beautiful friend

Chapter 37

Seeing familiar faces, people nodded and chatted together in twos and threes.On such occasions, literati are far less concerned than social people, and they can only stay aside and talk in a low voice.People's eyes are often wandering on the ladies.

Nobel de Valen, who was looking for a friend, suddenly saw Jacques Rival sitting in the middle of several rows of chairs, and walked towards him.

"Look!" said de Wallen, "what a villain!"

However, Rival, who was not jealous, said calmly: "It's good for him, and he can finally settle down." Then the two began to list the guests they had seen one by one.

"Do you know what's going on with his ex-wife?" Rival asked.

The poet replied with a smile: "I know a little bit. I heard that she lives in Montmartre now, living a reclusive life. But...but not long ago I saw a few political articles in the "Writing News". These The style of the article is exactly the same as the news reports of Forestier and Du Roy. The author is signed by Jean Le Dole. Like Du Roy, he is also a young, handsome, talented and ambitious young man. He has recently Meet Du Roy's ex-wife, Madeleine. From this, it can be seen that this lady has always favored young people who are just starting out. What's more, she has money now. In order to be a regular visitor to her house, Vaudrey Craig and La Roche-Mathieu didn't take too long."

Rival said: "Madelaine is a good little girl. She is shrewd and good at exploiting. If she takes off her clothes, she must be even more fascinating. However, since Du Roy is already a divorced person, how can he go to the How about a church wedding?"

Noble de Wallen replied: "The reason why he was able to have the wedding in the church is because the church does not recognize his first marriage."

"why?"

"When our pretty friend married Madeleine Forestier, I don't know whether it was indifference or thrift, and he thought that all he had to do was register with the city hall. In this way, they He did not accept the blessing of the priest. For the holy church, their marriage is purely an act of cohabitation. Therefore, Du Roy is still an unmarried man. The grand wedding prepared by the church for him this time really cost old Walter Quite a few."

The hall was filled with more and more people, filled with the hum of people talking and even shouting.Socialites are all there to put on airs.They love being the center of attention and are conscious of maintaining their public image; they consider themselves elegant works of art, an indispensable adornment for all social occasions.

"I say, dear friend," continued Rival, "you often go to the boss's house? Is it true that Madame Walter never said a word to Du Roy?"

"Yes. She doesn't want to marry her daughter to him. But Du Roy seems to have caught the girl's father on the matter of the body found in Morocco. He threatened old Walter that if he didn't marry his daughter, I will announce everything to the public. In view of the La Roche-Mathieu incident last time, Walter decided to make a concession immediately. But the girl's mother was as stubborn as all women, and she vowed not to say a word to her future son-in-law The two of them looked really funny when they were together, Mrs. Walter stiffened like a statue of Furies, and Du Roy tried to look as nonchalant as possible, but it looked very unnatural. "

At this time, several colleagues came over and shook hands with them.A group of people chatted about current political affairs.The noise of the crowd gathered at the door of the church was like the sound of waves from the distant sea. As the sun entered the hall and went straight to the vault, it drowned out the whispers of the gentlemen and ladies.

Suddenly, the church guard tapped the wooden floor three times with his spear.People turned to wait and see, the sound of dresses and chairs moving all around.The bride appeared at the sunny doorway, holding her father's arm.

Susan still looked like a doll, a playful doll in a white wedding dress with little orange flowers in her hair.

She paused at the door for a moment, then stepped into the hall.At this time, the organ made a deafening sound, announcing the arrival of the bride.

Susan walked slowly, her head bowed, showing no sign of shyness.Small and exquisite, she looks excited, noble and elegant, with a myriad of manners.Watching her walk by, the ladies all smiled and praised, while the men sighed: "What a lovely person!" Mr. Walter's gait was very solemn, his face was pale, and the bridge of his nose was straight. Wearing a pair of glasses.

Behind them were four beautiful bridesmaids in pink dresses, who walked slowly around the bride.The groomsmen are also carefully selected, not only well-proportioned, but also with consistent steps, as if they were trained by a ballet teacher.

