A Chambermaid's Diary

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recollection! He tells me only of himself. If he is to be believed, it seems that Jean has become an important personage. That is to be seen and felt from the patronizing and somewhat contemptuous air which he assumes toward m

s also opposite the sum of a hundred francs in the "Libre Parole," among the subscribers to the fund for a monument for Colonel Henry. Coppée inscribed it there officially. Coppée also made him an honorary member of the "Patrie Fran?aise,"-an astonishing society. All the servants in the great houses belong to it. There are also counts, marquises, and dukes. On coming to breakfast yesterday, General Mercier said to Jean: "Well, my brave Jean?" My brave Jean! Jules Guérin, in the "Anti-Juif," has written, under the heading, "Another Victim of the Sheenies!" an article beginning: "Our valiant anti-Semitic comrade, M. Jean," etc. And finally, M. Forain, who now is always at the house, has had Jean pose for a design, which is to symbolize the soul of the country. M. Forain thinks that Jean has "just the mug for that." He receives at this moment an astonishing number of illustrious decorations, of serious tips, and of honorary and extremely flattering distinctions. And if, as there is every reason to believe, General Mercier decides to summon Jean for the coming Zola trial, to give false testimony,-the nature of which the staff will decide upon soon,-nothing will be lacking to complete his glory. This year, in high society, there is nothing so fashionable and effective as false testimony. To be selected for a perjurer, besides bringi

ll, kissing and caressing each other, and making the round of the public balls and the theatres together, as we used to do so prettily. I see him, in his putty-colored overcoat, returning from the races, after having lost his money, and saying to her, as so many times he has said to me: "Le

of far-away distances, especially since my stay at Houlgate with poor M. Georges. That stay has left me with a certain anxiety, a certain torturing necessity of reaching fruitlessly after unattainable ideas and forms. I really believe that this too short and sudden glimpse of a world which I had better never have known at all, being unable to know it better, has been very harmful to me. Oh! how disappointing are these ways leading to the unknown! One goes on and on, and it is always the same thing. See that sparkli

ie, without having succeeded in acquiring the means of satisfying them,-the vile sentiments, the cowardly fears, the criminal appetites, without the setting, and consequently without the excuse, of wealth. With a soiled soul, he traverses this respectable bourgeois world, and, simply from having breathed the mortal odor that rises from these putrid sinks, he loses forever the security of his mind, and even the very form of his personality. At the bottom of all these recollections, amid this

is monotony, this absolute fixity in life, that is the hardest thing for me to endure. I

against me because of my severity; but his spites are not dangerous. After breakfast, armed and gaitered, he starts off on a hunting expedition, returns at night, asks me only to help him in taking off his boots, and goes to bed at nine o'clock. He is still awkward, comical, and

am beginning to glide, to "walk in the air," as Joseph says. Often in these dark passage-ways, alongside

least we are ourselves again,-all of us together. We gossip, we laugh, we tell stories as we sip our little black-currant cocktails. There we find a little of the illu

d the grocer, in a tone to which sh

s sick

hing. In two days i

at me with confirmatory

this is a very

that she was the daughter of a road-laborer. She was known in the neighborhood as the little Claire. She was a little bit simple, but sweet and pretty, and she was not twelve years old! A rich

through the wound. Her neck and throat still bore visible marks of strangling fingers. There was still to be seen in the short heather the tramp

of the valley and anemones, of which she made pretty bouquets for the ladies of the town; she also went there to look for morels, which she sold on Sunday at the

s, disc

ety regarding the child's disappe

er no less dis

imself, he had no need to take hi

ose int

s very suspi

ossession of terrible secrets, she goes on in

about it; I make no

r curiosity hangi

cry from all sides, with outs

not be astonished

breat

nk, if you want to know," she concludes, with

nt. I declare that Monsieur Lanlaire i

the poor man! He woul

still more ha

eau? And Valentin's little girl? And the lit

me thing; it is n

tle girls who consent to be outraged,-yes, that is possible. That he kills them,-that is scarcely credible. But Rose sto

l you yes? I

g in a dreamy fashion, finally de

ver tell. As for the little Jézureau, it was a famous

w, one after another, all the people in the neighborhood who could have done the deed. They find heaps of them,-all those whom they detest

around here, who did not present a very inviting appeara

indignati

? The good God's holy s

ying everybody under suspicion, Rose, b

u that it is he?

anged, I see flaming on the pine wainscoting the portrait of Drumont. To give him greater majesty, undoubtedly, Joseph has recently adorned him with a crown of laurel. Opposite, the portrait of th

seph, solely from a

ittle Claire has been found in t

tive as this movement was, it seems to me that, at the sound of the little Claire's name, a

, "I know it. I was told so in

ous and powerful suppleness of his biceps, the whiteness of his skin. I cannot see his eyes under the lowered lids,-his eyes so obstinately fixed upon his work

know wh

lders. Half jesting, h

undoubtedly; some

er a shor

they will not pinch them. T

s, and, pointing to Drumont's por

had him? Oh,

with a singular feeling

to give us something to talk abou

thing that goes on in our place escapes her. She sees all who come in and go out. She is redder, fatter, flabbier than ever. Her lips hang more than they did,

s you notice anything, go stra

ession, a mania. A li

me to notice anything

same. But with Mme. Gouin one can rest easy. So expert a woman is a real blessing to a town. Why, formerly, my dear little one, you saw nothing but children around here. The town was poisoned with children. An abomination! They swarmed i

limy smile, s

a very pretty spectacle. Oh! to me, you know, love is so pretty. I perfectly understand that one cannot live without love. Yes, but it is very annoying also to have a lot of children tagging at one's heels. Well, they have none now; they have no more. And it is to Mm

lf. I have no de

o have one. Only ... But, tell me, ha

y,

a great reputation for that. Not

sure

Rose shake

You distrust me. Well, that is your

oad, and salute Mam'ze

zelle Rose? And the

ou. He is drawing s

road, and salute Mam'z

Mam'zelle Rose?

, thank you; you

ep, wagging his head. At the sight of Rose, h

my dear child? A

re going very nicely. The ca

planted some beautiful flowers, and that next year, on Cor

e sure of

hips to the cap

ame to you

away, his brev

ll that a parish needs i

her triumph, saluted by all, respected by all, fat, happy, hideously happy. Soon, I am sure, the priest w