Ball of Suet: Selected Short Stories by Maupassant

Chapter 3 Balls of Suet (2)
Sitting next to the couple was the most respectable M. Carré-Lamadon.He belonged to a noble class, and in the cotton trade he was a man of great importance, not only the owner of three mills, but also a recipient of the Fourth Class of the Legion of Honor and a member of the Provincial Assembly.Throughout the Empire period, referring to the Second French Empire (1852-1870), he was the leader of the well-intentioned opposition.According to his own statement, he only fights with a sword without a blade, attacking the opponent first, and then echoing a few times in order to ask for a high price.Madame Carré-Lamadon was much younger than Carré-Ramadon, and was always a consolation to the well-born officers stationed at Rouen.

Mrs. Carré-Lamadon sat opposite her husband. She looked so lovely and beautiful. Her petite body was curled up in a fur coat, and she watched everything in the carriage with slightly sad eyes.

Next to Madame Carré-Lamadon were the Comtesse Hubert de Bréville, whose surname is the oldest in Normandy.It is also one of the most noble surnames.Count Hubert was a tall old gentleman.He always tried to use his attire to emphasize his resemblance to King Henry IV.There was a legend, which had honored their family, that the king had impregnated a lady of the Brevilles, and her husband thus became earl and governor.

The Comte de Bréville was a colleague of M. Carré-Ramadon in the provincial assembly, but he represented the Orléans faction in the department.The marriage story of Count Hubert and the daughter of a small ship owner in Nantes is full of mystery.However, due to the grandeur of the countess' gestures, she always treats people just right.She was rumored to have been loved by one of the sons of Louis-Philippe, King of France 1830-1848, and the whole aristocracy was therefore extremely enthusiastic about her.Her salon is also second to none in the local area, only the one she hosts still maintains the elegance of the past, but it is not easy to get into it.

The Brevilles are quite wealthy, but they are all real estates. It is said that the annual income of these real estates can reach 50 francs, which is an attractive figure.

The above six people are the main characters in the car, and they have one thing in common, that is, they are relatively rich.They come from a calm and powerful class of society, belonging to the religious and morally upbringing of the upper class.Of course, they are also a class with rights.

It so happened that the three ladies were sitting on a bench.There are also two nuns on the other side of the countess.They were counting long rosary beads and muttering the Our Father, the most famous prayer in Christianity.It is composed of the words of the Angels greeting the Virgin, the words of the cousin Lisa praising the Virgin, and the prayers added by the church in the sixteenth century.The older one's face was pockmarked, as if he'd been hit head-on by a hail of shotgun bullets.The wall of the projectile is thin, and it contains black explosives and small shot or steel balls. The warhead is equipped with a timed fuze, which can explode over and near the predetermined target, killing dense enemy troops.The younger one looked emaciated, with a handsome but sickly face, and she looked as if she had consumption.It was the cannibal belief that had made her a saint of mutilation corrupted it.

Opposite the two nuns, a man and a woman attract everyone's attention.

The man was the well-known democrat--Cornid, who was a danger to decent people. For 20 years, his red-brown beard touched the beer mugs in every democratic coffee shop.His father was a former confectioner and so left him a very substantial inheritance.But he and his brothers and friends quickly devoured this inheritance and waited impatiently for the republic to finally achieve a status commensurate with the amount of beer he had drunk for the democratic revolution.On September 9th, someone may have made a joke with him, saying that he was appointed as the governor, and he really believed it, thinking that he had been appointed as the governor.So he took care of everything from top to bottom, and then took office.As a result, the staff in the office did not recognize him, so he had to retreat in despair.Although such a joke was made, it did not affect that he was a kind and enthusiastic young man, and he was always enthusiastic and helpful.Therefore he always organizes the local defense with the greatest enthusiasm.He organized people to dig some holes on the flat ground, cut down all the small trees in the nearby woods, and set traps on all the roads.He is very satisfied with the preparation he has done.When the enemy approached, he immediately returned to the city with excitement.Now he thinks he will be able to use his abilities better in Le Havre, where new fortifications are needed.

The woman is also a well-known figure—a prostitute.She was notorious for gaining weight prematurely, earning her the nickname "Ball of Fat" which was more realistic.Ball-of-Fat is not tall, round and round everywhere, very fat, even the fingers are very fleshy, but they are tightly strangled by the knuckles, and the shiny skin is taut, so it looks like a bunch of short legs. sausage.Two huge breasts protruded from the top.However, she is always coveted and chased because she is so bright and pleasing to the eye.Her face looked like a red apple, and like a peony flower in bud.Her beautiful dark eyes were flickering, shadowed by long, thick lashes.Her small mouth seemed to be born for kisses, charming and moist.Her teeth were bright and small.

In addition, people say that she has all kinds of qualities that cannot be evaluated.

