Camille - Chapter 13

None

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Chapter thirteen of Camille. This isa librifoxy coording. All librifoxycordings are into
public domain. For more information orto volunteer, please visit librifox dot org.
Recording by Julivamlien Camille by Alexandre dumar Fice, translated by Edmund Goss.
Chapter thirteen. You have come almostas quickly as we said, Prudence,

(00:26):
Yes, I answered mechanically. Whereis Marguerite at home? Alone?
Is Monsieur de Gie? I walkedto and through in the room. Well,
what is the matter? Do youthink it is me? It is
me to wait here? Is so? Monsieur de ge lives. Marguerite's how
unreasonable you are? Don't you seethat Marguerite can't turn the count out of

(00:49):
doors. Monsieur de Gee has beenmesser for a long time. He has
always given her a lot of money. He still does. Marguerite spends more
than a hundred thousand franciear. Shehas heaps of debts. The Duke gives
her all that she asks for,but she does not always venture to ask
im for all that she is inwant of. It would never do for

(01:11):
her to quarrel with a count whois worse to her at least ten thousand
francs a year. Marguerite is veryfond of you, my dear fellow,
but you're liaison with her in herinterests ata in yours ought not to be
serious, you, with your sevenor eight thousand fans year, What could
you do towards supplying all the luxurieswhich a girl like that is in need

(01:34):
of. It would not be enoughto keep a carriage. Take Marguerite for
what she is, for a good, bright, pretty girl. Be her
lover for a month two months,give a flowers, sweets boxes at the
theater. But don't get any otherideas into your head, and don't make
absurd scenes of jealousy. You knowwhom you have to deal with. Margueritte

(01:57):
isn't a saint. She likes you. You are very fond of her.
Let the rest alone. You amazeme when I see you so touchy.
You have the most charming mistress inParis. She receives you in the greatest
style. She's covered with diamonds.She needn't cost your pennion unless you like.
And you are not satisfied, Mydear fellow, you ask too much.

(02:23):
You're right, but I can't helpit. The idea that that man
is a lover hurts me horribly inthe first place, replied Prudence. Is
he still her lover? He isa man who is useful to her,
nothing more. She has closed herdoors to him for two days. He

(02:44):
came this morning. She could notbut accept the box and let him accompany
her. He saw her home.He has gone in for a moment.
He is not staying because you arewaiting here. All that, it seems
to me, is quite natural.Beside, you don't mind the duke.
Yes, but he is an oldman, and I am sure that Marguerite

(03:06):
is not his mistress. Then itis all very well to accept one asian,
but not two. Such easiness inthe matter is very like calculation,
and puts a man who consents toit, even out of love, very
much in the category of those who, in a lower stage of society make
a trade of their connivans and aprofit of their trade. Ah, my

(03:30):
dear fellow, how odd fashioned youare. How many of the richest and
most fashionable men of the best familiesI have seen quite ready to do?
Would I advise you to do?And without an effort, without shame,
without remorse. Why one sees itevery day? How do you suppose he
kept women, and Barique could livein the style they do. They had

(03:52):
not three or four lovers at once. No single fortune, however large,
could suffice for the expenses of awoman like my with fortune of five hundred
thousand foyer is in France an enormousfortune. Well, my dear, five
hundred thousand Franzier would still be toolittle. And for this reason. A

(04:14):
man with such an income has alarge house, horses, servants, carriages,
he shoots, has friends often,he is married, he has children,
He erases, gambols, travels,and what not. All these habits
are so much a part of hisposition that he cannot forego them without appearing
to have lost all his money,and without causing scandal. Taking it all

(04:35):
round. With five hundred thousand francier, he cannot give a woman more than
forty or fifty thousand francient year,And that is already a good deal.
Well, other lovers make up forthe rest of her expenses. It's marguerite.
It is still more convenient. Shehas chanced by a miracle, and

(04:56):
an old man worth ten millions.His wife and daughter are dead, who
has only some nephews themselves rich,and who gives her all she wants without
asking anything in return. But shecannot ask him for more than seventy thousand
francieer. And I am sure thatif she did ask for more, despite
his health and the affection he hasfor her, he would not give it

(05:18):
to her. All. The youngmen of twenty or thirty thousand francieers at
Paris, that is to say,men who have only just enough to live
on in the society in which theymix, know perfectly well when they are
the lovers of a woman like Marguerite, that she could not so much as
pay for the room she lives in. And the servants who wait upon her

(05:41):
with what they give her, theydo not say to her that they know
it. They pretend not to seeanything. And when they have had enough
of it, they go their way. If they have the vanity to wish
to pay for everything, they getruined like the fools they are, and
go and get killed. In Africa, are leaving a hundred thousand francs of
dead Emparris. Do you think awoman is grateful to them for it?

