camille-第7章

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I　was　interested　in　the　young　man　in　spite　of　myself。　Perhaps　there　was　some　selfishness　in　this　interest；　perhaps　I　guessed　at　some　pathetic　love　story　under　all　this　sorrow；　perhaps　my　desire　to　know　all　about　it　had　much　to　do　with　the　anxiety　which　Armand's　silence　caused　me。　Since　M。　Duval　did　not　return　to　see　me；　I　decided　to　go　and　see　him。　A　pretext　was　not　difficult　to　find；　unluckily　I　did　not　know　his　address；　and　no　one　among　those　whom　I　questioned　could　give　it　to　me。

I　went　to　the　Rue　d'Antin；　perhaps　Marguerite's　porter　would　know　where　Armand　lived。　There　was　a　new　porter；　he　knew　as　little　about　it　as　I。　I　then　asked　in　what　cemetery　Mlle。　Gautier　had　been　buried。　It　was　the　Montmartre　Cemetery。　It　was　now　the　month　of　April；　the　weather　was　fine；　the　graves　were　not　likely　to　look　as　sad　and　desolate　as　they　do　in　winter；　in　short；　it　was　warm　enough　for　the　living　to　think　a　little　of　the　dead；　and　pay　them　a　visit。　I　went　to　the　cemetery；　saying　to　myself：　〃One　glance　at　Marguerite's　grave；　and　I　shall　know　if　Armand's　sorrow　still　exists；　and　perhaps　I　may　find　out　what　has　become　of　him。〃

I　entered　the　keeper's　lodge；　and　asked　him　if　on　the　22nd　of　February　a　woman　named　Marguerite　Gautier　had　not　been　buried　in　the　Montmartre　Cemetery。　He　turned　over　the　pages　of　a　big　book　in　which　those　who　enter　this　last　resting…place　are　inscribed　and　numbered；　and　replied　that　on　the　22nd　of　February；　at　12　o'clock；　a　woman　of　that　name　had　been　buried。

I　asked　him　to　show　me　the　grave；　for　there　is　no　finding　one's　way　without　a　guide　in　this　city　of　the　dead；　which　has　its　streets　like　a　city　of　the　living。　The　keeper　called　over　a　gardener；　to　whom　he　gave　the　necessary　instructions；　the　gardener　interrupted　him；　saying：　〃I　know；　I　know。It　is　not　difficult　to　find　that　grave；〃　he　added；　turning　to　me。

〃Why？〃

〃Because　it　has　very　different　flowers　from　the　others。〃

〃Is　it　you　who　look　after　it？〃

〃Yes；　sir；　and　I　wish　all　relations　took　as　much　trouble　about　the　dead　as　the　young　man　who　gave　me　my　orders。〃

After　several　turnings；　the　gardener　stopped　and　said　to　me：　〃Here　we　are。〃

I　saw　before　me　a　square　of　flowers　which　one　would　never　have　taken　for　a　grave；　if　it　had　not　been　for　a　white　marble　slab　bearing　a　name。

The　marble　slab　stood　upright；　an　iron　railing　marked　the　limits　of　the　ground　purchased；　and　the　earth　was　covered　with　white　camellias。　〃What　do　you　say　to　that？〃　said　the　gardener。

〃It　is　beautiful。〃

〃And　whenever　a　camellia　fades；　I　have　orders　to　replace　it。〃　

〃Who　gave　you　the　order？〃

〃A　young　gentleman；　who　cried　the　first　time　he　came　here；　an　old　pal　of　hers；　I　suppose；　for　they　say　she　was　a　gay　one。　Very　pretty；　too；　I　believe。　Did　you　know　her；　sir？〃　〃Yes。〃

〃Like　the　other？〃　said　the　gardener；　with　a　knowing　smile。　〃No；　I　never　spoke　to　her。〃

〃And　you　come　here；　too！　It　is　very　good　of　you；　for　those　that　come　to　see　the　poor　girl　don't　exactly　cumber　the　cemetery。〃

〃Doesn't　anybody　come？〃

〃Nobody；　except　that　young　gentleman　who　came　once。〃

〃Only　once？〃

〃Yes；　sir。〃

〃He　never　came　back　again？〃

〃No；　but　he　will　when　he　gets　home。〃

〃He　is　away　somewhere？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Do　you　know　where　he　is？〃

〃I　believe　he　has　gone　to　see　Mlle。　Gautier's　sister。〃

〃What　does　he　want　there？〃

〃He　has　gone　to　get　her　authority　to　have　the　corpse　dug　up　again　and　put　somewhere　else。〃

〃Why　won't　he　let　it　remain　here？〃

〃You　know；　sir；　people　have　queer　notions　about　dead　folk。　We　see　something　of　that　every　day。　The　ground　here　was　only　bought　for　five　years；　and　this　young　gentleman　wants　a　perpetual　lease　and　a　bigger　plot　of　ground；　it　will　be　better　in　the　new　part。〃　　

〃What　do　you　call　the　new　part？〃

〃The　new　plots　of　ground　that　are　for　sale；　there　to　the　left。　If　the　cemetery　had　always　been　kept　like　it　is　now；　there　wouldn't　be　the　like　of　it　in　the　world；　but　there　is　still　plenty　to　do　before　it　will　be　quite　all　it　should　be。　And　then　people　are　so　queer！〃

