2.M.6.7. ADVENTURES OF THE LETTER U DELIVERED OVER TO
CONJECTURES
ISOLATION, detachment, from everything, pride, independence,
the taste of nature, the absence of daily and material
activity, the life within himself, the secret conflicts of
chastity,
a benevolent ecstasy towards all creation, had prepared Marius
for this possession which is called passion. His worship of his
father had gradually become a religion, and, like all religions,
it had retreated to the depths of his soul. Something was
required in the foreground. Love came.
A full month elapsed, during which Marius went every day
to the Luxembourg. When the hour arrived, nothing could
hold him back. — "He is on duty," said Courfeyrac. Marius
lived in a state of delight. It is certain that the young girl
did look at him.
He had finally grown bold, and approached the bench.
Still, he did not pass in front of it any more, in obedience to
the instinct of timidity and to the instinct of prudence common
to lovers. He considered it better not to attract "the
attention of the father." He combined his stations behind
the trees and the pedestals of the statues with a profound
diplomacy, so that he might be seen as much as possible by
the young girl and as little as possible by the old gentleman.
Sometimes, he remained motionless by the half-hour together
in the shade of a Leonidas or a Spartacus, holding in his hand
a book, above which his eyes, gently raised, sought the beautiful
girl, and she, on her side, turned her charming profile
towards him with a vague smile. While conversing in the
most natural and tranquil manner in the world with the
white-haired man, she bent upon Marius all the reveries of a
virginal and passionate eye. Ancient and time-honored
manoeuvre which Eve understood from the very first day of
the world, and which every woman understands from the very
first day of her life! her mouth replied to one, and her glance
replied to another.
It must be supposed, that M. Leblanc finally noticed
something,
for often, when Marius arrived, he rose and began to
walk about. He had abandoned their accustomed place and
had adopted the bench by the Gladiator, near the other end of
the walk, as though with the object of seeing whether Marius
would pursue them thither. Marius did not understand, and
committed this error. "The father" began to grow inexact,
and no longer brought "his daughter" every day. Sometimes,
he came alone. Then Marius did not stay. Another blunder.
Marius paid no heed to these symptoms. From the phase of
timidity, he had passed, by a natural and fatal progress, to the
phase of blindness. His love increased. He dreamed of it
every night. And then, an unexpected bliss had happened to
him, oil on the fire, a redoubling of the shadows over his eyes.
One evening, at dusk, he had found, on the bench which "M.
Leblanc and his daughter" had just quitted, a handkerchief, a
very simple handkerchief, without embroidery, but white, and
fine, and which seemed to him to exhale ineffable perfume.
He seized it with rapture. This handkerchief was marked
with the letters U. F. Marius knew nothing about this beautiful
child, — neither her family name, her Christian name nor
her abode; these two letters were the first thing of her that
he had gained possession of, adorable initials, upon which he
immediately began to construct his scaffolding. U was evidently
the Christian name. "Ursule!" he thought, "what
a delicious name!" He kissed the handkerchief, drank it in,
placed it on his heart, on his flesh, during the day, and at
night, laid it beneath his lips that he might fall asleep on it.
"I feel that her whole soul lies within it!" he
exclaimed.
This handkerchief belonged to the old gentleman, who had
simply let it fall from his pocket.
In the days which followed the finding of this treasure,
he
only displayed himself at the Luxembourg in the act of kissing
the handkerchief and laying it on his heart. The beautiful
child understood nothing of all this, and signified it to him by
imperceptible signs.
"O modesty!" said Marius.