Two banks of the Seine

ble with Mlle. Raindal for a whole week, as the

h of advancing spring, her customary seriousness turned to melancholy; and sh

of this very confusion, allowed full play to the dreams of a chastity suddenly in revolt. She passed from the most childish transports of tenderness to the most fanciful flights of imagination. Tears of emotion came to her eyes; sometimes she burst in

tolerant towards her father. Their behavior seemed to her more revolting, more absurd, more ludicrous than at other times

ractiveness and of her isolation led her to fo

and who could choose! That she could be a woman, in short, excite desires, repulse assaults, lead the warring life of

uld she try to please with her bony hands, discolored eyes and thin l

r wit but too ugly to be loved, who had indulged in clandestine debauchery; and she secretly read over again with a sensual shivering the historians of scandals who related such facts. Sometimes, when she returned home at dusk, she heard a ma footsteps following her. What would he do? Was he going to address her? Althou

n into each other; she had a feeling that her body was leaving her and the darkness of night favored this reassuring mirage. Because she no longer saw her own homeliness, Mlle. Raindal gained more audacity. Her soul at last freed and naked, as it were, bravely soared away on t

Had the valor of her heart, of her reason and of her mind forever vanished? Or would her sorrow gradually wear itself out, as it had done before, for lack of remedies and relief?... These queries f

iptionum aegyptiacarum, when a shadow suddenly passed over the pages. She looked up and recognized Boerzell, the dismissed suit

e eyes blinked behind the crystal of his glasses. "Hm! I

ed his smile.... "This is nothin

t wa

ed that it was sheer robbery and usurpation. Were women now going to meddle with such studies! They t

, Thérèse

nging me my books.... The time for gossipin

volume under his arm

hall soon meet ag

I, mo

walk away, between the rows of

ess awkward than at the ball, less u

tages, by his tousled hair, his ill-cut beard, the shiny cloth of his coat and his careless silhouette which showed that he was a champion of ideas. He benefited from the temporary beauty which c

t so bad!" Thérèse murmured

When she came out, however, going to the checkr

me to accompany you?... I believe we are neighb

that affected such cases; for old maids are as deposed sovereigns who free themselves from etiquette once they have lost their pow

he gave h

all be very pleased..

oerzell imitated them in order to protect Thérèse. He was bumped into at every step; the ends of the whalebones made lines against the grain of his silk hat. At times they were parted by a pressure from those who wal

e sequence only after they had

sidious terms. Most of the time, it proved to be sarcastic and disrespectful. He withdrew in one word the commendation he had given in another, mingled restrictions and praise, stinging comments and soft words; even his voice, at once coaxin

rength on the evening of the dance; had he affected shyness in order to attract without scaring her? Had he wished to flatte

a fool, nor was he mediocre, nor yet servile. She listened so atte

its trembling wheels. Mlle. Raindal and Boerzell huddled close to the shops. Then the terrible machine having passed them, they went on again. Now it was Boe

of the Boulevard St. Germa

ity!" he

Thérès

ceased and he cl

lvard ball, even without the help of the silence you preserved afterwards.... I could see it in your eyes when you left.... And yet

ed that Thérèse could not repres

she

is bearded childlike face.... "It is useless, is it not, between people of our type, to play a comedy?... They introdu

d to loo

eep sympathy.... I thought to myself: 'Here is a worthy lady, one of strong intelligence, a wife such as I would like mine to be, a companion and a friend in whom I could confide, whose advice I could seek,

remained

wo conversations, we would, intellectually speaking, hit it off very well.... Upon people, and upon things, we almost share the same opinions.... Our lives are cut along the same lines, and occupied with similar studies.... Our tastes and aptitudes agree.... There remai

.." Thérèse prot

pted her, gradua

in order to attract a little woman of this class.... But you, a person of your quality, that you should look upon marriage as these others do, that marriage should be in your estimation a sudden stroke of lightning, a confused heart, an irresistible passion, a handsome man with a mustache and the whole

pavement wit

gh?" Thérèse a

lle!" he replie

ecanted

ar to me logical and justified, worthy of you, in a word!.

with his impudent smartness, his big, horse-like eyes and his ironical lips. Thérèse took in

.. Or, if you prefer, I am

ntenance.... "Ah, very good!... That is anothe

rounded into a ball and he wore such a disappointed, baffled and childish look that

the root of my feelings.... To prove to you that I find pleasure in your society, I ask you, if you care to,

accepted ideas, the ideas of everybody on the subject of marriage!... The dictates of the heart and love count, I admit, for much ... but they are not the only feelings in life!... Be

e darkening b

elle.... That would be poor return for your kind invitation..

next

Notre-Dame-des-Champs. Hal

her.... "There was one last word I forgot to say.... It is

the hand, Thérèse

ent expression, all marked out.... My professors like me and help me.... My competitors are few and are, most of them, but second-rate men.... From the école des Hautes études, I am therefore bound to enter the Sorbonne or the Collège de France, and thence, I hope, the Institute.... A

perhaps, if I had

olite.... It remains a fact that one cannot be too cautious in such matter

hérèse, in a tone that a

sat talking with her Uncle Cyprien, the latt

shining eyes! Gayety all over your face! I could swear

" M. Raindal

d-be fiancé at the Saulvard party.... A very strange young man; he has a whole series of theories and systems which

a mania he had to praise his inferiors.... "M. Boerzell is a young man with a rare future.... Everybo

ask you questions! Can you tell me what you are doing here, on a

until half past seven.... I have therefore, mademoiselle, two good solid hours, if you please.... Now, you want to know

er lips to re

close-cropped hair. "It was an idea that o

pidly, and without looking at Thérèse, "that I was q

, Thursday?" Uncle

a short laugh a sigh

st have time to inform Mme. Chambannes.... Especia

y!... Where to?.

nia, I

dal repeated, in order to memorize this particularit

d reso

.... I shall drop your letter in the box when I go.... She will have it

aindal said coldly, a

ve you fair warning.... You may perhaps meet at Mme. Cha

ay the

e see, there may be the abbé Tou

an had an abbé, a curé, a black-robed one! Ah! that was really pretty good! W

rèse gave him a severe look

red, "I am laughing, beca

p the exp

the abbé Tour... Tour what?-well, never mind!-I shall make mysel

er. Under the pretext of going to look for a pamphlet, she wen

! And my uncle wants to join the ba

ugal thesis, the unusualness of his speeches and the insistent warmth of his voice? But for him, for that blend of comic and sound reason which emanated from his person and which now survived their conversation, she would probably still be desperately fighting the fever of evil, and exhausting herself in the dangerous nightmares of her unsatisfied desires. Could she have been, but for Boerzell, even amus

ith such hopes. Brigitte had to knock twice at the do