Champs…Elysees；　almost　always　dressed　in　pink　or　blue；　and　driving　two　big　black　horses　which　Tony　had　sold　her　for　10；000　francs；　and　for　which　she　had　paid；　after　her　fashion；　finally；　Mlle。　R。；　who　makes　by　her　mere　talent　twice　what　the　women　of　the　world　make　by　their　dot　and　three　times　as　much　as　the　others　make　by　their　amours；　had　come；　in　spite　of　the　cold；　to　make　some　purchases；　and　was　not　the　least　looked　at　among　the　crowd。

We　might　cite　the　initials　of　many　more　of　those　who　found　themselves；　not　without　some　mutual　surprise；　side　by　side　in　one　room。　But　we　fear　to　weary　the　reader。　We　will　only　add　that　everyone　was　in　the　highest　spirits；　and　that　many　of　those　present　had　known　the　dead　woman；　and　seemed　quite　oblivious　of　the　fact。　There　was　a　sound　of　loud　laughter；　the　auctioneers　shouted　at　the　top　of　their　voices；　the　dealers　who　had　filled　the　benches　in　front　of　the　auction　table　tried　in　vain　to　obtain　silence；　in　order　to　transact　their　business　in　peace。　Never　was　there　a　noisier　or　a　more　varied　gathering。

I　slipped　quietly　into　the　midst　of　this　tumult；　sad　to　think　of　when　one　remembered　that　the　poor　creature　whose　goods　were　being　sold　to　pay　her　debts　had　died　in　the　next　room。　Having　come　rather　to　examine　than　to　buy；　I　watched　the　faces　of　the　auctioneers；　noticing　how　they　beamed　with　delight　whenever　anything　reached　a　price　beyond　their　expectations。　Honest　creatures；　who　had　speculated　upon　this　woman's　prostitution；　who　had　gained　their　hundred　per　cent　out　of　her；　who　had　plagued　with　their　writs　the　last　moments　of　her　life；　and　who　came　now　after　her　death　to　gather　in　at　once　the　fruits　of　their　dishonourable　calculations　and　the　interest　on　their　shameful　credit；　How　wise　were　the　ancients　in　having　only　one　God　for　traders　and　robbers！

Dresses；　cashmeres；　jewels；　were　sold　with　incredible　rapidity。　There　was　nothing　that　I　cared　for；　and　I　still　waited。　All　at　once　I　heard：　〃A　volume；　beautifully　bound；　gilt…edged；　entitled　Manon　Lescaut。　There　is　something　written　on　the　first　page。　Ten　francs。〃

〃Twelve；〃　said　a　voice　after　a　longish　silence。

〃Fifteen；〃　I　said。

Why？　I　did　not　know。　Doubtless　for　the　something　written。

〃Fifteen；〃　repeated　the　auctioneer。

〃Thirty；〃　said　the　first　bidder　in　a　tone　which　seemed　to　defy　further　competition。

It　had　now　become　a　struggle。　〃Thirty…five；〃　I　cried　in　the　same　tone。

〃Forty。〃

〃Fifty。〃

〃Sixty。〃

〃A　hundred。〃

If　I　had　wished　to　make　a　sensation　I　should　certainly　have　succeeded；　for　a　profound　silence　had　ensued；　and　people　gazed　at　me　as　if　to　see　what　sort　of　a　person　it　was；　who　seemed　to　be　so　determined　to　possess　the　volume。

The　accent　which　I　had　given　to　my　last　word　seemed　to　convince　my　adversary；　he　preferred　to　abandon　a　conflict　which　could　only　have　resulted　in　making　me　pay　ten　times　its　price　for　the　volume；　and；　bowing；　he　said　very　gracefully；　though　indeed　a　little　late：

〃I　give　way；　sir。〃

Nothing　more　being　offered；　the　book　was　assigned　to　me。

As　I　was　afraid　of　some　new　fit　of　obstinacy；　which　my　amour