Theconversationflagged，althoughthedoctorrelatedanumberofanecdotes.Rivalalonerepliedtohim.Duroytriedtoappearself—
　　possessed，buthewashauntedcontinuallybythefearofshowinghisfeelingsoroflosinghisself—possession.Rivaladdressedhim，saying："ItookthepistolstoGastineRenette.Heloadedthem.Theboxissealed."
　　Duroyrepliedmechanically："Thankyou."
　　ThenRivalproceededtogivehimminutedirections，thathemightmakenomistakes.Duroyrepeatedthosedirectionsaschildrenlearntheirlessonsinordertoimpressthemuponhismemory.Ashemutteredthephrasesoverandover，healmostprayedthatsomeaccidentmighthappentothecarriage;ifhecouldonlybreakhisleg！
　　Attheendofagladehesawacarriagestandingandfourgentlemenstampingtheirfeetinordertokeepthemwarm，andhewasobligedtogaspinordertogetbreath.RivalandBoisrenardalightedfirst，thenthedoctorandthecombatant.
　　Rivaltooktheboxofpistols，andwithBoisrenardapproachedthetwostrangers，whowereadvancingtowardthem.Duroysawthemgreetoneanotherceremoniously，thenwalkthroughthegladetogetherastheycountedthepaces.
　　Dr.LeBrumentaskedDuroy："Doyoufeelwell？Doyounotwantanything？"
　　"Nothing，thankyou."Itseemedtohimthathewasasleep，thathewasdreaming.Washeafraid？Hedidnotknow.JacquesRivalreturnedandsaidinalowvoice："Allisready.Fortunehasfavoredusinthedrawingofthepistols."ThatwasamatterofindifferencetoDuroy.Theyhelpedhimoffwithhisovercoat，ledhimtothegroundsetapartfortheduel，andgavehimhispistol.Beforehimstoodaman，short，stout，andbald，whoworeglasses.Thatwashisadversary.Avoicebrokethesilence——avoicewhichcamefromafar：
　　"Areyouready，sirs？"
　　Georgescried："Yes."
　　Thesamevoicecommanded："Fire！"
　　Duroyheardnothingmore，sawnothingmore;heonlyknewthatheraisedhisarmandpressedwithallhisstrengthuponthetrigger.
　　Soonhesawalittlesmokebeforehim;hisopponentwasstillstandinginthesameposition，andtherewasasmallwhitecloudabovehishead.Theyhadbothfired.Allwasover！Hissecondandthedoctorfelthim，unbuttonedhisgarments，andaskedanxiously：
　　"Areyouwounded？"Hereplied："No，Ithinknot."
　　Langremontwasnotwoundedeither，andJacquesRivalmuttereddiscontentedly："Thatisalwaysthewaywiththosecursedpistols，oneeithermissesorkillsone’sopponent"
　　Duroywasparalyzedwithsurpriseandjoy.Allwasover！Hefeltthathecouldfighttheentireuniverse.Allwasover！Whatbliss！
　　Hefeltbraveenoughtoprovokeanyone.Thesecondsconsultedseveralmoments，thentheduelistsandtheirfriendsenteredthecarriagesanddroveoff.Whentheofficialreportwasdrawnup，itwashandedtoDuroywhowastoinsertitinthe"Echoes."Hewassurprisedtofindthattwoballshadbeenfired.
　　HesaidtoRival："Weonlyfiredonce！"
　　Thelattersmiled："Yes——once——onceeach——thatmakestwice！"
　　AndDuroy，satisfiedwiththatexplanation，askednomorequestions.
　　M.Walterembracedhim.
　　"Bravo！youhavedefendedthecolorsof’LaVieFrancaise’！Bravo！"
　　Thefollowingdayateleveno’clockintheforenoon，Duroyreceivedatelegram：
　　"MyGod！Ihavebeenfrightened.ComeatoncetoRuedeConstantinoplethatImayembraceyou，mylove.Howbraveyouare.I
　　adoreyou.Clo."
　　Herepairedtotheplaceappointed，andMme.deMarellerushedintohisarms，coveringhimwithkisses.
　　"Oh，mydarling，ifyouonlyknewhowIfeltwhenIreadthemorningpapers！Tellme，tellmeallaboutit."
　　Duroywasobligedtogiveheradetailedaccount.
　　"Youmusthavehadaterriblenightbeforetheduel！"
　　"Why，no;Isleptverywell."
　　"Ishouldnothaveclosedmyeyes.Tellmewhattookplaceontheground."
　　Forthwithheproceededtogiveheragraphicdescriptionoftheduel.Whenhehadconcluded，shesaidtohim："Icannotlivewithoutyou！Imustseeyou，andwithmyhusbandinParisitisnotveryconvenient.IoftenhaveanhourearlyinthemorningwhenIcouldcomeandembraceyou，butIcannotenterthathorriblehouseofyours！Whatcanwedo？"
　　Heaskedabruptly："Howmuchdoyoupayhere？"
　　"Onehundredfrancsamonth."
　　"Verywell，Iwilltaketheapartmentsonmyownaccount，andIwillmoveatonce.Minearenotsuitableanywayformenow."
　　Shethoughtamomentandthenreplied："NoIdonotwantyouto."
　　Heaskedinsurprise："Whynot？"
　　"Because！"
　　"Thatisnoreason.Theseroomssuitmeverywell.Iamhere;I
　　shallremain."Helaughed."Moreover，theywerehiredinmyname！"
　　Butshepersisted："No，no，Idonotwishyouto."
　　"Whynot，then？"
　　Shewhisperedsoftly，tenderly："Becauseyouwouldbringothershere，andIdonotwishyouto."
　　Indignantlyhecried："Never，Ipromiseyou！"
　　"Youwoulddosoinspiteofyourpromise."
　　"IswearIwillnot."
　　"Truly？"
　　"Truly——uponmywordofhonor.Thisisournest——oursalone！"
　　Sheembracedhiminatransportofdelight."ThenIagree，mydearest.Butifyoudeceivemeonce——justonce，thatwillendallbetweenusforever."
　　Heprotested，anditwasagreedthatheshouldsettleintheroomsthatsameday.Shesaidtohim：
　　"YoumustdinewithusSunday.Myhusbandthinksyoucharming."
　　Hewasflattered."Indeed？"
　　"Yes，youhavemadeaconquest.Didyounottellmethatyourhomewasinthecountry？"
　　"Yes;why？"
　　"Thenyouknowsomethingaboutagriculture？"
　　"Yes."
　　"Verywell;talktohimofgardeningandcrops;heenjoysthosesubjects."
　　"Allright.Ishallnotforget."
　　Shelefthim，afterlavishinguponhiminnumerablecaresses.
　　CHAPTERVIII.
　　DEATHANDAPROPOSAL
　　DuroymovedhiseffectstotheapartmentsinRuedeConstantinople.
　　Twoorthreetimesaweek，Mme.de—Marellepaidhimvisits.Duroy，tocounterbalancethem，dinedatherhouseeveryThursday，anddelightedherhusbandbytalkingagriculturetohim.
　　ItwasalmosttheendofFebruary.Duroywasfreefromcare.Onenight，whenhereturnedhome，hefoundaletterunderhisdoor.Heexaminedthepostmark;itwasfromCannes.Havingopenedit，heread：
　　"Cannes，VillaJolie."