(06:05):
Far from it. She declares thatshe has sacrificed a position for them,
and that while she was with themshe was losing money. These details seem
to you shocking, well they aretrue. You are a very nice fellow.
I like you very much. Ihave lived with these women for twenty

(06:26):
years. I know what they areworse, and I don't want to see
you take the caprice that a prettygirl has for you too. Seriously,
then, besides that, continued prudence, admit that Marguerite loves you enough to
give up the count of the Dukein case one of them was to discover
your Liasian and to tell her tochoose between him and you. The sacrifice

(06:49):
that she would make for you wouldbe enormous. You cannot deny it.
What equal sacrifice could you make forher on your part? And when you
had got time her, what couldyou do to make up for what you
had taken from her? Nothing.You would have cut her off from the
world in which her fortune and herfuture were to be found. She would

(07:11):
have given you her best years,and she would be forgotten. Issy.
You would be an ordinary man,and casting her past in her teeth.
You would leave her, telling herthat you were only doing like her other
lovers and you would abandon her tocertain misery, or you would be an
honest man, and, feeling boundto keep her by you, you would
bring inevitable trouble upon yourself. Fora liason which is excusable in a young

(07:36):
man is no longer excusable in aman of middle age. It becomes an
obstacle to everything. It allows,neither of family nor ambition. Man's second
and last loves. Believe me,send my friend, Take things for what
they are worth, and do notgive a kept woman the right to call

(07:57):
herself your creditor, no matter inwhat it was well argued with the logic
of which I should have thought prudenceincapable. I had nothing to reply except
that she was right. I tookher hand and thanked her for her counsel's
come. Come, said, sheput these foolish theories to fly, and

(08:18):
laugh over them. Life is pleasant, my dear fellow. It all depends
on the color of the glass throughwhich one sees it. Ask your friend
Gaston, there's a man who seemsto me to understand lovers. I understand
it all that you need think of, And as you are quite a fool.
Is at close by there is abeautiful girl who is waiting impatiently for

(08:39):
the man who is with her togo, thinking of you, keeping the
whole night for you and who lovesyou. I am certain. Now come
ti the window with me and letus watch for the Count to go.
You won't belong in leaving the coastclear. Prudence opened the window, and

(09:00):
side by side over the balcony,she watched the few passes. I reflected
all that she had said buzzed inmy head, and I could not help
feeling that she was right. Thatthe genuine love which I had for Margureede
had some difficulty in accommodating itself tosuch a belief. I sighed from time

(09:20):
to time, at which Prudence turnedand shrugged her shoulders, like a physician
who has given up his patient.How one realizes the shortness of life,
I said to myself by the rapidityof sensations. I have only known Marguerite

(09:41):
for two days. She has onlybeen my mistress since yesterday, and she
has already so completely absorbed my thoughts, my heart, and my life that
a visit of the Comte de gieis a misfortune for me. At last,
the Count came out, got intohis carriage, and disappeared. Prudence

(10:01):
closed the window. At the sameinstant, Marguerite called to us. Come
at once, She said, theyare laying the table and will have supper.
When I entered, Marguerite ran tome, threw her arms around my
neck, and kissed me with allher might. Oh, mister, your
soul, key, she said tome. No, it's all over,

(10:24):
replied Prudence. I have given hima talking to, and he has promised
to be reasonable, well and good. In spite of myself. I glanced
at the bed. It was notunmade. As for Marguerite, she was
already in a white dressing gown.We sat down to table charm sweetness spontaneously.

(10:48):
Marguerite hath themole, and I wasforced from time to time to admit
that I had no right to askof her anything else, that many people
would be very happy to be inmy place, And then, like Virgil's
shepherd, I had only to enjoythe pleasures that a god, or rather
a goddess set before me. Itried to put in practice the theories of

(11:11):
prudence, and to be as gayas my two companions. But what was
natural in them was on my partan effort, and the nervous laughter,
whose source they did not detect,was nearer to tears than to mirth.
At last, the supper was over, and I was alone with Marguerite.

(11:31):
She sat down as usual on thehearth ruk before the fire and gazed sadly
into the flames. What was shethinking of? I know not as for
me. I looked at her witha mingling of love and terror, as
I thought of all that I wasready to suffer for her sake. Do

(11:52):
you know what I am thinking of? No, of a plan that has
come into my head. And whatis this plan? I can't tell you
yet, but I can tell youwhat a result would be. The result
would be that in a month Ishould be free, I should have no
more debts, and we could goand spend the summer in the country.

