FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   185   186   187   188   189   190   191   192   193   194   195   196   197   >>  
coming." "He is already come," said Froment. When they separated, with a deep mutual feeling, but in silence,--for they feared to break the religious charm which held them,--each found himself alone in the dark street, but in each was the memory of a vision which they could hardly understand. The curtain had fallen; but they could never forget that they had seen it rise. A few days after, Clerambault, who had been again summoned before the magistrate, came home splashed with mud from head to foot. His hat which he held in his hand, was a mere rag, and his hair was soaking. The woman, who opened the door, exclaimed at the sight of him, but he signed to her to keep still, and went into his room. Rosine was away, so the husband and wife were alone in the flat, where they only met at meals, saying as little to each other as possible. However, hearing the exclamation of the servant, Madame Clerambault feared some new misfortune and went to look for her husband. She too cried out when she saw him: "Good Lord! what have you been doing now?" "I slipped and fell," said he, trying to wipe off the traces of the accident. "You fell?--turn round. What a state you are in!... One can't have a moment's peace when you are around.... You never look where you are going. There is mud up to your eyelids ... all over your face!" "Yes, I must have struck myself there...." "What unlucky people we are!... you 'think' that you struck your cheek?... you tripped and fell?..." And looking him in the face, she cried: "It isn't true!... "I did fall, I assure you...." "No, I know it is not true ... tell me,... someone struck you ...?" He did not answer. "They struck you, the brutes. My poor husband, to think that anyone should strike you!... And you so good, who never did harm to anyone in your life! How can people be so wicked?" and she burst into tears as she threw her arms around him. "My dear girl," said he, much touched. "It is not worth all these tears. See, you are getting all muddy, you ought not to touch me." "That does not matter," said she. "I have more spots than that on my conscience. Forgive me!" "Forgive you for what? Why do you say such things?" "Because I have been wicked to you myself; I haven't understood you--(I don't think I ever shall)--but I do know that whatever you do, you only mean what is right. I ought to have stood up for you and I have not done it. I was angry with your foolishness
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   185   186   187   188   189   190   191   192   193   194   195   196   197   >>  



Top keywords:

struck

 

husband

 
Forgive
 

people

 
wicked
 

Clerambault

 
feared
 

answer

 

brutes

 
mutual

separated

 

strike

 
feeling
 

tripped

 

religious

 

silence

 

assure

 

unlucky

 

things

 
Because

coming

 
conscience
 

understood

 

foolishness

 

touched

 

matter

 

Froment

 

street

 

summoned

 

Rosine


However

 

hearing

 

exclamation

 
servant
 
magistrate
 

soaking

 

opened

 

signed

 

splashed

 

exclaimed


Madame
 

understand

 

accident

 

traces

 

vision

 
memory
 

moment

 

curtain

 

misfortune

 

fallen