　　"Dearsirandfriend：Youtoldme，didyounot，thatIcouldcountuponyouatanytime？Verywell.Ihaveafavortoaskofyou;itistocomeandhelpme——nottoleavemealoneduringCharles’slastmoments.Hemaynotlivethroughtheweek，althoughheisnotconfinedtohisbed，butthedoctorhaswarnedme.Ihavenotthestrengthnorthecouragetoseethatagonydayandnight，andIthinkwithterroroftheapproachingendIcanonlyasksuchathingofyou，formyhusbandhasnorelatives.Youwerehiscomrade;hehelpedyoutoyourposition;come，Ibegofyou;Ihavenooneelsetoask."
　　"Yourfriend，"
　　"MadeleineForestier."
　　Georgesmurmured："CertainlyIwillgo.PoorCharles！"
　　Themanager，towhomhecommunicatedthecontentsofthatletter，grumblinglygavehisconsent.Herepeated："Butreturnspeedily，youareindispensabletous."
　　GeorgesDuroyleftforCannesthenextdaybytheseveno’clockexpress，afterhavingwarnedMme.deMarellebytelegram.Hearrivedthefollowingdayatfouro’clockintheafternoon.A
　　commissionnaireconductedhimtoVillaJolie.Thehousewassmallandlow，andoftheItalianstyleofarchitecture.
　　Aservantopenedthedoorandcried："Oh，sir，Madameisawaitingyoupatiently."
　　Duroyasked："Howisyourmaster？"
　　"Notverywell，sir.Hewillnotbeherelong."
　　Thefloorofthedrawing—roomwhichtheyoungmanenteredwascoveredwithaPersianrug;thelargewindowslookeduponthevillageandthesea.
　　Duroymurmured："Howcozyitishere！Wherethedeucedotheygetthemoneyfrom？"
　　Therustlingofagowncausedhimtoturn.Mme.Forestierextendedbothherhands，saying：
　　"Howkindofyoutocome."
　　Shewasatriflepalerandthinner，butstillasbrightasever，andperhapsprettierforbeingmoredelicate.Shewhispered："Itisterrible——heknowshecannotbesavedandhetyrannizesoverme.I
　　havetoldhimofyourarrival.Butwhereisyourtrunk？"
　　Duroyreplied："Ileftitatthestation，notknowingwhichhotelyouwouldadvisemetostopat，inordertobenearyou."
　　Shehesitated，thensaid："Youmuststophere，atthevilla.Yourchamberisready.Hemightdieanymoment，andifitshouldcomeinthenight，Iwouldbealone.Iwillsendforyourluggage."
　　Hebowed."Asyouwill."
　　"Now，letusgoupstairs，"saidshe;hefollowedher.Sheopenedadooronthefirstfloor，andDuroysawaformnearawindow，seatedinaneasy—chair，andwrappedincoverlets.Hedivinedthatitwashisfriend，thoughhescarcelyrecognizedhim.Forestierraisedhishandslowlyandwithdifficulty，saying：
　　"Youarehere;youhavecometoseemedie.Iammuchobliged."
　　Duroyforcedasmile."Toseeyoudie？Thatwouldnotbeaverypleasantsight，andIwouldnotchoosethatoccasiononwhichtovisitCannes.Icameheretorest."
　　"Sitdown，"saidForestier，andhebowedhisheadasifdeepinhopelessmeditation.Seeingthathedidnotspeak，hiswifeapproachedthewindowandpointingtothehorizon，said，"Lookatthat？Isitnotbeautiful？"
　　InspiteofhimselfDuroyfeltthegrandeuroftheclosingdayandexclaimed："Yes，indeed，itismagnificent"
　　Forestierraisedhisheadandsaidtohiswife："Givememoreair."
　　Shereplied："Youmustbecareful;itislate，thesunissetting;
　　youwillcatchmorecoldandthatwouldbeaseriousthinginyourcondition."
　　Hemadeafeeblegestureofangerwithhisrighthand，andsaid："I
　　tellyouIamsuffocating！WhatdifferencedoesitmakeifIdieadaysoonerorlater，sinceImustdie？"
　　Sheopenedthewindowwide.Theairwassoftandbalmy.Forestierinhaleditinfeverishgasps.Hegraspedthearmsofhischairandsaidinalowvoice："Shutthewindow.Iwouldratherdieinacellar."
　　Hiswifeslowlyclosedthewindow，thenleanedherbrowagainstthepaneandlookedout.Duroy，illatease，wishedtoconversewiththeinvalidtoreassurehim，buthecouldthinkofnowordsofcomfort.
　　Hestammered："Haveyounotbeenbettersinceyouarehere？"
　　Hisfriendshruggedhisshouldersimpatiently："Youwillseeverysoon."Andhebowedhisheadagain.
　　Duroycontinued："Athomeitisstillwintry.Itsnows，hails，rains，andissodarkthattheyhavetolightthelampsatthreeo’clockintheafternoon."
　　Forestierasked："Isthereanythingnewattheoffice？"
　　"Nothing.TheyhavetakenlittleLacrinofthe’Voltaire’tofillyourplace，butheisincapable.Itistimeyoucameback."
　　Theinvalidmuttered："I？Iwillsoonbewritingundersixfeetofsod."Alongsilenceensued.
　　Mme.Forestierdidnotstir;shestoodwithherbacktotheroom，herfacetowardthewindow.AtlengthForestierbrokethesilenceinagaspingvoice，heartrendingtolistento："HowmanymoresunsetsshallIsee——eight——ten——fifteen——twenty——orperhapsthirty——nomore.Youhavemoretime，youtwo——asforme——allisatanend.AndeverythingwillgoonwhenIamgoneasifIwerehere."Hepausedafewmoments，thencontinued："EverythingthatIseeremindsmethatIshallnotseethemlong.Itishorrible.Ishallnolongerseethesmallestobjects——theglasses——thedishes——thebedsonwhichwerest——thecarriages.Itisfinetodriveintheevening.HowIlovedallthat."
　　AgainNorbertdeVarenne’swordsoccurredtoDuroy.Theroomgrewdark.Forestieraskedirritably：
　　"Arewetohavenolampto—night？Thatiswhatiscalledcaringforaninvalid！"
　　Theformoutlinedagainstthewindowdisappearedandanelectricbellwasheardtoring.Aservantsoonenteredandplacedalampuponthemantel—piece.Mme.Forestieraskedherhusband："Doyouwishtoretire，orwillyougodownstairstodinner？"
　　"Iwillgodowntodinner."
　　ThemealseemedtoDuroyinterminable，fortherewasnoconversation，onlythetickingofaclockbrokethesilence.Whentheyhadfinished，Duroy，pleadingfatigue，retiredtohisroomandtriedinvaintoinventsomepretextforreturninghomeasquicklyaspossible.Heconsoledhimselfbysaying："Perhapsitwillnotbeforlong."
　　ThenextmorningGeorgesroseearlyandstrolleddowntothebeach.
　　Whenhereturnedtheservantsaidtohim："Monsieurhasaskedforyoutwoorthreetimes.Willyougoupstairs？"
　　Heascendedthestairs.Forestierappearedtobeinachair;hiswife，reclininguponacouch，wasreading.Theinvalidraisedhishead.Duroyasked：
　　"Well，howareyou？Youlookbetterthismorning."
　　Forestiermurmured："Yes，Iambetterandstronger.LunchashastilyasyoucanwithMadeleine，becausewearegoingtotakeadrive."
