Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Part IV - II
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256 THE CONFESSION OF A FOOL
confined herself to the repetition of the words: "To
understand one another,"’ "To comprehend each other’s
nature and ideas." She blamed my failure to understand
her for the unhappiness of our marriage. But I could
swear that she herself never understood a single word of
the language of her learned poet.
Amongst the number of her letters there was one which
reawakened my old suspicions. I had mentioned my
intention to live permanently abroad, if I was fortunate
enough to escape the meshes of the law.
This upset her ; she scolded me, threatened me with
the loss of her love ; she appealed to my pity, went down
on her knees before me, as it were, evoked the memory of
my mother, and confessed that the thought of never again
seeing her country (by which she did not mean Finland)
sent cold shudders down her spine and would kill her.
Why cold shudders? I wondered. . . .
To this day I have not found an explanation.
I was acquitted. A banquet was given in my honour,
and—oh, irony of fate ! —Marie’s health was drunk
"because she had persuaded me to appear personally
before my judges."
It was indeed amusing !
As soon as possible I returned to Geneva, where my
family had lived during my absence. To my great
surprise Marie, Avhom I had believed to be ill and in bed,
met me at the station ; she looked well and happy, but a
trifle absent-minded.
I soon recovered my spirits, and the evening and night
which followed fully compensated me for all the sufferings
I had endured during those six weeks.
On the following day I discovered that we were living
in a boarding-house which was mainly patronised by
students and light women. While listening to their
chatter, it came home to me with a pang that Marie had
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