"Oneday,thevillage,whereherheartalwaysremained,shesawingoutofhispharmacywithayoungladyleaningonhisarm。Shewashiswife。
"Thatnightthederthrewherselfintotheriver。Adrunkardpassipulledheroutahedrugstedowninhisdressinggowntoreviveher。Withoutseemingtoknoasheundressedheraheoher,inaharshvoiad!Peoplemustnotdostupidthi。’
"Hisvhthertolifeagain。Hehadspokentoher!Sheyftime。Herefusedremuionforhistrouble,althoughsheinsisted。
"Allherlifepassedinthisway。Sheworked,thinkingalwaysofhim。Shebegantobuymediesathispharmacy;thisgaveheracetotalktohimandtoseehimthisway,shewasstillabletogivehimmoney。
"AsIsaidbefore,shediedthisspring。Whenshehadclosedherpatheticstorysheeakeherearningstothemansheloved。Shehadworkedonlythatshemightleavehimsomethingtoremindhimofherafterherdeath。
"IgavethepriestfiftyfrancsforherfuhemIweheChouquets。Theywerefinishi,sittingoppositeeachother,fataaisfied。
"Theyweleandofferedmesomecoffee,ted。Theoryinatremblihattheywouldbesofteears。
"AssoonasChouquetuhathehadbeehatvagabond!thatder!thatwanderer!’hesworewithindignationasthoughhisreputationhadbeeherespectofdetpeoplelost,hispersonalhohingpreddearertohimthanlife,gone。
"Hisexasperatedwifekeptrepeating:‘Thatbeggar!Thatbeggar!’Seemiofindwordssuitabletotheenormity。
"Hestooduparidingabout。Hemuttered:‘derstandanythingsohorrible,doctor?Oh,ifIhadonlyknownitwhileshewasalive,Ishouldhavehadherthrownintoprison。Ipromiseyoushewouldnothaveescaped。’
"Iwasdumfounded;Ihardlykothinkorsay,butIhadtofinishmymission。‘Shee,’Isaid,‘togiveys,whittothreethousandfivehundredfrancs。AswhatIhavejusttoldyouseemstreeable,perhapsyouwivethismohepoor。’
"Theylookedatme,thatmanandos;speechlesswithamazement。Itookthefewthousandfranypocket。Wretoneyfromeverytry。Penniesandgoldpiecesallmixedtogether。Theisyourde?’
"MadameChouquetspokefirst。‘Well,sihedyingos;swish,itseemstomeimpossibletorefuseit。’
"Herhusbandsaid,inashamefaer:‘Wecouldbuysomethingforourwithit。’"Ianswereddryly:‘Asyouwish。’
"Hereplied:‘Well,giveittousanyhow,sinissioodoso;wewillfindautittosomegoodpurpose。’
"Igavethemthemoney,boweda。
"Thedayetomeandsaidbrusquely:
"‘Thatwomaherwagohaveyoudo?’
"‘Nothiifyouwish。’
"It'sjust;apos;headded,andwalkedoff。Icalledhimbadsaid:
"‘Shealsoleftheroldhorseandtwodogs。Don'tyouhem?’
"Hestaredatmesurprised:‘Well,wouldIdowiththem?’
"‘Disposeofthemasyoulike。’Helaughedahishandtome。Ishookit。WhatcouldIdo?Thedodthedruggistinatryvillagemusty。
"Ihavekeptthedogs。Thepriesttooktheoldhorse。ThewagooChouquet,andwiththemoneyhehasboughtrailroadstock。
"Thatistheonlydeep,siIhaveeverknowninallmylife。"
&orlookedup。Themarquise,whoseeyeswerefullhedandsaid:
"Thereishefaenknowhowtolove。"