　　WhenMme.ForestierwasalonewithDuroy，shesaidtohim："Yousee，to—dayhethinksheisbetter！Heismakingplansforto—morrow.WearenowgoingtoGulfJuantobuypotteryforourroomsinParis.Heisdeterminedtogo，buthecannotstandthejoltingontheroad."
　　Thecarriagearrived，Forestierdescendedthestairs，stepbystep，supportedbyhisservant.Whenhesawtheclosedlandau，hewantedituncovered.Hiswifeopposedhim："Itissheermadness！Youwilltakecold."
　　Hepersisted："No，Iamgoingtobebetter，Iknowit."
　　Theyfirstdrovealongashadyroadandthentooktheroadbythesea.Forestierexplainedthedifferentpointsofinterest.Finallytheyarrivedatapavilionoverwhichwerethesewords："GulfJuanArtPottery，"andthecarriagedrewupatthedoor.Forestierwantedtobuyavasetoputonhisbookcase.Ashecouldnotleavethecarriage，theybroughtthepiecestohimonebyone.Ittookhimalongtimetochoose，consultinghiswifeandDuroy："Youknowitisformystudy.Frommyeasy—chairIcanseeitconstantly.Iprefertheancientform——theGreek."
　　Atlengthhemadehischoice."IshallreturntoParisinafewdays，"saidhe.
　　Ontheirwayhomealongthegulfacoolbreezesuddenlysprangup，andtheinvalidbegantocough.Atfirstitwasnothing，onlyaslightattack，butitgrewworseandturnedtoasortofhiccough——arattle;Forestierchoked，andeverytimehetriedtobreathehecoughedviolently.Nothingquietedhim.Hehadtobecarriedfromthelandautohisroom.Theheatofthebeddidnotstoptheattack，whichlasteduntilmidnight.Thefirstwordsthesickmanutteredweretoaskforabarber，forheinsistedonbeingshavedeverymorning.Herosetobeshaved，butwasobligedtogotobedatonce，andbegantobreathesopainfullythatMme.ForestierinaffrightwokeDuroyandaskedhimtofetchthedoctor.HereturnedalmostimmediatelywithDr.Gavantwhoprescribedforthesickman.Whenthejournalistaskedhimhisopinion，hesaid："Itisthefinalstage.Hewillbedeadto—morrowmorning.Preparethatpoor，youngwifeandsendforapriest.Icandonothingmore.However，Iamentirelyatyourdisposal"DuroywenttoMme.Forestier."Heisgoingtodie.Thedoctoradvisesmetosendforapriest.Whatwillyoudo？"
　　Shehesitatedamomentandthensaidslowly：
　　"Iwillgoandtellhimthatthecurewishestoseehim.Willyoubekindenoughtoprocureonewhowillrequirenothingbuttheconfession，andwhowillnotmakemuchfuss？"
　　Theyoungmanbroughtwithhimakind，oldpriestwhoaccommodatedhimselftocircumstances.Whenhehadenteredthedeathchamber，Mme.ForestierwentoutandseatedherselfwithDuroyinanadjoiningroom.
　　"Thathasupsethim，"saidshe."WhenImentionedthepriesttohim，hisfaceassumedascaredexpression.Heknewthattheendwasnear.
　　Ishallneverforgethisface."
　　Atthatmomenttheyheardthepriestsayingtohim："Whyno，youarenotsolowasthat.Youareill，butnotindanger.TheproofofthatisthatIcameasafriend，aneighbor."Theycouldnothearhisreply.Thepriestcontinued："No，Ishallnotadministerthesacrament.Wewillspeakofthatwhenyouarebetter.Ifyouwillonlyconfess，Iasknomore.Iamapastor;Itakeadvantageofeveryoccasiontogatherinmysheep."
　　Alongsilencefollowed.Thensuddenlythepriestsaid，inthetoneofoneofficiatingatthealtar：
　　"ThemercyofGodisinfinite;repeatthe’Confiteor，’myson.
　　Perhapsyouhaveforgottenit;Iwillhelpyou.Repeatwithme：
　　’ConfiteorDeoomnipotenti;BeataMariaesempervirgini.’"Hepausedfromtimetotimetopermitthedyingmantocatchuptohim.
　　Thenhesaid："Now，confess."Thesickmanmurmuredsomething.Thepriestrepeated："Youhavecommittedsins：ofwhatkind，myson？"
　　Theyoungwomanroseandsaidsimply："Letusgointothegarden.Wemustnotlistentohissecrets."
　　Theyseatedthemselvesuponabenchbeforethedoor，beneathablossomingrosebush.AfterseveralmomentsofsilenceDuroyasked：
　　"WillitbesometimebeforeyoureturntoParis？"
　　"No，"shereplied;"whenallisover，Iwillgoback."
　　"Inabouttendays？"
　　"Yes，atmost."
　　Hecontinued;"Charleshasnorelativesthen？"
　　"None，savecousins.Hisfatherandmotherdiedwhenhewasveryyoung."
　　Inthecourseofafewminutes，theservantcametotellthemthatthepriesthadfinished，andtogethertheyascendedthestairs.
　　Forestierseemedtohavegrownthinnersincetheprecedingday.Thepriestwasholdinghishand.
　　"Aurevoir，myson.Iwillcomeagainto—morrowmorning";andheleft.Whenhewasgone，thedyingman，whowaspanting，triedtoraisehistwohandstowardhiswifeandgasped：
　　"Saveme——saveme，mydarling.Idonotwanttodie——oh，saveme——goforthedoctor.Iwilltakeanything.Idonotwanttodie."Hewept;thetearscourseddownhispallidcheeks.Thenhishandscommencedtowanderhitherandthithercontinually，slowly，andregularly，asifgatheringsomethingonthecoverlet.Hiswife，whowasalsoweeping，sobbed：
　　"No，itisnothing.Itisonlyanattack;youwillbebetterto—
　　morrow;youtiredyourselfwiththatdrive."
　　Forestierdrewhisbreathquicklyandsofaintlythatonecouldscarcelyhearhim.Herepeated：
　　"Idonotwanttodie！Oh，myGod——myGod——whathashappenedtome？
　　Icannotsee.Oh，myGod！"Hisstaringeyessawsomethinginvisibletotheothers;hishandspluckedcontinuallyatthecounterpane.
　　Suddenlyheshudderedandgasped："Thecemetery——me——myGod！"Hedidnotspeakagain.Helaytheremotionlessandghastly.Thehoursdraggedon;theclockofaneighboringconventchimednoon.
　　Duroylefttheroomtoobtainsomefood.Hereturnedanhourlater;
　　Mme.Forestierwouldeatnothing.Theinvalidhadnotstirred.Theyoungwomanwasseatedinaneasy—chairatthefootofthebed.
　　Duroylikewiseseatedhimself，andtheywatchedinsilence.Anurse，sentbythedoctor，hadarrivedandwasdozingbythewindow.
　　Duroyhimselfwasalmostasleepwhenhefeltapresentimentthatsomethingwasabouttohappen.HeopenedhiseyesjustintimetoseeForestierclosehis.Hecoughedslightly，andtwostreamsofbloodissuedfromthecornersofhismouthandfloweduponhisnightrobe;hishandsceasedtheirperpetualmotion;hehadbreathedhislast.Hiswife，perceivingit，utteredacryandfelluponherkneesbythebedside.Georges，insurpriseandaffright，mechanicallymadethesignofthecross.
　　Thenurse，awakening，approachedthebedandsaid："Ithascome."
