questioned, solicited by everybody to reveal the mystery of her
visit. First she resisted, but soon exasperation got the best of
her.--"What he wants?...what he wants?.... He wants me to keep
company with him," she exclaimed. Nobody was shocked by this
revelation, so great was their indignation. Cornudet broke his
jug as he banged it down on the table. There was a general clamor
of reprobation against the ignoble soldier, a waive of anger, a
combination of all for resistance as if each one of the party had
been called upon to make the sacrifice demanded of Boule de Suif.
The Count declared just like the barbarians in ancient times. The
women specially showed Boule de Suif an affectionate and energetic
commiseration. The good sisters who showed up only at meal time,
had bowed their heads and said nothing.

They dined however as soon as the first furor had abated, but they
spoke little.

The ladies retired early; and the men, while smoking, organized a
game of ecarte and invited Mr. Follenvie to join them, because they
wanted to question him skillfully as to the means to be used to
overcome the Officer's resistance. but he had his mind concentrated
on the cards; he did not hear anything, did not answer anything, and
kept on repeating: "Attend to the game, Gentlemen! attend to the
game!"--His attention was so tense that he even forgot to expectorate,
which produced at times a wheezing in his chest like the sounds of
an organ. His whistling lungs gave out every note of the asthmatic
scale from the deep and hollow tones up to the shrill crowing of
young roosters trying to sing.

He even refused to go up when his wife, overcome with sleep, came