She read novels, she compared the young man to Laurent,
and found the latter very coarse and heavy. Her reading revealed to her
romantic scenes that, hitherto, she had ignored. She had only loved with
blood and nerves, as yet, and she now began to love with her head. Then,
one day, the student disappeared. No doubt he had moved. In a few hours
Therese had forgotten him.
She now subscribed to a circulating library, and conceived a passion for
the heroes of all the stories that passed under her eyes. This sudden
love for reading had great influence on her temperament. She acquired
nervous sensibility which caused her to laugh and cry without any
motive. The equilibrium which had shown a tendency to be established in
her, was upset. She fell into a sort of vague meditation. At moments,
she became disturbed by thoughts of Camille, and she dreamt of Laurent
and fresh love, full of terror and distrust. She again became a prey
to anguish. At one moment she sought for the means of marrying her
sweetheart at that very instant, at another she had an idea of running
away never to see him again.
The novels, which spoke to her of chastity and honour, placed a sort
of obstacle between her instincts and her will.
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