"Yourwife?
"
"Yes,monsieur。
"
"Then-then-youdonotlivetogether-inParis?
"
"Ibegyourardon,monsieur,butwearelivingtogether!
"
"Butinthatcase-youmustbemad,altogethermad,mydearsir,togetcaughtlayingloversinthecountryatteno&aos;clockinthemorning。
"
Thehaberdasherseemedreadytocrywithshame,andhemuttered:
"Itwasshewhoenticedme!Itoldheritwasverystuid,butwhenawomanoncegetsathingintoherhead-youknow-youcannotgetitout。
"
Themayor,wholikedajoke,smiledandrelied:
"Inyourcase,thecontraryoughttohavehaened。Youwouldnotbehere,ifshehadhadtheideaonlyinherhead。
"
ThenMonsieurBeauainwasseizedwithrageandturningtohiswife,hesaid:
"Doyouseetowhatyouhavebroughtuswithyouroetry?Andnowweshallhavetogobeforethecourtsatourage,forabreachofmorals!Andweshallhavetoshututhesho,sellourgoodwill,andgotosomeotherneighborhood!That&aos;swhatithascometo。
"
MadameBeauraingotu,andwithoutlookingatherhusband,sheexlainedherselfwithoutembarrassment,withoutuselessmodesty,andalmostwithouthesitation。
"Ofcourse,monsieur,Iknowthatwehavemadeourselvesridiculous。Willyouallowmetoleadmycauselikeanadvocate,orratherlikeaoorwoman?AndIhoethatyouwillbekindenoughtosendushome,andtosareusthedisgraceofarosecution。
"Yearsago,whenIwasyoung,ImadeMonsieurBeaurain&aos;sacquaintanceoneSundayinthisneighborhood。Hewasemloyedinadraer&aos;ssho,andIwasasaleswomaninaready-madeclothingestablishment。Irememberitasifitwereyesterday。IusedtocomeandsendSundayshereoccasionallywithafriendofmine,RoseLeveque,withwhomIlivedintheRuePigalle,andRosehadasweetheart,whileIhadnone。Heusedtobringushere,andoneSaturdayhetoldmelaughingthatheshouldbringafriendwithhimthenextday。Iquiteunderstoodwhathemeant,butIreliedthatitwouldbenogood;forIwasvirtuous,monsieur。
"ThenextdaywemetMonsieurBeaurainattherailwaystation,andinthosedayshewasgood-looking,butIhadmadeumymindnottoencouragehim,andIdidnot。Well,wearrivedatBezons。Itwasalovelyday,thesortofdaythattouchesyourheart。Whenitisfineevennow,justasitusedtobeformerly,Igrowquitefoolish,andwhenIaminthecountryIutterlylosemyhead。Thegreengrass,theswallowsflyingsoswiftly,thesmellofthegrass,thescarletoies,thedaisies,allthatmakesmecrazy。Itislikechamagnewhenoneisnotaccustomedtoit!
"Well,itwaslovelyweather,warmandbright,anditseemedtoenetrateyourbodythroughyoureyeswhenyoulookedandthroughyourmouthwhenyoubreathed。RoseandSimonhuggedandkissedeachothereveryminute,andthatgavemeaqueerfeeling!MonsieurBeaurainandIwalkedbehindthem,withoutseakingmuch,forwheneoledonotknoweachother,theydonotfindanythingtotalkabout。Helookedtimid,andIlikedtoseehisembarrassment。Atlastwegottothelittlewood;itwasascoolasinabaththere,andwefoursatdown。RoseandherloverteasedmebecauseIlookedratherstern,butyouwillunderstandthatIcouldnotbeotherwise。Andthentheybegantokissandhugagain,withoututtinganymorerestraintuonthemselvesthanifwehadnotbeenthere;andthentheywhiseredtogether,andgotuandwentoffamongthetrees,withoutsayingaword。YoumayfancywhatIlookedlike,alonewiththisyoungfellowwhomIsawforthefirsttime。Ifeltsoconfusedatseeingthemgothatitgavemecourage,andIbegantotalk。Iaskedhimwhathisbusinesswas,andhesaidhewasalinendraer&aos;sassistant,asItoldyoujustnow。Wetalkedforafewminutes,andthatmadehimbold,andhewantedtotakelibertieswithme,butItoldhimsharlytokeehislace。Isnotthattrue,MonsieurBeaurain?
