"Wheredidyoumeetthepartnerinyourmisdemeanor?"
"Sheismywife,mo;
"Yourwife?"
"Yes,mo;
"Then-then-youdoher-inParis?"
"Ibegyourpardowearelivi;
"Butinthatustbemad,altogethermad,mydearsir,togetcaughtplayihetryatteno'them。"
Thehaberdasherseemedreadytocrywithshame,aered:"Itwasshewhoeoldheritwasverystupid,butwhenawomahingintoherhead-youknow-youotgetitout。"
Themayor,wholikedajoke,smileda;Inyourcase,thetraryoughttohavehappened。Youwouldnotbehere,ifshehadhadtheideaonlyi;
ThenMonsieurBeauaihrageandturningtohiswife,hesaid:"Doyouseetowhatyhtuswithyourpoetry?Andnowweshallhavetogobeforethecourtsate,forabreaorals!Andweshallhavetoshutuptheshop,selloodwill,andgotoshborhood!That'swhatithaseto。"
MadameBeauraingotup,andwithoutlookingatherhusband,sheexplaihoutembarrassment,withoutuselessmodesty,andalmostwithouthesitation。
"Ofonsieur,Iknowthatwehavemadeourselvesridiculous。Willyouallowmetopleadmycauselikeaherlikeapoorethatyouwillbekioseospareusthedisgraceofaprose。
&quo,whenIwasyoung,ImadeMonsieurBeaurain'sadayinthisneighborhood。Heloyedinadraper'sshop,andIwasasaleswomaninaready-madegestablishmeasifitwereyesterday。IusedtoeandspendSundayshereoallywithafriendofmihwhomIlivedintheRuePigalle,andRosehadasweetheart,whileIhadushere,aurdayhetoldmelaughingthatheshafriendwithhimtheday。Iquiteuoodwhathemeant,butIrepliedthatitwouldbenogood;forIwasvirtuous,monsieur。
"ThedaywemetMotherailwaystation,andinthosedayshewasgood-looking,butIhadmadeupmymindnottehim,andIdidnot。Well,wearrivedatBezons。Itwasalovelyday,thesortofdaythattouchesyourheart。Whenitisfineevennow,justasitusedtrowquitefoolish,andwhenIamiryIutterlylosemyhead。Thegreengrass,theswallowsflyingsoswiftly,thesmellofthegrass,thescarletpoppies,thedaisies,allthatmakesmecrazy。Itislikeewheaedtoit!
"Well,itwaslovelyweather,warmandbright,aopeeyourbhyoureyeswhenyoulookedandthroughyourmouthwhehed。RoseandSimonhuggedahereverymigavemeaqueerfeeling!MonsieurBeaurainandIwalkedbehispeakingmuch,forwhekher,theydonotfindanythingtotalkabout。Helookedtimid,aoseehisembarrassment。Atlastwegottothelittlewood;itwasasabaththere,adown。RoseaeasedmebecauseIlookedratherstern,butyouwilluhatIotbeotherwise。Aheybegantokissandhugagain,withoutputtingaupohabeehentheywhisperedtotupaoffamohoutsayingaword。YoumayfancywhatIlookedlike,alohisyoungfelloforthefirsttime。IfeltsofusedatseeiitgavemedIbegantotalk。Iaskedhimwhathisbusinesswas,andhesaidhewasalinendraper'sassistant,asItoldyoujustalkedforafewmihatmadehimbold,aotakelibertieswithme,butItoldhimsharplytokeephisplaotthattrue,MonsieurBeaurain?"
MonsieurBeaurain,whowaslookingathisfeetin,didnotreply,aiheIwasvirtuous,aomakelovetomenicely,likeanhonorableman,andfromthattimehecameeverySunday,forhewasverymue。Iwasveryfondofhimalso,veryfondofhim!Hewasagood-lookingfellow,formerly,andinshorthemarriedmetheember,aediheRuedesMartyrs。
"Itwasahardstruggleforsomeyears,monsieur。Businessdidnotprosper,andweotaffordmanytryexs,and,besides,wehadgotoutofthewayofthem。Oherthingsinone'shead,andthihecashboxthayspeeoneisinbusiness。ingoldbydegreeswithit,likequietpeoplewhodonotthinkmuchaboutlove。Oregretanythingasloo。
"Andthen,monsieur,busier,aranquilastothefuture!Theexaoentoninmymind,no,Ireallydonotknow,butIbegantodreamlikealittleb-schhtofthelittlecartsfullofflowerswhicharedrawnaboutthestreetsmademecry;thesmellofvioletssoughtmeoutinmyeasy-chair,behindmyademyheartbeat!ThenIwouldgetupandgooutoeptolookattheblueskybetweentheroofs。Whenonelooksupattheskyfromthestreet,itlookslikeariverwhichisdesParis,windingasitflows,andthesasstoandfroiheseideasareverystupidatmyage!Buthowehelpit,monsieur,whenonehasworkedallone'slife?Amomentesinwhieperceivesthatonecouldhavedohirets,oh!yes,oehiyyearsImighthavegoneandhadkissesinthewoods,likeotherwomehifulitwouldbetolieureesandbeihsomeohoughtofiteverydaya!IdreamedofthemoonlightoilIfeltiodrownmyself。
"IdidospeaktoMonsieurBeaurainaboutthisatfirst。Ikhewouldmakefunofme,aosellmytoospeakthetruth,MonsieurBeaurainneversaidmue,butwheheglass,IalsouoodquitewellthatInolooanyone!
"mymind,andIproposedtohimanextothetry,totheplacewherewehadfirstbeeated。Heagreedwithanything,andwearrivedherethism,aboutnineo'clock。
"Ifeltquiteyoungagaiamo,forarowsold!Andreally,Inolongersawmyhusbapresent,butjustashewasformerly!ThatIwillsweartoyou,morueasIamstandinghereIwascrazy。Ibegantokisshim,andhewasmoresurprisedthanifIhadtriedtomurderhim。Hekeptsayingtome:‘Why,youmustbemad!Youaremadthism!Whatisthematterwithyou?’Ididohim,Ioomyow,andImadehimeihme。Thatisall。Ihavespokeh,Mohewholetruth。"
Themayorwasasensibleman。Herosefromhischair,smiled,andsaid:"Goinpeace,madame,andwhenyouagainvisitourforests,bemorediscreet。"