Show TH THE E ORN ORNAMENT MENT r From the French of Guy de t SHE was Yas one of those pretty and charming r girls born as if by a mistake of fate in a family of working people She had no dowry n no expectations no means of being known understood loved married by a rich and distinguished distinguished distinguished distin distin- man and she allowed herself Ito to marry a p petty tty clerk in the office of r r the minister of public instruction She dressed plainly because she could not dress well but was unhappy as an outcast for women have neither rank f nor nor ancestry their heir beauty grace grac and charm serving them instead of birth and fam family ily Their natural ural cleverness their instinctive el elegance gance ce their versatility of m mind ind are their sole hierarchy and make some dau daughters of the people the equals equals' of the grandest ladies She s suffered incessantly feeling that she was born for all delicacy all luxury She suffered red because of the poverty of her ler lodging the barren barrenness ness of its walls th the worn chairs the plainness of the upholstering All these things which an another ther woman of her caste would not even even have noticed tortured her and I made dine her indignant The sight of the little Breton maid who kept the hum humble ble lodgings in order awakened in her he disconsolate disconsolate disconsolate dis dis- consolate regrets and desperate dreams She used to think of silent chambers anti-chambers padded added with oriental hangings lighted by great bronze candelabra and of two tall servants in knee breeches who slept in n the great arm chairs and were made drowsy by the heavy warmth of the furnace She dreamed of great grea parlors hung ung with old silk sUk of fine furniture supporting bric-a-brac bric of inestimable val value e of small parlors cosy perfumed made ade for five chit-chat chit with most nt mate friends men friends men well Yell known and popular popular whose att attentions all iI the rhe wo women women n envied envie and desired When she seated herself for dinner before the round table covered with a Y table cloth which which had been in use for three days opposite her husband who 1 uncovered the soup tureen soup tureen exclaiming with a delighted air air Ah good boiled beef and broth I know of nothing d better than that she Y thought of fine dinners with shining silver of tapestries peopling peopling- the walls with old fashioned persons and strange birds in the m midst st of a a fairy forest she thought of exquisite dishes served sewed in f marvellous vessels of whispered com compliments corn corn- listened to with a sphinx-like sphinx smile while hile eating the rosy flesh of a salmon or the wings of a little hen She had no fine gowns no jewels f nothing And sh she loved only those things she felt hers herself lf made for them i She so much wished to please to be admired to be charming and sought of after ter She had a rich friend a schoolmate of of the convent conven t whom she no longer wished to to go to see because she suffered so much on her return from these visits JL f And she sometimes wept all day long from v vexation regret regret despair despair and dis dis- tress r It N Now ow one evening her h husband came in with a proud air air holding din a large envelope in his hand Look said he lie here is something for you She tore the the paper quickly kly drew out outa a printed card which hore bore these words II The T e Minister of Public Instruction i 1 and Mme Mine Georges Ram ponneau beg M. M I s and M Mine roe Loisel to do them the honor honorof of c coming coining ing to o spen spend the evening I at t the i ili f Home 1 k- k of of t th the the minister on on Monday r TaI January i ry eighteenth th t Instead of bein being delighted as herr her r husband nd had hoped hope she threw the in inA invitation in- in A on on the fa table le with an air of V v vexation murmuring What do you your r want want me me to todo to-do do about it i Why my dear I I thought you would 4 be be delighted Y You ou never go out and f th that t is such a fine opportunity I had infinite trouble to obtain the card f- f Every JEvery very one wishes one ope they are in int t great demand and are not given to in many ny clerks You will s see e there all all the f official al world t She regarded him with a vexed y look f asking impatiently What do you you want ant I. I to to there wear go He h had not thought of that he hest stam stammered mer d Why the go gown n which you Y wear r the to the theatre J That hat seems to tome me v. v very ty good t i y He was silent d bewildered at seeing his wife weeping Two large tears t ars rolled from the corners of her eTes eyes to to fa the corners of her mouth He stammered stammered stammered stam stam- What is the matter What is t the h ht e mat matter er But by a violent effort she had subdued sub- sub subI I dued her her emotion j emotion and she answered t c calmly wiping her moist cheeks Nothing Noth N oth- oth ing Only I have no gown and consequently consequently conse conse- quent I y cannot go to t this h. h IS b ball a. a 11 G. G Give Giver lYe r ff your invitation to some friend whose wife is better fitted out than I. I 7 J-Ie J He W was much dis distressed and answered f. f Let t p us us see see Matilda How How much uch