〃What　do　you　mean？〃

〃I　mean　that　there　are　people　who　carry　their　pride　even　here。　Now；　this　Demoiselle　Gautier；　it　appears　she　lived　a　bit　free；　if　you'll　excuse　my　saying　so。　Poor　lady；　she's　dead　now；　there's　no　more　of　her　left　than　of　them　that　no　one　has　a　word　to　say　against。　We　water　them　every　day。　Well；　when　the　relatives　of　the　folk　that　are　buried　beside　her　found　out　the　sort　of　person　she　was；　what　do　you　think　they　said？　That　they　would　try　to　keep　her　out　from　here；　and　that　there　ought　to　be　a　piece　of　ground　somewhere　apart　for　these　sort　of　women；　like　there　is　for　the　poor。　Did　you　ever　hear　of　such　a　thing？　I　gave　it　to　them　straight；　I　did：　well…to…do　folk　who　come　to　see　their　dead　four　times　a　year；　and　bring　their　flowers　themselves；　and　what　flowers！　and　look　twice　at　the　keep　of　them　they　pretend　to　cry　over；　and　write　on　their　tombstones　all　about　the　tears　they　haven't　shed；　and　come　and　make　difficulties　about　their　neighbours。　You　may　believe　me　or　not；　sir；　I　never　knew　the　young　lady；　I　don't　know　what　she　did。　Well；　I'm　quite　in　love　with　the　poor　thing；　I　look　after　her　well；　and　I　let　her　have　her　camellias　at　an　honest　price。　She　is　the　dead　body　that　I　like　the　best。　You　see；　sir；　we　are　obliged　to　love　the　dead；　for　we　are　kept　so　busy；　we　have　hardly　time　to　love　anything　else。〃

I　looked　at　the　man；　and　some　of　my　readers　will　understand；　without　my　needing　to　explain　it　to　them；　the　emotion　which　I　felt　on　hearing　him。　He　observed　it；　no　doubt；　for　he　went　on：

〃They　tell　me　there　were　people　who　ruined　themselves　over　that　girl；　and　lovers　that　worshipped　her；　well；　when　I　think　there　isn't　one　of　them　that　so　much　as　buys　her　a　flower　now；　that's　queer；　sir；　and　sad。　And；　after　all；　she　isn't　so　badly　off；　for　she　has　her　grave　to　herself；　and　if　there　is　only　one　who　remembers　her；　he　makes　up　for　the　others。　But　we　have　other　poor　girls　here；　just　like　her　and　just　her　age；　and　they　are　just　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　thinks　about　them　any　more；　once　they　are　dead！　'Tisn't　a　merry　trade；　ours；　especially　when　we　have　a　little　heart　left。　What　do　you　expect？　I　can't　help　it。　I　have　a　fine；　strapping　girl　myself；　she's　just　twenty；　and　when　a　girl　of　that　age　comes　here　I　think　of　her；　and　I　don't　care　if　it's　a　great　lady　or　a　vagabond；　I　can't　help　feeling　it　a　bit。　But　I　am　taking　up　your　time；　sir；　with　my　tales；　and　it　wasn't　to　hear　them　you　came　here。　I　was　told　to　show　you　Mlle。　Gautier's　grave；　here　you　have　it。　Is　there　anything　else　I　can　do　for　you？〃

〃Do　you　know　M。　Armand　Duval's　address？〃　I　asked。

〃Yes；　he　lives　at　Rue　de　；　at　least；　that's　where　I　always　go　to　get　my　money　for　the　flowers　you　see　there。〃

〃Thanks；　my　good　man。〃

I　gave　one　more　look　at　the　grave　covered　with　flowers；　half　longing　to　penetrate　the　depths　of　the　earth　and　see　what　the　earth　had　made　of　the　fair　creature　that　had　been　cast　to　it；　then　I　walked　sadly　away。

〃Do　you　want　to　see　M。　Duval；　sir？〃　said　the　gardener；　who　was　walking　beside　me。

〃Yes。〃

〃Well；　I　am　pretty　sure　he　is　not　back　yet；　or　he　would　have　been　here　already。〃

〃You　don't　think　he　has　forgotten　Marguerite？〃

〃I　am　not　only　sure　he　hasn't；　but　I　would　wager　that　he　wants　to　change　her　grave　simply　in　order　to　have　one　more　look　at　her。〃

〃Why　do　you　think　that？〃

〃The　first　word　he　said　to　me　when　he　came　to　the　cemetery　was：　'How　can　I　see　her　again？'　That　can't　be　done　unless　there　is　a　change　of　grave；　and　I　told　him　all　about　the　formalities　that　have　to　be　attended　to　in　getting　it　done；　for；　you　see；　if　you　want　to　move　a　body　from　one　grave　to　another　you　must　have　it　identified；　and　only　the　family　can　give　leave　for　it　under　the　direction　of　a　police　inspector。　That　is　why　M。　Duval　has　gone　to　see　Mlle。　Gautier's　sister；　and　you　may　be　sure　his　first　visit　will　be　for　me。〃

We　had　come　to　the　cemetery　gate。　I　thanked　the　gardener　again；　putting　a　few　coins　into　his　hand；　and　made　my　way　to　the　address　he　had　given　me。

Armand　had　not　yet　returned。　I　left　word　for　him；　begging　him　to　come　and　see　me　as　soon　as　he　arrived；