International Short Stories: French

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Коллектив авторов. International Short Stories: French

A PIECE OF BREAD. BY FRANCOIS COPPEE

THE ELIXIR OF LIFE. BY HONORE DE BALZAC

THE AGE FOR LOVE. BY PAUL BOURGET

MATEO FALCONE. BY PROSPER MERIMEE

THE MIRROR. BY CATULLE MENDES

MY NEPHEW JOSEPH. BY LUDOVIC HALEVY

A FOREST BETROTHAL. BY ERCKMANN-CHATRIAN

ZADIG THE BABYLONIAN. BY FRANCOIS MARIE AROUET DE VOLTAIRE

THE BLIND OF ONE EYE

THE NOSE

THE ENVIOUS MAN

THE GENEROUS

THE MINISTER

THE DISPUTES AND THE AUDIENCES

JEALOUSY

THE WOMAN BEATEN

THE STONE

THE FUNERAL PILE

THE SUPPER

THE ROBBER

THE FISHERMAN

THE BASILISK

THE COMBATS

THE HERMIT

THE ENIGMAS

ABANDONED. BY GUY DE MAUPASSANT

THE GUILTY SECRET. BY PAUL DE KOCK

JEAN MONETTE. BY EUGENE FRANCOIS VIDOCQ

SOLANGE. DR. LEDRU'S STORY OF THE REIGN OF TERROR. BY ALEXANDRE DUMAS

THE BIRDS IN THE LETTER-BOX. BY RENE BAZIN

JEAN GOURDON'S FOUR DAYS. BY EMILE ZOLA

BARON DE TRENCK. BY CLEMENCE ROBERT

THE PASSAGE OF THE RED SEA. BY HENRY MURGER

THE WOMAN AND THE CAT. BY MARCEL PREVOST

GIL BLAS AND DR. SANGRADO. BY ALAIN RENE LE SAGE

A FIGHT WITH A CANNON. BY VICTOR HUGO

TONTON. BY A. CHENEVIERE

THE LAST LESSON. BY ALPHONSE DAUDET

CROISILLES. BY ALFRED DE MUSSET

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II

III

IV

V

VI

THE VASE OF CLAY. BY JEAN AICARD

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II

III

IV

Отрывок из книги

In a sumptuous palace of Ferrara, one winter evening, Don Juan Belvidéro was entertaining a prince of the house of Este. In those days a banquet was a marvelous affair, which demanded princely riches or the power of a nobleman. Seven pleasure-loving women chatted gaily around a table lighted by perfumed candles, surrounded by admirable works of art whose white marble stood out against the walls of red stucco and contrasted with the rich Turkey carpets. Clad in satin, glittering with gold and laden with gems which sparkled only less brilliantly than their eyes, they all told of passions, intense, but of various styles, like their beauty. They differed neither in their words nor their ideas; but an expression, a look, a motion or an emphasis served as a commentary, unrestrained, licentious, melancholy or bantering, to their words.

The woman sitting next to Belvidéro looked at him with flashing eyes. She was silent. "I should have no need to call on a bravo to kill my lover if he abandoned me." Then she had laughed; but a comfit dish of marvelous workmanship was shattered between her nervous fingers.

.....

This struggle had exhausted him, as if, like Jacob, he had battled with an angel.

At last he arose, saying: "So long as there is no blood – "

.....