When she was first recognized, those so-called decent women whispered among each other, and words like "prostitute" and "social disgrace" came out of their mouths from time to time.Such talk made her look up.She scanned the people in the car with provocative and fearless eyes, so the car was immediately silent, and the gossipers all lowered their eyes and lowered their heads.The only exception is Loiseau, who has been in a state of excitement, and has been peeping at Ball-of-Fat in fascination.

But it didn't take long for the three ladies to talk again. In the presence of this courtesan, Ball-of-Fat, the three of them became friends at once, and they were close friends.In their view, facing this woman who shamelessly sells her body for a living, they should show the dignity of being a good family woman and the sense of superiority of being a wife, because legal love under the law is more important than human love. Free love is always sniffy.

The three men, too, had Cornid's presence, and a conservative instinct brought them close together, and they talked about money in a tone of great superiority.Count Hubert spoke of the damage the Prussians had caused him, of the loss of his harvest and the theft of his cattle, with the air of a great lord of millions, without hesitation, because he thought these The disaster had affected him for only a year or so.M. Carré-Ramadon was clearly on the alert.Because he had suffered a severe blow in the cotton textile industry, he was on guard this time and had remitted [-] francs to England for emergency needs.Loiseau was quicker to act, and had already managed to sell all the bad wine left in the cellar to the French military commissary, so that the country owed him a large sum of money, which he now only hoped to get in Le Havre. in hand.

Although the identities of the three people are different, due to the relationship of money, they exchanged quick and friendly glances with each other.They felt that they could already call each other brothers, because they had one thing in common, they were both rich.Both belonged to the man who could jingle gold coins by sticking his hand in his trouser pocket, and both belonged to the Grand Freemasonry.a member of the

Owing to the condition of the road, the carriage traveled very slowly, and by ten o'clock in the morning it had covered less than four leagues.In order to reduce the burden on the car, the men got out of the car three times and walked up the hill.Gradually everyone began to worry, because it seemed impossible to reach Toth before midnight, where they were supposed to have lunch.Everyone was watching to see if there was a tavern on the side of the road or something, and in the middle of their anxiety, the carriage got stuck in a snow hole and it took two hours to pull it out.

Everyone was feeling more and more hungry, and the hunger was disturbing everyone, but there was not a single restaurant or tavern in sight.The approach of the Prussians and the passing of the hungry French army have already scared away businessmen of all walks of life.

The men got out of their cars and ran to the farms on the side of the road to look for food to satisfy their hunger, but they couldn't even find half a piece of bread, because the soldiers would go to the farms to snatch them if they had nothing to eat, so the suspicious farmers had already put them away. Stockpiles of food are hidden.

Around 1 o'clock in the afternoon, Loiseau complained that his stomach was too hungry.In fact, everyone, like him, had been starving for a long time, and their desire for food was getting stronger and stronger, so hungry that they didn't even have the interest to talk.

In this silent atmosphere, as long as one person yawns, the others will be infected immediately, so everyone yawns in turn.It is also very interesting to watch them yawn. Everyone has different personalities, upbringing and social status, and the way of yawning is also different. cover up.

Ball-of-Fat bent several times, as if looking for something under the skirt.She hesitated and looked at the people on both sides. Those people looked pale and looked miserable, so she straightened up as if nothing had happened.Loiseau offered to pay a thousand francs for an elbow.But his wife immediately made a gesture of disapproval, and Loiseau said nothing more.Loiseau's wife was always so heartbroken at the idea of ​​wasting money that she was willing to listen to money-related jokes.The count said: "I feel a little uncomfortable. Why didn't I think of bringing some food?" Everyone blamed themselves and regretted it.

When everyone was frowning, Cornid took out a gourd full of rum.He enthusiastically invited everyone to drink, except for Loiseau, who took two sips, and everyone refused coldly.When returning the gourd, he expressed his gratitude: "This wine tastes really good, it's much warmer after drinking, and you can chat to satisfy your hunger." Loiseau was obviously in a much better mood after drinking, jokingly, Proposal to eat the fattest tourists like the folk song about the boat.This was an obvious allusion to Ball-of-Fat, which made these so-called educated people uncomfortable.Everyone kept silent, only Cornid praised with both hands.The two nuns stopped chanting, and sat there motionless with their hands covered in their wide sleeves, their eyes downcast and silent. They were probably praying for the pain that God sent to them as a dedication to God.

About three o'clock, the car came out on an endless plain, where not even a village could be seen.Ball-of-Fat finally bent down again, and quickly pulled out a large basket from under the bench, covered with a clean white napkin.

She took out a small ceramic dish and a delicate silver cup from the basket, and then took out a large pot, which contained two sliced ​​roast chickens with a layer of frozen juice on them.Everyone saw that there were many good things under the napkin, including minced meat, fruit, and some desserts, enough for a three-day trip, and there was no need to look for food at all.At the same time, four bottlenecks emerged from the food package.She tore off a chicken wing and ate it bite by bite with a small bun known in Normandy as a regency.

