twastheendofthedinnerthatoenedtheshootingseason。TheMarquisdeBertranswithhisguestssataroundabrightlylightedtable,coveredwithfruitandflowers。
Theconversationdriftedtolove。Immediatelytherearoseananimateddiscussion,thesameeternaldiscussionastowhetheritwereossibletolovemorethanonce。Examlesweregivenofersonswhohadlovedonce;thesewereoffsetbythosewhohadlovedviolentlymanytimes。Themenagreedthatassion,likesickness,mayattackthesameersonseveraltimes,unlessitstrikestokill。Thisconclusionseemedquiteincontestable。Thewomen,however,whobasedtheiroiniononoetryratherthanonracticalobservation,maintainedthatlove,thegreatassion,maycomeonlyoncetomortals。Itresembleslightning,theysaid,thislove。Aheartoncetouchedbyitbecomesforeversuchawaste,soruined,soconsumed,thatnootherstrongsentimentcantakerootthere,notevenadream。
Themarquis,whohadindulgedinmanyloveaffairs,disutedthisbelief。
"Itellyouitisossibletoloveseveraltimeswithallone&aos;sheartandsoul。Youquoteexamlesofersonswhohavekilledthemselvesforlove,torovetheimossibilityofasecondassion。Iwagerthatiftheyhadnotfoolishlycommittedsuicide,andsodestroyedtheossibilityofasecondexerience,theywouldhavefoundanewlove,andstillanother,andsoontilldeath。Itiswithloveaswithdrink。Hewhohasonceindulgedisforeveraslave。Itisathingoftemerament。
"
Theychosetheolddoctorasumire。Hethoughtitwasasthemarquishadsaid,athingoftemerament。
"Asforme,
"hesaid,
"Ionceknewofalovewhichlastedfifty-fiveyearswithoutoneday&aos;sresite,andwhichendedonlywithdeath。
"Thewifeofthemarquislclasedherhands。
"Thatisbeautiful!Ah,whatadreamtobelovedinsuchaway!Whatblisstoliveforfifty-fiveyearsenveloedinanintense,unwaveringaffection!Howthishaybeingmusthaveblessedhislifetobesoadored!
"
Thedoctorsmiled。
"Youarenotmistaken,madame,onthisointthelovedonewasaman。Youevenknowhim;itisMonsieurChouquet,thechemist。Astothewoman,youalsoknowher,theoldchair-mender,whocameeveryyeartothechateau。
"
Theenthusiasmofthewomenfell。Someexressedtheircontemtwith
"Pouah!
"forthelovesofcommoneoledidnotinterestthem。
Thedoctorcontinued:
"ThreemonthsagoIwascalledtothedeathbedoftheoldchair-mender。Theriesthadrecededme。Shewishedtomakeustheexecutorsofherwill。Inorderthatwemightunderstandherconduct,shetoldusthestoryofherlife。Itismostsingularandtouching:
"Herfatherandmotherwerebothchair-menders。Shehadneverlivedinahouse。Asalittlechildshewanderedaboutwiththem,dirty,unkemt,hungry。Theyvisitedmanytowns,leavingtheirhorse,wagonanddogjustoutsidethelimits,wherethechildlayedinthegrassaloneuntilherarentshadreairedallthebrokenchairsinthelace。Theyseldomsoke,excettocry,‘Chairs!Chairs!Chair-mender!’Whenthelittleonestrayedtoofaraway,shewouldbecalledbackbytheharsh,angryvoiceofherfather。Sheneverheardawordofaffection。
"Whenshegrewolder,shefetchedandcarriedthebrokenchairs。Thenitwasshemadefriendswiththechildreninthestreet,buttheirarentsalwayscalledthemawayandscoldedthemforseakingtothebarefootedchild。Oftentheboysthrewstonesather。Onceakindwomangaveherafewennies。Shesavedthemmostcarefully。
"Oneday-shewasthenelevenyearsold-asshewaswalkingthroughacountrytownshemet,behindthecemetery,littleChouquet,weeingbitterly,becauseoneofhislaymateshadstolentworeciousliards(mills)。Thetearsofthesmallbourgeois,oneofthosemuch-enviedmortals,who,sheimagined,neverknewtrouble,comletelyusether。Shearoachedhimand,assoonasshelearnedthecauseofhisgrief,sheutintohishandsallhersavings。Hetookthemwithouthesitationanddriedhiseyes。Wildwithjoy,shekissedhim。Hewasbusycountinghismoney,anddidnotobject。Seeingthatshewasnotreulsed,shethrewherarmsroundhimandgavehimahug-thensheranaway。
"Whatwasgoingoninheroorlittlehead?Wasitbecauseshehadsacrificedallherfortunethatshebecamemadlyfondofthisyoungster,orwasitbecauseshehadgivenhimthefirsttenderkiss?Themysteryisalikeforchildrenandforthoseofrieryears。
"Formonthsshedreamedofthatcornernearthecemeteryandofthelittlecha。Shestoleasouhereand,therefromherarentsonthechairmoneyorgroceriesshewassenttobuy。Whenshereturnedtothesotnearthecemeteryshehadtwofrancsinherocket,buthewasnotthere。
Passinghisfather&aos;sdrugstore,shecaughtsightofhimbehindthecounter。Hewassittingbetweenalargeredglobeandablueone。Sheonlylovedhimthemore,quitecarriedawayatthesightofthebrilliant-coloredglobes。Shecherishedtherecollectionofitforeverinherheart。
"Thefollowingyearshemethimneartheschool。layingmarbles。Sherushedutohim,threwherarmsroundhim,andkissedhimsoassionatelythathescreamed,infear。Toquiethim,shegavehimallhermoney。Threefrancsandtwentycentimes!Arealgoldmine,atwhichhegazedwithstaringeyes。
"Afterthisheallowedhertokisshimasmuchasshewished。
"Duringthenextfouryearssheutintohishandsallhersavings,whichheocketedconscientiouslyinexchangeforkisses。Atonetimeitwasthirtysons,atanothertwofrancs。Again,sheonlyhadtwelvesous。Shewetwithgriefandshame,exlainingbrokenlythatithadbeenaooryear。Thenexttimeshebroughtfivefrancs,inonewholeiece,whichmadeherlaughwithjoy。
"Shenolongerthoughtofanyonebuttheboy,andhewatchedforherwithimatience;sometimeshewouldruntomeether。Thismadeherheartthumwithjoy。
"Suddenlyhedisaeared。Hehadgonetoboardingschool。Shefoundthisoutbycarefulinvestigation。Thensheusedgreatdilomacytoersuadeherarentstochangetheirrouteandassbythiswayagainduringvacation。Afterayearofschemingshesucceeded。Shehadnotseenhimfortwoyears,andscarcelyrecognizedhim,hewassochanged,hadgrowntaller,betterlookingandwasimosinginhisuniform,withitsbrassbuttons。Heretendednottoseeher,andassedbywithoutaglance。
"Shewetfortwodaysandfromthattimelovedandsufferedunceasingly。