　　Duroy，recoveringhisself—possession，murmuredwithasighofrelief："ItwasnotashardasIfeareditwouldbe."
　　ThatnightMme.ForestierandDuroywatchedinthechamberofdeath.
　　Theywerealonebesidehimwhowasnomore.Theydidnotspeak，Georges’seyesseemedattractedtothatemaciatedfacewhichtheflickeringlightmademorehollow.Thatwashisfriend，CharlesForestier，whothedaybeforehadspokentohim.Forseveralyearshehadlived，eaten，laughed，loved，andhopedasdideveryone——andnowallwasendedforhimforever.
　　Lifelastedafewmonthsoryears，andthenfled！Onewasborn，grew，washappy，anddied.Adieu！manorwoman，youwillneverreturntoearth！Hethoughtoftheinsectswhichliveseveralhours，ofthefeastswhichliveseveraldays，ofthemenwholiveseveralyears，oftheworldswhichlastseveralcenturies.Whatwasthedifferencebetweenoneandtheother？Afewmoredawns，thatwasall.
　　Duroyturnedawayhiseyesinordernottoseethecorpse.Mme.
　　Forestier’sheadwasbowed;herfairhairenhancedthebeautyofhersorrowfulface.Theyoungman’sheartgrewhopeful.Whyshouldhelamentwhenhehadsomanyyearsstillbeforehim？Heglancedatthehandsomewidow.Howhadsheeverconsentedtomarrythatman？Thenhepondereduponallthehiddensecretsoftheirlives.HerememberedthathehadbeentoldofaCountdeVaudrecwhohaddoweredandgivenherinmarriage.Whatwouldshedonow？Whomwouldshemarry？Hadsheprojects，plans？Hewouldhavelikedtoknow.Whythatanxietyastowhatshewoulddo？
　　Georgesquestionedhimself，andfoundthatitwascausedbyadesiretowinherforhimself.Whyshouldhenotsucceed？Hewaspositivethatshelikedhim;shewouldhaveconfidenceinhim，forsheknewthathewasintelligent，resolute，tenacious.Hadshenotsentforhim？Wasnotthatakindofavowal？Hewasimpatienttoquestionher，tofindoutherintentions.Hewouldsoonhavetoleavethatvilla，forhecouldnotremainalonewiththeyoungwidow;thereforehemustfindoutherplansbeforereturningtoParis，inorderthatshemightnotyieldtoanother’sentreaties.Hebroketheoppressivesilencebysaying：
　　"Youmustbefatigued."
　　"Yes，butaboveallIamgrieved."
　　Theirvoicessoundedstrangeinthatroom.Theyglancedinvoluntarilyatthecorpseasiftheyexpectedtoseeitmove.
　　Duroycontinued：
　　"Itisaheavyblowforyou，andwillmakeacompletechangeinyourlife."
　　Shesigheddeeply，butdidnotreply.Headded：
　　"Itisverysadforayoungwomanlikeyoutobeleftalone."Hepaused;shestilldidnotreply，andhestammered："Atanyrate，youwillrememberthecompactbetweenus;youcancommandmeasyouwill.Iamyours."
　　Sheheldoutherhandtohimandsaidmournfullyandgently：
　　"Thanks，youareverykind.IfIcandoanythingforyou，Isaytoo：
　　’Countonme.’"
　　Hetookherprofferedhand，gazedatit，andwasseizedwithanardentdesiretokissit.Slowlyheraisedittohislipsandthenrelinquishedit.Asherdelicatefingerslayuponherkneetheyoungwidowsaidgravely：
　　"Yes，Ishallbeallalone，butIshallforcemyselftobebrave."
　　Hedidnotknowhowtotellherthathewouldbedelightedtowedher.Certainlyitwasnotimetospeaktoheronsuchasubject;
　　however，hethoughthemightbeabletoexpresshimselfbymeansofsomephrasewhichwouldhaveahiddenmeaningandwouldinferwhathewishedtosay.Butthatrigidcorpselaybetweenthem.Theatmospherebecameoppressive，almostsuffocating.Duroyasked："Canwenotopenthewindowalittle？Theairseemstobeimpure."
　　"Certainly，"shereplied;"Ihavenoticedittoo."
　　Heopenedthewindow，lettinginthecoolnightair.Heturned：
　　"Comeandlookout，itisdelightful."
　　Sheglidedsoftlytohisside.Hewhispered："Listentome.DonotbeangrythatIbroachthesubjectatsuchatime，butthedayafterto—morrowIshallleavehereandwhenyoureturntoParisitmightbetoolate.YouknowthatIamonlyapoordevil，whohashispositiontomake，butIhavethewillandsomeintelligence，andI
　　amadvancing.Amanwhohasattainedhisambitionknowswhattocounton;amanwhohashiswaytomakedoesnotknowwhatmaycome—
　　—itmaybebetterorworse.Itoldyouonedaythatmymostcherisheddreamwastohaveawifelikeyou."
　　"Irepeatittoyouto—day.Donotreply，butletmecontinue.Thisisnoproposal——thetimeandplacewouldrenderitodious.Ionlywishtotellyouthatbyawordyoucanmakemehappy，andthatyoucanmakeofmeasyouwill，eitherafriendorahusband——formyheartandmybodyareyours.Idonotwantyoutoanswermenow.I
　　donotwishtospeakanymoreonthesubjecthere.WhenwemeetinParis，youcantellmeyourdecision."
　　Heutteredthesewordswithoutglancingather，andsheseemednottohaveheardthem，forshestoodbyhissidemotionless，staringvaguelyandfixedlyatthelandscapebeforeher，bathedinmoonlight.
　　Atlengthshemurmured："Itisratherchilly，"andturnedtowardthebed.Duroyfollowedher.Theydidnotspeakbutcontinuedtheirwatch.TowardmidnightGeorgesfellasleep.Atdaybreakthenurseenteredandhestartedup.BothheandMme.Forestierretiredtotheirroomstoobtainsomerest.Ateleveno’clocktheyroseandlunchedtogether;whilethroughtheopenwindowwaswaftedthesweet，perfumedairofspring.Afterlunch，Mme.Forestierproposedthattheytakeaturninthegarden;astheywalkedslowlyalong，shesuddenlysaid，withoutturningherheadtowardhim，inalow，gravevoice：
　　"Listentome，mydearfriend;Ihavealreadyreflecteduponwhatyouproposedtome，andIcannotallowyoutodepartwithoutawordofreply.Iwill，however，sayneitheryesnorno.Wewillwait，wewillsee;wewillbecomebetteracquainted.Youmustthinkitwellovertoo.Donotyieldtoanimpulse.ImentionthistoyoubeforeevenpoorCharlesisburied，becauseitisnecessary，afterwhatyouhavesaidtome，thatyoushouldknowmeasIam，inordernottocherishthehopeyouexpressedtomeanylonger，ifyouarenotamanwhocanunderstandandbearwithme."
　　"Nowlistencarefully：Marriage，tome，isnotachainbutanassociation.Imustbefree，entirelyunfettered，inallmyactions—
　　—mycomingandmygoing;Icantolerateneithercontrol，jealousy，norcriticismastomyconduct.Ipledgemyword，however，nevertocompromisethenameofthemanImarry，nortorenderhimridiculousintheeyesoftheworld.Butthatmanmustpromisetolookuponmeasanequal，anally，andnotasaninferior，orasanobedient，submissivewife.Myideas，Iknow，arenotlikethoseofotherpeople，butIshallneverchangethem.Donotanswerme，itwouldbeuseless.Weshallmeetagainandtalkitalloverlater.Nowtakeawalk;Ishallreturntohim.Good—byeuntilto—night."
