Une Vie, A Piece of String and Other Stories

e baroness and Jeanne w

r their pastor, and aft

im to luncheon the foll

ning familiarly on the

rceived the ladi

e, baroness and Mlle. J

, M. le Vicom

d long desired to make

well-bred manner. He ha

slike. His black, wav

two large straight eyeb

ep and tender shadow

hich had a

es accentuated the pass

ht havoc in the drawin

rying baskets turn rou

of his glance impress

weight to his slightes

ncealed a some

Lamare made his first

lace for a new rustic

th the baroness, who di

on the picturesqueness

chance, his eyes met

n at the quickly averte

ion and an awa

who had died the prec

baroness's father, M.

ersation about family,

her childhood were

nisc

was rather uncultivate

those of his class,

and inquired about the

pon

w of the nobility in t

e are very few rabbits

There was the Marquis

ocracy, Vicomte and Vi

ck, but living to thems

gre, who was said to h

as a huntsman in his c

were a few parvenus a

there, but the vicom

lance was for Jeanne,

well. The baroness was

indeed, he is a gentle

ng week, and from tha

out four o'clock in the

venue," and offered he

called her daily walks.

other side of her moth

owly back and forth fro

dom addressed Jeanne

ntly m

l times with Jeanne and

beach, Père Lastique a

absence of which would

the loss of hi

u le baron, we could e

to-mo

ed her hands

a, let u

urned to M.

icomte? We can take

ided at once. From day

, who dressed more slo

and then through the

vicomte and Père Las

ps

ed to shove off the bo

beach. Once the boat w

o sailors who remained

was blowing from the oc

and then sailed along

d the high cliff at th

, and patches of sunl

hiteness. Yonder, behin

harbor of Fécamp, and

rounded, with gaps in i

th its trunk in the wa

of ét

from the motion of the

as she looked out into

e things in the world

space

ique, who was at the ti

ottle hidden under th

inextinguishable, alth

it or re

he bow looked after th

embarrassed at being s

o make their glances m

em there existed alrea

so rapidly between two

ing and the girl is pr

perhaps because they

as beginning to pierce

stronger, they were

the sea as

" murmured Jean

swered the vicomte. Th

ned an echo i

saw the great arche

anding in the sea high

a sharp-pointed white r

ed shore, and the baro

the vicomte lifted Je

. Then they walked up t

d Père Lastique say to

e a prett

n a little inn near t

thoughts and made the

effect, and they chat

ghtest thing gave

g his place at table, c

made them laugh. A fly

ntly alighted on it, a

ter. Finally the old

It is devilishly persis

te laughed ti

suggested that they s

aron preferred to bask

n, you will find m

head of them, passing

hateau resembling a

alley that extended for

run at large in the fi

ears from all the ne

erienced. The burning

the road the crops we

s, as numerous as the

heir thin,

ttle further on to the

w path between two hedg

n. A sort of moist fr

hem a sensation of ch

k of sunlight, but the

pet o

own there a little

d about them at the num

the ground at their fee

se foliage brought

re! How lovely it is in

ike to be a fly or a bu

aid Jeanne

as one does in exchang

d of their tastes, and

the world, tired of i

ing; there was no trut

ladly have made its ac

at it was not equal to

d to be in sympathy, th

ntly their glances met

eeling of benevolence

terest in a thousand t

itherto

ack, but the baron had

oiselles, a grotto in a

d they waited for him

he evening after a lon

, started off smoothly

to make any headway. T

he sail and then lettin

opaque and lifeless,

n. The lulling motion

y Jeanne said, "How I

me to travel alone; th

" answered the vicomte.

to walk alone, however

all al

at her

ream as we

Was it a hint? Possibl

ver something beyond i

o Italy--and Greece--a

t be so wild an

and on account of its

ke new countries like

enirs, like Greece. It

se peoples whose histo

aces where great dee

thusiastic, exclaime

h; there is so much

out the world in ge

untry from the poles t

nd the peculiar manners

ps; but they arrived at

in the world was Fran

er, mild in winter, i

the fine arts which ex

of Athens. Then they

ing train of light wh

f their boat. The win

tionless sail was red i

seemed to settle dow

junction of elements;

nk into t

emed to arise, a littl

r, as if the engulf

world. The twilight wa

Lastique took the oar

Jeanne and the vicomte

e wake of the boat. The

ly, breathing in the be

tentment; Jeanne had o

ouched it as if by acci

py, though embarrassed

that evening and wen

d so affected that the

at her clock, imaginin

g like a heart, the hea

life, that with its qui

hole life; and she st

ngs. She would have ki

ving hidden one of her

wer; she looked for it

ain, as people are to

t, she covered its pain

she held it in her

and promised throu

tively good Providence

d, the being created fo

xistence? Were they th

blending in one,

that tumultuous emotio

hich she thought were

to her she was beginn

dden faintness when she

antly. His presence s

when their eyes met, a

is v

onging for love incre

ds, and coins which s

r father s

look pretty to-

, pa

secret,"

tairs the following mor

ht dress, she found t

bonbons, and on a ch

into the courtyard b

Fécamp; Wedding Breakf

nd a kitchen helper wer

emitted an a

e appeared on the sc

dainty boots of patent

s long frock coat, tigh

ng the lace of his ruff

ound his neck obliged

ith its air of serious

t him as though she ha

the grand seigneur fro

and said,

rade, are

What is going o

presently," s

to the door, and Mad

aircase, leaning on the

e sight of M. de Lamar

baron w

, I think our m

to his ears, pretende

bouquet, handed it to J

ver. They all four got

cup of bouillon to the

y, madame, one would

as they entered Ypor

e sailors, in their ne

of their homes, and

ty as if it were a proc

to Jeanne, walked

church they stopped, a

ge silver crucifix, fol

bore a chalice co

ntors, one of them lim

the curé with his gol

eeting; then, with his

his beretta well over h

ard, walking in the

was standing around a

and ropes were covered

the breeze, and the nam

etters on

prietor of this boat,

t the procession. All

nd a row of pious pers

e folds from their sho

sight of t

n acolyte on either sid

e other end, the thre

a serious air and th

op of their voices in

to take breath, the "

he puffed out his chee

and the skin of his for

st

rent sea seemed to be t

boat, rolling its tiny

sound of a rake on th

ir wings unfurled, ci

then coming back in a

, as if to see wha

er an Amen that lasted

voice, murmured some La

norous endings. He the

water, and next began

e boat opposite the s

ss, hand

ual grave expression o

sudden emotion, and o

lently that her teeth c

e time was suddenly beg

ake the appearance of

was present, blessing

s it not she whom they

ut an electric shock,

of her veins until it

erstand, did he guess

intoxication of love?

at no woman could res

queezing her hand, ge

l he almost crushed i

thout anyone perceivin

inly

ould consent, this wo

ery slowly, perhaps me

ll sprinkling the holy

r fi

The women rose. The r

its dignity in the han

ucifix swaying to righ

uld fall. The priest, w

d them; the cantors an

red by a narrow street

; and the sailors hurri

eir haste, and made

was awaiting them

et in the courtyard,

o table, sailors and pe

est at either side of

"The Poplars." The baro

table, the mayor on on

man, already aging, who

und her, o

her co-sponsor, was in

ing, and remained sile

Presentl

our Christ

replied. "Did

o reply, think

shall repea

r, the courtyard was g

over to the other si

her exercise, leaning

two priests. Jeanne and

one of the mossy paths

he vicom

will you b

nd as he stammered: "An

o his timidly, and he