Chapter 10

They descended the next morning with weary faces and exasperated hearts．The women scarcely spoke to Ball-of-Fat．

A bell began to ring．It was for a baptism．The fat girl had a child being brought up among the peasants of Yvetot．She had not seen it for a year，or thought of it；but now the idea of a child being baptized threw into her heart a sudden and violent tenderness for her own， and she strongly wished to be present at the ceremony．

As soon as she was gone，everybody looked at each other，then pulled their chairs together，for they thought that finally something should be decided upon．Loiseau had an inspiration：it was to hold Ball-of－Fat alone and let the others go．

Mr．Follenvie was charged with the commission，but he returned almost immediately， for the German，who understood human nature，had put him out．He pretended that he would retain everybody so long as his desire was not satisfied．

Then the commonplace nature of Mrs．Loiseatu burst out with：

“Well，we are not going to stay here to die of old age．Since it is the trade of this creature to accommodate herself to all kinds， I fail to see how she has the right to refuse one more than another．I can tell you she has received all she could find in Rouen，even the coach-men！Yes，Madame， the prefect's coachman！I know him very well， for he bought his wine at our house．And to think that to－day we should be drawn into this embarrassment by this affected woman，this minx！For my part，I find that this officer conducts himself very well．He has perhaps suffered privations for a long time；and doubtless he would have preferred us three；but no， he is contented with common property．He respects married women．And we must remember too that he is master． He has only to say‘I wish，’and he could take us by force with his soldiers．”

The two women had a cold shiver． Pretty Mrs．Carré－Lamadon's eyes grew brilliant and she became a little pale，as if she saw herself already taken by force by the officer．

The men met and discussed the situation．Loiseau，furious，was for delivering“the wretch” bound hand and foot to the enemy．But the Count，descended through three generations of ambassadors，and endowed with the temperament of a diplomatist， was the advocate of ingenuity．

“It is best to decide upon something，” said he．Then they conspired．

The women kept together，the tone of their voices was lowered， each gave advice and the discussion was general．Everything was very harmonious．The ladies especially found delicate shades and charming subtleties of expression for saying the most unusual things．A stranger would have understood nothing，so great was the precaution of language observed．But the light edge of modesty，with which every woman of the world is barbed，only covers the surface； they blossom out in a scandalous adventure of this kind，being deeply amused and feeling themselves in their element，mixing love with sensuality as a greedy cook prepares supper for his master．

Even gaiety returned，so funny did the whole story seem to them at last．The Count found some of the jokes a little off color，but they were so well told that he was forced to smile．In his turn，Loiseau came out with some still boldertales，and yet nobody was wounded．The brutal thought，expressed by his wife，dominated all minds：“Since it is her trade，why should she refuse this one more than another？”The genteel Mrs．Carré-Lamadon seemed to think that in her place，she would refuse this one less than some others．

They prepared the blockade at length，as if they were about to surround a

bear，some maneuvers that he would endeavor to put into execution．They decided on the plan of attack，the ruse to employ，the surprise of assault， that should force this living citadel to receive the enemy in her room．

Cornudet remained apart from the rest，and was a stranger to the whole affair．

So entirely were their minds distracted that they did not hear Ball-of-Fat enter．The Count uttered a light“Ssh！”Which turned all eyes in her direction．There she was．The abrupt silence and a certain embarrassment hindered them from speaking to her at first．The Countess，more accustomed to the duplicity of society than the others，finally inquired：

“Was it very amusing，that baptism？”

The fat girl，filled with emotion，told them all about it，the faces，the attitudes，and even the appearance of the church．She added：“It is good to pray some－times．”

And up to the time for luncheon these ladies continued to be amiable toward her，in order to increase her docility and her confidence in their counsel．At the table they commenced the approach．This was in the shape of a vague conversation upon devotion．They cited ancient examples：Judith and Holophernes，then，without reason，Lucrece and Sextus，and Cleopatra obliging all the generals of the enemy to pass by her couch and reducing them in servility to slaves．Then they brought out a fantastic story，hatched in the imagination of these ignorant millionaires，where the women of Rome went to Capua for the purpose of lulling Hannibal to sleep in their arms， and his lieutenants and phalanxes of mercenaries as well．They cited all the women who have been taken by conquering armies，making a battlefield of their bodies，making them also a weapon，and a means of success；and all those hideous and detestable beings who have conquered by their heroic caresses，and sacrificed their chastity to vengeance or a beloved cause．They even spoke in veiled terms of that great English family which allowed one of its women to be inoculated with a horrible and contagious disease in order to transmit it to Bonaparte，who was miraculously saved by a sudden illness at the hour of the fatal rendezvous．

And all this was related in an agreeable，temperate fashion，except as it was enlivened by the enthusiasm deemed proper to excite emulation．

One might finally have believed that the sole duty of woman here below was a sacrifice of her person，and a continual abandonment to soldierly caprices．

The two good sisters seemed not to hear，lost as they were in profound thought．Ball－of－Fat said nothing．