This is one of the new stories by Villiers de l’Isle-Adam, Véra, written in the 19th century that takes us into a fantastical universe. The story is very short and written in a style very similar to prose poems.
»Last night, his beloved woman had passed away in such deep joy, lost in such exquisite caresses, that her broken heart from the delights had failed: her lips had suddenly become wet with a deadly purple. Not even had she had time to give her husband a kiss of farewell, smiling, without a word; then her long eyelashes, like the sails of a mourning veil, had descended over the beautiful night of her eyes.»
Cartier
The Count of Athol and Véra live a passionate love affair. After his brutal death, he decides to isolate himself in his house with his servant, Raymond, continuing to live as if his wife were present. Reality is thrown into doubt, leaving the reader confused, wondering if Véra has truly died.
And in this dark and unreal atmosphere, a necklace seems to be linked to Vera…
The sparkle of the pearls and the opal that make up it give it life… before finally fading away.
Van Cleef & Arpels
«He stood up, and, in the bluish ice, he saw himself paler than usual. He took a bead bracelet from a cup and looked at the beads carefully. Had Véra not taken them off his arm just now, before he vomited?
The pearls were still warm and their touch softer, like the warmth of her flesh. And the opaline from this Siberian necklace, which also loved Vera’s beautiful breasts, even turned pale, awkwardly, in its gold frame, when the young woman forgot about it for a while!
Once upon a time, the Countess loved this faithful pet!…
Tonight the opal shone as if it had just been left behind, and as if the exquisite magnetism of the beautiful dead still permeated it.
Chaumet
Reality or imagination?
It’s up to you to form your own opinion by reading Véra, the new novel by Villiers de l’Isle-Adam.