All eyes were drawn to it.The diffuse aroma makes people salivate, and the jaws under the ears are spasming painfully.At this moment the ladies' contempt for Ball-of-Fat was at its height, and it was tempting to kill her, or throw her, with her glasses, basket, and provisions, from the wagon into the snow below.

Loiseau's eyes remained greedily fixed on the chicken jar.He murmured: "It's great, some people are always very thoughtful about problems. This lady has more foresight than us." After hearing this, Ball-of-Fat raised his head and said to him: "Sir, would you like some Is it really hard to be hungry since the morning.” Loiseau nodded, he glanced around and said, “It’s true, I’m too hungry, so I’m welcome. During the war, I don’t care so much Don’t you, ladies?” Then he added: “In this situation, I’m very lucky to meet people who are willing to help.” So Loiseau spread out a newspaper in his hand, and with his pocket The tip of a pocketknife he brought poked a chicken leg covered in frozen sauce, and he began to chew slowly.Accompanied by helpless sighs sounded in the carriage, he ate with relish.

Then Ball-of-Fat asked the two nuns to share her food in a gentle voice.They accepted it immediately, and after mumbled a few words of thanks, they ate quickly without even raising their eyelids.Cornid, who was sitting next to her, did not refuse Ball-of-Fat's invitation. He and the two nuns spread the newspaper on their knees to form a dining table, and immediately started eating.

The mouths that get food are constantly opening and closing.Loiseau gobbled it up in a corner, quietly telling his wife to do the same.His wife hesitated for a while, but finally, tortured by hunger, agreed.Loiseau politely asked their "lovely companion", Ball de Suif, if he could give his wife a small piece of chicken.Ball-of-Fat smiled kindly and said, "Of course." He handed over the jar.

The first bottle of Bordeaux was opened, sadly with only one glass.So everyone had to pass the cups around, and everyone was very elegant, just wiping the rims of the cups when they drank.Cornid was the only one who didn't care about trifles, and deliberately touched the place on the rim of the glass that had been moistened by Ball-of-Fat's lips when he drank.

Everyone is busy putting things into their mouths, and the air is filled with the aroma of food and the temptation to drink.Only the Countess of Breville and the Carré-Ramadon couple still refused to let go of their airs, pretending to be noble and reserved, while enduring the irresistible temptation of food.While everyone was busy, the young and beautiful wife of the owner of the textile factory suddenly let out a "ah—" and everyone stopped moving and looked at her: her face was as white as the snow outside, her eyes As soon as he closed his head, he tilted his head to the side and passed out.Her husband panicked and begged for help.But people don't know what to do.In a crisis, the old nun quickly lifted the beautiful little woman's head, put the only wine glass full of wine that Ball-of-Fat had to her lips, and let her drink a little wine.The effect was obvious, and the pretty woman slowly opened her eyes and smiled, saying in a weak voice that she was "feeling better."To keep the beautiful woman from fainting, the old nun gave her a full glass of Bordeaux.And said affirmatively: "I must be hungry, there is nothing wrong."

Hearing what the old nun said, Ball of Fat blushed immediately, feeling very embarrassed and guilty, looked at the two hungry couples and said, "God, if I take the liberty of inviting these gentlemen and wives... I don't know... "She didn't finish her sentence, she must be afraid of being insulted because of it.However, at this time Loiseau spoke: "Aha, of course it's no problem. In this case, everyone is a brother and should help each other. Well, well, gentlemen and ladies, you are welcome Now, hurry up and eat, what the hell! I don’t know if we can find a house for the night? But judging from the current speed, we may not be able to reach Toth before noon tomorrow.” Even so, the two couples The couple still hesitated, neither of them willing to nod first and say the word "okay" for fear of risking their personal responsibility by saying the word.In the end, it was Count Breville who took the lead to solve the problem.He turned to the frightened fat girl, Ball-of-Fat, put on the airs of a gentleman, and said to her with an extreme sense of superiority: "We accept and thank you for your invitation, madam."

Now that the problem has been solved and the most difficult first step has been taken, everyone enjoys it happily.Everything in the basket was taken out. In addition to the food mentioned earlier, there were minced foie gras, minced skylark, smoked strips, pears from Crassana, the capital of Calvados, the capital of the Bishop Bridge in northern France, is Part of Normandy, known for its cheese production.Cheese cubes, various small cakes, and a cup full of pickled cucumbers and onions.Just like other women, Suet Qiu's favorite food is vegetables and fruits.

Since they ate from this prostitute, everyone had to talk to her.So everyone chatted without saying a word. At first, they were restrained and reserved. Later, when they saw that she behaved well and spoke softly, they became casual.Madame de Bréville and Madame Carré-Lamadon, both men of the world, seemed at once gracious and dignified.The countess was especially special, she had the amiable sense of superiority of the most noble ladies all over her body, no matter who she came into contact with, it seemed impossible to tarnish their nobility.And the robust Madame Loiseau, with her innate gendarme spirit, always with a domineering vibe, is the epitome of those who talk less and eat more.

(End of this chapter)