(12:13):
And you can't tell me by whatmeans. No, Only love me as
I low of you, and allwill succeed. And have you made this
plan all by yourself? Yes?And you will carry it out all by
yourself. I alone shall have thetrouble of it, said Marguerite, with

(12:35):
a smile which I shall never forget. But we shall both partake its benefits.
I could not help flushing at theword benefits, I thought of man
or less gorse quandering with Deseuroux,the money of Monsieur de b I replied,
in a hard voice, rising frommy seat, You must permit me,
my dear marguerite, to share onlythe benefits of those enterprises which I

(12:58):
have conceived and carried out myself.What does that mean? It means that
I have a strong suspicion that Monsieurde g is to be your associate in
this pretty plan of which I canaccept, neither the cost nor the benefits.
What a child you are. Ithought you loved me. I was

(13:22):
mistaken, all right. She rose, opened the piano and began to play
the envitacion la valse as far asthe famous passage and the major which always
stopped her. Was it through forceof habit, or was it to remind
me of the day when we firstmet. All I know is that the
malady brought back that recollection, andcoming up to her, I took her

(13:46):
head between my hands and kissed her. You forgive me, I said,
you see I do, she answered, but observed that we are only at
our second day, and already Ihave had to forgive you something is it
how you keep your promise of blindobedience? What can I do, Marguerite?
I love you too much and Iam jealous of the least of your

(14:09):
swords. What you propose to mejust now made me frantic with delight,
but a mystery in its carrying itout I had to be dreadfully. Come,
let us reason it out, shesaid, taking both my hands and
looking at me with a charming smilewhich it was impossible to resist. You

(14:30):
love me, do you not?And you would gladly spend two or three
months alone with me in the country. I too should be glad of this
solitude. Adieu. I am notonly glad of it, but my health
requires it. I cannot leave Parisfor such a length of time without putting
my affairs in order, and theaffairs of a woman like me are always
in great confusion. Well, Ihave found a way to reconcile everything,

(14:56):
my money, affairs and my lovefor you. Yes, for you,
don't laugh. I am silly enoughto love you, and here you are
taking lordly airs and talking big words. Child, nice child, Only remember
that I love you and don't letanything disturb you. Now, Is it

(15:18):
agreed? I agree to all youwish, and you know then in less
than a month's time we shall bein some village, walking by its riverside
and drinking milk. Does it seemstrange that Marguerite Gurdieer should speak to you
like that? The fact is myfriend, than when this pari life,

(15:41):
which seems to make me so happydoesn't burn me, it varies me,
and that I have sudden aspirations towarda calmer existence, which might recall my
childhood. One has always had achildhood, whatever one becomes. Don't be
alarmed. I am not going totell you that I am the daughter of

(16:02):
a coloner on half pay, andthat I was brought up at Saint Denis.
I am a poor country girl,and six years ago I could not
write my own name. You arerelieved, aren't you? Why is it
you are the first who might Ihave ever asked to share the joy of
this desire of mine. I supposebecause I feel that you love me for

(16:25):
myself and not for yourself, whileall the others have only loved me for
themselves. I have often been inthe country, but never as I should
like to go there. I counton you for this easy happiness. Do
not be unkind. Let me haveit. Say this to yourself. She

(16:45):
will never live to be old,and I should some day be sorry for
not having done for her the firstthing she asked of me. Such an
easy thing to do. What couldI reply to such words, especially with
the memory of a first night oflove and in the expectation of a second.
An hour later, I held margueriteamy arms, and if she had

(17:08):
asked me to commit a crime,I would have obeyed her. At six
in the morning I left her,and before leaving her, I said till
to night. She kissed me morewarmly than ever, but said nothing.
During the day, I received anote containing these words, dear child,

(17:33):
I am not very well and thedoctor has ordered quiet. I shall go
to bed early to night and shallnot see you, but to make up.
I shall expect you to morrow attwelve. I love you. My
first thought was, she is deceivingme. A cold sweat broke out on
my forehead, for I already lovedthis woman too much not to be overwhelmed

(17:59):
by the suspicion. And yet Iwas bound to expect such a thing almost
any day with Marguerite. And ithad happened to me often enough with my
other mistresses without my taking much noticeof it. What was the meaning of
the halt which this woman had takenupon my life? Then it occurred to

(18:19):
me, since I had the keyto go and see her as usual in
this way, I should soon knowthe truth, and if I found a
man there, I would strike himin the face. Meanwhile, I went
to de Champces Lizzie. I waitedthere four hours. She did not appear.
At night, I went into allthe theaters where she was accustomed to

(18:41):
go. She wasn't none of them. At eleven o'clock I went to the
Rue d'Antin. There was no lightin Marguerite's windows. All the same I
rang The porter asked me where Iwas going to Mademoiselle Goudier's. I said,
she has not come in. Iwill go up and wait for her.

(19:04):
There is no arm there. EvidentlyI could get in since I had
the key, But fearing foolish scandal, I went away. Only I did
not return home. I could notleave the street, and I never took
my eyes of Marguerte's house. Itseemed to me that there was still something

(19:25):
to be found out, or atleast that my suspicions were about to be
confirmed. About midnight, a carriagethat I knew well stopped before No.
Nine. The Comte du Gei gotdown and entered the house after sending away
the carriage. For a moment,I hoped that the same answer would be

(19:45):
giving to him as to me,that I should see him come out.
But at four o'clock in the morningI was still awaiting him. I have
suffered deeply during these last three weeks, but that is nothing, I think,
in comparison with what I suffered asat night. End of Chapter thirteen.