　　Hekissedherhandandleftherwithouthavingutteredaword.Thatnighttheymetatdinner;directlyafterthemealtheysoughttheirrooms，wornoutwithfatigue.
　　CharlesForestierwasburiedthenextdayinthecemeteryatCanneswithoutanypomp，andGeorgesreturnedtoParisbytheexpresswhichleftatone—thirty.Mme.Forestieraccompaniedhimtothestation.
　　Theywalkedupanddowntheplatformawaitingthehourofdepartureandconversingonindifferentsubjects.
　　Thetrainarrived，thejournalisttookhisseat;aportercried：
　　"Marseilles，Lyons，Paris！Allaboard！"Thelocomotivewhistledandthetrainmovedslowlyoutofthestation.
　　Theyoungmanleanedoutofthecarriage，andlookedattheyouthfulwidowstandingontheplatformgazingafterhim.Justasshewasdisappearingfromhissight，hethrewherakiss，whichshereturnedwithamorediscreetwaveofherhand.
　　CHAPTERIX.
　　MARRIAGE
　　GeorgesDuroyresumedhisoldhabits.InstalledinthecozyapartmentsonRuedeConstantinople，hisrelationswithMme.deMarellebecamequiteconjugal.
　　Mme.Forestierhadnotreturned;shelingeredatCannes.He，however，receivedaletterfromherannouncingherreturnaboutthemiddleofApril，butcontainingnotawordastotheirparting.Hewaited.Hewasresolvedtoemployeverymeanstomarryherifsheseemedtohesitate;hehadfaithinhisgoodfortune，inthatpowerofattractionwhichhefeltwithinhim——apowersoirresistiblethatallwomenyieldedtoit.
　　Atlengthashortnoteadmonishedhimthatthedecisivemomenthadarrived.
　　"IaminParis.Cometoseeme."
　　"MadeleineForestier."
　　Nothingmore.Hereceiveditatnineo’clock.Atthreeo’clockofthesamedayhecalledatherhouse.Sheextendedbothhandstohimwithasweetsmile，andtheygazedintoeachother’seyesforseveralseconds，thenshemurmured：
　　"Howkindofyoutocome！"
　　Hereplied："Ishouldhavecome，whensoeveryoubademe."
　　Theysatdown;sheinquiredabouttheWalters，hisassociates，andthenewspaper.
　　"Imissthatverymuch，"saidshe."Ihadbecomeajournalistinspirit.Iliketheprofession."Shepaused.Hefanciedhesawinhersmile，inhervoice，inherwords，akindofinvitation，andalthoughhehadresolvednottohastenmatters，hestammered：
　　"Well——why——whydoyounotresume——thatprofession——under——thenameofDuroy？"
　　Shebecamesuddenlyserious，andplacingherhandonhisarm，shesaid："Donotletusspeakofthatyet."
　　Diviningthatshewouldaccepthim，hefelluponhisknees，andpassionatelykissedherhands，saying：
　　"Thankyou——thankyou——howIloveyou."
　　Sherose，shewasverypale.Duroykissedherbrow.Whenshehaddisengagedherselffromhisembrace，shesaidgravely："Listen，myfriend，Ihavenotyetfullydecided;butmyanswermaybe’yes.’
　　Youmustwaitpatiently，however，untilIdisclosethesecrettoyou."
　　Hepromisedandlefther，hisheartoverflowingwithjoy.Heworkedsteadily，spentlittle，triedtosavesomemoneythathemightnotbewithoutasouatthetimeofhismarriage，andbecameasmiserlyashehadoncebeenprodigal.Summerglidedby;thenautumn，andnoonesuspectedthetieexistingbetweenDuroyandMme.Forestier，fortheyseldommetinpublic.
　　OneeveningMadeleinesaidtohim："YouhavenotyettoldMme.deMarelleourplans？"
　　"No，mydear;asyouwishedthemkeptsecret，Ihavenotmentionedthemtoasoul."
　　"Verywell;thereisplentyoftime.IwilltelltheWalters."
　　Sheturnedawayherheadandcontinued："Ifyouwish，wecanbemarriedthebeginningofMay."
　　"Iobeyyouinallthingsjoyfully."
　　"ThetenthofMay，whichfallsonSaturday，wouldpleaseme，foritismybirthday."
　　"Verywell，thetenthofMay."
　　"YourparentslivenearRouen，dotheynot？"
　　"Yes，nearRouen，atCanteleu."
　　"Iamveryanxioustoseethem！"
　　Hehesitated，perplexed："But——theyare——"Thenheaddedmorefirmly："Mydear，theyareplain，countrypeople，innkeepers，whostrainedeverynervetogivemeaneducation.Iamnotashamedofthem，buttheir——simplicity——theirrusticitymightannoyyou."
　　Shesmiledsweetly."No，Iwilllovethemverymuch.Wewillvisitthem;Iwishto.I，too，amthechildofhumbleparents——butIlostmine——Ihavenooneintheworld"——sheheldoutherhandtohim——
　　"butyou."
　　Hewasaffected，conqueredashehadneverbeenbyanywoman.
　　"Ihavebeenthinkingofsomething，"saidshe，"butitisdifficulttoexplain."
　　Heasked："Whatisit？"
　　"Itisthis：Iamlikeallwomen.Ihavemy——myweaknesses.Ishouldliketobearanoblename.Canyounotontheoccasionofourmarriagechangeyournamesomewhat？"Sheblushedasifshehadproposedsomethingindelicate.
　　Herepliedsimply："Ihaveoftenthoughtofit，butitdoesnotseemeasytome."
　　"Whynot？"
　　Helaughed."BecauseIamafraidIshouldberidiculed."
　　Sheshruggedhershoulders."Notatall——notatall.Everyonedoesit，andnoonelaughs.Separateyournameinthisway：DuRoy.Itsoundsverywell."
　　Hereplied："No，thatwillnotdo;itistoocommonaproceeding.I
　　havethoughtofassumingthenameofmynativeplace，firstasaliterarypseudonymandthenasmysurnameinconjunctionwithDuroy，whichmightlateron，asyouproposed，beseparated."
　　Sheasked："IsyournativeplaceCanteleu？"
　　"Yes."
　　"Idonotlikethetermination.Couldwenotmodifyit？"
　　Shetookapenandwrotedownthenamesinordertostudythem.
　　Suddenlyshecried："NowIhaveit，"andheldtowardhimasheetofpaperonwhichwaswritten："Mme.DuroydeCantel."
　　Gravelyhereplied："Yes，itisverynice."
　　Shewasdelighted，andrepeated："DuroydeCantel.Mme.DuroydeCantel.Itisexcellent，excellent！"
　　Thensheaddedwithanairofconviction："Youwillseehoweasilyitwillbeacceptedbyeveryone！Afterto—morrow，signyourarticles’D.deCantel，’andyour’Echoes’simply’Duroy.’Thatisdoneonthepresseverydayandnoonewillbesurprisedtoseeyoutakeanomdeplume.Whatisyourfather’sname？"
　　"Alexandre."
