camille-第5章

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r　and　a　half　per　cent　which　she　had　been　able　to　make。

All　these　circumstances；　often　repeated　in　Paris；　the　mother　city　of　scandal；　had　begun　to　be　forgotten；　and　I　was　even　little　by　little　forgetting　the　part　I　had　taken　in　them；　when　a　new　incident　brought　to　my　knowledge　the　whole　of　Marguerite's　life；　and　acquainted　me　with　such　pathetic　details　that　I　was　taken　with　the　idea　of　writing　down　the　story　which　I　now　write。

The　rooms；　now　emptied　of　all　their　furniture；　had　been　to　let　for　three　or　four　days　when　one　morning　there　was　a　ring　at　my　door。

My　servant；　or；　rather；　my　porter；　who　acted　as　my　servant；　went　to　the　door　and　brought　me　a　card；　saying　that　the　person　who　had　given　it　to　him　wished　to　see　me。

I　glanced　at　the　card　and　there　read　these　two　words：　Armand　Duval。

I　tried　to　think　where　I　had　seen　the　name；　and　remembered　the　first　leaf　of　the　copy　of　Manon　Lescaut。　What　could　the　person　who　had　given　the　book　to　Marguerite　want　of　me？　I　gave　orders　to　ask　him　in　at　once。

I　saw　a　young　man；　blond；　tall；　pale；　dressed　in　a　travelling　suit　which　looked　as　if　he　had　not　changed　it　for　some　days；　and　had　not　even　taken　the　trouble　to　brush　it　on　arriving　at　Paris；　for　it　was　covered　with　dust。

M。　Duval　was　deeply　agitated；　he　made　no　attempt　to　conceal　his　agitation；　and　it　was　with　tears　in　his　eyes　and　a　trembling　voice　that　he　said　to　me：

〃Sir；　I　beg　you　to　excuse　my　visit　and　my　costume；　but　young　people　are　not　very　ceremonious　with　one　another；　and　I　was　so　anxious　to　see　you　to…day　that　I　have　not　even　gone　to　the　hotel　to　which　I　have　sent　my　luggage；　and　have　rushed　straight　here；　fearing　that；　after　all；　I　might　miss　you；　early　as　it　is。〃

I　begged　M。　Duval　to　sit　down　by　the　fire；　he　did　so；　and；　taking　his　handkerchief　from　his　pocket；　hid　his　face　in　it　for　a　moment。

〃You　must　be　at　a　loss　to　understand；〃　he　went　on；　sighing　sadly；　〃for　what　purpose　an　unknown　visitor；　at　such　an　hour；　in　such　a　costume；　and　in　tears；　can　have　come　to　see　you。　I　have　simply　come　to　ask　of　you　a　great　service。〃

〃Speak　on；　sir；　I　am　entirely　at　your　disposal。〃

〃You　were　present　at　the　sale　of　Marguerite　Gautier？〃

At　this　word　the　emotion；　which　he　had　got　the　better　of　for　an　instant；　was　too　much　for　him；　and　he　was　obliged　to　cover　his　eyes　with　his　hand。

〃I　must　seem　to　you　very　absurd；〃　he　added；　〃but　pardon　me；　and　believe　that　I　shall　never　forget　the　patience　with　which　you　have　listened　to　me。〃

〃Sir；〃　I　answered；　〃if　the　service　which　I　can　render　you　is　able　to　lessen　your　trouble　a　little；　tell　me　at　once　what　I　can　do　for　you；　and　you　will　find　me　only　too　happy　to　oblige　you。〃

M。　Duval's　sorrow　was　sympathetic；　arid　in　spite　of　myself　I　felt　the　desire　of　doing　him　a　kindness。　Thereupon　he　said　to　me：

〃You　bought　something　at　Marguerite's　sale？〃

〃Yes；　a　book。〃

〃Manon　Lescaut？〃

〃Precisely。〃

〃Have　you　the　book　still？〃

〃It　is　in　my　bedroom。〃

On　hearing　this；　Armand　Duval　seemed　to　be　relieved　of　a　great　weight；　and　thanked　me　as　if　I　had　already　rendered　him　a　service　merely　by　keeping　the　book。

I　got　up　and　went　into　my　room　to　fetch　the　book；　which　I　handed　to　him。

〃That　is　it　indeed；〃　he　said；　looking　at　the　inscription　on　the　first　page　and　turning　over　the　leaves；　〃that　is　it　in　deed；〃　and　two　big　tears　fell　on　the　pages。　〃Well；　sir；〃　said　he；　lifting　his　head；　and　no　longer　trying　to　hide　from　me　that　he　had　wept　and　was　even　then　on　the　point　of　weeping；　〃do　you　value　this　book　very　greatly？〃

〃Why？〃

〃Because　I　have　come　to　ask　you　to　give　it　up　to　me。〃

〃Pardon　my　curiosity；　but　was　it　you；　then；　who　gave　it　to　Marguerite　Gautier？〃

〃It　was！〃

〃The　book　is　yours；　sir；　take　it　back。　I　am　happy　to　be　able　to　hand　it　over　to　you。〃

〃But；〃　said　M。　Duval　with　some　embarrassment；　〃the　least　I　can　do　is　to　give　you　in　return　the　price　which　you　paid　for　it。〃

〃Allow　me　to　offer　it　to　you。　The　price　of　a　single　volume　in　a　sale　of　that　kind　is　a　mere　nothing；　and　I　do　not　remember　how　much　I　gave　for　it。〃

