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Céline! . . . the Hotel Simplon is asleep and its guests . . . under a spell! . . . only a bomb can wake them! . . . I'm joking, Monsieur Céline . . . to tell the truth, this valley is a paradise . . . nowhere in the world such trees, such groves . . . perhaps at Tsar-skoïe-Selo? . . . and the willows hanging over the Oos . . . not leaves but tears of gold and silver . . . an enchantment, you can't deny it . . . and so many birds . . ."
    "Marvelous, Madame von Dopf!"
    "In the days of Max of Baden we may have had more nests . . . there was a Society, for the birds of Lichtenthal. . . they had their sanctuary, planted with chickenweed and hemp-seed . . . and for migratory birds another sanctuary in the rocks . . . in those days they took care of everything . . ."
    I wasn't going to point out to her that if die birds were squawking all around us it~Was because of Bébert, who stuck right with us, the faithful torn! . . . he followed at our heels. . . thinking of titmice, warblers, and robins . . . he and the birds understood each other, in a certain way . . .
    I've been talking a lot about Madame von Dopf, I haven't shown her to you . . . an elderly lady, slight and frail, dressed in violet satin . . . half-mourning . . . oh, but not sad! always ready to laugh . . . not the least dismayed by the things that were happening . . . they gave her a kick . . . "Jewels I hadn't worn since I went into mourning" . . . she wore them all . . . three necklaces, rings, beautiful bracelets . . . "A showcase, Monsieur Céline, a showcase! . . . all that was left of my house! . . . I'm ridiculous, aren't I? . . . a young woman dresses to please, an old woman to look rich, you've got to be rich or go under! . . . My nieces now . . . they came to see me in Potsdam . . . they were going to be married soon . . . my house was enormous, too big, four stories, my husband's offices, much too big for me . . . I was thinking of coming here to end my days . . . I'd have given them my house . . . Hitler solved that problem . . . It's too comical!. . . where are my nieces now, I wonder? . . . I'll probably never see them again . . . and where do you think I shall end? . . . at the Hotel Simplon? . . . under another bomb? Oh, certainly not in the Oos! . . . nobody has ever succeeded in drowning himself in the Oos! . . . not a single gambler . . . not even the unluckiest! . . . at Monte Carlo everybody can drown himself! the sea is right there . . . here the Oos is made to order for the Casino! . . . it laps and gurgles but never drowns anybody, never! . . . do you hear it? . . . an amusing detail, Monsieur Céline: the gurgling can be regulated, it varies with the time of day and the weather . . . regulated by a maiden lady employed by the Casino and the Society of Springs and Fountains . . . the Oos must neither splash nor disturb nor drown . . . it must charm! . . . the Valley authorities think of everything . . . everything here must be as in a dream . . . you can see for yourself . . ."
    That didn't exactly apply to us . . . for my money our life was no dream . . . extra-crummy reality! . . . like now in '59 . . . the bourgeoisie try so hard to think they're still living in 1900 . . . stupid masquerade! . . . yes, you can't deny it, certain attractions, old-time plush, all so cushioned and reassuring . . . Gypsy serenades for centuries and centuries of debauchery . . . but for us branded beasts, don't make me laugh! you seldom see animals enjoying themselves in front of the slaughter-bouse . . . a cute monument even so! worth looking at even for us hunted animals! Russian church . . . five cupolas, enormous gold onions against the blue sky . . . quite an effect, you say. . . .' oh yes! oh, what a dazzling prayer! . . . the pope is there, waiting . . . waiting for the tsars to come back . . . or some grand duke at least . . . two have turned up since 1917 . . . donors neither one . . . came to borrow icons . . . to exhibit them in Rome . . . . the