　　Shemurmured"Alexandre！"twoorthreetimesinsuccession;thenshewroteuponablanksheet：
　　"M.andMme.AlexandreduRoydeCantelannouncethemarriageoftheirson，M.GeorgesduRoydeCantelwithMme.Forestier."
　　Sheexaminedherwriting，and，charmedwiththeeffect，exclaimed：
　　"Withalittlemethodonecansucceedinanything."
　　WhenGeorgesreachedthestreetresolvedtocallhimself，henceforth，"DuRoy，"oreven"DuRoydeCantel，"itseemedtohimthathewasofmoreimportance.Heswaggeredmoreboldly，heldhisheadmoreerectandwalkedashethoughtgentlemenshould.Hefeltadesiretoinformthepassers—by，"MynameisDuRoydeCantel."
　　ScarcelyhadheenteredhisapartmentswhenthethoughtofMme.deMarellerenderedhimuneasy，andhewrotetoherimmediately，appointingameetingforthefollowingday.
　　"Itwillbehard，"thoughthe."Therewillbeaquarrelsurely."
　　ThenextmorninghereceivedatelegramfromMadame，informinghimthatshewouldbewithhimatoneo’clock.Heawaitedherimpatiently，determinedtoconfessatonceandafterwardtoarguewithher，totellherthathecouldnotremainabachelorindefinitely，andthat，asM.deMarellepersistedinliving，hehadbeencompelledtochoosesomeoneelseasalegalcompanion.Whenthebellrang，hisheartgaveabound.
　　Mme.deMarelleenteredandcastherselfintohisarms，saying：
　　"Goodafternoon，Bel—Ami."Perceivingthathisembracewascolderthanusual，sheglancedupathimandasked："Whatailsyou？"
　　"Takeaseat，"saidhe."Wemusttalkseriously."
　　Sheseatedherselfwithoutremovingherhat，andwaited.Hecastdownhiseyes;hewaspreparingtocommence.
　　Finallyhesaidslowly："Mydearfriend，youseethatIamverymuchperplexed，verysad，andverymuchembarrassedbywhatIhavetoconfesstoyou.Iloveyou;Iloveyouwithallmyheart，andthefearofgivingyoupaingrievesmemorethanwhatIhavetotellyou."
　　Sheturnedpale，trembled，andasked："Whatisit？Tellmequickly."
　　Hesaidsadlybutresolutely："Iamgoingtobemarried."
　　Shesighedlikeoneabouttoloseconsciousness;thenshegasped，butdidnotspeak.
　　Hecontinued："YoucannotimaginehowmuchIsufferedbeforetakingthatresolution.ButIhaveneitherpositionnormoney.IamaloneinParis，Imusthavenearmesomeonewhocancounsel，comfort，andsupportme.WhatIneedisanassociate，anally，andIhavefoundone！"Hepaused，hopingthatshewouldreply，expectinganoutburstoffuriousrage，reproaches，andinsults.Shepressedherhandtoherheartandbreathedwithdifficulty.Hetookthehandrestingonthearmofthechair，butshedrewitawayandmurmuredasifstupefied："Oh，myGod！"
　　Hefelluponhiskneesbeforeher，without，however，venturingtotouchher，moremovedbyhersilencethanhewouldhavebeenbyheranger.
　　"Clo，mylittleClo，youunderstandmyposition.Oh，ifIcouldhavemarriedyou，whathappinessitwouldhaveaffordedme！Butyouweremarried！WhatcouldIdo？Justthinkofit！ImustmakemywayintheworldandIcanneverdosoaslongasIhavenodomesticties.
　　Ifyouknew.TherearedayswhenIshouldliketokillyourhusband."Hespokeinalow，seductivevoice.HesawtwotearsgatherinMme.deMarelle’seyesandtrickleslowlydownhercheeks.
　　Hewhispered："Donotweep，Clo，donotweep，Ibeseechyou.Youbreakmyheart."
　　Shemadeanefforttoappeardignifiedandhaughty，andasked，thoughsomewhatunsteadily："Whoisit？"
　　Foramomenthehesitatedbeforehereplied："MadeleineForestier！"
　　Mme.deMarellestarted;hertearscontinuedtoflow.Sherose.
　　Duroysawthatshewasgoingtoleavehimwithoutawordofreproachorpardon，andhefelthumbled，humiliated.Heseizedhergownandimplored：
　　"Donotleavemethus."
　　Shelookedathimwiththatdespairing，tearfulglancesocharmingandsotouching，whichexpressesallthemiserypent—upinawoman’sheart，andstammered："Ihavenothing——tosay;Icandonothing.
　　You——youareright;youhavemadeagoodchoice."
　　Anddisengagingherselfshelefttheroom.
　　Withasighofreliefatescapingsoeasily，herepairedtoMme.
　　Forestier’s，whoaskedhim："HaveyoutoldMme.deMarelle？"
　　Herepliedcalmly："Yes."
　　"Diditaffecther？"
　　"Notatall.Onthecontrary，shethoughtitanexcellentplan."
　　Thenewswassoonnoisedabroad.Someweresurprised，otherspretendedtohaveforeseenit，andothersagainsmiled，inferringthattheywerenotatallastonished.Theyoungman，whosignedhisarticles，"D.deCantel，"his"Echoes，""Duroy，"andhispoliticalsketches，"DuRoy，"spentthebestpartofhistimewithhisbetrothed，whohaddecidedthatthedatefixedfortheweddingshouldbekeptsecret，thattheceremonyshouldbecelebratedinthepresenceofwitnessesonly，thattheyshouldleavethesameeveningforRouen，andthatthedayfollowingtheyshouldvisitthejournalist’sagedparentsandspendseveraldayswiththem.DuroyhadtriedtopersuadeMadeleinetoabandonthatproject，butnotsucceedinginhiseffortshewasfinallycompelledtosubmit.
　　ThetenthofMayarrived.Thinkingareligiousceremonyunnecessary，astheyhadissuednoinvitations，thecoupleweremarriedatamagistrate’sandtookthesixo’clocktrainforNormandy.
　　Asthetrainglidedalong，Duroyseatedinfrontofhiswife，tookherhand，kissedit，andsaid："WhenwereturnwewilldineatChatousometimes."
　　Shemurmured："Weshallhaveagreatmanythingstodo！"inatonewhichseemedtosay："Wemustsacrificepleasuretoduty."
　　Heretainedherhandwonderinganxiouslyhowhecouldmanagetocaressher.Hepressedherhandslightly，butshedidnotrespondtothepressure.
　　Hesaid："Itseemsstrangethatyoushouldbemywife."
　　Sheappearedsurprised："Why？"
　　"Idonotknow.Itseemsdroll.IwanttoembraceyouandIamsurprisedthatIhavetheright."
　　Shecalmlyofferedhimhercheekwhichhekissedashewouldhavekissedhissister’s.Hecontinued：
　　"ThefirsttimeIsawyou（youremember，atthatdinnertowhichI
　　wasinvitedatForestier’s），Ithought：’Sacristi，ifIcouldonlyfindawifelikethat！’AndnowIhaveone."
　　Sheglancedathimwithsmilingeyes.
　　Hesaidtohimself："Iamtoocold.Iamstupid.Ishouldmakemoreadvances."Andheasked："HowdidyoumakeForestier’sacquaintance？"
　　Sherepliedwithprovokingarchness："ArewegoingtoRouentotalkofhim？"
　　Hecolored."Iamafool.Youintimidateme."
　　Shewasdelighted."I？Impossible."
