had a child being brought up by peasants in Yvetot. She did not
see it even once a year and never gave it a thought; but the idea
of the one that was going to be baptized developed a sudden and
violent tenderness for her own and she insisted absolutely on going
to the ceremony.

As soon as she was gone, those who remained looked at each other,
and drew their chairs closer, for they felt that in the end they had
to take some decision.--Loiseau had an inspiration: he suggested
that they should propose to the officer to keep Boule de Suif only
and let the others go.

Mr. Follenvie undertook again to convey the message, but he came
down almost immediately. The German, who knew human nature, had
kicked him out of his room. He meant to keep everybody as long as
his wishes had not been complied with.

Then the vulgar temper of Madame Loiseau broke loose:--"And yet
we are not going to die of old age here! Since it is that vixen's
trade to carry it on with all men, I think that she has no right to
refuse one rather than another. Imagine, she has taken all that
she found in Rouen, even coachmen, yes, Madame, the coachman of
the Prefecture; I know it for a fact, because he buys his wine of
us. And now that it is a question of getting us out of trouble,
she is putting on virtuous airs, the drab! I find that the Officer
behaves very well. Possibly he may have abstained for a long time,
and here we are three of us whom he certainly would have preferred.
But no, he is satisfied with the girl who is public property. He
respects married women. Think of it, he is the master here. All
that he had to do was to say: 'I want' and he might have taken us