〃You　gave　one　hundred　francs。〃

〃True；〃　I　said；　embarrassed　in　my　turn；　〃how　do　you　know？〃

〃It　is　quite　simple。　I　hoped　to　reach　Paris　in　time　for　the　sale；　and　I　only　managed　to　get　here　this　morning。　I　was　absolutely　resolved　to　have　something　which　had　belonged　to　her；　and　I　hastened　to　the　auctioneer　and　asked　him　to　allow　me　to　see　the　list　of　the　things　sold　and　of　the　buyers'　names。　I　saw　that　this　volume　had　been　bought　by　you；　and　I　decided　to　ask　you　to　give　it　up　to　me；　though　the　price　you　had　set　upon　it　made　me　fear　that　you　might　yourself　have　some　souvenir　in　connection　with　the　possession　of　the　book。〃

As　he　spoke；　it　was　evident　that　he　was　afraid　I　had　known　Marguerite　as　he　had　known　her。　I　hastened　to　reassure　him。

〃I　knew　Mlle。　Gautier　only　by　sight；〃　I　said；　〃her　death　made　on　me　the　impression　that　the　death　of　a　pretty　woman　must　always　make　on　a　young　man　who　had　liked　seeing　her。　I　wished　to　buy　something　at　her　sale；　and　I　bid　higher　and　higher　for　this　book　out　of　mere　obstinacy　and　to　annoy　some　one　else；　who　was　equally　keen　to　obtain　it；　and　who　seemed　to　defy　me　to　the　contest。　I　repeat；　then；　that　the　book　is　yours；　and　once　more　I　beg　you　to　accept　it；　do　not　treat　me　as　if　I　were　an　auctioneer；　and　let　it　be　the　pledge　between　us　of　a　longer　and　more　intimate　acquaintance。〃

〃Good；〃　said　Armand；　holding　out　his　hand　and　pressing　mine；　〃I　accept；　and　I　shall　be　grateful　to　you　all　my　life。〃

I　was　very　anxious　to　question　Armand　on　the　subject　of　Marguerite；　for　the　inscription　in　the　book；　the　young　man's　hurried　journey；　his　desire　to　possess　the　volume；　piqued　my　curiosity；　but　I　feared　if　I　questioned　my　visitor　that　I　might　seem　to　have　refused　his　money　only　in　order　to　have　the　right　to　pry　into　his　affairs。

It　was　as　if　he　guessed　my　desire；　for　he　said　to　me：

〃Have　you　read　the　volume？〃

〃All　through。〃

〃What　did　you　think　of　the　two　lines　that　I　wrote　in　it？〃

〃I　realized　at　once　that　the　woman　to　whom　you　had　given　the　volume　must　have　been　quite　outside　the　ordinary　category；　for　I　could　not　take　those　two　lines　as　a　mere　empty　compliment。〃

〃You　were　right。　That　woman　was　an　angel。　See；　read　this　letter。〃　And　he　handed　to　me　a　paper　which　seemed　to　have　been　many　times　reread。

I　opened　it；　and　this　is　what　it　contained：

〃MY　DEAR　ARMAND：I　have　received　your　letter。　You　are　still　good；　and　I　thank　God　for　it。　Yes；　my　friend；　I　am　ill；　and　with　one　of　those　diseases　that　never　relent；　but　the　interest　you　still　take　in　me　makes　my　suffering　less。　I　shall　not　live　long　enough；　I　expect；　to　have　the　happiness　of　pressing　the　hand　which　has　written　the　kind　letter　I　have　just　received；　the　words　of　it　would　be　enough　to　cure　me；　if　anything　could　cure　me。　I　shall　not　see　you；　for　I　am　quite　near　death；　and　you　are　hundreds　of　leagues　away。　My　poor　friend！　your　Marguerite　of　old　times　is　sadly　changed。　It　is　better　perhaps　for　you　not　to　see　her　again　than　to　see　her　as　she　is。　You　ask　if　I　forgive　you；　oh；　with　all　my　heart；　friend；　for　the　way　you　hurt　me　was　only　a　way　of　proving　the　love　you　had　for　me。　I　have　been　in　bed　for　a　month；　and　I　think　so　much　of　your　esteem　that　I　write　every　day　the　journal　of　my　life；　from　the　moment　we　left　each　other　to　the　moment　when　I　shall　be　able　to　write　no　longer。　If　the　interest　you　take　in　me　is　real；　Armand；　when　you　come　back　go　and　see　Julie　Duprat。　She　will　give　you　my　journal。　You　will　find　in　it　the　reason　and　the　excuse　for　what　has　passed　between　us。　Julie　is　very　good　to　me；　we　often　talk　of　you　together。　She　was　there　when　your　letter　came；　and　we　both　cried　over　it。

〃If　you　had　not　sent　me　any　word；　I　had　told　her　to　give　you　those　papers　when　you　returned　to　France。　Do　not　thank　me　for　it。　This　daily　looking　back　on　the　only　happy　moments　of　my　life　does　me　an　immense　amount　of　good；　and　if　you　will　find　in　reading　it　some　excuse　for　the　past。　I；　for　my　part；　find　a　continual　solace　in　it。　I　should　like　to　leave　you　something　which　would　always　remind　you　of　me；　but　everything　here　has　been　seized；　and　I　have　nothing　of　my　own。

〃Do　you　understand；　my　friend？　I　am　dying；　and　from　my　bed　I