The Essential Guy de Maupassant Collection. Guy de Maupassant

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СКАЧАТЬ you.

      MME. DE SALLUS

      What a charming mood you are in to-night!

      M. DE SALLUS

      Now ask Randol to remain.

      MME. DE SALLUS

      My dear sir, Monsieur de Randol will do as he pleases. He knows that I am always glad to see him. [_Rises, and after reflecting for a second_.] Will you dine with us, Monsieur de Randol? You know you can go directly after dinner.

      JACQUES DE RANDOL

      With the greatest pleasure, Madame.

      MME. DE SALLUS

      Excuse my absence for a minute. It is eight o'clock, and I must give some new directions for dinner.

      [_Exit_ Mme. de Sallus.]

      SCENE III.

      (M. de Sallus _and_ M. Jacques de Randol.)

      M. DE SALLUS

      My dear fellow, you will do me the greatest service if you will pass the whole evening here.

      JACQUES DE RANDOL

      But I have told you that I cannot.

      M. DE SALLUS

      Is it altogether--absolutely--impossible?

      JACQUES DE RANDOL

      Absolutely.

      M. DE SALLUS

      I most earnestly ask you to remain.

      JACQUES DE RANDOL

      And why?

      M. DE SALLUS

      For the best of reasons--because--because I want to make peace with my wife.

      JACQUES DE RANDOL

      Peace? Is there a rupture between you?

      M. DE SALLUS

      Not a very great one, but you know what you have seen this evening.

      JACQUES DE RANDOL

      Is it your fault or hers?

      M. DE SALLUS

      Oh, mine, I suppose.

      JACQUES DE RANDOL

      The devil!

      M. DE SALLUS

      I have had annoyances outside, serious annoyances, and they have made me bad-tempered, so much so that I have been unpleasant and aggressive in my behavior toward her.

      JACQUES DE RANDOL

      But I don't see how a third party can contribute toward peace between you.

      M. DE SALLUS

      My dear fellow, you will enable me to make her understand in an indirect manner, while avoiding all indelicate and wounding explanations, that my ideas concerning life have altogether changed.

      JACQUES DE RANDOL

      Then you wish to be--to be--reconciled to her altogether?

      M. DE SALLUS

      Oh, no, no, no--on the contrary--

      JACQUES DE RANDOL

      Pardon me, I do not understand you.

      M. DE SALLUS

      Listen: I wish to establish and maintain a _status quo_ of a pacific neutrality--a sort of Platonic peace. [_Laughs_.] But I am going into details that cannot interest you.

      JACQUES DE RANDOL

      Pardon me again. From the moment that you ask me to play a part in this very interesting affair, I must know exactly what part I am to play.

      M. DE SALLUS

      Why, just a conciliatory r?le.

      JACQUES DE RANDOL

      Then you wish to conclude a peace without restrictions for yourself?

      M. DE SALLUS

      Now you have it.

      JACQUES DE RANDOL

      That is to say, that, after the disappointments and annoyances of which you have just told me, and which I presume are ended, you wish to have peace at home and yet be free to enjoy any happiness that you may acquire outside.

      M. DE SALLUS

      Let me go farther. My dear fellow, the present situation between my wife and myself is very much strained, and I never care to find myself alone with her altogether, because my position is a false one.

      JACQUES DE RANDOL

      Oh, in that case, my dear fellow, I will remain.

      M. DE SALLUS

      All the evening?

      JACQUES DE RANDOL

      All the evening.

      M. DE SALLUS

      My dear De Randol, you are indeed a friend! I shall never forget it.

      JACQUES DE RANDOL

      Oh, never mind that. [_A short silence_.] Were you at the Op?ra last night?

      M. DE SALLUS

      As usual.

      JACQUES DE RANDOL

      So it is a good performance?

      M. DE SALLUS

      Admirable.

      JACQUES DE RANDOL

      The Santelli scored a great success, didn't she?

      M. DE SALLUS

      Not only a success, but a veritable triumph. She was recalled six times.

      JACQUES DE RANDOL

      She _is_ good, isn't she?

      M. СКАЧАТЬ