beautiful friend

Chapter 30

After a while, he seemed to suddenly think of something, and he understood it all at once.He was a little embarrassed at first, and then, with a smirk on his face, he wanted to deny it; he was not displeased because Clotilde suspected that he had another new love.

Clotilde was still looking down.She untied the hair from the buttons one by one, and threw them on the carpet. With a woman's intuition, she seemed to guess what was going on.So, she became furious, was about to cry, and stammered, "That woman, she must love you very much... She clearly wants you to carry her token with you... Oh! You heartless Nonsense..."

Suddenly, she seemed to have a new discovery.She screamed nervously, with a tinge of joy in her voice: "Ah! Ah! It turned out to be an old woman...Look, even her hair is white...I didn't expect that you can even seduce those old women now... Tell me...they must have given you a lot of money...Oh! You don't even let the old ones go...If that's the case, you don't need me...Go and them..."

After finishing speaking, Clotilde turned and ran away, picked up the corset thrown on the chair just now and quickly put it on.

Du Roy tried to keep her.With a face full of shame, he murmured: "It's not like this...Crow...don't be stupid...I really don't know what's going on...Listen to me...stay here...okay ...don't leave..."

Clotilde kept saying: "Go with your old woman...use her hair...use her white hair to weave yourself a ring...these are enough for you... ..."

In no time Clotilde was dressed, hat and veil.Du Roy wanted to hold her back, but she raised her hand and slapped him hard with a "slap".For a while, Du Roy was beaten dizzy.Clotilde took the opportunity to open the door and ran away.

When he was left alone in the room, Du Roy could not help gnashing his teeth with hatred for Madame Walter, a wretched old woman.what!He must drive her away and show no mercy!

Du Roy washed his blushing face with water.Then he walked out of the room, thinking about how to avenge this "one sword".This time, he will never forgive her.no way!
Du Roy went out into the street and wandered about boredly.He stopped in front of a jewelry store and stared at a pocket watch for a long time.He had wanted this watch for a long time, but the price was too high, eighteen hundred francs.

Suddenly, there was a burst of ecstasy in his heart: "If you can earn the [-] francs, wouldn't this pocket watch be in your pocket?" He began to calculate how to use this huge wealth.

First of all, he wants to get a member of parliament; then, buy the pocket watch; then go to the stock exchange to play stocks; in addition... Du Roy does not want to return to the museum, he wants to meet with Walter before writing an article. Talk to Madeleine.So he walked towards home.

But when he reached the Rue Drouot, he stopped suddenly, remembering that he had not yet visited the Count de Vaudrec who lived in the Rue d'Antin.So, he walked back unsteadily again, thoughts surging in his heart.He thought of many good things, and thought of the huge wealth that was about to come.Of course, he also thought of the bastard Larose and the dead old woman Mrs. Walter.Du Roy was not so worried about Clotilde, because he knew that she would forgive him soon.

Arriving at the Count de Vaudrec's house, Du Roy asked the porter:
"I heard that the Earl has been unwell recently, is he feeling better today?"

The man replied: "Sir, the count is very ill. It seems that he will not survive the evening. His rheumatism has invaded his heart."

Du Roy was at a loss for a moment.Wardrake is dying!For a moment, countless chaotic thoughts flooded into his mind, making him confused and afraid to face it squarely.

"Thank you... I'll come back next time..." He stammered, not knowing what he was talking about, and then he jumped into the carriage and hurried home.

The wife has come back.Du Roy rushed into her room and said out of breath:
"You know? Wardrake is dying!"

At that time, Madeleine was sitting in a chair reading the letter.Upon hearing Du Roy's words, she quickly raised her head and asked three times in succession: "Ah? What did you say? What did you say? What did you say?"

"Woldreck's rheumatism is endangering his heart, and he is dying," continued Du Roy. "What are you going to do?"

Madeleine stood up, her face pale, her cheeks twitching with extreme tension; after a while she covered her face and began to cry bitterly.She stood there sobbing, heartbroken and shaking.

After a while, she stopped crying, wiped away her tears and said with a choked voice: "I'll go... I'll go see him...you don't have to worry about me...I don't know when I'll be back...you don't have to wait for me... ..."

Du Roy said: "Okay, you go."

They shook hands.Madeleine left in such haste that she forgot to put on her gloves.

After dinner alone, Du Roy began to write articles.This article is exactly on the instructions of Minister La Roche, and is designed to convince readers that the government will not send troops to Morocco.After finishing writing, Du Roy sent the article to the newspaper office, chatted with the boss for a while, and then walked out with a cigarette in his mouth.For some reason, he felt particularly relaxed today.

When I got home, my wife hadn't come back yet.So he lay down and fell asleep alone.

It was almost midnight before Madeleine returned home.After being awakened, Du Roy sat on the bed and asked, "How is it?"

Madeleine's face was pale and mournful, which Du Roy had never seen before."He's dead," she murmured.

"Huh? Then... he didn't say anything?"

"No. He was out of his mind when I got there."

Du Roy fell into deep thought.He had many questions in his mind, but he never dared to speak out. "Go to sleep," he said.

Madeleine quickly undressed and lay down beside him.

