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THE CONFESSION OF A FOOL 201
tliat sort were legal offences ? What was the use of trying
to convince her that medical books termed caresses cal-
culated to arouse amorous feelings in others " vicious " ?
I, I was the debauchee, steeped in vice. Nothing could
persuade her to stop her innocent gambols.
She belonged to that class of unconscious criminals
who should be confined in a house of correction and not
allowed to be at large.
Towards the end of the spring she introduced a new
friend, one of her colleagues, a woman of about thirty,
a fellow sufferer, threatened, like Marie herself, with the
lapse of her contract, and therefore, in my opinion,
worthy of compassion. I was sorry to see this woman,
once a celebrated beauty, reduced to such straits. No
one knew why her contract was not to be renewed, unless
it was because of the engagement of the daughter of a
famous actress ; one triumph always demands hecatombs
of victims.
Nevertheless, I did not like her ; she was self-assertive
and always gave me the impression of a woman on the
look-out for prey. She flattered me, tried to fascinate
me, in order, no doubt, to take advantage of me.
Jealous scenes took place occasionally between the old
friend and the new one, one abused the other, but I
refused to take sides. . . .
Before the summer was over Marie was expecting
another baby. Her confinement would take place in
February. It came upon us like a bolt from the blue.
It was now necessary to strain every effort to make port
before the fatal day dawned.
My novel appeared in November. It was an enormous
success. Money was plentiful, we were saved !
I had reached the goal. I breathed freely. I had made
my way ; I was appreciated at last and hailed with
acclamations as a master. The years of trouble and black
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