The works of Guy de Maupassant, Vol. 5: Une Vie and Other StoriesMaupassant, Guy de
General
The works of Guy de Maupassant, Vol. 5: Une Vie and Other Stories
Maupassant, Guy de
French fiction -- Translations into English; Short stories, French -- Translations into English
Then one December morning, Denis Lecoq's gig came to take them both to
the railway station, for Rosalie was going to accompany her mistress as
far as that. When they reached the station, they found out first how
much the tickets were, then, when the trunk had been labeled and the
ticket bought, they stood watching the rails, both too much occupied in
wondering what the train would be like to think of the sad cause of this
journey. At last a distant whistle made them look round, and they saw a
large, black machine approaching, which came up with a terrible noise,
dragging after it a long chain of little rolling houses. A porter opened
the door of one of these little huts, and Jeanne kissed Rosalie and got
in.
"_Au revoir_, madame. I hope you will have a pleasant journey, and will
soon be back again."
"_Au revoir_, Rosalie."
There was another whistle, and the string of carriages moved slowly off,
gradually going faster and faster, till they reached a terrific speed.
In Jeanne's compartment there were only two other passengers, who were
both asleep, and she sat and watched the fields and farms and villages
rush past. She was frightened at the speed at which she was going, and
the feeling came over her that she was entering a new phase of life,
and was being hurried towards a very different world from that in which
she had spent her peaceful girlhood and her monotonous life.
It was evening when she reached Paris. A porter took her trunk, and she
followed closely at his heels, sometimes almost running for fear of
losing sight of him, and feeling frightened as she was pushed about by
the swaying crowd through which she did not know how to pass.
"I was recommended here by Me. Roussel," she hastened to say when she
was in the hotel office.
The landlady, a big, stolid-looking woman, was sitting at the desk.
"Who is Me. Roussel?" she asked.
"The lawyer from Goderville, who stays here every year," replied Jeanne,
in surprise.
"Very likely he does," responded the big woman, "but I don't know him.
Do you want a room?"
"Yes, madame."
A waiter shouldered the luggage and led the way upstairs.
Jeanne followed, feeling very low-spirited and depressed, and sitting
down at a little table, she ordered some soup and the wing of a chicken
to be sent up to her, for she had had nothing to eat since day-break.
She thought of how she had passed through this same town on her return
from her wedding tour, as she ate her supper by the miserable light of
one candle, and of how Julien had then first shown himself in his true
character. But then she was young and brave and hopeful; now she felt
old and timid; and the least thing worried and frightened her.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account