He emptied the bottle and said: “Oh, pardon, perhaps you would have taken some more, I am so terribly absentminded. And I’m afraid I have drunk too much, et je n’ai pas la tête forte. There was a time when I lived on the Morskaya au rez-de-chaussée . I had a delightful little flat and furniture—you know I had a knack for arranging things elegantly and not too expensively. It is true mon père gave me the crockery, and plants, and excellent silver plate. Le matin je sortais , then calls, at five o’clock regulièrement I went to dine with her, and often found her alone. Il faut avouer que c’était une femme ravissante! Did you not know her? Not at all?”
“No.”
“You know, there was so much of that womanliness about her, that tenderness, and then such love! … Oh God! I did not know how to value my happiness then. … Or when we returned from the theatre and had supper together. It was never dull in her company, toujours gaie, toujours aimante . Yes, I did not then foresee how rare a joy it was. Et