Volume I Part 46 (1/2)
”I did not venture to speak to Monsieur Beaurain about this at first I knew that he would make fun of me, and send me back to sell my needles and cotton! And then, to speak the truth, Monsieur Beaurain never said lass, I also understood quite well, that I also no longer appealed to anyone!
”Well, I made up my mind, and I proposed an excursion into the country to hireed without any distrust, and we arrived here this ain when I got arows old! And really, I no longer saw my husband as he is at present, but just like he was formerly! That I will swear to you, Monsieur As true as I aan to kiss him, and he was more surprised than if I had tried toto !
What is the matter with you?' I did not listen to him, I only listened to my own heart, and I made him come into the woods with me
There it is I have spoken the truth, Monsieur le Maire, the whole truth”
The Mayor was a sensible man He rose from his chair, smiled, and said: ”Go in peace, Madame, and sin noto see ht of for fifteen years Formerly he used to be , quiet and happy evenings with him; he was one of those men to whom one tells one's most inti tranquilly, rare, clever, ingenious and refined thoughts, which excite the mind and put it at its ease
For years we had scarcely been separated; we had lived, traveled, thought and drea, had admired the same books, comprehended the same works, shi+vered with the sahed at the same individuals, e understood colance
Then he irl from the provinces, who had come to Paris in search of a husband How ever could that little, thin, insipidly fair girl, with her weak hands, her light, vacant eyes, and her clear silly voice, as exactly like a hundred thousand ent, clever young fellow? Can anyone understand these things? No doubt he had hoped for happiness, siood, tender and faithful woman; he had seen all that in the transparent looks of that school girl with light hair
He had not drearows tired as soon as he has comprehended the stupid reality, unless indeed, he beco ain? Still lively, witty, light hearted and enthusiastic, or in a state of reat deal in the course of fifteen years!
The train stopped at a se, a stout, a very stoutstoe!” I enized hirown thin!” And he replied with a laugh: ”What did you expect? Good living, a good table and good nights! Eating and sleeping, that isto find the features I held so dear in that broad face His eyes alone had not altered, but I no longer saw the same looks in them, and I said to hts in that head are not what they used to be forhts which I kneell”
Yet his eyes were bright, full of pleasure and friendshi+p, but they had not that clear, intelligent expression, which expresses as much as words do, the value of the mind Suddenly he said to irl of fourteen, as almost a woman, and a boy of thirteen, in the dress of a boy fro and aard manner, and I said in a low voice: ”Are they yours?” ”Of course they are,” he replied laughing ”How many have you?”
”Five! There are three more indoors”
He said that in a proud, self-satisfied, alled with a feeling of vague contelorious and sihts in his country house in e, which he drove hiloo in the streets except a few dogs and two or threeat his door took off his hat, and Simon returned his salute and told me the man's name; no doubt to show ht strucka candidate for the Chamber of Deputies, that dream of all who have buried themselves in the provinces
We were soon out of the town, and the carriage turned into a garden, which had so a park, and stopped in front of a turretted house, which tried to pass for a chateau
”That is ht be cohtful
A lady appeared on the steps, dressed up for a visitor, her hair done for a visitor, and with phrases ready prepared for a visitor She was no longer the light haired, insipid girl I had seen in church fifteen years previously, but a stout lady in curls and flounces, one of those ladies without any fixed age, without intellect, without any of those things which constitute a woman In short, she was a mother, a stout, commonplace mother, the human layer and brood mare, that machine of flesh which procreates without any otherbook
She welcoed according to their height, seemed set out for review, like firemen before a mayor, and I said: ”Ah! ah! so these are the others?” And Simon, as radiant with pleasure, named the-room was open I went in and in the depths of an easy-chair I saw so, a man, an old, paralyzed randfather, Monsieur; he is eighty-seven” And then she shouted into the shaking old entleood day” to me, and he muttered: ”Oua, oua, oua,” and waved his hand, and I took a seat, saying: ”You are very kind, Monsieur”
Sih: ”So! You have randpapa's acquaintance He is priceless, is that old reedy that he almost kills himself at every meal; you have no idea what he would eat if he were allowed to do as he pleased But you will see, you will see He likes all the sweets as if they were sofunnier; you will see it presently”