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His turn of mind, naturally meditative, had discovered instinctively the general grounds and reasons for the aversion he inspired. This little world was obeying, unconsciously perhaps, the sovereign law which rules over polite society; its inexorable nature was becoming apparent in its entirety to Raphael's eyes. A glance into the past showed it to him, as a type completely realized in Foedora.
Most of the sleepers started up with a cry, saw the cause of the disturbance on his feet, tottering uncertainly, and cursed him in concert for a drunken brawler. "Silence!" shouted Raphael. "Back to your kennels, you dogs! Emile, I have riches, I will give you Havana cigars!" "I am listening," the poet replied. "Death or Foedora! On with you! That silky Foedora deceived you.
If good breeding consists in self-forgetfulness and consideration for others, in constantly showing gentleness in voice and bearing, in pleasing others, and in making them content in themselves, all traces of her plebeian origin were not yet obliterated in Foedora, in spite of her cleverness.
I trembled with fury, I reproached God, the devil, social conditions, my own father, the whole universe, indeed, with my fate and my misfortunes. I went hungry to bed, muttering ludicrous imprecations, but fully determined to win Foedora. Her heart was my last ticket in the lottery, my fortune depended upon it. "I spare you the history of my earlier visits, to reach the drama the sooner.
I was anxious to make a study of her. I had lodged accusations, in my romantic imaginings, against this invisible waiting-woman, a tall, well-made brunette. "'Did madame ring? "'Yes, twice, answered Foedora; 'are you really growing deaf nowadays? "'I was preparing madame's milk of almonds.
Unable to analyze Foedora by any other process, I told her this fanciful story; but no hint of her resemblance to this poetry of the impossible crossed her it simply diverted her; she was like a child over a story from the Arabian Nights.
This is how I carried it out. On the days when Foedora received, her rooms were far too crowded for the hall-porter to keep the balance even between goers and comers; I could remain in the house, I felt sure, without causing a scandal in it, and I waited the countess' coming soiree with impatience. As I dressed I put a little English penknife into my waistcoat pocket, instead of a poniard.
If I told her the story of my life, my love, my sacrifices, might I not awaken pity in her or draw a tear from her who never wept? "As I set all my hopes on this last experiment, the sounds in the streets showed that day was at hand. For a moment's space I pictured Foedora waking to find herself in my arms. I could have stolen softly to her side and slipped them about her in a close embrace.
"My dear Foedora," said the princess, who had remarked the long tête-
I will wrestle with fevers yellow, blue, or green with whole armies, with gibbets. I can possess Foedora Yet no, I do not want Foedora; she is a disease; I am dying of Foedora. I want to forget Foedora." "If you keep on calling out like this, I shall take you into the dining-room." "Do you see this skin? It is Solomon's will. Solomon belongs to me a little varlet of a king!
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