Camille (La Dame aux Camilias)
Page 29I saw what was coming as soon as the pain caused by the spectacle should
have abated and thus ceased to sustain him. I went up to the inspector.
"Is this gentleman's presence still necessary?" I said, pointing to
Armand.
"No," he replied, "and I should advise you to take him away. He looks
ill."
"Come," I said to Armand, taking him by the arm.
"What?" he said, looking at me as if he did not recognise me.
"It is all over," I added. "You must come, my friend; you are quite
white; you are cold. These emotions will be too much for you."
a step.
I took him by the arm and led him along. He let himself be guided like a
child, only from time to time murmuring, "Did you see her eyes?" and he
turned as if the vision had recalled her.
Nevertheless, his steps became more irregular; he seemed to walk by a
series of jerks; his teeth chattered; his hands were cold; a violent
agitation ran through his body. I spoke to him; he did not answer. He
was just able to let himself be led along. A cab was waiting at the
gate. It was only just in time. Scarcely had he seated himself, when the
the midst of which his fear of frightening me made him press my hand and
whisper: "It is nothing, nothing. I want to weep."
His chest laboured, his eyes were injected with blood, but no tears
came. I made him smell the salts which I had with me, and when we
reached his house only the shivering remained.
With the help of his servant I put him to bed, lit a big fire in
his room, and hurried off to my doctor, to whom I told all that had
happened. He hastened with me.
Armand was flushed and delirious; he stammered out disconnected words,
"Well?" I said to the doctor when he had examined the patient.
"Well, he has neither more nor less than brain fever, and very lucky it
is for him, for I firmly believe (God forgive me!) that he would have
gone out of his mind. Fortunately, the physical malady will kill the
mental one, and in a month's time he will be free from the one and
perhaps from the other."