Part
1 I| water and slowly washed her dishes, stopping occasionally
2 I| distance.~When she had finished her work, wiped down the table,
3 I| air, which seemed to do her good.~The fowls were lying
4 I| thinking, and then she raised her eyes and was almost dazzled
5 I| inclined to move and to stretch her limbs and to repose in the
6 I| undecided steps and closed her eyes, for she was seized
7 I| from the kitchen annoyed her again, and she went out
8 I| upon it at full length on her back, with both arms under
9 I| back, with both arms under her head and her legs stretched
10 I| arms under her head and her legs stretched out.~Gradually
11 I| stretched out.~Gradually her eyes closed, and she was
12 I| when she felt two hands on her bosom, and she sprang up
13 I| had been making love to her for a long time. He had
14 I| herding the sheep, and, seeing her lying down in the shade,
15 I| his hair.~He tried to kiss her, but she gave him a smack
16 I| was shrewd enough to beg her pardon; so they sat down
17 I| his head, drew closer to her.~"I have not seen my mother
18 I| that," and she directed her looks into the distance,
19 I| Suddenly, however, he seized her by the neck and kissed her
20 I| her by the neck and kissed her again, but she struck him
21 I| violently in the face with her clenched fist that his nose
22 I| he said, and he looked at her with admiration, for she
23 I| but she took his arm of her own accord, in the avenue,
24 I| No, he did not despise her. He was in love with her,
25 I| her. He was in love with her, that was all.~"So you really
26 I| hesitated and then looked at her sideways, while she looked
27 I| looked straight ahead of her. She had fat, red cheeks,
28 I| cheeks, a full bust beneath her cotton jacket; thick, red
29 I| jacket; thick, red lips; and her neck, which was almost bare,
30 I| and, putting his lips to her ear, he murmured: "Yes,
31 I| course I do."~Then she threw her arms round his neck and
32 I| seemed to grow tired of her; he avoided her, scarcely
33 I| tired of her; he avoided her, scarcely spoke to her,
34 I| avoided her, scarcely spoke to her, and did not try any longer
35 I| not try any longer to meet her alone, which made her sad
36 I| meet her alone, which made her sad and anxious; and soon
37 I| then she got angry, and her rage increased every day
38 I| meet him, as he avoided her most carefully. At last,
39 I| went out noiselessly in her petticoat, with bare feet,
40 I| pretended to snore when he heard her coming, but she knelt down
41 I| you want?" he then asked her. And with clenched teeth,
42 I| could not get away from her, and, half strangling him,
43 I| Heaven!"~Then she released her grasp and went away without
44 I| got his place."~This made her tremble so violently that
45 I| at work, she went up into her room and cried, burying
46 I| room and cried, burying her head in the bolster, so
47 I| overwhelmed by the thoughts of her misfortune that she fancied
48 II| constant misery began for her. She worked mechanically,
49 II| with one fixed idea in her head:~"Suppose people were
50 II| This continual feeling made her so incapable of reasoning
51 II| persistently tried to look at her figure in a piece of broken
52 II| looking-glass, before which she did her hair, as she was very anxious
53 II| would notice a change in her, and, during the day, she
54 II| top to toe, to see whether her apron did not look too short.~
55 II| trembling hands, which made her master say to her occasionally: "
56 II| which made her master say to her occasionally: "My poor girl,
57 II| meal times the looks of her fellow servants almost made
58 II| fellow servants almost made her faint with mental agony;
59 II| seemed always to be watching her.~One morning the postman
60 II| morning the postman brought her a letter, and as she had
61 II| had never received one in her life before she was so upset
62 II| paper, covered with ink, in her hand. After a time, however,
63 II| however, she put it into her pocket, as she did not venture
64 II| did not venture to confide her secret to any one. She often
65 II| one. She often stopped in her work to look at those lines
66 II| the schoolmaster, who told her to sit down and read to
67 II| to sit down and read to her as follows:~"MY DEAR DAUGHTER:
68 II| as soon as she was alone her legs gave way under her,
69 II| her legs gave way under her, and she fell down by the
70 II| back, she told the farmer her bad news, and he allowed
71 II| bad news, and he allowed her to go home for as long as
72 II| liked, and promised to have her work done by a charwoman
73 II| a charwoman and to take her back when she returned.~
74 II| back when she returned.~Her mother died soon after she
75 II| to the farm.~But now in her heart, which had been wounded
76 II| which she had left behind her, though there was fresh
