Милий друг
Death and a Proposal
Certainlyitwasnotimetospeaktoheronsuchasubject;however,hethoughthemightbeabletoexpresshimselfbymeansofsomephrasewhichwouldhaveahiddenmeaningandwouldinferwhathewishedtosay.Butthatrigidcorpselaybetweenthem.Theatmospherebecameoppressive,almostsuffocating.Duroyasked:"Canwenotopenthewindowalittle?Theairseemstobeimpure."
"Certainly,"shereplied;"Ihavenoticedittoo."
Heopenedthewindow,lettinginthecoolnightair.Heturned:"Comeandlookout,itisdelightful."
Sheglidedsoftlytohisside.Hewhispered:"Listentome.DonotbeangrythatIbroachthesubjectatsuchatime,butthedayafterto-morrowIshallleavehereandwhenyoureturntoParisitmightbetoolate.YouknowthatIamonlyapoordevil,whohashispositiontomake,butIhavethewillandsomeintelligence,andIamadvancing.Amanwhohasattainedhisambitionknowswhattocounton;amanwhohashiswaytomakedoesnotknowwhatmaycome--itmaybebetterorworse.Itoldyouonedaythatmymostcherisheddreamwastohaveawifelikeyou."
"Irepeatittoyouto-day.Donotreply,butletmecontinue.Thisisnoproposal—thetimeandplacewouldrenderitodious.Ionlywishtotellyouthatbyawordyoucanmakemehappy,andthatyoucanmakeofmeasyouwill,eitherafriendorahusband—formyheartandmybodyareyours.Idonotwantyoutoanswermenow.Idonotwishtospeakanymoreonthesubjecthere.
