〃You　sit　down　by　the　side　of　a　spring　which　gushes　out　from　the
  foot　of　an　oak；　amid　a　covering　of　fragile　herbs；　growing　and
  redolent　of　life。　You　go　down　on　your　knees；　bend　forward；　and
  drink　the　cold　and　pellucid　water；　wetting　your　mustache　and
  nose；　you　drink　it　with　a　physical　pleasure；　as　though　you　were
  kissing　the　spring；　lip　to　lip。　Sometimes；　when　you　encounter　a
  deep　hole；　along　the　course　of　these　tiny　brooks；　you　plunge　into
  it；　quite　naked；　and　on　your　skin；　from　head　to　foot；　like　an　icy
  and　delicious　caress；　you　feel　the　lovely　and　gentle　quivering　of
  the　current。
  〃You　are　gay　on　the　hills；　melancholy　on　the　verge　of　pools；
  exalted　when　the　sun　is　crowned　in　an　ocean　of　blood…red　shadows；
  and　when　it　casts　on　the　rivers　its　red　reflection。　And　at　night；
  under　the　moon；　as　it　passes　across　the　vault　of　heaven；　you
  think　of　things；　singular　things；　which　would　never　have　occurred
  to　your　mind　under　the　brilliant　light　of　day。
  〃So；　in　wandering　through　the　same　country　we　are　in　this　year；　I
  came　to　the　little　village　of　Benouville；　on　the　Falaise；　between
  Yport　and　Etretat。　I　came　from　Fecamp；　following　the　coast；　a
  high　coast；　perpendicular　as　a　wall；　with　projecting　and　rugged
  rocks　falling　sheer　down　into　the　sea。　I　had　walked　since　the
  morning　on　the　close　clipped　grass；　as　smooth　and　as　yielding　as
  a　carpet。　Singing　lustily；　I　walked　with　long　strides；　looking
  sometimes　at　the　slow　and　lazy　flight　of　a　gull；　with　its　short；
  white　wings；　sailing　in　the　blue　heavens；　sometimes　at　the　green
  sea；　or　at　the　brown　sails　of　a　fishing　bark。　In　short；　I　had
  passed　a　happy　day；　a　day　of　listlessness　and　of　liberty。
  〃I　was　shown　a　little　farmhouse；　where　travelers　were　put　up；　a
  kind　of　inn；　kept　by　a　peasant；　which　stood　in　the　center　of　a
  Norman　court；　surrounded　by　a　double　row　of　beeches。
  〃Quitting　the　Falaise。　I　gained　the　hamlet；　which　was　hemmed　in
  by　great　trees；　and　I　presented　myself　at　the　house　of　Mother
  Lecacheur。
  〃She　was　an　old；　wrinkled；　and　austere　rustic；　who　always　seemed
  to　yield　to　the　pressure　of　new　customs　with　a　kind　of　contempt。
  〃It　was　the　month　of　May：　the　spreading　apple…trees　covered　the
  court　with　a　whirling　shower　of　blossoms　which　rained　unceasingly
  both　upon　people　and　upon　the　grass。
  〃I　said：
  〃　'Well；　Madame　Lecacheur；　have　you　a　room　for　me？'
  〃Astonished　to　find　that　I　knew　her　name；　she　answered：
  〃　'That　depends；　everything　is　let；　but；　all　the　same；　there　will
  be　no　harm　in　looking。'
  〃In　five　minutes　we　were　in　perfect　accord；　and　I　deposited　my
  bag　upon　the　bare　floor　of　a　rustic　room；　furnished　with　a　bed；
  two　chairs；　a　table；　and　a　washstand。　The　room　opened　into　the
  large　and　smoky　kitchen；　where　the　lodgers　took　their　meals　with
  the　people　of　the　farm　and　with　the　farmer　himself；　who　was　a
  widower。
  〃I　washed　my　hands；　after　which　I　went　out。　The　old　woman　was
  fricasseeing　a　chicken　for　dinner　in　a　large　fireplace；　in　which
  hung　the　stew…pot；　black　with　smoke。
  〃　'You　have　travelers；　then；　at　the　present　time？'　said　I　to　her。
  〃She　answered　in　an　offended　tone　of　voice：
  〃　'I　have　a　lady；　an　English　lady；　who　has　attained　to　years　of
  maturity。　She　is　occupying　my　other　room。'
  〃By　means　of　an　extra　five　sous　a　day；　I　obtained　the　privilege
  of　dining　out　in　the　court　when　the　weather　was　fine。
  〃My　cover　was　then　placed　in　front　of　the　door；　and　I　commenced
  to　gnaw　with　hunger　the　lean　members　of　the　Normandy　chicken；　to
  drink　the　clear　cider；　and　to　munch　the　hunk　of　white　bread；
  which；　though　four　days　old；　was　excellent。
  〃Suddenly；　the　wooden　barrier　which　opened　on　to　the　highway　was
  opened；　and　a　strange　person　directed　her　steps　toward　the　house。
  She　was　very　slender；　very　tall；　enveloped　in　a　Scotch　shawl　with
  red　borders。　You　would　have　believed　that　she　had　no　arms；　if　you
  had　not　seen　a　long　hand　appear　just　above　the　hips；　holding　a
  white　tourist　umbrella。　The　face　of　a　mummy；　surrounded　with
  sausage　rolls　of　plaited　gray　hair；　which　bounded　at　every　step
  she　took；　made　me　think；　I　know　not　why；　of　a　sour　herring
  adorned　with　curling　papers。　Lowering　her　eyes；　she　passed
  quickly　in　front　of　me；　and　entered　the　house。
  〃This　singular　apparition　made　me　curious。　She　undoubtedly　was　my
  neighbor；　the　aged　English　lady　of　whom　our　hostess　had　spoken。
  〃I　did　not　see　her　again　that　day。　The　next　day；　when　I　had　begun