77 II| because she was parted from her child. What pained her most,
78 II| from her child. What pained her most, however, was the mad
79 II| kiss it, to press it in her arms, to feel the warmth
80 II| its little body against her breast. She could not sleep
81 II| and in the evening, when her work was done, she would
82 II| They began to talk about her and to tease-her about her
83 II| her and to tease-her about her lover. They asked her whether
84 II| about her lover. They asked her whether he was tall, handsome
85 II| questions seemed to hurt her like the prick of a pin;
86 II| and, still thinking of her child, she sought some way
87 II| determined to work so that her master would be obliged
88 II| would be obliged to raise her wages.~By degrees she almost
89 II| She was as miserly about her master's money as if it
90 II| money as if it had been her own; and, by dint of making
91 II| he, at last, entrusted her with buying and selling
92 II| eye on everything about her that, under her direction,
93 II| everything about her that, under her direction, the farm prospered
94 II| girl is worth more than her weight in gold."~But time
95 II| But time passed by, and her wages remained the same.
96 II| wages remained the same. Her hard work was accepted as
97 II| bank every month, thanks to her, she was still only earning
98 II| she was still only earning her two hundred francs a year,
99 II| less; and so she made up her mind to ask for an increase
100 II| very well. He acceded to her request immediately, and
101 III| because it did not know her, and stretched out its arms
102 III| nurse as soon as it saw her. But the next day it began
103 III| next day it began to know her, and laughed when it saw
104 III| and laughed when it saw her, and she took it into the
105 III| then, for the first time in her life, she opened her heart
106 III| in her life, she opened her heart to somebody, although
107 III| he could not understand her, and told him her troubles;
108 III| understand her, and told him her troubles; how hard her work
109 III| him her troubles; how hard her work was, her anxieties
110 III| how hard her work was, her anxieties and her hopes,
111 III| work was, her anxieties and her hopes, and she quite tired
112 III| child with the violence of her caresses.~She took the greatest
113 III| dressing it, for it seemed to her that all this was the confirmation
114 III| was the confirmation of her maternity; and she would
115 III| voice as she danced it in her arms: "It is my baby, it'
116 III| had scarcely got in before her master called her into his
117 III| before her master called her into his room; and she went,
118 III| comprehend his meaning, for her thoughts were in a whirl,
119 III| about five minutes, he asked her: "Well, will it suit you?" "
120 III| jumped up, but fell back on her chair, as if she had been
121 III| suddenly the tears came into her eves and she said twice
122 III| dressed as she was, on her bed, and she had not even
123 III| strength to cry left in her, she was so thoroughly dumfounded.
124 III| being at all able to collect her thoughts, though, at moments,
125 III| idea of what might happen. Her terror increased, and every
126 III| and had the nightmare; her candle went out, and then
127 III| one bad cast a spell over her, as country people so often
128 III| escape and to flee before her misfortune, like a ship
129 III| shivered, sat up, passed her hands over her face, her
130 III| up, passed her hands over her face, her hair, and all
131 III| her hands over her face, her hair, and all over her body,
132 III| her hair, and all over her body, and then she went
133 III| as if she were walking in her sleep. When she got into
134 III| went on straight before her, with a quick, springy trot,
135 III| uttered a piercing cry. Her long shadow accompanied
136 III| long shadow accompanied her, and now and then some night
137 III| some night bird flew over her head, while the dogs in
138 III| farmyards barked as they heard her pass; one even jumped over
139 III| the ditch, and followed her and tried to bite her, but
140 III| followed her and tried to bite her, but she turned round and
141 III| purple sky, she stopped, for her swollen feet refused to
142 III| she limped on slowly with her hand on her heart, in order
143 III| slowly with her hand on her heart, in order to dip both
144 III| heart, in order to dip both her feet in it. She sat down
145 III| tuft of grass, took off her heavy shoes, which were
146 III| full of dust, pulled off her stockings and plunged her
147 III| her stockings and plunged her legs into the still water,
148 III| delicious coolness pervaded her from head to foot, and suddenly,
149 III| throw herself into it. All her sufferings would be over
150 III| She no longer thought of her child; she only wanted peace,
151 III| She was in the water up to her thighs, and she was just
