Chapter 11 Chapter Eleven

At this point in the story, Armand stopped. "Would you please close the window?" he said to me. "I'm a little cold. It's time for me to go to bed." I close the window.Armand, still very weak, took off his dressing-gown, lay down on the bed, rested his head on the pillow for a while, with the air of a traveler exhausted from a long journey, or one disturbed by a painful past. people. "You've probably talked too much," I said to him. "I'd better take my leave and let you go to bed, okay? You can finish telling me the story some other day."

"Did you find this story boring?" "exactly the opposite." "Then I'll go on. If you leave me alone, I won't be able to sleep." When I got home--he went on, without much thought, for all the particulars were etched into his mind--I did not sleep, and began to recall the events of the day: and Marguerite's meeting, her introduction, her private promises to me.It all happened so quickly and so unexpectedly that I sometimes thought it was a dream.However, it wasn't the first time a man made a request of a girl like Marguerite and she promised to satisfy him the next day.

In spite of my thoughts, the first impression of my future mistress was so deep that I never forget it.I still wholeheartedly thought she was different from other girls.I have my vanity like an ordinary man, and I firmly believe that she is as much in love with me as I am with her. Yet again I saw some contradictory phenomena, and I often heard that Marguerite's love was like a commodity whose price rose and fell with the seasons. But on the other hand, how is it connected with her reputation that we see her resolutely rejecting the demands of the young earl we met in her house?Maybe you'll tell me that because she doesn't like him, and besides, she's living so well with the duke, and if she's going to find another lover, it's of course to find a man who pleases her.So why didn't she want Gaston, who was beautiful, smart, and rich, but she seemed to have taken a fancy to me, who made her feel ridiculous when she first met her?

Indeed, sometimes a one-minute coincidence is more useful than a whole year's hard work. Among those at supper, I was the only one disturbed to see her leave.I was too excited to follow her.I tearfully kissed her hand.All this, together with the fact that I went to check on her every day during her two months of illness, made her feel that I was really different. Man, she can do business as usual, she has done so many times in the past, this kind of thing is too indifferent to her. All these suppositions, you can see, are quite possible, but whatever the reason for her assent, one thing is certain, that she has.

I have always loved Marguerite, and now that I am about to have her, I cannot demand anything more from her.But I repeat to you, although she is a whore, I always thought—perhaps I poetized her—that this love was a hopeless love, so that the more this hope seemed about to be fulfilled. As the hour approached, I became more and more suspicious. I didn't sleep a wink all night. I lost my mind and was intoxicated.For a moment I felt that I was not beautiful enough, rich enough, or smart enough to possess such a woman;Then I was worried that Marguerite was playing the game, that she had only been in love with me for a few days, and I had a premonition that this relationship would end soon, and it would not end well.I thought to myself that it would be better not to go to her house at night, and to write to her about my doubts, and then leave her.Then came my boundless hope and boundless confidence.I had some unbelievably sweet dreams about the future.I wanted to heal this girl physically and mentally, to grow old with her, and her love would make me happier than the purest love.

In short, my thoughts and mind were too much for me to describe to you all that was going on in my mind at the time.At dawn, I fell asleep in a daze, and these thoughts disappeared in a daze. It was two o'clock in the afternoon when I woke up.The weather is very good, I feel that life has never been so beautiful, so happy.The scene of last night clearly appeared in my mind, and then I had a sweet dream tonight.I hurriedly dressed, I was content, and I could do any good thing.My heart beat now and then with joy and love, and a sweet passion disturbed me, and the thoughts that had tossed me last night vanished.All I saw was my success, and all I thought about was the moment I met Marguerite.

I can't stay at home any longer, I feel that my room seems too small for my happiness, and I need to confide my heart to all nature. I went outside. I walked the rue d'Antin.Marguerite's carriage was waiting for her at the door; I walked towards the Champs-Elysées.All pedestrians I meet, even those I don't know, I feel kind! How beautiful love makes everything! I walked back and forth between the Marly Stone Horse ① and the Circus for an hour, and I saw Marguerite's car in the distance, and I didn't recognize it, but guessed it. ①The stone horse statue was originally in Marly near Paris. It was a masterpiece of the famous sculptor Gusto. It was later moved to the Place de la Concorde at the entrance of the Champs Elysees.

At the corner of the Champs-Elysées, she stopped the car, and a tall young man left the group with whom he was talking and came forward to talk to her. They talked for a while; the young man returned to his friends.The carriage continued on, and I approached the group, and recognized the man who was speaking to Marguerite as Count G. I had seen his portrait, and Prudence told me that Marguerite today His position is his making. He's the one Margaret asked to get in the way the night before, I guess she pulled over to explain why he wasn't allowed in last night, I hope she finds another excuse to ask him tonight Don't come either.

