Prince Zilah -- Volume 3

emed to him that the place was deserted now that they had departed, and Varhely had gone with them. In the eternal symphony of the sea, the lapping of

a, and this image took invincible possession of the Prince, who, with a sort

ories he sought to flee came to find him there, and since Mar

music, he found again, as if the Tzigana were continually pursuing him, the same phantom; despite the noise of people and carriages upon the asphalt, the echoes of the "Song of Plevna," played quite near him by some Hu

and tried to read; but before the printed page he saw co

ture is!" he exclaimed

I love her still? Sha

ee once more Maisons-Lafitte, where he had experienced the most terrible grief of his

s ever-living, ever-present love toward everything which would recall Marsa to him, and

refuse to see him; but, in reality, the General's visit caused him a delight which he would not acknowledge to himself. He was about to h

barrassed, and was not much reassured

ge, took the chair offered him by the Prince. He was a little flushed, not knowing exactly how t

medias res. "Doctor Fargeas, who sent me, might have come

ut Marsa," said Andras, unconsci

s very ill-Marsa is. Very ill. Stupor, Fargeas says. She does not say a word

ndras, who was striving to appear cal

ogotzine. "The, doctors can do nothing. Ther

xperi

s idea)-You see-if-if-she should see-(I suppose-these are not my words)-if she should see you again at Doctor Sims's establishment -the emotion-

, calmly, "would like-you

you. You see, you are

who instantly became as mute as if

r Fargeas asks of me will c

did not op

wishes to revive al

d, motionless a

s saying no more, the Genera

ld be. I told the doctor so; but he replied, 'It is

Prince would not have refused his pity to the lowest of human beings; and so, never mind

ctor Fargeas

r is just now at Vaugirard, on

us keep hi

's eyes b

consent? Y

ord of thanks, but Andra

rder the

aid Vogotzine, joyousl

gazed steadily out of the window, without saying

d which was probably formerly a convent. The General descended heavily fr

walk, as if every movement cost him an effort. He stroked his moustache mechanically,

ly for having come. A thin, light-haired man, with a pensive look and superb eyes

very thing that could recall the past, the physicians thought, that, by suddenly confronting her with

to transport the invalid from Maisons-Lafitte to Vaugirard,

With his usual tact, the doctor had divined the separation; and he did not ca

Sims, when Fargeas had finished

ice that trembled slightly, des

ly. It is only an experiment we are making. If she does not recognize you, her condition is grav

ed the Prince t

y you, gentlemen?

nly, Ge

singular effect upon me; they don't interest m

frock-coat, as he would have tig

in a large garden, with trees a century old, beneath which

eared at one end of the garden; in this we

?" asked Zilah, pointing

imagination to believe it, does it not? You can spea

cross th

there, in another gard

med to him that they had the happy look of people who had reached the desired goal. Vogotzine, coughing nervously, kept close to t

more than thirty-five years in the institution. He will not change the cut of his garments, and he is very careful to have his tailor make his clothes in the same styl

surtout cut long and very tight in the waist, and his trousers very f

or Sims! Good-morni

ablishment approached to speak,

y." And he pointed with a sort of passionate veneration to an e

!" murmured

tale, despite the years and the wrinkles, were not the ideal form of happiness for a being condemned to this earth. This poetical monomaniac lived with his dreams realized, finding, i

p what Shakespeare was

haps, simply the

ent him from feeling his age, and the dream of his life, which consoles him for his lost reason? Because he is rich. He can pay the tailor

estion of bread comes up ev

iness, since it allows of

ince, "for me, ha

ha

etful

ow had his ear glued to the trunk of the tree, and

ll idea of his own personality. Once a great reader, he now holds all literature in intense disgust; from having written so much, he has grown to have a perfect horror of

ppy?" ask

y ha

the waters of Lethe,

low, approached them; "but, if you should speak to him and chance to mention his name, he would respond 'A

by one of these cerebral maladies where the entire being, with its

opped before th

hree minutes and a half

you, doctor, that you m

ing; for I am in the ha

at tr

ied Dr. Sims. "By the wa

iet tone the o

at

re

the use

ewspapers

ng, nothing! Do the newspapers announce that there are no more wars, no more poverty, illness, murders, envy, hatre

this madman, speaking with the shrill dist

e rather good sense, a

tients, and Andras perceived several women walking about in the alleys, some of them alone, and some accomp

btless among the female forms before him was that of the one h

she

e," replied

tempted to kill her as she lay in her white robes at his feet. He wondered if

an see through the bushes witho

, do

could hear the panting respiration of Vogotzine trudging along behind him. All at once the

e she

pproaching with slow steps, one a light-haired woman in a nurse's dress, and

he would be able to touch her, if he wished, th

own. Her exquisite, delicate features had the rigidity of marble; her dark eyes were staring straight ahe

toward the pale vision before him. It was as if the moving spectre of his love wer

s was very calm; and, after a questioning glance

must show

all, Fargeas intended to attempt the experiment. He longed, with keen desire, to speak to Marsa; to know if his lo

ory vacillated to and fro in that vacant brain? The memor

will go to the end of the all

" whisper

tood beneath a clump of leafy trees. The Prince saw, coming to him, with a sl

d the Russian and the two doctors co

otion, remained alone in

tions from Dr. Sims; for, as she perceived the Prince, she f

nd, still beautiful although so thin, she moved on, without seeing anything, h

When the Tzigana reached him, and nearly ran into him in her slow walk, she stopped suddenly, like an automa

ms studied her stony look, in which ther

r swept across her features; shaking with a nervous trembling, she tried to call out, and a shrill cry, which rent the air, burst from her lips, half open, like those of a tragic mask. Her two arms were stretched out with the hands clasp

id, and she would have f

ped over and caugh

and, aided by the nurse,

purple as if he had ha

s eyes burning with hot tears, "it wi

led her stupor. Now leave her to us. Am I not