"
MonsieurBeaurain,whowaslookingathisfeetinconfusion,didnotrely,andshecontinued:
"ThenhesawthatIwasvirtuous,andhebegantomakelovetomenicely,likeanhonorableman,andfromthattimehecameeverySunday,forhewasverymuchinlovewithme。Iwasveryfondofhimalso,veryfondofhim!Hewasagood-lookingfellow,formerly,andinshorthemarriedmethenextSetember,andwestartedinbusinessintheRuedesMartyrs。
"Itwasahardstruggleforsomeyears,monsieur。Businessdidnotroser,andwecouldnotaffordmanycountryexcursions,and,besides,wehadgotoutofthewayofthem。Onehasotherthingsinone&aos;shead,andthinksmoreofthecashboxthanofrettyseeches,whenoneisinbusiness。Weweregrowingoldbydegreeswithouterceivingit,likequieteolewhodonotthinkmuchaboutlove。Onedoesnotregretanythingaslongasonedoesnotnoticewhatonehaslost。
"Andthen,monsieur,businessbecamebetter,andweweretranquilastothefuture!Then,yousee,Idonotexactlyknowwhatwentoninmymind,no,Ireallydonotknow,butIbegantodreamlikealittleboarding-schoolgirl。Thesightofthelittlecartsfullofflowerswhicharedrawnaboutthestreetsmademecry;thesmellofvioletssoughtmeoutinmyeasy-chair,behindmycashbox,andmademyheartbeat!ThenIwouldgetuandgooutonthedoorstetolookattheblueskybetweentheroofs。Whenonelooksuattheskyfromthestreet,itlookslikeariverwhichisdescendingonParis,windingasitflows,andtheswallowsasstoandfroinitlikefish。Theseideasareverystuidatmyage!Buthowcanonehelit,monsieur,whenonehasworkedallone&aos;slife?Amomentcomesinwhichoneerceivesthatonecouldhavedonesomethingelse,andthatoneregrets,oh!yes,onefeelsintenseregret!Justthink,fortwentyyearsImighthavegoneandhadkissesinthewoods,likeotherwomen。Iusedtothinkhowdelightfulitwouldbetolieunderthetreesandbeinlovewithsomeone!AndIthoughtofiteverydayandeverynight!Idreamedofthemoonlightonthewater,untilIfeltinclinedtodrownmyself。
"IdidnotventuretoseaktoMonsieurBeaurainaboutthisatfirst。Iknewthathewouldmakefunofme,andsendmebacktosellmyneedlesandcotton!Andthen,toseakthetruth,MonsieurBeaurainneversaidmuchtome,butwhenIlookedintheglass,IalsounderstoodquitewellthatInolongeraealedtoanyone!
"Well,Imadeumymind,andIroosedtohimanexcursionintothecountry,tothelacewherewehadfirstbecomeacquainted。Heagreedwithoutmistrustinganything,andwearrivedherethismorning,aboutnineo&aos;clock。
"IfeltquiteyoungagainwhenIgotamongthewheat,forawoman&aos;sheartnevergrowsold!Andreally,Inolongersawmyhusbandasheisatresent,butjustashewasformerly!ThatIwillsweartoyou,monsieur。AstrueasIamstandinghereIwascrazy。Ibegantokisshim,andhewasmoresurrisedthanifIhadtriedtomurderhim。Heketsayingtome:‘Why,youmustbemad!Youaremadthismorning!Whatisthematterwithyou?’Ididnotlistentohim,Ionlylistenedtomyownheart,andImadehimcomeintothewoodwithme。Thatisall。Ihavesokenthetruth,MonsieurleMaire,thewholetruth。
"
Themayorwasasensibleman。Herosefromhischair,smiled,andsaid:
"Goineace,madame,andwhenyouagainvisitourforests,bemorediscreet。
"