Volume VI Part 20 (1/2)
But having paused to allow a perfu her house, to pass before hier breath the scent of vervain and orris root floating in the air His lungs and heart throbbed suddenly with hope and joy, and the recollection of Madame de Marelle, whom he was to see the next day, assailed him from head to foot All smiled on him, life welcomed him with kindness Hoas the realization of hopes!
He fell asleep, intoxicated with this idea, and rose early to take a stroll down the Avenue du Bois de Boulogne before keeping his appointrown ht, and it was as warm and as sunny as in April All the frequenters of the Bois had sallied out that ht, clear day Duroy walked along slowly He passed the Arc de Trio the entle, the rich folk of the world, and scarcely envied them now He knew them almost all by name--knew the amount of their fortune, and the secret history of their life, his duties having made him a kind of directory of the celebrities and the scandals of Paris
Ladies rode past, slender, and sharply outlined in the dark cloth of their habits, with that proud and unassailable air many wo the names, titles, and qualities of the lovers whom they had had, or ere attributed to the ”Baron de Tanquelot,” ”Prince de la Tour-Enguerrand,” he murmured ”Lesbian fashi+on, Louise Michot of the Vaudeville, Rose Marquetin of the Opera”
The garave outward appearances, the deep, eternal infamy of mankind, and as if this had excited, rejoiced, and consoled hiht out with his eye the horse whom the worst tales were current He sawat play, for whom their clubs were, at all events, their chief, their sole source of livelihood, a suspicious one, at any rate Others, very celebrated, lived only, it ell known, on the incoain, it was affirmed, on that of their mistresses Many had paid their debts, an honorable action, without it ever being guessed whence the money had come--a very equivocal mystery He saw financiers whose iin in a theft, and ere received everywhere, even in the most noble houses; then men so respected that the lower e, but whose shareat national enterprises were a mystery for none of those really acquainted with the inner side of things All had a haughty look, a proud lip, an insolent eye Duroy still laughed, repeating: ”A fine lot; a lot of blackguards, of sharpers”
But a pretty little open carriage passed, drawn by thite ponies with flowing irl, a well-known courtesan, who had two grooms seated behind her Duroy halted with a desire to applaud this mushroom of love, who displayed so boldly at this place and ti luxury earned between her sheets He felt, perhaps vaguely, that there was so in common between them--a tie of nature, that they were of the same race, the sa steps of the saloith satisfaction, and arrived a little in advance of the time at the door of his former h no rupture had taken place, and she even forgot for a few moments the prudence that made her opposed to all caresses at her home Then she said, as she kissed the ends of his moustache: ”You don't knohat a vexation has happened tofor a nice honeymoon, and here is my husband home for six weeks He has obtained leave But I won't re you, especially after our little tiff, and this is how I have arranged matters You are to come and dine with us on Monday I have already spoken to him about you, and I will introduce you”
Duroy hesitated, so found himself face to face with aht embarrassment, a look, no matter what He stammered out: ”No, I would rather not make your husband's acquaintance”
She insisted, veryeyes ”But why? What a funny thing It happens every day I should not have thought you such a goose”
He was hurt, and said: ”Very well, I will come to dinner on Monday”
She went on: ”In order that it h I really do not like entertaining people at hoht anythe stairs at Madaely uneasy, not that it was so repugnant to him to take her husband's hand, to drink his wine, and eat his bread, but because he felt afraid of so-room and waited as usual
Soon the door of the inner roo the ribbon of the Legion of Honor, grave and correct, who advanced towards hi: ”My wife has often spoken to hted toto irasped his host's hand with exaggerated energy Then, having sat down, he could find nothing to say
Monsieur de Marelle placed a log upon the fire, and inquired: ”Have you been long engaged in journalisot on quickly?”
”Yes, fairly so,” and he began to chat at rando, talking of all the trifles custo seasoned now, and thought the situation a very a one He looked at Monsieur de Marelle's serious and respectable face, with a teht: ”I have cuckolded you, old fellow, I have cuckolded you” A vicious, inward satisfaction stole over him--the satisfaction of a thief who has been successful, and is not even suspected--a delicious, roguish joy He suddenly longed to be the friend of this et him to relate the secrets of his life
Mada taken thelance, went toward Duroy, who dared not, in the presence of her husband, kiss her hand as he always did She was cal, finding thissimple and natural in her frank and native trickery
Laurine appeared, and went and held up her forehead to Georgeher Her mother said to her: ”Well, you don't call him Pretty-boy to-day” And the child blushed as if a serious indiscretion had been coht not to have been uilty secret of her heart laid bare
When the Forestiers arrived, all were alarhtfully thin and pale within a week, and coughed incessantly He stated, besides, that he was leaving for Cannes on the following Thursday, by the doctor's i his head: ”I think he is very bad He will never make old bones”
Madame de Marelle said, calmly: ”Oh! he is done for There is athe wife he did”
Duroy asked: ”Does she help hi She is acquainted with everything that is going on; she knows everyone without seeo and see anybody; she obtains what she wants as she likes Oh! she is keen, clever, and intriguing as no one else is She is a treasure for anyone wanting to get on”
George said: ”She will ain very quickly, no doubt?”