Du Roy then asked: "Did Wardrake have any relatives by his side when he was dying?"

"Only one nephew."

"Oh? This nephew of his often visits him?"

"Never. They haven't seen each other for ten years."

"Does he have any other relatives?"

"No... I don't think so."

"So... his nephew will inherit his estate?"

"I do not know."

"Is Wardrake rich?"

"Yes, very rich."

"Do you know how much money he has?"

"I don't know exactly. Maybe one or two million."

Other than that, Du Roy asked nothing.At this time, his wife Madeleine blew out the candle.The two of them just lay side by side in the darkness, neither of them spoke, just quietly thinking about their own concerns.

Du Roy was not sleepy.At this moment, he felt that the [-] francs that Mrs. Walter promised to help him earn were too insignificant.Suddenly, he seemed to feel his wife was crying.In order to confirm his judgment, he asked:
Are you asleep?

"No."

Madeleine's voice was obviously crying, and she was trembling.Du Roy went on to say:

"I forgot to tell you just now that your minister made us miserable."

"what's wrong?"

Du Roy then told her all about Laroche and Walter's plot.

Madeleine asked: "How do you know?"

Du Roy replied: "Excuse me, I can't tell you. You have your sources, and I never ask; I have mine, and I hope you don't interfere. Anyway, I can assure you that the information is reliable. Sex." Madeleine said thoughtfully, "Well, it's possible... I also feel like they're doing something behind our backs."

Du Roy was still not sleepy, he leaned towards his wife and kissed her earlobe gently.Madeleine pushed him away and said, "Please, let me be quiet for a while, okay? How can I be in such a mood today?"

Du Roy had to turn around and face the wall.He closed his eyes and finally drifted off to sleep.

In the church, black curtains are hung everywhere.A wreath hangs on the coat of arms of the main entrance, telling passers-by that a funeral is being held for a gentleman here.

At this point, the ceremony had just ended.People who came to pay their respects walked slowly past Wardrake's coffin and his nephew.The young man and the crowd—shake hands in thanks.

Georges du Roy and his wife came out of church and walked side by side on their way home.The two remained silent, full of thoughts.

At last Du Roy said, "How strange!" It sounded like he was talking to himself.

"What's so strange, my dear?" asked Madeleine.

"Woldrek didn't leave us anything!"

Madeleine's face suddenly turned crimson, as if her fair skin was covered with a pink veil.she asked:
"Why would he leave us something? Why would he do that?"

After a moment of silence, she said again: "Maybe there will be a will at the notary. We don't know anything yet!"

Du Roy thought for a moment and said, "Yes, it is entirely possible. After all, we are his best friends. He comes to our house for dinner twice a week. Whenever he wants to come Come on. He's as casual in our house as he is in his own. You two are like father and daughter, and he's all alone, no kids, no siblings, just a distant nephew who's out of touch. Yes, there's got to be another A will. I don't expect much, just a memorial. Proof that he thought of us, loved us, and was grateful for our old friendship. He will definitely leave a little testimony of our friendship. "

Lost in her own thoughts, Madeleine said casually:
"There will likely be a will."

Back home, the servant handed Madeleine a letter.She opened it, looked at it, and handed it to Du Roy.

The letter was sent from the notary office of Ramanar, No. 17, Vogel Street, and the general content is as follows:

Mrs:

I am honored to inform you that I hope that you will come to our office from [-]:[-] to [-]:[-] pm from Tuesday to Thursday to discuss relevant matters.

With all due respect to Ramanar, it was du Roy's turn to blush this time.He said, "It must be something about the will. It's strange why Ramanar let you go instead of me. Legally, I am the head of the family."

Madeleine ignored him at first, then she thought for a moment and asked, "Do you want to go with me?" "Well, it's best."

After lunch, the couple went straight to the office.

As soon as they entered Ramanar's office, the chief secretary stood up with great enthusiasm and led them to the notary's office.

The notary was short and round, with stubby legs.The round head was glued to Yuanyuan's body without moving, it looked like a ball.

Ramanar greeted the two guests and asked the two guests to sit down, then turned to Madeleine and said, "Madame, I have invited you here this time to tell you that Earl Wardrake left a will with you during his lifetime. related."

Du Roy couldn't help muttering: "I guessed it was for this."

The notary continued: "I will read you the will now, and there is not much in it."

Ramanar took out a piece of paper from the file box in front of him and read:
"This is to certify that the testator, Paul-Émile-Scipyrion-Contrand, Count de Vaudrec, is in good health and conscious, and hereby makes the will. A special will, deposited in the notary Mr. Ramanall. Since there is no direct family heir, I decided to bequeath all property, including 60 francs of exchange securities and 50 francs of real estate, to Claire-Madelaine Madame du Roy, and without any conditions attached. This will is an expression of the respect and loyalty of the old friend to his wife, and I hope you can accept it."

After reading the will, the notary added: "The above is the whole content of the will. This will was made in August this year to replace the same content made two years ago. The beneficiary is Claire-Madelaine Fres Mrs. Thier's will. If there is any dispute within the family, the previous will deposited with me is enough to prove that the original intention of the Count de Vaudrec has never changed."