  to　paint　at　the　end　of　that　beautiful　valley；　which　you　know
  extends　as　far　as　Etretat；　lifting　my　eyes　suddenly；　I　perceived
  something　singularly　attired　standing　on　the　crest　of　the
  declivity；　it　looked　like　a　pole　decked　out　with　flags。　It　was
  she。　On　seeing　me；　she　suddenly　disappeared。　I　re…entered　the
  house　at　midday　for　lunch；　and　took　my　seat　at　the　common　table；
  so　as　to　make　the　acquaintance　of　this　old　and　original　creature。
  But　she　did　not　respond　to　my　polite　advances；　was　insensible
  even　to　my　little　attentions。　I　poured　water　out　for　her　with
  great　alacrity；　I　passed　her　the　dishes　with　great　eagerness。　A
  slight；　almost　imperceptible　movement　of　the　head；　and　an　English
  word；　murmured　so　low　that　I　did　not　understand　it；　were　her
  only　acknowledgments。
  〃I　ceased　occupying　myself　with　her；　although　she　had　disturbed
  my　thoughts。　At　the　end　of　three　days；　I　knew　as　much　about　her
  as　did　Madame　Lecacheur　herself。
  〃She　was　called　Miss　Harriet。　Seeking　out　a　secluded　village　in
  which　to　pass　the　summer；　she　had　been　attracted　to　Benouville；
  some　six　months　before；　and　did　not　seem　disposed　to　quit　it。　She
  never　spoke　at　table；　ate　rapidly；　reading　all　the　while　a　small
  book；　treating　of　some　Protestant　propaganda。　She　gave　a　copy　of
  it　to　everybody。　The　cure　himself　had　received　no　less　than　four
  copies；　at　the　hands　of　an　urchin　to　whom　she　had　paid　two　sous'
  commission。　She　said　sometimes　to　our　hostess；　abruptly；　without
  preparing　herin　the　least　for　the　declaration：
  〃　'I　love　the　Saviour　more　than　all；　I　worship　him　in　all
  creation；　I　adore　him　in　all　nature；　I　carry　him　always　in　my
  heart。'
  〃And　she　would　immediately　present　the　old　woman　with　one　of　her
  brochures　which　were　destined　to　convert　the　universe。
  〃In　the　village　she　was　not　liked。　In　fact；　the　schoolmaster　had
  declared　that　she　was　an　atheist；　and　that　a　sort　of　reproach
  attached　to　her。　The　cure；　who　had　been　consulted　by　Madame
  Lecacheur；　responded：
  〃　'She　is　a　heretic；　but　God　does　not　wish　the　death　of　the
  sinner；　and　I　believe　her　to　be　a　person　of　pure　morals。'
  〃These　words；　'atheist；'　'heretic；'　words　which　no　one　can
  precisely　define；　threw　doubts　into　some　minds。　It　was　asserted；
  however；　that　this　English…woman　was　rich；　and　that　she　had
  passed　her　life　in　traveling　through　every　country　in　the　world；
  because　her　family　had　thrown　her　off。　Why　had　her　family　thrown
  her　off？　Because　of　her　natural　impiety？
  〃She　was；　in　fact；　one　of　those　people　of　exalted　principles；　one
  of　those　opinionated　puritans　of　whom　England　produces　so　many；
  one　of　those　good　and　insupportable　old　women　who　haunt　the
  tables　d'hote　of　every　hotel　in　Europe；　who　spoil　Italy；　poison
  Switzerland；　render　the　charming　cities　of　the　Mediterranean
  uninhabitable；　carry　everywhere　their　fantastic　manias；　their
  petrified　vestal　manners；　their　indescribable　toilettes；　and　a
  certain　odor　of　india…rubber；　which　makes　one　believe　that　at
  night　they　slip　themselves　into　a　case　of　that　material。　When　I
  meet　one　of　these　people　in　a　hotel；　I　act　like　birds　which　see　a
  manikin　in　a　field。
  〃This　woman；　however；　appeared　so　singular　that　she　did　not
  displease　me。
  〃Madame　Lecacheur；　hostile　by　instinct　to　everything　that　was　not
  rustic；　felt　in　her　narrow　soul　a　kind　of　hatred　for　the　ecstatic
  extravagances　of　the　old　girl。　She　had　found　a　phrase　by　which　to
  describe　her；　I　know　not　how；　but　a　phrase　assuredly
  contemptuous；　which　had　sprung　to　her　lips；　invented　probably　by
  some　confused　and　mysterious　travail　of　soul。　She　said：　'That
  woman　is　a　demoniac。'　This　phrase；　as　uttered　by　that　austere　and
  sentimental　creature；　seemed　to　me　irresistibly　comic。　I；　myself；
  never　called　her　now　anything　else　but　'the　demoniac。'　feeling　a
  singular　pleasure　in　pronouncing　this　word　on　seeing　her。
  〃I　would　ask　Mother　Lecacheur：　'Well；　what　is　our　demoniac　about
  to…day？'　To　which　my　rustic　friend　would　respond；　with　an　air　of
  having　been　scandalized：
  〃　'What　do　you　think；　sir？　She　has　picked　up　a　toad　which　has　had
  its　leg　battered；　and　carried　it　to　her　room；　and　has　put　it　in
  her　washstand；　and　dressed　it　up　like　a　man。　If　that　is　not
  profanation；　I　should　like　to　know　what　is！'
  〃On　another　occasion；　when　walking　along　the　Falaise；　she　had
  bought　a　large　fish　which　had　just　been　caught；　simply　to　throw
  it　back　into　the　sea　again。　The　sailor；　from　whom　she　had　bought
  it；　thou