The morning call., 1892-02-21

name arose to nv lips little while ago
which | was afraid 10 pronounce, Tor, IL you
had an VPred me Dead a you dlt IN the
| case OF Sophie Astierr | should nave blown
| out my brains thiS very day.
We had gone out upon the balcony, from
! which could be seen two gultS, one 10 the
right and the other 10 the left. Enclosed by
| high gray mountains.
Il was The hour of twilight, when the van
ished sun no longer Eliminates the earth
| save with reflections from the sky.
Ny host continued:
4" is Jeanne de Limours still Iiviug?"
His eyes were fastened on mine, fulI Oh
| quYering anguish. | smiled.
"Parbleu yes. and prettier than ever J!
You are acquainted with herr"
Yes"
He heSitated.
Intimately acquainted"
mo"
He took my hand.
Tel me about her.
"But | have absolutely nothing to tell
She is one of the most charming and uni
versally beloved women in Paris; she leads
a delicious and prncey existence-thats
the extent Of my knowledge"
TRIED TO PUT HIS EYES OUT.
He murmured, Il love herr as II be
were saving. II am about to die" Then,
suddenly, he burst forth:
"A for three years how terrible and de-
lightful was our existence. L was on the
point of killing her five or six times; she
tried to put out my eyes with that hair-pin
which you have Just seen. Stay DO you
see that little white point under my left
eye-that's the mark! How we loved each
otherw
l stared at Him in amazement
How can | explain that passion ?" he
went on. There must exist simple love,
made of the spontaneous outburst of two
hearts and two souls; but there also exists
aSsuredly an atrOciOus, cruelty tOrturing
love, made Of the inevitable INTERVIEWING Of
two extrayagant beings, who detest while
they adore each other.
That woman ruined me in three years; l
possessed four million francs which she
TRANQUILITY deVOuTed with her calm air, which
she consumed with smile, a smile appear
ing to fall from her eyes upon her lips.
so YOU know her? There is something
irresistible about her! What is it? | can
not say! Does it come from her gray eyes,
the glance Of which worms Its way like
gimlet and remains in you as the barbed
head of an arrow remains in the wound 1t
makes? No, il is rather that soft smile, IN
different and seductive, which rests upon
her face after the fashion OF mask. Her
easy grace penetrateS little by little, floats
from her like perfume from her tall form,
which scarcely sWayS as she passes. for she
seems to glide rather than walk; flom her
pretty, somewhat drawing voice. which
appears 10 Ut LAt llIuSlC VI ilCl oLlllbf HUN
her gestures also, her gestures always mod
ulated, always correct, which intoxcate the
eyes, so harmonious are they!
A TRANQUIL ADMISSION.
For three years l saw only her upon this
earth. How | sutfered-fOr she was false
to me! Why? For nothing-fOr the sake
Of being false. And when / had learned
all, when l reproached her with what she
had done, she TRANQUILITY admitted every
thing. What right have you TO control meY
she asked.
Since l have been here l have thought
so much about her that | have finished by
understanding her. The woman Is ManOn
LeScaut come back; she is Manon who
could not love without proving false :
Man0n for whom love, pleasure and money
made but one aggregate!'
He paused; then. after few minutes, he
said;
when l had spent my last sou for her,
she calmly told me: You understand. dear,
cannot live on air and time. love you
great deal; l love you more than any one
else; but 1 must live Poverty and l can
never keep house together!
ana if only told you, besides, what an
atrocous life | led beside her! When
looked at her | had as strong a desire to kill
her as to kiss heT-when | looked at her |
felt furious impulse TO open my arms. en-
brace and Stitle her!
There was within her, back Of her eyes,
something perfidiOuS and elusive which
made me eXecrate her; and it was perhaps,
because OF that that | loved her SO much.
In her the feminine element was more pow
erful than In any other woman l ever met.
She was charged, suycharged with it as
with an intoxicating and venOmOus fluid.
81 LOVE HER MORE THAN EYERw
For ten years now | have not seen her
ana love her more than eyer!"
Night had spread itself over the land: a
strong perfume Of orange blossom was
floating in the air.
/ said 10 him:
viii You see her again %
lie responded
''Parbeu-yesl have now here in prop
erty and in money seven to eight hundred
thousand francs. When the million is
complete | shall sell everything and depart
| shall then have enough for year with
heT-a good whole year. And then, adieu.
my life will be finished"
] demanded:
but afterward ."
"Afterward? Oil l don't know and l
don't care. All will be Over | shall, per-
haps, ask her to take me as her valet de
chambreH GUY DE MAUPAssANT.
----------