Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-09-10
knowledged his weakness is strong in.

The countess III ner blue cashmere
gown was reclining on a sofa with
her feet on a cushion.
cat last l spoke, feeling that the
last hours of my frenzy were at hand.
Hear me, madame. l love you, and
you know it; have said so a hundred
times; you must have understood me.
Dc you remember the day when you
wished to go to the Gymnase without
me, never believing that I should be
there?" l went on.
''She nodded.
81 laid out my last fve-franc piece
that l might see you there. Do you
recollect our walk in the Jardin des
Plantes? The hire of your cab took
everything I had
Il told her about my sacrifices and
described the life I led; heated not
with wine, as | am today, but by the
generous enthusiasm Of my heart, my
passion overlooked in burning words ;
have forgotten how the feelings
within me blazed forth; neither mem
DRY nor skill of mine sould possibly
chronicle of blighted affections; my
love was strengthened by fair hopes;
and such words came to me, by loves
inspiration, that each had power to
set forth a whole life-like echoes of
the cries of a soul in torment. In such
tones the last prayers ascend from dy-
ing men on the battle field. I stopped,
for she was weeping. Grand Dieu! l
had reaped an actors reward, the sue
cess of a counterfeit passion displayed
at the cost of five francs paid at the
theater door I had drawn tears from
her
If it is any comfort to you,' she
retCrted, cheerfully, I can assure you
that l shall never belong to any one
" Pardon me [ went on, it was a
delight to hear those cruel words you
have just uttered, so we'll / love you
Oh, if I could testify my love with
every drop of blood in mer
Men always repeat these classic
formulas to us, more or less effective
ly,' she answered, still smiling But
it appears very difficult to die at our
feet, for I see corpses of that kind
about everywhere. 1t is u o'clock.
Allow me to go to bed
" Madame
" Monsieur
" 1 shall never see you again
I hope not and she insolently in
clined her head.
tfENnYp fiftanr r 1oF
garnet, spending whole nights in pallid
thought. / worked with difficulty and
by fits and starts, despite my courage
and the stimulation of despair. The
muse had fed. l could not exercise
the brilliant, hooking image of Fedora.
Something morbid brooded over every
thought, a vague longing as dreadful
as remOrse. I initiated the anchorites
of the Thebaid. If I did not pray as
they did lived a life in the desert
like theirs, hewing out my ideas as
they were wont to hew their rocks.
could at need have girdIed my waist
with spikes, that physical suffering
might quell mental anguish
"One evening Pauline found her way
into my room.
You are killing YOURSELF she said
imploringly; you should go out and
see your friends
" I am going to leave you, dear
Pauline
g." I knew it, she exclaimed.
'Good-by, Pauline.
Il gently drew her towards me and
set a kiss on that innocent, fair brow
of hers, like snow that has not vet
touched the earth-a fathers or a
brothers kiss. She fed. I would not
see Nine. Gaudin, hung my key in it's
Wonted place and departed.
Il was growing drowsy when Rastig-
nae kicked the door open and shouted:
Victory! Now we can take our
time about dying.
He held out his hat filled with gold
to me and put it down on the table:
then we pranced round it like a pair
of cannibals about to eat a victim; we
stamped and danced and yelled and
sang: we gave each other blows fit to
kill an elephant at sight of all the
pleasures of the world contained in
that hat
Next day I went to Lesage and
chose my furniture, took the rooms
that you know in the Rue Taitbout
and left the decoration to one of the
best upholsterers. I bought a horse. T
plunged into vortex of pleasures, at
once hollow and real
AT my first debt all my virtues
came to life; slowly and despairingly
they seemed to pace towards me; but
l could compound with them-they
were like aged aunts that begin with
scolding and end by bestowing tears
and money upon you.
I used to see with Indifference
bankers messenger going on his err
rands through the streets of Paris.
like commercial Nemesis. wearing
his masters Hvery-a gray coat and
silver badge, but now I hated the
species in advance.
During the last days of my pros
perity spent every night in the most
Incredible excuses, but every morning
death cast me back upon life again. T
would have taken a confagration with
as little concern IS any man with
lif annuity. However, at last found
myself alone with a twenty franc
pace; I bethought me then of Rastig-
macs luck
Eth, eh?' Raphael exclaimed, inter
runting himself as he remem hprpd he