Chapter 10

The afternoon was lamentable．They could not understand this caprice of the German；and the most singular ideas would come into their heads to trouble them．Everybody staved in the kitchen and discussed the situation endlessly，imagining all sorts of unlikely things．Perhaps they would be retained as hostages—but to what end？—or taken prisoners—or rather a consider－able ransom might be demanded．At this thought a panic prevailed．The richest were the most frightened，al－ready seeing themselves constrained to pay for their lives with sacks of gold poured into the hands of this insolent soldier．They racked their brains to think of some acceptable falsehoods to conceal their riches and make them pass themselves off for poor people，very poor people．Loiseau took off the chain to his watch and hid it away in his pocket．The falling night increased their apprehensions．The lamp was lighted，and as there was still two hours before dinner，Madame Loiseau proposed a game of Thirty－one．It would be a diversion．They accepted．Cornudet himself，having smoked out his pipe，took part for politeness．

The Count shuffled the cards，dealt，and Ball－of－Fat had thirty-one at the outset；and immediately the interest was great enough to appease the fear that haunted their minds．Then Cornudet perceived that the house of Loiseau was given to tricks．

As they were going to the dinner table，Mr．Follenvie again appeared，and，in wheezing，rattling voice，announced：

“The Prussian officer orders me to ask Miss Elizabeth Rousset if she has yet changed her mind．”

Ball－of-Fat remained standing and was pale；then suddenly becoming crimson，such a stifling anger took possession of her that she could not speak．But finally she flashed out：“You may say to the dirty beast，that idiot，that carrion of a Prussian，that I shall never change it；you understand，never，never，never！”

The great innkeeper went out．Then Ball-of-Fat was immediately surrounded，questioned，and solicited by all to disclose the mystery of his visit．She resisted，at first，but soon becoming exasperated，she said：“What does he want？You really want to know what he wants？He wants to sleep with me．”

Everybody was choked for words，and indignation was rife．Cornudet broke his glass，so violently did．he bring his fist down upon the table．There was a clamor of censure against this ignoble soldier，a blast of anger，a union of all for resistance，as if a demand had been made on each one of the party for the sacrifice exacted of her．The Count declared with disgust that those people conducted themselves after the fashion of the ancient barbarians．The women，especially，showed to Ball－of－Fat a most energetic and tender commiseration．The good sisters who only showed themselves at mealtime．lowered their heads and said nothing．

They all dined，nevertheless，when the first furore had abated．But there was little conversation；they were thinking．

The ladies retired early，and the men，all smoking，organized a game at cards to which Mr．Follenvie was invited，as they intended to put a few casual questions to him on the subject of conquering the resistance of this officer．But he thought of nothing but the cards and，without listening or answering，would keep repeating：“To the game，sirs，to the game．”His attention was so taken that he even forgot to expectorate，which must have put him some points to the good with the organ in his breast．His whistling lungs ran the whole asthmatic scale，from deep，profound tones to the sharp rustiness of a young cock essaying to crow．

He even refused to retire when his wife，who had fallen asleep previously，came to look for him．She went away alone，for she was an“early bird，”always up with the sun，while her husband was a“night owl，”al-ways ready to pass the night with his friends．He cried out to her：“Leave my creamed chicken before the fire！”and then went on with his game．When they saw that they could get nothing from him，they declared that it was time to stop，and each sought his bed．

They all rose rather early the next day，with an undefined hope of getting away，which desire the terror of passing another day in that horrible inn greatly in-creased．

Alas！the horses remained in the stable and the driver was invisible． For want of better employment，they went out and walked around the carriage．

The breakfast was very doleful； and it became apparent that a coldness had arisen toward Ball-of－Fat，and that the night，which brings counsel，had slightly modified their judgments．They almost wished now that the Prussian had secretly found this girl，in order to give her companions a pleasant surprise in the morning．What could be more simple？ Besides，who would know anything about it？She could save appearances by telling the officer that she took pity on their distress．To her，it would make so little difference！

No one had avowed these thoughts yet．

In the afternoon，as they were almost perishing from ennui，the Count proposed that they take a walk around the village．Each wrapped up warmly and the little party set out， with the exception of Cornudet，who preferred to remain near the fire， and the good sisters，who passed their time in the church or at the cu－rate's．

The cold，growing more intense every day， cruelly pinched their noses and ears；their feet became so numb that each step was torture；and when they came to a field it seemed to them frightfully sad under this limit－less white，so that everybody returned immediately，with hearts hard pressed and souls congealed．

The four women walked ahead， the three gentle－men followed just behind． Loiseau， who understood the situation，asked suddenly if they thought that girl there was going to keep them long in such a place as this．The Count，always courteous， said that they could not exact from a woman a sacrifice so hard， unless it should come of her own will．Mr．Carré－Lamadon remarked that if the French made their return through Dieppe，as

made the two others anxious．

“If we could only get away on foot，”said Loiseau．

The Count shrugged his shoulders：“How can we think of it in this snow？ and with our wives？” he said．“And then，we should be pursued and caught in ten minutes and led back prisoners at the mercy of these soldiers．”

It was true，and they were silent．

The ladies talked of their clothes，but a certain constraint seemed to disunite them．Suddenly at the end of the street，the officer appeared．His tall，wasp-like figure in uniform was outlined upon the horizon formed by the snow， and he was marching with knees apart，a gait particularly military，which is affected that they may not spot their carefully blackened boots．

He bowed in passing near the ladies and looked disdainfully at the men， who preserved their dignity by not seeing him， except Loiseau，who made a motion toward raising his hat．

Ball-of－Fat reddened to the ears，and the three married women resented the great humiliation of being thus met by this soldier in the company of this girl whom he had treated so cavalierly．

But they spoke of him，of his figure and his face．Madame Carré－Lamadon who had known many officers and considered herself a connoisseur of them，found this one not at all bad；she regretted even that he was not French，because he would make such a pretty hussar，one all the women would rave over．

Again in the house，no one knew what to do．Some sharp words，even，were said about things very insignificant．The dinner was silent，and almost immediately after it，each one went to his room to kill time in sleep．