I have no recollection of how the rest of the day was spent; I walked, smoked, talked to people, but, at ten o'clock in the evening, I had no recollection of meeting anyone that night, speaking of some words. All I can remember is this: I came home, dressed for three hours, and I looked at my clock and watch a hundred times, unfortunately they all went the same slow. At half past ten, I think it's time to go on a date! I lived in the Rue de Provence at that time, I went along the Rue Mont Blanc, crossed the boulevard, passed the Rue Louis-Great and the Rue Mahon, and finally came to the Rue d'Antin, and I looked at Marguerite's house. window.

① Provence Street: This street was in a high-end residential area at that time; famous people such as Rossini, Chopin, George Sand, Tarma, Bizet, Dumas, etc. all lived on this street. There are lights inside. I rang the bell. I asked the porter if Mademoiselle Gautier was at home. He answered me that Mademoiselle Gautier never came back before eleven o'clock or a quarter past eleven. I looked at my watch. I thought I was walking very slowly, but it took me only five minutes to walk from the Rue de Provence to Marguerite's! So, I wandered back and forth on this now deserted street with no shops.

Margaret arrived half an hour later.She got out of the carriage and looked about her as if looking for someone. The carriage drove away slowly, for the stable and the carport were not in the house, and just as Marguerite was about to ring the bell, I went up to her and said: "Good night!" "Oh! It's you?" she said to me, as if she wasn't very happy to see me here. "Didn't you promise me to come and see you today?" "Oh, yes, I forgot." That sentence wiped out my morning fantasies and daytime hopes.However, I've gotten used to her attitude, so I didn't turn around and leave. If it was in the past, I would definitely walk away. We entered the house. Nanine had opened the door beforehand. "Has Prudence returned?" asked Marguerite. "Not yet, ma'am." "Go and tell her to come here as soon as she comes back. First turn off the lights in the living room. If anyone comes, tell me that I haven't come back, and I won't be back today." Obviously this woman has something on her mind, or she may hate someone who doesn't know what to do.I was completely at a loss and didn't know what to say. Marguerite walked to her bedroom, and I stayed where I was. "Come on," she said to me. She took off her hat and velvet coat, threw them all on the bed, and sank down in a large arm-chair by the fire, which she ordered was kept burning till late spring and early summer.She said to me as she played with her watch chain: "Hey, what's the news for me?" "Nothing, but I shouldn't be here tonight." "why?" "Because you seem to be in a bad mood, you probably hate me." "I don't hate you, it's just that I'm not feeling well. I've had a bad day all day. I didn't sleep well last night. I had a terrible headache today." "Then I'll take my leave and let you sleep, okay?" "Oh! You can stay here, and I can sleep if I want to." Then someone rang the bell. "Who else will come?" she said with an impatient gesture. After a while, the bell rang again. "It seems that no one is going to open the door. I have to open it myself." Sure enough, she stood up and said to me: "You stay here." She walked across the room to the outside and I heard the door open and I listened quietly. The person whom Marguerite had let in entered the dining room and stood still, and as soon as he spoke, I recognized the voice of the young Comte de N. "How are you tonight?" he asked. "No," replied Marguerite curtly. "Am I disturbing you?" "may be." "How did you receive me like this! How have I offended you? My dear Marguerite." "My dear friend, you have not offended me at all. I am ill and I need sleep, so I shall be glad if you leave here. It is a pleasure to see your presence every five minutes when I come back every night. What the hell do you want? Do you want me to be your mistress? Well, I’ve said it a hundred times, no! I hate you so much, think otherwise. Today I’ll tell you again, and for the last time: I don't want you! That's all, good-bye. Well, Nanine is back, and she'll light you up, good night." So Marguerite, without saying another word, or listening to the young man's inarticulate chatter, went back to the bedroom and slammed the door hard.Almost at once Nanine entered through the same door. "Listen," said Marguerite to her, "if this fool comes again, tell him I'm not at home, or that I don't want to receive him. Seeing these people come to me all the time Demands, I can't bear it, they pay me and think it's over with me. If the women who are going to do my dirty business know what it's like, they'd rather be mothers. But No, we are vain, and cannot resist the temptation of dresses, carriages, and diamonds. We listen to others, because prostitution has its beliefs, and we sell our hearts, bodies, and beauty bit by bit; We are guarded like beasts, despised like pariahs. We are surrounded by greedy people who want to take advantage. One day we will destroy others and ourselves, like a dog. die." "Well, ma'am, calm down," said