Le Rhin, Tome I by Victor Hugo
Le beau Pécopin aimait la belle Bauldour, et la belle Bauldour aimait le beau Pécopin. Pécopin était fils du burgrave de Sonneck, et Bauldour était fille du sire de Falkenburg. L'un avait la forêt, l'autre avait la montagne. Or quoi de plus simple que de marier la montagne à la forêt? Les deux pères s'entendirent, et l'on fian?a Bauldour à Pécopin.
Ce jour-là, c'était un jour d'avril, les sureaux et les aubépines en fleurs s'ouvraient au soleil dans la forêt, mille petites cascades charmantes, neiges et pluies changées en ruisseaux, horreurs de l'hiver devenues les graces du printemps, sautaient harmonieusement dans la montagne, et l'amour, cet avril de l'homme, chantait, rayonnait et s'épanouissait dans le c?ur des deux fiancés.
Le père de Pécopin, vieux et vaillant chevalier, l'honneur du Nahegau, mourut quelque temps après les accordailles, en bénissant son fils et en lui recommandant Bauldour. Pécopin pleura, puis peu à peu, de la tombe où son père avait disparu, ses yeux se reportèrent au doux et radieux visage de sa fiancée, et il se consola. Quand la lune se lève, songe-t-on au soleil couché?
Pécopin avait toutes les qualités d'un gentilhomme, d'un jeune homme et d'un homme. Bauldour était une reine dans le manoir, une sainte vierge à l'église, une nymphe dans les bois, une fée à l'ouvrage.
Pécopin était grand chasseur, et Bauldour était belle fileuse. Or il n'y a pas de haine entre le fuseau et la carnassière. La fileuse file pendant que le chasseur chasse. Il est absent, la quenouille console et désennuie. La meute aboie, le rouet chante. La meute qui est au loin et qu'on entend à peine, mêlée au cor et perdue profondément dans les halliers, dit tout bas avec un vague bruit de fanfare: Songe à ton amant. Le rouet, qui force la belle rêveuse à baisser les yeux, dit tout haut et sans cesse avec sa petite voix douce et sévère: Songe à ton mari. Et, quand le mari et l'amant ne font qu'un, tout va bien.
Mariez donc la fileuse au chasseur, et ne craignez rien.
Cependant, je dois le dire, Pécopin aimait trop la chasse. Quand il était sur son cheval, quand il avait le faucon au poing ou quand il suivait le tartaret du regard, quand il entendait le jappement féroce de ses limiers aux jambes torses, il partait, il volait, il oubliait tout. Or en aucune chose il ne faut excéder. Le bonheur est fait de modération. Tenez en équilibre vos go?ts et en bride vos appétits. Qui aime trop les chevaux et les chiens fache les femmes; qui aime trop les femmes fache Dieu.
Lorsque Bauldour, et cela arrivait souvent, lorsque Bauldour voyait Pécopin prêt à partir sur son cheval hennissant de joie et plus fier que s'il e?t porté Alexandre le Grand en habits impériaux, lorsqu'elle voyait Pécopin le flatter, lui passer la main sur le cou, et, éloignant l'éperon du flanc, présenter au palefroi un bouquet d'herbe pour le rafra?chir, Bauldour était jalouse du cheval. Quand Bauldour, cette noble et fière demoiselle, cet astre d'amour, de jeunesse et de beauté, voyait Pécopin caresser son dogue et approcher amicalement de son charmant et male visage cette tête camuse, ces gros naseaux, ces larges oreilles et cette gueule noire, Bauldour était jalouse du chien.
Elle rentrait dans sa chambre secrète, courroucée et triste, et elle pleurait. Puis elle grondait ses servantes, et après ses servantes elle grondait son nain. Car la colère chez les femmes est comme la pluie dans la forêt; elle tombe deux fois. Bis pluit.
Le soir Pécopin arrivait poudreux et fatigué. Bauldour boudait et murmurait un peu avec une larme dans le coin de son ?il bleu. Mais Pécopin baisait sa petite main, et elle se taisait; Pécopin baisait son beau front, et elle souriait.
Le front de Bauldour était blanc, pur et admirable comme la trompe d'ivoire du roi Charlemagne.
Puis elle se retirait dans sa tourelle et Pécopin dans la sienne. Elle ne souffrait jamais que ce chevalier lui pr?t la ceinture. Un soir il lui pressa légèrement le coude, et elle rougit très-fort. Elle était fiancée et non mariée. Pudeur est à la femme ce que chevalerie est à l'homme.
According to Wikipedia: "Victor-Marie Hugo (26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, essayist, visual artist, statesman, human rights activist and exponent of the Romantic movement in France. In France, Hugo's literary fame comes first from his poetry but also rests upon his novels and his dramatic achievements. Among many volumes of poetry, Les Contemplations and La Légende des siècles stand particularly high in critical esteem, and Hugo is sometimes identified as the greatest French poet. Outside France, his best-known works are the novels Les Misérables and Notre-Dame de Paris (known in English also as The Hunchback of Notre Dame). Though a committed conservative royalist when he was young, Hugo grew more liberal as the decades passed; he became a passionate supporter of republicanism, and his work touches upon most of the political and social issues and artistic trends of his time. He is buried in the Panthéon."
