Jacquelin；　a　man　of　forty；　short；　fat；　ruddy；　and　brown；　with　a　face
  like　a　Breton　sailor；　had　been　in　the　service　of　the　house　for　twenty…
  two　years。　He　waited　at　table；　groomed　the　mare；　gardened；　blacked　the
  abbe's　boots；　went　on　errands；　chopped　the　wood；　drove　the　carriole；
  and　fetched　the　oats；　straw；　and　hay　from　Prebaudet。　He　sat　in　the
  antechamber　during　the　evening；　where　he　slept　like　a　dormouse。　He　was
  in　love　with　Josette；　a　girl　of　thirty；　whom　Mademoiselle　would　have
  dismissed　had　she　married　him。　So　the　poor　fond　pair　laid　by　their
  wages；　and　loved　each　other　silently；　waiting；　hoping　for
  mademoiselle's　own　marriage；　as　the　Jews　are　waiting　for　the　Messiah。
  Josette；　born　between　Alencon　and　Mortagne；　was　short　and　plump；　her
  face；　which　looked　like　a　dirty　apricot；　was　not　wanting　in　sense　and
  character；　it　was　said　that　she　ruled　her　mistress。　Josette　and
  Jacquelin；　sure　of　results；　endeavored　to　hide　an　inward　satisfaction
  which　allows　it　to　be　supposed　that；　as　lovers；　they　had　discounted
  the　future。　Mariette；　the　cook；　who　had　been　fifteen　years　in　the
  household；　knew　how　to　make　all　the　dishes　held　in　most　honor　in
  Alencon。
  Perhaps　we　ought　to　count　for　much　the　fat　old　Norman　brown…bay　mare；
  which　drew　Mademoiselle　Cormon　to　her　country…seat　at　Prebaudet；　for
  the　five　inhabitants　of　the　house　bore　to　this　animal　a　maniacal
  affection。　She　was　called　Penelope；　and　had　served　the　family　for
  eighteen　years；　but　she　was　kept　so　carefully　and　fed　with　such
  regularity　that　mademoiselle　and　Jacquelin　both　hoped　to　use　her　for
  ten　years　longer。　This　beast　was　the　subject　of　perpetual　talk　and
  occupation；　it　seemed　as　if　poor　Mademoiselle　Cormon；　having　no
  children　on　whom　her　repressed　motherly　feelings　could　expend
  themselves；　had　turned　those　sentiments　wholly　on　this　most　fortunate
  animal。
  The　four　faithful　servantsfor　Penelope's　intelligence　raised　her　to
  the　level　of　the　other　good　servants；　while　they；　on　the　other　hand；
  had　lowered　themselves　to　the　mute；　submissive　regularity　of　the　beast
  went　and　came　daily　in　the　same　occupations　with　the　infallible
  accuracy　of　mechanism。　But；　as　they　said　in　their　idiom；　they　had
  eaten　their　white　bread　first。　Mademoiselle　Cormon；　like　all　persons
  nervously　agitated　by　a　fixed　idea；　became　hard　to　please；　and
  nagging；　less　by　nature　than　from　the　need　of　employing　her　activity。
  Having　no　husband　or　children　to　occupy　her；　she　fell　back　on　petty
  details。　She　talked　for　hours　about　mere　nothings；　on　a　dozen　napkins
  marked　〃Z；〃　placed　in　the　closet　before　the　〃O's。〃
  〃What　can　Josette　be　thinking　of？〃　she　exclaimed。　〃Josette　is
  beginning　to　neglect　things。〃
  Mademoiselle　inquired　for　eight　days　running　whether　Penelope　had　had
  her　oats　at　two　o'clock；　because　on　one　occasion　Jacquelin　was　a
  trifle　late。　Her　narrow　imagination　spent　itself　on　trifles。　A　layer
  of　dust　forgotten　by　the　feather…duster；　a　slice　of　toast　ill…made　by