would d a a suitable gown cost one cost one that would also serve for other occasions some occasions some something r thing thi thing g very simple f j. j She thought a few moments making h her r computations s and thinking at the sam same same time of the sum for which she could could ask without drawing forth an immediate refusal and a scared exclamation i tion io from th the economical c clerk erk r i Finally she answered he hesitatingly I r do not know knO exactly but butI I I believe I could get along with eighty dollars J 11 He grew a trifle pale for he had j saved exactly that sum in order order to pu purchase pur- pur pur 1 J chase a gun and join some hunting parties the following summer in the plain of Nanterre N with some friends friends' 1 who were going going- to shoot larks there on on Sundays He said h however wever Very well I give you you eighty dollars B But t try to have havea a beautiful gown t I 3 The day of ot the ball drew near and arid Mme L Loisel isel seemed sad uneasy arix ious Her dress however was ready Her husband said to her one evening What is the matter See you vou have ha been acting strangely for three days J JAnd And she answered Having DO no j jewels wels troubles me I have not a stone nothing with with which to adorn myself I Ishall IX I I 1 shall have a stricken poverty-stricken air aft after after j all I 1 would almost prefer not to goto goto go goto to the ball He responded You can put on nat natural ral flowers They are very stylish sh this year For two dollars you can cant can have two or three magnificent roses 1 She was not convinced No there there is nothing more humiliating than having 1 the theair air of a pauper when one is among among rich w women men I j Hut But her her husband cried cried ri d How stupid you are Go find your friend Mme Forestier and ask her to lend you some jewels You You- have been intimate enough with her to to do that She uttered a cry of ot joy That is tr true e. e I had not thought of that I f iThe The next next day she betook herself to t to the home of her friend and told her of f her distress Mme Forestier went toward her wardrobe wardrobe ward ward- robe with the mirror in the door took a aI a I large casket brought it back opened it and nd said to her friend Choose my y dear Mme Loisel saw first some bracelets I. I I Hi t I then a pearl necklace then a Venetian cross of gold and jewels of admirable workmanship p. p She tried on the ornaments ornaments ornaments orna orna- ments before the glass hesitated could not decide to leave them to give them back She finally asked You have no nol l others Why certainly Look I d do o not know what will please you All at once she discovered in a black satin box a superb diamond necklace and her heart began to beat wi with th an ani i moderate immoderate de desire ire Her hands trembled trembled trembled trem trem- bled in taking it She fastened it around her throat over her necked high gown and stood looking at herself in ecstacy Then she asked hesitating full of anguish Could you lend me that only that s Why yes certainly j She flew to her friend kis kissed kissed d h her r in ina ina a a transport of of joy joy oy then fled away with her treasure The day of the ball arrived Mme Loisel was a success She was prettier than any anyone one else elegant gracious smiling delirious with joy All the themen themen men looked at at her asked her name made an effort to be presented All the cabinet attaches wish wished d to waltz with her The minister himself noticed her She danced rapturously enthusiastically intoxicated with pleasure thinking no longer of anything in the triumph of her beauty in the glory of f her success in a sort of cloud of happiness made byall by byall byall all this homage all this a admiration m all these awakened desires this victory so complete and so sweet to a womans woman's heart She left about four o'clock in the morning Her husband since midnight had been asleep in the deserted private room drawing-room in company with thre three ed Tether other men whose wives were amusing themselves thoroughly He threw over her shoulders the g gar gar- garment r- r ment which he he had brought for I the e 1 exit the modest garment of oC of ofa a person person in ordinary life the poverty of which swore swore at the ball costume She felt it and wish wished d to speed away in or order er not to be noticed by the other women who were being Wrapped in rich furs fun Loisel held her back Wait You will catch cold eold out there I am going to call to-call call a cab cah J But she did not listen to him and descended the stairs rapidly W When n they were in the street they did not find finda a carna carriage e so they began to search forone forone for forone one crying out aft after r the coachman whom they saw passing in the distance They went down toward the Seine despairing shivering Finally they found on the quay one of those old sleep sleepwalk walking walking walk walk- ing carriages which one finds in Paris only after nightfall as if they were ashamed for their poverty to be seen in inthe inthe the daylight I It t carried them to to their door in Martyr street and they sadly to their lodgings It was ended for her And he was thinking that hat he must be at the office at ten ten- She removed the garment in which her