Peter Ibbetson by George Du Maurier

Author:George Du Maurier
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Literature
Publisher: eBooksLib
Published: 2003-11-04T00:00:00+00:00

I. Oh, of course!

"'Maman, les p'tits bateaux

Qui vont sur l'eau,

Ont-ils des jambes?'"

She. "That's it!"

"'Eh oui, petit bêta!

S'ils n'avaient pas

Ils n'march'raient pas!'"

She sank back in her chair, pale and prostrate. After a while –

She. "And then I gave you good advice about how to dream true, and we got to my old house, and I tried to make you read the letters on the portico, and you read them wrong, and I laughed."

I. "Yes; I read 'Tête Noire.' Wasn't it idiotic?"

She. "And then I touched you again and you read 'Parvis Notre Dame.'"

I. "Yes! and you touched me again, and I read 'Parva sed Apta' – small but fit."

She. "Is that what it means? Why, when you were a boy, you told me sed apta was all one word, and was the Latin for 'Pavilion.' I believed it ever since, and thought 'Parva sed Apta' meant petit pavillon!"

I. "I blush for my bad Latin! After this you gave me good advice again, about not touching anything or picking flowers. I never have. And then you went away into the park – the light went out of my life, sleeping or waking. I have never been able to dream of you since. I don't suppose I shall ever meet you again after to-day!"

After this we were silent for a long time, though I hummed and hawed now and then, and tried to speak. I was sick with the conflict of my feelings. At length she said –

"Dear Mr. Ibbetson, this is all so extraordinary that I must go away and think it all over. I cannot tell you what it has been to me to meet you once more. And that double dream, common to us both! Oh, I am dazed beyond expression, and feel as if I were dreaming now – except that this all seems so unreal and impossible – so untrue! We had better part now. I don't know if I shall ever meet you again. You will be often in my thoughts, but never in my dreams again – that, at least, I can command – nor I in yours; it must not be. My poor father taught me how to dream before he died, that I might find innocent consolation in dreams for my waking troubles, which are many and great, as his were. If I can see that any good may come of it, I will write – but no – you must not expect a letter. I will now say good-bye and leave you. You go to-day, do you not? That is best. I think this had better be a final adieu. I cannot tell you of what interest you are to me and always have been. I thought you had died long ago. We shall often think of each other – that is inevitable – but never, never dream. That will not do.

"Dear Mr. Ibbetson, I wish you all the good that one human being can wish another. And now goodbye, and may God

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.