It had been a stag dinner. These men still came together once in a while
without their wives as they had done when they were bachelors. They
would eat for a long time, drink for a long time; they would talk of
everything, stir up those old and joyful memories which bring a smile to
the lip and a tremor to the heart. One of them was saying: “Georges, do
you remember our excursion to Saint-Germain with those two little girls
from Montmartre?”
“I should say I do!”
And a little detail here or there would be remembered, and all these
things brought joy to the hearts.
The conversation turned on marriage, and each one said with a sincere
air: “Oh, if it were to do over again!” Georges Duportin added: “It's
strange how easily one falls into it. You have fully decided never to
marry; and then, in the springtime, you go to the country; the weather
is warm; the summer is beautiful; the fields are full of flowers; you
meet a young girl at some friend's house--crash! all is over. You return
married!”
Pierre Letoile exclaimed: “Correct! that is exactly my case, only there
were some peculiar incidents--”
His friend interrupted him: “As for you, you have no cause to complain.
You have the most charming wife in the world, pretty, amiable, perfect!
You are undoubtedly the happiest one of us all.”
The other one continued: “It's not my fault.”
“How so?”
“It is true that I have a perfect wife, but I certainly married her much
against my will.”
“Nonsense!”
“Yes--this is the adventure. I was thirty-five, and I had no more idea
of marrying than I had of hanging myself. Young girls seemed to me to be
inane, and I loved pleasure.
“During the month of May I was invited to the wedding of my cousin,
Simon d'Erabel, in Normandy. It was a regular Normandy wedding. We sat
down at the table at five o'clock in the evening and at eleven o'clock
we were still eating. I had been paired off, for the occasion, with a
Mademoiselle Dumoulin, daughter of a retired colonel, a young, blond,
soldierly person, well formed, frank and talkative. She took complete
possession of me for the whole day, dragged me into the park, made me
dance willy-nilly, bored me to death. I said to myself: 'That's all very
well for to-day, but tomorrow I'll get out. That's all there is to it!'
“Toward eleven o'clock at night the women retired to their rooms; the
men stayed, smoking while they drank or drinking while they smoked,
whichever you will.
“Through the open window we could see the country folks dancing. Farmers
and peasant girls were jumping about in a circle yelling at the top of
their lungs a dance air which was feebly accompanied by two violins and
a clarinet. The wild song of the peasants often completely drowned
the sound of the instruments, and the weak music, interrupted by
the unrestrained voices, seemed to come to us in little fragments of
scattered notes. Two enormous casks, surrounded by flaming torches,
contained drinks for the crowd. Two men were kept busy rinsing the
glasses or bowls in a bucket and immediately holding them under the
spigots, from which flowed the red stream of wine or the golden stream
of pure cider; and the parched dancers, the old ones quietly, the girls
panting, came up, stretched out their arms and grasped some receptacle,
threw back their heads and poured down their throats the drink which
they preferred. On a table were bread, butter, cheese and sausages. Each
one would step up from time to time and swallow a mouthful, and under
the starlit sky this healthy and violent exercise was a pleasing sight,
and made one also feel like drinking from these enormous casks and
eating the crisp bread and butter with a raw onion.
“A mad desire seized me to take part in this merrymaking, and I left my
companions. I must admit that I was probably a little tipsy, but I was
soon entirely so.
“I grabbed the hand of a big, panting peasant woman and I jumped her
about until I was out of breath.
“Then I drank some wine and reached for another girl. In order to
refresh myself afterward, I swallowed a bowlful of cider, and I began to
bounce around as if possessed.
“I was very light on my feet. The boys, delighted, were watching me and
trying to imitate me; the girls all wished to dance with me, and jumped
about heavily with the grace of cows.
“After each dance I drank a glass of wine or a glass of cider, and
toward two o'clock in the morning I was so drunk that I could hardly
stand up.
“I realized my condition and tried to reach my room. Everybody was
asleep and the house was silent and dark.
“I had no matches and everybody was in bed. As soon as I reached the
vestibule I began to, feel dizzy. I had a lot of trouble to find the
banister. At last, by accident, my hand came in contact with it, and I
sat down on the first step of the stairs in order to try to gather my
scattered wits.
“My room was on the second floor; it was the third door to the left.
Fortunately I had not forgotten that. Armed with this knowledge, I
arose, not without difficulty, and I began to ascend, step by step. In
my hands I firmly gripped the iron railing in order not to fall, and
took great pains to make no noise.
“Only three or four times did my foot miss the steps, and I went down
on my knees; but thanks to the energy of my arms and the strength of my
will, I avoided falling completely.
“At last I reached the second floor and I set out in my journey along
the hall, feeling my way by the walls. I felt one door; I counted:
'One'; but a sudden dizziness made me lose my hold on the wall, make a
strange turn and fall up against the other wall. I wished to turn in a
straight line: The crossing was long and full of hardships. At last I
reached the shore, and, prudently, I began to travel along again until
I met another door. In order to be sure to make no mistake, I again
counted out loud: 'Two.' I started out on my walk again. At last I found
the third door. I said: 'Three, that's my room,' and I turned the knob.
The door opened. Notwithstanding my befuddled state, I thought: 'Since
the door opens, this must be home.' After softly closing the door,
I stepped out in the darkness. I bumped against something soft: my
easy-chair. I immediately stretched myself out on it.
