"Adieu," she said once more.
"To-morrow, then," added Gaguine.
The boat reached the shore; I jumped out of it and looked behind me, but
I no longer saw any one on the other bank. The reflection of the moon
spread out again, like a bridge of gold, from one bank of the river to
the other.
The last chords of a waltz of Lanner's could be heard, as if bidding me
a farewell. Gaguine was right; these far-away sounds moved me strangely.
I regained the house through the fields, shrouded in a profound
obscurity, inhaling slowly the balmy air; and when I had re-entered my
little room, I felt troubled to the bottom of my soul by the confused
expectation of an undefined happiness. What do I say? I was already
happy; why? I could not have told what I wanted, nor of what I was
thinking, and yet I was happy.
At the time this superabundance of strange and delicious sensations
almost made me laugh; I quickly went to bed, and just as I was closing
my eyes I suddenly remembered that I had not thought the whole evening
of my faithless one.--What does this mean, I asked myself; is it that I
am no longer in love? But that question remained unanswered, and I slept
like a child in its cradle.