  Mariette；　Josette's　delay　in　closing　the　blinds　when　the　sun　came
  round　to　fade　the　colors　of　the　furniture；all　these　great　little
  things　gave　rise　to　serious　quarrels　in　which　mademoiselle　grew　angry。
  〃Everything　was　changing；〃　she　would　cry；　〃she　did　not　know　her　own
  servants；　the　fact　was　she　spoiled　them！〃　On　one　occasion　Josette　gave
  her　the　〃Journee　du　Chretien〃　instead　of　the　〃Quinzaine　de　Paques。〃
  The　whole　town　heard　of　this　disaster　the　same　evening。　Mademoiselle
  had　been　forced　to　leave　the　church　and　return　home；　and　her　sudden
  departure；　upsetting　the　chairs；　made　people　suppose　a　catastrophe　had
  happened。　She　was　therefore　obliged　to　explain　the　facts　to　her
  friends。
  〃Josette；〃　she　said　gently；　〃such　a　thing　must　never　happen　again。〃
  Mademoiselle　Cormon　was；　without　being　aware　of　it；　made　happier　by
  such　little　quarrels；　which　served　as　cathartics　to　relieve　her
  bitterness。　The　soul　has　its　needs；　and；　like　the　body；　its
  gymnastics。　These　uncertainties　of　temper　were　accepted　by　Josette　and
  Jacquelin　as　changes　in　the　weather　are　accepted　by　husbandmen。　Those
  worthy　souls　remark；　〃It　is　fine　to…day；〃　or　〃It　rains；〃　without
  arraigning　the　heavens。　And　so　when　they　met　in　the　morning　the
  servants　would　wonder　in　what　humor　mademoiselle　would　get　up；　just　as
  a　farmer　wonders　about　the　mists　at　dawn。
  Mademoiselle　Cormon　had　ended；　as　it　was　natural　she　should　end；　in
  contemplating　herself　only　in　the　infinite　pettinesses　of　her　life。
  Herself　and　God；　her　confessor　and　the　weekly　wash；　her　preserves　and
  the　church　services；　and　her　uncle　to　care　for；　absorbed　her　feeble
  intellect。　To　her　the　atoms　of　life　were　magnified　by　an　optic
  peculiar　to　persons　who　are　selfish　by　nature　or　self…absorbed　by　some
  accident。　Her　perfect　health　gave　alarming　meaning　to　the　least　little
  derangement　of　her　digestive　organs。　She　lived　under　the　iron　rod　of
  the　medical　science　of　our　forefathers；　and　took　yearly　four
  precautionary　doses；　strong　enough　to　have　killed　Penelope；　though
  they　seemed　to　rejuvenate　her　mistress。　If　Josette；　when　dressing　her；
  chanced　to　discover　a　little　pimple　on　the　still　satiny　shoulders　of
  mademoiselle；　it　became　the　subject　of　endless　inquiries　as　to　the
  various　alimentary　articles　of　the　preceding　week。　And　what　a　triumph
  when　Josette　reminded　her　mistress　of　a　certain　hare　that　was　rather
  〃high；〃　and　had　doubtless　raised　that　accursed　pimple！　With　what　joy
  they　said　to　each　other：　〃No　doubt；　no　doubt；　it　WAS　the　hare！〃
  〃Mariette　over…seasoned　it；〃　said　mademoiselle。　〃I　am　always　telling
  her　to　do　so　lightly　for　my　uncle　and　for　me；　but　Mariette　has　no　more
  memory　than〃
  〃The　hare；〃　said　Josette。
  〃Just　so；〃　replied　Mademoiselle；　〃she　has　no　more　memory　than　a　hare；
  a　very　just　remark。〃
  Four　times　a　year；　at　the　beginning　of　each　season；　Mademoiselle
  Cormon　went　to　pass　a　certain　number　of　days　on　her　estate　of
  Prebaudet。　It　was　now　the　middle　of　May；　the　period　at　which　she
