camille-第9章

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of　the　feet　visible。

I　was　nearly　fainting；　and　at　the　moment　of　writing　these　lines　I　see　the　whole　scene　over　again　in　all　its　imposing　reality。

〃Quick；〃　said　the　inspector。　Thereupon　one　of　the　men　put　out　his　hand；　began　to　unsew　the　shroud；　and　taking　hold　of　it　by　one　end　suddenly　laid　bare　the　face　of　Marguerite。

It　was　terrible　to　see；　it　is　horrible　to　relate。　The　eyes　were　nothing　but　two　holes；　the　lips　had　disappeared；　vanished；　and　the　white　teeth　were　tightly　set。　The　black　hair；　long　and　dry；　was　pressed　tightly　about　the　forehead；　and　half　veiled　the　green　hollows　of　the　cheeks；　and　yet　I　recognised　in　this　face　the　joyous　white　and　rose　face　that　I　had　seen　so　often。

Armand；　unable　to　turn　away　his　eyes；　had　put　the　handkerchief　to　his　mouth　and　bit　it。

For　my　part；　it　was　as　if　a　circle　of　iron　tightened　about　my　head；　a　veil　covered　my　eyes；　a　rumbling　filled　my　ears；　and　all　I　could　do　was　to　unstop　a　smelling　bottle　which　I　happened　to　have　with　me；　and　to　draw　in　long　breaths　of　it。

Through　this　bewilderment　I　heard　the　inspector　say　to　Duval；　〃Do　you　identify？〃

〃Yes；〃　replied　the　young　man　in　a　dull　voice。

〃Then　fasten　it　up　and　take　it　away；〃　said　the　inspector。

The　grave…diggers　put　back　the　shroud　over　the　face　of　the　corpse；　fastened　up　the　coffin；　took　hold　of　each　end　of　it；　and　began　to　carry　it　toward　the　place　where　they　had　been　told　to　take　it。

Armand　did　not　move。　His　eyes　were　fixed　upon　the　empty　grave；　he　was　as　white　as　the　corpse　which　we　had　just　seen。　He　looked　as　if　he　had　been　turned　to　stone。

I　saw　what　was　coming　as　soon　as　the　pain　caused　by　the　spectacle　should　have　abated　and　thus　ceased　to　sustain　him。　I　went　up　to　the　inspector。　〃Is　this　gentleman's　presence　still　necessary？〃　I　said；　pointing　to　Armand。

〃No；〃　he　replied；　〃and　I　should　advise　you　to　take　him　away。　He　looks　ill。〃

〃Come；〃　I　said　to　Armand；　taking　him　by　the　arm。

〃What？〃　he　said；　looking　at　me　as　if　he　did　not　recognise　me。

〃It　is　all　over；〃　I　added。　〃You　must　come；　my　friend；　you　are　quite　white；　you　are　cold。　These　emotions　will　be　too　much　for　you。〃

〃You　are　right。　Let　us　go；〃　he　answered　mechanically；　but　without　moving　a　step。

I　took　him　by　the　arm　and　led　him　along。　He　let　himself　be　guided　like　a　child；　only　from　time　to　time　murmuring；　〃Did　you　see　her　eyes？〃　and　he　turned　as　if　the　vision　had　recalled　her。

Nevertheless；　his　steps　became　more　irregular；　he　seemed　to　walk　by　a　series　of　jerks；　his　teeth　chattered；　his　hands　were　cold；　a　violent　agitation　ran　through　his　body。　I　spoke　to　him；　he　did　not　answer。　He　was　just　able　to　let　himself　be　led　along。　A　cab　was　waiting　at　the　gate。　It　was　only　just　in　time。　Scarcely　had　he　seated　himself；　when　the　shivering　became　more　violent；　and　he　had　an　actual　attack　of　nerves；　in　the　midst　of　which　his　fear　of　frightening　me　made　him　press　my　hand　and　whisper：　〃It　is　nothing；　nothing。　I　want　to　weep。〃

His　chest　laboured；　his　eyes　were　injected　with　blood；　but　no　tears　came。　I　made　him　smell　the　salts　which　I　had　with　me；　and　when　we　reached　his　house　only　the　shivering　remained。

With　the　help　of　his　servant　I　put　him　to　bed；　lit　a　big　fire　in　his　room；　and　hurried　off　to　my　doctor；　to　whom　I　told　all　that　had　happened。　He　hastened　with　me。

Armand　was　flushed　and　delirious；　he　stammered　out　disconnected　words；　in　which　only　the　name　of　Marguerite　could　be　distinctly　heard。

〃Well？〃　I　said　to　the　doctor　when　he　had　examined　the　patient。

〃Well；　he　has　neither　more　nor　less　than　brain　fever；　and　very　lucky　it　is　for　him；　for　I　firmly　believe　（God　forgive　me！）　that　he　would　have　gone　out　of　his　mind。　Fortunately；　the　physical　malady　will　kill　the　mental　one；　and　in　a　month's　time　he　will　be　free　from　the　one　and　perhaps　from　the　other。〃



Chapter　7

Illnesses　like　Armand's　have　one　fortunate　thing　about　them：　they　either　kill　outright　or　are　very　soon　overcome。　A　fortnight　after　the　events　which　I　have　just　related　Armand　was　convalescent；　and　we　had　already　become　great　friends。　During　the　whole　course　of　his　illness　I　had　hardly　left　his　side。