Nanine, "you are very nervous tonight." "I don't feel comfortable in this dress," said Marguerite, unbuttoning her bodice. "Give me a bathrobe, eh, where is Prudence?" "She hasn't come back yet, but when she comes she'll be called to the madam." "Look, here's another one," continued Marguerite, taking off her long skirt and putting on a white bathrobe, "here, here's another one, who comes to me when she needs me." Come to me, but won't do me a favor in good faith. She knows I'm waiting to hear from her tonight. Leave things behind and play on your own.” "Maybe she was kept by someone." "Bring us some punch." "You're torturing yourself again," said Nanine. "It's better this way. Bring me some more fruit, some pie, or a chicken wing, whatever. Bring me, I'm hungry." It is needless to say what impression this scene made on me, you can guess it, don't you? "You can have supper with me later," she said to me. "Before you eat supper, you can read a book. I'm going to the dressing room for a while." She lit a few candles in a chandelier, opened a door at the foot of the bed, and went in. As for me, I began to think about the girl's life, and I loved her all the more out of pity for her. As I was thinking, I was striding up and down the room, when suddenly Prudence entered. "Oh, are you here?" she said to me. "Where is Marguerite?" "In the dressing room." "I'll wait for her. Hey, you're very fond of her, you know that?" "have no idea." "Has she never told you at all?" "Not at all." "How are you here?" "I'll come and see her." "To see her in the middle of the night?" "why not?" "joke!" "She was rude when she received me." "She will receive you with civility." "Really?" "I have good news for her." "That's not bad, and has she really told you about me?" "Last night, or rather this morning, after you and your friend left... Well, how is your friend? His name is R. Gaston?" "Yes," I said, and I couldn't help laughing at the thought of Gaston's kind words to me, and seeing that Prudence hardly knew his name. "This young man is very cute, what does he do?" "He has a pension of twenty-five thousand francs." "Ah! Really! Well, let's talk about you now. Marguerite asked me about you. She asked me who you were, what you did, and who were your former mistresses; anyway. , she found out all that a man of your age ought to know. And we told her all we knew, and added that you were a sweet fellow, and that was all." "Thank you, now please tell me what she asked you to do yesterday." "Yesterday she didn't ask me to do anything. She just said that she would drive the count away, but today she asked me to do something. I came to tell her the reply tonight." At this point, Marguerite came out of the dressing room, wearing a nightcap coquettishly, adorned with a bunch of yellow ribbons, which people in the know call a Kalanchoe knot. She looked very touching. She wore satin slippers on her bare feet and was still polishing her nails. "Well," said she, seeing Prudence, "have you seen the Duke?" "Of course I saw you!" "What did he say to you?" "He gave it to me." "How many?" "Six thousand." "Did you bring it?" "Brought it." "Is he a little unhappy?" "No." "Poor man!" It is indescribable to say this "poor man!"Marguerite took six thousand-franc notes. "It's just in time," she said. "My dear Prudence, do you want money?" "You know, my boy, that the fifteenth is two days away, and you would be doing me a great favor if you could lend me three or four hundred francs." "Call someone to pick it up tomorrow morning, it's too late to exchange money now." "Don't forget." "Don't worry, will you have supper with us?" "No, Charles is waiting for me at home." "Did he charm you?" "What madness, dear! See you tomorrow. Good-bye, Armand." Madame Duvernoy was gone. Margaret opened her multi-tiered shelf and dropped the bills in. "Will you allow me to lie down?" she smiled, walking towards the bed. "I not only allow it, but I beg you to do so." She pulled the openwork lace coverlet that covered the bed towards the foot of the bed and lay down. "Now," she said, "come and sit with me, and let's talk." Prudence was right, and the echo she brought cheered Marguerite. "I have a bad temper tonight, can you forgive me?" she said, taking my hand. "I can forgive you anything." "Do you love me?" "Crazy in love." "I have a bad temper, do you love me too?" "I love it anyway." "You swear to me!" "I swear," I said softly to her. At this moment Nanine came in with some plates, a cooked chicken, a bottle of Bordeaux, some strawberries, and two forks and knives. "I didn't take care of mixing punch for you," said Nanine. "You'd better have wine. Isn't it, sir?" "Certainly," I replied, I had not yet calmed down after listening to Marguerite's words, and fixed my fiery eyes on her. "Well," she said, "put these things on the little table, and bring the little table near the bed, and we'll eat without you. You haven't slept well for three nights, you must Very sleepy, go to sleep, I don't need anything more." "Do you want to lock the door?" "Of course it must be locked! Special attention must be paid, and no one will be allowed in before noon tomorrow."