152 III| was just about to throw her self in when sharp, pricking
153 III| sharp, pricking pains in her ankles made her jump back,
154 III| pains in her ankles made her jump back, and she uttered
155 III| cry of despair, for, from her knees to the tips of her
156 III| her knees to the tips of her feet, long black leeches
157 III| black leeches were sucking her lifeblood, and were swelling
158 III| swelling as they adhered to her flesh. She did not dare
159 III| screamed with horror, so that her cries of despair attracted
160 III| wounds, and drove the girl to her master's farm in his gig.~
161 III| and planted himself before her. "Well," he said, "I suppose
162 III| standing and looking at her intently with his piercing
163 III| I cannot." He looked at her, and then exclaimed angrily: "
164 III| and every moment wiped her eyes with the corner of
165 III| eyes with the corner of her blue apron. But he still
166 III| as it were, scratching at her heart to discover her secret,
167 III| at her heart to discover her secret, just as a terrier
168 III| she grew scarlet, while her tears suddenly stopped and
169 III| stopped and dried up on her cheeks, like drops of water
170 III| things, but he interrupted her: "At any rate, he used to
171 III| eh?"~This time she looked her master straight in the face. "
172 III| consequences, no girl would refuse her master on that account.
173 III| strength to speak, and he asked her again: "You will not?" "
174 III| hands touching the bed woke her. She . trembled with fear,
175 III| s voice, when he said to her: "Don't be frightened, Rose;
176 III| tried to take liberties with her she understood and began
177 III| with that man standing near her. She certainly did not consent,
178 III| gentle races. She turned her head now to the wall, and
179 III| farmer tried to press on her, but she was weakened by
180 III| and one morning he said to her: "I have put up our banns,
181 IV| misfortunes were hanging over her head, like huge rocks, which
182 IV| fall on the first occasion. Her husband gave her the impression
183 IV| occasion. Her husband gave her the impression of a man
184 IV| And then she thought of her child, who was the cause
185 IV| child, who was the cause of her misfortunes, but who was
186 IV| was also the cause of all her happiness on earth, and
187 IV| gradually grew accustomed to her life, her fears were allayed,
188 IV| accustomed to her life, her fears were allayed, her
189 IV| her fears were allayed, her heart was at rest, and she
190 IV| for at times he answered her roughly, almost angrily.~
191 IV| him, as she was very busy, her husband suddenly came in
192 IV| suddenly came in and said to her in his unpleasant voice: "
193 IV| into the house, with all her grief awakened afresh; and
194 IV| farmer neither spoke to her nor looked at her, and he
195 IV| spoke to her nor looked at her, and he seemed to hate her,
196 IV| her, and he seemed to hate her, to despise her, to know
197 IV| to hate her, to despise her, to know something about
198 IV| In consequence she lost her composure, and did not venture
199 IV| arches, looked to Rose like her last hope, and with her
200 IV| her last hope, and with her eyes fixed on it, she fell
201 IV| fixed on it, she fell on her knees. The chain rattled
202 IV| down to dinner, and he made her sit down also. "Yes, yes,
203 IV| The farmer was waiting for her, as the laborers had gone
204 IV| laborers had gone away during her absence, and she fell heavily
205 V| another child; she confided her wish to everybody, and,
206 V| of this, a neighbor told her of an infallible method.
207 V| method. This was, to make her husband drink a glass of
208 V| the abbey, and, mingling her prayers with the coarse
209 V| desires of the peasants around her, she prayed that she might
210 V| she was being punished for her first fault, and she was
211 V| wasting away with sorrow; her husband was also aging prematurely,
212 V| between them; he called her names and beat her. They
213 V| called her names and beat her. They quarrelled all day
214 V| insults and obscenities at her, choking with rage, until
215 V| think of any means of making her suffer more he ordered her
216 V| her suffer more he ordered her to get up and go and stand
217 V| not obey him, he seized her by the neck and began to
218 V| neck and began to strike her in the face with his fists,
219 V| exasperation he knelt on her stomach, and with clenched
220 V| with rage, he began to beat her. Then in her despair she
221 V| began to beat her. Then in her despair she rebelled, and
222 V| she began to sob, and amid her tears she continued: "That
223 V| suddenly he stopped in front of her, and said: "Then it is my
224 V| a plateful."~She put on her petticoat and they went
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