“In my condition it would not have been wise to look for my bureau, my
candles, my matches. It would have taken me at least two hours. It would
probably have taken me that long also to undress; and even then I might
not have succeeded. I gave it up.
“I only took my shoes off; I unbuttoned my waistcoat, which was choking
me, I loosened my trousers and went to sleep.
“This undoubtedly lasted for a long time. I was suddenly awakened by a
deep voice which was saying: 'What, you lazy girl, still in bed? It's
ten o'clock!'
“A woman's voice answered: 'Already! I was so tired yesterday.'
“In bewilderment I wondered what this dialogue meant. Where was I? What
had I done? My mind was wandering, still surrounded by a heavy fog. The
first voice continued: 'I'm going to raise your curtains.'
“I heard steps approaching me. Completely at a loss what to do, I sat
up. Then a hand was placed on my head. I started. The voice asked: 'Who
is there?' I took good care not to answer. A furious grasp seized me.
I in turn seized him, and a terrific struggle ensued. We were rolling
around, knocking over the furniture and crashing against the walls. A
woman's voice was shrieking: 'Help! help!'
“Servants, neighbors, frightened women crowded around us. The blinds
were open and the shades drawn. I was struggling with Colonel Dumoulin.
“I had slept beside his daughter's bed!
“When we were separated, I escaped to my room, dumbfounded. I locked
myself in and sat down with my feet on a chair, for my shoes had been
left in the young girl's room.
“I heard a great noise through the whole house, doors being opened and
closed, whisperings and rapid steps.
“After half an hour some one knocked on my door. I cried: 'Who is
there?' It was my uncle, the bridegroom's father. I opened the door:
“He was pale and furious, and he treated me harshly: 'You have behaved
like a scoundrel in my house, do you hear?' Then he added more gently
'But, you young fool, why the devil did you let yourself get caught at
ten o'clock in the morning? You go to sleep like a log in that room,
instead of leaving immediately--immediately after.'
“I exclaimed: 'But, uncle, I assure you that nothing occurred. I was
drunk and got into the wrong room.'
“He shrugged his shoulders! 'Don't talk nonsense.' I raised my hand,
exclaiming: 'I swear to you on my honor.' My uncle continued: 'Yes,
that's all right. It's your duty to say that.'
“I in turn grew angry and told him the whole unfortunate occurrence. He
looked at me with a bewildered expression, not knowing what to believe.
Then he went out to confer with the colonel.
“I heard that a kind of jury of the mothers had been formed, to which
were submitted the different phases of the situation.
“He came back an hour later, sat down with the dignity of a judge and
began: 'No matter what may be the situation, I can see only one way out
of it for you; it is to marry Mademoiselle Dumoulin.'
“I bounded out of the chair, crying: 'Never! never!'
“Gravely he asked: 'Well, what do you expect to do?'
“I answered simply: 'Why--leave as soon as my shoes are returned to me.'
“My uncle continued: 'Please do not jest. The colonel has decided to
blow your brains out as soon as he sees you. And you may be sure that he
does not threaten idly. I spoke of a duel and he answered: “No, I tell
you that I will blow his brains out.”'
“'Let us now examine the question from another point of view. Either you
have misbehaved yourself--and then so much the worse for you, my boy;
one should not go near a young girl--or else, being drunk, as you say,
you made a mistake in the room. In this case, it's even worse for you.
You shouldn't get yourself into such foolish situations. Whatever you
may say, the poor girl's reputation is lost, for a drunkard's excuses
are never believed. The only real victim in the matter is the girl.
Think it over.'
“He went away, while I cried after him: 'Say what you will, I'll not
marry her!'
“I stayed alone for another hour. Then my aunt came. She was crying. She
used every argument. No one believed my story. They could not imagine
that this young girl could have forgotten to lock her door in a house
full of company. The colonel had struck her. She had been crying the
whole morning. It was a terrible and unforgettable scandal. And my good
aunt added: 'Ask for her hand, anyhow. We may, perhaps, find some way
out of it when we are drawing up the papers.'
“This prospect relieved me. And I agreed to write my proposal. An hour
later I left for Paris. The following day I was informed that I had been
accepted.
“Then, in three weeks, before I had been able to find any excuse, the
banns were published, the announcement sent out, the contract signed,
and one Monday morning I found myself in a church, beside a weeping
young girl, after telling the magistrate that I consented to take her as
my companion--for better, for worse.
“I had not seen her since my adventure, and I glanced at her out of the
corner of my eye with a certain malevolent surprise. However, she was
not ugly--far from it. I said to myself: 'There is some one who won't
laugh every day.'
“She did not look at me once until, the evening, and she did not say a
single word.
“Toward the middle of the night I entered the bridal chamber with the
full intention of letting her know my resolutions, for I was now master.
I found her sitting in an armchair, fully dressed, pale and with red
eyes. As soon as I entered she rose and came slowly toward me saying:
'Monsieur, I am ready to do whatever you may command. I will kill myself
if you so desire.'
“The colonel's daughter was as pretty as she could be in this heroic
role. I kissed her; it was my privilege.
“I soon saw that I had not got a bad bargain. I have now been married
five years. I do not regret it in the least.”
Pierre Letoile was silent. His companions were laughing. One of them
said: “Marriage is indeed a lottery; you must never choose your numbers.
The haphazard ones are the best.”
Another added by way of conclusion: “Yes, but do not forget that the god
of drunkards chose for Pierre.”