Spring　was　profuse　in　its　flowers；　its　leaves；　its　birds；　its　songs；　and　my　friend's　window　opened　gaily　upon　his　garden；　from　which　a　reviving　breath　of　health　seemed　to　come　to　him。　The　doctor　had　allowed　him　to　get　up；　and　we　often　sat　talking　at　the　open　window；　at　the　hour　when　the　sun　is　at　its　height；　from　twelve　to　two。　I　was　careful　not　to　refer　to　Marguerite；　fearing　lest　the　name　should　awaken　sad　recollections　hidden　under　the　apparent　calm　of　the　invalid；　but　Armand；　on　the　contrary；　seemed　to　delight　in　speaking　of　her；　not　as　formerly；　with　tears　in　his　eyes；　but　with　a　sweet　smile　which　reassured　me　as　to　the　state　of　his　mind。

I　had　noticed　that　ever　since　his　last　visit　to　the　cemetery；　and　the　sight　which　had　brought　on　so　violent　a　crisis；　sorrow　seemed　to　have　been　overcome　by　sickness；　and　Marguerite's　death　no　longer　appeared　to　him　under　its　former　aspect。　A　kind　of　consolation　had　sprung　from　the　certainty　of　which　he　was　now　fully　persuaded；　and　in　order　to　banish　the　sombre　picture　which　often　presented　itself　to　him；　he　returned　upon　the　happy　recollections　of　his　liaison　with　Marguerite；　and　seemed　resolved　to　think　of　nothing　else。

The　body　was　too　much　weakened　by　the　attack　of　fever；　and　even　by　the　process　of　its　cure；　to　permit　him　any　violent　emotions；　and　the　universal　joy　of　spring　which　wrapped　him　round　carried　his　thoughts　instinctively　to　images　of　joy。　He　had　always　obstinately　refused　to　tell　his　family　of　the　danger　which　he　had　been　in；　and　when　he　was　well　again　his　father　did　not　even　know　that　he　had　been　ill。

One　evening　we　had　sat　at　the　window　later　than　usual；　the　weather　had　been　superb；　and　the　sun　sank　to　sleep　in　a　twilight　dazzling　with　gold　and　azure。　Though　we　were　in　Paris；　the　verdure　which　surrounded　us　seemed　to　shut　us　off　from　the　world；　and　our　conversation　was　only　now　and　again　disturbed　by　the　sound　of　a　passing　vehicle。

〃It　was　about　this　time　of　the　year；　on　the　evening　of　a　day　like　this；　that　I　first　met　Marguerite；〃　said　Armand　to　me；　as　if　he　were　listening　to　his　own　thoughts　rather　than　to　what　I　was　saying。　I　did　not　answer。　Then　turning　toward　me；　he　said：

〃I　must　tell　you　the　whole　story；　you　will　make　a　book　out　of　it；　no　one　will　believe　it；　but　it　will　perhaps　be　interesting　to　do。〃

〃You　will　tell　me　all　about　it　later　on；　my　friend；〃　I　said　to　him；　〃you　are　not　strong　enough　yet。〃

〃It　is　a　warm　evening；　I　have　eaten　my　ration　of　chicken；〃　he　said　to　me；　smiling；　〃I　have　no　fever；　we　have　nothing　to　do；　I　will　tell　it　to　you　now。〃

〃Since　you　really　wish　it；　I　will　listen。〃

This　is　what　he　told　me；　and　I　have　scarcely　changed　a　word　of　the　touching　story。

Yes　（Armand　went　on；　letting　his　head　sink　back　on　the　chair）；　yes；　it　was　just　such　an　evening　as　this。　I　had　spent　the　day　in　the　country　with　one　of　my　friends；　Gaston　R。　We　returned　to　Paris　in　the　evening；　and　not　knowing　what　to　do　we　went　to　the　Varietes。　We　went　out　during　one　of　the　entr'actes；　and　a　tall　woman　passed　us　in　the　corridor；　to　whom　my　friend　bowed。

〃Whom　are　you　bowing　to？〃　I　asked。

〃Marguerite　Gautier；〃　he　said。

〃She　seems　much　changed；　for　I　did　not　recognise　her；〃　I　said；　with　an　emotion　that　you　will　soon　understand。

〃She　has　been　ill；　the　poor　girl　won't　last　long。〃

I　remember　the　words　as　if　they　had　been　spoken　to　me　yesterday。

I　must　tell　you；　my　friend；　that　for　two　years　the　sight　of　this　girl　had　made　a　strange　impression　on　me　whenever　I　came　across　her。　Without　knowing　why；　I　turned　pale　and　my　heart　beat　violently。　I　have　a　friend　who　studies　the　occult　sciences；　and　he　would　call　what　I　experienced　〃the　affinity　of　fluids〃；　as　for　me；　I　only　know　that　I　was　fated　to　fall　in　love　with　Marguerite；　and　that　I　foresaw　it。

It　is　certainly　the　fact　that　she　made　a　very　definite　impression　upon　me；　that　many　of　my　friends　had　noticed　it　and　that　they　had　been　much　amused　when　they　saw　who　it　was　that　made　this　impression　upon　me。

The　first　time　I　ever　saw　her　was　in　the　Place　de　la　Bourse；　outside　Susse's；　an　open　carriage　was　stationed　there；