Status Updates From Bruges-la-Morte

The adterward points out the (obvious) Orpheus and Eurydice comparison which due to my monomanical fixation on the Christian parallels I had missed. Small wonder that Bruges doesn't have a statue to Rodenbach, a novel ending in femicide can be overlooked but an implicit comparison of the town to Hades - never!

Et des cloches tintaient...

A lietmotiv in the story, "ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee" ? Or something like that?

Et comme Bruges aussi était triste en ces fins d'après-midi! Il l'aimait ainsi! C'est pour sa tristesse même qu'il l'avait choisie et y était venu vivre après le grand désastre.
...
A l'épouse morte devait correspondre une ville morte.

Not sentiments that the town of Bruges currently draws upon to promote tourism

i haven't seen a man yearn for his dead wife like this since dr. phibes