“This woman risks everything. And it is
exactly because she knows it, because she gives everything,
her heart, her body, her soul, her honor, her life,
because she has foreseen all miseries, all dangers
all catastrophes, because she dares to do a bold act,
an intrepid act, because she is prepared, determined
to brave everything—her husband, who might
kill her, and society, which may cast her out.
This is why she is worthy of respect in the midst
of her conjugal infidelity; this is why her lover,
in taking her, should also foresee everything, and
prefer her to every one else whatever may happen.
I have nothing more to say. I spoke in the beginning
like a sensible man whose duty it was to warn you;
and now I am only a man—a man who loves
you—Command, and I obey.”
Radiant, she closed his mouth with a kiss, and said
in a low tone:
“It is not true, darling! There is nothing
the matter! My husband does not suspect anything.
But I wanted to see, I wanted to know, what you would
do I wished for a New Year’s gift—the
gift of your heart—another gift besides
the necklace you sent me. You have given it to
me. Thanks! thanks! God be thanked for the
happiness you have given me!”
What became of Leremy?”
“He is captain in the Sixth Dragoons.”
“And Pinson?”
“He’s a subprefect.”
“And Racollet?”
“Dead.”
We were searching for other names which would remind
us of the youthful faces of our younger days.
Once in a while we had met some of these old comrades,
bearded, bald, married, fathers of several children,
and the realization of these changes had given us
an unpleasant shudder, reminding us how short life
is, how everything passes away, how everything changes.
My friend asked me:
“And Patience, fat Patience?”
I almost, howled:
“Oh! as for him, just listen to this. Four
or five years ago I was in Limoges, on a tour of inspection,
and I was waiting for dinner time. I was seated
before the big cafe in the Place du Theatre, just bored
to death. The tradespeople were coming by twos,
threes or fours, to take their absinthe or vermouth,
talking all the time of their own or other people’s
business, laughing loudly, or lowering their voices
in order to impart some important or delicate piece
of news.
“I was saying to myself: ‘What shall
I do after dinner?’ And I thought of the long
evening in this provincial town, of the slow, dreary
walk through unknown streets, of the impression of
deadly gloom which these provincial people produce
on the lonely traveller, and of the whole oppressive
atmosphere of the place.
“I was thinking of all these things as I watched
the little jets of gas flare up, feeling my loneliness
increase with the falling shadows.
“A big, fat man sat down at the next table and
called in a stentorian voice:
