However, I suppose I must have taken too
much, and my head isn't very strong. [Footnote: ET JE N'AI PAS LA TETE
FORTE.] There was a time when I lived on Morskaia Street, AU REZ-DE-
CHAUSSEE, and had marvellous apartments, furniture, you know, and I was
able to arrange it all beautifully, not so very expensively though; my
father, to be sure, gave me porcelains, flowers, and silver--a wonderful
lot. Le matin je sortais, visits, 5 heures regulierement. I used to go
and dine with her; often she was alone. Il faut avouer que c'etait une
femme ravissante! You didn't know her at all, did you?"
"No."
"You see, there was such high degree of womanliness in her, and such
tenderness, and what love! Lord! I did not know how to appreciate my
happiness then. We would return after the theatre, and have a little
supper together. It was never dull where she was, toujours gaie,
toujours aimante. Yes, and I had never imagined what rare happiness it
was. Et j'ai beaucoup a me reprocher in regard to her. Je l'ai fait
souffrir et souvent. I was outrageous. AKH! What a marvellous time that
was! Do I bore you?"
"No, not at all."
"Then I will tell you about our evenings. I used to go--that stairway,
every flower-pot I knew,--the door-handle, all was so lovely, so familiar;
then the vestibule, her room.
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