Granville's estate

"Louis:

Recently, I was seriously considering whether to accept my boss's request to go to England to serve as the accounting director of the newspaper there. He promised that if I would go to London, I could have a monthly salary of 40 pounds plus subsidies. That is the income of 1000 francs.He also promised to equip me with a house and servants that fit my status. To be honest, my current maid is really lazy and greedy, and I can hardly stand her anymore.

But the main thing is because of Marguerite. I heard that she and the businessman bought a villa in the Italian countryside for seclusion. They may never return to Paris.That is well, Louis, and though I shall never see her again, I wish her well and hope that she will never come back to Paris.

Allerde, on June 1830, 6. "

Louis looked up from the letter from Alred, he took off the monocle he was wearing, stood up and put the letter in his hand into the elm box he used to hold letters-he had two Such a box, one of which contains only ordinary letters, and the other is full of letters from Paris, from Italy, or other places where Viscount Durand has been, and those letters will arrive on time at the end of each month, It went on for years without interruption, and yet they were never opened—then he went to the window and looked out.

In the summer, Magon is full of lush greenery. In the yard, Papa Peter is mending his shoes. The housekeeper gently pats the blue cloth covers of the chairs on the other side of the yard, exposing them to the sun; in the distance It is a continuous stretch of vineyards, in the green secret of nature, as if a carriage is slowly sliding past like a fish swimming in the water, it seems to be a public carriage of a post station.

This year, Calliste only lived in Magon for a month before returning to Paris in a hurry. Although he didn't say anything to Louis, the situation was so tense that even a person like Louis who didn't care about world affairs could make a difference. The degree of awareness: Since His Royal Highness the Count of Artois became king, one after another extremely controversial bills have been passed, and the censorship of news, newspapers, books and ideas has also been tightened step by step. The old nobles have received a lot of compensation, blasphemy Gods—or those who are only considered blasphemy will be hanged. Almost overnight, France seems to have returned to the era of absolute monarchy more than 40 years ago; and as the power of the king and the church expanded step by step, Those dissenting voices gradually echoed over France, and even the most severe censorship laws could not stop their spread.

Some people with a keen sense of smell have already smelled a certain smell wafting in the air, and realized that danger and turmoil are coming. Some people chose to temporarily leave France to "go abroad for vacation", while more people are waiting silently. A trial you don't know if it will come: rumor has it that the last king, Louis XVIII, said to his younger brother "You probably won't die in my bed" before he died, while Charles X said "I would rather cut down trees for a living than rule like the King of England." Which of these two kings will be true?

On July 1830, 7, the volcano that had accumulated for a long time finally erupted with a decree issued by Charles X.

It took two days for the newspapers to be delivered from Paris to Magon, and when the residents of Magon saw the papers printed with protests refusing to dissolve Parliament, Paris had only "broke out in terrible riots"; His Majesty King Charles X, who had ruled France for six years and worked to restore the divine right of kings, had been replaced by Regent, the Duke of Orléans, when the news of the king's refusal to negotiate.

On the evening of August 8, a carriage drove quickly through the narrow and winding streets of Magon and stopped in front of the Farentin house. When Calliste de Durand jumped out of the carriage and walked into the living room , Louis was sitting by the window, playing with a blue spelling glass ball in the dim light of dusk. After hearing footsteps, he raised his head to look at the Viscount.

"Louis."

Callisto's attire today was unexpectedly simple, not at all like a nobleman, but more like a businessman who has experienced a long journey; he stood by the door of the living room and looked at Louis, in the dim light Below, his silhouette resembles an ancient Greek marble statue.

They looked at each other for a long time at that short distance, as if time stopped flowing at this moment, and there were only the two of them left in the world.

"I came today to return this to you."

In the end, it was Callisto who crossed the distance between them first, just like he always walked towards Louis on his own initiative; he walked up to Louis and held out his hand to the person in front of him: a The enamel franc box with the Tan family crest lay quietly in his palm. It could be seen that the box was treasured with great care, and there was not even a scratch on the lid.

It was the franc box that Louis used to carry around.

"I've taken it from you for so many years, and now it's time to give it back to you." Callister said, looking at Louis' face greedily, as if he wanted to imprint his image in his heart, and never Forget: "I don't want it to leave me. In my heart, it is already a part of my life."

Louis' eyelashes trembled violently, and he lowered his eyes. Instead of asking Callister why he said such words suddenly, he quietly stretched out his hand to take the French box.

And when his fingers touched the exquisite surface of the Franc box, Callister suddenly raised his other hand, and put the Franc box and Louis's hands together in his palm.

"Louis," Callister said, he held Louis's hand tightly, not willing to let go for a moment: "Louis, there is a rebellion in Paris, and the king has lost the battle. I must follow him abroad."

"I might go to England, I might go to Italy, Spain or any other country."

"This is exile. I may return in a few months, or I may never return to France."

The Viscount paused for a moment, and he looked carefully at the person in front of him again for a long time, as if he had foreseen that if they separated today, they would never have the chance to meet again.

"Would you...would you like to come with me?"

He waited for Louis' answer, like waiting for the final judgment from the gods when the end came.

Louis looked up at the person in front of him.

Calliste de Durand standing in front of him is still very handsome, the years have not worn away his handsomeness, but added to him the charm of mature vicissitudes - but in fact, they are no longer young, since Mary It has been seven full years since they died, and when people pass the age of 40, they begin to enter old age and wait for the call of God at any time. How many seven years do they have to study?

From the acquaintance in Saint-Etienne in 1806, to the reunion in Paris in 1823, and then to 1830, the fate of life drifted with the turbulent tide of the times, but this time, fate threw them at the same intersection again.

He put his other hand on Callister's back.

Then, he gave the viscount and himself an answer.

"it is good."