Original Short Stories — Volume 07Maupassant, Guy de
General
Original Short Stories — Volume 07
Maupassant, Guy de
Short stories, French -- Translations into English
“I am sorry you are going; we might have had some good times together.”
But Madame Tellier replied very sensibly: “Everything has its right
time, and we cannot always be enjoying ourselves.” And then he had a
sudden inspiration:
“Look here, I will come and see you at Fecamp next month.” And he gave
Rosa a roguish and knowing look.
“Come,” his sister replied, “you must be sensible; you may come if you
like, but you are not to be up to any of your tricks.”
He did not reply, and as they heard the whistle of the train, he
immediately began to kiss them all. When it came to Rosa's turn, he
tried to get to her mouth, which she, however, smiling with her lips
closed, turned away from him each time by a rapid movement of her
head to one side. He held her in his arms, but he could not attain his
object, as his large whip, which he was holding in his hand and waving
behind the girl's back in desperation, interfered with his movements.
“Passengers for Rouen, take your seats!” a guard cried, and they got in.
There was a slight whistle, followed by a loud whistle from the engine,
which noisily puffed cut its first jet of steam, while the wheels began
to turn a little with a visible effort, and Rivet left the station and
ran along by the track to get another look at Rosa, and as the carriage
passed him, he began to crack his whip and to jump, while he sang at the
top of his voice:
“How I regret
My dimpled arms,
My nimble legs,
And vanished charms.”
And then he watched a white pocket-handkerchief, which somebody was
waving, as it disappeared in the distance.
III
They slept the peaceful sleep of a quiet conscience, until they got to
Rouen, and when they returned to the house, refreshed and rested, Madame
Tellier could not help saying:
“It was all very well, but I was longing to get home.”
They hurried over their supper, and then, when they had put on their
usual evening costume, waited for their regular customers, and the
little colored lamp outside the door told the passers-by that Madame
Tellier had returned, and in a moment the news spread, nobody knew how
or through whom.
Monsieur Philippe, the banker's son, even carried his friendliness so
far as to send a special messenger to Monsieur Tournevau, who was in the
bosom of his family.
The fish curer had several cousins to dinner every Sunday, and they were
having coffee, when a man came in with a letter in his hand. Monsieur
Tournevau was much excited; he opened the envelope and grew pale; it
contained only these words in pencil:
“The cargo of cod has been found; the ship has come into port; good
business for you. Come immediately.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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