“Oh! That is capital! Really capital!”
“And he can send his old father and mother the
money as usual, and thus morality is satisfied.”
To the Abbe Louis d’Ennemare, at Soissons.
“My Dear Abbe:
“My marriage with your cousin is broken off
in the stupidest manner, on account of a stupid trick
which I almost involuntarily played my intended, in
my embarrassment, and I turn to you, my old schoolfellow,
for you may be able to help me out of the difficulty.
If you can, I shall be grateful to you until I die.
“You know Gilberte, or rather you think you
know her, for do we ever understand women? All
their opinions, their ideas, their creeds, are a surprise
to us. They are all full of twists and turns,
of the unforeseen, of unintelligible arguments, or
defective logic and of obstinate ideas, which seem
final, but which they alter because a little bird came
and perched on the window ledge.
“I need not tell you that your cousin is very
religious, as she was brought up by the White
(or was it the Black?) Ladies at Nancy.
You know that better than I do, but what you perhaps
do not know, is, that she is just as excitable about
other matters as she is about religion. Her head
flies away, just like a leaf being whirled away by
the wind; and she is a woman, or rather a girl, more
so than many are, for she is moved, or made angry
in a moment, starting off at a gallop after affection,
just as she does after hatred, and returning in the
same manner; and she is as pretty ... as you know,
and more charming than I can say ... as you will never
know.
“Well, we became engaged, and I adored her,
as I adore her still, and she appeared to love me.
“One evening, I received a telegram summoning
me to Cologne for a consultation, which might be followed
by a serious and difficult operation, and as I had
to start the next morning, I went to wish Gilberte
goodbye, and tell her why I could not dine with them
on Wednesday, but on Friday, the day of my return.
Ah! Take care of Fridays, for I assure you they
are unlucky!
“When I told her that I had to go to Germany,
I saw that her eyes filled with tears, but when I
said I should be back very soon, she clapped her hands,
and said:
“’I am very glad you are going, then!
You must bring me back something; a mere trifle, just
a souvenir, but a souvenir that you have chosen for
me. You must find out what I should like best,
do you hear? And then I shall see whether you
have any imagination.’
“She thought for a few moments, and then added:
“’I forbid you to spend more than twenty
francs on it. I want it for the intention, and
for the remembrance of your penetration, and not for
its intrinsic value.’
“And then, after another moment’s silence,
she said, in a low voice, and with downcast eyes.