Madame Walter followed closely behind on the arm of the father of another son-in-law, the 72-year-old Marquis de la Tour-Evelyn.She didn't seem to be walking, but she was dragging her steps forward little by little, and every step she moved might faint.Her feet seemed to be glued to the floor, she refused to take a step forward, and her beating heart seemed to be about to jump out of her chest.

Mrs. Walter had lost much weight, and her gray hair made her sunken cheeks and pallor.

Her eyes stared straight ahead in a daze, as if she couldn't see anyone. Perhaps, she still couldn't forget the pain hidden in her heart.

Georges du Roy walked after them on the arm of an old woman whom he did not know.

He raised his head, looked forward firmly with serious eyes, his brows were slightly wrinkled, and the beard at the corner of his mouth was raised high.It is undeniable that Du Roy is indeed a handsome and handsome man: his legs are straight, his figure is slender, and he is imposing.He wore a well-tailored gown with a Cross of the Legion of Honor sash on his chest that looked like a drop of blood from a distance.

Then came the relatives of the newlyweds: Senator Risolin and Rosa, who had just been married six weeks ago;

At the end of the queue was the motley group of friends and relatives of Du Roy.Du Roy had brought them to the Walters' house and introduced them one by one.These people are well-known figures in the Parisian market, and they can immediately become confidants who have everything to say.Most of them are distant relatives of Du Roy, some are nouveau riche, some are poor and misbehaving nobles, and those who are married are even more miserable.In addition, there are Germans among them?Mr. Bell Vigne, de?Marquis Ben Ruolan, De?The Countess of Lavonelle, de?Duke Ramorano, de?Prince Cravallo and Knight Valleari; followed by several guests invited by Walter: De?Mr. Bell Vigne, de?The Duke and Duchess of Frasina and the charming de ?The Marchioness of Duna; and Madame Walter's relatives, they were the only ones in the group who still retained some provincial appearance.

The pipe organ kept ringing, and a burst of loud and rhythmic music came from the gleaming giant steel pipes, expressing the joys, sorrows and sorrows of the world.

The two doors of the church were slammed shut.Suddenly all sunlight was shut out, and the hall was dark.

Du Roy and Susan knelt side by side at the altar, facing the candle-lit altar.Wearing a bishop's cap and holding a scepter, the new bishop of Tangier came out of the sacristy, ready to witness their marriage in the name of God.

The bishop asked some questions as usual, and then asked the couple to exchange rings, and said a lot of words about "being united forever".He then delivered a Catholic speech to the newlyweds.The bishop was tall and corpulent; the paunch was the hallmark of the authority of these prelates.

Suddenly there was a burst of crying from the crowd, and several people turned their heads involuntarily to look.It turned out that Mrs. Walter was covering her face and weeping incessantly.

The poor woman had to make concessions.What else could she do but give in?Since throwing the returned daughter out of the house and refusing to kiss her, since whispering a word to the respectful Du Roy ("You are the most vile and shameless person I have ever met, don't talk to me anymore. , I won’t answer you.") Since then, Mrs. Walter has been immersed in an indescribable pain.She hated Susan, and this unforgettable hatred stemmed from hopeless love and strong jealousy.This double jealousy as a mother and a lover is so heartbreaking and difficult to talk about, it is like a burning wound that makes her terrified all day long.

Now, under the auspices of the bishop, her daughter and her lover held their wedding grandly in this sacred church in front of many guests and her!What else can she say?Can she stop it from happening?Can she shout: "This man is mine, he is my lover. This wedding you officiated is against human ethics"?

The ladies were greatly moved when they saw such a scene, and whispered among themselves: "Look, how the poor mother weeps!"

