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项链 The Necklace(第1页)

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项链TheNecklace

居伊·德·莫泊桑GuydeMaupassant

Shewasohoseprettyandggirlsborn,asthoughfatehadblunderedoverher,intoafamilyofartisans。Shehadneportioions,nomeaingkood,loved,andweddedbyamahanddistindsheletherselfbemarriedofftoalittletheMinistryofEdu。

&esweresimplebecauseshehadoaffordasheyasthoughshehadmarriedbehher;forwomeeorclass,theirbeauty,gradcharmservingthemforbirthorfamily。Theirheirinstiheir,aretheironlymarkofrank,andputtheslumgirlohehighestladyintheland。

Shesufferedendlessly,feelingherselfbornforeverydelidluxury。Shesufferedfromthepoornessofherhouse,fromitsmeanwalls,wlys。Allthesethings,ofwhienofherclasswouldnotevenhavebeeedahesightofthelittleBretongirlwhocametodotheworkilehousearousedheart-brretsandhopelessdreamsinhermind。Sheimagiechambers,heavywithorieries,litbytorloftybrohtwofallfootmeninknee-breechessleepinginlargearm-ebytheheavywarmthofthestove。Sheimagisaloonshungwithantiquesilks,exquisitepiecesoffuringprients,andsmall,g,perfumedrooms,createdjustforlittlepartiesofintimatefriends,menwhowerefamousandsoughtafter,whosehomagerousedeveryotherwoman'senviouslongings。

&downfordiheroundtablecoveredwithathree-day-oldcloth,oppositeherhusband,whotookthecoveroffthesoup-tureen,exgdelightedly,"Aha!Scotchbroth!Whatcouldbebetter?"sheimagiemeals,gleamiriespeoplingthewallswithfolkofapastageandstrangebirdsis;sheimagiefoodservedinmarvellousdishes,murmuredgallaehaninscrutablesmileasoherosyfleshoftrsus。

Shehadnoojewels,nothing。Aheonlythingssheloved;shefeltthatshewasmadeforthem。Shehadloocharm,tobedesired,tobewildlyattradsoughtafter。

Shehadarid,anoldschoolfriendwhomsherefusedtovisit,becauseshesufferedsokeeurnedhome。Sheholedays,withgrief,regret,despair,andmisery。

Oneeveningherhusbahaair,holdingalargeenvelopeinhishand。

"Here'ssomethingforyou。"hesaid。

Swiftlyshetorethepaperaaprintedwhichwerethesewords:

&erofEduadameRampohepleasureoftheonsieurandMadameLoiselattheMinistryontheeveningofMonday,Jah。

Insteadofbeied,asherhusbandhoped,shefluiolyacrossthetable,murmuring:

"Whatdoyouwaodowiththis?"

"Why,darling,Ithoughtyou'dbepleased。Yoout,andthisisagreato。Ihadtremendoustroubletogetit。Everyoso'sveryseledveryfewgototheclerks。You'llseeallthereallybigpeoplethere。"

Shelookedathimoutoffuriouseyes,andsaidimpatiently:"AndwhatdoyousupposeIamtowearatsuaffair?"

&thoughtaboutit;hestammered:

"Why,thedressyougotothetheatrein。Itlooksveryome。。。"

&opped,stupefiedaalosswhehiswifewasbeginningtocry。Twetearsranslowlydownfromtheersofhereyestowardstheouth。

"What'sthematterwithyou?What'sthematterwithyou?"hefaltered。

Butwithaviolesheovercamehergriefandrepliedinacalmvoigherwetcheeks:

"Nothing。OadressandsoI'tgotiveyourinvitationtosomefriendofyoursillbeturhanIshall。"

Hewasheart-broken。

"Lookhere,Mathilde,"hepersisted。"Whatwouldbethecostofasuitabledress,whichyoucoulduseonotherosaswell,somethingverysimple?"

&forseveralseds,reguppridalsfeasumshecouldaskwithuponherselfaerefusalaionofhorrorfromthecareful-mindedclerk。

Atlastsherepliedwithsomehesitation:

"Idon'tkly,butIthinkIcoulddoitonfourhundredfrancs。"

Hegrewslightlypale,forthiswasexactlytheamounthehadbeensavingfuogetalittleshootisummerontheplaihsomefrielark-shootingthereonSundays。

&helesshesaid,"Verywell。I'llgiveyoufourhundredfrancs。Buttryaareallyhemo;

&hepartydrewnear,andMadameLoiselseemedsad,uneasyandanxious。Herdresswasready,however。Oneeveningherhusbandsaidtoher:

"What'sthematterwithyou?You'vebeenveryoddforthelastthreedays。"

"I'mutterlymiserableatnothaviasiowear,"shereplied。"Ishalllookabsolutelynoone。Iwouldalmototheparty。"

"Wearflowers,"hesaid。"They'reverysmartatthistimeoftheyear。Fortenfrancsyoucouldgettweousroses。"

&ced。

"No。。。there'snothingsohumiliatingaslookingpoorinthemiddleofalotofrien。"

"Howstupidyouare!"exclaimedherhusband,"GoandseeMadameForestieraolendyousomejewels。Youkewellenoughforthat。"

&eredacryofdelight。"That'strue。Iofit。"

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