Notre-Dame de Paris (titre complet : Notre-Dame de Paris. 1482) est un roman historique de l'écrivain français Victor Hugo, publié en 1831.Le titre fait référence à la cathédrale de Paris, Notre-Dame, qui est un des lieux principaux de l'intrigue du roman. Le roman se compose de 59 chapitres répartis en onze livres. Dans la première édition du roman, paru chez Charles Gosselin en mars 1831, trois chapitres sont coupés en raison des contraintes de longueur imposées par l'éditeur : ce sont le chapitre « Impopularité » (IV, 4) ainsi que les deux chapitres formant le livre V (« Abbas beati Martini » et « Ceci tuera cela »). Ces chapitres sont publiés dans la deuxième édition, définitive, du roman et reproduits dans la présente édition
Les Misérables is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original French title. However, several alternatives have been used, including The Miserables, The Wretched, The Miserable Ones, The Poor Ones, The Wretched Poor, The Victims and The Dispossessed. Beginning in 1815 and culminating in the 1832 June Rebellion in Paris, the novel follows the lives and interactions of several characters, particularly the struggles of ex-convict Jean Valjean and his experience of redemption.
The Billionaire Betrayed Wife follows Rachael Morgan, an orphan whose search for love leads her into the ruthless world of the Blackwood family. Betrayed by her husband and tormented by her adoptive sister, Rachael's life spirals into chaos when she's cast out and left to survive on the streets, pregnant and alone. Just when all hope seems lost, a mysterious savior from her past rescues her, giving her the chance to heal and rebuild. Years later, she returns stronger, armed with a fierce desire for revenge. With her son by her side, Rachael will stop at nothing to destroy those who shattered her trust-even if it means risking everything to reclaim her life and her power.
She was a world-renowned divine doctor, the CEO of a publicly traded company, the most formidable female mercenary, and a top-tier tech genius. Marissa, a titan with a plethora of secret identities, had hidden her true stature to marry a seemingly impoverished young man. However, on the eve of their wedding, her fiance, who was actually the lost heir to a wealthy dynasty, called off the engagement and subjected her to degradation and mockery. Upon the revelation of her concealed identities, her ex-fiance was left stunned and desperately pleaded for her forgiveness. Standing protectively before Marissa, an incredibly influential and fearsome magnate declared, "This is my wife. Who would dare try to claim her?"
In order to fulfill her grandfather's last wish, Stella entered into a hasty marriage with an ordinary man she had never met before. However, even after becoming husband and wife on paper, they each led separate lives, barely crossing paths. A year later, Stella returned to Seamarsh City, hoping to finally meet her mysterious husband. To her astonishment, he sent her a text message, unexpectedly pleading for a divorce without ever having met her in person. Gritting her teeth, Stella replied, "So be it. Let’s get a divorce!" Following that, Stella made a bold move and joined the Prosperity Group, where she became a public relations officer that worked directly for the company’s CEO, Matthew. The handsome and enigmatic CEO was already bound in matrimony, and was known to be unwaveringly devoted to his wife in private. Unbeknownst to Stella, her mysterious husband was actually her boss, in his alternate identity! Determined to focus on her career, Stella deliberately kept her distance from the CEO, although she couldn't help but notice his deliberate attempts to get close to her. As time went on, her elusive husband had a change of heart. He suddenly refused to proceed with the divorce. When would his alternate identity be uncovered? Amidst a tumultuous blend of deception and profound love, what destiny awaited them?
Endless caresses, endless kisses. Clinging to him as if her life depended on it, her body ached for more and she arched into the touch to receive more, more pleasure. "Oh darling, you taste so delicious, I can't get enough." He rubbed himself against her, telling her how much he wanted her, his deep, gruff voice resonating in her head. Her body also desired him. "Come for me, baby," He gave the order, and her body obeyed, following his command. "No!" she yelled, opening her eyes abruptly. Feeling confused and guilty, she gasped and sat up in bed. Scarlett's life takes an unexpected when she discovers that she is pregnant by a stranger with whom she had a one-night stand. She was humiliated and disowned by her parents. She ran away from the pack to start a new life. Will Scarlett find her way back to the father of her kids? What happens when he finds her and does everything possible to make her his? Will they scale through the challenges that life would throw at them? ***** Scarlett wakes up in bed with a stranger and doesn't even remember how she got there. She later discovers that the man she spent that night with was the Lycan King.
Dear readers, this book has resumed daily updates. It took Sabrina three whole years to realize that her husband, Tyrone didn't have a heart. He was the coldest and most indifferent man she had ever met. He never smiled at her, let alone treated her like his wife. To make matters worse, the return of the woman he had eyes for brought Sabrina nothing but divorce papers. Sabrina's heart broke. Hoping that there was still a chance for them to work on their marriage, she asked, "Quick question,Tyrone. Would you still divorce me if I told you that I was pregnant?" "Absolutely!" he responded. Realizing that she didn't mean shit to him, Sabrina decided to let go. She signed the divorce agreement while lying on her sickbed with a broken heart. Surprisingly, that wasn't the end for the couple. It was as if scales fell off Tyrone's eyes after she signed the divorce agreement. The once so heartless man groveled at her bedside and pleaded, "Sabrina, I made a big mistake. Please don't divorce me. I promise to change." Sabrina smiled weakly, not knowing what to do...
After hiding her true identity throughout her three-year marriage to Colton, Allison had committed wholeheartedly, only to find herself neglected and pushed toward divorce. Disheartened, she set out to rediscover her true self-a talented perfumer, the mastermind of a famous intelligence agency, and the heir to a secret hacker network. Realizing his mistakes, Colton expressed his regret. "I know I messed up. Please, give me another chance." Yet, Kellan, a once-disabled tycoon, stood up from his wheelchair, took Allison's hand, and scoffed dismissively, "You think she'll take you back? Dream on."