　　Heseatedhimselfbesideher.Sheexclaimed："Ah！astag！"ThetrainwaspassingthroughtheforestofSaint—Germainandshehadseenafrighteneddeerclearanalleyatabound.Asshegazedoutoftheopenwindow，Duroybendingoverher，pressedakissuponherneck.
　　Forseveralmomentssheremainedmotionless，thenraisingherhead，shesaid："Youtickleme，stop！"
　　Buthedidnotobeyher.
　　Sherepeated："Stop，Isay！"
　　Heseizedherheadwithhisrighthand，turnedittowardhimandpressedhislipstohers.Shestruggled，pushedhimawayandrepeated："Stop！"
　　Hedidnotheedher.Withaneffort，shefreedherselfandrising，said："Georges，havedone.Wearenotchildren，weshallsoonreachRouen."
　　"Verywell，"saidhe，gaily，"Iwillwait."
　　Reseatingherselfnearhimshetalkedofwhattheywoulddoontheirreturn;theywouldkeeptheapartmentsinwhichshehadlivedwithherfirsthusband，andDuroywouldreceiveForestier’spositionon"LaVieFrancaise."Inthemeantime，forgettingherinjunctionsandhispromise，heslippedhisarmaroundherwaist，pressedhertohimandmurmured："Iloveyoudearly，mylittleMade."
　　Thegentlenessofhistonemovedtheyoungwoman，andleaningtowardhimsheofferedhimherlips;asshedidso，awhistleannouncedtheproximityofthestation.Pushingbacksomestraylocksuponhertemples，sheexclaimed：
　　"Wearefoolish."
　　Hekissedherhandsfeverishlyandreplied：
　　"Iadoreyou，mylittleMade."
　　OnreachingRouentheyrepairedtoahotelwheretheyspentthenight.Thefollowingmorning，whentheyhaddrunktheteaplaceduponthetableintheirroom，Duroyclaspedhiswifeinhisarmsandsaid："MylittleMade，IfeelthatIloveyouvery，verymuch."
　　Shesmiledtrustfullyandmurmuredasshereturnedhiskisses："I
　　loveyoutoo——alittle."
　　ThevisittohisparentsworriedGeorges，althoughhehadpreparedhiswife.Hebeganagain："Youknowtheyarepeasants，real，notsham，comic—operapeasants."
　　Shesmiled."Iknowit，youhavetoldmeoftenenough."
　　"Weshallbeveryuncomfortable.Thereisonlyastrawbedinmyroom;theydonotknowwhathairmattressesareatCanteleu."
　　Sheseemeddelighted."Somuchthebetter.Itwouldbecharmingtosleepbadly——when——nearyou——andtobeawakenedbythecrowingofthecocks."
　　Hewalkedtowardthewindowandlightedacigarette.Thesightoftheharbor，oftheriverfilledwithshipsmovedhimandheexclaimed："Egad，butthatisfine！"
　　Madeleinejoinedhimandplacingbothofherhandsonherhusband’sshoulder，cried："Oh，howbeautiful！Ididnotknowthatthereweresomanyships！"
　　Anhourlatertheydepartedinordertobreakfastwiththeoldcouple，whohadbeeninformedseveraldaysbeforeoftheirintendedarrival.BothDuroyandhiswifewerecharmedwiththebeautiesofthelandscapepresentedtotheirview，andthecabmanhaltedinordertoallowthemtogetabetterideaofthepanoramabeforethem.Ashewhippeduphishorse，Duroysawanoldcouplenotahundredmetersoff，approaching，andheleapedfromthecarriagecrying："Heretheyare，Iknowthem."
　　Themanwasshort，corpulent，florid，andvigorous，notwithstandinghisage;thewomanwastall，thin，andmelancholy，withstoopingshoulders——awomanwhohadworkedfromchildhood，whohadneverlaughednorjested.
　　Madeleine，too，alightedandwatchedthecoupleadvance，withacontractionofherheartshehadnotanticipated.Theydidnotrecognizetheirsoninthatfinegentleman，andtheywouldneverhavetakenthathandsomeladyfortheirdaughter—in—law.Theywalkedalong，passedthechildtheywereexpecting，withoutglancingatthe"cityfolks."
　　Georgescriedwithalaugh："Goodday，FatherDuroy."
　　Boththeoldmanandhiswifewerestruckdumbwithastonishment;
　　thelatterrecoveredherself—possessionfirstandasked："Isityou，son？"
　　Theyoungmanreplied："Yes，itisI，MotherDuroy，"andapproachingher，hekissedheruponbothcheeksandsaid："Thisismywife."
　　ThetworusticsstaredatMadeleineasifshewereacuriosity，withanxiousfear，combinedwithasortofsatisfiedapprobationonthepartofthefatherandofjealousenmityonthatofthemother.
　　M.Duroy，senior，whowasnaturallyjocose，madesoboldastoaskwithatwinkleinhiseye："MayIkissyoutoo？"HissonutteredanexclamationandMadeleineofferedhercheektotheoldpeasant;whoafterwardwipedhislipswiththebackofhishand.Theoldwoman，inherturn，kissedherdaughter—in—lawwithhostilereserve.Heridealwasastout，rosy，countrylass，asredasanappleandasround.
　　Thecarriageprecededthemwiththeluggage.Theoldmantookhisson’sarmandaskedhim："Howareyougettingon？"
　　"Verywell."
　　"Thatisright.Tellme，hasyourwifeanymeans？"
　　Georgesreplied："Fortythousandfrancs."
　　Hisfatherwhistledsoftlyandmuttered："Whew！"Thenheadded："Sheisahandsomewoman."Headmiredhisson’swife，andinhisdayhadconsideredhimselfaconnoisseur.
　　Madeleineandthemotherwalkedsidebysideinsilence;thetwomenjoinedthem.Theysoonreachedthevillage，attheentrancetowhichstoodM.Duroy’stavern.Apineboardfastenedoverthedoorindicatedthatthirstypeoplemightenter.Thetablewaslaid.A
　　neighbor，whohadcometoassist，madealowcourtesyonseeingsobeautifulaladyappear;thenrecognizingGeorges，shecried："OhLord，isityou？"
　　Herepliedmerrily："Yes，itisI，MotherBrulin，"andhekissedherashehadkissedhisfatherandmother.Thenheturnedtohiswife：
　　"Comeintoourroom，"saidhe，"youcanlayasideyourhat."
　　Theypassedthroughadoortotherightandenteredaroompavedwithbrick，withwhitewashedwallsandabedwithcottonhangings.
　　Acrucifixaboveaholy—waterbasinandtwocoloredprints，representingPaulandVirginiabeneathabluepalm—tree，andNapoleonI.onayellowhorse，weretheonlyornamentsinthatneat，butbareroom.
　　Whentheywerealone，GeorgesembracedMadeleine.
　　"Goodmorning，Made！Iamgladtoseetheoldpeopleoncemore.WhenoneisinParisonedoesnotthinkofthisplace，butwhenonereturns，oneenjoysitjustthesame."
　　Atthatmomenthisfathercried，knockingonthepartitionwithhisfist："Come，thesoupisready."
　　Theyre—enteredthelargepublic—roomandtooktheirseatsatthetable.Themealwasalongone，servedinatrulyrusticfashion.
　　FatherDuroy，enlivenedbytheciderandseveralglassesofwine，relatedmanyanecdotes，whileGeorges，towhomtheywereallfamiliar，laughedatthem.
