“决斗前那天晚上，你一定非常难熬！”
“不，我睡得很好。”
“如果是我，就一夜不会合眼的，到了决斗场以后呢？你把那儿的情况也对我讲一讲。”
杜洛瓦于是活龙活现地讲述了起来：
“我们俩面对面地站着，彼此相距只有二十步，也就是这个房间长度的四倍。雅克问了问也们是否已准备好，接着便下了开枪的口令。我立即平稳地把枪举起来对准他的脑袋，问题就出在这里。我平常都用的是扳机灵活的手枪，而这把手枪的扳机却很紧，结果没有掌握好，而把子弹打飞了。不过倒也没有偏多少。我的那个死对头枪法也很不错。他射出的子弹从我太阳穴旁飞过时，我感到了一阵风。”
德•马莱尔夫人坐在他的腿上，并用两手紧紧地搂着他，好像要分担他所经历的危险。她喃喃地说道：
“啊，我可怜的宝贝，我可怜的心肝……”
待杜洛瓦讲完后，她又说道：
“你知道，我已离不开你，我希望能常常见到你。我丈夫在巴黎，这确实很不方便。不过在你早晨起床之前，我可以隔三岔五地抽出一小时，来同你相会。可是你住的那地方，实在可怕，我是不会再去的。这可怎么办呢？”
杜洛瓦灵机一动，问道：
“这套房间的租金是多少？”
“每月一百法郎。”
“那好，我干脆搬过来好了，租金由我付。以我现在的身份，那个房间已不合适。”
德•马莱尔夫人想了想，说道：
“不，不行。”
杜洛瓦惊讶地看着她：
“为什么不行？”
“因为……”
“别说了，这套房子对我很合适。我既然来了，也就不走了。”
说罢，他哈哈大笑：
“况且房子本来就是以我的名义租的。”
然而德•马莱尔夫人仍旧不同意：
“不，不行。”
“究竟怎么不行？”
她嗲声嗲气地在杜洛瓦耳边低声说道：
“因为你会带别的女人到这儿来，我可不希望……”
杜洛瓦满脸气愤：
“我怎会这样呢？你放心……”
“不，你会带来的。”
“那好，我向你发誓……”
“真的不带？”
“当然是真的，我以名誉担保。这是我们的家，我们两人的家。”
她情不自禁地紧紧搂着他：
“既然这样，当然可以，亲爱的。不过我要告诉你，你只要欺骗了我，那怕只是一次，我们的关系也就从此完了，永远完了。”
杜洛瓦又信誓旦旦地赌了一通咒。因此当下决定，他当天就搬过来。以后她从门前经过，便可进来看看他。
后来，她又说道：
“星期天，你还是来我家吃晚饭。我丈夫对你印象很好。”
杜洛瓦不禁有点得意起来：
“是吗？”
“当然，他对你夸不绝口。还有，你不是说过，你是在乡下一座别墅里长大的吗？”
“是呀，怎么啦？”
“地里的农活，你应该知道点喽？”
“是的。”
“你可以同他谈谈蔬菜的栽培和庄稼的播种，他可喜欢这些了。”
“好的，我知道了。”
德•马莱尔夫人吻了他一遍又一遍，才恋恋不舍地离他而去。经过这场决斗，她对他的爱如今是更形炽烈了。
在前往报馆途中，杜洛瓦心中却想的是：
“一个多么古怪的尤物，真叫人百思不得其解！天晓得，她天天想的是什么，喜欢的是什么？这两口子实在举世少有！也不知道老家伙同这没心没肺的女人是怎么突发奇想而走到一起的？不知道这位铁路巡视员当初是出于什么考虑而娶了一个刚出校门的女孩？这一切都是谜，谁能知道？但这也许就叫爱情吧？”
“不管怎样，作为一个情妇，她可是再好没有。我若把她丢掉，那可太愚蠢了，”杜洛瓦最后想。
Chapter 8 Death and a Proposal
Duroy moved his effects to the apartments in Rue de Constantinople. Two or three times a week, Mme. de-Marelle paid him visits. Duroy, to counterbalance them, dined at her house every Thursday, and delighted her husband by talking agriculture to him.
It was almost the end of February. Duroy was free from care. One night, when he returned home, he found a letter under his door. He examined the postmark; it was from Cannes. Having opened it, he read:
“Cannes, Villa Jolie.”
“Dear sir and friend: You told me, did you not, that I could
count upon you at any time? Very well. I have a favor to ask
of you; it is to come and help me — not to leave me alone during
Charles’s last moments. He may not live through the week,
although he is not confined to his bed, but the doctor has
warned me. I have not the strength nor the courage to see that
agony day and night, and I think with terror of the approaching
end I can only ask such a thing of you, for my husband has no
relatives. You were his comrade; he helped you to your
position; come, I beg of you; I have no one else to ask.”
“Your friend,”
“Madeleine Forestier.”
Georges murmured: “Certainly I will go. Poor Charles!”
The manager, to whom he communicated the contents of that letter, grumblingly gave his consent. He repeated: “But return speedily, you are indispensable to us.”
Georges Duroy left for Cannes the next day by the seven o’clock express, after having warned Mme. de Marelle by telegram. He arrived the following day at four o’clock in the afternoon. A commissionnaire conducted him to Villa Jolie. The house was small and low, and of the Italian style of architecture.
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