Une Vie, A Piece of String and Other Stories
stressing. It had raine
ters filled the desert
bsorbed the humidity, w
s sweat from cellar to
ore, free for all time,
she had dreamed so lo
t for the new home in b
daybreak she examined
mitted to put her cale
e wall the little car
e current year, 1819.
olumns, drawing a line
ay, the day that she le
"Jeannette." Jeanne re
Baron Simon-Jacques Le
t century, eccentric a
es Rousseau, he had th
ields, in the woods
hated instinctively the
ament and liberal by
sive and declamatory ha
was his kind-heartedn
ve, to embrace; the ben
uestioning; in a word,
ice. A man of theory,
hter, to the end that
tle. She had lived at
the tears of her mothe
Heart. He had kept h
e of the secrets of lif
ure at seventeen years
sort of rational poetr
the fruitful earth, un
he aspect of love in na
als, through the placi
t radiant, full of the
l the charming incide
urs and in the long, qu
with her fair, glossy
skin, a skin with the
vety down which could b
eyes were an opaque bl
had a tiny mole on her
in. She was tall, well
e sounded at times a l
pread joy around her.
e her hands to her temp
a
nd embraced him warmly.
iled, shook his head an
travel in such weather
ner, "Oh, papa, do let
"But your mother wil
hat she will, I will
your mother, I am perf
om her mother's room, s
ough the house, "Papa,
ed." The rain was not a
aining harder when the
to step in when the b
by her husband and o
strapping as a boy. Sh
o looked at least twent
She was treated by t
Jeanne's foster sister
in guiding the steps
ast few years and also
complaining continuall
ally reached the doorst
ere the water was stre
er husband, always ple
dame Adelaide." He alw
he title madame with an
with difficulty into t
The baron sat beside
opposite, with their
ought a heap of wraps
were placed under the
r Simon, wrapping herse
y. The porter and his
the carriage door, taki
to follow in a wagon.
with head bowed and b
vered by his box coat w
pon the carriage win
gh
the wharf and continue
il they reached the bou
meadows, where from
rooping limply, could
n. No one spoke. Their
with moisture
head against the cushi
th mournful eyes at the
th a parcel on her kne
sant. But Jeanne, und
plant that has been sh
nd so great was her jo
rom sadness. Although
ging, to reach out her
t. She enjoyed to the
enjoyed gazing at the
shelter amid this gene
leaming backs of the t
ea
baroness fell asleep,
husband leaned over an
eather p
she looked at the pocke
denly aroused. It fell
k bills were scattere
her completely, and
ry peal of gir
e money and placed it
that is left of my far
o repair the 'Poplars,
n the
nd four hundred francs
the ninth of thirty-o
ad sold in this way. N
ty thousand livres i
proper care, would ha
d franc
did, this income would
hole always open in th
the money in their han
flowed, fled, disappe
ay to the other, "I do
ndred francs to-day, an
his faculty of giving
heir life, and they all
and touch
r, "Is it beautiful no
shall see, m
ate. The vault of clo
through a rift, a lon
esently the clouds sepa
like the tearing of a
l azure sky, clear and
d gentle breeze passe
ey passed beside gard
ght chirp of a bird
g. Everyone in the car
rest and feed the hors
e heard. They passed a
hting their lamps, a
s of stars. Suddenly
f the fir trees, the m
ere torpid
that the windows wer
nd happy visions, was n
women were standing be
r hands. They had arr
st to jump out. Her f
he baroness, who was g
tle voice, "Oh, my God,
refreshment, but went
asl
the baron, took suppe
each other. Later, sei
of inspection through
and vast Norman reside
built of white stone
contain a whol
d the house from front
of the entrance, meet
drawing-room was on
tapestries representin
red with fine needlewo
nd Jeanne was delighted
which pictured the sto
or
m were the library, fu
left was the dining-r
hen,
e whole first floor,
end, on the right, was
e had had it all newl
eries that had bee
old Flemish tapestrie
ht of her bed, the youn
rds carved in oak, bl
bed and seemed to be
wide garlands of flowe
terminating in Corinthi
roses intertwined. The
silk, embroidered in
ly admired it, she li
and the allegories they
ubjects, but the last
which was still nibb
ntly dead. A young gi
er bosom, and the fruit
trying to divine the m
in the corner a tiny l
ould have swallowed lik
en she recognized the
e smiled at the simpli
n her room this love
r of her cherished hope
would hover a
e baron kissed Jeanne g
ing, Jeanne cast a las
xtinguished the candle
oonlight bathing the t
he arose, opened a win
t one could see as pla
with its two long avenu
he chateau and separate
ne occupied by the Cou
the enclosure stretch
wn with rushes, where
nded abruptly in a st
, with its base i
the long, undulating
vens. All the fragrance
jasmine rose from the l
and of seaweed were
enough for Jeanne, and
thing bath. She felt a
n dreaming of love. Wh
that she would adore
ish her with all his s
like this, hearing the
h the sweet simplicity
of thought that by th
easily penetrate eac
continue forever in t
to her that she felt
n came over her. She re
ght she heard a footst
passed on and she fe
e cooler. The day broke
ouching with fire the
, the great flaming or
ecoming mad with happ
ss at the splendor o
t was her sun, her
ly fatigued at last,
er called her at eight
to show her the improv
, called the parish
road between Havre an
furth
inspected everything
al was over, as the ba
on proposed to Jeanne t
, and passing through
e, and going through
down to the sea, they
n sat in their doorway
against the doors of th
oom. It was a typical
concomitant odors. To
turning a corner the
hey bought a brill from
ke them out sailing,
astique," several tim
ron promised to remem
hildren, carrying the
her father's walking