Volume I Part 4 (1/2)

and returned to his cards When they were convinced that there was nothing to be got out of hio to bed, and left hiain pretty early the next day, filled with an indefinite hope, a still keener desire to be gone, and a horror of another day to be got through in this odious tavern

Alas! the horses were still in the stable and the coach better to do, they sadly wandered round the diligence

Lunch was very depressing, and a certain chilliness had sprung up with regard to Boule de Suif, for the night--which brings counsel--had somewhat modified the heat of their opinions They were alone to the Prussian secretly, and thus prepared a pleasant surprise for her co What could be simpler, and, after all, ould have been any the wiser? Shethe officer that she could not bear to see their distress any longer It could make so very little difference to her one way or another!

But, as yet, nobody confessed to these thoughts

In the afternoon, as they were feeling bored to extinction, the Count proposed a walk round the village Everybody wrapped up carefully and the little party started, with the exception of Cornudet, who preferred sitting by the fire, and the two Sisters, who passed their days in the church or with the cure

The cold--grown more intense each day--nipped their noses and ears viciously, and the feet becaht sight of the open stretch of country it appeared to theubrious under its illi that they turned back with one accord, their hearts constricted, their spirits below zero The four ladies walked in front, the three hly took in the situation, suddenly broke out, ”How long was this fool of a girl going to keep the on in this hole?” The Count, courteous as ever, observed that one could not demand so painful a sacrifice of any woman--the offer must come from her

Monsieur Carre-Lamadon remarked that if--as there was every reason to believe--the French made an offensive counter-march by way of Dieppe, the collision could only take place at Totes This reflection greatly alarested Loiseau The Count shrugged his shoulders ”How can you think of such a thing in this snow--and with our wives? Besides which, we should instantly be pursued, caught in ten ht back prisoners at the mercy of these soldiers” This was incontestable--there was nothing more to be said

The ladies talked dress, but a certain constraint seemed to have risen up between them

All at once, at the end of the street, the officer caure, like a wasp in uniforround of snow, and walking with his knees well apart, with thatto save their carefully polished boots fro the ladies he bowed, but only stared contenity not to lift their hats, though Loiseau esture in that direction

Boule de Suif blushed up to her eyes, and the three married women felt it a deep humiliation to have encountered this soldier while they were in the co woman he had treated so cavalierly

The conversation then turned upon hieneral appearance, his face

Madareat e of them ”en connoisseur,” considered this one really not half bad--she even regretted that he was not French, he would havehussar, and would certainly have been ain, they did not knohat to do with thenificant pretexts The silent dinner did not last long, and they shortly afterwards went to bed, hoping to kill ti with jaded faces and tee The women scarcely addressed a word to Boule de Suif

Presently the church bell began to ring; it was for a christening Boule de Suif had a child out at nurse with some peasants near Yvetot She did not see it once in a year and never gave it a thought, but the idea of this baby which was going to be baptized filled her heart with sudden and violent tenderness for her own, and nothing would satisfy her but that she should assist at the cereone than they all looked at one another and proceeded to draw up their chairs; for everybody felt that things had co must be decided upon Loiseau had an inspiration: that they should propose to the officer to keep Boule de Suif and let the rest go

Monsieur Follenvie undertook the mission, but returned ale of human nature, had simply turned hi as his desire was unsatisfied

At this Madaot the better of her ”But surely we are not going to sit down cale! As that is her trade, I don't see that she has any right to refuse one et in Rouen, down to the very cab drivers Oh, yes, I know it positively froht his wine at our shop And nohen it lies with her to get us out of this scrape, she pretends to be particular--the brazen hussy! For my part, I consider the officer has behaved very well! He has probably not had a chance for some time, and there were three here whom, no doubt, he would have preferred; but no--he is content to take the one who is public property He respects married women Remember, he is master here He had only to say 'I will,'

and he could have taken us by force with his soldiers!”

A little shudder ran through the other tomen Pretty little Madame Carre-Lah she already felt herself forcibly seized by the officer

Thethewith rage, was for delivering up ”the hussy” bound hand and foot to the eneenerations of aifted with the physique of the diplomatist, was on the side of skill as opposed to brute force

”She must be persuaded,” he said Whereupon they conspired

The woether, voices were lowered, and the discussion beca was said to shock the proprieties The ladies, in particular, weresubtleties of speech for expressing the ner would have understood nothing, the language was so carefully veiled But as the slight coating of modesty hich every woman of the world is enveloped is hardly more than skin deep, they expanded under the influence of this equivocal adventure, enjoying thehly in their eleusto of an epicurean cook preparing a toothsome delicacy for somebody else

The story finally appeared to them so funny that they quite recovered their spirits The Count indulged in some rather risky pleasantries, but so well put that they raised a responsive s jokes which nobody took in bad part, and the brutal proposition expressed by his wife swayed all their minds: ”As that is her trade, why refuse one man more than another?” Little Madame Carre-Lamadon seemed even to think that in her place she would refuse this one less readily than another

They were long in preparing the blockade, as if against an invested fortress Each one agreed upon the part they would play, the argu forward, the ed the plan of attack, the stratagems to be e this living citadel to receive the eneates Cornudet alone held aloof, completely outside the affair

They were so profoundly occupied with the matter in hand that they never heard Boule de Suif enter the roo ”Hush!+” and they lifted their heads She was there The talking ceased abruptly, and a certain feeling of e her at first, till the Countess, -roo