Madeleine stared at the ground from beginning to end, her face pale.Du Roy was stroking the beard at the corner of his mouth excitedly.The notary was silent for a moment, and then said to Du Roy: "Of course, sir, if madam wants to accept this inheritance, she must obtain your permission."

Du Roy stood up and said dryly, "I need to think about it."

The notary smiled, bowed, and said courteously: "Sir, I can fully understand your hesitation and concerns. It should be added that the nephew of Earl Wardrake said after learning the contents of the will this morning that if If you are willing to give him one hundred thousand francs, he will abide by all the provisions of the will. I personally think that there is no loophole in the will itself. But if it goes to court, it will definitely make a lot of trouble. Therefore, you should try to avoid it. This kind of thing happens. You know, words are terrible. Anyway, I hope you can give an answer by Saturday, okay?"

Du Roy bowed and said: "Okay, sir." Then, he bowed politely to leave, and let Madeleine, who had never said a word, leave first.When he left the room, Du Roy's face was ashen, and the smile on the notary's face disappeared without a trace.

Back home, Du Roy slammed the door shut, threw his hat on the bed, and asked:

"You were Wardrake's mistress before?"

Madeleine, who was taking her veil, turned abruptly and said:

"Me? My God!"

"Yes, it's you. A man will not leave all his property to a woman after death, unless..."

Madeleine was trembling all over, and the pins holding her veil could not be removed.

"Enough... Enough... Are... You... Are you crazy? Just now... Didn't you also hope... He can leave something for you?"

Du Roy stood beside his wife, watching closely for any subtle emotional changes in her just as a judge catches the wavering of a prisoner's will.He said one word at a time:

"That's right...he can leave something for me...for me...your husband...his friend...but not for you...you are my wife...you hear me? In terms of public opinion... or social customs, there is an essential difference between the two."

Madeleine stared straight at Du Roy with deep and strange eyes.She seemed to want to read something from his eyes, to penetrate his unpredictable inner world.Only when Du Roy is unguarded or careless for a brief moment, his eyes are like slightly opened doors, allowing you to vaguely glimpse the most secret corners of his heart.Madeleine said slowly:
"But in my opinion, even if...even if Wardrake left this huge property to you, people would still find it strange."

Du Roy suddenly asked:
"why?"

"Because..." Madeleine thought for a moment, and then said, "Because you are my husband...you don't know much about Wardrake...the time of dating is not long...and I...I am His friend for many years... When Forestier was alive, Wardrake's first will already stated that I would inherit his estate."

Du Roy took a long stride and began pacing up and down the room.He cried out loudly:

"You must not accept this legacy."

Madeleine said indifferently:
"Okay. It doesn't have to wait until Saturday, we can send someone to inform Mr. Ramanal now."

Du Roy stopped in front of his wife.The two faced each other face to face, trying their best to test each other's deepest secrets and true thoughts.They both want to see each other's mind at a glance through this seemingly silent but intense psychological inquiry.This is a contest of minds between husband and wife.Although Du Roy and his wife get along day and night, they don't know each other.

Suddenly, Du Roy approached his wife's face and said in a low voice:

"Go ahead and admit that you were Wardrake's mistress."

Madeleine shrugged: "Why are you so stupid? Wardrake does have deep feelings for me...but other than that, nothing...never."

Du Roy stamped his feet and said, "You're lying. It's impossible."

Madeleine replied calmly: "But, that's the truth."

Du Roy began pacing up and down the room again.After a while, he stopped and asked, "Then tell me, why did he leave all his property to you?"

Madeleine replied casually like an outsider: "The reason is very simple. As you said just now, he only had the two of us, or more precisely, only me as a good friend. When I was a child He knew me when he was a child. My mother was once a bridesmaid at one of his relatives. Wardrake often came here to see me. He had no children to inherit his inheritance, so I thought of me. He used to fall in love with I, it may be true. But what woman has not been loved like this? Wardrake hid his love deeply in his heart, and then wrote my name in his will. What is there to blame? Every Monday he sends me a bouquet of flowers, and you don't wonder if he doesn't give it to you. So what's the point now that he's bequeathing me instead of you? What's strange? Besides, he has no one to give his inheritance. On the contrary, if he left this inheritance to you, it would be too unbelievable! Why? Who are you?"

These few calm and reasonable words made Du Roy speechless, unable to fight back.

However, he still refused to give up: "In any case, we cannot accept this inheritance according to the provisions of the will. Otherwise, the consequences will be unimaginable. At that time, everyone will think that there is some ulterior relationship between you. They I will definitely gossip and laugh at me from time to time. The colleagues in the newspaper are jealous of me and try to squeeze me out. Therefore, I must pay more attention to maintaining my reputation and honor than anyone else. Now there are rumors outside that a certain So-and-so is my wife's lover. Therefore, I must not let you accept this dirty inheritance. Forestier may agree, but I will not."

Madelaine said softly: "Okay, dear, then I don't want it. Anyway, it's just a loss of 100 million."

Du Roy kept walking up and down.He said to himself aloud so that his wife could hear:

(End of this chapter)