She was elegantly dressed; she wore a muslin dress with many flounces,
an Indian shawl embroidered at the corners with gold and silk flowers,
a straw hat, a single bracelet, and a heavy gold chain, such as was just
then beginning to be the fashion.
She returned to her carriage and drove away. One of the shopmen stood at
the door looking after his elegant customer's carriage. I went up to him
and asked him what was the lady's name.
"Mademoiselle Marguerite Gautier," he replied. I dared not ask him for
her address, and went on my way.
The recollection of this vision, for it was really a vision, would not
leave my mind like so many visions I had seen, and I looked everywhere
for this royally beautiful woman in white.
A few days later there was a great performance at the Opera Comique. The
first person I saw in one of the boxes was Marguerite Gautier.
The young man whom I was with recognised her immediately, for he said to
me, mentioning her name: "Look at that pretty girl."
At that moment Marguerite turned her opera-glass in our direction and,
seeing my friend, smiled and beckoned to him to come to her.
"I will go and say 'How do you do?' to her," he said, "and will be back
in a moment."
"I could not help saying 'Happy man!'"
"Why?"
"To go and see that woman."
"Are you in love with her?"
"No," I said, flushing, for I really did not know what to say; "but I
should very much like to know her."
"Come with me. I will introduce you."
"Ask her if you may."
"Really, there is no need to be particular with her; come."
What he said troubled me. I feared to discover that Marguerite was not
worthy of the sentiment which I felt for her.
In a book of Alphonse Karr entitles Am Rauchen, there is a man who one
evening follows a very elegant woman, with whom he had fallen in love
with at first sight on account of her beauty. Only to kiss her hand he
felt that he had the strength to undertake anything, the will to conquer
anything, the courage to achieve anything. He scarcely dares glance at
the trim ankle which she shows as she holds her dress out of the mud.
While he is dreaming of all that he would do to possess this woman, she
stops at the corner of the street and asks if he will come home with
her. He turns his head, crosses the street, and goes sadly back to his
own house.