And all this was told without overstepping the bounds of propriety
and moderation, with her and there a studied manifestation of
enthusiasm intended to provoke emulation.

In the end one would have been led to believe that the only mission
of woman on this earth was a perpetual sacrifice of her person, a
continual offering of herself to the caprices of enemy soldiers.

The two nuns did not seem to hear this conversation, lost as they
were in their own deep thoughts. Boule de Suif was silent.

The whole afternoon she was left to herself. But instead of
calling her "Madame" as they had done so far, they addressed her
as mademoiselle, nobody knew why, as if they wanted to lower her
one step in their esteem, which she had escaladed, and make her
feel her shameful situation.

While soup was being served, Mr. Follenvie reappeared and repeated
his sentence of the day before:--"The Prussian Officer sends me to
inquire whether Mademoiselle Elizabeth Rousset has not yet changed
her mind?"

Boule de Suif replied curtly: "No, Sir."

But at dinner the coalition weakened. Loiseau spoke three unfortunate
sentences. Each was racking his brains to find new examples and
did not find any, when the Countess, possibly without premeditation,
prompted by a vague desire to render homage to religion, questioned
the elder of the two nuns about the most noteworthy deeds in the