  wished　to　see　how　her　apple…trees　had　〃snowed；〃　a　saying　of　that
  region　which　expressed　the　effect　produced　beneath　the　trees　by　the
  falling　of　their　blossoms。　When　the　circular　deposit　of　these　fallen
  petals　resembled　a　layer　of　snow　the　owner　of　the　trees　might　hope　for
  an　abundant　supply　of　cider。　While　she　thus　gauged　her　vats；
  Mademoiselle　Cormon　also　attended　to　the　repairs　which　the　winter
  necessitated；　she　ordered　the　digging　of　her　flower…beds　and　her
  vegetable　garden；　from　which　she　supplied　her　table。　Every　season　had
  its　own　business。　Mademoiselle　always　gave　a　dinner　of　farewell　to　her
  intimate　friends　the　day　before　her　departure；　although　she　was
  certain　to　see　them　again　within　three　weeks。　It　was　always　a　piece　of
  news　which　echoed　through　Alencon　when　Mademoiselle　Cormon　departed。
  All　her　visitors；　especially　those　who　had　missed　a　visit；　came　to　bid
  her　good…bye；　the　salon　was　thronged；　and　every　one　said　farewell　as
  though　she　were　starting　for　Calcutta。　The　next　day　the　shopkeepers
  would　stand　at　their　doors　to　see　the　old　carriole　pass；　and　they
  seemed　to　be　telling　one　another　some　news　by　repeating　from　shop　to
  shop：
  〃So　Mademoiselle　Cormon　is　going　to　Prebaudet！〃
  Some　said：　〃HER　bread　is　baked。〃
  〃Hey！　my　lad；〃　replied　the　next　man。　〃She's　a　worthy　woman；　if　money
  always　came　into　such　hands　we　shouldn't　see　a　beggar　in　the　country。〃
  Another　said：　〃Dear　me；　I　shouldn't　be　surprised　if　the　vineyards　were
  in　bloom；　here's　Mademoiselle　Cormon　going　to　Prebaudet。　How　happens
  it　she　doesn't　marry？〃
  〃I'd　marry　her　myself；〃　said　a　wag；　〃in　fact；　the　marriage　is　half…
  made；　for　here's　one　consenting　party；　but　the　other　side　won't。　Pooh！
  the　oven　is　heating　for　Monsieur　du　Bousquier。〃
  〃Monsieur　du　Bousquier！　Why；　she　has　refused　him。〃
  That　evening　at　all　the　gatherings　it　was　told　gravely：
  〃Mademoiselle　Cormon　has　gone。〃
  Or：
  〃So　you　have　really　let　Mademoiselle　Cormon　go。〃
  The　Wednesday　chosen　by　Suzanne　to　make　known　her　scandal　happened　to
  be　this　farewell　Wednesday；a　day　on　which　Mademoiselle　Cormon　drove
  Josette　distracted　on　the　subject　of　packing。　During　the　morning；
  therefore；　things　had　been　said　and　done　in　the　town　which　lent　the
  utmost　interest　to　this　farewell　meeting。　Madame　Granson　had　gone　the
  round　of　a　dozen　houses　while　the　old　maid　was　deliberating　on　the
  things　she　needed　for　the　journey；　and　the　malicious　Chevalier　de
  Valois　was　playing　piquet　with　Mademoiselle　Armande；　sister　of　a
  distinguished　old　marquis；　and　the　queen　of　the　salon　of　the
  aristocrats。　If　it　was　not　uninteresting　to　any　one　to　see　what　figure
  the　seducer　would　cut　that　evening；　it　was　all　important　for　the
  chevalier　and　Madame　Granson　to　know　how　Mademoiselle　Cormon　would
  take　the　news　in　her　double　capacity　of　marriageable　woman　and
  president　of　the　Maternity　Society。　As　for　the　innocent　du　Bousquier；
  he　was　taking　a　walk　on　the　promenade；　and　beginning　to　suspe