The bishop was still there gushing: "You are the happiest, wealthiest and most respected people in the world. Especially you, sir, you have outstanding talents, and the articles you write teach and inspire people and guide them in their direction .You have a heavy responsibility and you must lead by example·”

As Du Roy listened, he couldn't help but feel a little flustered.The bishop of the Church of Rome actually spoke such flattering words to him!At this moment, he seemed to feel that the group of celebrities behind him came for him; at the same time, it seemed that there was a force pushing him and lifting him up.He, the son of a poor Cantler family, has finally become the ruler of the world!
In a trance, Du Roy seemed to be standing on the peak of the Rouen Valley, seeing his parents enthusiastically recruiting the folks who came to drink.He had sent them five thousand francs after receiving half of Wardreck's estate.This time, he wants to send them [-] francs, so that the two old people can buy some property.At that time, they will definitely be ecstatic.

The bishop's speech finally came to an end.A priest in a golden robe ascends the altar.The organ once again played a movement in praise of the newlyweds.

At the beginning, the sound of the piano was one after another, deafening, like a stormy sea, and the high-pitched and magnificent momentum almost overturned the roof and soared into the sky.After a while, the heart-stirring sound of the piano resounding all around slowly eased down.The brisk notes fluttered over the hall, like a breeze passing by the ears.This piece of music is cheerful and melodious, as if a bird is flying freely in the sky.But not long after, the ever-changing piano sound began to become loud again, and the majestic momentum overwhelmed everyone in an instant, as if a grain of sand instantly turned into a vast universe.

Someone began to sing carols to the music, it was Wally and Longdeck from the Opera House.The high-pitched singing echoed for a long time above people's heads.The hall was filled with aromas, and the priests were holding a sacrament at the altar, praying for God to come to the world to bless the marriage of Baron Georges du Roy.

Du Roy knelt beside Susan, head bowed.At this moment, he seems to feel that he has become a pious believer, and he is very grateful for the blessing of God.For today's achievements, he didn't know who to thank, so he had to attribute all his gratitude to the gods in the sky.

After the ceremony, Du Roy stood up and walked into the sacristy with his new wife on his arm.All the guests lined up in a long line to congratulate the couple.Du Roy was very excited, like a king who was worshiped by everyone.He shook hands with the guests one by one, and kept exchanging pleasantries.In the face of other people's compliments, he blindly responded: "You are so polite!"

Suddenly, Du Roy caught sight of Madame de Marelle.The tender and passionate kiss between the two, Clotilde's tenderness, voice, and the charm of her lips all came to my heart at once, which made Du Roy passionate and wished to share the old relationship with her immediately.The former mistress was still elegant and charming, with fiery eyes and a childish look.Du Roy thought: "Anyway, she's still so charming!"

Madame de Marais came up to him, a little shy and a little uneasy.She held out a hand to him and he took it and took it.She pinched it lightly, and Du Roy felt that this slender hand was quietly conveying a message to him, saying that she had forgiven him and was willing to reconcile with him.So, he also held her hand tightly, as if to say: "I love you forever, I am yours."

They took the opportunity to glance at each other, their eyes were smiling, shining and full of love.Madame de Marais said delicately: "See you later, Monsieur."

Du Roy also replied cheerfully: "See you later, madam."

Madame de Marais left contented.

The guests are like an endless river, constantly rushing past Du Roy's eyes.Slowly, the number of people dwindled until the last group of guests left.

Du Roy took Susan's arm through the church and walked to the door.

The hall was full of people.The guests who had finished their congratulations sat back in their seats and watched the couple pass by.Du Roy walked slowly, with his head held high, his eyes fixed on the sunny doorway.He felt the shudder that accompanies people in moments of great happiness.At this time, Du Roy couldn't see anyone in his eyes, and he only thought about himself.

Walking to the door, he saw a crowd of people outside, and it was dark.These people are all here for him, just to see his demeanor du Roy.All Paris was looking at him and envious of him.

Du Roy looked up and saw the House of Representatives behind the Place de la Concorde, and felt as if he was about to jump from the Madeleine Church into the Bourbon Palace.

He walked down the tall steps in front of the church step by step.There were crowds of onlookers on both sides of the steps.However, Du Roy seemed to see nothing, and his thoughts returned to the past.In the blinding sunlight, the image of Madame de Maraire kept appearing before his eyes, and he seemed to see her combing her curly hair in the mirror; every time she got out of bed, her hair was always messy.

(End of this chapter)