　　MotherDuroydidnotspeak，butsatattheboard，grimandaustere，glancingatherdaughter—in—lawwithhatredinherheart.
　　Madeleinedidnotspeaknordidsheeat;shewasdepressed.
　　Wherefore？Shehadwishedtocome;sheknewthatshewascomingtoasimplehome;shehadformednopoeticalideasofthosepeasants，butshehadperhapsexpectedtofindthemsomewhatmorepolished，refined.Sherecalledherownmother，ofwhomsheneverspoketoanyone——agovernesswhohadbeenbetrayedandwhohaddiedofgriefandshamewhenMadeleinewastwelveyearsold.Astrangerhadhadthelittlegirleducated.Herfatherwithoutdoubt.Whowashe？Shedidnotknowpositively，butshehadvaguesuspicions.
　　Themealwasnotyetoverwhencustomersentered，shookhandswithM.Duroy，exclaimedonseeinghisson，andseatingthemselvesatthewoodentablesbegantodrink，smoke，andplaydominoes.Thesmokefromtheclaypipesandpennycigarsfilledtheroom.
　　Madeleinechokedandasked："Canwegoout？Icannotremainhereanylonger，"
　　OldDuroygrumbledatbeingdisturbed.Madeleineroseandplacedherchairatthedoorinordertowaituntilherfather—in—lawandhiswifehadfinishedtheircoffeeandwine.
　　Georgessoonjoinedher.
　　"WouldyouliketostrolldowntotheSeine？"
　　Joyfullyshecried："Yes."
　　Theydescendedthehillside，hiredaboatatCroisset，andspenttheremainderoftheafternoonbeneaththewillowsinthesoft，warm，springair，androckedgentlybytheripplingwavesoftheriver.
　　Theyreturnedatnightfall.Theeveningrepastbycandle—lightwasmorepainfultoMadeleinethanthatofthemorning.NeitherFatherDuroynorhiswifespoke.Whenthemealwasover，Madeleinedrewherhusbandoutsideinordernottohavetoremaininthatroom，theatmosphereofwhichwasheavywithsmokeandthefumesofliquor.
　　Whentheywerealone，hesaid："Youarealreadyweary."
　　Sheattemptedtoprotest;heinterruptedher：
　　"Ihaveseenit.Ifyouwishwewillleavetomorrow."
　　Shewhispered："Ishouldliketogo."
　　Theywalkedalongandenteredanarrowpathamonghightrees，hedgedinoneithersidebyimpenetrablebrushwood.
　　Sheasked："Wherearewe？"
　　Hereplied："Intheforest——oneofthelargestinFrance."
　　Madeleine，onraisingherhead，couldseethestarsbetweenthebranchesandheartherustlingoftheleaves.Shefeltstrangelynervous.Why，shecouldnottell.Sheseemedtobelost，surroundedbyperils，abandoned，alone，beneaththatvastvaultedsky.
　　Shemurmured："Iamafraid;Ishouldliketoreturn."
　　"Verywell，wewill."
　　Ontheirreturntheyfoundtheoldpeopleinbed.ThenextmorningMadeleineroseearlyandwasreadytoleaveatdaybreak.WhenGeorgestoldhisparentsthattheyweregoingtoreturnhome，theyguessedwhosewishitwas.
　　Hisfatheraskedsimply："ShallIseeyousoonagain？"
　　"Yes——inthesummer—time."
　　"Verywell."
　　Hismothergrumbled："Ihopeyouwillnotregretwhatyouhavedone."
　　Georgesgavethemtwohundredfrancstoappeasethem，andthecabarrivingatteno’clock，thecouplekissedtheoldpeasantsandsetout.
　　Astheyweredescendingthesideofthehill，Duroylaughed."Yousee，"saidhe，"Iwarnedyou.Ishould，however，nothavepresentedyoutoM.andMme.duRoydeCantel，senior."
　　Shelaughedtooandreplied："Iamcharmednow！TheyarenicepeoplewhomIambeginningtolikeverymuch.IshallsendthemconfectionsfromParis."Thenshemurmured："DuRoydeCantel.Wewillsaythatwespentaweekatyourparents’estate，"anddrawingnearhim，shekissedhimsaying：
　　"Goodmorning，Georges."
　　Hereplied："Goodmorning，Madeleine，"asheslippedhisarmaroundherwaist.
　　CHAPTERX.
　　JEALOUSY
　　TheDuRoyshadbeeninParistwodaysandthejournalisthadresumedwork;hehadgivenuphisownespecialprovincetoassumethatofForestier，andtodevotehimselfentirelytopolitics.Onthisparticulareveningheturnedhisstepstowardhomewithalightheart.Ashepassedaflorist’sonRueNotreDamedeLoretteheboughtabouquetofhalf—openrosesforMadeleine.Havingforgottenhiskey，onarrivingathisdoor，herangandtheservantansweredhissummons.
　　Georgesasked："IsMadameathome？""Yes，sir."
　　Inthedining—roomhepausedinastonishmenttoseecoverslaidforthree：thedoorofthesalonbeingajar，hesawMadeleinearranginginavaseonthemantelpieceabunchofrosessimilartohis.
　　Heenteredtheroomandasked："Haveyouinvitedanyonetodinner？"
　　Sherepliedwithoutturningherheadandcontinuingthearrangementofherflowers："Yesandno：itismyoldfriend，CountdeVaudrec，whoisinthehabitofdininghereeveryMondayandwhowillcomenowashealwayshas，"
　　Georgesmurmured："Verywell."
　　Hestoppedbehindher，thebouquetinhishand，thedesirestrongwithinhimtoconcealit——tothrowitaway.However，hesaid：
　　"Here，Ihavebroughtyousomeroses！"
　　Sheturnedtohimwithasmileandsaid："Ah，howthoughtfulofyou！"andshekissedhimwithsuchevidentaffectionthathefeltconsoled.
　　Shetooktheflowers，inhaledtheirperfume，andputtheminanemptyvase.Thenshesaidasshenotedtheeffect："NowIamsatisfied;mymantelpiecelookspretty，"addingwithanairofconviction：
　　"Vaudrecischarming;youwillbecomeintimatewithhimatonce，"
　　AringannouncedtheCount.Heenteredasifhewereathome.AftergallantlykissingMme.DuRoy’shand，heturnedtoherhusbandandcordiallyofferedhishand，saying："Howareyou，mydearDuRoy？"
　　Hehadnolongerthathaughtyair，butwasveryaffable.Onewouldhavethoughtinthecourseoffiveminutes，thatthetwomenhadknownoneanotherfortenyears.Madeleine，whosefacewasradiant，said："Iwillleaveyoutogether.Ihaveworktosuperintendinthekitchen."ThedinnerwasexcellentandtheCountremainedverylate.
　　Whenhewasgone，Madeleinesaidtoherhusband："Ishenotnice？Heimproves，too，onacquaintance.Heisagood，true，faithfulfriend.
　　Ah，withouthim——"
　　ShedidnotcompletehersentenceandGeorgesreplied："Yes，heisverypleasant，Ithinkweshallunderstandeachotherwell."
　　"Youdonotknow，"shesaid，"thatwehaveworktodoto—nightbeforeretiring.Ididnothavetimetotellyoubeforedinner，forVaudreccame.Laroche—MathieubroughtmeimportantnewsofMorocco.
　　Wemustmakeafinearticleofthat.Letussettoworkatonce.