shoulders ers had b been en wrapped before the glass so as to see herself once more morein in in her glory But suddenly she uttered a cry Her diamond necklace was as no longer around her throat Her husband already half undressed asked II What is the matt matter r with you She turned toward him panic stricken I I- I I I-I I I no longer have Mme Forestier's Forestier's Forestier's Fores- Fores tiers tier's necklace II He stood up dismayed What How I Impossible possible And they searched in the the- folds of the gown in the folds of the cloak in the pockets everywhere They could find finCi nothing He asked II You are s sure Ire that you you h had it when you left the ball 1 II Yes I touched d it in in the vestibule pl of the ministers minister's s 's house j it But if you you had lo lost t it in the street i x we should have heard it fall It must be be in the carriage w r Yes probably Did you take the num number ber N No o. o Did you not notice it t. t No t F They Iou looked ked at one another overwhelmed over over- whelmed Finally Loisel dressed again t- t I I am going to he said to to retrace t iv the distance we passed over on foot to s see e if I cannot find it again And he went out She remained in ins s evening dress without the strength to togo togo togo tov v go to bed sitting crushed upon a chair without life without thought Her husband came back about seven ri rf He had found nothing r He repaired to the police headquarters j to the newspaper offices in order to promise a a. a reward to the small carriage carriage carriage car car- companies everywhere companies everywhere in a word where a suspicion of hope urged him She waited all day in the tle same state of fright before this terrible disaster Loisel came carne back in the evening his hist R t face lined pallid he had discovered nothing It is necessary said he to write to your friend that you have broken the fastening of the necklace and that hat you are are having it repaired That will give us time to turn around I 3 f She wrote at his dictation At the end of a week they had lost all allf s f hope 4 And Loisel grown five years older declared We must make p plans ans to replace replace replace re re- place this tre treasure sure t The next day they took the box in which the necklace had been kept to the f L jeweler whose name was inside He looked over ver his books It was not I who sold that neck necklace ace j I only f furnished the casket Then th they went we from fe jeweler er to 9 G jeweler je io looking k for an an n brn ornament ornament like ke the other consulting ting their memories f jn J both of t them h ern 1 ill II f from rom vexation and trouble t They found in a shop in the Palais Palais- Royal a diamond necklace which ap appeared 1 to them exactly like the one for which they were looking It was valued at eight thousand dollars They could could get it for seven thousand two hundred They begged the jeweler not to sell i ifor it for three days And they made the con condition on that he would take it back hack for si six six thousand eight hundred dollars if the they they 4 found the first one before the end of f February f Loisel had three thousand six hundred d dollars which his father had left him He would borrow the r rest st st. 1 9 He borrowed asking for two hundred dollars from this one one ohe hundred from that twenty from another twelve from yet another He signed notes tooK ruinous had business with usurers with the whole tribe of mone money money lenders He compromised himself f for forthe forthe r the rest of his life risked his signature without even knowing whether or not he lie could honor it ir and frightened by hy the anguish of the future by the black misery which was about to settle down over him by the prospect of all th the physical privations and moral tortures tortures' he went to get the new necklace depositing depositing depositing ting on the merchants merchant's counter seven sever thousand two hundred dollars r When M Mme me Loisel carried the orn ornament orna orna- orna ment to Mme Forestier the latter said with an injured air You should have brought it back sooner I might have havet needed it t She did not open the casket her casket her friend had dreaded lest she should I If she had perceived the substitution what would she have thought What would she have have- said Would she not have taken h her r f for i a thief 1 4 M Mme Mine e. e Loisel knew the h horrible life of the needy S' S She Sher formed d h her hep resolution moreover at once and heroic heroically lly They 11 I t must pay that frightful debt She would pay p-ay it it They sent the maid away they changed their lodgings they rented a garret She knew the hard work of keeping house the odious odious' labor of a kitchen She washed the kettle wearing out her rosy nails finger-nails on the coarse pottery and the bottom of the stew pans She washed the soiled linen the underwear and the which she dried on ona a arop rope sh she carried th the rubbish down to the street each ach morn morning n and carried up water stopping at each landin landing to pant And she dressed like a woman of the people she w went nt to the the fruit dealers dealer's to the grocers grocer's to the butchers butcher's her basket on her arm haggling insulted defending defending defend defend- ing cent by tc cel |